COLLECTIVE MADNESS Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people." Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 23:51 Senior Supreme Court advocate Rajeev Dhavan today called it quits after what he described as a "humiliating end" to the sensational Delhi government-Centre dispute case. In a letter addressed to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, the 74-year-old lawyer said he had decided to give up court practice. "After the humiliating end to the Delhi case, I have decided to give up court practice. You are entitled to take back the senior gown conferred on me, though I would like to keep it for memory and the services rendered," read the letter. When contacted, Dhavan refused to speak on the issue. The surprise announcement comes days after the apex court reserved its verdict on the Delhi-Centre case, i.e whether the Lieutenant Governor or the Delhi government enjoys supremacy in the administration of the national capital. On December 6, just before the conclusion of the hearing in the case, heated exchanges were witnessed between the Chief Justice and Dhavan. The senior lawyer was appearing for the Delhi government in the case besides their lead counsel Gopal Subramanium. In the Delhi-Centre dispute hearing, Dhavan had made some submissions which were not appreciated by the bench. "Come what may, shouting in the courtroom will not be tolerated at any cost," the CJI had observed. Besides the Delhi-Centre case, Dhavan has represented a number of high-profile cases like the Babri-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute, SEBI-Sahara, Rohingya refugees among others. -- PTI Becoming visible - Adania Flemming The University of Florida's Florida Museum of Natural History celebrated 100 years of inspiring people to care about life on Earth in 2017. To mark the closing of an era and the beginning of a new century, UF News profiled three Florida Museum women who are shaping the research institution's future and breaking the cycle of stereotypes and misconceptions in the world of science. With modern tools like social media and podcasts, they continue the work of past and current museum women, who have fought for equality in their fields and for the visibility of women in science. A visitor takes pictures at the Nelson Mandela National Museum in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, on Dec. 4, 2014. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) by Ndumiso Mlilo JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's National Heritage Council (NHC) has called on the country's black historians to make an effort to correct the distortions of history in some books by white historians. This was said on Friday night by the NHC CEO Advocate Sonwabile Mancotywa at the launch of Black Sacrifice, a book about British warship SS Mendi which sank in 1917, killing 646 soldiers with the majority being black South Africans. The book was written by Gladstone Sandi Baai who passed away in 2012 after submitting the manuscript to the NHC. Mancotywa said the book is the first one written by a black scholar about the sunken troopship. "This book will remove some distortions and contradictions about SS Mendi by white scholars. We do not know a lot about ourselves. This is the decolonization of the African heritage narrative and participation of the Africans in the World War I," said Mancotywa. He said South Africans were recruited as slaves and laborers and used as soldiers in some wars which were not theirs. Mancotywa said Africans were segregated when fighting alongside the British while they also staged their own in the ship. He said about 150 wars were fought against the British and called on that to be documented. Jeanny Morulane, general manager of the Constitutional Hill, one of the country's heritage sites, agreed that history needs to be corrected to tell the true story about the black participation in the World War I and local ones against the colonizers. "The sinking of the SS Mendi remains one of the worst tragedies of World War I. We continue to mourn as South Africa and many generations to come will do so. There was no compensation by the British for the loss of the black, some who had never seen the sea," she said. Professor Muxe Nkondo said there had been a fundamental antagonism between Africans and the Europeans, and liberation movements in the continent have failed to address it. Nkondo said Europe failed to apologize and compensate Africans for their sacrifice in fighting their (European) wars. He said there are still many questions about why and how the ship sank because some lies were peddled about it. Another South African scholar Nomboniso Gasa Gasa said there is a frosty relationship between Africa and Europe. She criticized some white historians for mysticizing the tragedy, blaming the blacks for doing death rituals before the sinking. "These are not closed chapters, black historians should continue researching and write the correct history. The SS Mendi is more than a historian's memory, it shows the border interaction of Africa and Europe and the entire colonial history and the annihilation of the African people," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 01:12:10|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close PARIS, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has recalled that France disapproved the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move its embassy there. Macron made the remarks in a telephone meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the French presidency said in a press release on Sunday. "France has reaffirmed its commitment to international law and respect for UN Security Council resolutions, and Jerusalem is destined to be the capital of two states, Israel and Palestine, in ways that it will be up to the Palestinians and Israelis to define by negotiation," said the release. Macron also stressed the need to "avoid negative repercussions throughout the region and to contribute to appeasement... to restore prospects for peace," it added. U.S. President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and decided to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 01:52:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BUDAPEST, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The overwhelming majority of Hungarians rejected the so-called "Soros plan", according to the partial results of a national consultation, Minister of State for Government Communication Bence Tuzson told here on Sunday. "This consultation has been the most successful of all time, more than 2.3 million people responded, and until Dec. 7, we looked at 1.5 million letters returned: almost all Hungarians said no to the reception in Europe of one million refugees per year, as part of the Soros plan," Tuzson told before journalists. "The Hungarians have also said no to the mandatory relocation quotas and the dismantling of the fence that defends our borders," Tuzson added. The Hungarian government in October launched a national consultation on an alleged "Soros plan" for mass immigration to the EU. At the end of November, American billionaire of Hungarian origin George Soros refuted point-by-point the allegations made against him by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, accusing him of spreading "false" information with an "anti-Semitic" tone. Soros, who funds rights NGOs around the world, has become one of Orban's main enemies, who has also attacked NGOs, accusing them of intervening in Hungarian domestic politics in favor of Soros. On Thursday, the European Commission took three Eastern European countries, including Hungary, to the European top court for refusing their refugee quotas in the last two years. In addition, the Commission also referred Hungary to the EU Court of Justice over its controversial law on NGOs that also, according to critics, target George Soros. Soros is also the founder of the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest, a prestigious English-speaking institution that risks closure if it does not comply with a new law on higher education passed in April. The law is also in the sights of Brussels. The Commission on Thursday took Hungary to the EU Court of Justice on the grounds that the Higher Education Act "disproportionately restricts the functioning of EU and third-country universities, and must be brought into line with the Union law". Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 03:12:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close NAIROBI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday condoled with the families, relatives and friends of seven artists who died in a road accident along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway on Saturday evening. Kenyatta called on the police and other law enforcement agencies to step up their efforts to ensure motorists obey traffic safety rules and regulations. Kenyatta said he was saddened to learn of the death of musician Cheruiyot of Kenene International and four members of his troupe. "My sincere condolences to the families, friends and relatives of Weldon Cheruiyot, five members of his troupe and their driver who lost their lives in the Saturday night accident at Kamara along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway," he said in a statement issued in Nairobi. Cheruiyot was a popular secular musician of Keneny International. Cheruiyot, popularly known as Keneny is one of the celebrated musicians in the Kalenjin community. The Kenyan leader said the accident had cut short the lives of talented youth who had a promising future. Kenyatta also extended his condolences to the families, relatives and friends of more than 14 people who lost their lives in another accident that occurred along the Marigat-Loruk road in Baringo County earlier on Saturday. Road accidents still continue to occur despite stringiest traffic rules which were introduced by the government to help curb road carnage. An estimated number of 3,000 Kenyans die on road accidents annually despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to promote safety on the highways, according to the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA). Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 03:27:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Residents in Syria's capital Damascus enjoyed a "chocolate feast" on Sunday to take a festive mood in the coming holiday season of Christmas and the New Year despite conflicts and various woes raging in the country. Women, men and children jam-packed the gate of the al-Qaysar Hotel in Damascus on Sunday for the four-day event, the first of its kind to take place in Damascus. Many chocolate makers took part in the event, showcasing their various products while offering samples to the crowds to taste. For the visitors, coming to the "chocolate feast" is all about having fun and tasting chocolate to get their minds off the war. Sama, a housewife, came with her little boy to take a look and buy chocolate for the holiday season. "This is a unique and beautiful experience because it is first of its kind in Syria. We came here today to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season and of course, we like to take part in the celebrations to get our minds off the war," Sama told Xinhua. Sahar came with her husband to enjoy the chocolate tasting. "This is the first time such an event is held in Damascus and it is a wonderful event and we wish for more events like this to take place so that people can participate and release the stress they have been suffering since the beginning of the war," she said. The organizers said the event aims at reviving the spirit of the holiday season, following a six-year war. Mayada Olabi, one of the organizers, said she wanted the Damascenes to experience the spirit of the holiday similar to the people of Europe and the United States. "The chocolate feast is a fun day as we are celebrating the chocolate festival on the occasion of the holiday season because I wanted to create a similar holiday atmosphere similar to that of Europe and the United States," Olabi said. The woman, in her late forties, said she did not expect the huge turnout, with people jostling to enter the venue of the event. "In Syria, we have very good chocolate manufacturers and we have creative people who make cakes and chocolate," she said. During the event, people seemed so happy as if they finally found a reason to be cheerful after suffering from a six-year war which is still ongoing. On Sunday, a Syrian government delegation arrived in Geneva to participate in the Geneva talks, just days after the first sessions ended with no tangible results. It is not clear yet whether the upcoming sessions would generate any fruits, nor is it clear whether the two sides would meet face to face. This session is part of the eighth round of intra-Syria talks in Geneva, which started on Nov. 28. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 03:52:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The defeat of the Islamic States (IS) terrorist group in Syria is mainly due to the Syrian government, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday. It made the remarks in a comment on the earlier statement of the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian about Russia's taking credit for the victory over IS. "At the least, it is strange to hear from the French Foreign Minister that Russia has allegedly arrogated the victory over IS to itself. The credit for the fact that IS is now defeated in Syria belongs primarily to the Syrian leadership and the government troops," the defense ministry said in a statement. With the support of the Russian Air Force, the Syrian army has freed hundreds of settlements from IS terrorists and returned the control of practically the entire territory of the country to the legitimate leadership, it said. Meanwhile, the ministry noted that the international coalition led by the United States was focused on countering the Syrian government troops particularly in the province of Deir-ez-Zor in eastern Syria. "In the three years of its existence, the coalition only recently achieved its first 'result' in the fight against IS terrorists in Syria-the destruction of al-Raqqah (in northern Syria) along with civilians by massive bombing," the statement read. The coalition also allowed core IS militants to leave the city freely and join other IS terrorists near Deir-ez-Zor, which was confirmed by the British public service broadcaster BBC, it added. The Russian military announced Thursday that Syrian troops supported by Russian servicemen have completed the destruction of IS terrorists in the war-torn country. Clashes, Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli air strikes killed at least two people and wounded dozens of others on December 8 in violence linked to US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AFP Photo) GAZA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement's military wing Al-Qassam brigades called Sunday for the continuation of the "uprising and activating all means in resisting and confronting the occupation" in rejection of the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Al-Qassam Brigades said in an official statement sent to reporters "we call upon our people to continue this Intifada, and to activate all means of resisting and confronting the occupation." The statement warned that "the enemy will pay the bill of an arduous expense for the aggression, treachery and criminality against our people," adding "the coming days will prove to the enemy its great error and its misjudgment of the will and determination of the armed resistance." Two Hamas militants died Saturday after Israel shelled a military training camp in northern Gaza, according to the Al-Qassam announcement. Four Palestinians were killed and over 1,000 others were injured in clashes that lasted over the past three days in West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, against the U.S. move on Jerusalem. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 05:43:08|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The British and German ambassadors to Libya on Sunday voiced their countries' support to the Libyan Central Bank's plan to end the current economic and financial crisis. The two envoys made the remarks while meeting with the Governor of Tripoli Seddiq Al-Kabir, during which they discussed Libya's current economic and financial situation, according to the Central Bank. "Kabir and the British ambassador Peter Millet agreed that ending the political division and one step closer to a stable political environment will lead to the success of any economic and financial program in Libya," said the Central Bank in a statement. Millet reaffirmed his country's support for the Central Bank's proposals of economic and financial reforms to end the crisis that the country is going through, said the Bank. German ambassador Christian Buck also expressed his country's willingness to "provide any help to promote the political stability in Libya, as well as to support the efforts made by the Central Bank," it added. Libya has been experiencing an unprecedented economic and financial crisis since the fall of Gaddafi's regime in 2011, as the conflicts hammered its oil exports, the major source of its foreign reserves and national income. Local currency has declined against foreign currencies and local banks suffer from a lack of funding. The meetings took place as neighboring Tunis hosted meetings sponsored by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund of representatives of Libyan's divided authorities. The meetings discuss unification of the state budget for 2018, adjustment of the Libyan dinar exchange rate against foreign currencies, and plans to develop the Libyan economy, according to local media. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 07:38:23|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close The combo photo taken on March 31, 2017 shows daily life of Jiang Shuzhen, a survivor of Nanjing Massacre. Photo (Up, C) shows Jiang reading newspaper at her balcony; Jiang showing her message on WeChat (L top); Jiang playing Majiang with her family members (L central); Jiang cooking vegetable at home (L bottom); Jiang staying at home (R top); Jiang taking a walk with her daughter-in-law (R central); Jiang, her daughter Huang Qinghua (1st L), her son Huang Qingguo (2nd R) and her daughter-in-law Wen Zhenxiu posing for a photo at home (R bottom). Jiang was born on Dec. 9, 1929. Before the Japanese invaders entered the city of Nanjing, her father went to southwest China's Chongqing. Her grandma together with her mother took Jiang and her two siblings to the countryside. Jiang once witnessed the Japanese invaders killing two Chinese young men. The year 2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, in which more than 300,000 Chinese were killed by the Japanese invaders who occupied Nanjing on Dec. 13, 1937, marking the start of six weeks of destruction, pillage, rape and slaughter in the city. There are only less than 100 living survivors of the atrocity. Reporters from Xinhua spent many years to look for the survivors of Nanjing Massacre and record their current lives. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing, Li Xiang and Ji Chunpeng) Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 10:24:07|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close TOKYO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Japanese man Takahiro Shiraishi was on Monday charged by the police with the murder in October of a 25-year-old woman. It is the second such warrant served on Shiraishi who has admitted to killing and dismembering nine people in his apartment near Tokyo. The 27-year-old suspect is being investigated for murdering Kazumi Maruyama from Yokohama and keeping her dead body in his apartment in Zama near Tokyo. According to investigative sources, the victim was reported missing on Oct. 18. Maruyama's cellphone was found stashed in a garbage bag in Shiraishi's room during the investigation, police accounts revealed. The case rocked the nation as many of Shiraishi's victims had posted suicidal wishes and thoughts on popular social media sites, such as Twitter. Shiraishi, a self-confessed serial killer, allegedly met his vulnerable victims online before luring them to his apartment. But Shiraishi apparently informed police that he didn't think his victims really wanted to die as they resisted his attacks. Shiraishi was initially arrested and taken into custody in late October and charged about three weeks later for the alleged murder of Aiko Tamura, 23. The murder of Tamura is believed to have taken place at his Kanagawa Prefecture apartment after she went missing on Oct. 23. Police investigations are ongoing to determine whether evidence pertaining to the seven remaining victims could lead to further murder charges being levied on Shiraishi. Of all his victims, eight of them were female and one male. All of the victims were aged between 15 and 26 years old. Their dismembered body parts were discovered by investigators in a number of cooling boxes in Shiraishi's apartment. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 10:34:11|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating inched down last week, but it stayed above 70 percent for the sixth straight week, a local weekly survey showed Monday. According to the Realmeter poll, support for Moon was 70.8 percent last week, down 0.7 percentage points from the previous week. The downward trend continued for two weeks, but the support scores hovered above 70 percent for six weeks in a row. It was based on a survey of 2,517 voters conducted from Monday to Friday. It had 2 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. The passage of next year's budget plan last week in the National Assembly contributed to the support scores for President Moon. Approval rating for Moon's ruling Democratic Party declined 2.9 percentage points over the week to 49.1 percent last week. Support for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party inched up 0.2 percentage points to 17.8 percent. The minor conservative Righteous Party gained 6.3 percent, followed by the centrist People's Party with 6 percent and the minor progressive Justice Party with 4.3 percent. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 11:09:18|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close (From L to R) Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez, Brazil's President Michel Temer, Argentina's President Mauricio Macri and Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes attend the opening ceremony of the 11th WTO (World Trade Organization) Ministerial Conference, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 10, 2017. The 11th WTO (World Trade Organization) Ministerial Conference opened here Sunday with an emphasis on open and multilateral trade. (Xinhua/Martin Zabala) BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The 11th WTO (World Trade Organization) Ministerial Conference opened here Sunday with an emphasis on open and multilateral trade. "The more open and flexible we are, the greater possibilities of success we will have," WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said in his opening remarks. "We must take advantage of the opportunity to focus (on) our future work, taking into account the context in which we live ... with the latent threat of protectionism," Azevedo told the meeting. At the opening ceremony, Argentine President Mauricio Macri called on WTO members to promote "multilateralism, fair trade based on clear rules." "We know the benefits have not yet reached all and this has led to questioning of economic globalization. It is the responsibility of all to face the challenges of the 21st century. Argentina wants to contribute to securing growth. We believe this can only be done by working together," said Macri. Macri said that the WTO has played an important role in the global economic governance system over the past 20 years. However, he warned that "the benefits of regional and global trade must reach ever more people. The challenges are many, and it is not sustainable to move ahead with a scheme where some are protectionist and others don't follow the rules." Brazilian President Michel Temer also called for safeguarding the multilateral trade system. "The system of multilateral trade has shown its use and remains able at decisive moments to contain protectionist tendencies," Temer said. "It must be preserved and valued. It is an illusion to think that protectionism is the path for development." Macri, Temer, along with Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes and Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez, also issued a joint declaration to reaffirm the importance of the multilateral trading system. The meeting to last till Wednesday will bring together trade officials from 164 WTO members to discuss how to optimize the rules of global trade. China on Saturday encouraged WTO members to safeguard multilateral trade and jointly build an open global economy. Speaking to a round table on China's program for less developed countries known as the "China Program" during a WTO summit in Buenos Aires, Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said that China will promote the creation of a new configuration of integral opening-up, firmly support the multilateral trade regime and encourage the construction of a global open economy. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 11:59:27|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) of China announced on Monday that it has started investigation into Sun Zhengcai, former secretary of Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Sun, also former member of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, was put under investigation on suspicion of accepting bribes. The SPP has taken "coercive measures" against Sun, which may include summons by force, bail and detention, and further investigation is under way. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 12:19:30|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian people's love for mobile shopping has led to more transactions generated on mobile platforms. The data compiled from Malaysia's three major online marketplaces -- Lazada, 11street and Shopee -- revealed that 70 percent of the online transactions on Single's Day and MyCyber sales were done through mobile devices, said iPay88, a leading regional payment gateway provider in South East Asia. MOBILE USERS GROWING "Mobile users are growing faster than our anticipation, we expect the momentum to continue," Ipay 88's executive director and co-founder Chan Kok Long told Xinhua in a recent interview. According to Malaysian Central Bank, there are 42.8 million mobile phone subscriptions in Malaysia currently. Meanwhile, smartphone penetration stands at 70 percent and it is expected to increase. In view of the growing mobile phone user base and more friendly mobile applications, Chan said the transactions generated on mobile platform will account for 60 percent of the total before climbing to 70 percent in the next two years. Last year, the ratio stood at 50 percent, he said. MOBILE PAYMENTS' CONTRIBUTION Another key driver is the introduction of mobile payment, which several banks are looking to launch Quick Response (QR) code-wallets that enable payment to be done in an easier way. IPay88 is currently the payment gateway market leader in Malaysia, accounting for 60 percent of Malaysia's online payments system transaction. Chan also believed the two major Chinese online payment companies -- Alipay and WeChat Pay -- making their ways into Malaysia e-payment segment, could potentially double the online transactions. "When you see m-commerce growing tremendously, the next thing will be mobile-wallets. It is no doubt that they (the two Chinese players) will contribute a lot to the online transactions in Malaysia going forward," said Chan. Cited Alipay as an example, he said, the retail transaction volume has grown robustly since it was launched four months ago. "Although Alipay is new in Malaysia, the growth potential is tremendous because of the increasing Chinese tourists in Malaysia," Chan said, adding that more Malaysian retailers have to adopt the payment system as they are also afraid of losing competitiveness in dealing with Chinese tourists. Chan also sees great potential from WeChat Pay, which will be unveiled in Malaysia next year, as it has 20 million WeChat holders in Malaysia and 600 million active users in China. Earlier this year, Alipay, a unit of Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial, has inked agreements with Malaysian banks for the rollout of its service this year. Its competitor, WeChat Pay by Tencent Group, was then granted an e-payment license in Malaysia and planned to unveil its service in early 2018. Since then, it has secured Hong Leong Bank as its partner for the service. The payment gateway provider that has presence in other Southeast Asian countries, also sees Malaysia ahead its peers in embracing cashless payment. This is due to Malaysia's strategic position with decent population and better infrastructure, in addition to the Malaysian government's encouraging policies, Chan said. "Malaysians are more ready than its counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, also because of the Alibaba-led Digital Free Trade Zone, which is expected to drive the country's e-economy," Chan said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 12:34:33|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close TOKYO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Japanese man Takahiro Shiraishi on Monday was charged by the police with the murder in October of a 25-year-old woman. It is the second such warrant served on Shiraishi who has admitted to killing and dismembering nine people in his apartment near Tokyo. The 27-year-old suspect is being investigated for murdering Kazumi Maruyama from Yokohama and keeping her dead body in his apartment in Zama near Tokyo. According to investigative sources, the victim was reported missing on Oct. 18. Maruyama's cellphone was found stashed in a garbage bag in Shiraishi's room during the police's searches, investigative accounts revealed. The case rocked the nation as many of Shiraishi's victims had posted suicidal wishes and thoughts on popular social media sites, such as Twitter. Shiraishi, a self-confessed serial killer, allegedly met his vulnerable victims online before luring them to his apartment. But Shiraishi apparently informed the police that he did not think his victims really wanted to die as they resisted his attacks. Shiraishi was initially arrested and taken into custody in late October and charged about three weeks later for the alleged murder of Aiko Tamura, 23. The murder of Tamura is believed to have taken place at his Kanagawa Prefecture apartment after she went missing on Oct. 23. A message was posted on Tamura's Twitter account on Sept. 20, according to local media, saying she was "looking for someone who will die with me." The message said she "wants to die, but is scared of dying alone." Subsequent investigations revealed that Tamura had been exchanging messages online with Shiraishi. Security camera footage, broadcast by local media, also showed the pair walking together on Oct. 23 at Hachioji station in Tokyo, and at another station near Shiraishi's apartment. During the police's initial search of Shiraishi's apartment, they found a cooler box with the dismembered body parts of two people, local media reported. The remains of seven other people in his apartment were subsequently found, local media quoted police investigators as saying. Police said Shiraishi confessed to killing the women soon after he met her and said he used the bath in his apartment to cut up the bodies and disposed of some of the body parts in the garbage. Investigators retrieved a saw from his apartment believed to have been used to dismember the bodies. Police investigations are ongoing to determine whether evidence pertaining to the seven remaining victims could lead to Shiraishi being charged with further cases of murder. Of all his potential victims, eight of them were female and one was male. All of the victims were aged between 15 and 26 years old. Their dismembered body parts were discovered by investigators in multiple cooling boxes in Shiraishi's apartment. While some residents in the same apartment building had noticed a foul smell coming from his room since August, others described Shiraishi as being "a cheerful, kind and polite man." Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 12:34:34|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close SYDNEY, Dec 11 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of loud speakers are being installed across the city of Melbourne in Australia on Monday, as part of a major security upgrade to warn people of terror attacks. The new measures are the recommendations of a counter terrorism review that occurred after a number of recent incidents this year. In January, a vehicle attack in Melbourne resulted in the deaths of six people, while in July a deadly terror siege killed two men, including the gunman, on the outskirts of the city. Last month, a plot to gundown innocent people during New Year's Eve celebrations in Melbourne's popular tourist location Federation Square was thwarted by authorities. The 7.5 million U.S. dollars initiative will also include extra CCTV cameras in the Central Business District and the construction of more pavement barricades to prevent cars entering busy walkways. "The loud speakers will allow us to put out warning messages in the event of an incident occurring whether it be a terrorist event or whether it be another mass casualty incident, or one that's of high risk," Victoria Police acting chief commissioner Shane Patton told local media. "It will allow us to inform the public in the city where they should be going, what they should be doing and making sure they're safe and understand what's unfolding." Coincidently, a three-day forum on global terrorism prevention kicked off in Melbourne on Monday, hosting a range of speakers from across the world including Britain, the United States, Canada, France, New Zealand, Singapore and Belgium. Assistant commissioner of the Victorian Police Ross Guenther said in a statement, the conference is a fantastic opportunity for practitioners from around the world to come together and share knowledge and best practices to combat terror. "We also recognize that this is something that no single organization can combat alone and the ability to meet and discuss our experiences in an ever evolving counter terrorism landscape is exceptionally beneficial," he said. "We expect to be able to take a lot away from the forum that will allow us to ensure we are doing everything we can to best protect the Victorian community." Police said the first test of the warning system will go ahead on Dec. 28 in preparation for New Year's Eve celebrations. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 12:45:45|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least five people have been killed and 20 others injured in a road accident in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said Monday. "The accident occurred when a mini bus carrying a marriage party rolled into a deep gorge at Chenani in the state's Udhampur on Sunday night," a police official said. While five people died on the spot, those injured have been admitted to a government hospital where the condition of at least four are said to be critical, he said. Preliminary probe has revealed that the bus was travelling at high speed and the driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the accident, the official said. A thorough investigation is under way, he added. India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. Road accidents occur mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 12:50:47|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close HOUSTON, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Houston police were on high alert Sunday as three false shooting incidents were reported in the past 10 days in the fourth largest city in the United States. Although none of them were attributed to an active shooter in the end, police were on high alert as thousands flocked into shopping malls during Christmas and New Year holiday season. Police cars were seen parked at the entrances and parking lots of populous malls in Houston, while others patrolled the main streets of the city. A shooting incident was reported at Memorial City Mall on the evening of Dec. 2, causing hundreds of shoppers to take cover, with some running out through whatever doors they could find. What people thought was gunfire turned out that a thief with a hammer attempted to break the glass of a jewelry store display case, investigators said. On Dec. 4, shoppers at a mall in downtown Houston fled when they thought they heard gunshots, which turned out to be noise from a child falling out of a stroller and then tumbling down an escalator. On Dec. 9, shoppers running frantically from the parking lot of Baybrook Mall said they heard noise like gunshots. But police said after investigation that they could not explain what caused shoppers to run from the parking garage, but there was no evidence of a shooting. Former FBI agent and security expert Jim Conway told local TV station that people should think about the worst scenario when in a crowded place. "The best thing to do is err on the side of being safe," he said. "Paying attention to what's going on around you when you go to a concert or a theater, when you go shopping in a mall, think about where your exits are and where am I going to go if something bad happens," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 12:50:48|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close TOKYO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Japan has been known for long-hour work culture for decades, but some companies are trying to change that. By using office drones that play a farewell song, companies want to remind overworking employees it's time to go home, local media reported. Telecom giant NTT East Corp. and two other companies announced last week that they are launching the service next April, the Japan News reported. A monthly service fee of 50,000 yen (450 U.S. dollars) per drone is expected. The drone, created by a Tokyo-based start-up, will fly around the offices on a scheduled flight path blasting Auld Lang Syne, which is usually played in Japanese malls before closing. The drone can also film inside offices to identify employees who stay after work hours. Will this solve the problem? Some experts doubt that, saying workers will likely take work home if they are harassed by the music, and the key issue is to cut workloads for them. Working for excessive hours in Japan caused thousands of deaths every year, with victims mostly in their 30s and 40s. A white paper on "Karoshi", meaning "death by overwork", last year showed 22.7 percent of some 1,700 companies surveyed had employees who worked more than 80 hours of overtime in a month. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 13:10:56|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close MEHTERLAM, Afghanistan, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Three militants including a senior Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Samad were killed and two others injured as a mine exploded in his house in the eastern Laghman province on Monday, spokesman for provincial government Sarhadi Zawak said. "A group of Taliban rebels were busy in a meeting in the house of Mullah Abdul Samad, the shadow deputy governor for Badpakh district today morning when a mine exploded, killing Mullah Samad along with two of his armed men and injuring two others," Zawak told Xinhua. Two others including the son of Mullah Samad were injured in the blast, the official added. Samad, according to the official, had served as notorious commander of the Taliban group in Laghman province and his physical elimination could prove a major blow to the armed militants. Taliban militants are yet to make comments. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 13:15:58|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Nine militants of IS terrorist group were killed and four others injured in Nangarhar province, east of Afghanistan, on Sunday, a local official said Monday. "Afghan National Defense and Security Forces have been involved in a cordon and cleanup operation in Khogyani district recently. On Sunday, sporadic clashes occurred between security forces and IS fighters and nine IS militants were killed and four others injured on that day," Attaullah Khogyani, provincial government spokesman, told Xinhua. Several villages were also cleared from IS militants' presence in Khogyani within the past couple of days and various weapons and ammunition were also seized by security forces, the spokesman added. The IS militants have not make any comments on the report so far. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 13:20:59|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close CANBERRA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) has unveiled its plan to "make HIV history". Announced by health spokesperson Catherine King on Monday, the plan would see the ALP spend 39.8 million U.S. dollars on eliminating the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) if victorious at the 2018 federal election. The plan includes 7.5 million U.S. dollars for organizations to target populations most at-risk of contracting HIV and 2.7 million U.S. dollars for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trials to be expanded. PrEP involves HIV-negative people taking a daily dose of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection. It has been found to be 99.9 percent effective at preventing HIV infection. The ALP said the additional funding would make PrEP available to an extra 17,500 people. A course of the drug can currently cost up to 900 U.S. dollars but the funding injection would reduce that to as little as 4.7 U.S. dollars. "PrEP is only available to those who can afford the drug themselves or can access it through state and territory trials," King said in a statement on Monday. "We have the knowledge to make HIV history -- now we need the resources." There are approximately 1,000 diagnosed cases of HIV in Australia every year, a figure that King said could realistically be reduced to zero. The ALP took advice from a blueprint developed by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations (AFAO), which said the plan would eventually result in 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in savings to the federal budget through a decreased burden on the universal health care system. The AFAO would benefit from an extra 7.5 million U.S. dollars in funding under the plan while 2.2 million U.S. dollars would be committed to treating "hidden" cases of HIV among Aboriginal people and non-English speaking Australians. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 13:26:02|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- An arrest warrant was sought Monday by South Korean prosecutors for a lawmaker of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party over allegations that he had received bribes from the country's spy agency when he served as the finance minister under the previous government. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested a warrant to detain Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan of the Liberty Korea Party for bribery charges. Choi was suspected of receiving 100 million won (92,000 U.S. dollars) of off-book fund from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) when he served as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs and the finance minister in 2014 under the Park Geun-hye administration. At the time, then opposition lawmakers demanded the reduction of the NIS off the book funds for special activity as the fund had an untraceable nature. The NIS reportedly lobbied Choi to block the attempt to scale down the funds as Choi served as the finance minister who is in charge of an annual budget plan. Prosecutors have investigated the NIS for its off the book funds that were illegally offered to presidential officials under the impeached President Park Geun-hye. Choi was summoned by prosecutors last week for questioning, strongly denying any illegality. By law, an incumbent lawmaker is immune from detention during the parliamentary session. An extra session kicked off Monday. The sitting lawmaker can be detained if over half of the attending lawmakers vote in favor of it under the attendance of over half of the total legislators. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 13:41:04|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and six others injured Monday after a goods truck collided with a tractor in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. The accident took place in Mirzapur district, about 285 km southeast of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. "In a tragic road accident here this morning, a truck collided head-on with a tractor carrying people," a police official posted in Mirzapur said. "Five people were killed on spot, while as five others succumbed on way to hospital. Six people injured in the accident are undergoing treatment, out of which, the condition of few is stated to be critical." According to police, the people travelling in tractor were returning after paying obeisance at a local temple." The impact of collision according to locals was massive. Reports said the poor visibility because of the morning fog could be the reason behind the deadly collision. According to police, the injured were immediately taken to medical facility in Mirzapur. Police have registered a case and ordered investigations to ascertain the actual reason behind the accident. Deadly road accidents are common in India often due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving. According to an official report released recently, on an average India witnessed over 400 deaths in road accidents every day during 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 15:36:29|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close PARIS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- French dairy giant Lactalis announced Sunday a global recall of several baby formula milk and baby food products, for fear of salmonella contamination, following cases of children falling ill in France. The major recall involves brands such as Milumel, Picot and Celi, and will affect consumers in China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Sudan, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Colombia and Peru, according to information released by French consumer protection agency DGCCRF. Lactalis, one of the world's biggest dairy producers, said that "nearly 7,000 tons of products" may have been contaminated but it is currently unable to decide the amount that is still on the market, or in stock. The company has taken precautionary measures to disinfect facilities at a plant in northwest France, believed to be the source of the salmonella contamination, company spokesman Michel Nalet told media. Sunday's announcement came in the wake of 26 cases of salmonella infection of small children in France during early December, which had already prompted a limited recall of 12 Lactalis products. A typical symptom of salmonella infection is diarrhoea. The bacteria is especially dangerous for infants and the elderly due to risks of dehydration. All the 26 children who had fallen ill in France with links to Lactalis products have since recovered, health authorities said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 15:56:35|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close OTTAWA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian government is expected to announce this week that it will both purchase Australia's used F/A-18 Classic Hornets and unveil its plan to acquire a permanent fleet of fighter jets. It is believed that the government will unveil a purchase plan in the coming days to replace the military's aging fleet of 77 CF-18 Hornets in early 2019. Before then, the Canadian Armed Forces will receive an unknown number of Australian Hornets that are nearly as old as Canada's CF-18 Hornets, which were bought in 1980 from American manufacturer McDonnell Douglas that merged with aerospace giant Boeing Co. in 1997. Canada was originally set to buy 18 Boeing Super Hornet jets at a cost of 5.2 billion U.S. dollars to replace the CF-18s. However, the deal became imperiled this year over a trade dispute between Boeing and its Canadian aerospace competitor, Bombardier Inc. Last fall, the U.S. Commerce Department proposed an 80-percent anti-dumping duty and a 220-percent countervailing tariff against Bombardier's C Series 100-to-150-seat civilian aircraft following a complaint by Chicago-based Boeing that Montreal-headquartered Bombardier allegedly priced its aircraft below production cost and received unfair Canadian government subsidies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government would not "do business with a company" threatening Canada's aerospace industry, and the Trudeau government was reportedly in contact with its Australian counterpart for months regarding the purchase of Australia's surplus F-18s a day after Boeing filed its complaint with the Commerce Department against Bombardier in late April. However, a military procurement specialist believed Canada should focus on the latter. "I would have skipped the interim step and put all hands on deck to buy new aircraft," said David Perry, a senior analyst and a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute in Ottawa. Because of its age, the Australian fleet will require considerable maintenance, and Canada will likely have to order more than the 18 fighter jets it was set to buy from Boeing to ensure performance reliability for future Royal Canadian Air Force combat missions, said Perry, who specializes in defense budgeting and procurement. He explained that in 2000, the CF-18s underwent a major upgrade at a cost of over 1 billion Canadian dollars (about 778 million U.S. dollars) to keep the fighter jets flying until 2020. The Australian aircraft will also need to be modified for compliance with Canadian military operational standards. "I can't think of another NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) ally buying used fighter aircraft," said Perry. The United States and Britain are among the major members of NATO that have acquired new F-35 fighter jets from American aeronautics giant Lockheed Martin, which the previous Canadian government under Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper considered purchasing as well. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 16:11:42|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close MANILA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte formally requested the congress on Monday to extend martial law in the entire Mindanao until Dec. 31, 2018 to quell the threat of Islamist terrorism in the southern Philippine region. In a letter addressed to Congress, Duterte said, "a further extension of the implementation of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao will help (the government security forces) quell completely and put an end to the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao." Duterte said placing Mindanao under martial law for another year will also prevent violent extremism from spreading to other parts of the country. "Public safety indubitably requires such further extension, not only for the sake of security and public order, but more importantly to enable the government and the people of Mindanao to pursue the bigger task of rehabilitation and the promotion of a stable socioeconomic growth and development," Duterte said in the letter released on Monday. Duterte said he based his decision on the recommendation of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, also the martial law administrator. Citing the security assessment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Lorenzana said extending martial law in Mindanao for another year will ensure total eradication of Islamic State-inspired Da'awaful Islamiyah Waliyatul Masriq (DAWM), other like-minded local and foreign terrorist groups and armed lawless groups, and the communist rebels and their coddlers, supporters, and financiers. Moreover, Duterte said IS-linked militants "have been monitored" to conduct "radicalization" through active recruitment, financial and logistical buildup and consolidation in central Mindanao particularly in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces, and Sulu and Basilan, the remote island provinces off Mindanao and known hideout of militants. He noted that other IS-inspired groups Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) are also planning to sow terror in the impoverished region. Lorenzana and security officials are scheduled to brief the senators on Tuesday on the Duterte's request for further martial extension. IS-linked militants "Maute group" attacked Marawi City on May 23, prompting Duterte to place the entire Mindanao under martial law for 60 days. Before the declaration lapsed on July 22, Duterte requested the congress to extend its effectivity until Dec. 31, 2017. The government finally gained control of the city in October. More than 1,200 people were killed in the battle to retake the city, reducing the city into rubbles. The 1987 Constitution only allows the president to declare martial law for a maximum of 60 days. Any extension would require approval from Congress. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 16:21:46|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close Joshua Cawthra, a senior aviation investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), speaks to the media near Lake Harney, east of Sanford, Florida, the United States, Dec. 10, 2017. A U.S. investigator confirmed Sunday that the bodies of a local flight instructor and two Chinese trainees had been recovered after a plane crashed into a lake in the southern U.S. state of Florida Friday. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) SANFORD, the United States, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. investigator confirmed Sunday that the bodies of a local flight instructor and two Chinese trainees had been recovered after a plane crashed into a lake in the southern U.S. state of Florida Friday. A Beechcraft King Air C-90 twin-engine plane crashed into Lake Harney, east just of Sanford, at about 11:15 a.m. Friday, said Joshua Cawthra, a senior aviation investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), at a press briefing Sunday afternoon. Cawthra said all of the bodies of the victims aboard the plane had been recovered Saturday. Investigators are in the process of recovering the wreckage of the crashed plane, which remains about 10 feet underwater, but the environment is not favorable. "It's a fairly complex situation right now due to the underwater visibility," Cawthra said. "The divers that have been going under the water were reporting anywhere from five to eight inches of visibility." "So with limited visibility, it hampers the ability to figure out where the rest of the airplane is," he said. Search crews found the sunken plane Saturday, while using sonars to locate the rest of it. Cawthra said it's still unsure how to extract the plane, but suggesting using airbags. The aircraft, if recovered, will be delivered to a secure facility in Jacksonville, over 200 km north of Lake Harney, said the investigator. The pilot was identified as Kamalesh Naik, 56, of Sanford. His LinkedIn account lists his occupations as flight instructor and airline pilot. The two trainees were both identified as Chinese nationals in their 20s. They were students at an airline academy in Sanford. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft was on its way to Orlando-Sanford International Airport before it crashed. Cawthra said the investigation hasn't found any evidence to support that "there was any distress calls or any mayday radio." The NTSB investigators are expected to work with the FAA, as well as manufacturers of the plane and its engine. Cawthra revealed that a preliminary report on the crash will be released on the NTSB website in five business days. In the wake of the accident, the flying academy that owned the plane extended their condolences in a statement to the family and friends of the victims of the tragedy, promising to "cooperate fully with the FAA and the NTSB in the ongoing investigation." The Chinese Consulate General in Houston told Xinhua that it reached out to the academy as soon as they heard about the incident. Officials from the consulate said the academy has suspended all on-flight training lessons and provided psychological counseling to other Chinese trainees. It also sent a team to Sanford to meet NTSB investigators Sunday over the crash. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 16:31:49|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close A Palestinian protester hurls a stone at Israeli soldiers during clashes after a protest against the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Dec. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Nidal Eshtayeh) BEIJING/CAIRO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. wayward decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has brought further misery to the already troubled Middle East, causing rising tensions in the region and a growing rift between the United States and its European allies. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump broke decades of Washington policy by acknowledging Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and instructed relocating the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, which has been a sensitive issue in peace talks and the main subject of disagreement between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators. Trump's announcement was seen as siding with the Israelis. In less than a week, the declaration has triggered wide criticism and opposition from Arab and Muslim countries and upset Europe as well. NEW VIOLENCE RIPPLING IN ALREADY UNSTABLE REGION Trump's pronouncement Wednesday inflamed new violence and enraged conflict across the already uncertain region as the move upended decades of U.S. policy and a longstanding international consensus. On Sunday, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard and seriously wounded him at the central bus station in the volatile city. Palestinian youths also clashed in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, hurling stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired back with rubber bullets and tear gas. In Beirut, Lebanese protesters held demonstrations on Sunday near the U.S. embassy, throwing rocks and burning tires, to denounce Trump's decision. "We came here for a sit-in in front of the U.S. embassy to protest the decision taken by Trump. It is impossible to implement this decision as long as there are people like us," said a protester. In the Moroccan capital Rabat, tens of thousands of protesters marched down the city's high street chanting slogans "The people want to liberate Palestine" and "Death to Israel, enemy of the people and provoker of wars." MOUNTING ANGER, CRITICISM Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has sparked mounting anger and criticism in the Arab world. Arab foreign ministers gathered in Cairo Saturday for an emergency meeting and demanded the United States abandon its decision on Jerusalem. Echoing that view, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, warned that Trump's decision "could throw a lifebuoy to terrorist and armed groups, which have begun to lose ground" in the Middle East. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani slammed the move as "illegal" and would further destabilize the Middle East, holding Israel "responsible for all the insecurity and instability" in the region. During a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, Rouhani called on Islamic states to join hands in opposing the "dangerous" move. Egypt's Foreign Ministry said such a unilateral decision violates the international legitimacy, adding that the decision will not change the legal status of Jerusalem as an occupied city. EXPANDING RIFT BETWEEN U.S., EUROPE A growing rift seems to emerge between Israel and the United States on one side, and Europe and the Palestinians on the other. Ambassadors of European Union (EU) countries to the United Nations issued a joint declaration Friday to show disapproval of Trump's decision and to call for calm in the Middle East. "It is a constant position of EU members that, within this framework, Jerusalem should ultimately be the capital of both Israeli and Palestinian states," reads the declaration by the ambassadors of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden. At a meeting in Paris with Israel's visiting prime minister, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "disapproval" of Trump's decision, calling it "dangerous for peace." Macron urged Israel to freeze its construction of settlements on occupied lands and called for other confidence-building measures toward the Palestinians. Last week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned that Trump's decision "has the potential to send us backward to even darker times than the one we are already living in." "The Federal Government does not support this attitude because the status of Jerusalem is to be negotiated within the framework of a two-state solution," spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on Twitter on behalf of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Turkey condemned the U.S. decision as "irresponsible," saying it bears the risk of completely destroying the ground for peace. The Turkish Foreign Ministry called on the U.S. administration to reconsider this faulty decision and avoid harming the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 16:41:53|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close by Mahmoud Darwesh and Naima Misurati TRIPOLI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Foreign workers in southern Libya left the country recently after security services failed to free four foreign workers kidnapped by an unknown armed group. Unknown gunmen earlier in November kidnapped foreign engineers, three Turks and one German, working for the Turkish ENKA Teknik which is executing a power plant project in the southern city of Obari. "Libya has returned to square one again, " said Abdul-Majid Hamza, chairman of the state-owned Libyan General Electricity Company. "The problem of electricity in Libya depends on the return of foreign companies," Hamza said, adding that the company had "gone a long way to persuade the foreign companies to return. However, the kidnapping of the foreign workers in Obari power station forced the foreign companies to leave again." Power blackouts in Libya is one of the major issues Libyans suffer. Hamza said that the issue was supposed to be solved permanently in July next year. "Before reaching the goal, Libya is back to point zero," Hamza told Xinhua. "The Obari power plant would have added about 640 megawatts to the public network, and will be very effective in solving the electricity problem." "The completion of the Obari power plant, which was supposed to be in July next year, would have solved the power crisis and benefit associated projects that need a stabilized power network. However, what happened at the station brought us back to square one," Hamza explained. "The power plant would have provided 640 megawatts and would have satisfied the need of southern Libya for power. This means that power blackouts would never happen. The electricity problem in northern Libya would be addressed as well, as power allocated from Tripoli to the south would be saved," Hamza added. "We are trying to renegotiate with them," Hamza said regarding measures authorities are taking to persuade foreign companies to return to Libya. "Whoever is behind the kidnapping of the foreign workers aims to embarrass the government and prevent it from solving electricity problem, a major issue Libyans are suffering from." Regarding the foreign abductees, Hamza said that no authentic information is available about their fate, their location, or the kidnappers. "Public power network currently produces 5500 megawatts. During hours of high demand, we need 7000 megawatts, a production deficit of 1500 megawatts," Hamza explained. "There is a project to connect a network with Algeria," he said. "There is cooperation from Algerians and they are ready to help, but there is a problem because there is no direct link with Algeria." "There is a possibility of using the network with Tunisia because Tunisia has a direct link with Algeria. However, this would be for limited periods or capabilities an it will not meet the purpose for two reasons: we will use the networks of Tunisia's neighbors, and we will use only the surplus production of power so that it does not affect the network's total capacity and value." "The country is in a crisis and the people must be aware of energy consumption, keep away from excessive consumption, and not operate electrical appliances that they do not use," Hamza said. The Obari power plant is one of the largest power stations in Libya. The project is worth 600 million dinars. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a foreign ministry conference in Jerusalem, Dec. 7, 2017. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday lauded U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as a "historic" move. (Xinhua/JINI) PARIS, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron told visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give chance to peace process in the Middle East by taking "courageous gestures" toward Palestinians to end the deadlock. "France remains convinced that the only solution ... is to allow the establishment of two states living side by side in peace and that this can emerge through negotiation," said Macron. "I say to him (Netanyahu) to let a chance to peace, make a gesture toward the Palestinians. Peace does neither depend on the United States alone nor France. It depends on the ability of Israeli and Palestinian leaders to do so," he added. In a joint press conference with the Israeli top official, the French President pointed to the necessity that Tel Aviv freezes settlements to send message of confidence to Palestinians in a bid to resume talks and "break the current stalemate." Speaking about the U.S. initiative to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Macron reiterated that it was "contrary to international law and dangerous to peace." "I disapprove (U.S. President Donald) Trump declaration as it is not in accordance with the international law. I decided not to be consistent with this perspective," he told reporters. For his turn, Netanyahu said "Peace (talks) will progress if the Palestinians recognize the reality of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. " "The most important thing about peace is first of all to recognize that the other side has a right to exist... If Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas wants peace, then he comes and sits down and negotiates with Israel," he added. Brokered by the U.S., the last direct peace negotiations stopped in April 2014 as rival camps failed to come out with tangible results due to differences on major issues like settlement, security, borders and the recognition of a Palestinian state. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 17:12:03|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- A man from Southern California on the U.S. west coast, who was suspected of kidnapping a nine-year-old girl in 1995, was arrested, police said Sunday. Local TV KPIX 5 quoted the police as saying that the girl was originally held for ransom, but the kidnappers abandoned their plan when they learnt her wealthy parents were out of the country at the time. The 68-year-old man, identified as Kevin Lin, was a member of the kidnappers who regularly targeted children for ransom. The girl was later found safe and unharmed at a hotel near the San Francisco International Airport. Police said Lin is now being detained in a jail in San Mateo County, about 30 km south of San Francisco, and he is being held on bail for 5 million U.S. dollars. The TV report said the police made the arrest following information provided by the U.S. Department of State. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 17:12:05|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people have been injured in a bus accident in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh Monday, police said. "The accident occurred when a bus in which the victims were travelling fell off a bridge over Jamni river in Tikamgarh area of the state this morning," a police official said. All the injured have been admitted to a nearby government hospital, where the condition of four are said to be critical, he said. The bus, carrying some 30 people, including a driver and a conductor, was heading to Jhansi district from Tikamgarh when the incident took place. Eye-witnesses told cops the accident occurred as the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle which was travelling at high speed. "A probe has been ordered into the incident. We will arrest the driver once he is out of hospital," the official added. India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. Road accidents occur mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 17:27:11|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The out-of-control Thomas Fire in Southern California had scorched 230,000 acres (930 square km) by Sunday evening, making it the fifth largest wildfire in modern history of the Golden State. The blaze, started nearly a week ago near Santa Paula in Ventura County, 110 km northwest of downtown Los Angeles, has spread northward to Santa Barbara County during last weekend due to strong winds. According to the Ventura County Fire Department, the fire grew by more than 50,000 acres (about 202 square km) on Sunday, triggering new evacuation orders for about 5,000 residents in Santa Barbara County. Meanwhile an additional 30,000 residents were told to prepare to evacuate. The fire department also warned residents that strong Santa Ana winds, which have been fueling the Southern California wildfires from Santa Barbara to San Diego, will remain through Sunday and gusts are expected to blow at 30-50 miles per hour (50-85 km per hour). Nearly all of California's 1,000 fire departments will be involved alongside 8,500 firefighters on the front-lines, Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), said at the press conference on Saturday. He also disclosed that over 700 firefighters from 10 western states, from Alaska to New Mexico, were also on the front-lines of the fire in Southern California. The Thomas Fire, which is the largest one of the six wildfires raging along the Pacific seashore, is currently threatening structures near Carpinteria of Santa Barbara County, approximately 20 miles (34 km) south of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). The UCSB decided Sunday to cancel the final-exams-week in response to the fire. However, the campus remains open. "We are encouraging all students who wish to leave campus to do so," Chancellor Henry Yang wrote in an email to students Sunday afternoon. "Some faculty have already made alternative arrangements instead of the previously scheduled exam, and these arrangements remain in effect." Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 17:42:17|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr Monday decided to dissolve his loyal militia group and turn it into a civilian organization after they deliver their weapons and bases to the government forces. Sadr's militia of Saraya al-Salam, or Peace Companies, will deliver the weapons that the militia received from the government during the battles against Islamic State (IS) group to the government and will block the militia's offices across Iraq except for that in the holly Shiite city of Samarra, some 120 km north of Baghdad, Sadr said in a televised speech. He also said that his militiamen will withdraw from the areas that they freed from IS within 45 days. Sadr called on the government not to allow the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi and their leaders in the coming general elections. "Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has to prosecute the corrupt people from all parties and to work on comprehensive reforms to the state." Sadr added. Saraya al-Salam is a militia linked to the Iraqi Shiite community and are a revival of the previously known as "Mahdi Army" militia affiliated with the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Sadr sent the Saraya al-Salam militiamen to the city of Kirkuk after the Iraqi forces took control of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, which is part of the disputed areas claimed by both Baghdad and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 17:42:18|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close XI'AN, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A conference on Confucius Institutes will be held from Tuesday to Wednesday in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Over 2,000 delegates, including university presidents, scholars and educational officers, will attend the annual event. Yu Tianqi, an official of the institute headquarters, said the conference would focus on improved management of the institutes, as well as developing creativity in courses and cultural programs. There are 525 Confucius Institutes and over 1,113 related courses in 146 countries and regions around the world. In 2017, they had a total of 2.32 million students, and over 12.7 million people attended cultural events organized by the institutes. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 17:42:18|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian president's spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeinah said Monday that the coming period is very critical for Palestinians and will require bold decisions. "What is required now is bold Palestinian and Arab decisions for the coming stage, which is very important and very critical. The Palestinians and the Arabs should stand together," reported the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA). WAFA published Abu Rudeinah's statements from Cairo where Abbas is expected to hold a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Cairo to discuss the latest developments and the agenda of the upcoming Islamic summit, which will be held in Turkey Wednesday, based on an emergency request by Turkey. The summit is expected to discuss the implications of the U.S. decision on Jerusalem and Abbas is expected to address the summit. Earlier this week, Abbas held talks with Jordanian monarch King Abdullah II to discuss the latest developments in the wake of U.S. president's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 17:57:24|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A group of French tourists, accompanied by their Indian friends, were roughed up and assaulted allegedly by locals in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, officials said Monday. The group was attacked on Sunday evening in Mirzapur district, about 285 km southeast of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. "The tourists were on a visit to a waterfall here when some people misbehaved with them," a police official at Mirzapur said. "When the tourists were wrapping up their visit, a couple of young men passed lewd remarks at the women in the group and later on few others joined them and attacked them." Reports said one of the tourists was injured in the fight. Police have detained eight people in this regard. Local media reports said initially police tried to shirk responsibility and kept the group waiting for hours when it approached them for registration of complaint. Tourism Minister KJ Alphons has called the incident deplorable and called for more sensitivity towards foreign nationals. The attack came days after a German national and a Swiss couple were attacked in Sonbhadra and Fatehpur Sikri of the state. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 17:57:25|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit (AICS) began in the Indian capital Monday with the theme of Powering Digital and Physical Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century. The two-day meeting is being attended by senior ministers from India and ASEAN countries, according to the Indian External Affairs Ministry. India is being represented at the summit by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha and junior Foreign Minister V.K. Singh. From ASEAN, Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam and Cambodia's Secretary of State at Ministry of Public Works and Transport Tauch Chankosal are taking part in the meeting. "AICS aims to accelerate existing connectivity prospects, identify issues of concern, evolve suitable policy recommendations and develop strategies to enhance economic, industrial and trade relations between ASEAN and India," the Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 18:27:36|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy addresses a news conference after the House passed tax cut plan on the Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. Nov. 16, 2017. The U.S. House on Thursday approved its version of tax cut plan in an along-party-line vote and delivered a major legislative achievement. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The pending tax-cut legislation in the U.S. Congress is possibly the biggest tax overhaul in three decades, and has raised concern in China among economists and entrepreneurs over its potential impact. Though the immediate impact of the tax overhaul on China is perceived to be quite limited, people are being cautious nonetheless. One thing is clear. The U.S.tax cuts will not affect China's agenda to lower corporate costs, open its market wider and continue fiscal reform. WHAT IS IT? The U.S. Senate on Dec. 2 passed the Republican bill on a party-line vote whose main feature was a drastic tax cut for corporations -- reducing tax rates from 35 percent to 20, the lowest level in three decades. Personal income tax will be reduced, the tax system simplified and a one-time tax levied at a lower rate on American companies transferring overseas assets. The House of Representatives passed its own version of tax reform legislation last month, containing significant differences from the Senate version. Congressional Republicans are now working on an agreement on the final tax legislation before Christmas. Critics have blasted the tax bill, as the biggest beneficiaries will be the wealthiest individuals and corporations, with average earners seeing their taxes lowered initially, but increasing over the next few years. "The tax bill is tilted heavily toward wealthy individuals and corporations, so it is not likely to help the middle class that much," Darrell West, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution, told Xinhua. THE IMPACT Some economists have warned that a more attractive corporate environment in the U.S. may pose challenges to China's competitive position, at a time when its labor costs are rising. "[There are] no worries for more enterprises choosing to start business in U.S., as many more factors, including comprehensive cost, other than the tax rate shape the overall U.S. business environment," said Zhou Yuan, managing director of Boston Consulting Group. The legislation will give U.S. companies a tax cut on repatriating deferred profits held overseas and make dividends received from companies overseas exempt from tax, sparking concern of capital outflow. "Combined with the effect of lower corporate tax, we believe it will encourage overseas U.S. firms to send back their profit. It may even produce a wave of profit repatriation," said Prof. Zhu Qing with the School of Finance at Renmin University of China. But analysts noted that the impact would be limited as China's efforts in lowering corporate cost and creating a fair business environment will attract more foreign businesses. China has rolled out a slew of measures to ease or lift foreign investment restrictions in its financial markets. In its latest move, foreign businesses will be allowed to own up to 51 percent of shares in joint ventures in securities, funds or futures, with the cap phased out over three years. WHAT TO DO Zhu Guangyao, vice-minister of finance, said at a forum that China would "take proactive measures" in response to the U.S. tax reform. "The external impact of tax policy change in the world's largest economy cannot be overlooked," Zhu said. Zhu said China should set policies based on coordination with other countries to boost labor productivity and help people become better off. According to Liu Shangxi, head of the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, China should continue to carry out its VAT reform in response to the U.S. tax bill. "One of our current priorities is to deepen VAT reform that targets a more market-oriented scheme for resource allocation and build a fair investment environment for enterprises," Liu said. As the most significant tax overhaul for two decades, VAT is replacing the business tax, which has been in place for 60 years, streamlining procedures and avoiding repetitive taxes. It was first piloted in Shanghai in 2012 and expanded nationwide in May 2016. The reform has made solid progress and saved 1.7 trillion yuan (about 257 billion U.S. dollars) of taxes for businesses. "China should further streamline VAT brackets to encourage fair market competition, which in a sense reduces taxes for many enterprises," Liu said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 18:42:42|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and the European Union (EU)'s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini attend a press briefing prior to the meeting with EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, Dec. 11, 2017. Federica Mogherini on Monday reiterated that the bloc backs a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Jerusalem as the capital of both parties along 1967 lines. (Xinhua/EU) BRUSSELS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua)-- The European Union (EU)'s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday reiterated that the bloc backs a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Jerusalem as the capital of both parties along 1967 lines. Speaking to the press before a meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modherini said it is in Israel's interest to find a sustainable and comprehensive solution to the chronic conflict. The EU's top diplomat also condemned "in the strongest way" attacks on Jews "everywhere in the world" in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial decision to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel earlier this month. Standing alongside Mogherini, Netanyahu stressed that Jerusalem has been Jews' capital for 3,000 years. He hailed Trump as "putting the fact squarely on the table," adding that "peace is based on recognizing the reality." "Jerusalem is Israel's capital, no one can deny," the prime minister said. Netanyahu made the diplomatic foray to Brussels after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday, amid international uproar following Trump's decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The U.S. leader also instructed relocating the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city At a joint press conference with Macro, Netanyahu insisted that "Peace (talks) will progress if the Palestinians recognize the reality of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel." Mogherini expressed "serious concern" over Trump's announcement regarding Jerusalem and termed the move a "gift" to extremists and to those not interested in peace. In the past few days, protests and demonstrations have been held in the Palestinian territories of West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as in many other cities in the Middle East and elsewhere. Israel has controlled the western part of Jerusalem since its inception in 1948. It seized control of East Jerusalem in 1967 and declared the city as its eternal capital in 1980. Palestinians see eastern Jerusalem as the future capital of their state. Jerusalem is home to holy sites to Islam, Judaism and Christianity, making it a focal point for many people around the globe. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and no foreign countries base their embassies in the city. File photo shows people carry a wounded person on a stretcher at the Madina hospital in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Oct. 29, 2017. (Xinhua/Faisal Isse) MOGADISHU, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 2,078 civilians were killed and 2,507 injured in Somalia's armed conflict, mainly involving Al-Shabaab terror group, from January 2016 to Oct. 14, 2017, said a joint UN report released on Sunday. The report by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) said 60 percent of the deaths and injuries were attributed to Al-Shabaab militants, 13 percent to clan militias, 11 percent to state actors, including the army and the police, 4 percent to the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), and 12 percent to unidentified attackers. Michael Keating, UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, said all parties to the conflict are not doing enough to shield civilians from violence in the Horn of African nation. "Civilians are paying the price for failure to resolve Somalia's conflicts through political means," said Keating. The report revealed a significant number of recorded civilian casualties -- 251 killed and 343 injured -- was attributed to clan militias, in areas where federal or state security forces are largely absent. "The drought has intensified clan conflict due to competition over resources. These conflicts are exploited by anti-government elements to further destabilize areas, diminish prospects for lasting peace and weaken civilian protection," the report stated. The UN said armed conflict is damaging infrastructure and livelihoods, displacing millions of people, and impeding access to humanitarian relief for communities in need. The report titled, "Protection of Civilians: Building the Foundation for Peace, Security and Human Rights in Somalia," said the conflict has disproportionately affected children. According to the UN, 3,335 cases of child recruitment were reported in the first ten months of 2017, with 71.5 percent attributed to Al-Shabaab, 14.6 percent to clan militia, and 7.4 percent to the Somali National Army. According to the report, the worst incident on a single day was the twin bomb blasts in Mogadishu on Oct. 14, attributed to Al-Shabaab by the Somali government, in which at least 512 people are officially recorded to have died. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said such casualties are of utmost concern as they undermine the Somali population's trust in the government and the international community, which in turn expands the space for the operation of anti-government elements. The report recommended that all unlawful armed groups and militia be disbanded. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 18:57:49|Editor: ZD Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua)-- Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano will pay an official visit to China from Dec. 17 to 19 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. During the visit, the two foreign ministers will hold talks to exchange opinions on bilateral ties and issues of common concern, and attend the eighth joint meeting of the China-Italy Government Committee, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said Monday. "We believe that Alfano's visit will deepen our traditional friendship, help align the two countries' development strategies under the Belt and Road Initiative, promote pragmatic cooperation across the board, and boost bilateral ties," Lu said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 19:12:59|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close TOKYO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his view on Monday that he wished to develop a "future-oriented" relationship with South Korea to better contend with current and future issues that may arise in the geopolitically sensitive area. While taking into the decades-old "comfort women" issue, Abe said difficult issues should not negatively affect the two countries' overall ties. "We would like to develop future-oriented relations so that the difficult problems between the two countries will not have a negative impact on overall Japan-South Korean ties," Abe said in a message passed on to a group of Japanese and South Korean parliamentarians in Tokyo, by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura. In relation to an contentious issue between both sides, Fukushiro Nukaga, who heads the nonpartisan Japanese parliamentary group, highlighted a 2015 deal struck over the "comfort women" issue. He said that Japanese lawmakers "will support the victims to restore their honor and dignity." Under a landmark deal reached two years ago, both countries agreed that the "comfort women" issue that had led to strained ties between the two neighbors would be "finally and irreversibly" resolved. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who took office in May, and his administration, however, have said that they are revisiting the process under which the accord was made under the previous government, noting that the pact does not reflect the will of the majority of South Koreans. The "comfort women" issue involved soldiers from the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, coercing and, in some instances, kidnapping girls and women and forcing them to work as sex slaves at military brothels during the war. Many of the women forced into the sex trade by the Japanese aggressors came from the Korean Peninsular and China, although thousands of women were also trafficked from many other parts of Asia. Euphemistically, these sex slaves have come to be known collectively as "comfort women." Statues erected to pay honor to these "comfort women" such as the one installed outside the Japanese consulate in South Korea's Busan in January, draw the ire of the Japanese government, the right-wing forces of which have been trying ardently to whitewash its wartime atrocities. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 19:28:04|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close NAKURU, Kenya, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Wildlife conservancies have in recent times fuelled economic growth in rural Kenya, the head of a conservancies' umbrella body said on Monday. Dickson Kaelo, the CEO of the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA), said the 160 conservancies spread across 28 counties now benefit more than 700,000 households through schools, health centres and water projects they support. "Today, conservancies provide employment to 4,800 Kenyans," Kaelo told Xinhua. "Over 2,900 conservancy rangers support our KWS rangers in monitoring wildlife and combating illegal wildlife crime. This has doubled the number of eyes and ears of our wildlife law enforcement," he added. The association lobbying for growth of conservancies in Kenya last week launched a report providing data and information on operations of conservancies in the country and their achievements in the past 30 years. The Status of Conservancies Report (2016), makes available information needed to better understand the increasingly important role of wildlife conservancies in Kenya, said Kaleo. He stressed that the stability of conservancies was crucial to attaining a 17 percent threshold of terrestrial landscape under conservation management by 2020 from the current 11 percent. Under the Aichi Biodiversity targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity to which Kenya is a signatory, member countries are mandated to meet the 17 percent threshold serving as a mechanism for continued protection and preservation of sustainable ecosystems. He noted that conservancies have rapidly become a destination of choice for tourists visiting the East African nation. "Over 140 tourism eco-lodges in conservancies have added 2,400 beds to destination Kenya. Trip advisor confirms that the iconic eco-camps are some of the most preferred upcoming destinations," he said. However, he said change of land use, recurrent drought and demand to produce food threatens the existence of wildlife that mainly attracts the tourists. While conservancies seek to engage communities in conservation of wildlife, numerous challenges are hurdling the process, according to Kaelo. He identified low management capacity, inadequate funding and lack of compensation to offset costs associated with wildlife damages, injuries or death as among the obstacles. "Difficulty of generating benefits comparable to other incentivized land uses is also a challenge to community's participation in wildlife conservation," he added. To better engage them, he said, incentives such as trainings, community mobilization, legal registration and creation of effective governance structures were necessary. Also, establishing benefit sharing mechanisms and appropriate livelihood enhancement and conservation programs would be effective in fostering productive involvement of communities in wildlife conservation activities. During the launch of the report, Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources, said wildlife conservancies represent a key opportunity for not only securing wildlife on community lands but also for protecting wildlife dispersal areas and corridors. "The Kenya's Conservancy model is gaining global recognition for impacting communities and protecting biodiversity without use of unsustainable exploitation of wildlife," she said. Based on the report, human wildlife conflict is a major threat to wildlife conservation and conservancies since wildlife species causing conflict are attacked and killed by affected persons. Between 2011 and 2015, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) recorded an average annual increase of 86 percent of human wildlife conflicts according to the report on status of conservancies in Kenya. "The conflicts continue to increase on lands outside most protected areas (KWS) with high incidences reported in the Taita Taveta/Tsavo; the Mara (Transmara and Narok); the Amboseli and Laikipia/Samburu/Maralal region," says the report. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:08:16|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close COLOMBO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Monday received the second consignment of 1,000 tons of rice from China, to be distributed to the drought struck victims in the island country. At the request of the Sri Lankan government, China has agreed to donate 2,752 tons of rice for humanitarian emergency relief. The first consignment of 1,000 tons of rice arrived in Sri Lanka in November while the second consignment arrived on Monday. Officials said the third and final consignment with the remaining 752 tone would reach Colombo before the end of December. The consignment was accepted by officials at the Disaster Management Ministry in Colombo. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, said Sri Lanka had this year experienced the worst drought in recent years with over 1 million people affected in 11 districts. Most of the lands affected were agricultural lands which could not continue to be used for agricultural purposes now. He said China had been prompt in helping Sri Lanka and this donation further strengthened the strong friendship between the two countries. Sri Lanka has been suffering one of its worst droughts in 40 years due to a delay in monsoonal rains. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:18:19|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close ANKARA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish economy recorded 11.1 percent year-on-year growth in the third quarter of 2017, hitting highest quarterly growth since 2011, official data showed on Monday. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), it is the fastest quarter growth rate in six years since the first quarter of 2011 when 11.4 percent growth was recorded. Turkey's economy grew 5.2 percent in the first quarter and 5.1 percent in the second quarter. The growth above forecasts are attributed to domestic demand as well as accelerated investment support by the government and strong contributions from exports, local experts said. All main sectors increased in the third quarter. The agricultural sector expanded by 2.8 percent, the manufacturing industry by 14.8 percent, the construction sector by 18.7 percent, and the services sector by 20.7 percent, TurkStat added. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Monday that economic indicators currently signal a higher than 6.5 percent annual growth. Simsek said the economy had grown 7.4 percent in the first nine months of the year. He predicted that this growth trend would continue in the coming years. The Development Minister Lutfi Elvan said annual growth was expected to hit 7 percent this year. The Turkish lira strengthened after the official data was published on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:18:20|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Jack Ma Foundation on Monday announced a new plan to invest at least 300 million yuan (45 million U.S. dollars) to encourage graduates of normal schools to teach in rural areas in the next 10 years. The first 10 million yuan will be invested in selecting 100 fresh graduates from normal schools in Hunan, Sichuan, Chongqing and Jilin provinces. Each participant will be provided with a 100,000-yuan subsidy for service of five years on end in rural schools "Rural education will only get better only if we have the best graduates as rural teachers," said Jack Ma, founder and chairman of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. Ma, who was an English teacher for seven years in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, says he has always valued education, calling himself the "spokesman for rural teachers," on Weibo, China's top microblogging site. Ma's foundation has already initiated two rural education-related programs. Ma says he believes there are opportunities ahead both for China's rural education and graduates of normal schools. "Normal school graduates will have the chances to create history by joining in the building of rural China," he said. The vast majority of Chinese rural students are desperate for quality education. China has about 3.3 million rural teachers, but it barely meets demand in rural areas. According to a report on rural education by Northeast Normal University in December 2016, more than 70 percent of primary schools and education centers in China were in rural areas, and over 26 million rural students at the nine-year compulsory education stage were boarders. To encourage more teachers to join rural education, China issued a plan in 2015 to offer subsidies and allowances for such teachers. By the end of 2015, the central budget had provided over 1 million rural teachers in poor areas with additional living allowances totaling 7.37 billion yuan. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:18:21|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and China should improve their working relationship and cooperate more on African humanitarian issues, Patricia Danzi, ICRC regional director for Africa, said in Beijing Monday. Danzi said China and the ICRC have begun to interact with each other more closely in the past couple of years. Representatives from the ICRC met with Chinese peacekeepers in South Sudan in September this year and the organization is considering providing training for the peacekeepers. "We trained a Chinese peacekeeping medical detachment to Mali in August 2016. During the training we reminded the troops of their obligations under humanitarian law and what humanitarian assistance and protection should be provided. The next step is probably South Sudan," said Danzi. The ICRC is increasing interaction with Chinese businesses. Its purchases from China rose from 7 million U.S. dollars in 2013 to 20 million U.S. dollars in 2016, an ICRC official said at the Canton Fair in October. Chinese companies are also providing jobs and skills training for young Africans, said Danzi. She said she sees China as a big actor on the world stage and expects more cooperation between the ICRC and China in the future. "Many Chinese companies have good knowledge about many countries in Africa from a business perspective; while the ICRC has good knowledge from a humanitarian perspective. So we can benefit from each other and have a better understanding of the overall context," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:28:26|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close PARIS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 89 French companies pledged to invest 320 billion euros (about 376.44 billion U.S. dollars) over the next three years to stem greenhouse emission as part of their commitment for clean businesses, the country's employers organization Medef announced on Monday. "These 89 companies mark a new stage. Other companies have already expressed willingness to join them to innovate and generate low carbon products, solutions and services," Medef said. "With this new commitment of French companies, the private sector shows that the challenge of the ecological transition has moved to the stage of financing and concrete implementation," it added. French enterprises, including French car giant PSA, telecommunications company Orange, nuclear group Areva, will invest billions of euros over the 2016-2020 period in "research, development and innovation to move to a low carbon society," according to the organization. France's private sector initiative comes as Paris on Tuesday prepares to host the "One Planet Summit", an international meeting seeking to re-launch the fight against global warming, notably by focusing on ways to finance the international commitment to fight climate change as agreed in the Paris climate accord. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:33:29|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday condemned an attack on UN peacekeeping forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) leaving 15 Tanzanian UN peacekeepers and five more DRC soldiers dead. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks at a daily press briefing. He mourned the victims and expressed condolences to their families. The attack last Thursday by suspected Allied Democratic Forces rebels took place in North Kivu province in the eastern part of the DRC. It was the worst attack on a peacekeeping mission in nearly 25 years, and 53 other peacekeepers were also wounded. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed "outrage and utter heartbreak" after the attack, urging DRC authorities to swiftly investigate. "China is willing to continue to work with the international community, to play a positive role in peacefully solving the DRC issue and maintaining peace and stability of Africa," Lu said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:38:31|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Scholars attending a key forum in Shanghai have discussed new branches of China studies, as academic interest in the country grows. The 7th Forum on China Studies themed "China In a New Era" was held in Shanghai Sunday and Monday. The forum is dedicated to reflecting upon global challenges while fostering informed understanding between China and the rest of the world. This year's event drew 180 scholars from over 30 countries and regions. The forum addressed innovation, the Belt and Road Initiative, Global Governance and "a community with a shared future for mankind." Wu Li, deputy director of the Institute of Contemporary Studies, said he had a great deal of discussion with other attendees. "I wrote an article on the needs and challenges of China building an innovation-oriented country, and many other scholars have also expounded on the topic. There is a great deal of interest in the path China has undertaken," he said. The Belt and Road Initiative was one of the most common ideas to appear in papers submitted to the forum. "China's massive infrastructure development and financing under the initiative are taking place in the midst of cultural diversity, sprawling trans-border geographical locations and a rich historical perspective," said Tan Khee Giap of the National University of Singapore. In his paper, he explained the opportunities, challenges and implications of the initiative. Global governance, a concept much in the thoughts of Chinese leaders, was also discussed at the forum. "China's positive contribution to international governance gives hope that the new challenges globalization is confronted with will find ways for eventual amelioration and resolution," said Hasan Javed Syed from the National University of Science and Technology of Pakistan. "China could help solve problems such as widespread double standards in international relations, injustice, civilization conflicts, political disputes, environment degradation, and climate change challenges," he said. "Chinese ideas and experience of economic globalization, non-politicization, reform and opening-up can be highly relevant in reforming the world order," said Zhang Weiwei, a professor at Fudan University. Founded in 2004, the Forum on China studies has convened 10 times. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:38:32|Editor: ZD Video Player Close MOSCOW, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Making a surprise visit to the Hmeymim military airbase in Syria on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the order for a "significant" pullback of Russian troops from the war-hit country, the Kremlin said in a press release. "In the past two years, the Russian Armed Forces and the Syrian army defeated the most lethal group of international terrorists. Therefore, I made a decision: a significant part of the Russian military contingent in Syria is returning home to Russia," Putin said at the airfield, where he was met by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thanking Russian servicemen who took part in the anti-terrorist operations in Syria, where the Russian Air Force task group has been deployed since the end of September 2015, he said, "We will never forget about the sacrifices and losses during the fight against terror, both here in Syria and in Russia." The Russian troops will return home to relatives, parents, wives, children and friends with a victory, he added. However, Russia will keep its two military bases in Syria, the Hmeymim airbase and the Tartus naval base. "If terrorists raise their heads again, we will deal them such blows they have not yet seen," he said. After the brief halt in Syria, Putin landed in Egypt to discuss with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stability and security in the Middle East and North Africa. Putin's Syria visit comes a few weeks after Assad's surprise trip to Russia's Black Sea resort Sochi. There Putin told Assad that joint military operations against terrorists in Syria were coming to an end, and the focus would shift to a political process, according to the Kremlin. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:38:33|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close DHAKA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested five members of a banned militant outfit in the country's Habiganj district, along with huge books and leaflets that incite extremism. A RAB spokesperson on Monday confirmed the arrest in Habiganj district, 163 km northeast of capital Dhakaon late Sunday night. The militants were active members of the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). According to the spokesman, the arrestees planned to create an untoward situation on the occasion of Bangladesh's Victory Day which falls on Dec. 16. JMB carried out a series of bombings in 63 out of the country's 64 districts, including capital Dhaka on Aug. 17, 2005, leaving two people dead and 150 others injured. Hundreds of JMB leaders and activists were rounded up while six top leaders of the group, including Shaikh Abdur Rahman, were hanged in 2007. Against the backdrop of a new wave of militancy rising, Bangladesh stepped up drive aimed at dismantling all terrorist outfits and their networks in the country. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:53:36|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close JUBA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Members of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Monday began their fourth field mission to South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. The UNMISS said two commissioners taking part in the mission, Yasmin Sooka and Andrew Clapham, will be in South Sudan for six days, where they will meet with senior government officials, members of civil society, religious leaders and diplomats. During their stay in Juba, which lasts through Dec. 16, the two will also meet with representatives of UN agencies. "They will conduct visits to camps for internally displaced persons across the country, including UNMISS Protection of Civilian (PoC) sites, to meet the people living there, community leaders and civil society organizations," the mission said. It said the commissioners will then visit Uganda and Ethiopia, where they will visit refugee camps and settlements along the South Sudanese border. The will meet with leaders of the African Union , the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), senior UN officials, as well as other members of the international community and opposition groups in Addis Ababa. The UNMISS is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. It will present its next report to the Human Rights Council in March 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:53:37|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two bank guards deployed with cash van of a local bank were killed Monday after a militant attack in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. The vehicle was attacked in village Kralcham-Kellar of Shopian district, 52 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Two bank guards were today killed when militants opened indiscriminate fire on their vehicle in Kellar," a police official said. Though the guards were immediately rushed to district hospital Shopian, however, the doctors there declared them brought dead. Following the attack, government forces launched a search operation in the area to track down the assailants. It was not immediately known if militants have looted cash from the vehicle or snatched service rifles of the bank guards. "We are ascertaining the details of the attack," the police official said. In May this year, five policemen and two security guards of bank were killed in a similar attack in neighboring Kulgam. This year there have been several instances of gunmen looting banks in the region. Earlier in the day, three militants and a civilian woman were killed in a fierce gunfight in the region. A guerilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. The gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 20:58:40|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Syria on Monday, the presidential media office reported. For the first time since the beginning of the Syrian conflict over six years ago, Putin visited the Russian-run Hmeimim Air Base in Syria's coastal city of Latakia. Putin met there with Assad and inspected the Russian forces there, according to the report. During his visit, Putin ordered his defense minister to prepare for withdrawing the Russian forces, according to the report. He added that "if the terrorists raised their heads again, we will deal them a blow they haven't seen before." However, the Russians will keep their presence in the Hmeimim Air Base in Latakia and the naval base they have for long controlled in the nearby coastal city of Tartus. It's also not clear when the Russian forces will completely withdraw amid reports by local media outlets that large portion of the forces will leave, but not all of them. Meanwhile, Putin also informed Assad that he will discuss the Syrian settlement with the presidents of Turkey and Egypt during his upcoming visit to their respective countries. For his part, Assad thanked Putin for his forces' contribution in fighting terrorism in Syria, stressing that the sacrifices of the Russian soldiers will not be forgotten. The Russian forces entered Syria in 2015 to shore up the forces of Assad in their fight against the rebels. The backing of the Russian forces and air power enabled the Syrian army to retrieve key areas across the country, such as rebel-held areas in Aleppo, the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria as well as the eastern city of Deir al-Zour from the Islamic State. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 21:18:49|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese central government has allocated 5.7 billion yuan (about 865.6 million U.S. dollars) in relief funds to help people in disaster-hit regions get through the winter. The fund will help solve difficulties caused by disasters, including food shortages and inadequate clothing and heating, during winter and spring, according to a statement from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. County-level authorities must make sure the money reaches those in need within 15 working days of receiving the funds, said the statement. The ministry also requires complete transparency in distribution and enhanced supervision. In October alone, natural disasters such as floods, typhoons and extreme cold weather affected over 17 million people in China. More than 13,000 houses were destroyed and another 53,000 were damaged to varying degrees. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 21:28:52|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close NAIROBI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya needs to spend 1 billion U.S. dollars annually to achieve universal health coverage, a government official said on Monday. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Julius Korir told Xinhua in Nairobi that so far the government is only able to afford 120 million dollars annually to cater for the elderly, low-income households, and citizens with disabilities. "The rest of the funding to achieve universal health care will come from households that can afford to pay for social health insurances," Korir said during the 31st graduation ceremony at the Amref International Training Center, where 560 health professionals graduated. The east African nation has set an ambitious target of achieving universal healthcare by the year 2022, well ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals target of 2030. Korir said government allocation to social health services will gradually decrease as the economy expands and household incomes improve. He noted that Kenya will expand health access to all citizens through the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), which has over 6 million members. The population of Kenya was estimated at 48.46 million in 2016, according to the World Bank. Most members of the NHIF make a monthly contribution of about 5 dollars in order access health services. Korir said that in order to achieve universal health care, the government will rely on community health workers. "Our ultimate goal is to hire 100,000 community health workers who will encourage households to enroll as members of NHIF," he added. The ministry of health also intends to rely on technologies such as mobile applications in order to achieve universal health care, Korir said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 21:33:55|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close HONG KONG, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Health authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) issued a warning on Monday about a sharp increase in scarlet fever cases. The Center for Health Protection said it has issued a warning to parents and schools about a sharp increase in the cases of scarlet fever, a bacterial infection which mainly affects children. Latest data shows the number of scarlet fever cases rose to 94 last week, almost double the number from the week before. The number of cases reported so far this year is also 50 percent more from a year ago. Although the center said most of those infected suffered mild illness, Hong Kong Medical Association Vice President Alvin Chan said he was worried that the number of patients with more serious complications would increase. He was quoted by local radio RTHK as saying that schools should adopt more stringent hygiene and antiseptic controls in light of the situation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 21:48:58|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A China-style major-country diplomacy has taken shape over the past five years through the overseas trips by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The 29 visits to 58 countries and major international and regional organizations across the five continents have helped win Xi the title of "chief diplomat" of China. The trips have enhanced a leadership role for China in global peace, security, governance and development, and promoted a better understanding worldwide of a Chinese vision and approach that includes win-win cooperation and efforts towards building a community with a shared future for mankind. WIN-WIN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Xi's first foreign trip since he became Chinese president was to Moscow in March 2013, where he debuted his diplomatic approach. "To keep up with the times, we cannot have ourselves physically living in the 21st century, but with a mindset belonging to the past, stalled in the old days of colonialism, and constrained by zero-sum Cold War mentality," Xi told an audience at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, while calling for building a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core. Xi's six visits to Russia and more than 20 meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin on various occasions have lifted China-Russia ties to their best in history. The two countries together serve as an anchor for global peace and security. "I believe that the model of bilateral relations that we have created should become one of the examples of civilized interaction between countries in the 21st century," Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said. The principles Xi put forward of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation have helped stabilize China-U.S. relations over White House leadership changes and consequent uncertainties. Xi's exchanges with U.S. President Donald Trump led to the establishment of new high-level dialogue mechanisms between China and the United States in a bid to promote global peace and security. China-Europe relations have expanded with each of Xi's tours to the continent. China seeks a partnership with the European Union based on peace, growth, reform and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. China's excellent relationship with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have largely eased Europeans' worries about China. During the past five years, half of Xi's overseas visits were dedicated to promoting ties with China's neighbors, including the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, the updated version of the China-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Free Trade Area, and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, among others. Meanwhile, cooperation with developing countries in Africa and Latin America has grown, with China's involvement in a number of infrastructure and development projects. STRENGTHENING MULTILATERALISM Xi's proposal to build a community with a shared future for mankind is a central pillar of multilateralism. The proposal shines light on China's diplomatic efforts over the past five years concerning individual states and regional and international organizations. From the UN General Assembly, the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meetings, to the Group of 20 (G20) forum and the BRICS summit which embraces Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Xi has reaffirmed China's commitment to economic globalization, UN-led multilateralism and global peace. Globalization is falsely blamed for a sluggish global economy, high unemployment, a rise in trade protectionism, populism and isolationism, terrorism, the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East and the widening gap between rich and poor. "In the face of both opportunities and challenges of economic globalization, the right thing to do is to seize every opportunity, jointly meet challenges and chart the right course for economic globalization," Xi said in a keynote WEF speech in January. He listed an innovation-driven growth, open and win-win cooperation, fairer governance as well as balanced and inclusive development as the way forward for the global economy. Multilateralism is the solution for global problems, and China has been a strong pillar of it. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is embodied in the Belt and Road Initiative Xi proposed in 2013, which is aimed at building trade and infrastructure networks in countries along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. Moreover, the initiative's projects involving new railways, roads, and industrial zones in Asia and Africa are aligned with the development strategies of many countries and are being hashed out with the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals in mind. The Belt and Road Initiative is perhaps the greatest gift China has ever offered to the world. "In an increasingly interdependent and integrated world where countries form a community of shared interests, openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation are the only viable option," Xi said at the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries during the BRICS summit held in September in Xiamen, China. "Multilateralism is the solution for the global problems, and China has been a strong pillar of multilateralism," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. His predecessor Ban Ki-moon has called China "an indispensable partner for the UN's agenda." China's continued support for the Paris climate change accord after the U.S. withdrawal and its significant contributions to UN peacekeeping missions are also among its efforts to make the world a better place. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 21:54:01|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close LUSAKA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday called for the involvement of young people in the fight against HIV/AIDS as the disease presented a threat to the country's future development. Speaking during the commemoration of the World AIDS Day which was pushed to December 11 in Lusaka, the country's capital, the Zambian leader attributed the rise in new HIV infection among young people to low intake of prevention interventions such as testing services, poor adherence to treatment as well as alcohol and substance abuse. While commending efforts made in reaching older generations in HIV prevention, the Zambian leader said only half of the young population has been reached. He has since directed the Ministry of Health to embark on "Know Your Status" program for children and young people in order to raise awareness on the disease. The Zambian leader added that the commemoration, which was held under the local theme "Eliminating HIV By 2030 Starts With Me" presents an opportunity for everyone person to be involved in the fight by knowing their HIV status. According to him, the theme was a reminder not to leave anyone behind in the fight against the disease. The government, he said, has since constituted a multi-diverse HIV/AIDS Coalition, which will oversee the national agenda on HIV/AIDS. The Zambian leader commended efforts made so far in fighting the disease although he said more still needed to be done. Zambia is one of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa with high HIV prevalent rate, with figures showing that 1.2 million people were living with HIV as of December last year, with 900,000 of them on anti-retroviral therapy. During the event, Lungu honored the country's founding President Kenneth Kaunda with a life-time achievement award over his work in the crusade against HIV/AIDS. Lungu said Kaunda has been active in the fight against HIV/AIDS since 1986 when he publicly announced that one of his sons had died of AIDS. He also played a vital role in the HIV/AIDS fight since retiring from active politics through his Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation organization. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 21:59:06|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Though with nearly three weeks left still for 2017 to come to an end, it has already been marked as one of the worst years in California's history in terms of wildfires. Cal Fire, the firefighting agency of the Golden State, reported that more than 6,700 fires had burnt down over 500,000 acres (2,023 square km)from the beginning of the year to Dec. 3. In addition, the past week saw another 230,000 acres (931 square km)scorched by the still-out-of-control fire in southern California, surpassing the state's five-year average of burnt land area, which is 200,000 acres (809 square km) per year. Governor Jerry Brown on Saturday called the constant threat of wildfire a "new normal" for California, blaming climate change. The extreme weather patterns in California, such as high temperatures and droughts, create a lethally ideal conditions for wildfire breakouts. "Wildfires can strike anywhere in the state," Cal Fire deputy chief Scott McLean told the Post. "It's not 'if,' it's basically 'when.' And it' s not gonna stop." Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 22:04:08|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close LUSAKA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of asylum seekers at a transit center in Nchelenge district in Zambia's Luapula Province has now passed the 10,000 mark, the UN refugee agency said on Monday. Kenani transit center has been keeping some DRC nationals fleeing unrest from their country on a temporary basis since August this year when it was established. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Zambia office said the transit center now has some 10,065 DRC nationals. "We passed the 10,000 mark on Saturday, and more Congolese refugees are coming from Chiengi," UNHCR Representative in Zambia Pierrrine Aylara said in a statement. The district authorities have since agreed to expand the transit center, with the newly allocated space able to accommodate an additional 1,000 families or 5,000 individuals while efforts were underway to open a new permanent refugee settlement in the coming weeks, she added. UNHCR was working with other partners to relocate the asylum seekers to a permanent place, she said, noting that funding might hamper timely relocation. According to her, additional funds were required by humanitarian and development partners to repair a main access road and inner roads within the refugee settlement while other funds were required to set up basic infrastructure such as health, water and sanitation and primary education facilities. Some 13,924 Congolese have crossed into Zambia since the beginning of 2017 through various entry points, with some relocated to refugee camps in the western part of the country. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 22:19:14|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close KAMPALA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- In the central business district of the Ugandan capital Kampala, a group of young Chinese are setting up a training center for local youths to work in the oil and gas sector. Li Yu, business manager of Sunmaker Energy (Uganda) Ltd, told Xinhua in a recent interview that there are vast opportunities in the sector, including personnel training and provision of human resource services. "Uganda is in strong need of technologies and experienced people to this (oil production). We spotted an opportunity," Li said. Li and his colleagues are setting up a 4.53 million U.S. dollars training facility that provides training for Ugandan youths to work in oil production. Construction is scheduled to be completed in February next year. In the initial year, the center is expected to train about 1,600 students before scaling up to about 11,000 students annually, according to the company's plan. Jerry Bo Ma, General Manager at Sunmaker Energy (Uganda) Ltd, told Xinhua that after qualification, the students will be given internationally recognized certificates that will enable them to work in the oil industry. The students will be skilled in welding, drilling, scaffolding, plumbing, driving, carpentry and masonry in a country where the government targets 2020 as the year when Uganda will begin oil and gas production. The startup company has already received good will from the Ugandan government. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, while meeting the Sunmaker Uganda Ltd founding partners last month, promised that the government would offer them land near the oil wells in the western part of the country for the second phase of the training facility. During the meeting, Museveni also promised that the government would waive all taxes related to constructing and running the training center. Ma expressed hope that in future Sunmaker Energy will serve as a bridge that furthers the cooperation between Uganda and China in the oil sector. Uganda has so far discovered over 1.5 billion barrels of commercially viable oil. Some of the oil will be refined in the oil fields while the crude will be transported to the Tanzanian seaport of Tanga, according to Uganda government plans. Last month, Uganda and Tanzania launched the construction of the crude oil pipeline that will carry 216,000 barrels of oil for export per day. The pipeline is expected to be completed in 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 22:29:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets a delegation led by Yok Mu-ming, chairman of Taiwan's New Party, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng said Monday the mainland will uphold "peaceful reunification" and the "one country, two systems" principle. Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks when meeting a delegation led by Yok Mu-ming, chairman of Taiwan's New Party. "Resolving the Taiwan issue to achieve reunification is the shared aspiration of all Chinese and the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation," said Yu, vowing the utmost sincerity and greatest efforts toward peaceful reunification. The 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle is key to ensuring cross-Strait peaceful development, Yu said, adding that history has proved and will further prove that "Taiwan independence" is a dead end. Yu said the mainland will deepen cooperation across the Strait, share mainland opportunities with Taiwan compatriots, and provide them with the same treatment as mainlanders in studying, creating businesses, working and living. Hailing the New Party's stance of opposing "Taiwan independence," Yu said the mainland will communicate with Taiwan-based parties, groups and individuals that uphold the one-China principle and oppose "Taiwan independence" to jointly promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and strive for the national reunification and rejuvenation. Yok said that the New Party will continue to adhere to the one-China principle and oppose "Taiwan independence" to further boost cross-Strait communication and cooperation in all fields. During another meeting, Zhang Zhijun, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and activities are the biggest realistic threats to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. People on both sides of the Strait should stay on high alert and resolutely curb such activities, Zhang said. The CPC and the New Party agreed to improve the communication mechanism and discuss major problems to build consensus. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 22:44:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Alex Osei-Boateng ACCRA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has warned of an outbreak of swine flu, or H1N1, in the country, local media reported on Monday. The alert followed confirmed H1N1 cases at a high school that killed 13 people in the past seven months. More than 40 students have so far been known to be affected at the Kumasi Academy Senior High School in the Ashanti Region. The H1N1 virus is a sub-type of influenza A virus that was the most common cause of human influenza infection in the 2009 global pandemic. The disease is spread mainly via droplets, but all respiratory secretions and body fluids, including diarrhea stools, of infected patients, are considered to be potentially infectious. It has an incubation period of one to four days and has a high virulence if not diagnosed and treated on time. The swine flu was last recorded in Ghana in 2009. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 22:54:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ACCRA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen opened fire in a market, killing four people and injuring 10 others late Sunday in the northern Ghana town of Nanjon, police confirmed on Monday. Spokesperson for the Northern Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mohammed Yussif Tanko told Xinhua on Monday that the regional command received information around 7:00 p.m. local time on Sunday that about eight gunmen who had arrived in Nanjon on motorbikes opened fire on people in the market. "We quickly deployed security in the place to assure the people of their safety and the place has remained calm since last night," the police spokesman added. According to him, two persons died instantly while two more died at the hospital in Binji, near Nanjon. Meanwhile, the injured are receiving treatment at the Baptist Medical Center at Nalerigu. He said investigation was underway to unravel the motive behind the shooting incident, adding that Nanjon had hitherto not been known for any such incident. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 22:59:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TOKYO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A sightseeing bus carrying 26 Chinese tourists had an accident in Hokkaido, northern Japan on Monday and some of the tourists sustained light injuries, China's consulate general in Sapporo confirmed. The injured tourists have returned to hotel after receiving treatments in hospital, according to the consulate general. Local media reported earlier that a sightseeing bus carrying 28 people including the driver and a guide, had an accident around 6:20 p.m. local time in Hakodate city, Hokkaido. The bus, 3.7 meters high, collided with a fly-over crossing 3 meters high, according to the Kyodo News. The consulate general has not been informed of the cause of the accident yet and will keep in close touch with local police. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-11 22:59:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BERLIN, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Germany's largest shoe manufacturer Birkenstock has terminated its contract with U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon, the mass-market daily Bild reported on Sunday. The newspaper cited an internal source as saying that Birkenstock had "decided to cease direct delivery to Amazon in Europe entirely by the 1st of January 2018". The company was reacting to "continued trade mark infringements" as suppliers of fake Birkenstock shoes continued to be listed on Amazon's platform, according to the report. "The world's largest online retailer is not making what we would deem to be sufficient efforts to preserve a relationship of trust and protect our customers from being misled," a Birkenstock statement said on Monday, cited by Bild. Birkenstock executives said in contrast to Amazon, other e-commerce firms which sell their shoes had successfully prevented trademark infringements. In 2016, Birkenstock had cancelled its contract with the U.S. branch of Amazon out of concerns that its brand was not being adequately protected against an "abundance of fake products". In turn, Amazon attempted to evade the boycott by shoring up its supply from other U.S. wholesalers. However, a ruling by the European Court of Justice on Dec. 6 confirmed the right of producers of luxury products to forbid trading partners to sell produce via third party platforms, such as Amazon, to protect a firm's image of exclusivity. Amazon refused to comment on its "relationships with business partners", but insisted that it "did not tolerate any fake products". Birkenstock was established in 1774 and has been owned by the same family for six generations. The Neustadt/Wied-based firm employs 3,500 staff and sells around 25 million pairs of shoes per year. Cars are seen in the snow on Westminster Bridge in central London, Britain on Dec. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Han Yan) LONDON, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Severe frost, rains and icy roads after heavy snowfall have caused major travel disruption across large parts of Britain on Monday. On the "Black Ice Monday", called by local media, so far a quarter of flights at Heathrow have been cancelled and the Port of Calais has been closed as bad weather continues. Flights were suspended at airports including Birmingham and Stansted, while other airports advised customers to check with airlines and leave extra time for journey. The bad weather and hazardous road condition also forced hundreds of schools to close on Monday. Highway England issued advice for drivers to check forecasts before they travel and to prepare "warm clothing, food, drink ... and a torch". As temperatures fell to -12 degrees Celsius in some rural areas overnight, the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice across parts of central England and Wales According to power suppliers, more than 140,000 homes lost power on Sunday amid heavy snow and high winds, and several thousand remain cut off on Monday. The Met Office said the snow and ice would continue to hit parts of the UK till Tuesday. An amber warning of snow came into force at 4 a.m. (UTC) on Sunday, affecting Wales, the Midlands and parts of northern and eastern England. | 2017-12-12 05:04:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ATHENS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua)-- Two of five Colombian nationals suspected of stealing expensive medical equipment from four Greek state hospitals last May and June have been arrested in Germany and Colombia on the basis of international arrest warrants, Greek police announced on Monday. Within a week endoscopes and other medical instruments and supplies worth about 500,000 euros (589,000 U.S. dollars) were stolen by the gastroenterology departments of state hospitals in Athens and the cities of Volos, Larissa and Lamia in central Greece. The perpetrators had acted in the same pattern. The cross- borders investigation led to the traces of a Colombian gang. During a regular press briefing held in Athens on Monday, Greek Police Major General Christos Papazafiris, chief of the Regional Police Directorate of Attica Prefecture, said that a 50-year-old man believed to have carried out the break-ins was arrested in the Colombian capital of Bogota. While a 25-year-old woman, who was the recipient of parcels containing stolen medical equipment, was arrested in Frankfurt, Papazafiris said. Greece will seek their extradition, while the search continues to locate and arrest the remaining three suspects who are still at large and have been identified by Greek police in cooperation with European and international police authorities, Papazafiris said. Based on the investigation conducted by Greek police in collaboration with police forces abroad, it is believed that the same ring also stole medical equipment from Luxembourg, Spain, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Croatia and Lithuania. Authorities believe that the instruments are used to facilitate the trafficking and recovery of ingested drugs being smuggled across borders by Colombian drug cartels. Four endoscopes stolen from Greek hospitals were recovered by police in Bogota. | 2017-12-12 05:07:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close QINGDAO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Xiamen Airlines, a subsidiary of China Southern Airlines, launched a direct service from Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province to Los Angeles on Monday. This is the first non-stop service linking the two cities and Xiamen Airlines' ninth intercontinental air route. A 287-seat Boeing 787 will operate three round trip flights a week. The flights take about 11 hours 30 minutes each way. The new service, in addition to an earlier route linking Qingdao with San Francisco, is expected to help boost trade and cultural exchanges between Shandong Province and the United States, the company said. | 2017-12-12 05:08:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Council of the European Union on Monday adopted a decision establishing the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), with 25 participating EU member states. PESCO is an instrument in the EU treaty to enable willing member states to pursue greater cooperation in defense and security. This framework allows EU member states to jointly develop defense capabilities, invest in shared projects, or enhance the operational readiness and contribution of their armed forces. In November, defense ministers of 23 EU member states signed a joint notification on PESCO and handed it over to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Britain, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland and Malta have yet to decide whether to join the pact. According to a statement released by the Council of the EU Monday, Ireland and Portugal also notified their decision to join PESCO last week. The Council decision sets out an initial list of 17 projects to be undertaken under PESCO. The European Commission welcomed the decision adopted by the Council formally establishing PESCO and the plans to establish 17 projects on defense by 25 countries. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: "I welcome the steps taken today by member states to lay the foundations of a European Defense Union. Europe cannot and should not outsource our security and defense." Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 05:06:42|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (1st L, Rear) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (2nd L, Rear) view a military parade in the Russian-run Hmeimim Air Base in the coastal city of Latakia, Syria, on Dec. 11, 2017. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Syria on Monday, the presidential media office reported. During Putin's visit, he ordered his defense minister to prepare for withdrawing the Russian forces, according to the report. (Xinhua/Syrian Presidency) MOSCOW, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia will pull most of its troops out of Syria after claiming a victory against the Islamic State (IS) but will maintain an airbase and a naval base in the war-torn country, President Vladimir Putin announced Monday. During a surprise visit to the Hmeymim military airfield in Syria, Putin gave the order for a "significant" pullback of Russian troops, saying in the past two years, the Russian armed forces and the Syrian army have defeated the most lethal group of international terrorists. Thanking Russian servicemen who took part in the anti-terrorist operations in Syria, where the Russian air force task group has been deployed since the end of September 2015, he said, "We will never forget about the sacrifices and losses during the fight against terror, both here in Syria and in Russia." The Russian troops will return home to relatives, parents, wives, children and friends with a victory, he added. However, Russia will keep two military bases in Syria, the Hmeymim airbase and the Tartus naval base. "If terrorists raise their heads again, we will deal them such blows they have not yet seen," Putin said. In January, Syria signed a deal with Russia, allowing the latter to use the Hmeymim airbase in the coastal province of Latakia for at least 49 years. Russian warplanes stationed in the airbase flew numerous sorties in the past two years, destroying IS arms depots, equipment and personnel. They also provided air cover for Russian long-range strategic bombers during intensive airstrikes in recent weeks. The Tartus port in northwestern Syria, established in 1977, is currently Russia's sole support facility in the Mediterranean. Also in a January deal, Syria allowed Russia to keep its naval facility in Tartus for at least 49 years and agreed to expand and overhaul the maintenance infrastructure there. The deal allows Russia to deploy up to 11 warships, including nuclear-powered combat vessels, in the Tartus base. Russia started to participate in the anti-terrorist operations in Syria in September 2015 and began gradually reducing its military presence after brokering a nationwide truce among the warring factions in the Middle East country at the end of 2016. In a symbolic move, Moscow withdrew its sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in January, leaving air forces to back Syrian government troops. Last month, Putin told visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that Russian military operations in Syria were coming to an end, and the focus would shift to a political process. A day after the surprise meeting with Assad, Putin hosted a summit with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts and they agreed to start a political process to end the six-year civil war in Syria. The three countries are preparing for a Syrian National Dialogue Congress. Seven rounds of Syrian talks have already been held in the Kazakh capital of Astana, a parallel process to the Geneva negotiations sponsored by the United Nations. Putin is currently on a Middle East tour to coordinate positions with Syria, Egypt and Turkey. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 00:50:50|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) addresses a press conference after the 15th trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Russia and India with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov (L) and Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi, India, on Dec. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Naijie) NEW DELHI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that China, Russia and India should play active roles in the changing global structure and work towards a world with stablization and certainty. Wang made the remarks during the 15th trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries. He said the tripartite cooperation mechanism between China, Russia and India follows the trend of a multi-polar world and democratic international relations, serving the overal interests of the three countries, the region and the world at large. The tripartite cooperation has shown tremendous vitality and great potential in the past 15 years, thanks to the joint efforts from the three sides, Wang said. The world is going through rapid development, major transformation and adjustment, with growing uncertainties, Wang noted. In this regard, China, Russia and India, as three fast developing emerging market countries, should play active roles amid a changing global structure, he said. The tripartite cooperation should focus on strategic communication and coordination and speak in one voice on major international and regional issues which would help push for a fair and equitable international order, as well as safeguard the legitimate interests of emerging market countries and all the developing countries, he said. The three countries should support the United Nations (UN) in playing a key role in global affairs, stick to solving hot and thorny issues through political means, and push for democratic international relations under the rule of law, said the Chinese top diplomat. The three sides should also join hands to boost the unity, mutual trust and development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and work towards the second golden decade of BRICS cooperation, he added. Wang said China, Russia and India should act as responsible powers and play an important leadership role in jointly building an open world economy, pressing forward the realization of rebalance of globalization, advancing reform of global economic governance, maintaining multilateral trading system, pushing forward implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and devoting to forging interconnection in Eurasia. Meanwhile, the three countries should also conduct pragmatic cooperation in the sectors including anti-terror, drug control and people to people exchange. Both Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said in the current complex and volatile international situation, the three countries should further enhance their cooperation and coordination in regional conflict, economic development, anti-terror, climate change and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, among others, within the framework of multilateral mechanisms such as the UN, the Group of Twenty, the BRICS, the SCO so as to press for the establishment of an international order that is fairer and more democratic. They also said the open and transparent cooperation among the three countries which does not target any third party is conducive to safeguarding the common interests of both the emerging market countries and the developing countries and promoting world peace and development. China, Russia and India issued a joint communique after the meeting of their foreign ministers. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 01:47:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RABAT, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Inspector General of Morocco's Royal Armed Forces (FAR) Fathallah El Ouarrak and the Chief of Staff of the French Navy Christophe Prazuck discussed on Monday the means to reinforce bilateral military cooperation. During their talks, the two parties focused on the outcome of military cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, FAR general staff said in a statement. The two sides hailed the positive military cooperation between the two countries and discussed the means to further enhance interoperability between the two countries' armed forces, the statement added. Cooperation between the Royal Navy and the French Navy is multidimensional and includes training, a partnership on diving activities and mine warfare, the statement said. Military cooperation between the two countries includes mutual support, training, joint exercises, exchange of information and visits, as well as other partnership projects, it said. Their bilateral cooperation is governed by a framework agreement on technical military cooperation, signed in Paris in October 1994, and an agreement on the status of the two armed forces, which was inked in Rabat in May 2005. The two countries hold Joint Military Commission meeting every year, alternately in Rabat and Paris. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 01:48:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani law enforcement agencies on Monday arrested at least six terrorists in connection with a terrorist attack that killed 11 people at a hostel inside the Agricultural Training Institute in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar earlier this month, local Urdu media reported. At least 37 others were also injured in the attack on Dec. 1. The banned militants group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed the attack. Both Pakistani police and military officials said the attackers had been coordinating with handlers based in Afghanistan. Suicide jackets and explosive material were recovered from the possession of the arrested terrorists, the Dawn News quoted official sources as saying, adding that the main culprit behind the attack remains at large and efforts are underway to apprehend him. The militants were arrested from the adjoining areas of Charsadda and Mohmand Agency in the province. They have been shifted to a police station and are being interrogated, according to the reports. The day after the attack, at least nine suspects were nabbed during a pre-dawn search operation carried out by the security forces on the outskirts of Peshawar and different kinds of weapons were seized from the suspects. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 02:25:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BUDAPEST, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A new trial started Monday in Veszprem over Hungary's worst ecological accident, the 2010 red mud spill, with the first defendant, the former CEO of the MAL alumina plant declaring he was innocent of all criminal liability. Zoltan Bakonyi, the former CEO, expressed his condolences to the victims of the case. "If we could have done anything to prevent the tragedy, we would have done it," he said. Although a court of Gyor is conducting the trial, the hearings are taking place in Veszprem, closer to where the accident happened. In addition to declaring himself not guilty in any way of the charges against him, Bakonyi said the earlier legal procedure in the Veszprem tribunal had been "complete and detailed." "Some elements of the charges became obsolete as they had already been denied by experts, such as the accusation of the lack of information to the public, or the charge of hazardous waste treatment," he said. In January 2016, the first level court of Veszprem acquitted Bakonyi, along with 14 employees. Last February, a court in Gyor ordered a new trial of 15 employees of the MAL alumina plant. The verdict of the first level trial has been annulled because of procedural deficiencies. Prosecutors argued that the original verdict was marred by procedural irregularities, and that the red mud spill could have been avoided if the firm's management had intervened without delay. Following a trial of more than three years, 15 employees were cleared of negligence and causing damage to the environment. The verdict had fueled lots of criticism both from the victims, and even from the Hungarian government. The lower municipal court of Veszprem had found that the main reason for the event was a loss of stability in the deeper layers of the soil, and the management of the firm could not have prevented the accident from happening. The court found that the original designs were mainly at fault, along with the negligence of authorities that carried out controls and supervision for years. The red mud spill happened in Ajka, western Hungary on Oct. 4, 2010, when the wall of a reservoir burst, releasing some 1.1 million cubic meters of poisonous sludge into the rural area. The accident claimed the lives of 10 people, while 150 others were injured, mostly due to chemical burns. The sludge spread throughout several smaller rivers, and reached the Danube as well. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 02:25:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JUBA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of people killed in clashes between rival Dinka tribe clans in central South Sudan has risen to 60, a local official said on Monday. "The fighting stopped on Friday but the number of dead is around 60," Western Lakes Minister of Information Shadrack Bol told Xinhua. "There is now calm in the area and no more confrontation." Earlier reports put the toll of the clashes, which started on Dec. 6, between the Rup and Pakam clans, at 45. The fighting was ignited by the Rup clan, which attacked the Pakam tribesmen who they blame for displacing them from their land located in Malek County, Bol said. This came after another recent bout of deadly clashes in northern Jonglei State between the pastoral Dinka and Murle tribe that left 69 people dead and scores injured. South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy turned rebel chief Riek Machar led to split within the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), leaving soldiers to fight alongside ethnic lines. A 2015 peace agreement to end the conflict was weakened after renewed fighting in July 2016 forced the rebel leader to flee the capital. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 02:25:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close CAIRO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Arab Parliament called on Monday for an urgent Arab summit to discuss ways to defy the recent U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The parliament decided to assign delegations representing the Arab Parliament to visit the African and European parliaments to hold meetings and demand for international rejection to the U.S. decision. It further stressed the Arab and Islamic solidarity with the Palestinians via coordinating efforts between the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab Parliament to enhance recognition of the Palestinian state and its full membership in the United Nations. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and decided to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump's declaration received widespread criticism and opposition from Arab and Muslim countries. Jerusalem lies at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Israel took over East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war and declared the whole city as its eternal indivisible capital in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community. The Palestinians insist that they should establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the final settlement. Under the previous Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, the status of Jerusalem should be determined through the final-status talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Attendees pose for group photos after signing a pact on joint defense cooperation at the headquarters of the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, Nov. 13, 2017. (Xinhua/European Union) BRUSSELS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Council of the European Union on Monday adopted a decision establishing the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), with 25 participating EU member states. PESCO is an instrument in the EU treaty to enable willing member states to pursue greater cooperation in defense and security. This framework allows EU member states to jointly develop defense capabilities, invest in shared projects, or enhance the operational readiness and contribution of their armed forces. In November, defense ministers of 23 EU member states signed a joint notification on PESCO and handed it over to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Britain, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland and Malta have yet to decide whether to join the pact. According to a statement released by the Council of the EU Monday, Ireland and Portugal also notified their decision to join PESCO last week. The Council decision sets out an initial list of 17 projects to be undertaken under PESCO. The European Commission welcomed the decision adopted by the Council formally establishing PESCO and the plans to establish 17 projects on defense by 25 countries. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: "I welcome the steps taken today by member states to lay the foundations of a European Defense Union. Europe cannot and should not outsource our security and defense." Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 03:45:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GABORONE, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Botswana President Seretse Khama Ian Khama has commended the country's accomplishments in the fight against corruption. Speaking on Monday in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, Khama said the attainments include high prosecution rates and continuous anti-corruption awareness and prevention programs. He said Botswana has made great strides in combating corruption, which has resulted in international agency rating the country among the least corrupt nations in the world. The president said the establishment of oversight institutions had contributed greatly to the attainments made in the fight against corruption. According to Khama, bribery continued to be the most common corruption offence in Botswana, but over the years, the trend has been shifting towards more complicated and complex offences. "In recent times, corruption hotspots include illicit land dealings, procurement of supplies with collusion between officers and bidders, the education sector where tertiary institutions received tuition for students who were no longer enrolled, deceased or purported to have failed, and of course there are concerns over fraudulent acquisition of drivers licenses," he said. Jacinta Barrins, resident representative for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Botswana, said during the event that huge amounts of money were paid on bribery every year. She noted that corruption has negative impact on provision of social services, socio-economic development and creation of employment around the world. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 03:46:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close SKOPJE, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian government has decided to increase the defense budget by 15 percent, Macedonian defense minister Radmila Sekerinska told reporters Monday while presenting military budget for 2018. The defense budget for 2018 is estimated at a total of 6.4 billion denars (123.3 million U.S. dollars). "By boosting the budget for the military, we are yet again affirming our dedication to meeting our strategic goal -- NATO accession," said Sekerinska. The minister explained that one of the main priorities of the 2018 budget would be focused on raising the salaries of the entire military structure by 9 percent. "About 3.7 billion denars (around 71.3 million U.S. dollars) are planned for salaries and compensations, including pay increase in the entire military," Sekerinska told reporters. The other part of the budget is expected to be used for goods and services, in order to meet some elementary needs of the army, such as uniforms, boots, spare parts to maintain military equipment, the minister explained. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 03:46:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close KIEV, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian and Dutch law enforcement chiefs met here on Monday to discuss the cooperation between the two countries on the investigation of the MH17 crash, the Ukrainian Prosecutor's General Office said in a statement. The meeting was attended by Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko, his Dutch counterpart Fred Westerbeke, the head of Dutch police national investigation division Wilbert Paulissen and the head of the Ukraine's State Security Service Vasyl Grytsak, the statement said. During the talks, the officials have exchanged their views on the interim results of the investigation and pledged to continue coordinating their cooperation within the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to bring the perpetrators of the crash to justice. The Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 crashed in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board died, including 196 Dutch citizens. In Aug. 2014, authorities from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Ukraine, and Malaysia have set up a JIT to conduct a criminal investigation into the crash. A report published by the JIT in September 2016 concluded that the plane was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile fired from a region in eastern Ukraine, controlled by independence-seeking insurgents. Moscow and the rebel leadership in east Ukraine have denied the allegations, saying that the plane was shot by a missile from the territory controlled by Ukrainian government troops. In December 2016, JIT said that it has identified about 100 people, who are linked to the crash. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 03:46:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The world economy is expected to remain stable in 2018 and 2019 after an impressive growth rate of 3 percent in 2017, said a UN world economic prospects report launched on Monday at UN Headquarters in New York. The growth in 2017 is the strongest performance of the world economy since 2011. Global growth is expected to remain steady at 3 percent in 2018 and 2019, said the UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 report. The improvement is widespread, with roughly two-thirds of countries worldwide experiencing stronger growth in 2017 than in the previous year. The recent pickup in global growth stems predominantly from firmer growth in several developed economies, although East and South Asia remain the world most dynamic regions. In 2017, East and South Asia accounted for nearly half of global growth, with China alone contributing about one-third, according to the report. The end of recession in Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria and Russia also contributed to global economic upturn between 2016 and 2017, which has been supported by a rebound in world trade and an improvement in investment conditions. The challenge is to channel this into a sustained acceleration in productive investment to support medium-term prospects, said the report. The improved global economic situation provides an opportunity for countries to focus policy toward longer-term issues such as addressing climate change, tackling existing inequalities and removing institutional obstacles to development, it said. "The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 demonstrates that current macroeconomic conditions offer policy-makers greater scope to address some of the deep-rooted issues that continue to hamper progress toward the (2030) Sustainable Development Goals," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the Foreword of the report. Launching the report, UN Undersecretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin noted: "While the upturn in global growth is a welcome sign of a healthier economy, it is important to remember that this may come at an environmental cost. This calls for stronger efforts to delink economic growth and environmental degradation." Despite the improved short-term outlook, the global economy continues to face risks, including changes in trade policy, a sudden deterioration in global financial conditions and rising geopolitical tensions, said the report. The world economy also faces longer-term challenges. The report highlighted four areas where the improved macroeconomic situation opens the way for policy to address these challenges: increasing economic diversification, reducing inequality, supporting long-term investment and tackling institutional deficiencies. The report said that reorienting policy to address these challenges can generate stronger investment and productivity, higher job creation and more sustainable medium-term economic growth. It also noted that the recent improvements in economic conditions have been unevenly distributed across countries and regions. Negligible growth in per capita income is expected in several parts of Africa, Western Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean in 2017-2019. The impacted regions combined are home to 275 million people living in extreme poverty, underscoring the urgent need to foster an environment that will both accelerate medium-term growth prospects and tackle poverty through policies that address inequalities in income and opportunity, said the report. It found that very few least developed countries are expected to reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal target for GDP growth of at least 7 percent in the near term. Advances toward sustainable development in this group of countries continue to be hindered by institutional deficiencies, inadequate basic infrastructure, high levels of exposure to natural disasters, as well as challenges to security and political instability. In addition to mobilizing the financial resources to meet the investment needs in these countries, policies must also focus on conflict prevention and removing barriers that continue to hinder more rapid progress, said the report. Preliminary estimates suggest that the level of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions increased in 2017 after remaining flat for three consecutive years. The frequency of weather-related shocks continues to increase, also highlighting the urgent need to build resilience against climate change and prioritize environmental protection, it said. Many developing economies and economies in transition remain vulnerable to spikes in risk aversion, sudden capital withdrawal and an abrupt tightening of global liquidity conditions, while rising debt poses global financial challenges, said the report. The World Economic Situation and Prospects report is produced annually by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the five UN regional commissions and the World Tourism Organisation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 03:46:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ASTANA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The eighth round of Russia-led international negotiations on the political settlement of the Syrian conflict will be held on Dec. 21-22 in the Kazakh capital of Astana, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said Monday. "During the upcoming talks, the participants plan to adopt a provision on a working group on the release of detainees, the transfer of bodies and the search for the missing," the ministry said in an online statement. The agenda also includes discussion about the functioning of de-escalation zones in Syria and the approval of a joint statement on humanitarian demining in the war-hit country. The new round of Astana talks will come after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Monday during a surprise visit to Syria that Russia will withdraw most of its troops there as terrorists have been defeated. In parallel with the UN-backed Geneva process, seven rounds of Astana talks have been held since January, with Russia, Turkey and Iran as the mediators. The most significant outcome was the establishment of four de-escalation zones in Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 04:32:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ANKARA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish and Russian officials will meet this week to finalize the purchase of Russia's S-400 surface-to-air defense system, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. "Our colleagues will come together this week to conclude this work," Erdogan said on a news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin following their meeting in Ankara. Stressing that Turkey's cooperation with Russia is strengthening day by day, Erdogan said that trade with Russia had risen 30 percent as of the first 10 months of 2017. For his part, Putin also said Russia hoped to sign agreements of the defense industry with Turkey in the near future. During the bilateral meeting held late Monday, the two leaders also exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as regional developments, particularly Syria situation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 04:32:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close MAPUTO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Mozambican Attorney General's Office (PGR) announced on Monday the plan to create a national campaign to fight human trafficking in the country. The PGR announced the intention during a meeting in Maputo that brings together civil society organizations, the United Nations representatives and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat. According to the authorities, the document will be submitted to the Mozambican parliament and, if approved, will come into force in 2018. Deputy minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs of Mozambique, Joaquim Verissimo, said that the need arises due to the growing trend of such evil in Mozambique. "There are known links between human trafficking and other criminal activities, such as drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime," he said, adding that Mozambique has a worrying rate of trafficked children. "This year, there were 11 cases registered in the first semester. Last year, there were 16 cases. So if we make calculations, we will find that the number has gone up," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 05:05:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RABAT, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- In another major step aimed at boosting its auto industry, Morocco signed on Monday deals to create 26 auto factories with a total investment of nearly 1.5 billion U.S. dollars. The agreements were inked by the Moroccan government and a number of local and foreign companies in the auto industry, during a ceremony chaired by King Mohammed VI at Casablanca's Royal Palace. The 26 new investment projects will strengthen local integration of the auto industry and meet the needs that were hitherto met by imports, Morocco's Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy Moulay Hafid Elalamy said. These factories will create 11,568 jobs, and enable the production of a range of auto parts, including aluminium wheels, dashboards, bumpers, seats and electromechanical boxes. Six of the factories will boost an ecosystem built around the French carmaker Renault, which has two plants in Casablanca and Tangier. These projects include the building of factories by French Sealynx, GMD Metal, and Eurostyle Systems, as well as Korean Hands Corporation, Italian Sogefi and Indian Varroc Lighting. Thirteen investment projects will be conducted within the framework of another ecosystem to meet the needs of PSA Peugeot, which is building a factory near the coastal city of Kenitraa that plans to begin producing cars in 2019. This move will help turn the city of Kenitra, 40 Km to the north of Rabat, into an industrial pole of excellence. The factories will include Chinese Citic Dicastal and Aotecar, Japanese JTEKT, Korean Daedong, French Faurecia, Steep Plastique and Plastic Omnium, Spanish Ficosa and Bamesa, American Lear and Nexteer Automotive, Italian MTA and Promaghreb. Five other projects are part of building the ecosystem of "cabling and connectivity," launched in October 2014. The factories consist of American TE Connectivity, and two plants by Japanese Sumitomo along with its compatriots Fujikura and Yazaki. Another two projects will help strengthen the Valeo ecosystem, which features a factory by the French Valeo and Spanish Proinsur. The new deals were sealed two days after Morocco signed an agreement with China's BYD to build a factory to produce battery-powered vehicles in the northern city of Tangier, which is expected to employ 2,500 people. Moroccan Ministry of Industry has set a strategic goal of joining the top 10 vehicle-producing nations in the world in a few years. The country ranks currently among the top 15. The North African kingdom aims to reach a capacity of producing 1 million vehicles a year by 2025. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 05:05:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DOHA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani plans to visit Turkey to attend an emergency Islamic summit to discuss the Jerusalem issue, the state-run Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported Monday. The Qatari leader was invited by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who called for the emergency summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Wednesday to discuss the U.S. recognization of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Meanwhile, Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed in a news release its strong indignation at Israel's hostility to Palestinian protesters during protests against the U.S. move. U.S. President Donald Trump announced last Wednesday that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to the disputed holy city. The move has enraged the Palestinians and the Islamic world, as Jerusalem is revered as the third holiest site in Islam. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future independent Palestinian state. Israel took over East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and declared the whole city as its eternal capital in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community. Violent clashes have erupted in the past days between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters in the Palestinian territories of Gaza Strip and West Bank. At least two Palestinians have been killed and a large number of others were wounded in the clashes. Qatar, which has friendly relationship with the U.S., has expressed full support to the Palestinians, while denouncing the U.S. move. Earlier, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani stated that the Arab and Islamic world are facing a "dangerous development" after Trump's move on Jerusalem. Trump's move will cause an "international religious conflict of interest" between Muslims and Christians, he warned. The OIC is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 05:05:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close HARARE, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's new President Emmerson Mnangagwa will on Friday preside over the ruling Zanu-PF extra-ordinary congress where he is due to be endorsed as the party's presidential candidate for the 2018 elections. Mnangagwa, who was installed as the country's second executive president following the resignation of former President Robert Mugabe in November, will have less than a year in office before seeking to win the elections due around August 2018. About 6,000 delegates are expected to attend the Harare congress where business will be confined to confirming Mnangagwa as the party's first secretary and president, endorsing him as the party's presidential candidate and endorsing Central Committee resolutions that were passed in November. Since he was sworn into office on Nov. 24, Mnangagwa has appointed a new cabinet that excludes members of a faction allegedly led by former First Lady Grace Mugabe and breathed back life into members who had been expelled from the party for supporting him. According to party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo, Mnangagwa may choose to appoint his two vice presidents and national chairpersons during the congress, but he was not obliged to do so. Mnangagwa had until early November been one of two vice presidents in Mugabe's government and in Zanu-PF but was fired as Mugabe accused him of disloyalty and factionalism. The dismissal prompted the military to stage what has been described by many as a "soft coup" that led to Mugabe's resignation. Within the ruling party, Mugabe was relieved of his position while several other top officials, including his wife, were expelled. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 05:05:35|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (2nd L, Front) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (2nd R) view a military parade in the Russian-run Hmeimim Air Base in the coastal city of Latakia, Syria, on Dec. 11, 2017. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Syria on Monday, the presidential media office reported. During Putin's visit, he ordered his defense minister to prepare for withdrawing the Russian forces, according to the report. (Xinhua/Syrian Presidency) DAMASCUS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The surprising and rare visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Syria on Monday aimed at boosting coordination between Russia and Syria for the upcoming stage of political solution, analysts say. On Sunday morning, people woke up to the surprising news of Putin's meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Russian-run Hmeimim airbase in the coastal city of Latakia in northwestern Syria. Later on, videos and photos of the rare visit, the first visit of Putin to Syria during the six-year war, went online as well. During the brief visit, Putin met with Assad and inspected the Russian forces there, ordering "significant" withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria. Still, the Russians will keep their presence in the Hmeimim Air Base in Latakia and the naval base they have for long controlled in the nearby coastal city of Tartus. However, Putin noted that "if the terrorists raised their heads again, we will deal them a blow they haven't seen before," meaning that his forces will be ready to strike again. "As for withdrawing the Russian forces, it was expected because their entry to Syria was due to the situation on the ground when the terror groups were controlling large swathes of territories in Syria," Hmaidi Abdullah, a Syrian political analyst and a writer, told Xinhua. Abdullah noted that "Today there is a recognition that 90 percent of the inhabited Syrian territories are under the government control, meaning that our need today for large numbers of Russian forces is unjustified." "So the Russian forces came in large numbers to achieve a certain mission and when this mission was largely achieved, there is no need for a large number of Russian forces here," he said. Abdullah said on the military level, the decision is logical, adding that the political one is more important. "True that the visit held military meaning, which was about celebrating the victory on the terror groups, but I think that the visit aimed primarily to coordinate stances between the Russian and Syrian sides ahead of Putin's visit to Egypt and Turkey," Abdullah said. Following his visit to Syria, Putin flew to Egypt, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, during which both sides discussed wide-range thorny issues, including the Syrian one. On Syria, Sisi said they agreed on supporting the UN-sponsored negotiations to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis. Putin said he agreed with Sisi to enhance cooperation to boost a long-term solution in Syria, hailing Egypt's support to Russia's initiative for a national Syrian dialogue. Also, Putin visited Turkey on the same day, where he met with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed the peace process in Syria. Putin said that almost all territory had been freed in Syria, adding that "in case of the resumption of some terror hotbeds of resistance, we will take effective countermeasures." As for the political settlement, the Russian president made it clear that the Syrian Constitution would be discussed during the National Dialogue Congress in Sochi scheduled for the beginning of the next year. Both Russia and Turkey are the guarantors of the de-escalation zones' deal that was implemented in four hot zones in Syria this year. Maher Ihsan, another political analyst, also said that the visit of Putin to Syria and his meeting with Assad meant to discuss the prospects of the political solution ahead of Putin's visits to the regional powers of Turkey and Egypt. Ihsan believed that Russia is pinning big hopes on the Sochi meeting on Syria, unlike the currently-underway intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, which is not believed to will produce any solution to the country's long-running conflict. "That is why Putin came personally to discuss with Assad the next move," Ihsan said. Putin's visit also comes days after President Assad visited Sochi and met with the Russian leader there. At the time, the visit was seen as a show of victory after the Syrian army defeated the Islamic State (IS) in their main strongholds in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, where the Russian air power was crucial in defeating IS in that area and almost all of the desert region in eastern Syria. The Russian forces entered Syria in 2015 to shore up the forces of Assad in their fight against the rebels. The backing of the Russian forces and air power enabled the Syrian army to retrieve key areas across the country, such as rebel-held areas in Aleppo, the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria as well as the eastern city of Deir al-Zour from the Islamic State. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 05:05:36|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan delivers a speech during the plenary session of the 11th World Trade Organization's ministerial conference, held in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, on Dec. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Martin Zabala) BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China has always been a firm proponent of economic globalization and the multilateral trading system, Zhong Shan, China's Minster of Commerce said on Monday. Zhong made the remarks during the plenary session of the 11th World Trade Organization's ministerial conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital. Zhong states that economic globalization is an irreversible historic trend and a major driving force for global economic growth and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules provide crucial institutional safeguard for economic globalization and serve our common interests. In the face of new situations and challenges, China stands ready to work with WTO members and guide the process of globalization towards a more open, inclusive, balanced and win-win direction that will benefit all, Zhong added. China is also willing to help WTO members in need implement the negotiation outcomes of the agreement and help the less developed countries (LDCs) integrate into the multilateral trading system, said Zhong. On Saturday ahead of the ministerial conference, China signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the WTO Secretariat on the 7th phase of the China Program. The program, initiated in July 2011, aims to help LDCs integrate more effectively into the global economy by strengthening their participation in WTO activities and by helping those not yet members to join the Organization. Zhong stressed that basic principles of WTO are safeguard for economic globalization and China has always been a firm advocate of multilateral trading system. According to Zhong, the Belt and Road initiative proposed by China was well-received by over 140 countries and more than 80 international organizations. The Belt and Road Initiative, comprising the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, seeks to build a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa, along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. Zhong said that China will host the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November of 2018, which is a big step for China to promote economic globalization and open up its market as well as a public good that it provides for inclusive and mutually-beneficial global growth. China will facilitate all countries in their participation and give more preferences to developing countries and the LDCs and welcome active participation by WTO members, said Zhong. The 11th World Trade Organization's ministerial conference, kicked off on Sunday and attended by ministers or representatives from 164 WTO members and some observers, will discuss the future directions of the work of the Organization, and strive to negotiate on a series of issues for outcomes. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 05:05:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said Monday that the U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on Jerusalem "will be the beginning of the end of Israel." In a televised speech addressing thousands of protesters in Beirut's southern suburb, Nasrallah blasted Trump over his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Nasrallah said that the best response to Trump's decision on Jerusalem was to call for another intifada. "The most important response will be to announce a third Palestinian intifada on all occupied Palestinian territories, and it is upon the Arab and Islamic world to stand by (the Palestinians') side," Nasrallah said. He added "we will not let this decision to be the end of Palestine and Jerusalem. With all confidence and certainty, I assure you that Trump's decision will be the beginning of the end of this occupying entity called Israel." Crowds gathered in Beirut's southern suburb from early Monday afternoon, marching and chanting in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in rejection of Trump's decision. The rally came after Nasrallah called for demonstration in a speech on Thursday. Trump announced on Wednesday the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his intention of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 05:54:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed his administration's first space policy directive, formally directing the U.S. space agency NASA to send astronauts back to the moon and eventually Mars. "The directive I'm signing today will refocus American space program on human exploration and discovery," Trump said at a White House ceremony. "It marks an important step in returning American astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 for long-term exploration and use," he said. "This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars and perhaps some day to many worlds beyond." The Space Policy Directive 1, as it's called, was based on recommendations of the National Space Council, which Trump directed to reestablish in June. The council was first created in 1989 during the administration of President George H.W. Bush but later disbanded in 1993 under President Bill Clinton. It marked a return to the vision of President George W. Bush, whose Constellation program aimed to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 and then go on to Mars. However, Constellation was cancelled in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama, on the grounds that Americans "have been there before" and that "there's a lot more of space to explore." Instead, Obama said the U.S. should start by sending astronauts to an asteroid, a controversial plan known as Asteroid Redirect Mission, which was scrapped earlier this year by the Trump administration. "Since the beginning of his administration, President Trump has taken steps to refocus NASA on its core mission of space exploration," Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement earlier Monday. "He will change our nation's human spaceflight policy to help America become the driving force for the space industry, gain new knowledge from the cosmos, and spur incredible technology," Gidley said. Both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who chairs the National Space Council, have repeatedly expressed interest in human lunar missions during the past year. Pence, during the first meeting of the National Space Council in October, said the moon will be "a stepping-stone, a training ground, a venue to strengthen our commercial and international partnerships." Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 06:25:35|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Photo released by NASA on Dec. 11, 2017 shows U.S. President Donald Trump (C) speaking before signing the Space Policy Directive 1 at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States. Donald Trump on Monday signed his administration's first space policy directive, formally directing the U.S. space agency NASA to send astronauts back to the moon and eventually Mars. (Xinhua/NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed his administration's first space policy directive, formally directing the U.S. space agency NASA to send astronauts back to the moon and eventually Mars. "This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint," Trump said at a White House ceremony. "We will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps, someday, to many worlds beyond," he said. Trump offered no specific timeline during his four-minute speech. The Space Policy Directive 1, as it's called, was based on recommendations of the National Space Council, which Trump directed to reestablish in June to advise and help implement his space policy with exploration as a national priority. The council was first created in 1989 during the administration of President George H.W. Bush but later disbanded in 1993 under President Bill Clinton. It marked a return to the vision of President George W. Bush, whose Constellation program aimed to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 and then go on to Mars. However, Constellation was cancelled in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama, on the grounds that Americans "have been there before" and that "there's a lot more of space to explore." Instead, Obama said the United States should start by sending astronauts to an asteroid, a controversial plan known as Asteroid Redirect Mission, which was scrapped earlier this year by the Trump administration. "Since the beginning of his administration, President Trump has taken steps to refocus NASA on its core mission of space exploration," Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement earlier Monday. "He will change our nation's human spaceflight policy to help America become the driving force for the space industry, gain new knowledge from the cosmos, and spur incredible technology," Gidley said. Both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who chairs the National Space Council, have repeatedly expressed interest in human lunar missions during the past year. Pence, during the first meeting of the National Space Council in October, said the moon will be "a stepping-stone, a training ground, a venue to strengthen our commercial and international partnerships." On Monday, Pence said signing this space policy directive will allow America to "lead in space once again" although Trump said "we are (already) the leader and we're going to stay the leader." Monday's ceremony coincided with the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, the last time humans walked on the moon. The last living astronaut of the Apollo 17 mission, Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, was also at the event at the White House. When speaking of the moment Schmitt landed on the lunar surface on Dec. 11 of 1972, Trump turned around and shook hands with him, saying: "today, we pledge that he will not be the last." Then, Trump asked: "I suspect we'll be finding other places to land in addition to the moon. What do you think, Jack?" "Yes, we should. Learn from the moon," Schmitt replied. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 06:25:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israel's anti-rocket system Iron Dome intercepted on Monday night a rocket fired at the Jewish state by militants in Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said. The rocket triggered Code Red sirens in the Hof Ashkelon regional council in southern Israel. "The Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepted a rocket launched towards Israel," a military spokesperson said in a statement, adding that no injuries or damage were reported. Earlier on Monday, Israel's tank and aircraft struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, in response to a rocket attack. Usually the rockets fired into Israel were launched by the militant Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. This was the 10th rocket that was fired from Gaza Strip since U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The controversial announcement, which was denounced worldwide, triggered violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the past days. At least four Palestinians have been killed so far in Gaza by Israeli fire, according to Palestinian media. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 06:25:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RABAT, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) congratulated on Monday Iraq on its victory over the terror group Islamic State (IS). In a statement, ISESCO Director General Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri described the elimination of the terror organization in Iraq as "a great achievement and the fruit of dear sacrifices and sustained efforts." Moreover, Altwaijri hoped that the Iraqi people would achieve security, peace, development and prosperity through solidarity and unity of all their citizens. On Saturday night, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS after the security forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group. "I announce to the Iraqi people and all the world that our forces have reached the last redoubts of Daesh (IS) and have raised the Iraqi flag over areas of western Anbar (province) which was the last occupied land by IS," Abadi said in a televised speech. But Abadi warned Iraqis to "remain alert and ready to confront any terrorist attempt that may target our people and our land," despite the victory over IS after a three-year war. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 06:25:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will visit Turkey on Tuesday to take part in an emergency Islamic summit to discuss the Jerusalem issue, official SUNA news agency reported Monday. Al-Bashir was invited by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who called for the emergency summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Wednesday to discuss the U.S. recognization of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. U.S. President Donald Trump announced last Wednesday that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to the disputed holy city. The move has enraged the Palestinians and the Islamic world, as Jerusalem is revered as the third holiest site in Islam. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future independent Palestinian state. Israel took over East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and declared the whole city as its eternal capital in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community. Violent clashes have erupted in the past days between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters in the Palestinian territories of Gaza Strip and West Bank. At least two Palestinians have been killed and a large number of others were wounded in the clashes. Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-12 06:25:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close RABAT, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's parliament reiterated on Monday its full solidarity with Palestinians after U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In a plenary joint session, the two chambers of the Moroccan parliament slammed Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move his country's embassy to the city. The Moroccan parliament said it deemed the move as a "blatant violation" of UN resolutions. It also warned against serious implications of the U.S. decision on peace and security in the region. The session comes after a massive march was held in downtown Rabat on Sunday, and a number of demonstrations and sit-ins were held in several Moroccan cities. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and decided to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump's declaration received wide criticism and opposition from Arab and Muslim countries. Japanese Crown Princess Masako said she feels humbled thinking about her future, after Emperor Akihito's abdication was formally set for April 30, 2019. In a written message released on Saturday to mark her 54th anniversary, the Crown Princess pledged efforts to fulfill her duties while supporting her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito. With the Crown Prince set to accede to the throne on May 1, 2019, Crown Princess Masako will be the country's new empress. The Crown Princess said she is deeply impressed by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko for serving official duties for such a long time while praying for the happiness of Japanese people. "I want to extend my respect and appreciation from the bottom of my heart" to the Emperor and the Empress, the Crown Princess said. Sandra knew there was always a chance that her clients would kill her. For three years, she was forced to work as a prostitute on the streets of Moscow, repaying a $45,000 debt to the trafficker who brought her from Nigeria. There were five of them, she recalls of one occasion. They were brutal, they beat me up; they brought out a knife and tried to stab me. Instead, they pushed her out of the two-story window for not submitting. Oftentimes, there were more men 10, 15, 20 per call. They might even kill you if you try to defend yourself, she says. Thats the reason why it is very horrible. And in that process most Nigerian girls lose their lives, because not every girl can withstand the pressure of 10 men. Sandra, not her real name, is one of tens of thousands of Nigerian women who have been trafficked into Europe for sexual exploitation. And many of those women come from a single city. For decades, Benin-City, the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria, has been tied to trafficking to Europe. Here, a potent mix of poverty and spiritualism drives thousands of young women to make the dangerous journey. Along its often unpaved, mud-ridden streets there are houses with wide gates and high walls. These belong to the families with a relation who has made it, says Roland Nwoha, a local NGO worker who has devoted his career to stopping the trade. Almost every family has a contact in Europe. Organizations like Nwohas help educate people about the risks. But he says these few stories of success continue to be a powerful motivator in a city where so many live in desperate conditions. And in Benin City, the push to leave comes from every direction. Trapped by fear Sandra says she was convinced to go by a man she met at church, who said he was an assistant pastor. She says he told her he had a vision from God that she travelled overseas, that his sister in Russia could get a job in a hair salon. For added insurance, the man had given the items she left behind to a traditional priest. We always have had this belief that your future lies in the hand of God, says Nwoha. Religious leaders, both the traditional and the Christian, are capitalizing on this. Like so many, Sandra feared the juju traditional witchcraft as much as she trusted her friend. Her trafficker took much more than just her passport. My pants, my bra, the hair from my head, the armpit and my private parts, she says. The items were for a juju oath, so powerful, a local priest said, that no one dares break it. Forlorn-looking Nigerian ladies who are victims of human trafficking evacuated from Bamako, Mali and facilitated by the office of Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. For Sandra, it bound her to her home thousands of miles away in Benin-City, and the assistant pastor that convinced her to go. I saw it with my own eyes. Its like a danger to weak girls, especially when it has to do with sensitive parts of your body. She believed that her passage to Europe would cost her no more than $2,000. She ended up owing her trafficker $45,000. The average debt for girls trafficked from Nigeria is around $25,000, but it can be as much as $60,000. None of them have any idea that they will owe these extortionate amounts. The debt, and the fear of juju, keeps them trapped. Sea of misery Sandras journey took her through Lagos and then an onward flight to Europe. But increasingly the trafficking trade is flowing through the lawlessness of Libya and across the Mediterranean where, according to the UNs International Organization for Migration (IOM), over the past three years there has been a 600 per cent rise in the number of potential sex trafficking victims arriving into Italy by sea. The IOM estimates 80 per cent are from Nigeria. The majority are from Benin=City. When the Europeans started their search and rescue operations, many people in Benin said, the road has opened, once you get on the boats you will be rescued, says Nwoha. But just last month, the bodies of 26 Nigerian women were recovered from the Mediterranean in a single day, bringing this years total number of migrant deaths in that sea to at least 3,000. Often, the journey ends in tragedy. More often, the tragedy happens in Libya. Edes story Physically, 28-year-old Ede is finally free, but the pain of what she endured is still raw. He used to hurt me, apart from work, she says of the man who purchased her. She was sold into sexual slavery in Libya as she tried to make her way to Europe. That is how they do there, says Ede, When you finish paying your money [to your captor], if you are staying with a wicked somebody, they will sell you to another people so you start all over again. She was freed after a police raid and eventually deported to Nigeria. Now, back in Benin City, she sits next to 18-year-old Jennifer, who is too traumatized to talk. They are recent rescues, kept in a safe house run by the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). Especially they hate us, we Nigerians they dont even want to hear anything concerning Nigerians, Ede remembers. They treated us like a slave, as if we are nothing. So we went through a lot there. Outside, the house is a non-descript, high walled compound, just like the others in the neighborhood. Inside, the young women sit in a dark living room, where the hum of an overhead fan, and the Nigerian soap opera on TV are the few comforts in this temporary home as they wait for their cases to be investigated and to be reunited with their families. Reducing demand But few cases end up in court. Fewer still end in convictions. According the US State Departments latest Trafficking In Persons report, last year NAPTIP reported 654 investigations, with 23 convictions for trafficking offenses. Were prosecuting the small fries in Nigeria, says Julie Okah-Donli, director general of NAPTIP. Absolutely the number one problem is the inability of destination countries to clamp down on their own criminal networks. Weve looked at the root causes in Nigeria without addressing the root causes in the destination countries, she says. What is being done to reduce the demand for this crime? Sandras case is one of the rare prosecutions. Her trafficker was arrested, as was his sister, who was Sandras madam in Russia, pimping her out to clients. They are both awaiting trial. When I was in Russia I said to myself, if I get back to Nigeria alive I will expose her, says Sandra. She is not going to go unpunished. The wicked dont have any place here; they have to face the law. Her former church admits her trafficker was a member of the congregation but denies that he was an assistant pastor. Pastor Etinosa Osiomwanhi interacts with his congregation during a Sunday service. He denies that Sandras trafficker was an assistant pastor at his church. You know pastors do certain things, he said. I dont call them pastors. I call them herbalists or native doctors in suits who would do such. The betrayal that stretched across two continents is now even closer to Sandra. Even my own father said I am not his daughter, she says. The trafficking is not Nigerias problem to solve alone, says Okah-Donli, but it is Nigerias tragedy. Its our young boys and girls who are trafficked. Many are not making it back alive and the ones that do are battered and bruised. The Federal Government has raised a fresh alarm over Nigerias rate of population growth; saying if unchecked will impact negatively on the countrys economy and welfare. To this end, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, called for the use of Community Health Extension Workers, CHEWS, to address the problems of shortage and mis-distribution of manpower needed for the provision of access to family planning services in rural communities and other hard to reach areas. He made the call in Abuja while speaking on the topic: The Relevance of Operations Research in Family Planning Programming in Nigeria during the formal presentation of the report of a study by Marie Stopes Nigeria, which assessed the provision of implant contraceptives by CHEWS. The Minister, represented by Director, Family Health Department, Ministry of Health, Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi said: We all know that we cannot continue with the rate at which our population is increasing. It is expedient for us to task-shift the delivery of family planning services in Nigeria to CHEWS. CHEWS are to be regarded as an important cadre of contraceptive implant providers readily available for the expansion of access to family planning services in Nigeria. Expressing delight with the result of the study by Marie Stopes Nigeria, which provides evidence needed to demonstrate that CHEWS could safely provide implants to clients, Adewole urged stakeholders to join hands with the Ministry to expand access to contraceptive implants and to ensure that the country makes quantum leaps in the use of evidence-based interventions towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 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. Click the photo to write a caption and have a chance to win a free subscription to the Norfolk Daily News. Head of the Government Saad Eddine El Othmani was elected as the new Secretary General of the moderate Islamist party, Justice and Development, which is leading the current governmental coalition. El Othmani won by a tiny margin taking 1006 votes while his rival Driss Azami received 912. The National Council has refused to allow outgoing Secretary General Abdelilah Benkirane the right to run for the post for a third time by virtue of the partys regulations, which limit terms of the partys chief to two. A career psychiatrist, 61-year-old El-Othmani was PJDs Secretary General from 2004 until 2008. He also served as Foreign Minister from January 2012 to October 2013. French President Emanuel Macron said in Algiers that Morocco and Algeria should work together to resolve the Sahara issue, a statement that implies Algerias role in perpetuating the over four-decade conflict. France adopts an equidistant position regarding the Sahara issue concerning which we maintain our known position that has not been changed nor will it be changed. Dialogue between Morocco and Algeria on this issue is vital, Macron told the press during his visit to Algiers on Wednesday. This response infuriated the Polisario militia leaders who were reduced by the French President to their real role of a puppet whose strings are pulled from Algiers. The takeaway from Macrons statement is that the Sahara conflict continues due to Algerias reluctance to recognize Moroccos territorial integrity. Frances position regarding the Sahara issue has been reaffirmed many times, the latest was last month at the Joint Statement adopted at the end of the 13th Moroccan-French High-level Meeting. The document reiterated that Moroccos autonomy proposal represents a serious and credible solution and a basis to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the Sahara issue. In 2007, Morocco offered the autonomy initiative after the organization of a referendum proved to be unfeasible in view of disagreements over who is eligible to vote. The Kingdoms autonomy plan has been internationally endorsed as a credible basis for negotiations and for a settlement. Under the autonomy plan, the Saharan population shall have exclusive powers with regards to managing local affairs within the framework of Moroccos sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Polisario and its mentor Algeria discard the autonomy option as they continue to stick to obsolete positions reminiscent of the Cold War era leading to the perpetuation of the conflict and the prolonging of the suffering of the Saharan population held in the Polisario-run camps in southwestern Algeria. Algeria continues to fund and support diplomatically and military the Polisario militias which it hosts in the region of Tindouf since the 1970s. The Polisario have been using Algerian territories as a rear base for their guerrilla warfare against Morocco until the UN-brokered ceasefire agreement in 1991. Shock and awe. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is meant to be, in Southern California, the start of rainy season. Not this year. The Thomas Fire, the worst of those roiling the region this last week, grew 50,000 acres on Sunday alone; it has now burnt 270 square miles and forced 200,000 people from their homes. There is no rain forecast for the next seven to ten days, and as of Monday morning, Thomas is just, in the terrifying semi-clinical language of wildfires, 10% contained. To a poetic approximation, its not a bad estimate of how much of a handle we have on the forces of climate change that unleashed it which is to say, hardly any. The city burning is Los Angeless deepest image of itself, Joan Didion wrote in Los Angeles Notebook, collected in Slouching Towards Bethlehem. But the cultural impression is apparently not all that deep, since the fires that broke out last week produced, in headlines and on television and via text messages, an astonished refrain of the adjectives unthinkable, unprecedented, and unimaginable. Didion was writing about the fires that had swept through Malibu in 1956, Bel Air in 1961, Santa Barbara in 1964, and Watts in 1965; she updated her list in Fire Season (1989), describing the fires of 1968, 1970, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1982: Since 1919, when the county began keeping records of its fires, some areas have burned eight times. We could use further updating: Five of the 20 worst fires in California history have now hit since just September, when 245,000 acres in Northern California burned devastation so cruel and sweeping that two different accounts were published in two different local newspapers of two different aging couples taking desperate cover in pools as the fires swallowed their homes. One couple survived, emerging after six excruciating hours to find their house transformed into an ash monument; in the other, it was only the husband who emerged, his wife of 55 years having died in his arms. As Americans traded horror stories in the aftermath of those fires, they could be forgiven for mixing the stories up or being confused; that climate terror could be so general as to provide variations on such a theme seemed, as recently as September, impossible to believe. But if last weeks wildfires were not unprecedented, what did we mean when we called them that? Like September 11, which followed several decades of morbid American fantasies about the World Trade Center, the brushfires that began last week north of Santa Paula look to a horrified public like a climate prophecy, made in fear, now made real. That prophecy was threefold. First, the simple intuition of climate horrors an especially biblical premonition when the plague is out-of-control fire, like a dust storm of flame. Second, of the expanding reach of wildfires in particular, which now can feel, in much of the West, like a gust of bad wind away, and never impossible no matter the time of year. Over the last few decades, the wildfire season has already grown by two months, and by 2050, destruction from wildfires is expected to double (for every additional degree of global warming, it will quadruple). But perhaps the most harrowing of the ways in which the fires seemed to confirm our cinematic nightmares was the third: that climate chaos could breach our most imperious fortresses that is, our cities. With Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, Irma, Americans have gotten acquainted with the threat of flooding, but water is just the beginning. In the affluent cities of the West, even those conscious of environmental change have spent the last few decades believing that, and behaving as though, we had with our street grids, our highways, our superabundant supermarkets and all-everywhere, all-enveloping internet built our way out of nature. We have not. A paradise dreamscape erected in a barren desert, L.A. has always been an impossible city, as Mike Davis, among many others, has so brilliantly written. The sight of flames straddling the eight-lane 405 is a reminder that it is still impossible. In fact, getting more so. One response to seeing things long predicted actually come to pass is to feel that we have settled into a new era, with everything transformed. In fact, that is how Governor Jerry Brown described the state of things this weekend: a new normal. The fact that the news cycle has already moved on, while the fires are just as out of control, is another sign of our eagerness to normalize these horrors or at least to look away. But normalization is problematic, as perversely comforting as it may feel to think weve settled into a familiar nightmare. Climate change is not binary, and we have not now arrived at a new equilibrium; as Ive written before, the climate suffering we are seeing now is a beyond best case scenario for our future. With each further tick upward in global temperatures each tiny tick the effects will worsen. And further ticks are inevitable; the question is only how many. It would be much more accurate to say that we have passed beyond the end of normal, into a new realm unbounded by the analogy of any human experience. But two big forces conspire to prevent us from normalizing fires like these, though neither is exactly a cause for celebration. The first is that extreme weather wont let us, since it wont stabilize so that even within a decade, its a fair bet that these fires will be thought of as the old normal. Whatever you may think about the pace of climate change, it is happening mind-bendingly fast, almost in real time. It is not just that December wildfires were unheard of just three decades ago. We have now emitted more carbon into the atmosphere since Al Gore wrote his first book on climate than in the entire preceding history of humanity, which means that we have engineered most of the climate chaos that now terrifies us in that brief span. The second force is also contained in the story of the wildfires the way that climate change is finally striking close to home. Striking, in fact, some quite special homes: Last Thursday, for instance, there were reports that the fires were threatening the Getty Museum and Rupert Murdochs Bel-Air estate. There may not be two better symbols of the imperiousness of American money in the country.* One imagines that Murdoch will not be writing tweets like this one again anytime soon; then again, who knows? When, on Thursday, I tweeted that NBC News was reporting that Murdochs vineyard was on fire, it immediately spawned a thread of gleeful, crowing responses, more than a thousand of them. But, of course, his property and the Getty were not being singled out; they were fighting off flames because the entire rest of the county was, too, and no matter how well-equipped or well-defended or well-heeled they were having just as much trouble. Which is, as uncomfortable as it may be to admit, a very useful allegory for the rest of us to keep in mind. By accidents of geography and by the force of its wealth, the United States has, to this point, been mostly protected from the devastation climate change has already visited on parts of the less-developed world mostly. The condition of Puerto Rico, nearly three months after Hurricane Irma hit, is a harrowing picture of what climate devastation can do to the least among us. That it is now hitting our wealthiest citizens is not just an opportunity for ugly bursts of liberal Schadenfreude; it is also a sign of just how hard, and how indiscriminately, it is hitting. The wealthy used to build castles to defend themselves against the world; more recently its been a more modern kind of fortress, cities, enclosing more and more of us in an illusion of man-made security. All of a sudden, its getting a lot harder to protect against whats coming. * This article originally stated that the Getty villa, not the Getty Center, was threatened by the wildfires. Booker brought his trial balloon to Alabama. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images On Sunday afternoon, a Newark, New Jersey, politician found himself some 950 miles away from home in Birmingham, Alabama, in service to others and, it sure sounded, to his own presidential ambitions. Cory Booker came here this weekend in support of Doug Jones, the Democratic candidate in the December 12 special election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Its an event that has become less about policy or ideology in the traditional sense than about the question of morality itself and whether such a thing even matters in our politics now. Early in the race Jones, 63, who was a U.S. attorney during the Clinton administration, cast himself as the choice for any voter concerned with decency and the rule of law. While his Republican opponent, Roy Moore, was twice removed as Alabama Supreme Court chief justice for refusing court orders, Jones touted his work in the early 2000s, prosecuting members of the Ku Klux Klan who bombed a black church here in 1963. The contrast deepened when Moore was accused of sexual misconduct and assault by multiple women (some of whom claim they were underage at the time). The scandal helped Jones raise over $10 million in October while Moore raised less than $2 million yet Jones still finds himself down an average of 3.8 percent in the polls. As men in positions of power across all sectors of American life have, fairly and unfairly, been toppled by allegations regarding their conduct toward women, the race in Alabama threatens to serve as a rejection of the so-called reckoning, a reminder that the entire country isnt Hollywood, the media, or Washington. Joness predicament has echoes of Jon Ossoff, the Democratic candidate in last summers Georgia special election who, despite raising an astounding sum and attaining some political celebrity nationally, failed to flip a historically Republican seat. President Donald Trump, after all, beat Hillary Clinton by close to 30 points in Alabama; if Jones wins, hell be the first Democrat the state has sent to the Senate since 1992. Unlike the charismatic Georgia Democrat, before a crowd of a few dozen at his downtown field office across from the Carver Theatre on Sunday, Jones was about as exciting as an earthworm, short and meek with a voice that strained to register over the sounds of those assembled and the passing traffic. But as something sick brews in Alabama, there exists opportunity for those who want it and are talented enough to grab hold of it. Liberal super-PACs have contributed funds and other resources, but big-name Democrats have mostly steered clear of the state: Joe Biden visited just once, in early October, and the New York Times reported that Barack Obama has recorded a robocall for Jones but as of Sunday night, the campaign remained unsure if theyd use it. As the Democratic Party attempts to regain its footing, potential leaders are finding arenas to test their effectiveness and their messaging. Thus, this weekend both Deval Patrick, the former governor of Massachusetts, and Cory Booker were on the ground in Alabama and Booker brought his stump speech. Booker was voted into the Senate in his own a special election three years ago, though his status was cemented long before that; as a brilliant and telegenic young mayoral candidate and then mayor, he was already a fixture on daytime TV and the subject of much gauzy media coverage. While campaigning with Jones on Saturday, Booker became the first prominent Democratic lawmaker to respond to Senator Al Frankens resignation by calling on Trump to resign over sexual misconduct, harassment, and assault allegations. Twenty-four hours later, Booker was at a get-out-the-vote event, where he notably said little about his candidate. He was joined by Jones before voters, volunteers, activists, and importantly the press. The crowd spilled out onto the street, where camera crews from NBC and Fox News had assembled in preparation for a news conference. Jones spoke first, briefly introducing Booker as having roots that go back to Alabama with what he said were ancestors who had been local coal miners. For Booker, the calculation is simple: If Jones loses, its not his problem. If he wins, hell be credited with having helped when it mattered most, when Joe Biden was nowhere to be found, and in the South no less where many Democrats believe they will have to be competitive if they are to erode the gains made by Republicans in recent federal and state elections. Either way, Booker chose a low-stakes venue to deliver what could objectively be described as a hell of a speech, one fit for a party convention more than a street corner at 2 p.m. on a day of rest. He quoted Langston Hughes. He spoke Latin. He performed the lyrics to My Country, Tis of Thee. He hollered, and the crowd hollered back. His words flowed with ease and obvious connection to his many coherent thoughts a manner that seems almost alien in the Trump era. He vacillated between supernatural themes and earthy humor, all hyped up like his candidate isnt currently getting beat by a guy who was reportedly banned from the mall for hitting on tweens perhaps because his candidate wasnt really the point. Booker said he was compelled to come to Alabama to pay forward what past generations had done for him and his family during the Civil Rights movement, placing the outcome of the special election within a broader narrative of battles of conscience throughout history. He recalled the beaches of Normandy, womens suffrage, and sweatshop workers. He did not recall Roy Moore, whose name he failed to mention even once. But he did mention Iowa, the state where the first presidential caucuses are held and where potential candidates flock in the years and months preceding an election. After his remarks, he answered four questions from the press. While he spoke, a man in the crowd shouted, Booker 2020! The final question was about running for president. Booker smiled knowingly. In 2020, he said, hes up for reelection to the Senate. A nonanswer if there ever was one, since theres dispute in New Jersey regarding the legality of running for two federal offices simultaneously. Then Booker walked down the sidewalk and boarded a waiting SUV, shaking hands along the way. A Sanders support in Iowa on Caucus Night negotiates the complex process that eventually led to a narrow but crucial Clinton win. That could all change by 2020. Photo: Michael B. Thomas/AFP/Getty Images For those longing for a continuation of the supposed Struggle for the Soul of the Democratic Party between 2016 supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the final meeting of the Democratic Unity Reform Commission may have been a disappointment. Members of the commission, appointed at last years Democratic convention for the purpose of addressing complaints by Sanders supporters that the nomination process was rigged, agreed unanimously on a set of changes that were not revolutionary, but will (if implemented) change the familiar landscape of the recent past. One set of recommendations involved a part of the process that was originally intended to prevent the emergence of a disastrous nominee from the primaries: superdelegates (elected officials and DNC members) with convention votes not tied to any popular results. The commission agreed to reduce the number of unbound superdelegates by about 60 percent (others will still get a ticket to the convention, but will be bound by their states primary or caucus results like any other delegates). This result didnt accomplish the Sandernista goal of abolishing superdelegates altogether, but was considered a sound compromise by those Sanders supporters who were interested in one. Another recommendation dealt with Sanders complaints about closed primaries that kept independents who went heavily for him in the 2016 contests from participating. On this point the commission made another sensible compromise by recommending (the party has no real power to set rules for primaries, which are typically governed by state laws) same-day registration and re-registration opportunities so that indies can become instant Democrats. This reform was aimed at states preeminently New York that limit changes in party registration to a window that expires months before primaries. Another set of recommendations involves transparency in the partys own internal processes, especially those involving finances and arrangements with campaigns and consultants. This issue, of course, has arisen in conjunction with complaints validated most recently by temporary DNC chair Donna Brazile that the national party was in the tank for Hillary Clinton in 2016. After some wrangling, the commission reached an accommodation of both sides in the argument over the DNCs behavior: In the final recommendations, the commission proposed a 7-member Ombudsmen Council that included the elected chairs of the DNCs 4 regional caucuses. The Budget and Finance Committee would also include elected DNC members, and all of its members would have to disclose their potential conflicts of interest. Any expenditure of over $100,000 a year to outside vendors or consultants would require committee approval. Its meetings would be open to any member of the DNC, as would the DNCs budget materials. But perhaps the recommendation that will be most resented (and perhaps resisted) involves rules for party-run caucuses, and would require significant changes in the way Iowas first-in-the-nation Caucus would operate. Heres an anxious description of the proposed reforms from the Des Moines Register: Iowas first-in-the-nation Democratic presidential caucuses would break with decades of tradition in 2020 by allowing voters to cast absentee ballots and then releasing the raw total of votes won by each candidate. Currently the Iowa caucuses (on the Democratic side of the aisle, at least) are complex and highly deliberative events where participants line up in affinity groups for candidates in an initial vote and then redivide after small groups are deemed non-viable. Its not the sort of thing that lends itself to absentee voting. And it also makes raw votes relatively unimportant since the whole point is to create coalitions supporting delegates to a later state convention. In 2016, though, the refusal to report raw votes was thought to have perhaps denied Bernie Sanders a symbolic victory. Taken together the two reforms would push Iowa Democrats toward the simpler process used by Iowa Republicans, who meet, sample some potluck offerings, hear a few speeches, vote on a presidential candidate, and then disband into the (usually) snowy night, with the results reported just like in a primary. Its important to understand that all these recommendations are just that: The commissions report now heads to the DNCs Rules and Bylaws Committee, which will have a 6-month period to amend party rules to enact the reforms, and could theoretically try to dilute the commissions recommendations (though they would have to run any changes by the commission). The roster of over 400 voting DNC members will also get to vote on the proposals at the full DNC meeting in the fall of 2018. So theres plenty of time for backsliding and backbiting, particularly among a minority of Sanders supporters who are still dissatisfied with the unity commissions recommendations. But theres a decent chance that by the time the 2020 presidential nominating contest rolls around, some of the stranger aspects of the process especially in Iowa will be changed for good. Alex Kozinski. Photo: Gina Ferazzi/LA Times via Getty Images For the better part of his esteemed career, Alex Kozinski, one of the top appellate judges in the nation, has been his own public-relations machine, fielding press inquiries and interviews with journalists, unlike any of his peers in the federal judiciary, who never talk to the press. But when the Los Angeles Times reached the longtime Ronald Reagan appointee this past week for comment on allegations in another paper that hed been sexually improper with at least six women who had worked with him, Kozinskis nonchalance with reporters may have gotten the best of him. If this is all they are able to dredge up after 35 years, I am not too worried, he told the Times. That sounded like a challenge. And in less than 24 hours since the story broke, other women took Kozinski up on it. They didnt hold back. When I clerked on the Ninth Circuit, Kozinski sent a memo to all the judges suggesting that a rule prohibiting female attorneys from wearing push-up bras would be more effective than the newly convened Gender Bias Task Force, Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Southern Methodist University, wrote on Twitter, with this kicker: His disrespect for women is legendary. The most eye-opening of these recollections came from Nancy Rapoport, a law professor at the University of Nevada who wrote in her personal blog about the time Kozinski invited her and other clerks out for drinks. She was clerking for another judge at the time, but she agreed to come along. The meetup turned out to be a setup: No other clerks were there. Just Rapoport and Kozinski. What do single girls in San Francisco do for sex? she recalls the judge asking her. During the same encounter, Kozinski offered to comfort her when he learned that Rapoports mother had just been diagnosed with cancer. Ever since, the law professor has made it a point to steer her own female students away from Kozinskis judicial chambers by refusing to sign letters of recommendation to go work for him. The title of Rapoports blog entry: There are likely several more stories to come. One of those stories came from Heidi Bond, a lawyer turned novelist who chose to break her silence about Kozinski after nearly a decade of agonizing silence. She was one of two women who were willing to go on the record with the Washington Post in its Friday report about Kozinski. But she also wrote her own account of her year with the judge on her website; every word of it matters. Beyond relating an incident in which Kozinski showed her porn on his own computer and then asked her whether it aroused her, Bond discloses a far more disturbing detail: That Kozinski, from the very moment he swore her in as his law clerk, had imposed a code of silence on her. Its too late now! She cant escape any longer. Shes my slave, Bond said Kozinski told her during the swearing-in. She thought it was all in jest. The judge meant it. Even though Kozinski is a libertarian jurist who has spent decades on the bench extolling the virtues of freedom and the First Amendment The Constitution enshrines a fundamental right to be free of unwarranted restraints, he wrote in a celebrated ruling earlier this year he had deeply unpleasant ways of exerting control over his underlings, says Bond. She writes that Kozinski once forbade her from reading romance novels, even during her breaks, because they amounted to porn for women a type of addiction she should avoid for her own sake. I control what you read, what you write, when you eat, Bond recalls Kozinski telling her. You dont sleep if I say so. You dont shit unless I say so. Do you understand? As a young woman near the pinnacle of her legal career, with crippling student debt and a shot at the moon, including a second clerkship at the Supreme Court, Bond was in no position to say no to Kozinski. And so she didnt. Bonds account is essential not just as a damning expose of a leading light in American law the federal judiciarys #MeToo moment. It also raises serious questions about the structural failings of the system that judges and law schools rely on for deciding who does or doesnt get to spend a year working in the chambers of a top federal judge a cottage industry where the best and the brightest vie for limited spots that could then open up doors to greater glories. An overhaul of this cutthroat system, over which theres little oversight and where each judge calls the shots over the hiring process, is perhaps Bonds greatest wish more so than seeing Kozinski go down in infamy or face impeachment proceedings, which some have already broached. Please exclude me from these discussions, Bond warns. In one footnote, she offers this prescription: I want greater honesty regarding judicial clerkships. Law students are often told in glowing terms that a clerkship will be the best year in their career. They are never told that it might, in fact, be their worst and that if it is their worst, they may be compelled to lie to others in the name of loyalty to their judge. How many clerkship coordinators at top law schools knew about Kozinskis sleaziness but didnt say a word? How about fellow judges? Were any of them proactive and protective like Rapoport was with her students? That Kozinski is also a top feeder judge for none other than Justice Anthony Kennedy, for whom he once clerked, as well as others on the Supreme Court, adds a strange dimension to a tale that should send shockwaves through the entire regime. (Bond did move on to a clerkship for Kennedy and for Justice Sandra Day OConnor, but she said she received nothing but respect from them.) As it is, the pool of clerks that make it to the nations highest court is largely white and male, much like the judges that groom these rising stars for the gig of a lifetime, according to The National Law Journal. And Kozinski, its worth noting, was once a leading critic of reforming the highly competitive, who-you-know system of hiring law clerks, some of whom, as law students, began the frenzied process before they were even done with their first year of law school. Kozinski wanted no rules imposed on him. When asked how early he started looking at prospective clerks, he once joked to the New York Times: At birth. More broadly, the Kozinski revelations probably have many a federal judge thinking long and hard about their demeanor and interactions with the young lawyers they once employed. Few, if any, environments in the federal government are as unique as the quiet confines of a judges chambers that cavernous, secretive, and sacred space just off the courtroom where the judge gets to take off his robe and be himself. That these public servants are vested with lifetime tenure, are predominantly male, and hold significant sway over their workers futures should suggest scrutiny of the highest order. As Nancy Rapoport hinted, this is only the beginning. Kozinski already got in trouble in 2008 and testified before a judicial ethics panel for storing pornography on a personal server that was readily accessible online while conducting a criminal trial involving the distribution of obscene materials. The punishment at the time was only a reprimand for being judicially imprudent and embarrassing the third branch. If this new spate of accusations doesnt lead to a different form of justice, for Kozinski and others from whom the Constitution demands good behavior, then nothing might. Kim has more scary tricks up his sleeve. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images In late November North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test that appeared to show for the first time that its capable of striking anywhere on the U.S. mainland. North Korea probably isnt capable of delivering a nuclear warhead just yet, but new reports highlight that there are plenty of other reasons to be worried about the threat posed by Kim Jong-uns regime. The U.S., Japan, and South Korea are teaming up in the coming days to test their abilities to track submarine-launched missiles amid fears that North Korea is rapidly developing such technology. The New York Times reports that the drill will take place over two days in the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. Last month 38 North, which tracks North Koreas weapons developments, said satellite images of the Sinpo South Shipyard from November 5 suggest the nation has stepped up its efforts to create its first ballistic missile submarine. Such missiles are hard to detect before launch, but missiles arent the only weapons to worry about. The Washington Post reported on Sunday that U.S. experts are alarmed by North Koreas strides toward obtaining the knowledge and equipment needed to produce biological weapons. Its no secret that North Korea is pursuing a bioweapons program, though its usually overshadowed by their drive to develop nuclear weapons. Testimony from defectors suggests that the North has been working with biological agents since the 60s. U.S. troops headed for the Korean peninsula are routinely vaccinated for anthrax and smallpox as a precaution. Whats raised new concerns is North Koreas development of factories that could be used to produce tons of microbes, and labs focused on genetic modification. North Korea has also sent its scientists to study advanced biotechnology abroad. Theres no evidence that Kim Jong-un has ordered the mass production of biological weapons but its unclear why. That the North Koreans have [biological] agents is known, by various means, one senior U.S. official told the Post. The lingering question is, why have they acquired the materials and developed the science, but not yet produced weapons? Though the bioweapons program is even more secretive than Kims efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon, he does want the world to know he has many of the pieces in place. In June of 2015 state-run North Korean media broadcast video of Kims trip to the Pyongyang Bio-technical Institute. The North claimed the industrial-sized equipment was used to make biological pesticides, but they could also be used to grow microbes in bulk and transform bacterial spores into powder. North Korea likely used liquid VX to assassinate Kims estranged half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in February, but whether the leader plans to use other biological agents as a weapon or just a deterrent is unclear as well. A Brief History Of North Korea In Three Minutes What we do know is that the situation in North Korea is becoming untenable. That was the conclusion of Jeffrey Feltman, the U.N. under-secretary-general for political affairs, who just completed the first official U.N. visit to North Korea in six years. Feltman said that upon meeting Ri Yong-ho, the North Korean minister for foreign affairs, they agreed that the current situation was the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today. Feltman said theres still time for a diplomatic solution, but is worried that a miscalculation could lead to conflict. Time is of the essence, he said. Lock them up? Donald Trump and Michael Flynn. Photo: George Frey/Getty Images It has never been clear what crimes, if any, Donald Trump might have personally committed in the course of the Russia scandal. But in the 24th paragraph of a new NBC News report on the investigation is a sentence that indicates Robert Muellers cleanest shot so far at proving illegality by the president. Mueller, NBC reports, appears to be interested in whether Trump directed [Michael Flynn] to lie to senior officials, including Pence, or the FBI, and if so why, the sources said. This could be very important. Heres what it means. In December 2016, Flynn sat at the center of hidden diplomacy between the Trump transition team and Russia. The departing Obama administration was putting into place sanctions to punish Russia for its criminal theft of emails. The Trump team was quietly telling Russia not to retaliate because it would reverse or undermine those sanctions. Flynn conveyed this message to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December. The next month he denied doing so to FBI agents. Two days after that, Sally Yates, the acting attorney general, met with White House counsel Don McGahn and told him about Flynns lie, which she had learned of through FBI surveillance of Russia. The danger of the lie was extreme. Since the Russians were privy to the conversation Flynn had denied ever having, they knew he was lying, and thus had powerful blackmail leverage over him. And yet, despite having been informed that the incoming national security adviser was an extreme security risk, the White House responded with strange lethargy. Flynn remained on the job for 18 more days, and was finally fired, supposedly for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence. Trump nonetheless praised Flynn effusively, and reportedly later conveyed the message he should stay strong. There are many questions around this episode, but the most pertinent ones concern why Flynn would behave so recklessly. He took a big risk by speaking with the Russians, violating the Logan Act, which prohibits private citizens from influenc[ing] the measures or conduct of any foreign government or defeat[ing] the measures of the United States. Flynns career in intelligence work would have made him perfectly aware of the high likelihood that his conversation was being surveilled. He took a second additional risk by allegedly lying about this to the FBI. News reports have focused on the possibility that Trump ordered Flynns outreach to Russia. It makes sense (to whatever extent anything in Trumpworld makes sense) that Flynn would get the president-elects approval before communicating such an important message. On the other hand, there is also some debate about the severity of Trumps exposure to a violation of the Logan Act, which is extremely old and has not been tested in court. But NBC is raising a different, and more serious, possibility: that Trump also instructed Flynn to lie to the FBI about his conversation. That scenario would explain a lot. It would explain why Flynn took not one but two gigantic legal risks. It would explain why the White House took so long to fire him, why Trump asked James Comey to let Flynn off the hook and then fired him when he failed to promise to do so, and why Trump continued to signal his affection for Flynn even afterward. Flynn might have done both legally dubious things of his own volition. He is a pretty unstable character, after all. But it seems at least as likely that he felt empowered to take such obvious chances because the incoming president offered him cover. If this is what happened, the legal violation would not be ambiguous at all. Lying to the FBI is an obvious crime. Even the tortured rationales Trumps defenders are making on his behalf that he didnt obstruct justice by firing Comey, and would also not be obstructing justice by shutting down Muellers investigation would be irrelevant in the face of this action. (Obviously, they would just invent new rationales. But still.) We dont know whether Trump did tell Flynn to lie. And if it happened, we dont know whether Flynn has actually testified to this effect. But for the first time, we have a clear line of sight to a potential act of undeniable illegality by President Trump. Will she or wont she? Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Republican senator Susan Collins once again asserted on Sunday that she was not certainly voting yes on the Republican tax bill that is expected to pass the House and Senate in the coming weeks. I always wait until the final version of the bill is brought before us before I make a final decision on whether or not to support it, she said on CBSs Face the Nation. Republicans are working to bring together the bills passed by the two chambers, which feature some significant differences, and have a final product on President Trumps desk before Christmas. Speculation that the House might pass the Senate bill as-is faded last week, in part because the Senates frenzied, last-minute writing of the bill led to some glaring mistakes that will need to be mended. Collins was one of the three Republican holdouts who killed the repeal of Obamacare over the summer, but was much more enthusiastic about the prospect of tax cuts the Republican raison detre from the beginning. Her eagerness manifested itself in her haphazard justification for voting yes. Collins, who said that including the repeal of Obamacares invididual mandate as part of the tax bill was a mistake, said she agreed to a deal with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell that the Senate would pass two bipartisan pieces of health-care legislation, the Alexander-Murray and Nelson-Collins bills, which would stabilize insurance markets. (They would come nowhere near undoing the damage of repealing the mandate, but never mind.) The problem is that the House would also need to pass those laws, and Speaker Paul Ryan has shown no signs that he wants to do so, rendering Collinss vision pretty much useless. (In the weak-negotiator sweepstakes, Collins was outdone only by Jeff Flake, who voted yes in exchange for the promise of a meeting about immigration.) Face the Nations John Dickerson brought up the small problem of the House on Sunday; Collins said, vaguely, that she had talked with colleagues in the House, Senate, and White House, and I have no reason to believe that that commitment will not be kept. Unless she knows something the public doesnt, its hard to square that statement with reality. The question is whether Collins cares more about a broken promise or helping to get massive tax cuts over the finish line. In the Senate vote on December 1, Republicans lost only one of their own Bob Corker so even if Collins votes no and Corker holds the line, they could squeeze the bill through, 50-50, with Vice-President Mike Pence acting as a tiebreaker. Still, Republicans would prefer not to make it that close. And if Democrat Doug Jones pulls off an upset in Alabama on Tuesday, the Senate might have to rush to vote on the bill before hes seated. All this has provided Democratic activists and lawmakers with a faint glimmer of hope that the regressive, society-altering tax bill nobody seems to like except Republican lawmakers might yet be halted. Something unprecedented in the history of media repression in Uganda is happening to Pepper Publications Ltd, the publishers of Red Pepper and affiliated media platforms. Five top executives who dont make editorial decisions on a day-to-day basis are currently in jail, together with three editors. The executives are; Chief Executive Officer Richard Tusiime, Chief Marketing Officer Arinaitwe Rugyendo, Chief Operations Officer Patrick Mugumya, Chief Finance officer Johnson Musinguzi and Chief Commercial Officer James Mujuni. Managing Editor Ben Byarabaha, News Editor Francis Tumusiime and Deputy News Editor Richard Kintu are also incarcerated. Over the years, Ugandan journalists have faced criminal charges for doing their work, a reprehensible act to which we will return later. What is without precedent, however, is bringing criminal charges against non-editors. Why, for instance, would an accountant be held criminally liable for editorial decisions, which are made in another department? This threatens editorial independence within newsrooms as other executives managing directors, finance managers or advertising managers could now seek a direct role in making editorial decisions. They could argue that now that they are at risk of facing criminal charges due to the stories we get published, they would rather participate in making the editorial decisions to mitigate the risk. This would inevitably lead to more self-censorship and detrimentally affect the quality of our journalism. We consider journalism a public good, and the public interest is best served when the media is free to speak truth to power and probe the dealings of especially public officials. Public officials who have something to hide and do not want to account to the public will inevitably fear the media and seek to gag it. We are afraid that the State has been slowly but steadily eating into the space for the media to operate freely. If we keep with the Red Pepper case, the State accuses the media house of publishing information prejudicial to national security, and in so doing disturbing the peace of some top officials including the President. The story in issue was published on November 20, 2017, entitled M7 plotting to overthrow Kagame Rwanda. The police speedily acquired what it said is a search warrant from a court of law and proceeded to seal off the premises of Pepper Publications Ltd. Red Pepper, its sister publications and radio stations have been out of operation since November 21 as a result of the raid. Red Pepper employees who witnessed the police search on the premises say the operatives went about their business with what appeared like malice aforethought, tearing through servers and tampering with the printer in such a way that it would be hard for Red Pepper to be produced again anytime soon. Computers and other gadgets were taken away during the search. Without prejudice to the cases that have since been brought against Red Pepper managers and editors, we take exception to the manner in which this matter has been handled. Ordinarily the state should have required the editor, and not every manager at the company, to answer whatever questions they had to raise. And whatever questions the State needed to put to the editor over the matter, there was no need for anyone to be arrested and illegally held in a high security detention centre even beyond the legally permissible 48 hours before being produced in court. We heavily worry about the range of criminal cases that journalists, artistes and other citizens have faced in the recent past. One such charge is disturbing the peace of an individual. Editors from New Vision, Daily Monitor, Red Pepper and the online platform Investigator have faced this charge in recent months. On Tuesday this week, an artiste and his producer were charged with disturbing the peace of President Museveni and remanded to Luzira prison. Take the charge of disturbing the peace of police chief Kale Kayihura, for instance, which has been brought against several editors. If Mr Kayihura is annoyed over a story, he may direct his subordinates to summon the concerned editor for interrogation over disturbing his peace. We find this most absurd. To add to this are new criminal charges under the Computer Misuse Act, for instance, which also threaten our journalism and the wider freedom of expression of all citizens. In this regard, the charge of offensive communication has come up against a number of people already. We fear that the gains that came with the striking down by the courts of law of charge of false news and sedition have since been wiped out. Also, criminal defamation remains on our Penal Code despite a ruling by the African Court of Justice that the offense violates freedom of expression as guaranteed in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. With this background, we argue that the attack on Red Pepper is a direct affront on press freedom. It is an extension of the States efforts to suffocate media. Security operatives have in the recent past roughed up journalists in the course of doing their work, and the Uganda Communications Communication has continued to issue bans against programmes and individuals on radio and television stations, etc. We note with sadness that our colleagues at Red Pepper did not get salary for the month of November because the company was shut down. They remain unsure whether they will operate again. This is particularly absurd given the tough economic situation currently obtaining in the country, which has led to runaway unemployment. We insist that the search warrant the police say they acquired did not permit them to shut down Red Pepper. We are sure the highhanded handling of the Red Pepper issue is meant not just for Red Pepper, but as a warning to other media houses of what may befall them if they publish what those who hold power do not want to be published. This is reprehensible censorship. We, of course, do not argue that media practitioners cannot break the law. Whoever feels aggrieved by a publication has a number of more civilised ways of handling the issue by seeking civil remedies on their own. Journalism must be de-criminalised, but even in instances where a criminal charge may be tenable as it is under our current legal regime which we feel must change the due process of the law must be followed. In light of this, we take particular exception to the courts failure to resolve the bail application by the eight Red Pepper managers, who on Tuesday were sent back to Luzira prison for a further 14 days until December 18. So we urge the police, the Uganda Communications Communication, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions which sanctions charges and in this case the courts of law to which these matters are eventually referred, to act judiciously. We also call on President Museveni to jealously guard the little steps that Uganda has made on the democratisation journey over the years. ABOUT PRESS FREEDOM NETWORK Uganda Press Freedom Network is a loose grouping of journalists from across all media houses who strive to enhance freedom of the press. The forum was founded in 2016 and currently has 230 journalists from around the country, subscribed. Luweero Anglican Diocese has directed priests not to contest and participate in the forthcoming Village Council elections, saying it might split their churches. The Bishop of Luweero Anglican Diocese, Elidad Nsubuga Kironde issued the directive on Sunday shortly after ordaining priests at St Mark Cathedral church in Luweero town. Those ordained include 30 lay leaders who are still on probation, 17 were confirmed as lay leaders, 3 deacons and one parish priest. In his speech, Bishop Nsubuga warned the priests against contesting in the LC 1 elections, saying those who want to should resign from priesthood. Bishop Elidad Nsubuga Kironde (C) leaving church on Sunday He also warned the priests against voting in the polls, arguing the mode of voting by queuing behind candidates is inappropriate and may split the church. He said that some candidates may see priests as traitors if they don't stand behind them during the voting. The ordained priests and Christians agreed with the bishop's directives. Livingstone Wasswa, a lay leader in Nkuzongere Church of Uganda in Nakaseke, said the bible calls for equal treatment of all Christians and asked priests to stay from divisive politics. Wasswa said the church welcomes the polls, but he will skip it because he can't queue behind any candidate something that may cause other candidates to hate him. Bernard Ssenyonjo, a lay leader from Kalungi Church of Uganda in Nakasongola, said he took oath to only serve God and doesn't want to pay allegiance to earthly leaders, saying he will skip the elections. Absolom Bwanika Bbaale a member of St. Mark Cathedral said that the LC I elections will not only create disunity in church but in communities and families. Other Christian said the queueing behind a candidate voting system may cause the leaders to deny them services, saying they won't participate in the polls. Electoral Commission chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama defends the mode of voting, saying it promotes transparency in elections. EC had planned to hold the LC I polls in November this year. However, a group of under a pressure group dubbed the "The Alternative" dragged the Commission and Attorney General to the High court seeking orders to suspend the elections on grounds that the purported mode of conducting the polls is a threat to fundamental human rights. They argue that the mode of queuing behind candidates is an infringement on the right to a secret ballot, voter integrity and fair elections as voters will be exposed to intimidation and manipulation. James Tweheyo, the secretary general Uganda National Teacher's Union also filed a petition before High court challenging the conduct of elections without including students. Justice Steven Musota issued interim orders, which will remain into force until January 30, 2018. Masaka district local government has petitioned President Yoweri Museveni over the poor state of roads in the district. The local government leaders claim that most of the roads that fall directly under the central government are in a very sorry state, which undermines their performance and service delivery to residents. Godfrey Kayemba, the mayor Masaka municipality, says they intend to awaken government about its responsibility of maintaining the roads under its care. He says the poorly maintained central government roads in the area paint a bad picture of their performance as local government to the public that expect improved services. The affected roads include among others Broadway, which runs through Masaka town from the Mbarara bypass, Nyendo-Cathedral road and Nyendo-Bukakata road that are currently filled with potholes and ditches. Petitioned: President Museveni Joe Walusimbi, the Masaka Resident District Commissioner, says his office is overwhelmed by complaints from the public concerning the poor state of the roads, saying that he spends a lot of time pleading with residents not to demonstrate. Walusimbi put the blame on Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) for its failure to prioritise roads in Masaka. "A few days back I was very busy appealing to the Wanaichi not to demonstrate. I called the Unra manager who promised that he was going to work on that stretch in the first week of this month", said Walusimbi. Peter Ssenkungu, the Masaka district NRM party chairperson also confirmed that the public is agitated because of the poor state of government roads in Masaka. He asked government to provide Unra the required resources to fix the roads to save them from the pending political anger. Ssenkungu is equally concerned that some of the affected roads have repeatedly featured in the national budget, but they haven't been worked on, which raises doubt in the public about government's commitment. The leaders have forwarded a joint petition to the president through the government manifesto implementation unit; demanding that their concerns are addressed with urgency. Fred Kamugira, the deputy director of the manifesto implementation unit in the President's Office who is leading a team that is assessing progress on the implementation of the NRM manifesto in the region, has acknowledged the problem, promising to bring it to the attention of the president. On September 26, 2017, The World Bank released a report titled Learning to realize Educations Promise 2018. According to the report, at least 20 per cent of pupils in Primary Two in Uganda can perform a two-digit subtraction, whereas 39 per cent can read a single word of a short sentence. Precisely, 80 per cent and 61 per cent of our children are moving in the dark when it comes to dealing with basic math and reading! This is tangential to the memorable motto Taaha Omukuhweeza that is translated in English as to enter the embrace of the light coined by Canon Petero Rwabihurwa, a pioneer educationist and evangelist in Kigezi in the early 1950s. Indeed, in rural Uganda, lights deem really deep as nearly three quarters of learners in primary three could not solve a two-digit subtraction such as 46-17 and, by primary five, half still could not do so, according to the report. As a parent, citizen and neighbor, this goes to the core of our survival and future competitiveness in a highly-paced world. The easy, lazy and convenient path is to just do nothing and blame government. Yet, the complexity of education requires all of us to do something to change this situation. Among others, the World Bank report points to lack of effective teaching as the principal element why learning is not taking place in Ugandas broader education system. The question for stakeholders is: How do we get our children to read and count? How do we reconfigure our education and lessons delivery to achieve effectiveness? How do we innovate to improve classroom management, stem teacher and pupil absenteeism, inspire accountability and create a generation of curious, agile and high-impact citizenry? How do we move from mere schooling to learning in our education system? One pathway to answer some of the foregoing questions is to have our pupils get supplementary literacy and numeracy lessons. This is because reading and counting are the two critical prerequisites and base skills that learners require to navigate other subjects. A weak base in masterly of numeracy and language proficiency have long-term deleterious consequences for learners, workforce and development ambitions of Uganda. In fact, a challenge for teachers in Uganda and across the world, and in every kind of school is that there may be a gap between where their learners are performing and where the national curriculum demands that they should be. A classroom of learners might, overall, be far behind what the national curriculum demands. Or, a classroom of learners may be far ahead of what the national curriculum demands are. This means that such learners need a bigger challenge. At Bridge schools Uganda, where I work, deriving from the national curriculum, the Ugandan instructional design team has created lessons that allow teachers to better meet the needs of their learners based on how they are performing. The accelerated English and Math mentoring helps Bridge pupils achieve learning gains in literacy and numeracy. The basis of the effort is to ensure that the slow learners are supported to catch up with their grade levels, while the faster learners are challenged. Precisely, Bridge offers extra one or two lessons per day of English instructions and one extra lesson of Mathematics instruction per day. For example: during their morning English lessons, pupils are practicing vocabulary words such as neighborhood, bicycle, home, tree etc. However, when the teacher calls on pupils to read aloud and then fill in the blank sentences they just completed pupils struggle to pronounce each word. They arent reading the sentences fluently because they dont know how to read some of the most frequent, basic words such as the, and, for, here. Another example: during their morning Math lesson, pupils are practicing problems like 138 + 44. However, when the teacher checks their work, pupils are not answering correctly because they do not know how to regroup or carry numbers over to the next place value. During the afternoon extra English lesson, pupils in this example would have the opportunity to practice learning both sight words like the, and, for, here and also learn phonics so that they can sound out new words on their own. This instruction is deliberately designed to bridge the gap between how students are performing in English and where the Uganda national curriculum expects them to be. And during the afternoon extra math, pupils in this example would have the opportunity to practice the simplest form of regrouping with two-digit and one-digit numbers. The teacher models the difference between 17 + 2 and 17 + 4. Students then get lots of practice at that level so that they can master the concept of regrouping as quickly as possible. This approach is already delivering amazing results. Bridge has used Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Math Assessment (EGMA) to evaluate its work. We study item-level data on pupils fundamental literacy and numeracy skills to assess learning gains. Using a Rapid Cycle Measurement of P3 Literacy for Program Improvement, Bridge was able to recognize that Bridge pupils outgained their peers in comparable schools by 5.7 words per minute on Familiar Word Reading and 14.6 words per minute on Passage Fluency across the same period. They also understood even more of what they read, answering an extra nine percentage points more comprehension questions correctly. The latest vindication of the foregoing is the outed results of 2017 Kenyan Certificate for Primary Education (KCPE). KCPE is the national primary exit exam and the results determine whether children have the opportunity to continue with their education. In the exam, Bridge pupils exceeded their peers nationwide by over 10 percentage points with thousands scoring at or above the 250 marks designated as a pass by the Kenyan government. The foregoing results are in sync with learning gains in Bridge Academies in Liberia captured in recent scientific publications. A stakeholder conversation on accelerated learning approaches for math and English should, therefore, urgently begin. There is goodwill from government and the minister of education, Janet Museveni, who has consistently emphasised need for schools to focus on learning outcomes. Bridge is keen to continue working with government, parents, faith-founded schools, media and broader stakeholders to deepen its demonstrable, working and results-driven tendency. The author is the country director, Bridge Schools Uganda. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Auburn University alumnus Harold Melton, presiding justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, will be the speaker at the universitys fall graduation ceremonies. Approximately 1,683 degrees will be conferred during the two ceremonies set for Saturday, Dec. 16, in Auburn Arena. A 10 a.m. ceremony will be held for the College of Education; the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering; the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences; the College of Human Sciences; and the College of Liberal Arts. A 2 p.m. ceremony will be held for the College of Agriculture; the College of Architecture, Design and Construction; the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business; the College of Sciences and Mathematics; and University College. Melton was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Gov. Sonny Perdue on July 1, 2005, and was sworn in as presiding justice Jan. 6, 2017. Prior to joining the court, Melton served as executive counsel to Perdue. Before that, he spent 11 years in the Georgia Department of Law under two attorneys general where he dealt with issues ranging from the creation of the Georgia Lottery Corporation to the administration of Georgias tobacco settlement. Melton, who was elected Auburns first African American SGA president in 1987, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in international business from Auburn in 1988. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia in 1991. He serves on the Board of Atlanta Youth Academies and is on the local and national board for Young Life youth ministry. A native of Washington, D.C., Melton currently resides in Atlanta with his wife, Kimberly, and their three children. Auburn will award 78 doctoral degrees, 382 masters degrees, eight educational specialist degrees, one pharmacy degree and 1,214 bachelors degrees. The bachelors degrees by college or school are: College of Agriculture, 63; College of Architecture, Design and Construction, 89; Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, 235; College of Education, 152; Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, 218; School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, 20; College of Human Sciences, 56; College of Liberal Arts, 252; College of Sciences and Mathematics, 105; and University College, 24. In such times, the alternative abbreviation for IPOs can be "Instant Performance Opportunity" instead of "Initial Public Offering" because, in the last 2 years, investors have gone on a frenzy to buy IPOs. This sudden rush of retail investors' interest coupled with a good appreciation in stock prices has brought forth a new norm: overvaluations in the IPO market. Since April 2014, the S&P BSE IPO index has given an aggregate return of 180%. This phenomenon has resulted in a few noteworthy developments. Firstly, many small and large private companies are gearing up to go public and raise capital from the market because they can get rich valuations. At the same time, the Government of India has been tapping into the public's appetite to buy stocks by listing public sector companies and cashing in to meet planned expenditure requirements. In combination, these activities are sucking out a lot of liquidity and thereby impacting the long-term potential of the secondary markets if the rate of fund flows slow down. The number of IPOs has been increasing since 2014 with a very high success ratio. Almost all companies that planned to raise capital have succeeded and the stock prices have performed very well even after high valuations which most of them were listed at. Also, the amount of capital being raised has gone up substantially and is currently at all-time highs. For instance, In 2014 there were 7 IPOs that raised 1,200+ crores. In 2015, there were 21 IPOs which collectively raised more than 11,000 crores. In 2016, there were 27 companies that went public and raised some 26,000 crores and this year we have seen a total of 34 listings with a total fundraising of 60,000 crores so far. Of the total amount raised in 2017, more than 50% has come from the financial service sector primarily insurance companies which are large issues. In the future, we are going to see many asset management companies monetize their businesses by going public as well. Although newly listed companies have performed well so far, it is yet to be seen if they can sustain the current valuations when the euphoria wanes out in the future. Every listing requires a nod from SEBI which has recently asked for clarification from 10 companies (Lemon Tree Hotels, CMS Info Systems, ACME Solar holdings, Seven Island Shipping etc.) and put some on hold like Barbeque Nation (A restaurant chain based in Bangalore). A sanity check on aspiring companies is a crucial activity and will ensure that only compliant companies with a clean track record will be eligible to tap the public markets to raise capital. It is important to understand that most investors in IPOs are looking to make quick profits and sell on the rise. So, their investment logic is purely speculative and based on the euphoria in the markets. The recent demand for IPO funding solidifies this trend. Investors are willing to borrow money for 7 - 10 days from brokers and trade high flying IPOs with leverage. From a long-term investment standpoint, IPOs are not necessarily the best entry point. It makes more sense to observe the growth rate of the company for a few quarters before buying the stock. It is a more conservative approach but that's what medium to long-term is all about; making rational decisions. Currently, investors have factored in a huge growth rate in newly listed companies and also small caps. If these companies fail to keep up with expected growth rates, then share prices could correct significantly. There are a lot of turnaround opportunities in the listed space which can become multi-baggers in the future. The highest returns don't necessarily have to come from IPOs. For instance, in the last one year sectors like retail, plastics, sugar and gold finance companies have given higher than 65% returns. Commodity stocks have also outperformed the markets significantly too and such opportunities will continue to exist in the future. By Tejas Khoday, Co-Founder & CEO, FYERS (A new-age discount brokerage with innovative platforms) 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... The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher, Vistas de pagina en total Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript. Dolar USA Vs Euro Archivo del blog PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR OTAN = Asesinos OTAN = NATO = Muerte Mas temprano que tarde los derrotaremos Hipocresia 3.0 El principe Carlos habla sobre el alto costo de la vida Es un chiste? Las verdades son simples Opinar es un peligro Ejemplo de dignidad El Nuevo Orden Mundial Historica foto para el record Guinness Se pegaron un tiro en el pie Si palabras Ya no enganan a nadie No hacen falta palabras Lo volvio a hacer Capitalismo=embuste Historico Bitcoin La bateria mas grande de Holanda El futuro es solar Nec plus ultra, nec variatur Fisica y culturalmente Jamas nos callaran Sin ellas, no seremos Deja vu Nada que celebrar Hasta cuando? Colombia Hoy Para nunca olvidar 'Parasite' painted on a statue of Queen, Elizabeth in Kent, England Sin palabras La UE le apunta a la paz Cada vez mas solo LULA y su Pueblo Bye Bye Homenaje al genial Quino Fueron ellos Una imagen que resume Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero? Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante) Ladrones al poder Asi mira el perrito a su amo Crazy Clamor popular La nueva inquisicion Bolivia Chile Hoy Eso es todo amigos! Piensalo! Pinerachet No More Trump Adios Macri, hasta nunca La Marioneta se desinfla Asi o mas cinico Almugre Mexico en 1794 Mas arrastrado imposible Hasta cuando! La pura verdad Solidaridad con Palestina Serie Capitalismo Espejismos de la clase trabajadora Asi es! Comerciantes o delincuentes No pasaran! Asi es la vida USA HOY 01/01/1959 La avaricia no tiene limites AYUDA HUMANITARIA? Chile Hoy Asi son las cosas Mapa Electoral de Venezuela Patagonia argentina? Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad Retrato del franquismo en Espana Visca Catalunya! El Chulo de Madrid Cuando la policia se roba la democracia Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras La purita verdad Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia Mi pobre clase media Como Chavez nadie Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear Programa de la MUD Asi o mas clarito Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte? Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio? Una verguenza nacional La luz que nos guia La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz? Feudalismo ayer y hoy Obama, el mentiroso Curiosa coincidencia Un mundo de cerdos No es extrano? La Marioneta Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran MARICORI Y OBAMA Cuantas muertes este ano? USA TODAY USA HOY 6 USA HOY 5 USA HOY 4 USA HOY 3 USA HOY 2 USA HOY (1) Insaciable Cronologia de un agresor Guarimbear en USA Mexico hoy Bolivar y Chavez Primero Amargado Dios los cria y ellos se juntan USA hoy (III) USA hoy (II) USA hoy Mexico hoy Mexico hoy Mexico hoy Obama La verdad sea dicha Los ricos Que no nos vea Obama Pobre Obama SOS PALESTINA VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN VICMAN Archivo del blog Archivo del blog marzo (4) abril (9) mayo (8) junio (10) julio (11) agosto (10) septiembre (17) octubre (11) noviembre (15) diciembre (10) enero (9) febrero (10) marzo (8) abril (5) mayo (6) junio (8) julio (13) agosto (10) septiembre (7) octubre (12) noviembre (8) diciembre (15) enero (17) febrero (11) marzo (11) abril (12) junio (6) julio (11) agosto (15) septiembre (5) octubre (15) noviembre (14) diciembre (11) enero (13) febrero (9) marzo (10) abril (8) mayo (7) junio (12) julio (12) agosto (8) septiembre (8) octubre (4) diciembre (8) enero (35) febrero (20) marzo (29) abril (19) mayo (21) junio (27) julio (21) agosto (28) septiembre (40) octubre (47) noviembre (21) diciembre (34) enero (62) febrero (81) marzo (117) abril (141) mayo (114) junio (111) julio (126) agosto (98) septiembre (160) octubre (234) noviembre (493) diciembre (319) enero (219) febrero (267) marzo (230) abril (291) mayo (347) junio (223) julio (179) agosto (191) septiembre (239) octubre (350) noviembre (406) diciembre (353) enero (284) febrero (202) marzo (274) abril (250) mayo (232) junio (251) julio (188) agosto (249) septiembre (230) octubre (178) noviembre (141) diciembre (164) enero (187) febrero (147) marzo (211) abril (190) mayo (199) junio (164) julio (162) agosto (174) septiembre (182) octubre (225) noviembre (114) diciembre (132) enero (223) febrero (147) marzo (133) abril (108) mayo (387) junio (465) julio (785) agosto (748) septiembre (485) octubre (681) noviembre (754) diciembre (805) enero (708) febrero (896) marzo (735) abril (831) mayo (723) junio (555) julio (658) agosto (619) septiembre (457) octubre (455) noviembre (295) diciembre (269) enero (534) febrero (556) marzo (205) abril (119) mayo (194) junio (255) julio (294) agosto (182) septiembre (207) octubre (340) noviembre (351) diciembre (281) enero (114) febrero (128) marzo (216) abril (195) mayo (116) junio (141) julio (182) agosto (181) septiembre (50) octubre (72) noviembre (104) diciembre (88) enero (168) febrero (102) marzo (151) abril (207) mayo (43) junio (72) julio (35) agosto (146) septiembre (54) octubre (46) noviembre (48) diciembre (57) enero (133) febrero (218) marzo (196) abril (177) mayo (156) junio (158) julio (264) agosto (456) septiembre (524) octubre (473) noviembre (445) Chavez Cuanto te queremos! Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares? Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano... Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos: Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias. Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera. No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje. En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio. Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida. Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella. Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal. Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista. Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen. Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che? Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio. Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora. Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo. Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo. Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania. No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar. Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga. Alguna duda? Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia. OZ1 OZ2 OZ3 OZ4 Homenaje a Jason Galarraga La Victoria de Samotracia Odalisca Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008 La Sierra Nevada de Merida Nuestro precioso Churum Meru Homenaje a Picasso Autoretrato Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola? La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar. Mi profesion? Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos. Sal en la Coca Cola? A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar. De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla: Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido) azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa) Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas Mucha Cafeina Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja. Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos. Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja. En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero). Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma. La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate. Bebidas Light? Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal. Publicado por loretahur En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina: 1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias. 2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina. 3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard. 4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos. 5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla. 6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos. Ahora... sobre la margarina: 1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) . 2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias. 3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno). 4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer. 5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna. 6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo. 7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina. Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas: * No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo). * No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!! No a la guerra, Si a la Paz Misterios de la ciencia... Los costos de la guerra medicos y capitalismo... Capitalismo... medicos (2) Quien educa a nuestros hijos? Los Medios... Sin Palabras... Chistes feministas - Cual es el problema, Eva? - Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas. - Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas... - Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti. - Que es un hombre? - Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente. - Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente. - Cual es el truco?. - Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion. - Cual? - Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer. Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Ellas... Ellas (2)... Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1 Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije: -Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro. Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria. Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre? -Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa! VENGANZA NUMERO 2 Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris. A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita: - Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!! Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta. La mujer paso quince dias en Francia. El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla. Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es: - Y amor me trajiste mi francesita?? - Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina. VENGANZA NUMERO 3 El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion. - No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo. - Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz. Te quiero confesar algo. - Esta bien, esta bien. Habla! - He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga. - Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!! machismo y cibernetica Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston. -Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide. -Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!. .Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos. Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco. Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas Gol !!!! Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso! Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy! The parents of a group of little Congolese girls who were savagely raped during a three-year reign of terror in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) took the stand today in a landmark trial, where Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has provided technical support in gathering forensic evdience. Twelve parents, their identities hidden by head-to-toe coverings and voice modification technology, told the court from behind a screen how their daughters had been dragged from their homes in the middle of the night, raped, and dumped near their homes or in fields surrounding the village of Kavumu. At one point, a child survivor who was sitting behind the witness screen with her mother broke into sobs as the mother, identified only as P17, recounted how she had found the little girl lying on the ground in front of the familys home. The girl was escorted outside by a court psychologist. Eighteen defendants, including Congolese lawmaker Frederic Batumike, are charged with kidnapping, raping, and mutilating 46 girls some of them as young as eight months old over a three-year period ending in 2016 with the arrest of Batumike and his alleged colleagues. Batumike, who allegedly heads a militia that is accused of carrying out the rapes, had earlier tried to hold up proceedings by seeking the recusal of two of the military judges trying the case, but the request was rejected by an independent court. Batumike, who is also accused of having ordered the murders of two opponents, then said he would no longer cooperate with the court, citing his right to remain silent, and instructed his attorneys to stand down. The court ordered him to testify and appointed him court attorneys. PHR has worked closely for years with local medical professionals, police and military investigators, and lawyers to gather evidence of the rapes. During the trial, PHR and local and international partners successfully advocated to protect the identities of witnesses and survivors by seeking permission from the court to use voice-modification technology, to be identified by a number instead of by name, to testify behind a screened-off area, and to testify in a closed court that would not be open to the public. PHR also worked with partners to seek the courts approval not to retraumatize the child survivors by requiring them to testify in court, relying instead on video testimony of the children documented by PHR and its partners. The expertise of PHR and local police partners was also called upon to examine cell phone records as a means of establishing that the 18 defendants were part of a structured group, whose actions could be considered as organized and systematic. Many of the accused come from Kavumu. The mobile court, a mechanism for allowing trials to take place in the communities in which crimes occurred, last week traveled with some of the defendants to neighborhoods in Kavumu where the rapes took place; there, former neighbors recognized the accused men, countering the mens claims that they had never lived in the area and did not know each other. Proving that the defendants not only knew each other but were part of an organized militia is a critical part of the prosecutions case. The proceedings will continue through next week. Adam Colver digital editor Adam Colver is the online editor at The Post-Star. He manages poststar.com, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram social media accounts. Follow Adam Colver Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The Adirondack Park Agency on Thursday approved the site plan for a new campground, equestrian and two day use areas to transform the former Frontier Town site in North Hudson. Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled the master plan in his 2017 State of the State address to establish a "Gateway to the Adirondacks" at Exit 29 of the Northway. The master plan includes a $13 million state investment through the New York Works program to develop the new DEC campground According to a news release, the project will be constructed on approximately 91 acres of land owned by the town of North Hudson and Essex County. The site will connect to an existing trail network along state Route 9 and part of the Schroon Lake-North Hudson Snowmobile trail network. The trails will also connect to the Hammond Pond Wild Forest to the east, the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest on the west, and the Palmer Pond Bridge connection on the west, leading to publicly owned lands, including the Boreas Ponds and Essex Chain Lakes Complex. For more details on the plan view the accompanying document. Two initial public information sessions on the project will be held Monday, Dec. 11, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Town of North Hudson Town Hall. As for a timeline, depending on approval of the APA permit application, DEC anticipates site work will begin in February. The all-season day-use area is expected to open in fall 2018, and it is anticipated that the Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian and Day Use Area will be operational by summer 2019. QUEENSBURY Slightly more than two years ago, the town had two RadioShack stores. In less than three weeks, it will have none. The RadioShack store at 797 Route 9 in the Northgate Plaza will be one of 16 corporate-owned stores that will close Dec. 31. RadioShack has closed more than 1,000 stores this year, and only 12 of the 28 corporate-owned stores will remain open after the end of the year. There are 425 independent stores owned as franchises, but the closest to the region is 50 miles away in Vermont. The franchise stores carry RadioShack-branded products, as well as items that would not normally have been carried in RadioShack stores. The other local RadioShack store, in Aviation Mall, closed in 2015 after being open for nearly 40 years. The stock from that store was transferred to the Queensbury store that is now closing. RadioShack, which was extremely successful during the CB radio craze of the 1970s and the early days of personal computing in the following decade, was founded in Boston in 1921. It has declared bankruptcy twice and its intellectual property is now owned by Kensington Capital Holdings, one of its creditors. The latest round of closings includes three RadioShack stores in Colorado, Texas and New York. The other in-state stores closing are in Northport, Kingston, New Paltz, Carmel, Yonkers and West Seneca. The closest affiliate that will remain in New York is in Cooperstown. The companys corporate headquarters building in Houston was also closed this year. At one time, RadioShack had more than 7,300 stores. A RadioShack spokesman was not available for comment Monday. FORT EDWARD Fort Edward Historian R. Paul McCarty never imagined he would be adding Charlie Brown to the Old Fort House Museum collection. The famous Peanuts character is currently on display at the museum, part of a recent donation of 20th-century toys from Martha Dallas, a longtime museum visitor and collector. Visitors will be able to see some of the toy collection from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The museum will host a Candlelight Christmas tour from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday. The Old Fort House started decorating for Christmas back in 1975 when it hosted a dinner for the re-enactment of the Henry Knox Cannon Trail, the movement of cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston during the Revolutionary War. For several years after that, the museum welcomed the public to view its decorations every holiday season. But that was before you had all these festivals of trees, which have come on in the last 15 years, and there are a lot of them, McCarty pointed out. We were the Christmas destination for a long time. The museum has once again opened its doors and museum organizers have decked the historic halls with what he calls eye candy to kick off the museums 90th year. Right now, nearly every room in the house is decorated with different period trees, and a huge evergreen snakes up the stairwell reaching the second floor. This is a fun house to decorate, McCarty said Friday as he walked from room to room. During a tour, McCarty will chat with museum visitors about the desk that belonged to Alexander Hamiltons father-in-law, Philip Schuyler. It is rumored that Alexander Hamilton studied law in Philip Schuylers law library, McCarty said. Theres good probability that he could have touched this, McCarty said. The 1940s kitchen houses an old ice box and toaster as well as many 20th-century kitchen items. Near the fireplace in the tavern sits a small childs crutch next to a copy of Dickens A Christmas Carol. The tree in the Solomon Northup room upstairs is decorated in Civil War-period greenery. The wallpaper in the house was all made in Kingsbury and Glens Falls, McCarty said. It was made for the house when it opened in 1953. Were a regular local history museum inside and out. Even the papers hanging on the walls have significance. Many of the rooms boast toys from Martha Dallas, who retired in Cambridge after a top-secret career at the Pentagon, McCarty explained. Weve only begun to look at it, categorize it, catalogue it and so forth, McCarty said. It is a huge, huge, huge collection. Dallas, who died in the past year, comprehensively collected some 19th-century, but mostly 20th-century toys. She was quite a person, McCarty said, and a very interesting, a very knowledgeable person to talk to. GLENS FALLS Glens Falls is seeking more state funding to assist in its redevelopment of South Street. EDC Warren County President Edward Bartholomew said he is in the process of finishing an application to obtain grant funding through the Restore New York program. The deadline is Friday. The buildings being targeted are the former Hot Shots building at 45 South St. and a former garment factory and warehouse next door at 36 Elm St. The city is not planning to demolish those buildings, according to Bartholomew. He said he is envisioning mixed use with some retail on the first floor and office space and market-rate apartments on the upper floors. Bartholomew said the city is looking at additional pieces of property in the vicinity to include and discussion with those owners are ongoing. We have a short period of time to come to any agreement with any other property owners in the area, he said. If were unsuccessful on reaching agreements with those property owners, then those properties will not be part of the application, he added. He did not state the properties in question. Also along that block is the vacant Sandys Bar, which has been closed since September. Between $500,000 and $1 million in Restore New York funding is available for cities the size of Glens Falls, according to Bartholomew. However, he said the state awards funding on a formula that takes into account the cost of construction in that region, the economic distress of the city and the size of the buildings being renovated. Were not going to be coming near the $1 million mark because the buildings and areas were looking at are not that significantly large, he said. Glens Falls is only deemed moderately distressed, Bartholomew said. However, the city will receive additional bonus points because it has been awarded nearly $10 million through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The city is also receiving points because the old garment factory is classified as a brownfield. The building has a clean bill of health. Its been approved by DEC, Bartholomew said. The property is also located in an Empire Zone, which still receives points for this application, although the state is no longer funding that program. Bartholomew said there is a matching component required with the DRI. Usually, matching a state grant with another state grant is not permitted, but with the DRI it is. The Restore funds for the city will allow us to be able to stretch our dollars form the DRI further, he said. The city has been successful in receiving Restore New York funding in the past such as a half-million dollars for the Peter Hoffman project to redevelop the former Empire Plaza into Warren Street Square. Last year, Glens Falls was unsuccessful in its application for Restore New York funds to expand the ballroom at the Queensbury Hotel to a 400-person capacity. He said the project did not meet the states criteria that the building be vacant or nearly vacant or the owners have walked away from the property. Thats more prevalent in some larger cities in New York state, he said. FORT EDWARD A Hudson Falls man who violated probation on a child sex conviction admitted Friday that he violated probation and is headed to prison for 3 years. Lawrence "Ox" Loveday, 40, admitted Friday that he did not disclose an email account and social media accounts when registering as a sex offender. Loveday is on probation for a first-degree sexual abuse conviction that stemmed from an incident in which he fondled a 7-year-old child in 2015. Hudson Falls Police arrested him in September 2016, after the girl disclosed the abuse. Loveday went to trial in the case last January. But he got a favorable plea deal during his trial. A juror in the case was found to have had lunch with a court staff member the first two days of proceedings and to have failed to disclose she knew the staffer. A standard question during jury selection is whether a prospective juror knows anyone who works in the court or criminal justice systems. He was arrested last month for violating probation and is being held in Washington County Jail, pending sentencing later this month. Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan agreed to impose a 3-year prison term, to be followed by 9 years on parole. WILTON A Corinth man has been charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing more than $2,900 worth of money, equipment and valuables from his employer, police said. EASTON Dozens of farmers and agricultural supporters came to the Washington County Fair office Friday afternoon to discuss the federal 2018 Farm Bill with State Agricultural Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Richard Ball. Funding in the Farm Bill pays for many programs that benefit farmers, including crop insurance, agricultural research, energy efficiency, disaster relief, rural development, milk price supports and forestry, Ball said. About half of the bill covers federal food aid for low-income people. Congress approves a new version every five years. The time is now to get our input in on it, Ball said. The current federal administration wants to push a greater share of costs onto the state, he said, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo is concerned about how federal cuts to food aid and farmers could impact New York. Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, said Ball has been doing a listening tour about the bill around the state. She invited Ball to Washington County so he could hear from Saratoga and Washington county farmers. In response to a question about immigrant farm labor, Ball said legislation has been proposed to reform the federal H2A program, but revisions have weakened it. For agriculture, The biggest limiting factor we have in New York and the country is labor. We dont have enough of it, Ball said. Mexico and the U.S. both have labor problems. The American Farm Bureau Federation is working on the issue and believes that new staff coming into the USDA may be able to make improvements, he said. Hartford Town Supervisor Dana Haff asked about making industrial hemp cultivation easier for small farmers. Hemp farmers must pay a $500 fee every three years to register for Cornell Universitys industrial hemp program, he said, which puts the crop out of reach for most small growers. Were pushing the envelope in New York pretty hard on this one, Ball said. More than 2,000 acres were planted to industrial hemp in New York this year, he said. More clarity about hemp in the farm bill would help, Ball said. A dairy farmer was concerned about proposals to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. How do we protect our trading partners? he asked. 25 percent of American dairy exports go to Mexico, but the European Union and China are both starting to compete with America in the Canadian and Mexican dairy markets, he said. Im optimistic that the three countries (in NAFTA) can come to an agreement, Ball said. Theyre apprehensive, just as we are. Dr. Carie Telgen, a veterinarian with Battenkill Veterinary Bovine, said she was worried about the lack of funding to manufacture and store vaccines to prevent foot and mouth disease in livestock. We couldnt get vaccines soon enough when theres an outbreak, she said. Ball said he was concerned as well. An outbreak would kill our livestock industry for a long time, he said. Coping with the avian flu epidemic several years ago led to the largest single USDA outlay in history, he said. The dairy industry needs a safety net for milk prices, Ball said, but he has heard proposals to cut $20 billion from the milk price support program, a 20 percent reduction from the 2014 Farm Bill. Some non-governmental organizations such as the American Farm Bureau Federation are developing alternative programs, but they arent yet accessible to all dairy farmers. A farmer asked about support for agricultural research and education. Every other listening session said the same thing, Ball said. Were being outspent two to one (on research) by China and Brazil. We need to pay attention to that. Coming legislation on food safety may spur lawmakers to allocate more money for research, he said. Other comments involved encouraging young farmers, funds for soil conservation and farmland protection, air quality regulations, protecting the dairy label from plant-based milks such as soy and almond and inconsistent rulings when state inspectors come to a farm. One farmer who had just built a new barn complained about receiving a $6,000 bill from the state Department of Environmental Conservation because he had converted ground from permeable to impermeable. Where did this come from? he asked. You should feel thankful it was only $6,000, another farmer responded, drawing laughs. Ball said hed have an aide look into it. Congress is supposed to approve a farm bill by next September, Ball said, but the midterm elections may delay it. Farm bills are typically late, Ball said. We all need to be active and say something. QUEENSBURY Warren County leaders heard Monday from a western New York official who told how his county took over operations of its airport, cut its losses and essentially breaks even on the airstrip after years of losses. Tim Hens, the highway superintendent in Genesee County, said the county has run its airport between Rochester and Buffalo for about 20 years and accrues a surplus of between $90,000 to $130,000 annually. That surplus covers the costs of debt for improvements at the facility near Batavia. We were losing $200,000 a year before the switch, he said. The airport was a very negative item. That changed after the county took over, allowing for investment in upgrades on the property and a runway extension, he told Warren County supervisors and regional economic development leaders. Warren County supervisors are trying to determine whether to fully privatize the airport to cut costs, but some have questioned whether doing away with a private fixed base operator (Rich Air LLC) and taking over flight operations in addition to the facilities management that is done by the county could be more financially beneficial. The county extended the airports runway by 1,000 feet, to 5,500 feet, in 2005 and has had success attracting more traffic, including jets based at the airport, he explained. The airport has 3.5 full-time equivalent employees, and the county DPW handles snowplowing, grass-cutting and other maintenance, with airport revenue paying the tab. By being aggressive when seeking grants and taking all of the fuel sales revenue, the financial picture has improved significantly. Hens said his experience has been that running an airport with some public and some private resources seems to be problematic. I think you have to be all one way or the other, he said. County supervisors and members of the local Airport Advisory Committee quizzed Hens on different issues. Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Doug Beaty, a proponent of fully privatizing Warren County airport, pointed out that the Batavia airport is not making money. In a good year, youre going to break even. Warren County supervisors asked Hens for more information about different aspects of the operation and also discussed potentially hiring him as a consultant as it moves forward seeking a potential privatization of the airport in Queensbury. Glens Falls 1st Ward Supervisor Dan Girard, chairman of the county boards Facilities Committee, said the Genesee County input was information to help Warren County see what our avenues are. The situation in Warren County may not line up on all fours with Genesee County, but it shows there are other options to take a look at, said Ed Bartholomew, president of the EDC Warren County economic development organization. The need for help is greater this year, but several organizations that aid needy families at Christmas said this week donations are down, and they need a late rush to accomplish everything they have set out to do. Others are having more success, but they anticipate a last-minute rush they will need help with. Were struggling, said Frank Munoff, who coordinates Operation Santa Claus, which provides coats, hats, gloves and food for needy children. We have more kids this year, maybe 100 more, and we have increased the number of items from 50 to 60. Are we in need of donations? No question about it. David Dean of the Salvation Army of Greater Glens Falls said this is the worst year he has seen in his decades of service. Lynn Stanton, adjutant of Memorial Detachment 2, said the Toys for Girls and Boys program will need more toys than it has. Even at Family Service Association of Glens Falls, Executive Director Kimberly Sopczyk is preparing for last-minute requests. Were very fortunate that for our Adopt-A-Family, we were able to help 475 children, but we have seen the need increase and we are expecting emergency referrals. We usually get about 25 of them, she said. We are seeing people we have never seen before, and theyre working. Businesses pitch in The good news for Munoff is that one of the Operation Santas main fundraising events is having an excellent year. Peter Brock, of Sams Diner in Glens Falls, who does the Small Business Challenge, said his second big dinner, lasagna, raised $4,000, and as of Saturday, he had $21,000 on his way to a goal of $28,000. Well collect until the 15th, but if people keep donating, we are not going to turn it down, he said. I will never refuse money for the kids. A combination of factors seem to be playing into the slow start, but there are more than three weeks left and a number of drives and events across the region are still coming up. Munoff said businesses and other groups are coming though, but what is missing this year is individual donations. Its those checks that we usually get from people that are not coming in, he said. It used to be there would be five or six envelopes in the mailbox. Now there are not any. Toys still needed The Glens Falls Marine Corps League has received almost 300 applications for help from families representing 700 children in its Toys for Girls and Boys program. Stanton is sending out acceptance letters and plans to have distribution of the toys Dec. 18 to 22. But there is a lot of work to do between now and then. We have currently filled just over half of the toy bags and like most years, we are running low on toys for children ages 10-12, both boys and girls, she said. Bob Merchant, owner of the Backstreet BBQ and Tap Room in Lake George, recently held an event, and his business is also a toy drop-off site as part of an expansion to Lake George. Stanton said she and her other volunteers have been very busy getting donations. Sunday, Middle Falls Fire Department joined with Cossayuna Fire to hold a joint breakfast to raise funds and collect toys for local distribution. The local Marine Corps League has separated its toys program from the national Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program to better specifically serve local children. The Toys for Tots train, which gets much more national publicity, came through the region Sunday and distributed toys to social-service agencies that will pass them on to needy youth. But all local groups are still looking for additional donations. Kettles need help For the Salvation Army, the Red Kettle campaign is a huge part of fundraising. After Black Saturday (Nov. 25), we were $5,000 down on the kettles, Major David Dean said. On Monday, he said, We have six entrances we can cover at the Aviation Mall and we had one open. We just dont have the volunteers. The group does have some volunteer associations stepping in. The Lake George Rotary Club spent all day Saturday, ringing at the Upper Glen Street Walmart, an important site. Still, Dean said, This is the worst year I have ever seen in my life. The Salvation Army also runs a series of other campaigns, and Dean said those are struggling as well. The mail campaign, where we solicit donations, has brought in less than half of what it usually has at this point. Even some of the smaller groups, which serve as backstops for the those who fall through the cracks, do not have much to give. We serve as a stop of last resort and we usually have toys in the closet for those who are really desperate, said Lynn Ackershoek of Warren-Hamilton Community Action, who has been at this for three decades and is not prone to overreacting. We need help. Some success The Stuff The Bus drive coordinated by Community Work and Independence produced 3.8 tons of goods last month. A Convoy for the Albany region Toys for Tots by the Saratoga County Sheriffs Department brought in more than 22,000 toys after a goal was set for 13,000. The large local meals, such as Hometown Thanksgiving and the Christmas breakfast, consistently do well with volunteers, but others are waiting on donations to see if they will be able to feed all those who need the food. Devin Bulger at Comfort Food Community in Greenwich said, Things are moving along, but that his group has seen a 10 percent increase in people needing help with food issues. Reasons for downturns Those groups that are seeing fewer donations say they think there are a lot of reasons. I think one of the things that happened was the we had the three big hurricanes so recently and people gave there, said Dean, who noted that after 9/11, donations went up. Regionally, there have been a number of serious fires, and some fundraising events that usually go to holiday donations have benefited those people instead. Every year, the Salvation Army is criticized for its supposed prejudice against gays and lesbians, something Salvation Army officials, including Dean, said is not true. Dean had said the weather might have kept people out of the holiday spirit, but that changed with snow over the weekend and it will continue to be cold this week. Duane Vaughn, executive director of the United Way, said he has seen some criticisms of larger non-profits on the internet. We people do not realize is that there are 1,800 United Way organizations in the world, and less than 1 percent is used worldwide. We are a local organization, and we fund 10 organizations that cannot raise enough funding themselves on their own. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East Livewell Chiropractic hosts Bettendorf Connect event Livewell Chiropractic & Wellness Center will host a Bettendorf Connect event 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at 3456 Holiday Court, Bettendorf. Appetizers and drinks will include wine from The Grape Live. Door prizes and free chair massages will be featured. The event is free. BHS Child Development class seeks preschool participants The Child Development class at Bettendorf High School invites children ages 2-4 years and their parents/guardians to attend classes on Thursdays in December. The visits allow students to learn about children at various developmental stages. Planned activities will feature free play, and student-child and student-parent/guardian interaction. Younger siblings also are invited. Snacks will be provided. Visit times are 10-11 a.m. Dec. 21. Visitors must check-in at the attendance office. To register, contact Family and Consumer Science teacher Beth Kieffer at ekieffer@bettendorf.k12.ia.us or 563-332-7001. Life Fitness Center offers girls self-defense classes Life Fitness Center will offer a self-defense class for girls in December. Participants will learn how to avoid conflict, protect personal information, date safely and deal with bullying. Physical defense will be taught as a last resort. The available class is: Miss Independent, ages 13-15, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, $20 To register, visit the center at 2222 Middle Road or website at apm.activecommunities.com/bettendorf/home. For more information, call 563-344-4119. Christmas Star show has been digitally remastered The annual Christmas Star program at the Donald A. Schaefer Planetarium at Bettendorf High School has been digitally remastered and will be shown on a renovated projection system that offers a 360 degree experience. The show runs Dec. 15 to 22 at 7 p.m., and is free of cost, though seating is limited. The planetarium has presented the program for more than 40 years. For reservations, call the BHS Activities Office at 563-332-4516. Live Nativity to be held Dec. 16 St. James Lutheran Church will hold its annual Live Nativity Event from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. The free event tells the Nativity story and features actors, live animals and carolers. Visitors are also welcome to attend a free soup and dessert supper and crafts event inside the fellowship hall. Donations of canned goods for the St. James food pantry will be accepted, as will hats, mittens and coats for its sister parish, All Saints of Davenport. The church is located at 1705 Oak St., Bettendorf. For more information, call 563-355-4161, visit stjamesbett.com or search Facebook for St. James Bettendorf. Newly reconstructed Forest Grove Drive is open The Forest Grove Drive Reconstruction Project between Devils Glen Road and International Drive reopened Dec. 12. Phase II of the project replaced the former two-lane section of rural road with a three-lane concrete road that features a two-way left turn lane, on-road bike lanes and a 10-foot recreational trail on the south side. The new wider pavement may accommodate four travel lanes if necessary. The minor work that remains will be completed as weather permits without interrupting traffic. The reconstruction project was funded by an 80 percent federal, 20 percent city match federal aid award. The two-year project included Forest Grove Drive from the west city limits to International Drive. For more information, contact the Bettendorf Public Works Department at 563-344-4055. PVCSD receives AP honor Pleasant Valley Community School District was recently placed on the 8th annual AP District Honor Roll. The district received the honor by having more students participating in AP courses and by increasing or maintaining the percentage of students scoring 3 or higher on AP exams since 2015. According to the news release, reaching these goals demonstrates the district is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP work. The district is one of 447 school districts in the U.S. and Canada to be honored by the College Board. To view the complete AP District Honor Roll, visit apcentral.collegeboard.org/score-reports-data/awards/honor-roll. LeClaire Chamber of Commerce events Jan. 12-15: Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard, qcbeatourist.com. Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard, qcbeatourist.com. Jan. 14: Bald Eagle Day, 2 p.m., LeClaire Civic Center, 127 S. Cody Road. Photo and video presentation by local wildlife photographer Burt Gearhart. Free and open to the public. Bald Eagle Day, 2 p.m., LeClaire Civic Center, 127 S. Cody Road. Photo and video presentation by local wildlife photographer Burt Gearhart. Free and open to the public. Jan. 14: Taste of LeClaire, 1-4 p.m. 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. CEDAR RAPIDS For many Eastern Iowans hoping to ring in the New Year with a bang, finding fireworks for the celebration will prove much more inconvenient than just five months ago over the Independence Day holiday. Earlier this year, the Iowa Legislature made it legal for the first time in nearly 80 years to sell consumer fireworks, establishing periods around the Fourth of July and New Years. The law calls for sales in time for New Years celebrations to begin Sunday. But facing intense public backlash over noise over the Forth and lingering safety concerns, many cities around the state have clamped down reducing the days fireworks legally can be set off, or banning displays completely; and relegating firework sales to industrial zones only. Thanks in part to the new restrictions, as well as a requirement in the state law that sellers must operate out of permanent structures and not tents in the winter, local governments are reporting theyve seen little to no interest by vendors for this sales period, which ends Jan. 3. An exception could be Boom Boom Billys, a Shueyville fireworks vendor, which is in the process of getting approved to temporarily sell out of the South Expo Room at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids. The city of Cedar Rapids as well as some of the other largest ones in Linn and Johnson counties has yet to officially permit any fireworks sellers. Were not really aware of what to expect, said Paul Myers, co-owner of Boom Boom Billys. If we have sales thatd be great. If we dont, at least we tried. In announcing it would be selling out of its store near a Waterloo mall, Crossroads Fireworks which had a big footprint in Iowa over the summer predicted most other sellers would be sitting this one out. We hear that in Iowa there will only be a twentieth of the number of fireworks retailers for December that there were in the summer, said a statement from Matt Reisetter, one of the stores owners. Setting the stage Before then-Gov. Terry Branstad signed the fireworks bill into law in May, Iowas regulations allowing only novelty fireworks like sparklers and snakes were among the strictest in the country. The first sales period, between June 1 and July 8, in Iowa arrived with a boom thanks to hundreds of retailers who received state licenses to sell out of stores and tents. I knew exactly what was going to happen, is there was going to be a lot of out-of-state companies come in and try to basically profiteer on Iowans, Myers said. Whereas my stands, well, we employed local people. We gave back to the community in that regard ... The new law appears to prohibit local entities from banning the sale of fireworks, but allows stricter rules on their use within cities or unincorporated areas. Every citys been a little bit different depending on what the city council has been interested in. And then also just making sure were in line with the cities but then also the state rules, said Jeremiah Terhark, owner of Iowa Fireworks Co. The Urbandale-based company had temporary locations all over the state, including Cedar Rapids, during the summer but doesnt plan to sell this winter. To legally sell fireworks, a vendor has to receive a license from the state and approval from the local government where it would sell. Because state-issued licenses last for about a year, any vendor that received one for the first sales period and is located in a permanent building could in the states eyes sell again during the New Years period. Those vendors number upward of 300 in Iowa. But the vendors also must meet local regulations, which in several Corridor cities sharply limits the possibilities. Terhark, who partnered with his brother, Zack, to start the company, said its primary focus was on selling from temporary structures over the summer, but it would evaluate that strategy going foreword. I do think that Iowa is such a specific and small sales period that the retail structures might be a little bit more challenging to have for the entire year.., Terhark said. Currently, the Iowa State Fire Marshals Office is in the process of adopting permanent rules to regulate fireworks retailers, said State Fire Marshal Dan Wood. The process now falls under emergency rules the office put together in the short period between when the law was signed and when it took effect. Wood said the states application process includes submitting site plans, proof of insurance and a safety check list. After that, an inspection of the site is performed before a retailer receives its license. Wood said he encouraged retailers to get the local approval first. You can go through our whole process. Make it through, pay your fee and then the city can say, Sorry, you cant be at that particular spot, Wood said. Frowning on fireworks Some local entities like Iowa City had immediate negative reactions to the fireworks law continuing to ban the use despite being required to adjust codes and ordinances to comply with sales. Johnson County perhaps went the farthest, instituting a 90-day moratorium on fireworks sales while it could develop a policy. At the time, the senator who shepherded the fireworks bill questioned whether the county had legal authority to do so. Des Moines took another angle deciding to limit sales of fireworks to industrial zones, which effectively would prevent big-box retailers from selling out of their stores. Last June, a judge ruled in favor of Des Moiness right to impose the restriction after American Promotional Events sought an injunction, the Des Moines Register reported. Since then, cities like Cedar Rapids and Iowa City have followed suit, passing ordinances limiting fireworks sales to industrial zones only. Its just unusual that the regulations theyre trying to pass seem to be somewhat of an affront to what the state intentions were, but theyre well within their power to do it, Myers said. Theres other things out there that are legal but arent necessarily in societys best interest like alcohol or guns or things like that, but those sure seem to be legal. Most recently, the Cedar Rapids City Council voted last week to ban the use of fireworks in the city limits, putting the city in line with Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty, among several others. We do think that will impact sales next year, but at the same time I can understand the cities perspective because they want to keep people safe and there some people that didnt follow the rules that were in place, Terhark said. Statewide slowdown The New Years Eve sky in Iowa may not be very bright this year. Cities across the state report they havent seen much interest from retailers yet for this sales period. The could be just as much because of the cold weather as it is the stricter rules. As of the end of last week, Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty and Marion had yet to approve any retailers. Both Johnson and Linn counties have not had any interest, either. Elsewhere, Davenport and Ames are also among those that report a lack of interest. Its kind of cold outside to be using fireworks, so were trying to see if its a Fourth of July thing, Terhark said. Were resting up for next summer. Ill be curious to see what people do for New Years. Thursday, Dec. 11, 1947 -- $61,000 Realized at Huge Farm Sale at DeWitt; 2,500 Attend DeWITT, Iowa -- (Special) -- More than $61,000 was realized at the public auction of farm equipment, livestock and produce Wednesday at the Brunsway farm east of here in what was termed probably the biggest one-day sale of its kind in the cornbelt this year. Thursday, Dec. 12, 1957 -- Students' Meals Get Attention Students at Davenport High School, junior high schools and elementary schools are furnished with a series of meals in their school lunch program each day that is planned with nutrition in mind. Wednesday, Dec. 13, 1967 -- Seek Death Ride Cause Authorities today are still trying to determine why a car plunged into the Mississippi River near Sixth Street and River Drive, Bettendorf, Tuesday night, carrying Minnie Browner, 51, of 422 W. 10th Street, Davenport, to her death. Wednesday, Dec. 14, 1977 -- Snickers Greet Farm Strike In Q-C Farmers in other parts of the country may be up in arms, but the nationwide farm strike scheduled to begin today has generated little interest among farmers in a 10-county area surrounding the Quad-Cities. Most farm officials in Whiteside, Henry, Mercer and Rock Island counties in Illinois and Jackson, Scott, Cedar, Clinton, Muscatine and Louisa counties in Iowa Tuesday knew of no farmers to participate in the strike. Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1987 -- Q-C area braces for wintry blast | First snow could hit 8-12 inches Quad-City drivers began slipping and sliding Monday as the first snowstorm of the winter hit the area. Snow could pile up 8-12 inches today, according to the National Weather Service in Moline. That would make it the biggest snowfall in the Quad-Cities in several years. Tuesday, Dec. 16, 1997 -- Steel service center comes to Rock Island | New site at industrial park leaves company room to expand An Indiana-based company that operates steel service centers announced Monday it plans to build a center in the Southwest Industrial Business Park. Steel Warehouse Co. Inc. chief executive officer David Lerman said the company hopes to begin operations at the Rock Island center in July. Monday, Dec. 17, 2007 -- Scott County finds fine way to boost funds The Scott County Attorney's Office soon will be going after delinquents of a different type. Starting in January, the county attorney's office will go after delinquent fines as a way of boosting revenue for the county and Mike Walton's office. A new clinic in downtown Rapid City offers a supplemental care option for those who have received that most dreaded of diagnoses: cancer. Care Oncology Clinic, 910 Main St., Suite 120, is one of two such clinics worldwide offering trial treatments involving a cocktail mix of existing medications originally approved to treat other maladies, according to Travis Christofferson of Rapid City, CEO of Care Oncologys U.S. Division. What Care Oncology is doing is filling this unmet need to try to realize the efficacy of these drugs, he said. Christofferson is a 1990 graduate of Rapid City Stevens High School. He earned his undergraduate degree in microbiology from Montana State University and his masters in Material Engineering and Science from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. After earning his undergraduate degree, he was accepted to attend the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, but at the last minute, he decided not to seek a medical degree. I realized I liked the scientific part of medicine more than the clinical part of medicine, he said. Christofferson took an independent study class on cancer while at Mines and that eventually led to his 2014 book Tripping over the Truth. The Metabolic Theory of Cancer, relating the development of a theory of how a cells flawed absorption of blood sugars, or metabolism, may lead to the growth and spread of cancer. While on a lecture tour in London about a year and a half ago, he met research oncologists with London-based Care Oncology Clinic, which for the last four years had been researching the effects of off-target medications drugs already approved to treat a particular condition but found to have potential for treating other diseases. Care Oncology doctors there expressed a desire to expand to the United States. We struck up a collaboration because were aligned scientifically to what theyre doing," Christofferson said. "So I convinced them to start small and expand right here in Rapid City, because Im obviously from here and we could work out the logistics from here." Christofferson said there are thousands of so-called off-target drugs which wind up shelved, or stranded, once a separate beneficial effect is noted. Pharmaceutical companies consider the off-target, off-patent generic drugs unworthy of the investment needed for new testing and recertification in treating other diseases. Doctors call them financial orphans," Christofferson said. "These drugs sit there and languish. We know they have use, but theyve never realized their potential." Care Oncology Clinics doctors and researchers sifted through data from thousands of generic drugs looking for indicators of anti-cancer effect and developed a combo of four drugs with the best potential of augmenting cancer care. Their medicinal cocktail includes a proprietary mix of Glucophage (Metformin), a first-line treatment for Type 2 diabetes, Statins for treatment of high cholesterol, Mebendazole, an antifungal, and Doxycycline, an antibiotic. The research is incomplete, but all have shown promise, in different ways, in interrupting the supply of nutrients to cancer cells, he said. New medications must undergo years of clinical trials before being approved for use, and even then, their effectiveness and potential for toxicity and side effects may not be entirely known for years. The off-target drugs are already well-known and familiar. The advantage of these drugs is that theyve been in the clinic for decades. We know the toxicology and side effects, he said. The clinic charges a fee for its treatments, which are currently outside of insurance coverage, he said. Christofferson is regularly meeting with Regional Health Pharmacists and Oncologists. Were hoping to get a closer relationship (with Regional), he said. Christofferson emphasized that Care Oncologys regimen is not a replacement for other standard of care treatments, rather it is meant to supplement other cancer therapies, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Our goal is to make standard of care work better. We cant say if it works better until we have all the data, he said. BILLINGS A fugitive captured in Mexico is due in a U.S. courtroom Tuesday on accusations that he orchestrated an elaborate scheme to export handguns to countries with restrictive gun laws. Eric Daniel Doyle was indicted by a grand jury on federal firearms charges in 2015, but fled before he could be arrested and eluded authorities for more than two years. Authorities allege the 37-year-old Kalispell man used the internet to set up handgun sales to customers in Australia, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The weapons were shipped through the U.S. Postal Service. Doyle pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance last week. His attorney, Andrew Nelson, told The Associated Press that he had no comment on the case ahead of Tuesday's detention hearing in U.S. District Court in Missoula, Montana. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch will decide if Doyle remains a flight risk. He faces 44 counts of illegal gun exports and related crimes. Details on the allegations against Doyle were unsealed by a federal judge following his capture Nov. 8 in the Mexican state of Sonora by a joint operation between local authorities and the U.S. Marshals Service. Authorities allege that in 2014, at least 14 firearms primarily high-caliber handguns were shipped by Doyle to customers in Australia, Norway and Sweden, court documents show. The suspects also attempted to export at least one handgun to Denmark and four more to customers in Australia. Court documents contained only the initials of the buyers. It was unclear if U.S. authorities had reached out to their counterparts in the destination countries to inform them of the sales. In most cases, the serial numbers on the weapons had been obliterated, according to the 2015 indictment. Many of the guns had been obtained through a "straw purchaser" who would buy firearms from a licensed dealer on Doyle's behalf, according to the indictment. Doyle had been prohibited from possessing firearms because of felony convictions in Illinois in 2006 on drug and burglary charges, according to public records. Light sentences Four alleged accomplices were previously sentenced. Among them was Doyle's uncle, Jay Isles, also of Kalispell. In sentencing those defendants last year, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said the case had far-reaching implications because the alleged scheme's customers resided in countries with highly restrictive gun laws. Molloy rejected plea deals that had been offered by prosecutors for everyone in the case but Doyle, saying they were too lenient. "This is the most obvious conspiracy that I have seen on 20 years on the bench," Molloy said in his sentencing order. But after attorneys for the other defendants made their cases, Molloy ended up handing down relatively light sentences. The punishments ranged from time already served for Isles, to five years of probation with periods of home confinement for defendants Jeffrey Lee Palmer and Tanna Lee Meagher. Brian Spain received two years of probation. Defense attorney Peter Leander, who represented Palmer, said his client had been taken advantage of by Doyle, who purported to be Palmer's friend. Prosecutors said in court documents that it was Doyle who first came up with the idea to use the internet to sell firearms to foreign customers. "It was my impression that he was really manipulating and taking advantage of a lot of guys," Leander said. "The bad guy got away, literally and figuratively, and these guys were left holding the bag." The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test fired an air-launched BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI multirole air superiority fighter jet on November 22. BrahMos is a joint venture between Indias Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russias rocket design bureau NPO Mashinostroyeniya. The IAF, from January 2018, has signed a contract with Russian company for the delivery of air-launched BrahMos missile. Along with that three Su-30 MKI jest have been modified where in total of 50 Su-30MKI aircraft will be modified to carry nuclear-capable cruise missiles. There is also an estimate that IAF will induct at least 200 BrahMos attuned fighter jets for years to come. Expert Kyle Mizokami has included this weapon in the list of the 5 most deadly missiles of all time in his article published by the US magazine National Interest. So not only this, BrahMos Aerospace has been engaged with seven countries in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East for selling Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets armed with BrahMos. Over the years, India has been developing a series of missiles: Prithvi with a range of 150-350 km range was first tested in 1988; Agni-II with a range of 2000 km tested first in 1999; BrahMos with a range of 290 km was first tested in 2001; Agni-1 was tested in 2002 with 700 km range; Agni-3 with range of 3000 km first tested in 2006; K-15 submarine launched with 700 km first tested in 2008; Agni-4 tested first in 2010; 150 km range Prahaar ballistic missile first tested in 2011; Agni-5 with 5000 km range first tested in 2012; and Nirbhay cruise missile with 700 km first tested in 2013. This continuous modernisation of missile programs and diversification of delivery vehicles, specifically cruise missiles, is likely to aggravate the arms race further and will increase instability in the subcontinent Behind the curtain, the Kremlin is in fact continuing to arm India. So apart from flowing huge amount of lethal weapons that Moscow is selling to India is in fact making their duo more concrete setting dangerous precedent in the region. These jointly developed arm systems are not only making Indian armed forces more capable, but also setting a new precedent in the region for technological advancements. Specifically, such advancement of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile needs to be observed in closed quarters by regional players, and its likely impact on the geopolitical hot spots. Certain areas such as the Himalayan region, the eastern Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, are the choke points where strategic interests will overlap with India and a number of Southeast Asian neighbours. Among the other advantages which India gained by developing it is that it can be delivered from air, BrahMos improvements would fortify Indias capability to stab deep into Chinas and Pakistans territory, which has already been ramped up with the purchase of five Russian-built S-400 long-range air defence missile systems. At the same time, this development by the Indian side will negatively impact deterrence stability in a number of ways. Cruise missile development with supersonic capabilities could place at risk a wide set of targets to precision strikes, lowering the nuclear threshold during crisis. This has prospects for weakening arms race stability. As its accuracy and range already been increased, with this development India could consider counterforce targeting options, thereby providing increased incentive to enlarge further their nuclear stockpiles. At the same time, this development by the Indian side will negatively impact deterrence stability in a number of ways. Cruise missile development with supersonic capabilities could place at risk a wide set of targets to precision strikes, lowering the nuclear threshold during crisis. This has prospects for weakening arms race stability. As its accuracy and range already been increased, with this development India could consider counterforce targeting options, thereby providing increased incentive to enlarge further their nuclear stockpiles. Still drawbacks remain, this continuous modernisation of missile programs and diversification of delivery vehicles, specifically cruise missiles are likely to aggravate the arms race further and will increase instability in the subcontinent. India must understand that such developments would further increase anxieties among regional players in the region and their resolve to compete with each other. Hence by the development of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile the implications are profound which shows that capabilities have diversified and grown to a new level of extent, conditions for war avoidance and crisis management have changed or may no longer apply, making deterrence stability more difficult to reinforce in crisis. New Delhi have been concurrently developing new types of missiles and military doctrines, stimulating additional sources of insecurity in South Asia. In short, India is leading South Asia towards an unprecedented yet unimaginable danger. Massive military spending along with sophisticated technological innovation, India is stepping up towards great power status. It has been using military power as a coercive tool in achieving its strategic ambitions. The writer is pursuing M.Phil degree at the Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. He can be reached on Usmanalikhan6@gmail.com Sea Launch in search of a way out In 2017, the Russian space industry continued behind-the-scene efforts to revive the mothballed Sea Launch complex and to find potential new applications for the floating spaceport. Russian and Ukrainian officials looked at a politically viable way to resume the production of the Zenit rocket, while Roskosmos began work on a new booster compatible with the Sea Launch facilities. In parallel, experts in human space flight made an initial assessment of a possible role for the ocean-going launch pad in the support of Earth-orbiting space stations. Previous chapter: Sea Launch home page Sea Launch vessels moored at their home port of Long Beach, California. From the publisher: Pace of our development depends primarily on the level of support from our readers! Zenit production jumpstart still faces hurdles According to the Yuzhmash production plant in Dnipro, Ukraine, in April 2017, it had received a contract from the S7 Sea Launch Limited for the production of 12 Zenit rockets. Almost a year after the Russian airline S7 Group took over the troubled Sea Launch venture, the first payments from Moscow for the production of Zenit rockets has reached Yuzhmash. However the jumpstart of production still faced serious hurdles, industry sources said. Yuzhmash officials gave their Russian counterparts at the S7 Group a list of components which are no longer available for the Zenit. One of the most important items on the list is the ignition systems produced in the Lugansk region which has been taken over by pro-Russian rebels and remains practically cut off from the rest of Ukraine. The igniters burning black powder are used to initiate small solid-propellant motors which generate reverse thrust to facilitate the safe separation of the first and second stages during the ascent of the Zenit rocket to orbit. According to industry sources, the S7 company has been so far unable to secure the delivery of Russian equivalents of the necessary hardware and materials, probably due to lack of permissions from Moscow. Instead, the S7 Group asked KB Yuzhnoe to organize the production of missing components in Ukraine. However, in the case of black powder, launching its production in Ukraine would not make economic sense due to lack of other applications beyond the very small amount required for the ignition systems, one source said. Some observers question whether the S7 company has a real motivation to see the Sea Launch venture through because the airline with no prior experience in the space launch business ended up with the Sea Launch assets in its lap likely under pressure from the Kremlin. Sea Launch seeks help from Roskosmos, proposes new applications The private owner of the Sea Launch venture has proposed Russia's state-owned space industry to cooperate in the revival of the mothballed service. On Sept. 21, 2017, Sergei Sopov, Director General of the S7 KTS, which owns Sea Launch, sent a draft of a potential cooperation agreement to the Head of Roskosmos State Corporation Igor Komarov. The document outlined areas of possible cooperation between S7 and Roskosmos on commercial launches from the sea-based facility. In addition to an offer to rejoin the competition on the international launch market, the document listed several new applications for the Sea Launch which would expand its potential customer base beyond foreign communications satellite operators. First of all, the agreement would open the Sea Launch platform operating from the Equator to the Russian satellite developers, who until now have relied almost exclusively on launch vehicles based in Kazakhstan or Russia. In addition, the S7 and Roskosmos would cooperate in the development of a new-generation cargo ship which could lift off from the Sea Launch to re-supply manned orbital stations. Finally, S7 proposed to study a multi-functional orbital complex, which would be based on the Sea Launch. The new system would be used for launching, docking, assembling, fueling and servicing the Earth's orbiting vehicles, including those which were designed to climb to higher orbits or even head into interplanetary space. In the long term, S7 envisioned refurbishing the Sea Launch platform to host the new-generation medium-class launcher developed in Russia and replacing the Ukrainian-built Zenit. Human space flight experts evaluate Sea Launch potential Given the latest proposals from the owners to employ the troubled Sea Launch for human space flight, in the fall of 2017, Roskosmos commissioned its experts to evaluate the feasibility of such a radical idea. First of all, engineers looked at potential cargo missions to the International Space Station, ISS, originating from the Sea Launch platform. In the case of the yet-to-be-built Soyuz-5 rocket operating from Sea Launch, it would be possible to send a 17-ton cargo ship toward the ISS, instead of the 7-ton Progress-MS vehicles currently serving the Russian Segment of the station. Based on the estimate that the mass of the actual supplies could reach up to 50 percent from the mass of the spacecraft itself, Sea Launch-based Soyuz-5 could haul around eight tons of cargo to the ISS in each mission. Annual demand for deliveries to the Russian Segment of the ISS reaches around 11 tons and preliminary estimates show that the new-generation Russian Orbital Station, ROS, (proposed to succeed the ISS), will require around nine tons of supplies per year. Based on these numbers, engineers compared the required annual flight frequency of a hypothetical cargo ship launched by the Soyuz-5 rocket based on Sea Launch with the existing Progress-MS spacecraft launched by Soyuz-2-1a rocket and with a prospective TGK PG cargo vehicle, which would be launched on Soyuz-2-1b: Destination Progress-MS TGK PG Sea Launch-based cargo ship ISS, Russian Segment 4 flights per year 3.2 flights per year 1.4 flights per year Russian Orbital Station, ROS 3.3 flights per year 2.6 flights per year 1.1 flights per year As in many previous proposals to replace Progress with larger cargo ships, the Sea Launch-based supply vehicle would certainly cut the cost of cargo delivery, but sharply reduce the flexibility of orbital operations due to low frequency of the flights. In addition, the Sea Launch-based cargo operations were found to present their own unique drawbacks. For example, the pre-launch processing of cargo ships currently involves irreversible fueling operations, which have to be performed after all the dry cargo has already been loaded into the ship's pressurized section. Currently, the fueling of the cargo ship takes place around 10 days before launch. In addition, the fully loaded spacecraft has to be carefully weighted and balanced for a safe ride into orbit. As a result, the Sea Launch complex would have to be upgraded with specialized fueling equipment, while toxic propellant components would have to be shipped from Russia to the home port of Sea Launch vessels in the United States. It means that the processing team would also have to load most of the cargo and then weigh and balance the vehicle before the spacecraft could board the Sea Launch ship and before it set sail to its launching point on the Equator. Given previous transportation of satellites by Sea Launch, the cargo ships could probably be adapted to do the same, but, currently, there is an option to upload a last-minute minor items into the spacecraft on the pad around three hours before liftoff. However, the highly automated Sea Launch complex does not provide access to the rocket, and thus, without modifications, it would prevent fast-reaction delivery of certain items, such as biological samples or other perishable materials. Also, because the station-bound spacecraft have to undergo leak checks at the launch site, the Sea Launch complex would have to be equipped with a vacuum chamber. Alternatively, the vehicles could be transported in sealed containers doubling as vacuum chambers. In the end, engineers concluded that additional analysis would be needed to evaluate the possibility of adapting cargo missions for the Sea Launch complex. Launching space station modules Human space flight experts also looked at the option of launching future Russian space station components, such as the airlock and inflatable modules from the Sea Launch platform. Because these pieces of the station are still on the drawing board, they could theoretically be enlarged for the Soyuz-5 rocket from their current configuration sized to fit into the Soyuz-2 rocket. However, such a major expansion from 7 to 17 tons would have to be justified and properly funded, because it would mean a higher price tag for the program. In the 1980s, Soviet add-on modules for the planned Mir-2 space station were sized for the Zenit rocket with similar lifting capabilities to those of the proposed Soyuz-5. Similarly to cargo supply missions, launching space station modules from the Sea Launch platform, would require upgrading the facility with vacuum testing and on-site fueling capabilities. The jury is still out Despite a mixed initial verdict from human space flight experts, Roskosmos had little choice but to share responsibility for the Sea Launch complex with the S7 company. In November, the two sides signed a memorandum of intentions on the joint development and use of the Sea Launch complex. In the meantime, the Sea launch vessels remain anchored at their home port of Long Beach, California, deprived of their crews and out of action... Unbooked flights The Sea Launch flight manifest was posted without much fanfare on the Russian-language version of the corporate web site for the Sea Launch venture, apparently, shortly after the successful campaign to launch the Zenit rocket with the Angosat-1 satellite on Dec. 26, 2017. Although the schedule detailed all the launch dates with accuracy to a month, it listed no customers or their payloads to be carried during any of these missions. It was unclear, whether Sea Launch was in negotiations with any potential riders at the time. The description accompanying the schedule also said that the permanent office of the S7 company had been established at the home port of the Sea Launch vessels in Long Beach, California, to handle the tasks of re-activating the facility and resuming launch operations. Based on estimates from a monitoring group, the complex would be ready for operations in 2018, the S7 Group said. The company also announced that the Russian firms RKK Energia, Roskosmos State Corporation and the Ukraine-based Zenit manufacturer Yuzhmash would be partners in Sea Launch, which would be managed from Moscow by the S7 KTS company, also known as S7 Space. Sea Launch flight manifest as of December 2017: Mission Launch date Payload 1 2019 December ? 2 2020 April ? 3 2020 July ? 4 2020 December ? 5 2021 March ? 6 2021 June ? 7 2021 September ? 8 2021 December ? 9 2022 March ? 10 2022 June ? 11 2022 September ? 12 2022 December ? Next chapter: Sea Launch in 2018 Read much more about the history of the Russian space program in a richly illustrated, large-format glossy edition: Algerian media has panicked following the historic meeting in Abidjan between King Mohammed VI and South African President Jacob Zuma on the sidelines of the recent 5th AU-EU summit. The Algerian media, after they largely commented on what they called a Polisarios victory since its leader, Brahim Ghali, was among the 80 heads of state and government attending the Summit, focused in stories and commentaries on the announcement of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Rabat and Pretoria after a break of 13 years. These media tried to convince their readers that despite this rapprochement, South Africa continues to recognize the Saharawi Republic SADR. Speaking of the Polisarios so-called victory at the Abidjan Summit, the Algerian media forgot to mention that Brahim Ghali was completely isolated, as shown by photos and video footages of the Summit. Apart from his appearance on the family photo and his presence along all other participants in a luncheon and dinner offered by the Ivorian President, Brahim Ghali and his delegation did not hold any bilateral meeting with any of the attending Heads of State and Government. In contrast, there are media comments in Morocco about the rapprochement between Rabat and Pretoria, which is by the way disturbing Algeria, but there is no mention of an immediate withdrawal by Pretoria of its recognition of the pseudo-SADR, letting things take their course. The Algerian media, so imbued by animosity against their Moroccan neighbors, also found it hard to accept the handshake between King Mohammed VI and their Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia. They peppered him with questions about his unexpected gesture that they deemed untimely. On the other hand, President Zuma is to be commended for having paid tribute to the Moroccans for their support to Nelson Mandela and South Africa in their struggle for the abolition of the apartheid regime. As far as the Algerian brothers are concerned, they have seemingly lost all memory of all the sacrifices made by Moroccans in the Algerian liberation war against the French occupier. As a sign of recognition for these sacrifices, the Algerian regime has been closing the land border with Morocco for more than twenty years Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Will any state really start conducting executions with opioids? | Main | Curious reminder of limits of empirical evidence showing federal sentencing disparity before modern guideline reforms December 11, 2017 "Assessing Risk Assessment in Action" The title of this post is the title of this interesting new paper available via SSRN authored by Megan Stevenson. Though the paper addresses pretrial risk-assessment, I think folks interested in risk-assessment tools at sentencing should be interested in the findings. Here is the abstract: Recent years have seen a rush towards evidence-based tools in criminal justice. As part of this movement, many jurisdictions have adopted actuarial risk assessment to supplement or replace the ad-hoc decisions of judges. Proponents of risk assessment tools claim that they can dramatically reduce incarceration without harming public safety. Critics claim that risk assessment will exacerbate racial disparities. Despite extensive and heated rhetoric, there is virtually no evidence on how use of this evidence-based tool affects key outcomes such as incarceration rates, crime, or racial disparities. The research discussing what should happen as a result of risk assessment is hypothetical and largely ignores the complexities of implementation. This Article is one of the first studies to document the impacts of risk assessment in practice. It evaluates pretrial risk assessment in Kentucky, a state that was an early adopter of risk assessment and is often cited as an example of best-practices in the pretrial area. Using rich data on more than one million criminal cases, the paper shows that a 2011 law making risk assessment a mandatory part of the bail decision led to a significant change in bail setting practice, but only a small increase in pretrial release. These changes eroded over time as judges returned to their previous habits. Furthermore, the increase in releases was not cost-free: failures-to-appear and pretrial crime increased as well. Risk assessment had no effect on racial disparities in pretrial detention once differing regional trends were accounted for. Kentuckys experience does not mean we should abandon risk assessment, but it should temper the hyperbolic hopes (and fears) about its effects. Risk assessment in practice is different from risk assessment in the abstract, and its impacts depend on context and details of implementation. If indeed risk assessment is capable of producing large benefits, it will take research and experimentation to learn how to achieve them. Such a process would be evidence-based criminal justice at its best: not a flocking towards methods that bear the glossy veneer of science, but a careful and iterative evaluation of what works and what does not. December 11, 2017 at 04:57 PM | Permalink Comments http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-facebook-live-beating-disabled-teen-20171208-story.html The urban discount in action . . . .. Posted by: federalist | Dec 11, 2017 7:27:39 PM Should you scapegoat risk assessment? "These changes eroded over time as judges returned to their previous habits." Now, we are getting an automated, self administered, risk assessment, in the form of the opioid overdose crisis, with 60,000 deaths, delivered by Chinese made carfentanyl. The Chinese have made sentencing jurisprudence unnecessary and obsolete. You lawyers have been outsourced. Posted by: David Behar | Dec 12, 2017 8:01:39 AM Doug must have missed the urban discount in Chicago. Posted by: federalist | Dec 13, 2017 6:44:21 AM Doug is ablist. Crimes against handicapped people by black thugs are not a problem for him. Posted by: David Behar | Dec 13, 2017 7:42:37 AM Sorry, fed, I missed your first comment busy with end-of-semester activities. In any event, three basic follow-ups: 1. I am never sure if your reference to "urban discount" is a claim that you think people in cities regularly get lower sentences or a claim that people of color regularly get lower sentences. Can you clarify what you mean/claim with this term? 2. Have you seen what prosecutors recommended? I see that charges are dropped in this plea deal and I wonder if this mostly reflects prosecutors here --- ala Robert Mueller --- cutting a (too) sweet deal with the first willing to plead to lesser charges. 3. The defendant here did serve a year in prison and now has a 4-year limit on social media access. You have been critical in that past, federalist, of 1st Amendment restrictions on offenders. Are you troubled by that part of the sentence here or it is different because he crime involved social media? Posted by: Doug B | Dec 13, 2017 9:45:36 AM So black crime victims are not alone in being devalued when their attackers are sentenced. Add the disabled to the list of the undervalued crime victims. Disability is a stronger factor of devaluation than race, according to this natural experiment. When the victim is disabled, the criminals are black, the black criminals get a discount. This effect should be tested in a death penalty study, for confirmation of discrimination, not against murderers, but against murder victims. Posted by: David Behar | Dec 14, 2017 8:16:46 PM I don't believe that the social media restriction is constitutional. With respect to the Packingham case, my visceral reaction was with respect to the ex post facto problem, which should appall any of us. Not being able to go on social media is punishment, and it was not embodied in Packingham's criminal judgment. However, I think I have come to the view that broad restrictions on social media for those who are not incarcerated (and yes, I am aware of the fact that the incarcerated don't have access) are unworkable and hence are unconstitutional. This sentence is appalling. I think, Doug, you know it, and it provides yet another anecdote of an urban discount. It also shows that a hate crime against a white victim just isn't that big a deal. That's sad. Posted by: federalist | Dec 16, 2017 7:28:43 AM federalist, you are again using the term "urban discount" without explaining what you mean. So I will ask you again what you mean: Q: federalist, when you reference an "urban discount," are you suggesting that persons in cities regularly get lower sentences or that people of color regularly get lower sentences? There is no way, federalist, that I can "know" if this case "provides yet another anecdote of an urban discount" unless and until I know just what you mean by "urban discount." What I do know is that the US Sentencing Commission issued a big data report last month which found that, in the federal system over the last four years, "Black male offenders continued to receive longer sentences than similarly situated White male offenders." The same report also found that "Female offenders of all races received shorter sentences than White male offenders" during the same period. https://www.ussc.gov/research/research-reports/demographic-differences-sentencing This is data on federal sentencing patterns, not state sentencing patterns, but I am inclined to guess that these realities in the federal system can and should usefully inform our take on this Chicago case. Specifically, I suspect this offender's gender --- rather than where she lives or her skin color --- may be the most significant demographic variable explaining the judge's sentencing decision (though I continue to wonder about what prosecutors recommended to get her to testify against others). I hope, federalist, I can get a simple answer to a simple question about a term you keep using if you want to claim I know something relative to this term. So I will repeat the question again hoping for a better chance of prompting a response: federalist, when you reference an "urban discount," are you suggesting that people in cities regularly get lower sentences or that people of color regularly get lower sentences? Posted by: Doug B | Dec 16, 2017 12:00:08 PM Post a comment Fascinating look at sentencing mitigation videos (and advocacy film festival) | Main | "Graduating Economic Sanctions According to Ability to Pay" December 10, 2017 Is due process satisfied by a "minimal indicia of reliability" standard for key sentencing evidence and determinations? The question in the title of this post is prompted by an opinion issued earlier this year by the Supreme Court of Delaware in Smack v. Delaware, No. 601 (Del. Oct. 11, 2017) (available here). The first paragraph of the Smack opinion provides the basic facts and procedural issue: Adrin Smack pleaded guilty to four counts of drug dealing, one count of possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, and one count of conspiracy second degree. At sentencing, the State claimed that Smack acted as a kingpin in a drug operation and should be sentenced to the fifteen years recommended by the State instead of the eight years recommended by the defendant. Smack requested an evidentiary hearing as part of sentencing, and argued that the State must prove his status as a drug kingpin by a preponderance of the evidence. The Superior Court denied Smacks request for an evidentiary hearing and ruled it could consider evidence offered by the State at sentencing if it met a minimal indicia of reliability standard. The court sentenced Smack to an aggregate of fourteen years at Level V followed by probation. Smack appeals and argues the Superior Court violated his due process rights by denying him an evidentiary hearing and applying the wrong burden of proof at sentencing. According to Smack, the State was required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Smack was a drug kingpin. Because this Court has previously upheld the use of a minimal indicia of reliability standard to consider evidence offered at a sentencing hearing, and due process does not require an evidentiary hearing, we affirm the Superior Courts decision. Here is the heart of the Delaware Supreme Court's analysis of the issue and rejection of the defense's contentions (with footnotes removed): First, this Court settled the evidentiary standard in Mayes v. State, holding that in reviewing a sentence within statutory limits, this Court will not find error of law or abuse of discretion unless it is clear from the record below that a sentence has been imposed on the basis of demonstrably false information or information lacking a minimal indicium of reliability. Smack argues Mayes does not apply because the standard was not contested. But the fact the standard was not at issue is irrelevant the Court explicitly stated the sentencing judge comported with due process by relying on information meeting the minimal indicium of reliability beyond mere allegation standard. Subsequent cases rely on Mayes in applying this standard. Smack relies on a series of federal cases where the court applied a preponderance of the evidence standard to establish facts warranting a sentence enhancement under the federal sentencing guidelines. According to Smack, the same burden of proof should apply to the State when it argued for a harsher sentence based on Smacks status as a drug kingpin. The federal cases, however, are inapposite. Under the federal sentencing guidelines, the judge must find facts at sentencing using evidentiary burdens because those factual determinations can cause an increase in the sentencing ranges under the guidelines. Here, Smacks guilty plea resulted in a sentencing range of two to seventy-six years. To fix the sentence within that statutory range, the judge was entitled to consider all facts that had a minimal indicia of reliability including the intercepted text messages and phone conversations that led to the seventy-seven charges of drug dealing brought against Smack. The court could and did find from these facts that Smack was more than a street-level drug dealer. As hard-core sentencing fans know, the Supreme Court three decades ago in McMillan v. Pennsylvania, rejected a challenge to a Pennsylvania statute's use of a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard in the application of a mandatory minimum sentencing statute. Chief Justice Rehnquist in that opinion explained why the Court had "little difficulty concluding that ... the preponderance standard satisfies due process." Of course, aspects of McMillan were overturned in Alleyne v. US with respect to any fact-finding that formally alters any legal limit of a judge's sentencing discretion, but that decision itself stressed it was not contradicting "the broad discretion of judges to select a sentence within the range authorized by law." Through communications with the attorney representing in the defendant in this case, I have learned that a cert petition is in the works. Given the remarkable reality that we have gone nearly 230 years into our constitutional history without having come close to settling just what due process means at sentencing, I think it would be great (and long overdue) for SCOTUS to take up a case like this. December 10, 2017 at 09:02 PM | Permalink Comments The lawyer is too stupid to understand what is self-evident to everyone else, including prior Justices of the Supreme Court. Even the stupidest people in our country, prior Justices, understood it. Sentencing has only one real benefit, incapacitation. The rest is lawless violation of the Establishment Clause, or lawyer quackery. You give the Italian death penalty to a shoplifter. He is also a serial killing, drug kingpin, with 100 murdered victims in his past. All witnesses are too terrorized to testify. You will never reach a preponderance standard. The benefit of sentencing is incredibly high. If you fine him $50, and warn him about shoplifting, sentencing is pro-criminal threat to our society. Posted by: David Behar | Dec 11, 2017 1:28:36 AM What is the relevance of reliability? I thought under Crawford we got rid of the reliability standard. True, that is in a slightly different context but I think the point applies across the board. Whether a fact is /reliable/ or not has nothing to do with whether said fact is /true/ or /credible/. So I don't see the problem here as a "minimum" vs "preponderance" of the evidence. I see the issue is why is the court sounding in reliability at all. Posted by: Daniel | Dec 11, 2017 12:51:32 PM I feel like we demand more of police before obtaining search warrants than this standard. Regardless, there was a similar issue in a DC case a couple years ago (Ball, I believe), but the Supreme Court denied cert. I suspect, one day, they'll have to address these issues of just what level of evidence is needed for a Judge to give a harsher sentence. Posted by: Erik M | Dec 11, 2017 4:34:09 PM Several factors are swirling in this case, and it's going to be a national landmark case, affecting Due Process. 1. Delaware State Prosecutors in Smack and one other case cited by Smack (Davenport v Phelps) are insisting minimal indicia of reliability is enough to decide guilt and sentencing. Del. Supreme Court decided appeals on basis of minimal. The State claimed in its "Replies" to the Federal 2254s that Smack & Davenport couldn't cite Federal cases of "preponderance" and impose those standards on State cases. WRONG ! 2. State of Delaware sentencing Rule 1101 sets aside all those legal and moral standards of any case in determining guilt, stating that the Prosecution may present any evidence at sentencing (even new evidence) to the court. In both cases, State knowingly presented questionable and inaccurate information in an effort to enflame the court's decision-making process on a term of sentence. In Davenport, the material was withheld from Defense until the day before sentencing while the court had the damning information for 10 days. Unconscionable, but Del. Sup. Court sided with lower court, meekly hiding behind minimal indicia. 3. In Davenport (understandably cited by Smack), the Del. Supreme Ct., even stated on record that the lower court was wrong in determining length of sentence -- NEVERTHELESS, the Supreme Ct. still leaned on the minimal factor. There are more inconsistencies in the two cases on part of State courts and prosecutors. Beyond a doubt, due process was violated at sentencing in both cases. Beyond a doubt, Del. Sentencing Rule 1101 is Unconstitutional. Beyond a doubt, the conditions must be rectified - for Smack, Davenport, and for any subsequent cases. Minimal Indicia of Reliability falls short of being just, compared to considering a preponderance of evidence - whether in determining guilt OR length of sentence. "He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God" Holy Bible, 2 Samuel 23:3 Sentencing Rule 1101 of State of Delaware unjustly violates "due process". Posted by: Tim Jensen | Jun 12, 2021 2:39:12 PM Post a comment "Graduating Economic Sanctions According to Ability to Pay" | Main | "Assessing Risk Assessment in Action" December 11, 2017 Will any state really start conducting executions with opioids? The question in the title of this post is prompted by this lengthy Washington Post article, headlined "States to try new ways of executing prisoners. Their latest idea? Opioids." Here is how it gets started: The synthetic painkiller fentanyl has been the driving force behind the nations opioid epidemic, killing tens of thousands of Americans last year in overdoses. Now two states want to use the drugs powerful properties for a new purpose: to execute prisoners on death row. As Nevada and Nebraska push for the countrys first fentanyl-assisted executions, doctors and death penalty opponents are fighting those plans. They have warned that such an untested use of fentanyl could lead to painful, botched executions, comparing the use of it and other new drugs proposed for lethal injection to human experimentation. States are increasingly pressed for ways to carry out the death penalty because of problems obtaining the drugs they long have used, primarily because pharmaceutical companies are refusing to supply their drugs for executions. The situation has led states such as Florida, Ohio and Oklahoma to turn to novel drug combinations for executions. Mississippi legalized nitrogen gas this spring as a backup method something no state or country has tried. Officials have yet to say whether it would be delivered in a gas chamber or through a gas mask. Other states have passed laws authorizing a return to older methods, such as the firing squad and the electric chair. Were in a new era, said Deborah Denno, a law professor at Fordham University. States have now gone through all the drugs closest to the original ones for lethal injection. And the more they experiment, the more theyre forced to use new drugs that we know less about in terms of how they might work in an execution. Supporters of capital punishment blame critics for the crisis, which comes amid a sharp decline in the number of executions and decreasing public support for the death penalty. States have put 23 inmates to death in 2017 the second-fewest executions in more than a quarter-century. Nineteen states no longer have capital punishment, with a third of those banning it in the past decade. If death penalty opponents were really concerned about inmates pain, they would help reopen the supply, said Kent Scheidegger of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, which advocates for the rights of crime victims. Opponents caused the problem were in now by forcing pharmaceuticals to cut off the supply to these drugs. Thats why states are turning to less-than-optimal choices. Prison officials in Nevada and Nebraska have declined to answer questions about why they chose to use fentanyl in their next executions, which could take place in early 2018. Many states cloak their procedures in secrecy to try to minimize legal challenges. But fentanyl offers several advantages. The obvious one is potency. The synthetic drug is 50 times more powerful than heroin and up to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Theres cruel irony that at the same time these state governments are trying to figure out how to stop so many from dying from opioids, that they now want to turn and use them to deliberately kill someone, said Austin Sarat, a law professor at Amherst College who has studied the death penalty for more than four decades. Another plus with fentanyl: It is easy to obtain. Although the drug has rocketed into the news because of the opioid crisis, doctors frequently use it to anesthetize patients for major surgery or to treat severe pain in patients with advanced cancer. Nevada officials say they had no problem buying fentanyl. We simply ordered it through our pharmaceutical distributor, just like every other medication we purchase, and it was delivered, Brooke Keast, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Corrections, said in an email. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. Notably, Nevada has not had an execution since 2006 and Nebraska has not had an execution from 1997, and that reality leads me to question whether these states are likely to be conducting opioid-based executions anytime soon. But, as the Post article details, Nevada was fully geared up for a fentanyl-included execution last month before a court intervened, and they may have plans for another execution early in 2018. December 11, 2017 at 02:44 PM | Permalink Comments Ironic. You hear about this in the Comments, with a stunning analysis, and several legal and clinical points not mentioned here. A bunch of lawyer abuse ensues, and requests to stop posting. Now, it is said by Libtard, hate speech, propaganda, homosexual agenda promoting false news rag. And, it is a prominent post. Posted by: David Behar | Dec 11, 2017 7:06:46 PM There was a lot of misinformation in the article, as detailed. In a message dated 12/10/2017 4:08:35 PM Central Standard Time, sharpjfa@aol.com writes: to: My standard WashPost and NY Times email group, as well as Media throughout Texas Many others re: 'States to try new ways of executing prisoners. Their latest idea? Opioids.', WashPost, 12/9/2017 From: Dudley Sharp, death penalty expert. You had some errors and omissions. The real world and scientific evidence is, overwhelming, that fentanyl will lead to peaceful executions - the opposite of the statement in your piece - and the only reason anti death penalty folks, inclusive of physicians, oppose it, as with nitrogen gas. Look up the accidental overdosing properties of fentanyl (20,100 deaths - 2016) then call an a anesthesiologist - not an anti death penalty anesthesiologist - and ask what happens when you inject 10 times the lethal dose. You write: "Many states cloak their procedures in secrecy to try to minimize legal challenges." It is a well known that secrecy efforts have initiated an additional avenue for legal challenges. The secrecy is to allow the states to acquire the drugs necessary for executions from suppliers, so that those suppliers will not be harassed by anti death penalty folks, not to minimize legal challenges, as your linked story confirms. It seems neither the writers, nor Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor fact checked Dennis McGuires or Josecph Wood's "horrifying deaths". Fact checking confirms, McGuire's and Wood's executions were no such thing (1). A huge percentage of the "The bad publicity", as with this article, is because journalists refuse to fact check (1) and/or use only anti death penalty sources, often media, without pro death penalty balance. It's the norm. Lockett's horrible execution had nothing to do with the drugs, but a, totally, incompetent execution team (1). You write: "critics note, there is almost no scientific research to suggest that nitrogen would be more humane." As about 99% of lethal injections are humane (1), that may be true . The scientific effect of nitrogen gas, when inhaled by humans, is very well known, with the only known "problem" being that euphoria may be experienced, prior to unconsciousness (2). 1) Rebuttal: Botched Executions http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2017/01/rebuttal-botched-executions.html 2) Nitrogen Gas; Flawless, peaceful, unrestricted method of execution http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2014/09/nitrogen-gas-flawless-peaceful.html Posted by: Dudley Sharp | Dec 12, 2017 12:17:16 PM Light up a joint and enjoy your next execution, DAB Posted by: anon | Dec 12, 2017 12:30:37 PM Little Dudu is disgusting as Always. Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Dec 14, 2017 2:59:02 PM Claudio. Va funculo, stronzo. Posted by: David Behar | Dec 15, 2017 1:22:35 AM It is "vaffanculo", not "va fanculo", you idiot!!!! Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Dec 15, 2017 5:05:13 AM Claudio. In the US, we improved the saying to, "bahfungoul" or "fungoul". Do you get to watch the Sopranos, one of the best TV shows ever, from HBO, in the States? In every subject it addresses, it has great technical accuracy. One of its features is the near total irrelevance of the police to a criminal enterprise. They are like an occasional nuisance. They take years to investigate. The Mafia plays the system well. A juror is with his son in a convenience store. Two thugs go up to him, and say, "We appreciate what your are doing for the community. We insist on paying for your son's candy bar." He understands, the mob has his number. The jury ends up with a single hold out and a hung jury. Opinion of the Sopranos, a bunch of serial killers, operating nearly free of police interference. The show is based on very real life people. Posted by: David Behar | Dec 15, 2017 10:25:47 AM Post a comment The event will comprise many activities such as forums on solutions for sustainable development of the Vietnamese coffee industry; showcase coffee products, production equipment and techniques of large businesses in the country. That will be a chance for businesses and farmers to talk to experts about solutions to solve difficulties in integration. By DOAN KIEN Translated by Hai Mien Three suspects were detained at scene. The 165 elephant tusks, worth over 29 million CNY (4.4 million USD), were illegally transported to Pingxiang city on the night of November 13 and were captured by customs officers the next day, a Nanning official said on December 8. Nanning is the capital of the region. According to Chinas State Forestry Administration, in 2016, the amount of smuggled ivory seized in China dropped by 80 percent from previous peak years. The local law stipulates that the smuggling of precious animal products worth more than 1 million CNY can be punished with over 10 years in prison or a life sentence. China will stop commercial processing and sales of ivory by the end of this year.-VNA DES MOINES -- Gov. Kim Reynolds and state lawmakers likely are going to have to consider mid-year budget adjustments ranging from $50 million up to $90 million after a state panel Monday left its current revenue-growth projections unchanged and slightly lowered the expectations for fiscal 2019. The three-member state Revenue Estimating Conference decided to keep its fiscal 2018 revenue growth projection at 2.4 percent, or slightly more than $7.128 billion through June 30 but lowered its fiscal 2019 growth estimate by $9.3 million to nearly $7.416 billion - figures that by law become the numbers the governor and Legislature must use for budgeting purposes in the upcoming legislative session. "Iowa revenues, while still growing, are disappointing for the first five months of the fiscal year," said REC member Holly Lyons of the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. "There is nothing, however, to indicate that the revenue growth will turn negative, but growth is very slow, slower than the revenue estimating conference forecasted last October. Most Iowa economic indicators would suggest slow but steady growth." While unchanged from October, the revenue spelled some bad news given that the estimates then were scaled back by $133 million while overshot this year's projected ending balance and could portend cuts or more borrowing from the state's cash reserves to keep the ledger balanced, officials said. "Some mid-year adjustments will be required yet this fiscal year," said David Roederer, a REC member who also directs the state Department of Management and is Reynolds' budget director. "Even before October, we were saying (to state agency heads) you need to be prepared, so it's not like this is catching anybody by surprise." Conference members said Iowa's economy continues to grow, but Iowans' personal incomes and wages are not increases as rapidly as projected while sluggish farm prices continue to pose challenges and manufacturers are constrained by a lack of skilled workers to fill vacant positions. Added to that is uncertainty over federal tax changes and trade agreements that impact the state's revenue situation. "We're very firmly on the side of we're not sure what's going to happen," Roederer said in concluding his fiscal analysis during Monday's Statehouse meeting. The state revenue projections form the backdrop for new budget discussions for Reynolds, majority Republicans and minority Democrats when the 2018 General Assembly convenes on Jan. 8. "Agriculture plays a large part in our economy and when corn is selling for $3 per bushel, it's going to have a significant effect on the budget like we're seeing now. This is not unique to Iowa and many surrounding states are dealing with this challenge as well," said Rep. Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "While revenue estimates can be unpredictable, House Republicans are not," Grassley added. "We will continue to live within our means and pass a responsible budget that funds Iowans' priorities." For their part, legislative Democrats said they were willing to work in a bipartisan manner to make a "mid-course correction" that would invest in successful job-creation initiatives by paring back some tax credits. "The state budget has become an embarrassment to all Iowans, regardless of their political beliefs," said Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee. "Paychecks and family income are stagnant. Iowa now ranks dead last in the country for economic growth and the next legislative session will be spent paying off $144 million of debt." Reynolds' office countered the Democratic criticism by issuing a statement noting that Iowa was named the third best-run state in the nation according to a financial analysis issued Monday that cited Iowa's 17-year low unemployment rate, the strength of the state's pension fund, its AAA credit rating, and the state's low poverty rate. SIOUX CITY | Following an unseasonably mild weekend, blustery conditions will return to Siouxland on Monday, according to Alex Ferguson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. "By 10 a.m. Monday morning, Sioux City will likely be at its daytime high for the day," Ferguson said. "Clouds will be moving in as a cold front brings in northwest winds that will be gusting to as high as high as 45 mph by this afternoon." The cold front will send temps plummeting to the 30s by mid-afternoon and introduce a 30 percent chance of precipitation for the remainder of the day. "Even though little accumulation is expected, there is a chance for icy conditions later in the day," Ferguson said. "However, precipitation -- in either rain or snow -- will be spotty at best." Monday's blustery weather will be short-lived. Decreasing clouds will give way to clear conditions during Monday's overnight hours. In addition, the rest of the week will have partly cloudy skies as well as highs either slightly below or slightly above 40 degrees. "There really isn't a rain or snow episode in the forecast for the next seven days," Ferguson said. "I don't think too many people will be disappointed by another week of mostly nice weather." ELK POINT, S.D. | The Clay-Union Foundation Inc., an organization that mentors youth ages 5-17 and provides a $500 scholarship to seniors from Elk Point-Jefferson, Dakota Valley and Vermillion high schools, is seeking additional volunteers to serve on its board. Two board members are being sought from northern Union County, north of Elk Point, and three or four board members from Clay County. Meetings for the Clay-Union Foundation alternate between Vermillion and Elk Point, depending on the makeup of the board. University of South Dakota students as well as permanent residents are encouraged to apply. For more information, contact John P. Gille at 605-421-5050. ORANGE CITY, Iowa | A Rock Valley, Iowa, man on Monday pleaded not guilty to killing his grandfather inside a house and then setting fire to it. Santos Rodriguez Jr., 19, entered his written plea in Sioux County District Court to one count of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson. Firefighters discovered the body of Luis Luevanos, 84, on Oct. 29 in a home in the 1400 block of 15th Street in Rock Valley. Rodriguez is accused of stabbing Luevanos several times and then setting fire to the bedroom in which Luevanos' body was lying. Rodriguez was arrested Nov. 8 in Utah. According to court documents, Rodriguez made statements to authorities after his arrest in which he admitted stabbing Luevanos and intentionally setting the fire. If found guilty of first-degree murder, Rodriguez would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. First-degree arson carries a 25-year prison sentence. SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man pleaded guilty Monday to taking part in vandalism that resulted in more than $4,500 in damage at the Miracle League complex. Trent Tadlock, 32, entered his plea in Woodbury County District Court to one count of second-degree criminal mischief, which is punishable by up to five years in prison. His sentence was not spelled out in his plea agreement. Sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 5. Tadlock admitted that he was at the park at 1301 Riverside Blvd. drinking alcohol with other people late on March 26 or early on March 27 when he kicked a drinking fountain off of a wall at the concession stand. A second water fountain was broken off the wall, and people at the party broke through an overhead door, entered the stand and damaged and took property inside, according to court documents. Tadlock will be required to pay $4,514 in restitution jointly with Colten Stroman, 22, of Sioux City, who pleaded guilty in May to second-degree criminal mischief. Stroman was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the vandalism and second-degree robbery in an unrelated incident. SIOUX CITY | The case against a Sioux City man accused of robbing a motorists at gunpoint has been dismissed. District Judge Duane Hoffmeyer on Friday approved the prosecution's motion to dismiss a charge of first-degree robbery against Isiac Brown. Brown, 36, had been accused of getting into the passenger seat of a vehicle stopped for a red light at 14th and Pierce streets on Oct. 8, pointing a handgun at the driver and taking his wallet containing approximately $300 and some personal documents. First Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Mark Campbell asked that the case be dismissed after the alleged victim failed to testify in his deposition to facts that would have supported the robbery charge. ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa | A Spencer, Iowa, man pleaded not guilty Monday to having sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl. Lawrence Bauer, 28, entered his written plea in Lyon County District Court to nine counts of third-degree sexual abuse, three counts of indecent contact with a child and one count of enticing a child. His trial was scheduled for April 17. According to court documents, a Lyon County Sheriff's Office investigation beginning Aug. 31 revealed that Bauer talked with the girl for at least a month via cellular devices and on social media. Within a week or two, the conversations became sexual in nature. In July and August, Bauer met the girl three times. Each time, they went to a rural location where Bauer performed sexual acts with the girl, court documents said. SIOUX CITY | A Spirit Lake, Iowa, man was sentenced Monday to more than 10 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine. Jesse Wrinkle, 35, pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 121 months in prison. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wrinkle made approximately 12 trips to Council Bluffs, Iowa, from November 2015 through April 2016 to buy meth. During a February traffic stop, officers seized almost half a pound of meth, 61.1 grams of marijuana and $1,500 from Wrinkle's vehicle. Wrinkle was previously convicted of drug distribution charges in Dickinson County. SIOUX CITY | State Sen. David Johnson, the Northwest Iowa lawmaker who dropped his Republican affiliation over the direction of the party as Donald Trump neared the presidential nomination in summer 2016, announced Monday he will run for re-election in 2018 as an independent. Johnson, who lives in Ocheyedan and represents Iowa Senate District 1, in a release said he will seek a fifth term "in a rare but not unprecedented campaign." He changed his voter registration to No Party in June 2016. "I will not stand silent if the party of Lincoln and the end of slavery buckles under the racial bias of a bigot," Johnson said at the time, assessing where the Republican Party was headed. Johnson isn't going back to the Republican Party as he aims for 2018. Johnson said he adheres to the concept that "principle must come before party," and is disappointed that politics in Des Moines has become "bitterly partisan." Johnson said a wide range of constituents have encouraged him to run again. They are Republicans, Democrats and independents, and I am honored and humbled by their support. I believe in representing everyone to the best of my ability," he said. Johnson, 66, said if he wins in 2018, he would be the first declared independent to win an Iowa Senate seat since 1923. Johnson said he wants to continue to serve to continue support for Iowa's K-12 schools and community colleges. He also is opposed to the state's move that privatized the Medicaid program. Senate District 1, which takes in Clay, Dickinson, Lyon, Osceola and Palo Alto counties, is one of the most heavily Republican of Iowa's 50 state senator districts. According to the most recent figures from the Iowa Secretary of State's office, there are 20,877 registered GOP voters, 13,376 registered no-party and 7,465 registered Democrats. Zach Whiting, of Spencer, in 2016 announced he would seek the Republican nomination for the Senate post, citing Johnson's decision to leave the party. Johnson was first elected to the state House as a Republican in 1998 after winning a three-way primary. He won another House term in 2000, then won four terms in the Senate. Earlier in December, Johnson criticized the Iowa Senate Republican leadership team for taking him off committee assignments. Johnson said there is well-established precedent in Iowas legislative archives for Senate and House independent members to serve on committees. Like every one of my Senate colleagues, I represent about 60,000 Iowans, yet last session Republican leadership rejected my repeated requests to be appointed to vote on standing committees, Johnson said on Dec. 4. AKRON, Iowa | At only 17 years of age, Jake Altena admits his storied hunting career has already hit its peak. The rural Rock Rapids, Iowa, teenager shot and killed a female mountain lion near Akron Saturday while he was out deer hunting with his family on private property adjacent to the Little Sioux River. Altenas chance encounter with the feline ambush predator came about after he heard some rustling that sounded like movement and decided to go investigate the situation. Armed with a Savage bolt-action 20 gauge shotgun, Altena found an uprooted tree that appeared to have enough clearance for a person or creature to be able to move underneath the branches. I was about 15 feet away and a mountain lion poked his head out and it was looking at me dead in the eyes, he said. I immediately pulled my gun on him; I was pretty scared at the moment. When I had him in my sights, he kind of made a quick jump at me and I instantly pulled the trigger. The shot hit the creature in the shoulder and fatally wounded it. That was one hell of an adrenaline rush, Altena said. The teen and his hunting party, which included his father, younger brother and other family members, called the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to find out the next steps in this situation. A representative met up with them shortly after and took the animals carcass with the intention to run tests on it; however, that didnt happen and it was returned to him Sunday. Mountain lions are not a protected species in Iowa so there was nothing criminal about Altenas action. I tell you something cool the DNR told me, he said that mountain lion is one of two female mountain lions to be shot in Iowa in the last 100 years, Altena said. Only two of them and mine was one of the two. Another female mountain lion that was stationed near a farm in Ida County was put down by the DNR in June. This incident marks the fifth time a mountain lion has been killed in Iowa, according to DNR records. With the mountain lion's carcass back in his possession, Altena, who has hunted since he was 12, already has plans for his latest prize. Im going to take it home and have it mounted, he said. Even interventionists are regretting some of the wars into which they helped plunge the United States in this century. Among those wars are Afghanistan and Iraq, the longest in our history; Libya, which was left without a stable government; Syria's civil war, a six-year human rights disaster we helped kick off by arming rebels to overthrow Bashar Assad; and Yemen, where a U.S.-backed Saudi bombing campaign and starvation blockade is causing a humanitarian catastrophe. Yet, twice this century, the War Party was beaten back when seeking a clash with Putin's Russia. And the "neo-isolationists" who won those arguments served America well. What triggered this observation was an item on Page 1 of last Wednesday's New York Times that read in its entirety: "Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of Georgia, led marchers through Kiev after threatening to jump from a five-story building to evade arrest. Page A4" Who is Saakashvili? The wunderkind elected in 2004 in Tbilisi after a "Rose Revolution" we backed during George W. Bush's crusade for global democracy. During the Beijing Olympics in August 2008, Saakashvili sent his army crashing into the tiny enclave of South Ossetia, which had broken free of Georgia when Georgia broke free of Russia. In overrunning the enclave, however, Saakashvili's troops killed Russian peacekeepers. Big mistake. Within 24 hours, Putin's tanks and troops were pouring through Roki Tunnel, running Saakashvili's army out of South Ossetia, and occupying parts of Georgia itself. As defeat loomed for the neocon hero, U.S. foreign policy elites were alive with denunciations of "Russian aggression" and calls to send in the 82nd Airborne, bring Georgia into NATO, and station U.S. forces in the Caucasus. "We are all Georgians!" thundered John McCain. Not quite. When an outcry arose against getting into a collision with Russia, Bush, reading the nation right, decided to confine U.S. protests to the nonviolent. A wise call. And Saakashvili? He held power until 2013, and then saw his party defeated, was charged with corruption, and fled to Ukraine. There, President Boris Poroshenko, beneficiary of the Kiev coup the U.S. had backed in 2014, put him in charge of Odessa, one of the most corrupt provinces in a country rife with corruption. In 2016, an exasperated Saakashvili quit, charged his patron Poroshenko with corruption, and fled Ukraine. In September, with a band of supporters, he made a forced entry back across the border. Here is the Times' Andrew Higgins on his latest antics: "... Saakashvili, onetime darling of the West, took his high-wire political career to bizarre new heights when he climbed onto the roof of his five-story apartment building in the center of Kiev ... "As ... hundreds of supporters gathered below, he shouted insults at Ukraine's leaders ... and threatened to jump if security agents tried to grab him. "Dragged from the roof after denouncing Mr. Poroshenko as a traitor and a thief, the former Georgian leader was detained but then freed by his supporters, who ... blocked a security service van before it could take Mr. Saakashvili to a Kiev detention center and allowed him to escape. "With a Ukrainian flag draped across his shoulders and a pair of handcuffs still attached to one of his wrists, Mr. Saakashvili then led hundreds of supporters in a march across Kiev toward Parliament. Speaking through a bullhorn he called for 'peaceful protests' to remove Mr. Poroshenko from office, just as protests had toppled the former President, Victor F. Yanukovych, in February 2014." This reads like a script for a Peter Sellers movie in the '60s. Yet this clown was president of Georgia, for whose cause in South Ossetia some in our foreign policy elite thought we should go to the brink of war with Russia. And there was broad support for bringing Georgia into NATO. This would have given Saakashvili an ability to ignite a confrontation with Russia, which could have forced U.S. intervention. Consider Ukraine. Three years ago, McCain was declaring, in support of the overthrow of the elected pro-Russian government in Kiev, "We are all Ukrainians now." Following that coup, U.S. elites were urging us to confront Putin in Crimea, bring Ukraine, as well as Georgia, into NATO, and send Kiev the lethal weapons needed to defeat Russian-backed rebels in the East. This could have led straight to a Ukraine-Russia war, precipitated by our sending of U.S. arms. Do we really want to cede to folks of the temperament of Mikhail Saakashvili an ability to instigate a war with a nuclear-armed Russia, which every Cold War president was resolved to avoid, even if it meant accepting Moscow's hegemony in Eastern Europe all the way to the Elbe? Watching Saakashvili losing it in the streets of Kiev like some blitzed college student should cause us to reassess the stability of all these allies to whom we have ceded a capacity to drag us into war. Alliances, after all, are the transmission belts of war. CHEROKEE, Iowa | John and Donna Beier heat one of their greenhouses on certain days in July. And, more often, they haul out cooling pads in that unit. Those are the measures these Blooming House business owners in Cherokee take to achieve a spectacular sea of red around the holidays. That's what 2,000 blooming poinsettias can yield this time of year. "Poinsettias are a big challenge to grow," John Beier said as he stood in mid-November, awash in a blanket of bright red. "Poinsettias are so susceptible to disease and pests. Few retailers grow them because they're tricky." The Beiers, who employ one dozen people in a sprawling one-acre site on the northern edge of Cherokee, just east of Highway 59, obtain the plants a 2-inch cuttings. They house them in the enterprise's fourth greenhouse, a place to which they run heat in an effort to keep temperatures above 68 at all times. What if the mercury soars, as it does in July and August in Northwest Iowa? "Then we haul out the cooling pads," John Beier said. These plants, a holiday tradition for many, might be more pampered than the folks who sit by the fire and wait for St. Nicholas' arrival. Josh Anderson, a son-in-law to John and Donna, spends time each summer and fall walking among the 2,000 plants, inspecting areas for pests, most notably the white fly which likes to invade once corn dries across Northwest Iowa farm fields. "We put this card (a yellow, sticky card) on a plant and a white fly will stick to it," Anderson said. "When we see one on a card, we check the whole plant over." Going to each plant may be time- and labor-intensive, John Beier said, but it beats blanketing hundreds of plants with a pesticide application. This eye-test scrutiny and a bug screen outside the green house have allowed staff members at Blooming House to reduce pesticide application by up to 90 percent. "I remember going from plant to plant in 2013," Anderson said of his first year with the business. "It was tedious." The payback comes in November and December when thousands make their way to Blooming House in search of poinsettia plants that bloom in seven different colors, 10 different sizes. Fifty-percent of the crop here is sold on a wholesale basis, while a quarter of the crop goes to churches across the region. The last quarter is sold via retail. "We double-bag each plant and make sure the customer's vehicle is warm when they leave," John Beier said. "Poinsettias don't like to be shipped or sleeved." A poinsettia that is sleeved, he explained, may sustain damage to a leaf or stem, thereby triggering production of ethylene, a death hormone for a poinsettia. That hormone causes the plant's flowers and leaves to drop. The poinsettia, named for Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who brought the plant north in 1825, are not poisonous, despite a popular and persistent myth. "Poinsettias do have latex that, if you crack a leaf or a stem, you can get a little latex on your hands," John Beier said. "And some people are allergic to latex. You'll get a rash, but they're not poisonous." Having dozens of long rows of poinsettias growing in this manner throughout the fall season is a benefit for the business. John Beier said there are workers in Cherokee, nurses primarily, who occasionally spend a portion of their lunch hour just walking through their greenhouse units. "It's fascinating," he said, "as people come here to walk because it's therapeutic." Do the business owners mind? "Oh no," John answered, "that's what we're here for." John and Donna Beier are here for more than that. These high school sweethearts from Freeman, South Dakota, came to Cherokee 14 years ago to purchase the popular Rhoadside Greenhouse, a Cherokee business staple for generations. John, a horticulture major at South Dakota State University, had served similar operations in Ames, Iowa, for three years, and Pella, Iowa, for 16 years. Two years ago, the couple dropped the Rhoadside name, opting to focus solely on Blooming House, a name that decorates their signage, literature and business model. "Sometimes our spring customers have no idea what we have in the winter," Donna Beier added, noting how the business strives to serve as a Northwest Iowa destination. "You can always find blooming plants in our greenhouses." "We have a half-acre under-cover and another half-acre in outdoor production," he said. "In the spring, we are all retail, no wholesale." The staff works to grow 8,000 perennials, 24,000 annuals that measure at the 4-inch level. Blooming House pros also grow 900 hanging baskets and 7,000 geraniums. 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. On Dec. 1 the Compass Community Center showcased one of the biggest pieces of folk art in the world. The quilt, which was provided by The Names Project, was used in conjunction with World Aids Day. Even though the program started at 7, there was hardly a shortage of people at 6. Over 80 people showed their support, many of them came sporting their traditional red ribbon. The ceremony started off with Lake Worths Mayor Pam Triolo reading the proclamation from the city, as well as introducing the theme for this year, My health, my right. I am so honored to be here, said Triolo. This is a very special evening, not just for Compass, but for the entire city as a whole. I usually travel this time of the year so I havent been here for this presentation. I was given a tour earlier and I was moved beyond belief. Im so proud of the work that Compass does. As the evening went on, guest was serenaded by local singing sensations The Voice of Pride. They opened with a spirited rendition of the 1975 classic song Hallelujah, which was made famous by Leonard Cohen. World Aids Day is such an important day, their next selection I dreamed a dream gave everyone a chance to reflect on just how special the day actually was. Their beautiful voices soared as the audience hung on to every word, and note. Along with the choir and an appearance from Mayor Triolo, Compass also had three special guests give speeches. The speakers were Chris Lacharite, who is a registered nurse thats worked in the HIV filed since 1985 in Boston, Los Angeles, and in South Florida. He currently works as the HIV Program Manager for the Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches. Another speaker was Deacon RussellAppollonia, who spoke on his experience with being diagnosed with G.R.I.D in 1985, as well as his reaction to being tested positive for HIV in 1986. Lorenzo Lowe, who serves as the HIV and Prevention Director for Compass, had kind words to share about the last speaker Sabrine Pearson. I am so happy to introduce the final speaker for the evening, Lowe said. She is a great friend and Ive learned so much from her. Pearson, is the Youth Mentor Coordinator for Compass. Not to mention, she is also the first ever transgender employee at Compass Community Center. Pearson was diagnosed with HIV in 2001. She began her transition in 2006. Over the years, she has become known for being an outspoken advocate for transgender rights and healthy lifestyles for those affected by HIV. She gave a very emotional speech that touched several people seated in the crowd. Many shed tears due to being inspired by her transparency and her optimism. I do a lot of education and public speaking, but Ive never ironically done public speaking about my status, so here goes, Pearson said. I have faith that we as a community can honor our fallen brothers and sisters by walking away from today with a call to action. We will honor them by laser focusing our advocacy work to help our marginalized individuals suffering with HIV such as our youth, people of color and the transgender community. Shortly after the speakers, on-lookers were invited to view the AIDS memorial quilt along with candlelight visual. On-lookers were asked to have a moment of silence to reflect on the monumental day, and the huge impact HIV has had on our community. Compass will be holding the quilt in their facilities until Dec. 12. Visit their website www.compassglcc.com for more information on the rest of their World Aids Day events. (EDGE) The London teenager who made headlines last week when two other teen boys allegedly choked him and forced him to apologize for being gay has come forward to speak out on the attack. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Will Mayrick, 19, said he was afraid for his life when two 16-year-old boys reportedly attacked him in October, putting him in a headlock until he apologized for being gay while riding the city's Tube. "I am not sorry for my sexuality," Mayrick, a photography student, told the newspaper. He said he was with four friends on the subway, heading to an event at The O2 arena. The group was wearing fancy clothes when the two suspects stepped onto the subway. Police saidthe teens put Mayrick, who is president of the LGBTQ group at Ravensbourne - a design and digital media school - into a headlock and he struggled to breath. They then forced him to apologize for being gay, took his phone and threatened to stab him, authorities said. "We'd got a bit of glitter on and they obviously didn't like that. They shouted 'fucking gays' and 'fag,' whatever they could think of," he told the Evening Standard. "Then one grabbed hold of me and got my head in a headlock. The other grabbed my phone and tried to make me apologize for being gay." Mayrick refused to do so but that's when one of the suspects allegedly assaulted him. "That's not who I am. But he got me so tight round the neck that if I didn't say something I wouldn't have been able to breathe," he said. "At the same time the other guy was pulling something out of his coat. I was so, so scared." One of Mayrick's friends, a 25-year-old woman, was punched and pushed to the ground when she tried to defend him. "I'm proud of the fact that I'm gay, I would never want to change," he told the Evening Standard. "I'm not sorry. But at the time I thought if I don't apologize I don't know what's going to happen. "Possibly if homophobia was on their school curriculum it wouldn't have happened," Mayrick added. The U.K. LGBTQ rights organization Stonewall released a statement about the incident. "It's 2017 - lesbian, gay, bi and trans people should feel safe and no one should face hatred simply because of who they are," the group told the Evening Standard. "Sadly, the reality is very different. "Our research shows that one in five LGBT people have experienced a hate crime or incident in the last 12 months," the group added. "Homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are nothing new, but when witnessed, how we respond defines the kind of world we want to live in. "We would also like to see a review of hate crime laws so that crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity or disability are treated equally to those based on race and faith," Stonewall concluded. The British Transport Police arrested two 16-year-old boys last week in connection to the incident and said they are treating the attack as a hate crime, according to the Evening Standard. The suspects have since been released on bail. 'Oumuamua JHUAPL Scientists from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) joined in the recent international effort to observe and create a detailed profile of the first known large object from interstellar space to pass through our solar system. Word of the objects discovery and impending arrival in mid-October sent scientists running to large telescopes around the world, hoping to glimpse the rocky body named Oumuamua before it became too faint on its trek back to interstellar space. APLs Hal Weaver and Carey Lisse joined colleagues from the University of Central Florida and the University of Washington to point the 3.5-meter telescope at the Apache Point Observatory (APO) in New Mexico at this interstellar intruder. Lisse and Weaver were APO veterans, having used the telescope managed in part by Johns Hopkins University to observe dozens of distant comets over the past decade. Our team had the experience necessary to image Oumuamua as it streaked across the sky, Weaver said. Over four hours on the night of Oct. 28, the team intensively imaged Oumuamua with three different color filters. They were surprised to discover that Oumuamuas brightness changed rapidly over time, starting out very faint and then becoming approximately five times brighter over the next couple of hours. When they combined the APO data with those from other observers, they found that Oumuamuas brightness variations could be explained if the object was very long cigar-shaped with one of its dimensions approximately five times larger than the other. No known asteroid or comet from our solar system varies so widely in brightness, according to NASA, with such a large ratio between length and width. The most elongated objects we have seen to date are no more than three times longer than they are wide. They also found that Oumuamuas reddish color was similar to those of primitive asteroids, Jupiters Trojan objects and comet dust though the APO observers saw no evidence of a coma or other cometary behavior. That suggests to us that Oumuamua formed closer to the star in its home planetary system, where ices on its surface wouldnt be stable, Weaver said. While Oumuamua is the first known interstellar object ever detected, added Lisse, we expect new ones to be found as more and larger ground-based telescopes begin to systematically monitor the sky for them during the next several years. The APL researchers and colleagues published their findings this week in Astrophysical Journal Letters. The interstellar object was discovered Oct. 19 by observers using the University of Hawaiis Pan-STARRS1 telescope. Its official name is 1I/Oumuamua, with 1I designating its the first (1) catalogued interstellar (I) object, and Oumuamua a Hawaiian term for a messenger from afar arriving first. According to NASA, preliminary orbital calculations suggest that the object came from the approximate direction of the bright star Vega, in the northern constellation of Lyra. However, it took so long for the interstellar object to make the journey even at the speed of about 59,000 miles per hour (26.4 kilometers per second) that Vega was not near that position when the asteroid was there about 300,000 years ago. Media contact: Michael Buckley, 240-228-7536, michael.buckley@jhuapl.edu NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 6 December 2017. NASA After delivering almost 7,400 pounds of cargo to support dozens of science experiments from around the world, the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo spacecraft has departed the International Space Station. At 8:11 a.m., Expedition 53 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA gave the command to release Cygnus. On Tuesday, Dec. 5, ground controllers used the Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach the Cygnus spacecraft from the Earth-facing side of the stations Unity module. The spacecraft, which arrived at the station Nov. 14, then maneuvered above the Harmony module to gather data overnight that will aid in rendezvous and docking operations for future U.S. commercial crew vehicles arriving for a linkup to Harmonys international docking adapters. Experiments delivered on Cygnus supported NASA and other research investigations during Expedition 53, including studies in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science. Later today, Cygnus will release 14 CubeSats from an external NanoRacks deployer. Cygnus also is packed with more than 6,200 pounds of trash and other items marked for disposal during its destructive reentry Monday, Dec. 18. The Cygnus launched Nov. 12 on Orbital ATKs upgraded Antares 230 rocket from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for the companys eighth NASA-contracted commercial resupply mission. On-Orbit Status Report OA-8 Cygnus Release: After yesterdays unberth and the overnight GPS shadowing (Photobomb) Detailed Test Objective (DTO), today SSRMS ground controllers relocated the Cygnus vehicle to the release point and the onboard crew released the vehicle and monitored its departure. Cygnus will be held in that position overnight and then repositioned for release tomorrow. Cygnus arrived at the ISS on the 14th of November carrying supplies, and is now departing with hardware and trash for disposal. Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) Ignitor Tip R&R: Today the crew removed and replaced the Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) ignitor tip inside CIR. The tip burned out last week during Advanced Combustion Microgravity Experiment (ACME) operations, and science operations have been on hold pending this hardware R&R. The ACME project is a set of five independent studies of gaseous flames to be conducted in the CIR. ACMEs primary and secondary goals are (1) improved fuel efficiency and reduced pollutant production in practical combustion on Earth, and (2) spacecraft fire prevention through innovative research focused on materials flammability. Lighting Effects: Today a 52S crewmember began a two-week long Sleep Shifted session, by logging into the sleep log application and tracking his daily sleep patterns and wakefulness. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance. Earth Imagery from ISS Target Operations: Using the NIKON camera the crew captured time-lapse images of the United Kingdom and the Nile at night. The Earth Imagery from ISS investigation creates a series of videos, showcasing Earth from space. These videos will be taken with cameras on the International Space Station in 6K hi-resolution, then integrated into videos for screensavers for public enjoyment, exploration, and engagement. Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis: This morning, the crew analyzed water quality on board using the EHS TOCA system, looking for contaminants in the water. EHS Microbial Capture Device (MCD) and Coliform Water Sample Analysis: Today, the crew analyzed water samples which were taken on Monday. This analysis procedure is designed to detect microbial growth in the ISS water system. Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Helmet Swap: Today the crew removed an EMU helmet which has passed its certified lifetime and replace it with a newly launched helmet. The old helmet will be returned to the ground on SpaceX-13 for refurbishment. Todays Planned Activities All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Lighting Effects Sleep Log Entry Subject MORZE. Evaluation using SPRUT-2. MORZE. Psycho-physiological Evaluation: Tsentrovka, SENSOR Tests Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth Robotic Workstation (RWS) High Definition (HD) Monitor Downlink USOS Window Shutter Close ARED Software Big Picture Words review In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Crew Quarters (CQ) Deck Cleaning Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position JEM Camera Robot S/N 002 Preparation UDOD. Experiment Ops with DYKNANIYE-1 and SPRUT-2 Sets. Tagup with specialists Cygnus PCS Command and PROX Link Verification JEM Mesh Cover-Return Grille Cleaning Monitoring closure of shutters on SM windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14. See Note 5 MORZE. Psycho-physiological Evaluation: SUPOS Test Dragon Prepack Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis Reconfigure Galley Rack at NOD1S4 Location MORZE. Closeout Ops EXPANDER Exercise SPHERES Battery Setup Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill ??? Maintenance Miniature Exercise Device Equipment Stow Microscope Hardware Setup Photo/TV Ghost Camera in Cuopla on SSC power recording Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Cygnus Release Preventive Maintenance of SM Ventilation Subsystem. Group ?1 Water sampling from Water Distribution and Heating Unit (???-?) to drink bags Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test ???-?? water sampling to Russian drink bags Configure power cables to XF305 for future use Cygnus PROX Switch OFF Public Affairs Office (PAO) Social Media Event PILOT-T. Preparation for the experiment. Combustion Integrated Rack Rack Doors Open SPHERES Battery Swap ESA Weekly crew conference PILOT-T. Experiment Ops. Combustion Integrated Rack Front End Cap Open Health Maintenance System (HMS) PPE Kit Restock PCS Laptop Relocate Restore setting of VCA2 ACME Chamber Insert Configuration Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record High Definition Video Camera Assemby 2 Activation in High Definition Mode Telescience Resource Kit Laptop Setup ABOUT GAGARIN FROM SPACE. HAM Radio Hardware Activation High Definition Video Camera Assembly 2 Switch to SD Mode Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) JEM Environmental Health System (EHS) Microbial Capture Device (MCD) and Coliform Water Sample Analysis 44 +/- 4 hours post processing PILOT-T. Closeout Ops ISS HAM Video Power Up Photo/TV Ghost Camera in Cupola Downlink Photography of pipeline joints and sealing elements delivered on Progress 419 Combustion Integrated Rack Front End Cap Close Combustion Integrated Rack Rack Doors Close Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Swap IMS Update Crew Departure Prep Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Helmet Swap Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 1 Power On Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference Crew Discretionary Event Completed Task List Activities Environmental Health System (EHS) Microbial Air Sampler (MAS) Kit Sample Collection Ground Activities All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Cygnus positioning and release. Three-Day Look Ahead: Thursday, 12/07: PEPS Inspection, CQ Cleaning, Eye exams, ELF, EIISS, Crew Handover Friday, 12/08: Soyuz OBT, Dragon OBT, RAM Retrieve, NASA Platform2, Arthrospira Saturday, 12/09: Probiotics, Off Duty QUICK ISS Status Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [???] 1 SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1) Off [???] 2 SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2) On Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Operate Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Standby Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Process Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Standby Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Full Up Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Off On Sunday (December 10), former harness driver Norm McKnight Jr. claimed the trainer's title for the 2017 Thoroughbred meet at Woodbine Racetrack. He sealed the deal during the meet-closing card, as pupils from his outfit won five of the 14 races on the program. In his 19th year as a Thoroughbred trainer, McKnight capped his career year with 99 wins, three wins more than the 2016 leading trainer Mark Casse. Casse, once again, topped all trainers for earnings with more than $6.9 million in purses and won a meet-leading 18 stakes, including his second consecutive $800,000 Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Grade 1) on September 16 with Live Oak Plantations World Approval, who went on to Breeders Cup glory. The final podium position went to trainer Kevin Attard, who finished the meet just one win ahead of Martin Drexler and Sid Attard with 43 victories. McKnight has over 500 wins as a trainer and celebrated his first $2-million season. The son of harness driver Norm Sr., McKnight was riding show horses and drove his first Standardbred when he was 12 years old. As a driver, he won roughly 1,500 races before trading tack and training Thoroughbreds. Live Thoroughbred racing will return to Woodbine next spring (on Saturday, April 21, 2018), while Standardbred racing will continue to run four days a week at Woodbine throughout the winter months and will return to its permanent home at Woodbine, Mohawk Park in April 2018 for racing all year round. (With files from WEG) The University of Arizonas Race Track Industry Program announced the winners of its annual awards during the 2017 Symposium on Racing which was held from December 4-6. The Clay Puett Award was presented to Bob Curran Jr. for his outstanding contributions to the racing industry. Inaugurated December 9, 1994, the award is named for the late Clay Puett, an Arizona resident whose innovations, including the development of the mechanical starting gate, helped to revolutionize racing around the world. Curran is someone who is never seen in headlines or in front of the camera; hes always the person behind the scenes. As the vice president of corporate communications, Curran plans and oversees all communications, public relations and publicity initiatives for The Jockey Club and its affiliated companies. Curran joined The Jockey Club staff in December 1998 after spending almost 12 years with Thoroughbred Racing Communications. Before that, he served stints as a sportswriter and columnist with the Niagara Falls (NY) Gazette, and as the senior media coordinator for the New York Racing Association. Curran served as president of the Turf Publicists of America (TPA) during 2001 and 2002 after serving for two years as a vice president. To say Im honoured by this award would be a vast understatement, said Curran. I didnt know Clay Puett, but I certainly know of his contribution to our sport and most of the previous winners of this prestigious accolade. I admired all of them. The John K. Goodman Alumni Award is named in honour of John K. Goodman, a founding father of the Race Track Industry Program and honors one of the RTIPs many distinguished alumni who have made an outstanding contribution to the racing industry. The 2017 winner, Peter Aiello, came to the Race Track Program with a passion and a dream. His dream, from a very young age, was to be a race caller. When he saw an advertisement for the RTIP that featured Luke Krytbosch RTIP graduate and track announcer at Turf Paradise and Churchill Downs his course was set. After stints at Rillito Park, Tucson Greyhound Park and the Arizona Fairs; and an internship at Evergreen Park in Canada and a more than a few stops along the way, his voice was heard on national television calling the richest race in the history of the sport a dream was realized when we heard these words as Arrogate reached the wire, What a raceWhat a sportWhat a horse! The 2017 RTIP Distinguished Student Award, presented to Keith Doleshel, honours the student who best embodies the qualities and performance that represent the goal of the Program to bridge education with opportunity. The award recognizes academic and personal growth and achievement. Doleshel has impressed everyone hes worked with, from the faculty and staff to all of those who hes interacted with during his two academic internships, one with Santa Anita and the other with the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Doleshel has accepted a position in the Racing Department at NYRA. The Xpressbet Scholarship Award winner for 2018 was presented to Abel Zander by Gene Chabrier, VP of Regulatory Affairs and Business Development for Xpressbet. Rhonda Norby, president of The Turf Publicists of America presented the 2018 TPA Scholarship Award to Jade Eisenzimmer. (RTIP) The tragic fire that claimed the lives of scores of racehorses at the San Luis Rey Training Center the California dominated industry headlines late last week. Although, news of another barn fire that took place at a North American racetrack during the same timeframe came and went without as much fanfare. As an article by the Paulick Report explains, a fire that started in a tack room at Laurel Park in Maryland last Wednesday night (December 6) spread to an adjoining stall and killed a Thoroughbred gelding. The horse in question, Pappa Portmore, a son of Good Reward, had recently been claimed by trainer Anthony Farrior. Sal Sinatra, the president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club, conveyed that the organization and the tracks racing community is in shock. I speak for everyone at Laurel Park and the Maryland Jockey Club when I say how devastated we all are by this loss, Sinatra was quoted as saying. He also stated that the loss of even one horse is too many, and that the safety of the horses is a priority. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department is investigating. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections Pappa Portmore. (With files from the Paulick Report) Jim Compton has been a respected western New York horseman for over 35 years. He trained, drove and bred many horses that are still remembered at his home tracks for their competitive nature and success. For his years of dedication to the sport, the upstate New York chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association will present him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in the winners circle at Batavia Downs on Saturday (December 16) during the 10th annual Night of Distinction awards ceremony. Comptons full time job was working for General Motors in Rochester, but his passion was for harness racing. So, in 1978, he started moonlighting at the farm of local driving legend Fred Haslip to learn the ins and outs of the business. After a few years he got his trainers license and in 1983 he drove his first race. Compton and his wife Sandra always ran a small but successful stable, racing horses like Sly Hi, No Parking Zone, Splurging Rita, Gasper Again and Held For Ransom, who won multiple Opens at Batavia Down, Vernon Downs and Buffalo Raceway en route to amassing 51 lifetime wins. When Held For Ransoms career was over, Compton bred him to one of his race mares named Suspicious Burns and the result of that breeding was a horse named Michael Scores. Michael Scores was a New York Sires Stake star and rock-solid overnight campaigner for 11 years. He won 86 races and earned $668,079 lifetime without ever seeing the Grand Circuit. He set track records at Tioga Downs (1:50.4) and at Batavia Downs (1:52.1) when he won the 2006 Kane Memorial Pace. And he will always be remembered for his intentionally parked out style of racing. Comptons numbers were not gaudy, however they were efficient. On the training side he had 578 wins out of 2,892 starts with $1.9 million in purses and a UTR of .337. As a driver he won 522 races out of 2,725 starts, compiled a UDR of .330 and drove his mounts to $1.13 million in purses. And all the horses he either trained or drove were 50 per cent in the money over his entire career. Post time for Saturday nights card is 6:00 p.m. (USHWA) The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie... By Olivia Rose THE TCI has been given an extra $70,000 to rebuild and repair government schools that sustained extensive damage during hurricanes Irma and Maria. The cash comes from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) - an interregional network of independent emergency units throughout the Caribbean region. CDEMA presented the cheque to Minister of Home Affairs with responsibility for Disaster Management Vaden Williams, at the 10th Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Conference in the Bahamas on Monday (December 4). The conference is the Caribbeans premier event on disaster risk management which is annually convened to demonstrate best practices emerging from CDEMAs 18 participating states and regional and international partners. CDM is the regions brand of disaster risk management and contributes to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), a blue print for global actions in DRR. Executive director of CDEMA Ronald Jackson, who presented the cheque, stressed that it was important for CDEMA to acknowledge the support of the Caribbean citizens effort, in supporting affected CDEMA states. He said: "We were happy to provide the resources on their behalf to the TCI in support of their school restoration efforts. Minister Williams said that money will go a long way in the territorys reconstruction efforts. "I welcome this donation on behalf of my Government and the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. "It will greatly assist with the rebuilding and repairing of schools that were damaged by the storms and expedite a sense of normalcy to our students, by returning them as soon as possible to their traditional school facilities. "I wish to thank CDEMA and the citizens of the Caribbean who have made it possible for this offer, and support to our people. Delivering the keynote address at the conference prime minister of the Bahamas, Hubert Minnis reminded the gathering the region is one of the most hurricane-prone areas in the world. He stressed that this risk threatens the its fragile economies, and urged the various nations to have in place sound disaster risk management systems. "This conference is being held in the aftermath of several devastating storms which ploughed through our region this year, leaving massive destruction in their wake. "Hurricanes Irma and Maria are hurricanes we will long remember. "Sadly, the economic, environmental, social and psychological damage will remain for quite some time. He said that hurricane Irma affected Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, St Maarten, St Barts, St Kitts and Nevis, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. "Hurricane Maria unleashed its destructive fury on Dominica, Guadeloupe, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, Cuba and on Ragged Island in The Bahamas, which was devastated by the monster storm and was left uninhabitable. "The final death toll for Puerto Rico is still unknown. Most of the residents of Puerto Rico remain without electricity. "There was unprecedented destruction to the Commonwealth of Dominica, with about 30 people killed and many thousands left homeless. "Hurricane Maria reminded us of the potential for the utter destruction of entire countries in our region. Minnis said the monster storms served as a reminder that the region must act collectively and continue to press through Caricom, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) the United Nations and in other international forums, for the promised assistance from developing nations to help others to mitigate against the effects of climate change. The CDM conference is an endorsed regional event of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. It is structured to strategically influence niche audiences, promote good practice, share ongoing research and chart the way forward for the advancement of CDM in the Caribbean. This years theme was CDM: The road to resilience check point 2017 - Building resilience through partnerships. One of the key sessions at this years conference was entitled Teachable moments: Lessons emerging from the rapid review of the hurricanes Irma and Maria response. It provided the opportunity for the Turks and Caicos Islands to share its damage assessment strategies, as well as lessons learnt, as the territory charters a new course towards building resilience. Victims of modern medicine Martin Khor : The next time you have a bad cold and reach for the antibiotics left over from your last visit to the doctor, think again. Firstly, the antibiotics won't work as they only act against bacteria while the cold is caused by a virus. Secondly, you will be contributing to the arguably the world's gravest health threat - antibiotic resistance. The wrong use and over-use of antibiotics is one of the main causes why they are becoming increasingly ineffective against many diseases, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood disorders, gonorrhoea and foodborne diseases. While an effective antibiotic kills most of the targeted germs, a few may survive and develop resistance which can spread to other bacteria that cause the same infection or different infections. The rate of resistance and its spread can increase if antibiotics are wrongly or over used, and they then become increasingly ineffective to treat bacterial infections. Global health leaders are now ringing the alarm bell. "Antimicrobial resistance is a global health emergency," warned the World Health Organisation's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "The world is facing an antibiotic apocalypse," said the United Kingdom's Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies. "It may spell the end of modern medicine." Warns the WHO: "Antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseasesWithout urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill." (WHO Fact Sheet on antibiotic resistance, Nov. 2017). These warnings were highlighted on World Antibiotics Awareness Week on 13-19 November when activities were held in many countries. Antibiotic resistance is part of the wider phenomenon of anti-microbial resistance (AMR), which includes resistance of bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites to medicines. About 700,000 people die annually due to antimicrobial resistant infections, and this is estimated to rise to 10 million deaths a year by 2050 if action is not taken, with a cumulative economic cost of US $100 trillion, according to a 2016 review on AMR sponsored by the UK government. A key tipping point was reached recently when it was found that some bacteria had evolved to be resistant to colistin, the antibiotic of last resort which is used on a patient when all other antibiotics are found ineffective. Antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseasesWithout urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill. In 2016, researchers in China found colistin-resistant E. coli bacteria in 20 per cent of animals, 15 per cent of raw meat and 1 per cent of hospital patients that were sampled. The colistin resitance gene (mcr-1) could easily be transferred among different bacteria. Malaysia was also one of the first countries where scientists found colistin-resistant bacteria. "Since the publication of our findings, mcr-1 gene has been found in many other countries," said Associate Professor Dr Chan Kok Gan of University Malaya. "This is a frightening scenario and the whole world should sit up and take action to prevent further abuse of antibiotics." If this resistance continues to spread, colistin will become less and less effective and we will eventually lose the "antibiotic of last resort." The colistin story also carries another lesson. It is widely thought that resistance is due to over-use of antibiotics by consumers or the spread of infections caused by resistant bacteria to patients in hospitals. However resistance is also spread through the agriculture sector and the food chain, as shown in the study on colistin in China. In many countries, much of the antibiotics used (80 per cent in the case of the United States) are fed in farms to animals as growth promoters, to make them grow fatter and faster, as well as to prevent or treat diseases. Resistant bacteria build up in the animals and are present in raw meat. Some of these bacteria are passed on to humans when they eat the meat. In Malaysia, the Department of Veterinary Services in 2012 found that half of the domestic chickens tested had bacteria that were resistant to three types of antibiotics (ampicillin, sulphonamide, tetracycline), as cited in a memorandum by the Consumers' Association of Penang. The environment is another source of the spread of resistance. Residues and wastes containing resistant bacteria flow from farms and hospitals and contaminate soils, drainage systems, rivers and seas. Some of these bacteria find their way to humans. The European Union banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed in January 2006 while the US started action to phase them out in December 2013. In most developing countries, little action has so far been taken. Hopefully that will start to change. In November 2017, the World Health Organisation issued its first ever guidelines on the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals. "Scientific evidence demonstrates that overuse of antibiotics in animals can contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance," said WHO's Food Safety Director, Dr Kazuaki Miyagishima. A WHO-sponsored study published in The Lancet Planetary Health in November 2017 found that interventions that restrict antibiotic use in food-producing animals reduced antibiotic-resistant bacteria in these animals by up to 39%, according to a WHO press release. The research paper (authored by William Ghali and 10 other scientists), reviewed thousands of studies, and selected 179 relevant ones, to find if there is an association between interventions that restrict antibiotic use and reduction in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals and in humans. The key findings are that: "Overall, reducing antibiotic use decreased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals by about 15% and multidrug-resistant bacteria by 24-32%." The evidence of effect on human beings was more limited but showed similar results, "with a 24% absolute reduction in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans with interventions that reduce antibiotic use in animals." This study influenced the development of the WHO's new guidelines, which are aimed at influencing policy makers in the agriculture and health sectors. According to a WHO press release, the guidelines include: An overall reduction in the use of all classes of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals. Complete restriction of these antibiotics for growth promotion and for disease prevention without diagnosis. Healthy animals should only receive antibiotics to prevent disease if it has been diagnosed in other animals in the same flock or herd or fish population. Antibiotics used in animals should be from the WHO list as "least important" to human health and not from "highest priority critically important." In 2015, Health Ministers attending the World Health Assembly adopted a Global Plan of Action on anti-microbial resistance, and they agreed that each country should prepare national action plans by 2017. Since there are many sources of antibiotic resistance, the national effort must include not only the health authorities but also those responsible for agriculture and the environment. The health authorities should take action to control the spread of infections (including in hospitals), carry out surveillance of antibiotic resistance, introduce and implement regulations and guidelines on proper prescriptions, ethical marketing of drugs and rational drug use. The agriculture authorities should phase out inappropriate use of antibiotics for animals, especially for growth promotion, while the environment authorities should prevent resistant bacteria and genes from contaminating soils, drainage systems, rivers and seas. There should be campaigns to make the public aware of the dangers of wrongly using antibiotics and that they should not demand that doctors give them antibiotics unnecessarily. The medical profession should adhere to guidelines on the proper use of antibiotics, while drug companies should not push for maximum sales but instead advocate prudent use of their antibiotics in both the health or animal sectors. These are the more obvious actions that need to be taken and urgently if we are to succeed in slowing down the alarming rate of antibiotic resistance. If we fail, it may well be "the end of modern medicine", as the health leaders and the scientists have warned us. (Martin Khor is Executive Director of the South Centre, a think tank for developing countries, based in Geneva). California`s Thomas fire scorches area larger than NY City Firefighters face challenging conditions to contain the Thomas fire. BBC online : The most destructive wildfire raging in southern California has expanded significantly, scorching an area larger than New York City. The Thomas fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties has consumed 230,000 acres (930 sq km) in the past week. Fanned by strong winds, it has become the fifth largest wildfire in recorded state history after it grew by more than 50,000 acres in a day. Residents in coastal beach communities have been ordered to leave. On Sunday, firefighters reported that 15% of the blaze had been contained but were forced to downgrade that to 10% as it continued to spread. "This is a menacing fire, certainly, but we have a lot of people working very diligently to bring it under control," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. The containment operation is not only being hampered by dry winds. It is proving challenging for firefighters because of the location and mountainous terrain. An analyst with the California fire protection department, Tim Chavez, said the emergency services were struggling because "a hot interior" was in parts practically meeting the ocean, making access difficult. "It's just a very difficult place to fight fire," Mr Chavez said, adding: "It's very dangerous and has a historical record of multiple fatalities occurring over the years." The other fires hitting California are largely controlled, but 200,000 people have evacuated their homes and some 800 buildings have been destroyed since 4 December. Media captionLarge parts of southern California have been affected Evacuation orders were issued overnight on Sunday for parts of Carpinteria close to Los Padres National Forest, about 100 miles (160km) northwest of Los Angeles. Forecasters said wind speeds were expected to increase throughout the day, before dying down again overnight. The local fire department tweeted pictures of a wall of flames advancing on homes on the outskirts of Carpinteria early on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, actor Rob Lowe, who lives in Santa Barbara, a city of close to 100,000 people, tweeted that he was praying for his town as fires closed in. "Firefighters making brave stands. Could go either way. Packing to evacuate now," Lowe added. California has spent the past seven days battling wildfires. Six large blazes, and other smaller ones, erupted on Monday night in southern California. The Thomas Fire - named according to where it started, near the Thomas Aquinas College - is by far the largest of the fires. Gafargaon Liberation Day observed Gafargaon (Mymensingh) Correspondent : Gafargaon Liberation Day was observed through gathering of freedom fighters, mass people , human-chain,rally on December 9 . Discussion meeting , human-chain and rally were held adjacent to Charalgi Vatipara Abdus Satter High School. Central Vice Chairman of Muktijuddha Sanghoti Parishad and MP aspirant of Awami League from Mymensingh-10 seat- freedom fighter Major (Retd) Rejaul Karim was the Chief Guest in the meeting. Haji Abdul Karim, Fakrul Islam, Mawlana Joynal Abedin, madrasa teacher Mawlana Anisur Rahman spoke in the meeting. The chief guest narrated the oppression of the then Pakistani Bahini's inhuman torture on him and killing of his colleague during Liberation War. On the 9th December in 1971 ,valiant freedom fighters liberated Gafargaon under Mymensingh defeating the Pakistan occupation forces who explosive blasted on the town. The occupation forces also came to Gafargaon and burnt a lot of houses, killing innocent people , raping women, oppressed people brutally. On this day in 1971, a team of over many freedom fighters led company Commander Major Afser Bahini from hidden place under the leadership by him attacked the Pakistani Bahani and defeated to the freedom fighters. They were compelled to flee away from the town . On the occasion of day the local freedom fighters have taken various programmes. Major Reja arranged a human-chain ,discussion meeting at Charalgi Union with freedom fighters and mass people on the occasion of this day. 1,500 colleges face closure M M Jasim : About 1,500 colleges are in fear of closure as they have failed to fulfil the condition of the Education Ministry in terms of students' admission in Higher Secondary level, ministry sources said. The Education Ministry has already started to know the reasons behind the failure of the colleges for not admitting any student or poor number of students. The ministry will take stern action, including shut up the colleges and others punishment, the sources said. No student was admitted to a total of 135 colleges in Higher Secondary level under 2017-18 session. Of them, 66 institutions are madrasas. As many as 1,383 institutions got poor number of students and most of them obtained only 5 students. As per the rule of the ministry, an institution must have 25 students in Secondary level for getting MPO (Monthly Payment Order). If the number falls the ministry has the right to close the institution. Deputy Secretary of the Education Ministry Dr Srikanto Kumar Chanda said, the ministry gives approval of an institution if there is no college in six kilometers away. Sometimes, the ministry relaxed it on the basis of density of the population, which is not fair. It is alleged that some officials of the ministry helped the owners of the colleges to become MPO and get approval of establishment by underhand dealings. In most of the cases, the institutions got approval by some unscrupulous officials. As a result, they did not get sufficient students and some of them have lost approval. An official of the ministry wishing anonymity told this correspondent that some officials tried to save the institutions with poor performance last year. "They are active this year also," he said. No student has been admitted to 19 colleges in the city while 18 colleges got 1-2 students. Mirpur Prime Scholars College has 300 seats, but it did not get any student this year. The same scenario has been found at all the education boards in the country. Secretary (Secondary and Higher Education Division) of the Education Ministry Sohrab Hossain said, it is true that the students are reluctant to admit in substandard colleges. "We have no second option but closure of the institutions. We also closed many colleges last year due to their poor performance," the secretary said. "It is obvious that the government's fund is being wasted as many of the colleges' performance are not satisfactory. The founders of these institutions are also in frustration," Sohrab Hossain said. Chairman of Dhaka Education Board Professor Mahabubur Rahman said, "The Education Ministry has asked us to identify the causes behind the poor performance of these institutions. "We are working as per the ministry's direction," he said. Affairs cost life! Staff Reporter : A 30-year youth was allegedly slaughtered by four unidentified 'hired miscreants' centering love affairs dispute at a seven-storied building in the city's Aftabnagar area on Monday. The victim has been identified as Monjil Hossen, a businessman, hailing from Homna upazila under Comilla district. Police have detained his girl friend Sharmin Akhter alias Nishi, 26, for interrogation in this connection. Badda Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Wazed Ali said, "Four youths entered the 6th floor of the building No. 5, Road No. 3, Block- B at Aftabnagar around 11:00 am and they left the house after killing Monjil around 1:00pm." We have detained Sharmin Akhter for interrogation as she is also a member of the assailant team, he said. Police said they have started the investigation of the cause of the death, the police official said, adding we are trying to arrest the killers. The body has been sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) morgue for post mortem, he said. Fire at Fenchuganj grid hits power supply to NE dists Fire broke out at the 230kV power substation at Fenchuganj in Sylhet on Monday, leaving one of the transformers totally damaged. Some areas of the country's northeastern districts experienced power supply disruptions due to a fire incident at a grid sub-station at the Fenchuganj power station on Monday. According to official sources at Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) that operates the substation, the fire broke out at 10:45 am on Monday at the transformer of the 230-132 kV grid substation leading to a shutdown in power supply. As a result, the power supply from the substation to a number of areas of four districts - Sylhel, Habiganj, Comilla, and Moulvibazar was disrupted. Five power plants generate electricity from the Fenchuganj power station are 97 MW Fenchuganj CCPP-1 (Gas), 104 MW Fenchuganj CCPP-2(New), 51 MW Fenchuganj (Barakatullah), 163 MW Kushiara Fenchugonj and 44 MW Fenchuganj (Energyprima). However, PGCB officials claimed that operation of no power plant was affected by the fire incident and they have been able to restore the power supply to the disrupted areas within few minutes through alternative Fenchuganj 132 kV transmission grid line. Gazette published keeping Presidents authority Gulam Rabbani : The government finally published the gazette notification on disciplinary rules for the lower court judges keeping the Presidents authority to control the judges. But the gazette keeps provision of the Supreme Courts advice prior to take any kind of action against the judicial service member. Bangladesh Government (BG) Press on Monday evening published the 24 pages notification after the Law Ministry sent to it for publication. According to the gazette notification, departmental proceedings could be taken against any member of the judicial service if any specific allegation found against him/her. No allegation will be brought into contingence until the consent of the Supreme Court, also said the notification. If any specific allegation found logical against any member of the service, the matter should be sent to the Supreme Court for suggestion, the notification also read. Prior to this, written statement of the accused service member should be taken. After submitting the statement of the service member if the authority thinks that the allegations are considerable for investigation, then the authority can appoint an investigation officer or form a body to look into the allegations against the service member consulting with the Supreme Court. The authority can be able to temporarily suspend the accused service members by the advice of the apex court if they are found guilty. A service member will be temporarily suspended for maximum one year. If the investigation does not complete by this time the temporarily suspension will cancelled automatically, but the departmental proceedings will continue. Meanwhile, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Corut (SC) had extended time till December 13 in 2017 to the government to publish a gazette notification on the last hearing day of the Masdar Hossain case, known as the judiciary separation case. Earlier, Law Secretary said, the Law Ministry has finalised the disciplinary rules for lower court judges in line with Article 116 of the Constitution, which allows the president to control their postings, promotions and leaves in consultation with the Supreme Court. Article 116, in its current form, says, The control (including the power of posting, promotion and grant of leave) and discipline of persons employed in the judicial service and magistrates exercising judicial functions shall vest in the President and shall be exercised by him in consultation with the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court recently had gone through the draft and sent it back to the Ministry with its opinions. On November 16, Law Minister Anisul Huq met five judges of the Appellate Division of the SC and discussed the rules and then told the journalists that the problem regarding issuance of a gazette notification determining the discipline of lower court judges had been resolved. On November 5, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that [the then] Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha wanted to see the rules curbing the power of the President. The government, therefore, was trying to resolve the issue through discussions with the SC and the Law Ministry, he added. While presiding over the Appellate Division bench, Justice Sinha had expressed annoyance and dissatisfaction several times at the governments failure to issue a gazette notification on the rules. Article 116 of the original charter of 1972 had empowered the SC to decide on the posting, promotion and leave of lower court judges. The top court had also control over the magistrates exercise of judicial powers and could discipline the judicial service staffs when necessary. Over the years, this article has been amended several times, curtailing the apex courts powers. Currently, the powers to control and discipline subordinate courts are vested in the President, who exercises these powers in consultation with the SC. However, according to article 48(3) of the Constitution, the president acts on the advice of the Prime Minister. This gives the government ample scope to exercise power over the judiciary. In a message on October 31 last year, Justice Sinha had said such a dual rule was hampering the judicial work and was also increasing justice seekers sufferings. The Supreme Court alone cannot take steps regarding lower court judges promotion and transfer or any disciplinary action against them in view of the Article 116 of the Constitution. Judges cannot be appointed to fill many vacant posts in the district courts on time due to the dual rule, Justice Sinha said in the message issued on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the separation of the Judiciary from the executive. Dhaka-Ctg Expressway still a far cry Internal dispute delayed project plan for one yr Anisul Islam Noor : The government's initiative to build Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway as a fast road communication system between the capital and the port city delayed for a year due to dispute between the Roads Transport and Highways Division (RHD) and Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA). In this context, RHD has already completed a pre-feasibility study in two phases. The BBA also wants to build expressway on the same route. And it has also taken a separate feasibility study project in this regard. The conflict is continuing for more than a year. According to a study, on an average, 35,000 vehicles were transported daily on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in 2015. It will cross 65,000 in 2020. In the year 2030, the number of vehicles will increase to 85,000. In this case, the existing highway has 90 risky points, and expressway construction is the only solution, the study said. But conflict between the two offices has delayed the government's plan of enhancement transportation capacity between Dhaka-Chittagong. To get the job, both the offices sent counter letters even to the Prime Minister's Office and the Planning Commission. However, the Road Transport and Highways Division now sought the intervention of the Finance and Planning Ministers in this regard. The government signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on April 3, 2013 to prepare feasibility study and detailed design of the Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway. Later the consultation firm SMAC International proposed three different routes for the project.As per the Prime Minister's direction, a design was prepared keeping option route on plain land and flyover in some parts. On the recommendation of consultant firm, the initiative of implementing the full expressway in three parts has been taken. Among them, Dhaka-Comilla 84 km, Comilla-Feni 52.80 km and Feni-Chittagong 80.95 km. Meanwhile, several meetings were held between Roads Transport and Highways Division with the Finance Division for all the packages. Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division Nazrul Islam told The New Nation that the Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway would be implemented under Road Transport Division. "The minister has already finalized this decision, but the project is not progressing due to the bridge division. We will notify it to the Finance and the Planning Ministers to take action quickly," the secretary said. Sources said, though three routes have been considered, finally it has been decided to build it on the side of the existing highway. Expressway will be constructed from Kanchpur to Daudkandi, Comilla, Feni and Chittagong. Two sides of the road will be sealed. "Only cars can be accessed and removed by the specified place. If it is built, you can go from Dhaka to Chittagong in two to two and a half hours," Nazrul Islam said. Expressway length will be 218 kilometers. The bridges on Kanchpur, Meghna and Gomti will be extended in six lane and both roads and railway systems will be installed in the bridges. Besides service roads, 7 interchanges, three service stations, 64 overpasses, 44-vehicle underpasses, four medium bridges and 28 small bridges will be constructed under the project. The estimated expenditure of the proposed project will be Tk 28,187.90 crore, while it will increase to Tk 72,000 crore if it is built as flyover, sources said. The project has been scheduled for the period from January 2012 to December 2022. Change is everything Life Desk : Newly-crowned Miss World Manushi Chhillar believes that change, and not success, is everything. "I think change is everything, something common in all entrepreneurs. "We not only love what we do but we want change that is why we do it," she said at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) here on Wednesday. She feels that everyone can make a difference to the world. "We don't have to be Miss World to do that. Even if you give a smile, it will bring change." Manushi was in a chat with Ronnie Screwvala, Founder, UpGrad, on the second day of the summit at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). She said as Miss World and a future doctor her purpose is the same as she wants to do something good for the society. "If I hadn't won, I'd still be doing what I do." She plans to give back to the society both as a doctor and as an ambassador of India in different parts of the world. On communication, she said coming from a doctor's family it came naturally to her. She believed communication is key to the profession as a doctor has to communicate with his or her patients. "It's also become easy to communicate when you say what you believe," the girl from Haryana added. "Believe strongly in yourself and have purpose. Others will also believe you," was her advice to women entrepreneurs who feel like giving up in the face of odds. Health and hygiene are the causes she wants to support as Miss World. She said she has been working for menstrual hygiene across India. Stressing on the need for equal opportunities for women in society, she said they should get this because they are equally capable. "I shouldn't be treated differently because I am a woman, then only it will be an equal world," she added. Manushi received a warm welcome at the HICC. Several delegates were seen vying to click pictures with her. Earlier, she received a grand welcome at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. She was accompanied by Julia Evelyn Morley, the Chairwoman of the Miss World Organisation, which runs the annual Miss World and bi-annual Mister World competitions. On her arrival, senior GMR officials greeted her with a bouquet and escorted her to the GMR lounge, where she interacted with officials and airport staff. - IANS, Hyderabad Revolution in veg production Small farmers income gets a boost Kazi Zahidul Hasan : For the last few years, a silent revolution has unfolded in vegetable farming across the country rapidly changing the fate of the small and marginal farmers. Bangladesh has witnessed a record production of over 4.96 million tonnes of vegetable in the last fiscal year (2016-17) while the total production of vegetables was 3.67 million tonnes in the previous fiscal (2015-16), according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Production of vegetable is expected to cross 5.0 million tonnes this year, officials said. "Vegetable production is increasing by 5 to 6 per cent per year taking advantage of farming revolution in the last one decade," Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Dr Mehedi Masud told The New Nation on Monday. He said an extensive vegetable cultivation has brought significant changes in the livelihood of marginal farmers across the country, as they are getting a huge profit from vegetable production. Bangladesh is now the third largest producer of vegetables in the world, after China and India. Vegetable is now exported to about 50 countries around the world. 60 per cent of the total quantity is exported to the Middle East and the remaining 40 per cent to European and other countries. "Expanded cultivation of vegetables has brought about a revolution in both farming and in rural economy bringing fortune to thousands of the poor and landless families," another Horticulture Specialist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam told The New Nation. He said, "Vegetable farming also helps driving agricultural growth and we cannot ignore its contribution to the economy". Khondker Mesbahul Islam also said that the farmers are making profit from vegetable production, which is changing their life. Literate youths are also joining the farming with the use of improved technology and their talents. It also helped to increase the production further. Quoting a survey report, both the Horticulture Specialists said 40 per cent of the total vegetables is wasted from production to the consumers' level. They believe that much of this waste could be minimized if there were improved storage facilities and good communication systems. According to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), vegetable production has increased five times in the past 40 years. It increased by 32 per cent in the last six years, said an official figure. Farmers are cultivating pumpkin, sweet gourd, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, pointed gourd, chilli, brinjal, cucumber, snake gourd, long beans, teasel gourd, sponge gourd, cauliflower, spinach and red amaranth, garlic and other vegetables. "We're now turning enthusiastically to these short-duration crops with high yield reeling from recurring losses and declining productivity of staple crops such as rice and wheat," Rakibul Islam, 45, a vegetable farmer at Doulatpur upazila under Kushtia district, told The New Nation yesterday. He said his grandfather and father like other farmers in his village grew rice, wheat and pulse, which is what they also ate. He never saw profit in producing the staples. Five years ago, Rakibul switched to growing vegetables like brinjals, cauliflowers, potatoes, chilli and tomatoes from his farm. "Now I am cultivating seasonal vegetables in my 3.0 acres of land and making good profit," he said, adding, " Now we are healthy and a bit wealthy." Rabiul also said that the rising demand for vegetables has opened up a great opportunity for the farmers in his upazila. Like Rabiul, thousands of poor households of northwestern districts have also become self-reliant through vegetable cultivation; our correspondents reported from major vegetable growing districts. They said small farmers are making more money and seeing better health thanks to vegetables farming. They are selling the extra produce after meeting their own nutrition demand. Army's rape of Rohingya women sweeping, methodical This combo photo comprises of portraits of some of the Rohingya Muslim women taken during an interview with The Associated Press in Kutupalong and Gundum refugee camp in Bangladesh. AP : The rape of Rohingya women by Myanmar's security forces has been sweeping and methodical, the Associated Press news agency found in interviews with 29 women and girls who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. The sexual assault survivors from several refugee camps were interviewed separately and extensively. The women gave AP their names, but agreed to be publicly identified only by their first initial, citing fears they or their families would be killed by Myanmar's military. They ranged in age from 13 years old to 35, came from a wide swath of villages in Myanmar's Rakhine state and described assaults between October 2016 and mid-September. Yet there was a sickening sameness to their stories, with distinct patterns in their accounts, their assailants' uniforms and the details of the rapes themselves. The testimonies bolster the UN's contention that Myanmar's armed forces are systematically employing rape as a "calculated tool of terror" aimed at exterminating the Rohingya people. The Myanmar armed forces did not respond to multiple requests from the AP for comment, but an internal military investigation last month concluded that none of the assaults ever took place. Myanmar official mocks rape accusation When journalists asked about rape allegations during a government-organised trip to Rakhine in September, Rakhine's minister for border affairs, Phone Tint, replied: "These women were claiming they were raped, but look at their appearances - do you think they are that attractive to be raped?" Protection of mountains underscored UNB, Dhaka : Speakers at a discussion on Monday urged all to protect the mountains for the betterment of the future generation. Mentioning that mountain is important for the whole world they said thousands of people depend on mountains for survival. They came up with the remarks at a Citizens' Dialogue marking the International Mountain Day jointly organised by Bangla Mountaineering & Trekking Club (BMTC) and Embassy of Nepal at the Jatiya Press Club in the city. The theme of this year's Mountain Day is 'Mountain under pressure: climate, hunger, migration'. Addressing the dialogue second Bangladeshi Mount Everest conqueror MA Muhit said Himalayan Mountain is very important for Bangladesh as most of the rivers of Bangladesh get water from rivers that originate from the Himalayan glaciers. He said, Himalayan glaciers are getting melted and the cracks of the mountains are on the rise for the reason of global warming which is very alarming adding when the glaciers melt, rivers flood. Urging people not to throw the wastes and garbage at random Muhit said, "We'll enjoy the beauty of nature but should not make the nature dirty and disturb its wild life." Nishat Mazumder, first Bangladeshi woman to scale Mount Everest said the white mountains are getting black as days are passing for the effect of global warming. Terming the Himalayan Mountain as the mother of Bangladesh she said, "If mother is not happy, we won't be happy." Nishat said, the green hills of Bangladesh are getting less green and the incidents like landslide are happening there. So, authorities concerned will have to be careful in this regards. Economist Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said mountain is not only a beauty of nature when people climb it they also discover themselves. Everyone is talking about development issue nowadays but other issues like preservation of environment, cleanliness also should be discussed with this, he stressed. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. The trip to Durban from Bangalore was a long one: partly because the departure from Bangalore airport was at 3:45am, but mainly because we had to take three flights to get to our destination. We left our place in Bangalore at midnight: the first UberXL I tried to book was a phantom, so I cancelled it (Ive seen a number of these since arriving in Asia, for some reason). The second one I booked stayed at 1 minute away for quite some time I ended up realising it was parked a few metres up the street. I walked up to it and found the driver sleeping inside (and really soundly) as hed confirmed the booking somehow presumably in is sleep I felt entitled to bang on the window to wake him. It took a while, but he eventually woke up and agreed to take us to the airport (after asking us to pay cash, which I found a bit strange for an Uber driver). The driver clearly wasnt fully awake, but we all certainly were by the time we arrived at the airport. Driving in Bangalore can be frightening enough, but when your half-asleep driver applies his stuck in traffic driving skills to open roads, its terrifying. Not only that, but the driver clearly wasnt the one shown in his Uber profile Im pretty sure there was some kind of scam going on. Anyway, we were relieved to arrive in one piece. At the airport things went fairly smoothly, although it did take Qatar Airways staff a little while to validate our documentation for South Africa theyre clearly not used to having Swiss people flying on this particular leg. In the last year or so, South Africa has required parents travelling with children to present documentation of their familial relationships. Modern passports dont include fields for father and mother so this usually means carrying original birth certificates. In Switzerland the closest equivalent is the Certificat de Famille, a document that grows as you get married and have kids. We had ours with us, but it took the airline staff a long time to decipher it (arriving in South Africa proved much simpler, in comparison, but thats how these things sometimes go). Other than that the flights went smoothly. We started with a 5-hour flight to Doha On arriving in Qatar, the kids got a real kick out of seeing men with falcons in the airport! Next was a 9-hour leg from Doha to Johannesburg. Wed managed to sleep for most of the first leg, but still drifted off between movies on this very comfortable second leg. So by the time we arrived in Joburg and had to collect our bags and pass customs and immigration we were still surprisingly fresh. Then it was a small hop to Durban, the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal. It was never our plan to stay in the city itself: after picking up our rental car a Nissan X-Trail, a 4x4 with decent clearance we drove the 20-minutes or so up to the Dolphin Coast where wed booked an Airbnb literally a few steps from the sea. This was a perfect place to recover from our trip before having to deal with Africa proper. We spent our time wandering along Sheffield Beach, or just staring out to sea to try to spot bottle-nosed dolphins (we did see a couple of pods on the last morning, which was pretty special. We also saw some beautiful birdlife, that a book in the flat allowed us to identify: a red bishop, a Burchells coucal and a redwinged starling. The birds of Africa are really spectacular. On the beach we were wondering at the number of little plastic beads we found at the high-tide line. At first we thought they might be worn-down pieces of plastic, but then found out Kalans personal theory was correct: they were beads destined to be melted down to make bottles, etc. We met a clean-up crew along the beach and learned the full story: a couple of months ago a huge storm hit Durban: it not only claimed 36 lives but resulted in a cargo ship losing a container of these beads (also known as nurdles). The beads started showing up on the beaches along the coast: some were completely white with them. The resultant clean-up operation paid for by insurance is a mammoth job: crews up and down the coast will be making repeated trips to the beaches until at least August of next year. Thankfully the nurdles float, which at least means they should eventually be found and collected. (It turns out they soak up pollutants, though, so make end up being quite damaging to the environment, one way or another.) After two nights near Sheffield Beach it was time to head inland. Wed decided wed be crossing into Lesotho on December 10th, so had two nights to kill on the way. The Royal Natal National Park on the South African side of the Drakensberg mountains seemed a good place to do this. We knew there was a camp-site at the park, so headed directly for that. As we arrived it was already raining, so we decided to find something a little more hotel-like: another option would have been to stay in a very cute village inside the park called Thendele, but at around $200 a night we decided to look elsewhere. We retraced our steps and stumbled upon a B&B called the Tower of Pizza. Yes, I know under normal circumstances theres no way Id go for a place with a name like that, but by this point it really was raining heavily. And it turned out to be fantastic a complete surprise! We had a lovely little cottage with a fireplace: a great way to stay sheltered from the weather. It turns out wed brought the rain with us: it was the first day of the rainy season, which local farmers had been looking forward to for months. Luckily, though, we woke up to find blue skies after a fantastic breakfast, we went back to the park and found the Thukela (also spelled Tugela) Gorge Trail that had been recommended by our hosts at the B&B. We werent sure wed do the whole 14km of trail (7km each way), but we decided to try. The weather on the way out was simply perfect And we made it all the way to Thukela Gorge, which was beautiful. In the distance we could even see the Thukela Falls, the second-highest in the world: you can just make it out in the below photo. We had a quick picnic lunch before strarting back, mainly as we were concerned about being caught in a storm. The weather had already started to roll in not unexpectedly, but we picked up the pace for the return, as best we could. We were starting to get tired and low on water, so were relieved to arrive back at the carpark having only been touched by a few drops of rain. The rain came again, really hard while we were taking it easy at the flat, recovering from the 16km we had ended up walking. This time, though, it didnt disappear the following morning. Weve had a lovely time in KwaZulu-Natal: next well be heading to Lesotho, which should be quite an experience. By the way if youve enjoyed these photos, you can see more (and more regularly) via our Instagram page. By Azernews By Rashid Shirinov An area of 13,000 square meters has been completely cleared in Jojug Marjanli village of Azerbaijans Jabrayil region, National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) told Trend on December 9. During the past day, an area of 13,000 square meters was completely cleared in the village, while no mines or unexploded ordnance were found, the message says. Currently, ANAMA continues clearing of Jojug Marjanli from mines and UXOs. The Agency was established in 1998 for planning and coordination, management and monitoring of mine action related activities all over the country. The problem of unexploded ordnance in Azerbaijan can be divided into the areas that are still under the occupation of Armenian forces and other areas of the country. Most of the unexploded ordinances are the result of Armenian aggression. Jojug Marjanli village was liberated by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces from the Armenian occupation in April 2016. In late January 2017, President Ilham Aliyev ordered to restore the village. ANAMA professionals carry out the operation in the village with the aim to ensure full security for its residents. By Azernews By Rashid Shirinov France supports peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Aurelia Bouchez told journalists on her visit on December 11 to a new settlement built for internally displaced persons in Tartar region of Azerbaijan. France stands for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As OSCE Minsk Group co-chair country, France will continue to make efforts to achieve progress in the conflict settlement, she said. Bouchez added she was visiting Tartar region for the first time. I am quite impressed with the quality of buildings built here schools and apartments. I think this is very important, because it is necessary to take care of peoples lives. All this shows how important it is to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict, the ambassador noted. American professor James Quayle has also visited the new settlement in Tartar. I became in the first hand familiar with conditions created by Azerbaijani government for IDPs and this is incredible. I wish we had such a school in the place where I live in the U.S., he told reporters. Touching upon the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Quayle noted it is necessary to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries. He said the conflict should be settled in accordance with the principles and norms of international law. Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in a conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. Due to the ethnic cleansing policy carried out by Armenia, the number of refugees and internally displaced persons in Azerbaijan hit more than 1.2 million. With a population of over 9.8 million, Azerbaijan is among the countries carrying the highest IDP caseload in the world in per capita terms. With the growing economic and political situation of the country, Azerbaijan pays much attention to the most difficult problems once concerning the refugees and IDPs. The state improves the living conditions of refugees and IDPs and it has adopted relevant state programs and legislative acts. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, but they have not been enforced to this day. By Azernews By Kamila Aliyeva The situation on the Korean peninsula remains extremely tense and can only be resolved politically and diplomatically in line with the Russian-Chinese road map. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov following the fifteenth meeting of the Foreign Ministers of RIC (Russia, India and China), RIA Novosti reported. We exchanged opinions on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, it is extremely tense. We consider it inadmissible to aggravate military tension and military confrontation, which can turn into a hot state from the propaganda, he said. During the meeting, the ministers stressed the absence of an alternative to solving this problem exclusively by political and diplomatic means in line with the corresponding Russian-Chinese road map, according to Lavrov. Earlier, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikky Haley told Fox News Sunday that Beijing and the rest of the international community are following through with sanctions against Pyongyang for developing its nuclear weapons programme. She then commended Washington for leading the charge. But to be clear, China can do more. And we're putting as much pressure on them as we can. The last time they completely cut off the oil, North Korea came to the table. And so we've told China they've got to do more. If they don't do more, we're going to take it into our own hands and then we'll start to deal with secondary sanctions, Haley said. She also warned that if North Korea attempts to threaten the United States or any one of its allies, it will be utterly destroyed. You know, diplomacy is great in some respects, but you have to also be honest. North Korea has pushed the envelope to an extreme level, Haley added. Pyongyang conducted its first ballistic test launch on November 28. The missile was reported to have flown for 50 minutes on a very high trajectory, reaching 4,500 km above the earth before coming down nearly 1,000 km from the launch site off the west coast of Japan, according to the South Korean Chiefs of Staff Committee. November 28 marked the first missile launch carried out by North Korea since September 15. Since then, for 75 days, Pyongyang has refrained from military provocations. 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. Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the world's leading aluminium smelters, has signed a MoU with Bechtel, a leading construction and civil engineering firm, to explore further opportunities of growth with Line 6 Expansion Project, which will result in Alba becoming the worlds largest single-site aluminium smelter. Bechtel is currently the engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contractor for Albas landmark Line 6 Expansion Project. The agreement was signed in the presence of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister at a reception organised by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with American Chamber of Commerce and the US-Bahrain Business Council recently in Washington DC. Other cross-sector trade agreements were also signed between Bahrain and US companies during the reception. Alba is one of the industrial cornerstones of Bahrain and we are deeply committed to the kingdoms Economic Vision 2030 and proudly partake in the development of the society in which we operate," remarked CEO Tim Murray after signing the deal with Brendan P. Bechtel, the chairman and chief executive of Bechtel Group. "Alba and Bechtel have a long-standing business partnership," he stated. "We are excited at exploring further opportunities with Bechtel, which will consolidate Albas status as one of the most modern and largest single-site smelters in the world," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Students in Dubais private schools scored overall 527 points improving 37 average points from their previous performance in 2011, showed the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Fourth graders from private schools in the Dubai scored 539 in ePIRLS 2016, significantly higher than the international average. Over 7000 students from Dubai participated in the reading tests and they outperformed students in France, Belgium and Chile in PIRLS, reported Wam, the Emirates news agency. Dr Abdulla Al Karam, chairman and director general of Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai, said, "The success of Dubais students reflects our increased emphasis on improving reading skills and raising education standards across schools. Our rise in the global rankings is commendable and it affirms our continued progress to achieve UAE national agenda goals. These results will have a positive impact on our schools, teachers and students as we will continue to work on new initiatives that provide opportunities to collaborate and share successful experiences." Sixty-one per cent of private school students in Dubai scored at and above international average in PIRLS and 62 per cent in ePIRLS. Fatma Belrehif, executive director of Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau at KHDA, said, "These results align with our school inspection findings and we are continuing to see improvements. Reading skills are a key focus area for the inspections as making reading enjoyable at schools greatly impacts learning in other subjects." The PIRLS assessment, which has been running since 2001, involves nine and 10-year-olds from grade 4 or year 5 completing comprehension tests and provides internationally comparative data on how well children read by assessing students reading achievement in different countries. PIRLS tests follow a five-year cycle and Dubais scores have risen since its first participation in 2011. The study, which is run by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in Amsterdam, and Boston College, USA, tested more than 319,000 students in 50 countries. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a multispecialty hospital, reduced the amount of domestic water it was using by 30 per cent - saving more than four Olympic swimming pools worth of water per month - in the first nine months of the year. According to a report released today by the hospitals in-house sustainability team, monthly water usage within the hospital fell from 28,787 cu m in December 2016 to 19,830 cu m in September 2017. That means that over the first nine months of 2017, without compromising patient safety and while providing excellent care, the hospital has saved more than 20 million gallons of water enough to fill 400,000 baths or nearly 40 Olympic swimming pools. By using condensed water from the air conditioning system for irrigation and by changing the plant mix in its grounds to include more native species, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi succeeded in cutting the amount of mains water it used for irrigation by two thirds. Irrigation water usage fell from 3,978 cu m in December 2016 to just 1,092 cu m in September 2017 saving the equivalent of one and a half Olympic swimming pools worth of water a month. From last month -- November 2017 -- around 70 per cent of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabis hot water demand has been met by solar water heaters something which will save the hospital Dh750,000 ($204 million) a year on its utility bills and further reduce the hospitals carbon footprint. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi was designed to meet the highest sustainability standards in the GCC, said Mawadhah Al Hashemi, sustainability manager at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In the journey of sustainability, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels we are constantly looking for ways to innovate and reduce our use of resources including water and electricity. The healthcare industry globally is one of the most resource-intensive commercial occupiers in the world and I am very proud our hospital continues to work hard every day to become more and more environmentally sustainable. To reduce carbon emissions, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi this year became one of the first hospitals in the Mena region to use a greenhouse gas tool to quantify and exhaustively log the exact amounts of greenhouse gas emissions the hospital produces in the hope of then being able to reduce them. In 2014, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi became the largest hospital in the GCC to have been awarded a Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold sustainability certificate for new construction. The hospital has been designed to include an innovative double skin exterior which provides an air buffer between the indoor and outdoor environment, reducing the amount of cooling the iconic building requires. In contrast to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabis sustainability efforts, hospitals typically use around twice the amount of energy of similarly-sized office buildings and the number of new hospitals opening across the GCC region is set to grow by more than 10 per cent over the next three years. By highlighting the sustainability results that Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is achieving throughout the year, we hope that others in the healthcare sector will take their own steps to reduce water and energy consumption and find new ways to become more resource-efficient in their operations, Al Hashemi concluded.- TradeArabia News Service Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), a leading aluminium smelter in the world, has signed up as strategic sponsor for the Aluminium Sector, at the Gulf Industry Fair 2018, the Northern Gulfs only event dedicated to promoting industrialisation, thus reaffirming its strategic support for the expo. The Gulf Industry Fair 2018 will take place from February 6 to 8 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, said the event organisers Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions (HCE). Alba will promote the Aluminium Industry at Gulf Industry Fair 2018, which reflects both, the upstream and downstream growth of the aluminium sector in the GCC. Albas CEO Tim Murray said: "Aluminium has become one of the pillars upon which Bahrain has built its economic diversification. As the GCCs leading aluminium smelter, we believe that the Gulf Industry Fair is an important platform to promote Bahrain and the regions Aluminium Industry." The Gulf aluminium industry is set to boom with Albas brownfield project, Line 6 Expansion Project, which will further underline the GCC region as an emerging hub for aluminium production, stated Murray. "Line 6 Expansion Project, is going to add 540,000 metric tonnes, bringing Albas total production to 1.5 million metric tonnes," he added. Welcoming the Alba tieup, Jubran Abdulrahman, the managing director of HCE, said Albas presence has encouraged downstream participation from leading downstream aluminium companies based in Bahrain such as Midal Cables and Gulf Markets International who manufacture and market products from Aluminium supplied by Alba. "The Aluminium Zone at Gulf Industry Fair promotes products and services from the growing aluminium sector in the GCC. Bahrain is an established global exporter of downstream aluminium products and services which are Made in Bahrain," he noted. "This strong position is due, in no small part, to the role of Alba as a local and global aluminium producer," he added. Gulf Industry Fair 2018 also carries the strategic sponsorship of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) in association with the National Oil and Gas Authority. The leading industry event is supported by Bahrain Industrial Association, PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Bahrain.-TradeArabia News Service Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the largest telecoms company in the kingdom, has joined forces with Thales, a leader in critical information systems, cybersecurity and data security, to launch a cloud encryption service for enterprise customers allowing them to protect and control their data in the cloud. Thales had inked a cloud service provider agreement with STC to provide data encryption solutions through the STC cloud platform and to further develop secured Information Communications Technology (ICT) business in Saudi Arabia. Enterprises are increasingly turning to cloud environments to help them save time and money. While these technologies are digitally transforming businesses, they present some challenges. Enterprise data is fair game for cybercriminals, regardless of operating environment, and meeting compliance and best practices requirements isnt always straightforward. Vormetric Transparent Encryption from Thales encrypts sensitive data before it leaves the enterprise and is saved in the cloud storage environment, enabling information security teams to establish the visibility and control they need around sensitive assets. This solution ensures that data in the STC public cloud is secure and trusted by delivering seamless high performance encryption, access control and strong key management. Talal Albakr - Vice President Cloud Services at Saudi Telecom Company says: Digital transformation is at the heart of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 for a strong, thriving and stable economy that provides opportunity for all. Our partnership with Thales is designed to deliver secure and trusted public cloud services to STC customers across the Kingdom and the wider Middle East region, allowing them to establish strong safeguards around their sensitive data and applications in the cloud, satisfying local compliance requirements and providing greater control and flexibility. Philip Schreiber, the regional sales director, at Thales eSecurity Middle East, Africa and South Asia said: "It is a common misconception that by moving to the cloud, businesses are relinquishing all control of their data. By applying encryption and practicing secure encryption key management, companies can ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive data." "Even if lost, stolen, or accessed without authorization, encrypted data is unreadable and essentially meaningless without its key. STC have selected a best-in-class data encryption solution that not only ensures their customers remain firmly in control of their data but also ensures that data remains secure and trusted in their cloud environment," he added.-TradeArabia News Service The landmark Declaration of Cooperation reached last year by the 14 member countries of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) with the 10 non-Opec states underlined the shared resolve they all had in achieving an accelerated realignment of global oil supply and demand at a time of critical importance, according to an Opec publication. Both Opec and non-Opec producers on November 30 reached an agreement to further extend oil output cuts until the end of 2018. ''With this 'Declaration, the 24 producers upheld their responsibility for oil market stability in the interest of all oil producing and consuming countries," said the special edition of the Opec Bulletin. "Their monumentally-significant decision, taken after extensive rounds of consultations in order to address the prevailing market realities at the time, were considered to be much more than just a short-term fix; they were seen as essential in the medium- and long-term as well," it stated. "As a result, the 'Declaration' demonstrated and even exemplified a commitment to the global community in shared efforts to restore and sustain market stability with positive and broad implications for the world economy, the oil industry and oil producing countries,'' it added. According to Opec, the 'Declaration' was not only historic in itself but also a noteworthy achievement on so many other levels: It is the first production adjustment since Oran 2008 and also it is the first time that participating non-Opec countries are committed to a joint agreement for production adjustment. "It allows for Iraq to be effectively part of the production management for the first time since 1998,'' stated the Vienna-based organization in the special edition. Despite sources of uncertainty and the different kinds of challenges they represented, the Opec bulletin noted that the 24 signatories of the Declaration found ways to see beyond parochial concerns and view the problem together, collectively, with the aim of finding a way forward that might benefit all of them as well as the world as a whole. ''They managed to rise to the occasion, amid extensive consultations and multiple rounds of shuttle diplomacy, and produced an extraordinary action that has changed the course of history," said the Opec experts in the bulletin. "While we are still looking forward to the continuing implementation of the market rebalancing long sought by so many, the progress made in the year has been remarkable" it stated. ''Furthermore, the relationships built and the ties made have been exemplary and they are now serving as a model of how to tackle other problems in the future,'' the bulletin added.-TradeArabia News Service Cromia, a renowned leather goods brand from Italy, has lauched the Miss Chain mini bags - a new party girl must have for the holiday season. Miss Chain is a stylish mini bag made using printed saffiano leather. The front panel is embellished with micro studs and a train of small silver chains at the bottom give it elegance and movement. the new bags come in new colors for the festive season - blue, black, red, argento, orchid, platinum and white. The Miss Chain mini bags measure to 18x17x6 in size and come with a removable shoulder strap. Bag lovers can discover the entire festive Cromia handbags and accessories collection at Wafi Mall in Dubai. - TradeArabia News Service Dubai Airports, operator of Dubai International and Dubai World Central, has appointed Majed Al Joker as executive vice president, corporate affairs. Al Joker takes on responsibility for a new Corporate Affairs unit that comprises Dubai Airports Excellence Programmes and Government Relations, Corporate Resilience, Security and Legal departments. Prior to his promotion, Al Joker was senior vice president, Assurance & Control Authorities. Weve made great strides recently to increase the positive influence that Dubai Airports has amongst our stakeholder community, both inside and outside of the airport. Weve also improved the relationship with the various government departments with whom we interact on a daily basis. Such improvements dont come without hard work and effort. They are the result of a sustained and detailed analysis of our business needs in this pivotal area. These improvements in our business have been led from the front by Majed Al Joker our new EVP of Corporate Affairs, said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. Al Joker joined Dubai Airports in 2008 as vice president - Terminal Operations before serving as senior vice president - Operations for Dubai World Central (DWC). Prior to joining Dubai Airports, he served as deputy director - Airport Operations at Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) for three years. He began his journey in the aviation industry at Emirates Airlines, where he served as the Outstation Airport Services Manager in Cairo, Bangkok, Bangladesh and Malaysia, and later became Emirates Airlines Regional Manager - Airport Services (West Asia) covering 24 international stations. He is also a winner of Best Leader in Customer Service (UAE level). - TradeArabia News Service Stacked up against most northeast Wyoming coal mines are the mounds of dirt disturbed in order to dig down to the thick black coal seams beneath the surface. The dark underbelly is exposed for months or years before eventually returning to the light brown of windswept prairie. Reclamation is an ongoing part of coal mining in Wyoming, and companies are quick to point out the ways theyve followed the rules. But cleaning up Wyoming mines became a matter of serious concern during the two-year downturn in the coal economy. In 2015 and 2016, three large coal companies went bankrupt, drawing attention to the $2 billion in unsecured cleanup costs at Wyoming coal mines. Conservation groups rallied against the practice of self-bonding, when a company financial strength is used as a guarantee for eventual cleanup costs. They argued that if companies went under, the state could be faced with reclaiming the largest open surface coal mines in the country, and paying the tab. But the coal economy has since improved. All those large companies are now fully bonded, and Wyoming is looking into its financial assurance rules, beefing up the way it judges a companys finances before allowing self-bonds. Environmental groups are favorable to all of these developments. But the heated debates during the bad times still need to be had, they say. Nearly half of the land disturbed for coal mining since the early 80s is still unreclaimed, and advocates warn that the long-term impacts of coal mining to water and the landscape are still a concern. So are the financial risks to coal companies with reclamation liabilities. State regulators and coal firms say the bust proved the strength of rules in place, and new rules being developed will keep Wyoming off the hook if and when the largest surface mines in the country are decommissioned. *** Companies feel theyve proved their worth when it comes to clean up. Even with those companies that went bankrupt, mining never stopped and reclamation never stopped, said Travis Deti, spokesman for the Wyoming Mining Association, referring to Peabody Energy, Alpha Natural Resources and Arch Coal filing for Ch. 11. By one measure, Wyoming firms have reclaimed about 64 percent of the land disturbed since the state developed its existing coal program in the 1980s, according to state counts. But judging reclamation at any point in time is difficult. Of the three phases that precede letting the company walk away from a mine site, the last step is the longest: a 10-year wait and see period in which water, soil and wildlife are monitored. Last year, seven tracts of land, between 90 and 2,000 acres, cleared that final hurdle. But that doesnt imply seven mine sites closed. Reclamation is piecemeal. The timeline of private companies using public land, however, is one of the things that advocacy groups consider, along with environmental concerns stated in federal environmental assessments, like the long-term impacts of draining water from the local aquifer. Deti, of the mining association, says the federal oversight proves that coal mining is heavily regulated and that water is one of the many areas that are reviewed. Reclamation is part of a mine plan, he said. Before a shovel of earth is turned, before permits are approved, you have to have your mine plan, which includes [clean up and bonding]. The fact that reclamation continued during the bankruptcy period is a good thing, said Shannon Anderson, lawyer for the Powder River Basin Resource Council, a landowners advocacy group in the Powder River Basin. Bonding rules are likely to improve, and that too is positive, Anderson said. But some of the concerns from the bankruptcy period are still relevant. There still is a lot of uncertainty in the market, she said. There is a lot of risk. *** The Resource Council has been a consistent voice in the push for Wyoming to update its bonding rules to ensure clean up. The downturn instigated a passionate debate over whether the state should continue to allow for self-bonding given coals vulnerability. Now Wyoming is considering asking companies to prove financial strength via a credit rating instead of financial statements, allowing them to look ahead at a companys projected financial health, rather than look back at how it did over the last year. The updates offer a surprising change of tone compared to the stubborn back and forth about bonding in years past when both states and coal companies argued for self-bonds. I think the bottom line is that we know that self-bonding is going to change and thats fair, said Deti of the Mining Association. The state was in a pretty precarious position a few years ago. Firms still want the ability to self-bond, and the state hasnt nixed the practice from its rule book, but it will change. How the bonding rules will shake out is unclear. A preliminary draft updating the rules was released last month, and meetings in Cheyenne and Gillette reviewed the proposals last week. But the final draft wont likely go through until late next year and all sides are planning to add their two cents to the states ideas. Concerns that projected declines in coal could make companies more vulnerable financially and lead to a reclamation mess dont really matter, some say. From a regulatory point of view, the key is reducing liability to the state by holding the right people accountable, said Kyle Wendtland, advisor of the Department of Environmental Qualitys land quality division. Environmental groups are still wary of the link between reclamation and the market, though supportive of the rule changes, said Anderson, of the Powder River Basin Resource Council. If one of these mines became orphaned or even long-term idled, where its essentially a zombie or ghost mine, the amount of facilities and land that hasnt been reclaimed is a real concern, she said. 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) $57.36 Brent (ICE) $63.40 Natural gas weekly averages: Henry Hub $2.86, Wyoming Pool $2.64, Opal $2.65 Baker Hughes rig count: U.S. 931, Wyoming 25 Quote of the week Im a no on property tax increase. Im a no on sales tax increase. I don't like the 1 percent leisure tax ... Im a no on an income tax. -- Senate President Eli Bebout on raising taxes due to the energy downturn. Tax talk tempered by improvements Wyoming's habitat of putting off tax increases once energy markets improve seems likely to come true again, as lawmakers hesitate to push for change due to marginal gains in oil and coal. ` Others warn against that route, hoping the state can begin to address its over dependency on the energy sectors, which may face long term challenges. Sage grouse heat fizzles Some Wyoming sage grouse leaders want to put the past behind them, after a few months of fear and frustration over the Interior Departments decision to open up sage grouse management plans to change. The federal push has worried environmental groups who say comments from Trump Administration have muddied the waters. They are reserving confidence in the feds until more details are fleshed out about actual changes. Wyoming signs coal contract Wyoming has a number of MOUs with other states and organizations that support coal research. Last week, a partnership with Montana, North Dakota and a Canadian province was added to the list. In addition to sharing their data on researching how to capture carbon, sequester it or use it for other purposes, the partners may be able to come together on projects and garner federal funding. That's the hope, anyway. Methane rule delayed again A controversial federal rule to limit methane emissions from oil and gas activities has been put to bed, for another year. After months of attempts to nix the rule in one way or another, the Bureau of Land Management has stalled implementation of some of the more controversial aspects of the rule, given its long term uncertainty and the cost to operators. Environmental groups have fought hard for this one, saying methane emissions from venting and flaring pose a serious risk and should be captured and sold. Companies argue that the environmental impact is overblown and that the Interior is stepping on air quality restrictions, the purview of the EPA. Clean Power Plan debate headed to Gillette Talk of repealing the Clean Power Plan should find support in Wyoming coal country when the Environmental Protection Agency holds a listening session on the plan. The date has not been set. The agency was criticized for holding only one meeting on the plan's repeal, and watchers expect a long fight with environmental groups pushing for regulations that address climate change. The coal sector, and states like Wyoming, have pushed back on the rule which would have taken a major bite out of the Powder River Basin production that Wyoming depends on. Despite immense worry over the implications of the plan, it was immediately tied up in court, where it remains. Getting rid of the CPP was a major campaign promise from President Donald Trump. Some of Wyomings sage grouse leaders say the discord that began after the Interior Department announced it would review the birds protections in the West is giving way to Wyomings collaborative approach. The comments were made at a meeting of the states Sage Grouse Implementation Team last week, a body made up of federal and state agents, environmentalists and industry representatives that has steered sage grouse management in Wyoming for nearly a decade. Sage grouse declines have concerning implications in the West. The bird is an indicator of the health of the western landscape and carries a risk that the federal government will list the species as endangered. A listing would put limits on one of Wyomings primary economic drivers, oil and gas development as well as restrict ranchers and mining operations in the state. The establishment of federal plans in 2015 kept that listing at bay, but earlier this year the Trump Administration said it would review and potentially change the plans. Public comment on initial proposed changes closed earlier this month. The review, and some of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes comments about what could be changed, kick-started a protest campaign from conservationists, warnings from the Wyoming and Colorado governors and some hesitation from industries like mining worried about long term predictability. Bob Budd, chairman of the Sage Grouse Implementation Team, tried to quiet some of the discord. He reminded members that the federal plans do have room for improvement and the hysteria of a top down rewrite of the plans was overblown. Budd criticized media coverage of the issue, and said public perception of potential changes to the sage grouse plans have been far from the reality as he sees it. Brian Rutledge, a policy adviser for the Audubon Society and a longtime conservation voice on Wyomings sage grouse management team, pointed out that it was rhetoric from the federal government that confused and frustrated people in the West. Theres been a lot of fear about what is going to happen with the 11-state management plans brokered by the Bureau of Land Management and reflective of the strategies laid out by Wyomings state approach, he said. Lets get over that, Budd said. All of us. Gov. Matt Meads policy adviser on sage grouse, Mike McGrady, said the tone from federal leadership had improved, particularly with the Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. The Bureau of Land Management received more than 200,000 comments on the departments initial notice opening up the plans, many of those form letters, according to members of the sage grouse team. Different states have different issues with their plans, said Budd. For Idaho, that could be a wholesale revision, for Oregon no significant changes. In Wyoming, home to more than 30 percent of the birds population, changes will be suggested that clarify or improve the current strategy, Budd said. We are not looking at changing what we do in Wyoming, he said. We are looking at making it clear. Environmentalists in the room said they hoped that change was happening and that the federal approach would be methodical. But theyd wait and see what comes out of the governments response to public comment in January before they felt optimistic. Kathy Sanford Thomas is a Casper native who has returned home to retire with her husband, Pat Thomas. She is co-chairman of the philanthropy or caring committee of the Natrona County Republican Women, whose project is Wreaths Across America. How did you get involved? The goal of Wreaths Across America is to place a Christmas wreath on every veterans grave throughout the United States. Since Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery is the only veterans cemetery in the state, we took this project on and there are 3,000 graves there. What will happen on Saturday? We are asking people to arrive to the chapel at the ceremony by 9:30 a.m. At 10 a.m., there will be a wreath laying ceremony. U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney has accepted our invitation to attend. We will recognize all branches of the military with a ceremonial wreath for each branch as well as for POW-MIA. And after that, we will lay the wreaths at all 3,000 graves. How did your group make this happen? Wreaths were sold throughout the community and throughout the state. Patriot Guard Riders are involved, Civil Air Patrol, Kelly Walsh DECA, DAR and VFW in Laramie. The Natrona County Republican Women set a goal of raising enough money to place a wreath on every grave, and we have surpassed that, so we have money set aside for next years wreaths as well. How do you get the wreaths to Wyoming? My husband, Pat, was with UPS government affairs and chairman of the American Trucking Association before he retired and moved back. The trucking industry is the foundation of this program. They ship them at no cost from Maine to Wreaths Across America programs throughout the United States. And you have had experience with the program in the past? I was a teacher in Virginia, so my students laid wreaths back there. Its a very patriotic, very emotional program. Its really just the least we can do for these veterans. Eighty-six cents of every dollar donated to the program goes to purchasing a wreath. The CEO of Wreaths Across America does not take a salary. And the wreath laying itself has meaning? The program asks you to read the soldier or veterans name out loud as you place the wreath. A person dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken. The mission of Wreaths Across America is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families and teach the value of freedom. The executive director of the program says, We are not here to decorate graves. Were here to remember not their deaths, but their lives. So you need a lot of help to lay 3,000 wreaths? Absolutely. We are asking for volunteers and community participants whether they bought a wreath or not. Some of the worlds best bull riders are on their way to Casper as they vie for spots at the Professional Bull Riders World Finals. The PBRs Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour is set to arrive in Wyoming for the first time April 7 at the Casper Events Center. Tickets go on sale Wednesday. Casper is the 20th scheduled stop on the national tour that culminates in the Velocity Tour Finals leading into the PBRs 2018 Built Ford Tough World Finals. For one huge night, some of the best bull riders in the world will battle the sports toughest bovine athletes, according to a press release from the Casper Events Center. The thrilling 8-second rides and heart-stopping wrecks make the PBRs Velocity Tour one of the most exciting live sporting events to see. The top three finishers at the Velocity Tour Finals and the leading international performer will qualify to compete at the PBR World Finals. The PBRs Built Ford Tough Series features the top 35 bull riders in the world and the top bulls in the business, according to a press release from the Casper Events Center. The PBRs Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour started in 2014 as the organizations premier expansion tour. The 2018 Velocity Tour also stops include Knoxville, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; Dayton, Ohio; Bangor, Maine and Oakland, California. After finding 100 pounds of pot in a minivan Saturday, authorities in Sweetwater County have now seized more than $4 million in marijuana since October. The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office says its canine unit has seized nearly 800 pounds of the drug in less than two months. The latest bust happened Saturday when a sheriff's office K9 team stopped a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan on Interstate 80. The van was traveling 90 mph in a 75 mph zone, authorities said. The team found five large duffel bags containing a combined 107 pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags, the sheriff's office reported. Authorities arrested the driver, Nicholas Wyatt Haws, 24, of Rocklin, California, and his passenger, 22-year-old Rayna M. Quiocho, 22, of Citrus Heights, California. Both were booked on suspicion of unlawful manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. They will remain in custody pending an initial appearance in court. The sheriff's office did not identify the dog handlers or K9s, citing threats in other parts of the country against officers and their dogs. A man accused of leading police on a chase through Glenrock and shooting at authorities this summer pleaded guilty Monday to six felonies. Christopher J. Eads entered his pleas to the six charges in a federal courtroom in Cheyenne. They are: conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, assault on a federal officer and two counts of carjacking. In exchange for his pleas, Eads had three other charges against him dismissed, according to court documents. He had also faced charges alleging he possessed heroin and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, discharged a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and was a felon in possession of a firearm. Other details of the deal were not available Monday as they were placed under seal. Law enforcement arrested Eads and his girlfriend, Santana Keener, in June after the couple fled an attempted traffic stop by state troopers and agents of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation on Interstate 25. Authorities pursued the couple, and during the ensuing chase, authorities say Eads shot at law enforcement vehicles. The couple drove their car off the highway at Glenrock and abandoned it, court documents allege. While police searched for it, they received a report of an elderly woman bleeding from the head. The woman told police a man went into her home through the back entrance, pushed her to the ground and attacked her before taking her car keys. The woman, who is in her 80s, had a broken rib, a broken toe and a laceration to her scalp that required 18 staples to close, according to the documents. Law enforcement later found the womans car abandoned nearby. Officers also found Keener, who was hiding in a field about 400 yards away from the crashed vehicle. Police arrested Keener, who later admitted to officers that she was in the car during the interstate chase and handed Eads a gun, which he then used to shoot at officers. She also said she witnessed Eads attack the elderly woman and steal a law enforcement vehicle. She said she and Eads had been traveling with a large amount of controlled substances, according to the documents. Authorities later found 18 grams of heroin in Keeners possession during a cavity search after her arrest. Keener pleaded guilty to three felonies on Thursday. Agents with the Division of Criminal Investigation had been watching Eads because they suspected he was a major distributor of methamphetamine and heroin in the Casper area, documents show. Eads was arrested hours later. He allegedly drove to Casper, hid in a car shop and refused to exit when police arrived. After hours of negotiation, he was taken into custody. Eads is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 16 in Casper. A Montana judge has temporarily restricted wolf hunting and trapping near Yellowstone and Glacier national parks and imposed tighter statewide limits on killing the predators. Wildlife advocates sued last month claiming that looser hunting rules adopted in the Republican-controlled state could harm wolf populations. State District Court Judge Christopher Abbott on Tuesday ordered officials to reimpose rules from 2020 that allow the killing of only five wolves per person, instead of 20, and forbid the use of snares for trapping. Abbott also limited hunting and trapping near the national parks. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte criticized the ruling, saying he thinks the judge overstepped his bounds. But state wildlife officials have pledged to comply with the order. JERUSALEM French and Israeli leaders sparred verbally Sunday over the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, while new violence rippled across the region following the move by U.S. President Trump. In Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard, seriously wounding him in the first attack in the volatile city since Trumps pronouncement Wednesday. In Beirut, scores of Lebanese and Palestinian demonstrators clashed with security forces outside the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy, and Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo demanded that the United States rescind the decision. The move upended decades of U.S. policy, and a longstanding international consensus, that the fate of Jerusalem be decided in negotiations. Israeli and Palestinian claims to the citys eastern sector form the emotional core of their conflict. Trumps announcement was seen as siding with the Israelis and has drawn wide international criticism. At a meeting in Paris with Israels visiting prime minister, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned recent violence against Israelis. But he also expressed disapproval of Trumps decision, calling it dangerous for peace. It doesnt seem to serve, in the short term, the cause of Israels security and the Israelis themselves, Macron said. He urged Israel to freeze its construction of settlements in occupied lands and called for other confidence-building measures toward the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called Trumps decision historic, said Israel has maintained its capital in the city for 70 years and the Jewish connection to Jerusalem goes back 3,000 years. Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, he said. We respect your history and your choices. And we know that as friends, you respect ours. I think the sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we move toward peace, he added. The exchange set the stage for what could be a tense meeting Monday for Netanyahu with European Union foreign ministers in Brussels. The Jerusalem issue and the moribund peace process are expected to be high on the agenda. Last week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned that Trumps decision has the potential to send us backward to even darker times than the one we are already living in. She also warned that Trumps move could diminish the potential role that the United States could play in the region and create more confusion around this. The meeting could be a precursor for what seems to be an emerging rift between Israel and the U.S. on one side, and Europe and the Palestinians on the other. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said Trumps decision has in effect disqualified the U.S. from continuing in its role as the traditional mediator of peace talks. The Palestinians have spent recent days trying to rally Arab and international opposition to the decision. After Abbas adviser Majdi Khaldi said that the Palestinian leader wont meet with Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the region this month, a spokeswoman for Pence said Sunday it was unfortunate that the Palestinian Authority is walking away again from an opportunity to discuss the future of the region. BEIRUT The United Nations children's agency said Sunday 137 children stranded in a rebel-held suburb near the Syrian capital require immediate evacuation amid a crippling siege in which five have reportedly died from a lack of medical care. The Eastern Ghouta suburb, home to 400,000 residents, has been besieged since 2013 and humanitarian conditions there have deteriorated sharply amid violence that intensified since Nov. 14. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 202 people, including 47 children, have been killed since. The area, the last remaining rebel-held pocket near the capital Damascus, is technically part of a "de-escalation zone" brokered by Russia earlier this year. Cease-fires brokered by Russia have largely held elsewhere in Syria but there has been little progress toward a political solution to the conflict that has claimed nearly 400,000 lives since it began in 2011. Syrian opposition and government delegates are currently in Geneva for a new round of U.N.-sponsored talks after a short break. The government delegation has protested the opposition's insistence on the absence of President Bashar Assad from any future transition period. After a few days' absence, the government delegation returned to Geneva Sunday for talks which are due to resume Monday. In its statement Sunday, UNICEF said its aid workers described seeing one of the worst health situations since the conflict began in 2011 during a rare international aid convoy to a neighborhood in the Eastern Ghouta district at the end of November. UNICEF says 137 children, aged between 7-months to 17-years, require immediate evacuation for conditions that include kidney failure, severe malnutrition and conflict wounds. "Children are still living through so much horror," said UNICEF Representative in Syria Fran Equiza. "The situation is getting worse day by day. The health system is crumbling and schools have now been closed for almost a month. Sick children desperately need medical evacuation, and many thousands more are being denied the chance of a normal, peaceful childhood." UNICEF says that nearly 12 per cent of children under 5 years-old in Eastern Ghouta suffer from acute malnutrition the highest rate ever recorded since the start of the conflict in Syria. Crooked Tooth Brewing is welcoming Boca Tacos Y Tequila to the Fourth Avenue neighborhood on Tuesday with a tasty takeover. This is the second time Crooked Tooth has teamed up with Boca for a beer-tasting dinner. An event last year was held at Boca's original home near the University of Arizona that chef-owner Maria Mazon had to leave last summer to make way for a new student housing development. Mazon opened in August the 3,000-square-foot forner home of Delectables at 533 N. Fourth Ave. Crooked Tooth, located around the corner at 228 E. Sixth St., is bringing along five of its original brews to pair with five of Mazon's new "bites." The beer-tasting takeover will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and the cost is $37 a person through eventbrite.com The menu: Brocheta de Queso Fresco: Grilled queso fresco with tomatoes, basil and a chile guero reduction; paired with Tales from the Punch Bowl, a New England pale ale. Crema de Elote: White corn steaming in a Mexican crema and goat cheese, dressed with Spanish chorizo; paired with 18th Hour, an IPA. Taco de Nopal: Tempura dipped nopal, fried up crispy and served on a corn tortilla with a lemon marmalade; paired with Crooked Light, Crooked Tooth's light American ale. Pork Belly Pozole: Crispy oven roasted pork belly tops hominy drizzled with a chile ancho reduction; paired with Crooked Tooth's Lazer Sound Waves, a sour Saison. We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Dec. 11 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages. As Southern California is ablaze with some of the worst fires in the states history, public lands officials in bone-dry Southern Arizona are warning that the region is a tinderbox at risk for its own siege of wildfires. Theyre calling on the public to be especially cautious in fire-threatened areas. Coronado National Forest lands around Tucson are at risk for significant wildfire activity for a number of reasons, said Heidi Schewel, spokeswoman for the forest. We have abundant, dry fuel at all elevations, Schewel said. This includes fine fuels like grasses and bushes at the low-to-middle elevations, and dead branches on trees. At the higher elevations, dry pine needles, forbs and woody plants are dry and available to burn. Another factor, she said, is that some areas of the forest have experienced insect activity damaging or killing trees and adding to the fuel available to burn. Our weather has been abnormally warm and dry, leading to the dry conditions and dry vegetation ready to burn in winter, Schewel said. Michelle Fidler, fire communication and education specialist with the National Park Service, said Saguaro National Park lands east and west of Tucson also are at high risk for wildfire. Even with the little shot of moisture that we received this week and the shorter days and cooler temperatures, at all elevations of the park the National Fire Danger Rating System is showing high fire danger, Fidler said. If an unplanned wildfire were to occur, there is potential for it to grow with the available vegetation from this years monsoon, she said. As always, visitors to the park should exercise caution with fire. FIRE PREVENTION TIPS Schewel and Fidler emphasized that wildfires can happen at any time of the year and called for extreme caution by visitors. Because of the recent extremely dry and warm weather, The advice for summer recreation is applicable now, Schewel said. Her fire prevention tips include: Avoid building campfires on windy days. Select safe locations for campfires. In developed recreation sites, use metal grills, grates and fire rings provided. Otherwise, select a location with bare mineral soil and no flammable vegetation above or around it. Build a suitable fire pit and enclose it with rocks or other materials to prevent fire from spreading from it. Never leave a fire unattended, for any reason, for any amount of time. Carry plenty of water if youre planning to build a campfire. When leaving, drown it with water, stir, drown, stir and continue until it is cold to the touch and no hot coals remain. Remember that one less spark means one less wildfire. Consider actions which could cause sparks and take the necessary precautions to prevent them. Ensure that tow chains are secured as to not strike pavement while traveling. Ensure chainsaws and other equipment have spark arresters. Dont park vehicles over tall, dry grass. Two teenagers from Tucson were arrested Saturday when Border Patrol agents found two Mexican citizens in the trunk of their vehicle. Agents arrested the 19-year-old driver and 18-year-old passenger from Tucson on suspicion of human smuggling after they sped away from the Interstate 19 checkpoint near Amado Saturday night, the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector said in a news release. After fleeing the checkpoint, the driver of the Dodge Avenger lost control of the vehicle and crashed on I-19 near Arivaca, according to the news release. Agents found a 24-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, both Mexican citizens, in the vehicle's trunk. No injuries were reported, but the Border Patrol cautioned the public about the dangers of riding in a trunk. If youre a Tugo bike-share user, you may have noticed some recent changes along Fourth Avenue. Two of the stations were recently moved a block to make way for the Fourth Avenue Street Fair, held this past weekend, according to Shift Transit officials. Fred Ronstadt, executive director of the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association, which raises a significant amount of money from the semi-annual event, said the stations would have obstructed some of its most lucrative vendors. Those are the two prime beer spots for street fair, Ronstadt said, adding that they bring in around $140,000 in revenue annually. At its expense, Shift Transit moved the stations, though the plan is to return to their original spots after the street fair, according to city transportation officials. Ronstadt was hoping that change would be permanent, not only because of street fair conflicts but because the stations displaced parking, which many feel is insufficient along the avenue. The city and Shift Transit are evaluating usage data at every station and are open to relocating stations or adjusting their size, Carlos de Leon, the citys deputy transportation director, told the Road Runner in written comments. Early usage data shows that the Fourth Avenue bike stations are among the top 10 most-used stations of the 36 stations in the Tugo Bike Share system. Ronstadt said the merchants association expressed support for the bike-share program early on, but told officials that it wanted station locations to not conflict with the street fair. The next thing we knew the stations were installed, he said, adding that two were in the footprint of the fair. De Leon said there had been communication with the association about station placement and that its concerns were taken into account and every effort was made to minimize the parking impact by placing the stations on the side streets adjacent to Fourth Avenue while balancing the needs of the bike-share users to be near desired destinations on Fourth Avenue. But Ronstadt isnt just concerned about the street fair and parking conflicts. Hes also skeptical of bike-share programs in general, as well as the benefits some say they bring to local businesses near stations, which he has described as significantly overstated. He passed along a November article from The Guardian that detailed the chaos wrought by bike-share systems in China. Unlike Tugo, which features 36 docking stations centered around the downtown area, the bike-share programs detailed in the article were stationless, resulting in bicycles piling up comically and disruptively around the country. In general, bike-share programs are interesting, Ronstadt said. I think theres certainly a use for them. I dont know if the number of bikes that are out there for the community makes sense. Tugo is in its infancy, meaning its difficult to say anything about usage and what impact if any the program is having on local businesses. However, some research into longer-standing systems shows users enjoy them and many feel businesses do benefit. The largest study reviewed by the Road Runner looked at the Capital Bikeshare program in Washington, D.C., and was based on surveys of 133 businesses and 333 system users. Twenty-three percent of users said they were likely to spend more at businesses reached by bike share than they would have using other means of transportation, with most of the rest saying theyd spend the same. Among businesses, 10 percent said they had noted an increase in customer traffic as a result of bike share, and roughly 20 percent perceived an increase in sales. Only 1 percent felt sales had declined. Seventy percent felt the program had improved the area surrounding stations. Tugo is one of more than 100 communities with bike share systems in the United States, the city wrote in its response. In other cities, bike-share systems have had a nearly universal positive economic impact. Do you think Tugo bike share will benefit local business? You voted: Yes No Unsure Vote View Results Back Kelly Watters, the Food Conspiracy Co-op outreach manager, said its difficult to say if Tugo has had any impact on the business so far, though she thinks it could help during events like the gem show, which brings thousands of visitors many without their own bicycles to town. What shes more certain of is that parking is a major issue for the co-op. When asked what possible expansion features were most important to them, additional car parking came in at a close second behind green-design elements among customers surveyed. She said the moving of the two stations was a sensible response to a stakeholders concerns, and thinks such accommodation is important to the success of Tucson bike share. We have to be open to adaptation, she said, adding that shes excited about the prospects of bike share. DeeDee Koenen, with nearby Pop-Cycle, was glad to hear the stations moved for the street fair would be returned to their Fourth Avenue locations, or wherever they get used more. She said she thinks the program is a nice addition to the avenue, and that bikes make a city friendly and quaint. As a sustainable and eco-friendly store, were all for bikes, she said. She acknowledged the parking concerns of businesses like the co-op, but said her art shops customers are dedicated, and will find a way no matter what happens. As to the long-term impact of bike share, she said it just hasnt been around long enough to say one way or another yet, though she suspects it will be a net positive. Want to weigh in? A poll accompanies the online version of this story. The Cerbat Mountains near Kingman yielded millions of dollars worth of silver, gold, copper, lead and zinc in the mining boom years between the 1860s and World War II. The mountains themselves are composed of granite, gneiss and pre-Cambrian schist interspersed with volcanic rock. The name Cerbat is derived from the local Hualapai or Wallapai Indian word meaning bighorn sheep. The range, 15 miles northwest of Kingman in Mohave County, extends 30 miles north-northwest in length, with a maximum width of 12 miles. Its highest elevations are Mount Tipton at its northern part at 7,148 feet and Cherum Peak to the south at 6,983 feet. The nearby town of Chloride was aptly christened on account of silver chloride ore discovered during the Silver Hill strike of the 1860s. The town was established in 1864 at an elevation of 4,009 feet; its post office opened a decade later. It was the arrival of the railroad through Kingman in 1883 that provided an impetus to the development of mining operations in the Cerbat Mountains. Hardrock miners saw the opportunity to exploit the mineralized lode known as the Elkhart Vein, which ran through the mountain range. The ore from the Cerbat Range is classified as a complex mixture of sulfides of lead, zinc and copper along with secondary minerals of gold and silver. By 1899, the Arizona and Utah Railroad Co. was organized with the establishment of a 25-mile rail line beginning with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway near Kingman on the north to its terminus around the south end of Silver Hill near Chloride. Chloride reached a population of 2,000. One of the best-known mines was the Tennessee-Schuykill Mine, the largest producer in the Wallapai Mining district composed of Chloride, Cerbat, Mineral Park and Union Base. It operated between 1898 through 1948 and is credited with a production of $7.5 million in gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc. The early years saw the greatest production, with a 120-ton per day concentrator built and operated by the Wallapai Mining Co. The Tennessee Mine faced challenges when, on April 15, 1900, a pile of wood was set afire, adversely affecting the mill and the timber in the No. 2 shaft. Fortunately for the company, its insurance covered the cost of the mill damages. Another excellent producer was the Elkhart Mine, although its operations were hindered due to a lack of sufficient water to run its concentrator full time. These great-producing mines were located at the base of the mountain. Other notable mines within a several-mile proximity of Chloride included the Rainbow Mine, Pay Roll Mine and Samoa Mine. However, these mines were located higher up on the mountain, up to an elevation of 6,200 feet, with the topography forcing the Rainbow Mine to use an aerial tramway to transport ore. The Rainbow Mine, developed by H. L. McCarn, began shipment using this means of transport beginning in 1913. The Pay Roll Mine was discovered on the western slope of the Cerbat Mountains nearly 2 miles east of Chloride in 1887. Over the next 20 years, development occurred with shafts extended down to 225 feet along with a series of tunnels encompassing 600 feet. By 1929, a 50-ton flotation plant treated 1,400 tons of complex copper-lead-zinc ore onsite. Over the next several years, mining production increased in Mohave County, as the market price of zinc averaged between 14 cents and 27 cents a pound. While 6 million pounds of lead were annually mined between 1915 and 1917, zinc production reached as high as 17 million pounds annually. The value of the mined metals in Mohave County, excluding gold production, reached $2.8 million in 1917. Lead ores were processed at the Needles and Humboldt smelters and the zinc ores were shipped out to smelters at El Paso and Bartlesville, Oklahoma. During this boom due to the mineral market, the town of Chloride saw unprecedented growth, with two large hotels built on Tennessee Avenue including a two-story, 75-room hotel financed by Garrison and Townsend in 1916, followed by the expansion of the Ryan Hotel built by J. P. Ryan with funding from a California syndicate. Chloride had a history of fires, the most severe occurring on May 21, 1927. The conflagration consumed half of the business district. Mining saw a decline shortly after World War II. With limited mining operations nearby, today Chloride serves as a historic attraction with a couple hundred residents. PHOENIX A quirk in state law could force top contenders to replace Trent Franks to choose between a run for Congress and keeping their current jobs in the Legislature. Gov. Doug Ducey is expected to announce Monday the date for the primary election for those who want to vie for the now-open post in Congressional District 8. That can be between Feb. 26 and March 8. But by law, the deadline to submit nominating petitions will be Jan. 10. And thats what creates the dilemma for sitting lawmakers. A 1980 voter-approved law says no current elected officials can offer themselves for nomination to any local, state or federal office except during the final year of the term being served. But unlike other elected officials whose tenure runs through the end of the calendar year for which they are elected, legislators have terms that run through the second Monday in January of odd-numbered years. Thats when their successors take office. For current lawmakers, thats Jan. 14, 2019. And what that likely means is any nominating petitions submitted before Jan. 14, 2018, would trigger the resign-to-run law, forcing incumbent legislators to decide whether theyre willing to give up their seats for the possibility of becoming the newest member of Arizonas congressional delegation. The unexpected monkey wrench occurred when Franks moved up his resignation date. Franks originally said on Thursday he would leave at the end of the January after admitting he has discussed with two now-former female staffers the possibility of becoming surrogates for he and his wife, who has had trouble conceiving. Franks said that while he had done nothing wrong, he feared that an Ethics Committee investigation triggered by House Speaker Paul Ryan would result in distorted and sensationalized versions of the story. On Friday, however, Franks decided to quit that day after he said his wife, Josephine, had been admitted the prior night to a hospital in Washington due to an ongoing ailment. That resignation, effective at noon Washington time 10 a.m. in Arizona triggered the requirement for Ducey to announce on Monday both the date for the primary and the Jan. 10 deadline to file petitions. Among those considering a run are Sen. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park. He could be considered as having an inside edge and the possible blessing of Franks as he has been employed until now at Franks district office. Montenegro previously said he would wage a primary battle to oust incumbent Republican Secretary of State Michele Reagan. Theres a lot of prayer and thought going into this, he told Capitol Media Services, declining to be more specific. There was no immediate response from Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, on whether she intends to give up her announced bid for state treasurer and how the resign-to-run question might affect her decision. Also looking at the open seat in the heavily Republican district are Rep. Darrin Mitchell, R-Goodyear, and Sen. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria. Neither returned messages about what their plans might be. If any or all of the incumbent lawmakers quit, that sets into motion a process in which Maricopa County supervisors would have to name replacements to fill out the unexpired legislative terms. The peculiarity of legislative terms and when they end comes up from time to time. For example, Pima County voters elected then-Rep. Arnold Jeffers as assessor in 1980. But Jeffers could not be sworn in with other county officials at the beginning of January 1981 because of another state law that says legislators may not take any other public office or employment during the term for which they have been elected. He had to wait until the second Monday in January, when a new Legislature was sworn in, to take his position as assessor. There also is no question but that the state resign-to-run law can be applied to candidates for federal office. In 1982, Pima County Supervisor Conrad Joyner announced a bid for Congress despite the fact that his term as supervisor ran through 1984. He challenged the law, saying the state has no ability to keep people from running for federal office. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed but only to the point that he could run despite the state law. I am a graduate of University High School. As a public-school history teacher in Washington state, I teach students who face challenges like those of Catalina High students. Many of my students are refugees, homeless, English language learners, students with disabilities, or some combination of these factors. Despite the challenges they fight daily to succeed on a playing field where the rules are constantly changing against them. UHS students, overall, already have what they need to be successful. The notion that district intervention on UHS's behalf would achieve any sort of "equity" is absurd. The first lesson in teacher education is that equity does not mean treating all students the same. It means giving ALL students the tools they need to be successful. Students who face greater challenges outside of school need more support and more money. Above all, they need stability and consistency. UHS' plan ignores the larger context of the district and contributes to TUSD's inequity problem. Help India! By Mohammed Sajjad for TwoCircles.net History rarely repeats itself. Nevertheless, if we are to understand what is happening in the Indian polity today, it is useful to look into its pasts, when its democracy appears to be liquidating itself. Support TwoCircles Looking into the popular phase of our national movement, it clearly emerges that as the Muslims began to register their rising representation in the local bodies, Hindu-Muslim tussle in the domain of emerging power- structures started becoming prominent. This is what had happened more clearly in Bihar, post 1924. The tallest builders of the Congress-Muslims-began to be marginalised. Mazharul Haq, Shafi Daudi, etc., were systematically pushed out of the District Boards, in late 1920s, leaving them disillusioned. It was however only after 1938 that this trend started taking an ominous shape. The Muslim League accused the Congress ministries of various provinces in 1937-39 to have resorted to persecution of Muslims, and letting off the rioters. Not less than three catalogues were prepared by the Muslim League, in 1938, viz., Pirpur Report, Sharif Report, and Fazlul Haq Report. With this, the League progressed leaps and bounds during 1938-46. Isnt it puzzling that we do not hear of a similar list of grievances of Hindus in the Muslim majority provinces, catalogued by the Hindu communal forces, accusing the Muslim ministries of those provinces, such as Bengals Krishak Praja Party, Punjabs Unionist Party, and Assams Saadullahs ministry? This was unlike the Suhrawardy ministry of 1946 when his culpability for the orgy of violence and killing in Bengal was unambiguously there, creating lot of anger among the Hindus, so much so that it had its retaliatory implications in Bihar. The question therefore is: Were those catalogues of 1938 actually as much unreal (or exaggerated) as we have thus far been given to believe, even by our liberal-leftist historians. Their dismissiveness, popularized much through their popular textbooks, is buttressed by the argument that the offer of an enquiry into those grievances by Justice Gwyer was rejected by the League, hence fictionality of those grievances stood testified? Or, is it a case like that of today when the nationalist forces want us to believe that instances of frequent lynching, and other such persecutions are just isolated incidents; that they should not be exaggerated to discredit the incumbent BJP regime; and that the BJP should not be accused of being complicit in creating an atmosphere of fear among the minorities, even though it is controlled by profoundly undemocratic organizations like RSS, VHP, BD, HYV, etc.? Let us recall that the Muslim League was routed in the 1937 elections, despite the fact that the seats were reserved for the Muslims under the arrangement of separate electorates. Yet, soon after the formation of the Congress ministries there emerged lot of fear among the minorities, and the barely existing Muslim League, could register a rise only after 1938. There are evidences that quite a lot of the Congress Hindus demonstrated that a Hindu Raj had now been restored in 1937, seven centuries after Prithvi Raj Chauhan was unseated in 12th century. Historians have paid less attention to the rapid growth and proliferation of the RSS-Hindu Mahasabha after 1938 in nooks and crannies of India. There have been relatively lesser studies on the Congress-Mahasabha overlap at the provincial and district levels. Joya Chatterjees Bengal Divided (1995), William Goulds study (2005) of UP, and Papiya Ghoshs study (2008) of Bihar, are among exceptions. Indias liberal-left historians received Venkat Dhulipalas, Creating A New Medina (2015) on UP very warmly. It underlines Muslim separatism, just as Francis Robinson (Separatism Among Indian Muslims, 1974) had demonstrated four decades ago. Whereas, William Goulds book, Hindu Nationalism and the Language of Politics in Late Colonial India, was largely ignored, for it exposed the majoritarian tilts of the tallest Congress leaders of UP, viz., P. D. Tandon (1882-1962), Sampurnand (1891-1969), and G. B. Pant (18871-961). Though, it is surprising that Jinnah did not harp as much on these UP leaders, while attempting to wean the Muslims away from the Congress and pushing up the League. Joya Chatterjee has demonstrated that in the 1930s, when Bengals share-cropper peasantry turned into middle and rich peasantry, they gained franchise, and this is how Muslim proportion began to increase in legislative and other arenas. This is what alarmed the bhadralok who in order to avert the ignominy of being politically dominated by the Muslim peasantry slipped towards partitioning Bengal during 1932-47. Similarly, T. C. A. Raghavan (EPW, April, 9, 1983) for western India, and Vinita Damodaran (Broken Promises, 1992) for Bihar, 1935-46, have demonstrated how Hindus, both within and outside the Congress, moved towards majoritarianism. The peasant discontent was sought to be channelized into religious strife by the landlords. Justice Reuben (1893-1976) was not allowed to conduct enquiries into the 1946 riots of Bihar. Overall, both colonial and post-independent Indian states have been palpably soft on the rioters. There have been wilful failures of criminal justice system in this regard. With this experience from history, let us now have a look on the developments immediately before 2014, when the BJP came to power with unprecedented mandate. In 2012 too, the Muslim representation had gone up in the assembly and municipal bodies in Uttar Pradesh. Muslim representation in the legislative assembly was around 17%, close to the Muslim population (18.5%). At the district level, it was seen as a Muslim upsurge. In 13 out of 70 districts, the share of Muslim MLAs was 10-25%; in 21 districts, it was 25-50%; and in five districts (Moradabad, Rampur, Amroha, Balrampur and Shrawasti), there were 50-70% Muslim MLAs. In municipal bodies, there were 3,681 Muslims elected out of a total of 11,816 members, pushing their representation to 31.5%. In the urban local bodies of Ruhelkhand in UP, Muslim representation was as high as 55%, in 2012. In Bihar too, Muslim representation among the Panchayat Chiefs was 16%,in 2001, and almost around that, in the subsequent elections for the local bodies. Muslims are around 16.5% of Bihar population. In fact, the rise of the saffron forces, since 1980s, has much to do with rising Muslim affluence because of the Gulf remittances, and benefits going to the Pasmanda after the implementation of the Mandal reservations in public employment, and subsequently into the local bodies elections as well. In West Bengal, the bhadraloks through the communist rule resisted their temptation to join the saffron forces by keeping most of the Muslim communities out of the OBC list, till 2011. Almost 25% of the population comprises of Muslims in this province. An increasingly bigger segment of Hindu population is now easily persuaded to be scared of the minority upsurge by misleading them with the argument that after all, for centuries, the Muslims and then Christians (British) ruled over the Hindus despite numerically being minority. This oversimplification of a complex historical issue by the communal forces starts making sense to these segments. This is how hate-mongering politics thrives. Quite a lot of those, now vocal for the BJP on social media, belong to those segments who feel that because of the Mandal reservations they have not been able to hold on to their preeminent positions in education, trading and employment. Post-liberalization economy, rising youth unemployment and agrarian distress, have also affected them adversely. This discontent is sought to be channelled against a demonised Muslims. There is a growing grudge, scorn and disdain against rising Muslim presence in all such spheres. This is now degenerating increasingly into hatred and violence against them. From urban confines, this has percolated down to rural hinterlands because in rural areas too, the trading rivalries are sharpening because of the kith and kin of the Gulf-based Muslim professionals have erected their trades in rural markets. The lower class Muslims too have acquired affluence and education. Their presence is increasingly becoming more prominent through lofty masjids and lavish public demonstrations of festivities. Even though, in most cases, such competitive public rituals and festivities are more to do with a statement of their coming of age, vis a vis the historically dominant groups, within their own community, and also to outdo the other/rival sub-sects (maslak; more specifically, the Barelvi vs the Deobandi/Tablighi Jamaat & Ahl-e-Hadis). These are often mistaken as Muslim assertion against Hindus. This explains growing insecurity of the traditionally predominant groups of the religious majority, who are trying to counterpoise it through a communal mobilization around religious solidarities, by demonising and by othering the minority (second largest majority). This is how the harmonious social fabric has been coming under tatters, reflected in the rise of aggressive Hindutva. Its resurrection began in the 1980s, and its claws remained little less deadly in the 1990s and 2000s, in better parts of India, when the subordinated groups were coming of their age, dislodging the upper castes from power. The Congress kept compromising with its core principles resulting into losing its support-base and eventually getting discredited by almost every segment. It had given up on Muslims in 1946 to the extent that despite repeated requisitions, the Congress did not even field its candidates from the Muslim seats. Its lack of sincerity was evident even in its Muslim Mass Contact Campaign of 1938, which exacerbated the situation by alarming both the majority and minority communal forcesthe Mahasabha and the League. It is said that, in times of crisis, the political parties tend to get back to its core ideologies, to resurge back. The Congress today appears to be disproving it vehemently. Rather than holding onto its core principles, it seeks to outsmart its enemy on their strongest wicket. However, unlike the 1938-1946, now, in post-2014, no Jinnah can emerge with the promise of a separate homeland, as there is no limited franchise now, nor is there a colonial state. We now have universal adult franchise, with all its heterogeneities and stratifications. Jinnah could outsmart the then regional, peasant-based, political formations, such as Bengals Krishak Praja Party (KPP), Punjabs Unionist, and other smaller anti-separatist formations such as Bihars Muslim Independent Party (MIP), etc., only because, less than 11% people of a particular class had franchise then. Managing and consolidating them may have been easier for Jinnah, exacerbated by the prodding and encouragement from the colonial power. Even though, one may not deny today the power-play of the native and global capitalism of imperial powers, in widening the rich-poor gap, which breed and perpetuate identity-based hatred and violence and polarizations. Two historical moments may or may not find a close comparison. Yet, post-1938 colonial India, and post-2014 republican India, does have very disturbing resemblances. No Owaisi or Azam can really become Jinnah. But simultaneously, this is also an alarming question that Indias Muslims cannot remain disenfranchised, pitiably subdued and persecuted. So, the desperate question is: what would come out of this situation when Muslims are being pushed against the wall? Shall they remain electorally/politically invisibilised, irrelevant, silenced, subdued and subjugated, yet, demonised by the ruling party; and liability for the secular parties, as they are in todays Gujarat? Is it a case where only a silenced and subdued minority will satiate and please the communalised majority? Indian nationhood is indeed at the cusp of alarming redefinition: hate-filled, and exclusionary. It will validate all the ideas that were behind the vivisection of our country in 1947. Nations are not build this way, instead, these are the ways of liquidating nations. We must preempt it. Can we? The author is Professor at the Centre of Advanced Study in History, Aligarh Muslim University. Help India! By Riyaz Arshad Nazish for TwoCircles.net The gruesome killing of Mohammed Afrajul, an innocent labour in Rajasthan, is a terrifying incident that testifies the fact how minds of ignorant youth are poisoned with hatred by a concocted narrative against Muslims under the bulwark of nationalism. Pushing a poor labour into death does not depict any saga of valour; neither brings pride to any religion. Had it been so, why didnt he catch a real love jihadi instead of a helpless labour, and on that why had he to trap him into death? The insane youth could have become a hero, had he found a real love jihadi if at all it exists. Love Jihad is a term created by hate mongers and coined by media. What they call Love Jihad is, in fact, the previous part of our culture that cannot be curbed or dictated by any power of the time. Culture dwells and flourishes in the exchange of it. It is like water; one cannot hold it in a fist. The more you tighten it, the more it will spill out. Water is clean and fresh only until it flows freely, the moment it stagnates, it rots. Support TwoCircles With the concatenation of such incidents and loud voices advocating them in the social media, it is nothing but obvious that a sizeable group of youths derive the meanest sense of pride and pseudo-patriot jingoism out of it. However, such incidents are not about infusing terror to the minorities alone as they appear to be, but a cowardice display of panic, fear and paranoia that has been injected to the young minds to keep them away from the real issues of education, health and social security. Of late, such perpetrators get legal leniency, justification and even reward too in the making of new India. This was evident when the coffin of Akhlaqs killer was draped in tricolour and he was hailed as a martyr. If the incident of Rajasthan is to terrify the minorities, its no less worrisome for the majorities either and even more alarming for a civil society. To kill an innocent is allowed neither in Islam nor in the tenets of Sanatan, those who do it in the name of religion, do nothing but fall prey to petty politics and defy its own holy scriptures. The politics of polarization is so prominent that every domain of social life seems to be defined by its plethora. In this scenario, would the new India that is baptized with strong binary in the social fabric, ever see the mass protest of common people that it saw in 2006 for Jessica Lal and Nirbhaya in 2012? Rising above religion and class, people gathered together against heinous crimes against the vulnerable. The victory was not for any religious group but for the weakest person in this country. In the making of new India, weaker seems to be weakest and stronger seems to grow strongest. The digital boom enables the government to develop a mechanism to notice every single individual, from its wealth, income, savings, bank balance to the personal communication and purchasing. The law can enforce every single citizen to be transparent and accountable but it is far from developing the same to ensure safety and justice to the weakest person in the society. With the current political situation, the solidarity of common people is at stake lest it should ask a question and stand together to demand justice and freedom for all. Unity is strength and strength is a perpetual threat to autocracy, therefore with every possible effort, public strength is breaking into pieces with the splinters of communalism. Is it almost on the verge of a breakdown to the doctored anti-national slogans designed to mar any voice of dissent? There is now little hope for any Jessica or Nirbhaya if they will not be seen through the prism of religion and cast. From Akhlaq to Afrajul, the cold-blooded murders are a mere piece of News. A new narrative of patriotism is on the play that tries to belittle the contribution of the Muslims and depict them in an unflattering manner on media. The venom infused in the young minds is so strategic that even the good deeds of a saviour like a driver Sheikh Saleem Ghafoor of Amarnath tragedy and Samaritans like Dr Kafeel turn bad to ugly with a litany of criticism and negative reporting to dilute the applause? Hatred is sinking its teeth so deep that the departure of rationalism is growing into fanaticism. Being soft to violence is a bad sign. Hatred nurtured to satiate anger is autophagous, to fan it against a community is even worse as the frenzy is always on the lookout for its target, it may consume its own when it goes haywire. If it persists, the end looser will be none other than the youths of today. This will only pave the way for the vested interests to remain in power. Law and order are essential for every walk of life in civil society. We follow a traffic rule where even pedestrian are ensured a safe journey. Without taking care of the weakest, one cannot imagine a progressive society. With worlds largest youth population, India can be a hope for world leadership only if the young minds are engaged in constructive thoughts and action. But with things as they are, it seems only a chimaera. The author is a Media professional. Help India! By Ram Puniyani Nearly an year ago multiple rowdy protests took place when the film Padmavati was being shot in Rajasthan. Sanjay Leela Bhansali had to interrupt the shooting for some time. Currently again, more intense opposition has been witnessed as the film was due to be released. On the basis of its trailer, the Karni Sena threatened that film should not be released. Crores of rupees were on offer from BJP leaders for cutting the nose of Deepika Padukone, the one doing the role of Padmavati and for the head of Bhansali, the director of the film. Bhansali was also interrogated by the Parliamentary committee. Support TwoCircles The assertion from Karni Sena was that the film distorts history and is an insult to Rajput honor. An intense intolerance to the artistic freedom of the director has been on display, with state looking the other way around, in a way giving silent support to the violence and attempt to suppress the freedom of expression. The Chief Ministers of five BJP ruled states have already proclaimed the film will not be released in their states and one of the Congress Chief Ministers also talked against the film. What is the story line of the film? Mostly the story is drawn from the classic Novel of Malik Muhammad Jayasi, modified as per the film makers. Jayasi in his novel tells the story of Allauddin Khilji, the 13-14 century ruler of Delhi. As per this fictional tale he is smitten by the immense beauty of Padmavati, attacks Chittor to get her. As he lays the siege of Chittor, Padmavati along with many valiant Rajput women commit Jauhar (self immolation) and kill them depriving Khilji from getting Padmavati. The objectionable part of the film for Karni Sena-BJP types is probable dream sequence of romance between Khilji and Padmavati. The film makers are denying such a sequence. As such Jayasis narrative is a metaphor for the futility of power and aspiration of the soul for liberation. Historians like Rajat Datta tell us that Padmvati or Padmini is not a historical character. Khilji did lay the siege of Chittor in 1303. Novel Padmavat was written in 1540, over two centuries later. The books which were written between these two periods do not mention Padmavati at all. After Padmavat appeared many bards picked up this tale and made it a part of popular folklore. Its further and communal distortion took place after the British ethnography-historiography began and aimed at the demonizing the Muslim rulers. While bards accounts underplayed the Muslim aspect, Todds Annals ( Annals and Antiquities Rajasthan (1829), transformed it and gave the narration an anti- Muslim, anti Khilji slant. This is an insertion into the history, which has come to life over a period of time. Currently the incidents of Rajput women and Muslim men have two major types of presentations. One is that which shows the velour of the Rajput women, committing self immolation rather than relating to the Muslim kings. The other one is where the interaction and alliance of Muslim rulers and Rajput families are at the core and intermarriage is the part of the relationship. Over a period of time the understanding is being promoted that the giving away daughters to Muslims was a surrender, weakness of Rajputs. This latter falls into the category of our women being given away to the others; its a patriarchal presentation of events, which is interpreted as a matter of shame for Rajputs! The way at looking at the obverse like film Bajirao Mastani is totally different from this. While film is yet to be seen in full what one can glean from the trailer of the film is that that Khilji is shown to be cruel; barbaric person, unkempt, attacking food for example. His army is carrying a flag looking like that of Pakistan. The present stereotypes about Muslims seem to be embodied in Khilji. This creation of Muslim as evil has roots in the intervention of British accounts. British colonial powers followed the policy of divide and rule. The British officers/Historians followed their masters and gave a tilt to the events where the image of Muslim kings was tarnished. Kings have their own characteristics and religion is not the only marker for their nature and character. Kings cutting across religions had traits which can be attributed to their power. They also had their specificities. The historical accounts dont present an out of the way cruelty of Khilji. What is recorded is that he expanded the Delhi rule and fought against the Mongols, and saved the Delhi Empire from their invasion. With time and growing intolerance these types of films are getting a more hostile reception. We first had Mughal-E- Azam, one among the great films from India, a fiction nevertheless, where Jodha bai, a Rajput princess is married to Akbar. The reception of the film was extraordinarily positive, the alliance was not questioned. This was few decades earlier when the communalization of society was not so intense. Few years ago we had Jodha Akbar on the same theme. This time around there were some protests but film did carry on. Now with Padmavati the protests are horrific. History has been distorted here for sure, but what part of history and which way? Padmavati is a fictional reality, how it has been depicted needs to be seen. But the fear of a Hindu girl romancing a Muslim is what is agitating the Senas and the CMs of BJP ruled states in particular. Here surely the film distorts Khilji, presenting him as an embodiment of the currently prevalent negative perceptions about Muslims. Still film makers can have their own liberty and film must be seen, appreciated and criticized on the grounds of its strengths and weaknesses. What stands out is the fictional Padmavati coming to haunt as a real character, and Khilji being painted in the biases of present reflected on the past. Brexit Secretary David Davis' interrogation by the Brexit Select Committee last week was embarrassing. Considering Britain's exit from the EU is becoming imminent, it was appalling to discover that the man Theresa May charged with the task of organising the UK's EU departure had failed to draft any impact studies into the economic consequences of this important process. He was also savaged by Andrew Marr for it yesterday. "Mr. Cameron should have drawn up contingency plans" When Mr. Davis was appointed as Brexit Secretary last year, many Brexiteers, myself included, jeered at his welcome return to front-line politics. Having resigned both as shadow home secretary and as an MP in 2008 in protest against then home secretary Jacqui Smith's ID cards, his loss was regarded by many as a substantial one for David Cameron. His incompetent performance as Brexit Secretary has not been caused by his bullish threats though. After all, the EU has been refusing to play ball all year with the UK until now and he has not walked out yet. To be fair to Mr. Davis, he was betrayed in his role by his former leadership rival. Mr. Cameron should have drawn up contingency plans in the likely event Britain would have voted for Brexit in June 2016. All the plans the Department for Exiting the EU have had to draw up since have been done in a rush. Either way, it is clear Mr. Davis is no longer up to the task of managing Brexit if he cannot prepare for a select committee meeting adequately. It is time to replace him with someone who does. "He would have put Mr. Juncker and Mr. Barnier in their place" Jacob Rees-Mogg would be the ideal replacement for him. Mr. Rees-Mogg is a passionate advocate of Britain's EU exit. He would not bow to Brussels' demands for a divorce bill or a transitional deal as Mr. Davis has. His knowledge of procedure puts him in the best placed position to manage a Whitehall department that was not blessed with adequate time to prepare for Brexit. His eloquent speeches in the House of Commons prove he knows what he is talking about. He managed to calmly debate a protester at this year's Conservative Party Conference and he would have put Mr. Barnier and Mr. Juncker in their place during the negotiations. Mr. Rees-Mogg's attention to detail suggests he would not have evaded crucial preparations necessary to ensure a smooth Brexit happens. His ability to engage with people of all backgrounds and personalities would have made him a competent manager of a chaotic and young department. He would not have arrived at a select committee meeting unprepared. What's more, Mr. Rees-Mogg deserves an opportunity to shine. He is a gifted parliamentarian and deserves a prominent cabinet position. It is time Theresa May promoted more of her backbenchers who are much more talented than her current cabinet. Nigel Farage and Sir Vince Cable have teamed together to criticise Jean-Claude Juncker's presidency of the European Commission. During an LBC interview hosted by the former UKIP leader, the Liberal Democrat chief echoed the presenter's views that the European Union (EU) is heading towards further integration. They were both discussing the recent Brexit deal that the Prime Minister managed to negotiate with Mr. Juncker, but Mr. Farage was surprised to learn that Sir Vince shared many of the LBC presenter's views on the trading bloc. "The Liberal Democrat Leader said the divorce fee settlement was a disaster" The Liberal Democrat Leader said the divorce fee settlement was a disaster and agreed that the European Commission President was taking the EU in the wrong direction. The South-East MEP said the trading bloc was heading towards further integration under Mr. Juncker's leadership. Mr. Farage was taken aback to learn that the Twickenham MP agreed with him and joined the former UKIP leader in condemning the plans for an EU Army and to force all member states to join the euro. Sir Vince said there were more sensible politicians attempting to thwart the European Commission President's ambitions. The Liberal Democrat Leader believed the UK would fight against Mr. Juncker's plans for further integration and he refused to provide the European chief with a standing ovation for his attitude. Sir Vince reiterated that he is not an arch-federalist and believed nation states in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe can play a significant role in stopping integration and help Brussels refocus its efforts on trade. "The Twickenham MP stressed joining the euro would be a red line for him" The Twickenham MP stressed joining the euro would be a red line for him. He said the divorce bill is going to lead to a bad deal for Britain. The Liberal Democrat Leader said that regardless of the final total of the fee, the British people may not like the trade deal both Brussels and Westminster negotiate. He added regulatory alignment is an attempt to delay Brexit further. After hearing about Friday's breakthrough deal, Sir Vince tweeted at the same time that the Government was a long way off a final deal. "The British public, not Conservative or DUP MPs, should have a final say on the outcome" He hinted the British public, not Conservative or DUP MPs, should have a final say on the outcome. Labour MP Chukka Umuna joined his Liberal Democrat colleague in criticising Friday's deal, tweeting that it failed to solve the Irish border issue, despite Theresa May's assurances that it does. Mr. Umuna refused to congratulate the Prime Minister after Mr. Juncker announced both sides had made sufficient progress to reach Phase 2 of the discussions. Instead, the Labour MP said on BBC Radio 5 Live that whilst reaching this stage is welcome, it should have happened eighteen months ago. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said whilst the devil is in the detail, the option for other parts of the UK to remain in the Single Market and Customs Union should be made available. Earlier last week, the Liberal Democrat Leader confessed Ireland had more to lose from a bad Brexit deal if they do not compromise over the Irish border. Speaking on Bloomberg News, Sir Vince called on Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to work with the Government to reach the EU's December deadline for reaching Phase 2 of the negotiations. The Twickenham MP warned the biggest challenges facing Westminster and Brussels will come next year when both sides must decide what the final trade deal will look like. He said it is unclear whether the Government wants a Norwegian-style agreement or a Canadian one. Mr. Varadkar threatened to veto the Brexit talks over the Irish border issue. He wanted a guarantee that the British will not push for a hard border that threatens the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The European Commission will advise the trading bloc's 27 member states to progress with the second phase of the Brexit negotiations during Friday's European Council meeting. The FDA first announced the dangers of turkey and chicken bones back in 2015, but with the holidays rapidly approaching, they thought it wise to send out a reminder. Most people know the dangers of tossing a turkey or chicken bone to the family pet they are brittle and dangerous to Dogs but they have also revealed the risk from giving pets the popular bone treats which are available in the stores. 68 pet illnesses related to bone treats According to their report, they have received details of around 68 different pet illnesses that could be related to the bone treats in the period from November 1, 2010, to September 12 of this year. They list a number of commercially-available treats including Rib Bones, Smokey Knuckle Bones and other similar products. These treats are different than uncooked bones purchased at the butcher due to their processing. The way they are produced is by drying them through a baking or smoking process, with added ingredients like seasonings, preservatives, and smoke flavors. It's not just #Thanksgiving turkey bones that you shouldn't give your dog, bone "treats" found in pet stores can be just as dangerous. FDA has received dozens of reports that include choking, blockages requiring surgery & deaths. How to keep your pet safe: https://t.co/NrBYqW0jiq pic.twitter.com/0Txu3GfanJ U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) November 21, 2017 Camela Stamper, who is a veterinarian working at the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA, said that dog owners should avoid these bone treats, as they could lead to a sudden trip to the vet, an emergency surgery, or the death of your beloved dog. The FDA went on to list some of the illnesses, which have been reported by veterinarians and dog owners and caused by bone treats. These include blockages in the digestive tract, wounds, and cuts in the mouth, choking, vomiting, bleeding from the rectum, and diarrhea. Care2 quotes the FDA as also saying that around 15 dogs have died from eating the popular bone treats. The various reports involved some 90 dogs, with several of the dogs suffering the same illnesses. There have also been reports of problems with the products themselves, including mold and splintering in the treats when chewed by the family dog. Fifteen Dogs Are Dead And Dozens More Ill After Eating These Bone Treats https://t.co/JNMx1Duh2W Betty Pappas (@reddpups) December 6, 2017 Keep those turkey bones out of reach The FDA goes on to advise dog owners to always keep chicken and other meat bones out of the reach of pets. People should also take care when throwing the bones in the trash, as dogs just love to follow their noses straight to those tasty treats. They also recommend speaking with your veterinarian about more suitable treats for your pets something they can chew on safely and still have fun. Most important of all, Stamper said whenever your dog is enjoying a treat or chew toy, keep an eye on them, especially if it is something new. If a dog owner notices something wrong with their pet, they should call their veterinarian right away. Bert Glen Franklin, 36, is accused of murdering 19-month-old Lincoln Von Henry Lewis in Oklahoma City on July 16, 2016. He also allegedly attempted to arrange the murder of Roxanne Randall, the little boys mother, according to Crime Online. David Prater, the Oklahoma County District Attorney, charged Franklin with one felony count of conspiring to commit murder, KFOR reported. His bail is set at $500,000, based on an inmate search of the Oklahoma County Jail. Franklin, a dentist and married father of four, is accused a battering Lewis, which is led to his death. According to court records, he violently attacked, assaulted, abused, and battered the little boy. Though Franklin's wife and children live in Tulsa, KTUL reported that he was also involved in a relationship with Randall for over a year when he allegedly killed her son. Additionally, Randall did not know about his wife, court records and KTUL noted. Charged with first-degree murder of little boy Prosecutors leveled a first-degree murder charge against Franklin in August, following the death of Randalls little boy, according to People. Law enforcement authorities claim that Franklin was staying with Randall when home surveillance video was captured and shows him abusing Lewis. He reportedly slammed the childs head to the ground and kicked him, KFOR reported. Franklins attorneys, however, contend that he was kicking a dog, not the child before he suffered a head injury and died two days later. The news agency also stated that Franklin appeared to be carrying the limp boy while he went to the kitchen to get a piece of pizza. Accused claimed to throw dog a ball when mother heard loud thud Randall was home during the incident the home surveillance camera picked up, only the footage didnt show the entire incident, according to People. Franklin claimed that he had thrown a dog to the ball while Lewis slept. After Randall heard a loud thud, she rushed to the basement in her home. The next day, Lewis was having breathing problems. The medical examiner determined that Lewis suffered a skull fracture. He was pronounced dead at Tulsa Hospital, where he was taken after Randall realized something was wrong with her little boy. Murder trial delayed with new charge Jury selection, which was originally scheduled to start December 4, has been delayed, along with Franklins first-degree murder trial since Franklin faces the new charge after allegedly calling an Irish mobster from a cell phone from within the Oklahoma County Jail. Court documents reflect that he reportedly paid the hitman $300 to kill Randall. The mobster, who was an informant, received the cell phone to give to Franklin, KTUL reported. After a November 30 docket call, determining whether the prosecution and the defense were ready to proceed to trial, Franklin allegedly contacted his wife, using the Oklahoma County Jails messaging system. He reportedly asked his wife to deposit $300 into a jailhouse informants account. KUTL stated that Franklin is alleged to have told her that the money was designated for spiritual reasons. On December 2, Franklin allegedly cited Randalls address to the informant, as well as provided directions to her home. With the recent, additional criminal charge, Franklins trial has been postponed. A pre-trial conference is slated for January 17. After holding a controversial rally in Pensacola, Florida on Friday night, Donald Trump doubled down on his message with a series of tweets on Saturday morning. From praise of Roy Moore to attacking the media, the president is not changing his tune. Trump on Twitter On Friday night, Donald Trump held a campaign-style rally in Pensacola, Florida, just a few miles from Alabama where the much-talked out Senate race between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones will take place next week. During his over hour-long speech, the former host of "The Apprentice" hit his favorite talking points while striking a similar tone as he did during his campaign. Trump made sure to rip into the "fake news" media, push for his border wall and increased immigration, praised himself for the success of the economy, compared his presidency to Abraham Lincoln, and even prompted a "lock her up" chant about Hillary Clinton. As seen on his Twitter feed on December 9, Trump decided to continue his message with a series of tweets. Fake News CNN made a vicious and purposeful mistake yesterday. They were caught red handed, just like lonely Brian Ross at ABC News (who should be immediately fired for his mistake). Watch to see if @CNN fires those responsible, or was it just gross incompetence? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2017 Taking to Twitter on Saturday morning, Donald Trump went on the attack against CNN and Abc News over the news made blunders in their recent reporting of the administration. "Fake News CNN made a vicious and purposeful mistake yesterday. They were caught red handed, just like lonely Brian Ross at ABC News (who should be immediately fired for his mistake)," Trump tweeted. "Watch to see if @CNN fires those responsible, or was it just gross incompetence?" he wondered. CNNS slogan is CNN, THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS. Everyone knows this is not true, that this could, in fact, be a fraud on the American Public. There are many outlets that are far more trusted than Fake News CNN. Their slogan should be CNN, THE LEAST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2017 "CNNS slogan is CNN, THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS. Everyone knows this is not true, that this could, in fact, be a fraud on the American Public," Donald Trump tweeted out in a follow-up post. "There are many outlets that are far more trusted than Fake News CNN," he wrote, before adding, "Their slogan should be CNN, THE LEAST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS!" Trump on Moore In another tweet, Donald Trump came out with support for Roy Moore in Alabama, despite the Republican being accused of sexual assault and harassment by multiple women. "A big contingent of very enthusiastic Roy Moore fans at the rally last night," Trump posted. To conclude his tweet, the president then ripped into Democrat Doug Jones, explaining, "Jones will always vote against what we must do for our Country." A big contingent of very enthusiastic Roy Moore fans at the rally last night. We cant have a Pelosi/Schumer Liberal Democrat, Jones, in that important Alabama Senate seat. Need your vote to Make America Great Again! Jones will always vote against what we must do for our Country. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2017 Moving forward With a morning full of tweets, Donald Trump has several issues on his plate as president. Though his tax plan appears close to becoming law, questions still remain in regards to the future of health care and the what the end game is with the ongoing investigation into Russian election interference. In "The Walking Dead" midseason finale we saw what was definitely the biggest shocker this show has ever done as it was revealed that Carl Grimes, a series regular since the very beginning, got bitten. Also, judging by what Chandler Riggs, the actor who portrays Carl, said in an interview with "Hollywood Reporter," the zombie bite will be fatal just like it was many times before as the actor revealed that his character would die in Season 8 Episode 9 (airing Feb. 25). However, when asked about the reason for killing Carl, the actor accidentally spoiled the ending of Season 8. But before we delve into what exactly he said, let's explain how and when he got bitten. The important detail everyone missed Many fans are still confused about this whole zombie bite thing, wondering when, where and how Carl got bitten despite the fact that he said that it happened while he was with Siddiq. But to clear up any confusion let's take a closer look at the scene down below from two episodes ago. Of course, we don't actually see the bite as the camera quickly pans away, but if you pause the scene at the right moment (1:29), you'd realize that this is when Carl gets bitten. He even looks down for a moment at 1:53, and then when he gets up, you can see the bite mark on his shirt. What did Chandler Riggs say about Carl's death? Now, back to that interview, Chandler Riggs did with "Hollywood Reporter." The actor said that he was shocked to learn about Carl's death from the show's executive producer Scott Gimple. However, when he was asked about Gimple's reasoning in killing Carl, Chandler said that this was because he was trying to bridge the gap between Rick not wanting to kill Negan and Rick also wanting to kill him. Because in the comics there's a hole between Rick slitting his throat at the end of the "All Out War" arc and the time jump where Negan is alive and in prison. For that to make sense, Scott made Carl this humanitarian person who believes that all people can change and that there's no point in killing every Savior out there. So killing Carl off fits all of that really well. Also, we now know for a fact that Rick will say the "my mercy prevails over my wrath" line during the ending events of "All Out War." He will remember what his son said, and that's why he will decide to keep Negan alive. With all this in mind, we can say that Chandler Riggs pretty much spoiled the ending of Season 8 because we now know that Negan will survive the "All Out War." The latest updates and spoilers for "Spider-Man: Homecoming 2" reveal that one of Peter Parker's love interests, Gwen Stacy, will join the film. Internet news website Omega Underground claims that they have obtained an audition tape for the character's role and this led to fan speculations that Gwen will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but with a twist. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that director Jon Watts will return to helm the sequel and promised comic book fans something interesting in the next chapter of Spidey's life. Gwen Stacy joins the MCU? According to Omega Underground, the video featured an unknown French actress named Louna auditioning for the role of Gwen Stacy in the "Spider-Man: Homecoming" sequel. This led to comic book fans speculating that Marvel Studios will try to diversify the character from her classic appearance and origin, as they plan to reintroduce her as a foreign exchange student in the MCU. The news website added that Gwen will be born in France or Russia, and she will be transferred to Peter's class in Midtown Highschool. In the comics, Gwen Stacy is one of Peter's major love interests next to Mary Jane Watson and she made a live-action appearance in three Spider-Man movies played by Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone. Fans are a little worried and skeptical about Gwen's appearance in the film as they were upset about the studio casting Zendaya as Mary Jane Watson in the first "Homecoming" film. Jon Watts returns Kevin Feige confirmed that Jon Watts will return to direct the "Homecoming" sequel during Marvel's panel at the CCXP event in Brazil. Watts will join the likes of Jon Favreau, Joss Whedon, James Gunn, Peyton Reed, and the Russo Brothers who have achieved success in directing MCU films. While details about the sequel's plot are still unknown, the movie will take place after the events of "Avengers 4" after the heroes successfully defended the planet against Thanos. The sequel will also feature the possible formation of the Sinister Six and Venom's appearance in the MCU. Cast member Jacob Batalon told Screenrant in a previous interview that he wants to see Venom in the new Spidey sequels and how the studio will make him different from Sony's version of the character played by "Mad Maxx" star Tom Hardy. A Reddit user once theorized that Peter will obtain the black symbiote suit during his battle with Thanos in "Avengers: Infinity War" and he will keep the suit after the events of the movie. A lot of people told me that as soon as I set foot in Israel, I would feel like I'd come home. That wasn't my experience with arriving in the country writ large, but it's how I felt when I stepped into Nava Tehila, the monthly Friday night Jewish Renewal service led by Rabbi Ruth Gan Kagan. One reason I felt at-home was that I ran into almost everyone I know in Jerusalem there. Friends from ALEPH, acquaintances from Ohalah, folks I met last Shabbat morning at the Leader Minyan, folks I've met at school, someone I met at the initial briefing session for the Encounter program last week, even someone I knew from the PANIM transdenominational rabbinic student retreat last year. What an amazing intersection of my various Jewish lives! Beyond that, I feel at home wherever the music is really good, and the music at Nava Tehilah was great. An excellent drummer, two guitarists, a violinist, three song-leaders, and about 200 people singing with intention and heart. That's pretty much exactly my idea of a good time. But maybe the deepest reason I felt at home was how the minyan dovetails with my ecumenical sensibilities. I first read about Reb Ruth's minyan in a Jerusalem Post article, Keeping the Faiths, which begins, "A rabbi, a monk, and a Sufi walk into a minyan. It sounds like the set-up to a bad joke circulating by email. But it's a reality every month at Nava Tehilla, Jerusalem's first - and only - 'multi-faith' Jewish renewal gathering." (It's a good article, worth reading.) To be clear: the service is entirely a Jewish service. The davenen (and extra-liturgical conversation) is in Hebrew (with English translations of the teachings so no one feels left out.) But the doors are intentionally open to members of other faith traditions. I mentioned that there was a violinist? He was a monk in brown and white robes (a member of a French Catholic order called the Beatitudes.) I saw a few of his fellows there, and a nun, and an Indian couple in traditional dress, and someone I could swear is Ghanaian (Ga, if I had to guess, though he vanished after the service before I had a chance to go say hello and see if my Ghana-dar was working right.) After our opening chant, Reb Ruth offered words of welcome, and reminded us that we are all participants here, welcome to sit or stand, daven full-text or join in the extended chanting of brief pearls from the psalms, meditate in silence or dance with abandon... as long as whatever we choose to do, we do wholly. She treated each psalm during kabbalat Shabbat as a gate into the service, and before each offered a brief teaching from this week's Torah portion (in Hebrew and then in English) which was sealed and sweetened by the singing. During "Lecha Dodi," when our singing and dancing and bouncing reached a fever pitch, a new bride and groom came into the middle of the circle, and we sang to the Shekhinah manifest in the literal bride as well as to the Sabbath Bride. And then we sang the last verse and my heart cracked right open, and I covered my face and wept. From that moment on, I felt luminous. Looking around the room at this joyful immersion in kabbalat Shabbat and maariv services, I thought, this is what Isaiah meant when he voiced God as saying, "My house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples." In that basement room at Kol Haneshamah, where two hundred people of various faith traditions gathered to welcome Shabbat together, I think that statement came true. Afterwards most of us walked (beneath the darkening sky and the most amazing sliver of new moon) to Ruth and Michael's (beautiful) home for a potluck supper which began with blessings and schmoozing, and continued after dinner with song and a kind of Torah-teaching open-mike. Meanwhile, other people helped put out and clear up the potluck supper while Ruth and Michael circulated -- which reminded me of our New Year's gathering, actually, the sense that this is a community of friends which feels ownership of the regular gathering so that the hosts don't have to run things. I didn't stay long -- only until about 10:30 -- because it's been an awfully long first week of class for me, and my Friday was particularly emotionally challenging. (Rewarding in proportion to its difficulty, but difficult nonetheless. More about that soon.) But I'm so grateful to have found my way to this monthly Renewal minyan -- and, in a bigger-picture sense, to have found my way to Jewish Renewal, a home I can carry with me wherever I go. Technorati tags: religion, Judaism, Shabbat, JewishRenewal, Jerusalem. A glimpse of where and how I davened on Friday morning. One of the highlights of my URJ Biennial was davening last Friday morning with Nava Tehila. This is not surprising. Longtime readers of my blog know that davening with Nava Tehila has long been one of my favorite things in the universe, anywhere. Let's see: great music -- check. Deep heart-connection -- check. Awareness of the flow of the matbe'ah (the structure of the service) -- check. Attunement to body and to silence -- check. Balance of contemplative and ecstatic -- check. Davening with Nava Tehila feels like coming home. I love how they set the worship space up, in concentric circles with space in the middle, a kind of emptiness echoing the ancient holy of holies. I love how Dafna and Yoel work (wherever they are) with a cadre of holy levi'im, musicians who aren't just accompaniment but are part of the active leadership team. I love their melodies and harmonies. And all of these add up to more than the sum of their parts. Every time I daven with Nava Tehila, I come away with my heart and soul feeling recharged, reconnected, and rejuvenated, and my body buzzing from the dancing and the joy. It was neat to daven with them at a gathering explicitly created by and for Reform Jews, and to see that they don't change what they do in any way based on the denominational identity of the community with whom they're davening. And I know that last week they were at the USCJ, the big gathering of Conservative Jews, doing the very same kind of thing -- and, I'm guessing, meeting with every bit as much joy and enthusiasm and wow! as they heard from the Reform crowd on Friday morning. When I say that renewal flows through all of the denominations, this is part of what I mean. Colorful tallitot are everywhere, for instance. Not only the rainbow tallit that Reb Zalman z"l designed so many years ago, each color of the rainbow representing one of the seven "lower sefirot" or aspects of divinity -- though I saw a bunch of those at the Biennial, as I do everywhere! (And I'm guessing most people have no idea who designed that tallit or what its origins are -- though if you're interested, here's the story, which I love knowing.) But the very fact of multicolored tallitot was one of Reb Zalman's innovations in the first place, back in the 1950s. Now they're a natural part of Jewish prayer life almost everywhere. And renewal melodies are everywhere. I can't tell you how often I've encountered a liturgical melody by Rabbi Shefa Gold -- come to think of it, we sang one on Friday night at the URJ Biennial before dinner in the ballroom where I was seated! Her melodies are known and sung across the Jewish world (and as with the tallitot, most people may not know where they come from -- it's easy for melodies to seem miSinai, as though we received them with Torah at Mount Sinai.) There are other renewal composers whose work is becoming part of the canon, too, like Shir Yaakov. And, of course, Nava Tehila, who share both their melodies and their way of davening not only in their Jerusalem home but in places they visit around the world. Beyond the music, renewal modes of davenen (prayer) are everywhere. If you've ever been to a chant-based service, a contemplative service, a service that drew on Jewish meditative or mystical teachings, a service where people danced in the aisles, you've had a brush with some renewal ways of connecting with prayer. (I say "some" ways, rather than "the way," because there is no single way to pray in Jewish renewal. That's why as a renewal rabbinic student I was expected to learn how to lead prayer-ful worship using any prayerbook there is, from full-text to minimalist, across the denominational spectrum... and to pray not only with books and received liturgy but also with silence, and music, and the unfolding prayers of the heart.) And the flow of renewal continues. Renewal as it's unfolding now contains elements of what came before, remixed in new ways. I see Svara: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva as part of the flow of renewal. The Institute for the Next Jewish Future, the Jewish Emergent Network, the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute are all part of the flow of renewal. (Some of these people and places may self-identify as part of the renewal of Judaism. Others might not choose the term "Jewish renewal" to describe what they do. But they're all part of renewal from where I sit.) Bayit: Your Jewish Home -- the new nonprofit organization I'm co-founding; stay tuned for more on that! -- is part of the flow of renewal. And so are many other places and spaces besides. Renewal flows through all of the denominations, and in and through post-denominational and trans-denominational spaces, too. As software developers say, this isn't a bug, it's a feature. It isn't an accident or a mistake -- rather, it's part of renewal's core design. Renewal was never meant to be a denomination. Renewal is a way of doing Jewish, a way of approaching Judaism and spiritual life, that can enrich and enliven Jewish practice of all flavors. I've been saying that for years, but there was something extra-special for me (as a rabbi who serves a Reform-and-renewal shul) about living out that belief at the Biennial this year. Related: 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. HA NOI The Japanese Sakura Vietnam will change its brand name to Sakuko Vietnam from December 15, the company said at an event in Ha Noi on Saturday. The company, an affiliate of Sakura Group, will also launch its new brand identity in Viet Nam while opening its 10th convenience store on oi Can Street in the capital city this month. "With the debut of the new brand name, we hope to contribute to changing the quality of life of Vietnamese people by providing them with quality Japanese products and good services, Sakuko Vietnam managing director Cao Thi Dung said. Sakura Vietnam, now Sakuko Vietnam, entered the Vietnamese market in September 2011 with the goal of becoming a leading provider of Japanese goods in Viet Nam. It operates a convenience store chain of the same name. To date, it has opened nine stores in Ha Noi, six franchised agencies and over 500 distributors nation-wide. Last week, the companys convenience chain received the Trust and Use 2017 award from the Vietnam Economic Times. The title aims to honour enterprises with the top 100 quality products and services that are trusted and used by consumers. Besides consumer goods, the enterprises will also operate in hotel, construction and logistics industries. VNS HA NOI The national carrier Vietnam Airlines has launched a promotion programme for domestic flights for the 2018 Lunar New Year Festival. According to the promotion, a return ticket for flights between Ha Noi, Vinh, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa and HCM City is priced from VN999,000 (US$44). The return ticket price for flights between a Nang, Hue, Quy Nhon and HCM City is set from VN599,000. The return ticket for flights between Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku and HCM City is priced from VN399,000. The sale programme is open from December 11 to December 31, 2017. The promotion applies to customers booking one-way tickets from February 8, 2018 to February 16, 2018, and return tickets from February 7 to March 2, 2018. The above rates do not include taxes, fees, surcharges, and tickets are attached with special conditions. Tickets are available at www.vietnamairlines.com, ticket offices and sales agents of Vietnam Airlines nationwide. VNS HA NOI Transparency in the equitisation of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) must be enhanced to attract foreign strategic investment in the process, experts said. The Government plans to divest from more than 130 SOEs by 2020, which would significantly push up share supply in the coming years. Saigon Securities Inc estimated that the Governments planned divestment from SOEs would be worth some US$4.35 billion a huge sum that would require capital resources from foreign strategic investors to absorb. Selling stake to foreign strategic investors would have a lot of positive impacts, such as easing the financial burden on the State, improving operational efficiency, promoting technology transfer and enhancing management capacity and competitiveness. We know strategic investors will not only bring new financial resources, but also other changes, Nguyen inh Cung, director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) said. However, the reality is attracting foreign strategic investors is not always easy. A CIEM report on stake sale to strategic investors of 46 SOEs showed that stake worth a total VN28.4 trillion (US$1.25 billion) planned to be sold for strategic investors, but only VN12.7 trillion was purchased. In addition, only four SOEs attracted foreign investment, not to mention that foreign investors only purchased limited stake. American Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Adam Sitkoff was quoted by Vietnam News Agency as saying that investors wanted to feel at ease when investing in a business. They needed to look at the process of evaluating the SOEs, whether it was in line with international standards, he said, urging changes to attract strategic investors. Experts also said the cap on foreign ownership in several sectors discouraged the participation of foreign investors in the equitisation of SOEs. Other problems that made investors hesitant were the lack of accuracy in evaluating SOEs, lack of transparency in the equitisation process and low efficiency of SOEs, besides the complicated procedure. According to Pham uc Trung, head of CIEMs Corporate Development and Reform Department, it was critical to improve transparency in the SOE equitisation process. Besides this, the role of strategic investors in corporate management following privatisation must be enhanced to attract their participation, he said. According to CIEM, the criteria for strategic investment must be clarified together with renovating the mechanism of evaluating SOEs value and improving the efficiency of SOEs. ang Quyet Tien, director of Corporate Finance under the Ministry of Finance, said the Government was promoting transparency in SOE privatisation to attract foreign investors. VNS HA NOI Southern cities and provinces are ready to switch from the RON92 grade petrol to E5 biofuel starting next year, but concerns remain over its pricing and consumer preference. Local authorities and petrol traders said at a meeting on Saturday they are all set to sell the E5 biofuel from January 1, 2018. Nguyen Phuong ong, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, said all 534 petrol stations in the city will sell E5 bio-fuel on a regular basis next year. Some of the petrol stations are prepared to sell from December 15, he said, adding that about 45 per cent have already started selling the E5 biofuel. To ensure sufficient supply of the E5 fuel, the department will inspect all 534 gas stations on December 15, ong said. The trading and sale of RON92 petrol will stop on December 31, 2017 and be replaced by the E5 biofuel on January 1, 2018 under the Prime Mnisters Announcement 255/TB-VPCP on June 6. According to the Department of Science and Technology under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, E5 fuel has completely replaced RON92 petrol in four cities and provinces a Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Can Tho. But authorities in southern localities have also said they have encountered some difficulties in switching from RON92 petrol to E5 bio-fuel, particularly product price and consumer preference. While sellers are not encouraged by the current price mechanism, consumers are not convinced by the products quality standards, which have mostly remained undisclosed to the public. Photo shows oil tanks and pipelines of the PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PV Oil). PV Oil is ready to sell E5 bio-fuel nationwide on a regular basis on December 15, sooner than the expected deadline of January 1 set by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung Sellers are also concerned that the new product would not be attractive enough as it is only VN1,000-1,200 (4.4-5.3 US cents) per litre cheaper than RON95 petrol. This might see market demand for RON95 petrol rise strongly, especially if consumers awareness over the quality of E5 biofuel is not raised. Petrol stations in the southern region have also raised questions about how they would deal with the remaining amount of RON92 petrol not sold out by January 1, and about how much financing they would get because the input cost for selling E5 fuel is still high, ong said. Across the country, a number of companies have been prepared to sell the new product on December 15, including Nam Song Hau Trading Investing Petroleum JSC and PetroVietnam Oil Corporation. The Hau Giang-based Nam Song Hau Trading Investing Petroleum JSC has three factories with daily capacities of 400, 800 and 1,500 cubic metres, four subsidiaries, and 77 petrol stations. The company will subsidise sellers by purchasing the remaining amount of RON92 fuel at the distributed price. Meanwhile, PetroVietnam Oil Corp (PV Oil) has completed all preparations for the new product, according to general director Cao Hoai Duong. Duong said that PV Oil has invested in maintaining, improving and upgrading its infrastructure to make sure the supply of E5 fuel is sufficient and product quality meets national standards. He estimated the preparation costs for the company at VN100 billion ($4.44 million). Nguyen Minh Toai, director of the Can Tho Department of Industry and Trade, acknowledged that the main difficulties in regular sale of the E5 fuel are consumer awareness and sellers doubts on input costs. He said local authorities need to improve consumers awareness of E5 bio-fuel and develop proper plans to support traders in making the switch. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said at a conference on Saturday that there has been no complaint on the quality of E5 fuel from consumers since it was piloted in seven provinces and cities in late 2014. Its quality and safety standards have been confirmed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, he added. The deputy minister also said that the Finance and Industry and Trade ministries have been working on tax rates and selling prices to make E5 more attractive to consumers. It is important to put E5 fuel into use nationwide as it will improve the countrys energy security situation, protect the environment and further develop the Vietnamese energy industry, Vuong said. VNS The first Vietnamese Coffee Day opened on Sunday at the Lam Vien Square in a Lat, aiming to boost productivity and quality while adding value to homegrown beans. Photo vovworld.vn HA NOI The first Vietnamese Coffee Day opened on Sunday at the Lam Vien Square in a Lat, aiming to boost productivity and quality while adding value to homegrown beans. Le Quoc Doanh, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said at the opening ceremony that coffee was among Viet Nams key products, accounting for a large proportion of the countrys exports. It has contributed significantly to the nations poverty alleviation efforts in particular and socio-economic development in general, especially for the people in the Central Highlands, he said. Pham S, Vice Chairman of Lam ong Province, where a Lat is located, said that development of the coffee industry has brought thousands of jobs for people in the Central Highlands. The first Vietnamese Coffee Day was marked with an exhibition and several other activities including workshops to discuss ways to ensure sustainable development of the domestic coffee industry in the future. In 2016, a total 1.78 million tonnes of coffee was exported for a turnover of US$3.4 billion. In addition to traditional coffee beans, Viet Nam was able to produce roasted, ground and well-processed coffee products whose export value reached more than $300 million. Viet Nam ranks second after Brazil as the worlds largest raw coffee exporter, with the Central Highlands region contributing to 90 per cent of the countrys total production. Lam ong Province ranks second in the country for coffee cultivation and production. Finding a niche Experts have said that despite being the worlds second largest coffee exporter, Vietnamese coffee products are favoured for cheap prices while the product quality is not highly spoken of. That is because Vietnamese farmers plant, grow and harvest coffee through traditional methods without applying modern, technological procedures and applications. Sundays exhibition featured 30 booths of coffee and coffee machine producers from the Central Highlands and northern mountainous regions. Even organisers gave medals to processing companies and co-operatives that have made great contributions to the domestic coffee industry. The second Vietnamese Coffee Day will be held in ak Nong Province in 2018. VNS SYDNEY The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) will join hands with relevant agencies to organise a dialogue between 100 Vietnamese seafood businesses in the Mekong Delta region and the Australias Seafood Importers Association (ASIS). The aim is to promote seafood shipments to Australia, VFF President Tran Thanh Man said. Man asked the ASIS to pay due attention to the import of Vietnamese shrimp and tra fish while meeting with Norman Grant, president of the association, in Sydney on Friday. He said he believed that with significant improvements in quality, Vietnamese seafood would satisfy the strict requirements of its importers, including Australia. If shrimp and tra fish, two strategic goods of Viet Nam, are allowed to enter the Australian market in 2018, it will be a practical move to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Man noted. Norman Grant, on his part, said that as shrimp imports to Australia were evaluated based on biological safety, the VFF should work to supervise shrimp farming businesses to ensure food safety before exports. He expressed his hope that fish breeding facilities in Viet Nam will be improved, meeting fastidious requirements of Australia. The same day, Man surveyed Suez waste treatment technology on the outskirts of Sydney. VNS An iPhone X File Photo HCM CITY A few days after hitting the market, the new genuine iPhone X is now out of stock, according to traders. The giant mobilephone retailer, The Gioi Di ong (Mobile World), said that its customers in HCM City and Ha Noi sold 3,000 units last Friday. The company said that it had actually sold out before being officially on sale as the store received over 5,300 orders, with 3,100 of them making a deposit, up to the afternoon of the official sales day. Sixty-one per cent of customers ordered the 256GB version and the others asked for the 64GB version. More than 50 per cent of them wanted the silver colour, according to the company. The FPT Shop said that on the first day it sold 3,000 iPhone X to customers, while Viettel sold about 3,000. Many shops in HCM City have no more iPhone X models to sell. A store at Vivo shopping centre in District 7 told Viet Nam News that they immediately sold 1,000 phones on the first day, and that other customers were waiting to buy at a later date. About 15,000 iPhone X models have been sold in the country since the first day of its launch on the market, according to traders. A retailer said that most customers who had ordered the phone had not cancelled their bookings. He said that compared to iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the number of purchases of iPhone X had not been higher because the price was higher. However, many others are still waiting to buy the phone. oan Van Hieu Em, director of Mobile Phone and Electronic Business under Mobile World, said the phone had many advanced technologies and celebrates the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. It sold out on Apples website when it was first introduced, he added. To attract more customers, retailers are offering many promotions. For instance, Mobile World is offering a free interest on installment plans, while Viettel is providing zero interest on installment plans, a free trip to the US, and wireless chargers. Official sales of iPhone X in Viet Nam began on December 8. The price is VN34,790,000 (US$1,520) for the 256GB version and VN29,990,000 (US$ 1,300) for 64GB version. The retailers selling iPhone X include Mobile World, Viettel, Mobile Phone, FPT Shop and Vien Thong A. VNS HCM CITY More than 200 award-winning typography and graphic designs are being showcased at the 63rd International Typography Exhibition held in HCM City. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held on Friday by the New York Type Directors Club (TDC), in collaboration with Ton uc Thang University, FPT Arena, and the Goethe Institute the Germanys cultural institute. The annual International Typography Exhibition aims to bring together those who love fonts and text applications in various media such as brand communication, advertising, education, marketing, publication and film titles. The best typography works have won awards at the years annual TDC competition for both communication and typeface design, which attracted around 1,700 entries from 50 countries. The designs were in a large range of categories, including books, posters, corporate branding, logos, web graphics, film and TV titles, products and magazines. The exhibition has also been held in many other countries around the world, such as the US, South Korea, Japan, Poland, Russia, Thailand, Spain, Germany, and others. The TDC has been the worlds leading international organisation for support and recognition of excellence in typography, both in print and on screen, for many years. The TDC is a good opportunity for graphic designers to meet with industry professionals from around the world. The exhibition opens to the public from 9am to 6pm until December 12 at the HCM City Exhibition House at 92 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1. Organisers expect to attract thousands of visitors at the exhibition this year. VNS LISBON Portugals Salvador Sobral, winner of this years Eurovision song contest, is making good progress after a heart transplant, the medical team who operated on him said on Sunday. Sobral had waited several months for the operation as he suffered from a longstanding heart condition. "He was very well prepared and the surgery went well," said surgeon Miguel Abecassis from the Santa Cruz hospital outside Lisbon which performed the operation on Friday. Abecassis said Sobral would require a long period of convalescence but expected him in due course to be able to lead a "completely normal life". Sobral, 27, won the Eurovision crown in Kiev in September with a jazzy number penned by his sister Luisa Sobral entitled Amar Pelos Dois (Love for Both of Us). It was the first time Portugal had won the event. AFP HA NOI Vietnamese beauty representative Nguyen Thi Lien Phuong won the first runner-up title at the World Miss Tourism Ambassador beauty contest which concluded on Saturday night in the Philippines. The finale night of the beauty contest was celebrated with the participation of 50 contestants. The Vietnamese contestants name was announced among the top 21 and top 11, from where she went on to win second place. Phuongs title is equivalent to the Miss Eco Tourism 2017 title. The first prize of World Miss Tourism Ambassador went to Miss Russia Alena Raeva, while tourism ambassadors from Chile, Germany and South Africa were the others who finished in the top five. Phuong said she was pleased with her achievement. I put in my best efforts not only during the 10 days of the contest, but also for months before my first participation in an international beauty pageant. Born in the southern province of Long An in 1994, Phuong earlier won the runner-up title of Miss Tourism Vietnam 2017 before competing in World Miss Tourism Ambassador. A recently-established pageant based in the United States, World Miss Tourism Ambassador 2017 is not only a beauty arena, but also a channel for promoting tourism, culture and tourism services of any country that sends a delegate to this contest. VNS The Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security has decided to launch legal proceedings against inh Manh Thang, Director of the Petro Song a Trading and Investment JSC . Photo vneconomy.vn HA NOI The Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security has decided to launch legal proceedings against inh Manh Thang, Director of the Petro Song a Trading and Investment JSC over his alleged links to serious violations in the case involving the PetroVietnam Construction JSC (PVC). The information was verified by a senior official of the Ministry of Public Security on Saturday. Thang, 55, has been detained pending further investigations into his role in the PVC case involving deliberate violations of State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences. Currently, investigators are expanding their probe into two economic violation cases, one at the PVC and the other related to the Thai Binh 2 thermal power project. In the latter case, the violations and abuse of position and power to appropriate property is said to have resulted in losses of VN800 billion (US$35.5million) to PetroVietnam (PVN)s investment in Oceanbank. In a related move, the Investigation Police Department has also decided to prosecute Nguyen Quoc Khanh, PVNs former President and CEO, also on the charge of deliberately violation of State regulations on economic management causing serious consequences. The police has issued arrest and search warrants for Khanh. The same day, the National Assembly Standing Committee adopted a resolution on the prosecution, arrest and suspension of Khanh as a member of parliament. inh La Thang, former Chairman of the PVN Member Council, has also been arrested in the case. VNS Some 1,000 attendees, representing young people from throughout the country, participated in the 11th National Congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) for the 2017-22 tenure, which opened in Ha Noi yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo HA NOI Some 1,000 attendees, representing young people from throughout the country, participated in the 11th National Congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) for the 2017-22 tenure, which opened in Ha Noi yesterday. Addressing the first session of the congress, First Secretary of the HCYU Central Committee, Le Quoc Phong, described the congress as an important political event and a festival of Vietnamese youth. The congress is reviewing the youth unions activities during 2012-17, and setting out targets, tasks and solutions for the next five years. It will also amend and supplement regulations of the HCYU and elect a new central committee for the 11th tenure, he said. With eight forums and 20 group discussions, the congress will last until December 13. Earlier, the delegates paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Ha Noi and laid wreaths and offered incense at the Heroic Martyrs Monument on Bac Son road, also in the capital city. Also yesterday, a photo exhibition was officially opened at the National Convention Centre in Ha Noi within the framework of the congress. Themed oan Thanh nien Cong san Ho Chi Minh Tu hao truyen thong, vung buoc tuong lai (Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union - proud of the traditional, firm steps to the future), the exhibition runs from December 8-14 with exhibits including more than 500 images, materials and artifacts from the unions history and 10 congresses. VNS Speeding on their motorbikes cost two young men their lives yesterday afternoon in HCM Citys District 2. Photo congan.com.vn HCM CITY Speeding on their motorbikes cost two young men their lives yesterday afternoon in HCM Citys District 2. The two men, about 25 years old, are said to have driven a motorbike very fast on Mai Chi Tho Street and lost control, colliding with lorry carrying stones. The accident blocked traffic jam for almost two hours in the area. Meanwhile, in the northern province of Hoa Binh, a passenger bus and a lorry were seriously damaged in a head-on collision yesterday morning. Fortunately, no serious injury was reported, although the bus was carrying 30 passengers. The accident happened in Luong Son Districts Truong Son Commune as the passenger bus traveled from Luong Son to Kim Boi collided with a dirt-carrying lorry running in the opposite direction. The police are investigating the accident. Four rescued from fire in Ha Noi HA NOI Firefighters in Ha Noi yesterday rescued four people trapped in a big fire in a house on Thai Ha Street. The fire occurred at 7am on the ground floor of a four-storey house in Alley 131. The ground floor of the 40sq.m house was rented out to a coffee shop, and the owners lived on the upper floors. Five firefighting trucks were mobilised and four people trapped in the building were rescued. The fire was extinguished in an hour. On Saturday night, a fire that broke out in the Huyen Su Market in Tri Phai Commune, Ca Mau Province destroyed 11 stalls, causing losses estimated at VN2.6 billion (US$116,000). No human casualty was reported. According to Tri Phai Peoples Committee, the stalls selling groceries, clothing and shoes belonged to five households who had stored a large volume of goods in preparation for the upcoming Tet (lunar new year). The fire is being investigated. Seriously injured Chinese sailor rescued at sea BA RIA-VUNG TAU The Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre No 3 on Saturday took a foreign sailor seriously injured on board a Panama-flagged cargo ship off Viet Nams territorial waters to a mainland hospital for treatment. He Liming, a 30-year-old Chinese national, fell from a height of seven meters into the hatch while working on the deck of Seiyo Honor on Saturday morning. He suffered severe back and chest injuries and was unable to move his arms. Seiyo Honor, which was proceeding from Bong Sen (Lotus) Port in HCM City to the Kelang Port in Malaysia, was about 68 nautical miles southwest off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau when the accident happened. As the sailors condition worsened, the ships captain had sent out an SOS. The centre instructed the ship to return to Vung Tau City and provided first-aid guidance. It also dispatched ship SAR 413 with doctors on board. The doctors were able to improve the sailors condition before he was taken from Vung Tau to the French-Viet Nam Hospital in HCM City for further care and treatment. VNS HA NOI Cars lined up, causing a jam along National Highway 5 on Monday morning, as several drivers paid their tolls in small notes to protest the "unreasonable" tollbooth. The universal protest reportedly started at around 7.30am, when some of the drivers used small notes, such as VN500 (2 US cents), to pay their VN40,000 fee when passing tollbooth No 1 on the National Highway 5, the key route to the east of Ha Noi. The incident occurred on the lanes of Ha Noi towards the direction of Hung Yen Province. The lines passing the station moved slowly, and began getting longer as the drivers took their time to count enough cash for the toll. An hour later, more drivers kept paying the fees in small notes. There were drivers who gave the toll officers VN41,100, of which VN1,100 comprised one VN500 and three VN200 notes. They insisted on getting the exact change for a VN100 note, which is rarely used in daily transactions. The protest by the drivers adversely affected traffic in front of the tollbooth, and led to long lines of cars. Earlier, drivers in a private group on the Internet called on their members to use small notes to protest against tollbooth No 1, which was said to have been unreasonably placed on National Highway 5 by the Viet Nam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Company (Vidifi). The Vidifis tollbooth was collecting fees from vehicles on National Highway 5 to recover their investment into the Ha Noi - Hai Phong Expressway, the drivers said. Drivers in the group planned to pay fees in small notes in the direction of Ha Noi towards Hung Yen on Monday morning, and to switch to the other direction from 4.30pm in the afternoon. Vidifis National Highway 5 Management and Maintenance Board Chairman, Nguyen Van Huynh, said that the drivers payment in small notes was legal, however the prolonged intentional parking at the booth causing traffic jams was a breach of law. He added that Vidifi would call car-towing services to remove the cars stopping for too long. National Highway 5 is the main route to enter Ha Noi from the east, with up to 15,000-16,000 vehicles passing tollbooth No 1 everyday. The lowest toll is VN40,000, while the highest is VN180,000. The booth is built under the Build-Transfer-Operation (BOT) model. DRVN to propose solution for BOT This is not the first time drivers have resorted to the small-note payment method to protest against a BOT toll station. Hundreds of drivers managed to halt the operations of Cai Lay tollbooth for several hours early this month, driving the Prime Minister to temporarily postpone the stations toll collection for up to two months before the authorities could come up with a satisfactory solution. The Cai Lay booth is located on National Highway 1; however, it collects fees for a 12km bypass of Cai Lay Town in Tien Giang Province, while some drivers only travel on the highway. Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam (DRVN) General Director, Nguyen Van Huyen, on Sunday said that the directorate would count the number of vehicles passing through both the National Highway 1 and the bypass from December 8 noon until December 16. It aimed to gather accurate data in order to propose the soundest solution over the Cai Lay station to the Ministry of Transport, he said. The DRVN must submit the proposal no later than December 17. The DRVN was currently working on three scenarios, according to Huyen: to keep the status quo, to build another toll booth on the bypass or to move the station to the bypass with the government paying back the investor its investment into the National Highway 1 of around VN300 billion. Huyen, however, said that the DRVN was also open to another scenario, in which the Cai Lay station would keep collecting fees until the investor recovered its money from the highway investment. After that, the station would be moved to the bypass. Following the move in Cai Lay station, drivers and several localities asked the Ministry of Transport to eliminate or reduce the toll at a number of BOT stations across the country, such as the Phu Bai Station in Thua Thien-Hue Province, all three BOT stations in Binh inh Province, the Ninh An station in Khanh Hoa Province and the Ba Lang station in Can Tho City. VNS HCM CITY HCM City wants to increase government workerssalary so that they match at least the minimum wage in the industrial sector. City authorities made the plea at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue, who is also the head of the Central Steering Committee for Reform of Wage, Social Insurance and Incentives for People with Meritorious Service, last weekend. According to the city Peoples Committee, the existing wage structure applied for public employees is not enough to motivate them. For example, the basic monthly salary in the public sector is only VN1.3 million (US$58) compared to VN3 million in the industrial sector. Though the minimum wage is usually adjusted every year to cover the increase in prices, it is barely enough to cover basic needs. However, the adjustment is weighed heavily in favour of employeeseducation levels rather than their performance or position. City authorities said this basic salary structure prevents cities and provinces with rapid economic growth from increasing the incomes of their employees. Apart from calling for the base salary hike, the city also said there should be a law on minimum wage to ensure salaries are sufficient. The deputy PM said evaluating the reform of wage, social insurance and incentives for people with meritorious service is vital in HCM City due to its significant role in the countrys economy. Appreciating the suggestions made by the city administration about the salaries, he said the steering committee would work towards closing the salary gap between government and industrial workers to ensure the former are paid adequately. Together with Resolutions 18 and 19 adopted at the sixth plenary session of the 12th Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee, which reiterate the countrys determination to reduce the number of public servants and restructure public offices and agencies, we will successfully implement the reform of wage and social insurance to motivate employees, enterprises and the whole country. Last month the Government Office had announced that the basic salary for civil servants and public employees would increase to VN 1.39 million from next July.VNS KHANH HOA A fishing boat with a 16-member crew, which drifted for several days in the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, reached Ba Ngoi Port in Cam Ranh City Sunday afternoon. The boat was towed to the port by a rescue ship. Earlier, on November 29, the Vietnam Navy received distress signals from the fishing boat, coded BD-99.559TS and captained by 45-year-old Nguyen Cuong, a native of Binh inh Province. The boats crew was reportedly fishing 270 nautical miles off the Quy Nhon coast when its engine broke down. The vessel was carrying 7,000 litres of diesel oil and seven tonnes of fish. The Vietnam Navy decided to assign a ship to immediately initiate a search operation for the boat. The rescue ship reached the boat on November 30 and towed it to Song Tu Tay Island in Truong Sa Archipelago for repair. On December 6, it was pulled to the mainland because the problem could not be fixed. On the same day, another fishing boat with 16 crew members from Binh inh Province was also successfully rescued by the command of the Fourth Region under the Vietnam Navy. The engine had broken down and the boat was drifting some 40 nautical miles from a Nang Citys Son Tra Peninsula for two days. VNS KHANH HOA Thousands of households living along Cai River in Khanh Vinh and Dien Khanh districts and Nha Trang City of Khanh Hoa Province have complained that sand mining is affecting their production land. This mining has continued for many years but shows no sign of stopping. The local government has promised to deal with such problem, as residents continue to see their land getting eroded by the river every day, e-newspaper zing.vn reported on Sunday. Nguyen Dieu, a resident of ong Village of Khanh Vinh Districts Song Cau Commune, said he had reported the incident to the local authority but no one had resolved the issue. The sand is still getting exploited, causing erosion and my soil is getting cartied away with the waters flow, he said. According to the Peoples Committee of Khanh Vinh District, eight establishments were licensed to exploit sand at the section of Cai River that passed the district area. "The local inspection team found a lot of river sections had eroded following reports from locals and we will report the problem to the higher competent agency," a representative of the Natural Resources and Environment Division of Khanh Vinh District said. The section of Cai River that passes through Dien Khanh Districts Dien Tho Commune is also facing a similar situation. Earlier, the river was some 200m away from the provincial road, but currently it was only at a distance of some 20m, Duong Van Manh, a resident said. Thinh Phat Co., Ltd, located in Dien Khanh District, has exploited sand for many years, but the local environment division said it was not clear if the company was licensed for mining or not. Meanwhile, the provincial police said during an inspection of illegal sand mining sites along Cai River in September, they discovered Thinh Phat company undertaking mining activity, however the company did not show the mining licence when checked. The police said 10 vehicles were engaged in sand mining. They also found more than 50,000cu.m of undocumented sand at the companys area. Police said they were completing documents for prosecution as this was a serious case of exploitation of sand, which had been occurring for a long time. VNS BUENOS AIRES The World Trade Organisation opened a conference on Sunday under the cloud of US hostility to multilateral trade accords. The 164-member WTO is also wracked by disagreements over China and has been struggling to kickstart stalled trade talks. The Buenos Aires meeting, which lasts through Wednesday, is the first in the era of US President Donald Trump, who has pummeled the body relentlessly since taking office, describing it as a "disaster". The Trump administration has made the WTO a preferred target of its "America First" policy, threatening to pull the US out of the trade organisation it says is hampering its ability to compete. Argentinas President Mauricio Macri said, in opening remarks, that "WTO problems get fixed with more WTO -- not with less WTO". Trump has already withdrawn the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and insisted on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said on Sunday he would ask US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer for "political commitment, political will and flexibility". "Without flexibility we will not get anywhere," Azevedo said at an opening press conference at a Buenos Aires hotel. Washington has been blamed for blocking appointments of judges to the WTOs dispute settlement system, saying it was ineffective and insisting on a more aggressive approach to defending its interests. The dispute body arbitrates international rows over subsidies or tariffs, among other things playing an important role in the standoff between US and European plane-makers Boeing and Airbus. The European Union, on the other hand, comes to the conference with a robust spirit of multilateralism. The EU and Japan announced on Friday that they have finalised a major trade agreement. EU officials will also meet with counterparts from the South American trade bloc known as Mercosur to continue talks on a free trade accord. These discussions have been going on for nearly 20 years. Low expectations Expectations for any kind of a breakthrough at the Buenos Aires meeting are low. For the past decade the WTO has failed to make progress in the so-called Doha Round of trade liberalisation talks, which began in 2001. The WTO is also accused of failing to do enough to resolve problems that some of its members have with China. "There is life after Buenos Aires," said the president of the conference, Susana Malcorra of Argentina. She has said a deal was likely to end harmful fisheries subsidies, of keen interest to developing countries. Beijing, meantime, wants to be seen by the WTO as a "market economy," but the Europeans and the United States -- for once on the same wavelength on trade issues -- oppose this. Any such recognition would entitle China to preferential economic treatment under WTO rules. It is currently classed as a non-market economy. That status allows the US and others to use a special recourse to levy anti-dumping duties against China if they determine that it is selling its goods -- notably steel and aluminum -- at unfairly low prices abroad. A European diplomat in Buenos Aires said protectionist US rhetoric may actually give fuel to negotiations between the EU and Mercosur. AFP CAIRO Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was to meet Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Monday over US President Donald Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, Egypts presidency said. Trumps move has drawn near universal condemnation, and Palestinian officials say Abbas will refuse to meet US Vice President Mike Pence when he travels to the region later this month. Sisi has invited Abbas "to a bilateral summit for consultations on Monday in Cairo to discuss developments related to the United States recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital", said Bassam Radi, a spokesman for the Egyptian presidency. Official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas and Sisi spoke by telephone on Sunday and "continued consultations about the latest developments after the US administrations decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel". It said that they agreed "to continue consulting to coordinate common positions". Palestine Liberation Organisation official Wasel Abu Yousef said he understood that Jordans King Abdullah II would also join Mondays meeting, but there was no official confirmation of this. Anger throughout the Muslim and Arab world has included protests in Egypt and Jordan, which also has a special role as the official custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. In Cairo, students and professors demonstrated at the prestigious Al-Azhar University, a university spokesman said, with pictures on social media showing several hundred protesters. Dozens of students protested at two other Cairo universities. Arab foreign ministers on Saturday called on the United States to rescind its recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital and for the international community to recognise a Palestinian state. In a resolution after an emergency meeting in Cairo, Arab League member ministers said the United States had "withdrawn itself as a sponsor and broker" of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process with its controversial move. The ministers met at the leagues headquarters in Cairo to formulate a response to the US decision. Egypts top Muslim and Christian clerics have both cancelled scheduled meetings with Pence in protest at the Jerusalem decision. Israel seized Arab east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community. The Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise the ancient city as Israels capital, insisting that the issue can only be resolved in negotiations. Meanwhile, Israels leader faces renewed pressure from Europe on Monday to reboot the Middle Easts moribund peace process following widespread criticism of the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Jewish states capital. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be in Brussels for an informal breakfast with EU foreign ministers who will urge him to "resume meaningful negotiations", according to the blocs diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini. The talks come after French President Emmanuel Macron met Netanyahu in Paris on Sunday and called on him to freeze settlement building and to re-engage with Palestinians following widespread protests over the US move. Speaking alongside Netanyahu on Sunday, Macron again condemned the decision as "contrary to international law and dangerous for the peace process". "I urged the prime minister to show courage in his dealings with the Palestinians to get us out of the current dead end," Macron said after talks in Paris with the Israeli leader. "Peace does not depend on the United States alone... it depends on the capacity of the two Israeli and Palestinian leaders to do so," the French leader said. AFP AJACCIO, France Nationalists on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica cemented gains in regional elections on Sunday, underpinned by their demands for greater autonomy from Paris. The outcome is widely expected to pose a new challenge to President Emmanuel Macron who will have to decide whether to cede some control or maintain Frances tradition of highly centralised government. The governing Pe a Corsica (For Corsica) alliance -- made up of the pro-autonomy Femu a Corsica (Lets Make Corsica) and pro-independence Corsica Libera (Free Corsica) -- won 45 per cent in a first round of voting a week ago and cemented that showing with 56.5 per cent Sunday -- albeit turnout was low at 52.6 per cent. The win will give Pe a Corsica a comfortable majority in the islands assembly which will start work early next year. The nationalists will also take the 11 seats up for grabs on the governing executive council, which carries out the equivalent functions of regional council presidents in mainland France. "Paris today has to take stock of what is happening in Corsica," Pe a Corsicas leading candidate, Gilles Simeoni, said after the results came through. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said he had sent "republican congratulations" to the winners, adding he was willing to meet them once the islands assembly is up and running. In response Simeoni told reporters "Beyond the formal politeness, we expect and hope for a genuine dialogue," with the French state. The strong result for the autonomists comes amid political crisis in Spain -- with potentially major consequences for the European Union following efforts by Catalan nationalists to break away from Madrid. The leaders of Pe a Corsica have stressed throughout that their short-term goal is greater autonomy, rather than independence -- not least because the mountainous island is dependent on state spending. They have formulated three core demands: they want equal recognition for the Corsican language along with French and an amnesty for convicts they consider to be political prisoners. They also want the state to recognise a special Corsican residency status -- which would be used to fight against property speculation fuelled by foreigners snapping up holiday homes. Economic dependency Opinion polls show that most of Corsicas 330,000 residents, many of whom live off seasonal tourism or are employed in the public sector, want to remain in France. Even separatist leader Jean-Guy Talamoni -- nicknamed by some "the Corsican Puigdemont" after the Catalan leader -- suggests the island would split from France in 10 or 15 years at the earliest, if a majority supported it. "An economically viable Corsica -- I dont think well see it in my lifetime," a Corsica specialist at the University of Bordeaux, Thierry Dominici, said last week. That is not the case for Catalonia, where separatists complain that their wealthy region, representing a fifth of Spains economic output, pays more than it gets back into national coffers. Corsica, famed for having some of the best beaches in Europe and for being the birthplace of Napoleon, was once a hotbed of violent anti-French militancy. The National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC) waged a four-decade bombing campaign -- mainly targeting state infrastructure -- until 2014. The worst nationalist attack saw Frances top official on the island, Claude Erignac, assassinated in 1998. AFP The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio will be holding a three-day series of events next May to celebrate the unveiling of their Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress 41-24485 known as Memphis Belle. As all of our readers will surely know, Memphis Belle is an iconic aircraft, being the first Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States following the completion of 25 bombing missions over Axis Europe. While a handful of other bombers and their crews could lay claim to being the first to complete their 25 missions, Memphis Belle and her crew were chosen to celebrate the feat with a War Bonds tour of the USA soon after their final combat mission together. Museum officials will formally reveal the Memphis Belle in her new exhibit within the WWII Gallery on May 17th, to coincide to the day with the 75th anniversary of her crew completing their 25th mission together. The Memphis Belle flew her final combat mission on May 19th, 1943. According to a recent museum press release, the public ceremony next May will be the opening salvo in a three day event (May 17-19, 2018) to include a WWII-era aircraft fly-in, WWII reenactors and vehicles, memorabilia and artifact displays, music from the era, related guest speakers for lectures, book signings and films, including both Memphis Belle films in the Air Force Museum Theatre. Activities will be both inside and outside the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The preliminary schedule of events is as follows: Thursday, May 17, 2018 B-17F Memphis Belle Exhibit ribbon cutting Exhibit ribbon cutting WWII aircraft on static display on the runway behind the museum WWII reenactors and vehicles Air Force Museum Theatre Living History Event ($) Friday, May 18, 2018 B-17F Memphis Belle Exhibit open Exhibit open WWII aircraft on static display on the runway behind the museum WWII reenactors and vehicles Glenn Miller Concert Saturday, May 19, 2018 B-17F Memphis Belle Exhibit open Exhibit open WWII aircraft flyovers throughout the day WWII reenactors and vehicles Air Force Museum Theatre Living History Event ($) Details are still being finalized, and the schedule is subject to change, so please do check with the Museum ahead of time before making your own plans. Outdoor activities are weather dependent. Restoration Report: The restoration team at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has spent more than a decade returning the famous aircraft back to pristine condition. She is very close to completion, with a team spending the best part of November applying the paint scheme to the combat veteran bomber. We thought our readers might enjoy seeing some of the highlights of the painting process so far. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. WATERLOO -- A Waterloo sex offender has pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges in connection with an August motorcycle chase where police found a handgun. Rahkeen Three X Lewis-Williams, 25, entered a plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids on Thursday. Sentencing will be at a later date. Authorities alleged Lewis-Williams is prohibited from possessing guns because of a 2011 conviction for lascivious acts with a child. On Aug. 19, a Waterloo police officer attempted to stop a dirt bike on Logan Avenue because it didn't have a registration tag, according to court records. The motorcycle fled and eventually crashed into a fence near Lincoln Elementary School, and the driver took off running. Officers found a 9mm Ruger pistol about 10 feet from the motorcycle, and Lewis-Williams was found in a home on Crescent Place. While police were talking with witnesses, Lewis-Williams allegedly slipped his handcuffs and fled from the back of the squad car, court records state. He was detained a second time at another home on Crescent. WATERLOO -- A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor in Mexico and possessing child pornography. A grand jury indicted Juan Soria Rangel, 35, on Nov. 15 on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, transportation of child porn, distribution of child porn and possession child porn. According to court records, Rangel, a United States citizen, had sexual contact with the victim in Mexico between 2014 and 2016, and persuaded the victim to engage in sexual conduct for the purpose of taking photos or video. The images were then brought to Iowa when he traveled back, records state. AMES -- Applications are now available for the Iowa 4-H Foundation scholarship program. Approximately 90 scholarship opportunities valued at more than $100,000 will be awarded. Grants range in amounts from $500 to $10,000. Some of the scholarships are open to students pursuing any field of study, while others are open to students pursuing degrees in agriculture, food and nutrition, ag business, animal science and journalism. Former and current Iowa 4-H members are eligible to apply for 4-H scholarships. While a majority of the 4-H scholarship opportunities are available for students attending Iowa State University, scholarships are also available to students planning to attend any Iowa university, private college, community college or any land-grant university. Information is available at https://iowa4h.awardspring.com, and deadline is Feb. 1. Grow Ag Leaders ST. LOUIS -- Iowa students who are pursuing an education in an agriculture-related field can apply for Americas Farmers Grow Ag Leaders scholarships. Grow Ag Leaders, a Monsanto Fund program, will award $1,500 scholarships to students pursuing ag careers such as farming, agronomy, education, science, technology, engineering, among many others. Grow Ag Leaders scholarships are open to students 23 years of age and younger who live in eligible counties and are looking to enroll or are currently enrolled in trade schools, community colleges and four-year universities. Students need not be FFA members to apply. The deadline for students to apply is Feb. 1, and students must obtain two farmer endorsements of their application by Feb. 8. Information is available at www.GrowAgLeaders.com. CEDAR FALLS The Rotary Club of the Cedar Valley has been awarded a grant from Rotary International totaling more than $85,000. The purpose of the grant is to help train doctors in Mexico on the Ponseti method of treating clubfoot, a congenital abnormality in babies feet that causes them to twist out of shape. The Ponseti method is a manipulative technique to correct clubfoot without surgery. It was developed by Dr. Ignacio Ponseti at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and has become the standard for treatment of clubfoot. In our five years of existence, this club has built a reputation for serving the Cedar Valley through monthly projects, touching thousands of lives through hundreds of projects, said Rotary of the Cedar Valley president Jessica Rucker. Now we were looking to make a global impact. Cedar Valley club members learned about the Iowa-based Ponseti project at an international Rotary convention in Sau Paulo, Brazil three years ago. At that time, the father of one of the Cedar Valley club members was a doctor and Rotarian practicing in Mexico. Connections were made with his club in Mexico, Mante Rotary Club, and they agreed to partner with the Rotary Club of the Cedar Valley to facilitate the project. The training began in late November 2017. Members of the Ponseti International, a not-for-profit organization based at the University of Iowa, traveled to Mexico to train in-country practitioners who will train doctors from across Mexico. A total of 14 doctors came to the first phase of the training. Participants are enthusiastic about diffusing the Ponseti method to all of Mexico. While at the training a strategic plan and timeline will be developed to ensure its success. It is very gratifying to see an Iowa club helping to train doctors on an Iowa solution that is bringing hope to parents and changing the lives of children in Mexico and around the world, said past Iowa District Governor of Rotary and Waterloo resident Jozsef Gitta. This truly is Iowas gift to the world. The Rotary Club of the Cedar Valley will continue to build relationships with the Mante Mexico Club to help secure the future of the Ponseti project in Mexico and to partner on other projects to meet critical needs. WATERLOO Two Christmas Day dinners that served nearly 1,000 meals and warmed at least that many hearts will be back again this year in Waterloo and Evansdale. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1301 Kimball Ave., will continue a tradition begun in 1981 when it hosts its annual Christmas Day dinner from noon to 1:30 p.m. Diners are urged to call the church office at 234-5501 to make a reservation by noon Friday, Dec. 22. Co-organizer Mary Lisa Muller also said the church is contracting to have a bus to transport a limited number of individuals with disabilities who would like a ride but may have difficulty getting in and out of conventional motor vehicles. Those who wish to pick up dinners for homebound individuals may make a reservation to pick them up at 11 a.m. An individual may pick up a limit of four dinners. There are two boxes per meal, so individuals should bring containers to carry them. Westminster served a total of 600 meals last year. The dinner, begun by former Waterloo City Council member Bob Brown and his wife, Judy, was organized not just to provide a free Christmas Day meal but also fellowship to those who might be alone Christmas Day. Since 1981, the dinner has been held every year except 2009 when it was canceled due a forecasted blizzard which never came. The Browns passed on supervision of the dinner to a group of church volunteers in 2015. Meanwhile across town another free Christmas Day dinner will be offered at the Evansdale AMVETS, 706 Colleen Ave. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 25. Organizer Pat Cummings-Jones started the dinner in 2008. It has been offered nearly every year since at a succession of locations. Since 2015, it has been at the Evansdale AMVETS, where Cummings-Jones is past president of the auxiliary. She puts it on with the help of her mother, Rita Cummings, brother Ronnie Cummings and a host of volunteers, including members of the Evansdale AMVETS, Sons of AMVETS and auxiliary, as well as Evansdale firefighters. We have about 14 businesses (contributing) and about 35 workers, and weve gone around asking about 40 people to donate in one fashion or another, Cummings-Jones said. Evansdale businesses are great in giving donations, Cummings-Jones said. She suffers from heart issues and noted her mother, Rita, does a large part of the work. Shell be 83 in February. We call her the Duracell battery, Cummings-Jones said. No reservations are needed, but anyone wanting more information may call Cummings-Jones at 429-6220. DES MOINES Heres one way to determine what people and voters, presumably care about. On a weeknight during the holiday season in the state Capitol, roughly 600 people attended events featuring discussions on Iowas mental health care and low-income health care systems. Even in the states biggest city, thats a lot of folks venturing out to hear about and discuss issues of the day. Its a headcount to which every state-level office-holder and candidate should pay close attention. On Tuesday evening, the Des Moines Register and Des Moines University hosted a forum on mental health care issues with the candidates running for governor in next years election. All 13 challengers appeared; Gov. Kim Reynolds was unable to attend due to a family vacation. Roughly 400 people attended. At the same time, the state Health Department held a public hearing on its $5 billion Medicaid program. State officials listened to thoughts and concerns from roughly 200 people. Concerns with the mental health care system are not necessarily new, nor are they confined to Iowa. States across the country are attempting to determine how best to serve residents with mental health care needs. Iowa recently shifted to a regional delivery system, which some advocates believe has helped. But concerns remain over bed and physician shortages and stress on the law enforcement community, to name a few issues. Concerns with Medicaid largely surround the recent shift to privately managed care. Already, some people have expressed frustration that services, especially for those with a high level of need, have been reduced. Then, one of the three private companies being paid by the state to run the program dropped out, and a second said it can take no more new patients. There will be elections for the Legislature and governor in 2018. The party primary elections are in June, and the general election is in November. It would seem the candidates would do well to discuss mental health care and low-income health care issues, if they truly want to connect with Iowa voters on a topic thats clearly important to them. Alabama race The special election for a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama is headed down to the wire, according to the latest from the University of Virginias Crystal Ball from Larry Sabato. The race between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones is a toss-up going into Tuesdays election, the Crystal Ball said this week. Much national attention has been paid to the race because of Republicans narrow 52-46 advantage in the U.S. Senate (both independents caucus with the Democrats) and charges of sexual misconduct from multiple women against Moore. Normally, this would figure to be a safe seat for the GOP. The Crystal Ball notes the polls, in aggregate, show Moore with a narrow lead within a typical margin for error. As the race enters its final days, there are reasons for optimism on both sides, though because of Alabamas conservatism, we suspect the Moore team may have more reason for it, the Crystal Ball said. Minnesota race Iowas northern neighbor also could soon have a special election for a U.S. Senate seat after Democrat Al Franken announced this week he plans to resign in the wake of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. If Minnesota winds up with a special election, the Crystal Ball says the race would start with a rating of leans Democratic. The Democrats have a deeper bench of talent in the state and (Gov. Mark) Dayton will have the choice of several quality candidates to appoint, the Crystal Ball said. The midterm environment, which should have a Democratic lean with President Trump in the White House, helps Democrats in Minnesota too. Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and government for Lee Enterprises. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net. Things were never hotter in the White Houses lesser-known oval-shaped room, the one down in the basement, than they were for 11 minutes Wednesday afternoon. And thats really saying a lot. Because long before that oval room was elegantly repurposed into its present function as the White House Diplomatic Room, it housed the White Houses huge roaring furnace. On just about every December day, from 1837 to 1902, it would have been pumping heat throughout the gleaming white mansion. But this Wednesday, starting at 1 p.m. and lasting just 11 minutes, the old furnace room generated a very different sort of heat a blazing hot controversy that flashed around the world with incendiary consequences. President Donald Trump stood in the Diplomatic Room and delivered a message that seemed to instantly fire up passions and tempers throughout the Middle East. If you were to just read his words literally, you might well wonder what the fuss and fury were all about. Because the words Trump spoke, in and of themselves, could conceivably be read as a hopeful, positive message if those words had been spoken at the end of a months-long diplomatic process that was thoughtfully conceived and carefully executed to intelligently convince the regions players to want to consider entering a new era of prospective peacemaking. But no. This was a Trump thing; so there was none of that advance stuff. It all just erupted as if it were a helter-skelter happenstance. Trump decided to instantly declare the United States was recognizing that Israels capital is Jerusalem (a designation that presumably includes East Jerusalem, which Israel seized from Jordan in 1967, when all its neighbors were plotting to push Israel into the sea). Also, Trump said he has begun plans to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv (where all the worlds embassies are) to Jerusalem. So Trump used nice words to say he was just recognizing reality as his idea of promoting a new era of peace. But his words triggered a predictable Arab reaction that ran the gamut from rage to outrage: The Palestinians told the world to prepare for three days of rage. Trump began by telling us what all the world knows (but all the worlds statespersons diplomatically dont dwell upon). Jerusalem is where Israels Knesset, prime ministers and presidents work; Tel Aviv is where all the embassies are. In 1995, Congress passed a law saying the U.S. embassy should be in Jerusalem. So all presidents since routinely signed waivers putting off the move. Some say they lacked courage but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time, Trump said. After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering. Trumps top national security advisers reportedly counseled against making this sudden unilateral move. Israels government loved it, but all other U.S. allies counseled against it. So did Pope Francis. All warned of bloodshed and that America was diminishing its ability to broker a settlement. But Trump did it his way, anyway. But: Why now? Why did Trump feel he needed to act as he did at this precise moment when all was relatively quiet on the Israeli-Palestinian front against the advice of just about everyone (except Israel)? Here in the wide, wide world of punditry, all analysts began to feel as if they had just fallen through the looking glass. Talking heads and tweeting hands began to recycle diplomatic doublespeak doubletalk. While I have no authoritative source to hang this on, I believe I understand why Trump took this action at this moment. Special counsel Robert Mueller has scored a major success in convicting retired Gen. Michael Flynn, Trumps first national security adviser, who is apparently now cooperating with the probe. Trump knows what else might be discovered. And that probably explains Trumps recent uneven actions that sometimes appear to be borderline panic. Trump clearly wanted to deflect our attention away from Muellers Russia probe. I believe thats why he chose this moment to fulfill his risky 2016 campaign promise to Israel. Dec 11, 2017 | By Tess Australias University of Wollongong (UOW) is quickly becoming a pioneer in 3D bioprinting technologies. Recently, the university unveiled a new customized 3D bioprinter which has the potential to drastically improve treatment for patients with Type 1 diabetes. The innovative system, named the Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation (PICT) 3D bioprinter, was recently presented to Peter Malinauskas, the South Australian Minister for Health, who in turn has given it to the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) for use. Professor Gordon Wallace With this announcement, RAH has become the first hospital in Australia (and likely the world) to install the PICT 3D bioprinter for diabetes treatment research. According to the UOW, the 3D bioprinter is capable of depositing a special bioink (which contains insulin-producing islet cells) into a transplantable 3D printed scaffold structure. This method could improve on the existing process of implanting islet cells from human donors to treat serious Type 1 diabetes cases because it can reportedly decrease the risk of cell rejection in the recipients body. The PICT Printer will allow us to make customized organs, mixing donor with recipient cells in a unique 3 dimensional way to provide completely new composite organoids for experimental transplantation, explained Professor Toby Coates from the ROH. Donor islet cells, which are derived from the pancreas, can help diabetes patients to regain the ability to produce insulin, which is necessary for self-regulating blood sugar levels. Like with most transplant processes today, however, there is always the risk of the recipients body rejecting the donor cells. With the PICT 3D bioprinter, however, medical engineers could effectively print implantable scaffolds with better integration rates because they can include both the donors insulin-producing cells and the recipients own cells. Additionally, because the bioprinter can print multiple cell types, the scaffolds can also contain endothelial cells, which help to vascularize the grafted islet cells. Existing devices used by diabetes patients Housed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the PICT bioprinter will be used by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Sciences (ACES), which is led by Professor Gordon Wallace. Thanks to a grant from the Australian Research Councils Linkage, Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) program, ACES will be able to further develop the 3D bioprinter for medical applications. ACES at the University of Wollongong has built a collaborative clinical research network that enables us to tackle big clinical challenges and deliver practical solutions using 3D bioprinting, commented Professor Wallace. In collaboration with Professor Toby Coates team at Royal Adelaide Hospital, we plan to improve the effectiveness of islet cell transplants by encapsulating donated islet cells in a 3D printed structure, to protect them during and after transplantation, he added. Recently, the University of Wollongong was awarded an ARC grant of A$347,000 for the establishment a state-of-the-art 3D bioprinting facility. Posted in 3D Printer Maybe you also like: Nickleback Fan wrote at 12/11/2017 5:51:31 PM:This guy looks like a cross between John Hunt and Rolf Harris. by Leanne Ogasawara Einstein was adamant. He did not want a large public funeral. He wanted to be immediately cremated with his ashes scattered before anyone had time to make a fuss. Fair enough, right? Einstein biographer Walter Isaacson reminds us of the 1727 funeral of Sir Isaac Newton. Like Einstein, Newton was a superstar of his day. And so not surprisingly, Newton was buried with the highest honors at Westminster Abbey in London. Pallbearers included not only the lord high chancellor, but two dukes and three earls. Most of the fellows of the Royal Society were there as well to honor one of the greatest scientists the world had ever known. Einstein, says Isaacson, could have easily commanded such a large-scale state funeral. For Einstein was held in similarly high esteem by the people of his time. President Eisenhower famously declared that no other man has contributed more to the expansion of knowledge in the 20th century than Einstein. Many felt he was the greatest man of the twentieth century and a state funeral would have been not only appropriate but expected. Einstein, however, had other ideas. And immediately after his death on April 18, 1955, he was quietly cremated in Trenton, New Jersey. This took place on the afternoon he died before most people had even heard the news. The cremation was attended by all of twelve people; after which his ashes were scattered in the nearby Delaware River, as his great friend and Princeton colleague Otto Nathan read a few lines from Goethe's poetry. This quiet funeral, for me, perfectly captures the man that was Einstein. He had wanted to be quickly cremated with no fanfare because, he said, he did not want his final resting place to become an object of morbid fascination. But, alas, this was not to be. In what is an absolutely outrageous story, Einstein's brain was stolen. It then took on a life of its own as kind traveling relic around the country. How is this possible? As is well-known, Einstein died on April 167, 1955 from an abdominal aneurism. He died in Princeton Hospital, and the autopsy took place there. Otto Nathan was standing by and watched horrified as the pathologist performing the autopsy took an electric saw and cut open Einstein's skull to extract his brain. This pathologist thenwithout permission embalmed Einstein's brain. Einstein's son Hans Albert was justifiably furious when he heard from Nathan what had happened and called the hospital to complain, but the mild-mannered pathologist Thomas Harvey assured him that it had been done in the name of science. And "Your father surely would have wanted that." When news got out, institutions and scientists from around the world begged Harvey for some of the brain to study, but Harvey refused and guarded it like he would a religious relic, keeping it with him as he moved from place to place around the country. It's true. Then, in what is even more mind-boggling, when Harvey left Princeton Hospital he had the gall to take the brain with him! Prior to this first he had sent the specimen to Philadelphia where it was cut into 240 slices and preserved in celloidin for future transfer onto scientific slides. The slices were then stored in two mason jars which Harvey then carted from place to place with him around the country. Not living a very stable life, he would sometimes send a specimen out willy-nilly to random scientists whose work caught his eye! But very few scientific papers were ever written and finally after forty years of what can only be described as a crime against humanity, Harvey decided to bring the remains back to the Princeton Hospital! And so, Einstein's career as a wandering relic came to an end. Isaacson tells the story in the epilogue of his biography and refers the curious reader to check out a book, by Michael Paterniti, called Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein's Brain (and you won't want to miss this Harper's piece written about the incident by the same author here). ++ What is this obsession with relics? Probably since our earliest beginnings, humans being have shown great reverence to the bodies of the recently dead. Many cultures have elaborate funerary rites, and the hearts or the brains of the dead have been venerated by many cultures and seen to possess a spiritual power and charisma. Poet Percy Shelley's friends, for example, plucked his heart right out of the funeral fire after he had drowned in Italy to bring it back to England. In some cultures it is the heart that matters; while for others it is the brain. We all know about the head hunters of old Borneo, who sought heads to gain spiritual power. Likewise in Europe, with the rise of modern medical science, the head became seen as the great prize. And so, many famous heads (and brains) of the dead have gone missingfrom Haydn, Poncho Villa and Emanuel Swedenborg to the disappearance of JFK. Scientific study is one thing but what happened to Einstein's brain can only be described as something bordering on a religious quest. Apparently, Harvey kept the brain with him at all times and would trot them out when he wanted to put on a show and impress people. Forever promising to write scientific papers, when it comes down to it, he did nothing more than guard the relic religiously. As Paterniti describes, it was not just Harvey who held the brain in what can beset be described as religious awe. Marion Diamond of UCLA would tell of her first encounter with Einsteins brain as "A tingle, a revelation." It is not surprising that anything associated with his person would have a certain mystique or power. Despite my initial horror and outrage about this story, still something about it is almost reassuring. In fact, a few years ago, I had wondered in these pages whether things or people have the power to move us in a significant way anymore? There was a time (the time Umberto Eco likes to write about) when people were obsessed by fantastical beings and engaged in great quests for powerful objects. Like the draw that certain mountains have on mountaineers, certain objects had the power to draw people toward them. In particular, relics (body parts or items associated with important religious figures) were big business. Think of Sainte-Chappele, built to house the Crown of Thorns . There were endless quests for the Holy Grail. Eco's Baudolino is almost entirely taken up with the relic trade and the role played by faith (faith in "the fragrance" of these relics: where it is "the perfume that is true," not necessarily the relic itself). This kind of devotion to relics is famously practiced by Catholics and Buddhists, and probably harkens back to an ancient propensity to become enchanted by thingsespecially those relics connected to saints and martyrs as well as that of kings and historical giants. From the foreskin of Christ to the Stalin's Moscow Brain Institute this chasing after dead body parts has gone on since the beginning of time, I suppose. Einstein, of course, knew all about celebrity worship from his Pasadena days. Plus, he was aware that it was not just Christian saints and Soviet luminaries whose mortal remains were venerated but those of scientists as well! Think of Galileo's finger (kept in a reliquary in a museum in Florence, where it is said to be forever after giving the finger to Rome) or Antonia Scarpa's head, which was removed after his death by a disgruntled assistant and ended up on display in the museum of the University of Pavia (gruesome story here). Having lived himself in Pavia, Einstein surely would have been aware of the potential for trouble after he died! No, Einstein was too smart for that and arranged for a hasty scattering of all his remains. And yet, something happened. For even the great Einstein could not have seen this curveball coming. For me, the story of Einstein's brain is strangely moving. For better or worse, I am the type of person who cares a lot about funerals, and I have detailed instructions for my own (I even have my own pair of reliquaries for any of the kids who might want to keep one of my fingers or toes around someday), I've always been amazed and even impressed by those people who don't care about what happens to their remains after they die. They seem to be free from fear and more detached from the self than I am. Or anyway, that is how it seems. But there is also a kind of reverence and affirmation of life to suggest that even in death, the embodied person matters. Einstein's loathing of celebrity and wish to never become the object of worship illuminates so brilliantly one of the key underpinning aspects of his personality: tolerance and humility. Einstein had a deep respect for religion. But this was part of his boundless humility; for not only did Einstein repeatedly show a dislike for ideologists who pretend to have all the answers (Einstein stands out as unique for his ability to change his mind when new facts presented themselves) but he spoke often of the way he saw freedom of thought and a sense of awe as being fundamental to creativity and science. Of course, he had stated famously that, "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." Despite not being a believer in the formal sense, he still firmly believed that no one has the right to tell others what to think and believefor to dictate to others what to think implies you somehow have all the answers. It was this openness and flexibility that Isaacson sees as being the wellspring to his gigantic intellectual achievements. I agree. Einstein is my hero. For he was humble enough to be capable of changing his mind in the face of new facts, and he forever bristled at any authoritarianism that stood in the way of creative and free human thought. His humane humility led to his astonishing and endless creativity. Is it any wonder that the world could not get enough of him? Even in death. ++ Reliquaries by Andy Paiko Updike on Isaacson's Einstein Atlas Obscura on relics of famous scientists National Geographic on the case of Einstein's stolen brain by Dave Maier Its that time of year again already time to remind everyone that its that time of year again! I must admit I didnt listen to a whole lot of new music this year, but I have definitely rounded up a good selection for you, even if theres probably a whole lot out there that we wont find out about until later. Such is life in the abundant times in which we live. The names here will be mostly familiar to regular listeners, but Ive included a couple of oddities as well. Heres to a happy and healthy 2018 for all! [direct link if widget fails] Yagya The Great Attractor [Stars and Dust] Yagya is Aalsteinn Gumundsson from Iceland. His latest release is very much in the vein of his earlier ones, e.g. 2009s Rigning, which is probably my favorite. Ambient listeners might have to get used to the dance-floor pulse of Yagyas music, as inherited from his major influence, Wolfgang Voigt (a.k.a. Gas), but thats easily done, given his exquisite spacial and melodic sensibilities. Steve Roach We Continue [Spiral Revelation] Also rhythmic, but in a more familiar space music vein, is Steve Roachs latest, which has, I hear, just received a Grammy nomination (along with Brian Eno) for best New Age album. Space music fans used to be very offended to be lumped into the same musical category as (actual) new agers, but that ship sailed some time ago, so congratulations Steve! Also noteworthy is Steves earlier release (okay, late last year, New Years Eve in fact) Fade to Gray, which is much more textural and headphone-oriented than this one. Reverberant Evenings Where were we, my friend? [same] Reverberant Evenings is a single guy, I think, from Palermo, Italy, and his music is indeed reverberant, if not necessarily only appropriate for evening listening. On his website, which he seems not to have updated any time recently, he tells us that A late afternoon some time ago I came home, sitting in the back seat of a motorcycle. Looking to my right the sun drew the silhouette of the outskirts, forcing me to close my eyes. I was very good. Every morning, opening the window, I see the sun again hitting the plants and now I can understand everything. Takes only a moment. That instant the sound fills everything. Kate Carr we were the pulse of a wire pulled tightly [The Story Surrounds Us] We last heard Kate on my recent mix dedicated to her Helen Scarsdale Agency labelmate Matt Shoemaker, who tragically passed away all too soon earlier this year. What Ive heard from her so far suggests that she is a major talent. Many sound artists incorporate field recordings into their work, but Kate takes that idea to the next level, compositionally speaking. Ill be investigating her back catalog while waiting impatiently for the next one. Crimson Sails Streets [Part I] Okay, I confess: not only is this release from late 2016, but I actually have Crimson Sails 2017 release, which is called ( wait for it ) Part II. Unfortunately for our purposes, Part II is mostly guitar rock, so we stayed with Part I. Too bad, their drony stuff is excellent. Trio Mediaeval & Arve Henriksen St. Birgitta Hymn Rosa rorans bonitatem [Rimur] ECM Records started out in the early 1970s releasing progressive jazz records from the likes of Eberhard Weber, John Abercrombie, Jan Garbarek and Terje Rypdal. (Just writing those names makes we want to go pull out The Colours of Chloe or Timeless.) They soon (or right away, depending on whom you ask) moved past jazz, and now we can hear all kinds of things on that label, unified only by producer Manfred Eichers rapturous aesthetic. Here we have a trio of classical vocalists singing a 14th century Nordic hymn, accompanied by trumpeter Arve Henriksen, known for his many experimental solo releases, as well as his work with the avant-fusion band Supersilent. And yet it works fine in the same set as Yagya and Steve Roach. At 3 A.M. anyway. Federico Durand El hechizado [Pavel] Federico seems not to have been that active this year, in the studio anyway (I think hes been touring a lot), but this release is from early 2017 so it counts. Plus Im a huge fan. Here is what Federico says about Pavel: This album is a musical approach to traditional children stories, which have a circular narrative, innocent and eerie at the same time. A haunting aura caught me while I was recording this music, in the attic of my home in La Cumbre, at dusk, as a fairy tale. Every piece of "Pavel" could be a company for rainy days, a train journey, in a park, walking under the stars after work, or during a nap: its melodies almost hypnotic will guide you towards to a dream state, as if you were inside your own legend of the forest. Chihei Hatakeyama odyssey [Void XIV] Chihei Hatakeyama, on the other hand, has been cranking em out like theres no tomorrow. Id be happy about this, as hes one of the very best, but I actually prefer this release of earlier unreleased tracks to most of his current material. One commenter on the bandcamp page suggests that our man excels at the shorter forms, as on this release, as opposed to the long-form drones on some later releases. Maybe, but some of his longer tracks (e.g. on 2016s Requiem for black night and earth spiders) are great too. Kinephilia Kyua (minimal mix) Kinephilia is a new name in ambient music (even on me, as I just made it up yesterday). Yes, thats right, this is a track I did myself. Kyua is the Japanese name for Kiyoshi Kurosawas 1997 horror movie Cure, from which I nicked two of the sounds we hear here (the others were made with Reaktor and a couple of iPad synths). That water sound in the middle I recorded myself with my trusty Tascam DR-07 digital recorder (its the creek down by the train tracks). I think this track sounds rather better on headphones, which probably means I need to figure out how to use compression and EQ (you could probably just crank it up though). I say minimal mix here because I reserve the right to add more stuff in there later (nothing much though, just to fill it out a little bit). But Ive been listening to it a lot recently, and I think its ready to get out there in one form or other. Scanner Blank Canvas [From Here to Tranquility Vol. 7 (The Renaissance Continues) anthology] Scanner is UK sound artist Robin Rimbaud, who began his career picking up various found sounds with a radio scanner (thus the name) and setting them to a techno beat (which is more interesting in practice than I am making it sound actually). No police dispatchers here though, this is straight ambient, albeit with some odd sounds in there too. This anthology, as its subtitle suggests, is part of the reboot of legendary U.S. ambient label Silent Records (and is another late 2016 release). David Tagg Flecktarn [Crypsis] David Tagg is one of many drone artists who utilize guitar as their main sound source (or guitarists who make drones you decide), and the recently released Crypsis is his magnum opus: a four-CD set, sold out, but still available as a 4-hour download (8 half-hour tracks). One track Im not sure about, but most of it sounds great, so check it out. Too bad we only have time for a brief snippet here! Hes also made a good deal of his large back catalogue available for whatever you feel like paying, so if guitar drone is your thing, you know what to do. Thats it for this year, but Ill be back next year (hopefully before December!) with more. Happy New Year everybody! by Evert Cilliers aka Adam Ash When President Trump took the office of President in the year 2017, few Americans could have predicted the huge changes to come under the rulers that would follow him changes inspired by his unprecedented example. And few could have predicted that this man, who started with an approval rating lower than any president before him, down in the toilet, would end up with an approval rating so high up to heaven's ceiling, it even satisfied him, a man who loved to be adored. His ego feasted on his people's approval like bees feast on nectar, like kids feast on Big Macs with fries on the side, like flies feast on feces. In fact, nothing much might have happened in the Trump years were it not for three events that came to pass late during his tenure, events that came to be known as the Unholy Trifecta. The first event was the drowning of Miami in a hurricane much worse than any preceding one, which hit that city with spectacular results, undoubtedly occasioned by accelerated climate change. President Trump called in the Army to install order when roaming bands of brigands began to rob and kill to survive in the chaos (or so the official line from the White House averred) which set the template for other take-overs by the Army of other cities in various states of trouble, mostly financial, brought about by Republican Governors who had slashed taxes to such a degree that there was no money left for schools, which led to massive protests, which led to the President sending in the Army to install order, and which normalized the military occupation of more and more cities. The second event was the terrorist bombing at UC Berkeley, when five bombs exploded at various strategic places all over the campus one morning, and killed a total of four thousand and thirteen students and faculty, leaving over ten thousand more students variously maimed with a great loss of limbs and brain injuries which left many of its brightest students somewhat retarded in their mental faculties. Three families of homegrown Muslims were charged with this crime (although it later transpired that the bombs were planted by far-right militia supporters from the Bundy crowd). The President immediately moved to have the Army descend on all mosques on the first day of Ramadan and arrest all the Muslims in America and put them on trains running from all over America for them to be settled in a vast camp in the desert of Nevada. Here they were housed in tents, with food brought in from Wisconsin and other farm states, and here they themselves arranged for schooling for their children and various companies sprang up, their entrepreneurial spirit not having been quite extinguished, and here they established a working society, with Shariah Law being imposed by President Trump, which turned out to be an easy way to keep them in line. Muslims who got out of line were sentenced to death by stoning, and soon peace reigned supreme among them. The third event happened during what came to be called The Last March on Washington. It came the day after Trump was inaugurated for his second term. During the march, there was the unfortunate shooting of two police officers by a sniper hiding in the crowd in an unknown location. The very hour that these policemen's brains spattered all over their nearby colleagues, the President angrily tweeted that if one more policeman was shot at during this protest march, the police had his presidential permission and immediate pardon to fire back at the protesters. That was in fact what happened. An officer went down from a bullet, his head exploding in a massive arc of blood and brain matter, befouling his fellow officers, and these officers, besmirched with the blood and brain matter of their downed colleague, and reeking from the smell of fresh blood and bits of brain matter, whitish and grayish, like bits of gutted fish fresh from a nearby river these officers, steeped in the blood and bits of brain matter from their colleague, immediately fired back at the crowd. Many died, all seen on TV, a sickening sight. President Trump immediately declared a State of Emergency, and rushed through a number of presidential decrees which placed the entire country under martial law, with the military in control of all state houses and municipalities. All protests were outlawed. If anyone dare to protest, the police and the Army had the president's permission to shoot them on sight. When this happened, protests ceased to occur. It took only a month of such strict law and order for all crime to cease. Nobody was going to steal even a bit of candy from the corner store, knowing that they might very well be shot stone-dead the very next day. So grateful was everybody for this absence of all crime, that nobody seemed to mind that there appeared to be no return to civil governance forthcoming, and America settled into a quiet acceptance of being ruled by the only institution they still had any faith in, the military. Forty-nine five-star generals ran forty-nine states, and they put in officers as city mayors, who ran every city like an army barracks. Definitely and decidedly, Americans felt that America had been made great again, as President Trump had promised in his original campaign. The hit parade was filled with songs extolling the virtues of military government. It did not take too long for Trump's evangelical supporters to clamor for their piece of the action, and Trump soon raised selected evangelical pastors to reign alongside the military. So it was that every state and every city was run by a combination of military officers and evangelical pastors. After President Trump's death, there was a contest for power between a billionaire friend of Trump, an Army General and an evangelical pastor, and the evangelical pastor won. He brought in a law that made abortion a capital crime. Here is where our story starts, which will concern the fate of a single and rather singular woman, one Eve Trent, the first woman arrested for the newly promulgated crime of aborting the life of her womb child (or fetus as some scientific literature still referred to the little womb girl). We will begin at the public immolation of the Supreme Terrorist, who had committed an act of Supreme Terrorism with a nuclear device, such as the world had always feared and never seen. It was at this event that Eve Trent met the man with whom she would become involved, one Adam White. Theirs was a love that was utterly singular and different from all other loves, being that it was completely at odds with the ethos of Trumplandia. So, as we tell the political story of Trumplandia, we will also tell a romantic love story unlike any other, because it was a story that ran head-on up against everything that Trumplandia was becoming and would come to stand for. The very name of her famous case tells the gist of our story in four words: Trumplandia v Eve Trent. Would you like to read this novel? You might be able to, because it has been accepted by Amazon for possible publication as a Kindle e-book. The catch is that I have to get enough folks to nominate it for publication before they actually publish it. So could you help me get published by nominating my novel? Click on this url and nominate me with one more click: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/12K6S1NJ9OPVZ If you've enjoyed my articles on 3QD that I've written for the past decade, please help me kick off my literary career (over the past 15 years I've written seven novels and had six literary agents, but have not had a book published yet aargh). You'll have my undying gratitude if you nominate me and help me get published at long last. ong last. This week's list of happenings is teeming with holiday events, shopping, art, booze and fitness. Monday, December 11th: Embrace Your Inner Wonder Woman @ Roxie Theatre When: 7:00pm to 9:00pm Where: 3117 16th St. (Mission), facebook.com Why: Kick-off your week with Wonder Woman vibes at Roxie Theater for an evening all about empowering and emboldening women in the arts. Admission is free, but an RSVP on their Google doc. is required to get in the door. Monday, December 11th: Learn All About Craft Beer (and Taste Them) @ Anchor Public Taps When: 6:00pm to 7:30pm Where: 495 DeHaro St. (Potrero Hill), facebook.com Come this Monday night, as well, Anchor Brewmaster Scott Ungermann will host an educational and entertaining seminar focused on American Craft Beer Historywith samples and tastings. Tickets ($20) can be bought on Eventbrite. Tuesday, December 12th: Walk the Holiday Light Show @ Downtown Napa When: 5:00pm to 10:00pm Where: 1290 Napa Town Center (Napa), donapa.com Why: Invite some holiday cheer into your Tuesday plans by touring the illuminated, LED-canvassed art on display at a variety of buildings throughout Downtown Napa and the Oxbow District. Admission is free and you can make a day out of it with some holiday shopping, wine tasting, and dinner. Wednesday, December 13th: Treat Yourself to French Sweets @ a Macaron Happy Hour When: 7:00pm to 8:30pm Where: Location TBD; will be given after purchase of ticket Why: Due to high demand, Food La La has added more delectable, delicious dates for their macaron happy hours, filling up their now on-going schedule; all the while catering to the saccharine dreams of more than a few foodies. Tickets ($34) can be bought at Feastly. Thursday, December 13th: Go on a Wine Walk in North Beach When: 4:00pm to 8:00pm Where: 565 Green St. (North Beach) Why: Go for a stroll around North Beach and sip on vino from a variety of different merchants. The event will take places at different stores on Grant Ave, Columbus Ave, Vallejo Street and Green Street. Tickets ($25 online or $30 on-site) include a wine glass and map with all of the tasting locations, and can be purchased at Belle Cora, 565 Green Street or sresproductions.com. Thursday, December 13th: Explore Edgar Arceneaux Artistic Works on Race @ YBCA When: 11:00am to 6:00pm (gallery hours) Where: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. (SoMa), ybca.org Why: Stop by the YBCA this week to check out artist's Edgar Arceneaux. Until, Until, Until (201517) is a multimedia video installation as well as a live action playwritten, staged, and directed by Arceneauxthat revisits a controversial performance by Ben Vereen at Ronald Reagan's inauguration. Tickets ($10) can be bought at the door or at tickets.ybca.org and get you access to the museum, which includes Arceneaux's newest piece. Friday, December 15th: Celebrate "FRYDay" @ Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) When: 4:00pm to 7:00pm Where: 3200 California St. (Presidio Heights), facebook.com Why: Surround yourself with good vibes and deep fried feels at JCCSF for their annual Hanukkah Shabbat "Fryday" party featuring Federal Donuts, for a delightful, carb-heavy holiday spread featuring free tastings courtesy of Boychik Bagels, Seka Hills olive oil, and Miller's East Coast Deli latkes. Admission is free, but an RSVP on their Facebook page is recommended. Saturday, December 16th: Go on a Crafty Shopping Spree @ The Good Craft When: 1:00pm to 6:00pm (Come and go, as you please) Where: 2034 San Pablo Ave. (Berkeley), facebook.com Why: The Good Craft is a pop-up market showcasing the work of an evolving group of local artists from the Bay Area, and each dollar spent goes right back into supporting those same creatives; a small portion of all the proceeds go to the Saint Francis Homelessness Challenge, as well. Admission to the pop-up is free with an RSVP on their Facebook page. Saturday, December 16th: Because Trap Yoga's a Thing @ Town Fitness When: Noon to 1:00pm Where: 130 E. 12th St. (Oakland), eventbrite.com Why: This Vinyasa style yoga experiencewhich includes a beautifully curated mix of the latest rap music with heavy bass, hypnotic rhythmic beats and ratchet affirmationsis the hype-class your Saturday namaste time deserves. Tickets ($15) can be bought on Eventbrite. Saturday, December 16th: Check-off Your Queer Holiday Shopping List @ Qulture Collective When: Noon to 7:00pm (Come and go, as you please) Where: 1714 Franklin St. (Oakland), facebook.com Why: Embrace all things hella-fab shopping at Qulture Collective annual holiday fair, where, of course, you can find plenty of "Gay Apparel" for the always extra person in your life; while also helping to support some of the Bay Area's LGBTQ craft vendors. Admission to the event is free. Sunday, December 17th: Cheers to coming Christmas Week @ Smuggler's Cover When: 4:00pm to 6:00pm Where: 650 Gough St. (Hayes Valley), eventbrite.com Join Tiki Drink for their holiday fundraiser, where you can listen to a talk by mid-century design historian Christopher VerPlanck while sipping drinks at Smuggler's Cove, one of San Francisco's most acclaimed tiki bars. Tickets ($40) can be bought on Eventbrite, and include tastings with each single purchase. All the news that's fit to eat. (Courtesy of Barvale) Flavors of Spain Restaurateur Adriano Paganini (Belga, A Mano) continues to expand his empire with the opening last week of Barvale, a Spanish-style tapas bar in the heart of NoPa. The menu includes cold and hot tapasthink boquerones with spicy Iberian sauce, tortilla de patata with pimento aioli and frisee, braised oxtail and paella. Pair your bites with the traditional sherry as well as wine and cocktails. Also look for daily pintxo specials. // 661 Divisadero (NoPa), barvalesf.com. Freshly Baked Renowned pastry chef Janina O'Leary (formerly of New York's Restaurant Daniel and Per Se) is now sweetening up the offering at Spruce and The Saratoga. Look for her playful yet sophisticated seasonal spins on classic desserts such as pumpkin spice cake with roasted sunchoke ice cream and a buttery-flaky apple hand-pie. // 11:30am-2:30 pm, 5-11pm Monday through Friday, 5-11pm Saturday, 10am to 2pm, 5-9pm Sunday, 3640 Sacramento St. (Presidio Heights), sprucesf.com; 5pm-12am Monday through Thursday, 5pm-1am Friday and Saturday, 11:30am-4pm Sunday, 1000 Larkin St. (TenderNob), thesaratogasf.com. Duna Does Donuts Cancel your plans and head to Duna on Saturday instead when James Beard Awardwinning chef Michael Solomonov (of Philadelphia's Zahav and Federal Donuts) pops up at the Mission eatery with his tasty langos, a Hungarian take on donuts. Tickets ($27) include three langos, a cup of coffee and a copy of the Federal Donuts book. (Federal will also be doing a Hanukkah pop up with free donuts on Friday from 4pm-7pm Jewish Community Center of San Francisco). // Saturday, Dec 16th at Duna, 983 Valencia St. (Mission), duna.kitchen; tickets at jccsf.org. Hawking Bird Opens on Telegraph in Oakland Michelin-starred chef James Syhabout (Hawker Fare, Commis) soft-opened his new fast-casual chicken resto, Hawking Bird, on Oakland's Telegraph Avenue last week. In the wake of Hawker Fare's closure, the new spot offers some consolation in its khao mun gai (a comforting Thai chicken and rice dish) and a fried chicken sandwich. There are also tasty extras such as fried tater tots, garlic noodles and chicken fat rice. // Open for lunch Tuesdays through Saturdays, 4901 Telegraph Ave (Oakland), instagram.com/hawkingbirdoak. ASEAN Tourism Destination Market WiseGuyReports published new report, titled ASEAN Tourism Destination Market SUMMARY WiseGuyReports published new report, titled ASEAN Tourism Destination Market Destination Market Insight provides in-depth analysis of a tourist destination, in this case for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The countries included in this report are Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, The Philippines, Malaysia, Laos, and Myanmar. The report uses regional and country focused analysis to explore inbound tourist markets, infrastructure and attractions, as well as risks and opportunities. The report provides clear insight into current and future tourism developments in the region. The ASEAN welcomed over 110 million international arrivals in 2017. The ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025 aims to create a unique and diverse tourism offering across the region, with the agreement to create a more collaborative tourism strategy. The regions tourist industry has experienced substantial growth in recent years, which has brought a number of benefits including jobs and incomes. However, there are a number of issues which need to be addressed if growth is to be sustained. GET SAMPLE REPORT @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2596070-tourism-destination-market-insights-association-of-south-east-asian-nations-asean Scope Thailand is the ASEANs leading tourist destination, welcoming 31% of total arrivals to region in 2017. However, Myanmar is the fastest growing destination, experiencing 211% growth in arrivals between 2009 and 2017. A key goal of the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025 is to promote the ASEAN as a single tourist destination. By moving towards a collaborative tourist strategy, the region will benefit from arrivals being less concentrated in a few countries and therefore growth in the future can be more easily sustained. However, there currently remain a number of barriers which make moving towards a more singular market difficult. International tourists most commonly travel to the region for leisure purposes. For example, leisure trips comprised over 80% of international arrivals to Thailand in 2017. Key points to buy This report provides clear and detailed insight into new developments in a fast growing tourist destination. The report uses data and analysis to explore future trends related to international arrivals, airlines, and hotel developments. The reader gains a strong understanding of the opportunities in the market, as well as the risks, to support better business decisions. Table of Contents Overview Map of ASEAN nations Snapshot Key trends and new developments Country focus Myanmar Thailand Singapore Risk analysis Market risks and opportunities Outlook ..CONTINUED About US Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially check https://www.wiseguyreports.com/conferences For updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially check https://www.wiseguyreports.com/seminars Media Contact Company Name: Wiseguyreports.com Contact Person: Norah Trent Email: sales@wiseguyreports.com Phone: +1 646 845 9349, +44 208 133 9349 City: Pune State: Maharashtra Country: India Website: www.wiseguyreports.com Takes Consumer Insight to Boost Shareholder Experience with the Launch of a Shareholder App Sydney, Dec 11, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Blackmores ( ASX:BKL ) is proud to release an app for shareholders using new technology created by Computershare and their app partners, Amplifier Corporation. "Our consumers are increasingly looking to engage with us through mobile technology and we used the same insight to launch a mobile solution for shareholders that is effectively a one stop shop for them to manage their investment in Blackmores," said Cecile Cooper, Blackmores Company Secretary. The app is the first of its kind because of its deep integration with Computershare to enable shareholders and brokers mobile access to manage their shareholding, as well as: - Live share price updates - View dividend history - Obtain dividend or tax statements - Receive news, announcements, key dates and invitations to shareholder events "Through intelligently-linked content, we are creating a superior user experience for shareholders in a whole new way," said Greg Dooley, Managing Director of Computershare Investor Services. "We wanted to make everyday life simpler for shareholders by offering them a completely new and user-friendly way of accessing their share information." Adam Friedman, Amplifier CEO said, "Blackmores is leading the charge with innovation and their desire to communicate with shareholders in new ways on mobile is setting a benchmark for listed companies here and abroad. We're also proud to partner with Computershare to bring this integration to market and provide this service to all Computershare customers and their shareholders in 2018." "Shareholders at our October AGM were part of the pilot of the first phase of the app," said Cecile Cooper. "We have the capacity to add more features in the future to enhance the experience we offer our investors." The Blackmores Investors app is downloadable at http://blackmores.computershareapps.com or by texting the word 'Blackmores' to 0400-813-813 (Aust and NZ). The app is compatible with all mobile devices, and gives all shareholders easy access to their holdings and all relevant Blackmores investor announcements and company information. Access is via a secure login using a Securityholder Reference Number (SRN) or Holder Identification Number (HIN) and postcode. About Blackmores Limited Blackmores Limited (ASX:BKL) (OTCMKTS:BLMMF) is Australia's leading natural health brand. Its quality range of vitamin, minerals, herbal and nutritional supplements, and continued support of the community and environment, are among the many reasons Blackmores is the most trusted name in natural health. Funding Granted for Diamond Drilling at Mt Roberts Gold Project Canberra, Dec 11, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Alt Resources ( ASX:ARS ) (Alt, or the Company) is pleased to advise that it is been granted AUD$32,500 by the West Australian Government Exploration Incentive Scheme for 2018. Highlights - Alt Resources successful in WA Exploration Incentive Scheme drill funding - Successful grant application for $32,500 to cover 50% of direct drilling costs - 3 x 400m diamond holes planned to test structural controls on gold mineralisation in the Mt Roberts area The Company made application under the Scheme to implement diamond drilling at the Mt Roberts Gold Project located in the Agnew-Wiluna greenstone belt near Leinster. The grant of $32,500 is the full amount applied for by the Company and is designated as a contribution for up to 50% of direct drilling costs. The diamond drilling program at Mt Roberts is planned to commence in 2018. The successful application was granted for 3 x 400m diamond holes at the Mt Roberts and Rum Punch prospects. The drill program aims to establish the first real understanding of structural and stratigraphic controls on gold mineralisation within the Leinster Anticline, which is a neighbouring structure to the well-endowed Lawlers Anticline to the south-west (see Figure 1 in link below). The Mount Roberts area has been under-explored for gold, especially given the significant gold endowment of nearby areas (Agnew Gold Camp), with an historical focus on nickel. Limited geological information is available from historical drilling at Mt Roberts and therefore controls on mineralisation and a mineral deposit model have remained poorly constrained. Away from the main Mt Roberts workings, data is limited to historical soil sampling and a small reconnaissance RC program by WMC. No diamond drilling has been conducted whatsoever at the project. The drilling to be conducted by Alt under the EIS will represent the first structural and metallogenic analysis of the Mt Roberts Project. In 2016 and 2017, Alt successfully intersected high grade gold mineralisation in RC drilling at Mt Roberts and Rum Punch (see Notes 1, 2 below). Highlights included: - 3m @ 28 g/t Au, including 1m @ 67.4 g/t Au - 1m @ 20.3 g/t Au - 1m @ 24.4 g/t Au, and - 4m @ 7.96 g/t Au, including 2m @ 13.75 g/t Au - 1m @ 9.84 g/t Au Notes: 1 See ARS Announcement, 16th November, 2016: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/KQJ6UJ73 2 See ARS Announcement, 6th November, 2017: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/7Z87NPE7 To view figures, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/R2MG855P About Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd is an Australian based mineral exploration company that aims to become a gold producer by exploiting historical and new gold prospects across quality assets and to build value for shareholders. BAE Systems and the Government of the State of Qatar have entered into a contract, valued at approximately 5 billion, for the supply of 24 Typhoon aircraft to the Qatar Emiri Air Force, along with a bespoke support and training package. Above: The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and his Qatari counterpart, Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah, oversaw the signing of the deal for 24 Typhoons. Crown copyright BAE Systems is the prime contractor for both the provision of the aircraft and the agreed arrangements for the in-service support and initial training. The contract provides for 24 Typhoon aircraft with delivery expected to commence in late 2022 and is subject to financing conditions and receipt by the Company of first payment (expected to be fulfilled no later than mid-2018). The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and his Qatari counterpart, Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah, oversaw the signing of the deal for 24 Typhoons, building on the Statement of Intent signed in September. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "It is a great pleasure to sign our biggest export deal for the Typhoon in a decade. These formidable jets will boost the Qatari militarys mission to tackle the challenges we both share in the Middle East, supporting stability in the region and delivering security at home. "As we proudly fly the flag for our world-leading aerospace sector all over the globe this news is a massive vote of confidence, supporting thousands of British jobs and injecting billions into our economy." The aircraft will be assembled in the UK by BAE Systems, supporting thousands of jobs, especially at the companys Warton site in Lancashire where it will secure work on the production line into the next decade. It is the biggest export deal for the Typhoon project in a decade. Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems Chief Executive said: We are delighted to begin a new chapter in the development of a long-term relationship with the State of Qatar and the Qatar Armed Forces and we look forward to working alongside our customer as they continue to develop their military capability. In addition, the agreement includes a clear intention to proceed with the purchase of Hawk aircraft. The deal also includes an agreement with MBDA for Brimstone and Meteor missiles and the highly-accurate Raytheons Paveway IV UK-manufactured weapon for the jets. The Defence Secretary also agreed a package of training and cooperation between the Air Forces which will see them working together more regularly, including Qatari pilots and ground-crew training in the UK. The UK and Qatar share a close and longstanding defence relationship, with a joint-exercise between the Royal Air Force and the Emir of Qatars Air Force just last week seeing Typhoon jets fly over the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar is the ninth country to purchase the Typhoon, with this year seeing the first delivered to Oman. The Ministry of Defence is also leading the offer to replace Belgiums F-16s with the jets and continues to discuss the prospect of a second batch of sales to Saudi Arabia. London Gatwick has achieved its busiest-ever November as 2.9 million passengers travelled through the airport last month, bringing Gatwick to 45.5 million annual passengers. Long-haul routes continue their significant growth at Gatwick, growing +12.1% in November, driving a +25.6% cargo increase from the increased belly hold capacity in the aircraft serving these connections. The airports Asia connections proved particularly popular in November with passengers to Hong Kong +75% and Tianjin +46.1%. Gatwicks regional connectivity also continues to perform strongly with passengers to the Isle of Man, Glasgow and Guernsey +12.9%, +11% and +6.8% respectively. Meanwhile, St Lucia +85.8%, Mauritius +55% and Liberia, Costa Rica +47% were the winter sun destinations experiencing the fastest passenger growth in the month. November also marked the first anniversary of the Gatwick Foundation Fund which annually distributes 300,000 to deserving projects across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. To date, 80 organisations and more than 46,000 people have benefited from the grants and reported improvements in the services they provide, which cover four main areas: Employment, training and skills; Families; Widening horizons and Elderly people. Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate said: Passenger demand for the global connectivity provided by Gatwick continues to rocket long-haul routes +12.1% in November while business passengers are at record levels. This year five new long-haul connections have started, Singapore, Seattle, Denver, Kigali and Taipei, further strengthening Gatwicks global connectivity. Connectivity which is set to further increase 2018 with new connections to Austin, Chicago and Buenos Aires beginning in just the first quarter alone. While demand for the slots previously operated by Monarch outstripped availability six times over, International Airlines Group were ultimately successful in acquiring them and were looking forward to the new destination choices they will enable for our passengers in 2018. Meanwhile, closer to home in November, we were delighted as an airport to celebrate the first anniversary of the Gatwick Foundation Fund which distributes funds to deserving charity projects in Gatwicks locality. For both our local region and the whole country Gatwick is set to play an increased global role for as we grow. Were ready and prepared to build our financeable and deliverable second runway scheme so that Britain can reap the benefits of greater global connectivity faster. The African Union (AU) via the voice of its Commissioner for Peace and Security called on African countries to brace up and closely collaborate in the fight against terrorism noting that around 6,000 fighters of the Islamic State group (IS) could return to the continent as the group faces unprecedented defeats. Smail Chergui, speaking at a conference in Oran, Algeria, on fighting against terrorism said the 6,000 figure is result of reports of 30,000 IS fighters combatting in hotbed conflict zone in the Middle East. Iraq, formerly IS stronghold Saturday declared victory over the group after three year of all-out war. The Iraqi army supporters by a US-led international coalition proclaimed victory over the terrorists who declared 2014 caliphate in the country. The terror group is only still active in Syria where it has been defeated and pushed to corner by Syrian forces backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah and US-led forces on the other. Chergui did not specify the nationalities of fighters. The AU commissioner however noted that the return of jihadists represents a serious threat to the national security of countries and requires a special attention as well as intense cooperation among countries. Chergui called for the exchange of intelligence on details of the terrorists returning to their various countries. After two years of launching the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) for High Courts, District and Taluka Courts, countrys lower judiciary pendency cases data reports a whopping total of 34,16,851 unsettled cases in the 22 high courts across the country making it easy to interpret that the Indian judiciary is in dire straits and struggling to clear a huge backlog. According to data available on the NJDG, as on December 11, in the thick of such millions of cases trapped in legal logjam, 64,44,55 cases, which constitute 18.86 per cent of the total pendency, are resting in files for over a decade or more. The data further shows 21.92 per cent cases pending for over 5 years, 26.94 per cent cases for over 2 years and 32.28 per cent cases for less than 2 years. To add to the concern, total number of pending cases in all the four benches under the Bombay High Court leads the list holding 13.58 per cent of total pending number i.e. 46,40,74 unsettled cases, followed by the Punjab & Haryana High Court, with 3.82 lakh cases. While such huge number of on board cases costs our country billions of rupees every year, the above distressing data calls for a rounded reform of Indian legal system. In 2016 Union Budget, govt announced Rs 900 crore for administration of justice, including setting up of e-courts and capacity building of subordinate judiciary, but the present NJDG figures are a big disappointment. Some of the main factors responsible for pendency of cases in courts are increasing number of state and central legislations, accumulation of first appeals, continuation of ordinary civil jurisdiction in some of the High Courts, vacancies of Judges, appeals against orders of quasi-judicial forums going to High Courts, number of revisions/appeals, frequent adjournments, indiscriminate use of writ jurisdiction, lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing, stated by the Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. Sustaining with the lowest ratios of judges population in the world, Indians are marking time for the judiciary and government to scrutinise and resolve the differences over new appointments or development of infrastructure to overcome the age-long crisis of delayed justice. On the condition of anonymity, a Mumbai resident (with a pending property case under the Bombay High Court) shared his experience with AV. He said, Cases that include property matter between families must get its verdict as soon as possible as with delay it creates more dispute among family members that lead to other criminal activities in many cases. I think the government and the law ministry should search out possible ways to speed up trials. People with their long running cases also face social harassment. A nation, as great as India, after magnificently holding democratic elections for seven decades, Modi and BJP came to power when Congress was ruling the country, why he is taking out Pakistan interfering in Gujarat election? He is playing to the ignorance of the electorate. But what can you expect from cow herders! Modi would never make accusations if he were campaigning in Bengal or the south where the countrys cognoscente lives. It also gives the impression that Modi is taking a page from US last election. Instead of talking about our country, he is talking more of a neighbouring nation during elections. If this logic has to be believed, then the question remains, is it Pakistan that helped him to come to power in 2014? On December 18, Gujarati voters will decide the fate of political parties. But a comment, that Pakistan is impelling the ensuing Gujarat elections, is not only atrocious and extremely weird but it also shows that the Prime Minister and the BJP government are incapable to defend the sovereignty of India. Modi has positioned himself as a no-nonsense technocrat, focusing his election campaign on reviving Indias stagnant economy, cleaning up a corrupt government, and a tough stance on national security. But in reality, he is showing different colours, which is appalling and sad. Few days back, when Mani Shankar Aiyar said that our PM Modi is a lowly person. He might have told so due to his prejudice but that was really ridiculous. I was very much angry on Congress for catering such leaders. But PM Modis public allegation that Congress leaders, including Manmohan Singh, are conspiring with Pakistan, make him incapable to hold his position as PM. Modi has linked the neech slur against him on Thursday last by Mani Shankar Aiyar with the dinner the latter hosted the day before. India and Pakistan sparred on Monday morning after Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested at a rally on Sunday that Pakistan is trying to influence the assembly elections in Gujarat, linking it to a dinner hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar, now suspended by the Congress, for top leaders of his party and Pakistani officials last week. If he believes that the conspiracy took place, why not arrest those traitors and take them to court? How Pakistan can make Ahmed Patel the CM? If the people want to make him CM, are you going to block it because his name is AHMED? Or are you warning the voters not to vote Congress, as Muslim AHMED may become CM? Respected PM, you have lowered yourself to become such a lowly person. It is very difficult to understand why Narendra Modi arouses such fear despite his evident popularity. The BJP is the latest incarnation of the movements political wing and the party headed a coalition government from 1998-2004. While having vowed that his Hindu nationalism will not get in the way of being a prime minister for all Indians, critics point out that Modis rhetoric has at times played directly into the Muslim-Hindu divide. PM needs to understand that he has bigger role to play than the campaigner of BJP. He leads and represents this country and people have trusted him the most. PMs irresponsible statement, India has one of the worlds strongest electoral processes. PM making such remarks to create sensation only discredits the Election Commission, thousands of officers involved and millions of voters. Look at the irony, PM alleges Pak Meddling, Rahul Gandhi, his opponent, stays stick to Gujarat. Our PM has nothing to talk about the development! This time he hardly spoke about any crucial issues of the state. With 22 years of governance, Gujarat could have been the talk of the town and the Gujarat model as a great example. Forget about Gujarat, he has much more to talk about our country and its problems. But dragging Pakistan is not needed, why give them a chance to feel superior? The moment he finished his rant, Pakistan issued a statement saying India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. The BJPs rebellious Shatrughan Sinha said it was incredible, saying in a tweet, Honble Sir! Just to win elections anyhow, and that too at the fag end of the process, is it a must to come up with and endorse new, unsubstantiated and unbelievable stories everyday against political opponents? After a bitter campaign, Gujarat voted in the first phase of assembly elections on Saturday. The second and last phase will be held on Thursday. Results of PM Modi vs Rahul Gandhi battle will be announced on Monday next, December 18. Glitches in the EVMs have been reported in the past. Political parties, including the BJP, have made similar allegations in the past, but none of them found resonance among the electorate because the autonomy of the Election Commission appeared by and large intact. Today, the credibility of the Election Commission is certainly not at its peak, and the poll panel has itself to blame for it. Meanwhile, all the promises made by PM Modi at the time of Lok Sabha election have been denied by BJP president Amit Shah as JUMLA. So there is no point if people blame Modi for not having fulfilled his promises. In his campaign he has only questioned, blamed and accused. The BJP will win only because of Modis past reputation as the former CM of Gujarat and nothing more. Rather disgusting that all his speeches so far had a Muslim slant in them. I thought he had sworn to govern for the people!! (Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com) NCP president Sharad Pawar would hit the street against the BJP- led government in Maharashtra on his birthday on Wednesday. The Maratha strongman and former Union minister, who will turn 77 on Tuesday, has already completed 50 years of active participation in politics. Pawar will take part in an anti-government rally being organised here by the opposition Congress and the NCP, which have accused the BJP-led ruling coalition of neglecting issues related to farmers and common people. When the veteran politician hits the street, it will be a rare occasion in his political life, during which he has held a number of key posts in Maharashtra and also at the Centre. The former chief minister will be agitating against an incumbent government after over 30 years. Hemant Takale, senior NCP leader and an MLC, said, It is true Pawar would be agitating against the state government after over 30 years. It was in 1985 that Pawar had organised a cycle rally against the then state government. The cycle rally started from Jalgaon and ended in Nagpur. Pawar has mostly been in power, said another senior NCP leader. Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar and a former deputy chief minister, said, Generally, (on birthdays) Pawarsaheb would stay at his home in Pune or Mumbai and have a low- profile event. The only events used to be organised on his birthdays were health check-ups and blood donations. For the first time, Pawarsaheb will be agitating on his birthday for peoples interest. Pawarsaheb has decided to protest against this government to highlight the ways it is neglecting the interests of people, Ajit Pawar said. Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will also be participating in the rally. Congress, NCP leaders and workers will take out a march which will conclude at Lokmat Chowk where Pawar and others will address the rally. NOTE: We've excerpted this from JB Handley's Medium.com blog. Five clear, replicable, and related discoveries explaining how autism is triggered have formed an undeniably clear picture of autisms causation, and possibly ways to alleviate the symptoms, too. Most of the research that has created this understanding has been published in the last 36 months, and largely from international scientists in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Israel, and China. The U.S. media? Silent. STAFFORDSHIRE, England Of course theres great irony that scientists emanating from Great Britian may have provided a final piece of data explaining how, exactly, autism is being triggered in at least some children. Students of this debate know that in 1998 another British doctor Dr. Andrew Wakefield sounded an alarm based on a case series report he and twelve of his colleagues published describing a novel bowel condition in children with autism. In the case of Dr. Wakefield and his colleagues, they chose to disclose in their study that the majority of the parents of the children in their study had reported regression into autism after a single vaccine: the MMR. Dr. Wakefields recommendation for how to deal with the regression into autism some parents saw after the MMR was pretty modest: he recommended the MMR vaccine be broken up into three separate shots. Wait until you hear what a different British scientist, this one the worlds leading expert on the neurotoxicity of aluminum, just said last week about childrens vaccines. Read the full piece here. At issue in this instance is not only freedom of information, but things like informed medical consent, or even consent at all. The possibility of becoming a pharmaceutical dictatorship, is not far off in some respects already with us. And along with forced medication comes the removal from the public domain of open debate, suppression of information about harms, and a captive market for an indefinitely expanding group of products which citizens then have to pay for through their taxes. It is, for example, not at all obvious that discussion of the effects of medical interventions should be controlled through government departments or industry public relations agencies such as Science Media Centre and Sense About Science. In 2005 a House of Commons Health Committee report on the influence of the pharmaceutical industry heavily criticised the Department of Health and the MHRA (the medicines licensing authority) for failing to keep any distance from industry [3], and twelve years later the situation has dramatically deteriorated, not least because the kind of over-sight provided by the 2005 Health Committee has never since been replicated. Perhaps this present committee would do better to inquire into the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on the media, which would at least be lot easier to define than fake news. The present author remembers visiting a bookshop in East Berlin across Unter den Linden from the gigantic Soviet Embassy in the early 1980s: there were perhaps no more than ten different titles for sale. There were quite a lot of copies of each, although I do not know that anyone wanted to buy them. The East German population was then controlled by the notorious Stasi. Of course, we can have a pseudo pluralistic situation in which hundreds of different websites report from the same agencies but this kind of controlled reality is equally bogus and shallow. Unfortunately, no historical lesson seems to be learnt for very long. The view of Age of Autism is that having great bureaucracies working on behalf of governments and corporate interests deciding what is true or even machines operating algorithms to decide it - is a prospect little different from the world of George Orwells 1984. It is troubling in an era when the mainstream media cannot be relied upon to provide reliable information that attention and suspicion is being diverted to other sources on the internet. The internet is presently a chaotic place, but that is infinitely better than the alternative which would be information controlled on behalf of governments and global corporations, which could never be held to account. Age of Autism [1] is a United States based web journal founded in 2007 dealing with issues such as autism and vaccine injury, but also with wider issues to do with health and potential environmental harm and ultimately of civil rights. Since 2008 I have published hundreds of carefully researched, fact based articles on the site [2], only two of which I have ever taken down - and even in those cases not because of legal challenges. I write as a well-informed citizen and parent, not as a professional. The sources of my information come in the main from government websites, peer reviewed publications, industry websites and mainstream media - only often viewed from a different critical angle or simply just highlighted in a different context. This morning AoA posts its evidence, prepared by John Stone, to the House of Commons Select Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee inquiry into fake news which has been published by the committee. The evidence was published by the committee two weeks ago contemporaneously with farcical reports in the Daily Mirror that Vladimir Putin was using the web to undermine the United Kingdom vaccine program. It was also submitted before it came to our attention that Andrew Witty, until earlier this year CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, had been appointed to head a new state body to fast track the approval of pharmaceutical products, one of a row of appointments effectively demolishing all remaining boundaries between the British state and the pharmaceutical industry (and GSK in particular). data.parliament.uk In this regard it is disquieting to look at the global campaign by vaccine lobbyists which reached these shores this summer advocating compulsory vaccination, having scored recent successes in Australia, Italy, France and parts of the United States. The British Medical Association jettisoned its traditional opposition to compulsory vaccination [4] dismissed only a few years ago by a former chairman, Hamish Meldrum, as Stalinist [5] - and called for the matter to be discussed. Just a few days before an article appeared in the on-line Spectator by the CEO of GAVI, a global agency promoting vaccination, calling for anti-vaxxers to be excluded from social media[6]. It must be emphasised that anyone remotely critical or informed about the vaccine lobby and its products, is placed under the general pejorative label anti-vaxxer: it is the vaccine/pharmaceutical lobby that polarises the debate anyone who is not in favour of their entire open-ended agenda is subject to opprobrium and ad hominem attack. Complex health issues are being reduced in the mainstream arena to Four legs good, two legs bad type arguments. Hot on the heels of this a Guardian editorial appeared calling for vaccination to be made compulsory because antivaxxers (who are all apparently very privileged people like Gwyneth Paltrow) were gaining influence the comedian John Oliver was held up as an authority on antivaxxers and what bad people they are. Further, this was illustrated by a picture of demonstrators in Italy, who were in fact demonstrating in large numbers not against vaccination but against compulsory vaccination: without Italys new laws there would be no demonstrations at all, nor were most of the people in them anti-vaccinationist in any literal sense [7]. It could be said that this was both manipulative mis-reporting and an inappropriate way to deal with such a serious issue. The reality, however, is that even with the alleged baleful influence of the eternally scapegoated Andrew Wakefield (who only suggested in this regard that parents may wish to split up the vaccines temporally) [8] there have only been four deaths from measles since 1992 in the United Kingdom according to government statistics, out of perhaps 13 million deaths from all causes. Ironically, the Italian health minister Beatrice Lorenzin, is recorded on youtube as stating that 270 children had died in London in a recent outbreak of measles, at the same time lamenting without irony the false information available on the web [9]. Meanwhile, GSKs CEO in Italy boasted to a pharmaceutical website [10]: Among the aspects, I also met with Minister Lorenzin and other members of the government who reiterated the sensitivity of the government towards those who invest, create jobs and opportunities for young people. In short, we started on the right foot. Such sensitivity in the Roman palaces is not to be dismissed. As for us, Andrew Witty has asked for a few things: clear rules and stability in return for strong investment in advanced research and production equipment. We were of one intent. What is at stake here? One thing is the crude and often abusive means by which any public debate has been controlled or in fact more or less de-legitimised, which does not suggest the moral high ground. It was notable that in the one mainstream public forum which remained open for tolerant comment during the summer of 2017, BMJ Rapid Responses, the proponents of compulsory vaccination absented themselves from replying to informed criticism despite many challenges to do so, pointing to a complete inability by them to argue their position on a level playing field [11]. The issues are not so straightforward as not wanting children to die from infectious diseases (who wants that?) but more a question of mushrooming rates of neurological disability such as autism and attention deficit disorder as well as chronic disease, which are certainly related to environmental influences, and may be in part be related to an expanding vaccine schedule, the effects of which are not being transparently monitored. To give a concrete example, though the Department of Health has neglected to collect autism {ASD} data for children since 2004 when the figure was effectively frozen at 1 in 100 [12], the actual figures for schools have continued to rise year on year [13]. A recent news report from Northern Ireland gives the rate there as 1 in 40 [14] and a BBC report earlier this year from London suggested the figure in the capital for those waiting for a diagnosis, who will be mostly young children, has reached 1 in 10 [15,16]. Moreover, local authorities only recognise disability if they absolutely have to, because it costs huge amounts of money. When such stories are reported they tend to focus on the lack of provision, not on why it is happening. This is damning public data and the Department of Health do not even want to talk about it implicitly they connect it with vaccination. Ten years ago, when the Observer tried to highlight the issue, it was not only forced to withdraw the article under pressure from Science Media Centre and Guardian journalist Ben Goldacre, the editor lost his job [17]. No one in the British mainstream media is any longer willing to stick their necks out, which may be one reason why powerful interests are turning their attention to social media, where things may still be spoken. We are apart from anything else confronted with a care crisis of catastrophic proportions and discussing the causes has been placed outside the mainstream agenda: it really is a slippery slope if we are not even then allowed to talk about them publicly at all. At times of national peril the reasons for going to war are debated. If governments, industry or self-appointed agencies need to clamp down on information it suggests that they cannot withstand even minimal scrutiny, and that is their own fault. Meanwhile, common-sense argues that if bodies are placed beyond public scrutiny this will abused. Indeed, the very purpose is abuse. [1] http://www.ageofautism.com/ [2] http://www.ageofautism.com/john-stone-uk/ [3] House of Commons Health Committee, The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry, 2005 https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmhealth/42/42.pdf [4] Katie Foster, France to make vaccination mandatory from 2018 as it is 'unacceptable children are still dying of measles, The Independent, 5 July 2017, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-vaccination-mandatory-2018-next-year-children-health-measles-dying-anti-vaxxers-edouard-a7824246.html [5] BBC News, No jabs, no school say Labour MP, 11 May 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7392510.stm [6] Seth Berkley, Anti-vaxxers have embraced social media; we paying for fake news with real lives Spectator Health 28 June 2017, https://health.spectator.co.uk/anti-vaxxers-have-embraced-social-media-were-paying-for-fake-news-with-real-lives/ [7] Editorial: The Guardian view on vaccination: a matter of public health, The Guardian 7 July 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/07/the-guardian-view-on-vaccinations-a-matter-of-public-health [8] Vera Sharav, Laffaire Wakefield: Shades of Dreyfus & BMJs Descent into Tabloid Science, Alliance for Human Health Protection (AHRP), October 2017 http://ahrp.org/laffaire-wakefield-shades-of-dreyfus-bmjs-descent-into-tabloid-science/ [9] John Stone, Re: Compulsory vaccination and growing measles threat - Prof Melegaro's response, BMJ Rapid Responses 21 October 2017, http://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3429/rr-7 [10] "Aspetti, io ho poi incontrato il ministro Lorenzin ed altri membri del governo che hanno manifestato la sensibilita del governo verso le aziende che investono, che creano posti di lavoro ed opportunita per i giovani. Insomma, abbiamo iniziato con il piede giusto. Una tale sensibilita non e da trascurare nei palazzi romani. Per quanto ci riguarda, Andrew Witty (AD della Glaxo) ha fatto poche richieste: regole chiare e stabilita in cambio di un forte investimento nella ricerca avanzata e nella produzione. Avevamo intenzione identiche.", http://www.fedaiisf.it/l-accordo-di-glaxo-con-novartis-verona-e-centrale-nello-sviluppo-gsk/ [11] BMJ possibly felt an obligation to host correspondence since its parent body, the BMA, was calling for the discussion. Not every letter submitted was posted: gaps can be detected by the way the letters are numbered that are posted on threads. The editors will always check references if the claims made are controversial, and they also tend not to post letters documenting conflicts of interest (in contrast to past policy). Relevant correspondence included:- Rapid Responses for Doshi, US government website for collecting adverse events after vaccination is inaccessible to most users, http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j2449/rapid-responses Rapid Responses for Moberly, UK doctors re-examine case for mandatory vaccination, http://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3414/rapid-responses Rapid Responses for Arie, Compulsory vaccination and growing measles threat, http://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3429/rapid-responses Rapid Responses for Cave, Debating the future of mandatory vaccination, http://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j4100/rapid-responses [12] Green H et al, Mental health of children and young people in Great Britain, 2004, Table 4.1 p.35. [13] The figure for schools are published by various government sources: National Statistics, the Department of Education, the Scottish Executive etc. The January 2017 figure for England can be calculated at 1 in 67 and the September 2016 figure for Scotland 1 in 51, however the long term position is much worse since (a) these are 15 year rolling cohorts so the rates are much higher among younger children and (b) data for younger children is still incomplete since there are many who will still not be diagnosed. The rate for English schools is derived by dividing the total number of pupils in school (8,669,085) by the number with ASD diagnosis (128,948). The first number comes from the DoE publication, Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2017, p. 3 and the other figure extracted from National Statistics Special educational needs in England: January 2017, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/623124/SFR28_2017_Main_Text.pdf & National Tables SFR 37/2017 table 8, and Additional tables SFR37/2017 table G https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2017 The number of pupils in Scottish was 684,415 and the number of pupils with an ASD diagnosis was 13,423: data provided by the Scottish Executive. [14] Sarah Scott, New campaign aims to raise awareness about autism in the classroom, Belfast Live 5 November 2017, http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/new-campaign-aims-raise-awareness-13846708 [15] Jane Dreaper, Autism diagnoses 'could be reduced under NHS plan, BBC News 27 May 2017, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40058482 [16] John Stone, Re: US government website for collecting adverse events after vaccination is inaccessible to most users, BMJ Rapid Responses, 29 May 2017, http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j2449/rr-5 [17] John Stone, Swept Aside: An Unpublished Submission to the Leveson Inquiry About Science Journalism, http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/12/leveson-inquiry-submission.html November 2017 Web Toolbar by Wibiya Date: 07 November, 2017. Place: Santa Monica, State of California, United States. Last month, more specifically on 07 November, an eerie incident was witnessed in the city of Santa Monica, California. According to an anonymous report published on Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) online database, a local was allegedly abducted by a reptilian doctor. I went to [Business name removed] or whichever. I had to wait four hours until I could see her [the doctor]. I knew something in my spirit had a feeling that something was totally off. She was nice and everything but I didn't feel right about her. I could tell by her look that she was a reptilian, the woman expressed. She ordered blood tests and everything, and then once the exam started was when I was thrown off, she said. The California woman claimed that the doctor examined and touched her breasts for a long time, something she considered unnecessary. She [the doctor] had me lay down and began to examine my breasts, and I found it to be pretty random and not really something that needed to be done unless I was getting a Pap smear, which is usually when they do that. She touched my breasts for a very long time and she said I didn't need to get a Pap smear. I found it awkward because I had not seen a doctor in a very long time and I was due to get it done, actually past due, she affirmed. After leaving the doctor, when I got home I was feeling sick. I felt as though I had a sore throat and not feeling well for a few days. I believe that her hands possibly had germs on them. I had told her about how I was having anaemic symptoms due to my heavy periods, and she said she would run blood tests and check it out, the unnamed witness explained. She ended up calling me and saying my iron levels were normal, which I knew was a total bold-faced lie. I was having every symptom of anaemia and have been bed ridden for months. I have also gone through this with some reptilian doctors at Torrance medical hospital where I came in with severe heart murmurs from my anaemia being so severe and the doctor even came in laughing like it was a joke, and he had some nurse with him named Mike who was mad dogging me, she asserted. However, after going to another doctor, the anonymous woman said her health has considerably improved. I am seeing a new doctor now who caught this and could not believe that these doctors would be as shady to let this go on without treating something so simple. I began to take slow FE iron tablets and I am now feeling normal, she mentioned. These entities [the Reptilians], which cloak themselves as humans, are trying to harm and kill many people and it has gone on for too long. I am not racist. I know that not all reptilians are bad and that there are a number of them that are good, just as in all races. This is about evil and evil needs to be stopped for good, the abductee warned. Draw your own conclusions For more information: https://mufoncms.com/cgi-bin/report_handler.pl?req=view_long_desc&id=87854&rnd= Learn Ways to Save Money - HERE American Airlines Cargo has handled a particularly interesting shipment: flying the musical instruments of the French Orchestre Nationale du Capitole to and from Latin America. The Toulouse-based Orchestre Nationale du Capitole was on a three-city tour of Latin America, taking in Buenos Aires in Argentina, Quito in Ecuador and Sao Paulo in Brazil. American Airlines Cargo carried a total of 694 pieces of valuable cargo, including violins, cellos, double basses, harps and a conductors podium, from Paris to Buenos Aires via Miami International Airport (MIA), and then on to Quito, and finally Sao Paulo. An American Airlines widebodied B777 carried the shipment from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to MIA, and from MIA to Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport. Working in partnership with French freight forwarder Excess Events which has handled the orchestras overseas trips for more than a decade American Airlines also carried the clothing worn by the 120-strong orchestra for their various performances at the French embassies in all three locations. Everything needed to be flown together in order to ensure that that the various instruments, clothes and other equipment arrived together for each concert. According to a statement from the American cargo carrier, the sensitive nature of the instruments meant that they required extreme care in their handling. Thus, for example, in the first leg of their extensive journey they were transported by temperature-controlled truck from Toulouse to CDG. Philippe Ledain of Excess Events explained: Musicians hate to be parted from their instruments for any length of time, so it was essential that they were moved to the Latin America tour in the quickest possible time. Their instruments are their passion, and working with American, we were able to achieve this movement for them. The orchestra has an exceptional reputation, so we were very pleased to have been chosen as the carrier to deliver their precious instruments to the venues across Latin America, added Kathleen Lesage, regional manager of American Airlines Cargo. And working in partnership with the team at Excess Events, we were able to ensure everything ran exactly to plan. Share this story Gaps on the bottom and scrawny branches somehow didn't matter this year. I can freak out over a Christmas tree like no one else. Other things may get (literally) swept under the rug, but for some reason, my tree has to be perfect. I poke and fluff each branch daily up until about 11pm on December 24th to make sure it is the loveliest tree of all. But this year, something snapped and all I wanted was an imperfect, wobbly, lopsided Charlie Brown tree. Maybe I inhaled too much glitter to think straight or perhaps the fumes from spray painting magnolia leaves got to me, but all I knew was that I did not want another stiff, upside down-ice cream cone-looking tree that wasn't even native to our area. Maybe it was the nostalgia of my grandparent's trees they chopped down themselves, usually a pine or cedar, or maybe it was just exhaustion from society always demanding perfection that made me recoil at the thought of a magazine-perfect tree. Even though I was confident in my seasonal rebellion, I worried my status as a member of the Committee for the Preservation of Loveliness would suffer as soon as they laid eyes on a less than perfect tree at my annual Christmas cookie soiree', but who were they to judge? Half of them use a decorating service to put up their trees. I would cry if someone else decorated my tree because I look forward to it all year long. You'd think it would be easy to find an ugly, scraggly tree, but actually, without a wintry forest of my own to traipse through in search of a natural-looking evergreen, I had to visit tree lots where all the offerings were perfectly trimmed-up triangles with branches so dense, ornaments could only perch on the tips. I finally came across a cut-it-yourself field full of perfect trees Martha Stewart would love, but taking a chance, I asked the attendant if he had any ugly trees. He just laughed and said, "Come with me," so I followed him to the back of the field where I stood amazed at the rows of scrawny, gangly pines. Over nine feet tall, they reminded me of goofy, lanky teenagers. I quickly laid eyes on the perfect -- or actually imperfect tree for me, awkwardly standing alone as if shunned. Moving closer to the sad thing, I channeled my inner Linus Van Pelt and sniffed, "all it needs is a little love." For the first time in years, I used tinsel to dangle from the tips of the branches which gave it more of an old-fashioned look, and also helped fill in the bald spots. And by the way, the tree only cost $25. My husband sniffed, and said it was worth half that much. After the tree was transformed into a retro, hip-looking tree (or so I thought), I began to wonder what pushed me over the edge and made me want a tree like this. Those who know and love me would never describe me as "funky-nature-girl," so although the tree seemed totally out of character, it somehow felt comfortable and just right. Maybe I'm tired of all the screaming and fighting about politics and political correctness and the casual tree was a way to relax and revert to simpler times where no one got worked up over gluten and children didn't have 5 hours of homework, 4 dance recitals and 3 ball games every day. This uncharacteristic bout of Yuletide rebellion was my attempt at finding something easy and uncomplicated. The symbolism of everlasting life was still represented in the green needles, and inhaling the fresh pine scent, smelled of old holiday homes. And of course, my favorite part of the Christmas story was represented when I saw something humble become glorious. The biggest surprise has come from the members of the Committee for the Preservation of Loveliness who absolutely loved my tree. "Oh! Just like my grandmother's!" "I love how playful it looks! Who's your designer?" "You clever little trend-setter, will your people do my tree next year?" Totally relaxed, I tell them, "Of course, I'll send my people right over, but it will cost you $25." Contact Leslie Anne at: la@leslieannetarabella.com or find details on her new book, "The Majorettes are Back In Town," at her blog: http://leslieannetarabella.com. Three former employees of a Centre nursing home have been convicted in the neglect of an 84-year-old resident. Attorney General Steve Marshall on Monday announced the convictions of Sandra Michele Curry, Kacey Minerva Allen, and Shawna Rogers. Curry and Allen live in Centre; Rogers lives in Rome, Ga. All three pleaded guilty in Cherokee County Circuit Court to one count of attempted elder abuse, a class C felony. The trio - former employees of Cherokee Health and Rehab nursing home - was indicted earlier this year after an elderly resident was found to be suffering from about 100 ant bites. Curry, a licensed practical nurse, and Rogers and Allen, certified nursing assistants, were responsible for the care of a nursing home resident confined to a bed throughout the night of Sept. 3, 2016 and into the following morning. Authorities say the three charted that they had entered the room numerous times throughout the night to check on the resident. However, a review of the surveillance video showed none of the three entered the room for approximately 11 hours. "Alabama law recognizes that the care of those who are vulnerable is a serious responsibility, and those who are entrusted with this charge have a legal obligation to properly fulfill their duties," Marshall said in a prepared statement. "These defendants not only failed to provide adequate care, but they were shown to have lied about their negligence that resulted in harm and injury to a nursing home patient." Curry, Rogers and Allen were sentenced to two years in prison, however that sentence was suspended. All three instead have been placed on probation. Additionally, Curry was required to surrender her nursing license. All three are barred from working in a healthcare facility in the future. UAB will soon bring its ultra-high-speed 100-gigabits per second internet to Birmingham's Innovation Depot, a technology startup incubator. The connection allows Innovation Depot to give an effective 1GB -- and up to 3GB -- bandwidth to its companies, quadrupling the current bandwidth and providing the security of UAB infrastructure for all member companies, according to UAB. The ultra-high-speed network launched at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2016. In fall 2016, with a $2.5 million investment and a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant, UAB became the first university in Alabama to launch internet speeds of 100 gigabits per second, increasing bandwidth by 10 times -- up to 10,000 times the speed of many standard home internet speeds. "Having access to one of the fastest internet speeds in Alabama gives entrepreneurs and students an advantage as they build and grow their technology companies," said Innovation Depot President and CEO Devon Laney, "which leads to increased investment in jobs and infrastructure -- and that in turn helps grow and strengthen the technology community in Birmingham." UAB has been partnering with regional and state technology leaders to build an ecosystem of IT excellence focused on fostering the next generation of IT employees and technology entrepreneurs, the university said in a release. UAB has led the Innovate Birmingham Regional Workforce Partnership, a coalition of public, community, business and education leaders that received a $6 million America's Promise grant to train Birmingham-area residents for jobs in the technology industry. The resulting program, Innovate Birmingham, trains unemployed and under-employed young people, teaching them skills to obtain 925 high-paying jobs in the technology industry. The third cohort from the program is set to graduate in December. The Innovate Birmingham program is also housed at Innovation Depot, so those students will benefit from the high-speed network piped in from UAB. "UAB's partnership with Innovation Depot and with technology leaders across Birmingham is helping to foster the next generation of technology employees and businesses in our region," said Curt Carver, UAB vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. Doug Jones delivered a strong attack on Roy Moore in Huntsville Sunday and said that, two days from the vote on Tuesday, he can feel his Senate campaign is on the move and on the right side of history. Appearing as surprise speaker at a get-out-the-vote rally in a large African-American church, Jones accused Moore of hiding from voters and the press, taking money from his charity instead of earning a living, and being ignorant of the issues facing Alabama. He also spoke about the allegations women have made against Moore during the race. "I'll tell you this. I'm only going to do it one time," Jones said. "Just like Sen. (Richard) Shelby today, I believe those women in Etowah County. Just like Sen. Shelby said today, where there's smoke there's fire, and there's fire there. And I am so proud of those women and so many others, because from the very beginning we have talked about women's issues that are important to the women of this state. "I've got a mother that's 86 years old, I've got a wife, I've got a daughter, I've got two granddaughters and those issues are important to me, because they hit home to me," Jones said. "I want to make sure that when my granddaughters grow up, they don't have to endure the kinds of things that those girls in Etowah County did and sit silent for 30 or 40 years. I want to make sure that we send a message of who we are and what we are, because we're much better than that." The crowd had come to the Progressive Union Missionary Baptist Church to hear U.S Rep. Cedrick Richardson (D-Louisiana), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, rally them to get out the vote on Tuesday. Richardson couldn't make it, moderator David Person said, "but we do have Doug Jones." Jones then gave the crowd what amounted to a closing argument for his candidacy and said he feels momentum. He talked about "kitchen table issues," including jobs and healthcare, and he asked the crowd to imagine Roy Moore sitting across the table from an automobile company CEO thinking about coming to Alabama 20 years ago. "It would have been a disaster," Jones said, "and you see business leader after business leader (today) expressing their concern about where the state is going to go. And if business goes south, folks, it goes south with your jobs." Doug Jones speaking in the sanctuary of the Progressive Union Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 10, 2017. (Lee Roop/lroop@al.com) Jones said he supports Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Care Insurance Program (CHIPS). "He refuses to say whether he would even vote to fund it," Jones said of Moore and CHIPS, "and the reason is Roy Moore has consistently said he wants the government out of healthcare. Well, let me tell you, that means no Medicare. That means no Medicaid." Alabama should have expanded Medicaid when then-Gov. Robert Bentley rejected Washington's offer, Jones said. "We've lost billions of dollars," he said. "Our rural hospitals are closing because there's not enough Medicaid dollars coming into the state to sustain them. We've got to change that, and we've got to do it by quitting playing with your health care. I want to make sure everybody has good health care and affordable health care." You get that by reaching across the aisle, Jones said, but Moore "would continue to divide us." For a moment, Jones got tongue-tied and finally said, "I just get frustrated at some point when you refuse to talk about subjects like this. "I've been all over the state. I can't remember the number of places I've been ... some 200-250," Jones said. "Roy Moore's done two. He's not even in the state of Alabama this weekend. He went to the Army-Navy game, according to reports." "Let me ask you a question," Jones continued. "What do you think about a United States senator that stays in hiding and won't even talk to the media and won't talk to his constituents? Y'all have had enough of federal officials up here that won't talk or hold meetings." That last was a dig at North Alabama U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), who canceled public town hall meetings for a time earlier this year. Audience members listen carefully to Senate candidate Doug Jones speaking in Huntsville two days before the Dec. 12 election. (Lee Roop/lroop@al.com) "I hear a lot of talk right now and a lot of national attention," Jones said. "Everybody is saying, 'Who is Alabama going to be?' This is not about who we are going to be. I know who we are. Roy Moore doesn't know who we are. "We have felt this energy for a long time now," Jones said. "It's something you can't put your finger on. It's an energy and excitement out there from people of all walks of life. They know." Jones said he isn't "a perfect candidate or a perfect person, and I haven't run a perfect campaign." But when you look at the race, he said, he's gone to the people over and over and he's talked straight. Jones closed with his only reference to his prosecution of two Klansmen for the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing as a U.S. attorney. People in his office said it was a long shot, he said. "It was a long shot," he said, "but when you're on the right side of history, you can accomplish great things. When you're on the right side of justice, you can accomplish great things. Well, folks, I'm telling you, I feel it. This campaign at this moment in time is on the right side of history, and we will not stop." , A 16-year-old who ran away from Madison might be heading to Grant, a small town in Marshall County, authorities said. Andreus Fain is described as 5 feet 4 inches and about 110 pounds. He is white and has brown hair with blonde tips according to Madison police. Fain last was seen wearing a dark shirt and Chicago Bulls sweatpants, according to authorities. Police haven't provided a photo of Fain. Police said he might be going to Grant. Madison police can be reached at 256-772-5658. On the night of Nov. 14, Roy Moore's campaign for an Alabama Senate seat looked all but finished. After five women came forward with accounts of Moore's alleged sexual misconduct with them as teenagers, including one who was 14 years old, the GOP candidate was abandoned by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and many Republicans in Congress, and the Republican National Committee cut off his funding. But it was an ultimatum from Fox News host Sean Hannity, delivered on his Nov. 14 broadcast, that posed the direst threat. "For me, the judge has 24 hours," Hannity told his viewers, after excoriating Moore. "You must immediately and fully come up with a satisfactory explanation for your inconsistencies." He added, "If you can't do this, then Judge Moore needs to get out of the race." In 2017, a Republican candidate can overcome disapproval from party leaders, but losing the conservative media is usually fatal. Four weeks later, Moore's situation has entirely turned around: He not only survived, but leads his Democratic opponent in most polls. President Donald Trump has forcefully endorsed him. The RNC restored his funding. McConnell stopped saying he should quit and now says the people of Alabama should decide his fate. Most Republican voters there have decided the allegations are false: A CBS News poll found that 71 percent don't believe them. Hannity, too, is back in the fold and a big reason why Moore received a hero's welcome at a Dec. 5 barn rally in Fairhope, Alabama. Rather than bury Moore, conservative media resurrected him - and the party followed. It did so thanks largely to the influence of the man who introduced Moore in Fairhope: Steve Bannon. "The whole thing was a setup, right?" the former White House chief strategist told the roaring crowd. Through his staff at Breitbart News, his talk radio show, and his allies in politics and media -- Hannity among them -- Bannon has worked harder than perhaps anyone else to sow doubt about the accusations against Moore and to push the claim that his accusers are lying. In doing so, he's illustrated the growing power of conservative media to shape the perceptions of Republican voters, something that may keep Alabama's Senate seat in Republican hands when polls open on Tuesday. No one appreciates Bannon's efforts more than the candidate only recently left for dead. "He's the counter to the 'fake news' - he's been a stalwart," says Roy Moore. "It's helped us a lot. He's the master strategist." Bannon's efforts to save Moore from the fallout from the first Washington Post story laying out the accusations predate its publication on Nov. 9. Tipped by the Moore campaign, Breitbart News published word of its impending arrival in an article intended to undermine the charges by Leigh Corfman that Moore initiated a sexual encounter with her when she was 14. That did little to blunt Republican outrage in Congress or the White House. Although Trump was traveling abroad and didn't comment, aide Kellyanne Conway said the behavior attributed to Moore "would be disqualifying for anyone in public office." Bannon dispatched Breitbart reporters to Alabama to discredit the Post story. He was so certain they would turn up evidence of collusion and unravel the Post story that he publicly predicted as much during a Nov. 10 speech in South Carolina. "They're finding some collusion going on in stories about Judge Moore," he said, while accepting the Citadel Republican Society's Nathan Hale Patriot Award. "I think you'll see tomorrow." Evidence of collusion between Moore's accusers and the press never materialized. Instead, Moore's situation worsened, not least because of an interview he gave to Hannity's radio show that same day. Asked if he had pursued teenage girls as a grown man, Moore replied, "generally, no" but added that he'd "dated a lot of young ladies," had known some of his accusers, and "if we did go on dates, then we did." The performance didn't help his cause. Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, told the Associated Press, "There's a special place in hell for people who prey on children." Even so, Bannon was most alarmed by Hannity's ultimatum to Moore and moved to intervene, according to three people familiar with his actions. Along with Breitbart's Washington editor, Matthew Boyle, he besieged the Fox News host with phone calls and texts. Bannon, who recently told the New York Times that Hannity is "the single most important voice for the 'deplorables'" -- his term for Trump supporters -- asked the Fox host not to call on Moore to withdraw and instead to let Alabama voters decide, said people familiar with Bannon's activities. One of the people said Hannity was skeptical, but willing to listen. The person said Hannity texted Boyle, "You pull this off it's a (expletive) miracle." Hannity declined to comment on the text. Through a spokesperson, he denied that he was pressured by anyone. Moore's campaign also raced to convince Hannity within his 24-hour window, issuing a public memo -- addressed "Dear Sean" -- that sought to rebut the women's allegations. "Sean is very important," says Dean Young, Moore's chief political strategist. "He's a well-respected guy and we think he's an honest man. Judge Moore is an honest guy, too, and wanted to be as clear as possible." The pressure campaign paid off. Even as three new accusers came forward, Hannity declared himself satisfied with Moore's response. "I lived in Alabama," he said. "I know these people. They're smart, they're great Americans - God, family, faith, country. I am very confident that when everything comes out, they will make the best decision for their state." It was Bannon's message precisely. And it gave Moore the reprieve he desperately needed. The pressure to quit the race stopped building. "Steve has been a voice for the conservative movement in turning this around," Kayla Moore, the judge's wife, said backstage at the Fairhope rally. Bannon worked to create a counter-narrative that ultimately would change many Republicans' perception of the scandal. A former filmmaker, he's long been captivated by the propaganda films of Leni Riefenstahl, the Nazi filmmaker, and the Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein for their power to shape public sentiment. Earlier this year, Bannon told the New Yorker's Jane Mayer his 2012 anti-Obama film "The Hope and the Change," had consciously mimicked Riefenstahl's infamous, "Triumph of the Will." Her film, he added, "seared into me" that unhappy voters could be influenced if they felt they were being conned. "Riefenstahl and Eisenstein both created an image of their nation that coalesced in the minds of citizens and shaped public opinion through narratives, which is essentially what Bannon is doing in politics," says Nadia Szold, a filmmaker and documentarian who has studied Bannon's films and discussed his influences with him. "They all evoke emotions like nostalgia, patriotism or paranoia that strengthen a collective sentiment." In the run-up to the presidential campaign, Bannon's narrative-building energies were chiefly directed at the mainstream media. He helped conceive and produce the book "Clinton Cash" as a way of injecting negative storylines about Hillary Clinton into major outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post to discourage potential Clinton voters and grease the skids for the Republican nominee. In Alabama, however, Bannon needed to move Republican voters, which entailed exerting a different, more direct influence. Early on, he sent two top Breitbart editors, Boyle and Aaron Klein, to attack Moore's critics and churn out a fusillade of stories designed to raise doubts about the motives of Moore's accusers and the mainstream reporters covering them. The general theme, Boyle explains, was that the whole thing was a Democratic ruse abetted by a compliant liberal press: "This was a missile launched at the conservative movement by the mainstream media." An ardent believer in the power of talk radio, Bannon turned his daily SiriusXM radio show into the broadcasting hub of the Moore counter-narrative that was fast emerging. It disseminated Breitbart's stories across the conservative universe, parts of which remained committed to opposing Moore. "Our voters turn to the conservative media - or what people thought was conservative - because the rest of it is fake news," says Young. "That includes Fox News, which follows Mitch McConnell's lead. Hannity is a bright spot there, but Fox News has gotten more liberal." Local talk radio was especially important because it reached voters who would decide Moore's fate. Bannon sent his reporters to appear as guests. "Without Bannon and Breitbart, it would have been almost impossible for us to get the message out there," says Scott Beason, a conservative radio host whose show broadcasts weekdays on the SuperStation FM 101.1 and blankets the Huntsville and Birmingham markets. "They had a big effect. They're giving people information that's not making it into our local reports, that gave us a reference point to refute these stories and say, 'Here's the part you don't know.' And that often flips the situation on its head and changes people's minds. I really believe because of the work they did that that's how Roy Moore is going to be able to get over the hump on Tuesday." Although support for Moore fell sharply after the sexual misconduct allegations, it has gradually returned, something Beason attributes to four weeks of steady bludgeoning that Bannon's operation has administered to Moore's accusers and the mainstream press. "Not everybody listens to my radio show," he says. "It took time to get the message out so people were hearing these things. My listeners go to the gym, or the ballpark, or Sunday school, and say, 'Did you hear what Scott said?'" And while Moore couldn't count on Fox News to supply laudatory coverage, his campaign found a conservative alternative, the One America Network, an upstart competitor to Fox that had multiple crews in Alabama throughout the primary. "For us, as a network that's continuing to grow, it was very important to our leadership that we could be a serious media organization on the ground in Alabama," says Trey Yingst, OAN's White House correspondent. "They've gained momentum down here, I heard more and more about them," Young said of OAN. "We get treated fairly there. When we want to get the real story out, we do it through the real conservative media." Both Moore and his wife, Kayla, were made available to OAN for interviews, while Yingst landed an exclusive interview with Bannon after the Fairhope rally. Throughout Moore's scandal, President Trump, who hadn't weighed in, loomed as the ultimate determiner of the candidate's fate. According to three people familiar with his actions, Bannon made calls to Trump and Nick Ayers, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, urging them to withhold public comment and let the people of Alabama decide whether Moore belonged in the Senate. The Daily Beast reported that Conway also pushed the president not to condemn Moore. Trump, an avid consumer of conservative media, especially Hannity's show, was willing to go much further. On Nov. 26, he attacked Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, on Twitter: "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!" On Dec. 4, Trump called Moore to bestow his endorsement, then tweeted, "Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama," adding "No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!" With Trump aboard, the RNC quickly followed suit and restored funding to Moore's campaign - news that first appeared in Breitbart. "We stand with the president," a senior RNC official told the website. The next evening, rain poured down on the barn at Oak Hollow Farm, in Fairhope, where Bannon and Moore were scheduled to headline a rally. Inside, amid all the Americana, homemade signs celebrated Breitbart News ("Who's Your News Daddy/Breitbart #1/Not Fake"), with colorful pennants devoted to Bannon and Boyle. The Chestang Bluegrass Gospel band gave way to a series of conservative speakers, who lambasted the "fake news" media to rapturous applause. Bannon, who has toured the country delivering populist stem-winders, painted Tuesday's election as pivotal in the battle against McConnell and the Moore's accusers. "Don't let them take your voice away!" he told the crowd. As Moore began speaking, Bannon ducked backstage to sit for an interview with OAN. Then he picked up a headset and joined a live broadcast of his SiriusXM talk-radio show, fighting to be heard above the noise of the crowd. Since the scandal broke, Moore had all but vanished from TV and radio, leaving others to defend him. But as soon as he stepped off the stage, he was ushered through a door and handed a headset, so he could join Bannon's broadcast already in progress. Severe weather continues to batter parts of Europe. As commuters struggle to reach their offices, many parts of the UK remain under a blanket of thick snow. Up to 30 centimetres of snow accumulated in Wales, with the Midlands and northern and eastern England also seeing generous snowfall. The wintry weather briefly suspended flights in Birmingham, London Stansted and Luton airports, and more than 150 flights were cancelled from Heathrow. Other parts of Europe also suffered from severe weather, with a storm called Ana bringing strong winds to Spain, Portugal, France and the Alps. Damaging gusts initially battered the Iberian Peninsula, with emergency services in Spains Galicia region attending to more than 200 incidents. The strong winds then moved northeast, with gusts as high as 161km/h reported in western France, near La Rochelle. In northern France, a ferry with more than 300 people on board ran aground in Calais harbour as it tried to leave during the storm. Meanwhile, the Alps has seen heavy snow over the past few days, and now Ana is bringing strong southerly winds to the region. This will bring heavy rain and snow to the southern parts of the Alps and very warm air to the north. This is likely to cause a big thaw in places which could trigger flash floods. Despite warnings from close US allies, US President Donald Trump controversially recognised Jerusalem as Israels capital and started the process of moving Washingtons embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trumps decision came 50 years after Israels annexation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, Egypts Sinai Peninsula and Syrias Golan Heights; 70 years after the UN resolution to partition Palestine; and 100 years after the Balfour Declaration. Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital upended decades of US foreign policy and created scores of anti-US/anti-Israel protests worldwide, while effectively killing the idea that Washington is a neutral party in the Palestinian-Israel conflict among the few who still had that perception. Arab capitals have almost unanimously considered Trumps decision on Jerusalem to be a sharp tilt towards Israel, and an indication of Washingtons support for the consolidation of the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. The Council of the League of Arab States, at the level of Arab foreign ministers, declared opposition to Trumps decision and considered it not only invalid, but also a serious breach of international law. Nonetheless, within Trumps inner circle, there is a belief that the decision was opportune and made at an appropriate time. From these voices perspectives, Arab leaders must accept this decision and deal with the potential unrest which this move may create within their countries. Perhaps one of the unintended consequences of Trumps move is that his decision has now put the Palestinian issue back at the forefront in the Middle East. Indeed, since 2001, the wars in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and Yemen, the Arab Spring revolutions, waves of sectarian violence, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levants (ISIL, also known as ISIS) meteoric rise to power have taken regional and global attention away from the struggle for justice in Palestine. Undoubtedly, Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital will further isolate the US from the rest of the world. Given the administrations rejection of Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem, in violation of international law which recognises East Jerusalem as belonging to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Washington has signalled its abandonment of a two-state solution more than ever. To be sure, there is no other country that recognises the legitimacy of Israels annexation of East Jerusalem, which Trump has now endorsed. With strong support from the international community for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the US is now alone with Israels government in opposing this plan. Although no objective observer previously saw Washington as being an honest peace broker between the Palestinians and Israelis, it is now abundantly clear that Washington is unable to play this role. Odds are good that Tehran will capitalise on Saudi Arabia's relatively cautious condemnation of Trump's decision to add momentum to the Iranian regime's narrative that Washington's GCC allies, chiefly Saudi Arabia, are indifferent to Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue at large. by Although the Israeli government quickly embraced Trump and his approach to US foreign policy in the Middle East, the US presidents recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is costing Washington immensely throughout the greater Arab and Muslim world. It is doubtful that Saudi Arabia or other Gulf states allied with Washington will take actions against the US as a result of Trumps decision; however, angry elements within their own societies may react against the US and its interests in the region in the form of terrorism and other violent actions. Unquestionably, the US presidents move on Jerusalem will create new risks for all of Washingtons allies in the Middle East, as the decision will offer extremist groups a valuable opportunity to capitalise on anti-US sentiment and direct such anger towards regimes that are close to the US and non-confrontational towards Israel. How will Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital affect the Arab worlds geopolitical order? It seems likely that the perception of Russia being a more responsible superpower than the US will only grow among Arabs. Russias strong condemnation of Trumps decision will naturally sit well among Arab/Muslim governments and societies which are beginning to accept Moscow as an indispensable mediator in the region, and a pillar of a new security architecture, following Russias direct military intervention in Syria. Iran, too, will likely stand to gain influence as a result of Trumps decision. Whereas Tehran has suffered in recent years from a perception among Sunni Arabs that Irans foreign policy is naturally sectarian, Trumps move offers the regime an opportunity to expand its soft-power influence among Arabs and Muslims of both sects, effectively weakening this perception of Iran being pro-Shia or anti-Sunni. Odds are good that Tehran will capitalise on Saudi Arabias relatively cautious condemnation of Trumps decision to add momentum to the Iranian regimes narrative that Washingtons GCC allies, chiefly Saudi Arabia, are indifferent to Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue at large. Lastly, another way in which the US position on Jerusalem is likely to hinder Washingtons interests in the Middle East pertains to GCC-Israel relations. As the US has sought to promote more official relations between Tel Aviv and the six GCC members, the Arabian Peninsula sheikdoms led by Bahrain have recently signalled a growing interest in pursuing a partnership with Israel. Whether such a declaration of any official Saudi-Israeli alliance would have been possible without the establishment of a Palestinian state is unclear, yet it is unquestionably true that any hopes for such a development are far less realistic now that the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and widespread outrage over Trumps endorsement of it have started to receive much more attention in the Arab world. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Canadian rights groups and legal experts renew calls to cancel a $12bn arms deal to kingdom over alleged rights abuses. Pressure is mounting on the Canadian government over an historic $12bn-arms deal to Saudi Arabia, with legal experts and human rights watchdogs expressing outrage and calling for its cancellation. Signed in 2014 by the previous government, which was then led by the Conservative Party, the deal is meant to send nearly $12bn (15bn Canadian dollars) worth of military vehicles to Saudi Arabia. The light-armoured vehicles, known as LAVs, will reportedly be equipped with machine guns and anti-tank cannons. The deal was described by the Harper government as the largest advanced manufacturing export win in the countrys history and has also been called Canadas biggest-ever arms deal by local media. The current government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said it is bound by the deal. But rights groups, as well as challenges against the government, have renewed fears that the Canadian equipment may be used by Saudi Arabia to carry out alleged human rights abuses in the kingdom and Yemen. In 2016, Canada was named the second-largest exporter of defence equipment to the Middle East, according to Janes, a UK-based security and defence observer. The same year, the Canadian government listed Saudi Arabia as the second-largest buyer of Canadian arms, after the US. {articleGUID} In 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched an air campaign in Yemen aimed at restoring President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was overthrown after Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa. Since then, more than 10,000 people the majority of whom are civilians have been killed and the war has pushed millions to the brink of famine. In Qatif, located in Saudi Arabias eastern part, the government has sometimes engaged in a military crackdown on Shia Muslim civilians and fighters, which authorities say is aimed at quashing terrorists. Alleged human rights violations Human rights groups worry that Canadian arms are being used to quash dissent among Saudi Arabian civilians and carry out international law violations in Yemen, the Arab regions poorest country. Watchdog groups, as well as the United Nations, have documented a number of human rights abuses allegedly carried by both sides of the conflict in Yemen. In October, the UN added the Saudi-led coalition to a blacklist of child rights violators over its role in Yemen. Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, said his organisation is opposed to all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia that may facilitate that countrys violations of international law and human rights. {articleGUID} Were very much opposed to the sale of the LAVs, and thats part of a wider, global position that Amnesty International has taken calling on all governments to prohibit arms transfers to Saudi Arabia that in any way stand the risk of being used in relation to the conflict in Yemen, Neve told Al Jazeera. He said that despite Amnesty International being blocked from accessing Saudi Arabia, the reports of such violations are credible and concerning, adding that Canada should halt the deal unless there is a major and very significant change on the ground with respect to the conflict in Yemen. Additionally, according to Human Rights Watch, Saudi forces reportedly surrounded the eastern town of Awamiya in the kingdoms Qatif region in a confrontation with armed fighters last July. Images posted on social media and proliferated in media outlets showed widespread devastation, flattened homes and burned out vehicles. Canadian media outlets later reported that Canadian-made armoured vehicles may have been used by Saudi forces in Awamiya after social media posts showed the alleged vehicles. John Babcock, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, which is responsible for the countrys foreign affairs, explained that the minister of foreign affairs had requested an investigation into allegations of Saudi Arabias human rights abuses with Canadian-made military equipment. {articleGUID} He added that no new export permits have been issued while the investigation is under way. Canada has directly expressed its serious concerns to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to underline the importance of ensuring its security operations respect international human rights law, he told Al Jazeera by email. We have engaged repeatedly with Saudi leaders and authorities on the protection of human rights. History of the deal Because the deal was announced in 2014 under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the current government, headed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal Party, claims it is bound to it. We will be respecting that contract, Trudeau told reporters in April 2016. It is important that people know that when they sign a deal with Canada a change in government isnt going to lead to that contract being ripped up. {articleGUID} The Liberal Partys Stephane Dion, who served as the foreign minister of Canada from early November 2015 through mid-January 2017, has characterised the trade as a done deal between the previous government and Saudi Arabia. Well review the process by which these contracts are assessed in the future, Dion told CBC news in January 2016 after it was revealed that Saudi Arabia executed 47 prisoners, including prominent Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr. But what is done is done, and the contract is not something well revisit. In March 2016, Daniel Turp, a professor of constitutional and international law at the University of Montreal, filed an application for judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada to halt the issuance of any export permits. He argued they would breach Canadian export laws and the Geneva Conventions Act. The following month, a secret memo signed by Dion and released by Canadas Department of Justice in connection to Turps legal challenge indicated that Dion approved six export permits valued at $9bn (11bn Canadian dollars), which reportedly constituted the majority of the arms deal. Turp subsequently amended his legal challenge to convince the Federal Court that these permits should be cancelled, he told Al Jazeera. The memos release revealed that minor level permits for the transaction were approved under the Conservative government, which left office in November 2015. The six export permits which did not specify the number of military vehicles slated for shipment cover LAVs and associated weapon systems, spare parts and technical data, according to the memo published by The Globe and Mail. {articleGUID} Following the memos release, Dion released a statement saying that Canadian companies have provided the Saudi government with similar military equipment since 1993, adding that Canadas best, and regularly updated, information indicates that Saudi Arabia has not misused the equipment to violate human rights. One company, General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, the manufacturer at the centre of the current deal with Saudi Arabia, has been previously granted export permits for nearly 3,000 LAVs to Saudi Arabia, beginning in the early 1990s. Legal challenge The Federal Court dismissed Turps challenge in January 2017, concluding that its role is not to pass moral judgment on the ministers decision to issue the export permits, according to court documents. The court is of the opinion that [Dion] considered the relevant factors, the documents said. Turp subsequently appealed the courts decision. Last week, arguments in the case were heard by the Federal Court of Appeal. Andre Lesperance, one of Turps lawyers, told Al Jazeera that a final ruling could take two months or more. Additionally, after the videos emerged last summer appearing to show the deployment of Canadian-made vehicles in Saudi Arabias Qatif region, Turp sent a formal notice to Chrystia Freeland, the current minister of foreign affairs, and asked her to cancel the permits based on new evidence after The Globe and Mail first published the allegations. In a way, Canada is seen as very hypocritical when it does promote human rights here and abroad, then it trades [arms and military equipment] with Saudi Arabia, Turp told Al Jazeera. Freeland did not to respond to Turps request, and he filed a new case, in addition to the appeal, on September 27 in front of the Federal Court of Canada. Turp added that he is planning to go as far as the Supreme Court because of the importance of this case. In by Daniel with Saudi Arabia] Since 1986, Canada has adopted measures that restrict the export of arms to countries with serious human rights violations unless it can be proven that there is no reasonable risk that they might be used against their own civilians. Global Affairs Canadas spokesperson, Babcock, insisted that Canada is committed to the defence of human rights and condemns all human rights violations. Neither the Saudi Embassy in Ottawa nor the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied to Al Jazeeras requests for a comment. Job creation? Shortly after the deals announcement in 2014, the government at the time, led by the Conservative Partys Stephen Harper, said that the contract would create and sustain over 3,000 jobs each year in Canada, over a 14-year period. In 2016, however, Conservative Party members became increasingly vocal in their advocacy of cancelling the deal if human rights abuses were confirmed. Ed Fast, Canadas former Conservative minister for international trade who announced the multi-billion dollar deal and previously led trade missions to Saudi Arabia, declined Al Jazeeras request for an interview. Peggy Mason, president of the Rideau Institute and Canadas former ambassador for Disarmament to the United Nations, explained that Canadas guidelines forbid the country from exporting arms to countries where there is a reasonable risk of use against civilians. {articleGUID} There were mountains of evidence at that stage [of the permits approval] that there was a reasonable risk [of human rights violations], she told Al Jazeera. So, in other words, theyve breached the guidelines. Mason added: We have moved from misuse to serious human rights abuses Whats that? We have to see someone mowed down with the LAV? Its extraordinary. According to a poll, released in September by the Angus Reid Institute, more than 60 percent of Canadians believe their country should not sell arms to Saudi Arabia. Arms treaty Last year, Canada expressed its commitment to acceding to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a UN agreement aimed at regulating the global arms trade with 92 state parties. Canada faced heavy criticism under the Harper administration for being the only NATO and G7 member to refuse to sign on to the treaty as it came into force in late 2014. In order to fully comply with the treaty, the current government vowed to introduce measures to comply with ATT requirements. In April 2017, Foreign Minister Freeland introduced legislation, known as Bill C-47, in Parliament to enhance transparency and accountability in Canadas export controls. {articleGUID} The bill is a proposed amendment to Canadas Export and Import Permits Act. It sets mandatory considerations for the minister of foreign affairs to take into account before issuing any export permits. But defence policy advocate and human rights groups say the bill doesnt go far enough. Last October, a report released by the Rideau Institute a Canada-based foreign and defence policy advocacy and research group said that Bill C-47 has numerous flaws and criticised it for not placing hard limits on how export permits are issued by the foreign minister. Amnesty International, along with several Canadian civil society organisations, released a joint statement in October saying they cannot support Bill C-47 in its current form and called on the government to revise the bill to effectively ready Canada for full compliance with the ATT. Speaking on the Saudi arms deal, Amnesty Canadas Neve said: there will be many of us who highlight that the [ATT and arms deal] dont coexist. Its one more reason why Canada needs to do the right thing here and halt the deal. UN calls for unimpeded aid delivery to war-torn Yemen as Saudi-led coalitions blockade of ports continues. A senior UN official has called for parties involved in the war in Yemen to allow sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access for the millions of Yemenis facing famine and battling disease. The lives of millions of people, including 8.4 million Yemenis who are a step away from famine, hinge on our ability to continue our operations and to provide health, safe water, shelter and nutrition support, Jamie McGoldrick, the UNs humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said in a statement on Monday. The call comes as the Saudi-led coalition continues a blockade of Yemen, which began in October after it shut down the countrys borders in response to a rebel missile that was shot down near the capital, Riyadh. Amid mounting international pressure, Saudi Arabia began to allow some humanitarian aid to enter the country in the last week of November. {articleGUID} Despite this easing, the situation in Yemen remains severe, according to McGoldrick. The continuing blockade of ports is limiting supplies of fuel, food and medicines, dramatically increasing the number of vulnerable people who need help, he said. The blockade was designed to cut off the alleged supply of weapons to Houthi rebels from Iran but has exacerbated what the UN has called the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Aid organisations in Yemen faced further difficulties when renewed violence broke out in the capital, Sanaa, after the killing of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh on December 4. {articleGUID} Already the Arab worlds poorest country, Yemen collapsed into civil war following mass protests in 2011. The conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced three million, according to the UN. Millions of Yemenis are struggling with hunger and disease, including the worst cholera epidemic on record, which has infected about one million people. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in neighbouring Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to push back the Houthi rebels, who are said to be backed by Iran, and restore the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. A senior member of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) has denounced US Vice President Mike Pence over his apparent regret that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas refused a meeting with him. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Hanan Ashrawi said on Monday that the US has made any peace talks between Israel and Palestine irrelevant and superfluous with its recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. The US administration has totally ripped apart the very legal foundation for peace in the region with their latest recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, she said. The Trump administration has destroyed every component of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. They sided with the Israeli occupiers. Pence was due to meet Abbas in Bethlehem on December 19 as part of a regional tour, but the Palestinian leader withdrew after the controversial US move to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital last week. Its unfortunate that the Palestinian Authority is walking away again from an opportunity to discuss the future of the region, Alyssa Farah, Pences press secretary, said in a statement on Sunday. But the administration remains undeterred in its efforts to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians and our peace team remains hard at work putting together a plan. The US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem has drawn international condemnation and sparked a wave of protests. Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Pence will meet Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his visit to the region later this month, Farah confirmed. Jibril Rajoub, a senior Fatah politician, said that Abbas would not meet the US vice president in a statement on December 7. In the name of Fatah, I say that we will not welcome [US President Donald] Trumps deputy in the Palestinian territories, he said. As protests continue over the US Jerusalem move, 157 people were injured on Sunday in confrontations with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. At least four Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the US declaration. Social media users take to Twitter and decry Bahrain groups visit to Israel amid ongoing protests over Jerusalem. Palestinians have refused a Bahraini delegation from entering Gaza after the group visited Israel amid ongoing controversy over the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise the city as Israels capital. The interfaith This is Bahrain civil society group defended its visit to Israel on Monday, a day after its trip was reported, as a gesture of tolerance. The 25-member group, which is on a five-day tour, includes Sunni and Shia Muslim leaders, Christians, the leader of a Hindu temple, and a Sikh. It aims to visit Islamic, Christian, Jewish and other holy sites, the group said, according to a statement carried on Bahrains state news. Ater widespread outrage, a coalition of various political factions condemned the groups attempt to visit the besieged Gaza Strip, home to two million Palestinians. In a statement on Monday, the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces in Gaza said there was no place for those who normalise relations with Israel in Gaza or any other place of the occupied Palestinian territories. It added that the people of Gaza would prevent the delegation from entering the enclave. Reports said the Palestinian Ministry of Education also refused to meet with This is Bahrain, and would not receive the delegation in the occupied West Bank or Gaza. The #Bahrain_resists_normalisation hashtag was used across Twitter as people vented their frustrations. The move comes after US President Donald Trump formally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a declaration that has caused widespread anger across the Muslim world. Jerusalem is home to Islams third holiest site and its status is deeply sensitive for Muslims. Here are some social media reactions: Hussein Youssef, a Bahraini journalist and blogger, said: This is Bahrain has carried out a number of activities supported by official figures in Bahrain, but its latest move of sending a delegation to Israel makes any affiliation with it a criminal act, and more. If any of the groups members denounce the latest move, then they should immediately declare their withdrawal from it. Continuing to be a part of this organisation from now on will only mean endorsing its agenda, which does not represent the people of Bahrain. # : #__. . Husain (@hussain_info) December 10, 2017 Basmah al-Qassab, a Bahraini blogger, said: I believe that the Zionist entity [Israel] is an unjust occupier. The delegations visit to occupied East Jerusalem is shameful and immoral, and its claim that it represents the Bahraini people is untrue and is insulting to the Bahraini people. " " . #__ (@bqassab) December 10, 2017 Nazeeha Saeed, a dissident Bahraini journalist, said: This is Bahrain does not represent Bahrain!!! You call yourselves a multi-religious delegation Do not use our nations name in your fake calls to peace and tolerance. " " !!! .. # #__ https://t.co/1MHCSjsBMe Nazeeha Saeed (@nazihasaeed) December 10, 2017 Raeda Sabt, a Bahraini social influencer, said: Bahrains support for the Palestinian cause is documented in history books, and we cannot accept people who seek to tarnish Bahrains reputation and discredit its history by normalisation [visiting Israel] a move has greatly hurt us. # . . * pic.twitter.com/GcHqrESwlC (@RaedaSabt) December 11, 2017 Twitter user Maitham Almosawi wrote: Shame and disgrace will haunt the group that gave up their dignity in the arms of the Zionist entity. And thank God for those who were able to shed light on the truth behind these fake people. #__ S.Maitham Almosawi (@mmosaw1bh) December 10, 2017 User @SultanAlBahrain said most Bahrainis opposed the visit and believe Jerusalem belongs to Israel, regardless of Trumps sentiments. Most of #Bahrain people are against the visit of group of few Bahraini's who visited #Israel recently and we are all against #POTUS statement that #Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. We all believe that Jerusalem belong to #Palestine no doubt! No matter @realDonaldTrump says. M.I. Bahrain (@SultanAlBahrain) December 10, 2017 As Israel was dropping bombs on Gaza, and Palestinians were protesting Trumps Jerusalem declaration, King Hamad of Bahrain sends delegation to convey message of peace to Israel, user @chanadbh tweeted. Greece is preparing a law that will make it easier for apartment blocks to install solar panels on their rooftops. During its long depression, Greece has witnessed the fastest growth in solar energy use in the developed world, after Spain. This means that Greece will meet its emissions targets under the Paris Climate Change Accord. Now the government wants to build on that success. It is preparing a law that will make it easier for apartment blocks to install solar panels on their rooftops. Al Jazeeras John Psaropoulos reports from Lavrio. Researchers at UCL fix a protein defect that causes devastating genetic disease Huntingtons in patients for first time. An experimental drug has for the first time been shown to slow the progression of Huntingtons disease, giving hopes to patients suffering from the incurable disorder. Scientists at UKs University College of London said on Monday that an early-stage trial found that the treatment had successfully lowered the levels of a toxic protein that causes the devastating genetic disease. Sarah Tabrizi, a professor of clinical neurology who led the UCL research, called the ability of the drug, IONIS-HTT(Rx), to lower the mutant huntingtin protein ground-breaking. The key now is to move quickly to a larger trial to test whether IONIS-HTT(Rx) slows disease progression, she said. The Huntingtons Disease Society of America hailed the breakthrough as a historic moment in the fight against the illness. What is Huntingtons disease? Huntingtons is a disorder that causes irreversible damage to the brain, affecting patients movements, behaviour and ability to think clearly. It is caused by an inherited defect in a single section of DNA called the huntingtin gene. Most people with Huntingtons develop symptoms in their early 30s or 40s and die around 10 to 20 years after symptoms start. There is currently no treatment to stop or reverse the disease, and existing medication can only help manage its symptoms. Landmark trial The UCL trial involved 46 patients from the UK, Germany and Canada. They were each given four spinal injections of either the drug or a placebo. UCL said the drug produced significant, dose-dependent lowering of the level of mutant huntingtin and marks the first time that the protein has been reduced in the nervous systems of patients. IONIS-HTT(Rx) works by effectively silencing the defective huntingtin gene. Professor John Hardy, an expert on diseases affecting the nervous system, told the BBC that the trial was potentially, the biggest breakthrough in neurodegenerative disease in the past 50 years. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, the company behind the drug, said in a statement on Monday that, following the trial, pharmaceutical giant Roche had exercised its right to license IONIS-HTT(Rx) at a cost of $45m. The prevalence of the disease varies by ethnicity and geographical location. In Europe, it is estimated that about five to seven people in 100,000 are affected. About 8,500 people in the UK have Huntingtons, while 30,000 people have it in the United States. Filipino president says longer military rule is necessary in Mindanao region to contain ISIL and communist fighters. Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has asked Congress to extend martial law across the southern region of Mindanao by one year for total eradication of ISIL and communist fighters, according to the local media. In a letter to legislators sent to media by his office on Monday, Duterte said that the move was necessary to contain an ongoing rebellion by supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and the communist terrorists (CTs) and their coddlers, supporters, and financiers. I ask the Congress of the Philippines to further extend the proclamation of Martial Law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao for a period of one year from 01 January 2018, stated the letter, shared by Rappler, a local news publication. Al Jazeeras Jamila Alindogan, reporting from the capital Manila, said legislators would meet today to discuss Dutertes proposal. It will be off-limits to media. A decision is expected by Friday, she said. Alindogan also said that many critics had voiced their opposition to martial law, citing abuses by the military. Some fear that Duterte may be rehearsing a nationwide enforcement of strongman rule, she said. Duterte initially imposed military rule across Mindanao in May. It was limited by the constitution to 60 days, but in July, a five-month extension was issued until December 31. Hundreds of gunmen had rampaged through Marawi in what authorities said was part of a campaign to establish a Southeast Asian caliphate for ISIL. A US and Chinese-backed military campaign took five months to defeat the group, with the conflict claiming more than 1,100 lives and leaving large parts of Marawi in ruins. Although Duterte declared in October that Marawi had been liberated and military chiefs said most leaders of the group had been killed, authorities have continued to warn that others who escaped are regrouping and recruiting in Mindanao. Turkish leader labels Israel a terrorist state after US recognises Jerusalem as Israels capital. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has labelled Israel a terrorist state, and declared the United States recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital null and void. Erdogan said on Sunday that US President Donald Trumps decision on December 6 on the status of Jerusalem has no validity for Turkey. Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Sivas, Erdogan said Palestine has been under occupation since 1947, adding: Israel is an occupying state, a terrorist state. Turkey will host an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss Jerusalem, which is home to sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians. Erdogan has threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over the issue of Jerusalem, declaring the citys status a red line on December 4. The US decision to move its embassy to the city from Tel Aviv has drawn international condemnation and sparked a wave of protests. Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Anger has spread from Asia, through the Middle East, to North Africa, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets to denounce the controversial move. Responding to Erdogans criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Turkish leader shouldnt preach to us. He bombs Kurdish villages in Turkey, imprisons journalists and helps terrorists attack innocents in Gaza and other places, he said. Netanyahu, speaking in Paris on Sunday alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, told reporters: [Jerusalem] has been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years, [and] its been the capital of the Jewish state for 70 years. Macron, however, warned that Trumps move is a threat to peace in the region. Confrontations on Sunday between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza left 157 people injured, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. At least four Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the US declaration. More oversight on commercial spyware is needed, says author of new report on how Ethiopia allegedly spies on dissidents. The government of Ethiopia has apparently employed spyware purchased from an Israeli defence contractor to spy on independent journalists and dissidents living outside of the country, a recent report has revealed. Israels CyberBit Solutions Ltd sold spyware to Ethiopia, which used the technology to target activists and journalists, even PhD students and lawyers, explained Bill Marczak, a researcher at the University of Torontos Citizen Lab, which wrote the report. CyberBit, a cybersecurity company headquartered in Tel Aviv, is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence contractor with ties to the Israeli military. Marczak told Al Jazeera at least 43 people in 20 different countries including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and Eritrea were infected over the course of about a year with the CyberBit spyware, known as the PC Surveillance System (PSS). The attacks were apparently carried out by Ethiopia from 2016 until the present, the report found. The pattern that weve seen is over the years the Ethiopian government [is] buying and acquiring this commercial spyware from pretty much all the companies it can and employing that to essentially spy on the [Ethiopian] diaspora, said Marczak, who coauthored the Citizen Lab report. The spyware To infect the targeted computers, the operator of the spyware first sent an email asking activists and journalists to view a video on a website designed to impersonate popular Ethiopian and Eritrean video-sharing websites, Marczak explained. Once someone clicked on the link, however, a message popped up saying their computers Flash Player was out of date. A second link then would invite the user to download an updated version of the application, but used a fictitious application called Adobe PdfWriter. Thats when the spyware would be downloaded onto the victims computer. The operator could then see every keystroke; take and save passwords; take over email accounts to target friends; view screens; turn on the computers microphone and webcam; and install or remove programmes, Marczak said. Essentially, he noted, the operator would have the same sort of level of control that youd have as someone physically using the computer. Not surprised Jawar Mohammed, an Ethiopian journalist based in the US state of Minnesota, told Al Jazeera he received an email that appeared strange. He didnt click on the link, but instead forwarded the email on to the IT department at his media group, which also said it was suspicious. Mohammed then contacted the Citizen Lab and they collaborated on the report into the spyware. I was not surprised that they would go after us, but I was surprised that the companies that produce this spyware are willing to sell it to dictators that will use it against activists, he said. {articleGUID} Mohammed is the executive director of the Oromia Media Network, a non-profit that reports on issues that matter to the Oromo people, an ethnic group that lives primarily in Ethiopias Oromia region. The Oromo, who number approximately 35 million and constitute Ethiopias largest ethnic group, have staged widespread protests since late 2015. While the protests originally stemmed from their opposition to a development project that would have expanded the boundaries of the capital, Addis Ababa, it grew into a demand for equal rights and an end to systemic discrimination. Hundreds of thousands of Oromo protested throughout Oromia and state security forces in Ethiopia have used excessive and lethal force against largely peaceful protests, according to Amnesty International. At least 800 people were killed in the government crackdown, Human Rights Watch has estimated, while thousands more have been injured, arbitrarily arrested, and detained without charge or trial. If the attempt to spy on his communications had been successful, Mohammed said his reporters and sources in Ethiopia could have become targets of government persecution. The attack, he said, is a continuation of the governments effort to silence and shut down the Oromo voice, the Oromo peoples fight for justice and equality. These companies [that produce and sell the spyware] need to ensure that governments that have a bad reputation for spying on individuals, do not get ahold of this kind of software, Mohammed continued. They are endangering a large number of people who have committed no crime except speaking up against human rights violations. All these companies need to be held accountable. Israeli connection Cyberbit makes counter-surveillance and internet monitoring technology, according to Privacy International, a UK-based group that defends the right to privacy. A spokesperson for the company said its products are regulated by the Israeli Ministry of Defense in accordance with the Israeli Defense Export Control Law and international treaties. State entities that purchase these products are obligated to use them in accordance with the applicable law. Cyberbit Solutions does not operate the products, Hila Gabay told Al Jazeera in an email. Cyberbit Solutions is subject to confidentiality obligations towards its customers and is not permitted to discuss any specific transaction or customer. {articleGUID} On its website, Cyberbit lists Israeli bank Leumi, Samsung SDS (a Samsung subsidiary), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (which split off from Hewlett Packard in 2015), German science-and-technology firm IABG, and Regent University in the US state of Virginia among its strategic partners and customers. Israel is home to the headquarters of 27 surveillance companies, making it among the top five countries worldwide alongside the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany, according to a 2016 Privacy International report. But Israel has the highest concentration of surveillance companies per capita, with 0.33 companies per 100,000 people, compared with 0.04 in the US and 0.16 in the UK, the report found. Privacy International investigations have revealed that Israeli companies sold telephone and internet-monitoring technology to secret police in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and to security forces in Colombia, Uganda and Trinidad and Tobago. It is unclear how high a priority is placed on the consideration of human rights within decision-making in Israels government when it comes to licensing exports of strategic goods. A recent amendment to export licensing rules that would have put the consideration of human rights records into law was rejected by the foreign ministry, the group noted. Lack of oversight In a letter to the Citizen Lab, Adobe whose PDF editing software was imitated in the spyware emails said it has taken steps to swiftly address this issue, including but not limited to contacting Cyberbit and other relevant service providers. The company called the issues raised by the research troubling and said it works to try to protect our users from the misuse and misrepresentation of our brands especially where used to deceive others in downloading malicious software. However, according to Marczak, the problem with the commercial spyware industry is it is not very well regulated in terms of export controls, or ways to hold companies accountable for a range of actions, whether its targeting people in an abusive way or designing products to impersonate brands. Spyware is becoming increasingly widespread, he added, and companies are showcasing their products at arms fairs and surveillance industry conventions around the world, among other places. Marczak said he hoped bringing attention to how these surveillance technologies are being used will apply pressure on companies. Certainly bringing this issue to the public attention over and over will hopefully push regulatory agencies to take a closer look here [and] push lawmakers to take a closer look here, he said. Al Jazeeras request for comment from Ethiopias Government Communication Affairs Office was not immediately answered on Monday. The European Union has rejected Benjamin Netanyahus call to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying the two-state solution remains the only path to resolving the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Federica Mogherini, the EUs foreign policy chief, met Netanyahu on Monday in Brussels, the first visit by an Israeli prime minister to the European Union in 22 years. The meeting came less than a week after the United States announced it would recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and move its embassy to the city, a contentious move that has led to widespread condemnation and deadly clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers. You know where the European Union stands. We believe that the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states with Jerusalem as the capital of both the state of Israel and the state of Palestine along the 1967 line, Mogherini said during a press conference with Netanyahu. This is our consolidated position and we will continue to respect the international consensus on Jerusalem until the final status of the Holy City is resolved through direct negotiations between the parties, she said. The Israeli prime minister, meanwhile, reaffirmed his support for Trumps Jerusalem decision. Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for the last 70 years. I think what President Trump has done is put facts squarely on the table, Netanyahu said. Jerusalem is Israels capital. No one can deny. It doesnt obviate peace; it makes peace possible, because recognising reality is the substance of peace, its the foundation of it. New peace proposal Netanyahu said the Trump administration is working to introduce a new peace proposal and called on countries to see what will be presented. But the details of that plan appear to still be unclear. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign minister of France, said some kind of American initiative has been announced. Weve been waiting for several months. If its not the case, then perhaps the European Union should take the initiative, but its too early to say, he said, according to The Associated Press. During the press conference, Netanyahu said he expects all or most of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital. But world leaders have roundly condemned US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. Many European leaders have said the move risks enflaming tension in the wider region while hindering prospects of a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mogherini also rejected the idea that EU member states would move their embassies to Jerusalem, saying on Monday this move will not come. Officials say one man is in custody and three people suffered minor injuries after an explosion in central Manhattan. At least one man is in custody after an explosion at a main transit station in central Manhattan in what New York City officials have called an attempt terrorist attack. An NYPD spokesman told Al Jazeera that the explosion occurred early on Monday morning in the area of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, near 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, which is also close to Times Square. According to officials at least four people, including the suspect, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect, named by police as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, intentionally detonated an improvised low-tech explosive device that he was wearing, officials told reporters. They added that the device was based on a pipe-bomb and affixed to his [the suspects] person with a combination of zip-ties and velcro. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters that this was an attempted terrorist attack. He added that there are no additional known incidents at this time and there are no additional known activities. We we will wait for a fuller investigation but at this time we only know of one individual who was unsuccessful in his aims. Major transit hub The New York Transit Authority had previously shut down parts of the transit system while they conducted security measures, but officials said the system is expected to be back to normal later in the day. Al Jazeeras Kristen Saloomey, reporting from the scene, said the attack took place in a very busy area. This is a major hub in Manhattan, almost every major subway goes through or near here, and it was in the subway tunnels that the suspect set off this explosive device, she said. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters that this is New York and the reality is we are a target of those who would like to make a statement against democracy and freedom. Police did not comment on the suspects motive and said it would be conducting a full investigation into the explosion, which was also caught on CCTV. Rigardu, a German monitoring group, has documented at least 857 instances of violence on Serbias borders with the EU. Refugees and migrants attempting to cross from Serbia into neighbouring European Union countries have endured illegal deportations and widespread police violence, including beatings and electric shocks, according to a report by a watchdog group. The findings by German monitor, Rigardu, paint a grim picture of systematic abuse on the borders of Serbia which is not an EU country and Hungary and Croatia, which are both members of the bloc. The group said on Sunday it had documented at least 857 instances of people being subjected to violence, including kicking and dog bites, so far this year. Of that total, 52 incidents involved minors. Rigardu also recorded at least 110 cases of Hungarian and Croatian authorities carrying out illegal deportations to Serbia. There were also allegations of push-backs by Slovenian officers on the countrys border with Croatia. Using photographic evidence and first-person testimonies, Rigardu has now launched an online database to document individual cases of violence and push-backs by EU countries forces along the so-called Balkan route. The group said the actual number of such incidents is likely to be far higher since many cases of push-backs and police violence often go unreported. Lazara Marinkovic, a Serbian journalist who has covered the refugee crisis for several years, said reports such as the one published by Rigardu are very common and the testimonies are consistent with the injuries she had observed on several occasions. Most of the violent push-backs come from Croatian and Hungarian border police, she told Al Jazeera from Serbias capital, Belgrade. Ive met a lot of people who showed me their phones had been broken and their injuries. Next time, we will kill you In one incident recorded by Rigardu, on November 4, six Afghan men were allegedly attacked and beaten by Croatian border guards. When one of the men, whose name has been withheld, requested to apply for asylum, he was told by an officer, We dont need you people to come here, according to the testimony provided to the group. On October 19, Croatian police officers apprehended four Afghan men crossing from Serbias Sid. After beating them and stealing their money, according to the account given to Rigardu, one of the officers allegedly shoved a tree branch into one of the mens mouth. They shouted, Dont speak, go back to Serbia, the groups report said. In another incident, on October 7, four Tunisians and a Moroccan were allegedly beaten and subjected to death threats by Croatian border police, said Rigardu. The officers hit them with the handle of a baton and then beat them again after they had already crossed the border back into Serbia, the men said in their testimony. F*ck you, go to Serbia, next time we [will] kill you, they claimed the officers told them while beating them. Contacted by Al Jazeera, a Croatian police spokesperson said in an email that in the cases they have investigated, authorities have not found unprofessional or unlawful conduct of police officers toward migrants. The police spokesperson added: The use of force or bodily force is being analysed for each particular case, and the ministry [of interior] takes care that the police officers act in compliance with the legal use of police powers. Speaking to Al Jazeera by email, the Hungarian governments international communications office said it utterly rejects the allegations, claiming they are once more seeking to discredit personnel on duty at the border. The police are performing their duties lawfully, professionally and proportionately, and they place special emphasis on treating migrants humanely and with respect for their human dignity, the office said. Migrants on Hungarys borders are not being harassed, and the significant numbers of unaccompanied minors who have been arriving are being provided with protection, health care and education, it added. Hungary treats those in genuine need humanely, and those waiting on its borders or on its territory receive fair treatment. Migrants are also expected to abide by EU and Hungarian laws, however. Speaking to Al Jazeera by email, a Slovenian police spokesperson said the claims come as a major surprise, adding that they are committed to maintaining high standards of professionalism and upholding human rights. We are not aware of any such cases of push-backs and violence [by] the Slovenian police. Horrifying practices Lydia Gall, a Balkan region researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW), explained that push-backs across the borders into Serbia are unlawful and are often accompanied by various levels of abuse and violence. The practices have been going on for years, she told Al Jazeera. This has been flagged time and again to the European Union for several years now and yet the European Commission has chosen not to act on this issue specifically, said Gall. Last month, a six-year-old Afghan girl was fatally struck by a train after Croatian police officers allegedly forced her family to walk down the train tracks in the direction of Serbia. In a statement later published online, the Croatian Ministry of Interior dismissed claims of responsibility. We emphasise that the conduct of the Croatian border police did not in any way cause the accident and death of the girl, it said. HRWs Gall described the incident as a sad consequence of the unlawful and often inhumane practices carried out on EU borders with Serbia. This poor girl and her poor family were victims of these horrifying practices as they pan out, she said. As thousands rally in Beirut against Trumps Jerusalem move, Hassan Nasrallah vows to renew focus on Palestinian cause. The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah has said his group and its allies in the region would renew their focus on the Palestinian cause after what he called their victories elsewhere in the region. Hassan Nasrallah called on Hezbollahs allies on Monday to put in place a united strategy in the field to confront Israel. His speech came as thousands of Hezbollah supporters demonstrated in Beirut, chanting Death to America! and Death to Israel! in protest against President Donald Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese Shia political bloc with a powerful military wing, has been fighting in Syria alongside regional allies to defeat both anti-government rebels and al-Qaeda linked fighters. Protesters marched through Hezbollahs south Beirut bastion, carrying banners reading Jerusalem, Eternal Capital of Palestine and Jerusalem is Ours. Nasrallah said he hoped the foolish [US] decision would mark the beginning of the end of Israel. Days of protest Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut on Monday, said Nasrallah asked Hezbollah supporters to continue protesting against the US move. Nasrallah described Trumps decision as yet another aggression against the Palestinian cause whose aim was to strip Palestinians of their rights, she said. Nasrallah had called for the demonstration last week after Trump made his announcement in a televised speech on December 6. The move has been heavily denounced and has prompted days of protest across the Middle East and elsewhere. Mondays rally came a day after a violent protest outside the US embassy in Beirut, where security forces fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters who pelted them with stones. The demonstrators were barely hundreds of metres from the embassy. Lebanon is home to over 450,000 Palestinian refugees, who make up nearly 10 percent of the countrys population. {articleGUID} Many are the descendants of those who fled after the creation of Israel in 1948. Our correspondent said Trumps decision has been a gift to Hezbollah, which had been drawing flak from its opponents for its intervention in Syrias conflict. The battle-hardened Hezbollah fighters played a key role in turning the tide of Syrias war in favour of President Bashar al-Assad, a key Iran ally. From the beginning, since Hezbollah was born three decades ago, Palestine has been central to their cause, Al Jazeeras Khodr said. Up until a few years ago, Hezbollah was portrayed as a resistance movement. But it lost a lot of popularity and legitimacy when it intervened in Syria, with its opponents accusing it of being a sectarian militia that is serving Irans interests. Now Hezbollah is saying they have won against ISIL, that the war in Syria is winding down and they have to concentrate on their main cause, the Palestinian issue. Hezbollah is believed to have a massive arsenal of rockets capable of hitting much of Israels territory. Israel fought a war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 that killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 120 Israelis, most of them soldiers. Israel withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending a 22-year occupation, but the two countries remain technically at war and there have been occasional skirmishes on the border. Deliberately vague response contradicted decades of solidarity with Palestine as an integral part of its foreign policy. Indias two-sentence response to the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital last week elicited mixed reactions after New Delhi for decades strongly backed the Palestinian cause. The static statement to a dynamic situation was described by some as muted, others as pragmatic, and still others alleging it imbibes the anti-Muslim right-wing consensus of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Indias position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by our views and interests, and not determined by any third country, Raveesh Kumar, spokesman of Indias Ministry of External Affairs, said last Thursday. But critics say this was deliberately vague and India should have posited a more vigorous reaction, considering the serious and retrograde effect of US President Donald Trumps Jerusalem announcement. A more robust response would be to state Indias position upfront. In any case, it would call for a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, Manoj Joshi, senior analyst at the Observer Research Foundation, told Al Jazeera. In previous decades with the centrist Congress Party in power solidarity with Palestine was an integral part of Indias foreign policy. Nivedita Menon, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the governments lone comment has clearly reversed Indias stance on Palestine. It is not surprising that India will now not say anything against Israel as there is a very close bond being built between the two. The current Indian governments closeness to Israel is also owing to the very clear Islamophobia of both the regimes. Thats very obvious. Its a coming together of Islamophobic regimes, Menon told Al Jazeera. India has always expressed solidarity with Palestine. India has always opposed Israels occupation of Palestine. There has been a long history of that. The democratic people of India still support Palestine, but the Indian state has clearly marked a shift, she added. The ruling BJP has fought most national and local elections on a Hindu nationalist agenda, with many party members accused of making anti-Muslim statements to polarise Hindu voters. BJP legislator Subramaniam Swamy has also called on India to shift its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem like Trump pledged to do. Palestinian cause India-Israel ties have flourished since a ground-breaking trip by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July this year. Modis predecessors had kept Israel at arms length with New Delhi being a vocal supporter of the Palestinians. {articleGUID} Modi, however, has spoken of his personal affinity for Israel and his visit to the country before he became prime minister. He pointedly missed visiting Ramallah this year, the seat of the Palestine Authority and a customary stop for visiting leaders trying to maintain a balance in political ties. But Sreeram Chaulia, dean at the Jindal School of International Affairs, said Indias evolving ties with Israel are based on pragmatism. I dont think the fact that we are increasing our strategic cooperation with Israel should in any way come at the expense of the Palestinians. Our cooperation is based on pragmatic mutual benefit, Chaulia told Al Jazeera. We are independent, not influenced by outsiders. Similarly on this issue, we have an embassy of Palestine in Delhi. India is a major contributor to the Palestinian Authority and its institutions If India was a major political player in the Middle East, we would have been forced to take a stand, but we are not. India and Israel have deep military ties. In 2017, India signed two arms deals, spending $2.6bn on Israeli missile defence systems. Economist Prabhat Patnaik said the decolonisation of Palestine is a precondition for world peace and in Indias interest. Since an overwhelming number of countries in the world support Palestines decolonisation, by distancing itself from this goal, India is also distancing itself from these countries, he told Al Jazeera. However, the Hindu right, which currently rules the country, wants to get closer to the US-Israel axis because of its ideological affinity of a shared anti-Muslim attitude, Patnaik said. Indias silence Indias stated position on East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital has remained a part of official statements. {articleGUID} On Monday, the foreign ministers of Russia, China, and India said in a joint statement in New Delhi that they continue to back an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through various UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, among initiatives. But Indias relative silence after Trumps radical decision on Jerusalem could well mark a point of departure in the countrys moral support for the Palestinian cause. Professor Menon said Indias solidarity with the Palestinians will for now have to be borne by ordinary citizens. It will have to be non-state, people-to-people contacts for India-Palestine solidarity now. I dont see how any ethical stance can condone Israels occupation of Palestine. There is no ethical argument that can justify the occupation, Menon said. Tens of thousands rally in Asian, Middle Eastern and North African cities protesting against Trumps Jerusalem decision. A wave of anger against a US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital has spread from Asia, through the Middle East, to North Africa, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets to denounce the controversial move. Protesters filled central avenues and squares in a number of major international cities on Sunday, waving the flag of Palestine and shouting slogans to express their solidarity with the Palestinians, who see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. US President Donald Trumps announcement on Wednesday drew near-universal condemnation from world leaders and inflamed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with violence flaring up in the occupied Palestinian territories for a fifth day. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, 157 people were injured on Sunday in confrontations with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza. At least four Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the US declaration. Clashes also erupted on Sunday at a protest in Beirut, where demonstrators fought with security forces outside the US embassy in the Lebanese capital. Demonstrators set fires in the street, torched US and Israeli flags and threw stones at police officers, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. Adnan Abdullah, a protester in Beirut, said Trumps Jerusalem decision will not happen as long as there are people like us. Another demonstrator, whose face was hidden behind a black mask, held up a tear gas canister and condemned Lebanese forces for defending America. {articleGUID} He went on to add, There is no one by our side. None of the Arab countries. Oh God, we will raise the Palestinian flag Arab foreign ministers, in a resolution on Sunday, urged Trump to rescind the decision and have called for a UN Security Council condemnation of the shift in US policy. Meanwhile, more than 5,000 Indonesians rallied outside the US embassy in Jakarta to vent their anger for a second day. Protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners saying Pray for Palestine. We are not satisfied with just official statements, said Nurjannah Nurwani, one of the lead organisers of the gathering. We need follow-up, international lobbying which could pressure them into withdrawing their decision. Another female protester in Jakarta urged Trump to use his brain and withdraw from Jerusalem. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has condemned Trumps decision. On Thursday, he ordered the US ambassador in Jakarta to be summoned over the move. In Turkeys Istanbul, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets again, transforming the citys Yenikapi Square into a sea of Turkish and Palestinian flags. I feel like I should defend Palestine because I dont know any other way to defend them, said Ananda Sereka, who was at the protest. So this is what I can do. This is the least I can do. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the most vocal critics of Trumps move, has called the declaration null and void and vowed to fight it. He has also called a summit of Islamic countries to discuss the move on Wednesday. In Rabat, Moroccos capital, protesters yelled slurs against Trump and carried banners saying Jerusalem belonged to Palestine. Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Rabat, said the protest was a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people but also an opportunity to express anger over Trumps decision. The protesters came from all walks of life, he said. Government officials, members of the opposition, seculars and conservatives all denouncing what they consider to be a decision that could destabilise the region. Mohamed Boussaid, Moroccos finance minister, said the demonstration was a way to express our indignation and un-satisfaction and to show that we refuse completely the decision taken by the president of the US. Protester Mohamed Alghram agreed. We totally reject the decision that targets the most sacred place for us and we say no, he said. Jerusalem is a red line. Jerusalem is home to Islams third holiest site and its status is deeply sensitive for Muslims. In Indian-administered Kashmir, protesters took a different approach. Residents of the capital Srinagar, home to 1.1 million people, closed their shops and abandoned the streets in protest. Salman Khan, a Srinagar resident, told the ANI news agency that Trumps decision was completely unjust. Muslim solidarity with Palestine also spread to the war-torn nations of Yemen and Syria. Further protests were held in Egypt, where students and professors demonstrated at the Al-Azhar University. In Pakistans Karachi, hundreds of protesters marched towards the US Consulate in the city, but were turned back by riot police. Since 1989, nearly 70,000 people have been killed in violence that separatist leaders say the United Nations has done too little to prevent. As the world observes the UN-sponsored Human Rights Day, rights violations continue to be a major issue in Indian-administered Kashmir. Since 1989, nearly 70,000 people have been killed in violence that separatist leaders say the UN has done too little to prevent. For the past year, the remote, northern region was gripped by widespread protests, following the killing of a prominent rebel commander. In the crackdown that followed, more than 100 protesters were killed, thousands were arrested and hundreds were blinded by police who shot at civilians with iron pellets. Al Jazeeras Imtiaz Tyab reports. Mikheil Saakashvili was re-arrested in Ukraine, four days after his supporters freed him from a police van. Mikheil Saakashvili was re-arrested in Ukraine, four days after his supporters freed him from a police van. The former President of Georgia has gone on hunger strike in a Ukrainian detention centre, according to his lawyer. He says the charges against him are politically motivated. Al Jazeeras Peter Sharp reports. Israeli prime minister encourages EU states to move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognising it as Israels capital. As protests spread from Asia, through the Middle East, to North Africa against the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Brussels, seeking the support of European ministers. At a joint news conference with the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, Netanyahu on Monday expressed his hope that all or most of the European states would move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognising it as the capital of Israel. He was due to meet the EU ministers later in the day. Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for the last 70 years. [US] President [Donald] Trump has put facts squarely on the table, he said. Peace is based on reality, peace is based on recognising the reality. He claimed that recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was making peace possible, despite the fact that Palestinians see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Israel has extended its hand to peace to our Palestinian neighbours for a hundred years, well before there was a state of Israel and after it was established, he also said. He also called UNs rejection of Jerusalem as an Israeli capital laughable. There is now an effort under way to bring forward a new peace proposal by the American administration. I think we should give peace a chance, he said. Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane, reporting from Brussels, said that the majority of the EU ministers did not support the US move. Netanyahu was received cordially, but behind closed doors, there is the feeling that the situation is not further forward in terms of Middle East peace effort than they were before. There are some EU states like the Czech Republic and Hungary who say they will follow the example of the US, but the vast majority of them think that it should not be done right now. They think that the two-state solution is the way to go. On her part, Mogherini said the EU would continue to respect the international consensus on Jerusalem. We know where the European Union stands. We believe that the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states with Jerusalem as the capital of both. Reaction Omar Shakir, Israel/Palestine director at the Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera that he did not anticipate that the EUs position would change. The European position has been quite clear in terms of not recognising Israeli sovereignty over occupied territory and under international law, East Jerusalem is part of the West Bank and is occupied, he said. Eliana Capretti, communication director at EuroMed Rights, told Al Jazeera that any discussions on a possible upgrade of relations between Israel and the EU would send a wrong message on the blocs interest and positions on Israel and Palestine. Indeed, the meeting risks conveying a message of endorsement of Israels occupation policies. To avoid that, the EU should take this occasion to firmly denounce Israels human rights track record and clearly spell out its own position on the matter, she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has concluded a whirlwind one-day regional tour with a stop in Turkey, where he joined his Turkish counterpart in criticising a US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital. Before landing in Ankara on Monday to meet Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin made an unscheduled visit to war-torn Syria, where he ordered Russian troops to start withdrawing, and Egypt, to hold planned talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. His lightning visit to the region highlighted Russias expanding ties with key players in the Middle East, analysts said. It also came amid growing anger in the region and the Muslim world over US President Donald Trumps decision about declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The shift in US policy was also widely condemned by Washingtons allies. Speaking alongside Erdogan after their meeting in the Turkish capital, Putin said Jerusalems status should be settled through direct talks between Palestinians and Israel. {articleGUID} Both Russia and Turkey think the decision of the US to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is not helping the situation in the Middle East, he said during a press conference. It is destabilising the region and wiping out the prospect of peace, added Putin. Erdogan said he was pleased by Putins stand, and condemned Israel over the deaths of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories as protests against Trumps plan continue for the sixth day there. Palestinians see occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (IOC) is scheduled to discuss the issue in Istanbul, Turkeys largest city, on Wednesday. Erdogan said the summit would be a turning point on the crisis and Russia promised to send a representative. Projecting power Al Jazeeras Mohammed Adow, reporting from Ankara, said Putin has capitalised on the anti-Trump fervour in the region with his three-leg regional tour. Marwan Karbalam, a Middle East analyst, also said Putins trip was aimed at projecting power in the Middle East by visiting two US allies Egypt and Turkey who have grown closer to Russia over the past couple of years. {articleGUID} He tried to make use of the difficult relationship the US allies are having with their international patron in order to increase his influence, Karbalam told Al Jazeera. Putin announced last week he will seek a new term in Russias upcoming presidential elections next year. Yury Barmin, a fellow at the Russian International Affairs Council, said his tour was also a final step to convince the Russian public that Vladimir Putin is a strong leader and needs to be re-elected. Putin and Erdogan also discussed strengthening economic and military ties, as well as developments in Syria. Turkish and Russian officials will meet to finalise Turkeys purchase of S-400 missile systems from Moscow in the coming week, said Erdogan. He went on to extoll closer relations between Turkey and Russia as important and meaningful for regional stability, adding that the two countries would work to find a lasting political solution to Syrias civil war. Earlier in the day, while speaking to Russian troops at Syrias Khmeimim airbase, Putin had declared victory over terrorists in the country. Other major developments from Putins regional tour included the signing of a $21bn deal between Russia and Egypt to build Cairos first nuclear power plant. Rahul Gandhis elevation comes as the 132-year-old party struggles to challenge the political dominance of Modis BJP. Rahul Gandhi has been elected as the new president of Indias main opposition Congress party. His appointment, confirmed on Monday, will see Rahul take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi, who has been at the helm of the 132-year-old party since 1998. There were no other contenders for the position, which Rahul will officially assume on December 16. He has been vice president of the party since 2013. Congress new leader is the scion of Indias unofficial First Family, the Gandhis. He is the son, grandson and great-grandson of three former prime ministers: Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Five of his family members have previously headed Congress, formally known as the Indian National Congress, the oldest political party in the country. Rahul has some big shoes to fill: Jawaharlal Nehru, the son of two-time Congress President Motilal Nehru, was one of the principal leaders, with Mahatma Gandhi, of Indias independence movement. The Congress, founded in 1885, is credited with laying the foundation stone of a modern India. The party has held power for most of the 70 years since India won its independence in 1947. Foray into politics Rahul made his first foray into politics in 2004, when he was elected to parliament from Amethi, a town in the northern Uttar Pradesh state known for being the constituency of the Nehru-Gandhi family since 1980. Political opponents have accused the Congress of perpetuating dynastic rule. They say Rahuls rise has come at the cost of other deserving young leaders in the party. But Jai Prakash, a Congress supporter from Amethi, disagrees. What he has got is the political capital of his family as in any other family occupation. But dont forget, he is being tested by the people. Thats the rule of a democracy, Prakash told Al Jazeera. His views are echoed by Mohan Kumaramangalam, who left a coveted job with Microsoft in the US to return to India to join politics, and is now a young Congress leader. When I decided to join politics and follow my fathers footsteps, I went to meet Mr Gandhi. He told me to go to my state and first join the Youth Congress, work at the grassroots and contest party elections, Kumaramangalam told Al Jazeera. Rahuls initial years in politics appeared to be marked by hesitancy. He often referred to the adage power is poison. What he has got is the political capital of his family as in any other family occupation. But dont forget, he is being tested by the people. Thats the rule of a democracy. Jai Prakash Congress party people took it upon them to protect the Prince, a senior Congress official told Al Jazeera, using a Rahul nickname often used derisively by his opponents, particularly Narendra Modi, Indias prime minister. They tried to shield him from public interactions and engagements. In the process, they tried to make him a manager, not a leader. Rahul took time to outgrow his initial nervous style and demonstrate the confidence to face the news media and the public. But after being in politics for 13 years, he seems to have finally gained a firm footing. He is no longer scared of making mistakes and is quick to own up when he does, say political observers. His taking over the role of party chief also answers some of his critics, who said he held too much power without assuming responsibility. Rahuls early years Rahul Gandhi was born on June 19, 1970, and attended Doon School, one of Indias best known private schools. He is studied economics at a US university. In 1995, he completed his M Phil in development studies from Trinity College, Cambridge, Jawaharlal Nehrus alma mater. Rahul spent some time working in London before returning to work in Mumbai in 2002. The childhood years of Rahul and his sister Priyanka the grandchildren of Indira Gandhi were spent away from the media glare. For all my BJP friends: unlike Narendrabhai, I am human. We do make the odd mistake and thats what makes life interesting. Thanks for pointing it out and please do keep it coming, it really helps me improve. Love you all. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 6, 2017 There are videos and photographs in which Rahul appears as a shy but inquisitive child living a comfortable and sheltered life. Now 47 years old, Rahul cannot shy away from the news medias relentless demand for scrutiny of his life. Saeed Naqvi, a veteran Indian journalist, says public speaking is Rahuls weakness. When you meet him in person, he comes across as an intelligent man who is willing to listen. When it comes to public speaking, he comes a cropper, Naqvi told Al Jazeera. However, public speaking is crucial for a politician, particularly when the Indian parliamentary form of politics is becoming more presidential in nature. Much has been written about Rahuls gaffes during public speeches and his supposed aversion to playing dirty. He is a very gentle and affable person. Sometimes I tell him that he is a bit too affable. In politics you have got to be affable but not overly so, says veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath, who has known Rahul since his childhood. In recent months, palpable changes have been noticed in Rahuls political persona. Through his Twitter account, he has used humour to attack his political rivals: from posting a viral video of his dog doing tricks, to using limericks to expose alleged wrongdoing by the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). To the surprise and shock of many, he swiftly sacked a senior Congress leader and a family loyalist, Mani Shankar Aiyar, for using a seemingly casteist slur against Modi, saying he will not allow the debasing of political discourse. What happened in 2014 was that we removed a [wise] prime minister with a [clever] prime minister thinking it would yield good results, but things did not turn that way, says Jai Prakash. If you see the state of the Indian economy, the rising unemployment levels, the crisis in agriculture, increasing incidents of farmer suicides, and a general collapse in law and order, civic amenities and welfare schemes both nationally and especially across all BJP governed states, the people have realised what they bought into were the false promises of the BJP, adds Sachin Pilot, a close associate of Rahul Gandhi and a member of the Congress young brigade. Members of the Congress party are unequivocally supportive of Rahul, but the challenge he now faces is not from within. He is supposed to rally his partys supporters to take on Modi, whose public approval numbers remain consistently high, three years after he steered the Hindu nationalist BJP to a sweeping parliamentary election victory. The combination of Modis oratorical prowess and BJP chief Amit Shahs organisational skills has proved a difficult challenge for the opposition to overcome. Kamal Nath, the veteran Congress leader, says India has had enough of clever speakers. We need someone to listen to the people, to understand peoples problems and offer solutions to them, he says. One man riding a high horse cannot solve the countrys problems. Its a collective effort. We need to empower everybody, not one person not almost everybody. But everybody. Rahul Gandhi Rahul has a good track record of winning elections from the family stronghold of Amethi: he has retained his seat three times in a row. However, his record of leading the Congress to victory in polls, including the 2014 general election, has been dismal to date. Indian politics has evolved over the years from single-party rule to an era of coalitions and alliances. Coalition politics continues to flourish despite the BJPs brute majority in parliament, so the expectation is that the new Congress leader will cobble together a winning alliance. Rahul temperamentally is not suited for coalition politics, Rashid Kidwai, an Indian journalist who has written extensively about the Congress, told Al Jazeera. He does not have the kind of patience shown by his mother, Sonia. There were many occasions where Sonia Gandhi swallowed her pride for coalition partners. Alliance building As Congress president, Sonia managed to win the support of political outfits of ideologies ranging from the left to the centre-right. Rahul will be expected to do the same: to build and nurture alliances. The fact that Rahuls political ideas are more aligned with the socialist vision of Nehru could help him broaden the social coalition for the Congress party. Sonia Gandhis economic thinking was largely guided by [former prime minister] Manmohan Singh and [former finance minister] P Chidambaram. Rahul is much more independent minded. He is not anti-liberalisation or anti-free market but he thinks there is scope for left-of-centre economic policies, says Kidwai. Like Nehru, Rahul is also smitten by the romance of the left, say analysts who point to his visits to New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University, a progressive academic stronghold. He is never dismissive of anyone neither senior leaders nor the younger ones, says Sushmita Dev, a young Congress leader who works closely with Rahul in New Delhi. As the chief of an avowedly liberal party, Rahul will be tested not just on the basis of the soundness of his economic vision but also the depth of his commitment to Indias constitutional values, including that of secularism. After visiting scores of Hindu temples, while campaigning during the forthcoming Gujarat elections, Rahul was criticised for allegedly promoting soft Hindutva a milder version of the BJPs unabashed Hindu nationalist policy. The ruling BJP was quick to attack him. BJP has always been seen as a pro-Hindutva party, so if an original is available why one would prefer a clone? Arun Jaitley, Indias finance minister and a senior BJP leader, said fully in jest. The Congress party insists there is an important distinction. There is a marked difference between those who go to temples and those who destroy mosques; between those who unite the society and those who work for breaking it, says Kamal Nath, referring to the BJPs role in demolishing the ancient Babri mosque in Ayodhya. News agency investigation finds rape of Rohingya women by Myanmars security forces has been systematic and widespread. The rape of Rohingya women by Myanmars security forces has been sweeping and methodical, the Associated Press news agency found in interviews with 29 women and girls who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. The sexual assault survivors from several refugee camps were interviewed separately and extensively. The women gave AP their names, but agreed to be publicly identified only by their first initial, citing fears they or their families would be killed by Myanmars military. {articleGUID} They ranged in age from 13 years old to 35, came from a wide swath of villages in Myanmars Rakhine state and described assaults between October 2016 and mid-September. Yet there was a sickening sameness to their stories, with distinct patterns in their accounts, their assailants uniforms and the details of the rapes themselves. The testimonies bolster the UNs contention that Myanmars armed forces are systematically employing rape as a calculated tool of terror aimed at exterminating the Rohingya people. The Myanmar armed forces did not respond to multiple requests from the AP for comment, but an internal military investigation last month concluded that none of the assaults ever took place. Myanmar official mocks rape accusation {articleGUID} When journalists asked about rape allegations during a government-organised trip to Rakhine in September, Rakhines minister for border affairs, Phone Tint, replied: These women were claiming they were raped, but look at their appearances do you think they are that attractive to be raped? Doctors and aid workers, however, say they are stunned at the sheer volume of rapes, and suspect only a fraction of women have come forward. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) volunteers have treated 113 sexual violence survivors since August, a third of them under 18. The youngest was nine. Each woman interviewed by the AP described attacks that involved groups of men, often coupled with other forms of extreme violence. Every woman except one said the assailants wore military-style uniforms, generally dark green or camouflage. The lone woman who described her attackers as wearing plain clothes said her neighbours recognised them from the local military outpost. Many women said the uniforms bore various patches featuring stars or, in a couple cases, arrows. Such patches represent the different units of Myanmars army. {articleGUID} Though the scale of these attacks is new, the use of sexual violence by Myanmars security forces is not. Before she became Myanmars civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi herself said Myanmars armed forces used rape as a weapon to intimidate ethnic nationalities. Yet Suu Kyis government has not only failed to condemn the recent accounts of rape, it has dismissed the accounts as lies. In December 2016, the government issued a press release disputing Rohingya womens reports of sexual assaults, accompanied by an image that said Fake Rape. Victims account The newlyweds were asleep in their home in western Myanmar in June when seven soldiers charged in. The woman, a Rohingya Muslim who agreed to be identified by her first initial, F, knew enough to be terrified. She knew the military had been attacking Rohingya villages, as part of what the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing in the mostly Buddhist nation. She heard just days before that soldiers had killed her parents and that her brother was missing. Now they had come for her. The men bound her husband with rope, and tied her scarf around his mouth. They yanked off her jewelry and tore off her clothes. They threw her to the floor. And then, she says, the first soldier began to rape her. She struggled against him, but four men held her down and beat her with sticks. Her husband finally wriggled the gag out of his mouth and screamed. And then she watched as a soldier fired a bullet into the chest of the man she had married only one month before. Another soldier slit his throat. Her mind grew fuzzy. When the soldiers were finished, they dragged her outside and set her bamboo house ablaze. It would be two months before she realised her misery was far from over: She was pregnant. More than three months after the men burst into Fs home, she was living with her neighbours a couple and their five-year-old son. The timing of her rape left little doubt that the baby growing inside her belonged to one of the men who had caused all her grief. She could only pray that things would not get worse. And then, one night in mid-September, they did. The men broke down the door. There were five of them this time, F remembers. They slashed the boys throat, and killed the man. Then they turned to the mans wife, and to F. And her nightmare began again. They stripped off the womens clothes and threw them to the floor. Fs friend fought back, and the men beat her so viciously the skin on her thighs began to peel away. But the fight had gone out of F. She felt her body go soft, felt the blood run between her legs as the first man forced himself on her, and then the second. Three men savaged her friend. When it was over, the women lay on the floor for days. Finally, F hauled herself to her feet, pulling her friend up with her. Hand in hand, the women stumbled to the next village, and then began the 10-day journey to Bangladesh. Which is where F lives now, in a tiny bamboo shelter between two filthy latrines. And it is here that F prays her baby will be a boy because this world is no place for a girl. The child will be the only family F has left. For her, the most haunting reminder of the agony she endured also, somehow, represents her last chance at happiness. Everybody has died, she says. I dont have anyone to care for me. If I give this baby away, what will I have left? There will be nothing to live for. Bangladesh and Myanmar are working on a plan to send hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar. Bangladesh and Myanmar are working on a plan to send hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar. The UN and rights groups say the plan is flawed because it does not guarantee their protection when they return. The UN says the root causes of persecution such as lack of citizenship must be addressed first or the Rohingya may suffer more violence. Al Jazeeras Charles Stratford reports Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh. Analysts raise concerns over censorship as kingdom moves to end 35-year ban on theatres. Saudi Arabia will lift a 35-year ban on cinemas and allow films to be screened as early as next year. On Monday, the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information approved licences for those wishing to open cinemas in the kingdom. Awwad bin Saleh al-Awwad, the Saudi culture minister, confirmed the report in a statement on Monday. The content of the offers will be subject to censorship according to the media policy of the kingdom, he said. Saudi Arabia placed a complete ban on cinemas in the early 1980s. The first cinemas are expected to open in March 2018. Critics questioned whether Mondays move signalled a new era of free speech. I dont think it ushers a new era for freedom of expression, Joseph Fahim, an Egyptian film critic and programmer, told Al Jazeera. There have been several films made in Saudi [Arabia] before, and TV production is established in there. There are concrete rules no Saudi filmmaker can transcend, namely anything related to the royal family. The decision to reopen comes amid a series of reforms introduced by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as part of the governments Vision 2030 plan to revitalise and diversify Saudi Arabias oil-dependent economy. Revenue windfall According to the culture ministry, the government is looking to cash in on the film industry and expects a contribution of 90bn riyals ($24bn) to GDP and the creation of more than 30,000 permanent jobs by 2030. Millions of people in the kingdom already have digital access to films through online-streaming services such as Netflix. I think technology has essentially made the ban on movie theatres almost obsolete because Saudis can access whatever films they want to see on their mobile phones at any time of day, Jane Kinninmont, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House think tank in London, told Al Jazeera. {articleGUID} Its not as though Saudis are not watching films already. All that will change is that they will get to go together in larger groups to watch films. Since replacing his cousin Mohammed bin Nayef as the crown prince in June, Mohammed bin Salman has made a number of policy changes, including an announcement in September that women will gain the right to drive in 2018. Where the governments PR has been quite successful is that by emphasising these social reforms and issues like womens driving, that is really improving the international reputation of the country without actually promising any kinds of reforms where political representation or human rights are concerned, said Kinninmont, of Chatham House. Meanwhile, there are also fears that the Saudi move could alter the cinema landscape in the region. It will affect the film industry in the region big time, said Fahim, the Egyptian film critic. Many filmmakers will try to cater for the Saudi market, which could result in conservative filmmaking, similar to what happened in Egypt in the 1980s. #SaudiMovieTitles Shortly after the decision was made public, users on Twitter made the hashtag #SaudiMovieTitles trending by changing movie titles into a humorous Saudi version. Harry Potter and the prisoner of Ritz-Carlton #SaudiMovieTitles kriszta satori (@fulelo) December 11, 2017 Its Always Sunni in Philadelphia#SaudiMovieTitles AwkwardMuslim (@AwkwardMuslim) December 11, 2017 Yemen in Black #SaudiMovieTitles Detlef Guertler (@DetlefGuertler) December 11, 2017 https://twitter.com/aishagani/status/940187902260150272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The Saud of Music#SaudiMovieTitles LBOpinions (@LBCycles) December 11, 2017 https://twitter.com/Elyas_FoodBae/status/940234250539995136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The decision to open a cinemas in Saudi Arabia comes three days before a male-only pop concert in Jeddah. Algerian singer Cheb Khaled and US rapper Nelly are due to perform at the event. The concert was announced last November and tickets were sold for $120. Saudi women took to social media to air their displeasure with not being allowed to attend the concert. Hundreds of supporters of Ukrainian opposition politician Mikheil Saakashvili have clashed with police in Kiev as a hearing was held on whether he should remain in custody. Hundreds of supporters of Ukrainian opposition politician Mikheil Saakashvili have clashed with police in Kiev as a hearing was held on whether he should remain in custody. The former Georgian president is accused of conspiring to topple Ukraines leader Petro Poroshenko. Saakashvili alleged that political motives were behind the charges against him. They are pursuing me for a very simple obvious reasons that we raised our voice against corruption. People are fed up; people are really fed up in Ukraine, he said. Al Jazeeras Jonah Hull has more. Three women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual assault are calling on US Congress to investigate the president. Three women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual assault and misconduct are now calling on Congress to launch a bipartisan investigation into the US presidents alleged actions, saying a probe should go beyond partisan politics. Samantha Holvey, Rachel Crooks and Jessica Leeds first came forward last year, detailing separate instances in which they say Trump sexually harassed and forcibly kissed and groped them before he became president. This isnt a partisan issue. This is how women are treated every day, said Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant, during a press conference in New York on Monday morning, where the women called for the independent investigation by Congress. The standard that our president is setting, its not high enough right now, Holvey said. In a statement issued on Monday, the Trump administration denied the womens claims. These false claims, totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during last years campaign, and the American people voiced their judgment by delivering a decisive victory, the White House statement reads, according to The Washington Post. The timing and absurdity of these false claims speak volumes, and the publicity tour that has begun only further confirms the political motives behind them. Speaking to reporters later in the day, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the president has denied all the allegations. This took place long before he was elected to be president and the people of this country, at a decisive election, supported President Trump, Sanders said. We have a president who acknowledged on tape that he assaulted women. I would hope that he pays attention to what's going on and think about resigning. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 7, 2017 But the womens call for a formal investigation into the presidents actions comes as Senate Democrats have made their own push for Trump to resign over sexual assault allegations. We have a president who acknowledged on tape that he assaulted women. I would hope that he pays attention to whats going on and thinks about resigning, Bernie Sanders wrote on Twitter last Thursday. Nothing I could do At least 16 women have come forward accusing Trump of sexual misconduct since he first launched his campaign for US president, according to the organisers of Mondays press conference. Holvey was a contestant in the Miss USA pageant when she says Trump who owned the pageant for nearly two decades entered the backstage area unannounced as women were in various stages of undressing. {articleGUID} She told CNN in October 2016 that Trump personally inspected each contestant individually and would step in front of each girl and look you over from head to toe. As a little girl, I would watch the Miss USA pageant every year and dream of being one of those beautiful, successful, incredibly confident women. These dreams never included a man lining us up to look us over like pieces of meat, Holvey said on Monday. Crooks was working as a receptionist at Trump Tower when she says Trump forcibly kissed her on the mouth. I felt there was nothing I could do, Crooks said on Monday about the incident. Leeds, meanwhile, said she was sitting next to Trump on a plane in the 1970s when he forcibly reached up her skirt. She said she managed to get away from him and get out of her seat, and then moved to the back of the plane, where she waited for all the other passengers to disembark before she could move. That was the last time I wore a skirt travelling, Leeds said at the press conference. She added that Trumps presidential victory last November absolutely destroyed her. Were at the position now where in some areas of our society, people are being held accountable for unwanted behaviour. But we are not holding our president accountable for what he is and who he is, she said. Trump has repeatedly called the accusations against him unfounded, however, and cast doubt on the motivations of his accusers. He has more recently sought to discredit a 2005 recording, in which he can be heard bragging to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about kissing and touching women in Hollywood. You know Im automatically attracted to beautiful I just start kissing them. Its like a magnet. Just kiss. I dont even wait, Trump said in the recording, which was released by the Washington Post and NBC News in 2016. Trump apologised when the tape was first released. When youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, he says in the recording. Grab them by the p****. You can do anything. Trump unscathed In recent weeks, many women have come forward across several industries to accuse men of sexual abuse, harassment, rape, and other unwanted sexual behaviour. The slogan #MeToo has been used worldwide to show support for survivors of gender-based violence, and, last week, Time magazine named The Silence Breakers the women who have spoken out about sexual harassment and assault its Person of the Year for 2017. Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Democratic Congressman Al Franken, and other men in positions of power have resigned amid the allegations thus far. But, according to Crooks, despite publicly sharing the details of her alleged assault at the hands of the now-president, her and other womens stories seem to fall on deaf ears and Trump has escaped [the allegations] unscathed. She said she hoped Americans will hold Mr Trump to the same standard as Harvey Weinstein and others. If they were willing to investigate Senator Franken, I think its only fair they do the same for Trump, she said, adding that how society views sexual harassment of women needs to change. We shouldnt let politicians get away with this, she said. Support for inquiry According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 70 percent of Americans believe Congress should investigate the Trump allegations. Another 73 percent of respondents said it was hypocritical for the president to criticise other men accused of sexual harassment. The message to President Donald Trump on calling out offenders: People who live in glass houses, even if its the White House, shouldnt point fingers, said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the poll, in a statement. Most Republicans have remained silent on the allegations against the president. But Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations and one of the highest-ranking women in the Trump administration, recently spoke out, saying that women who have accused the president of sexual abuse should be heard. {articleGUID} They should be heard and they should be dealt with. And I think we heard from them prior to the election. And I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up, Haley told CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday. Cory Booker, a Democratic Senator from New Jersey, also recently told VICE that Trump should resign over the allegations. I just watched Senator Al Franken do the honourable thing and resign from his office. My question is, why isnt Donald Trump doing the same thing who has more serious allegations against him, with more women who have come forward, Booker is quoted as saying. Since the loss of nearly 3,000 Americans on 9/11 and countless Islamic terrorist attacks since then, America has been subjected to an increasing Muslim population along with the growth of 3,000 mosques throughout our country, with the majority funded by Saudi Arabia. In the age of spineless and perilously non-judgmental multiculturalism, many Americans have not blinked at the sight of burkas and hijabs within our midst. Yet, if we continue to ignore the potential peril presented by a growing but largely unvetted Muslim population, we here in America will likely suffer the same fate as that of our Western European brethren, who are enduring a pulsating wave of violence stirred up in a cauldron of festering Islamic radicalism. The question that begs to be answered is why we in the United States are importing a population whose religious tenets clearly call for jihad upon non-Muslims. Muslim apologists like to point out that not all Muslims commit violent or civilizational jihad, but that is irrelevant to the question of why we would even consider taking in a population raised with a religion the dogma of which in its literal form mandates our submission or death. For the last 1,400 years, approximately 270 million people have been murdered in the name of Islam. This horrific outrage is not due to poverty, external oppression, or crusade. Islamic doctrine as recorded in the faith's holiest texts mandates jihad upon all infidels until all of mankind is under the dominion of Allah. Nearly 61% of Quranic doctrine consists of violent verses, which call for conquest against the non-believers. The following are just a few direct Quranic quotations to demonstrate the doctrinal view of Jews and Christians: Quran 9.5 "Slay the idolators (non-believers) wherever ye find them, and take them captive, and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush." Quran 2:193 "Fight them (non-Muslims) until there is no more discord and the religion of Allah reigns absolute." Quran 8:12 "I shall cast terror into the hearts of those who are bent on denying the truth; strike then their necks, {O believers,} and strike off every one of their finger-tips!" Is it prudent to extend a welcome mat to people whose culture was founded upon a canon of scripture replete with mandates to use violence against opponents? For the first time in decades, anti-Semitism is undergoing a resurgence the United States. Why is this? Perhaps the vast influx into our country of Muslims, who read the Quran's inherently anti-Semitic messaging, has something to do with it. Muslim antipathy against Jews has long predated the modern Arab-Israeli conflict. The root of Islamic anti-Semitism lies in the medieval doctrine emerging from the Hadith literature regarding Mohammad's conflict with the three Jewish tribes (Banu Nadir, Banu Qaynuqa, and Banu Qurayza) in Medina who rejected his message. As a consequence, Jews today are regarded as rebellious disbelievers who have earned Allah's wrath. Although alarming, it was no surprise to those of us familiar with Quranic and Hadithic teachings to hear Imam Ammar Shahin rally his fellow Muslims to "kill all Jews" last July in the sleepy college town of Davis, California. Cries of outrage forced him to apologize, but what is the significance of his apology when he was just being true to Islam? The following passages are from the Quran and Sahih al-Bukhari, a body of the Hadith literature second only to the Quran in its prominence as a source of religious law. Quran 5:78-82 states: "Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawud (David and 'lssa (Jesus). That was because they disobeyed Allah and the Messengers and were ever transgressing beyond bounds. Evil indeed is that which their own selves have sent forward before them, for that reason Allah's Wrath fell upon them and in torment they will abide." Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 176 states: "You Muslims will fight the Jews till some of the hide behind stones. The stones will betray them saying "O Abdullah (slave of Allah! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him." College campuses around the country, where Muslim students and professors are prominent, demonstrate the disastrous impact upon young Jews, whose campus security can no longer be taken for granted. At one time, the survival of Israel was a common concern among college students and within our halls of Congress. But with the ever growing and popular BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement, a pro-Israel agenda is no longer a given, and many young students instead support the creation of a revolutionary Palestinian state to take the place of Israel. The Democratic Party, once home to a strong pro-Israel agenda and solidarity with the American Jewish community, is now evenly divided between those who support the state of Israel and those who seek its destruction. The result is a direct correlation between the impact of Muslim immigration and the destructive impact the influx of Muslims has had upon Jews and Jewish survival. Jews have been here since America's founding and have greatly contributed to its success in all walks of life, but now the security Jews once enjoyed is under attack. While Jews are viewed as the enemies of Islam, Christians are viewed as liars seeking to lead Muslims astray. The following passages from the Quran and Hadith further illustrate the point. Quran 3:118-119 states: "O you who believe! Take not as your friends those outside your religion since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to corrupt you." Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 414 states: "The Prophet in his fatal illness said, "Allah cursed Jews and Christians because they took the Prophets graves as places for praying." Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59, Number 727 states: "When Allah's Apostle became seriously sick, he started covering his face with a woolen sheet. When he felt short of breath, he removed it, and said, 'That is so! Allah's curse be on Jews and Christians." Europe is on its way to becoming an Islamist continent due to decades of Muslim immigration and a high Muslim birth rate. The face of Western civilization in Europe, with its rich cultural history and past, is being erased with an intolerant backward 7th-century ideology devoid of pluralism, equality, and tolerance. The adherents' mission, to eradicate Western civilization, is being conducted upon an unsuspecting population who no longer believe in their own civilization's worth and who seem incapable of understanding of the threat they face from Islam. Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood front groups operate on our soil with a mission to silence any criticism of Islam. They repeatedly cry "Islamophobia," a term created by the Muslim Brotherhood in their "Explanatory Memorandum and Strategic Outline for North America," as a wonderfully effective means of stifling criticism within our national media, where one has yet to see a critique of Islam and the threat it poses to Western civilization. It was reported earlier this month that Pakistani-American Muslim clerics were calling for restrictions to be placed upon non-Muslims at a forum with 100 participants held at a Holiday Inn in Springfield, Virginia. Yet not one major newspaper reported this story. It is only via the internet that we were able to gain this information. Likewise, too many of our elected officials on both sides of the aisle have foolishly downplayed the threat Americans are facing from Islamic radicalism. The globalist elites are aware of the danger, yet they continue to favor an open door policy with no demand upon Muslims to abandon the doctrine of jihad from Quranic text. John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, and the like demonstrate a callous disregard for how imperiled our national survival is by their continuing support for an open-door policy regarding Muslim immigration. It is past time for Americans to demand answers from Muslim Brotherhood front groups such as CAIR (Council for American-Islamic Relations), MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Council), and ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) about their views and plans. These organizations, among many others, claim to represent American Muslims. Too often, their defense has been to engage in taqiyya (an Islamic doctrine that permits deceit for the advancement of Islam). It is incumbent upon every American and members of Congress to demand these groups' unequivocal removal of the doctrine of jihad from their religious tenets. Nothing else should suffice! Our survival depends on it. Should they refuse, our only option to ensure our survival is to show them the exit door. Our message is plain and clear: erase the doctrine of jihad or get out! Why are mosques that house the Quran permitted to operate on our soil when Quranic verses preached in mosques call for our demise? How many 9/11, Boston, and San Bernardino massacres must we endure before we stop the bleeding? Shari Goodman, M.Ed. is an educator, political activist, public speaker, and journalist. She has written for American Thinker, World Net Daily, Israel Today, and various other publications. John Steinreich has an M.A. in church history from Colorado Theological Seminary. He has authored two Christian-themed books available on Kindle: The Words of God?: The Bible, the Qur'an and How They Are Lived in the Post-9/11 World and A Great Cloud of Witnesses: Lessons for Modern Day Christians from Church History. His works are also on Lulu Press. President Trumps enemies are escalating their comparisons of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into alleged Russian collusion to the resignation of President Richard Nixon after Congressional hearings that set the stage for his impeachment 4 decades ago. Are these comparisons valid? The answer is yes and no. Notwithstanding the 45 years separating the two presidents, there are some major similarities and some obvious differences, as well. I was a young student journalist in the nations capital during the Watergate investigations and impeachment period. Armed with an official D.C. Metropolitan Police press pass, I was able to cover and report on political events in Washington, D.C. like any accredited mainstream journalist including on occasion the Nixon White House, and the Watergate hearings. With the energy of youth and an insatiable interest in politics and current events, I took full advantage of the access that the pass afforded me. President Richard Nixon, The White House, June 29, 1972 Photo Peter Barry Chowka One similarity of the political climate then and now is that the left and much of the mainstream media began to oppose Richard M. Nixon as soon as he declared his candidacy on February 1, 1968. Same thing when Trump announced his intention to run in June 2015. Opposition to Trump was more vehement and increased exponentially as time went on. I dont recall any leading celebrities, for example, suggesting during Nixons presidency that he should be assassinated or have his head cut off. Nixon, however, was criticized and caricatured by leading MSM commentators and political cartoonists alike, as he had been since he burst onto the national scene in the early 1950s. Tricky Dick, a label slapped on Nixon by his Democrat opponent in the 1950 race for the U.S. Senate in California, was the most commonly used sobriquet. Cartoonists emphasized Nixons prominent nose and dark eyebrows to give him a sinister and devious look. Detail of anti-Nixon cartoon circa 1970 The left, which was well organized, extremely influential, and highly visible in the late 1960s and early 70s, hated Nixon and routinely attacked him, especially in the large, frequent anti-Vietnam War demonstrations that took place around the country in the sixties and into the next decade. One of them in Washington, D.C., in October 1971, was titled Evict Nixon. The events organizers, including Chicago 7 defendant and leftist superstar agitator Rennie Davis, predicted that hundreds of thousands of demonstrators would descend on the nations capital and march to the White House to physically evict Nixon. The demonstration was a bust when only a few hundred people showed up, their numbers dwarfed by government security forces. In a flashback to that era, demonstrations of various sizes and intensities today continue to target Trump. Evict Nixon button 1971 Evict Nixon demonstration poster 1971 Similarly, Donald J. Trump has been widely mocked and dismissed not only by the left and the press, but by many members of his own Republican Party after he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president. The criticism of Trump has escalated since he was elected and took office, on a scale never seen before in modern times. Although the attacks on Trump are more intense than the ones lobbed at Nixon decades ago, the similarity is that both men have been subjected to frequent and sustained attacks by their enemies. The result has been a cumulative weakening of support for President Trump, evident in his falling approval numbers according to recent public opinion polls. Anti-Trump Political Cartoon A major difference then vs. now involves the nature of the political climate and the demographic makeup of the country in the early 1970s compared with today. While the left made a lot of noise 4 decades ago, the country as a whole back then was more homogeneous and center right and far less polarized (except among the youth). It had taken a sharp, temporary left turn in 1964 with the election of Lyndon Baines Johnson to his first full term as president, but that was due to a number of anomalous factors. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated less than a year before the 1964 election, and by the time the 1964 presidential campaign got underway only months after JFKs death, the nation was still in shock. Johnson reassured the nervous and unnerved electorate, promising stability and continuity. The defining line from Johnsons first address to the Congress and the nation on November 27, 1963, only five days after JFKs assassination, led to it becoming known as the Let Us Continue address. Partisan presidential politics in this milieu came across as unseemly. Meanwhile, the 1964 Democratic National Convention that nominated LBJ resembled a four-day memorial service for the slain president, complete with a spontaneous 22-minute-long emotional ovation for Robert F. Kennedy when he took to the podium on the convention's closing night. From the outset of his accidental presidency, Johnson pretended to be a moderate Democrat when in reality he had transformed himself from a back-slapping, good ol boy icon of the conservative South to a big government ultra-liberal statist. In his push for a War on Poverty, Medicare, and civil rights legislation after he was sworn in on January 20, 1965 for his first elected term, Johnson finally started to show his true colors. He thought that by championing civil rights and poverty programs more passionately than his predecessor JFK, he would go down in history as a modern day Abraham Lincoln. But instead of finishing the job that Lincoln started but was never able to complete, Lyndon Johnson in one of the greatest miscalculations of all time only made it worse by advocating and institutionalizing an endless number of expensive new government programs that in reality compounded the problems facing African-Americans. Johnsons Republican opponent in 1964, Arizona Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, the leading conservative voice in the country, was anathema to mainstream Democrats and Republicans and the powerful East Coast Establishment. Goldwater was demeaned and lied about in 1964, including in MSM stories that were demonstrably fake. With ongoing help from the media, Johnson won the 64 election in a landslide. His subsequent mishandling of the Vietnam War during the next three years, however, helped to destroy his presidency. Having lost two previous elections for president in 1960 and California governor in 1962 Richard Nixon in 1968 laid the groundwork for a remarkable comeback after remaking himself as the New Nixon. With his cadre of fresh expert advisors, Nixon skillfully used the television medium, which had not been kind to him in his campaign against JFK in 1960, to his advantage. Nixon in 1968 was actually more telegenic than his opponent, the frumpy old school Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey, who was additionally saddled with the tarnished legacy of the Johnson Administration that he had loyally served and defended. New Nixon campaign poster 1968 After Nixon assumed power in January 1969, the Silent Majority, as his administration termed it defined as mainstream, traditional center right Americans emerged as the dominant political force in the country, notwithstanding all the noise and periodic demonstrations and street violence from the left. Proof positive of this fact was Nixons landslide victory in November 1972 against his Democrat opponent, the progressive anti-war candidate Sen. George S. McGovern. Nixon ran as a moderate center right incumbent. The result was that McGovern won the popular vote in only one state, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia. Another similarity between then and now involves the role of the media in the unraveling of the Nixon presidency and the attempt to do the same for President Trump. After the bungled Watergate break-in the attempted bugging of Democratic Party headquarters on June 17, 1972 by Republican operatives it was a slow but inexorable drip, drip, drip of damaging information until the Nixon regime was eventually taken down. Unlike the totally hostile media climate facing Trump since day one, with every new story positioned as his coup de grace, the media was initially slow to advance the story of the Watergate scandal. The Washington Post, whose editor, loyal Democrat Ben Bradlee was one of JFKs best friends, initially spearheaded the coverage and made superstars of its two crusading metro section reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Eventually, the rest of the MSM caught up with the Posts preoccupation with Watergate, and it was only a matter of time before Nixons support was whittled away and he was made ripe for impeachment efforts at the hands of the Democrat opposition, which controlled both houses of the Congress. Ultimately, Nixon handed his enemies a smoking gun: the secret tapes he had recorded of his interactions in the White House and on the telephone with his aides over a period of years. Nixon was heard in his own voice on the recordings suborning perjury and obstructing justice. It remains to be seen if the ever-escalating myopic concentration of the MSM on Trump and his supposed crimes, with purported obstruction of justice now being run up the flagpole, will bear similar fruit. After the failure of a year of the Russia collusion narrative to produce a viable Nixon-like smoking gun to implicate Trump, his enemies are now proffering several new narratives, currently centering around obstruction of justice involving the POTUS. President Donald J. Trump Where this is all going remains to be seen. Where it will wind up cannot be predicted. Anyone among the commentariat who claims that she can predict the ultimate outcome is lying or spinning a political meme. It seems that we are not even to the mid-point of the relentless and growing attempt to remove President Trump from office, one way or the other. The lefts unstinting dedication to the success of this resistance scenario (the left today encompasses almost every major element of American society) is similar to the one that took Nixon from a historic electoral victory and high approval ratings in November 1972 to his certain impeachment in the House of Representatives and an ignominious resignation from the presidency less than two years later. Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran reporter and analyst of news on national politics, media, and popular culture. Follow Peter on Twitter @pchowka. In 1990, when liberal journalists still had some sense of obligation to the truth, Michael Kelly wrote the following for GQ: As [Carla] Gaviglio enters the room, the six-foot-two, 225-plus-pound [Sen. Ted] Kennedy grabs the five-foot-three, 103-pound waitress and throws her on the table. She lands on her back, scattering crystal, plates and cutlery and the lit candles. Several glasses and a crystal candlestick are broken. Kennedy then picks her up from the table and throws her on [Sen. Chris] Dodd, who is sprawled in a chair. With Gaviglio on Dodd's lap, Kennedy jumps on top and begins rubbing his genital area against hers, supporting his weight on the arms of the chair. As he is doing this, Loh enters the room. She and Gaviglio both scream, drawing one or two dishwashers. Startled, Kennedy leaps up. He laughs. Bruised, shaken and angry over what she considered a sexual assault, Gaviglio runs from the room. The incident above took place in 1985 at the restaurant La Brasserie in Washington, D.C., where Loh and Gavigilio both worked as waitresses. Everyone in Washington knew about it, including Sen. Claire McCaskill. Here is what McCaskill had to say about Kennedy's behavior upon his death in 2009: This man was so much more than his image. While his vision soared, the power of his personality and the magnet of his intellect drew his colleagues to the table of compromise. It was there he did his best work. His love for the little guy and his affection for the underdog influenced everything he did. And importantly, his sense of humor and contagious laughter made him real and approachable in spite of his power and privilege. Although more than enough to kill a Republican's career, the infamous "waitress sandwich" barely made Kennedy's highlight reel. For sheer moral squalor, it was hard to top Chappaquiddick. This 1969 incident is well enough known; in brief, Kennedy hosted a drunken party at an isolated beach house whose guests included exactly six married men and six single women. Late that night, Kennedy and one of the women, Mary Jo Kopechne, left for their own private party at an equally isolated beach but never made it. The car went off a small bridge. Ted Kennedy left Mary Jo alive, trapped in the car and gasping for air. He bypassed homes near the bridge, from which he could have called the police, and walked over a mile back to the party house. Once there, he sought out his lawyer friends, Joe Gargan and Paul Markham, to help him work out his alibi. Compromised by a presumed lawyer-client relationship, they had to wait for Kennedy to call for help. Kennedy never did. He may have been hoping that Gargan, the family fixer, would take the rap. Mary Jo, meanwhile, struggled to survive for perhaps an hour, even more, before suffocating. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington was eighteen when Kennedy let Mary Jo Kopechne die. Said she in her tribute to Kennedy, "When I was young Ted Kennedy was larger than life." Murray continues with a straight face, "Ted never once stopped fighting for those who couldn't fight for themselves." Ms. Kopechne might beg to differ. Although Ted was never tried for rape, his nephew, William Kennedy Smith, was. On Good Friday 1991, Kennedy took Smith and his son Patrick out for a long night of drinking. What better way for a Catholic to honor Good Friday? The young men brought two young women home with them. Hoping perhaps for his share of the action, a drunken Ted Kennedy, nearly 60 now, wandered without pants into the room where everyone gathered. "I got totally weirded out," said one of the women. She stood up and told the others, "I'm out of here. I'm leaving." The fleeing guest left behind Patricia Bowman, the woman who would accuse Smith of rape. Smith would be acquitted. Ted Kennedy cheered. He believed Anita Hill two months earlier, but he chose not to believe Bowman. "It's the acquittal that money can buy," said Bowman afterwards. Reported rapes were said to have dropped 40 percent in that part of Florida after the trial. No one wanted to go through with what Bowman had. "Twenty years after I first met him, I was elected as a U.S. Senator from Maryland," said Maryland's Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Kennedy. "I was just one of two women Senators and the first Democratic woman elected to the Senate in her own right. Though I was all by myself, I was never alone. Maryland's senior Senator Paul Sarbanes and Senator Kennedy were what I call my 'Sir Galahads.'" After just thirty years in the Senate, Mikulski stepped down last year. McCaskill and Murray, however, may get to decide the fate of Alabama's Roy Moore should he get elected to the U.S Senate. They do not believe that Moore lives up to their standards. Without benefit of due process, McCaskill declared him "not fit" to serve in the same Senate as Sir Galahad Ted Kennedy. Say what one will about Roy Moore, but unlike Kennedy, he did not make a career of debauchery, and no one ever drowned in his car. Last summer, my essay for Dissident Prof prompted a challenge from Julie Ponzi, who suggested I write a brief essay with proposals of what to change about academia. I waited several months, and now I have my proposals. I mentioned most of these in Wackos Thugs & Perverts: Clintonian Decadence in Academia, which I published with MassResistance in February 2017. They are also in earlier writings such as Colorful Conservative. My plan involves a sixfold apocalypse. Yes, apocalypse. The best starting point is total depravity. Higher education as we know it is indefensible. It presumes a false model of human development. People between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two cannot be trusted moving to a campus away from their parents, protected from any real consequences for stupid decisions, and taught random concepts by a professoriate anesthetized by the tenure system. In reality, these four years of human development should be spent in conditions closer to basic combat training: they need physical regimentation. Swift punishments must impress upon them the costs of behaving foolishly. Their sexuality needs to be heavily circumscribed. Between eighteen and twenty-two, women need to be closely protected from rape. Men need guidance to transform themselves from impulsive sex maniacs into responsible providers and decent fathers. The wasteful use of young adulthood for 40% of the American adult population is catastrophic. Overpriced tuitions force a large chunk of family savings into an inefficient economic sector ("higher education"), meaning that their money cannot go into productive industries. Youths are not being trained for citizenship. Instead of courting, marrying, and starting families in their prime, they accustom themselves to promiscuity, irresponsible thrills, and single lives burdened with debt. They have late and few children, whom they are ill equipped to raise. In certain contexts, it is wise to burn the edges of a dry forest rather than let a wildfire rage at a time and in a manner out of our control. I suggest the following concrete steps, via congressional action. Cut all federal financial favors to colleges that do not adhere to a strict, revised standard for higher education and its obligation to the public good. By "favors," we mean direct subsidies plus tax exemptions and deductions (such as on endowments, gifts, and waivers), as well as any backing of student loans at rates below market interest. These remaining favors would all hinge upon their suitability to "the public good." Accreditation for new programs must be streamlined. They must favor all of society rather than one institution, one individual, or one class of people. Here would be the conditions: 1. An associate's degree or certificate precedes a bachelor's degree. In other words, nobody can enroll in a liberal arts program without first doing one to two years learning a practical trade. By "trade" we mean plumbing, bookkeeping, culinary arts, sewing, computer repair, etc. I count church ministries in this, which would cover seminaries. 2. No non-religious post-secondary institution should have any department or program that excludes a political perspective. There should not be feminist studies, queer studies, ethnic studies, or sustainability studies. Title IX went haywire because gender studies faculty acted as investigators and faculty simultaneously an example of how an entire campus is damaged by the existence of these departments. Such material should be taught within generally accepted disciplines like English, biology, political science, etc. 3. Congress needs to earmark funds for a unit under the Department of Justice devoted to an academic version of RICO (the Racketeering, Influencing & Corrupt Organizations Act). An institution claiming to be for the public good should not strive to influence an election especially with the potential to profit financially from the favors of the elected officials. For instance, the dean who took many adverse actions against me was part of the Clinton Global Initiative. This is a serious conflict of interest and should be investigated. 4. Congress needs to earmark funds for a unit under the Department of Labor to review schools that receive federal favors. The peer review, publishing, retention, and promotion system within higher education is arguably the worst of any industry. Schools that receive federal favors should not violate basic transparency and fairness standards. 5. No schools that receive federal funding should have tenure. Tenure does not protect academic freedom. Tenured faculty know they will be parked in the same institution for decades and are by far the people least willing to jeopardize collegial relationships in order to take a stand. The tenure system can exist only on the backs of adjunct labor, whose conditions are atrocious. Tenured faculty waste resources teaching few students and spending too much time on "research." Their "service" refers to busywork on committees nobody needs. Nobody should be a professor if he cannot carry out research and teach a normal load of four classes per semester. So colleges choose: eliminate tenure or lose funds. 6. Colleges that charge expensive tuitions should be deprived of federal favors. They should be taxed at the rates we apply to any rich corporation. Many schools simultaneously charge high tuitions, have huge endowments, and then get large grants, all the while maintaining a tiny rank of tenured faculty and loading up their classrooms with adjuncts. This has to stop. It hurts learning and scholarship. There must be a massive trimming of school budgets. Personally, I contend that there should be no dormitories, student associations, duplicative student services, investigative offices, compliance officers, cultural programs, or anything that adds to tuition or fees. Colleges should be buildings where people come to take classes and study, then go back to their communities where they continue their emotional development with the help of their families, churches, jobs, and neighborhood friends. Could these six ideas ever come to pass? Yes! They will come to pass, but in one of two ways. Either we carry out the bloodletting under careful, clean conditions or else, when academia crashes, wow, will it crash. Is it Stand-Next-To-A-Jew-At-Your-Own-Risk Day again already? Gosh, where does the time go? Here's a brief synopsis of recent events: The United States Government officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel; Muslim mobs in Sweden begin (aka resume) firebombing synagogues in Swedish cities. If this sequence of events seems more like a non sequitur than a genuine "sequence" -- which ought to imply recognizable causal relations -- then congratulations, you are still rational in the traditional sense. If this sequence of events seems totally causal and self-explanatory to you, then you have mastered the kind of asymmetrical logic that progressives use to rationalize absolutely any attack on Jews, Americans, conservatives, Christians, or pretty much anyone who is regarded as an obstacle to the ultimate progressive goal of crushing every last remnant of so-called Western civilization, including, ultimately, the traditional form of rationality cited above. Apart from the obvious similarity of anti-Western intent, this asymmetrical logic is, we must conclude, the specific point of symbiosis between those superficially strange bedfellows, progressivism (aka neo-Marxism) and Islamism. To punctuate the symbiosis, allow me to cite two particularly pertinent observations from Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born activist against Islam's repression of women who is almost uniformly ignored or reviled by hardcore feminists, who, being neo-Marxists, would happily sacrifice five hundred million women to the cause of defeating the West. Wishful thinking about the peaceful tolerance of Islam cannot interpret away this reality: hands are still cut off, women still stoned and enslaved, just as the Prophet Muhammad decided centuries ago. I found myself thinking that the Quran is not a holy document. It is a historical record, written by humans. It is one version of events, as perceived by the men who wrote it 150 years after the Prophet Muhammad died. And it is a very tribal and Arab version of events. It spreads a culture that is brutal, bigoted, fixated on controlling women, and harsh in war. I submit that if you turned these incisive criticisms over and examined them from the reverse angle, you would see that they apply equally well to progressivism itself. A "culture" or intellectual position that is responsible for tens of millions of violent deaths and hundreds of millions of oppressed souls cannot be vindicated or justified with the claim that it is an "anti-war" philosophy which promotes equality and justice. Progressives welcome and deliver apologias for Islamists not merely because they see Islam as a useful tool in the fight against Western liberty -- though they certainly see that too -- but because deep down they share a lot of underlying principles: intolerance of, and a desire to wipe out, dissenters and the noncompliant; brutality toward the individual human being, his family, and his property; bigotry against all religious or other moral views which emphasize the value of individual life, the personal soul, and the quest for earthly freedom; the desire to control humans, repress their natural inclinations, and distort them into slavish shapes useful to the chosen elite; and the harshness of revolutionary radicals in imposing their anti-human will upon the general population, popular agreement or consent be damned. This fundamental symbiosis, all superficial disagreements and unruliness aside, explains how the formerly free world arrived at its present suicidal condition with regard to Islam. The progressive West has let this beast out of its cage, and is now reaping the rewards. The reaping will continue, more or less unabated, for the foreseeable future. Jerusalem is not the real issue, and never was. It is merely handy rationalization number three hundred and twenty-seven. The real issues are hatred, irrationalism, and intolerance. These are traits that Islam (but no, of course not every individual Muslim) shares in common with progressivism. These are two religions that aggrandize the collective, denigrate the individual, demand complete submission to illiberal rules and postulates, and impose self-immolation and the rejection of one's own dignity as basic principles of "social justice." One more helpful quote from Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Infidel: If you are a Muslim girl, you disappear, until there is almost no you inside you. In Islam, becoming an individual is not a necessary development; many people, especially women, never develop a clear individual will. You submit: that is the literal meaning of the word islam: submission. The goal is to become quiet inside, so that you never raise your eyes, not even inside your mind. "You disappear, until there is almost no you inside you." Is it any wonder progressivism welcomes this ally in its civilizational assault against freedom? So if you are not Jewish, but you care about the future of what used to be the free world, be sure to celebrate Stand-Next-To-A-Jew-At-Your-Own-Risk Day today -- celebrate like your life depended on it. It does. Daren Jonescu writes about politics, philosophy, education, and the decline of civilization at http://darenjonescu.com/. One of the more obvious things about the Trump economy is how much better it is than the Obama economy. Yet incredibly, President Obama, as if jealously looking on at this night-and-day difference, is trying to claim credit for it. From the Washington Times: Former President Barack Obama is taking credit for the robust economic growth that is taking place under President Trump. At a conference of mayors in Chicago, Mr. Obama congratulated himself Tuesday for strong employment numbers in the U.S. this year, saying his climate-change policies have contributed to growth. "As we took these actions, we saw the U.S. economy grow consistently," Mr. Obama said. "We saw the longest streak of job creation in American history by far, a streak that still continues by the way." He added wryly, "Thanks, Obama." Investor's Business Daily did two fine editorials on what was really going on, how and why the economy was growing, here and here, and American Thinker noted one of these editorials here. Cutting taxes, throwing out regulations, and ending the harassment of Obama-unfavored industries such as oil and coal have done wonders. Now White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called Obama out on his bid to claim credit. "Donald Trump's relentless focus on tax cuts, deregulation and draining the swamp is great for job growth... with minorities, women, men and even those with low incomes, showing the best gains" https://t.co/DpvWtKlCY6 Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 10, 2017 Since the election "the jobless rate for African Americans dropped from 8% to 7.3%, while for Hispanics it fell from 5.7% to 4.7%...and with Trump's big tax cuts on the way, job growth isn't likely to end soon -more good news for all Americans." -Investor's Business Daily Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 10, 2017 Can't make it up: Obama now wants credit for the booming Trump economy. At least we can all agree the economy is better under President Trump. Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 10, 2017 I'm old enough to remember when President Trump's election was going to "crash the market." One year later: market up over 30%, two million new jobs & 1,000 new manufacturing jobs created every day just last month...and now Obama wants credit for the booming Trump economy. Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 10, 2017 Obama's claims to credit are not new. Ben Rhodes has been crafting this "narrative" for several months now on Twitter as news after news comes out about the U.S. finally seeing better economic times under President Trump. But like everything Obama's "mind meld" claims, it's the exact opposite of the truth. Obama's economy was all about cash for clunkers, six-figure bureaucrats in the Virginia suburbs surrounded by a run-down America, SEIU bank shakedowns, Occupy Wall Street encampments, and pajama boys living in mom's basement. A good economy it was not. Markets are anticipatory. From the very beginning, when news broke that Trump was elected president, the stock market rocketed upward, a sign of pent up energy in an economy yearning to break free and a forecast for better times. The expectations have since proven accurate. Jobs are up, and job creation is finally happening. Gross Domestic Product has topped 3% for two quarters running. Taxes are about to be cut, and if that finally gets done in Congress, we will be "winning so often we will be tired of winning," as President Trump puts it. Black homeownership is up. Latino and black employment are up. Business investment is up. Total earnings are up. Manufacturing is up. The stock market has gained 30% since President Trump's election. There's no doubt about it: this economy is Trump's economy, just as it would be Trump's economy if he had made bad economic decisions. Now it's coming to light, and Obama is trying to hide his own bad record by incredibly claiming credit. Valerie Richardson of the Washington Times takes us down Memory Lane to an incident that Alabama voters need to seriously consider. You see, Democrats had no problem at all with one of their own congressmen who solicited sex from teenagers who worked as congressional pages. Teenagers who were male, in point of fact, and if anything, it seems to have shielded him. Massachusetts voters stood by Democratic Rep. Gerry Studds even after he was censured by the House in 1983 for his sexual relationship at age 36 with a 17-year-old male congressional page, as well as making sexual advances toward two other teenage pages. Far from dooming the Democratic Party, the episode barely registered at the ballot box. Democrats kept their House majority and gained Senate seats in 1984, while Studds was re-elected in his liberal Cape Cod district with 56 percent of the vote. He won re-election five more times and was ultimately named chairman of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee before retiring in 1997. He died in 2006. A national marine fishery was named for him in 1996, and in June, the University of Massachusetts Press published a biography, "Gerry Studds: America's First Openly Gay Congressman," which discussed the scandal as well as his achievements on domestic and foreign policy. Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore had no campaign events scheduled over the weekend, an unusual strategy when the special election will be held tomorrow. In fact, since the accusations of inappropriate touching of teenage girls surfaced in November, Moore has held relatively few campaign events. His opponent, Democrat Doug Jones, has held 217 events in the last two months. Instead of personal appearances, Moore has relied on aides and surrogates to keep his name before the public. This is a deliberate strategy to minimize his exposure to the press and avoid having to answer any embarrassing questions. Montgomery Advertiser: Whether the absence has any effect on Moore's chances remains to be seen. The Real Clear Politics polling average Saturday found Moore up 3.8 points over Jones, and no Democrat has won a statewide election in Alabama since 2008. "The Moore campaign is more worried about their base than persuading any new voters at this point," said Lance Hyche, a Republican consultant. "They're probably in the same school as President Trump. He spends a lot of time worrying about his base." David Mowery, a Montgomery political consultant who managed Democrat Bob Vance's campaign against Moore in 2012, said Saturday that Moore might be running a variation of a "front porch" campaign, perhaps a sign they feel in the lead. "When you're ahead, or you're the perceived favorite, why give your opponent a chance to ding you?" he said. "It's kind of smart, and we're being swarmed by national media." But Moore and his campaign also have to account for allegations that he pursued relationships with teenagers during his time as an assistant district attorney in Etowah County from 1977 to 1982, ranging from unwanted attention to groping to assault. Moore's limited public appearances are not only a smart strategy, but really the only strategy he has that leads to victory. If he were constantly out and about, the press attention would be insane. With the national media swarming all over the state, Moore's "front porch" campaign gives them precious little to report. The less the voters are reminded of the allegations against him, the better chance he has of prevailing on election day. Of course, that leaves the press with the only option of poring over his record to find stupid things he's said in the past. Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore (R) said in a 2011 interview that removing amendments after the Tenth Amendment would "eliminate many problems" with the U.S. government, CNN's KFile reported on Sunday. Moore reportedly appeared twice on "Aroostook Watchmen" show, hosted by two men who have a history of peddling widely rejected conspiracy theories about mass shootings, 9/11 and the birthplace of former President Obama, among many others. In June 2011 one host said he supported getting rid of every amendment besides the first ten amendments. "That would eliminate many problems," Moore said in response to the host, according to the audio KFile unearthed. "You know people don't understand how some of these amendments have completely tried to wreck the form of government that our forefathers intended," he continued. Moore specifically pointed to the 17th as a problematic amendment that contributed to the evolution from the Constitution's original structure, allowing voters to directly elect senators instead of state legislators. Of course, eliminating all amendments after the 10th would toss the 13th amendment that eliminated slavery, the 14th amendment that guarantees equal rights, the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote, and the 26th amendment that gave the vote to 18-year-olds, among others. Embarrassing and ignorant, but Alabama voters have heard worse from Moore and still have not completely abandoned him. The smart money is on a Moore victory tomorrow. He appears to have successfully weathered the storm and, barring a massive turnout of minority voters, should win by a narrow margin. Why hasn't Bill Clinton donned a hair shirt and appeared in public, penitent and ashamed of his treatment of women over the decades? Don't hold your breath. Likely, he's hunkered down somewhere, trying to ride out the #MeToo storm. With his protective guard and any number of hidey-holes, Bubba's unlikely to be smoked out and pressured to offer some Frankenesque drivel about things he might have done but doesn't remember or remembers differently. Now that the dam has burst and it's safer to speak out, many on the left feel obligated, and some liberated, to confront their longstanding cognitive dissonance over Bill Clinton's misogyny. That's a welcome though cynical ploy to stay ahead of the wave and show they are no longer in denial. But as far as I can tell, aside from Mika Brzezinski, liberals are not calling on Clinton to actually step up and apologize for his sexual transgressions and aggressions. (Recall ''You better put ice on that.") Big Media have kept the former president from being a bigger part of the national conversation about powerful men using women, even though his actions make Franken and Conyers look like kids pulling girls' pigtails at recess. Why? Because he's still viewed as an icon, beloved by most Democrats and their media familiars. If he publicly acknowledges his sins, he stigmatizes the party and the press organs that covered for him for decades. Hillary wouldn't allow him to express remorse in any case, as her actions as "bimbo enforcer," the enabler-wife of a sexual predator, would come under renewed scrutiny. She has her pride, and she hasn't given up on another run at the presidency. I can imagine an oral historian twenty years from now coaxing an honest answer from Hillary about her marriage to Bill: Sure, I knew what he was like almost from the beginning. So why didn't I drop him? It's not that complicated. Did Bill take advantage of women? Yes. Did he ignore his duties to pursue tawdry affairs? Of course. Did the Secret Service restrain me from clocking him with a lamp? Often. I'm sure most Americans wanted me to slap him upside the head after Lewinsky. I thought about leaving until I realized I could ride the scandal right into my own presidency, serving as a champion of the poor and helpless, the weak and the powerless like the women he exploited. In the end, Bill and I were two of a kind. I could no more have divorced him or braced him before the world than announce I would cease running for president and return to Chappaqua to have tea and bake cookies until I die. Steve Grammatico is the author of You Hear Me, Barack? PC-Free Conservative Satire. He blogs at youhearmebarack.blogspot.com. Over the years, the Mexican political class was happy to blame U.S. consumers for drug cartels. Indeed, drug users are the consumers sending billions of dollars south of the border to fund criminal groups. However, Mexico is not free of blame, as we have seen in the spread of violence and corruption related to drug cartels. Mexico needs to borrow a page from President Alvaro Uribe's playbook! In his memoir "No Lost Causes," President Uribe of Colombia told his story, and it is a good one. Colombia was a disaster in the late 1980s. Some called it a failed state. Most of the middle class was sick and tired of cartels killing policemen and buying judges and politicians. This is when Alvaro Uribe stepped in: Alvaro Uribe a former Partido Liberal member ran and won in May 2002 on an independent platform to restore security to the country. Many Congress PL and independent members in both chambers pledged their support to Uribe even prior to his election. Security improved significantly under Uribe although his fierce campaign against the FARC often seemed to border on the personal: his father was killed by the rebels in a botched kidnapping. Among his promises was pursuing the broad goals of Plan Colombia within the framework of a long-term strategy. In the fall of 2002, Uribe released a democratic security strategy that employed political, economic, and military means to weaken all illegal armed groups. The Uribe government offered to negotiate a peace agreement with these groups if they would agree to a unilateral cease-fire and to end drug trafficking and kidnapping. In December 2003, the Colombian United Self-Defense Forces (AUC) paramilitary group entered into a peace agreement with the government that led to the collective demobilization of over 31,000 AUC members. In addition, more than 20,000 members of the FARC, AUC, ELN, and other illegal armed groups have individually surrendered their arms. In July 2005, President Uribe signed the Justice and Peace Law, which provides reduced punishments for the demobilized if they renounce violence and return illegal assets, which are used by the government to provide reparations to victims. Alvaro Uribe was the courageous Colombian leader who fought "narco-traficantes" head on. He also understood that you have to do more than kill cartel leaders. He had to create a police force and earn the trust of the middle class living in Colombia's major cities. So what can President Uribe teach Mexico? Beyond fighting cartels, Mexico has to look at the scale of the lawlessness, its geographical reach, and the apparent inability of the government to keep it in check. And President Uribe proved that the people will support a democratically elected leader who establishes order. Where is Mexico going? I don't know for sure. It would be wise for Mexico's next president to sit down with Alvaro Uribe for a long chat. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Journalists and other Democrats are implying or stating that people, including President Trump, are unethical and immoral and don't care about abused women if they support or vote for Roy Moore. Let's look at the origins of, and the lack of research and truthfulness in, the Roy Moore story itself: Roy Moore won the primary in Alabama despite not being endorsed by journalists and establishment Republicans. After he won and after decades in public life, a story was published in the Washington Post with four women's names. We are told the women didn't come forward themselves, so who gave the reporters the names, and why did they wait for decades to tell their stories? The only woman of the original four who had physical evidence was Beverly Young Nelson, and the actual evidence was only a signature and inscription in a 1977 yearbook that even she and her attorney Gloria Allred now admit was partially altered. If they admit that part of the original story was a lie, why should we believe the rest? Beverly Nelson also said she did not have contact with Roy Moore after 1977, even though he was the judge in her divorce case in 1999. If Beverly Nelson lied about some things, why is she automatically considered credible by journalists and others? We have repeatedly heard that the Washington Post writers did a thorough job investigating the story, but how could they possibly not have known that the "D.A." after Roy Moore's signature was a forgery (he was not the D.A. until 1992) and not have known about the divorce case? If the writers had known about those lies, would the story have been reported? If the reporters had written accurately about the divorce and altered yearbook entry, would the story have as much credibility throughout the rest of the media, who just repeated the story with no questions asked? Why are media outlets mostly ignoring the yearbook story today and ignoring the lie about not having contact after 1977? It appears that the media care little about the truth when they have a candidate to beat. Why did the story end up in the hands of Washington Post reporters instead of Alabama reporters, since the story is about only Alabama? It is tremendously hard to disprove forty-year-old accusations, but is it likely that a supposed serial accuser of young women all of a sudden stopped around forty years ago? Why aren't there more current stories of harassment and abuse? Why should we believe that a paper, the Washington Post, wouldn't be willing to take another story about a Republican it wanted to beat when it has willingly run with the pretend Russian collusion endlessly for over a year? How do we know that some group like Fusion GPS didn't hand the Washington Post the story about Roy Moore? It is pathetic that journalists and other Democrats pretend they are moral, ethical, and truthful and care about sexual abuse of women in 2017 when in 2016, they wholeheartedly supported the clearly corrupt and unethical Clintons for president, who willingly and consistently physically and mentally abused a series of women over decades while seeking to destroy those women and anyone else who got in the way of their unending quest for power and money. The mission of journalists and Democrats the past year has been to destroy Trump and his agenda, and it helps if they destroy and beat Roy Moore. Pretending they are now ethical and moral and all of a sudden caring about abused women is about destroying Trump, nothing more. BRUSSELS - Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu said Monday morning on the issue of Jerusalem that he expected other countries to follow the US lead in moving their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "He can keep his expectations for others", EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in reply after meeting with him. "This will not happen with EU countries." In the bilateral between Mogherini and Netanyahu in Brussels, he said that in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, US president Donald Trump had simply "acknowledged the truth. Peace is based on the recognition of reality and that Jerusalem is the capital is clear to all". Netanyahu went on to say that he expected "most European countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognizing it as the capital of Israel, and that they will work with us for security, peace and prosperity." "This will not happen with EU countries," Mogherini replied. After meeting with the Israeli PM, she added that there are no peace initiatives in the Middle East "that can happen without US commitment, but the US shouldn't fool itself: its initiative alone would not be successful, since a regional and international framework is needed to accompany its launch, and these are very unlikely at the moment." "We want to continue to work with the Quartet (for Peace in the Middle East, ed.), with the US, Russia and the United Nations, and we would like to possibly extend the format to Jordan and Egypt - to name two, as well as other friends such as the Norwegians, who can help us to set down the timeline and framework for the talks," Mogherini said. In order to relaunch the Middle East peace process, "we are not working on a specific EU initiative but we are also not waiting with a 'Waiting for Godot' type of approach. We are working actively with partners" for the two-state solution, she said. "I strongly condemn," she told Netanyahu, "all attacks on Jews, in any part of the world including Europe as well as Israel". Moody's, global sukuk issuance to top $ 95 billion in 2017 Sovereign sukuk volumes will continue to grow in 2018 (ANSAmed) - ROME, DECEMBER 11 - The global sukuk market will continue to rebound from a sharp drop in volumes in 2015, supported by a range of factors, according to Moody's Investors Service Moody's analysts estimate that total sukuk issuance will reach around $95 billion by the end of this year, after more than $85 billion in 2016, including more than $50 billion (Dh348.8 billion) of sukuk issuance by sovereigns, Gulf News reports. ''Sovereigns have underpinned a recovery in the global sukuk market this year, with their issuance increasing by 50 per cent in the first eight months of 2017. We expect sovereign sukuk issuance volumes will continue to grow in 2018 as governments look to diversify their financing mix and satisfy the liquidity needs of Islamic retail banks.'' said Christian de Guzman, a Moody's Vice-President and Senior Credit Officer. While total sukuk offerings in 2017 will remain below their peak level of close to $150 billion in 2012 despite two years of strong increases, sovereign sukuk issuance is set to reach record levels this year. ''We estimate that sovereigns, including government-related entities and supranational organisations, issued more than $40 billion of sukuk in the first eight months of the year, or 71 per cent of total long-term sukuk issuance volumes. This represents a 50 per cent increase compared to the same period last year and exceeds the volume of sovereign long-term funds raised in the whole of 2016,'' said Guzman. A number of factors will support sovereign sukuk issuance, including high borrowing needs for GCC sovereigns, which Moody's expects to reach around $148 billion in 2018. GCC countries drove the market's growth in 2017 with Saudi Arabia raising the lion's share of sukuk during the year to a total of $17 billion. Other countries with large fiscal deficits, such as Oman and Bahrain - estimated at 11.9 per cent and 13.4 per cent of GDP in 2017 respectively - will also contribute to the market's expansion. (ANSAmed). Gazan rocket answered by Israeli attack 'Artillery and airstrikes', says military spokesman (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, DECEMBER 11 - A rocket was launched at Israeli territory from Gaza on Monday but the location of impact and whether it resulted in any damage has not yet been reported, an Israeli military spokesman said. In response, he added, Israel shot three artillery rounds at the area of the Gaza Strip where the rockets were presumably launched. He added that Israel also carried out airstrikes on Hamas positions in the southern part of the Gaza Strip and that it considers Hamas ''responsible for every attack from Gaza''. (ANSAmed). Egypt is Russia's trusted partner in Mideast, says Putin 7 bln investment in Suez, accord for 1st nuclear power plant (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, DECEMBER 11 - President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Egypt was Russia's longstanding "partner, who we trust in the Middle East". He was speaking in the Egyptian capital Cairo during the signing of several agreements including one for the building of the first Egyptian nuclear power plant in Dabaa, west of Alexandria. "We have examined another promising project," he said, referring to that of "the industrial zone" along the Suez Canal, which he said is expected to call for an investment of seven billion dollars. "We agreed to consolidate military cooperation between the two countries", the Russian president said in statements translated by Egyptian state TV. On Libya, Putin said that "Russia and Egypt are interested in ensuring stability and security in Libya, the restoration of sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country". Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi responded, according to a statement from his office that he welcomed "my friend, President Putin, on an important visit to Cairo that confirms the firmness of the close historic relations that bind Egypt and Russia". The head of the Kremlin then flew to Turkey. (ANSAmed). EU will not follow US on Jerusalem decision, says Mogherini 'US peace initiative in Mideast will fail if alone' (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 11 - Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu said Monday morning on the issue of Jerusalem that he expected other countries to follow the US lead in moving their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "He can keep his expectations for others", EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in reply after meeting with him. "This will not happen with EU countries." In the bilateral between Mogherini and Netanyahu in Brussels, he said that in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, US president Donald Trump had simply "acknowledged the truth. Peace is based on the recognition of reality and that Jerusalem is the capital is clear to all". Netanyahu went on to say that he expected "most European countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognizing it as the capital of Israel, and that they will work with us for security, peace and prosperity." "This will not happen with EU countries," Mogherini replied. After meeting with the Israeli PM, she added that there are no peace initiatives in the Middle East "that can happen without US commitment, but the US shouldn't fool itself: its initiative alone would not be successful, since a regional and international framework is needed to accompany its launch, and these are very unlikely at the moment." "We want to continue to work with the Quartet (for Peace in the Middle East, ed.), with the US, Russia and the United Nations, and we would like to possibly extend the format to Jordan and Egypt - to name two, as well as other friends such as the Norwegians, who can help us to set down the timeline and framework for the talks," Mogherini said. In order to relaunch the Middle East peace process, "we are not working on a specific EU initiative but we are also not waiting with a 'Waiting for Godot' type of approach. We are working actively with partners" for the two-state solution, she said. "I strongly condemn," she told Netanyahu, "all attacks on Jews, in any part of the world including Europe as well as Israel". (ANSAmed). BRUSSELS - EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday condemned "in the strongest possible way all attacks on Jews everywhere in the world, including in Europe, and on Israel and on Israeli citizens" sparked by last week's decision by the US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and transfer its embassy there. "An increase in violence would ignite the region and be a gift to extremists and to all who are opposed to peace, security and living together," said Mogherini during a joint news conference with Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu in Brussels. She also reiterated the bloc's intention of continuing to "respect the international consensus on Jerusalem". "We know where the European Union stands. We believe that the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states with Jerusalem as the capital of both." The EU will step up its efforts to relaunch the peace process, also with its regional partners, starting from Egypt and Jordan, and with the two sides, Israel and Palestine, even in this difficult time," Mogherini said. "The worst thing that can happen now is for there to be an escalation of violence, firstly at the holy sites but also in the region and beyond," she added, reiterating Europe's support for the work of the King of Jordan as the custodian of the holy places. MOSCOW - Vladimir Putin has ordered the start of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria, the pro-government TV Russia Today reported on Monday. The Russian president gave the order during a surprise visit to Khmeimim Air Base, southeast of Latakia, where he reportedly met with Syrian President Bashar al Assad and Russian Defence Minister Serghiei Shoigu. "I order the defence minister and army chief of staff to begin withdrawing the Russian military contingent towards the permanent bases," Putin reportedly said. "Over the last two years the Russian armed forces and Syrian army have defeated the most combative group of international terrorists. In this regard I have taken a decision: a large part of the Russian contingent deployed in the Syrian Arab republic will return home to Russia." The freezone is the first government entity to complete all stages of the Global Innovation Management Institute programm which falls in line with the DAFZA Innovation Strategy launched by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of DAFZA. The programme developed by DAFZA's strategic partner ShiftIN Partners in October 2016 undertook a detailed evaluation of the capabilities and skills of the organizations work teams through a series of sessions and advanced analysis. The program was divided into four phases, with the 22 employees from DAFZA who successfully completed were honored as champions of innovation and highly qualified individuals who play key roles in DAFZA's position as the most innovative and attractive freezone for foreign investments. The Innovation Champions programs importance lies in its creation of an advantageous environment for innovation and research, with the benefit of qualifying employees with high levels of innovative skills supported by a culture that encourages them to be business champions and do the best to achieve their professional goals and thus be successful in their job while uplifting the companys reputation. The program promotes a diversity of ideas and initiatives by strengthening skills and information through training and practice. Under the programme, employees managed to launch three disruptive innovative ideas that create a unique experience for DAFZA customers in terms of providing non-traditional and innovative services based on new technologies, as well as encouraging investors to establish their businesses in Dubai and the UAE in general, in order to attract more foreign investment which in turn will increase the national GDP. Amna Lootah, Assistant Director-General -Finance, Commercial, and Customer Relation Division, and Foster Innovation and Future Unit of DAFZA, said: This is an important achievement which represents the first innovative program to be done within the countrys freezone sector. Today, we graduate 22 innovation champions at DAFZA who have been able to pass the four stages of the program and will embark on innovative work to form an important pillar for our innovation-based economy." Lootah praised the strategic cooperation between DAFZA and ShiftIN Partners, noting DAFZAs commitment to making innovation a day-to-day approach and a well-established institutional culture. She added: Through the graduation of DAFZAs first generation of innovation champions we look forward to improving the experiences of existing and potential customers, as well as making outstanding contributions towards achieving the goals of the National Innovation Strategy and UAE Vision 2021. These are in line with the wise champions hips directives which place the building of skilled national capacities at the top of its priorities, believing in the importance of highly innovative individuals. It is amazing to see the commitment of DAFZAs Management to innovation. said Carlos Guevara a Founding Partner of ShiftIN Partners and Project Director of the programme at DAFZA. I am confident these 22 innovation champions will fast spread the development of an innovation culture across the organisation. The first phase of the programme, Eureka, taught trainees how to use tools for generating ideas and implementing them by creating many new ideas. The second phase, Pursue, focused on implementing the ideas of the first stage and the creation of new ideas to enhance the position and growth of DAFZA. The Organizational Mastery phase then honed the innovators' understanding of innovation management techniques and methods that they need to know to succeed. The fourth and final phase, Innovation Management comes in line with the third phase which trained employees on how to face real challenges and create clear solutions and visions for innovation management in the organisation. The programme motivates individual and group innovation and enhances creativity. It also helps employees to increase their critical thinking abilities which serve their professional development and the champions hip of the organization. Moreover, the program provides clear insights and strategies on various functional areas including marketing, technology, accounting, finance and sales. The new selection includes comfort items such as Christian Lacroix male and female amenity kits featuring exclusive skincare products by pioneering Hungarian skincare brand Omorovicza; Christian Lacroix cotton sleepwear in a range of sizes; Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut NV champagne; Coffee Planet cold brew coffee; and tasty snack boxes with sweet and healthy treats complementing the custom free meal service. Linda Celestino, Vice President Guest Experience and Delivery, said: Etihad Airways is always looking at new ways to give our guests more power and control over their experience, through options to customise and personalise their journey. In addition to providing extra comfort and choice in the air, some of the items are great gift ideas, particularly in the run up to the holiday season. We will monitor guest satisfaction and aim to expand the range of items for sale in the future. Items available for onboard purchase: - Paris, London and all Australian sectors in Economy Class: Cold brewed coffee from Coffee Planet: USD 4 / AED 15 a glass - All long haul and ultra-long haul (except US) sectors in Economy Class: Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut NV champagne: USD 8 / AED 30 per glass - All ULH sectors (except US routes) in all cabins: Christian Lacroix male and female branded amenity kits with Omorovicza products: USD 22 / AED 80 Christian Lacroix branded sleepwear: USD 35 / AED 130 In January 2018, a Snack Box featuring both sweet and healthy snacks to suit guests differing tastes and cravings will be introduced. Leonardo strengthened its ties with Kuwait following the agreement for the supply of 28 Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role fighter aircraft, which made Kuwait the aircrafts eighth customer. Kuwaits Eurofighter Typhoons, deliveries of which will start in 2020 and conclude in 2023, will be the most advanced model produced so far, with a package of capabilities on top of the previous enhancement programmes that will include the Leonardo-led E-Scan radar and a number of weapon system upgrades. Together, these will put the Kuwait Air Force at the forward-edge of fighter technology when the aircraft enter into service. The Eurofighter Typhoon, where Leonardo is responsible for more than 60% of the electronics, is a key programme of reference for Leonardo in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Recently, some Kuwaits pilots have earned their wings at the Italian Air Force International Training Academy, where the Italian Air Force operates the M-346 Integrated Training System (ITS) made by Leonardo, which offers unique Live, Virtual, Constructive (LVC) training capabilities. The Italian Air Forces jet pilot training school will combine Leonardos M-346 lead-in-fighter trainer with the soon- to-be-introduced Leonardo M-345 basic/advanced trainer. This innovative training solution will be presented to delegations visiting Leonardos GDA stand alongside one of the companys training and remote support tools for land and naval systems. This latter system is an augmented reality tool where visitors will be able to explore the latest generation of sensors and systems on the bridge of a multi-role naval vessel, including in a battlefield or air-defence scenario. Visitors to Leonardos stand will be able also to find out about Leonardos extensive range of airborne ISTAR products and systems via an interactive digital display. Of particular interest in the region is Leonardos readily-exportable Directed InfraRed Countermeasure (DIRCM) system, called Miysis, which protects aircraft from the threat of man-portable heat-seeking missiles. The company will also be highlighting its Falco family of Remotely-Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), having announced the first delivery of its Falco EVO RPAS to a Middle Eastern customer earlier last month. The UAE is the first Arab-Islamic country to obtain membership in the organisation, which requires members to possess advanced space-based Earth observation capabilities. Under the Charter, Member States pledge to share the imagery obtained from their respective satellites orbiting Earth to provide other members with high quality images at frequent intervals to contribute to the management of natural or man-made disasters. The Charter also provides its members with high-quality training opportunities led by international specialists and experts. Members are also encouraged to exchange relevant data, research and expertise with each other. More than 22 of the most prominent space agencies and international institutions specialized in Earth observation are currently members of the Charter. The process by which membership is attained includes a number of field visits by international experts to observe the applicants qualifications and provide training on the mechanisms of cooperation between member organisations. The UAE Space Agency will represent the UAE at meetings of the Charters Board of Directors in order to participate in the development of plans and policies. NCEMA will be the UAEs point of contact for satellite image requests during the occurrence or expectation of a crises or a disaster in the UAE or wider region. Meanwhile, MBRSC will be in charge of providing and receiving information, data and satellite images through its satellites and ground stations. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, said: "Obtaining membership of the Charter is a testament to the advanced state of the UAEs space and Earth observation capabilities. The UAEs willingness and ability to assist other members in the event of a crisis or disaster has been, once again, recognized by the international space community. The UAE intends to contribute to the Charter through the sharing of images and data collected by our DubaiSat-2, which will be joined shortly by the entirely UAE-built KhalifaSat." Dr. Jamal Al Hosani, Director General of NCEMA said: "The membership supports the presence and status of the UAE in the space sector on an international level. It also facilitates an effective response and rapid recovery from crises and disasters by harnessing satellite images provided by other members. The membership will also enable other stakeholders in the UAE to gain accesses to the best disaster management practices in the fields of space technology and Earth observation. NCEMA is working with the UAE Space Agency and MBRSC to develop integrated training programmes to qualify national cadres and benefit from the provided satellite images." Nasser Al Rashidi, Director of Space Policy and Legislation at the UAE Space Agency, said: "The UAE has sought to become a member to reaffirm its commitment to cooperating in the field of space with other countries. The UAEs membership is in line with the nations strategic objectives for the space sector, which include the development and strengthening of international partnerships and collaboration. These partnerships will in turn contribute to the development of our national capabilities and competencies and strengthen the nations status internationally. Recent advancements in satellite technology have sparked global interest in observing our planet. As a regional and global leader in satellite technology, the UAE is well positioned to lead international efforts to respond to disasters and better understand our planet, added Al Rashidi. Hamad Al Ameri, ICT Director at NCEMA added: "We will work with the UAE Space Agency and MBRSC to develop a national capacity building programme, which will aim to train and qualifying national cadres to analyse and work with satellite imagery in a manner that supports decision makers during emergencies, crises and disasters." I was drawn to an exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art by its title: Glorious Splendor: Treasures of Early Christian Art. When I went to see it last month, it was not quite what I expected. Or what the title conjured. But that doesnt mean it wasnt a good show. Sometimes an exhibit with a real scholarly thesis is hard to translate into an exhibition thats easily sold to the public. And naturally even a scholarly curator wants his or her exhibit to be seen! So, as I wrote in my review of the exhibit for The Wall Street Journal, A bit oddly, the exhibition undercuts its title (which was probably driven by marketing goals) and a bit of its thesis. About two-thirds of the 28 works here either are secular objects, like jewelry or imperial items, or honor pagan gods, like Jupiter and Aphrodite. Moreover, the earliest Christian objecta glass fragment, with gold leaf, showing Christ giving the law to Ss. Peter and Paulwas made in the late fourth century, decades after Constantines death and long after Christianity started to take root in Rome, spawning Christian art. In other words, the exhibitions span is bigger, the content broader, and the thesis less clearly shown than one might expect. The thesis was this. quoting myself, that the art of the first several centuries after the death of Christ shared much with its predecessorsin materials, methods, iconographies and stylesand thus to demonstrate that the Roman empire did not abruptly turn Christian when Constantine became the first Roman emperor to convert in A.D. 337. And yet: Still, once visitors lean in to enjoy the precious objects on viewthey will find much to admire. All but two of the pieces are borrowed from private collections, many have never before been shown in a museum, and who knows when the public will have an opportunity to see them again? And thats wonderful, actually. These are gold (the pendant at left is from the 6th or early 7th century, the bracelet from the 6th), or cameos (at right is one from the 6th century), or objects that, I would guess, are rarely asked to be lent. They take some time getting to know. We should have more exhibits that include them. Glorious Splendor suggests something else about the state of American art museums these days. As they evolve, they may be trending toward a model that presents small, scholarly exhibits that satisfy connoisseurs and large, popular exhibits intended to draw crowds. As long as there is a mix, as long as the scholarly shows receive the funds they need, this may not be bad. Museums have raised expectations about themselves to many groups; now they have to satisfy them. The Toledo exhibition runs through February 18enjoy the pictures Ive posted of a few pieces in itand my review ran on Nov. 27. Apologies for my delay in getting it online here and on my website. Photo Credits: Courtesy of the Toledo Museum of Art India has set up a project development fund of USD 77 mn to develop manufacturing hubs in Cambodia. New Delhi: India has proposed USD 1 billion line of credit to promote sea, air and road connectivity projects with ASEAN, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said om Monday. Apart from this, India has set up a project development fund of USD 77 million to develop manufacturing hubs in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, he said. "The ASEAN India maritime transport cooperation agreement is being negotiated...An Asian India civil aviation task force has been established to see optimisation of air connectivity. "India has proposed to commit a line of credit of USD 1 billion to promote projects that support physical and digital connectivity," Gadkari said. He was addressing the ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit jointly organised by CII and ASEAN India Centre. The minister said ASEAN and India have also agreed to establish a maritime transport working group among India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to examine the feasibility of shipping networks. Asserting that connectivity is the pathway to shared prosperity, he said better connectivity is the core factor for strengthening ASEAN-India relations. "Connectivity projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (TH), extension of TH to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project are being planned and at different stages of implementation," he said. India is already working with Myanmar in the areas of border area development, capacity building, infrastructure development, connectivity projects and institutional development. Stressing on augmentation of international connectivity, the minister said for Bharat Mala project, around 2,000 km with an outlay of Rs 25,000 crore are earmarked to connect India's major highway corridors to international trade points. This will facilitate export/import trade with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. About BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) Motor Vehicles Agreement, Gadkari said action has been initiated for implementation of BBIN MVA by Bangladesh, India and Nepal. DGP S P Vaid said the search operation turned into an encounter as the hiding militants fired upon the forces conducting the searches. According to police official, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the early hours in Unisoo village of Handwara following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) Srinagar: Three militants and a woman were killed on Monday in an encounter with security forces in Handwara area of north Kashmir, police said. Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid said the slain militants were apparently Pakistanis. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the early hours in Unisoo village of Handwara following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter as the hiding militants fired upon the forces conducting the searches. During the gunfight, three militants were killed, the official said adding the slain militants were most probably affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). He said their bodies along with three weapons have been recovered from the encounter site. One woman was also killed in the exchange of fire, the official said. Vaid said on Twitter, "In unisoo Handwara all the three terrorists apparently Pakistanis have been neutralised by Joint team of J&K Police, RR & CRPF. It has been raining whole night & boys were out there in the cold". The search operation is still underway. Before the trilateral talks, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart . New Delhi: Foreign ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) will on Monday deliberate on a range of important regional and global issues in New Delhi, including ways to tackle the threat of terrorism and extremism, at a key meeting of the trilateral grouping. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yis visit to India also marks the first high-level visit to India by a Chinese leader after the Doklam face-off. India is expected to strongly push for strengthening cooperation among the three countries in effectively countering terrorism and naming Pakistan-based terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in the RIC communique, citing a similar move by the Brics grouping. Before the trilateral talks, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart during which a number of major issues are likely to be discussed. Ms Swaraj will also hold a bilateral meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Sources indicated that the deliberations at the bilateral meeting between the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers are expected to cover all bilateral, regional and global issues of importance including efforts to prevent military face-offs like the one that occurred earlier this year at Doklam in Bhutanese territory. China continues to block Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as oppose New Delhis efforts to get Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar banned by the UN. This is expected to be taken up by Ms Swaraj with her Chinese counterpart. China, meanwhile, has been concerned about the proposed quadrilateral in the Indo-Pacific involving India, Japan, the US and Australia and could raise the matter with New Delhi. Mr Wang will also meet his Russian counterpart Mr Lavrov. In the RIC meet, India is likely to stress on a collective approach by the three countries in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including the south-east Asian region, according to news agency reports. The situation in Afghanistan, West Asia and the Korean Peninsula are also expected to come up for discussion. Russia, Indias time-tested friend, is also concerned about New Delhis growing strategic proximity to the US but India has left no stone unturned to assure Russia that New Delhi will always stand with it on issues of importance. Dhavan is the author of several books and also is a regular columnist in several newspapers. New Delhi: In unprecedented and dramatic turn of events, eminent constitutional expert and senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan on Monday accused Chief Justice Dipak Misra of humiliating him in court and announced that he will not practice in the Supreme Court. Mr Rajeev Dhavan, 71, in a two-sentence letter to the CJI, said: After the humiliating end to the Delhi case, I have decided to give up court practice. You are entitled to take back the senior gown conferred on me, though I would like to keep it for memory and services rendered. Mr Dhavans decision to quit court practice comes a few days after Chief Justice Misra took exception to senior lawyers, including Mr Dhavan, raising their voice to allegedly browbeat judges. On December 6, an angry CJI had observed, What happened on Wednesday (in Delhi-Centre case) was atrocious and what happened a day before (in the Ayodhya case) was more atrocious. Come what may, shouting in the courtroom will not be tolerated at any cost. Chief Justice Misra also said, Lawyers are called ministers of justice. Unfortunately, a small group of lawyers think they can raise their voice. You can argue with authority and conviction. Raising your voice shows inadequacy and incompetence. When lawyers argue in a manner not in tune with Constitutional language, we will tolerate it, but for how long, he added. Mr Dhavan, who has a career spanning over three decades, was admonished by the Supreme Court in three cases taken up on three consecutive days last week. On December 5, during the hearing on the Ayodhya title dispute case, several senior lawyers, including Mr Dhavan, Kapil Sibal and Dushyant Dave, had argued vociferously for adjournment till July 2019 and threatened to walk out of the court. Mr Dhavan, in particular, had told the CJI to not begin the final arguments in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title case as the CJI wouldnt be able to complete it by October 3, 2018, which is his retirement date. Apart from the Ayodhya matter, Mr Dhavan was pulled up by the court during a hearing on appeals filed by the Delhi government in its power tussle against the Centres representative and lieutenant governor Anil Baijal. He was also admonished during the hearing on a Parsi womans petition on her religious identity after marrying a Hindu. The top court expressed displeasure during the hearing over what it called lawyers violating decorum. Mr Dhavan is the author of several books and also is a regular columnist in several newspapers. He has appeared in a number of high profile cases and constitutional matters with eloquence. 3 suspected LeT terrorists killed in gunfight. Gunmen have been on bank robbery spree across Kashmir for quite some time and it is a second incident of its kind when they killed security guards in their attempt to loot cash from moving bank vehicles. (Photo: ANI/Representational) Srinagar: Two bank guards were killed when militants targeted a Jammu and Kashmir Bank vehicle in southern Shopian district on Monday. Earlier, three militants, believed to be Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) cadres and a woman resident, were killed during an encounter in Handwara area of frontier Kupwara district, the police said. A statement issued by the police said that two security guards were killed by terrorists after targeting a J&K Bank Scorpio in Shopians Kral Check area at around 3 pm on Monday. The vehicle was on its way to Keller (Shopian). Two security guards identified as Tariq Ahmed (25) and Mushtaq Ahmed (30), residents of Tumle Hall (Pulwama district) and (neighbouring) Anantnag, respectively were injured in this attack. They were shifted to Pulwamas district hospital where they succumbed to their injuries, the police said. Soon after the attack, the security forces launched a search operation in the area to track down the assailants, but no arrests had been made till filing of this report. The sources in the J&K bank said that one of the slain guards Tariq Ahmad had purchased his own gun for Rs 80,000 recently as owning a licensed gun helps private security guards in getting a better wage package. J&K Bank chairman and CEO Parvez Ahmed, while expressing shock over the killing of the security guards, said though they were employees of a private security firm Honest Security Agency their families should be sufficiently supported financially and emotionally as they have lost bread earners. Gunmen have been on bank robbery spree across Kashmir for quite some time and it is a second incident of its kind when they killed security guards in their attempt to loot cash from moving bank vehicles. On May 1 this year, five J&K policemen and two bank employees were killed when militants attacked a cash van in southern Kulgam district. Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the formidable Kashmiri militant outfit, while owning responsibility had said it, however, did not kill the bank employees. The announcement of Gandhis election to the post was made by the Congress central election authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran. New Delhi: The scion of Nehru-Gandhi family and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was finally crowned the 87th president of the Indian National Congress (INC) on Monday, an outcome which did not come as a surprise due to his unopposed candidature for the top post in a party election that was reduced to a formality. Mr Gandhi, 47, will officially take charge of the party by replacing his mother Mrs Sonia Gandhi on December 16, two days before the announcement of election results for Himachal and Gujarat Assembly polls. As expected, Mr Gandhi was elected unchallenged. There was a minor storm in the teacup when Shehzad Poonawalla, Maharas-htra Congress state unit secretary, questioned called the organisational elections a sham. On Monday, Mr Poonawalla tweeted that Mr Gandhis election marked a black day for the party. The announcement of Mr Gandhis election to the post was made by the Congress central election authority chairman Mullapally Ramach-andran. He said Mr Gandhi will formally take over the reins of the party on December 16. While the party and its leaders fell over each other on Monday to congratulate the president-elect, all eyes are on the outcome of Gujarat polls, being dubbed as a fight between Mr Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Till now Mr Gandhis record in electoral politics has been an embarrassment for the party. His electoral credibility continues to remain suspect even among a section of party leaders. If Mr Gandhi manages to trounce Mr Modi in his home turf, he will emerge as nothing less than a superhero. But if mauled and trounced in Gujarat, his leadership will again come under scanner and be questioned. Mr Gandhi, often branded as Pappu, particularly by the BJP, virtually stumped the saffronites with his new avtaar as he led the charge in Gujarat election whose final phase of polling is scheduled for December 14. Mr Gandhi hasnt merely taken on the BJP on the social media, but has won several rounds in this virtual battlefield which had so far been dominated by the saffronites. He has also been described as a rockstar due to the mega response to his rallies in Gujarat. That the BJP, its president Amit Shah and the Prime Minister have begun to take him seriously became evident when they relentlessly targeted him and kept referring to him in their speeches. On Monday, however, Mr Modi congratulated Mr Gandhi on taking over as Congress chief. I congratulate Rahulji for his election as Congress president. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure. Congress insiders feel that besides the uphill task of taking on Mr Modi, the Congress president-elect would now have to chalk out the roadmap ahead. The most crucial part will be to maintain a delicate balance between secularism and soft Hindutva, a senior Congress leader said. Congress leaders also said that Mr Gandhi will have to counter the militant nationalism, being propagated by the BJP, with his Nehruvian views. Regardless of the outcome of the Gujarat polls, a section of BJP leaders, while speaking to this newspaper, appreciated the way Mr Gandhi has managed to dodge the Modi-Shahs baits with nationalist and communal overtones during the campaigning. Mr Gandhi kept his focus on economic policies of the Modi government, while the BJP and its leaders evoked nationalism, Pakistan and even played religion and caste cards. As for the changes expected in the Congress under its new president, speculation is rife that unlike his mother Mr Gandhi will not have any political secretary. Instead, there could be a panel to advise and guide the new Congress president. Senior leader Ajay Maken, chairman of the partys SC cell K. Raju and communications chief Randeep Singh Surjewala may find a place in that panel. The new-look Congress may also have a couple of vice-presidents, which may include former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit. As for allies, the generations next, which include Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, are close to Mr Gandhi. Earlier, Mr Gandhi had used seniors like Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot and Kapil Sibal to deal with regional satraps like Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav. To address speculation in the party that his elevation could mean the curtains down on a host of party veterans, Mr Gandhi has time and again promised a perfect blend of the old and the new. Starting his political career in 2004 by winning Lok Sabha election from the family bastion of Amethi, Mr Gandhi became party general secretary in 2006. In 2013, he became Congress vice-president. The Congress-elect is the sixth generation of Gandhi-Nehru family to lead the party. The first was Motilal Nehru followed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, who has been the longest serving Congress president clocking in a reign of 19 years. Senior BJP leader and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the unwarranted statement by Pak. PM Modis comments have led to a huge political row since it is common for diplomats stationed in New Delhi and visiting dignitaries to attend social events, including private dinners. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Pakistan on Monday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modis charge of interference in the Gujarat polls, saying Islamabad should not be dragged into Indian electoral debate and that victories should be won on ones own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. PM Modi had, on Sunday, talked about a recent dinner at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars house which was attended by prominent dignitaries from Pakistan, besides senior Congress leaders. In a tweet on Monday, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said, India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. Senior BJP leader and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the unwarranted statement by Pakistan and asked it not to sermonise to India. He alleged that the Pakistani statement sought to bail out the Congress Party. Today a very curious statement has been released by Pakistan foreign office condemning Pakistan being dragged into Indias election and stated that Indians must learn to fight the elections on their own. I wish to tell Pakistan that Indians are capable of contesting (elections in) Indias democracy on their own Indias Prime Minister is a popularly elected PM, Mr Prasad was quoted by news agencies as saying. He added that India completely abhors any outside interference in Indias electoral affairs The role of Pakistan in promoting terrorism in India is too well known in the entire world. Please stop giving us lessons. We are proud of Indias democracy. Pakistan comes out with an official statement in many ways seeking to bail out Congress Party. Is it too suspicious? Surely, the country will draw its own conclusion, he said. PM Modis comments have led to a huge political row since it is common for diplomats stationed in New Delhi and visiting dignitaries to attend social events, including private dinners. Mr Aiyar himself is a former diplomat. Further, Union ministers in the Modi government too have, in their official capacity, attended formal occasions at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi. PM Modi had himself visited Pakistan two years ago to personally extend greetings to the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday. PM Modis charge reflects the rock-bottom ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Ironically, this comes at a time when Islamabad has agreed to the Indian request to allow both the mother and wife of imprisoned former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav to visit him on December 25. On Sunday, PM Modi had also raised questions over an alleged appeal by a former senior Pakistan Army officer on making senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat. PM Modis home state Gujarat is witnessing a high-stakes poll battle between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress. Gujarat shares a land-border with Pakistans Sindh province. The businessman arrested for molesting Bollywood actor Zaira Wasim has told the police that the incident was unintentional. Vikas Sachdev's wife Divya and friend Kuldeep Bhargava defended him saying that the allegations were false and demanded justice for him. (Representational Image) Mumbai: Vikas Sachdev, the 39-year-old businessman who was arrested on Sunday for allegedly molesting teenage Bollywood actor Zaira Wasim aboard a Delhi-Mumbai Air Vistara flight, has reportedly told the police that the incident was unintentional. The 17-year-old actor, who was visibly extremely upset while narrating her experience on an instagram video, alleged that the man was ribbing his foot against her body while she was half-asleep. Sachdev also told the police that he had gone to Delhi for a funeral and was tired in the process. A friend of Vikas, Kuldeep Bhargava, also defended him, saying "Vikas was upset and tired because of the death. He'd told the airhostess not to disturb him or even serve him the meal; he'd just asked for a blanket to sleep. When the flight was about to land, the actress shouted at him and said 'this is not your lounge; put your leg down'. He apologised to her, and said it had happened inadvertently. He is innocent and doesn't have any past record either; the police can check." Vikas's wife Divya also defended him and called Zairas allegations false and demanded justice for him. She said, The actress is making false allegations against my husband. Ours is a love marriage; we have been together for the last 16 years. My husband is innocent." "His uncle died in Delhi, because of which he was in a state of shock and reached home late. The next morning we woke up to this actress shouting about molestation onboard. My husband told me that he had been sleeping when his leg accidentally touched her hand; he apologised to her for that. My husband respects women," she said. "We always travel in business class but nothing like this has ever happened. Because of this incident, my entire family is disturbed. We want justice," Divya added. Zaira alleged that she couldnt record a video because of the dimmed lights and only managed to capture a picture of his legs placed on her armrest. The actress was reportedly in tears when she landed at the airport and a woman police officer was sent to her hotel room to record her statement, following which Sachdev was arrested. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and former CM Omar Abdullah were among those who demanded action against the accused. S. Prakash says instead of focusing their attention on development, Congress is trying to evoke Gujarat riots to win over the Muslim votes. Amit Shah said, 'Entire nation knows the allegations levelled on the Prime Minster by the Congress backed NGO were all false. Yet for vote bank consolidation, 2002 is being raised in 2017.' (Photo: File|PTI) New Delhi/ Bengaluru: Hitting out at Congress for asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "apologise in Jama Masjid" for the 2002 riots, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said those who commit mistakes only they serve an apology. "This is a shameful statement by the Congress. They apologised for their deeds in 1984 anti-sikh riots and now they are creating a baseless controversy. The truth is only those people who have committed mistakes apologise, but those who have not done anything wrong why they will serve an apology," BJP leader Bizay Sonkar Shastri told ANI here. Another BJP leader S. Prakash, in Bengaluru, said instead of focusing their attention on development, the Congress was trying to evoke Gujarat riots to win over the Muslim votes. "The Congress has once again brought the 2002 riots into the campaign. Till now, they were silent on the issue. They are demanding an illogical apology from the Prime Minister. It was a communal riot where both Hindus and Muslims were killed which happened in the aftermath of Godhra incident. "Several cases have been filed and many have been convicted also, unlike in 1984 riots, where the Congress did not show any interest to convict those who were involved in the Sikh massacre," Prakash added. Earlier on Sunday, BJP chief Amit Shah tore into Congress' demand, saying the matter was being raised to consolidate votes in the ongoing Gujarat Assembly election. "Congress' Charan Singh said Prime Minister Modi must go inside Jama Masjid and apologies for 2002 riots. Entire nation knows the allegations levelled on the Prime Minster by the Congress backed NGO were all false. Yet for vote bank consolidation, 2002 is being raised in 2017," Shah told the media in Gandhinagar. The first phase of polling took place on Saturday and recorded a voter turnout of 66.75 per cent in 89 of 182 constituencies. The second-phase voting in remaining 93 constituencies is on December 14, and the votes will be counted on December 18. Modi had suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence Assembly polls in the state. New Delhi: Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modis campaign for the BJP in Gujarat had gone beyond bizarre and asked whether a political party should go to any length to win an election. The former Union finance and home minister also wondered whether winning an election was so important that such allegations can be made against a former prime minister and a former vice-president. Addressing an election rally in Palanpur, Gujarat, on Sunday, Mr Modi had suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence Assembly polls in the state. He claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars house over dinner on December 6. This was a day before Aiyars neech jibe against Mr Modi. The BJPs campaign in Gujarat in the last few days, especially yesterday, has gone beyond bizarre. Should a political party go to any length to win an election? Chidambaram said on Twitter. In a new twist to the vitriol-filled campaign, Mr Modi had said in Palanpur that the dinner at Mr Aiyars house was attended by Pakistans high commissioner, Pakistans former foreign minister, Indias former vice president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Though Modi did not name the ex-vice president present at the meeting, BJP president Amit Shah said in Ahmedabad that it was Hamid Ansari. The boars were shot with stun guns at the school and were "confirmed dead when they were captured." Television footage showed a wild boar charging around a classroom, bashing its snout against a window in an apparent attempt to escape. (Photo: Pixabay) Two wild boars caused pandemonium at a Japanese school by charging into classes and even taking a dip in the school pool, forcing pupils to interrupt their exams. Television footage showed a wild boar charging around a classroom, bashing its snout against a window in an apparent attempt to escape the school in the western city of Kyoto. Meanwhile, the other boar was taking a soothing dip in the school's outdoor pool, as stunned students looked on. Students were taking mid-term exams when Monday's unwelcome interruption occurred but the exams eventually continued as scheduled, public broadcaster NHK reported. The boars were shot with stun guns at the school and were "confirmed dead when they were captured," a Kyoto city official told AFP on Thursday. The contest was organised to celebrate love and romance between married couples. India is a country with a diverse culture and is also home to various mindsets which may at times clash. In the past events like Kiss of Love have sparked controversy as couples have also been harassed by the moral police for violating what they call Indian culture. While kissing in public may still be a taboo in many parts of India, a town in Jharkhand comes across as a surprising example. MLA Simon Marandi recently organised an event where couples expressed love by kissing each other in public and the one with the longest kiss won the competition. The contest was organised to celebrate love and romance between married couples and is a way to reduce divorce and differences among couples according to Marandi. The annual fair which also includes tribal dance, archery and running has been organised in Dumaria for the past 37 years, but kissing was added this year. The lawyers also asked him about the presence of huge crowd on the route from his house to the place where he was arrested. Mumbai: Shyamvar Rai, the accused-turned-approver in 2012 Sheena Bora murder case, on Monday told the court that he was not aware that the punishment for murder is more than possessing (illegal) firearm. Rai was being cross-examined by the lawyers of Indrani Mukerjeas former husband, Sanjeev Khanna. The lawyer pointed out in the court that there are drains near his house to show that he could have avoided the risk of getting caught with firearm by throwing it in the drains instead of going all the way with it to Bandra where he was arrested by police. While cross-examining Rai, advocate Niranjan Mundergi and Shreyansh Mithare spent a substantial time on asking questions regarding the presence of nullas near his residence. They also asked him questions about the presence of nullas, drainage lines and police on his en-route to Bandra Band Stand, where he was arrested for possession of illegal arms. The lawyers also asked him about the presence of huge crowd on the route from his house to the place where he was arrested. Rai told the court that for about a year he served as a driver to Sheena Bora and Mikhael. While answering questions asked by the defence, he said that he used to drop them to their destinations. However, Rai could not give any reasons when the defence asked him what conversation took place between him and Mikhael between January 2012 to April 2012. He also said that he had seen what was kept in the bag, which Indrani had put in the car when they were in Worli. According to Rai after his arrest in the firearm case, he had told the police about the murder case, but the police had not compelled him to disclose it. Rai denied the claim of defence that he was not arrested by police with any firearms and he was deposing falsely before the court at the instance of Khar police and CBI. Campaigner Kerry Elliman's charity Birmingham Greyhound Protection has received 3,000 in donations. Her charity Birmingham Greyhound Protection has received 3,000 in donations. (Photo: Pixabay) A kind-hearted animal lover travelled 5,000 miles to rescue nine British greyhounds facing slaughter in China. Campaigner Kerry Elliman's charity Birmingham Greyhound Protection has received 3,000 in donations. Kerry has been overwhelmed by the support she has received from kind-hearted since the plight of the dogs was highlighter. Kerry said to Mirror.co.uk, The response has been fantastic. We just need to keep going and keep the pressure on. She has also received several offers for new homes for the dogs. 39-year-old Jacqui Honeyman from Glasgow adopted one of the dogs, Hope, she said to Mirror, I want people to see the happy ending abused dogs can have. A petition to ban the export of British greyhounds started by CAGED, the Campaign Against Greyhound Exploitation and Death, via change.org and has already attracted over 30,000 signatures, and Kerry is urging readers to keep signing. One can sign the petition by looking up Caged Nationwide on change.org. Simon Banks of the Great British Greyhound Board confirmed dog exports are under investigation. Those detained, included a female activist, who are accused of links to the Muslim Brotherhood group. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is a close ally of Trump, whose announcement triggered protests across the world. (Photo: AP) Cairo: A top Egyptian rights lawyer says at least eight protesters were detained and accused of "association with a terrorist organisation" after joining a small protest in Cairo over the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Khaled Ali says the protesters were arrested on Saturday in front of the Egyptian Press Syndicate in downtown Cairo after rallying against President Donald Trump's move. It wasn't immediately possible to reach the prosecutors on Monday for a comment. Ali says those detained, including a female activist, are accused of links to the Muslim Brotherhood group, Egypt's onetime largest Islamist group which was outlawed after the ouster of the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is a close ally of Trump, whose announcement triggered protests across the world. Patrice Nganang has been critical of how Biya, in power since 1982, has handled a secessionist movement in some English-speaking areas. Patrice Nganang, a professor at New York's Stony Brook University, is due to go before a prosecutor in the coming week. (Photo: Twitter/ @nganang) New York : A Cameroonian-American writer detained as he tried to leave the Central African nation is facing charges over writings critical of its government and family and friends are calling for public support in a campaign for his release. Patrice Nganang, a professor at New York 's Stony Brook University , is due to go before a prosecutor in the coming week, according to an account from his wife that was sent to fellow Stony Brook professor Robert Harvey. Nganang was detained on Thursday as he was trying to leave Cameroon to join his wife in Zimbabwe . Nganang and his attorney were informed of the charges against him at a hearing with judiciary police and were told the charges include accusations of insulting Cameroon President Paul Biya and issuing a death threat. Nganang has been critical of how Biya, in power since 1982, has handled a secessionist movement in some English-speaking areas. He wrote an article that was published shortly before he was detained. At the judiciary police hearing on Saturday, Nganang's lawyer said he didn't represent a threat because he had never worked with any violent or armed groups and had always been a peaceful activist. A prosecutor will decide what happens with the case moving forward. Nganang's supporters called for an outpouring of support for him, suggesting actions including calling the Cameroon embassy to demand his release; getting in touch with the US Department of State and federal elected officials; reaching out to advocates like Amnesty International or the Committee to Protect Journalists; and spreading the campaign through social media. The pipe bomb was strapped to a man, who is injured in the blast and being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The explosion, which was of unknown origin, took place in midtown Manhattan at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue. (Photo: AFP) New York: A pipe bomb strapped to a man went off in the New York City subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring the suspect and another person at the height of the morning rush hour, law enforcement officials said. The man and the other person were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the incident. Police say the explosion happened in an underground passageway under 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The 7:30 am blast filled the passageway, crowded with throngs of Monday morning commuters, with smoke. The explosion triggered a massive emergency response by police and fire both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. Video from above the "Crossroads of the World" showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. Everything around the Port Authority area was shut down a surreal scene of still at what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. New Jersey Transit buses headed to the Port Authority were diverting to other locations. NJ Transit said buses were taking passengers to Secaucus and Hoboken, where they could take trains into the city. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the explosion. Both South Korea and Japan have security alliances with the US, although their own relationship is marred by disputes. Washington and Seoul staged their biggest-ever joint air drill last week in a show of force against Pyongyang, which is subject to multiple sets of UN sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes. (Photo: File/Representational) Seoul: The US, South Korea and Japan started joint exercises Monday to track missiles from North Korea, Seoul's military said, following the nuclear-armed Pyongyang's longest-range test launch to date. The trilateral drill comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and declared it had achieved nuclear statehood, escalating global alarm over its weapons push. The two-day exercise -- the sixth since June 2016 -- kicked off in waters near the Korean peninsula and Japan, Seoul's defence ministry said. "During the drill, Aegis warships from each country will simulate detecting and tracking down potential ballistic missiles from the North and sharing information," it said in a statement. Two US ships are taking part, with one each from the two Asian countries. Both South Korea and Japan have security alliances with the US, although their own relationship is marred by disputes over history and territory. Read: South Korea imposes fresh sanctions on N Korea amid rising tensions Washington and Seoul staged their biggest-ever joint air drill last week in a show of force against Pyongyang, which is subject to multiple sets of UN sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes. Tension flared anew in the flashpoint peninsula after the November 29 launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM, which the North claimed could deliver a "super-large heavy warhead" anywhere on the US mainland. Many analysts suggest that the rocket is capable of reaching the US mainland but voiced scepticism that Pyongyang has mastered the advanced technology needed to allow the rocket to survive re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. November's launch was the first test of any kind since September 15, and quashed hopes that the North may have held back in order to open the door to a negotiated solution to the nuclear standoff. The North's leader Kim Jong-Un has traded threats of war and personal insults with US President Donald Trump, heightening fears of another war on the peninsula once devastated by the 1950-53 Korean War. The South condemned the launch and on Monday imposed new unilateral sanctions on its neighbour. AP says doctors and aid workers are stunned at the volume of rapes, but suspect only a fraction of women have come forward. Portraits of some of the Rohingya Muslim women taken during an interview in November 2017 in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. (Photo: AP) The rape of Rohingya women by Myanmars security forces has been sweeping and methodical, according to a report by the Associated Press. The news agency says a sickening sameness has emerged in 29 interviews with women and girls, ranging in age from 13 to 35, who fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar. Each woman said she was raped by a group of men. Every woman, except one, said her rapists wore military-style uniforms. The one woman who said her assailants wore plain clothes also said that her neighbors recognised the men as being stationed at the local military outpost. Many of the women said their assailants uniforms had either star or arrows on them. AP says the patches represent the different units of Myanmars army. The womens assaults took place between October 2016 and mid-September in a wide swathe of villages in Myanmars Rakhine state, the news agency says. AP says doctors and aid workers are stunned at the volume of rapes, but suspect only a fraction of women have come forward. Doctors informed the AP that they have treated 113 sexual violence survivors since August, with a third of them under 18 and the youngest was nine. Two US ships are taking part, with one each from the two Asian countries. Both South Korea and Japan have security alliances with the US, although their own relationship is marred by disputes over history and territory. Seoul: The US, South Korea and Japan carried out joint exercises on Monday to track missiles from North Korea, as China warned that such manoeuvres fuel tensions following nuclear-armed Pyongyangs longest-range test launch to date. The trilateral drill comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and declared it had achieved nuclear statehood, escalating global alarm over its weapons push. The two-day exercise the sixth since June last year kicked off in waters near the Korean peninsula and Japan, Seouls defence ministry said. During the drill, Aegis warships from each country will simulate detecting and tracking down potential ballistic missiles from the North and sharing information, it said in a statement. Two US ships are taking part, with one each from the two Asian countries. Both South Korea and Japan have security alliances with the US, although their own relationship is marred by disputes over history and territory. Washington and Seoul staged their biggest-ever joint air drill last week in a show of force against the North, which is subject to multiple sets of UN sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes. The coalition has urged others to take a tougher stance against Pyongyang but has so far found lukewarm reactions from the Norths main backers Beijing and Moscow. China criticised the latest drills, which come as President Xi Jinping prepares to host South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In this week for a summit aimed at soothing ties strained by the US deployment of an anti-missile system in the South. The situation is in a vicious cycle of provocation and confrontation. This is not conducive to regional peace and stability, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing. If such a vicious cycle continues and leads to a very bad result, it serves no partys interest, Mr Lu said, echoing recent remarks by foreign minister Wang Yi. Russias top general Valery Gerasimov met Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera in Tokyo and reiterated that Moscow wanted to resolve the crisis via diplomacy. We believe that this issue should only be resolved through political and diplomatic means, Gerasimov was quoted as saying by the Russian defence ministry. Exercises around North Korea destabilise the situation, Gerasimov said, according to a Japanese defence ministry official. Mr Onodera, however, stressed Japans position: North Koreas nuclear and missile development are significant threats against the international community. I want us to cooperate over this problem. Tension flared anew in the flashpoint peninsula after the November 29 launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM, which the North claimed could deliver a super-large heavy warhead anywhere on the US mainland. Scores of demonstrators, including Palestinians, pelted security outside the embassy with stones and burned an effigy of US President Donald Trump. Protesters try to enter the US embassy during a demonstration in Aukar, Lebanon. (Photo: AP) Beirut: Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water cannons on Sunday at demonstrators near the US embassy as they protested Washingtons decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A correspondent in Awkar outside the capital Beirut said several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators had gathered near the US embassy, located in the area. They were blocked from reaching the complex by a metal gate sealing the road leading to the embassy, and security forces fired teargas and water cannons to repel demonstrators who tried to open the gate by force. Several people were injured by rocks and tear gas, the correspondent said. There was no immediate comment from security forces. Protestors waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags, and sporting black-and-white checked keffiyeh scarves, chanted slogans against President Donald Trump, who on Wednesday recognised Jerusalem as Israels capital. A group of demonstrators set alight an effigy of the US President, whose decision has upended decades of American diplomacy and an international consensus to leave the status of Jerusalem to be resolved in negotiations. The demonstrators included members of Palestinian parties, as well as Lebanese Islamists and leftists. Thousands of Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, including those who fled from their homes. by Sumon Corraya Dhaka (AsiaNews) - The Muslims of Bangladesh are united with the anger expressed by Palestinians. During the Jumu'ah [Friday prayer, ed], several imams criticised US President Donald Trumps decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the latter as the capital of Israel in place of Tel Aviv. One of the chief preachers of Baitul Mukarram, the national mosque, said: "All Muslims must protest against the recognition of Jerusalem as capital. We strongly oppose. The Muslims of Palestine, Syria and Myanmar are persecuted because of religion. We are at their side ". The mosque of Baitul Mukarram is the largest in the country. Here around 40 thousand faithful gather in prayer. At the end of the sermon, the Muslims present staged a protest in the streets of the capital. The event was organized by Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, an Islamic group made up of teachers and students of madrassas [Koranic schools, ed.]. Ahmad Shafi and Allama Junaid Babunagari, respectively president and general secretary of the organization, say: "The announcement of Donald Trump is wrong. He has laid the foundations for the war against the Islamic world. Muslim leaders and faithful must remain united against his decision ". According to the two exponents, "Jerusalem is not only a holy land for Palestinian Muslims, but it is the holy land for the whole Islamic world. It is more than a holy land by blood. The land does not just belong to Jews ". Islamic leaders define the US president as "crazy." His controversial speeches are destroying world peace ". Even Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expresses a clear position. Speaking at a press conference following a state visit to Cambodia, she stated that "Trump's statement on Jerusalem is not acceptable. We want the Muslim countries and the Ummah [community of Islamic faithful, ed] to be united, so that the Palestinians can enjoy their rights". by Nirmala Carvalho The ceremony took place yesterday in Mumbai. The Salesian abducted in Yemen was recognised for his dedication and commitment" and his work in "a location of great danger". For Fr Tom, "Wars are not the solution". Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, the Salesian clergyman abducted in Aden in 2016 and released last September through the mediation of the Sultan of Oman, received the Mother Teresa Award 2017 at a ceremony yesterday in Mumbai. He was chosen for his "compassionate humanity" and his "dedication and commitment" to his work in "a location of great danger". "I am a Catholic priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco, working for the young and the marginalised, he told AsiaNews. I was given the opportunity to serve the mission in Yemen. God has a mission for each of us. My sincere thanks go to all those who have prayed for me Hindus, Christians and Muslims and to those who love humanity." The names of the winners of this year's prize were announced last October. Fr Tom was chosen "for the inspiring example of compassionate humanity, and for having continued to work for the elders of the Missionaries of Charity in Yemen, despite having had the opportunity to leave the country, said Abraham Mathai, president of the Harmony Foundation, which has handed out the award since 2007 to honour the memory of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. We praise Fr Tom's dedication and commitment for work in a location of great danger, where his colleagues were murdered in cold blood, he added. Fr Tom was abducted on 4 March 2016 at a retirement home run by the Sisters of Mother Teresa in Aden. Four nuns and 12 other people were killed in the attack, blamed on al-Qaeda. Wars are not a solution for humanity, Fr Tom said. We are made in the Image of God, and we see God in our neighbour and should be as brothers and sisters. Asked if he ever thought of comparing his experience to that of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, the Franciscan who took the place of a man with a family in a starvation bunker in Auschwitz, Fr Tom answered simply: "It never occurred to me". Speaking about the "dark night of the soul" the period of sadness, fear, anguish, confusion and solitude of approach to God, considered indispensable to be born again, the Salesian said he had no doubts: "I do not know if it was dark. . . but for me it was always bright." Despite the period of suffering and deprivation in the hands of his captors, Fr Tom instils calm and serenity. At the ceremony, he allowed himself to be photographed with those present and smiled to anyone who said hello. "I thank the Lord for everything", he said. The award was accepted by Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the Ican (International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons) and by Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow. The ceremony was snubbed by the ambassadors of the USA, France, Great Britain. The treaty for the ban on nuclear weapons was approved by 122 nations, but not by the nine nuclear powers. So far it has received only three ratifications. The support of Pope Francis. Oslo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Many survivors (hibakushi) of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs in were present. The two atomic bombs launched by the US at the end of the Second World War, caused over 220 thousand deaths. On the other hand, perhaps in disregard of the winners of the prize, there were no ambassadors representing three nuclear powers: The United States, France, Great Britain, who sent second-level representatives. A survivor withdrew the prize: Setsuko Thurlow, an 85-year-old Japanese from Hiroshima, who now lives in Canada. As an ICAN activist, Thurlow recalled when she, buried under the rubble of Hiroshima, sought the light and took courage not to give up hope and make her way to the light that filtered under the ruins. "Our light - she said - is now the treaty banning nuclear weapons. I repeat the words I heard in me in the ruins of Hiroshima: Do not lose heart. Keep pushing, see the light? Crawl towards it". Thurlow refers to a commitment made by the ICAN - a coalition of hundreds of NGOs around the world - which has drawn up a treaty banning nuclear weapons, generally adopted by 122 UN nations. The treaty is an exceptional historical fact, although weakened by the fact that the nine nuclear powers (USA, France, Great Britain, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, North Korea, Israel) have not signed it. So far only three nations - the Holy See, Guyana and Thailand - have ratified it. But to be binding, it needs 50 ratifications. Ican executive director Beatrice Fihn, who accepted the award along with Thurlow, said that, even if it is late to be ratified, the treaty is at least "a clear rule against nuclear weapons ... This is a step forward. There is only one way to prevent the use of nuclear weapons: to ban and eliminate them ". In her speech, Fihn hinted at the growing tension on the Korean peninsula, which she called an "extremely dangerous situation". The leaders of the US and North Korea - he added - "only simple humans who have control over the end of the world; nobody should have such power ". More than 20,000 agents will be deployed in Jakarta from 23 December to 1 January. Terrorists target Christian places of worship and government buildings. In 2000, attacks against 11 churches left 13 people dead and 100 wounded. The countrys two main moderate Islamic organisations provide security to Christians. Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) General Tito Karnavian, head of the Indonesian police, has announced new security measures for the Christmas period. So far, security forces have not detected any terror plot by Islamist militants. However, the year-end holiday security plan includes the deployment of more than 20,000 agents in Jakarta for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, from 23 December to 1 January. "There are no attack plans just yet but as usual we will take it step by step, or do what we call pre-emptive strikes on groups that we think may potentially act," General Tito said. Indonesia's counter-terrorism police unit Densus 88 has foiled several terrorist attacks in recent years, including many that were planned for this time of the year and often inspired or directed by elements of the Islamic State (IS). Targeting Christian places of worship and government buildings during the holiday season is a top priority for Islamist militants in Southeast Asia. Remnants of the old Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network and members of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah continue to pose a security threat to Indonesia. Christians represent about 10 per cent of the population of Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim country. Protestants number about 17 million, whilst Catholics are around 7 million (3 per cent). Both groups are often threatened and targeted by extremists and terrorists. On Christmas Eve in 2000, bomb attacks against 11 churches across the country killed 13 people and wounded another 100. At the time, the attacks were blamed on the Jemaah Islamiah, a group linked to al Qaeda. Since then, every year thousands of members of Indonesias two main moderate Islamic organisations (Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah) have guarded Christian places of worship and other buildings during the holidays. The Chaldean patriarchate criticises a choice that complicates the situation and fuels conflicts and wars. Card al-Rahi calls the decision destructive and a violation of international resolutions. Coptic pope Tawadros II cancels a meeting with US Vice President Pence. Somewhat resigned, Palestinians continue their protest. For Israeli peace group, the US has abdicated its role of mediator in the region. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) Christian religious leaders in the Middle East have issued new appeals to the United States and US president Donald Trump to change the decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the US Embassy to the city. This controversial choice has caused protests and sparked outrage with deaths and wounded in the region, worrying Pope Francis himself, who has called for respect of the status quo. Yesterday, in a statement, the Holy See expressed its attention and concern for the holy city and for peace in the disputed city. In a statement sent to AsiaNews, the Chaldean patriarchate appeals to the American "superpower", reminding the United States that it " has the obligation to pursue peace, justice and prosperity in the world, rather than complicating issues by conflicts and wars. For the leader of the Iraqi Church, President Trumps decision "will trigger the fire in an area that is already inflamed." From this comes a request to respect the status quo in Jerusalem and, in this pre-Christmas, pray with all those of good will for reconciliation and stability in the Holy Land, surrounding countries and the whole world. Card Beshara al-Rahi, head of the Maronite Church, shares the concerns of his Iraqi counterpart. In yesterdays Mass, he described Trumps decision as regrettable and destructive, which "violates resolutions of international legitimacy, defies the regional and international will, and insults Palestinians, Levantine Christians, Muslims and Arabs. It destroys the bridges of peace between Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states, ignites the fire of a new uprising, and turns city of peace Jerusalem into a city of war, the patriarch warned. Egypts Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II also did not mince his words, cancelling a planned meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence in Cairo (Egypt) later this month. Trumps decision did not take into account the feelings of millions of Arab people, the Coptic Church said in a statement. For this reason, the Coptic pope will not meet with Pence when he visits Egypt. Copts represent about 10 per cent of the countrys population. Tawadross decision follows that of Ahmed al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of al-Azhar, the highest Islamic Sunni authority in the world. Egypts two top religious leaders, Muslim and Christian, have adopted a common line against meeting the US vice president. Against the backdrop of protests and outrage but also resignation, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has done the same, calling Trumps decision reprehensible and a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts, whilst warning that the move ended Washingtons historic role as the key sponsor for Israel-Palestinian peace talks. The White House had warned on Thursday that cancelling the meeting planned for later this month in the West Bank would be counterproductive, but Abbas has been under heavy domestic pressure to shun Pence who is due to visit the region December 17-19. Abbas has to contend in fact with hard-line Hamas, galvanised by the US decision. For Gush Shalom, an Israeli peace group, Trumps decision has brought to an end American mediation in the Middle East. It will not change the situation in Jerusalem but it marks the US abdication of its leading role in the peace process. The activist group, which includes Uri Avnery, now wonders who will fill the vacuum left by the United States. According to some, Russia and President Vladimir Putin might do the job; others hope for greater leadership from the European Union, or even China. However, uncertainty prevails in the major capitals of the world. For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched an offensive to take advantage of the situation, at home and abroad, of the US presidents decision. During a visit to Europe, the Israeli leader, who held a frosty meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, said that the recognition makes peace possible. In a statement, Netanyahu also criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, in his view, does not accept democracy. Meanwhile, the Arab League at an emergency meeting in Cairo called for the recognition of the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. Pope Francis released his message for the 26th World Day of the Sick, which will be celebrated on 11 February 2018. " The image of the Church as a field hospital that welcomes all those wounded by life is a very concrete reality. Vatican City (AsiaNews) In his message for the 26th World Day of the Sick, which will be celebrated on 11 February 2018, Pope Francis said that Christians must focus on patients as people both in Catholic institutions avoiding the danger of a business mentality and public facilities, whilst offering support to families who take care of those who suffer. Entitled Mater Ecclesiae: Behold, your son... Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (Jn 19:26-27), the message takes its cue from what Jesus on the cross said to John. Before all else, Jesus words are the source of Marys maternal vocation for all humanity. Mary was to be, in particular, the Mother of her Sons disciples, caring for them and their journey through life. As we know, a mothers care for her son or daughter includes both the material and spiritual dimensions of their upbringing. John, the beloved disciple, is a figure of the Church, the messianic people. He must acknowledge Mary as his Mother. In doing so, he is called to take her into his home, to see in her the model of all discipleship, and to contemplate the maternal vocation that Jesus entrusted to her, with all that it entails: a loving Mother who gives birth to children capable of loving as Jesus commands. That is why Marys maternal vocation to care for her children is entrusted to John and to the Church as a whole. The entire community of disciples is included in Marys maternal vocation. John [. . .] can testify to the fact that Jesus met many people suffering from spiritual sickness due to pride (cf. Jn 8:31-39) and from physical ailments (cf. Jn 5:6). He bestowed mercy and forgiveness upon all, and healed the sick as a sign of the abundant life of the Kingdom, where every tear will be wiped away. Like Mary, the disciples are called to care for one another, but not only that. They know that Jesus heart is open to all and excludes no one. The Gospel of the Kingdom must be proclaimed to all, and the charity of Christians must be directed to all, simply because they are persons, children of God. The maternal vocation of the Church for those who suffer The Churchs maternal vocation to the needy and to the sick has found concrete expression throughout the two thousand years of her history in an impressive series of initiatives on behalf of the sick. This history of dedication must not be forgotten. It continues to the present day throughout the world. In countries where adequate public health care systems exist, the work of Catholic religious congregations and dioceses and their hospitals is aimed not only at providing quality medical care, but also at putting the human person at the centre of the healing process, while carrying out scientific research with full respect for life and for Christian moral values. In countries where health care systems are inadequate or non-existent, the Church seeks to do what she can to improve health, eliminate infant mortality and combat widespread disease. Everywhere she tries to provide care, even when she is not in a position to offer a cure. The image of the Church as a field hospital that welcomes all those wounded by life is a very concrete reality, for in some parts of the world, missionary and diocesan hospitals are the only institutions providing necessary care to the population. The memory of this long history of service to the sick is cause for rejoicing on the part of the Christian community, and especially those presently engaged in this ministry. [. . .] This legacy of the past helps us to build a better future, for example, by shielding Catholic hospitals from the business mentality that is seeking worldwide to turn health care into a profit-making enterprise, which ends up discarding the poor. Wise organization and charity demand that the sick person be respected in his or her dignity, and constantly kept at the centre of the therapeutic process. This should likewise be the approach of Christians who work in public structures; through their service, they too are called to bear convincing witness to the Gospel. For Francis, the healing power Jesus has bestowed upon the Church also covers the healing provided by families. We cannot forget the tender love and perseverance of many families in caring for their chronically sick or severely disabled children, parents and relatives. The care given within families is an extraordinary witness of love for the human person; it needs to be fittingly acknowledged and supported by suitable policies. Doctors and nurses, priests, consecrated men and women, volunteers, families and all those who care for the sick, take part in this ecclesial mission. It is a shared responsibility that enriches the value of the daily service given by each. To Mary, Mother of tender love, we wish to entrust all those who are ill in body and soul, that she may sustain them in hope. We ask her also to help us to be welcoming to our sick brothers and sisters. Al-Abadi confirms that the Iraqi forces "have taken complete control" of the Iraqi-Syrian border. He speaks of victory as the fruit of "unity and determination" and obtained "in a short time". Previously Russia had described the mission in Syria against the Caliphate as "complete". However, a military victory does not imply the eradication of fundamentalist doctrine. Baghdad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the end of the three-year war of security forces to expel the militias of the Islamic State (IS, former ISIS) from the country. The official communication came on 9 December, during which the Prime Minister stressed that "our forces have taken complete control of the Iraqi-Syrian border" thus putting an end to the "war against Daesh [the acronym for IS]". During a press conference, al-Abadi said that the "enemy" wanted to "kill our civilization", but "we won thanks to our unity and our determination". He then stressed that "we have triumphed in a short time". The Caliphate militia, which appeared for the first time in the summer of 2014, had conquered most of the territories between Syria and Iraq, to control up to half of the two countries at the time of its maximum extension. Under their rule some of the most serious atrocities of recent history were carried out, in particular against the Yazidi Muslim minority. In October last year, the Iraqi government, supported by a US-led international coalition, launched a massive offensive against Mosul, a stronghold of the Caliphate in Iraq. After about a year the anti-jihadist coalition confirmed the liberation of the area. Over the weekend, the Prime Minister's final declaration, which speaks of "good news: the liberation by the Iraqi forces of the entire border between Syria and Iraq". The premier did not mention the great contribution to the liberation of Mosul given by the Kurdish peshmerga troops, now in conflict with the central government after the Kurdistan independence referendum. The official announcement of al-Abadi comes two days after the note of the Russian army, which described the mission to fight ISIS in neighboring Syria as "complete". However, analysts and experts point out that military victory does not also imply the definitive defeat of the jihadist ideology in the area, now rooted in a part of the population. A danger also highlighted by priests from the plain of Nineveh in northern Iraq, interviewed by AsiaNews for whom the "threat" is still present. By Philippa Collin, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Shutterstock.com Facebook is trialling a new Messenger Kids app in the United States. The standalone app is aimed at under-13s, who arent currently eligible for a normal Facebook account. Parents are responsible for setting up the account and approving any contacts their children add. Kids can then use the app to video chat both one-on-one or in a group and send photos, videos and text messages. Currently only available in the US on Apple devices, Facebook expects to extend it to a wider audience in the coming months. In the week since the app launched, headlines have focused on its potential downsides, amid concerns about data privacy, tech addiction and kids well-being. But I argue that there is another side to this story: the fact that teaching kids about messaging at a young age is essential to preparing them for the hyper-connected world they will need to navigate in the future. Read more: Scare-mongering about kids and social media helps no-one Its already happening At the moment, there is relatively little research in Australia about toddlers and childrens use of digital technologies. But studies in the UK and emerging Australian studies suggest that kids are going online at ever earlier ages, and doing a much wider range of activities. Children younger than 13 are already using social media, and messaging functionality is increasingly built into the communicative ecology of families. On a recent overseas work trip, I shared photos and messages with my nine-year-old daughter via her dads Facebook Messenger account. Like most kids her age in Australia, she has daily access to a mobile phone or tablet. And like the average Australian household with children younger than 15, we have seven internet-enabled devices in our home. But we dont have a landline, so web apps, including social messaging apps, are becoming more central to our family communication. Messaging is also embedded in multi-player games used by older children, such as Minecraft and Clash of Clans. There are both challenges and benefits associated with kids connecting with others via games and apps, but the functionality is not going to go away. Learning how to navigate social media together is now a key feature of childhood and parenting. Messaging can be good for kids The Facebook app is an interesting innovation in the social media space precisely because it promotes learning about and using social media together with kids. The focus is on developing online skills by supporting communication with known relatives and friends, because kids can only connect with parent-approved contacts. Facebook As leading kids and tech commentator Anne Collier has written, the most significant thing about the app is that while it has plenty of parental controls built into it, the app itself is not actually a parental control tool. Rather, it is a service that kids and their families and friends will need to learn to use - and use well - together. Read more: Text-messaging isnt, like, ruining young peoples grammar Evidence already exists to show that social media can be good for mental health, building friendships, and resilience. The app will evolve over time as kids and parents use it. What is important is that parents do not become complacent about the app as a silver bullet solution to educating children about the internet. Rather, we need to see it as just one tool to foster healthy, respectful relationships with our kids, and learn through the technology. Bullying and data privacy For now the Facebook Messenger Kids app features no ads, in-app purchases or sharing of data with other apps on the same device. But as with all websites and apps, this one will be fallible. Learning to think about what we share and how we share it (just like when you meet someone in a park) will still be important on this app. Bullying can happen anywhere and it is possible as weve seen before that the app could extend bullying beyond the schoolyard. But all contacts in the app must be pre-approved by parents, and it has reporting features with pop-up feedback, dedicated content moderation, and notifications to parent Facebook accounts. Those features should enable parents to stay better abreast of how kids are using it. Unlike Snapchat and other apps, content cant be deleted. This will also help kids and parents review communication, and take necessary steps if someone is being mean or harassing. Read more: Screen time is about more than setting limits There are more than 2 billion Facebook users worldwide, and the chances are that our kids will soon add to those statistics. Facebook and other major platforms should be part of a broader effort to help kids and parents learn how to communicate safely and respectfully in a world saturated with social media. And we should all develop critical digital literacy skills by learning about who is behind the apps and platforms we use, and what happens to our information and data. If using the Facebook Messenger Kids app helps to promote these conversations, that is a very good thing. Philippa Collin has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Google Australia/NZ and other government departments. However, the views expressed here are her own. Originally published in The Conversation. (By Denis Rozhnovsky/Shutterstock.com) (By Denis Rozhnovsky/Shutterstock.com) Closer business and research links are being drawn up between Australia and the United States, particularly when it comes to technology and innovation, it has been announced.The Australian Government has signed an agreement with the United States Council on Competitiveness that supports efforts to strengthen business and research links between both nations.This will see the opening of a CTO dialogue in 2018 which will build on the activities of the US Council of Competitiveness Technology Leadership Strategy Initiative, which is an influential coalition of America's top technology leaders, led by companies such as Lockheed Martin, John Deere and Boeing.'Their interest in this dialogue illustrates that Australian companies and research institutions are well regarded internationally and have a lot to offer,' said Craig Laundy, Australia's Assistant Minister for industry, innovation and science.Through the dialogue, Australian technology and innovation leaders will have the opportunity to engage with American counterparts, sharing common challenges and opportunities in the innovation and technology space.Laundy explained that the strategic engagement on areas of mutual interest will help launch deep business partnerships, supporting the innovation goals of both nations. 'Our innovation system has many strengths, but there are also some areas where Australia could do significantly better,' he said.'We are determined to lift the level of engagement between Australian businesses, universities and the research sector to commercialise and share ideas and solve problems, particularly with international partners,' he pointed out.'This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from and work with world class American companies and research organisations. The Government is facilitating the CTO dialogue, but its sustainability is ultimately about business to business partnerships. I'm encouraging Australian industry to grasp this opportunity,' he added. 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. A St. Petersburg family escaped injury Sunday afternoon as a fire swept through their home. Fire heavily damages St. Petersburg home Fire at a home on 21st Street South Using a space heater? Remember this Firefighters responded to reports of a fire at a home on 21st Street South at about 2:30 p.m. When crews arrived, they found a fire in one of the bedrooms. A woman and three children managed to make it out of the home safely. However, the home has significant damage and is now unliveable. The Red Cross is helping out the family, which was renting the property. No official cause of the fire has been determined, one of the residents said it may have started with a space heater. St. Pete Fire Rescue is reminding residents to only use space heater in accordance with the manufacturers' recommendations. A local company making it big is giving back to the Bay area. With success in socks, a Bay area company gives back Odd Sox, a sock company based in Pinellas, is partnering with local charities Odd Sox And that includes making some special deliveries today. Odd Sox, a sock company based in Pinellas County, is partnering with several local charities and they are hitting the road in their Odd Sox bus for a day of fun and giving. The group, led by Odd Sox owner Ahmad Akar, are handing out socks at various stops and donated funds during a stop at the Tampa Metropolitan Ministries office. And these are no average socks, coming in all shapes, patterns and colors. "Odd Sox stands for being different," Akar said. "And being odd and in that we really want to promote people's uniqueness and help them find their voice to do whatever they want in life." Akar started the company in Largo four years ago and it's really taken off. Now Odd Sox can be found in major retailers around the world. And with that success, Akar says he wants to help people across Tampa Bay. In addition to the bus' other stops today, his group will drop off donations at Toys for Tots and The Children Hospital. They also will make a stop at radio station Wild 94.1 for its 6th Annual Holiday Toy Drive. "Homeless shelters say that socks are the least donated items in their organization," Akar said. "So just by giving them, donating socks, that's such a big help and on the flip side showing that a young person can start a business from nothing and do what they want in life is also an important message." New York Mayor Bill de Blasio says the explosion at a New York City subway near Times Square was "an attempted terrorist attack" that left the man officials say is responsible with non-life threatening injuries. Akayed Ullah, 27, accused of setting off pipe bomb Ullah suffered burns, cuts to body 3 other bystanders received non-life threatening injuries The explosion happened before 7:20 a.m. at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue triggered a massive police response to both the Port Authority Bus terminal and Times Square and multiple agencies are conducting an investigation. Video shows interior footage of the explosion inside a 42nd Street subway station. Officials say four people were injured, including the suspect. pic.twitter.com/VqczJ34w9u Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) December 11, 2017 Akayed Ullah, 27, is accused of being in the subway with a pipe bomb tied to him with Velcro and zip ties before he detonated the device, causing serious injuries to him, described New York City Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill at a news conference. Ullah made a statement before he detonated the bomb, but O'Neill did not say what that was. "This be also clear that this was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God, the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. Thank God our first responders were there so quickly to address the situation, to make sure people were safe," de Blasio said at the news conference. O'Neill called the device "low tech" and it injured three other people who were nearby when the bomb went off. Their injuries were minor, O'Neill described, and they were able to take themselves to local hospitals. Ullah, however, suffered burns and lacerations and was taken to Bellevue Hospital, O'Neill said, adding that the Brooklyn man is in police custody. "A thorough background investigation of the suspect is being conducted by the joint terrorism task force," the commissioner said. Law enforcement officials said Ullah was inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group. The officials said he lives in Brooklyn and came to the U.S. from Bangladesh about seven years ago. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast. O'Neill added that the attack was captured on transit system video cameras and the department is reviewing the video and interviewing witnesses. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the city will always be a target of attacks because of what it stands for. "This is New York. The reality is, we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom," he said. "That makes us an international target." However, that does not mean New Yorkers need to be afraid, says O'Neill. "This is NYC, we don't live in fear. But if you see something suspicious you have an obligation to come forward and tell us," he said, adding that if anyone knows anything about Monday's attack should call: 1-888-NYC-SAFE. At one point, New York Police Department sources told Spectrum News 13's sister station Spectrum New York 1 Ullah died, however the NYPD has stated he is still alive. UPDATE: The NYPD says the suspect, still in custody, has not died. Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) December 11, 2017 Spectrum News 13's sister station Spectrum New York 1 has additional information: UPDATE: Our @joshrobin is in Midtown, on Manhattan's West Side, reporting on an explosion at or near the #PortAuthority Bus Terminal. The #NYPD has the suspect in custody and are investigating. pic.twitter.com/qosNklkImw Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) December 11, 2017 BREAKING NEWS: @DeanMeminger reports his #NYPD sources have told him a suspect now in custody was wearing an explosive vest and detonated it, causing a massive police response to 42nd Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan this morning. Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) December 11, 2017 The NYPD is responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, #Manhattan. The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time. Info is preliminary, more when available. pic.twitter.com/7vpNT97iLC NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 11, 2017 White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has tweeted that President Trump has been briefed on the explosion. Check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Rescued Sea Turtle, Famed Otter at Oregon Coast Aquarium Die This Week Published 12/10/2017 at 5:35 PM PDT - Updated 12/10/2017 at 5:55 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Newport, Oregon) Rescuing and caring for animals of any kind is never easy and ends in heartbreak down the line, but hopefully farther in the future rather than sooner. Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport is dealing with that this week as a longtime fixture and attraction dies as does one of the sea turtles it helped rescue recently. Above: photo of Judge the sea otter courtesy Oregon Coast Aquarium). It only took a day but the young green sea turtle that was rescued by Seaside Aquarium on December 3 died later the following evening. The turtle had made it to Oregon Coast Aquarium shortly after its discovery on that Sunday morning, but chances are never that good for hypothermic sea turtles found on these beaches. (See Second Sea Turtle Rescued from Oregon Coast Beaches). Once the green sea turtle arrived at the Newport facility, husbandry staff administered fluids, obtained blood samples, and conducted a physical assessment. The animal received X-rays the following morning. Staff said the sea turtle appeared responsive and passed waste, but a high white blood cell count warned that the turtle was likely fighting a significant infection. The Oregon Coast Aquarium performed a necropsy on the animal to further ascertain the cause of death. Staff found no foreign material in the stomach or intestine, but samples will be evaluated for biotoxin exposure as well. Meanwhile, the Olive Ridley turtle that was rescued by Seaside Aquarium on Thanksgiving is still doing okay. That turtle, named Turkey, continues to undergo treatment. The saddest news for the Oregon Coast Aquarium is the passing of its much-loved sea otter, Judge. The oldest otter at the aquarium, he was a standout performer there since December 2003. He was originally rescued from Pacific Grove, California, some time before that, where he was found stranded. Just a small pup, Judge was taken to Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) for care and rehabilitation and was released soon afterward - but that was far from the last time MBA staff would lay eyes on him. He was released after being involved in a special program that helped teach orphaned otter pups to take care of themselves by being introduced to mother sea. Not long after that, Judge was spotted in Monterey Bay interacting with humans in search of food. After seven more failed releases, wildlife professionals deemed the human-friendly sea otter non-releasable. Judge now has an enduring legacy as the charismatic sea otter who loved human interaction, whether that be playing hide-and-seek with visitors or floating by the glass windows of his exhibit to people watch. It was this friendly demeanor along with his strikingly well-kept fur coat - Judge was a meticulous groomer - that cemented Judge as the fluffy face of the Aquariums 2013 ad-campaign. Oregon Coast Hotels in these areas - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours If you find a sea turtle on the beach, immediately note its location, remain nearby to observe it, and contact the Oregon State Police Tipline at 800-452-7888 or the Marine Mammal Stranding Network in Oregon, Washington, and California at 1-866-767-6114. More photos of these animals below: Green sea turtle photos below courtesy Seaside Aquarium: More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Update: After mistakenly reporting that a crash in Bevil Oaks on Monday was fatal, DPS is "addressing this situation internally." "The department apologizes for the inaccuracy," Sgt. Stephanie Davis said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the two crash victims and their families." Previous reporting: A driver previously reported as dead following a crash in Bevil Oaks was resuscitated at the hospital and in critical condition, the city of Bevil Oaks said in a statement. Bevil Oaks came together on Monday night to host a prayer vigil for Ranger Ladner, identified on social media as the driver of the early morning crash near the fireworks stand. Authorities were called to the single-vehicle crash on Texas 105 near Reines Road around 5 a.m. on Monday, Department of Public Safety said. A 2006 Chevrolet pickup truck traveling westbound veered across eastbound traffic for some unknown reason, according to DPS. The truck hit several utility poles, knocking out Entergy power to residents in Bevil Oaks, Pinewood Estates and surrounding areas. The driver was a 19-year-old Beaumont man identified by Bevil Oaks. He was unresponsive when law enforcement arrived and CPR was performed until he arrived at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont where he was resuscitated, according to DPS. The driver was rushed into emergency surgery and DPS does not know his current condition. The driver was previously reported as dead. There was an 18-year-old Beaumont woman in the passenger seat who was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. MGstalter@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/morgGstalt This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Friends and acquaintances turn up at Carlton Greathouse's home in Devers, random objects in hand. "Can you make a guitar out of this?" they ask. Greathouse, 52, breaks out in a broad grin as he replies in a deep Texas drawl, "Oh yes, I can. Yes, I can." He jokes that he could likely make a musical instrument out of a person if he could get them to stand still long enough. Shovels, tin cans, cigar boxes, brooms, toilet seats, a bed pan, and an old painted cow skull - these are just a few of the items stacked in piles throughout his home workshop. Each awaits its transformation. Each will have its own unique sound - the size, shape and material out of which it is made shapes the tone and resonance it produces when affixed with neck and strings. Greathouse said whether the base object will become electric or acoustic, single or multi-stringed, is determined by the item itself. "Once you get to going, it tells you what it wants you to do with it," he said. The craft of found object instrument making goes back to iconic Bluesman Bo Diddley. Born into a poor Southern family with no means to buy a guitar, the young Diddley collected discarded strings from the back doors of bars and clubs, stringing them onto broom handles to make his own guitar. They became known, as are the variations made to this day, as Bo Diddley's. While they may be primitive and amateur in appearance, the custom guitars are capable of producing a range of sound that can make even a seasoned musician stand up and take notice. They are perfect for playing the "Texas Red Dirt" rock that Greathouse loves, he said. Single-stringed tin cans, one of his best sellers, particularly at $20 a piece, actually have a very bluesy sound and are easy to play, even for a novice, according to Greathouse. But by far his most sought instruments are the toilet seat and shovel electric guitars. Clientele at his trade days booth and at his independent business, Texas Coyote Guitar & Stringed Instrument Co., range from amateurs to pros seeking new and unique sounds. Greathouse also sells kits from which customers can build their own instrument. Greathouse's musical beginnings may not have started quite so primitively as a can with a string, but they were amateur, he said. At age 5 he got his first guitar - a Mexican tourist gift brought back by his grandparents following a trip south of the border. It never stayed in tune, he recalled, but became the foundation upon which he learned to play. Music has always been part of his life, he said. Greathouse was in several bands throughout his teen years. He played the bass guitar. His wife was a drummer in high school. Greathouse has been putting his hands to creative use since he was a boy growing up in Ganado. He started silver smithing and jewelry making in the mid-1980s and continued on with it after retiring from nearly 28 years in the oil fields as a heavy equipment mechanic. Some of the techniques he learned in those trades, such as decorating wood through a Lichtenberg wood-burning process that uses electricity, he has applied to the bodies of his guitars and knife and gun stocks. His most challenging object to transform into a guitar is the cow skull, but he says it will be finished in time for the next trade days show in Liberty this Friday through Dec. 17. His ultimate design plans include making a mini fog machine guitar and lighting the interior so that colorful smoke pours out while it is being played. Prices vary from $20 for a canjo to $75 for an acoustic cigar box guitar. He charges around $200 for a dulcimer. Greathouse also makes Les Paul guitars, the last of which sold for $800. He has an ongoing project to restore an 1847 102-string hammered dulcimer which was given to him by a fellow trade show exhibitor. In addition to selling at trade days and online, Greathouse also offers cigar box guitar lessons for $20 an hour. KBrent@BeaumontEnterprise.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A second 15-year-old boy has been certified to stand trial as an adult in the June killing of a pregnant Beaumont woman and her infant daughter. Corey Spencer, the alleged gunman in the June 6 fatal shooting of Kera Teel, was certified in 317th District Court on Monday. He faces charges of capital murder and attempted capital murder from the Teel shooting and a July 12 attempted robbery, prosecutor John Nelson said. Spencer said he was not involved in the killing on Monday as he left the courtroom in handcuffs. Teel, 19, was seven months pregnant when she was shot in the parking lot of the Sienna Trails apartment complex just before 2 a.m. during an attempted robbery. Kyndal Teel died after her birth at a Beaumont hospital. Nelson said Spencer is the alleged "trigger man" in Teel's death. He was 14 at the time. Johnny Phifer, 15, who was certified on Nov. 30 as an adult in the case, told police that Spencer shot Teel after she refused to open her car door, according to Phifer's arrest affidavit. Nelson said Phifer and Spencer are friends and are distantly related. Investigators do not believe the two are gang members, though Nelson said they were "familiar with the culture." He said attempted robbery appears to be the motive in the crime. According to the affidavit, Phifer told police that Dustin Bernard, 22, drove the teens to the apartment complex on June 6, planning to rob people and burglarize cars. Phifer told police that Spencer, wearing a white cloth over his face, tried to open Teel's car door. When she refused to open the door, he forcibly opened it and shot her, Phifer is quoted in the affidavit. He told police that he and Bernard witnessed the shooting and that all three fled in Bernard's BMW to another location, where they attempted to rob another person, according to the affidavit. Both teens are also charged with attempted capital murder in a July 12 robbery on Yorktown Lane. Bernard was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury in July on a charge of attempted capital murder for his alleged involvement in the same robbery. According to a probable cause affidavit filed in that incident, Phifer and Spencer told police that Bernard drove them to the home on Yorktown Lane around 6 a.m., gave them guns and "collected them at the end of their activities." Spencer told police that he and Phifer saw the homeowner standing about 10 feet away, thought he had a gun and fired at him through a sliding glass door. They "ran to the waiting car, driven by Bernard," he said, who allegedly fired two shots in the air before driving away. Bernard was arrested in July on an outstanding probation violation warrant and four guns were found in the house, including one that was a forensic match to the weapon used in the Yorktown Lane shooting, according to the affidavit. He has not been charged in Teel's death, though he is a suspect in the case. Jefferson County Grand Jury Attorney Cory Kneeland said previously that charges against all three will be brought before a grand jury at the same time. Attorney Bruce Smith, who represented Spencer, said he argued that the teen was not sophisticated and mature enough to be treated as an adult, and that there was not sufficient evidence to connect him to Teel's killing. He argued that prosecutors needed evidence other than the testimony of an accomplice to find probable cause that Spencer committed the crime. "If you have a suspect who allegedly did this when he was only 14 years of age, I think the evidence needs to be really, really strong ... because the public can be sufficiently protected by continuing to treat him as a juvenile," he said. "I didn't think there was sufficient evidence." Smith said Spencer and Phifer will both have court-appointed attorneys going forward. He said he feels comfortable that the judges of both of Jefferson County's criminal courts "will bend over backwards to protect (Spencer's) rights" and treat him fairly. Attorney Jefferson Fisher, who represents Teel's husband, Andrew, in a civil suit against the apartment complex where she was killed, said the hearing was emotional for the family, who left the courtroom without speaking to media. "This has been a long journey, it's going to continue to be a long journey," he said. Spencer is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning, Nelson said. LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz Law enforcement officials in New York City work after a bomb blast near Times Square, Dec. 11, 2017. Updated at 6:24 p.m. ET on 2017-12-11 Neighbors described a Bangladeshi man suspected of setting off a bomb Monday near New Yorks Times Square as cocky and weird, but were surprised to hear he was involved in what local authorities called an attempted terrorist attack. The suspect and three other people were injured in the explosion during the morning rush-hour in an underground subway passage about 200 feet from a busy bus terminal in Manhattan, officials said. Authorities arrested Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Brooklyn resident, after he allegedly detonated an improvised explosive device that was strapped to his body, New York Police Commissioner James ONeill said. The explosion left Ullah with burns and wounds to his body and injured three others, officials said. He wasnt very nice. He was kind of cocky, Ullahs longtime neighbor, Alan Butrico, told BenarNews. He was often blocking my driveway. Butrico, owner of a locksmith and hardware in Brooklyns Flatlands neighborhood, said he was Ullahs next-door neighbor for about seven years. I would ask him to move the car whenever he was blocking my driveway and he would react like he was giving me a favor, Butrico said. But Butrico, who lived in the neighborhood for 27 years, said he was surprised to hear that Ullah, whom he described as a former cab driver and electrician, was involved in a terrorist attack. Im glad he didnt blow up my store, Butrico said. Im glad he went to Manhattan. The bomb exploded at around 7:20 a.m. (local time) in a subway corridor on 42nd Street, between 7th and 8th avenues, police said. This device was intentionally detonated by the subject, ONeill, the police commissioners, said in a statement posted on the New York Police Departments (NYPD) Twitter page. Three people in the immediate area suffered minor injuries and the suspect, who suffered severe burns, was placed in custody and transported to a hospital, ONeill said. Fire officials said Ullah had burns to his hands and abdomen. A photo published by the New York Post showed a bearded man crumpled on the ground with his shirt apparently blown off and black soot covering his bare midriff. Lets be also clear this was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. The only injuries we know at this point were minor. Kat Mara, who works at a real-estate company near Ullahs home, said the Bangladeshi suspect was very aloof. Hes like a loner, like theres always something in his mind, Mara, 63, told BenarNews, saying that she often saw Ullah at a bagel store across the street from her office. Hes very aloof, she said. I would say hello and he wouldnt say anything. He just seemed a little weird. No criminal record in Bangladesh In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, Police Inspector-General A.K.M. Shahidul Hoque said Ullah had no criminal record in Bangladesh and that he last visited his home country on Sept. 8. Hoque told the Reuters news service that the information was based on Ullahs passport number, and said the suspect was from the southern Bangladeshi district of Chittagong. New York daily newspapers, quoting unnamed law-enforcement sources, said Ullah arrived in the United States from Bangladesh on Sept. 21, 2011 on an F-4 Visa, which is for siblings of American citizens. He is currently a permanent resident, according to officials. Shamim Ahmad, a spokesman at Bangladeshs embassy in Washington, did not confirm to BenarNews during a phone interview that Ullah was a Bangladeshi. Consular officials in New York were awaiting an official report from the NYPD, Ahmad said. He later on issued a statement saying that the Bangladesh government is committed to its declared policy of zero tolerance against terrorism, and condemns terrorism and violent extremism in all forms or manifestations anywhere in the world, including Monday morning's incident in New York City. A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his or her ethnicity or religion, and must be brought to justice, the statement said. Ullah lived with his father, mother and brother and worked as a driver in New York for a few years until his license lapsed in 2015, officials said. Neighbors said he lived with his family on the first floor of a two-story home. New York City Police Commissioner James ONeill holds a news conference outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan with Mayor Bill de Blasio (left) and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after a pipe-bomb strapped to a man exploded in a crowded subway corridor near Times Square, Dec. 11, 2017. [AP] Six weeks, two terrorist incidents Mondays bombing occurred nearly six weeks after a deadly terrorist attack in Lower Manhattan. A man killed eight people and injured a dozen others as he drove a pickup truck down a bicycle path near the World Trade Center on Oct. 31. An officer shot and wounded the suspect. The U.S. Attorneys Office said the suspect, identified as a 29-year-old Uzbek, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, was indicted last month on murder and terror-related charges. John Miller, the New York Police Department's deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said authorities had thwarted 26 terrorist plots in New York since Sept. 11, 2001. We have prevented a significant number of plots, Miller told reporters Monday. Your intel operations are looking for indicators, he said. They dont have an X-ray for a mans soul. The blast on Monday also happened two months after U.S. authorities accused a 37-year-old Filipino doctor of providing funds to support a foiled plot last year to carry out bombings and shootings in crowded areas in New York City, including the subway system and in Times Square. Russell Salic, a surgeon, was arrested in April 2017 in the Philippines and is awaiting extradition to the United States. Authorities said those thwarted attacks were to be carried out by the suspects under the name of the extremist group Islamic State during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan last year. Akayed Ullah[Reuters] Kazi Nishat Tarana, a Bangladeshi living in New York, told BenarNews she was shocked to hear reports that the suspect in Mondays explosion could be a Bangladeshi. I want to say very clearly, he doesnt represent Bangladesh, she said. The people of our country is peace loving and this man no way is influenced by our great tradition of peace and harmony. We are deeply upset. I hope no Bangladeshi student or immigrant will be judged differently after this incident. In Dhaka, Sohaili Ferdous, an assistant inspector general of police, said the department would investigate any possible ties between the latest New York attack and Bangladesh. Right now, we cannot give information about him. We have to check with our database whether he had any militant or criminal background, Ferdous told BenarNews. Kamran Reza Chowdhury in Dhaka contributed to this report. The Philippine military said Monday it had dislodged communist New Peoples Army guerrillas from four of their camps in the southern Philippines last week, but bomb attacks by the NPA wounded seven soldiers and a police officer at the weekend. The captured camps included the NPAs regional headquarters in San Agustin, a remote village in the town of Surigao del Sur, part of the countrys southern third. The regional camp was a plum prize for us. It was the rebel nerve center for their military operation in the region, said Col. Andres Centeno, chief of the Armys regional Infantry Brigade. Soldiers seized a huge stockpile of war materials in taking the four camps, after a month-long operation that began in November when guerrillas killed a soldier and two militiamen while attacking an army detachment, Centeno said. Two NPA rebels, including a bomb maker, were killed in the latest operation on Dec. 5. The rebel headquarters fell last week, but the three other smaller camps were captured one after the other during a period of a month. The military success was only announced Monday. Centeno said the last camp that fell could accommodate 200 people and included an intricate bunker system. A big generator produced electricity and distributed power to a row of huts and tents, which housed the rebels administrative and communication facilities. Government troops also recovered a small armory, which included spare parts for assault rifles, mortar shells and land mines, Centeno said. Weekend attacks On Saturday, the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), launched three bomb attacks in the south, just days after President Rodrigo Duterte labelled them a terrorist organization after he had cancelled peace talks with the communists. The attacks occurred in the town of North Upi in Maguindanao province, also in Mindanao. Capt. Arvin Encinas, a local spokesman for the army, said an undetermined number of NPA fighters launched the attack before midnight on Friday, by firing a rifle grenade on a police detachment. An officer, identified as Ismael Alabama, was wounded, according to Encinas. After 25 minutes, another explosion happened at the Nuro Bridge, which is about 50 meters [164 feet] from the police detachment. No one was wounded there, Encinas said. He said Marines were deployed to secure the area but, as they were heading back, the truck they were riding in was hit by a bomb explosion. Seven of them were wounded, Encinas said, adding that all the men were taken to hospital, where they were later declared out of danger. Despotic ambitions The NPA has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the impoverished countryside for nearly half a century. Communist party founder, Jose Maria Sison, who is in self-imposed exile in the Netherlands, said Duterte would go down in history as the butcher of the Filipino people. His ambition is to become the despot of death and destruction, Sison said in a statement from Europe. Sison, a one-time professor of the self-described leftist president, and Duterte had had a good start. When the president took office last year, he immediately launched peace negotiations, hoping to immediately put an end to one of Asias longest-running insurgencies. Duterte freed detained rebel leaders and allowed them to travel to join negotiations abroad. But the cordial mood turned sour after the NPA kept launching attacks, despite a declaration of truce. Late last month, two civilians, including an infant girl, were killed in an NPA attack, angering Duterte. Estimated at about 5,000, the NPA claims to operate in 70 of the countrys 79 provinces. The armed forces claim that communist guerrillas also have a working alliance with other rebel groups in the south, though it is extremely rare for the NPA to stage attacks backing up Muslim rebel groups. Mark Navales in Cotabato contributed to this report. Abu Sayyaf Group members gather in the jungles of the southern Philippine island of Basilan in this undated file photo. Abu Sayyaf kidnapers executed a Vietnamese hostage after holding him captive for more than a year in the southern Philippines, the military said Monday. The body of Pham Minh Tuan, the captain of the M/V Royal 16 vessel who was taken hostage along with five crew members by Abu Sayyaf militants in November 2016, was recovered in a coastal village on Jolo island at the weekend, military officials said. Tuans remains were airlifted to Manila and turned over to the Vietnamese Embassy, said Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares, head of the regional police. M/V Royal 16 was carrying cement from northeastern Vietnam to the Philippines when it was attacked off the island of Basilan in the south. The boat had 19 crew members aboard, according to the Vietnamese embassy in the Philippines, but the attackers took six, including the captain, as hostages and let the rest go. Tuan and his five crewmen apparently were taken to the jungles of Jolo island farther south, military officials said. One of the five escaped in June, while two were beheaded a month later. Mijares said the gunmen initially thought the boat captain could be ransomed for a big amount, but they were mistaken. He did not elaborate. Last month, troops rescued four Vietnamese hostages from the Abu Sayyaf but found a fifth dead. This group was taken from another ship gunmen boarded in February. At least six foreigners are believed to be held captive by Abu Sayyaf, officials said. The bandits last year had beheaded two Canadians and a German national held separately, after ransom payments demanded by the captors were not met. Following the recovery of Tuans body, the military said it launched pursuit operations that led to a clash in the seaside town of Panamao in Sulu, where three Abu Sayyaf suspects were killed. Numbering in the low hundreds, the Abu Sayyaf (Bearers of the Sword) was founded in the 1990s by Afghan-trained militant Abdurajak Janjalani. It is the most violent of Muslim rebel factions in the southern Philippines, and was blamed for a ferry bombing in Manila Bay that killed more than 100 people in 2004. Janjalani was eventually killed in a police operation in Basilan. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Khadaffy, under whose command gunmen launched a series of spectacular kidnapping raids that netted dozens of European, Asian and American hostages during the previous decade. Khadaffy was killed, but Abu Sayyaf later split into several factions, including one led by Isnilon Hapilon, who pledged allegiance to the IS and led the siege of Marawi city in May. Hapilon was among more than 1,000 people killed in five months of gun battles in Marawi, but the military said that his death did not automatically mean the end of the Abu Sayyaf. Protesters in Manila denounce President Rodrigo Duterte for seeking to extend martial law, prolonging the war on drugs and cracking down on activists who call for his removal from office, Dec. 8, 2017. President Rodrigo Duterte officially asked Congress to expand military rule in the southern Philippines, saying his government needed more time to fight Islamic State-linked extremist groups despite defeating a militant faction in Marawi, his spokesman said Monday. The president transmitted a letter with the request on Friday, but announced it publicly three days later. He wrote that while the armed forces officially ended the siege of IS-linked militants in Marawi, troops needed more time to ensure total eradication of the armed groups from the south. We are hopeful that Congress would see the need for further extension of martial law as explained in PRRDs [President Rodrigo Dutertes] official communication to finally put an end to the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. Public safety after all is our primordial concern. We must unite against these evil forces, he said. If approved, martial law also would cover communist guerrillas in the region. Last week, Duterte declared the Communist Party of the Philippines and its rebel wing, the New Peoples Army, as terrorist organizations after he had canceled peace negotiations with them. Dutertes letter said the military would use the legal cover to crush like minded local or foreign terrorist groups and armed lawless groups and communist terrorists and their coddler, supporters and finances. In response, at least one congressman questioned the necessity of extending martial law in the south since Marawi was officially declared liberated on Oct. 23. IS fanning out across Mindanao The military said it had monitored IS-linked forces fanning out across the mostly impoverished southern island of Mindanao in their recruitment and radicalization activities. Of particular concern are the areas of Maguindanao and North Cotabato in central Mindanao, as well as the islands of Basilan and Jolo to the south, it said. Many areas in these provinces have been considered prime recruitment grounds for the militants, military officials said. These activities are geared toward the conduct of intensified atrocities and armed public uprisings in support of their objective of establishing the foundation of a global Islamic caliphate and of a wilayat (division) not only in the Philippines but also in the whole of Southeast Asia, Duterte said. He noted that the death of the Abu Sayyaf Groups Isnilon Hapilon, the acknowledged leader of the IS in Southeast Asia, did not ensure that the movement had died with him. Instead Duterte identified Abu Turaipe a former separatist guerrilla leader from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as the likely successor. Turaipe broke away from the MILF after the group signed a peace deal with Manila in 2014 and dropped its fight for a separate state in favor of expanded autonomy. Since August, the military has been engaged in low-intensity fighting with Turaipes group in marshland areas in Maguindanao. Initially, Turaipes band was dismissed as a small group of bandits until its members pledged allegiance to IS last year. Duterte said Turaipes group was now planning to conduct bombings. In all probability, the remnants of the group who engaged the military in a fierce battle that lasted five months in Marawi are presently regrouping and consolidating their forces, Duterte said. Dangerous precedent Rights groups have questioned Dutertes order, warning that he was setting the stage for eventual declaration of military rule across the entire democratic country. This is a dangerous precedent that inches the entire country closer to a nationwide declaration of martial rule, said Cristina Palabay, of the rights group Karapatan. Martial law in Mindanao has paved the way for the intensification of rights violations both within and outside of Marawi. We cannot expect the institution to benefit most from another year of martial law to decide against it, she said. She warned that should the measure pass in Congress, it would be a step toward a whole nation declaration allowing rights violations would continue. Rep. Edcel Lagman, an opposition member at the House of Representatives, said martial law can be extended only in case of invasion or rebellion or when public safety requires it. There is no more factual basis for the extension of martial law in Mindanao after President Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi City from rebels and terrorists almost two months ago, and government combat forces had been withdrawn, Lagman said. He said that Dutertes argument that he wanted an extension to contain continuing threats by terrorists was no longer valid because when Marawi was declared free, the government virtually admitted that it had defeated the threat. Felipe Villamor in Manila contributed to this report. For Immediate Release, December 11, 2017 Contact: Catherine Kilduff, Center for Biological Diversity, (202) 780-8862, ckilduff@biologicaldiversity.org Melissa Angel, Turtle Island Restoration Network, (919) 539-5024, melissa@tirn.net Alicia Cordero, Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation, (805) 323-7023, aliciacordero@wishtoyo.org Lawsuit Launched to Protect Pacific Habitat for Humpback Whales Threatened by Fishing Gear, Ship Strikes, Oil Spills SAN FRANCISCO The Center for Biological Diversity, Turtle Island Restoration Network and Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation today filed a notice of intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect humpback whale habitat in the Pacific Ocean, where the animals face threats from fisheries, ship strikes and oil spills. West Coast humpback whales face growing threats that the Trump administrations ignoring. Record numbers of whales are getting tangled in nets and lines while federal officials just stand back and tally the carnage, said Catherine Kilduff, a Center attorney. At the very least, the feds have to protect the critical habitat along the West Coast thats now prone to oil spills, busy with shipping traffic, and dangerously dense with fishing gear. One population of endangered humpback whales that feeds off Californias coast numbers barely more than 400 individuals, meaning any death or injury from entanglement could hurt the entire populations recovery. At least 54 humpback whales were found tangled up in fishing gear off the West Coast last year. Entanglements cause injuries and death as the ropes cut into animals flesh, sap their strength and lead to drowning. Many of last years incidents were clustered around the biologically rich Monterey Bay, where migrating whales come to feed. Californias industrial fisheries, ship traffic and oil spills are contributing to the decline of humpback whale populations, said Todd Steiner, executive director of Turtle Island Restoration Network. If we don't protect humpback habitat now, we're ultimately advancing the clock toward their extinction. Ship strikes and oil spills are the other major threats to West Coast humpback whales. A new study found that an estimated 22 humpback whales off California, Oregon and Washington die each year after being hit by ships. In 2015 endangered humpback whales were observed swimming in the Refugio oil spill, which dumped at least 21,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean. The spill killed hundreds of marine mammals and birds, including dolphins and sea lions. The company responsible recently applied for a permit to rebuild the pipelines. Since time immemorial, Chumash people have shared our home waters of the Santa Barbara Channel with the Paxat Nation, Californias humpback whales. They have a deeply respected role in our culture, guiding and protecting our maritime people as we navigate through the channel. In reciprocity, the Chumash people play a strong role in protecting our magnificent relatives as they face increasing threats from ship strikes, entanglement, and gas and oil development, said Alicia Cordero, First Nations program officer for the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation. Ensuring proper designation of critical habitat for these populations of endangered humpback whales is a core responsibility for Chumash people, keeping our millennia-old commitment to All Our Relations. Critical habitat protection would help safeguard ocean areas essential for migrating and feeding. The designation would ensure that federally permitted activities do not continue to drive humpback whales to the brink of extinction by destroying important areas. Evidence shows that endangered or threatened species that have protected critical habitat are twice as likely to show signs of recovery as those without it. Humpback whale populations that need critical habitat were identified in 2016 by the National Marine Fisheries Service, including the threatened Mexico population that feeds off the U.S. West Coast and Alaska and the endangered Central America population that feeds almost exclusively off California and Oregon. For Immediate Release, December 11, 2017 Contact: Noah Greenwald, (503) 484-7495, ngreenwald@biologicaldiversity.org Nick Cady, (314) 482-3746, nick@cascwild.org Reward Boosted to $20,000 in Search for Killer of Two Washington Wolves Groups Push for Increased Federal Law Enforcement SEATTLE The Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands today increased a reward to $20,000 for information leading to conviction in the killing of two wolves last month in northeast Washington. The groups also called for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to step up its law enforcement efforts to investigate poaching incidents in both Washington and Oregon. Poaching wolves or other wildlife is a deplorable crime, said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center. We need people to come forward and help put a stop to the killing of these endangered animals. The two wolves killed were part of the Smackout and Dirty Shirt packs. Information on their loss and a $10,000 reward was issued by another conservation group, Conservation Northwest, on Saturday. These killings follow the poaching of three other Oregon wolves over the past several months. Wolf populations in both Washington and Oregon remain small and poaching could have a serious impact on their continued recovery. Poaching represents a real threat to the recovery of wolves in Washington and elsewhere on the West Coast, said Nick Cady, legal director with Cascadia Wildlands. Its time for federal and state law enforcement to meaningfully act and catch and prosecute these lawless poachers. Following a government-sponsored campaign of poisoning, shooting and killing, wolves were wiped out from all lower 48 states except a small corner of northeast Minnesota. With protection under the Endangered Species Act, wolves have made a comeback in portions of their range. They began returning to Washington and Oregon in the past 10 years or so, now numbering between 100 and 150 animals in each state. LAGOS, Nigeria: Leading Pan African reinsurance firm, Continental Reinsurance Plc has today announced the judging panel for its third Pan African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards. mearicon via 123RF Nadia Mensah-Acogny, journalist, Shelter Afrique, will be the chair for the independent Judging Panel. Other judges are: Tony Van Niekerk, editor of South Africas Cover Magazine; Afif Ben Yedder, founder, IC Publications; Michael Wilson, business and finance journalist and Julia Graham, technical director, Airmic. The awards are currently open for submissions to both English and French-speaking journalists covering the re/insurance sector in Africa. Deadline for submissions of entries is January 31, 2018. Dr Femi Oyetunji, group managing director/CEO of Continental Reinsurance Plc noted: We are glad to bring on board, a panel of insurance media experts to assess entries submitted by journalists from across the continent. We believe these awards will inspire business journalists to cover issues related to the sector and improve overall quality of reporting. The judging criteria will focus on how the entries have raised awareness and understanding of the re/insurance sector and displayed integrity in covering the sector. They will also be judged according to how participating journalists have sourced new data or analysed existing data to make it relevant to regional, national and local audiences; effectively analysed a current news story or other noteworthy insurance issue as well as used, analysed and presented statistics to investigate a particular issue in the re/insurance sector. The judges will independently evaluate all the submitted entries and select winners for the three categories for the third Pan African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards: Journalist of the Year; Best Analysis & Commentary; and Best Feature article. Winners will be announced at the Continental Reinsurance CEO Summit scheduled to take place 12 - 13 April 2018 in Swakopmund, Namibia. Continental Reinsurance initiated the awards in 2015 to recognise and acknowledge the good work of journalists who have made outstanding contributions in reporting about the Re/Insurance sector African media. Last week, YouTube released its annual Rewind lists. These lists are separated by country and showcase the moments that captured the attention of YouTube users around the globe this year. emevil via 123RF The Nigerian section of these list made for some interesting viewing by giving an insight into what Nigerians like to watch on YouTube. The top 10 videos (excluding from major music labels) most viewed by Nigerians this year, include comedy skits by Mark Angel, coming in 3rd and 8th position; as well as political concerns with the return of President Buhari from his medical trip to the United Kingdom; and the Biafra protests coming in at 2nd and 4th position. A look at the music videos most watched in Nigeria, shows how Nigerians have embraced indigenous music but not without a few foreign favourites. Songs like Davidos If and Fall and DJ Khaleds Wild Thoughts with Rihanna and Im the One took top spot. Nigerian favorites Come closer by Wiz Kid featuring Drake, Wo by Olamide, Nobody Ugly by P-Square all made the list. 2017 Top 10 trending videos in Nigeria 150 Jaguar Land Rover employees recently participated in the company's first 'Mapathon' event, plotting roads, rivers and buildings across a sprawling area in the Kurigram District of Bangladesh using satellite imagery. The event took place on 5 December, coinciding with International Volunteer Day and celebratesd a 64-year partnership between Jaguar Land Rover and the Red Cross. Jaguar Land Rover employees join a global community of volunteers mapping areas where humanitarian organisations, such as the Red Cross, are helping vulnerable people. Bangladesh was chosen to support the Red Cross work in the area to implement disaster risk reduction activities and increase resilience of communities. Life-saving support Chris Thorp, responsible business director, said: Each year, disasters kill nearly 100,000 people and affect or displace 200-million more globally. Many of these places are not on any map, making them hard to reach in emergencies. By taking part in todays Mapathon, our employees are helping the Red Cross to provide life-saving support to the vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, harnessing the talent of Jaguar Land Rover employees to create genuine social impact. During the two-hour event, using the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team Tasking Manager, each volunteer was allocated a square of territory to trace through satellite images and outline features such as buildings, roads and rivers. The maps produced are open data, and Red Cross and other non-governmental organisations can use the maps when they respond to crises. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 report - the international comparative reading assessment conducted by the University of Pretoria (UP) researchers at the Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA) locally - has shown there has been no significant progress in national primary school reading literacy in South Africa, since the last report in 2011. South Africa placed last out of the 50 countries participating in the study at fourth grade level, with the Russian Federation and Singapore being the top achievers. More than 319,000 learners participated in PIRLS 2016 worldwide. This third South African PIRLS national report builds on 10 years of rigorous research in reading literacy. Although national performance is generally very low, there is a glimmer of hope. Between PIRLS 2011 and PIRLS 2016 there has been an improvement in performance for five African languages (out of the 11 languages tested) at Grade 4 level, despite the fact that these were the lowest performing languages in the 2011 study. Being able to read is the key to academic and future success, says Celeste Combrinck, acting director at the CEA. If you can't read, your opportunities in school or after school will be limited, which is why reading should start at a very young age. Evaluation and SA statistics The CEA works closely with the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Centre at Boston College, USA, as well as several other international research organisations and associations in countries such as Canada and Germany, to coordinate and collaborate on the PIRLS study across the globe. At the end of 2015, the CEA tested the reading comprehension skills of 12,810 Grade 4 learners in all 11 official languages across South Africa. In addition, over 5,000 Grade 5 learners were tested in Afrikaans, English and isiZulu. This data was processed and analysed by the international research group and then returned to the CEA. The study was supported by the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) through partial funding and limited logistical support. The results, which are carefully validated internationally and reviewed nationally to ensure accuracy, suggest that almost 80% of South African Grade 4 learners fall below the lowest internationally recognised level of reading literacy. According to Prof Sarah Howie, National Research Coordinator (NRC) for PIRLS 2016 South Africa, this suggests that the majority of learners cannot read well enough to succeed in subjects across the curriculum in Grade 4 and higher grades. "What is troubling is that this is true across all languages in South Africa, as less than a quarter of learners overall reached the lowest international benchmark. While less than half of the learners who wrote the tests in English and Afrikaans could read, 80% of those learning in one of the other nine official languages effectively cannot read at all," says Combrinck. The report shows that the Western Cape, Free State and Gauteng performed best of all the provinces, and that reading achievement in Sepedi, isiXhosa, Setswana and Tshivenda was the weakest. Boys also performed worse than girls with 84% of boys not being able to reach the lowest benchmark, in comparison to 72% of girls. The gender gap is an international trend that is reflected in South Africa. Transition issues Combrinck suggests that part of the problem may stem from two difficult transitions in the fourth year of school. Learners must transition from learning to read to reading to learn, in other words, they are expected to understand the language of learning well enough to study textbooks and other written material. At the same time in South Africa, learners at African language schools transition from being taught in an African language to being taught in English. This situation is almost certain to have a negative impact on Grade 4 reading literacy. The PIRLS benchmarking data for Grade 5 seem to support this suggestion: in one aspect of the study, 10-year comparisons with PIRLS 2006 suggest that Grade 5 learners have made progress in reading literacy in isiZulu, as well as a combined score for Afrikaans and English that reveals conservative improvements when these two language results are combined. This may suggest that given an extra year to settle into a new language, reading literacy may improve (although learners still fall well short of the international average). ePIRLS results In a small scale non-generalisable online reading literacy study conducted only in English in Gauteng (ePIRLS), learners performed as well in online reading literacy as they did on paper-based assessments. Only 14 countries internationally participated due to the difficult nature of the project. Alongside the reading literacy tests, CEA researchers also investigated over 1,000 other factors in the school, classroom and home environment to find potential reasons for the reading problems they observed, and to better understand the South African learning environment. Some of the PIRLS 2016 findings include: 90% and more of learners writing in Setswana and Sepedi did not reach the lowest benchmark. Learners writing in one of the nine African languages attained the lowest mean scores, which were significantly lower than those writing in Afrikaans or English. Children writing in isiXhosa and Sepedi are the most at risk. Grade 4 learners living in remote rural areas or townships have the lowest reading literacy scores compared to other locations. Class sizes are increasing. In the Grade 4 study the average class size was 45 learners per class and 55 in Limpopo, compared to 24 learners per class internationally. Fewer young teachers are entering the system. Most learners are taught by older teachers, but there is no relationship with learners reading literacy scores. The groups most at risk are those in deep rural areas and townships, those learning in African languages, and boys, says Combrinck. She hopes that this study will initiate a process to address these challenges. One way that the CEA is trying to address the problem is through a diagnostic analysis and the development of materials for the DBE. These resources will be developed in partnership with experienced teachers, and will provide materials and resources that will help teachers around South Africa improve how they teach reading and reading comprehension at primary school level. The PIRLS results can also be used by South African universities and will enable critical reflection on their teacher education curriculums for language and reading development. Howie hopes that her team has done enough to illustrate the scale of the problem, and that others will take up the torch. We can provide evidence and suggestions, but other experts now need to come on board and do the work, she says. If we can bring together like-minded people with honourable intentions who can use funds and resources for education effectively, there is no reason we can't fix this, although it will take time and hard work. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has refuted claims by members of trade union Solidarity that some teachers will lose jobs in 2018. It is sad that Solidarity demands that the department keep to the original allocation of teacher posts, irrespective of changes to learner population at different schools. We are ready for their ploy to run to court on this matter, said Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi on Monday, 11 December 2017. Some school principals, who are members of Solidarity, claim that about 1,800 posts could be lost when changes are made to teacher post allocations. The claims were made in an article published in the Rapport newspaper on Sunday. MEC Lesufi said it was disingenuous for some principals to claim that they did not get feedback from the department. We are actually baffled that they resorted to communicate with us through Solidarity and the media, when the department have afforded them channels to address their appeals. We cannot comprehend this malicious stance portrayed in the mentioned statement. It is disappointing for them to fabricate in this manner, said MEC Lesufi. According to the department, annual post allocations are conducted to ensure that schools that shrink or grow in learner population still have a fair amount of teachers. In simple terms, schools that experience learner reduction will be affected by redistribution of teacher posts and those schools that have grown will gain posts from redistribution. It is important [to note] that [this] is based on learner numbers, said the department. Instead of retrenchments, as claimed in the Rapport article, the department said teachers will be redeployed in line with departmental redeployment policy. The policy was ratified by labour parties, which are members to the Educator Labour Relations Council (ELRC). Post allocation process In a statement, the department detailed the process followed on teacher allocation posts. It said the following process was undertaken: Consultation with unions on the proposed post establishment for schools deadlocked at Provincial Educator Labour Relations Council (PELRC). GDE approved and distributed post establishments to schools on 12 October 2017. Unions rejected the approved post establishments and urged schools not to accept them. Special chamber held on 10 November 2017 resolved that GDE must revise and distribute the post establishments to schools for information verification. An agreement was reached by all parties to retain the 2017 total post number for the 2018 academic year. GDE tabled the revised post establishment at PELRC on 17 November 2017 and this was ratified. Final revised Post Establishment letters were issued on 30 November 2017 to schools. The department has approved 500 posts to address learner growth in the 2018 academic year. The appeal process was shared with schools, subsequently the department received more than 100 appeals and each school was responded to through the district offices on 8 December. We are currently amid an industrial revolution which is transforming every sector of business. While the travel industry is arguably ahead of the curve right now, for how long will it remain in front? In South Africa , almost 3.5 million travellers passed through the country in August this year alone. The economic impact of not staying up to date with the latest technologies can, therefore, be considerable. Claude Schuck Thanks to the growth of mobile technology across Africa, consumers are more connected than ever and expecting information to be available to them irrespective of the device used or physical location. According to statistics from the GSMA, mobile technologies and services are expected to amount to more than $210bn of economic value to the continent by 2020. Technology has permeated all facets of travel with young people interacting and engaging using different platforms to book flights and hotels, perform online check-ins, upgrade their seats, and write reviews. In fact, the travel industry in South Africa is quickly catching up to international developments and moving from the traditional office space and travel agent to a more evolved DIY-style experience. This digital traveller experience lets consumers take full control over all aspects of their holidays. Much of this digital transformation is driven by the consumers desire to make bookings around the clock from anywhere in the world, rather than be limited by the opening hours of an office-based travel agency, and the subsequent cost savings of cutting out a middleman that took a commission for selling you the trip. ...it stands to reason that to truly embrace digital transformation, those involved in travel need to implement availability of data and digital services as the foundation for their digital offerings to customers. Embrace digital transformation So, just imagine the impact if one of these new digital travel services is inaccessible or unavailable. For example, not only will travellers risk not finding the accommodation they need, but they wont be able to book a seat before arriving at the airport, ensuring the whole check-in process is a lengthier affair once more. With so many competitors in the travel sector, chances are good that the customer will simply move on to the next travel service that offers the same kind of value for money and is available to take an online booking. Therefore, it stands to reason that to truly embrace digital transformation, those involved in travel need to implement availability of data and digital services as the foundation for their digital offerings to customers. While terms like business continuity and disaster recovery might not be familiar to those outside of the ICT sector, they are challenges that business leaders across industry sectors are acknowledging and addressing to ensure they deliver an improved level of customer experience. Without these, downtime can be the difference between business growth and a business existing in six months time. Consider how much potential business a travel agency could lose during peak periods if its site crashes and becomes unavailable for any significant length of time. The importance of being more digital-savvy is evident just by looking at developments in the travel industry on the continent. Recently, AirBnB announced that it will invest $1m through 2020 to promote and support community-led tourism projects in Africa. In just the past year, it welcomed 1.2 million guests to the continent while earning a combined $139m in host income. Look more widely and AirBnB is on course to have accommodated more than 100 million leisure and business guests this year globally, up from 80 million in 2016. While thats still small compared to the $550 billion global hotel industry, its staggering for a business that began in 2014. Instant gratification The customer profile is changing. Today, the expectation is all about instant gratification. Business hours are not just 9-to-5, but rather when the consumer wants it to be. This means the travel agency is now a 24-hour operation that needs to be available to serve customers at 1am as effectively as they do at 10am. Consumers are expecting the travel industry to meet these availability requirements as they are becoming increasingly reliant on an instant digital experience. For some, if a website doesnt load in the blink of an eye, is it even worth doing business with? Whether or not you subscribe to this thought, it is clear that if you offer digital services or plan to, availability is an essential business requirement. Peter Bernik via 123RF According to Travelport research, 86% of South African travellers use travel booking sites while 82% consult review sites to help with ideas on which destinations to visit next. It also indicates that mobile is a growing (and important) aspect of the booking experience with 35% of respondents using a smartphone and 38 percent a tablet to do their bookings. ...travel agencies in the digital area need to take responsibility for being always on, always available, and always ready for processing purchases. This points to exciting new times for consumers, but worrisome ones for businesses not able to meet these demands. Globally, only 12% of the Fortune 500 companies from 1955 still exist. Most of these disappearances are due to market disruption. Right now, there is no greater disruption than that of digitisation where technology advances are providing the competitive difference for businesses. But these can only be effectively realised if operators embrace an always-on approach that is cognisant of having adequate measures in place should disaster strike. Instead of gifting your revenue to a competitor by not having a disaster recovery or business continuity strategy in place, travel agencies in the digital area need to take responsibility for being always on, always available, and always ready for processing purchases. Going on a digital journey So, what can a travel agency or tour operator do? It is more than just a case of migrating to an online platform or developing an app. Being available and being digital mean these companies must adopt a completely different approach to their business. The focus needs to be placed on how customers are engaging and using their platforms, what kind of data is stored, and how that is used to create a more integrated user experience. As mentioned, customers want to be in charge of their own travel experience. Empowering them with the tools to do so must be a prime directive. Online booking platforms and mobile-friendly travel services around the world and across Africa are starting to become standard business practice. These kinds of digital disruptions can and will happen again at an increasing, almost exponential pace. But by taking the right next steps, leaders can use availability to their advantage and reap its extraordinary potential. After a four-way pitch, FCB Africa has been appointed to handle the above-the-line marketing communication for Sasol. Formed in 1950 in Sasolburg, Sasol pioneered oil-from-coal technology, effectively shifting the petroleum paradigm on a global scale. Today, it is an international integrated chemicals and energy company leveraging technologies and the expertise of its 30,300 people in 33 countries to produce a range of high-value product stream, including liquid fuels, chemicals and low-carbon electricity. According to FCB Cape Towns managing director, Eric dOliveira, the Cape Town/Joburg teams unrivalled category experience and knowledge was one of the crucial factors tipping the scales in its favour. FCB Africas impressive track record for creating work that wins the hearts and souls of South African consumers was another, added FCB Joburg managing director, Thabang Skwambane. In fact, the agency was responsible for Millward Brown AdTracks Best Consumer Liked Advert for the Past 25 Years, Sasol Super 100 'Glug Glug', he said. The Sasol story is an inspirational one firing the imagination of South Africas scientists, engineers and forward-thinkers since 1950. We look forward to working again with this world-class, truly South African brand and helping to power it to new heights as one of the countrys favourite brands, said dOliveira. SYDNEY, Australia: Australia's main stock exchange has said it will use blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrency bitcoin, to process its equities transactions in a shift touted as a world-first for a major financial institution. The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), the eighth-largest sharemarket in the world, will replace its current system Chess with the distributed ledger technology to manage the clearing and settlement for buying and selling stocks. ASX chief executive Dominic Stevens said the move "will put Australia at the forefront of innovation in financial markets", in a statement. "While we have a lot more work still to do, today's announcement is a major milestone on that journey." Blockchain technology debuted in 2009 as a public, encrypted ledger for the digital currency bitcoin. It has drawn interest from the established banking sector in recent years because of its potential for securely tracking transactions, allowing anyone to get an accurate accounting of money, property or other assets. "If it actually increases efficiency without compromising security, then banks will always be on the lookout for such innovation," Bell Potter banking analyst TS Lim told AFP. "At the end of the day, they'll keep an eye on it but they wouldn't rush into it in a hurry as being regulated entities, it's all about risk management and preserving the security of customers." The ASX said it would use American software company Digital Asset's blockchain platform. The technology is set to take at least two years to go live, The Australian newspaper reported. "After so much hype surrounding distributed ledger technology, today's announcement delivers the first meaningful proof that the technology can live up to its potential," Digital Asset chief executive Blythe Masters said in a statement. He added that the switch to blockchain showed it "can meet the requirements of mission critical financial infrastructure". The ASX said it would release details on how the system would work and when it might be launched in March next year. 79 out of 82 of Ryanair's direct employee pilots based in Dublin have voted for industrial action in a row over collective bargaining and negotiating rights. The ballot is said to have covered direct employees only, of which there are 84 and most of whom are captains, without whom planes cannot fly. Staff employed through agencies, individual companies ar as contractor pilots were not covered in the ballot by the Irish Air Line Pilots Association - which is affiliated to IMPACT. It comes after the airline's pilots have rejected the company's collective bargaining structures which they believe weaken their negotiating and bargaining power. The company has summoned them to a meeting at its headquarters this evening. The pilots want to use their new collective European Employee Representative Council in negotiations, rather than the Employee Representative Councils at each of Ryanair's 87 bases. IMPACT confirmed that of the 84 ballot papers issued, 83 were returned and one was spoiled. The ballot result found that 79 of the remaining 82 voted in favour of industrial action, while three were against. Ryanair have released a statement saying they have received no notification of any industrial action by its Dublin pilots. They said: "Less than 28% of Ryanairs Dublin (over 300) pilots have voted in favour of unspecified industrial action. "We suspect this is more PR activity by Aer Lingus pilots group IALPA, to distract from their failure in negotiating a paltry 3% pay increase for Aer Lingus pilots. "Now that Ryanairs Cork, Shannon and Belfast bases have agreed 20% pay increases we expect the Dublin pilots to follow this trend. However, if Ryanairs Dublin pilots are misled by some Aer Lingus pilots into industrial action then they will lose their favourable rosters (5on/4off, a double bank holiday every week) and remuneration benefits that are specifically linked by agreement to dealing directly with Ryanair. "This might be the first time in Irish history that a few Aer Lingus pilots persuade Ryanair pilots earning between 150,000 to 180,000 p.a. to take up industrial action instead of a 20% pay increase when Aer Lingus pilots are only getting 3%. "If any such industrial action occurs Ryanair will still not engage with, or recognise, Aer Lingus pilots or their IALPA union." By Ann OLoughlin Ryanair has failed to have a case over alleged on-line "screen scraping" admitted to the fast track Commercial Court list. Screen scraping involves the copying data from one website for re-utilisation in another without the authority of the website owner. Ryanair has brought a number of such actions over the last ten years in Ireland, the judge who heads the Commercial Court, Mr Justice Brian McGovern, was told today. The judge refused to allow Ryanair have its latest case against a Bucharest, Romania, based on-line travel agency, SC Vola.Ro SRL, to be transferred to the commercial list which means it will now go through the normal High Court list. The judge said for a company which prides itself on on-time flight arrivals, it was hard to understand why Ryanair has not progressed some of the other proceedings it had brought over alleged screen scraping. One set of proceedings, against companies called Billigfluege/Ticket Point Reiseburo and On the Beach Ltd, had gone to the Supreme Court on the question of which jurisdiction the cases should be heard in. The court found, in 2015, it was Ireland and the cases had to go back to the High Court for determination. Martin Hayden SC, for Ryanair, argued the difficulty for his client was in trying to get the cases on. That was why it was seeking that this one be admitted to the fast-track commercial list. While it was not an indictment of anyone, the Commercial Court was the only division of the High Court capable of dealing with it in good time, he said. Mr Hayden rejected claims his client had delayed in bringing the case saying the airline first became aware of Vola.Ro in early September. He also said Vola.Ra had deliberately not stated how long it had been offering Ryanair flights. Ryanair established a based in Romania last year, he said. Cian Ferriter SC, for Vola.Ro, opposed entry of the case to the Commercial Court on grounds of delay by Ryanair in bringing the case. His client has been operating throughout the years since Ryanair started a campaign against a number of similar outlets over alleged screen scraping. There had been a half dozen other similar cases brought by the airline since 2008 and it beggared belief that it was only this year that Ryanair became aware of Vola.Ro, he said. Those other cases are still outstanding and Ryanair had not progressed them, he said. Mr Justice McGovern said it was a case in which he would exercise his discretion not to admit it to the commercial list. It was hard to understand why other similar cases had not been progressed by Ryanair. He also had to take account of limited court resources and he saw no particular urgency to this case. Among the orders and declarations Ryanair seeks are injunctions restraining the defendant from using the airlines website in breach of its terms of use and restraining it from infringing its registered trade marks. Spike Island in Cork has finished second at the World Travel Awards 2017 in Vietnam, second only to Machu Picchu in the Worlds Leading Tourist Attraction category, writes Olivia Kelleher. The island finished ahead of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai who were among the nine shortlisted finalists. In a statement Fortress Spike Island Cork said they were proud of their achievement in seeing off such big hitters of the travel world. "We are so proud and want to thank all our amazing staff and volunteers for their hard work. Our thanks also to all our visitors for choosing to come to us, and to Cork County Council and Failte Ireland for your support. And of course thanks to all in Cobh for helping us to get this far, we will endeavour to recognise individual involvement now that the journey is complete." Earlier this year Spike became the number one tourist attraction on Tripadvisor for Cork overtaking Fota Wildlife Park for the first time. In October it came in ahead of Buckingham Palace and the Eiffel Tower to be named Europe's leading tourist attraction at the World Travel awards. It was then sent forward for the overall world final. Spike Island came in ahead of Buckingham Palace and the Eiffel Tower to be named Europe's leading tourist attraction at the World Travel awards. Spike Island was once the largest prison in the world with over 2,300 inmates. The site is worth in excess of 3.5 million to the economy in Cobh and East Cork annually attracting thousands of visitors every year since it reopened in 2016. Fifty people are employed in a part time or full time capacity at the site as tour guides and at the cafe. The convict prison on Spike Island was seen as an experiment when it was opened in 1847 and it became part of the Irish System in the 1850s, which was admired and copied internationally, influencing modern correctional systems in countries as far apart as the US and Germany. It was a a hub for convict transportation. In July 2010 the island was officially handed over to Cork County Council on behalf of the Department of Justice by then minister for social protection Eamon O Cuiv. The local authority transformed Spike Island into a major tourism and heritage centre, highlighting its role in Irish history. Over the centuries it has been the site of monastic settlements, penal colonies and military bases. Spike Island Jetty. A military outpost or penal institution of some kind since the 16th century, Spike Island finally closed as a prison in 2004. The first known use of the 106-acre island was as a monastic settlement when a religious community was established on it in the 7th century. The first prison on the island dates from the 17th century following the end of the Cromwellian wars. During the late 18th century and early 19th century it was used to hold prisoners to be transported to the West Indies and Australia, and during the 1850s John Mitchel (after whom the prison was renamed in 1938) was jailed on Spike for his involvement in the rebellion of 1848. Spike Island entrance gates. The island remained in British hands until July 1938, when the last British troops departed and the Tricolour was raised by Eamon de Valera. It was transferred to the Department of Justice in 1985, and operated as a prison for many years. Fire fighters rescued a family from a trapped lift in a Cork city shop last night, writes Eoin English. Third officer with Cork City Fire Brigade, Victor Shine, praised the family of five - a mother, father and three young children - for staying so calm during the almost 30-minute rescue operation. They remained calm and controlled throughout and there was no panic at any stage. They all deserve great praise and wed also like to thank them for their patience, he said. The drama began to unfold around 5.50pm when a lift in the Homesense outlet in the new Capitol shopping complex on Grand Parade jammed between the ground and first floors. The family travelling inside the lift car raised the alarm using its internal alarm system. Building managers contacted a lift maintenance engineer and Cork City Fire Brigade which dispatched one unit to the scene. Mr Shine said while such trapped lift calls are relatively routine for fire crews, the newer lift electronic control systems in what is one of Corks newest buildings made this lift rescue operation a little more complex. Once it was established there was no emergency and that the trapped family was calm, Mr Shine said the fire crew followed various procedures and protocols to reset and then override the lifts electronic control and safety systems. They liaised with the lift engineer who was still on route before they slowly raised the lift to the first floor. Maintaining the familys safety while returning the lift car to the first floor lift entrance where they could walk free - rather than be hoisted from the lift car - was their priority, he said. Fire fighters were then able to prise the door open and allow the family walk free. We were able to maintain contact with the family throughout and reassure them. But they do deserve praise, given that there were three young children involved. They all reacted very well to the incident, he said. The lift maintenance engineer arrived a short time after the family was freed. By Tom Tuite German landline operator Yourtel has been fined 66,000 for ripping off hundreds of elderly Irish customers. Following an investigation by industry watchdog Comreg, Yourtel pleaded guilty to 88 counts under the Communications Act for charging 560 customers for a service that was requested but not supplied. The prosecution was described as unprecedented. The customers had been poached from Eircom and although Yourtel did not transfer the service they billed for it, Dublin District Court. They ended up getting double-billed and Yourtel threatened them with debt collectors, legal action and having their details sent to credit rating agencies. The offence carries fines of up to 5,000 per offence. After hearing a litany of examples where elderly customers had been pursed and threatened by Yourtel, Judge Flann OBrien described the offences as nothing more than deceit and he imposed fines of 750 on each charge, totalling 66,000. Speaking to reporters after the case ended, Comreg director Barbara Delaney said: Comreg welcomes the District Court decision to impose 88 criminal convictions on Yourtel. Todays District Court fine of 66,000 (750 per conviction) is the largest fine imposed by the District Court following any prosecution case taken by Comreg. We expect that todays District Court judgement will finally bring consumers issues relating to Yourtel, which first came to Comregs attention in 2013, to an end. The company, which has claimed to operate the lowest-priced landline calls in the country, entered the Irish market in 2013 and had pleaded guilty to 88 sample counts, out of more than 880 charges originally brought by the phone industry regulator Prosecuting barrister Michael OHiggins SC (with Ronan Kennedy BL) told Judge Flann Brennan at Dublin District Court that Yourtel effectively cold-called Eircom customers to offer them a flat bill telephone services. The 24-month contracts were for calls only and they would still pay Eircom separately for the landline. Mr OHiggins told the court that mostly 78-year-old customers were affected, the average age of the customers involved in the investigation was 65 to 66 and the oldest customer to sign up was in their nineties and another customer had special education needs. Yourtel had about 5,000 customers but Comreg had received complaints from 17 per cent of customers over a certain time period compared to less than one per cent for other major phone telephone service providers. The company took a very hard-line view of customers who complained, Mr OHiggins said. They were threatened with late payment fees, legal action, debt collectors and having their details sent to a credit ratings agency. In evidence, Comreg compliance manager Miriam Kilraine said the case was unprecedented. She gave a summary of the experience eight customers had with Yourtel when they signed up their 11, 13 or 23 a month packages with two-year contracts. Stated on the back of Yourtels bills was: Double billing is not possible you cannot be billed by two operators for your calls. However, the customers services had not been transferred from Eircom and Yourtel also billed them for a service it had not provided. Complaints to Yourtel led to technical explanations and were not resolved. Forty per cent of Yourtels customers have contacted Comreg about the company, Ms Kilraine said, adding that this was also unprecedented while the average amount of customer complaints in relation other companies was 0.3 per cent. Case One In 2014, a couple in Co. Cavan, aged in their eighties, received unsolicited calls from Yourtel to encourage them to switch from Eircom for cheaper calls. They signed up but did not pay their bills for September and October that year after noticing they were still paying Eircom. In January 2015 Yourtel demanded they pay the outstanding amount as a well as a 50 late fee payment. They were told the could face legal action. It transpired that Yourtel never sent the transfer request to Eircom. As a gesture of good will Yourtel agreed to terminate the contract but said the money owed would still have to be paid. The couple were extremely worried and wanted to pay however their son contacted Comreg. By June 2015 a debt collection agency sought 122 and in November a demand was made for 440 but ultimately they stopped receiving letters. Case Two A widower in Kerry signed up to Yourtel in November 2014 but found the payments through his post office account was inconvenient and he fell behind. He asked to start direct debit payments but was told this could not be done until the amount owed had been paid. He was told he could only cancel his account if he paid for the 24 months. However, his calls had not been transferred to Yourtel who had billed him for a service they had not provided. The customer stated he had been at his wits end and believed he had been conned, the court heard. Case Three A Co. Carlow man in his seventies signed up while his wife was in hospital but he then tried to cancel the account without penalty within Yourtels 14 days cooling off period. He was billed from January to March 2015 for the service. He later faced demands for up to 404 as well as letters from debt collectors even though his phone service had not been transferred to Yourtel at all. Case Four A Sligo man with special education needs signed up to a Yourtel phone call package. He faced threats of legal action and demands for 450 even though the Yourtel had not provided a service. He received threatening calls from a debt collection agency in relation to the money sought by Yourtel. It caused him anxiety and his brother reported it to Comreg, the court heard. Case Five A widow in her eighties in Carlow signed up to Yourtel in August 2014 but stopped paying in December that year. She told Comreg that Yourtels customer service agents were aggressive and she felt intimidated with threats of being reported to a credit ratings agency. They had pursued her for payments for a service it never provided. Case Six A Co. Wicklow couple in their seventies and eighties who were in poor health had signed up but cancelled within the 14-day cooling off period. That did not work and they got billed by Yourtel but later realised their calls had not been transferred from Eircom, however, Yourtel had billed them. Their son wrote to Yourtels HQ in Germany while further demands for payments of 480 continued. Case Seven A Limerick woman in her seventies signed up for the 11 a month package in September 2014 but by March the following year despite getting billed they realised that the service had not been transferred to Yourtel. Case Eight A Cavan man in his fifties signed up but stopped paying when he realised he was getting double billed and he received letters from a debt collection agency which caused him and his wife distress. One customer also hired a solicitor to deal with Yourtels demands, the court was told. The court heard that Yourtel had been successfully prosecuted earlier this year on one count of billing for a service which they did not provide which resulted in a 2,500 fine and an order to pay 10,000 in legal costs. In 2015 it was given the Probation Act and ordered to pay 2,500 to charity for failing to comply with a request from Comreg. It had also been fined 2,500 in 2016 for unsolicited marketing calls. The court heard that the company has offered all the customers affected refunds which came to 125,000. So far 116,000 worth of their refund cheques had been cashed and fresh payments were being issued to customers who have yet to take the refund. The court heard that the company registered in Ireland but does not have offices here and uses a mail direct service, at Kill Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Their base was in Germany and company director Marijan Vukusic provided an affidavit to the court apologising. He said the company had been over-zealous but since June 2015 they have not sought new Irish customers and the company did not intend to recruit new business in Ireland. Pleading for leniency, defence counsel Oisin Clarke said that the court had heard a damning account of his clients business procedures. He asked the judge to take into account the guilty plea which the prosecution accepted was useful. Mr Clarke also said that Yourtel had paid 10,000 toward the prosecution costs. The Luas Cross City in Dublin is boosting house prices. A new KBC / Daft report shows three-bed homes along the tram line are up 15% in the last year, compared to 6% for similar homes near other railway lines. 519,000 is the average asking price for a 3-bed around Dawson Street, Trinity and Westmoreland Street in the city centre. Report author - Economist Ronan Lyons explains why the Luas is so popular. He said: "Its the regularity of the service, (and) the permanence (of the tram network)(By comparison,) bus lanes could always change. A "martial arts expert" who punched his pregnant wife unconscious and fractured her jaw, has been jailed for three years. Muhammed Tajik (aged 28) pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Susan Wombsley at a flat on Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin on December 8, 2015. Today Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said Ms Wombsley was an innocent victim in the fullest sense and had fallen into the hands of a man of a very violent disposition. He described the case as a particularly serious example of domestic violence, perpetrated by the victims husband, someone from whom she was entitled to expect a high degree of respect. The court heard that on the day of the assault, Ms Wombsley, who met her estranged husband online, had started a new job, and this led to a dispute between the couple. At a previous hearing Garda John Freeney told Sean Gillane SC, prosecuting, that the defendant grabbed Ms Wombsleys neck from behind, punching her in the head and face until she passed out. The court heard when the victim regained consciousness, Tajik, an Afghani national, told her they had had an argument and she needed to go to hospital. Muhammed Tajik. Pic: Courtpix He drove her to A&E where she was treated for a fractured jaw, an injured eye socket, a wound over her left eye and a swollen neck. Mr Gillane read out a text sent by the defendant to Ms Wombsley on the night of the assault in which he expressed his remorse. Go baby, go far from me where you're safe, Tajik wrote. He sent lilies to his wife in hospital with a handwritten note the day after the assault, the court heard. Patrick Gageby SC, defending, said Tajik is in a new relationship and is expecting a baby with his current partner. He said the defendant, who is of no fixed address, has no previous convictions and should be given credit for pleading guilty, for his apologies and his remorse. Mr Gageby said Tajik applied for asylum in Ireland in September 2015, and has been unable to work since then. In a victim impact statement Ms Wombsley, a mother of two, told the court she only feels safe when alone and finds it impossible to trust others. He was so calm when he was punching me, I truly believed I would die that night. As he is a martial arts expert he knew what techniques to use to do the most damage to me. I received the injuries because I wanted to leave, I had enough, she said. Ms Wombsley said the pain she experienced was worse than childbirth, and rendered her unable to wash her teeth or lie on a pillow for weeks afterwards. She said she has felt suicidal since the assault and has suffered flashbacks, high levels of anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. I find it hard to leave my house, I have to check all entry points. I rarely feel safe at home and have an alarm on my bedroom door, she said. She told the court that her nine-year-old daughter is petrified, and needs to know where her mother is every hour of the day. Ms Wombsley said that as a result of the assault she cannot return to her job, as she suffers regular panic attacks and cannot concentrate. Sentencing Tajik, Mr Justice McCarthy referred to the the extent of brutality used in the course of the assault. He said the fact the couple had argued about the victims new job and a burnt pizza demonstrated the offence was in no sense explicable in terms of provocation. He said he would not be taking into account the fact that the defendant is expecting a child with his new partner, as he must meet responsibility for what occurred even if this amounts to disrupting others in his life. Mr Justice McCarthy referred to testimonials provided to the court by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, and said he was satisfied that Tajik had shown a degree of contrition. However he noted that Tajik did not admit his guilt until his third interview with gardai. He sentenced him to three years in jail and said that the crime merited a heavy custodial sentence. Speaking outside court Ms Wombsley (aged 38) said she was very surprised at the length of the sentence imposed on Tajik as it was a lot more than she was expecting. She said she found the trial extremely difficult. Everywhere I go theres a memory of what happened, a smell that brings it all back to me, she said. Ms Wombsley urged other victims of domestic physical and psychological abuse to seek help. When someone is controlling and manipulating you they cut you off from everybody. Its so difficult to get away but you dont have to put up with it. It never gets better, they promise theyll be good but two weeks later its 10 times worse. The pattern will continue until it comes to the point that you think theyre going to kill you, she said. Ms Wombsley said it was validating to hear Mr Justice McCarthy describe the assault as unprovoked. My ex posted vile things online about me after he attacked me. He said I deserved it and that I had ruined his life, she said. By Fiona Ferguson and Brion Hoban A vulnerable woman who was caught with 210,000 worth of drugs and a cocaine press in her kitchen has been given a suspended five-year sentence. Lisa Smith (36), of Harelawn Park, Clondalkin, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the possession of cocaine, heroin, MDMA and ketamine for sale or supply at her home on April 1, 2016. The court heard men came to bag the drugs in her kitchen and she was paid 50 each time. Today Judge Greally said this was a borderline case regarding whether a custodial sentence should be imposed. She said Smith was vulnerable on several fronts and had been targeted by those involved in the illegal drug trade due to her being a soft target. She said there were a very significant number of mitigating factors in her favour including Smiths early plea, her co-operation with gardai, her troubled background and her lack of previous convictions. The judge imposed a five-year sentence, but suspended it entirely on a number of conditions, including that Smith keep the peace and be of good behaviour. She must also engage with probation services for a period of 12 months. Garda Gavin Curran previously told Noel Devitt BL, prosecuting, that gardai obtained a search warrant for Smiths address and found the drugs under a kick board in the kitchen. They also found a cocaine press which is used to compact the drug to facilitate packing. Smith told gardai the items were not hers, but she accepted responsibility for them. Gda Curran said one to two men would come to Smiths house and use her kitchen to bag drugs. She was to be paid 50 each time they came. He agreed with Mr Devitt that Smith had been asked or pestered and was afraid not to comply. He also agreed with defense counsel that Smith was quite vulnerable and living in the area on her own. He said she had no previous convictions and he did not expect she would come before the courts again. Damien Colgan SC, defending, told the court that Smith had grown up with an alcoholic father who was violent towards her mother. She was placed in foster care at the age of twelve and struggled with drug addiction from an early age. He said she had pleaded guilty at an early stage and had provided full answer to gardai in all her interviews. Judge Greally said she was satisfied this was one of few exceptional cases where a custodial sentence was not merited. She warned Smith that any lapse of any shape or form would result in the full five-year sentence being activated. Almost one third of students drop out of college because of stress, according to the Union of Students in Ireland. The body said that 61% of students experience burn-out while attending third-level education. Chancellor Angela Merkel has pushed for the quick formation of a new governing alliance with Germanys main centre-left party, saying that only a coalition will bring the "stable government" needed at a challenging time for Europe. Mrs Merkels conservative Union bloc and the centre-left Social Democrats will begin discussions on Wednesday on a possible extension of their coalition of the past four years. President Donald Trump has disputed a report that he watches hours of television each day, calling it: "Another false story." The president rejected a report in The New York Times about his first year in office that mentioned he watches at least four hours of television a day, sometimes twice that amount. Update 6pm: The 27-year-old man believed to have set off a pipe bomb in the New York City subway came to the US from Bangladesh seven years ago with a type of preferential visa for people with relatives who are US citizens or permanent residents, law enforcement officials have said. Akayed Ullah was living in Brooklyn. He told investigators on Monday he was inspired by the Islamic State group to carry out an attack, but had no direct contact with the terror group. Officials said he is speaking with investigators from his hospital bed. The suspect had burns on his abdomen and also to his hands. Officials say he assembled the crude device in his apartment. Investigators are talking to witnesses and his family. Bangladesh has been expanding its anti-terror operations after grisly attacks killed dozens of people. Three others suffered minor injuries in the blast. AP Update 2.50pm: A man with a pipe bomb strapped to his body with Velcro and cable ties set off the crude device in the subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring himself and three other people at the height of the morning rush hour. All four were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries in what the mayor and police labelled an attempted terror attack. The city's mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed: "This was an attempted terrorist attack" while the police commissioner James O'Neill said it was a "terror related" incident. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening. "Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals," Mr de Blasio said. The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah. Officials said he was inspired by the Islamic State group but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group. The officials said the suspect lives in Brooklyn and may be of Bangladeshi descent. Police are investigating whether Ullah intended to set off the device in the walkway, or whether he had meant to do it in a busier location. A photo published by the New York Post showed a bearded man crumpled on the ground with his shirt apparently blown off and black soot covering his bare midriff. A police officer is holding the man's hands behind his back. Authorities said the bomb was a low-tech explosive device. They were investigating how it was made, and combing through surveillance footage that captured the blast on video. Fire officials said the suspect had burns to his hands and abdomen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in ears and headaches. Elrana Peralta, a customer service worker for Greyhound, said she works in the Port Authority terminal complex near where the blast happened, but did not hear the explosion. "All we could hear was the chaos," she said. "We could hear people yelling, 'Get out! Get out! Get out!'" John Miles, 28, from Vermont, was waiting for a bus to Massachusetts. He also did not hear the blast, but saw police react. "I didn't know what was going on. Officers were running around. I was freaking out," he said. There was an announcement that people should take their bags and leave. "They didn't incite panic. It was fairly orderly." Update 1.50pm:A pipe bomb strapped to a man went off in the New York City subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring the suspect and another person at the height of the morning rush hour, law enforcement officials said. The bomber and the other person are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The 7.30am blast filled the passageway, crowded with throngs of Monday morning commuters, with smoke. The explosion triggered a massive emergency response by police and fire both above and below ground, disrupting subway and bus services at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has tweeted that President Donald Trump has been informed. Mr Trump "has been briefed on the explosion in New York City", she said. .@POTUS has been briefed on the explosion in New York City Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) December 11, 2017 Video from above the Crossroads Of The World showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. BREAKING NEWS: Something going on at #PortAuthorityBusTerminal. Almost got trampled in the rush of people trying to get out. Heard people talking about possible #explosion. pic.twitter.com/3LTO2kiiyD Pete Sayek (@PeteRFNY) December 11, 2017 Everything around the Port Authority area was shut down, a surreal scene at what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. New Jersey Transit buses headed to the Port Authority were diverting to other locations. NJ Transit said buses were taking passengers to Secaucus and Hoboken, where they could take trains into the city. Earlier: An explosive device has been set off on a New York subway platform, police said. The explosion happened at around 7.30am on 40th Street and Eighth Avenue near Times Square. A suspect has been arrested and has non-life-threatening injuries. One other person suffered a non-life-threatening injury, New York Fire Department said. Passengers were evacuated as a precaution from the subway line where the explosion happened. President Donald Trump "has been briefed on the explosion in New York City", his press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Andre Rodriguez, 62, told the New York Times that he heard an explosion shortly before 7.30am. He added: "I was going through the turnstile. "It sounded like an explosion, and everybody started running." Eighteen climate scientists from the US and elsewhere have hit the jackpot as French President Emmanuel Macron awarded millions of euros in grants to relocate to France for the rest of Donald Trump's presidential term. The "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants - a nod to Mr Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan - are part of Mr Macron's efforts to counter his US counterpart on climate change. Mr Macron announced a contest for the projects in June, hours after Mr Trump declared he would withdraw the US from the Paris climate accord. More than 5,000 people from about 100 countries expressed interest in the grants. A majority of the applicants - and 13 of the 18 winners - were US-based researchers. Mr Macron's appeal "gave me such a psychological boost, to have that kind of support, to have the head of state saying I value what you do", said winner Camille Parmesan, of the University of Texas at Austin. She will be working at an experimental ecology station in the Pyrenees on how human-made climate change is affecting wildlife. She described funding challenges for climate science in the US and a feeling that "you are having to hide what you do". Mr Trump has expressed scepticism about global warming and said the Paris accord would hurt US business by requiring a reduction in climate-damaging emissions. "We will be there to replace" US financing of climate research, Mr Macron told the winners in Paris on Monday. "If we want to prepare for the changes of tomorrow, we need science," he said, promising to put in place a global climate change monitoring system among other innovations. The research of the winning recipients focuses on pollution, hurricanes and clouds. A new round of the competition will be launched next year, alongside Germany. About 50 projects will be chosen overall, and funded with 60 million euros (53 million) from the state and French research institutes. Initially aimed at American researchers, the grants were expanded to other non-French climate scientists, according to organisers. Candidates need to be known for working on climate issues, have completed a thesis and propose a project that would take between three and five years. The time frame would cover Mr Trump's current presidential term. Some French researchers have complained that Mr Macron is showering money on foreign scientists at a time when they have been pleading for more support for domestic higher education. He unveiled the first winners at a start-up incubator in Paris called Station F, where Microsoft and smaller tech companies announced projects to finance activities aimed at reducing emissions. Today's event is a prelude to a bigger climate summit on Tuesday aimed at giving new impetus to the Paris accord and finding new funding to help governments and businesses meet its goals. More than 50 world leaders are expected in Paris for the One Planet Summit, co-hosted by the UN and the World Bank. Mr Trump was not invited. Other attendees include Arnold Schwarzenegger, who took a spin on a Parisian electric bike today to call attention to health problems caused by pollution. The Hollywood star and former California governor argued that Mr Trump's rejection of the Paris climate accord does not matter, because companies, scientists and other governments can "pick up the slack" to reduce global emissions. AP Theresa May is taking an upbeat stance on securing a Brexit deal, as Ireland insists the UK must stick to its commitments on keeping a soft border with the Republic. The British Prime Minister is using an address to the Commons today to stress that while a new air of optimism on a final settlement has emerged, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. The comments come after Dublin expressed concern that Brexit Secretary David Davis insisted the last minute deal agreed on Friday to allow trade talks to start was "a statement of intent" rather than legally enforceable. The Irish government branded the view "bizarre" and insisted that an agreement the UK will have "full alignment" with the EU on issues that impact on Northern Ireland was "binding". The spat between Dublin and London emerged as Mrs May was chairing the first Cabinet meeting on Monday since her dramatic pre-dawn dash to Brussels to agree a way forward with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker last week. With some Tory Brexiteers expressing concern that the UK has agreed to pay a 39bn (44bn) exit bill, let the European Court of Justice have a legal role for a further eight years, and pledged the "full alignment" on Irish border issues, the Prime Minister is saying she has been consistent in her approach. May is expected to tell the Commons: "This is not about a hard or a soft Brexit. "The arrangements we have agreed to reach the second phase of the talks are entirely consistent with the principles and objectives that I set out in my speeches in Florence and at Lancaster House. "I know that some doubted we would reach this stage. "Of course, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. "But there is, I believe, a new sense of optimism now in the talks and I fully hope and expect that we will confirm the arrangements I have set out today in the European Council later this week. "In doing so we can move on to building the bold new economic and security relationships that can underpin the new deep and special partnership we all want to see. "A partnership between the European Union and a sovereign United Kingdom that has taken control of its borders, money and laws once again." Former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith said that while Mrs May's agreement was "not ideal" it was an improvement in the state of the negotiations. However he said the deal was a draft that "simply gets us through the first round". Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the leading Brexiteer said: "Most importantly, though, all this can be torn up tomorrow, because 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed'. "This is in effect an indicative text, whose purpose is to get us to the next phase of discussions." Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Kier Starmer said Mrs May "cannot now be spooked by the extreme Brexiteers in her party". "The agreement last week should be treated as binding and was expressly intended to be part of the article 50 withdrawal agreement," he told the Guardian. "Labour will not allow any rowing back on promises made that would put the union or the peace process at risk." The remaining EU27 countries will decide at a Brussels summit later this week whether trade talks with the UK can finally begin. Comment by Mr Davis that the UK would not pay its 39bn (44bn) exit bill unless it gets a trade deal are likely to have caused disquiet on the Continent. Britain's commitment to maintaining a soft Irish border after Brexit is "much more than legally enforceable", David Davis has said. The Brexit Secretary said the UK would seek to maintain a "frictionless, invisible" border between Northern Ireland and the Republic even if Friday's last-minute agreement to allow trade talks to start collapses in the event of a "no deal" Brexit. His comment on Sunday that the plans were a "statement of intent" was branded "bizarre" by the Irish government, which insisted an agreement that the UK will have "full alignment" with the EU on issues that impact on Northern Ireland was "binding". But Mr Davis claimed his words had been "completely twisted". He told LBC Radio: "What I actually said yesterday in terms was we want to protect the peace process, want to protect Ireland from the impact of Brexit for them, and I said this was a statement of intent which was much more than just legally enforceable. "Of course it's legally enforceable under the withdrawal agreement but even if that didn't happen for some reason, if something went wrong, we would still be seeking to provide a frictionless invisible border with Ireland." Mr Davis went on: "What we're saying is this bit of it, the bit about the full alignment argument on the issues which affect the peace process in the Belfast Agreement, we would look to that anyway because one of our absolute underpinning aims is to ensure that Ireland and particularly the Northern Ireland peace process is not harmed. "And what's most symbolic in that is the absence of a hard border, the absence of border posts and that sort of thing. "And we are quite certain we can do that by technical and other means even if we end up without a deal with the European Union." Asked why he said the soft Irish border deal was a statement of intent, Mr Davis replied: "Because it's more than legally enforceable. "In the event that the withdrawal agreement doesn't happen then we would still be seeking to maintain an invisible border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, that was the point. I was making the point it was much more than just in the treaty, it's what we want to do anyway." Mr Davis dismissed concerns that a soft border between the UK and EU on the island of Ireland could encourage people smuggling. "That would be a very hard way to get into Britain, you'd have to be a fairly dumb people smuggler to come in that way," he said. "Something like 50 million people go through the country every year - tourists and so on - you go to Heathrow, look at it, there's huge numbers of people, it's much simpler to come in and pretend you're a tourist than to take a sort of elliptical route like that." The Brexit Secretary said the UK would have talks with the Irish Government about sharing security data to ensure illegal immigrants do not exploit the soft border. The spat between Dublin and London emerged as Mrs May was chairing the first Cabinet meeting on Monday since her pre-dawn dash to Brussels to agree a way forward with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker last week. Theresa May is expected to say: "This is not about a hard or a soft Brexit. With some Tory Brexiteers expressing concern that the UK has agreed to pay a 39 billion exit bill, let the European Court of Justice have a legal role for a further eight years, and pledged the full alignment on Irish border issues, the PM is saying she has been consistent in her approach. In a statement to the House of Commons on Monday, Mrs May is expected to say: "This is not about a hard or a soft Brexit. "The arrangements we have agreed to reach the second phase of the talks are entirely consistent with the principles and objectives that I set out in my speeches in Florence and at Lancaster House. "I know that some doubted we would reach this stage. "Of course, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. "But there is, I believe, a new sense of optimism now in the talks and I fully hope and expect that we will confirm the arrangements I have set out today in the European Council later this week. "In doing so we can move on to building the bold new economic and security relationships that can underpin the new deep and special partnership we all want to see. "A partnership between the European Union and a sovereign United Kingdom that has taken control of its borders, money and laws once again." Former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith said that while Mrs May's agreement was "not ideal" it was an improvement in the state of the negotiations. However he said the deal was a draft that "simply gets us through the first round". Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the leading Brexiteer said: "Most importantly, though, all this can be torn up tomorrow, because 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed'. "This is in effect an indicative text, whose purpose is to get us to the next phase of discussions." Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Mrs May "cannot now be spooked by the extreme Brexiteers in her party". "The agreement last week should be treated as binding and was expressly intended to be part of the Article 50 withdrawal agreement," he told the Guardian. "Labour will not allow any rowing back on promises made that would put the union or the peace process at risk." The remaining EU27 countries will decide at a Brussels summit later this week whether trade talks with the UK can finally begin. Comments by Mr Davis that the UK would not pay its 39 billion exit bill unless it gets a trade deal are likely to have caused disquiet on the Continent. European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said that the joint report published last week by Mr Davis and EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was "not legally binding". But asked if it was therefore possible for either side to back down on it, he stressed that it was regarded in Brussels as "a deal between gentlemen" which was "fully backed and endorsed" by the UK Government. He noted that Mrs May and Mr Juncker had shaken hands on it. Jean-Claude Juncker. "Formally speaking, the joint report is not legally binding because it is not yet the Article 50 Withdrawal Agreement. "But we see the joint report of Michel Barnier and David Davis as a deal between gentlemen and it is the clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK Government. "President Juncker had a meeting with May last Friday morning to ascertain that this is precisely the case. They shook hands. "It is now for the European Council on December 15 to decide if 'sufficient progress' has been made, allowing the negotiations to proceed to their second phase." Mr Schinas said that last Friday's agreement had "removed a big barrier" to progress but confirmed that nothing would be finally settled until the Withdrawal Agreement was signed. Latest News Which banks have passed on the latest rate hike to mortgage borrowers? Here's a breakdown on how the major lenders have responded to the latest OCR hike Bridgit joins Finsure's panel Partnership expands lender's offering to brokers Despite recent media speculation that the upcoming Royal Commission will delve into mortgage brokers, the draft terms of reference hint that this is unlikely, said one industry association head.When asked about the viability of claims made in mainstream and trade media, Peter White, executive director of the Finance Brokers Association of Australia ( FBAA ), expressed doubt saying that the commission could not compromise or duplicate another investigation, inquiry, or criminal/civil proceeding.For me the ASIC rem review is off the table because its already been investigated. Youd be duplicating an inquiry or investigation that the regulator has already undertaken, he told Australian Broker.There is no basis for any media claims made that brokers will be included in the Royal Commission, he said.It always amazes me. Theyre looking for something that doesnt exist or theyre trying to find something because they want to find it and not because theres any reality behind what theyre doing.With the Combined Industry Forum (CIF) already making reforms within the broking industry, White said that in the event the Royal Commission does examine brokers, it wont find anything more.One area that the Royal Commission may target is channels of distribution for lending. However, he said that there was no cause for concern.I dont think theres anything for brokers to worry about. Mike Felton , CEO of the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia ( MFAA ), had a slightly different view, expressing the inevitability of broking being examined by a Royal Commission.However, ASICs rem review and the Sedgwick report had already laid much of the groundwork, he told Australian Broker.Neither of these found systemic poor outcomes or systemic harm to consumers which we believe will stand us in good stead, regardless of the direction the Royal Commission takes.Likewise, the Commission would not impact the work currently being done through the CIF, Felton said.It is business as usual as we respond to the ASIC recommendations. [We] are already implementing reforms to further improve consumer outcomes and the strength of our industry. Latest News Which banks have passed on the latest rate hike to mortgage borrowers? Here's a breakdown on how the major lenders have responded to the latest OCR hike Bridgit joins Finsure's panel Partnership expands lender's offering to brokers Sydneys housing and unit markets have tumbled from their peaks and are starting to decline, according to Herron Todd Whites National Property Clocks for December 2017. As Sydney moves further into 2018, the property market will continue to decline, placing it on a similar footing with Brisbane, Canberra, and Perth. For greater Sydney, 2017 was a year that saw continued growth but at a lower rate than in previous years, the firm said in its December 2017 Residential Report. Recent months have shown signs of slowing even further. This was widely anticipated and our prediction of slower growth as the year progressed proved correct. Dwelling values first began dropping in Sydney in September, falling 0.1% lower during that month, according to CoreLogic. By November, dwelling values had dropped by 0.7% to be 1.3% below the market peak. At the start of this year, demand outstripped supply, which kept the wider residential market buoyant. However, prices and demand have begun to soften in recent months. In more recent months we have seen selling periods extend closer to longer term averages and prices begin to stabilise and even fall in some areas, the report said. As the market moves from a sellers market to a buyers market, the instances of sales results well above asking prices are becoming far less frequent. Nevertheless, local agents note that quality properties are still highly desired and are continuing to record strong results. They are just taking slightly longer to sell with a reduction in the number of interested buyers compared to previous years, the report said. 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... latest news October 31, 2022 Buddy TV In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options... Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has reached an agreement to acquire Lakeview Computers (Lakeview), based in Dartford, UK. This latest acquisition supports the KCSs strategy of continued growth, and follows three other acquisitions during the last 18 months including one in the USA, and two in South Africa. The Lakeview business is seen as complementary to KCSs current product portfolio and market positioning. On completion of this acquisition, the KCS operation will provide solutions to over 14,950 customers and in excess of 190,000 users. The acquisition has been welcomed by Lakeview, and its products will continue to be maintained and supported. KCS will look to investigate opportunities for the Lakeview solutions leveraging off KCSs existing infrastructure and product portfolio. While with all ERP solutions there will be a set of common functionality, Lakeviews products are clearly focused on the SME market, while K8, (the KCS product), offers scalability and covers a wider set of verticals within manufacturing and distribution. Speaking about the acquisition, Ian Bendelow, Chief Executive Officer of KCS, said: This is a key acquisition for us. It immediately gives us a greater presence in the UK market, and an increased platform for growth in our traditional markets. Fundamentally, both Lakeview and KCS offers customers value via functionally rich solutions and continuous development that is highly responsive to our customers evolving needs. Lakeview and KCS are a great match. Lakeview will operate as an independent business unit of KCS with a new brand to emphasize the synergy with KCS. The entire Lakeview staff will be working alongside the KCS team to ensure the success of the Lakeview/KCS integration. Burnham-On-Seas eighth annual Christmas tree festival has opened in the town this weekend, with dozens of sparkling trees on display for a fortnight. St Andrews Church is holding the popular festival, which is open to the public each day. A total of 34 local businesses and groups from across Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge have set up and decorated their trees with unique items according to different themes. A service to mark the opening was held on Saturday evening, attended by many local people and led by Richard Allen. Above: Gemini Tae Kwon-dos tree has a green theme and is decorated with plastics found washed up on local beaches The church will be open from 10am to 4pm daily (except Sundays) so that people can drop in and enjoy the trees and the life-size crib scene. The Trees will be up until Twelfth Night. Those taking part this year are Moose International, Foodbank, Vince Davey, Positive Wealth Creation, MNDA, Star Prayer Tree, Christian Aid, Town Council, plus Our Lady and English Martyrs Church. Others include: St Andrews School, For The Fallen, St Andrews Church Choir, BARB Search & Rescue, Abbeyfield, Burnham Horticultural Society, Burnham Infants School, Ian Higgott, Crafty Teacup, Somewhere House, Gemini Tae Kwon-do, Childrens Hospice South West, and the Choral Society. There are also trees from Burnham-On-Sea.com, Lawnworx Fencing, Rotary Club, Burnham Funeral Services, KDS Interiors, EAT/Burnham Food Festival, Hands Of Change, Music For The Memory, Round Tower Guesthouse, M&F Carpets and Flooring, Castlemills MOT Centre, Somerset Time For Youth, Home Hardware and St Andrews Church. Above: The Parish church tree with Rev Graham Witts and Richard Allen The vicar of St Andrews, the Rev Graham Witts, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: The Christmas tree festival began in 2008 when our nation was faced with an economic downturn and the trees were meant to cheer people up. The festival has grown from those first thirteen trees to over thirty this year. After a break of a year due to preparatory works for the restoration of the church, the Christmas tree festival is taking place again this year, he added. Above: Somerset Time For Youth have their own tree at the festival There are over 30 different trees representing local businesses, charities and community groups with decorations including strings of Brussel sprouts and the faces of a local choral society. The Christmas Trees are complemented by our life-size stable which this year includes a group of life-size Wise Men travelling to the stable during the weeks leading up to Christmas. He added: The whole idea is to celebrate the local community and sharing together in our enjoyment, in a world where there is not a lot of good news at the moment. Burnham Horticultural Societys tree features vegetable decorations! The Food Festival tree has an edible theme with surprises in the branches Home Hardwares tree features some of the products it sells, including cake making items and tools The Burnham and Highbridge Town Council tree featrres the town crest and lighthouse on top in front of the life-size crib The Positive Wealth Creation tree has a money theme with festive coins The Food Bank tree features a whole Christmas dinner at its base .. and its decorations feature some of the items that are donated The value of goods sold by e-commerce platform rose 67 per cent year-on-year in September quarter. The gross sales by value also jumped 72 per cent during the quarter, according to a report in LiveMint. The world's largest maker of diabetes drugs Denmark-based Novo Nordisk and also the market leader in India for insulin products, is upping its game in the diabetes capital. In partnership with Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk today inaugurated the extended insulin manufacturing facility at the latters Indrad factory near Ahmedabad. With this expansion, the company aims to add another two million patients under its insulin therapy. The production from coal blocks, awarded through the first auction in the country three years ago, continues to be very low. In the case of blocks awarded to the power sector, the production is nil. The man who allegedly molested actor on board a Delhi-Mumbai flight last night was arrested here on Sunday after a huge public outcry over the incident prompted the Maharashtra State Commission for Women to seek an enquiry into the "shameful" incident. The 39-year-old Vikas Sachdev was arrested late in the evening, police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Anil Kumbhare said he will be produced in the court tomorrow. Sachdev has been booked under section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC, and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) since the actor is a minor, Senior Police Inspector, Sahar, Lata Shirsat, said. The airline--Vistara--said it has submitted an initial report to the regulator DGCA about the incident which created an uproar and invited all-round condemnation. Vistara, which is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, regretted the "unfortunate experience" and apologised to Wasim. It also said senior members of the management team have been flown to Mumbai to meet the "Dangal" actor, who narrated her ordeal on Instagram. Wasim said she was on a Vistara flight last night from Delhi to Mumbai when a co-passenger sitting behind her put his feet on her armrest. "We are deeply concerned and regret the unfortunate experience had onboard our flight last night. We continue to give this case our highest attention and are extending our full support to all relevant authorities for the investigations underway," the airline said in a latest statement issued late evening. In addition, Vistara has submitted an initial report to the DGCA and also given all necessary details to the police, the airline said. "Members of our senior management have flown to Mumbai to meet Wasim and assist in the investigation process," it added. In the video, which Wasim recorded immediately after deboarding the flight, the 17-year-old actor broke down several times. "So, I was in a flight travelling from Delhi to Mumbai today and right behind me one middle-aged man who made my two-hour journey miserable. I tried to record it on phone to understand it better because the cabin lights were dimmed, I failed to get it..." she said. "The lights were dimmed, so it was even worse. It continued for another five to ten minutes and then I was sure of it. He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck," the Kashmiri teen, who shot to fame for her stellar performance in Aamir Khan's blockbuster "Dangal", said in the post. "This is not done, I am disturbed... Is this how you're going to take care of girls? This is not the way anybody should be made to feel. This is terrible!" she said. "No one will help us if we don't decide to help ourselves. And this is the worst thing," she added. Terming the incident as "shameful", Maharashtra State Commission for Women's (MSCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said they will seek a detailed inquiry into it from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Rahatkar said there should also be an enquiry into why the cabin crew did not help the actor. A woman police official was sent to the hotel in Mumbai where the actor is put up to record her statement, a senior police official said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said she was "appalled" by the incident and demanded swift action against the culprit. Any harassment/crime against women shld be dealt with swiftly & effectively. As a mother of 2 daughters I am appalled at what happened with @zairawasimz. Hope the relevant authorities take strict action @airvistara @Ashok_Gajapathi @jayantsinha Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 10, 2017 Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also demanded action against the passenger. Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also demanded action against the passenger. The passenger should be identified to the police by @airvistara & a case filed for legal action. None of this he fell at my feet so I forgive him rubbish! https://t.co/1umbBOOGAu Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 10, 2017 "We are carrying out detailed investigation and will support Zaira in every way required. We have zero tolerance for such behaviour," the airline had tweeted immediately after the video went viral on social media. Earlier, Vistara chief strategy and commercial officer Sanjiv Kapoor in a statement said, "We are talking to our crew who were serving Wasim to understand the incident at greater length, and reaching out to fellow passengers as well." "We apologise for what she experienced and we have zero tolerance for such behaviour," Kapoor said. Condemning the incident, Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said a criminal offence should be registered against the male passenger and he should be asked to apologise for the indecent behaviour. "Those travelling by airlines usually work in good positions in companies. If the owners of such companies do not take suitable action against such employees their conduct will never change," Gorhe said. "Ensuring safety and security of our customers is of paramount importance to us, and we stand firm against any kind of harassment or such behaviour towards any individual," the airline said in its latest statement. The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) has secured placements for 652 students, which is around 62 per cent of the total 1,049 students registered for campus placements in the first phase of the recruitment drive. The top five recruiters, Citi Group, Intel India, EXL Service, Flipkart and HCL Technologies, handed over 99 offer letters. In a shocking incident, a 15-year- old cancer survivor was allegedly raped by two men in Sarojini nagar here and was later sexually assaulted by another person whom she asked for help, police said today. The incident took place last night when the girl had gone out to meet an acquaintance, Additional Superintendent of Police (Lucknow East) Sarvesh Mishra said. The survivor alleged that her acquaintance, Shubham, took her to a secluded place where he and his friend, Sumit, raped her and fled from the spot, the police said, adding when she sought help from a passerby, Virendra, he also raped her. The victim somehow reached home and narrated the ordeal to her parents. Subsequently, her father lodged a complaint, the police said. A case of gang-rape has been registered under relevant section of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), police said, adding Sumit and Virendra have been arrested. A hunt was on to apprehend Shubham, the Additional SP said. More than three months after a bitter border dispute over Doklam plateau in the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction area, reports of the presence of Beijing troops in the region have emerged. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said his government is not against private hospitals, but can't maintain silence on their inhuman criminal negligence. His remarks came in the wake of protest staged on Saturday by the employees of Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh area of north Delhi after the government on Friday cancelled its licence with immediate effect for erroneously declaring a newborn dead. "Delhi government is not against private hospitals and is fully aware of their importance. But Max hospital left us with no option other than to take action. This is not happened first time. Such kind of erronous act was done by the hospital on many occasions in the past too," Kejriwal said at a public gathering in west Delhi's Mundka. "Our conscience would have pricked us. Had we remained silent on such inhuman criminal negligence? Doctors are saviours and we salute the work they do. Their hard work is admirable. But, if any hospital does wrong with people, we will not spare it and maintain silence. We will take action." The Chief Minister said that he had been informed about the corporate owned private hospitals who exploit their own doctors and do not give their salaries on time. He also slammed Bharatiya Janata Party Delhi state President Manoj Tiwari for supporting Max hospital and opposing Delhi Government's decision to cancel its license. A baby boy was declared dead by Max Hospital on November 30 and handed over to the parents in a plastic bag, along with its still-born sister. However, the baby started moving while being taken for burial. The baby was then admitted in a clinic in Pitampura, but died on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a dig at the Congress Party by saying that there are some people in Delhi, whose sole Mission is 'Parivar Bachao.' "There are some people in Delhi whose sole Mission is 'Parivar Bachao', 'Rahul Bachao'. These are the same people who, in an hour of voting yesterday, started saying the EVMs are hacked thanks to bluetooths! Some logic this is," the Prime Minster said while addressing a public gathering at Kaalol in Gujarat. Yesterday, Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia complained of bluetooth connection in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Gujarat's Porbandar. Modhwadia had alleged that Porbandar's Sharda Mandir booth number 145, 146 and 147 voting machines were connected to other devices through bluetooth. Continuing his tirade at the Congress, Prime Minister Modi said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is fighting these elections on the issue of development. The Congress is back to their old tricks. A generational shift has not brought in a new political culture for the party. They rely on their same divide and rule politics." "When I first stated my intent to ensure electrification of villages in Gujarat, the state Congress leaders mocked me. They said it can never happen, they also asked me- you have not headed a Panchayat how can you promise this? We proved them wrong, ensured villages get power," he added. The Prime Minister also said with the mantra of Shanti (peace), Ekta (unity) and Sadbhavana (goodwill), the BJP government has taken Gujarat to new heights of progress. "With the mantra of Shanti, Ekta and Sadbhavana, the BJP government has taken Gujarat to new heights of progress," he stated. The first phase of polling took place yesterday and recorded a voter turnout of 68 percent. The second-phase voting will be held on December 14. The votes will be counted on December 18. The Congress is eyeing to dethrone the BJP government in the state. The last Congress government in Gujarat was led by Chhabildas Mehta from February 17, 1994 to March 13, 1995. Indian cities' air pollution was even higher than the WHO set standards and worse than most cities even on the days pollution was at its lowest The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea for cancelling the anticipatory bail to the Pinto family of Ryan International School in the Pradhuman murder case. A bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre dismissed the plea by Barun Thakur - father of seven-year-old Pradhuman Thakur, who was murdered on September 8 inside the Gurugram school. "The petition is dismissed," said Justice Agrawal pronouncing the order. Ryan group of school's Founder-Chairman Augustine F. Pinto, his wife and Managing Director Grace Pinto and their son and CEO Ryan Pinto were granted anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 21. Pradhuman Thakur, a Class 2 student was found dead in the washroom with his throat slit minutes after his father had dropped him at the school. The High Court while granting the anticipatory bail to the Pintos had asked them to join the investigation in the case. The court had barred them from leaving the country without its permission. Initially the Haryana Police was investigating the case and had arrested bus conductor Ashok as the main accused in the murder of Pradhuman. However, later the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which arrested a Class 11 student of the same school as the prime accused. Trilateral Russia-India- #RIC Foreign Ministers had very useful and productive discussions on economic and development issues, fight against terrorism, and on regional, multilateral and global issues @SushmaSwaraj pic.twitter.com/zyQJ2A8BVB Russia, and on Monday condemned terrorism in all forms and reaffirmed their determination to prevent and counter it.The three countries also said those committing, organising, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice.External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted: This article, originally published on December 11, 2017, is being republished, as the has revoked the ban imposed by the Reserve Bank of India on in 2018. One of the challenges that Bitcoin poses is that it lends itself very easily to bypassing currency regulations. It was designed that way, with its decentralised verification network and built-in anonymity. As a result, the has also been used for all sorts of criminal transactions on the Dark Web. Copycat virtual currencies designed on the same principles have also been used for similar purposes. Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard. Even as the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) finds it difficult to achieve the Estimates (BE) of direct taxes at Rs 9.8 lakh crore for FY18, its target was revised upwards by Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 10 lakh crore. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other officials of his team, chairing a pre-Budget consultative meeting with the IT representatives in New Delhi, on Monday. Photo: PTI The government is considering manufacturing and would like to move ahead with the plan "very fast", a civil aviation ministry official said today. The country's domestic aviation market is one of the fastest growing in the world and has registered high double digit growth for more than two years. Many airlines are embarking on ambitious expansion plans and authorities are working on developing new airports to cater to the rising demand as well as boosting regional air connectivity. "We are considering manufacturing our own ... definitely, the concept is there and we are looking for smaller aircraft like a 20-seater which can be used within the country and this also is supported by our policy of Make in India," said Shefali Juneja, Director at the Civil Aviation ministry. Currently, aircraft are imported or taken on lease from overseas lessors. "Developing our own is something we are considering... and is something which we need to move forward very fast," she said. She was speaking at the 'ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit' here. In efforts to strengthen air connectivity between India and ASEAN nations, a civil aviation task force is being developed to encourage consultations between the countries. Under the ASEAN-India cooperation framework, a joint working group is being set up and it would initially focus on safety and security aspects, besides air navigation services. The first meeting of the joint working group is to be held in January 2018, Juneja said. At present, there are no air services between India and four ASEAN countries -- Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines and Lao-PDR. Listing out the challenges in the India-ASEAN aviation market, Juneja also said there is "only one-sided operation by ASEAN carriers in India-Myanmar, India-Indonesia, India- Vietnam markets". The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has 10 members, including include Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei. The summit was jointly organised by industry body CII and ASEAN India Centre. The Delhi High Court has given relief to those asking for tax credits on pre-GST stocks lying for more than 12 months. Importers of fast-moving consumer goods, among others, are going to benefit from the interim order. In a bid to meet stiff revenue targets amid sluggish growth, the income tax (I-T) department has reportedly initiated prosecution proceedings against a large number of individuals and business entities for not filing tax returns and for delaying remittance of tax deducted at source (TDS). has been elected the Congress president today. 89 nominations were received by the party and all were found to be valid. All 89 nominations named as candidate, according to the party. He succeeds his mother, Sonia Gandhi who led the Congress party to power against expectations in the year 2004. As Narendra Modi continues to hold sway over India and as politics has moved right of centre in its nature, can succeed in reviving the Congress and mounting a challenge to Modi's BJP? The writer looks at the challenge that he faces in this Business Standard special. Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard. Indias stock of external debt declined for the first-time since 2001-02, to $471.9 billion at the end of March 2017, according to the Reserve Bank of Indias December 2017 Bulletin. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is inviting applications for the post of Assistant Professor (Technical) (ECE) who will be working in Training and Technical Department of Ambedkar Institute of Advanced Communication Technologies and Research under Government of NCT of Delhi. Candidates willing to take up the post can apply for the same till 28th December, 2017 (Thursday). The number of vacancy is 7 reserved for UR (4), OBC (0), SC (2) and ST (1). The qualified candidate would be paid Rs. 15600-39100 (PB-3) plus Rs. 6,000/-(Academic Grade Pay) (Total emoluments excluding T.A. and HRA at the time of initial appointment will be Rs. 44200 /-p.m. approximately). So far the job location is concerned; the candidate would be posted at Department of Training Technical Education, Govt. of NCT of Delhi. New Delhi. The post carries probation of one year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Congress has "lost" in Gujarat's first round of Assembly elections and its leaders were blaming Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) as the reason. "Congress has lost in the first round and are not even thinking about the second round as they know people here will support BJP. They have now taken to excuses. Their leaders and cheerleaders are blaming EVMs, including saying they are hacked using Bluetooth," Modi said while addressing a public rally in Patan. The voter turnout in the first phase for 89 seats on Saturday stood at 68 per cent. The second and final phase for remaining 93 seats will be held on December 14. Vote counting will be held on December 18. Modi also told the gathering that BJP leaders were the ones who came to their rescue when their villages were submerged in the recent floods. "When this area was flooded, the Chief Minister, former Chief Minister, Ministers came and stood with people here. The Prime Minister reviewed the situation. Tell me where were Congress people then. Congress MLAs were enjoying in resorts in Bengaluru," he said. Taking a jibe at Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's 'potato to gold' statement, Modi said "Our farmers work hard and grow potato. If at all the Congress comes to power, there will be no need to do that because their leader says we will produce potatoes in factories. Congress' basic knowledge about agriculture is so poor." The Congress Party on Monday came down heavily upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleging that Pakistan was meddling in the Gujarat assembly polls and supporting Congress leader Ahmed Patel to have him elevated as the chief minister of the state. Dubbing Prime Minister Modi's statement as 'irresponsible' and 'outrageous', Congress leader Anand Sharma demanded an apology from him. "Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding. There was a dinner organised for him in which there were former diplomats, former army chief among other dignitaries. Does the prime minister think they were all conspiring with Pakistan? This is reprehensible. It's expected of the prime minister to use a language which is equivalent to his post. He should retract his statement and should apologise to maintain the decorum of his post," Sharma said. He further said that Prime Minister Modi's remarks show that the BJP has realised it was going to lose the Gujarat elections. "The Prime Minister has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections. Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting in Gujarat polls.This also shows their desperation and that BJP's loss is now certain," he added. Yesterday, while addressing a rally in Gujarat's Banaskantha, Prime Minister Modi alleged that former Pakistan Army director general Arshad Rafique was helping Patel to become the Gujarat chief minister. "Former Pakistan Army director general Arshad Rafique was backing and willing to help make Ahmed Patel the chief minister," he said. The prime minister had also questioned suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari's meeting with the Pakistan High Commissioner. Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal has asked India to stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate. Foreign Ministers of Russia and China call on President Kovind Mr Sergei Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, and Mr Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of the Peoples Republic of China, called on the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (December 11, 2017). Welcoming the Russian Foreign Minister and his delegation to India, the President said that India-Russia bilateral ties are strong. This year we have witnessed intensification in our high-level engagements. The President was happy to note that bilateral trade between India and Russia registered a growth of 22% in the first six months of this year. He stated that early operationalisation of the International North South Transport Corridor can play a significant role in achieving our bilateral trade targets. The President said that institutionalisation of the India-Russia Heads of Think Tanks Forum, which held its 2nd session in Delhi on December 4-5, would be most helpful to both countries. We should continue with our efforts to bring our think tanks and academic communities closer. Welcoming Mr Wang Yi to India, the President congratulated him on the successful conclusion of the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China. He stated that India looks forward to working with President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership to take our developmental partnership to greater heights. The President said that we view India-China ties as important in our foreign policy. Our high-level exchanges and interactions have maintained momentum. Our economic engagement is growing. We are also seeing cooperation on many international issues. The President said that as two major countries in the world, expansion of cooperation bilaterally as well as regionally is in our mutual interest. He was confident that multifaceted relations between India and China will continue to make progress and acquire even greater salience. The two Foreign Ministers are in India to participate in the 15th RIC (Russia-India-China) Trilateral Meeting later in the day. The meeting, to be hosted by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, is expected to review global and regional issues of common interest. Visit of Chief of the Air Staff to Sri Lanka Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, Chief of the Air Staff is on an official visit to Sri Lanka from 11-14 Dec 17, to deliberate on matters of mutual interest related to regional security. During the visit, CAS would also review the Commissioning, Award of Wings and Passing Out Parade of the Sri Lankan Air Force Academy which is scheduled to be held on 14 Dec 17. It is the first occasion in the history of the Sri Lankan Air Force where an Air Chief of a foreign Air Force is invited to review the prestigious passing out parade. This visit of the Indian Air Chief would provide impetus towards increasing defence cooperation between the two Air Forces and pave the way for greater interaction in the future. This would also strengthen relationships, enable engagement in productive exchanges and promote understanding of joint issues and challenges. Bangladeshi- origin man, wearing a homemade device, today triggered a blast at a metro station in New York City during rush hours, injuring four persons and causing chaos in one of the busiest commuter hubs in the metropolis, media reports said. The 27-year-old suspected bomber who had wires attached to him was armed with a pipe bomb and a battery pack, sources told New York Post, according to which he was taken into custody after the device partially detonated. Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC that the man was inspired by the Islamic State terror group and originally came from Bangladesh. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the device that exploded in the New York City subway was an attempted "terrorist attack". "A total of 4 injuries reported at the scene of an explosion at Port Authority," the New York Police Department said, adding that all injuries are non-life-threatening. The suspect is reported to have sustained minor injury. President Donald Trump was briefed on the New York explosion, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. Earlier, the New York Police Department tweeted that it was responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, Manhattan. The place is New York Port Authority, a busy bus terminal. It also has metro stations. "The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time," the NYPD had said, adding that the information is preliminary. The New York Fire Department received call around 7.19 am. "I was exiting the Port Authority and the National Guard was running towards something shouting 'Go, Go, Go'," commuter Keith Woodfin tweeted, according to New York Daily News. Designer Chelsea LaSalle tweeted that she was "stuck in a running stampede at port authority bus terminal due to bomb scare. cops EVERYWHERE. The most destructive wildfire raging in southern California has expanded significantly, scorching an area larger than New York City, according to fire officials. The Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties has consumed 230,000 acres since it broke out on December 4, reports the BBC. Fanned by strong winds, it has become the fifth largest wildfire in recorded state history after it grew by more than 50,000 acres in a day. Residents in coastal beach communities have been ordered to evacuate. On Sunday, firefighters reported that 15 per cent of the blaze had been contained but were forced to downgrade that to 10 per cent as it continued to spread. "This is a menacing fire, certainly, but we have a lot of people working very diligently to bring it under control," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. The other fires hitting California are largely controlled, but 200,000 people have evacuated their homes and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed since December 4. Evacuation orders were issued overnight on Sunday for parts of Carpinteria close to Los Padres National Forest, about 160 km northwest of Los Angeles, the BBC reported. California has spent the past week battling wildfires. Six large blazes, and other smaller ones. The Thomas Fire - named according to where it started, near the Thomas Aquinas College - is by far the largest of the fires. The authorities issued a purple alert - the highest level warning - amid what it called "extremely critical fire weather", while US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency. On Saturday, California Governor Jerry Brown described the situation as "the new normal" and predicted vast fires, fuelled by climate change, "could happen every year or every few years". Director Guillermo del Toro's fantasy drama "The Shape of Water" is leading the 2018 Golden Globe nominations with seven nods, including the best drama film and the best drama actress. Martin McDonagh's "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and Steven Spielberg's journalism drama "The Post" earned six nods each at the nominations, which were announced today. "The Post", starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, Christopher Nolan's World War Two story "Dunkirk", coming-of- age gay romance "Call Me By Your Name" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" will fight it out in the best picture - drama category. Sally Hawkins has earned a nomination in the best actress - drama category for playing a mute Elisa in "The Shape of Water". Streep, who is in the role of publisher Kay Graham of the Washington Post in the movie "The Post" , is also nominated in the category alongside Jessica Chastain ("Molly's Game"), Frances McDormand of "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and Michelle Williams of "All the Money in the World". Streep's co-star Hanks is nominated in the best actor - drama for his role as the Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, who fought with the government to publish the Pentagon Papers. Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for his role in "Phantom Thread" (his last film), so is Gary Oldman for playing Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour". Denzel Washington "Roman J Israel, Esq." and Timothee Chalamet of "Call Me by Your Name" complete the list of best actors. Spielberg, del Toro, Mcdnagh, Nolan and Ridley Scott for "All the Money in the World" are nominated in the best director category. Golden Globe winners will be announced on January 7. President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from during a surprise visit to the war-torn country. Russia first intervened in the conflict in 2015, staging air strikes in support of its ally Damascus targeting both the Islamic State group and other jihadists as well as rebels fighting government troops. "I order the defence minister and the chief of general staff to start withdrawing the Russian group of troops to their permanent bases," Putin said in a televised speech as he visited Russia's Hmeimim airbase in . "I have taken a decision: a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in is returning home to Russia." Putin, who was welcomed by Syrian President Bashar al- Assad, said the troops had helped the Syrian army crush the "most battle-ready group of terrorists," apparently referring to the Islamic State group. "Our homeland thanks you, my friends," Putin said. "Have a safe trip. I thank you for your service." Putin and Assad were pictured smiling and shaking hands. Putin made the stopover at the base in Latakia province, a regime stronghold, on his way to Egypt where he arrived later on Monday. Putin said last month that efforts to end the war were entering a "new stage" as the focus shifted from military intervention to political reform. More than 340,000 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against Assad's rule that sparked a brutal crackdown. South African exchange operator JSE launched an investigation on Monday into whether Steinhoff broke disclosure rules, heaping pressure on the retailer as it tries to contain an accounting scandal. 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. Shares of paper companies were on a roll with most of these stocks trading at their respective all-time highs on the back of heavy volumes. Star Paper Mills, Ruchira Papers, Balkrishna Paper, Tamil Nadu (TN) Newsprint, N R Agarwal Industries, Seshasayee Paper and West Coast Paper were up in the range of 6% to 20% on the BSE. Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency by market cap, has been making news for rapidly breaking new price barriers. Even as more investors join the cryptocurrency bandwagon, the latter are also attracting attention from hackers. NiceHash, a Slovenian cryptocurrency mining marketplace, recently lost about $64 million worth of bitcoins in a hack. Last week, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also reiterated its warning to the public about cryptocurrencies. Besides highlighting the risks from price volatility and the absence of a regulator, the central bank also referred to the risk of losses due to hacking, malware attacks and loss of passwords. Indian investors joining the cryptocurrency gold rush need to take steps to safeguard themselves against these security risks. Traders and stockists have urged the government to increase the import duty on sugar by 10 percentage points to protect domestic industry from Pakistani shipment. The government there had, on Thursday, announced an incentive for export at 10 per cent or Pak Rs 10.7 a kg of up to 1.5 million tonnes. This works out to Rs 10,700 ($101.9) a tonne. A Bangladeshi national planned terror attack which took place near Times Square on Monday. The explosion happened around 7:20 am, in an underground tunnel linking the Port Authority Bus Terminal to Times Square. The underground tunnel is a major thoroughfare for workers during the morning rush hour. The attacker has been identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, who was carrying a suspected pipe bomb that malfunctioned and exploded prematurely, leaving him and three others injured. CNN quoted Police Commissioner James O'Neil as saying that "the suspect's name is Akayed Ullah, who is 27 years old. He suffered burns and other wounds and is currently in the hospital. Preliminary investigation at the scene indicates that this male was wearing an improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body. He intentionally detonated that device. " The authorities have termed the incident as a planned terror attack. The police have confirmed that apart from the suspect, three other people have suffered non- life-threatening injuries. The residents have also been advised to avoid the area. "This was an attempted terrorist attack, "CNN quoted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as saying. The CNN quoted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as saying that the suspect had an "effectively low-tech device" on him this morning at Port Authority. President Donald Trump was briefed on the explosion in New York City, said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. Mayor Bill de Blasio said there are "no credible and specific threats against New York at this time" but added that there will be an increased police presence across New York today. An eyewitness Francisco Ramirez told CNN that he heard two explosions as he was exiting a bus about 7:45 a.m. ET, even though he was wearing headphones. "From what I saw it sounded like it came from the subway, but I'm just guessing," he said. "It was two distinct explosions seconds from each other. As I was making my way toward the outside, I kept getting shoved by cops and there were cops at every entrance blocking and there was police and SWAT everywhere. It was scary. It was just a lot of chaos but I didn't see any injuries," Ramirez told CNN. Earlier, the New York Police Department had confirmed the news of explosion on Twitter. "The NYPD is responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, #Manhattan. The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time. Info is preliminary, more when available," it tweeted. The incident happened just days after President Trump sparked demonstrations across the by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital city It is notable that one of the largest demonstrations took place in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a jibe at Congress leaders and said "they are born with a golden spoon and will never understand what poverty is..". Addressing a rally in Gujarat's Patan, Prime Minister Modi said, "When we went to the farmers, did Krishi Mahotsav, we did not go out helping the rich. We went among the poor." "Sadly, Congress leaders are born with a golden spoon they will never understand what poverty is," he said. Prime Minister Modi also stated that he had met the state farmers and advised them to educate their children. "During peak summer, I would go to the villages of Gujarat and ask parents to educate their children. Whose children were they? Were they Ambani's children? No. They were children of the poor. We are working for poor," he said. Further lashing out at the Congress party, Prime Minister Modi said formers basic knowledge about agriculture is very poor. "Our farmers work hard and grow potato. If at all the Congress comes to power, there will be no need to do that because their leader says we will produce potatoes in factories. Congress' basic knowledge about agriculture is so poor," he added. The crucial elections are being seen as prestige battle for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been ruling the state for last 22 years, and litmus test for the Congress. The first phase of polling was held on December 9 and recorded a voter turnout of 68 per cent. The second-phase voting 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.) Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday expressed happiness on elevation of Rahul Gandhi as party president and said the latter has shown a lot of mettle over a period of time and will be able to execute his responsibility well Azad said the entire Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including the prime minister and his 80 ministers were sitting in Gujarat for months but were still unable to counter Rahul. "Entire country has lot of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. He has shown his mettle over a period of time and particularly in the ongoing election in Gujarat .Much before he was elected he has made Prime Minister Modi rattled," Azad said. "He knows his responsibility and priorities very well," he added. Echoing similar sentiments, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said at the time when the situation is 'worst under the ruling government', elevation of Rahul will prove to be good. "In such time Rahul Gandhi has been elected as party President. In Gujarat, he has proved he is the only candidate who can be relied upon and he is even facing Prime Minister Modi confidently," Gogoi told ANI. Meanwhile, the Congress worker and leaders across the nation are celebrating with great zeal. Scores of workers even gathered in front of the Congress office raising slogans for Rahul and distributing sweets. Rahul was formally declared as the Congress Party president earlier today. Confirming the elevation, Congress' Central Election Authority Chairman Mullapally Ramchandran said the committee had received 89 nomination papers, all proposing the name of Rahul for the coveted post. Rahul has succeeded his mother Sonia Gandhi, who held the post for nearly two decades. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Despite the fact that India has managed to lower the incidence of communicable diseases, the occurrence of lifestyle related diseases (non-communicable) are on the rise and the same are likely to be a major contributor to hospital revenues going forward, according to credit-rating body ICRA. Lifestyle diseases are those that are a result of habits/lifestyle related factors such as unhealthy food habits, alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, stress, age, and urbanisation. As per an ICRA note, the largest contributor to revenues is cardiology, which accounts for almost 25 percent of the total income of the hospitals in the sample; the second largest contributor is neurology, accounting for 10 percent of revenues, followed by orthopaedics (nine percent), and oncology (eight percent). ICRA analysed five of the largest hospital chains in the country, which together operate 19300 beds. For most of these hospital chains, the income from top five lifestyle specialties currently account for more than 60percent of the revenues. "The expected rise in the incidence of these diseases will further boost the revenues of the hospitals, because of higher volumes, occupancy and Average Revenue per Occupied Bed (ARPOB) that these specialties provide. However, recent regulatory interventions are likely to trim the margins that hospitals earn from some of these treatments," said Shubham Jain, Vice President, ICRA. "In February 2017 the country's drug price regulator, the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA), capped the prices of coronary stents and in August 2017 it further capped the prices of all orthopaedic knee implants, impacting the revenue and margin of players. However, the hospitals have the flexibility to revise prices of services, treatment packages, room rates, other consumables, doctor charges to partly compensate for the decline in prices of the devices," he added. The revenues of ICRA's sample set grew at a lower rate of 12.7 percent in FY2017, against a growth of 14.5 percent in FY2016 and 16.5 percent in FY2015, the moderation being on account of the demonetisation and the cap on prices of stents. In terms of breakup of the growth in various quarters, the aggregate revenues of the sample set grew at a healthy rate of 14.6 percent and 15.9 percent in Q1 FY2017 and Q2 FY2017 respectively. However, post the demonetisation and the cap on prices of stents, the growth moderated to 12.8 percent in Q3 FY2017 and subsequently to 8.5 percent in Q4 FY2017. Since cardiology is the largest contributor to the revenues of all companies in ICRA's sample set, the operating margin of the sample declined from 14.3 percent in Q3 FY2017 (before the cap on stents) to 13.1 percent in Q4 FY2017 and 13 percent in Q1 FY2018. As the revenues and margins have been under pressure in FY2017 and the companies have undertaken debt-funded expansion, the debt protection indicators have marginally deteriorated interest coverage ratio has dropped from 2.98 times in FY2016 to 2.62 times in FY2017 and net cash accruals/total debt declined from 14.8 percent to 12.8 percent during this period. "Notwithstanding the recent regulatory action, ICRA's long-term outlook on the sector remains stable. On the supply side, India currently faces significant shortage of beds and the investments by the Government in creating healthcare infrastructure would be inadequate. This provides private sector players with the opportunity to step in to fill the gap," said Jain. "On the demand side, a large population, increasing lifestyle diseases, rising healthcare awareness and higher medical insurance penetration are likely to push the demand for the healthcare services at a steady pace. ICRA expects an annual revenue growth of 12-14 percent over the next five years and the same is likely to result in improvement in credit metrics of the large hospitals in the sector," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's first Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) will be coming to Andhra Pradesh. The Government of India, through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY), had announced in 2012 about setting up an EMC in India, with grant-in-aid for establishing such clusters. An EMC is designed and developed for providing facilities and amenities for manufacturing mobiles and allied products. In 2015, the Andhra Pradesh government announced the first exclusive mobile and electronic manufacturing cluster in the new capital, Amaravati. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called Sri Venkateswara Mobiles and Electronics Manufacturing Hub Private Limited was formed. The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the same year. The SPV Company has applied for the final approval of the project. Three major Indian mobile manufacturers - Celkon, Karbonn and Lava have come forward to establish their units in the EMC. An anchor unit has been formed in the name of Seven Hills Digital Park Private Limited for the three companies. It will be involved in manufacturing of accessories to mobile phones and other related electronic equipment. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has allotted 113.27 acres of land for the new cluster, through Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC). Nara Lokesh, Minister of Information Technology and Communications, had said that the new EMC is being developed at the cost of Rs 104 crore. Around 50,000 jobs will be created every year in the cluster. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister KJ Alphons on Monday slammed the incident of thrashing French tourists in Uttar Pradesh's Mizrapur, terming it as "deplorable." Speaking to ANI, the Minister of State for Tourism Alphons said, "It is hugely deplorable and such things should never happen. I have talked to UP Government in the morning and they have said 4 people have been arrested in connection with this case. They have taken immediate action on the issue." Alphons further averred that those taking selfies with tourists may be violating their privacy. "We must ensure people accept foreigners are coming in and they want privacy, they don't want to be interfered with, if every guy out there wants to have a selfie with tourists, it will make it impossible for people to visit" said Alphons "We say that guests are God we should treat them as God that's the fundamental idea of India. Lot more civilised behavour is required," added Alphons. A group of foreign tourists was allegedly beaten up and molested in Ahraura area of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday by a group of local boys. All of them were natives of France. As of now, eight people have been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police in connection to the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav cornered Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, over the latter's visit to Pakistan in 2015, and accused him of favouring Pakistan. "He goes uninvited to Pakistan, allows it's notorious agency ISI to picnic in our sensitive Pathankot airbase, calls Pakistan PM in oath ceremony, gifts him generously still Pakistan is bad. If you hate Pakistan then Why don't you end Most Favoured Nation status given to Pakistan?" Yadav posted on Twitter. In his tweet, Yadav was referring to Prime Minister Modi's surprise visit to Pakistan to meet his then counterpart Nawaz Sharif in December 2015, months after the terror attack in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Days after the visit, the Pathankot airbase in Punjab was attacked by six terrorists from Pakistan. The RJD chief's swipe comes a day after Prime Minsiter Modi accused the Congress Party of colluding with Pakistan to interfere in the results of Gujarat Assembly elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday quashed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's accusation about the former's clandestine meeting with Pakistani officials, and expressed 'anguish' at 'the canards being spread' by the latter. "I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister, Sh. Narender Modi. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable," Singh said in an official statement. In one of his campaign rallies yesterday, Prime Minister Modi alleged Pakistan's interference in the Gujarat elections. Claiming that Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former vice president Hamid Ansari met with Pakistan's High Commissioner and Foreign Minister at Aiyar's house just before the elections, the Prime Minister sought an explanation from the opposition. Terming it a lie, Singh issued a clarification as follows, "I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar as alleged by Shri Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner." The former prime minister, in turn raked up Prime Minister Modi's visit to Pakistan after the terror attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur, and sought explanation from him for the same. "Let me remind Sh. Narender Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan," the statement read. Calling out the Prime Minister's "compromised track record on fighting terrorism," Singh said that his own track record over last five decades cannot be questioned by the former "to gain lost political ground." Singh also demanded an apology from the Prime Minister for the grave accusation made by him "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies," Singh added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind called on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, on Monday. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Lavrov, and discussed issues of mutual interest, ahead of the Russia-India-China Trilateral Meeting. The MEA spokesperson on Monday tweeted, "Further strengthening our strategic partnership, EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a productive meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on issues of mutual interest ahead of the Russia-India-China Trilateral Meeting in New Delhi." Swaraj also called on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, earlier today. India is hosting the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Minister-level trilateral meet. The three foreign ministers will issue a joint statement as well. The discussions will be followed by a working lunch. The platform of the three major BRICS members is aimed at facilitating common position on key global challenges - radical ideas, terror threats, Afghanistan and West Asia. Swaraj will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of RIC with Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov. China and India are at odds on issues like NSG membership for India, Masood Azhar's ban or even India's participation in One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). Earlier, the RIC meeting had been scheduled for April. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia, India and China reaffirmed their commitment to work together to ensure that the modalities for implementing the Paris Agreement adopted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change were framed to reflect equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibility as recognised under the UNFCCC, at the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meet here, on Monday. "We reaffirm our commitment to work together to ensure that the modalities for implementing the Paris Agreement adopted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We recognise the importance of parties to fulfil their obligations in the pre-2020 period, and call on parties to ratify the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol," RIC, in a joint press statement, said. Russia, India and China also stressed on the importance of regional connectivity in enhancing political mutual trust, economic cooperation, and promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges. In this context they welcomed synergy of various initiatives to improve regional connectivity in Asia. "We welcome the holding of the first trilateral Russia-India-China consultation on Asia Pacific affairs in Beijing in December 2016. These discussions have been helpful in developing a converging perspective on the emerging scenario in Asia Pacific region. We agree to hold the second trilateral consultation in New Delhi in the first half of 2018," the statement added. They also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the 15th trilateral Academic Conference held in India in January 2017 and welcomed the 16th Trilateral Academic Conference to be held in Russia next year. They also welcomed the first edition of the visit of RIC Young diplomats hosted by China in January 2017 and agreed to hold the second such interaction in India in 2018. The foreign minister of the People's Republic of China and the foreign minister of the Russian Federation thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for hosting and making excellent arrangements for the meeting in New Delhi. The ministers decided to hold the next trilateral meeting in China. The time and venue of the meeting will be agreed through diplomatic channels. Apart from Paris Agreement, the foreign ministers of the three countries - Sushma Swaraj, Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi - discussed terrorism and disarmament, the political scenario in the Middle East and North Africa, different challenges in putting economy back on growth track, transnational organised crime, illicit drug trafficking, food security and climate change. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday slammed Pakistan over its interference in India's internal affairs and the unwarranted statement by the country's foreign office. While attending a press conference, Prasad said, "We completely abhor any outside interference in India's internal affairs. Pakistan's promotion of terrorism in India is well known and Pakistan must stop giving us lessons; we are proud of our democracy. We condemn this unwarranted statement." "Today a very curious statement was released by the Pakistan foreign office condemning Islamabad being dragged into India's elections and stated that Indian must learn to fight their elections on their own. I would like to say Pakistan that India is capable to contesting its democracy on their own," he added. Yesterday, while addressing a rally in Gujarat's Banaskantha, Prime Minister Modi alleged that former Pakistan Army director general Arshad Rafique was helping Congress leader Ahmed Patel to become the chief minister of Gujarat. Later, Pakistan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, in his tweet, had asked India to stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate. "India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible," read the tweet. The prime minister had also questioned suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari's meeting with the Pakistan High Commissioner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The foreign ministers of China and Russia reiterated the importance they attach to the status of India in international affairs and support its aspiration to play a greater role in the United Nations, at the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meet here, on Monday. "We stress the importance of coordination on the issues related to the UN reform. It has to be conducted through an active dialogue and consultation with the Member States. Implementation of new initiatives must clearly follow the mandates given by the General Assembly. In any outcome, Member States must maintain realistic mechanisms for monitoring the use of UN financial and human resources. In this context, prerogatives of the UN main organs, including in particular the UNGA, as stipulated by the UN Charter, must be respected," RIC said, in a joint press statement. "We reiterate the importance we attach to cooperation and strategic partnership within BRICS. We will work together to implement all outcomes of BRICS summits to strengthen cooperation in economic, political, security and people-to-people fields, so as to usher in the second golden decade of BRICS cooperation. Russia and India commend China for successful hosting of the Ninth BRICS Summit in Xiamen in September 2017," it added. Russia and China reiterated they welcome India's participation in APEC. The trilateral meet recalled the 2005 Summit Outcome document and reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive reform of the UN, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of the developing countries so that it can adequately respond to global challenges. The statement further said: "We attach special importance to our joint work within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). We regard SCO as an important instrument in promoting multilateral political, security economic and people-to-people interaction in the region. Foreign Ministers of Russia and China welcome the accession of India as a full-fledged member of SCO at the Astana SCO Summit in June 2017. Russia and India extend support and cooperation for China as the Chair of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for 2017-2018 and for China's hosting of 2018 SCO Summit." RIC also emphasised the need for coordination and cooperation in various regional forums and organizations such as East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), so as to contribute to maintaining regional peace and stability and to promote regional development and prosperity. The foreign minister of the People's Republic of China and the foreign minister of the Russian Federation thanked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for hosting and making excellent arrangements for the meeting in New Delhi. The ministers decided to hold the next trilateral meeting in China. The time and venue of the meeting will be agreed through diplomatic channels. Apart from this, the foreign ministers of the three countries - Sushma Swaraj, Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi - discussed terrorism and disarmament, the political scenario in the Middle East and North Africa, different challenges in putting economy back on growth track, transnational organised crime, illicit drug trafficking, food security and climate change. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, on Monday. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Lavrov, and discussed issues of mutual interest, ahead of the Russia-India-China Trilateral Meeting. The MEA spokesperson on Monday tweeted, "Further strengthening our strategic partnership, EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a productive meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on issues of mutual interest ahead of the Russia-India-China Trilateral Meeting in New Delhi." Swaraj also called on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, earlier today. India is hosting the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Minister-level trilateral meet. The three foreign ministers will issue a joint statement as well. The discussions will be followed by a working lunch. The platform of the three major BRICS members is aimed at facilitating common position on key global challenges - radical ideas, terror threats, Afghanistan and West Asia. Swaraj will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of RIC with Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov. China and India are at odds on issues like NSG membership for India, Masood Azhar's ban or even India's participation in One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). Earlier, the RIC meeting had been scheduled for April. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Sushma Swaraj on Monday sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh Government on the alleged thrashing of French tourists in state's Mirzapur district. "I have asked for a report from Government of Uttar Pradesh," Swaraj Tweeted. Earlier on Sunday, eight people were arrested in connection with the alleged thrashing of French tourists. A group of foreign tourists from France were allegedly beaten up and molested in Ahraura area of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh by a group of local boys. Recently, a German was beaten up by a man at a railway Station in Sonbhadra district of UP because he unintentionally ignored a man's greeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here, on Monday. In the trilateral meeting, the foreign ministers of the three countries discussed terrorism, the political scenario in the Middle East and North Africa, different challenges in putting economy back on growth track, transnational organised crime, illicit drug trafficking, food security and climate change, Swaraj said, in a press briefing after the meeting. Chinese foreign minister Wang emphasised the three countries had great international responsibilities and needed to keep playing a positive role for ensuring positive energy to the . "China, India and Russia are the three countries with a broad influence and are the emerging markets and have come to realise the international responsibilities on them and are ready to play a positive role for ensuring more positive energy to the world," he said. Wang added, "In the just-concluded meeting, we held an in-depth discussions on the international situation and major issues of common interest. This was an efficient, practical and successful meeting." Lavrov said the three ministers had a candid, trust-based and frank exchange of views on a majority of issues. "We had a candid, trust-based and frank exchange of views on a majority of issues. We share our position and this unity of our approaches and our interest has been reflected in the in-depth and specific joint communique that we circulate following our meeting. We are concerned about developments that we witnessed today - such as evasion of the international law and growth of force and factor force in the international affairs," he said. Foreign Ministers of Russia and China also welcomed the accession of India as a full-fledged member of SCO at the Astana SCO Summit in June 2017. Russia and India also extended support and cooperation for China as the chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for 2017-2018 and for China's hosting of 2018 SCO Summit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has met the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and discussed issues of mutual interest ahead of the Russia-India-China Trilateral Meeting in New Delhi. The MEA Spokesperson on Monday tweeted, "Further strengthening our strategic partnership, EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a productive meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on issues of mutual interest ahead of the Russia-India-China Trilateral Meeting in New Delhi". Earlier today, Swaraj called on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. India is hosting the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Minister-level trilateral meet. The three foreign ministers will issue a joint statement as well. The discussions will be followed by a working lunch. The platform of the three major BRICS members is aimed at facilitating common position on key global challenges - radical ideas, terror threats, Afghanistan and West Asia. Swaraj will hold bilateral meeting on the sidelines of RIC with Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov, who will be the first minister from Beijing to visit India after the Doklam episode. China and India are at odds on issues like NSG membership for India, Masood Azhar's ban or even India's participation in One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). Earlier, the RIC meeting had been scheduled for April. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Shri Arun Jaitley said that to promote indigenous manufacturing of electronic goods, many steps have been taken by the present Government in last three years including rationalization of the tariff structure with extension of differential excise duty dispensation on specified electronic equipments and withdrawal of duty exemption etc. The Finance Minister said that in the Union Budget 2017-18, with the aim of creating an eco-system to make India a global hub for electronics manufacturing, the allocation for incentive schemes like M-SIPS and EDF has been exponentially increased to Rs 745 crores. The IT sector representatives invited the attention of Minister to the fact that India's competence in IT-Software is recognized globally. In recent times, software development and information technology enabled services (ITeS) including business process outsourcing (BPO)/ knowledge process outsourcing services (KPO) industry in India has emerged as one of the most dynamic and vibrant sectors in India's economy with huge employment potential. They however pointed out that considering some recent protectionist and discriminatory policies followed by other countries, the IT sector would need Government's help at Policy level to ensure combat visa restrictions issues as also to ensure our economic interests. Similar to steps taken in previous budget to promote indigenous manufacturing of electronic goods, more steps to include rationalization of the tariff structure with extension of differential excise duty dispensation to mobile handsets/ tablet computers and other specified electronic equipment, should be taken in the forthcoming budget for Promoting Broadband; Access for easier fund for Telecom; Tax free Bond for Telecom; Lowering GST on Telecom services to 12 per cent instead of 18 per cent; BCD on all non ITA-1 products; Depreciation benefits for Make in India; Promote components hub; Keep Electronics Sector out of RCEP and increase import duty on Mobile handsets. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Key benchmark indices edged higher in early trade tracking positive global cues. At 9:18 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 151.60 points or 0.46% at 33,401.90. The Nifty 50 index rose 38.80 points or 0.38% at 10,304.45. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.39%, underperforming the Sensex. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index advanced 0.62%, outperforming the Sensex. Overseas, Asian stocks edged higher following strong finish on the Wall Street on Friday. US equities closed higher on Friday, 8 December 2017, following the release of a stronger-than-expected jobs report. The US economy added 228,000 jobs last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%. Closer home, the breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 1,158 shares rose and 309 shares declined. A total of 69 shares were unchanged. Axis Bank rose 1.39% at Rs 550 after the bank said its shareholders have given an approval to a proposal to raise equity and equity-linked capital of Rs 11626 crore from a set of marquee investors including entities affiliated with Bain Capital Private Equity, other investors advised by Capital Research and the bank's promoter, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 8 December 2017. UltraTech Cement advanced 1.73% at Rs 4,225.85 after the company said that its board at a meeting held on 9 December 2017, approved the setting up of a 3.5 MTPA integrated cement plant at Pali, Rajasthan, at an investment of around Rs 1850 crore. Commercial production from the plant is expected to commence by June 2020. The board also approved a proposal for an increase in the investment limits by registered foreign portfolio investors (RFPIs) including foreign institutional investors (FIIs) from the existing limit of 30% of the paid-up equity share capital upto 40% of the paid-up equity share capital of the company. The announcement was made on Saturday, 9 December 2017. Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) was up 0.44% at Rs 203.80 after the company said its board at a meeting held on 8 December 2017, accorded approval for two investment proposals aggregating to Rs 268.53 crore. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 8 December 2017. Indiabulls Housing Finance fell 0.22% at Rs 1,204.60. The company said that it has sold its 100% shareholding in Indiabulls Life Insurance Company, presently a non-operational company with no business or license, to SORIL Holdings and Ventures (SHVL), at face value for an aggregate cash consideration of Rs 5 lakh. This transaction between the company and SHVL, being related parties, is at arms' length. The announcement was made on Saturday, 9 December 2017. Among other news, Gujarat recorded a polling of 68% in the first phase of assembly elections for 89 assembly constituencies held on Saturday, 9 December 2017. The second phase polling will take place on 14 December 2017 in 93 assembly constituencies. Counting of votes will take place on 18 December 2017. The Gujarat assembly has 182 seats. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moody's Investors Service says that its Asian Liquidity Stress Indicator (Asian LSI) decreased in November 2017 to 26.4% from 27.6% in October. The Asian LSI measures the percentage of high-yield companies with Moody's weakest speculative-grade liquidity score of SGL-4 as a proportion of high-yield corporate family ratings. The indicator decreases when speculative-grade liquidity improves. "The Asian LSI improved in November to 26.4%, largely due to the addition of new issuers, but remains weaker than the long-term average of 23.1%," says Brian Grieser, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit Officer. The number of rated high-yield companies with Moody's weakest speculative-grade liquidity score (SGL-4) decreased to 39 from 40, while the total number of rated high-yield companies increased to 148 from 145. "The momentum in high-yield issuance continued in November, with rated issuance totaling $1.9 billion in the month, raising year-to-date issuance to a record $33.9 billion," added Grieser. The liquidity stress sub-indicator for North Asian high-yield companies decreased slighlty to 27.8% in November from 28.0% in October. The Chinese sub-indicator remained broadly stable at 28.7% from 28.9% and the high-yield Chinese property sub-indicator increased to 19.1% from 17.4%. The Chinese high-yield industrials sub-indicator decreased to 40.0% from 43.2%, driven by new rating assignments during November. The liquidity stress sub-indicator for South and Southeast Asian high-yield companies decreased to 23.5% in November from 26.9% in October. The Indonesian sub-indicator decreased to 23.1% from 24.0%. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 253 (14 per cent) candidates in the fray in Gujarat assembly polls have declared criminal cases against them, with three candidates facing charges related to murder, 17 related to attempt to murder, and four related to rape, an ADR-Gujarat Election Watch report said on Monday. Non-profit Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) along with Gujarat Election Watch has prepared a report by analysing information furnished by 1,815 of the 1,828 candidates. In 2012 Gujarat elections, out of 1,283 candidates analysed, 222 (17 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves, the report said. "As many as 154 (8 per cent) candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including ones related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women. In 2012 Gujarat assembly elections, 92 (7 per cent) candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves," it said. It said seven candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping. Among major parties, 46 (25 per cent) out of 181 candidates are from Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), 56 (32 per cent) out of 176 candidates from Congress, 17 (12 per cent) out of 138 candidates from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 9 (16 per cent) out of 57 candidates from Nationalist Congress Party, 4 (14 per cent) out of 28 candidates from Aam Aadmi Party, and 65 (8 per cent) out of 791 independent candidates analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits. Out of the 1,815 candidates, 418 (23 per cent) are multi-millionaires and among the major parties 147 (81 per cent) out of 181 candidates are from BJP, 129(73 per cent) out of 176 candidates from Congress, 5 (4 per cent) out of 138 candidates from BSP, and 11(39 per cent) out of 28 candidates from AAP, the report said. --IANS spk/tsb/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fifteen persons in Uttar Pradesh have been killed in two road accidents. Ten were killed in Mirzapur district on Monday, while five from a wedding party died late last night in a bus-car collision in Mathura. Besides the 10 killed in Mirzapur, over a dozen were seriously injured when a truck and a tractor collided head on near the Agriculture Science Centre, a police officer said. The condition of at least five of the injured is critical. They have been rushed to Varanasi, Station House Officer (SHO) of Madihaan, K.K. Singh said. The tractor was returning from a family function after a head tonsuring ritual from Sheetla Dhaam, Chunar. All the deceased belong to Gadhwa village. The police fear that the death toll might rise. In other accident in Mathura late on Sunday night, five persons have been killed when the car headed to a wedding ceremony was hit by the speeding bus carrying a marriage party in the Naujheel area, the police said. A motor cycle with two riders then rammed into the bus from behind. Four persons died on the spot. Another died at a primary health centre. Two others in critical condition were rushed to the Mathura district hospital. The collision was so huge it took a lot of effort to extricate the mangled car from the bus, a police officer said. --IANS md-bk/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Arbaaz Khan has lauded Kripalu Mahila Mahavidyalaya for taking the lead in providing free education to thousands of poor and destitute girls from different regions and religions. Attending the annual function of the Mahavidyalaya at Kunda in Pratapgarh district, some 150 km south of here, Khan appreciated the fact that the effort to empower girls has been going on for several years, according to a statement from Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP), which runs the institution. Khan, who watched music and dance performances by the students, as well as colourful presentations, also lauded JKP presidents Vishakha Tripathi, Shyama Tripathi and Krishna Tripathi for their work. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who addressed the event via mobile phone, praised JKP for setting an example in spirituality and social service, the statement added. Elaborating on the institution's activities, JKP Secretary Ram Puri said the aim was to provide a complete education to girls: Not only free education from primary to post-graduate level, but also facilities like free transportation, books and their other daily needs. The event was also attended by All-India Anti-Terrorist Front head and former Youth Congress chief Maninderjeet Singh Bitta. --IANS sac/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Not much is known about him, but it has now emerged that trade relations between Ghana and India were started by Bhai Boolchand, the first Indian to arrive in the Gold Coast -- Ghana's colonial name -- in 1890. That's some 67 years before the British colonial government granted the country independence, research by the Indian Association of Ghana has found. "As far as our records show, Bhai Boolchand (of the Bhaiband Sindhworki trading community), landed on the shores of the Gold Coast in western Africa in 1890. Nearly twenty years later, in 1919, the first Sindhi company was established by two brothers -- Tarachand Jasoomal Daswani and Metharam Jasoomal Daswani," the Indian Association said. The duo opened a store -- Metharam Jassomal Brothers -- in the then capital city of Cape Coast in 1919. "Their business flourished and branches were opened in Accra and Kumasi. A few years later, the two brothers separated and whilst Bhai Metharam Jasoomal continued the business as Metharam Brothers, Tarachand Jasoomal operated his business as Bombay Bazaar. These were the first two Indian companies that were established in the Gold Coast," the Association said. Boolchand's arrival, therefore, pre-dates the historical links between the two countries that were always thought to have started between Ghana's first President, Kwame Nkruman, and India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Boolchand can thus be described as the one who paved the way for the arrival of other members of the Sindhi community, initially as traders and shopkeepers. The Indian Association said more of this group arrived in the 1950s and 1960s, with a few venturing into manufacturing industries such as garments, plastics, textiles, insecticides, electronics, pharmaceuticals and optical goods. The Association said two more Indian firms were established under the names of Lilaram Thanwardas and Mahtani Brothers in the 1920s. This trend continued in the 1930s and 1940s with the creation of several more Indian companies like T. Chandirams, Punjabi Brothers, Wassiamal Brothers, Hariram Brothers, K. Chellaram & Sons, G. Motiram, D.P. Motwani, G. Dayaram, V. Lokumal, and Glamour Stores. Glamour Stores, which was stared by Ramchand Khubchandani who arrived in Ghana in 1929, has grown -- after changing its name to Melcom Group -- to become the largest retailing business in the country. The Melcom Group, headed by Ramchand's son Bhagwan Khubchandani, is now in its 60th year and about 40 stores all over the country. Ramchand and his brother later went into garment manufacturing in 1955 and once employed over 1,200 Ghanaians. They later opened the first Indian restaurant, Maharaja, in Ghana. Bhagwan followed in his father's footsteps and in 1989 established the Melcom Group with his sons-in-law, Mahesh Melwani and Ramesh Sadhwani. Another Indian-owned company that has survived through the years is the Mohanani Group, which is currently in its 51st year. At the first-ever Ghana Expatriate Business Awards, the Ministry of Trade and Industries recognised the work of one of the thriving Indian-owned B5 Plus Steel Company and awarded it the Best Expatriate Company in the metal and steel category. As these companies brought in new expatriate staff, some left their employers to venture out on their own -- resulting in more companies opening up. "After 1947, the Gold Coast attracted the attention of some Indian multinational companies, and big names like Chanrai, Bhojsons, K.A.J. Chotirmal, Dalamals and A.D. Gulab opened branches in Ghana," the Association said. "The employment of Ghanaians by these founding companies also helped to lessen the burden of unemployment in the country. This amply demonstrates the level of commitment India has in the developmental agenda of Ghana," it said. Indians are not only investing in the manufacturing and commercial sectors of the country; they are also investing in the financial sector. Bank of Baroda, one of India's biggest and most reputable banks, recently established a branch in Ghana and hopefully it will expand its operations in other parts of the country very soon. (Francis Kokutse can be contacted at fkokutse@gmail.com) --IANS francis/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wading into the controversy, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said instead of seeking an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should apologise for "violating" the national policy on terrorism and make public the details of what transpired at the dinner meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. Responding to a sharp attack by Singh on Modi, Jaitley said when there is a national position that there can be no dialogue with Pakistan till it keeps sponsoring terrorism in India, being the principal opposition party, the Congress should have abided by it. "But people in Congress like Mani Shankar Aiyar never abide by this national position. Their position is that let Pakistan sponsor terrorism in our country but we will maintain our friendship with it," he told the media here calling the dinner diplomacy a "misadventure" like the one that took place in Sharm-al-Sheikh, Egypt. The Finance Minister said the nation had never accepted the policy being advocated by people like Aiyar. "Instead of admitting that their misadventure was a mistake, the Congress is instead asking for an apology from the Prime Minister for flagging the issue. This is beyond comprehension. "It is them (Congress leaders) who should apologise for violating the national policy on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and explain what was the need for the meeting, why it happened and what transpired during the meeting," he said. Jaitley's remarks came after Manmohan Singh issued a statement accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading "falsehood and canards" in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat elections and asked him to "apologize to the nation". At an election rally in Gujarat, Modi had alleged that guests at Aiyar's house, including Manmohan Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari, discussed the Gujarat election with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India and a former Pakistani Foreign Minister among others. On former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's questioning the "compromised track record" of the Modi-led government on fighting terrorism, Jaitley said no government in the past had the track record of countering terrorism like the current BJP government. --IANS vv/vsc/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) expressed grief over the death of its former director Lalji Singh, the father of DNA fingerprinting in India. CCMB Director Dr Rakesh K. Mishra and other scientists on Monday paid rich tributes to Singh, who headed the premier research and development organization for 11 years. Singh, who had a long association with Hyderabad, passed away after suffering a massive heart attack at the Varanasi airport late on Sunday night. He was 70. "Dr Lalji Singh will be remembered by CCMB forever for his extra-ordinary contribution to science and for bringing the institution to a great height. His contribution to DNA fingerprinting and wildlife forensic, that are still continuing to have tremendous impact on our society, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and wildlife, will be remembered by the nation," said Mishra. His work on the structure and origin of the Indian population has not only made a great international impact, but will also go a long way in our future health policy and will have invaluable social implications. CCMB family draws inspiration from his great work, leadership and personality, he added. Lalji Singh joined CCMB in 1987 and became its director in 1998. He was also the officer-on-special-duty (OSD) at the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) here between 1995 and 1999. Singh showed his research expertise in the fields including molecular basis of sex determination, DNA fingerprinting, wildlife conservation, silkworm genome analysis, human genome and ancient DNA studies He also found various institutes and laboratories including Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) and Genome Foundation, that aims to diagnose and treat genetic disorders affecting the underprivileged people, especially in rural India. Hailing from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, he served as the Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University between 2011-2014. For the CCMB family, this was the second major loss this year. CCMB's founder director P. M. Bhargava died here in August. --IANS ms/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Narendra Modi-led Central government of not aiding her state the way it aids the others as her government opposes its policies. "The Central government does not provide necessary monitory support to Bengal, rather they take the money away. We are still paying Rs 40,000 crore every year as part of the state's debt to the Centre acquired during the Left Front regime," she said in a public meeting in Bardhaman district's Kanksa. "The crops were wasted in parts of the country due to the untimely rain and flood. The Centre has aided Assam and Bihar but haven't sent any aid to Bengal. The Centre thinks they would hit us economically as our government oppose their policies," she alleged. The Trinamool Congress supremo also accused the Centre's ruling BJP of talking in the language of communalism in Bengal but asserted that her government would not be provoked to reply in the same language. "BJP is using the language of communalism. We would not reply to them in that language. We have many other languages to communicate. We prefer to talk in those languages. Our government is for mother, land and people. It is not for someone specific. It is everyone," she said. Referring to the the brutall killing of an Bengali labourer in Rajasthan, Banerjee said there are repeated incidents of violence and hate crimes against the minority and dalits in the BJP governed states. "What are they (BJP) up to? A Dalit family in Gujrat went to watch a cultural programme, they were lynched. A person in Rajasthan protested against the banning of the film 'Padmavati', he was hanged till death, another person came to work in Rajasthan was burnt alive. Why would these things happen?" she asked. Taking a swipe at the BJP leaders in Bengal, Banerjee said: "People of Bengal should politically drive them away so that they can never come back." --IANS mgr/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chandigarh on Monday got direct air connectivity to Southeast Asian region as the first flight from Bangkok to the City Beautiful landed here, followed by a return flight which took off from the international airport here. Air India will deploy A320 Neo aircraft into service on the route on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The flight time will be around five hours. There will be 150 seats in the economy class and 12 in the business class, Air India Executive Director (Sales and Marketing) Pankaj Kumar told the media here on Monday. A Bangkok-Chandigarh flight landed here earlier in the day while and return flight left in the afternoon, carrying 120 passengers. Chandigarh was earlier air-linked to Dubai and Sharjah through Indigo Airlines and Air India Express respectively. With Christmas and New Year round the corner, Air India is expecting higher passenger traffic on this route this month, Kumar said. --IANS js/tsb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's prosecutor announced on Monday the launch of a criminal investigation for corruption against Sun Zhengcai, a former senior official who, until his fall into disgrace, was considered a favourite for national leadership. Sun, former secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Chongqing region, is accused of accepting bribes and is subject to coercive measures within an ongoing investigation, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said in a statement. These measures could include arrest, detention and compulsory attendance before judicial authorities. The politician was removed from his post in Chongqing on July 15 and replaced by Chen Miner, the propaganda chief of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Sun, 54, was one of the youngest members of the CPC Politburo and, until his removal, was considered one of the top contenders for prominent posts in the party's Congress in October, including as Xi's possible successor. Since 2012, Sun had been in charge of Chongqing, a region in the southwest which has witnessed tremendous economic development in the last few decades. Another former Chongqing party chief, Bo Xilai, was at the centre of the biggest corruption scandal in modern China in 2012 and sentenced to life in prison a year later. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Monday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to former Vice President Hamid Ansari and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for insinuating that they were colluding with Pakistan to defeat the BJP in the Gujarat elections. Perceiving a "clear defeat" in Gujarat, the Prime Minister was "frustrated and using foul language" to rouse sympathy for himself, Congress leader Anand Sharma said here, a day after Modi accused the party and elements in Pakistan of working together to defeat the BJP. The Congress was reacting to Modi's charge in a public meeting on Sunday in Gujarat that Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's "neech" remark came after a dinner at his house the previous day attended by former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, its current High Commissioner in India besides Ansari and Singh, among others. "Today Prime Minister, in his frustration and perceiving a clear defeat, wants to divert the attention of people. PM should take his words back and to maintain the dignity of his post, should apologise. "If he has any such information, then it's a very serious matter... The country will not accept wrong means being employed by the ruling party to win the elections. We have full faith that the Gujarat electorate is intelligent and mature enough to understand the tactics behind yesterday's address (by Modi) and will answer them in the second phase," Sharma told the media. He said nothing could be more absurd than what the Prime Minister had said on Sunday. "It is expected of the Prime Minister to be dignified in his discourse, to always remember that he holds a high office and he should not level accusations, cast aspersions on those who have held high constitutional offices and have served India with dedication and commitment." Sharma said Modi's insinuations against the former Vice President of India and former Prime Minister of doing something improper is "highly irresponsible, improper and condemnable." "The Prime Minister, he said, must remember that mere attending a social function in which high dignitaries were present... It was not a secret meeting, in which former Chief of the Indian Army, India former High Commissioner to Pakistan, eminent journalists, they all were present." "The Prime Minister is giving it a sinister and sensational twist. The Prime Minister should restore the dignity of political discourse, and apologise to the former Vice President and former PM." "It is clear that he has done so with the intent to confuse and mislead the people of Gujarat ... to whip up emotions and to polarise. There cannot be any other explanation and there cannot be anything more reprehensible than what he has done." Referring to Modi's charge that Congress leaders were colluding with Pakistan, Sharma said, "It is outrageous. He should know that Congress led the freedom struggle in which the ancestors of the party that Modi belongs to had opposed the Indian freedom struggle. They had sided with the British and had opposed Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India Movement ... He is heir of such a group." Sharma said that "Modi has time and again brought down the political discourse to such a low, which is anything but dignified". "Why doesn't he talk about progress, the country's economy. He is the Prime Minister, is given to making tall claims, why doesn't he talk about farmers today? Why doesn't he talk about employment, the future of youth? What is their agenda, on what basis are they fighting the polls? " he asked. "His own speeches, their party's foul language.. The PM is trying to rouse sympathy for himself by trying to show to the people that he has been wronged. It is he who has wronged the people." --IANS vn-vsc/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said though digitisation has brought in exposure to majority of the people but it has also exposed them to cyber threats and vulnerabilities. "As part of its Digital India initiatives, the government has introduced a lot of its services online. Although this has made services very accessible to the citizens, it has also exposed them to the threats and vulnerabilities which are an inherent part of cyberspace," the minister said. He was speaking at the inauguration of the "NIC-CERT", a setup of National Informatics Centre. He mentioned that in the recent past there has been an exponential growth in cyber attacks leading to concerns of data theft which led to the government drafting the Data Protection Act. "As Internet with its ever expanding canvas of opportunities is touching the life's of people, it necessitates the requirement to upscale the existing security infrastructure," he added. The NIC-CERT has been setup with the objective of creating a comprehensive framework that integrates world class security components and inbuilt threat intelligence for detection, prevention and incident response. Using the tools the team will correlate events that would help in generating a canvas of the attack surface and identify the vulnerabilities and possible exploits. The gathered intelligence assimilated with the knowledge of the open web would give the CERT the ability prevent and predict attacks, Prasad said. --IANS ag/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday asked Congress for a one-year extension of the martial law imposed in the southern region of Mindanao, where Islamic State (IS) militants laid partial siege to a city for five months. Duterte's proposal comes 20 days ahead of the end of the current period of martial law, and he has asked for its extension until December 31, 2018, with the aim of containing rebels linked to the IS and the growing threat of communist insurgency, reports Efe news. "Public safety indubitably required such further extension, not only for the sake of security and public order, but more importantly to enable the government and the people of Mindanao to pursue the bigger task of rehabilitation and the promotion of a stable socio-economic growth and development," he said. Filipino lawmakers are scheduled to meet before the end of the year to vote on the President's proposal. Duterte had declared martial law on May 23, the day the Maute group took up arms and laid siege to Marawi, Mindanao. The initial period, limited to 60 days as required by the country's Constitution, was extended until the end of the current year by lawmakers in July. The Philippine Armed Forces liberated the city after five months of clashes that left more than 1,100 dead and caused widespread destruction in the city that had a population of around 200,000 before the conflict. --IANS ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday deferred hearing in the case relating to 10,323 government teachers of Tripura, who are set to lose their jobs on December 31 following an apex court order, prolonging uncertainty regarding their fate. The Tripura government school teachers have demanded continuation of their jobs beyond December 31. They have launched intermittent agitations, including road and railway line blockades in the state, from December 7 to press their demand. The Supreme Court deferred hearing of three cases related to the issue, including the state government petition on the services of 10,323 government teachers, to December 14, an education department official said here quoting the apex court directive. The Supreme Court, comprising Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Uday Umesh Lalit, postponed the hearing after clubbing the three cases together. Education and Law Minister Tapan Chakraborty said the state government had filed a petition before the Supreme Court urging it to extend the termination deadline for one more year (beyond December 31). The state government had also filed another petition - to vacate the stay on recruitment of 12,000 non-teaching staffs. The third case had been filed by two graduate teachers seeking review of the Supreme Court order passed on March 29. The Supreme Court on March 29 had upheld the Tripura High Court verdict terminating the jobs of 10,323 government teachers citing some indiscretion. In an apparent move to circumvent the apex court order, the Tripura government in May announced the recruitment of 12,000 non-teaching staff in the Education Department. This was to ostensibly "accommodate" the teachers facing the axe following the court verdict. On October 24, a division bench of the Supreme Court ordered that the ban enforced on October 4 on recruitment of 12,000 non-teaching staff would remain in force until the next hearing. An unemployed youth from Tripura had filed a contempt petition before the Supreme Court, alleging that the state government had violated its order by trying to redesignate the posts of sacked teachers as well as by initiating the process to recruit 12,000 non-teaching employees in the education department. The state also faces a huge dearth of eligible candidates to fill up around 16,000 teachers' posts. Ahead of the February 2018 Assembly elections, the issue of termination of 10,323 government teachers' jobs and recruitment of 12,000 non-teaching staffs is set to become a major political issue. --IANS sc/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested a French journalist here for making a documentary on pellet victims. "Comiti Paul Edward has been detained for violating visa norms in Srinagar," a senior police officer said. Edward was arrested on Sunday evening from Kothibagh area. He was meeting separatists and pellet victims in the city to shoot his documentary, the officer said. Scores of protesting youths suffered injuries from pellet guns used in 2016 following an unrest in the valley after the July 8 killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Some lost vision totally or partially after their injuries. Edward has a passport and a business visa for India, valid upto December 22, 2018, the officer said. A business visa does not allow anyone to make a documentary on political or security related issues. An FIR under section 14B of the Passport Act has been registered against the French national, he said. The French Embassy has also been informed about Edward's detention, the officer said. Global arms sales increased for the first time in five years in 2016 as rising geopolitical tensions fuelled defence spending, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Sales by the world's 100 biggest arms producers increased 1.9 per cent from the previous year to reach $374.8 billion, CNN quoted SIPRI as saying in an official report on Sunday night. "The growth in arms sales was expected and was driven by the implementation of new national major weapon programmes, ongoing military operations in several countries and persistent regional tensions that are leading to an increased demand for weapons," the report said. Arms producers in South Korea, which increasingly supply the country's military, saw the largest percentage increase among developed countries. The spending splurge reflects fears of a potential conflict with North Korea. Sales by South Korean firms increased by over 20 per cent in 2016, to $8.4 billion. While consumer purchases are included in the sales figures, national governments are by far the largest purchasers of arms and weapons systems, according to the report. American firms remained at the top of the industry in 2016, with sales increasing by 4 per cent to more than $217 billion which was 58 per cent of the global total. American defence firm Lockheed Martin -- the world's largest producer -- saw sales surge 11 per cent in 2016, thanks to increased deliveries of its F-35 fighter and its acquisition of helicopter producer Sikorsky. Aude Fleurant, director of the Arms and Military Expenditure Programme at SIPRI, said that US growth was likely to continue. Sales by Russian firms increased 3.8 per cent to $26.6 billion, a slower expansion than in recent years, CNN quoted the report as saying. Moscow has boosted spending in order to overhaul its military capabilities, but procurement has slowed recently because of the country's strained finances. "It's a money issue... They have been hit very severely by the drop in oil and gas prices," said Fleurant. She pointed to regional disputes, such as the standoff over islands in the South China Sea, as a major source of increased arms sales. The area is home to crucial shipping lanes, and it's rich in oil and gas reserves. China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have all made territorial claims to islands in the area. "Countries like Vietnam order submarines and maritime patrol aircraft, because of what they consider China's assertiveness in these territorial disputes," Fleurant added. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Google Doodle on Monday celebrated the 135th birth anniversary of German physicist and mathematician Max Born who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution to the field of quantum mechanics. An atom is the smallest unit of matter and quantum mechanics studies matter at this incredibly granular level, leading to the invention of personal computers, lasers, and medical imaging devices (MRI), among other game-changing technologies. He was born and raised in what is now Wroclaw, Poland. At the time the physicist was born, on December 11, 1882, the place was known as Breslau and it was part of Germany. Born earned his Ph.D. at Gottingen University where he later became a professor of theoretical physics, collaborating with and mentoring some of the most famous scientists of the time. As a result of laws enacted by the Nazi Party, he had to flee Germany for England, where he served as the Tait Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh for nearly two decades until his retirement in 1954 when he returned home to Gottingen. Born was first nominated for the Nobel Prize by none other than Albert Einstein. Born was awarded the coveted prize in 1954 "for for his fundamental research in quantum mechanics, especially for his statistical interpretation of the wavefunction". He is best known for the Born Rule -- a quantum theory that uses mathematical probability to predict the location of wave particles in a quantum system. Previous theories proposed that wave equations were exact measurements, involving cumbersome physical measurement experiments. Born discovered that matrices or "arrays of numbers by rows and columns" could yield a similar result, relying on predictions of probability. "This revolutionary theory now provides the basis for practically all quantum physics predictions," Google said. He died in Goettingen on January 5, 1970. --IANS gb/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the motto to improve labour room quality, Union Minister of State for Finance, S.P. Shukla on Monday launched LaQshya, a safe delivery mobile application for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in peripheral areas. Shukla also released the Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs). "There is enough evidence that supports the fact that improving the quality of care in labour rooms especially on the day of birth, is central to maternal and neonatal survival," said the Health Ministry in a statement. According to the Ministry, while the initiative will prevent the undesirable adverse outcomes associated with childbirth, the initiative will be implemented in Government Medical Colleges besides district hospitals, and high delivery load sub-district hospitals and Community Health Centres. "The initiative plans to conduct quality certification of labour rooms and also incentivise facilities achieving the targets outlined. The goal of this initiative is to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in labour room and maternity OT and ensure respectful maternity care," said the statement. The application has clinical instruction films on key obstetric procedures which can help the health workers translate their learnt skills into practice. "It can play a pivotal role in training, post training reinforcement, mentoring and demonstration. This application has been tailored as per the Indian context. It has also been field tested in few districts and has been found to be useful for health workers who provide maternity care," said the statement. The launch was held during an event to mark the Universal Health Coverage, 2017. --IANS rup/umer/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in the Chinese capital to denounce Beijings crackdown on migrant communities, with chants of "violent evictions violate human rights", the media reported. Demonstrators gathered on the streets of Feijia village, northeast of Tiananmen Square, on Sunday for the small but rare rally condemning the eviction and demolition campaign, the Guardian newspaper reported on Monday. It quoted activists as saying that thousands of migrant workers had been forced from their homes in Beijing's rundown periphery since late November when authorities intensified efforts to drive "low-end" migrant workers out of the city in the wake of a deadly tenement fire. Sunday's protest was not reported in China's Communist party controlled press but videos and photographs of the event spread online, with human rights campaigners cheering the scenes. Footage showed crowds processing through the community, which is just north of the motorway leading to Beijing's international airport and close to the 798 art district, itself the target of violent demolitions in the past, the daily said. "The demonstration suggested Beijing may have miscalculated how much outrage would be caused by the 'ferocity' of its campaign, which has seen once vibrant migrant communities reduced to rubble," the report said. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India, Russia and China on Monday jointly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations while calling for effective implementation of existing international commitments to counter terrorism following the 15th Russia-India-China Foreign Ministerial Meeting here. "Our discussions today were focused on four broad cluster of areas, namely, economic and developmental issues, fight against terrorism, global and multilateral issues, and regional issues," External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said in joint address to the media along with her Russian and Chinese counterparts, Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi respectively, after the meeting. "While discussing terrorism, I put across my view that significant rise in acts of terrorism by terrorist organisations like Taliban, Daesh (Islamic State), Al Qaeda, and LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development," Sushma Swaraj said. Stating that India strongly recommends a comprehensive policy for dealing with global terrorism, she said: "The policy should include dealing with extremism, countering religious fanaticism, preventing recruitment of terrorists, disrupting terrorist movements, stopping all sources for financing of terrorism, stopping flow of FTFs (foreign terrorist fighters), dismantling terrorist infrastructure, and countering terrorist propaganda through the internet, but we should not limit ourselves to these only." A joint statement issued following the meeting said that the three sides condemned "terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including the recent heinous terrorist attacks around the world and reaffirm our determination to prevent and counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations". "We reaffirm that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable irrespective of their motivations, committed wherever and by whomsoever. We call for greater unity, stronger international partnership and concerted actions by the international community in addressing the menace of terrorism in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, including the principles of sovereign equality of states and non-interference in their internal affairs," the statement said. "We emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, and in this context resolve to step up cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism and radicalization, combat the spread of terrorist ideology and propaganda, stop sources of terrorist financing, prevent travelling of and the supply of arms to terrorists, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, disrupt recruitment and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and prevent misuse of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for terrorist purposes." Without naming Pakistan, the three countries underlined the primary and leading role and responsibility of states in preventing and countering terrorism and extremism and reiterated that all states should take adequate measures to prevent terrorist activities from their territory. "We stress that those committing, organising, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with the obligations under international law, including the principle of 'extradite or prosecute' as well as the applicable domestic legislations," the statement said. In her address to the media, Sushma Swaraj referred to the rise of Indian in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business report from 142nd position in 2014 to 100th this year and said: "I have invited China and Russia for a more intensive trade and economic partnership so that they can take advantage of the economic opportunities available here." Stating that the UN's Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) mirror India's own vision of development, Sushma Swaraj said that Indian initiatives such as Smart Cities, Make in India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat, Jan Dhan Yojana, Digital India, Skill India, and Start-up India closely related to several targets under the SDGs. "To combat climate change, I argued that we should ensure a fair implementation of the Paris Agreement based on the principles laid down in the Convention (UNFCCC), especially equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibility," she stated. Prior to the trilateral meeting, Sushma Swaraj held separate bilateral meetings with Wang and Lavrov. "Foreign Minister Wang Yi and I agreed that we should further strengthen our mutual trust to develop a better understanding between the two parties," Sushma Swaraj. "And it will be better to meet again and without agenda, which will help us to expand our mutual understanding." Wang's is the first high-level visit from China after Indian and Chinese troops were in a tense face-off earlier this year at Doklam. Monday's meeting comes amidst media reports of Chinese troops establishing a permanent presence near Doklam on the India-China-Bhutan international trijunction. Regarding her meeting with Lavrov, Sushma Swaraj said that that boht sides "reviewed our bilateral relations and both of us were satisfied that this is the 70th year of establishing diplomatic relations between us and more than 100 programmes were organised in the two countries to commemorate the 70th anniversary". "It is well-known that relations between India and Russia are very close and friendly," she said. --IANS ab/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India will connect with Asean countries through cruise tourism and a new cruise port is being built in Mumbai for this, Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday. Speaking at the India-Asean Connectivity Summit, which focuses on enhancing connectivity with Asean countries, the minister said the government was encouraging cruise tourism. "We are planning to create a cruise tourism (network) which can be connected to Asean countries," Gadkari said. "This year, 80 cruise ships came to Mumbai. We are spending Rs 1,000 crore and building a cruise terminal. After five years, 950 cruise ships will come to Mumbai," he said. Gadkari also said that the work of dredging had started on Brahmaputra river for developing a water transport channel up to Bangladesh. This will further connect India to Myanmar and other Asean countries. "We have started work in Brahmaputra. After Bangladesh, through Brahmaputra, we can go up to Myanmar." The summit comes ahead of the visit of the leaders of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) here next month for the commemorative summit of 25 years of the India-Asean dialogue partnership. The Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. --IANS ao/him/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday criticized the policies of US President Donald Trump in Middle East regarding Jerusalem, Press TV reported. Trump has made an "incorrect" decision to recognize Jerusalem as the "capital" of Israel, Rouhani said in a meeting with the visiting British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in the capital Tehran. "The regional situation is such that one should not fan the flames and the US President's recent decision to move the country's embassy to al-Quds (Jerusalem) was an incorrect decision and was pouring gasoline on the flames in the region," Rouhani was quoted as saying. Over the past years, Iran sought to establish sustainable peace and stability, helped end war and bloodshed and uproot terrorism in the region, he said, adding that Tehran-London talks could lead to the development of regional stability. It is clear that Iran's constructive role saved two regional countries from the threat of terrorism, he said. "No one can doubt Iran's positive measures in the region," he pointed out. The Iranian President also stressed the importance of boosting cordial relations between Tehran and London after the implementation of the landmark nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015. He expressed dissatisfaction with the current level of Tehran-London cooperation after the JCPOA implementation and urged the two sides to make more efforts to reach "a desirable point in relations." The British foreign secretary said Iran had taken positive measures in the fight against terrorism and promoted regional peace and stability. Johnson said that London did not regard Trump's decision on Jerusalem as an appropriate move. Besides, he said that the JCPOA was a positive accord, which should be upheld in a way that the Iranian nation could take advantage of its economic benefits. He also expressed Britain's willingness to participate in Iran's investment projects. Johnson headed a high-ranking politico-economic delegation in his trip to Tehran is part of an effort to improve Tehran-London relations. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Juhi Chawla is glad that the Maharashtra government is banning use of plastic bags from next year. The government plans to make Maharashtra plastic-free beginning May 2018. The government is planning a ban on plastic bottles from early 2018 in government offices, educational institutions, and functions organized by the state before the ban is extended to private offices. Juhi took part in the Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA) organised 'Plastic Free Cuffe Parade' walk on Sunady. "I am happy that it has started and it should grow." "When I heard that the Maharashtra government and the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), has taken the decision that by next Gudi Padwa, all plastic bags will be banned, it made me very happy," said the former Miss India. "I would never back a move without a good reasons. Most people will wonder, how it can be done, as this is so convenient. But this is important. "Thousands and millions of animals and birds die every day because of plastic, our water is getting polluted, so tomorrow, what will our children eat or drink?" added the Bollywood star. "So it's more harm than useful." "In 2014, Supreme Court observed that if plastic bags are not banned or manufacturers didn't take the plastic bag and did something with it, the harmful effects would be so severe, it will be worse than an atom bomb," she said. Juhi says that this is big issue. "Don't just think this is garbage as this is poisonous garbage, which has piled up so much in the environment that not just Maharashtra but the entire world is planning to do something about it. Recently Kenya banned the plastic bags throughout the country" added the actress. Juhi also spoke about "Citizens of Tomorrow" and "Swachh Bharata initiative. "Join Citizens for Tomorrow' and together we will tackle this issue and make our country clean. And if Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, Swachh Bharat, then we will do it," she told media. Juhi's next film is with Vidhu Vinod Chopra production. --IANS iv/in/nv/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here on Monday sent, to 12 days judicial custody, Kannada tabloid editor Ravi Belagere who was arrested for allegedly hiring hitmen to kill an ex-colleague. "He will be in judicial custody until December 23," said the 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate V.Jagadeesh. Belagere, 59, the editor of Kannada weekly "Hai Bangalore" was arrested by the city police on Friday and had been in four-day police custody since then. The arrest was made after two gunmen - Tahir Hussain and Shashidhar Mundewadi - had testified to taking ransom from the journalist to kill his ex-colleague Sunil Heggaravalli three months ago. Heggaravalli, whom the killers couldn't manage to shoot, was working with Belagere in the same tabloid. Belagere had reportedly given Mundewadi a gun with four bullets along with a knife to "eliminate" his former colleague whom he called a "betrayer". From searches conducted at Belagere's office and residence in the city, police had so far found one revolver gun with 53 live bullets and a used bullet, a double barrel gun with 41 live bullets along with deer skin and tortoise shell. --IANS bha/fb/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi sincerely believes in what he is saying about Pakistan meddling in Gujarat elections, he should order arrest of the persons involved. "If what PM is saying is correct then what is NIA doing? Why doesn't he charge them under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and National Security Act and have them arrested?" the Hyderabad MP asked. "I expect him not to react in such a weak and meek way. Let him arrest them," he said. The MIM leader said the PM was questioning the nationalism and loyalty of even a retired army chief and a former foreign secretary. "If this is correct then you have to tell this to nation because it is a serious matter," he said. Owaisi alleged that by not acting on the matter, Modi had proved that it's a mere rhetoric to polarize voters in Gujarat. The MP said he was not surprised over the PM's statement as his party had used the same language during Bihar elections. The BJP had said that if it loses the polls, people in Pakistan will celebrate Diwali. The MIM chief also demanded the government to clarify on the meeting held in Bangkok between the National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan. "Why there is so much secrecy about the meeting," he asked. --IANS ms/vd A (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A "deeply pained and anguished" former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of spreading "falsehood and canards" in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat election and asked him to "apologize to the nation". In an unusually hard-hitting statement, Manmohan Singh denied allegations by Modi that he and others, including former Vice President Hamid Ansari and former Army Chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor, invited to a dinner at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence with Pakistani diplomats, discussed the Gujarat election. The BJP fielded Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to rebut Manmohan Singh's charge, saying that the former Prime Minister should admit that engaging with Pakistan at this moment was a "misadventure" for which he should apologize instead of demanding one from Modi. "I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than ... Modi," Manmohan Singh said. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of the Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. "Sadly and regrettably, Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every Constitutional office including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief," Manmohan Singh added. The statement follows Modi's allegations at an election rally in Gujarat that guests at Aiyar's house, including Manmohan Singh, Ansari and Gen. Kapoor, discussed the Gujarat polls with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India and a former Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khurshid Kasuri, among others, suggesting that the Congress was conspiring with Pakistani leaders to prevent the BJP from winning the election in the state. "(On one hand) Pakistan Army's former DG is interfering in Gujarat's election and on the other Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house," Modi said. Manmohan Singh made public the guest list at Aiyar's in Delhi. Those present included former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, former Foreign Secretary Salman Haider, former High Commissioners of India to Pakistan T.C.A. Raghavan, Satinder K. Lambah, Sharad Sabharwal and M.K. Bhadrakumar and India's former Permanent Representative to the UN, C.R. Gharekhan. Also present in the meeting were academician Kanti Bajpai and journalists Prem Shankar Jha, Ajai Shukla and Rahul Singh. "I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Aiyar as alleged by Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner," Manmohan Singh said. "The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations," he added. Manmohan Singh said the Congress needed "no sermons on 'nationalism' from a party and Prime Minister whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. "Let me remind Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic air base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan." Manmohan Singh went on: "I sincerely hope that the Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies." Talking to the media, Jaitley said the former Prime Minister and the Congress should come out with facts as to what happened in the meeting and what was the need to have it. Referring to Manmohan Singh's attack on the government's policy towards tackling terrorism, the Finance Minister said the government has a track record which no other government in the past can boast of. "On Sunday, the Congress was in a denial mode (about the dinner). Instead of accepting it as a misadventure, they are trying to blame us. They should apologise to the people instead of seeking apologies from us." The Congress also demanded an apology from Modi for accusing it of "colluding and conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections". "We have full faith that the Gujarat electorate is intelligent and mature enough to understand the tactics behind yesterday's address (by Modi) and will answer them in the second phase," Congress leader Anand Sharma told the media here. "It was not a secret meeting.... The Prime Minister is giving it a sinister and sensational twist. The Prime Minister should restore the dignity of political discourse, and apologise to the former Vice President and the former Prime Minister. "It is clear that he has done so with the intent to confuse and mislead the people of Gujarat for the second phase of the elections, to whip emotions and to polarize. It is outrageous." Sharma said India is not a police state where "we should seek Prime Minister's permission" for hosting dinners. On its part, Pakistan also rebuffed the allegations of a secret meeting between Congress leaders and its High Commissioner, saying India should stop "dragging" Islamabad into its electoral debate and termed Modi's remarks as "baseless and irresponsible". Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram in a tweet said: "Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh is absolutely right in demanding an apology for the outrageous allegation made yesterday against the former Vice President (Hamid Ansari) and former Prime Minister and other distinguished former civil servants." --IANS sid-sar-vsc/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading "falsehood and canards" in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat elections and asked him to "apologize to the nation". In a hard-hitting statement, Manmohan Singh denied allegations by Modi that he and others invited to a dinner at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence with Pakistani diplomats discussed the Gujarat election. "I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than ... Modi," the Congress leader said. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of the Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. "Sadly and regrettably, Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every Constitutional office including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief," Manmohan Singh added. The statement follows Modi allegations at an election rally in Gujarat that guests at Aiyar's house, including Manmohan Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari, discussed the Gujarat election with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India and a former Pakistani Foreign Minister among others. "I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Aiyar as alleged by Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner," Manmohan Singh said. "The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations," he added. Manmohan Singh said the Congress needed "no sermons on 'nationalism' from a party and Prime Minister whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. "Let me remind Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic air base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan." Manmohan Singh went on: "I sincerely hope that the Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies." --IANS mr/sar (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Loudspeakers were being installed across Australia's Melbourne city on Monday as part of a major security upgrade to warn people of terror attacks. The new measures are the recommendations of a counter terrorism review that occurred after a number of extremist incidents this year, reports Xinhua news agency. In January, a vehicle attack in Melbourne resulted in the deaths of six people, while in July a deadly terror siege killed two men, including the gunman, on the outskirts of the city. Last month, a plot to gun down innocent people in Melbourne's Federation Square was thwarted by authorities. The $7.5 million initiative will also include extra CCTV cameras in the Central Business District and the construction of more pavement barricades to prevent cars from entering busy walkways. "The loud speakers will allow us to put out warning messages in the event of an incident occurring whether it be a terrorist event or whether it be another mass casualty incident, or one that's of high risk," Victoria Police Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told the media. "It will allow us to inform the public in the city where they should be going, what they should be doing and making sure they're safe and understand what's unfolding." The police said the first test of the warning system will commence on December 28 in preparation for the New Year's Eve celebrations. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Raveena Tandon believes films can be a learning experience for children. Raveena, who who was here for the inauguration of the third edition of Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFFCY) on Monday, said in a statement: "It is something that is to be very proud of that there is a film festival, that is only and wholly for children. I want kids to take a vow that whatever they will learn from here, they will follow in their daily life. "Movies are the best media to educate our children, so I also want to thank SIFFCY which has acted as a media to communicate goodness to our children as it is the right time to educate them about what is good and what is bad for them." The week-long festival, which has international jury members on board, and also a young jury board where children have given their inputs in selection of movies, began at the Sirifort Auditorium here. SIFFCY is a reflection of Smile Foundation's efforts to use films as a medium for sensitizing masses, especially children and youth, and engaging them proactively in the process of bringing Social change. Santanu Mishra, Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation and Chairman of SIFFCY, said: "I hope through SIFFCY, we will be able to channelize the energy of children and youth in a positive way and engage them proactively in the process of initiating social change. "The idea behind SIFFCY is to design a rich mix of film programmes to build and support the growing interest in the infotainment industry. This includes programming that cultivates an audience for world cinema while supporting filmmakers in career development, so that this powerful medium can be explored in a more focused manner for disseminating serious yet effective social messages." Apart from movies, engagement activities include capacity-building workshops, panel discussions and forums on Environment, Climate Change, Road Safety and Role of Cinema, apart from technical workshops by industry experts on filmmaking, cinematography, sound design, production design, storytelling and photography, said festival director Jitendra Mishra. The opening film at the gala was Rima Das' "Village Rockstars", besides "Cloud Boy", a joint production by Belgium, Sweden, Norway and Netherlands. Over 100 films from over 30 countries are part of the showcase at the fest. --IANS rb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged European countries to follow the example set by the US and move their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thus recognising the holy city as the capital of the Jewish State. Netanyahu gave a brief statement to the press alongside the European Union (EU) Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini on what his first official visit to the EU institutions in Brussels. The visit happened for the first time in 22 years, reports Efe news. "I believe that all, or most, European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital," said the 68-year-old Prime Minister, insisting that such a move was the first step in securing peace between the Israeli and Palestinian communities. "Jerusalem is Israel's capital, no-one can deny it... It doesn't obviate peace, it makes peace possible." But his visit to Brussels came at a time of heightened regional tensions and global condemnation of US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise the contended holy city as Israel's capital. On December 6, Trump broke with the tradition set by his predecessors by pledging to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, where all other international embassies are currently based. Mogherini, however, used her welcome address with Netanyahu to reiterate the EU's staunch support for a two-state solution whereby Jerusalem would be shared by the Israeli and Palestinian states, a foreign policy approach echoed by the UK and France. She said the worst thing that could happen at the moment would be an escalation in violence, both in the region and globally. Calling for calm, she said: "Let me condemn in the strongest possible way all the attacks on Jews, everywhere in the world including in Europe and on Israel and on Israeli citizens. Increased tensions and violence would only inflame the region." Meanwhile, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and the UK's Secretary of State for European matters Alan Duncan both that their countries would not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Mogehrini stressed her support for the ongoing work of Jordan's King Abdullah II for his role in the Israel-Palestine peace talks, adding that she was to meet with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in January 2018. Israel has long campaigned for the international community to recognise Jerusalem as its capital, which it says has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years, since the reign of King David of Israel as told by the Hebrew Bible. The Palestinian majority East Jerusalem was occupied by Israel by the end of the Six-Day War in 1967 but has never been recognized by the United Nations as Israeli territory. Netanyahu will also hold talks with foreign ministers of EU member states. --IANS ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said political parties should sit together and discuss if the minimum number of sittings of Parliament needed to be fixed, and also recommended automatic suspension of members who rush near the presiding officer 's podium in the house. The Vice President, who will preside over the Rajya Sabha as Chairman for the first time this winter session, suggested that legislatures may put out in public domain the names of members who disrupt house proceedings with an observation that they have violated rules in disregard of the Chair's directions and thereby adversely impacted house functioning. Naidu also suggested a 10 point charter to ensure effective functioning of legislatures in the country, so that people's respect for the democratic institution can be sustained. These includes devising methods to calculate productivity of the legislature, ranking legislative bodies in the country, and having a quorum for opposition parties as well. "There is a serious need to consider a proposal that Parliament should meet for at least 100 days a year. Political parties need to seriously consider the minimum number of days for which Parliament should meet," he said, while delivering a lecture on "Importance of Legislatures" organised by thinktank PRS Legislative Research. His comments come at a time when opposition parties have accused the government of undermining the importance of Parliament by delaying the winter session. The session was delayed due to the Gujarat assembly elections and will now be conducted from December 15 to January 1. The Vice President also said that to address the "menace" of members rushing towards the presiding officer's podium, there was a need for specific provisions in the rules of business for "automatic suspension" of those who do so, adding that a consensus in this regard needs to be evolved. Naidu also voiced concern over the low number of sittings of assemblies in the states. "State assemblies met for 29 days, on an average. In general, the duration of meetings has been constantly decreasing. Of these, sometimes the opposition boycotts the assembly session. Some states like Kerala met for a longer period," he said. Naidu also called for passing the bill on reservation to women in Parliament and assemblies, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010. The Vice President said contrary to perception, Parliament works round the year with its Ministry-related Standing Committees and other panels enhancing its efficacy in legislative, deliberative and overseeing functions. Giving out figures, Naidu said the First Lok Sabha had 677 sittings and passed 319 bills during 1952-57, as compared with 332 sittings and passage of 247 bills of the 14th Lok Sabha during 2004-09. The 15th Lok Sabha had 357 sittings and approved 181 bills. He said that from these statistics, it would not be correct to conclude that Parliament is shirking its responsibilities, adding that there was need to pass more legislation after Independence. --IANS ao/vd (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 police constable was shot dead by unidentified criminals in Bihar's Vaishali district on Monday, police said. Dipnarain Rai from the Special Auxiliary Police was killed when he was on way to take up duty at the Hajipur Jail. The shooting took place near the prison in Hajipur town, Vaishali Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar said. --IANS ik/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria, the Kremlin said. Putin arrived at the Hmeymim airfield in the coastal city of Latakia earlier in the day on a surprise visit where he met his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad, reports Xinhua news agency. "I order the Defence Minister (Sergey Shoygu) and the Chief of General Staff to start withdrawing the Russian group of troops to their permanent bases," the BBC quoted Putin as saying. Putin had already declared in March 2016 that he was planning to pull out the majority of Russian troops. "I have taken a decision: a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in Syria is returning home to Russia." Putin said that if "terrorists raise their heads again", Russia would "carry out such strikes on them which they have never seen". "We will never forget the victims and losses suffered in the fight against terror both here in Syria and also in Russia." The visit marks Putin's first trip since the Syrian conflict began six years ago. --IANS ksk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rahul Gandhi, who is putting up a spirited campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat, was on Monday elected the President of the Congress, taking over from his mother who had helmed the country's oldest party for 19 long years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his political bete noire and wished him a fruitful tenure. "I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress President. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure," Modi tweeted. The 47-year-old Rahul will formally take over the reins of the grand old party on December 16, two days before the counting of votes for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections, the outcome of which could be a trendsetter ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Congress leader and returning officer Mullappally Ramachandran told the media that a total of 89 nomination papers proposing the name of for Congress President were received. All the nomination papers were found valid. "Since the withdrawal date and time is over and as there is only one candidate, as per Article XVIII(d) of the Constitution of Indian Congress, I hereby declare elected as President of the Indian Congress," he said. Marking a generational shift, will be the sixth Nehru-Gandhi scion to helm the party, taking over from his mother Sonia Gandhi who steered it through an era during which it was in power from 2004 to 2014. "This is a historic occasion. The handing over of the certificate of election is scheduled to be held on December 16 at 11 a.m.," Ramachandran said. He said Rahul Gandhi was a stickler for rules and was particular about ensuring that the elections were conducted in a transparent and meaningful manner. "Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi never interfered with the election authority. We were given complete freedom to execute the onerous responsibility," he said. He also said: "We place on record the exemplary guidance and support given by Sonia Gandhiji and Rahul Gandhiji. At the first meeting of the Central Election Authority Sonia Gandhiji had given us only one mandate i.e. to conduct free, fair and transparent election, keeping in view the high traditions and heritage of Congress. "The only request that Soniaji placed before us was that women, weaker sections and youth should be given adequate representation," Ramachandran added. Senior Congress leader and Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: "Whole nation has a lot of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. He has shown his mettle much before he was elected the president. He knows his responsibility well and has shown this in Gujarat." Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "An aspirational leader, whose most endearing quality is his 'sincerity' and 'sense of purpose' takes over as new President of the Congress." "Congress, its workers are ready to take on new challenges, traverse new heights and serve the nation," he added. Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra also congratulated him on becoming the party chief and said it is the "dawn of a new era" and a "proud moment for all in the family". "My best wishes to @OfficeOfRG on becoming @INCIndia President," Vadra tweeted. Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken addressing mediapersons said "only time will tell what will be his role as party president". He also added that the programme for the handing over ceremony scheduled on December 16 will be released later. It is expected that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, current and former Chief Ministers, senior Congress leaders, and all PCC chiefs and delegates will be present at the handing over ceremony. Gandhi had been the party Vice President for over four years since 2013. Among the proposers of 89 nominations -- all in support of Gandhi -- was former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who called Rahul Gandhi the "darling" of the party. Manmohan Singh accompanied Gandhi when he filed the nomination papers. Originally 90 nomination forms were issued but one could not be filed as there were not enough number of proposers. Hundreds of Congress workers and leaders from across the country thronged the party office and celebrated the announcement of Rahul Gandhi's elevation by bursting crackers and dancing to the beat of drums and distributing sweets. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj along with her Chinese and Russian counterparts Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov held the 15th Russia-India-China trilateral meeting here on Monday. "Towards global and regional peace, security and stability," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted of the meeting. Kumar had said last week that the three countries would discuss global and regional issues. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the talks were expected to focus on security and trade issues in the region and elsewhere. The discussions would also include the situation in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Korean peninsula, it said. Wang Yi's visit is the first high-level visit from China after Indian and Chinese troops were involved a tense face-off position in the Doklam region of the border earlier this year. --IANS ab/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Italian Civil Protection agency has warned severe weather might cause disruption in some northern and central regions, starting from Monday. A red alert for high hydro-geological risk -- indicating the maximum level of warning -- was issued for the coastal areas east of Genoa, in the northwest Liguria region, and for the central Tuscany region, Xinhua news agency reported. An orange level weather warning (moderate risk) was also issued for the inland areas of Liguria region, for other northern regions including Lombardy, and for central regions of Emilia Romagna, Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise. Extensive snowfall is forecast all across northern Italy during the week, due to a wave of freezing weather coming from the Atlantic Ocean, the Civil Protection agency said in its latest statement. Such weather was likely to be followed by warm winds from northern Africa, which may trigger "an intense southern ventilation" with temperatures on the rise, the agency added. On Monday, snowfall was registered in several areas of northern Italy, both in the west and east, and freezing rains hit the Piedmont and Liguria regions. Local authorities ordered schools to remain closed in the eastern part of Liguria and in most of Tuscany, while cold temperatures caused moderate disruption to local railways and other transport routes. Last winter, an exceptionally cold weather gripped many countries in Europe, and was blamed for the death of at least eight people in Italy. --IANS him/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for levelling allegations against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari during the Gujarat election campaign. Chidambaram asked in a tweet: The BJP's campaign in Gujarat in the last few days, especially yesterday, has gone beyond bizarre. Should a political party go to any length to win an election? P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 11, 2017 Is winning an election so important that such allegations can be made against a former Prime Minister and a former Vice President? P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) December 11, 2017 ALSO READ: PM Modi says Pakistan meddling in Gujarat polls Chidambaram also said the BJP's campaign Gujarat in the last few days, especially on Sunday, had gone "beyond bizarre". "Should a political party go to any length to win an election?" Chidambaram was obviously referring to Modi's insinuation at a public meeting on Sunday in Gujarat that Singh and Ansari attended a dinner at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house where a former Pakistan foreign minister and the current High Commissioner of that country in India were also present. Modi also accused Pakistan of colluding with Congress leaders to defeat the BJP in Gujarat. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday urged the government to subsidise the cost of treatment in emergency cases in private hospitals and ensure a strong mechanism for reimbursements. "(Handling medical) emergency cases is the responsibility of the state governments. The government should subsidise cost borne on all such emergencies in the private sector and create a mechanism for reimbursements," IMA President K.K. Aggarwal told the media here. He said a new body called the 'IMA Medical Redressal Commission' will be constituted at the state level to engage in social, financial, and quality audits of healthcare (suo motu, or on demand). "The commission will have a public man, an IMA office-bearer, one former state medical council representative, and two subject experts," said Aggarwal, adding that the commission shall consider every grievance in a time-bound manner. "An appeal to the state commission will be heard by the "IMA-headquartered Medical Redressal Commission" which will have the powers to take suo motu cases also," said the IMA official. The IMA, a consortium of doctors across India, also demanded no compulsion from private hospital managements to make their doctors work vis-a-vis targets and prescribe the choice of drugs and devices. "The consultants should suggest devices to patients as per their affordability and not as per the management," said Aggarwal. Aggarwal was speaking in the wake of medical negligence cases against Gurugram's Fortis and north Delhi's Max Super Specialty Hospital. Pointing out that the doctor-patient trust was experiencing a downward spiral, the IMA chief said that people have started looking at medical professionals with suspicion. Referring to the November 30 incident at Max hospital wherein a premature newborn was wrongly declared dead by doctors, Aggarwal said: "Errors happen by accident and are not intentional." "It is also high time for medical professionals to introspect and come out with self-regulation procedures. From today onwards, all doctors in the country shall choose affordable drugs for prescription," he said. He said the IMA had recommended that all doctors prescribe drugs on the National List of Essential Medicines, wherever possible, and promote Jan Aushadhi kendras. --IANS rup/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the UN, has said that the women who have accused President Donald Trump of touching or groping them without their consent "should be heard", the media reported. Haley's comments to CBS News on Sunday evening diverged from the White House position on the more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of misconduct, reports The Washington Post. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that the White House's position is that the women were lying and that the American people settled the issue by electing Trump despite the accusations. When asked whether she considered the allegations a "settled issue", given last year's election results, Haley responded: "You know, that's for the people to decide. I know that he was elected. But, you know, women should always feel comfortable coming forward. And we should all be willing to listen to them." Haley's comments highlighted a challenge facing Republicans as a cultural revolution on the topic of sexual harassment sweeps the country. Republicans have seized on allegations of wrongdoing by Democrats, including Representative John Conyers Jr. and Senator Al Franken who announced they would resign last week. Haley spoke about Trump's accusers after praising women who have come forward with allegations about powerful men in various other industries. "They should be heard, and they should be dealt with. "And I think we heard from them before the election. And I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up." The President has been sued for defamation in New York by one of his accusers, Summer Zervos, a former contestant on "The Apprentice" who said Trump groped and kissed her in a hotel room in 2007 during a meeting to discuss a job opportunity, The Washington Post reported. She said Trump defamed her when he dismissed her account and called her and the other accusers liars. A judge is weighing whether to allow the case to proceed. Haley's comments came in contrast to other Republicans, who have defended Trump, noting that the public elected him even after knowing about allegations from multiple women against him. In an NBC News interview on Sunday night, Senator Tim Scott said that "to re-litigate the election is impossible. "The allegations or the accusations against the president were a part of the campaign... Should people who were victimised have their day in court, their opportunity to present their information? I have no problem with that issue." --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two guards of Jammu and Kashmir Bank were killed on Monday when militants fired indiscriminately at a bank cash van in south Kashmir to loot the money, police said. Police said the exact amount of cash looted was yet to be ascertained. Police said the militants fired at and critically injured the guards in Keller area of Shopian district. They later died at a hospital. Security forces were rushed to the spot to hunt for the militants. --IANS sq/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ride-sharing company Uber on Monday announced the launch of its PREMIER service in Hyderabad and Vizag. "PREMIER has enhanced the core experience of ridesharing, one that's as good as a rider's personal car. We will continue to listen to our riders and driver partners and work towards making Uber a preferred choice of commute." Shailesh Sawlani, General Manager-West, Uber India, said in a statement. The company started Uber PREMIER in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow and Delhi and has now expanded it. A PREMIER ride will come in select economy-range sedans, driven by best-in-class driver partners endorsed by riders. The services will be offered as an in-app product option that serves as an upgrade to their current uberX experience. Apart from PREMIER, Uber currently provides uberMOTO, uberPOOL, uberGO and uberX ride options. --IANS ksc/na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Talks between the US and Pakistan for finding common ground in Afghanistan have moved into a phase of quiet diplomacy aimed at resolving differences, according to authorities. The authorities confirmed that the two countries had held a series of meetings before and after US Defence Secretary James Mattis's December 4 visit to Islamabad, reflecting the mutual desire to improve ties, Dawn news reported on Monday. Talking to the Pakistani media in Washington, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary said that Secretary Mattis's visit had a positive impact on efforts to rebuild the relationship. Pentagon's chief spokesperson Dana White said at a news briefing last week that Mattis visited Islamabad to find a common ground with Pakistan. Diplomatic observers in Washington have said that this change was quite noticeable, when compared with the rhetoric that followed President Donald Trump's August 21 announcement of his new strategy for Afghanistan. While Pakistan supports reconciliation between the Afghan government and Taliban, it warns that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict, reports Dawn news. Soon after President Trump's speech, the US media reported that his administration was considering proposals to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, to expand drone attacks into Pakistan's settled areas and to expunge Pakistan from its list of major non-NATO allies. Secretary Mattis, however, did not repeat any of these threats before, during or after his visit to Islamabad. He refused to do so even when prodded by the media. --IANS ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that the country's main opposition parties were banned from taking part in next year's presidential election, the media reported. He said only parties which took part in Sunday's mayoral polls would be able to contest the presidency. "The other parties, Voluntad Popular and Primero Justicia have disappeared from the Venezuelan political map and today disappear completely because any party not participating today and that has called for boycotting the elections cannot participate any more," Efe news quoted Maduro as saying on Sunday evening. Refusing to participate in the vote were the following opposition parties: Accion Democratica, Venezuela's oldest political grouping; Voluntad Popular, headed by imprisoned opposition figure Leopoldo Lopez; and Primero Justicia, headed by parliamentary chief Julio Borges, all of whom claimed that the election was not an independent manifestation of the popular will. The parties refused to participate in Sunday's municipal elections after denouncing what they said was fraud and numerous irregularities in the October 15 gubernatorial elections, in which Maduro's PSUV party won 18 of the country's 23 governorships, according to official results. Low turnout marked the municipal vote along with the abstention of opposition parties that refused to participate due to their lack of trust in the National Electoral Council (CNE). Chavism, the political force behind Maduro's government, was expected to win the mayoral races in 335 of the country's municipalities. Despite the low turnout in Caracas, Chavistas appeared jubilant on election day and the president of the government-supporting Constituent National Assembly (ANC), Delcy Rodriguez, declared that the election was a sign of a "vigorous democracy" here. A total of 19.7 million citizens were eligible to vote at 14,384 voting precincts around the country. Maduro called upon Venezuelans early Sunday morning to "vote for the future" in the municipal elections, claiming that Venezuela is the "world champion of freedom and democracy" for having held 24 elections since the socialist Bolivarian Revolution was installed under the late Hugo Chavez in 1999, Meanwhile, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said the elections are "a null event" called by the invalid ANC, organised by electoral authorities that are "fraudulent," adding that Venezuela is a territory "under military occupation." --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The finance minister has begun the Budget exercise for 2018. Income tax payers have high expectations of relief this time around. For senior citizens increasing the IT exemption limit and also the rebate on premium of health policies needs an upward revision. With the cost of consultation and medicines rising steeply, the domiciliary treatment amount has to be set at a minimum of Rs 50,000 per year. was declared president-elect of the Congress party on Monday. He will officially take over the reins on Saturday, two days before counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls and amid anticipation that he would not only ring changes in the hierarchy but also reshape its ideological moorings. Virtually ruling out an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday charged former prime minister Manmohan Singh with defying the line by meeting Pakistani diplomats and demanded to know the context, relevance and necessity of such a meet. Terming the meeting as "political misadventure", Jaitley wanted Singh and the Congress to explain the context of attending the dinner hosted by suspended party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistani diplomats. He said the main Opposition party is expected to follow the policy, which states that terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand. "Is (the) main opposition party not part of the State?" he asked. Jaitley said that if anyone defies the line, he should be prepared to answer questions. "It is a political misadventure, it has a political cost," he said. Jaitley addressed a press conference hours after Singh asked the Prime Minister to apologise to the nation for setting a "dangerous precedent". He wanted the former prime minister to explain what transpired at the meeting and went on to defend his government's track record of fighting terror, saying no government in the past has a track record this government has in fighting terrorism. In response to Singh's demand for apology, Jaitley further said people who have violated the national policy of talks and terror not going hand in hand should apologise. Former prime minister on Monday said he was deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister . Singh said he sincerely hoped that the PM would apologise to the nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies. After successfully leading Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh civic polls and undertaking hectic electioneering in poll-bound states of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is now gearing up to constitute Team Yogi in the line-up to 2019 Lok Sabha election. The fierce war of words between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has taken the Gujarat battle to another level altogether. On Sunday, PM Modi, while campaigning in the poll-bound state, stepped up his attack on the Congress and alleged Pakistan was interfering in the Gujarat Assembly polls. The Congress on Sunday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an impartial probe into the note-ban decision that the opposition party dubbed the "biggest scam ever and the largest money-laundering scheme". "In September 2016 (before announced on November 8, 2016), a whopping Rs 5,88,600 crore was deposited in banks, of which Rs 3 lakh crore was in fixed deposits. Whose money was it and what happened to it?" Congress Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said at a press conference here. "In October 2016, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar purchased eight properties. In Odisha, it purchased 18 properties, just ahead of . Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah tell the people as to how many properties they purchased just before Will they disclose the details of the party's bank accounts of the months preceding demonetisation?" Surjewala said. Modi had announced the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. "Also, Rs 500 crore was deposited in the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank three days before demonetisation. Amit Shah is a Director of this bank. Was he questioned by the Income Tax Department or the Enforcement Directorate regarding this money?" he said. The Congress leader said that after demonetisation, Rs 10.1 crore was seized from a Vaidyanath Cooperative Urban Development Bank van, in which BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde has a stake. "It is public knowledge that the cooperative banks were not given any new currency. Then how come this cooperative bank got new currency of Rs 10 crore? Whose money was it? Is there any probe into this case?" Surjewala said. He said at a time when the common people were struggling in bank queues to get a few lakh of rupees in new currency for their daughters' weddings, mining baron G. Janardan Reddy splurged Rs 500 crore on his daughter's wedding. "The BJP top brass made a beeline to this function as Reddy is considered very dear to Prime Minister Modi. Why was no investigation launched against Reddy as to where from he got so much money in new currency, when notes were being rationed to the common people?" Surjewala said. "We challenge the Prime Minister to order an impartial probe into all these cases, and many more such cases, and bring out the facts before the people," he added. The Congress leader called All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi as the "B-team of BJP" and said people should not pay attention to the polarising antics of such people. Twelve people were killed and nine others were injured in two separate accidents in Kullu and Mandi districts today, officials said. Mulak Ram (48), his wife, son and brother-in-law and two other persons were killed when a huge rock caved in and fell on their car, pushing it into a gorge near Rampur on Nirmand- Rampur road, 130 kms from here early this morning, they said. The incident came to light this morning when some locals found the wreckages of the car and its occupants trapped under rocks on the banks of Sutlej river, the officials said. The occupants of the ill-fated car were on their way to Nirmand from Rampur, they said. The police and Army were called in and mutilated bodies of the victims were extricated from the debris. The deceased were identified as Mulak Ram, his wife Sita Devi(38), son Manjeet (13) and brother-in-law Gurdiyal (28). Two carpenters, Vijay and Manoj, who had taken lift in the vehicle were also killed in the accident, they said. All the bodies have been recovered and next of kin of the deceased have been provided immediate relief, Tehsildar Nirmand Neerja Sharma said. In a separate accident, six persons, including a woman and child, were killed and nine others were injured when a tourist vehicle from Ambala rolled down from hilltop near Kangoo in Mandi district, about 135 km from here today. Mohinder Pal (54), his wife Santosh Rani (50), Neelam Sethi (65), Dharam Pal Kumar (64), Shashi Oberoi (59), all residents of Haryana's Ambala and Ravinder Kumar (48) a resident of Panchkula were killed in the accident, an official said. The bodies of the victims are being recovered while the injured persons have been rushed to the Civil hospital, SDM Sundernagar Taranjit Singh said. The vehicle was registered in Punjab and the occupants were on their way to Ner Chowk to attend a marriage, the official said. The district administration has given Rs 10,000 on spot to the next of kin of each person killed in the accident and Rs 5,000 and Rs 3,000 to the injured, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fifteen officers belonging to friendly foreign navies have completed their 32 week 'Gunnery' specialization course successfully at the INS Dronacharya. Officers from Kenya, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Malaysia, Indonesia, Tanzania, Nigeria and Myanmar took part in the passing out parade on December 8. The parade was reviewed by Commodore Simon Mathai, the Commanding Officer of INS Dronacharya, a defence release said. Lieutenant Commander SL Wickramasinghe of Sri Lanka was awarded 'Indonesian Trophy' for standing first in overall order of merit. Major Collins Omondi Owino, Kenya, was awarded the 'Admiral Ramdas Katari Trophy'for best overall performance, it said. The Indian government funded course, conducted under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) scheme, commenced on April 24. The trainees were subjected to a seven month curriculum, including a scientific orientation phase, basic phase, a guided weapon introductory capsule, equipment phase consisting of weapon and sensor systems and war gaming. These officers will now join their respective navies as Gunnery Officers of warships. INS Dronacharya is a premier gunnery and missile training establishment and Centre of Excellence for Gunnery and Missile Warfare at Fort Kochi under the Southern Naval Command. It is responsible for training all Indian and international naval personnel in different aspects of 'Gunnery', the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An angry Pakistani youth has allegedly shot dead his sister and her husband for marrying without the family's consent, in the latest incident of honour killing in the country, police said. The accused, identified as 19-year-old Saeed Anwar, had been upset at his sister, Mismat Musarrat, 18, for marrying Qaiser, 25. The incident took place in Nagyal in Rawalpindi's Gujjar Khan tehsil and police described it as an 'honour killing', Dawn newspaper reported. The Station House Officer Ishtiaq Masood Cheema said the suspect had been waiting for an opportunity to kill the couple ever since they married a few months ago without the consent of his family. He said that when Anwar found the couple alone in their house, the accused fired at them with a pistol, killing them both on the spot. He later tried to flee the scene, but was apprehended by the police along with the murder weapon. Cheema said police have booked Anwar for a double murder. Police will present him in court tomorrow to seek physical remand. The bodies of the victims have been shifted to a local hospital for a postmortem. Last month, a newly-wed couple in Sindh province who married without the consent of their elders were killed allegedly on the orders of a jirga (village elders). 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 or on the orders of village elders for bringing dishonour to the family or the community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A total of 462 fishermen from Kanyakumari district are missing in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi, District Collector Sajjan Singh R Chavan said today. "As per particulars collected 35 fishermen who put out to sea in country boats and 427 fishermen in trawlers are missing in the aftermath of the cyclone," he told reporters here, days after Ochki struck the Tamil Nadu coast, wrecking damage, particularly in this district. He said most fishermen reported missing had been rescued due to the efforts of the Navy, Coast Guard and coastal Marine police The search was going on for the other 462 fishermen. The Collector said fishermen plying their trade in deep seas used to stay there for between 10 to 45 days and it was not known where some of them had strayed. He said relief for the fishermen would be credited directly into their accounts. The Collector's figure on the number of missing fishermen comes amid charges by the opposition DMK that different figures were being put out by various officials in the state government and Ministers. Earlier in the day, DMK working president M K Stalin announced that the party would stage a protest in chennai tomorrow, urging the Centre and state government to expedite rescue of missing Kanyakumari fishermen. In Chennai, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar reiterated the government's commitment to rescue the "last of the fishermen" stranded in sea and elsewhere. Search operations involving the Indian Navy and Coast Guard was on in full-swing for this purpose,he told reporters. Meanwhile, protests were held by fishermen associations in parts of Kanyakumari and in Tirunelveli district, demanding that the Centre and state speed up efforts to rescue missing fishermen. Among their demands were that the Chief Minister visit cyclone affected areas and make an on-the-spot assessment of the damage, compensation of Rs 25 lakh for deceased fishermen and Rs five lakh for affected families. The fishermen also demanded an increase in compensation given to them and that the relief announced by the Tamil Nadu government was not commensurate with losses suffered by them. On December 7, Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased fishermen and Rs five lakh to those fishermen affected by the cyclone and unable to pursue their profession. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police seized 726 kg of ganja worth Rs 75 lakh from a truck near the Barkoni toll plaza in Bihar's Purnea district, Superintendent of Police, Nishant Kumar Tiwary said today. On a tip-off, the police stopped the truck yesterday night and seized the ganja, Tiwary said. Police also arrested 10 persons including the driver of the truck carrying the ganja, the SP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Model Adriana Lima has vowed that she would not pose nude for an "empty cause". The Victoria's Secret model said she wanted to help other women feel more confident in themselves. "I had received a call for the possibility of filming a sexy video of me to be posted and shared in social media. Even though I have done many of this type, something had changed in me, when a friend approached me to share that she was unhappy with her body, then it made me think... "And in that moment I realised that majority of woman probably wake up every morning trying to fit in a stereotype that society (has) imposed. I thought that's not a way of living and beyond that. That's not physically and mentally healthy, so I decided to make that change. I will not take of my clothes anymore for a empty cause," Lima wrote on Instagram. The 36-year-old model added that her job puts a lot of pressure on her to make sure she looks a certain way. "My job puts me in such big pressure to look a certain way. I was thinking, how can we have to carry so much. I am tired of the impositions, we 'as (women)' can't be continuing living in a world with such superficial values, it's not fair for us, to behave, to look. "I want to change it, on the name of my grandma, my mother, and all her ancestors that have been labelled, pressured, misunderstood. And has to live according to society. I will make that change. I will start with me," she wrote. (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 extensive talks with Chief of General Staff of Afghan National Army Lt. Gen Mohammad Sharif Yaftali and explored ways to deepen defence and security ties between the two countries. Official sources said Gen. Rawat and Lt. Gen Yaftali also deliberated on the regional security situation besides discussing specific areas of cooperation between the two armies. The Afghan National Army Chief also met Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba and discusses bilateral and strategic issues, they said. Defence and security cooperation between India and Afghanistan has been on an upswing. India has already given four military helicopters to Afghanistan and imparted training to hundreds of Afghan security personnel. However, Afghanistan has been pressing for supply of more military hardware by India. In September, India had agreed to extend further assistance to Afghanistan to bolster its armed forces. During talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani, the two sides had also decided to deepen security ties and work closely to combat the challenge of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) today approved its first loan to China, its largest shareholder, to reduce its dependence on coal by over 600,000 tonnes annually by building a natural gas distribution network for villages. The USD 250-million-loan will fund a project to connect 216,750 households in approximately 510 villages to the natural gas distribution network, the bank said. The project is expected to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 595,700 tonnes, particulate matter by 3,700 tonnes, sulfur dioxide by 1,488 tonnes and nitrogen oxide by 4,442 tonnes, it said in a statement. With an authorised capital of USD 100 billion, China is the largest shareholder with 26.06 per cent voting shares. India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5 per cent followed by Russia 5.93 per cent and Germany 4.5 per cent. AIIB President Jin Liqun said China's commitment to reducing its reliance on coal will change lives and improve the environment. "That is why we are investing in a project aligned with their ambitious plan," Jin said. He reaffirmed AIIB's "unwavering commitment" to helping members meet their environmental and development goals, especially their commitments under the Paris Agreement. "It is only fitting that our first investment in China will introduce sustainable infrastructure that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help invigorate one of the most important economic hubs in Asia," Jin said. The investment in the project also marks AIIB's first corporate loan. The project, undertaken by the Beijing Gas Group Company, will entail construction of natural gas distribution networks in villages and low-pressure gas pipelines and household connections. It is scheduled for completion in 2021. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Some called him the reluctant heir. But Rahul Gandhi, who has been taking the Narendra Modi government on with uncharacteristic vigour in recent weeks, may finally have emerged out of the shadows of his mother, Sonia Gandhi. The 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family was today elected president of the Congress party. The only candidate in the fray, he will formally take over the reins of the 132-year-old party from his mother on December 16. For Gandhi, the challenge is enormous. The Congress has been struggling to grab political space, and the Amethi MP has to steer the party at a time when the BJP has been gaining ground - and states. The Congress party's 16th president since independence -- the fifth from the Nehru-Gandhi family to hold the post after 1947 -- was ushered into politics when he won the Amethi Lok Sabha seat in 2004. The party made him its general secretary in 2007 and vice-president in 2013. His initial years as vice-president were difficult ones -- Rahul was criticised for practising politics of fits and starts, and of taking long breaks even in critical times. But while politics may or may not have been his calling, it was certainly in his blood. Starting from his great-great grandfather Motilal Nehru, the party has been tightly held by his ancestors, including great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, grandmother Indira Gandhi, father Rajiv Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi, who steered the party for a record 19 years. His easy elevation is also unsurprising, given the tacit understanding that the mantle must pass from Gandhi to Gandhi. In the initial years, it seemed Rahul -- who had seen the assassination of his grandmother and father -- wanted to steer clear of the murky world of politics. Gandhi, who went to St Stephen's College in Delhi and then to Harvard and Rollins College in Florida and Trinity College, Cambridge, joined the Monitor Group, a consulting group in London, where he worked for three years. But after than it had to be back home, to the political role carved out for him. Gandhi's electoral record has been dismal. Since he became Congress vice-president in 2013, the party has lost power in state after state and is left with only five. But Congress leaders hope he would draw the party out of the quagmire it has been pulled in, and onward to success. "I am sure the party will see not just a revival but massive growth under your able and dynamic leadership," Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said to him today. Top Congress leaders say his leadership will be established if he delivers a victory in Gujarat or at least substantially improves the Congress tally there. In the last few months, Gandhi has been looking confident, having worked on his image and outreach. Now no longer as reluctant as he seemed in his early years, he looks relaxed and confident, targets PM Modi with his one-liners, uses popular cultural idioms effectively and has significantly improved his social media following. Besides, Gandhi is now talking about his Hindu credentials and without being defensive about his faith. "I am a Lord Shiva worshipper," he said a while ago to counter the BJP's attempts to appropriate the Hindu religion. He is also getting vocal about his private life. "I believe in destiny," he said when asked at a gathering why he was not married. Recently, he said he was a black belt in Japanese martial art form Aikido, and talked fondly about his pet dog, Piddi. Armed with a refurbished social media team, Gandhi is also trying to appear more accessible to the public. Congressmen refer to his address to students in Berkley, US, when he boldly took questions, even on dynastic politics, to underline his new-found confidence. Gandhi's US trip, crafted by his father's friend Sam Pitroda, was seen as hugely successful and one that cast the Gandhi scion in a fresh and new political mould. The BJP has started taking Gandhi seriously of late, often fielding a host of ministers to counter the Congress charge against demonetisation and GST. Earlier, too, Gandhi's jibes against the government such as "Suit boot ki Sarkar" and "Gabbar Singh Tax" had put the saffron party on the defensive. Gandhi has now started posing a question every day to Modi, quizzing him on a wide range of subjects. But can Gandhi handle the rough and tumble of 24X7 Indian politics with aggressive rivals such as Modi and BJP President Amit Shah to counter? Senior Congress leader and former minister Kishore Chandra Deo was confident he would galvanise the party. "The Congress has a presence and outreach all across the country. Rahul will have to revive the party and shake it up. He needs to pick up the correct people for the correct places and regions," he said. If he can do well in Gujarat, Deo said, he can do so in any other state. All eyes are on Gandhi -- and December 18, when the results of the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections would be announced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Green Tribunal has directed 11 states to participate in a meeting to frame a national policy to prevent the "rapid decline" in population of indigenous breeds of cattle across the country. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura governments to be present in the meeting. "Counsel appearing for the Ministry of Agriculture submits that other states except the above 11 were present in the meeting and some of them have also submitted action taken plan before the Ministry. "By way of last opportunity, we direct all the above states as well as other states to be present before the Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Agriculture. The meeting shall be held on December 12," the bench said. The NGT directed that a representative of the Ministry of Environment and Forests should also be present at the meeting. It said the report should be submitted in the tribunal before December 14 and posted the matter for hearing on December 15. The order came after advocate Sumeer Sodhi told the bench that 11 states have not submitted their action plan to the ministry for protection of the cows and not attended the earlier meeting. The green panel had earlier directed the Environment Ministry and the Department of Animal Husbandry, which falls under Agriculture Ministry, to hold a meeting with all states and UTs and come out with a common policy on the issue. It had noted that there was nearly 80 per cent decline in the animal population in Kerala from 2003 to 2012 and claimed such a situation may lead to the extinction of the species in the state. The order came during the hearing of a plea filed by lawyer Ashwini Kumar who had moved the tribunal against the "looming threat of extinction of indigenous breeds of cattle" in the country. The tribunal had issued a notice to the Agriculture Ministry on the plea which had also sought a nationwide ban on slaughter of cattle belonging to the indigenous breeds. Kumar had claimed a steep decline in the indigenous cow population and said that Indian cattle were being replaced by exotic and cross-bred cows imported from Europe, Australia and the United States. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Baby milk maker Lactalis and French authorities have ordered a global recall of millions of products over fears of salmonella bacteria contamination. The French company, one of the world's largest dairy groups, said it was warned by health authorities in France that 26 infants have become sick since December 1. According to a list published on the French health ministry's website, the recall affects customers in countries around the world, including: Britain and Greece in Europe, Morocco and Sudan in Africa, Peru and Colombia in South America and Pakistan, Bangladesh and China in Asia. The United States, a major market for Lactalis, is not affected. Company spokesman Michel Nalet told The Associated Press on Monday that the "precautionary" recall involves "several million" products made since mid-February. Lactalis said in a statement that the 26 cases of infection were linked to products branded Picot SL, Pepti Junior 1, Milumel Bio 1 and Picot Riz. It said it is "sincerely sorry for the concern generated by the situation and expresses its compassion and support to the families whose children fell ill." The symptoms of salmonella infection include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. Most people recover without treatment. The company said a possible source of the outbreak has been identified in a tower used to dry out the milk at a production site. Disinfection and cleaning measures have been put in place at the suspected site in western France. The health scare started earlier this month when Lactalis was told that 20 infants under six months of age had been diagnosed with salmonella infection. The company ordered a first recall that has been extended to more products at the request of French authorities following new reports of infections. Lactalis is a privately held company headquartered in Laval, western France. It has 75,000 employees in 85 countries and annual revenues of about 17 billion euros (USD 20 billion). Its other notable brands include President and Galbani cheeses and Parmalat milk. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An ISIS-inspired Bangladeshi- origin man, wearing a homemade device, today triggered a blast at a metro station in New York City during rush hours, injuring four persons and causing chaos in one of the busiest commuter hubs in the metropolis, US media reports said. Akayed Ullah, the 27-year-old suspected bomber, had wires attached to him. He was armed with a pipe bomb and a battery pack, CNN reported, according to which he was taken into custody after the device partially detonated. Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC that the man was inspired by the Islamic State terror group and originally came from Bangladesh. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the device that exploded in the New York City subway was an attempted "terrorist attack". "At this point in time, all we know of is one individual who, thank God, was unsuccessful in his aims," Mayor de Blasio said. "There are also no credible and specific threats against New York City at this time. But we will give you more information, of course, as the investigation unfolds," de Blasio said. A total of 4 injuries reported at the scene of an explosion at Port Authority, the New York Police Department said, adding that all injuries are non-life-threatening. The suspect suffered burns and other wounds and is currently in the hospital. "Preliminary investigation at the scene indicates that this male was wearing an improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body. He intentionally detonated that device," said Police Commissioner James O'Neil. President Donald Trump was briefed on the New York explosion, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. Earlier, the New York Police Department tweeted that it was responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, Manhattan. The place is New York Port Authority, a busy bus terminal. It also has metro stations. "The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time," the NYPD had said, adding that the information is preliminary. The New York Fire Department received call around 7.19 am. "I was exiting the Port Authority and the National Guard was running towards something shouting 'Go, Go, Go'," commuter Keith Woodfin tweeted, according to New York Daily . Designer Chelsea LaSalle tweeted that she was "stuck in a running stampede at port authority bus terminal due to bomb scare. cops EVERYWHERE." Security was enhanced in several major American cities after an explosion in the New York City. "We are monitoring the incident that occurred in New York City this morning. At this time, there are no current threats to the District of Columbia. We ask all residents and visitors to remain vigilant," said the Washington DC Police Department. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court has suggested to the Bar Council of India (BCI) that candidates with political affiliations and criminal background be barred in its elections. The court has also suggested that the council mandate declaration of assets possessed by aspiring candidates and their family members, with the details of income earned by them as advocates and from other sources in the past 10 years. "If the above details are furnished, the voters would be in a better position to understand the credentials of the contestants," Justice N Kirubakaran said in a recent order. He made the suggestions in a bid to bring probity in the profession and eliminate 'criminals' from the vocation. "Further, this court is of the opinion that candidates involved in criminal cases, where charge sheet is filed and the punishment for the offences of which is more than three years should not be permitted to contest the elections," the judge said. "As in the case of election of those candidates facing such serious criminal cases may be detrimental to the disposal of such cases pending against them in a free and fair manner," he added. Further, it is advisable that no advocate who held or is holding a key post in a political party or who is or was an elected member of the Legislative Assembly or Parliament should be allowed to contest the elections, he said. This could be done to avoid any political interference in the legal profession and make the council a playground to achieve their political ambitions, the judge added. This apart, it is always advisable to verify educational qualifications of the candidates who intend to contest the elections as to whether they have satisfied the Legal Education Rules 2008, he said. In case their law degree is not obtained through regular mode or obtained without satisfying the rules regarding their basic qualifications, their candidature has to be rejected, Justice Kirubakaran added. He also directed the BCI to place the suggestions before Justice Anil R Dave committee appointed by the Supreme Court for the purpose. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bengal made a mockery of the contest by not declaring their second innings on the final day of their quarterfinal Ranji Trophy match as they ousted defending champions Gujarat by virtue of first innings lead here today. Manoj Tiwary's men will meet multiple-time champions Delhi in the semifinals in Pune, while title favourites Karnataka will take on Vidarbha in the other last-four match, to be played in Kolkata. Both matches will be played between December 17 to 21. Bengal batted for the better part of last three days to finish their second innings at 695 for six when umpires were forced to call off play in the post tea session as the heavens opened up much to the relief of battered Gujarat bowlers. Such was the plight of the Gujarat team that skipper Parthiv Patel did not take the field after lunch on fourth day, complaining of cramps. The last two sessions on the penultimate day and on the final day, it was a reserve wicketkeeper who took the field as a substitute and kept wickets, as per the new ICC rules. On the inconsequential final day, the in-form Anustup Majumdar got his seventh first-class hundred, having scored an invaluable 94 in the first essay. In fact, the fifth day was walk in the park for Majumdar, whose first innings contribution was far more crucial as it paved the way for Bengal putting up a decent total after a top-order collapse. Majumdar scored an unbeaten 132 off 172 balls, studded with 17 fours and a six in the second innings. At the close of play, Bengal enjoyed an overall lead of 825 runs by virtue of their 130-run first innings lead. Resuming on 483 for 4, Bengal extended their lead further on the final day. Brief scores: Bengal: 354 & 695/6 in 231 overs ((Writtick Chatterjee 216, Abhimanyu Easwaran 114, Anustup Majumdar 132 not out). Gujarat: 224. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unidentified armed miscreants today shot dead a private security guard of a cash van and injured another on NH 102 near Mehiyamala village under Garkha police station of Saran district. The deceased identified as Santosh Kumar (45) aborted attempt to loot the cash van, Superintendent of Police Hari Kishore Rai said. Six armed miscreants ambushed the cash van which was going to replenish an ATM of State Bank of India at Garkha and shot dead a private security guard and injured another when they resisted the loot bid, the SP said. The injured security guard, who was first admitted to Chapra sadar hospital, was later rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Patna for treatment, the SP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cutting across factions, the Bihar Congress today hailed Rahul Gandhi becoming party President and expressed hope that he will "infuse with new energy" the more than 100 years old political organization. Led by BPCC Acting President Kaukab Qadri, party leaders celebrated the of Rahul Gandhi elevation as President at Sadaqat Ashram, the state headquarters, distributing sweets, smearing each other's faces with "gulaal" and bursting firecrackers". Qadri expressed hope "the Congress will attain new heights under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, starting with a resounding victory in the Gujarat assembly polls. He is a descendant of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who gave up their lives in defence of the country's integrity. He will preserve the country's democratic and socialist tradition". AICC member Prem Chan Mishra, who was also present on the occasion, was asked whether Rahul Gandhi's emphasis on probity in public life could place the party's alliance with the RJD under strain, on account of allegations of corruption against Lalu Prasad and his family. "It is premature to think of those things. In any case, whenever the Congress has formed an alliance, it has not done so keeping an individual in mind. The stress has always been on ideology", Mishra said. Former BPCC president Ashok Choudhary, who was conspicuous by his absence at the Sadaqat Ashram, told PTI "it is a welcome development though it should have happened long ago. Even as the vice-president, Rahul Gandhi had been leading from the front and becoming the president was just a formality". "Nevertheless, his elevation raises the hope that it will infuse the party with new energy", Choudhary said. Significantly, following the exit of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from the Grand Alliance, the state unit of the Congress has witnessed a bitter factional feud. One of these factions is headed by Choudhary, who is said to be close to Kumar while the other faction comprises those who are believed to be more comfortable with the RJD. Other party leaders who congratulated Gandhi over his elevation included CLP leader Sadanand Singh, Amita Bhushan, Vijay Shankar Mishra, and Chandan Bagchi. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi mocked at the jubilations over Rahul Gandhi's elevation saying "the Congress can never have a figure like Narendra Modi who rises through the ranks and reaches the top on sheer merit. All Congress presidents not from the Nehru-Gandhi family have been compelled to make disgraceful exits". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP has retained power in the Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council (TMC) in the Nashik district by winning 14 of the total 17 seats, in the election, results for which were declared today. BJP candidate Purushottam Lohgaonkar was declared as the Council's president, officials attached to the district administration said. While BJP won 14 seats, Shiv Sena bagged two seats and and an independent candidate got elected on a lone seat, they said. Trimbakeshwar, around 30 kilometres from, is one of the 12 'Jyotirlingas' in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top Bollywood actors, including Kareena Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Madhuri Dixit, have condemned the alleged molestation of National Award-winning actor Zaira Wasim. The 17-year-old actor, known for her roles in films like "Dangal" and "Secret Superstar", was allegedly molested on a Delhi-Mumbai flight on Saturday night. The actor later narrated her ordeal on Instagram via a live video. Wasim said she was on an Air Vistara flight from Delhi to Mumbai when a co-passenger sitting behind her put up his feet on her armrest. The man was arrested by police in Mumbai last evening. When asked about the incident, Pednekar said she was shocked to know about the alleged molestation but the actor was happy that Wasim showed courage to speak up about her ordeal. "I am appalled. She is a child. There is a problem in our culture where people think, especially if you are an actor, that you are their property. This is hugely problematic. "But I am very happy that she put it out on social media. I am glad she took that step because it needs a lot of courage to speak, to come out and take a stand like that. More power to her," Pednekar said. Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan said women are far superior than men and the females can rise above any difficulty. "I definitely feel women are way more superior than men. We are fighters and whichever situation it is in our life, personal or professional, we all come out as fighters. When we talk about God, we talk about goddess. So, we look from the perspective of a woman. "When we talk about the earth, we say Mother Earth. So, whenever we talk about anything, we talk about women. Women are far superior (than men). So, they can fight out of every situation," Khan said. Actor Taapsee Pannu, who has always raised her voice against violence against women, said, "I just hope she gets justice. It is good that at least she has raised her voice. She deserves to get justice." Noted actor Madhuri Dixit said, "This should not happen, neither in India nor in any other part of the world." Television actor Mouni Roy said she was deeply saddened by the incident, which is an act that stems from a poor mentality. "Now, what should I say about this country. On one hand we talk about women empowerment, on the other hand we hear about all these incidents. But I think it is very important not to just stand against it and talk about it, but also to educate people against this," she said. "I genuinely don't know what to say. It deeply saddens me. The kind of life we lead, the kind of education we all are getting, in fact, the levels of education in towns and villages have gone up. This is just really sad. I think this reflects a poor mindset," Roy added. When asked for his opinion on the incident, actor Sushant Singh Rajput said, "We talk a lot (but) I think at the right place and in the right time, we need to take action also. We are intelligent and responsible enough as a country to see to it that these things don't happen." The celebrities were speaking at the red carpet of Lux Golden Rose Awards here last night. Actor Zareen Khan said there should be a focus on preventing such incidents rather than attending to "minuscule" things. "I really don't know what to say about it because such incidents keep happening in our country. Rather than focusing on issues like these, I don't know why our country is behind minuscule matters," she said. "The way we talk about women empowerment and safety, I don't think only talking about it is needed. We also need to take some action to stop all of this," Khan added. In the video, which Wasim recorded immediately after deboarding the flight, she broke down several times. "This is not done, I am disturbed... Is this how you're going to take care of girls? This is not the way anybody should be made to feel. This is terrible!" she said. "No one will help us if we don't decide to help ourselves. And this is the worst thing," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A British Airways flight from Mumbai scheduled to land at Heathrow airport on Monday evening was diverted to Baku in Azerbaijan after declaring a "general emergency". Reports from passengers on board BA198 indicated that engineers were at work to fix a technical fault on the aircraft before it could resume its journey to London. One passenger tweeted that they were "stuck in Baku" due to technical fault, which involved smoke in the first class cabin. "Makes me wish I was still in Goa," said the passenger, Sylvia Traganida, who revealed that the flight had already had a delayed take-off from Mumbai due to extreme weather conditions at its destination. BA, along with a number of other airlines, had issued an alert earlier on Monday that many of its flights will be disrupted due to heavy snowfall in the UK on Sunday. "Some flights will be disrupted today due to crew and aircraft being out of position following yesterday's weather. Please check your flight status ahead of travelling to the airport," a BA statement said. Terming performance of state-run banks as "substandard," noted academic Vijay Joshi has called for quick privatisation of viable ones and massive scaling down of those on the brink. To achieve these the Banking Nationalisaiton Act has to be repealed at the earliest and bring the state-run banks under the purview of the Companies Act, he said. Calling for a "triple-track approach" Joshi said government should force non-viable state-run lenders to become narrow banks on one hand, and radically reform governance in viable ones by limiting state control in some and quickly privatizing the rest. "A triple-track approach would be desirable. Firstly, some non-viable state-run banks should be forced to become narrow banks. Secondly, in some viable ones, governance must be radically reformed while retaining state's control. "Thirdly, some viable state-owned banks should be privatised quite quickly," RBI said quoting Joshi as saying while delivering the 15th LK Jha memorial lecture at the central bank headquarters today. The emeritus fellow at Oxford also called for quick privatisation saying "there is clear evidence that the performance of public sector banks is substandard. Radical reform is thus imperative, and in this context, quick privatisation surely has a major role to play." Underlining the need for urgent governance reforms, he said while the Rs 2.11-trillion recapitalization will help restore capital adequacy which is needed after the significant haircuts they will have to take in the wake of the balance sheet clean-up, but the governance issues at state-run banks will continue to remain even after this large fund infusion. "All this is highly commendable. But the basic problem of poor governance will remain after recapitalisation, with a high chance of a return to square one in future." He said to modernise banks and improve their overall efficiency, we clearly need large private sector banks to compete with large public sector banks. "To achieve this, an essential first step would be to repeal the Bank Nationalization Act and bring PSBs under the Companies Act. It would give government the flexibility to reduce ownership to any extent it chooses," Joshi said. To privatize or to cede control, government would have to reduce its stake to 25 per cent or even lower, though it could, for a short transitional period, retain a so-called 'golden share'. Noting that all previous attempts to put real distance between government and the state-owned banks have run into the sand, he said "the ongoing extreme stress in the banking system has raised public consciousness about the dire state of nationalized banks thereby offering a golden opportunity to make a radical departure. The current crisis is too good a crisis to waste." Calling for competition, Joshi said, "banking is amenable to competition, and not a natural monopoly, so it is not a natural candidate for state ownership." The poor performance of state-run banks has got worse since the 2008 global credit crisis with their stressed advances hitting around 16 per cent compared to about 4.5 per cent in their private sector peers, he noted. Joshi said this is the result of the way they are governed. "Poor governance stems from the disempowerment of banks' boards by government, which has proved to be impossible to alter in our political culture," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China today failed to block a meeting on North Korea's human rights crisis at the UN Security Council. The council decided by a vote of 10 in favor with three against - China, Russia and Bolivia- to allow the meeting to go ahead. Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) November 08, 2022, Tuesday US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Monday the brutal attack on her husband will impact her decision on whether to remain in ... Researchers have developed a new cleaner and cheaper way to produce hydrogen fuel from methane and electricity in just one step. Hydrogen is an excellent fuel which, due to its high energetic density and zero greenhouse gas emission, is essential in a great number of industrial processes, researchers said. Its combination with oxygen in the atmosphere produces energy and water as its sole by-product, making it one of the main candidates to substitute fossil fuels as a source of energy for the transport sector. Results by researchers, including those from Valencia's Polytechnic University (UPV) in Spain, have applications in the field of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as well as the chemical industry. The new method is capable of generating hydrogen from methane gas and electricity in just one step and with near- zero energy loss. "The development and introduction in the market of hybrid and electric cars will allow us to reduce the impact of transport in CO2 emissions in coming years, and as a result, the greenhouse effect on the planet," said Jose Manuel Serra, research professor at Superior Council of Scientific Investigations (CSIC). Researchers developed a gas separation membrane reactor which is operated electronically and allows for the endothermic production of hydrogen with a near-zero energy loss. "Our investigations show that it is possible to generate compressed hydrogen in just one step with high efficiency from electricity and methane gas or biogas and, simultaneously, isolate the CO2 and not release it into the atmosphere," Serra said. "Our method allows for the hydrogen to be produced at high pressure in a distributed manner, which means it could be produced in petrol stations, residential areas, garages or farms," Serra added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today decried the tendency to see Sanskrit as a mere Brahminical language, saying it is an ancient intellectual and scholarly heritage of the country. He described as incorrect the notion that Sanskrit is a language of Brahmins and said ancient poets, including Valmiki and Ved Vyasa, had penned epics like Ramayana and Mahabharatha in Sanskrit. "They (Vyasa and Valmiki) were not from the Brahmin community. The tendency to link the ancient language with Brahminism is incorrect," he said. Sanskrit is an ancient intellectual and scholarly heritage of the country, he said and emphasised the need to shed the light of the knowledge in Sanskrit language to other languages, including Malayalam. Inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at nearby Kalady, he lamented that the number of people with in depth knowledge of the Sanskrit language was coming down. The Chief Minister said Sanskrit language and literature are part of general society and its culture and added that the light of the knowledge in the language should reach all sections of society. He urged the progressive sections not to distance themselves from Sanskrit, considering it as Brahminical. "Foreign scholars,realising the significance of Sanskrit, have done deep research and studies in the language and presented the findings from the ancient Indian language as if they were their original contribution," he said. Vijayan criticised the Union government's education policy, saying it was being moulded to create a generation favouring market forces. He said the higher education sector should be independent and based on democratic values. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rahul Gandhi's elevation would help the Congress to re-emerge as the country's leading political party, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today while his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Virbhadra Singh felt it would infuse new energy. In Patna, Congress workers led by acting state chief Kaukab Qadri distributed sweets while those in other state units also hailed Rahul Gandhi's unopposed election as the party chief. In Dehradun, Congress workers danced to drum beats as they claimed the "generational shift" will breathe a new life into the party. In Dharamshala, Virbhadra Singh congratulated Rahul Gandhi and said the change would not only infuse new energy and enthusiasm in the party but also would go a long way in encouraging party cadres. He also thanked Sonia Gandhi, the outgoing party chief for leading efficiently. Punjab Chief Minister Singh said Rahul Gandhi's elevation would "trigger the next phase of the party's growth". In a statement, the chief minister said he expected the Congress to not only undergo a massive revival but also embark on its next growth trajectory. "Rahul's charisma and appeal, combined with his intellect and inquisitive nature, were just the recipe needed by the Congress to embrace success across the country", he said. The infusion of young blood will lead to the re-emergence of the Congress as country's leading political party, and the only one which could help protects its secular and democratic fabric, he added. In Bhopal, Congress leaders and workers at Indira Bhavan, the Congress' state headquarters, celebrated the by distributing sweets and bursting crackers. Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief Arun Yadav expressed confidence that the Congress will scale new heights under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. In Panaji, the Congress's Goa state unit also lauded Rahul Gandhi. "The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee and Congress Legislative Party congratulates Rahul Gandhi for being elected to the post and we wish him all the good luck and support to take the party ahead, " Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar told reporters near here today. West Bengal Congress also hailed the election of Rahul Gandhi. "We congratulate Rahul Gandhi for being elected as our party president. We are confident that he will infuse new energy into the party and under his leadership Congress will attain new heights," senior Congress leader and Leader of opposition in state Assembly Abdul Mannan told PTI. Mannan hoped that under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Congress would put up a strong fight against the onslaught of BJP-RSS and will preserve the country's democratic and secular tradition. Celebrations were held in Congress offices in other states as well. Rahul Gandhi, 47, was today announced elected unopposed as Congress president and would officially take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi on December 16. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) today hailed Rahul Gandhi's election as party president expressing hope that his elevation will further strengthen the party. Party leaders and workers at Indira Bhavan, the Congress' state headquarters, celebrated the by distributing sweets and setting off firecrackers. MPCC chief Arun Yadav expressed hope that the Congress will scale new heights under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. "Youth leadership in the country would strengthen under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. Under his leadership, Congress would ensure the victory of inclusive ideology by defeating communal forces," Yadav said. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Ajay Singh also expressed happiness and said, "Rahulji has become the party's president at this crucial juncture. The Congress will be strong and the party's base will grow under his leadership." Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted, "Congratulations to @OfficeOfRG (Rahul Gandhi) on being elected President of INC! The country is looking forward to ur (your) leadership! Satyamev Jayate!." Senior leader Kamal Nath said that in Gandhi's youthful leadership, the Congress will have a new zeal and enthusiasm. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Goa court today adjourned till December 15 the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea moved by social activist Aires Rodrigues who is booked for sexual harassment. The Crime Branch, which is probing the case, requested the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge Irshad Agha to reject Rodrigues' plea as they have to recover some material from the activist. Crime Branch inspector Dattaguru Sawant told the court that the crime was "evil in nature" and that the accused was not cooperating with the investigating agency. In his defence, Rodrigues said he was cooperating with the investigators and has responded to the summons issued by them. The Goa government last week asked the crime branch to investigate the case against Rodrigues who was last month booked by the police on the charge of sexually harassing a woman. The middle-aged married woman, a resident of Siolim village, had lodged a formal complaint against Rodrigues with the Anjuna Police alleging that he sexually harassed her by linking her with a state minister through his social media posts. An FIR was subsequently registered against the activist under sections 354 (A) (iv)(sexual harassment), 509 (words or gesture to insult modesty of a woman), and 500 (punishment for defamation. Police had earlier recorded the statement of the accused as well as of at least five persons in connection with the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) From school students rendering an old Chinese folk song to an ensemble performance by a troupe of Kathak, Odissi and Bharatnatyam dancers, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi spent this evening here feasting on cultural heritage of India. Wang, who is visiting India, accompanied by his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, attended a cultural programme at the sprawling Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra in Chanakayapuri, which was organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Earlier in the day, both the ministers held talks on key bilateral issues. At the evening gala, Wang greeted the audience with folded hands, the traditional 'namaste'. The event began with a song recital by a group of students from DPS, Dwarka, who performed the famous Chinese folk song 'Mo Li Hua' (Jasmine Flower). This was followed by a performance by a Kathak trio, who danced on Chinese-themed music, thus blending the two cultures, symbolising the cultural exchange and people-to- people ties between the two countries. The third and the longest performance in the nearly 90-minute long event was the ensemble performance by a troupe of dancers titled 'Samaagam'. Three lead danseuses from the schools of Kathak, Odissi and Bharatnatyam, accompanied by a group other dancers, left the audience spellbound with a series of performances. Deng Shuyi, a student who hailing from Guangzhou, who attended the event, was amazed by the cultural heritage of India. "I'm currently studying Hindi in Delhi and it was so nice to see our foreign minister, and him attending this lovely programme. Culture brings people together. I can speak Hindi and those schools students performed brilliantly in my language (Mandarin). Isn't that a lovely feeling," she told PTI. Incidentally, a couple of students, when approached said, they did not know Mandarin, but "learned the phoenetics" to perform the famous folk song. "I don't know Chinese (Mandarin). We just got the song transliterated in English and memorised it. But, we practiced a lot to get the phoenetics right. It was a wonderful experience performing in front of the two ministers," said Kanishka, 13, a student of class 9. Yash of class 8 and Ananya Kumar of class 11 echoed the same sentiments. Deng, when asked how she felt about the song performance, said, "It was so good. At no point I felt they don't speak Chinese." Before departing, Wang shook hands with Swaraj with both the hands, at the main entrance of the Kendra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's counsel has deposited Rs 30 lakh as fine with the special CBI court in Panchkula which had imposed the fine on the sect head convicted in two rape cases. "A sum of Rs 30 lakh has been deposited with the special CBI court on Saturday," Dera chief's counsel, Vishal Garg Narwana, told PTI over phone today. The fine was paid in the shape of a demand draft, he said. In October, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had admitted the plea filed by the Dera chief challenging his 20- year sentence in two rape cases. The HC had directed Ram Rahim's counsel to deposit Rs 30 lakh as fine, which was imposed by the special CBI court on Ram Rahim, within two months. The jailed Dera chief had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 25, challenging the order of the special CBI Court of Panchkula which had sentenced him to 20- year-imprisonment for raping two disciples. Ram Rahim was convicted by the special CBI court on August 25, after which violence and arson erupted in Panchkula and Sirsa districts which left 41 people dead and scores injured. Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aviation regulator DGCA is probing the incident of an Air India aircraft that was operated with alleged dent in its fuselage area and three personnel have been derostered, airline sources said. The incident involving an A319 aircraft that was flying from Patna to the capital happened in October, they added. The (DGCA) has started a probe after it was reported that the plane was operated despite a dent or a crack being detected in the fuselage area at the time of inspection. According to the sources, the regulator has been provided with all the documents related to the matter and the probe is likely to be concluded soon. Aircraft are subject to strict inspection procedures on a regular basis. In the wake of the alleged incident, two pilots and an engineer have been derostered till the investigation is completed, the sources said. An AIESL official said the matter is under investigation by the Air Safety Department of the DGCA and "we will await for the investigation report". Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) is a subsidiary of the carrier and among others, takes care of the maintenance activities of the airline's fleet. The EU said today that last week's Brexit agreement was a "deal between gentlemen" and not legally binding, but insisted that it had the full backing of the British government. The comments came after Britain's Brexit minister David Davis caused a row with Ireland by suggesting that Friday's interim divorce deal was "more a statement of intent than it was a legally enforceable thing". The deal agreed by British Prime Minister Theresa May and EU commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker set out Britain's divorce bill and the rights of expatriates, and also made guarantees on Ireland's sensitive border with the British province of Northern Ireland. "Formally speaking, the joint report is not legally binding, because it is not yet the Article 50 withdrawal agreement," European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said in reference to Friday's deal. "But we see the joint report of Michel Barnier and David Davis as a deal between gentlemen," Schinas added, referring to the EU's chief negotiator. If approved by EU leaders on Friday, the informal deal on the divorce terms -- part of the Brexit process under Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty -- will allow the two sides to move to talks about their future relationship, including trade. "It is a clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK government," Schinas said of the Friday deal. Juncker met with May in Brussels on Friday "to ascertain that this was precisely the case. They shook hands," Schinas said. Dublin and Brussels were alarmed by Davis's comments yesterday, which seemed to minimise the UK's commitment to the deal. Davis also said Britain will not honour financial commitments agreed in last week's agreement if it fails to secure a future trade deal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The EU's diplomatic chief today bluntly rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's suggestion that Europe would follow the US in recognising Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital, saying there would be no change to its stance on the holy city. Netanyahu said the controversial announcement by US President Donald Trump -- which prompted diplomatic alarm and street protests across the Islamic world -- had "put facts squarely on the table". As he arrived for talks in Brussels, Netanyahu said he expected "all or most" European countries would follow the US -- but the 28-nation bloc's foreign policy head Federica Mogherini gave him a stern rebuff, telling him to "keep his expectations for others". The EU expressed alarm last week at the US decision, but Netanyahu said Trump had simply stated facts by acknowledging that Jerusalem had been the capital of the Israeli state for 70 years and of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. "It doesn't obviate peace, it makes peace possible, because recognising reality is the substance of peace, it's the foundation of peace," Netanyahu said in a statement alongside Mogherini ahead of a breakfast meeting with EU foreign ministers. "I believe that all or most of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and engage robustly with us for security, prosperity and peace," Netanyahu said. The Jerusalem decision upended decades of US diplomacy and broke with international consensus. Mogherini last week warned it could take the situation "backwards to even darker times". After nearly two hours of talks between Netanyahu and the EU ministers, Mogherini gave a flat rejection of his suggestion they could follow Trump. "He can keep his expectations for others, because from the European Union member states' side this move will not come," she said, adding that the bloc -- the Palestinians' largest donor -- would stick to the "international consensus" on Jerusalem. She reiterated the EU's stance that "the only realistic solution" for peace is two states -- Israel and Palestine -- with Jerusalem as the capital of both and the borders returned to their status before the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. And she pledged to step up efforts with the two sides and regional partners including Jordan and Egypt to relaunch the peace process. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the pitch getting shriller by the day, former RBI governor Y V Reddy today said the practice is not good for "economic or credit culture" and insisted that ultimately it is a political decision and cannot be justified in the longer run. Even former RBI governor C Rangarajan took a similar line, saying the alternative is to offer farmers a longer window to pay off. Reddy noted that every political party in India has offered such waiver in some state or the other or at an all- India level. "Loan waiver is not good for economic or credit culture. Every political party in India has given in some state or the other or at all India level. So, ultimately it is a political decision, it cannot be justified in the longer run," he said on the sidelines of the Inclusive Finance India Summit 2017. Rangarajan observed that instead of waiving farm loans, the government should give longer time to farmers to repay loan or perhaps waive the payment of instalment and rate of interest in that particular year. "First thing to do is waiver of interest payments during the year of distress, second reschedule the loans so that the farmers will get a longer timeframe for repayment and finally, if all these things don't succeed, then the government should think of farm loan waiver," Rangarajan suggested. Both the former RBI governors' remarks assume significance, coming in the wake of such announcements by Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too tried a similar pitch during his campaign for Gujarat elections by promising farmers loan waivers if his party forms the government in the state. In 2008, the government wrote off farm loans to the tune of Rs 74,000 crore. Rangarajan pointed out that increase in growth rate in the second quarter of the current fiscal indicates that the slowdown is bottoming out. "My own assessment is that in the next two quarters, rate of growth will be 7 per cent so that on an average for the year, GDP growth will be 6.5 per cent," Rangarajan said. On surge in Bitcoin prices, Reddy said, "It is better we take a definitive view on Bitcoins. I think the main problem for the government and the central bank is to decide what to do (with Bitcoins), everybody is aware that it (Bitcoin) is a big problem," he added. On sidelines of the same event, former RBI deputy governor H R Khan said investment in Bitcoins is "dangerous" and people should understand this. Earlier, participating in a panel discussion with former RBI governors Bimal Jalan, D Subbarao and Reddy, Rangarajan said financial inclusion is not an option, but a compulsion. Jalan's prescription is inclusion has to be combined with financial stability. Subbarao explained that India is a large country and what works in Nagaland may not work in Kerala, which is why "we should have a diversified model for financial inclusion". Former deputy governor Subir Gokarn moderated the session. The president of a local village defence party (VDP) and his son were shot dead by unidentified miscreants tonight at Bordumsa in upper Assam's Tinsukia district, official sources said. District Superintendent of Police (SP) Mugdha Jyoti Mahanta has confirmed the incident. The gunmen opened fire at Hunjan Simalguri Village under the Bordumsa police station, seriously injuring Anteshwar Mahanta (45) and his son Karun Mahanta (23), police sources said. Both Anteswar and Karun succumbed to their injuries while they were being taken to a hospital, they added. Karun was a former president of the Kakopathar Regional Students' Union, the sources said. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has condemned the incident. "In a democratic society, no such high-handedness will be tolerated as the government is prepared to deal with such inhumane killings with an iron fist," he said in a statement. The chief minister has also asked the police to identify the assailants of the father-son duo and take stern action against them. Following a direction from Sonowal, top police officials of the state had rushed to the village, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police have seized two pick up vans carrying large number of cartons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) bottles from a place under Sadar police station of Bihar's Vaishali district. Acting on a tip off, a raid was conducted at a house located late last night in Dighi area under sadar police station and two pick up vans laden with cartons consisting liquor bottles worth Rs 10 lakh parked there seized, Sadar police station SHO Chittaranjan Thakur said today. The liquor mafias managed to flee, the SHO said adding raids are being conducted to nab the culprits after lodging an FIR in this regard. The Nitish Kumar govermment has promulgated total prohibition since last year and the administration has launched intensive drive against illegal trade in alcohol in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij today said more criminal sections would be added in the FIR, registered in connection with the death of a 7-year-old dengue patient in Gurgaon's Fortis hospital, on the basis of alleged irregularities found in a report by a probe panel. He said said appropriate action would be taken against the hospital management on the basis of the report. "Those found guilty will not be spared at any cost," the minister said according to an official release here. "Criminal sections will be added on the basis of irregularities found in the probe report such as overcharging for medicines, forged signature, not providing ambulance on time, overcharging for platelets transfusion, ignoring norms of the Indian Medical Association and the Medical Council of India, and violation of treatment protocol," he said. While interacting with reporters here, Vij said both civil and criminal action were being initiated against the hospital, which was severely indicted for lapses by the probe panel. Replying to a question, Vij claimed that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had seen the probe report and cleared it. When asked to clarify whether the FIR was registered against a doctor of the Fortis hospital or the hospital administration, Vij said, "I have spoken to the commissioner of police, Gurgaon, they said that they have made entire inquiry report part of the FIR." He said the FIR did not mention any single doctor's name. "In the a column for the accused (in the FIR), they have not mentioned anyone's name. All sections will be added on the basis of irregularities found in investigation report..," he said. "They (Gurgaon Police) say our (Health Department's) complaint was of 50 pages (probe panel report), therefore in the FIR they have mentioned only brief details on the basis of that the FIR has been registered. However, more sections will be added," he said. Yesterday, a Haryana government release issued here had said, "On the basis of the report, an FIR was registered against the hospital under section 304 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the Sushant Lok Police Station (Gurgaon). The other criminal action against the hospital is being taken under the Epidemic Diseases Act." This was being done on Vij's directions, the release had said. The probe committee constituted to investigate the matter had earlier submitted its report to the health department. The state government panel probing allegations of overcharging against the hospital had found "several irregularities", including protocols not being followed in the case. The bill for the treatment of Adya Singh had shot over Rs 15 lakh even as she died of dengue, according to officials. The Fortis group, had earlier said all documents, statements and details required by the probe team of the Haryana government were provided. A committee headed by Rajiv Vadhera, Additional DG, Health, Haryana was set up by the state government on November 21 to probe allegations that the private hospital overcharged the girl's family. The Centre had asked the Haryana government to initiate an urgent inquiry into the case. The hospital had earlier refuted the charges, claiming that the patient's family was duly informed about the bill on a daily basis and that there was no medical negligence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Geeta, a speech impaired girl who returned to India in 2015 after spending several years in Pakistan where she had landed accidentally as a child, today didn't recognise a Muslim couple from Bihar who had claimed that she was their long-lost daughter. The authorities will now go for DNA testing of the couple to determine if they are her parents. In-charge district collector Ruchika Chauhan said that Geeta used sign language to convey that it was not her family. She said, "Geeta conveyed that she worshipped Hindu deities- Lord Shankar and Hanuman- and does not belong to a Muslim family." Chauhan said that the family comprising Mohammed Isa, his wife Julekha Khatoon and other family members were allowed to meet Geeta as part of the initiative to re-unite Geeta with her parents. The family is from Mirajpur village in Bihar's Saran district and had claimed that Geeta is their long-lost daughter Rubeida who went missing when she went out to watch a marriage procession. Chauhan, however, said that DNA samples of Mohammad Isa and his wife Julekha Khatoon have been collected for verification. The family members, meanwhile, have not lost hope with Mohammad Isa's son Himtaj telling reporters that Geeta failed to recognize his father possibly because she had stayed away from the family for a long time. On being asked that Geeta termed herself as a follower of Hindu faith, Himtaj said that it could be because of the cultural harmony in his native village. "There are many temples along with a mosque around our house and Hindus and Muslims celebrate each other's festivals together. We visit Hindu families during the festival of Chhath," he said. "There may be the memories of worshipping deities in Hindu temples in her subconscious mind," Himtaj added. "We hope that the DNA examination will clear the situation," Himtaj said. District collector Chauhan informed that the DNA verification process would be the same even if Geeta recognises anyone as her parent. The official said that a family from Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, which had also claimed that Geeta was their daughter, did not turn up for a scheduled meeting today. Earlier Geeta had met a family from Sokha Kishku village of Jamtara district of Jharkhand but she did not recognise them either, said Chauhan. The DNA samples of the couple have also been sent for verification, she added. Geeta was found by Pakistan Rangers on the Samjhauta Express at the Lahore railway station when she was around seven years old. Karachi-based Edhi Foundation looked after her while she was in Pakistan. After returning to India in October 2015, Geeta has been living at an institution for hearing impaired children run by an NGO here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to place before it a blueprint on revision of pay scales of prosecutors in the national capital after it was informed that their salaries were way below their counterparts in other states. The court was also informed about lack of infrastructure for prosecutors, including a place to sit and libraries. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar was told by senior advocate Rajiv K Virmani, the amicus curaie appointed by it to assist the court, that the pay scale of prosecutors here was that of nurses in hospitals. The amicus said he does not want to demean anoyone but the condition of prosecutors in other parts of the country was better and the prosecutors in Delhi were paid way below than their counterparts in other states. Delhi Government standing counsel Rajiv Mehra told the bench that the matter was examined by it and recommendations were pending before the Ministry of Finance. The court then asked the Centre's counsel to place before the blueprint on revision of pay scales of the prosecutors in Delhi and listed the matter on February 19 next year. It also asked the Delhi government's counsel to inform the court on renewal of subscription of e-libraries for the prosecutors. The court further asked Mehra to look into the aspect of having a centralised office for prosecutors. It was informed by the counsel that in pursuance to the court's earlier order, Delhi government has appointed around 100 new prosecutors and a requisition has been made to the UPSE for appointing 17 more prosecutors. The court was hearing two PILs seeking upward revision in the pay scales of prosecutors and for equipping them with facilities and infrastructure needed to do their job. It had earlier asked how the government lawyers or prosecutors can be expected to perform efficiently if they are not paid properly and on time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress party in Goa today congratulated Rahul Gandhi for being elected as partys national president. "The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee and Congress Legislative Party congratulates Rahul Gandhi for being elected to the post and we wish him all the good luck and support to take the party ahead, " Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar told reporters near here today. He said that more young and new faces would be associate with the party with Rahul Gandhi taking over the reigns. He added that GPCC president Shantaram Naik will be attending the function in Delhi where Gandhi will officially take charge on December 16. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gold valued at over Rs 48 lakh were today seized in separate cases at two airports in Kerala, customs officials said. Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said here that gold biscuits worth over Rs 30 lakh were recovered from the toilet of an aircraft at Thiruvananthapuram international airport. Officers of Customs Preventive Unit, Thiruvananthapuram, recovered 1049.58 gm of gold from Air India Flight No IX 540 which arrived from Dubai. He said officials had information that some passengers coming from Dubai by the flight would be attempting to smuggle gold into India by concealing it inside the plane's toilet. A detailed search resulted in the recovery of a black coloured pouch from a tissue paper tray in the rear right toilet of the aircraft. On opening the pouch, a packet wrapped with black insulation tape was seen inside which 09-gold biscuits each weighing 116.20 gm (total 1049.58gms) were concealed. The seized gold biscuits are of foreign origin with 24 carat purity and valued at Rs.30,85,765, he said. In the other case, Officers of Air Intelligence Unit, Air Customs, Cochin International Airport, Nedumbassery, seized five gold bars, totally weighing 583.2 gm, from a passenger who arrived at Kochi from Dubai by an Indigo Flight 6E 068 at 4.30 pm. The officers intercepted the passenger, a native of Kozhikode, at the exit gate of the arrival hall, Kumar said, adding, the gold bars were concealed in his rectum. The market value of the bars is Rs 17,20,440. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IT industry association Nasscom today said it has got an assurance from the government that the service tax notices served to several IT companies has been "corrected" and the issue has been resolved. However, it could not be confirmed from the tax department whether the government is withdrawing or amending the reported Rs 10,000 crore demand notices served to some 200 companies. "The kind of tax notices which had been issued recently to a few companies that actually do not recognise IT services as exports because of some interpretation... we were happy to note that the Government has clarified in today's meeting that that situation has been corrected," Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar said. Chandrashekhar was speaking to reporters after a meeting between IT industry and the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today on pre-budget consultations. During the meeting, the apex software body also discussed issues related to Place of Effective Management (POEM) and refund of service tax, amongst others. On the tax notice issue, Chandrashekhar pointed out that the government has clarified that suitable advisories have been issued and that the "problem has been resolved". "We have been informed that the clarification has already been issued and the matter stands resolved. We are waiting to get clarification," he added. While Chandrashekhar did not divulge further details about the tax notices, reports suggest that many IT and IT enabled services companies had been sent notices by the tax department. These companies were reportedly asked to return export benefits claimed in the last five years on software provided to clients outside India, and also asked to cough up service tax along with penalty. Telecom Equipments Manufacturers Association Chairman Emeritus NK Goyal thanked the government for resolving the tax issue that had confronted the IT companies. "We appreciate the Government for withdrawing tax notices ...that was served to IT companies," said Goyal who was also part of the meeting. Government today launched a country-wide initiative to ensure proper implementation of the existing labour room protocols in order to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Ensuring privacy to the mother-to-be, stressing a comfortable position during delivery, no-tolerance policy for any verbal or physical abuse of the woman and no demand for gratuitous payment by staff are some of the guidelines under the programme 'Lakshya'. Union Health Minister J P Nadda released the Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) along with a mobile application for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in peripheral areas. "There is enough evidence that supports the fact that improving the quality of care in labour rooms especially on the day of birth, is central to maternal and neonatal survival," said the Health Ministry in a statement. The idsue of whether hospitals were adhering to labour room protocols has come into fresh focus in recent days after a newborn was wrongly declared dead by a private hospital in Delhi and he died after a few days. According to the ministry, the Lakshya initiative, which will prevent the undesirable adverse outcomes associated with childbirth, will be implemented in government medical colleges besides district hospitals, and high delivery load sub- district hospitals and community health centres. "Under the 'Lakshya', labour room teams will be financially rewarded if they meet the strict benchmarks and achieve targets in a time-bound manner as defined in the labour room guidelines," a health ministry official said citing the guidelines. The targets described include reduction of preventable maternal and new-born mortality, still birth rates, reductions in related morbidities such as obstetric fistula, puerperal sepsis, birth asphyxia and newborn sepsis, he said. Steps to be taken to improve environment of natural delivery process include avoiding unnecessary induction, providing privacy to the mother during the intrapartum period, by way of separate labour room, or at least a private cubicle, use of labour beds instead of tables and a no-tolerance policy for any verbal or physical abuse of the woman. Also, it should be ensured that the mother and the child bond immediately after birth, stressing a comfortable position during delivery rather than insisting on a universal "lying down" position. 'Out of pocket expenditures (OOPE)' including demand by facility staff, for gratuitous payment by families for celebration of the baby's birth should be abolished. "All these are required to avoid undue stress in mothers," the official said stressing on the need to reorganise the labour room care processes to facilitate natural delivery process. These will enable not only adherence to quality standards and clinical protocols, but also address issues such as respectful maternity care, the official said. According to a Lancet study published in 2014, birth is the time of greatest risk of death and disability. The study highlighted that 40 per cent of still births, 25 per cent of under 5 mortality and 46 per cent of maternal deaths occur at the time of birth. The launch was held during an event to mark the Universal Health Coverage, 2017. Union Minister of State for Finance SP Shukla was also present at the function. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has set up NIC- CERT centre that will monitor, detect and prevent cyber attacks on government networks, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said. Besides, the government has called a meeting of state IT ministers which will also include discussions on cybersecurity and safety. "In January, we will have a meeting of (state) IT ministers and cybersecurity and safety will be an important component of that discussion. I have directed that the role of state governments has to be expanded in the area of cybersecurity," Prasad told reporters here. He said there has been an exponential growth in cyber attacks, leading to concerns of data theft that prompted the government to work on Data Protection Act. Internet has expanded the canvas of opportunities for people, but the need to upscale existing security infrastructure has also grown, he pointed. Talking about the centre, Prasad said it will monitor the traffic and movement of information across various networks against any suspicious activity. It will also alert the concerned parties in case it detects any malicious activity. National Informatics Centre (NIC) helps government agencies build their digital presence. "This is establishment of an institution in India's pursuit of safe and secure cyberspace. Any unusual movement on the NIC network, any attacks, intrusions will be detected and cleaned," Prasad said. The government has already announced setting up of similar frameworks for the finance and power sectors, he added. NIC-CERT will also work in close coordination and collaboration with sectoral CERTs and CERT-In. Using various tools, the team at NIC-CERT will be able to identify vulnerabilities and possible exploits and the intelligence gathered will give CERT the ability to predict and prevent attacks. NIC Director General Neeta Verma explained that communication between government officials and government and citizens travels through NIC network. "The government has taken a number of initiatives to protect the data and this (centre) is another step in that direction," she added. The Government today took on former premier Manmohan Singh over his meeting with Pakistani diplomats by questioning its context shortly after he demanded an apology from his successor Narendra Modi for insinuating that he colluded with Islamabad in the Gujarat polls. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ruled out an apology from the prime minister and accused Singh of defying the national line and demanded to know the context, relevance and necessity of attending a dinner hosted by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for a visiting Pakistani dignitary at his home here last week that was attended by Pakistani diplomats among others. Jaitley's remarks came after a rare row between a sitting and a former premier broke out with Manmohan Singh accusing his successor of setting a "dangerous precedent" and asking his apology. Launching a sharp counteroffensive, Singh attacked Modi over what he called the prime minister's "ill-thought transgression" and rejected his charge as "innuendos and falsehoods". In uncharacteristically strong words, a usually reticent Singh crossed swords with his predecessor to say the Gujarat polls was never raised by anyone present at the dinner and that the discussion was confined to India-Pakistan ties. Terming the meeting as "political misadventure", Jaitley wanted Singh and Congress party to explain the context of attending the dinner. He said the national policy, which the main opposition party is also expected to follow, is that terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand. "Is the main opposition party not part of the State?" he asked. Jaitley stated if anyone defies the national line, he should be prepared to answer questions. "It is a political misadventure, it has a political cost," he said. Jaitley addressed a press conference hours after Singh asked the prime minister to apologise to the nation for setting a "dangerous precedent". In reponse to Singh's demand for apology, Jaitley said people who have violated national policy of talks and terror not going hand in hand should apologise. Addressing an election rally in Palanpur in Gujarat yesterday, Modi sought to suggest that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly polls in the state. The second and final phase of Assembly polls in Gujarat is to be held on December 14. Modi claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Aiyar's house over dinner on December 6. This was a day before Aiyar's "neech" jibe against Modi that led to his suspension from the party. Singh issued a statement today, listing those who attended the dinner hosted in honour of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. He said besides himself and former vice president Hamid Ansari, others present at the dinner were the Pakistan High Commissioner, Natwar Singh, K S Bajpai, Ajai Shukla, Sharad Sabharwal, Gen Deepak Kapoor, TCA Raghavan, Satinder K Lambah, M K Bhadrakumar, CR Gharekhan, Prem Shankar Jha, Salman Haider and Rahul Khushwant Singh. "None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti- national activities," he said. Lambah, a former diplomat, was quoted as having said he does not comment on private dinners. He, however, said there was just a general discussion on Indo-Pak relations. Gharekhan, another former diplomat said, said the invitees were talking about the relations between India and Pakistan. "But nobody, if I recall....I am hundred per cent sure that, not a single person, talked about Gujarat elections or anything about the present situation... or for that matter, the present situation in Pakistan," he told NDTV. "It was only about India-Pakistan relation, We didn't talk about any kind of politics." Gen. Kapoor, a former Army Chief, was quoted as having said that Gujarat elections were never discussed at the dinner meeting. Manmohan Singh said he did not discuss the Gujarat Assembly elections with anyone at the dinner meeting. "I sincerely hope that Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies," he said. Singh said he was "deeply pained and anguished" by the "falsehood and canards" being spread to score political points by the prime minister in what he said was a "lost cause" in Gujarat. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly and regrettably, Sh. Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief," he alleged. The Congress Party, Singh said, needs no sermons on "nationalism" from a party and prime minister, whose "compromised" track record on fighting terrorism is well known, while reminding Modi of his "uninvited" visit to Pakistan after terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. "Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To decongest Delhi, NHAI will expedite development work on Urban Extension Road (UER), a senior ministry official said today. In a high-level inter-ministerial meeting, chaired by Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and participated by Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal, it was decided that extra cost of UER 11, phase 1 will be shared by NHAI and DDA on a 50:50 basis, the ministry official said. Master Plan for Delhi has proposed Urban Extension Road - II (UER) which connects National Highway 1, 10 and 8. This road was proposed to reduce traffic from existing Ring Road and Outer Ring Road. Besides, it was decided in the meeting that the work on Urban Extension Road will be expedited, the official said. It was also decided that DDA will hand over encumbrance free land. "At Junction of UER-II/Dwarka Expressway with NH 8, major interchange has been proposed. The proposed interchange would provide signal free movement in all directions," the official said. For this interchange, 14.4 hectares of private land is proposed to be acquired, the official said adding, 11.4 hectare of Airport Authority of India (AAI) land is required. The meeting also discussed requirement of 24 hectares of greenfield land for Dwarka Expressway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former prime minister Manmohan Singh today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to the nation for alleging that he was conspiring with Pakistan for BJP's defeat in the Gujarat polls. Rejecting the charge as "innuendos and falsehoods", Singh said he was deeply pained by the prime minister's "ill thought transgression". Addressing an election rally in Palanpur, Gujarat, yesterday, Modi suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly polls in the state. He claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house over dinner on December 6. This was a day before Aiyar's "neech" jibe against Modi. Singh issued a statement today, listing those who attended the dinner, and stressed that the election was not discussed during the meeting. "I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar as alleged by Modi. "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies," Singh said in the statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two employees of a bank were injured today when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Security forces have launched a search operation to track down the assailants. A police official said, "Unknown gunmen opened fire on a vehicle of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Keller area of Shopian this afternoon, resulting in injuries to two employees". He said the injured are being shifted to a hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two bank guards were today killed when militants opened fire on their vehicle in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Security forces have launched a search operation to track down the assailants. A police official said, "Unknown gunmen opened fire on a vehicle of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Keller area of Shopian this afternoon, resulting in injuries to two employees". The two guards succumbed to their injuries in a hospital, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior leader of Communist Party of India (CPI) Gurudas Dasgupta has stepped down as General secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) citing personal reasons. Dasgupta's resignation was accepted at three-days long meet of the AITUC General Council concluded today at Ranchi, said a statement issued by the trade union today. According to the statement, the council elected AITUC General Secretary Amarjit Kaur as General Secretary of the union along with few other organisational changes. It said that Dasgupta "decided to step down from the position of General Secretary quoting reasons of old age and difficulty". Besides, the union also adopted more than 20 resolutions, including on demonetisation, goods and service tax, Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, against communalism and against privatisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij has directed the imposition of prohibitory orders under section 144 within two km radius of civil hospitals in the state to facilitate the patients and to ensure better treatment atmosphere. Vij issued these directions to the officers while presiding over a meeting of health department here today, an official release said. On the issue of strike of National Health Mission workers continuing for nearly a week now, Vij said the government is spending Rs 180 crore per annum on the employees of NHM and most of their demands have already been fulfilled. He said a hike of five per cent and another hike of three per cent have been made in the honorarium of these employees. Apart from this, approval to give a hike of 14.29 per cent in their honorarium has also been given as per 7th Pay Commission. The minister said that a notice was issued to NHM employees who were proceeding on strike and as a result, most joined their duties. "However, the process has been started to terminate the services of those employees who had not yet joined their duties. New recruitment process is being started to avoid any inconvenience to the patients," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today asked the AAP government to ensure that steps are taken for enrolment of children in government schools in the Kapashera area of southwest Delhi. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the government to minimise the possibility of kids of age group of 6-14 years being left out and to organise camps for this purpose. The court, which listed the matter for January 23, said that children with disabilities upto the age of 18 years be also targeted for admissions in government schools. The court was hearing a PIL alleging denial of admission to children of Kapashera area here by the government schools. "The Delhi government schools have kept them out on the ground of non-production of residence proof, original transfer certificate and report cards. Some other reasons were, not having a bank account and age-related problems. Another lame excuse was that the last date of admission was 31st of July," the plea has claimed. The plea, filed by the parents of a group of 35 aggrieved students, through advocate Ashok Agarwal claimed that the children in the 6-14 years age group have been denied admission by Delhi Government schools near their residence in utter violation of the provisions of Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. During the hearing, the petitioners' counsel claimed that nothing was being done by the government and if the needful is done, a large number of children will be benefited. Delhi government's counsel Naushad Ahmad Khan told the bench it was always ready to provide education to children. The PIL has sought a direction to the government to forthwith grant admission to students in neighbourhood Delhi Government Schools in age appropriate class. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today stayed the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board's (DSSSB) notice withdrawing the process of appointment of over 8,914 teachers for the schools run by the AAP government. Justice A K Chawla asked the authorities to issue a fresh advertisement calling for applications from eligible candidates by December 20 which shall be received latest by December 31. The court also removed its stay on the process of appointing guest teachers and promoting those appointed since 2010 in Delhi government schools. Laying down the procedure for fresh appointment of regular teachers, the court said "processing of applications, arrangements for conduct of written test, final selection and drawing up of a panel would be completed by August 31, 2018. "Panel shall be declared and communicated to the Directorate of Education of GNCT of Delhi by September 15, 2018." It also directed that after selection of the candidates, posting orders should be communicated to them before October 31 next year. The court's order came on an NGO's application seeking a stay on the DSSSB order withdrawing a notice on appointment of the teachers in government-run schools here. The plea by NGO Social Jurist alleged that the Board's notice of August 24 was "illegal and contemptuous in nature". The Delhi government had introduced the Board with the purpose of recruiting capable, competent and highly-skilled individuals by conducting written tests, professional tests and personal interviews. The plea was filed in an ongoing contempt petition by the NGO which has alleged deliberate omission in compliance of the court's December 2001 order. The NGO had submitted that in a 2001 order, the court had directed the DSSSB to ensure zero vacancy of teachers in Delhi government schools on the commencement of each academic year. "Unfortunately, the directions have never been complied with, resulting in accumulation of vacancies of teaching posts since 2011. No attempt has been made by the DSSSB for last several years to fill up the posts and provide regular teachers," NGO's counsel Ashok Agarwal had argued before the court. The plea had said that after a high court order of April 11 this year, the DSSSB issued a vacancy notice on August 7 inviting applications from candidates for 8,914 teaching posts in the Directorate of Education of the Delhi government and for 5,906 teaching posts in the three municipal corporation schools here. It alleged that the DSSSB, without informing or seeking permission from the court, had on August 24 "abruptly withdrawn the advertisement" regarding the vacancies in the Delhi government-run schools. Agreeing with the NGO's contention, the court put on hold the operation of the August 24 notice of DSSSB and directed it to proceed with the advertising afresh for recruiting teachers to Delhi government schools. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special court today adjourned hearing of the "illegal" telephone exchange case against former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi to December 15. When the plea came up before the XIV Additional Judge for CBI cases S Natarajan, counsel representing the brothers moved memos requesting to dispense with their personal appearance today. After the judge allowed the memo, counsel for the seven accused wanted the court to adjourn the case. They submitted they were in the process of engaging a senior counsel to argue the petitions to discharge them from the case. Counsel for Sun TV's chief technical officer and one of the accused, Kannan, moved an application seeking a direction to the CBI to release his passport that was seized during the investigation. Kannan wanted the court to release his passport as he was required to visit Singapore for official purposes. To this, the CBI counsel submitted that he had to get instructions from investigating officers in Delhi and sought time to file his response. Recording the submissions, the judge adjourned the hearing. According to the CBI, Dayanidhi Maran, during the check period of June 2004 to December 2006, when he was the Union minister for communication and information technology, misused his office and installed a private telephone exchange at his residences in Chennai and utilised the facility for business transactions involving Sun Network. It said he had caused a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer. More than 700 telecom lines were installed at their residences in Boat Club and Gopalapuram here, the agency charged. Among the accused were former BSNL general manager K Brahmnathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy and Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary Gauthaman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of gram sabha members of Etapalli taluka today held a protest march to the Sub-Divisional Office here demanding that mining rights given to various private firms in the area be revoked. The protesters held that these firms were damaging the environment and destroying the traditional places of worship of the local tribal communities. The protesters demanded that the government implement the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 or PESA and the Forest Rights Act effectively. The protesters submitted a memorandum of their demands addressed to the Governor to the SDO. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa today began a four-day visit to Sri Lanka to explore ways to expand cooperation between the air forces of the two countries. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa will also deliberate with top brass of Sri Lanka's defence establishment on issues relating to regional security. In a statement, the defence ministry said the visit would provide impetus towards increasing defence cooperation between the two air forces. "This (the visit) would also strengthen relationships, enable engagement in productive exchanges and promote understanding of joint issues and challenges," it said. During the visit, the IAF Chief would also review the commissioning and passing out parade of the Sri Lankan Air Force Academy on December 14. "It is the first occasion in the history of the Sri Lankan Air Force where an Air Chief of a foreign Air Force is invited to review the prestigious passing out parade," the defence ministry said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The car of IGP (Western Range) Hemanth Nimbalkar was set ablaze at Kumta in Uttara Kannada district today, as a protest demanding justice for a teenager found dead last week near a lake turned violent, police said. The IGP was not in the car when it was set on fire, they said. Paresh Kamalakar Mesta (18) had gone missing on December 6. His body was found near a lake in Honnavar in that district on the night of December 8 under mysterious circumstances, leading to a tense situation. Police said the crowd turned violent today and pelted stones at them and their vehicles, injuring some of them. The crowd set ablaze the car, following which police made a mild lathi charge to disperse them. "The situation is now peaceful and nder control. We are questioning some people in connection with the incident," Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police, Patil Vinayak Vasantarao told PTI. Mesta's family and locals alleged he was abducted and killed amid reports that the body bore marks of attack by sharp objects. Police however rejected these claims, citing the post-mortem report. BJP and some other outfits had called for protest in the district today, demanding the arrest of those responsible for Mestas death. The party had yesterday demanded a probe by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) into the killing. Party General Secretary Shobha Karandlaje has termed the murder as 'the handiwork of jehadi elements'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India, China and Russia today resolved to step up cooperation to counter terrorism, including choking terror funding and dismantling terrorist infrastructure, as the Indian side flagged concerns over increasing acts of terrorism by Pakistan-based terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). During the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral, the foreign ministers -Sushma Swaraj, Wang Yi (China) and Sergey Lavrov (Russia)- also underlined the primary and leading role and responsibility of states in preventing and countering terrorism and extremism, a joint statement said. They also reiterated that all states should take adequate measures to prevent terrorist activities from their territory, it said. "While discussing terrorism, I put across my view that significant rise in acts of terrorism by terrorist organisations like Taliban, Daesh (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and LeT directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development," Swaraj said. However, the RIC joint statement did not name Pakistan unlike the joint document issued after the Brazil-Russia- India-China-South Africa (BRICS) meet in Xiamen in China in September. Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including the recent heinous terrorist attacks around the world, the leaders reaffirmed their determination to prevent and counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. "We reaffirm that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable irrespective of their motivations, committed wherever and by whomsoever," the statement of the RIC leaders said. They called for greater unity, stronger international partnership and concerted actions by the international community in addressing the menace of terrorism in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, including the principles of sovereign equality of states and non- interference in their internal affairs. The leaders also emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism. The statement said in this context, they resolved "to step up cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism and radicalisation, combat the spread of terrorist ideology and propaganda, stop sources of terrorist financing, prevent travelling of and the supply of arms to terrorists, dismantle terrorist infrastructure." They also resolved to enhance cooperation to disrupt recruitment and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and prevent misuse of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for terrorist purposes, it said. Swaraj, Wang and Lavrov also stressed that those committing, organising, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with the obligations under international law, including the principle of "extradite or prosecute as well as the applicable domestic legislations. "We agree to strengthen cooperation to take decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities. We condemn all forms of terrorism and all terrorists, terror entities and organisations listed by the UN Security Council," the statement said. It assumes significance as China has been blocking the international banning of UN-designated terrorist group Jaish- e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, the mastermind of Pathankot terror strike. The three countries also agreed to intensify cooperation in multilateral fora including FATF and FATF-style regional bodies (FSRBs) so as to cut the flows of funds, and other financial assets and economic resources to individuals and entities involved in terrorism including those proscribed under the relevant UN sanctions. They stressed on the need for joint, integrated and balanced approach to deal with drug menace, its illicit production and trafficking including new psychoactive substances in accordance with the UN Conventions and principles of international law. The grouping also called for an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN to establish the much needed comprehensive international legal framework to address the growing global menace of terrorism. Expressing deep concern about the threat of WMDs falling into the hands of terrorist groups, including the use of chemicals and biological agents for terrorist purposes, they said they would cooperate to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by non-state actors, including terrorists. "We need to address the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological terrorism through intensified meaningful work in international fora," they said in the statement and expressed firm determination to explore actively the modalities of elaborating a mandate in this regard. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Monday called upon WTO members to find a permanent solution to the public food stockpile issue, saying it concerns the survival of 800 million hungry people across the globe. It also asked them to refrain from raising new issues, especially those which are not linked to trade. In his 3-minute address at the plenary session of the 11th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) here, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu urged the member countries to reaffirm their commitment to a rule- based multilateral trading system as it would benefit the entire world. "At MC (Ministerial Conference) 11 we look forward to constructive engagement of the entire WTO membership for taking final decisions in areas where specific mandates were provided at Nairobi...One such issue is the permanent solution for public stockholding for food security purposes. This is a matter of survival for 800 million hungry and undernourished people in the world," he said. A successful resolution of the food security issue would "fulfil our collective commitment to the global community", he said, adding that "we cannot envisage any negotiated outcome at MC 11, which does not include a permanent solution". Under the global trade norms, a WTO member country's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-88. Apprehending that the full implementation of food security programme may result in breach of the WTO cap, India has been seeking amendments to the formula for calculating the food subsidy cap. As an interim measure, the WTO members at the Bali ministerial meeting in December 2013 had agreed to put in place a mechanism popularly called the Peace Clause and committed to negotiate an agreement for permanent solution at the 11th ministerial meeting, which is underway in Buenos Aires. Under the Peace Clause, WTO members agreed to refrain from challenging any breach in prescribed ceiling by a developing nation at the dispute settlement forum of the WTO. This clause will be there till a permanent solution is found to the food stockpiling issue. Referring to the attempts being made by some developed nations to place new issues on the negotiating agenda of the WTO, Prabhu said that agreeing to these would be "extremely divisive. Many of these issues are neither trade-related nor have these been discussed in detail". On the specific issue of e-commerce, he said the gains from the sector must not be confused with gains from negotiating binding rules in this area. "It is for this reason that we support continuation of the 1998 Work Programme with its non-negotiating mandate." Shifting the priority from DDA (Doha Development Agenda) issues to non-trade issues like Investment Facilitation and MSMEs, for which there is no mandate, is difficult to accept, Prabhu said outlining Indias priorities. "...let me say that at a time when the global trade environment is extremely fragile, let this Ministerial Conference be an occasion for concluding the unfinished agenda of the Doha Work Programme, and collectively strive to preserve and revitalise the WTO," he added. Referring to the issue of domestic support for agriculture, he said that the Agreement on Agriculture provides considerable flexibility to the developed members to provide huge subsidies and further and also to concentrate these subsidies on a few products. This asymmetry, he added, was needed to be addressed as a first step in agricultural reform through a post-MC11 work programme without shifting the burden of reduction of agricultural subsidies to developing countries. As regards the services sector, Prabhu said India has engaged constructively with the proponents of the domestic regulation disciplines. "However, I am apprehensive that the present approach in the negotiations will not lead to any fruitful outcomes at MC11. A work programme for Services...and some elements of India's proposal on Trade Facilitation in Services, including Mode 4, can take the Services agenda forward," he added. On the fisheries issue, he said that an outcome which preserves the policy space for developing countries to support millions who depend on traditional fishing activity as the sole source of livelihood could be worked out at the next ministerial conference. "India recognises that some progress has been made in the area of fisheries subsidies. We can agree to future work on this issue towards an outcome at MC 12, the minister said. Stressing that the outcome of the expansion of global trade must be development, Prabhu urged the WTO membership to re-endorse the centrality of development in the trade negotiations without creating new sub-categories of countries. He also expressed concern over inordinate delay in appointment of new members to the WTOs Appellate Body, saying that "we need to collectively and expeditiously resolve this impasse". The appointment of members to the Appellate Body is being delayed because of the stern attitude adopted by the US administration in filling the vacancies. More than a dozen people have been arrested by Indonesian anti-terrorism police, authorities said today, as they beef up security in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. Police said they detained 13 suspected militants in separate, pre-emptive raids over the weekend across the Southeast Asian nation, which has long struggled with Islamic militancy. "As usual, we are conducting pre-emptive strikes. We move before they do and we arrest the groups we believe will potentially commit an act (of terror)," national police chief Tito Karnavian said today. The arrests took place in South Sumatra, East Java and West Kalimantan over the weekend. One of the men arrested in Surabaya, Indonesia's second- biggest city, was known to have gone to Syria in 2013 and has links to Abu Jandal, an influential Indonesian militant who fought with the Islamic State group in the Middle Eastern country, authorities said. Another suspect was involved in a February terror attack in the Indonesian city of Bandung, where a pressure cooker bomb exploded in a park before a gun battle erupted nearby, leaving one militant dead. However, authorities have no specific information on a new planned attack, said national police spokesman Setyo Wasisto. "There's no confirmed plan for a terror attack that we have heard so far," he said. Indonesia's anti-terror squad can detain and hold suspected extremists for seven days without charge. Indonesia has suffered a string of deadly incidents, including a Christmas Eve attack in 2000 that left 18 dead and scores injured. In 2002, a bomb in a Bali nightclub killed over 200 people while, more recently, a suicide bombing and gun attack claimed by IS in the capital Jakarta killed eight people in January 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Chief Financial Officer V Balakrishnan on Monday said it was not a matter of whistleblower's emotions, but of legality for Sebi to decide on denying company's consent plea in connection with ex-CFO Rajiv Bansal's severance payment case. "The whistleblower has said whatever he wants to say as per his viewpoint. These are legal issues decided based on merits and not individual's emotions. What Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as a regulator thinks and decides is all that matters," Balakrishnan told PTI here. Earlier this year, a whistleblower had written to the market regulator over alleged lapses in the Panaya deal and Bansal's severance pay. The letter had stated that the package was decided by the then CEO Vishal Sikka and then general counsel David Kennedy. The whistle-blower had asked why was reluctant in disclosing answers surrounding the "hush money." While it is a norm for to settle cases via the backdoor, it should not be allowed this time and Sebi should prosecute both the board and management, he said in the letter. The whistleblower had argued that a settlement was similar to a "backdoor agreement," and if is allowed to do so, then "no whistleblower in future will take the pain to expose any malpractices in the corporate sector." "The whistle-blower may strongly feel about the issues he had raised.. the regulator will follow the due legal process and decide," Balakrishnan reiterated. The letter has brought allegations of poor corporate governance to the fore again after Infosys filed an application for settlement. This has spurred Balakrishnan and another former CFO T V Mohandas Pai to launch an attack against the company, whose board is now led by Co-Founder Nandan Nilekani. Balakrishnan has demanded the resignation of board members, Roopa Kudva and Ravi Venkatesan in the matter. Yesterday, board member Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had exchanged barbs with Pai on twitter, saying, "The matters were reinvestigated (a)n(d) no wrongdoings were found by new Chairman. Let's bring this to a closure and move on.. It helps no one." Earlier this week, Infosys had submitted a settlement application to Sebi with regard to issues surrounding the severance package of Bansal. The company had said it wanted to resolve allegations that the severance payment was decided without seeking prior consent from the audit committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Yesterday, Mohandas Pai had disapproved whistleblower's demand asking Sebi to prosecute the IT giant's management and the Board. He had also said Infosys' move to settle with Sebi the alleged disclosure lapses involving a severance pact is "perfectly fine." Infosys had decided to pay Rs 17.38 crore as severance payment to the then CFO Bansal in 2015. However, it only paid Rs 5 crore to him, holding back Rs 12 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.) Islamic State group jihadists have been driven out of Syria's Idlib province, two days after making an incursion into the region bordering Turkey, a war monitor said today. IS fighters captured the Idlib village of Bashkun at the weekend after clashes with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of rebel forces dominated by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate. "After fierce fighting, Tahrir al-Sham has once again chased IS out of Idlib," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor. The setback comes more than three years after IS was first expelled from the province in northwestern Syria after battles with rival jihadists and rebel groups. IS has seen the so-called "caliphate" it declared in 2014 across parts of Syria and Iraq crumble in recent weeks, losing key cities such as Raqa and Mosul. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday declared victory in the three-year war to expel the jihadist group which at its height held roughly one third of the country's territory. It now holds just a few patches of territory in Syria. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria's multi-faceted war since the conflict began with anti- government protests in March 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An ISIS-inspired Bangladeshi- origin man, wearing a homemade device, triggered a blast at a metro station in New York City during the morning rush hours, injuring four persons and causing chaos in one of the busiest commuter hubs in the metropolis, officials said. Akayed Ullah, the 27-year-old suspected bomber, had wires and a pipe bomb strapped to his body. The device prematurely exploded between two subway platforms near Port Authority, which is America's largest bus terminal, police said. The suspect was taken into custody after the device partially exploded. The subway station was evacuated and Port Authority terminal was shut down. Ullah was alone, the police said, adding that the explosion was recorded on surveillance video. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion so far, though it was being treated as terror-related. "This was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God he did not achieve his goal," Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. "At this point in time, all we know of is one individual who, thank God, was unsuccessful in his aims," Blasio said. "There are also no credible and specific threats against New York City at this time. But we will give you more information as the investigation unfolds," he said. "Our lives revolve around the subway. The choice of New York is always for a reason, because we are beacons of the world. We show that a society of many background and many faiths can work...The terrorists want to undermine that. They yearn to attack New York City," he added. A total of four injuries were reported at the scene of the explosion at Port Authority, the New York Police Department said, adding all injuries are non-life-threatening. The suspect, who lived in Brooklyn, suffered serious burn injuries and is currently admitted at a hospital. He had arrived in the US some seven years ago from Bangladesh. "Preliminary investigation at the scene indicates that this male was wearing an improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body. He intentionally detonated that device," Police Commissioner James O'Neil told reporters. President Donald Trump was briefed on the New York explosion, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. The FBI has joined the investigation. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that New Yorkers would not be disrupted by such an attempt. "We are a target by many who would like to make a statement against freedom...Let's go back to work we are not going to allow them to disrupt us," he said. "The reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom. We have statue of Liberty in our harbour and that make sus an international target. We understand that," he said. Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC that the man was inspired by the Islamic State terror group and originally came from Bangladesh. Earlier, the New York Police Department tweeted that it was responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, Manhattan. The New York Fire Department received call around 7.19 am. "I was exiting the Port Authority and the National Guard was running towards something shouting 'Go, Go, Go'," commuter Keith Woodfin tweeted, according to New York Daily . Designer Chelsea LaSalle tweeted that she was "stuck in a running stampede at port authority bus terminal due to bomb scare. cops EVERYWHERE." Security was enhanced in several major American cities after the explosion in the New York City. "We are monitoring the incident that occurred in New York City this morning. At this time, there are no current threats to the District of Columbia. We ask all residents and visitors to remain vigilant," said the Washington DC Police Department. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ruling out an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today charged former prime minister Manmohan Singh with defying the stated national policy on terror by meeting Pakistani diplomats and demanded to know the context, relevance and necessity of such a meet. He termed the dinner meeting at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence as "political misadventure" and said the main opposition party is expected to follow the national line that terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. Addressing a press conference hours after Singh demanded an apology from Modi for setting a "dangerous precedent" by alleging "innuendos and falsehoods" about the meeting, Jaitley said the Congress must explain the context of the meeting. "It is surprising that for a misadventure that the Congress party indulged in, to which some of its senior leaders became a party, they should expect the Prime Minister of India to apologise for it," he said. India's national position on talks with Pakistan is well known and all responsible groups in India, including the main opposition party, are expected to honour that, Jaitley asserted. Stating that this was not the first time that such "misadventures" have taken place, he referred to the Sharm el-Sheikh declaration after Indo-Pak talks "when Baluchistan issue was allowed to enter the text of the agreement and the condition precedent for a dialogue that Pakistan territory should not be used for terrorism was done away with". He said the Congress and its leadership should come out with detailed facts on what transpired in the meeting and what was its necessity under the present circumstances. Jaitley said that till yesterday the Congress was denying the meeting and "today instead of accepting this as a misadventure, they try to blame those who are raising this issue". Asked if the leaders present at the meeting should be tried for treason, he said it is a political misadventure and "it has a political cost". Asked about Singh's statement that Gujarat elections, as stated by Prime Minister, was not discussed at the dinner, Jaitley said the party must explain the context, relevance and necessity of such a meet. On Aiyar, he said the suspended Congress leader "has always had an inconsistent position" and maintained "a parallel line of dialogue", "underplayed Pakistan's role in instigating terrorism in India and they continue to engage with them". "But that responsible section of the Congress party should have become privy to that engagement is indeed worrisome. It's admittedly as I said, a complete misadventure for very senior people in India's public life to have done what some of the senior Congress leaders did. "And having done that, to expect the Prime Minister of India to apologise for having flagged the issue is indeed beyond comprehension," he wondered. He said the main Opposition party is expected to follow the national policy, which states that terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. "Is (the) main opposition party not part of the State?" he asked. Jaitley said that if anyone defies the national line, he should be prepared to answer questions. He wanted the former prime minister to explain what transpired at the meeting and went on to defend his government's track record of fighting terror, saying no government in the past has a track record this government has in fighting terrorism. In response to Singh's demand for apology, Jaitley further said people who have violated the national policy of talks and terror not going hand in hand should apologise. On Singh's comment that remarks by Modi at a public rally had demeaned the office of the Prime Minister, Jaitley said debate never demeans any office. "When you have meeting of such kind, you should be prepared that questions will be asked," he said. "If anyone of us defies a national line which is inconsistent with India's line, we should be prepared to answer questions." The finance minister also said: "(The) misadventure is a political misadventure and it has political fallout." He also claimed that the BJP is comfortably winning in Gujarat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alleged jihadists killed six people in an attack on an armed Tuareg group in Mali near the fabled northwestern city of Timbuktu, the group and a security source said today. Mali faces double threats from pro-government fighters and former rebels who still sporadically clash despite signing a peace deal in 2015, and from Al-Qaeda-linked groups which reject such accords. "Six people, among them our fighters and civilians from our community, were killed on Sunday by AQIM (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) between the towns of Goundam and Douekire," said Azarok Ag Inaborchad, president of the Congress for Justice in Azawad, or CJA in French. The CJA, created last year, represents the Kel Ansar community of ethnic minority Tuaregs who live in northwest Mali. "We are pro-peace," Inaborchad said. "It's the enemies of peace who organised an attack against us." The tumult of a 2012 Tuareg-led separatist uprising and the rebellion's hijacking by jihadists was followed by a peace deal signed two years ago but its implementation has been patchy. A Malian security source confirmed the death toll and told AFP the attackers may have had a specific target in mind. "They had two objectives: to sabotage the peace process, and search out an important figure in the CJA," the source said. Mali's army, a deployment of French soldiers and a UN mission named MINUSMA have little control of large tracts of the country despite almost five years of military operations to root out the jihadists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A key office bearer of a Tamil actor's body has tendered his resignation opposing it's general secretary Vishal Krishna's vain bid to contest the December 21 RK Nagar by poll, though the association did not accept it. Noted actor Ponvannan wrote to South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA) President M Nasser, protesting against Vishal's decision, saying it was in "contradiction" to their earlier decision to remain "without politics." The letter, dated December 4, when Vishal filed his nomination to the bypoll, which was later rejected, was made available to the media today. Ponvannan told Nasser that their team had been lauded for remaining apolitical "unlike past" regimes, where some members like former SIAA chief R Sarathkumar were also active in politics. On many occasions this had been made clear in the media and the team was even lauded by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for their said decision, he said. As a result, they had met, among others, DMK president M Karunanidhi, he said. However "I was shocked to see our (general) Secretary (Vishal) having filed his nomination for RK Nagar bypoll. Though its someone's personal decision to involve in politics, isn't it contradictory to what we spoke about earlier (on being apolitical)?" he asked. He pointed out that the present team members had raised the same issue against some former office bearers and asked if it was fair for us "to do the same mistake." He argued against using the fame acquired from the Artistes Association for political ambitions. The actor expressed apprehension that he might "lose his individuality" in future if he continues in the post and therefore offered to quit. Meanwhile,a special meeting of SIAA discussed Ponvannan's letter, but decided not to accept his resignation. Nasser said in a statement that while respecting his sentiments it has been decided to give Ponvannan time to change his stance. Nasser said that Vishal explained his stand and that he had not done anything in "contravention" of SIAA rules. None, including him, should create "embarrassing situations" Nasser quoted Vishal as saying. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of a 13-year-old girl, killed allegedly by her father two months ago in Seraikela-Kharswan district of Jharkhand, has been exhumed after the incident came to light, the police said today. The accused father, who had buried the body in the premises of his house and plastered the ground, was arrested from Islamnagar under Kapali police station area. The body of Muskan Parveen was exhumed in presence of a magistrate yesterday after the girl's mother lodged a complaint with the police against the accused, Jaffar Hussain. Hussain claimed during interrogation that he killed the girl as he could not control her, police said. The incident occurred two months ago when Muskan's mother Shaheen was seriously ill and bed ridden, police said. He buried the body at the back of the house and plastered the ground above, the police said adding that construction work was going on in the house at that time. Hussain told his wife that he had dropped her to a relative's place so that she could continue her studies. After Shaheen recovered and demanded persistently that Muskan be brought back from the relative's place, Hussain got angry and threatened her that he would send her to the place where he had send her daughter. Shaheen suspected foul play and informed the police. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Upper House of the state legislature was adjourned for the day amid heated arguments between the government and opposition. The Leader of the Government in the House Chandrakant Patil objected to the word "nautanki" used by the Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde to describe the government's farm loan waiver process. Earlier the Chairman of the House Ramraje Nimbalkar rejected the demand of around 10-15 MLCs including Munde to have a discussion on the farmers' issues. The chairman however allowed Munde to speak for two minutes. Munde demanded a discussion on several issues including loan waiver implementation, crops damaged in pink-worm attacks, remunerative price for the crops, arbitrary recovery of electricity bills and loss brought about by cyclone Ockhi. He alleged that during the NCP's "halla bol" march from Yavatmal to Nagpur, not a single farmer the party met had his waived loan amount deposited in his account. He cited the example of Gyaneshwar Bankat Rathod, a farmer from Katol, who Munde said had received a court notice from a bank for loan recovery. He further gave the example of Vishnu Dhumne, a farmer whom chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had met furing the latter's Yavatmal visit. Mundle said that Dhumne is still waiting for an SMS from the government for the last four months to notify him that his loan had been waived. He demanded that the government place in the House the list of farmers whose loans have been waived off. "This "natak nautanki" by the government has now come out in the open," Munde said. The house was adjourned for ten minutes after Munde demanded a discussion on the loss faced by cotton growers of Vidarbha, Marathwada and Northern Maharashtra due to attacks on their crops by bollworms. However when the house resumed after the adjourment, the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council Patil objected over the use of word "nautanki" terming it as inappropriate and demanded its removal from the House records. Chairman Nimbalkar replied that he would do so if he found the word inappropriate. Further Patil said that the government would discuss the issues raised by the opposition in the days to come. He added that the CM had already given the figures of the loan distribution in a press conference yesterday. Amid heated arguments, the chairman, at 1:33pm, adjourned the House for the day Earlier in the day, the Upper House commenced at 12 noon with the chairman announcing the resignation of former Congress leader Narayan Rane from the House. Newly elected MLC Prasad Lad took the oath of the House. Tributes were paid by way of a one-minute silence to former MLA Adv Sharad Sonu Wani who passed away May 26 in Jalgaon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vijay Mallya's extradition trial to face fraud and money laundering charges of Rs 9,000 crore in India resumed today, with his defence fielding a legal expert to question the impartiality of India's judicial system. The 61-year-old was back in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London for day four of the hearing when his barrister, Clare Montgomery, deposed Dr Martin Lau to give his views on the evidence presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Indian Supreme Court rulings. "I hold the Supreme Court in the highest respect but it is equally not disrespectful to indicate that some doubts are voiced about particular patterns [in judgments]," Dr Lau, an expert on South Asian law, told the court. Quoting an unnamed study by three academics from Singapore and Hong Kong, Lau raised questions on the neutrality of Supreme Court judges close to retirement. Lau was also made to comment upon some of the evidence produced by the CBI to back up its case against the liquor baron in an attempt to discredit its admissibility in court. Reading from Lau's written testimony, Mallya's counsel quoted from an unnamed media report to claim that there had been "coercion" by Special Director Rakesh Asthana and his team over the banks in India to pursue criminal proceedings against her client. The legal expert, who will continue to give his statement throughout today's hearing, is also being made to elaborate on the application of Indian laws relevant to the case. Lau claims some of the money laundering allegations against Mallya may fall under a "retrospective application" of the Money Laundering Act because the alleged offences occurred before 2013 when the act was amended in India. Earlier today, the defence had deposed Margaret Sweeney the Chief Financial Officer of Force India, Mallya's Formula 1 racing team. She was run through a series of spread-sheets and figures from her written testimony to establish if money had been taken from Kingfisher Airlines for "no good reason" by Force India and used for some other purposes. "Absolutely not," was her response, explaining that all payments she was aware of were in relation to a marketing contract between Kingfisher Airlines and the F1 team. The defence also quoted from an independent media valuation to claim there had been no overpayment by Kingfisher Airlines, as alleged by theCrown Prosecution Service (CPS). "Far from it," said Sweeney, on being asked if Force India was being paid too much. The CPS cross-examination of Sweeney by barrister Mark Summers focused on payments being routed via an HSBC account in London, which was intended only for operational use of Kingfisher Airlines. The defence's case rests on trying to prove that the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines' alleged default of around Rs 9,000 crore worth of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the businessman is facing a parallel litigation in the Queen's Bench Division of the commercial court in England's High Court of Justice brought by a consortium of Indian banks to freeze his global assets. The SBI, Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank Ltd, IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab Bank, State Bank of Mysore, UCO Bank, United Bank of India and JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co. Pvt Ltd are listed as applicants of that claim against Mallya and related concerns named as Ladywalk LLP, Rose Capital Ventures Ltd and Orange India Holdings. Lawyers for Mallya have been granted an extension to respond to that case due to his ongoing extradition trial, expected to conclude on Thursday. Last week, thedefenceclaimed that a consortium of Indian banks led by SBI had rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principle loan amount owed to them. However, theCPS arguing on behalf of the Indian government countered that assertion in its cross- examination, indicating that the reason such a repayment offer would have been rejected was that the banks knew Mallya had the means to pay back the entire amount due. While the CPS stand is that Mallya did not intend to repay the loans he sought because his airlines demise was inevitable, Montgomery is trying to establish that Kingfisher Airlines was suffering from consequences of a wider global financial crisis around 2009-2010 and that its failure was a result of factors beyond the companys control. In his cross-examination, Summers had highlighted a particular "washing machine activity" picked up by the government of India that involved sums amounting toaround 10 -15million pounds being funneled between UB Group companies to wrongly claim obligations of equity infusions into struggling Kingfisher Airlines were being met. Indian government sources have described its case, being presented by the CPS, as "very strong". Mallya's legal team had claimed earlier in the trial that the case against him was "politically motivated". Mallya, who has been based in the UK since March 2016, was arrested by Scotland Yard on anextradition warrant in April and has been out onbail on a bond worth 650,000 pounds. If the judge rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UK home secretary must orderMallya's extraditionwithin two months. However, the case can go through a series of appeals in higher UK courts before arriving at a conclusion. Vijay Mallya's defence team today launched a stinging attack on the style of Indian media coverage and the emergence of powerful commentators, which raise doubts about a fair trial for the liquor baron in India. On day four of the 61-year-old businessman's extradition trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, his counsel Clare Montgomery asked a legal expert during his witness statement his views on the way the allegations of fraud against the chief of erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines have been dealt with by the media. "There is an increasing concern in India about media trials, which is connected with a change in the landscape in India where TV channels use panel discussions and such like there is an emergence powerful TV commentators," said Martin Lau, an expert on South Asian law who deposed as a key defence witness. He referred to the Delhi High Court setting up a committee to look into "trial by media", where adverse media coverage might affect aspects of a trial and provide the police an incentive to achieve "overnight fame". "It is evident from the TV cameras outside this court that there is intense interest in India in this case," Lau said, adding that it raised concerns about the "fairness of a trial" back in India. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian government,asserted that India has a "free and animated press" that was understandably interested in this case, which involves "substantial state funds" going missing. CPS barrister Mark Summers pointed out that Mallya would have recourse to legal remedies in India if he felt his prospects of a fair trial were endangered. He challengedthe legal expert to agree that there was "increased awareness" about the impact media coverage of a case could have on a trial and that the courts of India were "conscious" of the issue. "Appropriate steps" are taken to deal with it when it arises in any criminal case, Summers said. However, Lau insisted that any such steps were "insufficiently robust" on being able to clampdown on the problem. He also claimed that many of the media reports around the Mallya's case in India would not have been allowed in the UK or any other jurisdiction. Lau's testimony dominated most of Monday's hearing as part of the extradition trial to determine if the Indian tycoon can be forced to return to India to face fraud charges involving around Rs 9,000 crores in bank defaults related to his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. The defence's case rests on trying to prove that the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines' alleged default of around Rs 9,000 crore worth of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) London police claims to have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of trespass for allegedly trying to climb a wall outside Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening. The police have dispelled the incident being a terrorism-related offence. Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Royalty and Specialist Protection Commandarrested the suspect "within three minutes" of him stepping over a low outer perimeter fence adjacent to the palace and attempting to climb a wall outside the estate. Buckingham Palace is the official home of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement today that the suspect was not carrying any offensive weapons and "the incident is not being treated as terrorist related." "He was also arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a controlled substance - for which he was subsequently released with no further action," they said. As per the police, the suspect has undergone a mental health assessment and released on conditional bail, only to return to a central London police station early next month. A number of people have tried to get unauthorised entry into the palace grounds in recent years. In August, a 26-year-old sword-wielding man attacked and wounded three police officers outside Buckingham Palace before being arrested. A woman was arrested in October for attempting to scale the gates of the palace. Last year in May, a murder convict climbed over the wall and walked for about 10 minutes around the grounds of the palace before being arrested. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) French police arrested a man today in connection with the jihadist murder of a police couple after his DNA was matched to traces found in their home near Paris, legal sources said. The 24-year-old has been linked to Larossi Aballa, the Islamic State extremist who claimed the June 2016 attack in a live video from the murder scene before being killed by police in a shootout, the sources added. The suspect, who was not on a terrorism watchlist but was known to be radicalised, was arrested in the western Paris suburb of Les Mureaux. His brother has already been charged with providing logistical assistance to Aballa, whose chilling attack -- one in a string of assaults in France since January 2015 -- caused shock in police ranks. Aballa stabbed police captain Jean-Baptiste Salvaing to death outside his home in Magnanville, 60 kilometres west of Paris, and then slit the throat of his companion Jessica Schneider in front of the couple's three-year-old son. In a Facebook Live video from the scene, he called for further terror attacks. The man arrested today was already investigated over a foiled attack by a group of female jihadists who tried to set set fire to a car containing gas canisters near Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in September 2016. Charged with failing to report that plot, he spent four months in preventive custody before being released in January. Investigators believe that a notorious French IS member, Rachid Kassim, directed both attacks from the Middle East, using the encrypted Telegram app. Kassim is believed to have been killed in a coalition air strike near the Iraqi city of Mosul in February. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unidentified armed miscreants shot dead a man when he resisted them from forcibly taking away his sister in course of a brawl over land dispute in Bihar's Madhepura district late last night, police said today. The deceased has been identified as Sukrati Rishi Dev (27), Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Arun Kumar Dubey said. The incident occurred at Dhamramushahri tola in Shahpur panchayat under Gwalpada police station of the district when around half a dozen armed miscreants entered the house of Rishi Dev and forcibly tried to take away his sister Nutan Kumar, the SDPO said. They shot dead Rishi Dev when he resisted their bid to do so. The assailants also shot at the deceased's aunty Nilam Devi, who received injuries in her neck, and has been referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). The incident could be the outcome of the land dispute, the SDPO said. Two persons- Vijal Rishi Dev and his wife Ruby DevI- have been arrested in this connection. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Rahul Gandhi on his election as the Congress president even as the two are engaged in a bitter political battle in Gujarat where assembly elections are on. "I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress president. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure," Modi tweeted from his personal twitter handle @narendramodi. I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress President. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure. @OfficeOfRG Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2017 Modi's congratulatory message came on a day when a huge row broke out over his insinuation yesterday that his predecessor Manmohan Singh was colluding with Pakistan in influencing the Gujarat polls. The former prime minister shot back today, saying Modi was setting a "dangerous precedent", and asked him to apologise to the nation. As Manmohan Singh crossed swords with Modi over his "ill-thought transgression" and rejected his charge as "innuendos and falsehoods", Congress's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma accused the prime minister of dragging the political discourse to an "unacceptable low" by making statements that harmed the dignity of his post. Rahul Gandhi was today elected unopposed as Congress president. He is likely to formally take over the reins of the party on December 16. The 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family was the lone candidate in the fray. Rahul Gandhi succeeds his mother Sonia Gandhi, who occupied the post for 19 years. A group of war veterans today accused the Narendra Modi government of "betraying" their trust over the issue of the One Rank One Pension (OROP). They claimed that instead of agreeing to their demands for which the ex-servicemen had been agitating for long, the Centre was "insulting" them. The war veterans said the government was doing "injustice" by capping at Rs 10,000 per month the educational assistance it gives to children of martyrs or those disabled in action. "By not implementing OROP, the Modi government has betrayed our trust," said Major General (retd) Satbir Singh, chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement. During a press conference at the state Congress headquarters here, Singh maintained their movement was "apolitical" and they had requested the opposition party to raise their grievances in Parliament and also before the public. The Modi government "insulted" ex-servicemen and their widows by arresting them and suppressing their protest using police, he alleged. "It has become a hallmark of the Modi government to suppress opposition voice. We would like to ask the BJP government at the Centre as to why it did not accept OROP in the form it was accepted by the then UPA government on February 17, 2014?" he asked. The UPA government had agreed to the definition of OROP which said that servicemen who worked for the same duration and retired on the same rank will be given equal pension, irrespective of their date of retirement, he said. "Why the Modi government did not accept OROP in the form accepted by the UPA government based on the theory of equality, thus denying benefits to ex-servicemen?" he asked. "The Modi government denied benefits of OROP to 40 per cent of the armed forces personnel and those who retired early, according to a notification issued on November 7, 2015," the retired officer said. He raised questions over the Modi government putting the condition in the scheme that it will review pensions after five years when experts sought a review after two years. "Why is injustice being meted out to the children of martyrs by limiting their education expenses at Rs 10,000 per month?" Singh asked. He was referring to a Centre's notification dated September 13, 2017, capping education expenses for the kids of martyrs or those disabled in action at Rs 10,000 a month. In November 2015, the Centre issued a notification, brining into force the long-pending OROP scheme, which it said, will benefit over 2.5 million veterans and war widows. However, the ex-servicemen had then rejected the notification, saying their main demands have not been accepted. In December 2015, the government appointed a committee to look into the anomalies, if any, arising out of the implementation of the scheme. The panel later submitted its report to the defence ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a public rally here tonight, asked his predecessor why did he not show the courage to order a post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, despite the readiness of the Army. He said after the Mumbai attacks, the Air Force had approached the then prime minister Singh with a plan for surgical strikes, but the government did not show the courage to order it. "Under whose advice did he (Singh) do so," Modi asked the gathering at the Navlakhi compound here. "Someone who served at a high position in the Air Force has said that after 26/11, they went to the then prime minister with a plan for . Sadly, the then government did not show the courage to do that," Modi said and cited the example of his government's action in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack in September last year. "My government, in the aftermath of the Uri attack by Pakistan, had launched a inside the borders of Pakistan, targeting several terror camps and launchpads. The strikes came as a surprise for the Pakistanis who were caught unaware. While the maximum damage was inflicted on their side, the Indian soldiers came back without any casualties," he added. Modi also questioned Congress leaders, including its vice president Rahul Gandhi, for raising doubts over the . "Are such secret matters to be discussed in public?" he asked, saying this was the difference between the NDA government and the UPA government. Modi said the reason behind his vacating the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat in 2014 was for blossoming the "lotus" in Uttar Pradesh and replicating the Gujarat model of development in that state. After winning two Lok Sabha seats from Vadodara and Varanasi in the 2014 general election, Modi had retained the Varanasi seat. He thanked the people of Vadodara for allowing him to resign from here. The prime minister also justified demonetisation, saying it was aimed at unearthing black money and preventing the parallel economy. He said the government had since succeeded in unearthing a "hawala" racket in Jammu and Kashmir which led to the arrest of many leaders who were advocating support for terrorism in the state. Congress leaders were not happy with demonetisation as it was a source of their income and even after a year since the note ban, they had kept the issue alive, he said. The prime minister also wondered how a "secret meeting" between Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and the former Pakistani high commissioner and other leaders from that country could take place without the knowledge of the Government of India. Modi said when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, he used to take permission from the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government at the Centre before holding a meeting with a foreign dignitary. Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi today took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talking about Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Japan in the Gujarat elections but avoiding speaking about his home state. Gandhi also questioned Modi's 'silence' on the company promoted by BJP president Amit Shah's son Jay Shah whose turnover was claimed to have shot up manifold after the BJP came to power at the Centre. Gandhi, who was declared elected as Congress president today, said Modi was frequently shifting his campaign plank in Gujarat. He said, first it was the Narmada water, but after farmers started saying it has not reached their fields, Modi changed tack and began speaking about OBC issues. When that also did not find favour with people, he went for development issues "but people punctured it", he said. "Now, Modiji speaks about Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and Japan. Modiji, this is the election about the future of Gujarat. Please say something about Gujarat also," he told a well-attended rally here in Banaskantha district. Gandhi was apparently targeting the prime minister over his yesterday's suggestion that Pakistan was trying to influence the Gujarat Assembly polls and that some current and former officials of that country had met Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence a day before Aiyar's 'neech' remark against him. The Congress leader said, in his speeches in the last couple of days, the prime minister devoted half the time to Congress-bashing. "On one hand he is claiming that he has finished the Congress party from India, and on the other, he devotes half of his time to Congress. The other half of his speech is devoted to Narendra Modiji himself," the 47-year-old leader said. "Modiji please devote two-three minutes of your speech to (talking about) the future of Gujarat," he said. He questioned Modi's silence on corruption, as he targeted him over the alleged exponential rise in the turnover of a company owned by Amit Shah's son. "You listen to his entire speech, corruption is totally missing from it. Jay Amit Shah's company converted Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in three months but the chowkidar is silent, not a word is coming out of his mouth." "Narendra Modiji fears Amit Shah, that is the reason he is not saying a word about Jay Shah," he claimed. Gandhi reaffirmed his promise that the Congress, if voted to power in Gujarat, will waive farm loans within 10 days. He claimed the NDA government waived Rs 1.30 lakh crore loans of 10 richest people in the country. He said when farmers also ask for a loan waiver, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and the prime minister say it is not their policy. "Why the loans of farmers are not waived," Gandhi asked, and in the next breath gave the reply "as they do not fly in planes, they do not have big cars, and they do not have suit worth Rs 15 lakh." Gandhi again alleged there was corruption in the Nano deal between the Gujarat government and the Tatas. "The Congress allocated Rs 35,000 crore to MNREGA, while the BJP government gave Rs 33,000 crore to the Tata Nano factory. The water from Narmada went to that factory. The factory gets electricity for 24 hours even when you get it only at night," he alleged. The Congress leader claimed land in villages in and around Mundra were given to the Adani group at the rate of Re 1 per square metre, which the latter sold back to the government at Rs 3,000 for every square metre. Assailing the government over demonetisation and the GST, he said half the money of common people was "looted" by the note ban and the rest by the "Gabbar Singh Tax". Tomorrow is the last day of campaigning for the second and final phase of Gujarat polls which has been high-pitch and vitriolic, with both Modi and Gandhi often making personal attacks against each other. Polling will be held on December 14. Votes would be counted on December 18. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today held meetings with locals in Doda district for over 15 hours, in one of the longest public interactions in recent times by a leader, officials said. Mufti, who reached Doda yesterday on the second leg of her three-day tour of Chenab valley region, started grievances redressal camp at10.30 AMwhich continued till late in the night, a government spokesperson said in an official statement. The last deputation which met her past midnight around1.40 AMcame from Palmas area of Doda and demanded construction of a footpath and connecting the area with the circular road of the town. Around 100 deputations met Mufti during her public outreach programme and given the large number of people and their demands, it continued pastmidnightmaking it one of the longest interactions in the state in recent times, it said. According to the statement, the grievances redressal camps convened by the chief minister generally extend up to late in the evenings. The camp at Kishtwaron Saturdaywhich started at11 AMended at11.30 PMwith a deputation from Drabshalla bringing their problems to her notice, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu and Kashmir's Department of Libraries and Research today rolled out an initiative of linking up with National Digital Libraries of India (NDLI) to provide free access to the state's students and academicians to around 1.5 crore downloadable e-books and journals. The initiative was launched on the sidelines of a workshop on 'Digitised Libraries' organised by the Department of Libraries and Research here today. The workshop was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Education, Priya Sethi. National Digital Libraries of India is an online repository of the e-books under the aegis of Union Human Resource Development Ministry. It has been developed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. The repository hosts content in multiple languages on multiple subject domains including technology, science, humanities, agriculture and others with educational material available from primary to PhD level. The learning resources include e-books, journals, articles, thesis, manuscripts, audio and video lectures. To integrate J&K's libraries with the online repository of National Digital Libraries of India, the state's Libraries Department has already launched a massive digitisation programme under which all the libraries in the state are going to be digitised in a phased manner. The National Digital Libraries of India will be also imparting training to the staff of the Libraries Department in J&K regarding the use of online services. Speaking at the inauguration of the Workshop, Priya Sethi said that in the age of Internet, massive changes are occurring in life and it has become necessary to adopt and take benefit from new technological inventions and digital interventions. She said the initiative will help the students get online access to the best possible educational resources within and outside the country. "Once our libraries are fully digitised, joining hands with NDLI will contribute a lot in facilitating the teaching- learning process and the research work," she said. Speaking on the occasion, Director Libraries, Mukhtar- ul- Aziz said the department has computerised all District and some Tehsil-level libraries in the state so far and is in the process to make all state libraries fully digitised in a more user-friendly way. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An alliance of Nepal's main Communist party and former Maoist rebels is heading for a landslide victory and is expected to form the next government in Nepal, ousting the ruling Nepali Congress, after winning 106 seats in the historic provincial and parliamentary polls. The CPN-UML led by former prime minister K P Oli and the CPN-Maoist led by former premier Prachanda have forged an electoral alliance for both the landmark polls, which is seen as a turning point after two decades of conflict and political instability in Nepal. Prime Minister candidate and Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) Khadga Prashad Oli. (Photo: REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar/File photo) According to results released by the Election Commission today, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified MarxistLeninist (CPN-UML) has won highest number of 74 seats, followed by its alliance partner CPN-Maoist Centre, which won 32 seats, out of the total 165 seats under the first-past-the-post election system. As the Left alliance headed for a clear majority in the 275-member Parliament, Oli was being projected to succeed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Oli won from the Jhapa-5 constituency by more than 28,000 votes as he defeated Nepali Congress candidate Khagendra Adhikari. He polled 57,139 votes, the highest number of votes so far secured by any candidate in the election. The CPN-Maoist Centre leader Prachanda was declared elected from Chitawan-3 constituency. He defeated Bikram Pandey of Rastriya Prajatantra Party by more than 10,000 votes. Prachanda got 41,574 votes. The ruling Nepali Congress (NC), which was the largest party in the last elections and considered close to India, was trailing at third position with 20 seats. It was followed by two Madhesi parties - Rastriya Janta Party Nepal, which won 10 seats and Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, with nine seats. The combined strength of the two Madhesi parties has reached 19. Following the adoption of the new Constitution in 2015, the ethnic Madhesi group, mostly of Indian-origin, protested for months, saying they were not getting enough territory in one of the provinces and were also facing discrimination. According to the Election Commission's tallies, the Naya Shakti Nepal-led by former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and the Rastriya Janamorcha have secured one seat each. Three Independents have also been elected to the Parliament. The Himalayan Times, in a report, said that the strong mandate to the Left alliance means that Nepal "could experience political stability" which it has been lacking for the 11 years of transition. It also said that the NC should play the role of a constructive opposition as it was also crucial in the young democracy. The House of Representatives consists of 275 members, of which 165 would be elected directly under the first-past-the- post system while the remaining 110 will come through the proportional representation system. Voting in two-phased parliamentary and provincial assembly elections were held on November 26 and December 7. In the first phase, polling was held in 32 districts, mostly situated in the hilly and mountainous region, in which 65 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise. In the second phase, 67 per cent voter turnout was registered. A total of 1,663 candidates contested polls for parliamentary seats. Meanwhile, the counting of votes in the proportionate voting system was under progress, following which the final results would be declared. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The fear of defeat has forced the BJP to abandon the pretence of development and use the "communal card" to polarise the electorate, Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani said here today. Mevani is contesting as an Independent candidate from north Gujarat's Vadgam constituency with support from the Congress. The BJP, he said, is targeting him on "communal lines" for receiving a cheque of Rs 50,000 from the Social Democratic Party of India. But it should explain the reason behind the reported rise in fortunes of BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, he told PTI in an interview. "If SDPI has links with any terror outfit or jihadi group, then why did Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh or Narendra Modi remain silent all these years? All they have given me is a Rs 50,000 cheque. Should one question this or the 16,000 times rise in Jay Shah's fortunes?" he asked. Mevani was referring to allegations that a company owned by BJP chief Amit Shah's son saw a huge rise in turnover after his party came to power in 2014. The charge was rejected by the BJP and Shah's son, Jay Amit Shah, who termed the story "false, derogatory and defamatory". Mevani, 35, said the BJP is targeting him as it has no agenda in the elections. "These kind of tricks are not going to work. The people of Gujarat know that Jignesh Mevani is a man of impeccable integrity," he said. According to Mevani, the BJP was betraying nervousness by fielding the entire top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to campaign against him. "I am confident of winning. In Gujarat, the issue of development has taken a backseat as the ruling BJP is using the communal card as a last resort. It is showing its true colours now. Over the months they will talk of development, but in the last lap they will bare their fangs and brazenly polarise the electorate," he said. Mevani announced late last month that he was contesting elections as an Independent candidate from the Vadgam constituency of Banaskantha district, prompting the Congress to swiftly withdraw its candidate from the seat, a traditional stronghold of the party. However, a rebel Congress candidate threw his hat into the ring, raising the possibility of a division of votes of the Dalits and the Muslims. Initially, that became a problem, Mevani said. However, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's joint rally with him at Kanodar in Vadgam yesterday smoothened the creases. "Rahul categorically told Congress workers that they have to work to make the symbol of sewing machine (Jignesh's poll symbol) win. The rebel candidate has no relevance anymore. Initially, there were problems, not any more," he said. Mevani, who shot to fame after organising movements against atrocities against the community in Una and leading a long march 'Azadi Kooch' demanding land for Dalits, said he was reaching out to all communities in the constituency, including Thakores, Patels and Chaudharys. "I am getting the support of all communities, including Dalits, Muslims and Thakores. I have been reaching out to them seperately over the last four days. Every meeting is getting a good response," he said. On ground, three factors, including the Congress rebel's candidature, are working against him. Mevani is being seen as an outsider, since he is from Mehsana and his movement was largely based out of Saurashtra. And there is a possible consolidation of Hindu votes cutting across castes, which may favour the BJP. Vadgam goes to the polls on December 14, phase two of the elections. The first phase was held on December 9. 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.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he expected Europe to follow the US in recognising Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital, but the EU's diplomatic chief said there was no change to its stance on the holy city. Netanyahu said the controversial announcement by US President Donald Trump - which prompted diplomatic alarm and street protests across the Islamic world - had "put facts squarely on the table". As he arrived for talks in Brussels, Netanyahu said he expected "all or most" European countries would follow the US -- but the 28-nation bloc's foreign policy head Federica Mogherini said its position remained that Jerusalem should be a capital for both Israelis and Palestinians. The EU expressed alarm last week at the US decision, but Netanyahu said Trump had simply stated facts by acknowledging that Jerusalem had been the capital of the Israeli state for 70 years and of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. "It doesn't obviate peace, it makes peace possible, because recognising reality is the substance of peace, it's the foundation of peace," he said in a statement alongside Mogherini ahead of a breakfast meeting with EU foreign ministers. "I believe that all or most of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and engage robustly with us for security, prosperity and peace," Netanyahu said. The Jerusalem decision upended decades of US diplomacy and broke with international consensus. Mogherini last week warned it could take the situation "backwards to even darker times". Mogherini said the EU -- the Palestinians' largest donor -- would stick to the "international consensus" on Jerusalem. She reiterated the EU's stance that "the only realistic solution" for peace is two states -- Israel and Palestine -- with Jerusalem as the capital of both and the borders returned to their status before the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. And she pledged to step up efforts with the two sides and regional partners including Jordan and Egypt to relaunch the peace process. Netanyahu has praised Trump's decision as "historic" and he explained yesterday that Jerusalem "has always been our capital and it has never been the capital of any other people". Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital and previous peace plans have stumbled over debates on whether and how to divide sovereignty or oversee holy sites. Mogherini also condemned attacks on Israel -- after Netanyahu took aim over the weekend at what he called Europe's "hypocrisy" for condemning Trump's statement, but not "the rockets fired at Israel or the terrible incitement against it". "Let me condemn in the strongest possible way all attacks on Jews everywhere in the world, including in Europe, and on Israel and on Israeli citizens," Mogherini said. Netanyahu pointed to a new US peace initiative as a possible way forward. "There is now an effort under way to bring forward a new peace proposal by the American administration. I think we should give peace a chance. I think we should see what is presented and see if we can advance this peace," he said. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been working with a small team to develop a new US proposal to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but it is not clear what progress he is making. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New India Assurance will provide health cover to about 4 crore poor people of Rajasthan under a state-sponsored insurance programme. The general insurance company will execute health insurance for about one crore poor families across the state, it said in a statement today. The Bhamasha Swasthya Bima Yojana (BSBY) programme of the state government will extend health insurance benefits to four crore people who are covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). New India Assurance said this will be one of the largest health insurance schemes in the country that will give cover for cashless treatment of 1,401 diseases. The insured person will get a cover of Rs 3 lakh for 663 critical illness and Rs 30,000 each for 738 general illness under BSBY. "This is one of the unique universal health insurance schemes in the country and is operated through large number of empanelled hospitals both public and private," G Srinivasan, CMD of New India Assurance said in the statement. With the state bearing Rs 1,261 cover per family, the total insurance premium cost of the programme comes over Rs 1,200 crore per annum. The insurance scheme is part of Rajasthan government's vision of maximum governance and minimum government, improvement in health indicators, reduction in out of pocket expenses and providing financial security to the poor against illnesses. It also aims to provide stimulus to private sector to open hospitals in rural areas and reducing the increasing burden on government facilities. New India Assurance is the largest general insurance company of India in terms of net worth, domestic gross direct premium, net profit as well as number of branches. It is also present in 28 other countries. The company's gross premium for half year ended September 30, stood at Rs 12,823.49 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World leader in diabetes care, the Danish pharma major Novo Nordisk, in partnership with Torrent Pharma, today opened an enhanced facility in Gujarat and will be launching new products in the country-the home to the world's largest population of diabetes. "With the inauguration of the second phase of the manufacturing facility at Indrad near here, we'll increase our insulin producing capacity by 35 per cent," Novo Nordisk managing director Melvin D'souza told PTI here today. India is home to a whopping 73 million diabetic patients and Novo Nordisk holds 60 per cent share of the Rs 2,200-crore insulin market in the country. The expanded Indrad facility will help meet nearly 75 per cent of the domestic insulin demand, D'souza said, adding through this partnership, they will continue to ensure cost- effective, high-quality medicines are available in the market. Novo Nordisk through its manufacturing partner Torrent Pharma plans to bring in more insulin products into the domestic market. "To meet 15 per cent CAGR of insulin market here, we are looking at launching more advanced insulins in the coming years," said Frederik Kier, senior vice-president at Novo Nordisk, adding his the Danish company is committed to addressing the growing diabetes burden by working with all the stakeholders. Jinesh Shah, executive director at Torrent said, "we look forward to working more collaboratively with Novo Nordisk to ensure the diabetes challenge is addressed effectively. We have already invested Rs 60 crore in this facility." Congratulating both the partners, Peter Takse-Jensen, the Danish ambassador said, "it's a proud moment for Indo- Danish collaboration as Torrent and Novo Nordisk mark 25 years of partnership. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an effort to bring local militants back to the mainstream, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has launched "Operation Outreach" under which they meet the kin of such youths and motivate the families to make them leave militancy. Under the operation, which began earlier this month from three South Kashmir districts of Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam, currently the epicentre of the terrorism in the state, the J&K police has met with the kin of over 100 militants so far. "We have begun meeting the families and kin of the militants. We will reach out to other districts also and hold meetings with families of the militants," Director General of Police (DGP) J&K, S P Vaid, told PTI today. The outreach programme was launched following Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's remarks "only killing terrorists won't wipe out militancy, a humane approach is needed", police officials said. Four militants have so far shunned guns and returned to their homes under the operation, the DGP said. "We will reach out to the kin and families of all the local terrorists in the Kashmir valley," Vaid said. "So far police have held meeting with families and kin of over 100 local terrorists in South Kashmir. There are positive responses from the families in the meetings." In Shopian, DIG (South Kashmir) and the Senior Superintendent of Police held meeting with families of 35 militants and they received very good response, he said. Similarly, the Awantipora SSP held meeting with the families of militants where the officer received very good response, Vaid said. "They (police) are doing very good job. It (the outreach programme) is working very well," the DGP said. The Kashmir Valley has 10 districts and six districts including Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama (South Kashmir),Budgam (Central Kashmir), Kupwara and Handwara (North Kashmir) are infested with militancy and militants. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had on November 29 said militancy cannot be wiped out just by killing militants and a more "humane approach" was needed to tackle the problem. "You have to eliminate militancy in Kashmir. But it cannot be done by killing militants alone," the PDP leader had said while addressing the attestation-cum-passing out parade of 947 recruits at the Police Training School in Kathua. Advocating a "soft" approach in dealing with extremism in the state, the CM had referred to the government's recent decision to revoke cases against first-time stone-pelters in the Valley. "The police have to engage in parenting and counselling of these children. I had invited pellet victims to my home recently. I was surprised to know that most of them were minors (14, 15 or 16 years of age)," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The participation of a Pakistani minister at the inauguration of the first phase of Iran's Chabahar port - even though the country is not part of the strategic project - represents a "significant shift" in the two neighbours' ties, a media report said today. As Iranian President Hassan Rowhani inaugurated the first phase of the Chabahar port last week, Pakistan's minister for ports and shipping Hasil Khan Bizenjo was standing next to him. "This was no coincidence, as Hasil Khan Bizenjo was asked to stand next to Rowhani in a carefully choreographed move," the Express Tribune reported regarding the minister's presence on the occasion despite the fact that Pakistan is not part of the project. "The objective behind this move was clear Iran wanted to send a message that it would not allow India or any other country to use Chabahar against Pakistan," a senior Iranian diplomat reportedly told the daily on condition of anonymity. Such a firsthand account of close cooperation between Pakistan and Iran is unusual and represents a significant shift in the two neighbours' ties, which have often been marred by a trust deficit and mutual suspicion, the paper commented. The turnaround is also important when seen alongside Pakistan's participation in the Saudi-led counter-terrorism coalition, it said. Iran, which is not part of the grouping, considers the initiative an attempt to further Saudi Arabia's agenda in West Asia. That is one of the reasons that Pakistan has been treading a careful path on the issue as it has the potential to undermine ties with Iran, the report said. Pakistan, according to official sources, has assured Iran that Islamabad would not become part of an initiative that targets Tehran. Tehran, in return, has pledged that it would not allow any regional country, including India, to undermine Pakistan's interests, the report said. The Chabahar port opens a new strategic route connecting Iran, India and Afghanistan, while bypassing Pakistan, and reflects growing convergence of interests among the three countries. The port is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries besides ramping up trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi. The port in Iran's Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich nation's southern coast is easily accessible from India's western coast and is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan's Gwadar, which is being developed with Chinese investment and is located around 80 kms from Chabahar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will attend the extraordinary Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit on the issue of Jerusalem in the Turkish capital this week, the Foreign Office said today. The summit to be held on December 13 in Istanbul will be preceded by the council of Foreign Ministers' meeting which will be attended by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, it added. "The Extraordinary Summit has been called by the President of Turkey in his capacity as the Chair of the OIC Summit. Most OIC Member States are expected to attend," the Foreign Office said. It said the summit will discuss President Donald Trump's recent decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and shift the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The OIC (formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference) is the second largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN which has membership of 57 Muslim countries. The OIC leaders will also explore ways to deal with the situation, the FO added. Prime Minister Abbasi will convey the sentiments of the people and Government of Pakistan of the unequivocal support to the people of Palestine. He will seek a united stance on the issue of Jerusalem also known as Al-Quds Al-Sharif and call upon the US Administration to review its decision. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Parliamentary panel meet today on Air India disinvestment plan witnessed sharp differences of opinion among ruling and opposition members over the move even as BJP member Shatrughan Sinha is believed to have opposed the decision to privatise the national carrier. The committee, headed by TMC leader Derek O Brien, convened the meeting to hear representatives of Air India employees' unions as well as officials of various Air India subsidiaries on the proposed divestment of the airline. The meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture that began at around 1430 hours lasted for more than three hours. A Lok Sabha member said there were sharp differences of opinion among the BJP and non-BJP members at the meeting. All the trade unions strongly opposed the decision to privatise Air India, while some members wanted to know why profitable ventures like Air India Express are being sold, he added. Another person who was present at the meeting said there were differences of opinion among the members, with some supporting and others opposing the disinvestment of Air India. Even though BJP members were in support of the Air India disinvestment decision, party member Shatrughan Sinha voiced his opposition to the plan, the person said on condition of anonymity. A BJP MP from Bihar, Sinha has been critical of certain government decisions in recent times. According to the person quoted earlier, a Congress member stressed that Air India is a must to maintain a balance with the private players. Sources said 14 employee unions of Air India, both recognised and unrecognised, attended the meeting. Besides, stating that stakeholders were consulted before deciding on Air India stake sale, the unions also flagged concerns about job security, retirement benefits and pending dues in case of privatisation, they added. There were differences of opinion among various members, a person who was present at the meeting said, adding that it was likely the last meet of the panel on the Air India issue. When asked about the meeting, Derek O Brien only said it was long and was for around three-and-a-half hours. Senior officials of the airline's subsidiaries -- Air India Express, Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL), Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL), Alliance Air and Hotel Corporation of India were present. Among others, Air India Express CEO K Shyam Sundar and AIESL CEO H R Jagannath attended the meeting. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its in-principle nod for the strategic disinvestment of Air India in June this year. The government is working on the modalities for the stake sale. The carrier, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 50,000 crore, managed to eke out operational profit for the first time in a decade in 2015-16. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today sought the Centre's response on two PILs seeking an SIT probe into alleged over-invoicing of equipment and fuel imported for power plants by the electricity generating companies of Adani and Essar groups. A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sanjeev Sachdeva also issued notice to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seeking its reply to the allegations made in the pleas. The court directed the DRI to file an affidavit indicating the steps taken by it in the matter and listed the PILs for further hearing on February 7. During the hearing, the DRI's lawyer told the bench that its probe into some of the power firms had ended and an order was expected soon from its adjudicating authority. The court was hearing two petitions, one by a private individual and another by two NGOs alleging that the power firms belonging to the two corporate groups were allegedly inflating the value of imports for their power plants to siphon money abroad and avail higher power rate compensation. The NGOs have claimed that the DRI had earlier unearthed that public and private sector energy companies were siphoning away several thousands crores of rupees abroad. "Most of these over-invoicing instances have been reported from the power sector, the impact of which is felt by millions of the electricity consumers in the form of higher tariff," the NGOs have claimed in their PIL. "The modus operandi is identical in all these cases. The coal or power equipment, even though (these are) shipped directly to India, but the invoicing is routed through a different company incorporated abroad which is directly owned and controlled by the promoters of the project in India," the PIL alleged. The pleas have also claimed that the CBI had registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) based on the DRI show-cause notice to Adani in May 2014. However, the CBI apparently closed the PE without registering an FIR during the tenure of then CBI Director Ranjit Sinha, the PIL alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former vice president Hamid Ansari and withdraw his statement alleging that "they were colluding with Pakistan" for defeating the BJP in Gujarat polls. Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma also accused the prime minister of dragging the political discourse to an "unacceptable low" by making statements that harmed the dignity of his post. He alleged that the Modi was "frustrated" as he had sensed a clear defeat of the BJP in Gujarat and was resorting to use of foul language in his bid to whip up emotions and polarise Gujarat. "There cannot be anything more as explanation and there cannot be anything more reprehensible than what he has done," he alleged. "The prime minister should restore the dignity of the political discourse, withdraw what he has said and apologise to the former prime minister and the former vice president," Sharma told reporters. Addressing an election rally, Modi yesterday claimed that Congress leaders held a secret meeting with current and former Pakistani officials a day ahead of Mani Shankar Aiyar's "neech" jibe against him and that there was an attempt by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls. Sharma dismissed as "absurd" the prime minister's statement and said while Modi "belongs to a party which has no contribution in the country's freedom struggle while the Congress has fought it". It is expected of the prime minister of India to be dignified in his discourse, he said, adding the prime minister should always remember that the Congress does not level allegations and cast aspersions on those who are on high positions. "He is seeking sympathy desperately by playing the victim card, which he and his party are playing while dragging the political discourse to an unacceptable low," he said. His statement yesterday by insinuation, accusing the former vice president of India and former prime minister Manmohan Singh of doing something which was improper, "is highly irresponsible, unwarranted and condemnable", Sharma said. The Congress leader said the prime minister must remember that mere attending a social function in which high dignitaries were present should not be given a "sinister and sensational twist", especially when it was not a secret meeting. He said the former chief of Indian Army, former Indian High Commissioners to Pakistan and eminent journalists were all present at this dinner meeting hosted by Aiyar. "Since when has it become a crime and one needs to seek permission before attending a dinner," he asked. The Congress leader also asked why the prime minister does not talk about progress and the country's economy. "Why doesn't he talk about farmers today? Why doesn't he talk about employment, the future of youth? What is their agenda, on what basis are they fighting the polls?" he asked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One of the two policeman injured in accidental firing in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir last week has succumbed to injuries at a hospital here today, police said. Constable Fayaz Ahmad Ganai succumbed to injuries at SKIMS Hospital Soura this morning, a police official said. Ganai and his colleague Zaheer Abbas were injured when the service rifle of a cop went off accidentally at police station Kulgam on December 4. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The prayers and forgiveness will lead people to peace and not war, guns and bullets, says Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the Catholic priest who was freed after being kept in captivity suspectedly by the ISIS for 18 months in strife-torn Yemen. Uzhunnalil said terrorists are created by community and if the communities can be forgiving, there will be peace. He was speaking here last night on the sidelines of Mother Teresa Awards, of which he was one of the recipients. He said freedom is not just doing whatever one wants to do. "It is doing the right thing at the right time and the right place." "Freedom to love and forgive and prayer will lead us to true peace. Not war, not bullets, not rockets or guns, but the prayer is our greatest weapon. The Father of our Nation (Mahatma Gandhi) got us freedom not through bullets, but through satyagraha and prayers," he said. The priest from Kerala was abducted in March 2016 by Islamic State terrorists during a deadly attack on a care home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in the port city of Aden in war-ravaged Yemen. He was rescued in September this year. Uzhunnalil said he never felt terrorised in captivity. "If we surrender ourselves to God's will, he will give us grace, understanding and calmness of mind to remain peaceful from within and rest will be taken care of. I never had any dreadful dreams, nightmares, fear, trembling, sweating or anything like that," he said. The priest was honoured with the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for his extraordinary service at the care home of the Missionaries of Charity. He said the need of the hour is to forgive and love one another. "Avoid situations that will instigate people to revolt in life. Terrorists are created by community, if the communities can be forgiving there will be peace," he said. Noted actor Priyanka Chopra and various organisations who have worked relentlessly in helping refugees with food, shelter, education and other essentials of life, were also presented the award at the function. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ramnath Kovind would be the chief guest at the valedictory function of the World Telugu Conference to be organised here by the Telangana government from December 15 to 19. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will be the chief guest for the inaugural session of the Conference, an official release said today. It said Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governor ESL Narasimhan and his Maharashtra counterpart Ch Vidyasagar Rao are also expected to participate in the programme. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao along with some of his cabinet colleagues and senior officials held a review meeting on the programme, the release added. As many as 7,920 guests and representatives have registered to attend the World Telugu Conference, state Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari had said. Srihari had said that stalls would be set up to showcase the history of Telangana, its literature, handicrafts, temples and coins. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four persons, including three members of a Mumbai-based family were today killed when their car collided with a truck on the Pune-Satara road here, police said. The deceased were identified as Yashwant Mane (55), Sharda Mane (46), Hrishikesh Mane (20) and Krushna Surve (65), all residents of Chunabhatti, an official attached to the Bharti Vidyapeeth police station said. According to him, the mishap occurred when members of the Mane family were returning to Mumbai after dropping their daughter at her college in Satara in western Maharashtra. Police said a probe was underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Punjab government is hoping to save Rs 2,000 crore by rationalising the expenditure of various departments and plugging revenue leakage as it looks to become a revenue surplus state in the next three years. "We are expecting to save Rs 2,000 crore in the current financial year with the rationalisation of expenditure of government departments. We are asking the departments to plug in loopholes and any revenue leakage to reduce fiscal burden," state Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal said here today. Badal said he was holding weekly meetings with the concerned officials of various departments including police, health and agriculture in this regard. Sharing details of steps taken to reduce expenditure, Badal said the government is anticipating savings of Rs 492 crore with the implementation of order in which no government department would remain opened in private buildings. "We have also cancelled deputation of government employees as we fear leakages of salaries. We did not know where the employee was working and from which department he was drawing salary. This step will also bring some savings," he further said. The minister further said the state government had also taken up the issue of rationalisation of labour and transportation charges and expenditure related to gunny bags for the foodgrain procurement with the Centre, which would also result in savings of Rs 500 crore. The departments like industry, food and civil supply and local government have also been asked to recover their pending dues under the one-time settlement scheme, he said. Citing an example, Badal said a sum of Rs 6,000 crore was yet to be recovered from the state rice shellers. Notably, the "cash crunched" state government has been facing acute fiscal crisis and has been even struggling to pay salaries to the government employees. The delay in the release of the GST compensation and state's share in GST by the Centre has also made matter worse for the state government to meet necessary expenses. The Congress-led government had accused previous 10-year regime of the SAD-BJP government of putting the state into a "fiscal mess" while leaving a debt of Rs 2,08,000 crore on the state. "When we came to power (in March this year), the previous government left the state with unpaid financial liabilities of Rs 13,000 crore as they diverted funds," alleged Badal while promising to put the state's finances on the right track. "We are hoping to become a revenue surplus state in next three years," said Badal. The Punjab government in a budget presented in June this year had projected revenue deficit at Rs 14,784.87 crore for current fiscal as against Rs 11,362.02 crore for last fiscal. Meanwhile, Badal said an interstate council meeting of the northern zone including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh etc will take place next month in which tax rationalisation of petroleum products, motor vehicle registration tax and tourism promotion will be part of the agenda for discussion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin called today for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to resume, including on Jerusalem, following the controversial US decision to recognise the city as Israel's capital. Speaking on state television during a visit to Egypt, Putin stressed the importance of "the immediate resumption of Palestinian-Israeli talks over all disputed issues, including the status of Jerusalem". Speedy, long-term agreements "that are aligned with the interests of both sides" must be made, Putin said, according to an official translation of his remarks on Egyptian state television. "These agreements must be in harmony with previous decisions of the international community," said Putin, adding that "Russia fully supports previous Security Council resolutions". With the international community in near consensus in opposing US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, a fifth day of protests was expected in the Middle East today. Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas was also in Cairo today for crisis talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, a key regional US ally, ahead of a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the main pan-Islamic body, on Wednesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rahul Gandhi was elected the Congress president today, marking a generational shift in the grand old party and becoming the sixth member of the influential Nehru-Gandhi clan to occupy the post. He will take over the reins of the party from his mother Sonia Gandhi, who steered it through success and failure for 19 years, the longest in the party's 132-year history, on December 16. Mullappally Ramachandran, the chief of the Congress's central election authority, announced Gandhi's election today, the last day for withdrawal of nominations, when the 47-year- old leader, who appeared to have lately undergone a transformation-- from the tentative to the assertive--was busy canvassing for the party in Gujarat. "Since the withdrawal of date/time is over and as there is only one candidate (Rahul), as per Article XVII (d) of the Constitution of Indian National Congress, I hereby declare Shri Rahul Gandhi elected as president of the Indian National Congress," Ramachandran told a press conference. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Rahul Gandhi on his election even as the two are locked in a bitter political battle in Gujarat where assembly elections are on. "I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress president. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure," Modi tweeted from his personal twitter handle @narendramodi. As expected, the Congress continued to rely heavily on a person with the Gandhi surname, to revive its dwindling fortunes despite losing state after state, with the exception of Punjab, since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Altogether 89 sets of nominations were filed for the election to the top post and all were on behalf of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi's elevation comes close to five years after he was appointed party vice president in January 2013 and seemingly endless speculation about his impending promotion over the past couple of years after Sonia Gandhi started keeping indifferent health. Rahul Gandhi, who appeared reluctant to take on the mantle of Congress president, gave clear indication about his readiness to accept the responsibility of running the party during an interaction at the University of California, Berkeley, in September this year. "I am absolutely ready to do that," he had told the gathering when asked if he wanted to take up an executive role in the Congress Party. While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the Congress, which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since independence on December 16, the scion of the Nehru- Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have seen a downswing in the recent past. Today, the party, which once controlled almost the entire country, has its governments in just five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. A win in the Gujarat Assembly election, where a sure- footed Rahul Gandhi has led a spirited campaign against the BJP, would come as a massive boost for him. Pollsters have already predicted a dead heat between the two parties in the state, which the BJP has ruled without a break for over 19 years now. Striking a balance between the old guard and the young leaders would be key to running the organisation which has many seasoned politicians whose wisdom he could use as he steers the party through the choppy waters of current Indian politics. Gandhi had said in the past that he would draw upon a blend of experience of the old and the energy of the young to helm the organisation. Before Rahul Gandhi, other members of the family who occupied the post of Congress president were Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi. The family was at the helm of the Congress's affairs after independence for at least 38 years: Jawaharlal Nehru for more than three years, his daughter Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi for eight years each, and Sonia Gandhi for a record 19 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that recognising Jerusalem as his country's capital "makes peace possible", after widespread international criticism of the US decision to do so. US President Donald Trump's announcement last week has been followed by days of protests and clashes in the Palestinian territories, as well as demonstrations across the Islamic world. The EU expressed alarm at the decision, which upends seven decades of US policy on the disputed holy city, and the bloc's foreign ministers are set to urge Netanyahu to resume dialogue with the Palestinians as he meets them over breakfast in Brussels. The Israeli premier said what Trump had done was to "put facts squarely on the table" by acknowledging Jerusalem had been the capital of the Israeli state for 70 years and of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. "It doesn't obviate peace, it makes peace possible, because recognising reality is the substance of peace, it's the foundation of peace," he said in a statement alongside EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini. Mogherini, who last week warned the Jerusalem decision could take the situation "backwards to even darker times", restated the EU's position that a two-state solution with Jerusalem as capital for both Israelis and Palestinians was the only sustainable way to resolve the conflict. Netanyahu pointed to a new US peace initiative as a possible way forward. "There is now an effort under way to bring forward a new peace proposal by the American administration. I think we should give peace a chance. I think we should see what is presented and see if we can advance this peace," he said. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been working with a small team to develop a new US proposal to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but it is not clear what progress he is making. Netanyahu's visit to Brussels comes after he met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris yesterday. Macron called on him to freeze settlement building and to re-engage with Palestinians. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital and previous peace plans have stumbled over debates on whether and how to divide sovereignty or oversee holy sites. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The main opposition party in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), hit the streets here today against the sand mining policy of the Nitish Kumar government in the state, throwing vehicular traffic out of gear. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also announced a statewide bandh on December 18 against the "anti-poor" attitude of the NDA dispensation in the state. The protest march, which was led by RJD national vice presidents Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Shivanand Tiwary and state president Ramchandra Purve, started from the party office at the Birchand Patel Marg and concluded at the Kargil Chowk, a few kilometres away. The JD(U)-BJP coalition government, after coming to power in the state in July, had come up with a new policy, in a bid to put an end to illegal sand mining and regulate its trade. Lalu Prasad's party has been critical of the policy. Road traffic was badly affected along the route of the march at the heart of the town with vehicles, including school buses and ambulances, seen stranded for hours. Reacting to the RJD stir, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters, "They are not agitating for any hardship caused to the common man. They are desperately trying to protect the sand mafia, which has been funding their party." Told about the deputy chief minister's remark, Tiwary angrily retorted, "The state government is neck deep in corruption which has been proved by scams such as Srijan. It has no moral right to speak about the mafia funding any party." Singh, who is also a former Union minister, said, "Construction activities have come to a standstill in the state since July, when the impractical sand mining policy came into being. Thousands of workers have been rendered jobless and compelled to migrate to other states in search of a livelihood." Tejashwi said, "The JD(U)-BJP government is anti-poor, anti-worker and anti-Dalit. Even the directions of the Patna High Court seem to have fallen on deaf ears. "Left with no other choice, we will now be staging a Bihar bandh on December 18. The bandh will get support from every section of the society as the state is reeling under rampant corruption, deteriorating law-and-order and anti- people policies of the government, which seems indifferent to the plight of the common man. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today said it cannot direct the legislature to legislate but has "simply" asked the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government to deliberate on issues including whether the majority Muslim community in the state could be regarded as a minority for availing benefits. The Centre informed a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that it was still deliberating on a host of issues including whether Muslims, who are majority in Jammu and Kashmir, can be treated as minority to get benefits which are only available to minorities in the state. "We have legal difficulties. We cannot direct the legislature to legislate on a particular issue. We just asked them (Centre and state) to deliberate," the bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. It considered the statement of Attorney General K K Venugopal that the process of deliberations was on and a decision would be taken, and granted eight weeks to the Centre. The bench had on August 8 granted the last opportunity to the Centre and other stakeholders to take a final decision within three months on issues raised in the petition filed by Ankur Sharma, a Jammu-based lawyer. The Centre had then sought time saying it has been holding consultations with the state government. Prior to this, the top court had issued notice to the Centre, the state government and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on the plea filed by Sharma who alleged that benefits accruing to the minorities were being taken away by the 68 per cent-strong Muslim community in J-K. The court had asked the Centre and the state government to "sit together" and find a solution to "contentious" issues including whether the Muslims in the state could be regarded as a minority to avail benefits under that category. The plea has alleged that the rights of religious and linguistic 'minorities' in the state were being "siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily" due to extension of benefits to "unqualified sections" of the population. Sharma alleged the provisions of the National Commission for Minorities Act were not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir due to a caveat put by Article 370 of the Constitution. "Moreover, crores of rupees are being given to the members of the majority community under various schemes meant for linguistic and religious minorities," he said. The state government was violating Article 29 (protection of interests of minorities) and Article 30 (right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions) under the Constitution, he has alleged. The PIL has also sought setting up of a state minority commission for identification of minorities and extension of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act, 1992 to Jammu and Kashmir. "The population of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir according to the 2011 Census is 68.31 per cent. Communities which are eligible to be notified as minorities, are not awarded their due share of scholarship owing to their non-identification as minorities, thereby jeopardising their constitutionally guaranteed rights enshrined under Part III of the Constitution of India," it has said. "This clearly reflected the unfairness and discrimination of the state government towards other communities in Jammu and Kashmir which were eligible to be notified as minorities," the petition has alleged. It has pleaded that a committee of experts functioning under the direct supervision of the apex court be appointed and a comprehensive report be submitted identifying communities in the state which qualified as religious and linguistic minorities. The petition has also demanded that a special investigation team (SIT), headed by a retired high court judge working under direct supervision of the top court, be constituted for investigating the illegal and arbitrary disbursement of minority benefits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Odisha Assembly today witnessed repeated adjournments after question hour as the members of ruling BJD and Opposition Congress and BJP created pandemonium over Mahanadi and farmers issues. Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat, however, managed to pass the supplementary budget of 39 departments through guillotine amidst the din prevailing in the House. After the question hour, the BJP members raised the farmers issue and stormed into well of the House demanding loan waiver. They shouted slogans against the BJD government and termed it as "anti-farmer". The farmers of the state are badly affected as the kharif crop has been hit by drought, subsequent pest attack and unseasonal rain. The BJD members, on the other hand, raised the Mahanadi issue and accused the Centre of being partisan. They alleged that the central government is supporting the BJP ruled Chhattisgarh which is constructing projects of upstream of Mahanadi river "illegally." Odisha has been opposing construction of a number of barrages and dams by Chhattisgarh on the upper reaches of the Mahanadi river saying it would affect the state's farmers. The Centre had told the Supreme Court on December 6 that the ongoing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over Mahanadi should be sorted out through negotiations between the parties concerned. Sanjay Dasburma of the BJD claimed that Chhattisgarh government has planned river interlinking to draw more water from Mahanadi and, in that case, Odisha will soon be dry. Among heated exchange of words between members of the two parties, Speaker Amat adjourned the House till 3 pm. When the House reassembled, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress sought a ruling from the Speaker on the alleged exploitation of paddy farmers at government 'mandis'. Mishra said the agriculture minister should clarify in the House as to why the government mandis deduct about 5 kg on each 100 kg of paddy being sold by farmers. As the speaker proceeded with other business, Congress MLAs rushed to well and raised anti-government slogans alleging distress sale of paddy by farmers. While the BJP members also joined the Congress MLAs, treasury bench members again raised the Mahanadi issue creating a ruckus and Amat adjourn the House till 4.28 pm. When the House re-assembled, a similar scene was recreated by the opposition members. However, the speaker managed to pass the additional expenditure statement of 39 departments through guillotine and adjourned the House till tomorrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia today pitched for India joining China's One Belt One Road initiative and hoped that New Delhi will find a way out to benefit from the mega connectivity project without sacrificing its position on the issues flagged by it. In an address at a think tank, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said a sustainable security architecture in the Asia Pacific region cannot be achieved through "bloc arrangement", in a clear signal of Moscow's opposition to the quadrilateral grouping comprising the US, Japan, India and Australia. Talking about regional issues, the Russian Foreign Minister said that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj "suggested" improving not only India-China ties but also India's relations with Pakistan. Lavrov, Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today held the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meeting during which a range of regional and global issues were discussed. On OBOR, Lavrov said Russia feels the concept is very interesting and needed to be explored in the context of building harmonious relationship for deeper regional trade and investment. About India's opposition to the project, he said, "the specific problem in this regard should not make everything else conditional for resolving political differences". India has opposed the OBOR due to its sovereignty concerns over the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). CPEC is part of the OBOR. Lavrov said almost all the central Asian countries have already signed documents with China for cooperation in the OBOR while Russia and other members of the Eurasian Economic Union concluded economic cooperation agreement with it, indicating that the process is irreversible. "I am 100 per cent convinced that India has enough very smart diplomats and politicians to find a way which will allow it to benefit from this process and at the same time not to sacrifice your position," the Russian Foreign Minister said. In a clear reference to the quadrilateral grouping among the US, India, Japan and Australia, he said, "We believe that sustainable security architecture in the Asia Pacific region cannot be achieved through bloc arrangement and is only possible through an open ended collective basis." Officials of the four countries held their first meeting in Manila last month to give shape to the much talked about quadrilateral alliance to keep the Indo-Pacific region "free and open". The formation of the bloc is seen as an effort to contain China's growing assertiveness in the resource-rich area. The Russian Foreign Minister also talked about the need for peaceful settlement of the disputes saying use of force and threatening to use force will not resolve any issue. Calling India a key partner for Russia, he said further strengthening of ties between the two countries can address numerous problems in the Asia Pacific region. On tackling terrorism, he called for a "truly universal coalition" to act against the terror groups without "any double standards and hidden agenda". Sounding critical of the role of the US in Afghanistan, Lavrov said every stakeholder including the Taliban and the war-ravaged country's neighbours should be taken on board for brining lasting peace to it. The Russian Foreign Minister said his country was ready to ensure transfer of technology to manufacture critical military platforms in India in joint venture and co- development projects. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean President Moon Jae-In hopes to "normalise" ties with giant neighbour China on his first state visit to the country this week, his office said today, after Beijing was infuriated by a US missile system deployment. Seoul and Washington decided to install the powerful US THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system in the South earlier this year to guard against threats from the nuclear-armed North. Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, slapping a string of measures against South Korean businesses and banning group tours to the South, in moves seen as economic retaliation. China is the South's top trading partner and the diplomatic row took a major toll on many South Korean firms, most notably retail giant Lotte Group, which provided the land to host the powerful US missile system. Angry boycott campaigns and regulatory crackdowns by Chinese authorities decimated its business in the world's second-largest economy, and it was forced to put its supermarket unit in China up for sale. But last month the two countries issued identically- worded statements on their mutual desire to improve relations. It did not state any specifics, but Beijing has demanded that Seoul formally promise not to deploy any more THAAD launchers and not to join any regional US missile defence system. Nam Gwan-Pyo, a deputy director of the presidential national security office, did not give reporters details of any concrete steps that could be expected from Moon's four-day trip -- his first to China since taking power in May. But he said it would be a turning point in relations towards a "more mature" relationship, he said, "by recovering bilateral trust and strengthening friendship between the leaders of the two nations". Ties recently showed some -- albeit limited -- signs of thaw as China's state tourism board approved last month Seoul-bound group tours from some parts of China. Moon heads to Beijing on Wednesday and will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping the following day to discuss issues including how to curb the North's nuclear weapons drive, Nam added. China -- the North's sole diplomatic ally and economic lifeline -- has stepped up sanctions on the North amid pressure from the US and the international community to play a bigger role in taming its regime. Beijing has backed recent UN sanctions imposed on the North over its nuclear and missile tests, including a ban on coal imports, although it repeatedly pushed for talks to defuse the tensions. It has urged a "double freeze" on both North Korean weapons tests and joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington -- an idea consistently rejected by the US and South Korea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Sushant Singh Rajput has praised co-star Sara Ali Khan, who is making her Bollywood debut with their film "Kedarnath", for all the hard work she is putting into the project. Sara, the daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan, features opposite Sushant in the Abhishek Kapoor- directed film, which is set to be released next year. When asked about Sara, Sushant told reporters, "She is working really hard... I don't think it will be right for me to say anything (else) at the moment. You guys watch the film and decide for yourself." The actor was speaking at the red carpet of Lux Golden Rose Awards here last night. When asked how Sara is different from the other female actors he has worked with so far, the "MS Dhoni" star responded saying, "I only look at one thing while working on a film... Like I realise slowly what kind of product is being made. "I don't think about it much but when I am enjoying working, then everything good is happening. And I am enjoying a lot (while) working on 'Kedarnath'," he said. As her senior in the industry, Sushant said he had given a piece of advice to Sara while shooting for the film. "She is quite able and already knows a lot. But the only thing that I have shared with her is that I don't fear failures. "If I am enjoying doing something, I don't think about its outcome. I am not that careful and this is one thing that helps you in the long run," he said. Besides "Kedarnath", Sushant is busy prepping for Abhishek Chaubey's next and dubbing for Jacqueline Fernandez- starrer "Drive". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea challenging the anticipatory bail granted to three trustees of the Ryan International Group in connection with the killing of a student in the school premises. A bench of Justices R K Agrawal and A M Sapre said the "petition is dismissed." The court had earlier reserved the order on the plea of the father of 7-year-old boy, who was found dead in Ryan International School in Gurgaon, challenging the anticipatory bail granted to the trustees of the group. Pradhuman, a Class II student, was found with his throat slit in the school washroom in Gurgaon on September 8. School bus conductor Ashok Kumar was earlier arrested by Haryana Police in connection with the crime. He was recently granted bail by a lower court. The case was transferred to the CBI and the agency had apprehended a Class 11 student in connection with the killing. The high court had on November 21 granted anticipatory bail to Ryan International Group CEO Ryan Pinto and his parents -- founding chairman Augustine Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto, in connection with the killing of Pradhuman. The boy's father had approached the apex court seeking cancellation of the bail to the trustees. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today agreed to hear tomorrow the appeal of Unitech Limited challenging the recent order of the company law tribunal allowing the Centre to take over its management. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), on December 8, had suspended all the eight directors of the realty firm over allegations of mismanagement and siphoning of funds and had authorised the Centre to appoint its 10 nominees on the board. The NCLT order had come after the Centre moved the panel with a view to protect the interest of nearly 20,000 home buyers. "Let this matter be listed for hearing tomorrow. A copy of the SLP (special leave petition) be supplied to the parties," a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said. Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Unitech Ltd and its jailed promoters, referred to the recent NCLT order and said the takeover of the management of the company by the Centre would make it difficult for them to deposit Rs 750 crore as directed by the apex court to safeguard the interests of homebuyers. "How do I comply with the Supreme Court order? My bank accounts have been frozen on November 21," the lawyer said. "The nominated Directors (of the government) shall have to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court," the bench said, adding that for it, the interests of homebuyers were paramount and they cannot be equated with the investors. "We are more concerned for the homebuyers and not for the company and not for the fixed depositors. Homebuyers are not investors or fixed depositors," the bench said. Sanjay Chandra, head of the embattled real estate group, was asked on October 30 by the apex court to deposit Rs 750 crore with it by December end for the sake of the homebuyers. The NCLT, in its order, has said the government must give name of its nominees by December 20 and restrained Unitech's eight suspended directors from selling their personal and company properties. The tribunal's order had come after the government filed a petition arguing that Unitech was a fit case for winding up, but considering the interest of thousands of home buyers and small depositors, it wanted to take over company management. The company has over Rs 6,000 crore debt and over 16,000 undelivered units from a total of nearly 70 projects. In its petition filed under section 241 of the Companies Act, 2013, the government had requested the tribunal to remove the eight directors. The apex court had on October 30 said jailed businessman Chandra will be granted bail only after the real estate group deposited money with its registry by December end. Chandra's lawyer had told the apex court that he has been required to be produced in various courts, consumer forum and commissions on a regular basis which hampered his endeavour to arrange money and hence, the production warrants issued against him by various judicial bodies be stayed for 15 days. He had also said that the accused be allowed to appear in courts through his lawyers. The plea was declined. The apex court had also clarified that its earlier order directing all courts below not to take any coercive action against the accused for the time being would also be made applicable on all forums including state and national consumer commissions. The top court had earlier directed the jail authorities to facilitate Chandra's meeting with his company officials and lawyers so that he could arrange money to refund the home buyers as well as for completing the ongoing housing projects. It had said if any proceedings were pending against Chandra and the company, those may continue and the final order be passed but no coercive steps be taken to execute those orders. Chandra is seeking interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 had rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home buyers of Unitech projects' -- 'Wild Flower Country' and 'Anthea Project' -- situated in Gurugram. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Nitish Kumar government today approved a "Safe City Surveillance" scheme aimed at putting a check on eve-teasing and other crimes against women at public places across the state. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Principal Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Department, Brajesh Mehrotra told reporters. He said under the scheme, CCTV cameras will be installed at public places. Patna will be the first district to be covered under this scheme and an amount of Rs 110.68 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose, he said. Nod was also given for creating new posts for better security and administration at prisons. These include three posts of Deputy Superintendent, four Assistant Superintendents, 17 "Mukhya Uchch Kakshpal" (Chief Senior Warders), two "Uchch Kakshpal" (Senior Warders), 16 "Kakshpal" (warders) and 52 drivers. With a view to ensuring better traffic management in areas falling under Nagar Nigams and towns with a population of over two lakhs, setting up of nine "yatayat thana" (traffic police stations) and creation of 1485 posts of various ranks for running these were also okayed, Mehrotra said. Another decision taken at the cabinet meeting was approval of a total expenditure of Rs 9.09 crore for the purchase of 40 Toyota Innova Crysta cars for judges of the Patna High Court. Financial assistance given to divorced Muslim women has also been raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Regulator Sebi today ordered Icore E-Services Ltd and its directors to refund the money that the company had collected illegally from public and has also barred them from the markets for at least four years. The company had collected at least Rs 45 crore through the issuance of securities from investors between 2007-2008 and 2010-11, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in an order. Securities were issued to over 50 people and accordingly the offer qualified to be a public issue, and required compulsory listing of such securities on a recognised exchange. However, the firm did not comply with the provision. Among other requirements, the firm was to register a prospectus with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) under the Companies Act, which it failed to do. "Considering the fact that during the financial year 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, the company had to go to thousands of investors to mobilise Rs 4-5 crore and the money mobilised by the company during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 is more than Rs 45 crore, I am inclined to conclude that the number of investors from whom the money was mobilised for issuance of equity shares is more than 49," Sebi Whole Time Member G Mahalingam said. Accordingly, Sebi has directed Icore E-Services and its promoters/directors -- Anukul Maiti, Kanika Maiti, Swapan Kumar Roy, Radhashyam Giri, Tapan Kumar Chatterjee, Saral Ranjan Sengupta, Amal Bhattacharya, Chandan Dey and Mahadeb Gayan -- to jointly and severally refund the money collected through the allotment of equity shares along with an interest at the rate of 15 per cent per annum within three months. After completion of refund, they have been directed to file a report of such completion with Sebi, within seven days, certified by two independent chartered accountants. Further, Sebi has prohibited the company and its directors from the securities markets till the refund and a further period of four years from the date of completion of the refund to investors. Also, they have been restrained from associating themselves with any listed public company during the period under review. Sebi's order "shall be subject to the directions passed or to be passed by Calcutta High Court in the matter of Icore Group of companies". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A fast-track court in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarngar district today sentenced six people to life imprisonment for killing a timber trader 10 years ago. Additional District Sessions judge Rajesh Bhardwaj also imposed a fine of Rs 8,000 each on the accused, including Minu Tyagi, wife of gangster Vicky Tyagi who was gunned down in a courtroom here in 2015. The six accused were held guilty on Wednesday under sections 147 (rioting) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. According to prosecution lawyer Yogesh Sharma, Satish Tyagi was shot dead in the district on July 3, 2007. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has sought a report from India's consul general in Chicago about an attack on a 30-year old Indian national in the US city. Mohammad Akbar was seriously injured after he was shot in his right cheek by an unidentified assailant, according to media reports. "I have asked for a report from our Consul General in Chicago," Swaraj tweeted. Mohammad Akbar was seriously wounded in the shooting on December 6 in the Albany Park neighbourhood in Chicago, according to reports and information provided by his family. He was shot in the cheek and taken in serious condition to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police in Chicago said. Akbar, who hails from Hyderabad, is studying for his postgraduate degree in computer systems networking and telecommunications at DeVry University in the US city, his family said. In another tweet, Swaraj said she had sought details from the Uttar Pradesh government on reports that a number of foreign tourists were beaten up in Mirzapur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today held talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on key bilateral issues in a "forward looking" approach, which sought to put behind issues of divergence such as the Dokalam episode. According to officials, Swaraj and Wang discussed all issues of mutual interest "Foreign Minister Wang Yi and I agreed that we should further strengthen our mutual trust to develop a better understanding between the two parties. And it will be better to meet again and without agenda, which will help us to expand our mutual understanding," Swaraj said. On his part, Wang talked about political settlement to resolve "hotspot and difficult issues" and also pitched for dialogue and consultations over use of force. The Chinese foreign minister also stressed on the need to find commonalities in strategic areas. Asked if the Dokalam episode came up in the talks, officials did not confirm but said "all issues of mutual interest were discussed". Imparting fresh momentum to bilateral relationship, EAM Sushma Swaraj had a positive and "forward looking" meeting with Wang, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Officials said there was a lot of "positivity" during the "frank" discussions Swaraj and Wang held on wide-ranging issues. There was a realisation that both India and China are neighbours and they need to live side by side, a senior official, privy to the discussion between the two sides, said. The feeling during the discussion was that there will be differences but the emphasis should be on convergences, the official said. This is the first high-level visit from China after the Dokalam standoff in the Sikkim sector this summer. Chinese and Indian troops were locked in a 73-day border standoff from June 16 when Indian soldiers stopped Chinese personnel from building a key road close to India's 'chicken's neck' corridor. On August 28, India announced the "disengagement" between the soldiers of the two countries. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. Wang also said connectivity projects should compliment instead of contradicting each other and should supplement and not conflict for regional integration. The remarks by the Chinese leader come in the backdrop of India boycotting the major Chinese infrastructure initiative 'One Belt One Road' (OBOR) part of which was passing through the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), which India asserts is under illegal occupation of Pakistan. Wang also stressed that China does not approve of "sphere of influence". Swaraj also held a bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. "Further strengthening our strategic partnership, EAM Sushma Swaraj had a productive meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on issues of mutual interest..," Kumar said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 1.2 million Indian tourists visited Thailand during January-September this year, registering a steep 16 per cent increase over the same period of 2016, a senior official of Tourism Authority of Thailand said here today. The South Asian country, which is mainly known for its tropical beaches and cuisines, is expecting this figure to further go up by the close of this year. "...from January-September 2017, we have already received 1.2 million tourists from India, which is 16 per cent increase. And by the end of this year, the figure will further increase," Isra Stapanaseth, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi, told reporters at the Chandigarh international airport here. A little over one million Indian tourists had visited Thailand in 2016. He was interacting on the sidelines after Chandigarh today got air connectivity with Bangkok, with Air India launching a direct flight to the famous south-east Asian tourist destination. Stapanaseth said his country was a popular destination for the Indian tourists and he hoped with the addition of this flight, more and more people, especially from Punjab region, can save on time and be able to travel conveniently. "This flight will help people travelling (to Thailand) from cities like Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Manali, Shimla, Dehradun. It will make travelling more convenient for people from these cities to catch a flight from here," he said. "We are hoping that with the addition of this direct flight from here, it will facilitate people who travel for pleasure, for wedding celebrations, corporates and other travellers, who can reach Bangkok in less than five hours," he said. He said Thailand has much to offer for the Indian tourists and packages can be worked for budget tourists to high-end tourists. "You get value for money for quality destination. Thailand also has much to offer to people who are planning grand wedding celebrations and it is also popular among the honeymooners as well. For budget tourists, a week's stay can cost him anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000, he said. "Besides Bangkok and Phuket, tourists can explore Pattaya, then there is Chiang Mai, famous destination in north of Thailand and on the east coast you have Elephant Island," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Netherlands today evinced interest for investment in various sectors in Assam, including infrastructure development and flood management. Netherlands Ambassador to India Alphonsus Stoelinga told reporters here that the country is keen to sign a letter of intent for "greater government to government interaction". Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has asked for the modalities so that the letter of intent can be signed with the Assam government during the Global Investment Summit scheduled in February, 2018, Stoelinga said. The envoy said there was already Dutch investment in the state's health sector. Flood and water management is a key area in which the Dutch experts can collaborate with the state government and companies like Arcadis and Damen have shown keen interest to take a fresh look on Brahmaputra River development, tributary rejuvenation and development of inland waterways, he said. The Dutch government is also interested to promote collaboration in the agriculture sector, particularly in the tea sector where companies are interested in the by-products of the tea industry, Stoelinga said. Food processing, cold storage management for agricultural products and the public health sector are some of the other areas in which the Netherlands is interested to invest, he said. Hyet Solar, a company working in the solar power generation sector, is keen to invest 200 million Euros to set up a plant in the state to produce 200 MW of solar power. The company has also offered to tie up with local partners and financial institutions for the purpose, Stoelinga said. The ambassador had called on Sonowal this morning, who invited the Netherlands to set up a consulate office at Guwahati and post an officer for liaising with the state government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A trader of electronics goods, who was abducted by two men, including one of his former employees, was rescued today from Nilothi Extension in outer Delhi, the police said. S Gupta (28) was abducted on December 9 when he was on his way to his showroom at Paschim Vihar. The abductors had demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore from Gupta's family members. Subsequently, the father of the trader had approached the police and a case was registered. The police went to around 250 houses in the locality with Gupta's photographs, said M N Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer Delhi). "An information was received about a suspicious car at Nilothi Extension. A raid was conducted and the victim was successfully rescued from the two men -- Manish (23) and Satnam Singh (44) -- who were arrested," the DCP said. During interrogation, Manish told the police that he used to work at Gupta's Karol Bagh godown years ago. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CPI(M) today advocated for setting up of a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh saying it is the only alternative to resolve the problem. Odisha needs water for its farmers while Chhattisgarh required it to feed industries, CPI(M) state Secretariat member Janardan Pati said adding that the fight is between farmers and industries. "As per the provisions of the Constitution of India and Inter-state River Water Dispute Act, 1956, there is no harm in setting up a tribunal," he told reporters here. Odisha has been opposing construction of a number of barrages and dams by Chhattisgarh on the upper reaches of the Mahanadi river saying it would affect the state's farmers. The Centre had told the Supreme Court on December 6 that the ongoing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over Mahanadi should be sorted out through negotiations between the parties concerned. The CPI(M) leader also criticised the Centre for backtracking from tribunal formation after making a commitment in the Supreme Court. He also alleged that the BJP leaders were misleading the people of Odisha over Mahanadi issue. Meanwhile, activists of Samajwadi Party today staged a silent demonstration here and appealed to the Supreme Court for adjudication of Mahanadi water dispute by setting up a tribunal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump today disputed a report that he watches hours of cable programming as part of his daily routine, calling it a fake . The New York Times on Saturday reported that the president consumes "long spells of cable news," including the big three cable news networks CNN, MSNBC and Fox News - to catch up on news. Trump, the NYT reported, often "flips to CNN for news, moves to 'Fox & Friends' for comfort and messaging ideas, and sometimes watches MSNBCs 'Morning Joe' because, friends suspect, it fires him up for the day." The president "spends at least four hours a day, and sometimes as much as twice that, in front of a television," according to the report. "Another false story, this time in the Failing The New York Times that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong!" Trump said this in a tweet. During his Asia trip, Trump had told reporters that he rarely watched television as he spend most of his time reading documents. The president, who has been sharply critical of CNN and other news outlets throughout his political career, also disputed that he "hate-watches" CNN anchor Don Lemon's show to "get worked up," as the Times reported, taking a shot at the late-night newscaster. "I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the 'dumbest man on television!' Bad Reporting," he tweeted. However, the Democratic party criticised him for tweeting on this issue in the aftermath of an explosion in New York City. "This is Trump's first tweet after an explosion in NY...," tweeted Sabrina Singh, the deputy communications director of the Democratic National Committee. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in far northern Cameroon, a region that has been shaken by attacks blamed on Nigeria's Boko Haram jihadists, sources said. "A suicide bomber blew himself up this morning in a mosque in Kerawa," on the border with Nigeria, a regional security official reached by AFP said yesterday. "Two civilians and the bomber were killed," the source said, confirming an account by an eyewitness, who said the event took place shortly after morning prayers, when the mosque was relatively empty. Boko Haram's insurgency, begun in 2009, has progressively spread from Nigeria to Cameroon, Niger and Chad. Overall, it has left at least 20,000 people dead and more than 2.6 million others homeless. The death toll in Cameroon is around 2,000 while about 170,000 have been displaced, according to the Brussels-based research organisation the International Crisis Group (ICG). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vijay Mallya today arrived in court here as the trial to prove a prima facie case of fraud against the fugitive liquor baron resumed today to determine if he can be extradited to India to face charges over his erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines. The 61-year-old will be back in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London for day four of the hearing as his defence led by barrister Clare Montgomery is set to depose two further witnesses in its attempt to prove that the airline's alleged default of around Rs 9,000 crore worth of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the businessman is also facing a parallel litigation in the Queen's Bench Division of the commercial court in England's High Court of Justice brought by a consortium of Indian banks to freeze his global assets. The State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank Ltd, IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Mysore, UCO Bank, United Bank of India and JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co Pvt Ltd are listed as applicants of that claim against Mallya and related concerns named as Ladywalk LLP, Rose Capital Ventures Ltd and Orange India Holdings. Lawyers for Mallya have been granted an extension to respond to that case due to his ongoing extradition trial, expected to conclude on Thursday. Margaret Sweeney, from the accounts team of Force India - Mallya's Formula 1 racing team, and legal expert Martin Lau are set to be deposed by his defence team at the extradition hearing today. Judge Emma Arbuthnot will hear the case over some "interruptions" as Uber's appeal against the cancellation of its operating license in London is expected to open in the same court today. Last week, thedefence claimed that a consortium of Indian banks led by State Bank of India (SBI) had rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principle loan amount owed to them. While deposing a banking expert last week, Mallya's counsel Montgomery questioned whether her client's offer to pay back around Rs 4,400 crores of the principle debt amount on April 6, 2016 should have been "dismissed out of hand" just a day later by the banks. Paul Rex,who was described as a banker by profession who served as an independent expert in the field for over 20 years, said that banks tend to partially provision for loans unpaid over a long period and such an offer would have helped avoid "further loss". "A commercial bank would assess such an offer against other routes of repayment. If that offer is higher than could be expected from other sources, it would be an attractive option for banks to consider," he said, adding that state- owned banks in particular tend to be more susceptible to "political pressure". However, theCrown Prosecution Service (CPS) arguing on behalf of the Indian government countered that assertion in its cross-examination, indicating that the reason such a repayment offer would have been rejected was that the banks knew Mallya had the means to pay back the entire amount due. There are plenty of reasons why even a state bank may take a view to reject such an offer, such as if it comes from a "dishonest" person who is known to have "plenty of money to repay" the entire amount if he wants to, CPS barrister Mark Summers stated during his cross-examination. He also made a reference to the "debtor" (Mallya) throwing a birthday party costing around 2 million pounds as a factor which could have influenced the banks' decision to reject the offer. The cross-examination of Rex was left incomplete at the end of the third day of the trial last Thursday, to be taken up again tomorrow afternoon. In his cross-examination, Summers had highlighted a particular "washing machine activity" picked up by the government of India that involved sums amounting to around 10 -15million pounds being funnelled between UB Group companies to wrongly claim obligations of equity infusions into struggling Kingfisher Airlines were being met. Indian government sources have described its case, being presented by the CPS, as "very strong". Mallya's legal team had claimed earlier in the trial that the case against him was "politically motivated" and that it was being used as an opportunity to make "political capital" by the ruling BJP as well as Congress and Shiv Sena. The prosecution's case rests on "three chapters of dishonesty" by Mallya misrepresentations to variousbanks to acquire loans, the misuse of the loans, and his conduct after the banks recalled the loans. Mallya, who has been based in the UK since March 2016, was arrested by Scotland Yard on anextradition warrant in April this year and has been out onbail on a bond worth 650,000 pounds. If the judge rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UK home secretary must orderMallya's extraditionwithin two months. However, the case can go through a series of appeals in higher UK courts before arriving at a conclusion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A fugitive captured in Mexico is due in a US courtroom today on accusations that he orchestrated an elaborate scheme to export handguns to countries with restrictive gun laws. Eric Daniel Doyle was indicted by a grand jury on federal firearms charges in 2015, but fled before he could be arrested and eluded authorities for more than two years. Authorities allege the 37-year-old Kalispell man used the internet to set up handgun sales to customers in Australia, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The weapons were shipped through the US Postal Service. Doyle pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance last week. His attorney, Andrew Nelson, told The Associated Press that he had no comment on the case ahead of Tuesday's detention hearing in US District Court in Missoula, Montana. US Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch will decide if Doyle remains a flight risk. He faces 44 counts of illegal gun exports and related crimes. Details on the allegations against Doyle were unsealed by a federal judge following his capture on November 8 in the Mexican state of Sonora by a joint operation between local authorities and the US Marshals Service. Authorities allege that in 2014, at least 14 firearms, primarily high-caliber handguns, were shipped by Doyle to customers in Australia, Norway and Sweden, court documents show. The suspects also attempted to export at least one handgun to Denmark and four more to customers in Australia. Court documents contained only the initials of the buyers. It was unclear if US authorities had reached out to their counterparts in the destination countries to inform them of the sales. In most cases, the serial numbers on the weapons had been obliterated, according to the 2015 indictment. Many of the guns had been obtained through a "straw purchaser" who would buy firearms from a licensed dealer on Doyle's behalf, according to the indictment. Doyle had been prohibited from possessing firearms because of felony convictions in Illinois in 2006 on drug and burglary charges, according to public records. Four alleged accomplices were previously sentenced. Among them was Doyle's uncle, Jay Isles, also of Kalispell. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Congress today hailed the election of Rahul Gandhi as the party's president and said he will infuse new energy into the party. The 47-year-old Rahul Gandhi elected unopposed as Congress president and he would officially take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi on December 16. "We congratulate Rahul Gandhi for being elected as our party president. We are confident that he will infuse new energy into the party and under his leadership Congress will attain new heights," senior Congress leader and Leader of opposition in state Assembly Abdul Mannan told PTI. Mannan hoped that under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Congress would put up a strong fight against the onslaught of BJP-RSS and will preserve the country's democratic and secular tradition. AICC national secretary Subhankar Sarkar said, "The people of this country want Rahul Gandhi to lead the nation after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facing criticism from the AAP government for opposing the cancellation of licence of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari today questioned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal about steps taken to help poor patients at private hospitals. Accusing him of adopting double standards, Tiwari asked why Kejriwal was not "suspended" when a former Delhi minister was found having a fake law degree. "How can you question my integrity? When did I ask you to revoke the cancellation of the hospital's licence? I just spoke about the patients in the hospital and the employees who have been rendered jobless," he wrote on Twitter in Hindi. "Why Kejriwal was not suspended when Jitender Singh Tomar's degree was found to be fake? Hundreds of employees have been rendered jobless. Hundreds of patients are on the streets. Punish the culprits but not these poor people," he said. Kejriwal should tell what steps the AAP government took to take care of the patients admitted to the hospital and its employees who have been left to fend for themselves, he said. "He should tell what steps have been taken to help poor patients being fleeced at private hospitals and if he will ban government hospitals for negligence?" he asked. Kejriwal yesterday lambasted Tiwari for opposing the cancellation of the hospital's licence, alleging he had "sold his integrity". The AAP government had cancelled the licence of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, after a baby was wrongly declared dead by doctors at the hospital and handed over to its parents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily today sought to know why Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept quiet when he had information that his suspended party colleague Mani Shankar Aiyar gave "supari" (contract) to get him "removed" from the way to ensure peace between India and Pakistan. Moily, a Lok Sabha member and a former Union minister, wondered what Modi was waiting for when he had all the powers at his disposal to take action against Aiyar. "Why he (Modi)remained silent for such a long period of time to disclose that the attempts were made to remove him? Is he talking responsibly? It is not a question of assassination bid on anindividual but the prime minister of country," Moily told reporters. He alleged that the prime minister what investigation has been carried out to establish his claims. He said Modi had made the baseless allegations only to emotionally blackmail the voters of Gujarat and win the Assembly polls somehow. At an election rally in Gujarat, Modi had said, "...after I became prime minister, this man (Aiyar) went to Pakistan and met some Pakistanis. All this thing is available on the social media." "In that meeting, he is seen discussing with Pakistanis that jab tak Modi ko raste se hataya nahi jata (until Modi is not removed from the way), relationship between India and Pakistan cannot improve," Modi added. "Someone tell me what is the meeting of raste se hatana. You had gone to Pakistan to give my supari, you wanted to give Modi's supari (contract killing)," the PM said. On Karnataka Assembly polls, due early next year, Moily said the manifesto would be released well in time. "Almost 170 promises we made in the previous elections have been fulfilled. This time again the manifesto will be released well in time," said Moily, who heads the manifesto formation committee comprising 34 members. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Nitin Gadkari today told research institutions that they will be "closed" if they do not perform and warned their officials that merely "writing books and publish research papers" would not suffice. Addressing an international conference on ground water here, he said in his capacity as a minister he will "count actual performance" of each institution related to his ministry and added that only "writing books, publishing research paper" would not suffice. The water resources, river development & Ganga rejuvenation minister also made a strong pitch for evolving a vision to conserve water in innovative and cost effective ways as it is the "most important factor of economy". Gadkari also talked against a vision that is laced with "differences, debates and mere discussions". The seventh 'International Ground Water Conference', organised here by the National Institute of Hydrology (Roorkee) and Central Ground Water Board along with Association of Global Groundwater Scientists and Texas A&M University, USA. "As a minister, I am going to count performance of every institution... you have to show.. what is the use of your institution to the society, country, poor people. "Or else, I will take the decision to close all the things (institutions)... If you are not going to justify it (one's role), no problem, then you have to quit," Gadkari said. The minister said that outcome of such conferences should be visible on the ground, benefiting common man, particularly farmers. Gadkari said he likes officials who get works done and spoke against alleged dillydallying in carrying out works. "Two-two years are spent on preparing DPR (detailed project reports). What kind of study is required in that (which takes more time)? This won't work. Give reports in 8-10 days. Sign the files in three days or go home," he said. Gadkari said that water is the "most important" factor if India has to develop its economy and called for evolving a vision in that direction. He told the researchers to be open to accepting innovative models and adopt successful and cost effective ones from across the world. Gadkari also batted for finding out area-specific solutions to water issues and called for following an integrated approach. Union Ministers Uma Bharti, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Satypal Singh and Ministry Secretary U P Singh also attended the event. Speaking at the event, Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Bharti laid emphasis on spreading awareness among people on saving water. The conference is expected to take stock of present status and challenges of groundwater management in the country under the changing water use and climatic scenarios. Delegates from 15 countries are expected to participate in the conference and 250 research papers will be presented, including 32 keynote papers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 11th ministerial meeting of the 164-member WTO has begun amid only moderate hopes of an outcome as developed and developing nations braced up to push their agendas at the highest policy making body of the World Trade Organization. India is being represented at the meeting, which began on Sunday, by Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu who will be pushing for a permanent solution to the public food stock-holding issue which is crucial for operating the food security programme. During the course of the four-day deliberations, the developing nations will resist the efforts by the developed nations to formally set aside the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and place new issues including e-commerce on the negotiating table. According to officials, with different interest groups taking tough positions on crucial issues, one could expect only moderate outcome from the WTOs 11th Ministerial meeting. Prabhu has intensified his consultations and bilateral meetings to muster support for issues like public stock- holding and Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), which are crucial for India. The minister had met the representatives of European Union, his South African counterpart and participated in the meetings of the South Centre and the G33 grouping. "Met with the EU and had bilateral meetings (with trade ministers of other countries)...so that we have a common platform. So when we finally push our agenda there is enough support for us," Prabhu told reporters here. According to Stephen Ndung'u Karau, chair, Agriculture Committee, some outcome is expected on the public food stock-holding besides a few other agriculture issues. As regards SSM, Karau said, "Several members want an outcome...but more likely outcome may be a work programme." The outcome is likely to be on issues concerning domestic support, export restrictions and cotton, while a few others like export competition, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and market access may have work programmes, he added. Edwin Kessie, Director, Agriculture Division said that "even if we dont get a solution, Peace Clause will continue". India is keen for a permanent solution to the public stock-holding issue at the ministerial, the highest policy making body of the WTO and wants that the solution should be better than the Peace Clause. Under the global trade norms, a WTO member country's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-88. Apprehending that full implementation of food security programme may result in breach of the WTO cap, India has been seeking amendments in the formula to calculate the food subsidy cap. As an interim measure, the WTO members at the Bali ministerial meeting in December 2013 had agreed to put in place a mechanism popularly called the Peace Clause and committed to negotiate an agreement for that at the 11th ministerial meeting, which is underway at Buenos Aires. Under the Peace Clause, WTO members agreed to refrain from challenging any breach in the prescribed ceiling by a developing nation at the dispute settlement forum of the WTO. This clause will be there till a permanent solution is found to the food stockpiling issue. As regards SSM, it is an instrument which would help developing countries to deal with import surges and price dips as a result of high subsidies provided by the developed countries to agriculture products. An agreement on SSM is important for India as the applied customs duty on some of the agriculture products is at the bound rate, meaning it cant be raised further. These include products such as chicken legs, apples, olive oils and rice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia threw its weight behind China's massive Belt and Road plan to build trade and transport links across Asia and beyond, suggesting to India on Monday that it find a way to work with Beijing on the signature project. India is strongly opposed to an economic corridor that China is building in Pakistan that runs through disputed Kashmir as part of the Belt and Road initiative. India was the only country that stayed away from a May summit hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping to promote the plan to build railways, ports and power grids in a modern-day recreation of the Silk Road. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said New Delhi should not let political problems deter it from joining the project, involving billions of dollars of investment, and benefiting from it. Lavrov was speaking in the Indian capital after a three-way meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj at which, he said, India's reservations over the Chinese project were discussed. "I know India has problems, we discussed it today, with the concept of One Belt and One Road, but the specific problem in this regard should not make everything else conditional to resolving political issues," he said. Russia, all the countries in central Asia, and European nations had signed up to the Chinese project to boost economic cooperation, he said. "Those are the facts," he said. "India, I am 100 percent convinced, has enough very smart diplomats and politicians to find a way which would allow you to benefit from this process." The comments by Russia, India's former Cold War ally, reflected the differences within the trilateral grouping formed 15 years ago to challenge U.S.-led dominance of global affairs. But substantial differences between India and China, mainly over long-standing border disputes, have snuffed out prospects of any real cooperation among the three. India, in addition, has drawn closer to the United States in recent years, buying weapons worth billions of dollars to replace its largely Soviet-origin military. Swaraj said the three countries had very productive talks on economic issues and the fight against terrorism. United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazroui said on Monday that OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers plan to announce in June an exit strategy from global supply cuts, but that does not mean the pact will end by then. Mazroui said it was premature to talk about the form or shape of such an exit strategy before June, when OPEC, Russia and other producers participating in the supply-reduction agreement - aimed at boosting oil prices - are due to meet next. "We will announce ... a strategy in the June meeting. That does not mean we will exit in June. That means we will come up with a strategy," he told reporters in Abu Dhabi. "Hopefully the market will be in a much better position for us to come and announce an exit strategy," he said. "What is that strategy? No one can tell you the shape, the form, how is it going to be done, prior to everyone's meeting. Every voice counts in this group. It is unfair for anyone to come and predict." The UAE holds the presidency of the 14-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in 2018. Kuwait's oil minister, Essam al-Marzouq, said on Sunday that OPEC and other oil producers would study before June the possibility of an exit strategy from the global agreement. "I think the deal has been working perfectly. We are very optimistic about the growth next year, both the growth on the world and the growth in demand," Mazroui said, adding that OPEC "will always do what is best for the market". Russia, which this year reduced production significantly with OPEC for the first time, has been pushing for a clear message on how to exit the cuts so the market doesn't flip into a deficit too soon, prices don't rally too fast and rival U.S. shale firms don't boost output further. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that it was too early to talk about a possible exit from the deal, and the eventual withdrawal should be gradual. Novak said it may take between three and six months to exit the deal, depending on the state of the global oil market and demand for crude. Under the deal, producers are cutting supply by about 1.8 million barrels per day. A day after a whistleblower urged the Securities and Exchange Board of India or Sebi to not allow Infosys to settle former CFO Rajiv Bansal's severance case via 'back door', former company chief financial officer V Balakrishnan today said that it was not a matter of whistleblower's emotions, but of legality for the regulator to decide on denying company's consent plea. Balakrishnan in a conversation with PTI said: "The whistleblower has said whatever he wants to say as per his viewpoint. These are legal issues decided based on merits and not individual's emotions. What Sebi as a regulator thinks and decides is all that matters." Balakrishnan said this after the whistleblower objected to Infosys' settlement plea to Sebi and requested the market regulator to junk it. Balakrishnan's remarks came a day after former Infosys Board member and chief financial officer T V Mohandas Pai said that the IT firm's move to settle severance pay dispute with Sebi was 'perfectly fine'. However, he disagreed with the whistleblower who had asked the market regulator to prosecute Infosys management and the Board. According to Pai, whistleblower's request to prosecute the management as well as the board should be ignored. "Settlement is a normal process. Anybody can file for settlement consent decree from Sebi. There are very clear norms. Sebi can do it, it's Sebi's prerogative," Pai said on Sunday. The whistleblower in the letter had said that the company's internal probe was a 'real mockery of justice' as the management that precipitated excesses supervised it. The letter requested the Sebi to prosecute the Infosys board and management both for this act. Pai said that consent decrees are a very normal part of any capital market. "It happens all the time in the US. It happens in all capital markets because some things are difficult to prove; companies don't want to go through ordeal of a regulatory action," he said, explaining that in capital markets all over the world, companies (do) file for consent so they get over any regulatory action where there is no fraud, misrepresentation or criminality. "So, there is no criminality and deliberateness. It's perfectly fine for the company to file consent," Pai said. He further said that the matter in Infosys' case relates to lack of adequate and proper disclosure. However, the whistleblower has argued that a settlement was similar to 'backdoor agreement', and if Infosys is allowed to do so, then 'no whistleblower in future will take the pain to expose any malpractices in the corporate sector'. Last week, India's second largest IT firm filed an application with Sebi to settle the issues around Rajiv Bansal's severance pay. In a regulatory filing to the BSE, Infosys said: "The settlement application process is based on an undertaking that the applicant will neither admit nor deny the finding of fact or conclusion of law." The company had agreed to pay Bansal a severance package of Rs 17.38 crore or 24 months of salary, but it suspended the payments after he got Rs 5 crore as co-founder NR Narayana Murthy and Pai objected to the move and termed it 'excessive'. While Murthy called it a 'hush money', Mohandas Pai asked the Infosys board to explain severance pay in detail. The severance pay was agreed during the tenure of former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka. The issue came to fore when NR Murthy, Kris Gopalakrishnan and Nandan Nilekani wrote to the board expressing their concerns over pay hike to Sikka and the severance package offered to Rajiv Bansal. (With Inputs from PTI) The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow the appeal of Unitech Limited challenging the recent order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) directing the central government to take over the management of the real estate firm, PTI reported. The NCLT on Friday suspended all the eight directors of Unitech and allowed the government to appoint 10 nominee directors to take over the real estate firm. The move came after the Corporate Affairs Ministry approached the tribunal against Unitech over mismanagement and its failure to complete construction projects on time. The government also asked the bankruptcy court to suspend the company's board of directors and its chief financial officer under the Companies Act, 2013. The NCLT invoked the provisions of the Companies Act and allowed the government to take over the company. However, Unitech challenged the order in the apex court today, saying that its bank accounts have been frozen and the company and its jailed promoters are finding it difficult to deposit Rs 750 crore as asked by the Supreme Court. Unitech counsel and senior advocate Ranjit Kumar today said that the entire firm has been taken over by the government and its appeal be heard on an urgent basis. The court had recently asked the real estate firm to deposit Rs 750 crore with it by December end to safeguard the interests of homebuyers. In October, the Supreme Court refused to grant bail to Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra and asked him to submit the money by December end to compensate homebuyers who have sought refunds against the delay in possession of homes. He sought interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 had rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home buyers of Unitech projects' - Wild Flower Country and Anthea Project - in Gurugram. Shares of Unitech today surged nearly 20 per cent. The real estate firm's shares today opened at Rs 8.40 a piece on the Bombay Stock Exchange, after closing at Rs 7.29 on Friday. It jumped to a high of Rs 8.70, registering a 19.34 per cent climb. It ended at Rs 8.00 for the day. (With inputs from PTI) Indian Medical Association (IMA), the professional lobby group of allopathic medicine practitioners has just announced a set of self-regulation measures for hospitals and doctors. What triggered the decision, announced at a press conference on Monday in New Delhi, are the growing incidents of doctor-patient mistrust in the country. The immediate provocation apparently was the action initiated by Haryana government against one of the hospitals of the leading private healthcare provider Fortis for allegedly failing to provide adequate treatment to a seven year old dengue patient. In a similar fashion, the Delhi government had decided to cancel the license of one of the units of Max Healthcare, another corporate healthcare chain, for wrongly declaring a premature baby as dead, both recent developments. A couple of months ago, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation against alleged overpricing of cardiac procedures by private hospitals, the Delhi High Court had the Union health ministry to come out with a policy to put a check on overcharging patients. As IMA National President KK Aggarwal says, the doctor-patient trust in the country, which was already experiencing a downward spiral, has deteriorated further. Can self regulation help? Will there be voluntary compliance across the board? "What happened was most unfortunate. However, not all doctors are wrong, and the public must have faith in them. Such errors happen by accident and not intentionally. Having said this, it is also time for the medical profession to introspect and come out with self-regulation procedures. We are often blamed for prescribing costly drugs. From today onwards, all doctors in the country shall choose affordable drugs. We also appeal to the government to come out with an urgent ordinance for one drug-one company-one price policy. Doctors should actively participate in ensuring that no hospital sells any item priced higher than the MRP. No service charges should be added to procure drugs from outside. MRP shall not be dictated by the purchaser." The IMA recommendation is the following: Come New Year, buying your dream car could soon become a costly affair as major carmakers have announced a price hike in passenger vehicles from January 2018. The latest in the list to increase car prices is Tata Motors. Tata Motors today said it will increase prices of its passenger vehicles by up to Rs. 25,000 from January to offset the impact of rising input costs. Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the maker of SUVs like Innova and Fortuner, had earlier said that it is mulling to increase prices of its models by up to 3 per cent from January, to counter the affect of rising manufacturing costs. Honda Cars India has also said it will increase prices of its models by up to Rs 25,000 from January 1, 2018. "We plan to hike prices across our models ranging between 1-2 per cent from January," a Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) spokesperson said. HCIL sells models ranging from hatchback Brio with price starting at Rs 4.66 lakh to Accord Hybrid priced at Rs 43.21 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Skoda Auto India had earlier announced a price hike of 2-3 per cent on all its models. Isuzu Motors India had also said it will increase prices of its models by up to Rs 1 lakh from January 1, 2018. The increase is expected to be between 3 and 4 per cent across the model range. "This means that the prices will go up by around Rs 15,000 on the D-Max (Regular Cab - Commercial Vehicle) to Rs 1 lakh on the premium SUV mu-X," it added. The company sells models ranging from adventure utility vehicle V-Cross with price starting at Rs 13.31 lakh to premium SUV mu-X priced up to Rs 25.8 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Meanwhile, auto dealers are offering discounts and other offers, in the range of Rs 25,000 and Rs 8.85 lakh, on certain vehicles. The benefits include cash discounts and exchange bonuses on select models by companies including market leader Maruti Suzuki to luxury carmaker Audi, and everything in between. India's largest public sector bank SBI has changed names and IFSC Codes of nearly 1,300 of its 25,000 branches in the country's major cities owing to its merger with five associate banks and a 'Bharatiya Mahila Bank' in April. The Indian Financial System Code (IFSC) is an 11-digit alpha-numeric system that uniquely identifies all bank branches participating in the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) fund transfer system. The IFSC Code is mandatory to send or receive money online from one bank account to another. The SBI authorities say the decision to change the names as well as IFSC Codes was taken due the merger. They clarified it would not cause any problem to customers in case payment comes through old IFSC Code as the system would automatically map it with the new code. Most changes with regard to name and IFSC Code have been done in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Lucknow after the State Bank of India merged its associate banks State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, and also Bhartiya Mahila Bank into itself. "Some of our old associate branches are getting merged with SBI branches. When that merger happens, the IFSC codes get changed," SBI managing director (retail and digital banking) Praveen Gupta told PTI. He added though customers have been informed, the new codes have been mapped internally to send payment to the new or original IFSC code branch. Click on the hyperlink to know the changed bank names and their new IFSC Codes. Meanwhile, the bank has also offered a refurbished 'SBI Internet Banking' facility for its customers to access their accounts and make transactions through RTGS, NEFT or IMPS methods. On its website (onlinesbi.com), the bank has given two options for its customers under personal and corporate banking categories. Those making singular transaction can avail personal banking, while you can click on corporate banking option to make non-personal transactions. If you are new to online banking, here are the steps to be followed to make quick and hassle-free transactions. Register for the internet banking with your SBI branch, which will provide a Pre Printed Kit (PPK) comprising username and password for your first-time online login. Call up your bank for username and password you can't visit the branch; it will be sent through an SMS or email. Go to onlinesbi.com. For personal banking, select either of three options - login new version, login and login lite - as per your data speed. Login using your username and password Next page will give options to manage your account, and carry out online transactions. Corporate Internet Banking (CINB) SBI facilitates companies, trusts, partnerships, proprietorship concerns to do online banking and manage non-personal accounts. In CINB, the corporate has the power to allow discretionary access to banking accounts by internal users and manage permissions to banking transactions and monitor them. On October 30, 2017, Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev, along with Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Georgias Prime-minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Kazakhstans Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev, and Uzbekistans Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov attended the opening ceremony of the long-delayed Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway. The opening of the railway is of historic and strategic significance, Aliyev said at the ceremony in the Caspian port city of Alat, south of Baku, to mark the departure of the first trains. In fact, the opening of the new railway provides an alternative route to existing rail services carrying goods from Asia to Europe. BACKGROUND: The BTK railway, totaling 826 kilometers in length, is intended to complete a transport corridor linking Azerbaijan to Turkey (and thereby linking Central Asia and China to Europe) by rail. The railway is constructed on the basis of a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. At the initial stage, it will have a capacity of one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo per year, projected to reach 17 million tons of cargo per year by 2023. Starting in Baku, the trains will stop in Tbilisi, pass through gauge-changing facilities in Akhalkalaki, and terminate in north-east Turkey. Given the importance of the BTK project, most Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have expressed an interest in becoming connected to BTK, which is the shortest route linking the landlocked region with Europe. Kazakhstan, for example, appears eager to join the route to its strategic Khorgos Gateway on the border with China. The initiators of the project forecast the development of a new railway junction between Central Asia and Europe, after Kazakhstans Aktau port and Turkmenistans Turkmenbashi are connected to the BTK route. The regions connection with Europe through the Caspian Sea would indeed provide a shorter route for transportation of local goods. Besides stimulating local manufacturing operations, the BTK route will also provide the countries it passes through with additional new sources of revenue, such as transit fees. IMPLICATIONS: The Central Asian region, confined by its geography, seeks economic diversification through promoting various ambitious projects such as the China-led One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. In general, the regional states see the BTK route as a logical continuation of the multi-billion dollar OBOR project, which intends to link the region with Europe. The BTK rail line physically connects the central portions of Eurasia, the singular landmass stretching from Chinas east coast to Europes west coast, containing 70 percent of the worlds population, 75 percent of its energy resources, and 70 percent of its GDP. The overland journey between China and Europe via the BTK rail line will take around 15 days, which is more than twice as fast as sea transport at less than half the price of air travel. Trains can depart from a variety of cities in China, cross into Kazakhstan at the Khorgos Gateway, be easily transported by ferry across the Caspian Sea to the New Port of Baku, and then be loaded directly onto the BTK and head on to Europe and vice versa in the opposite direction. In this context, analysts in Kazakhstan have raised the possibility of reviving the Trans-Caspian Transportation Corridor. However, this project requires significant increases in trade turnover and Chinese exports to European markets. These options were discussed during recent the EXPO-2017 held in Astana. On November 5, 2017, the first train cargo carrying 600 tons of wheat from Kazakhstan arrived in the Turkish port of Mersin via the BTK route. The train completed the 1258-km journey from Kars to Mersin in about 30 hours. The first successful transit of goods was received with optimism in Kazakhstan regarding the future benefits of the BTK railway. According to Beybit Isayev, Kazakhstans ambassador to Azerbaijan, the BTK railway project is in Kazakhstans perspective the most valuable part of the transportation corridors from China through the Central Asian region and the Caspian basin, opening new prospects for delivering Kazakh goods to European markets. Uzbekistan is eager to join the BTK route for the same reasons. The first high-level consultations regarding Uzbekistans participation in the BTK project were held in Tashkent on October 17, 2016, during a meeting between Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov. On March 18 this year, a trilateral meeting of Azerbaijans, Georgias, and Uzbekistans railway departments was organized in Tashkent. Uzbekistan is known for its multi-sphere export, including coal and cotton, which has attracted foreign investments and gradually improved the production level. Increased trade turnover through this railway will increase Uzbekistans GDP, enabling the country to facilitate and diversify its export of cotton and other agricultural products to the world markets. The South Korean Black and Caspian Sea Export Company has expressed a willingness to invest in transit projects that pass through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The company intends to export Polypropylene and Polyethylene from these countries. The BTK railway is seemingly the most relevant option for the company to deliver goods to Europe via Turkey. According to the companys director Lee Dong, the Georgia-based Caucasus-Trans Express Company will be its logistical partner. Turkmenistan also eyes the possibility of connecting to the BTK railway project, as indicated during President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedovs recent visit to Baku. Possessing substantial natural resources deposits, including enormous hydrocarbon reserves, Turkmenistan also seeks alternative routes to Europe. In Baku, Berdimuhammedov emphasized the importance of improving transport connections between the South Caucasus and Central Asia, which would ease mutual trade operations of all these countries. In this regard, the BTK railway may serve as a suitable platform, which will provide access for Turkmen goods to European markets. Unlike Kazakhstan, Uzbekistans and Turkmenistans participation in the BTK project nevertheless remains problematic due to limitations in existing infrastructure. Their participation in the BTK project depends on the successful launch of the Navoi Turkmenbashi railway route, which will connect to the BTK railway, as well as Bakus Alat International Seaport, and further increase the effectiveness of rail links between Azerbaijan and Central Asia. It remains a precondition for the westward export of Uzbek, Turkmen and Afghan goods via the BTK railway. Early talks regarding the Navoi Turkmenbashi transport corridor were held in Ashgabat in 2012, when Uzbekistans former President Islam Karimov visited Turkmenistan. CONCLUSIONS: The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project is set to reinvigorate regional economic growth, and to serve as a suitable gateway to Europe for the landlocked Central Asian countries. Hence, beyond its economic value, the BTK will improve connectivity across Eurasia. With its geographic location, Central Asia has the potential to become the core of all main transport projects that pass through this region. Undoubtedly, the Central Asian countries participation in the BTK railway project will be beneficial not only for regional but also for European actors. AUTHORS BIO: Fuad Shahbazov is an Expert-Advisor of the Foreign Policy Analysis Department of the Centre for Strategic Studies under the President of Republic of Azerbaijan. Image source: By Giorgi Balakhadze CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons accessed on 12.07. 2017 CAMEROUN :: BAMENDA- Cameroon : HARASSMENT OF A HUMAN RIGHTS' DEFENDERS Frontline Fighters for Citizens Interests (FFCI) would like the world to know that on December 4th, 2017, the staff of the organization was shocked when they arrived at the Bamenda regional office to work as usual and found the office sealed without any prior official notice. In the same vein, the permanent secretary who was managing the daily administrative duties at the office has gone missing. We hope that she is fine in terms of her life and safety, given the situation and we hope that she has taken refuge somewhere. It is worth noting that since October 1, 2017, the organization and staff has been a target of serious threats by unknown individuals who do not appreciate the standpoint of the organization regarding certain issues of the socio-political crisis in the Anglophone regions. Threats on staff are abundant and recently the notice board of the regional office was vandalized. Since the beginning of the socio-political crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, FFCI has been very active as a human rights defense organization, fighting to protect the interests of the population. In this process, the organization has been involved in the following: FFCI has secured the release of many persons who were arrested in Bamenda and detained in Yaounde, and much more who were detained in the Northwest Region. FFCI has been campaigning for the reopening of schools in the two Anglophone regions following a strike action, called the Anglophone Teachers in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. The organization strongly believes that the education of the youth is priceless and therefore preventing children from going to school constitutes a serious violation of their right to educationa right enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which has been ratified by Cameroon. Today, schools have resumed at the rate of 95% thanks to the campaign carried out by FFCI. FFCI has from the outset vehemently condemned violence, vandalism on the private and public property, arson, and killings during this period and called for a peaceful and democratic resolution of the crisis, which the Cameroon Government has failed to engage in a dialogue with all the protagonists and the situation has intensified in an armed conflict, promoting violence and vandalism. Cameroon is now witnessing a dirty period of it history since independence with radicalization on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, FFCIs standpoint on the socio-political crisis in the Anglophone regions has been saluted and lauded by a vast majority of the population, but naturally, as in all human endeavors, it has been contested and condemned by some. The organization strongly believes that the vandalism of the notice board in Bamenda, the sealing of the regional office, the arrest of the National President Franklin Mowha on November 27th, 2017, threats on staff and intimidation come from individuals who do not encounter eye to eye with the organizations position. The National President of FFCI has been fined 842,000 CFA frs by the Military Tribunal in Bamenda for inciting public rebellion against the State of Cameroon with regard to the organizations position on the poor conditions of the Bamenda-Babadjou road. On September 13th, 2017, the Military Tribunal issued a verdict imposing a fine of 842000 CFA frs to be paid to the tribunal. Mr. MOWHA Franklin was then arrested on November 27th, 2017 in Bamenda in the execution of the courts decision and was given only 10 days from the date of his arrest to pay this huge sum of money for a crime he did not commit. Having failed to pay the above-mentioned amount, Mr. MOWHA Franklin shall be imprisoned for a period of one year. MBUI CHU AFOR ffcicameroon@gmail.com December 5th, 2017 | BY Ricki Green | Creative agency Paper Stone Scissors has been appointed by Casella Family Brands to localise the [yellow tail] brand for Chinese consumers. The appointment follows a competitive agency tender in September of this year. Paper Stone Scissors will be responsible for the strategic, digital and creative development and production of the 2018 campaign in China. Paper Stone Scissors has a history of working with Australian and international clients looking to localise their brands into the Chinese market from Coca-Cola to Herman Miller and the Hilton Group. Says Atia Cader, creative director and founder at Paper Stone Scissors: We are thrilled to be taking this iconic Australian brand to China. Weve been working in China for nearly a decade and been witness to a dramatic sophistication of the market in this time. | BY Ricki Green | Creative school Foundry has recently launched a brand new campaign via //Thirteen & Co founding director Pete Moore. With an open client brief, Foundry and Moore worked together to express the essence of the communication. Based in Hobart and Launceston, Tasmania, Foundrys new campaign line The New Creative defined a new age student with multiple skill sets who is more of an entrepreneur than anything. Says Moore: The campaign embodied that idea that all your life is a collection of experiences that flow through your mind into ideas that you share and take to the world. The idea that creatives change the world around them, by creating new things and innovating the old. The dream state story was filmed over two days in The Island State with cinematographer Sherwin Akbarzadeh and fashion photographer Natalie Cottee, on open roads, ghost towns, mountain tops, waterfalls and coastline in Tasmania then the final day in a creative space in Melbourne. The campaign will run on TV, cinema, online and on outdoor billboards. Says Andrew Johnstone, creative director, Foundry: I loved Petes style of direction and how he pushed the initial concept to a higher level. The film is beautifully shot, and the cinematic, dreamy quality works perfectly to portray the idea of delving into the creative process. Adds Moore: With them being Tassie based, theyre a destination study location, so I wanted to incorporate the physical beauty of the place but not in a traditional tourism style way. The thinking was that all the environments were altered some way in her mind creatively and that was what led to the lighting installations (created by the Mona art department team) becoming part of it. The full campaign can be viewed here. Client: Foundry Creative Director: Andrew Johnstone Designer: Ben Hayes Marketing: Georgie Gow Production: Snakes & Ladders Films Director: Pete Moore DOP: Sherwin Akbarzadeh Photography: Natalie Cottee Line Producer (Melb): Zena Bartlett Editor: Joe Morris Colour/ Online: Matt Fezz Animation: Joe Pease Music: These Places by Becky Sui Zhen Sound Mix: Matt Brown | BY Ricki Green | Fairfax Media is laying down the gauntlet to Australias creative talent with the chance to experiment with its new rich media advertising formats and showcase their agency to win the ultimate inspiration trip to the USA. Open from 11 December 2017 until 19 January 2018, the Fairfax Rich Media Challenge gives creatives, techs and designers free rein to design a mobile interscroller and demonstrate how their agency is leading the way in creativity and design. The competition is being run by The Studio at Fairfax, a multidisciplinary creative services team that supports agencies and brands by delivering multi-platform branded content, creative and strategy. Fairfaxs new ad formats were announced in August offering advertisers premium inventory at scale, combining immersive, rich media experiences that place brands in the spotlight whilst engaging Fairfaxs quality audience. Underpinned by audience targeting capabilities, measurable data and real-time analytics, the formats combine creativity and technology in a first for the Australian premium digital publishing space. The winner of the challenge will receive a $30k digital media package, have their work displayed across the Fairfax Premium News Network and get an plus an all-expenses paid trip to mix with the rich, famous, and creative talent at the prestigious ATX Spring Festival, the worlds leading interactive film, music and comedy conference and festival in Austin, Texas. | BY Ricki Green | IPG Mediabrands has announced that Mark Pejic, chairman of Mediabrands Melbourne operations, will step down from his role and prepare to leave the business at the end of this month to pursue new opportunities. Says Danny Bass, CEO, IPG Mediabrands: Mark, or Pej as we all know him best, has led our Melbourne operations for the past two years and contributed greatly to its success. As he prepares to move to his next career step, we cant thank him enough for his time with us. Says Pejic: I have enjoyed my time leading the Mediabrands Melbourne operation. I have a great deal of respect for its people and clients and wish them the very best moving forward. I am excited to be exploring the next chapter of my career. Bass said that with Mediabrands continuing evolution of its business model in Australia, into 2018 the Groups client relationships would be led through its three power brands Initiative, UM and Reprise all of which have strong operations in Melbourne. He said that Pejic had been a leading player in the development of the power brands in Melbourne. Says Bass: Pej has been a big supporter of our evolving business model and has led our transition in Melbourne very effectively, We wish him all the best for the future. | BY Ricki Green | News Corp Australia today announced its decision to use Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (EMMA) as its exclusive audience metric provider. The decision to use EMMA as the primary measurement metric follows an extensive review with more than 100 advertisers and media agencies that highlighted that the existing print circulation metric is no longer a representative measure of todays cross-platform audiences. Says Michael Miller (left), executive chairman, News Corp Australasia: We have consulted with and listened to our advertiser and media agency partners and it is clear that circulation is not an indicator of how media is consumed today, and is out of step with how the advertising industry now operates. Media buyers and advertisers plan media based on the audience that engages with our mastheads, not the number of papers sold. Total audience is the chosen metric that our advertisers and media buyers now use to make their media buying decisions and to compare alternatives across all main media, so its a natural course of action for us to meet the market by using one, primary metric. As a consequence, the company will withdraw all its titles from the Audited Media Association of Australias (AMAA) Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and Circulation Audit Board (CAB), effective immediately. The January to June 2017 circulation audit was the last for News Corp Australia. Emmas total cross-platform audience readership shows a single view of both digital (PC, smartphone and tablet) and print audiences to provide accurate, monthly readership as measured by Ipsos. The metric is independently audited and draws from a survey base of more than 40,000 Australians every month. Says Miller: As the industrys independent and accredited cross-platform audience insights survey, Emma provides the most complete picture of readership today. We have therefore decided to adopt Emma as our primary audience metric, given that it captures total audience not just the number of copies printed and sold. Emma has the sophistication, depth, credibility and frequency to provide an accurate and complete picture of our audiences. Emma was introduced in 2013 as a single source media and consumer insights survey with a diverse range of variables including demographics, media consumption, lifestyles, psychographics and a comprehensive range of product and service insights. It is conducted by Ipsos, a global leader in audience measurement solutions. Ipsos conducts more than 40 media surveys across the globe, including the National Readership Survey (NRS) in the UK. Each month the Emma data in Australia is fused with the industry accredited Nielsen Digital Ratings Monthly data to provide a total audience metric. Says Miller: We are committed to seeing our titles grow and thrive. As news is consumed across many platforms and our audiences grow and evolve, our measurement must give a complete audience picture. | BY Ricki Green | New faces have joined Orchard following recent client wins for the creative technology agency. Katie McAllister joins Orchard in project management following stints at MullenLowe Profero and Holler where she worked on a range of brands including Audi. Max Cahill is the latest addition to the account management team. He departs DDB where he was a digital business manager working on accounts including VW. Prior to that, he was at McCann Health. Senior insights and analytics strategist Gareth Kleinman has previously held roles at Deepend and Ogilvy Australia and joins at a time when data increases to play a key role in a greater number of projects/solutions. Tamsin Ridgwell comes across from Ogilvy CommonHealth where she has been since 2013. Most recently, Ridgwell was business director at the agency. Katrina Leo exits MRM//McCann where she has been for the past two years, most recently in the role of digital producer. The design team welcomes Tom Twiby who takes the next step in his career which he began at Havas Australia in 2013. Project co-ordinator Diana Vo is another addition to the team. She joins Orchard following three years at Taos Creative. Says Andrew Antoniou, managing partner at Orchard: We thrilled to welcome these talented individuals to the Orchard team. Together they bring with them a wealth of experience working across brands and categories that make them an ideal fit for our growing client roster. | BY Kim Shaw | Channel Nine Perth MD Ray Wardrop (left) has announced his resignation and will leave the station at the end of January next year. He has been in the role for two years, having taken over from David Mott in September 2015. He said he was leaving to spend more time with wife Karen, and their very successful retail business, and indulging their passion for travel. Wardrop is one of Perths most widely experienced media figures, having also worked at The West Australian and in radio with Austereo before moving into television. A former GM of Channel Seven Perth from 2008 2011, Wardrop said he wasnt considering getting back into television when he was tapped for the Nine role an offer he couldnt refuse. Just over two years ago I was approached by one of the legends of Australian television, David Gyngell, to see if I wanted to be part of and oversee the relocation of Channel Nine into the city. While I wasnt even contemplating getting back into the TV business, I thought how many people in Australia have been offered a gig like that. Fast forward to now and I can look back with huge pride at an awesome period in my career, where I got to work with an amazing bunch of people that were all part of TV history in this state. Together, we transitioned into the most modern television facility in the country. I cannot speak highly enough of the company that I work for and all the people at Nine. Their management are truly authentic and superb people who empowered me to manage Nine in Perth and who are also very understanding of my decision to leave. | BY Lynchy | Samsung has recently concluded its search for a creative digital agency partner in Cambodia. A request for proposasl were sent to the top five digital agencies in Cambodia after comprehensive assessment and evaluation on digital capability. We are pleased to have received a variation of creative and strategic proposals which showed a keen understanding of our business. We thank all the participating agencies for putting in their best efforts for the pitch and look forward to working with Comzone who will be appointed as our digital agency for 2018, Socheath Chea, Head of Marketing, Samsung Cambodia, said. In an effort to narrowing its digital efforts, Samsung Electronics Cambodia will be working together with Comzone to ensure the company is engaging consumers with relevant content at optimum times, as well as through the right channels. We are really excited at the prospect of working together in partnership with Samsung, one of the worlds leading and most respected electronic brands. Our passionate belief in leading locally and competing globally by combining the best local and established international talents has really made the difference for us in successfully staying ahead of the competition for this challenging pitch against top notch digital agencies, said Lundy So, CEO of Comzone. Samsung hopes to connect with consumers through a fresh and carefully crafted digital activation. A new digital marketing strategy will be introduced to provide consumers with access to more information on the products they love. In a statement to the Legislative Assembly earlier this year, the Minister for Disability, Children and Youth, Rachel Stephen-Smith, said decreases in the use of force at Bimberi showed the facility was moving "in the right direction". Last week: Congratulations to Suzanne Vidler of Mawson who correctly identified last week's photo, sent in by Debbie Cameron of Ainslie as the Australian National University's (ANU) heritage-listed Llewellyn Hall. Opened in 1976, by the then Governor General Sir John Kerr, the School of Music building is a grand architectural statement in the 'Brutalist' style. The site had been the oval for the old Canberra High School and was chosen for its ability to link the ANU campus with the Canberra city centre. A more crackdown on those who seek to undermine the independence of Australian politicians whether those influencers are Chinese, American or wealthy Australians would go much further. One option, for example, would be to close all potential loopholes by banning all donations. We already have a means whereby parties and politicians can campaign for office without donations: it's called public funding and it was established more than 30 years ago. Its entire purpose is to avoid the buying and selling of influence that drives American politics, wherein candidates are judged primarily on their ability to raise funds. 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. BMW is gearing up to launch a new 8 Series. But as any Bimmerphile could tell you, it wont be the first. The Bavarian automaker produced just such a model between 1989 and 1999, cutting one of the sleekest profiles the industry has ever produced. Just look at this one, for example. Its an 850Ci from 1993, packing a then-newly upgraded 5.4-liter V12 rated at 322 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque placing it second only to the quasi-M 850CSi. This particular example was ordered in Maldives Blue Metallic, and is believed to be the only 850Ci ever made in that color and right-hand drive. That means it was made for countries where they drive on the left-hand side of the road, like in the UK, Japan or Brunei. In fact this one is said to have been delivered new to the Sultan of Brunei, who once stood as one of the worlds preeminent car collectors. Now nearly 15 years later, the cars listed for sale on AutoTrader in the UK (and brought to our attention by our friends at Motor1), with an asking price of 36,995. Thats nearly $50k at current exchange rates, or about the price of a new M240i coupe. Given the choice, which would you take between the two? Photo Gallery On the back of his recent conviction, Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt may ask to serve his seven-year prison sentence in Germany. Reuters reports that German weekly Welt am Sonntag broke the news, citing unnamed sources near Schmidt. If such a request is to be made, it would have to be approved by both the U.S. Department of Justice and a German court. Last week, Schmidt was slapped with a seven year prison sentence and a $400,000 fine after pleading guilty to charges of conspiring to mislead U.S. regulators and violate clean-air laws. Schmidt served as the head of VWs environmental and engineering office in Auburn Hills, Michigan until February 2015 and disclosed the companys use of software that cheated emissions testing during a meeting with a senior official from the California Air Resources Board. In addition to claims of Schmidt potentially asking to be transferred to Germany, Welt am Sonntag says Schmidts lawyer Alexander Saettele is looking into a potential appeal. PHOTO GALLERY John Cena has responded to the lawsuit issued by Ford against him, revealing that he doesnt have any ill will towards Ford and is looking forward to seeing what the judge will decide. At the start of the month, Ford revealed that it was suing the professional wrestler for selling his 2017 Ford GT after just a month of ownership, in direct violation of a contract that he would own the supercar for at least 24 months. While recently speaking with Univision Autos about the whole saga, Cena admitted that its unfortunate but doesnt seem to bothered about potentially having to hand over the profits he made from the sale and up to $75,000 in damages to Ford. Its unfortunate that sometimes you get a disagreement and you have to have an impartial party figure it out, I feel one way, Ford feels another way. Im a true enthusiast, I dont have any ill will toward Ford, Ive been lucky enough in my life to own some iconic Fords. I follow the brand, I love what theyre doing with the Lincoln line but instead of fighting like irresponsible big kids, well let a judge figure it out and Ill be happy with either way the situation goes. Im extremely excited and interested about it, so well see what happens, Cena said. To read more about the situation, read our op-ed here. VIDEO Photo: Contributed Buying a new computer can be daunting, so here are some things to consider before you head to the store. If you have brand loyalty or brand aversion, you can probably skip to the middle of this article. If not, my advice is to *start* with the specs that are right for you and *end* by selecting the computer that works, regardless of brand. The important stuff first Processor power is measured in GHz. The processor is like the engine of a car. You need a powerful enough processor for everything else to function optimally. First, look at the processor speed on your current computer, and dont ever go any slower than that. Open File Explorer Right-click on This PC Click on Properties The System section has the information you need. Higher numbers are better, but never settle for a speed of less than 2GHz. You wont have a very nice Windows experience. RAM is important as well. RAM temporarily holds information while you have the computer on so Windows and other programs dont have to access the hard drive for the same thing repeatedly. As with your Processor, look at what you have now and try not to have any less. Your computer will likely still work, but it wont work as smoothly. I recommend 8GB at minimum, and, of course, higher numbers are better. Hard Drive capacity is also measured in GB. The hard drive is where all the programs, files, and Windows itself reside, whether the computer is on or off. Hard drives are not terribly expensive any more, so a 1TB hard drive is not uncommon. Go for it if you can, but dont accept less than 500GB with a traditional, mechanical drive. Other considerations If youre buying a desktop computer, are you planning to replace your monitor at the same time? Thats good. Just make sure the computer and monitor have the same type of ports, so you can connect them easily. If youre keeping your monitor, make sure your new computer can accept the same type of connection youre using, or make sure you have a cable that will convert one end so you can connect the computer and monitor. If youre buying a laptop, are you planning to travel with it? If so, weight might be a consideration. Do you need a CD/DVD drive? Many laptops, especially the very light ones, dont include that drive. Laptop users should also consider the feel of the keyboard and the look of the monitor. Both things are personal choices. Get something you like! If youre buying an All-In-One computer pay attention to the size of the room its going to and if youre putting it on a desk with a cut-out, make sure theres room for it, and room to reach around behind it to plug in and to unplug your devices. Also make sure you like the looks of the screen. Dont forget Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) rarely comes with a new computer. You have to pay for those programs. You should find out if the version you have is transferrable, and if not, you should expect to pay for a new version. Your printer needs to be installed on your new computer. If its a scanner, too, you need to do things in a particular order. This column might be helpful. Transfer your files and settings from your old computer to your new one. This really isnt as straightforward as it sounds. Get help if you need it. Ask questions when the sales person says something you dont understand. Theres no need to preface your questions with, I dont know anything about computers. If you have a question, it doesnt matter if you know anything about computers or not. Just keep asking your question until you get an answer you understand! This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. The city of LA is trying to outlaw house parties in the Hollywood Hills so Chad and JT stepped in to thwart a potential disaster. This is what the Beastie Boys were trying to teach us. One must use all the avenues that the great system of democracy entitles us to so that we may never cease fighting for the pursuit of liberty, justice, and flip cup. Photo: The Canadian Press UPDATE: 7 a.m. A man with a pipe bomb strapped to him set off the crude device in the subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring the suspect and three other people at the height of the morning rush hour. The man and three others were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries in what the mayor and police labeled an attempted terror attack. The explosion happened in an underground passageway under 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The 7:30 a.m. blast caused smoke to fill the passageway, which was crowded with throngs of Monday morning commuters. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill labeled it an attempted terror attack. "Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals," de Blasio said. The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah. Law enforcement officials said he was inspired by the Islamic State group but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group. The officials said he lives in Brooklyn and may be of Bangladeshi descent. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast. Authorities said the bomb was a low-tech explosive device attached to the man with Velcro and plastic ties. They were investigating how it was made. A photo published by the New York Post showed a bearded man crumpled on the ground with his shirt apparently blown off and black soot covering his bare midriff. A police officer is holding the man's hands behind his back. The explosion triggered a massive emergency response by police and firefighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. Fire officials said the suspect had burns to his hands and abodmen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in ears and headaches. Elrana Peralta, a customer service worker for Greyhound, said she works in the Port Authority terminal complex near where the blast happened, but didn't hear the explosion. "All we could hear was the chaos," she said. "We could hear people yelling, 'Get out! Get out! Get out!'" John Miles, 28, from Vermont, was waiting for a bus to Massachusetts. He also didn't hear the blast, but saw police react. "I didn't know what was going on. Officers were running around. I was freaking out," he said. There was an announcement that people should take their bags and leave. "They didn't incite panic. It was fairly orderly." Video from above the "Crossroads of the World" showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. Everything around the Port Authority area was shut down a surreal scene of still at what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. New Jersey Transit buses headed to the Port Authority were diverting to other locations. NJ Transit said buses were taking passengers to Secaucus and Hoboken, where they could take trains into the city. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the explosion. ORIGINAL: 6:15 a.m. A pipe bomb that was strapped to a man went off in the New York City subway near the Times Square area of Manhattan on Monday, injuring the suspect and another person on the platform at the height of the morning rush hour, law enforcement officials said. The person on the platform was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Another person on the platform sustained non-life-threatening injuries The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the incident. The explosion, which happened around 7:30 a.m., triggered a massive emergency response by New York police and fire both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has tweeted that President Trump has been briefed on the explosion. Video from above the "Crossroads of the World" showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. Everything around the Port Authority in the 42nd Street area was shut down a surreal scene of still at what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. New Jersey Transit buses headed to the Port Authority were diverting to other locations following the explosion. NJ Transit says buses are taking passengers to Secaucus and Hoboken. From there, they can take trains or PATH into the city. Trains, PATH, light rail and ferries are honouring bus tickets into New York. Photo: The Canadian Press Finance Minister Bill Morneau can expect a lot of provincial hands reaching for the federal purse strings when he sits down with his counterparts in Ottawa today. The issue of who should get the lion's share of revenue from legalized cannabis is expected to be a major bone of contention. The provinces and territories say they'll have to bear the lion's share of the costs associated with legalization, and therefore should get most of the revenue. Among the expenses the provinces are likely to face are beefed up policing, increased road safety efforts, busier court systems and public awareness campaigns. Morneau has said the federal government should get as much as half the tax revenue. Federal officials say Morneau's argument will be that Ottawa has put aside more than $1 billion over five years toward the costs involved with legalization. But provincial finance ministers like Ontario's Charles Sousa are skeptical, and want the federal government to explain exactly what it's paying for. Photo: The Canadian Press Baby milk maker Lactalis and French authorities have ordered a global recall of millions of products over fears of salmonella bacteria contamination. The French company, one of the largest dairy groups in the world, said it has been warned by health authorities in France that 26 infants have become sick since Dec. 1. According to a list published on the French health ministry's website, the recall affects customers in countries around the world, including: Britain and Greece in Europe, Morocco and Sudan in Africa, Peru and Colombia in South America and Pakistan, Bangladesh and China in Asia. The United States, a major market for Lactalis, is not affected. Company spokesman Michel Nalet told The Associated Press on Monday that the "precautionary" recall affects "several million" products made since mid-February. Lactalis said in a statement that the 26 cases of infection were linked to products branded Picot SL, Pepti Junior 1, Milumel Bio 1 and Picot Riz. It said it is "sincerely sorry for the concern generated by the situation and expresses its compassion and support to the families whose children fell ill." The symptoms of salmonella infection include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. Most people recover without treatment. The company said a possible source of the outbreak has been identified in a tower used to dry out the milk at a production site in May. Disinfection and cleaning measures have been put in place at the suspected site in western France. The health scare started earlier this month when Lactalis was told that 20 infants under six months of age had been diagnosed with salmonella infection. The company ordered a first recall that has been extended to more products at the request of French authorities following new cases of infections. Lactalis is a privately held company headquartered in Laval, western France. It has 75,000 employees in 85 countries and annual revenues of about 17 billion euros ($20 billion). Its other notable brands include President and Galbani cheeses and Parmalat milk. Photo: The Canadian Press Firefighters kept a wall of flames from descending mountains into coastal neighbourhoods after a huge and destructive Southern California wildfire exploded in size, becoming the fifth largest in state history. Thousands remained under evacuation orders Monday as the fire churned west through foothill areas of Carpinteria and Montecito, seaside Santa Barbara County towns about 75 miles (120 kilometres) northwest of Los Angeles. Much of the fire's rapid new growth occurred on the eastern and northern fronts into unoccupied areas of Los Padres National Forest, where the state's fourth largest fire burned a decade ago. The blaze, which had already destroyed more than 750 buildings, burned six more in Carpinteria on Sunday, officials said. It's just 10 per cent contained after charring nearly 360 square miles (930 square kilometres) of dry brush and timber. "We're still anxious. I'm not frightened yet," Carpinteria resident Roberta Lehtinen told KABC-TV. "I don't think it's going to come roaring down unless the winds kick up." Forecasters predicted that dry winds that fanned several fires across the region for a week would begin to lose their power Monday. But the possibility of "unpredictable" gusts would keep firefighters on edge for days, Santa Barbara County Fire spokesman Mike Eliason said. Santa Ana winds have long contributed to some of the region's most disastrous wildfires. They blow from the inland toward the Pacific Ocean, speeding up as they squeeze through mountain passes and canyons. Containment increased on other major blazes in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties. Resources from those fires were diverted to the Santa Barbara foothills to combat the stubborn and enormous fire that started Dec. 4. Despite the size and number of wildfires burning in the region, there has only been one confirmed death: The death of a 70-year-old woman, who crashed her car on an evacuation route, is attributed to the fire in Santa Paula, a small city where the Thomas Fire began. Most of last week's fires were in places that burned in the past, including one in the ritzy Los Angeles neighbourhood of Bel-Air that burned six homes and another in the city's rugged foothills above the community of Sylmar and in Santa Paula. Photo: The Canadian Press Alabama Democrats see Tuesday's special Senate election as a chance to renounce a history littered with politicians whose race-baiting, bombast and other baggage have long soiled the state's reputation beyond its borders. Many Republicans see the vote as chance to ratify their conservative values and protect President Donald Trump's agenda ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. At the centre are Republican Roy Moore, a former jurist twice removed as state chief justice and now accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls decades ago, and Democrat Doug Jones, an erstwhile federal prosecutor best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for killing four black girls in the 1963 bombing of Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church. The winner will take the seat held previously by Trump's attorney general, Jeff Sessions. Republicans control the Senate with 52 seats. And while Trump himself didn't campaign in the state after Moore was hit with allegations of sexual misconduct, the president recorded an audio message for robocalls that went to voters on Monday underscoring the importance to Trump's agenda of keeping the seat in Republican hands. The matchup mixes both Alabama's tortured history and the nation's current divisive, bitterly partisan politics, and it has made a spectacle of a Deep South state well acquainted with national scrutiny but not accustomed to competitive general elections. "This is an election to tell the whole world what we stand for," Jones told supporters at one stop Sunday, adding that his campaign "is on the right side of history." At an earlier appearance, he declared Alabama is "at a crossroads" and that Moore, an unapologetic evangelical populist, tries only to "create conflict and division." Jones, 63, stops short of explicitly comparing Moore to the four-term Gov. George Wallace, whose populism was rooted in segregation. But Jones alluded Sunday to that era of Alabama politics. "Elect a responsible man to a responsible office," Jones said, repeating the campaign slogan of another Alabama governor, Albert Brewer, who nearly defeated Wallace in 1970 in a contest Alabama liberals and many moderates still lament as a lost opportunity. Some of Jones' supporters put it even more bluntly. "I thought Alabama's image was pretty much at the bottom," said Pat Lawrence, a retired software engineer in Huntsville. A Moore win, Lawrence added, "will be a whole new bottom." Those concerns extend even to some GOP quarters. Alabama's senior senator, Richard Shelby, confirmed Sunday that he did not vote for Moore, saying he wrote in another "distinguished" party figure he declined to name. Yet for many Republicans, Moore is a paragon of traditional values. They reject accusations that he molested two teenage girls and pursued relationships with others decades ago. Moore denies the charges. "Everyone has to vote their convictions," said Kevin Mims of Montgomery, as he held his Bible outside his Baptist church Sunday in Montgomery. "My conviction is he's the right man for the job." Where Moore's critics see a state judge who defied federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court's decision legalizing same-sex marriage, Mims see a stalwart who stands "on the word of God." Other conservatives see an anti-establishment firebrand in the mould of Trump, who won Alabama by 28 percentage points. Moore encourages that view with fundraising emails that urge backers to help him "defeat the elite," a swipe at both Democrats and the establishment Republicans who tried to deny him the GOP nomination earlier this year. Ultimately, Republicans from Moore to Trump himself are betting on a simple bottom line: Most Alabama conservatives simply won't defect to a Democrat. "If Alabama elects liberal Democrat Doug Jones, all of our progress will be stopped cold," Trump says in a robocall the Moore campaign plans to push out Monday. The president also invokes a common fear among Republicans, calling Jones "a puppet of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer," the Democratic House and Senate leaders in Washington, both of them reviled by conservative voters. "Roy Moore is the guy we need to pass our Make American Great Again agenda," the president insists. Moore's baggage could make it difficult to draw conclusions about what the results might mean beyond Alabama, but both parties are watching closely. Democrats need to flip 24 GOP-held seats to reclaim a House majority, and they're trying to dent the slim Republican advantage in the Senate and its dominance of statehouses around the country. In many of those races, they'll need the same thing Jones must get to win in Alabama: strong turnout among young and non-white voters, along with improved performance among suburban moderates. A Jones victory would be hailed as a potential precursor, and Democrats have indicated they have a post-Alabama strategy even if Jones loses: They'll take Alabama's brand national, hammering Republicans as "the party of Donald Trump and Roy Moore." ----- Barrow reported from Mobile, Alabama. Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP and Chandler at https://twitter.com/StatehouseKim. Photo: The Canadian Press Some women, and men, worry the same climate that's emboldening women to speak up about sexual misconduct could backfire by making some men wary of female colleagues. Forget private meetings and get-to-know-you dinners. Beware of banter. Think twice before a high-ranking man mentors a young female staffer. "I have already heard the rumblings of a backlash: 'This is why you shouldn't hire women,'" Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg wrote in a recent post . "So much good is happening to fix workplaces right now. Let's make sure it does not have the unintended consequence of holding women back," said Sandberg, author of the working women's manifesto "Lean In." Ana Quincoces, a Miami-based attorney and entrepreneur who owns her own food line, says her business and its success involves working mostly with men, and sales and other activities are often concluded over lunch or drinks. Those opportunities, she says, are dwindling, because many of the men she knows through her business "are terrified." "There's a feeling of this wall that wasn't there that is suddenly up because they don't know what's appropriate anymore it's disconcerting," Quincoces said. "I feel that they're more careful, more formal in their relationships with co-workers. And I can't say I blame them, because what's happened is pervasive. Every day there's a new accusation." She said many of the men she knows are now avoiding one-on-one social occasions that were normal in the past. "This is going to trickle down into all industries. ... It's going to become the new normal," Quincoces said. "It's a good thing because women are not afraid anymore, but on the other side, it's a slippery slope." Americans were already edgy about male-female encounters at work: A New York Times/Morning Consult poll of 5,300 men and women last spring found almost two-thirds thought workers should be extra careful around opposite-sex colleagues, and around a quarter thought private work meetings between men and women were inappropriate. But in a season of outcry over sexual misconduct, some men are suddenly wondering whether they can compliment a female colleague or ask about her weekend. Even a now-former female adviser to the head of Pennsylvania's Democratic Party suggested on Facebook that men would stop talking to women altogether because of what she portrayed as overblown sexual misconduct claims. Certain managers are considering whether to make sure they're never alone with a staffer, despite the complications of adding a third person in situations like performance reviews, says Philippe Weiss, who runs the Chicago-based consultancy Seyfarth Shaw at Work. Vice-President Mike Pence has long said he doesn't have one-on-one meals with any woman except his wife and wants her by his side anywhere alcohol is served, as part of the couple's commitment to prioritizing their marriage. The guidelines have "been a blessing to us," the Republican told Christian Broadcasting Network News in an interview this month. Employment attorneys caution that it can be problematic to curb interactions with workers because of their gender, if the practice curtails their professional opportunities. W. Brad Johnson, a co-author of a book encouraging male mentors for women, says limiting contact sends a troubling message. "If I were unwilling to have an individual conversation with you because of your gender, I'm communicating 'you're unreliable; you're a risk,'" says Johnson, a U.S. Naval Academy psychology professor. Jessica Proud, a communications professional and Republican political consultant in New York City, said it would be wrong if this national "day of reckoning" over sexual misconduct resulted in some men deciding not to hire, mentor or work with women. She recalled a campaign she worked on where she was told she couldn't travel with the candidate because of how it might look. "I'm a professional, he's a professional. Why should my career experience be limited?" she said. "That's just as insulting in a lot of ways." Photo: The Canadian Press Christopher Garnier says Catherine Campbell coaxed him into choking her during sex play, and urged him to apply more pressure before she died. Garnier is on the stand today at his trial in the off-duty police officer's death; his lawyer opened the defence case by telling the jury Campbell died accidentally during rough sex. Garnier said he met Campbell at a downtown bar in the early hours of Sept. 11, 2015, and they went to his friend's McCully Street apartment. He told the jury she asked him if he was "into domination," and asked him to slap and choke her. The Crown alleges Garnier punched and strangled the 36-year-old Truro, N.S., police constable and used a compost bin to dispose of her body near Halifax's Macdonald Bridge. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and interfering with a dead body. Garnier said they decided to go to the McCully Street apartment after kissing at the bar. They started kissing in the apartment hallway, he said, and "she asked me if I was into domination." He said he told her didn't want to have sex and she said: "That doesn't mean we can't play." "She asked me to choke her. I didn't say anything," he said. "She told me it was OK and not to worry." He said he put pressure on her neck, but she asked him to squeeze harder. He had both hands on her neck for 30 seconds, he said. "I don't think I was using very much force," he testified. "If she ever resisted I would have stopped." They moved to a pullout couch in the den, where she asked him to slap her, he said. "I did it three times, fast," he testified. "I was uncomfortable and embarrassed about what I was doing. She kept saying it's OK." He said his forearm was across her neck, and that he felt his arm getting wet, and saw blood. He went to get a towel and when he returned, she wasn't moving. "I shook her a little bit and I could hear air come out of her lungs," Garnier said. His testimony continues. Photo: Contributed Just like for a Christmas cookie, there's a recipe that goes into the making of a best-selling toy. Each year, toymakers hope they've found the perfect balance of technology, whimsy and price to appeal to children and their parents alike, sending their products racing to the top of the coveted "Hot Toy" lists. This year, Montreal-based WowWee Canada Inc. appears to have found the magic formula with Fingerlings, a line of animatronic baby monkeys who respond to touch and sound by blinking, chirping, and blowing kisses. They were released earlier this year and quickly sold out in stores, prompting frantic online searches by parents looking to secure one of the colourful 12-centimetre-long plastic toys in time for Christmas. As of this past Friday, various colours of Fingerlings made up three of the top five toys on Amazon.ca, and they've been described as one of the hottest toys of the year by Forbes.com, ToysRUS and Target. The product's runaway success is not entirely surprising to WowWee's creative director, Benny Dongarra, who was part of the Montreal team that designed the toy. He said he always believed it would be a huge hit but, then again, he believes that of every toy he makes. "It's hard to say, because we've seen that coming with a lot of items, but it actually came to fruition with Fingerlings," he said in an interview at the company's Montreal headquarters. While the toys are manufactured in China, they were conceived and designed at the historic red-brick building just south of Montreal's Lachine Canal that serves as office and toy lab. Fingerlings began with a simple idea from brand manager Sydney Wiseman, who'd been watching videos of a South American breed of monkeys called pygmy marmosets, who are small enough to wrap their arms and legs around a human finger. "She said, 'can we make this into a toy?'" Dongarra recalled. "I said, 'yeah, I think we can do that.'" There in the office, surrounded by the toy robots and remote-controlled dinosaurs of Christmases past, they began sketching, 3-D modelling and creating the early prototypes of what would become the Fingerling. Dongarra said the team knew almost from the outset it wanted the toy to be the same size as the marmoset, to cling to the finger of the person holding it and to respond to them through emotion, sound and touch. "We were sure pretty early on that we had a winner on our hands well, on our fingers," he said. The task of animating the toys fell to people like Anthony Lemire, a mechanical engineer who helped to design the toy's 40 or so sounds and movements. While WowWee has a long history of designing robotic toys, he says the challenge in this case was to include as many features as possible without surpassing the approximately $20 price tag. "We want to put as much technology as possible, but not overkill the product," he said. Once the prototypes were complete, the process shifted from Montreal to the company's Hong Kong office, which oversees the production and assembly. He said the total process took about nine months a quick turnaround Dongarra credits to the company's relatively small size. He believes the toy's popularity is due to its interactive personality and the fact parents like it, too. "It's cute, it's lovable, it's at the right price point, and your daughter or son is begging for it," he said. The toy's popularity has prompted WowWee to expand the Fingerlings line, which now includes a unicorn and a sloth. Photo: The Canadian Press Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Egypt on Monday, where he signed a deal to advance plans for a nuclear reactor but disappointed his hosts by delaying the resumption of direct flights that were suspended after the 2015 bombing of a Russian passenger plane. During Putin's second visit to Egypt in as many years, he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi appeared keen to cement their countries' ties, which have deepened in recent years as Moscow has expanded its reach across the region. "Russia always paid a special attention to expanding friendly and mutually beneficial ties with Egypt, our longtime reliable partner in the Middle East and North Africa," Putin said. El-Sissi said the two countries had "a relationship with a long history," characterized by "strength and durability." El-Sissi, who has visited Russia twice since taking office in 2014, has signed deals to buy billions of dollars' worth of Russian weapons, including fighter jets and assault helicopters. Last month, Russia approved a draft agreement with Egypt to allow Russian warplanes to use Egyptian military bases. The United States remains Egypt's main international backer, providing an estimated $1.3 billion in military and economic aid each year. But ties suffered a blow in 2013, when the Obama administration criticized the military overthrow of Egypt's first freely elected leader amid mass protests against his rule. Relations have improved under President Donald Trump, who has also sought better relations with Moscow. Neither Putin nor el-Sissi referred to the use of the air bases when they read prepared statements after their talks, a possible indicator of the sensitivity of the issue in Egypt, which has long rejected the basing of foreign forces on its territory. With Putin and el-Sissi looking on, officials from both countries signed the deal on the nuclear reactor. Egypt has reached an agreement in principle to borrow $25 billion, or roughly 80 per cent of the reactor's cost, from Russia. The signing of the agreement ends months of wrangling between the two sides over technical and financial details. Putin flew to Cairo after a brief and previously unannounced visit to a Russian military air base in Syria. The air base has served as the main foothold for the air campaign Russia has waged since September 2015 in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Egypt's increasingly close ties with Russia harken back to the 1950s and 1960s, when Cairo became a close Russian ally at the height of the Cold War. Egypt changed sides in the 1970s under the late President Anwar Sadat, who replaced Moscow with Washington as his country's chief economic and military backer following the signing of a U.S.-sponsored peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Egypt has since become a major recipient of U.S. aid. Alanna Kelly Mia, the pup who was inside a vehicle that was stolen on Sunday, has been returned safely to her owner. Hazel Ladhar delivers newspapers across Oliver and had pulled into the Chevron gas station at Main Street and Co-Op Avenue at about 5:15 a.m. She went inside to drop off the stack of newspapers and left Mia, wearing a red sweater with the word security, to guard her vehicle. When she was inside, the cashier alerted Ladhar that someone was driving away with her 2001 black Honda CR-V and Mia. Const. James Grandy said she was only inside the station for a few minutes before her vehicle was stolen. Monday morning, a woman was walking her dog beside Oliver Elementary School at about 5:30 a.m. when she noticed a small pup in a red sweater. She remembered seeing the news about the missing dog in a red sweater and got in contact with Ladhar immediately. She picked her up and took her to her house and phoned me and to meet her at the Oliver shoe store, recalls Ladhar. She owns the Oliver shoe store in town, she said. Ladhar said the woman was still holding Mia in her arms. I was just so happy to see her, said Ladhar with Mia barking in the background. I got my baby back. The other stuff is just stuff. The SUV is still missing, according to Grandy. UPDATE: 11:13 a.m. Okanagan College's Vernon campus got a big financial boost Monday for its new trades training centre, currently under construction. Local philanthropist George Galbraith and Kal Tire donated $250,000 each towards the Okanagan College Foundation's 'Bright Horizons Building for Skills' campaign for the new trades centre. The foundation's goal is to raise $1 million locally. One of the shops in the $6.2 million trades centre building will be named after Galbraith's son, Kieran, who died nine years ago. He was a mechanical engineer who worked in the electrical industry in the Kootenays for Fortis, said Galbraith. It's going to be recognition of his legacy. Galbraith expressed hope his donation would inspire others to contribute as well. Kal Tire spokesperson Tracy Cobb-Reeves expressed excitement over the new 13,450 sq. ft. facility. We know all too well the value of well-trained people. We hire them throughout our stores in Canada, said Cobb-Reeves. And to be able to have a facility that will deliver the level of quality trades training that this facility is going to have in B.C., is fantastic for the province, for the economy and for organizations like ours which are constantly trying to fill the critical role of trades people. "Both George Galbraith and Kal Tire are renowned for their philanthropy and civic spirit," said Jim Hamilton, college president. "Once again, they are supporting the community, this time through significant contributions to a leading-edge facility." The trades facility is on time and on budget with completion targeted for next spring, according to regional dean Jane Lister. The college foundation also announced a partnership with the Community Foundation of the North Okanagan (CFNO) to allow individuals and businesses to make a donation to the foundation's campaign. The first gift to the campaign was made in May by Keith Construction, a Vernon home building and renovation company. For more information or to donate, go online. ORIGINAL STORY 10:25 a.m. Vernon philanthropist George Galbraith and Kal Tire are donating $250,000 each towards the trades training building under construction at Okanagan College's Vernon campus. The college is working to raise $1 million locally. The building is on time and on budget said Vernon regional dean Jane Lister. It should be 90 percent complete by April, Lister said Photo: RCMP Vernon RCMP are asking the public's help to locate Blake Doyle, a local man. The RCMP are requesting the publics assistance in locating a missing Vernon man. Blake Doyle, 24, was last seen Dec. 2nd. There is nothing to indicate foul play at this time and police believe he is in the North Okanagan area, said Const. Kelly Brett, RCMP spokesperson for the North Okanagan detachment. She said police have followed up on several leads and possible sightings since Doyle's disappearance however he remains missing. Police are very concerned for Blakes health and well-being and friends and family report that it is out of character for him to be out of contact for this long. Doyle is described as a Caucasian male, about five-feet-seven-inches tall and with blonde hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the local police, remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 orvleaving a tip online at www.nokscrimestoppers.com. Photo: wikimedia commons Greyhound Canada is unveiling its proposal to help keep rural bus service running in large swaths of the province. The bus line is calling on government to create a fund to fill the gaps left by the company's proposed cuts in the Similkameen Valley, Northern B.C. and Vancouver Island. Federal and provincial governments, and large municipalities spend billions annually on urban transit services; B.C.s rural communities deserve transportation investments as well, a statement from Greyhound says. The proposed system would be open to First Nations and municipalities across B.C., funding a bidding process to secure private sector operators to connect regional hubs. Greyhound has been lobbying local governments for support for the plan in recent weeks. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure told Castanet this weekend subsidized rural bus services is being considered. In addition is stopping service to all of Northern B.C., Greyhound is proposing to cut all service to the Similkameen Valley, including Princeton, Keremeos and Manning Park. The Passenger Transportation Board of B.C. will release its decision on the cuts in early January. Today as I begin this writing it has been exactly 76 years since that terrible attack on our U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Admiral Kimmell was stunned when he saw the skies filled with Japanese attack aircraft on that fateful Sunday morning and could scarcely imagine, nor face, the reality of what was taking place. Long rumored, the U.S. was very skeptical that such an attack could actually happen - but here it was! Despite its significance and gravity I have not a single memory of the actual day, and I suspect that my parents were too upset to tell me about it. Neither was it discussed at school the following morning for about the same reason. The "sleeping giant" (meaning the U.S.) DID slowly awaken and spring to life as the Japanese brass had suspected. The Japanese had all the advantage of a surprise attack, and it would be hard for that sleeping giant to change into battle-gear instantaneously. An immense national "war effort" soon started up all across the country which involved every level of Society - from business executives down to school children. The new "war effort" demanded money, so War Bonds were quickly put on the market and the public urged to buy. Our young men were, of course, needed most of all, so were drafted by the thousands from the tranquility of civilian life directly into the military. Nearby Fort Oglethorpe, which had been a major Cavalry base in WWI and was still under Army control, suddenly grew again to the size of a small self-contained city. On weekends the streets of Chattanooga were filled with uniformed service-men and women trying to escape the rigors of their basic training for a few hours of liberty. Military Police jeeps were a common sight downtown. Fact is, however, that both me and my school friends heard very little about the new war which President Roosevelt had just declared. We knew very little of what was actually going on ; it was like our parents were trying to shield us from the realities of yet another "Great War" which they all vividly remembered . Our parents did most of the newspaper reading - and the radio stations - WDOD and WAPO mainly - only had 5 minute blurbs of news every hour - nothing to compare with all the TV news-channels we have today which bring every tiny detail to you in HD. Direct reports from overseas then came to the radio networks either by highly un-intelligible short-wave broadcasts, or equally garbled undersea cables. No satellite yet existed to beam perfect audio from overseas. When you saw the "Movietone" newsreels in the theaters on Saturday afternoon you were seeing "news" that was already at least two weeks old. - and in only black-and white. So a youngster of 6 - 8 - or 10 years of age only got a highly filtered or inexact view of what was really happening on the war front. It was a convoluted story told in disjointed segments. After Germany got involved I remember how my dad would sit in the kitchen of a morning reading about what "Mr. Hitler" had done as reported in the Chattanooga Times newspaper. Then we would all three listen to "Elmer Davis and the News" to see what he would say. I was older by this time and was able to understand better. But, as I said, the "war effort" was cranking up, and everyone was asked to be "patriotic". Principal Ethel Stroud of Anna B. Lacey Elementary School (in present East Ridge) supported the national scheme of "scrap drives", where all students were asked to bring scrap paper, scrap tin and iron - anything made out of metal...and I can show you to this day where it was all piled up between school building and playground! Someone would weigh your donation and students would later be awarded small prizes for bringing varying amounts of scrap material. Years afterward, a history teacher in my high school, (Kirkman) - Miss Charlotte Roesslein - used to say those scrap drives were the best clean-up America had ever had to date!) The war-effort also demanded some shifts in our comfortable civilian way of life, and as a result we were asked to give up MEAT, which became highly rationed on the home front so that "the boys" could eat well in the battlefields overseas. Such staples as SUGAR and COFFEE also vanished from our grocery-store shelves, meaning that our Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinner fixin's were severely cut short. Week-end jaunts by car to see Mama back in Whitwell, Soddy Daisy, or Sand Mountain became almost impossible because of GAS rationing. My dad had a windshield sticker on our '41 Plymouth entitling him to an extra gallon or two of gas per week as he was a government employee. Rationing of these staple items was seen as the greatest hardship to American citizens. You can readily imagine that some "black-marketeering" just might have existed back then! In earlier writings I have told how the mark of a decent child's toy had always been its METAL content, and its WEIGHT. Now, during the war years, the metal toys (mainly for boys) - wagons, tricycles, bicycles, etc., were all gone - as were items - like balls - which were made out of rubber. Rubber was another commodity needed for the war effort, and the synthetic stuff that replaced it simply did not match the quality of real rubber. Lack of plastic items was not even a consideration then, as plastics were still very much in their infancy. (At that time we had only"celluloid" - a hard pre-plastic composition material, and "cellophane", somewhat like the saran-wrap of today, but which tore readily). Many new toys made out of wood and cardboard were feeble efforts to replace metal and were frequently disgusting to even look at. After the war when better plastics produced by the "war effort" came on the market, Christmas trees made out of the new plastic appeared - and were widely ridiculed and rejected. Regardless of the war raging in Asia we did always manage to have a Christmas party at school with the traditional cookies or cake and ice-cream. Certain small quantities of sugar were available - especially to schools - for such events. We made and strung paper chains of red and green construction paper - probably like what is done even today. We definitely enjoyed Christmas, which was always a bright spot on our calendars. In town the city lighting on Market and Broad Streets was a pretty sight to behold. I actually think that some of our city's FIRST street lighting dates from the WWII era because I remember how my dad (who worked downtown) would come home from work talking about them. Market Street was an absolutely straight thoroughfare at that time, without the funny offsets of today. A view to the north from 9th Street looked like a magical tunnel created by the overhead festooned lights. Store windows of the day were all tastefully decorated by some highly skilled Display crews. Miller and Lovemans department stores always had superb displays which started at Thanksgiving with Santa Claus themes - then gradually changed to a more serious religious vein by Christmas Eve. Chattanooga stores were a delight to visit at Christmas - and many people will remember the great displays of the old Electric Power Board (at the northeast corner of 6th and Market Streets), and the awesome annual life-size Nativity scenes assembled by the Coca Cola Bottling Company on their parking lot between Market and Chestnut Streets at 3rd. An old-line jewelry store - Edwards and LeBron - (which was approximately next door to the present Fischer-Evans store) had only a comparatively small show-room which had an almost Dickensian "feel" to it and a Victorian color scheme to match. They would decorate their ceiling with festoons of red crepe-paper crowned by huge red bells made out of the same kind of paper - the kind that fold flat when not in use. Those bells along with the browns of the display cases, shining brass etc., served to create a quaint and almost magical effect. 1942 had been the year of our air-raid drills - which in their way were almost fun - though we understood their meaning. Ms. Stroud (school principal) rang a handbell manually to signify either a "fire drill" or and "air-raid drill". I forget the difference, but we always obeyed orders - always hearing from her later in chapel as to how we had done. As the war proceeded, Fort Oglethorpe continued its very useful service to the nation. Local churches got into the act by arranging places for the servicemen and women to meet with civilian folk and enjoy a Christmas dinner in the warmth of a private family's home. Definitely only "second best" to their own homes, but a very decent gesture and substitute. The Reverend Mr. Joe M. Hampton encouraged that at our church - and I think it was repeated throughout Chattanooga. That was possibly during 1942, '43, and '44. The "doughboys" of World War ONE had returned home to their family farms - content to be home again and in familiar surroundings. However the boys of World War TWO returned home to a far more sophisticated world than their fathers had known. Their aspirations were higher and their demands greater. You can almost prove that statement (about the farms) by looking at photos of Moccasin Bend made in the 1940's - where in that decade and earlier the bend was a crazy-quilt layout (as seen from Point Park on Lookout Mountain) of small farms with many fields - all of a different color. Compare those pictures with later pictures and you see the amazing difference - the concept of a "family farm" had all but disappeared. The boys of WWII wanted college degrees which would lead to some field of engineering and ultimately to the "American Dream". The newly-instigated "G.I. Bill of Rights" headed many of them in that direction. (Incidentally, you should check some of those pictures of Moccasin Bend - and of earlier Christmas lighting - in one or more of John Wilson's great books on Chattanooga). * * * Chester Martin is a native Chattanoogan who is a talented painter, sculptor and artisan as well as local historian. He and his wife, Pat, live in Brainerd. Mr. Martin can be reached at cymppm@comcast.net. The Tsinghua-Imperial Research and Innovation Fund, which brings together two of the worlds leading research universities, aims to kick-start innovative research projects and concepts that are showing signs of promise but are at an early stage in development and need funding to progress. The awards are expected to cover small-scale experiments, the development of prototypes, and will enable academics and students from both institutions to collaborate and exchange ideas more easily. Imperial and Tsinghua have invested an initial $300,000 into the programme over three years. If the fund succeeds, the universities anticipate significantly increasing their financial support. Imperials President Professor Alice Gast and Tsinghua Universitys Chairperson Professor Chen Xu signed the funding agreement at Imperials campus in South Kensington, London. The announcement coincides with the UK-China High Level People to People Dialogue. The Dialogue is a key pillar in the UK-China relationship, providing a forum to celebrate ties between the two countries, and a platform to drive greater co-operation. Solving global challenges Announcing the fund, Professor Alice Gast, President of Imperial College London, said: Imperial and Tsinghua have a shared ambition to support ground-breaking research and create successful partnerships. Both universities recognise the importance of bringing people together to exchange ideas and collaborate. This new fund will help our innovative academic staff to pursue ambitious collaborations and explore new areas of research." Speaking at the launch, Professor Chen, said: "This fund will facilitate faculties to work together on common global challenges, and help solve and alleviate those challenges. "We have a lot of interest in Imperial due to its excellence, and we also have a lot of alumni here." 'Double alumni' of both Imperial and Tsinghua include Mayor of Beijing Chen Jining and Director of Imperial's Data Science Institute Professor Yike Guo. Professor Chen added: "After President Xi Jinping's recent visit the whole of China pays special attention to Imperial College London. "I expect more collaboration in future to experiment and implement." Earlier in the day Professor Chen, researchers, officials from Tsinghua University and its corporate partners met academics and students from Imperial and visited its research laboratories. They visited Imperial's Centre for Bio-Inspired Technology where she met Professor Chris Toumazou, Dr Timothy Constandinou and Dr Song Luan. Professor Chen and the delegation from Tsinghua then visited the Data Science Institute where they were given a demonstration of the Data Observatory. Dr David Birch and Dr Kai Sun showed how the observatory, the largets of its kind in Europe, can be used to visualise data, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum transactions. Professor Chen then met Imperial's community of Tsinghua alumni, before touring Imperial's new White City campus. LAUDA is a global leader in precision temperature control in medical technology, material testing, bio-technology, laboratories, research and production. A new corporate design is intended to portray the uncompromising quality and comprehensive expertise of LAUDA all over the world. The company image has been completely overhauled by Munich branding agency Martin et Karczinski adequately to represent LAUDAs market position, reinforced by outstanding innovation. The core of the new brand identity is the recently developed word/image logo, together with a new claim. The logo consists of the degree character () used internationally for temperature measurements in a red/blue color gradient. The core expertise of the company Development of closed systems for controlling cold and hot temperatures is imparted visually and intelligently, and is easy to understand. The new claim, FAHRENHEIT. CELSIUS. LAUDA. also reinforces this. In a timeless and confident manner, the message conveys that LAUDA is the partner for precision temperature control thermostating. In order to ensure a degree of consistency and integrity in all company communication, the new color scheme and visual language are heavily influenced by the word/image logo. Accents in the primary colors of red and blue create an unmistakable tonality for the LAUDA brand, while relevant image content is emphasized with a sharp focus. The new visual language reinforces the brand values: focused and comprehensible. Noble ice gray in the typography creates a consistent, progressive style. The new LAUDA corporate design is intended to lay the foundations for a successful future. Brothers of Barcelona's player Lionel Messi, Rodrigo (L) and Matias, attend a training session of Barcelona at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on April 14, 2015. (FRANCK FIFE / AFP/Getty Images) BUENOS AIRES Matias Messi, older brother of Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel, has been sentenced to house arrest in Argentina for possession of a weapon, a prosecutor said Monday. Messi, 35, was to be discharged from hospital later Monday and transferred to his home in Rosario, 300 kilometers (190 miles) north of the capital Buenos Aires, head of the prosecutor's office for Cybercrimes and Weapons Lucas Altare said. Advertisement He was taken to hospital with facial injuries after being found in a drifting and blood-stained motorboat on November 30, apparently after colliding with a sandbank. He was arrested for possession of a firearm found in the boat. It's the second time that the star's brother has been arrested for possession of a firearm. The offense carries a jail sentence of between three- and-a-half and eight years. Advertisement "The guarantor of this house detention agreement is his father, Jorge Messi," said Altare, the prosecutor. Family lawyer Ignacio Carbone told reporters that the defendant "is a good person, he's not going to go on the run." 404 Try searching for the content you're looking for, or take a look at our recently published stories About a month into the school year, Elmwood Park parent Dean Pritt asked his son, Matthew, a fifth-grader at John Mills Elementary School, how his presentation went on a class project in which students were assigned to do research on a state. His son had come up with a lot of material on Minnesota. But on the day of the presentation, he told his father he had to limit it, because "there were so many kids in the class, we had to keep it to two minutes apiece," said Pritt, reporting the conversation. Advertisement His son's experience led Pritt to begin researching on his own, questioning other parents he knew at the school, at 2824 N. 76th Ave., about crowding in the four fifth-grade classes, running as high as 32 students, "and everyone I talked to had a story," he said. Superintendent Nicolas Wade said in remarks at a November meeting and in a followup interview and email that officials are closely monitoring the situation. He said the fifth-grade classes range in number between 29 and 32 students. Advertisement Pritt brought concerns to the District 401 school board meetings in October and November. The recently expired teachers contract stated that the goal of the board is to have class sizes of less than 30 for fourth through sixth grades, he noted, speaking at the Nov. 15 meeting. "On the district website, it proudly states that the pupil-teacher ratio in this district is 17 to 1," he said. "These numbers are certainly not being met in our fifth-grade classes, and as a concerned parent I'd like to ask why. Why aren't they being met? Why are our 125 children not getting their educational needs met? Why are they different than the other 2,700 children in the district?" "When we hand over kids for 13 years, it's 13 years," Pritt said in his address. "One year out of 13 years makes such a big difference in the development of these kids. They can't afford what they've already gone through." He conceded that officials may be reluctant to add a teacher this year because of the disruption it might bring. "But next year something has to be done," he said. "Our kids deserve better." Catherine Wittrock, president of the John Mills PTA, who had come to the November board meeting to speak on another subject, also spoke in support. Looking in on the rooms, "those kids are squashed like sardines," she told board members. "I mean they are packed. Those rooms are tiny, and the kids barely have work space." At the November meeting, Iris Keane, a student in one of the fifth-grade classes at Mills, addressed the board. The size of the classes can make it "hard to concentrate and work," she told board members. Wade said the district has added an additional aide and increased the time of a co-teacher in the classroom. In addition, the teachers are working with building and district administration to determine future resources where needed, he said. Advertisement In addressing excessive class sizes, another concern in such situations is "what our building capacity is," Wade said. "This is something the district office will be working with the building administration to look at. More specifically, what are tangible contingency plans that will provide a quality learning environment and not have the students being taught in the library or in the gymnasium or on the stage?" Class sizes for the other grades at the school range within each grade level, he said. Most of the primary grades fall in the low 20s and the other grades are mid-20s, Wade said. The 17-to-1 ratio as noted on the state report card is not entirely accurate because a class of six may be averaged with a class of 25, he said. In recent memory, the general education classroom has been in the mid-20s, he said. Typically, Wade said, the number of teachers is determined by the previous year's enrollment and re-evaluated as enrollment come in and settles. This year, though, the district saw a late surge of students, coming from Chicago and neighboring towns, "and usually the district sees a lot of students transfer out as school begins. That did not happen as much as it normally has." Pritt argued that officials should have been on guard last year with numbers already trending high at Mills. He and others questioned whether the situation at Mills was fallout from teacher-district contract negotiations, with teachers working without a contract the first part of the school year. Wade said the negotiations have not been a factor. Advertisement At the November meeting, District 401 Board President Mary Bruscato noted that board members, many with years of experience, have responded in the past when administrators have come forward and said they need additional teachers. "Until we have it (such a recommendation), they're the experts. We certainly aren't," she said, addressing Pritt and others. "We want the same thing you want for your kids. That's why we're here." All votes in the CO-3 election won't be counted until the end of this week China has launched its first cyberspace writers' village to encourage the development of online literature, reports zjol.com.cn. Zhang Wei, better known by the pen name "Tang Jia San Shao," has become the first chief of the village, which is located by White Horse Lake in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province. Zhang has been China's top-earning online writer for six consecutive years. Over a dozen online writers have signed agreements to station their teams in the village. The village will work as an incubator for cyberspace authors to write their works as well as communicating with each other. An exhibition on the development of China's online literature over the past two decades is being held in the village. Video clips of movies, TV dramas, and animations adapted from online literature are also on display. Favorable policies are being offered to attract more online writers. An official from Hangzhou High-tech Zone, where the village is located, said they are planning to create a complete industrial chain including online literature creation, project incubation, copyright trading, work adaption, and development of derivatives. The number of charging piles for electric cars has been surging in China amid the country's campaign to promote new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and fight pollution. By the end of October this year, 195,000 public charging piles for electric cars had been built in China, 82 percent more than the number at the end of October 2016, an official said. The number of privately-owned charging piles for electric cars saw an even bigger increase over the period, up 214 percent year on year to 188,000, Guo Wei, an official from National Energy Administration, said at a forum in Beijing on Saturday. In China, the world's largest auto market, the government is a staunch supporter of NEVs, seeing them as a way to ease pressure on the environment. The government is mulling plans to ban the production and sale of diesel and petrol cars, but no timetable and details have yet been unveiled. A slew of measures, including tax exemptions, discounts for car purchases and an order for government organizations to buy more new energy cars, are in place to encourage the use of NEVs. Last year, China sold 507,000 NEVs, an increase of 53 percent year on year. Sales of pure electric vehicles surged 65.1 percent year on year to 409,000, accounting for 80 percent of new energy vehicle sales, official data showed. An earlier guideline by the State Council said China would build more than 12,000 new charging stations before 2020 to fulfill the demands of over 5 million NEVs. Implementing a big data strategy to better serve the country's development and improve people's lives should be accelerated, President Xi Jinping said at a key meeting. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark at a collective study session of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau on Friday. We should target cutting-edge technology and mobilize prime resources to make breakthroughs in developing core big data technology, and accelerate building an independent and controllable industrial chain, value chain and ecosystem of big data, Xi said. The president called for efforts to advance national big data strategy, improve digital infrastructure, promote integration and sharing of digital resources and safeguard data security. The market should play a key role in the mission, and data must work as a bridge to integrate production, study and research, he said. A group of pioneering companies and a varied and diverse talent workforce also should be established, he said. Xi underscored the importance of building a digital economy with data as a key factor, highlighting the fact that research on and use of big data is indispensable in building a modern economy. The internet, big data and artificial intelligence and the real economy all should be interconnected, the president said, adding that industrialization and the use of information should be integrated deeper. Xi also emphasized the necessity of using big data to improve governance. A nationwide information-sharing platform should be set up with the use of e-government and smart city systems. He also ordered efforts to improve internet governance and clean up cyberspace. Xi urged a better use of big data in improving people's well-being, calling for the advancement of internet plus education, internet plus medical treatment and internet plus culture to further ensure citizens' equitable access to public services. He called for solving problems, especially prominent problems that relate to people's well-being, urging the widespread use of big data in areas such as education, employment, social security, medicine and the healthcare system, housing and transportation. Big data also should be used extensively in implementing targeted poverty reduction and environmental protection, he said. Efforts also should be made to safeguard and secure the nation's data, Xi said, urging strengthened ability to protect crucial data resources, speed up relevant legislation and improve protection of data property rights. Protection of technical patents, digital copyrights and individual privacy should be enhanced to safeguard people's interests, social stability and national security, the president said. He pressed for increasing research on international data governance rules and urged leading officials at all levels to intensively study big data and improve their ability to use big data in their work. You are here: China China supports the Iraqi government in safeguarding national stability and advancing economic recovery, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi Saturday officially declared the full liberation of Iraq from Islamic State militants, after Iraqi forces recaptured all areas held by the extremist group. Spokesperson Lu Kang told a news briefing that China congratulated Iraq on its successful anti-terrorism war, noting it marked positive progress in global anti-terrorism cooperation. "China hopes Iraq can achieve national stability and development at an early date," Lu said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi [File photo] Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in the national capital New Delhi to participate in the 15th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) on December 11, 2017, hosted by India. It is expected that the trilateral meeting will review global and regional issues of mutual interest as well as discuss trilateral exchanges and activities. Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are expected to have bilateral meetings along with Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind. It is believed that under the joint efforts of the three parties, this meeting will achieve expected outcomes. Since 2002 the RIC trilateral dialogue has functioned as a complement to other frameworks involving Russia, India and China, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. The RIC is unique because all three countries are world powers with significant interests in the Eurasian and Asia-Pacific strategic spaces. Though the RIC meetings focuses on exchanging views between the three countries on larger issues, the trilateral is limited by the proximity of the bilateral relationships contained within it. During the tripartite meeting, the areas where the three leaders will spend considerable attention are the issues of international terrorism, Afghanistan and West Asia. Wang Yi's visit to New Delhi holds special significance as this is the first visit by a top Chinese official to India after General Secretary Xi Jinping got elected for a second five-year term in October. The RIC meeting will be followed by China's State Counselor Yang Jiechi's India visit to attend the 20th round of special representatives' border talks in the third week of December. These indicate both sides are now eager to turn a new page on the post-Donglang episode. It can be said that the year 2017 is going to end on a positive note in the form of RIC tripartite dialogue and Yang Jiechi's India visit. Wang Yi's visit has come against the backdrop of an Indian unmanned aerial vehicle entering the same Chinese location where a standoff broke off not too long ago between the Chinese and Indian militaries. Sino-Indian ties were severely strained by the standoff which ended with a mutual "disengagement" after 71 days in August. It is hoped that Wang's visit will focus more on the Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN connectivity. It has been revealed that the foreign ministers will issue a joint communique which should have the following: primary role and responsibility the states have in countering terrorism, stopping the cross country movement of terrorists and mentioning of Pakistan-based terror groups that target India, and early adoption of the UN convention on International Terrorism. According to Indian media reports, during the meeting with her Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the RIC trilateral, the Indian foreign minister will exchange notes on "hotspot issues" of bilateral ties with China raising two key problems China blocking India's membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and vetoing New Delhi's repeated efforts to proscribe Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief Masood Azhar. It is hoped that the RIC meeting will bring India and China closer as both countries are victim of terrorism. However, the ways of countering terrorism between the two nations are quite contradictory. Here, it is worth mentioning that the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping of the five emerging economies had unequivocally named the Pakistan based groups Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as terror organizations in the Xiamen BRICS declaration this year which is a big relief for India. On the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, India's stance is likely to remain the same, which is that even though it is in favor of connectivity, sovereignty remains supreme. India is concerned about the initiative's flagship project; the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), claimed by India. For India, China remains an important neighbor and the aim should be to build on areas of convergence and commonality. Open regional cooperation is key to stimulating the vitality of South Asian regional integrity. India and China should seek common ground while strengthening cooperation with South Asian countries to promote regional integration. Ye Hailin, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has rightly remarked, "While China and India should seek consensus on the latter's pursuit of interference-less industrialization, New Delhi needs to realize that the sort of regional dominance it wants is neither in the spirit of the global trend nor sustainable." In recent years, India and China are emerging on the global stage and bringing the world greater prosperity. Interaction and cooperation on global issues between the two neighbors is becoming increasingly common but at the same time there is a gap in mutual understanding. Economics and trade is without question the area in which the two countries most closely interact. In the next five years, China will invest $750 billion globally and import $8 trillion of commodities and services. It is hoped that India will be able to get a big chunk of those investment and import orders. The RIC meeting after the Xiamen BRICS summit is another opportunity for India to interact with China to take forward bilateral ties through confidence building measures (CBM). China sees India as a partner for win-win cooperation and has no intention to threaten India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping had a meeting on September 5 this year to discuss how to enhance the relationship leaving behind the Donglang episode. It is hoped that Wang Yi's visit will take forward the relations between India and China. Rabi Sankar Bosu, Secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, West Bengal, India Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash An Israeli security guard was seriously wounded Sunday by a Palestinian knifeman outside Jerusalem's central bus station, the police said. The suspect, a 24-year-old Palestinian resident of the West Bank, stabbed the security guard and fled the scene, said a police statement, describing it as a "terror attack." He was chased and arrested by a civilian and a policeman nearby, it added. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said that the 25-year-old Israeli guard sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The incident occurred amid growing tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's recent decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital despite strong opposition and protests from the Palestinians and Muslims across the world. Trump also ordered the State Department to start immediately the process of relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. To protest Trump's announcement, the Palestinians called for three "days of rage." Protests were held in the past days in the Palestinian territories, many cities in Muslim countries, as well as some European capitals. Four Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured in their clashes with Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip and West Bank over the weekend. On Friday, two Palestinian protesters were killed and 98 others were wounded in clashes in the Palestinian territories. A number of Palestinian protesters were also arrested at the Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem during skirmishes with Israeli security forces after the Friday prayers. The two other Palestinians killed were believed to be Hamas members, who lost their lives in Gaza Strip Friday during airstrikes launched by Israeli military in retaliation against Hamas' firing of three rockets into Israel from the enclave. Flash Brexit Secretary David Davis said Sunday the odds of Britain exiting the European Union without a deal had dropped dramatically following an agreement both sides reached in Brussels on Friday. In a Sunday media interview Davis said the deal struck by Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday was a statement of intent and not legally enforceable. Its aim, he said, was to move to the next phase of negotiations with EU negotiators. Without the landmark progress made in Brussels, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker would not have been able to recommend this week's meeting of the European Council to agree to talks on Britain's post-Brexit relationship moving to the next important phase. Davis wants to secure a free-trade deal with no tariffs when it leaves the EU. In the interview he described it as "Canada plus plus plus" deal. This was a reference to a free trade deal struck between Canada and the EU, but Davis wants Britain's EU deal to include financial services included in the tariff-free area. This is seen as critical to protect a lucrative sector for Britain, particularly the City of London and the multi-billion dollar banking cluster in London, both a key part of the British economy. Davis said he wanted a bespoke Brexit deal with the EU, saying: "We'll probably start with the best of Canada, and the best of Japan and the best of South Korea and then add to that the bits that are missing which is the services." He also said he believes Britain and the EU can strike a substantive trade deal within a year. Britain is also committed to keeping a frictionless and invisible border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, said Davis, adding a way would be found to achieve this in the event of a "no deal" Brexit. Keir Starmer, Brexit spokesman for the main opposition Labour Party, said in a Sunday interview that he wanted a partnership with the EU that retains the benefits of the European single market and the customs union. May is scheduled to hold a formal meeting of her cabinet, comprising her senior ministers, within a few days to discuss the progress on Brexit talks. Britain has agreed a divorce deal of around 39 billion pounds (US$52.2 billion) to leave the EU, but a final settlement will only be paid if a future trade deal is agreed by both sides. Flash Iraq's military Sunday paraded in Baghdad Green Zone to celebrate the full liberation of Iraqi lands from the Islamic State (IS) group. The parade was held in the morning at the Celebrations Square in the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the main government offices and foreign embassies, and was attended by the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is the Commander-in-Chief of Iraqi forces, Xinhua correspondent on the scene said. Top Iraqi officers from the ministries of defense and interior also attended the parade, he said. Iraqi warplanes and helicopters flew over the Celebrations Square as Iraqi tanks, armored vehicle, artillery, infantry and other forces marched in the square, he added. On Saturday night, Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from the extremist IS group after the security forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group. "I announce to the Iraqi people and all the world that our forces have reached the last redoubts of Daesh (IS) and have raised the Iraqi flag over areas of western Anbar (province) which was the last occupied land by IS," Abadi said in a televised speech. However, Abadi warned Iraqis to "remain alert and ready to confront any terrorist attempt that may target our people and our land," despite the announcement of victory over IS. Earlier on Saturday, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rasheed Yarallah, commander of western Iraq operations, announced the liberation of all Iraqi lands from IS militants after seizing the whole border areas and desert in western Iraq. "The liberation of all Iraqi lands from the IS has been completed and our heroic forces have tightened their grab on the Iraqi-Syrian border," Yarallah said. The army forces and the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi brigades, backed by Iraqi helicopter gunships, managed to take control of the whole desert areas between the provinces of Nineveh and Anbar, he said. Meanwhile, observers warned that Abadi's declaration does not mean the terrorist group has no ability to carry out attacks as it is still able to attack through its sleeper cells in the country. On Nov. 17, the Iraqi forces ended the first phase of the offensive when they drove out IS militants from their last urban stronghold in Iraq and raised the Iraqi flag over the buildings of the city of Rawa and nearby border areas in north of the Euphrates River. The IS militants seized large swathes of territory in Iraq in 2014, when government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions. Flash French President Emmanuel Macron told visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give chance to peace process in the Middle East by taking "courageous gestures" toward Palestinians to end the deadlock. "France remains convinced that the only solution... is to allow the establishment of two states living side by side in peace and that this can emerge through negotiation," said Macron. "I say to him (Netanyahu) to let a chance to peace, make a gesture toward the Palestinians. Peace does neither depend on the United States alone nor France. It depends on the ability of Israeli and Palestinian leaders to do so," he added. In a joint press conference with the Israeli top official, the French President pointed to the necessity that Tel Aviv freezes settlements to send message of confidence to Palestinians in a bid to resume talks and "break the current stalemate." Speaking about the U.S. initiative to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Macron reiterated that it was "contrary to international law and dangerous to peace." "I disapprove (U.S. President Donald) Trump declaration as it is not in accordance with the international law. I decided not to be consistent with this perspective," he told reporters. For his turn, Netanyahu said "Peace (talks) will progress if the Palestinians recognize the reality of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. " "The most important thing about peace is first of all to recognize that the other side has a right to exist... If Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas wants peace, then he comes and sits down and negotiates with Israel," he added. Brokered by the U.S., the last direct peace negotiations stopped in April 2014 as rival camps failed to come out with tangible results due to differences on major issues like settlement, security, borders and the recognition of a Palestinian state. You are here: World Flash Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters outside the US Embassy in Lebanon on Sunday during a demonstration against President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The main road leading to the US Embassy has been barricaded by the security forces. Several people were injured by rocks and tear gas, according to AFP. There have been three days of protests across Lebanon, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, including those who fled Israel after it was founded, and their descendants. The demonstrators, many wearing black and white scarves, chanted slogans denouncing Trump. Trump's recognition of Jerusalem has infuriated the Arab world and upset Western allies, who say it is a blow to peace efforts and risks causing further unrest in the Middle East. On Saturday, the Arab League condemned the US decision, saying the move would increase violence throughout the region. The announcement by Trump on Wednesday was a "dangerous violation of international law," had no legal impact and was "void," the Arab League said in a statement after a session attended by all its members in Cairo. Flash Thousands of Turks on Sunday rallied in Istanbul against the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The demonstrators, following the call of several activist groups and the conservative Felicity Party, poured into the Yenikapi Square, waving Palestinian and Turkish flags. "We can only respond to this global siege with a global resistance and intifada," Temel Karamollaoglu, leader of the Felicity Party, told the crowd. He called on Islamic countries to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine "in a very short time period," and cut their military, political, economic and diplomatic relations with Israel. A group of protesters set fire to a puppet representing U.S. President Donald Trump while shouting slogans against Israel and the U.S. They chanted "Thousands of greetings to Gaza from Istanbul," and "We salute Hamas and continue to resist." They were referring to the militant Palestinian group Islamic Hamas movement, which has been fighting a war with Israel over the past decades. Earlier in the day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital as "null and void." Defying opposition and warnings from the Palestinians and Muslims across the world, Trump on Wednesday announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed holy city. Erdogan has threatened to cut off diplomatic ties with Israel and called for an emergency summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Dec. 13. The status of Jerusalem is the core issue in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, as the Palestinians are seeking to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. After taking over East Jerusalem in the 1967 war, Israel unilaterally declared whole Jerusalem as its eternal capital in 1980, a move that has never been recognized by the international community. Flash China and the United States should enhance mutual trust to secure more promising bilateral relations. This was one of the messages of a panel discussion on the theme of "The Rebalancing of Sino-U.S. Relations" during the Sanya Forum 2017, a forum for international dialogue held in Sanya, Hainan Province from Dec. 9-10. In a new context of both competition and cooperation, building mutual trust is the largest challenge facing China and the U.S. in maintaining sound bilateral relations, said Zhang Baijia, former deputy director of the Party History Research Center of the CPC Central Committee at the panel discussion on Dec. 10. According to the scholar of Chinese diplomatic history, Sino-U.S. relations need to be rebalanced because the relative strength of the two countries has changed, manifested by closing gap in composite national strength and increasingly intense competition in military, economic, financial and technological fields. Zhang observed that the relations between the two countries involve global, bilateral and most crucially regional issues. Because the modernization of Asia-Pacific countries converged after the initiation of Chinas reform and opening up, contemporary Sino-U.S. relations concern the future not only of China but also Asia as a whole. Steve Orlins, president of National Committee on United States-China Relations, said some U.S. actions, such as the self-initiated anti-dumping investigations, were undermining mutual trust. "I think domestic factors have an enormous effect on U.S.-China relations. Its important that we look for specific actions to maintain positive momentum so that the people of America can understand that U.S.-China relations are in their benefit," he said. William Zarit, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said communication was critical to the U.S.-China economic relationship. The Trump administration thought past communication mechanisms, including the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, strategic and economic dialogue as well as talks at both working and senior levels, were ineffective and has sought to create a more comprehensive economic dialogue, said Zarit. "But nobody is talking about it now. I am hoping that we will reestablish good communications at all levels on the bilateral economic relationship," he said. According to its chairman, the American Chamber of Commerce in China established three policy priorities which it thought would be constructive approaches to improving commercial ties: building trust through clarity and consistency, promoting development through open investment, and stimulating innovation through global cooperation. Li Ruogu, former chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of China, agreed with Zarit, suggesting China fulfill a related commitment to increase transparency, predictability and fairness, which are significant drivers of new foreign investment for China. He added the most important measure to enhance mutual trust on the Chinese side is to continue taking its own economic development as the top priority. Other participants of the panel discussion included Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies of Peking University; Chu Shulong, professor of School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University; and Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The panel discussion was presided over by Zhang Yandong, deputy managing editor of Caijing Magazine, the organizer of the forum. Flash Hundreds of people from the Chinese, Korean and Philippine communities in San Francisco gathered here Sunday to remember about 300,000 Chinese people brutally killed in a horrible massacre by Japanese invaders 80 years ago. The annual event, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of Nanjing Massacre this year, was held as a tribute to the innocent Chinese people indiscriminately slaughtered in six weeks by the invading Japanese troops. On Dec. 13, 1937, Japanese invaders occupied Nanjing, the then capital of China during World War II, and then mercilessly launched a carnage of destruction, pillage, rape and slaughter in the city. More than 300,000 Chinese were killed by the Japanese troops in the following six weeks. More than 20,000 Chinese women and girls were raped or killed by the Japanese troops during the same six weeks. Jennifer Cheung, chairwoman of the Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition and one of the organizers of Sunday's event, said that the memorial activity was held to promote peace instead of harboring hatred towards the Japanese people. The Japanese government has repeatedly refused to apologize for the war crimes committed by the war-time imperial Japanese troops and continued to deny the fact that approximately 200,000 Asian women and girls, including Chinese young women, were forced into sexual servitude for Japanese soldiers during World War II, Cheung said. The female survivors, who were exploited by the Japanese forces as sexual slaves, also known as "Comfort Women", have never had the overdue apology from the Japanese government, she added. "No real peace could come true without the apology from the Japanese government," said Cheung, whose remarks received thunderous applause from the audience. Zha Liyou, acting consul general of China in San Francisco, told the audience on the same occasion that the Nanjing Massacre was a crime against humanity and the darkest page in modern human history. "We are here today to honor the Chinese compatriots killed in the Nanjing Massacre, to remember the profound sufferings inflicted by the Japanese aggressors, and reaffirm our commitment to oppose war of aggression and safeguard world peace," Zha said. Apart from the Chinese attendees, members from Korean and Philippine communities in San Francisco, who shared the same or similar war-time memories caused by the Japanese army, also participated in Sunday's ceremony to demonstrate their strong support for their Chinese friends. The annual event was organized by the Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition, the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WWII in Asia, the San Francisco Committee for Promoting Unification of China, and the "Comfort Women" Justice Coalition. In February 2014, China's top legislature designated Dec. 13 as the national memorial day for victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Flash The European Union (EU)'s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday reiterated that the bloc backs a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Jerusalem as the capital of both parties along 1967 lines. Speaking to the press before a meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modherini said it is in Israel's interest to find a sustainable and comprehensive solution to the chronic conflict. The EU's top diplomat also condemned "in the strongest way" attacks on Jews "everywhere in the world" in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial decision to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel earlier this month. Standing alongside Mogherini, Netanyahu stressed that Jerusalem has been Jews' capital for 3,000 years. He hailed Trump as "putting the fact squarely on the table," adding that "peace is based on recognizing the reality." "Jerusalem is Israel's capital, no one can deny," the prime minister said. Netanyahu made the diplomatic foray to Brussels after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday, amid international uproar following Trump's decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The U.S. leader also instructed relocating the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city At a joint press conference with Macro, Netanyahu insisted that "Peace (talks) will progress if the Palestinians recognize the reality of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel." Mogherini expressed "serious concern" over Trump's announcement regarding Jerusalem and termed the move a "gift" to extremists and to those not interested in peace. In the past few days, protests and demonstrations have been held in the Palestinian territories of West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as in many other cities in the Middle East and elsewhere. Israel has controlled the western part of Jerusalem since its inception in 1948. It seized control of East Jerusalem in 1967 and declared the city as its eternal capital in 1980. Palestinians see eastern Jerusalem as the future capital of their state. Jerusalem is home to holy sites to Islam, Judaism and Christianity, making it a focal point for many people around the globe. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and no foreign countries base their embassies in the city. Flash A meeting hall solemnly decked with white flowers and black ribbons in downtown San Francisco, was adorned with sombre black-and-white pictures of World War II victims. In a ceremony held here, a 20-minute preview of a documentary depicting horrifying footage of killings, raping and looting by Japanese troops brought audience back to the gruesome days of manslaughter in Nanjing in southern China 8 decades ago. Still yet to be completed, the two-hour documentary produced by independent American scholar, Adam Jonas Horowitz, was specially presented at this Sunday's ceremony, where hundreds of people from Chinese, Korean and Philippine communities in San Francisco, a major multi-ethnic city on the west coast of the United States, gathered to commemorate the 300,000 Chinese people brutally killed in a horrible massacre by Japanese invaders decades ago. The appalling footage of Chinese men and women, including grey-haired villagers and infants, shot or bayoneted to death, and young women raped recklessly by invading Japanese troops, was filmed by Western journalists during the massacre in Nanjing, a city in southeast China, in World War II. "The films about the war crime by the Japanese forces were strictly banned and covered up by Japanese wartime authorities at the time, but some of them were smuggled out by Western journalists or missionaries who risked their lives to expose the Japanese atrocities, which made it possible for us today to seek the truth of history," Horowitz told Xinhua. Horowitz said he has spent many years studying the history of Japan's aggression in Asia, particularly the Nanjing Massacre, which prompted him to produce the documentary as a reminder for people, especially the younger generations, that justice must be held and peace be maintained. Sunday's commemoration, an annual event that coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre this year, was held to pay tribute to the innocent Chinese people indiscriminately slaughtered in six weeks by the invading Japanese troops, starting from Dec. 13, 1937. More than 20,000 Chinese women and girls were raped or killed by the Japanese forces during the six weeks of destruction, pillage, rape and slaughter in the city. Jennifer Cheung, chairwoman of Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition and one of the organizers of Sunday's event, said the remembrance activity was held to promote peace instead of harboring hatred toward the Japanese people. The Rape of Nanjing happened 80 years ago, but "to the victims who are still alive, it still feels like yesterday," Cheung said. "These victims are still enduring horrible memories and some of them carrying physical and psychological wounds that will never go away," she said. The Japanese government has repeatedly refused to apologize for the war crimes committed by the war-time imperial Japanese troops and continued to deny the fact that approximately 200,000 Asian women and girls, including Chinese young women, were forced into sexual servitude for Japanese soldiers during World War II, Cheung said. The survivors of those victimized females, who were exploited by the Japanese forces as sexual slaves in the name of "Comfort Women," have never obtained an apology due from the Japanese government, she added. "No real peace could come true without the apology from the Japanese government," said Cheung, whose remarks received thunderous applause from the audience. Zha Liyou, Chinese deputy consul general in San Francisco, told the audience on the same occasion that the massacre was a crime against humanity and the darkest page in modern human history. "We are here today to honor the Chinese compatriots killed in the Nanjing Massacre, to remember the profound sufferings inflicted by the Japanese aggressors, and reaffirm our commitment to oppose war of aggression and safeguard world peace," Zha said. Sam Ng, president of the Committee to Promote the Reunification of China, said "Dec. 13, 1937 was the darkest day in the Chinese history ... Even today, the Japanese government is still trying to bury the truth of the war crime committed by the Japanese troops." The Japanese government must acknowledge the war crimes and apologize to the Chinese and Korean people, he said. "No apology, no peace!" Ng chanted at the end of his speech amid loud applause from the audience. Arron Peskin, one of the board of supervisors of San Francisco city, recalled his Jewish father and families who ran high risks of fleeing Nazi Germany to the United States during the Second World War. He said his father went through many hardships before arriving at the United States and finally worked at University of California, San Francisco for more than 40 years on the history of Nazi persecution of the Jewish people. After Japan's surprise attack at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the U.S. government put more than 100,000 Japanese Americans in the concentration camps in the following year, Peskin said. However, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill in 1988 to apologize for the injustice of the American government, he added. "If we can do that, the nation state of Japan can do that 80 years later," Peskin said. A seven-year-old boy, who sat quietly among the audience throughout the commemoration ceremony, said after the event that he did not know the history of the Asian people who suffered under Japanese aggression, but he was willing to come along with his parents to such an event and learn more about the past. Apart from the Chinese attendees, members from Korean, Philippine and African communities in San Francisco, who shared the same or similar war-time memories caused by the Japanese army, also participated in the event to demonstrate their strong support for their Chinese friends. The annual event was organized by Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition, the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WWII in Asia, the San Francisco Committee to Promote the Reunification of China, and the "Comfort Women" Justice Coalition. The year 2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, which is seen in China as the lowest point of an era when the country was bullied and humiliated by foreign powers. In February 2014, China's top legislature designated Dec. 13 as the national memorial day for victims of the massacre. Flash The delegation of the Syrian government headed by its representative to the UN, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, met and held discussion with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura in UN's Geneva headquarters on Monday morning. A source close to the Syrian government delegation said that the delegation arrived in Geneva on Sunday to participate in the second stage of the new round of UN-led Intra-Syrian peace talks. The government delegation left the talks on Dec. 2 for a weekend break and "further consultations" and did not return back to Geneva on Dec 5, the day set by UN to resume the talks. The UN envoy had met the Syrian opposition delegation for several bilateral talks last week during the government delegation's absence. De Mistura said earlier at the beginning of this round of the talks that the biggest obstacle now was "trust". The new round of the UN-led Syrian peace talks started on Nov. 28 and has been scheduled to be held here in Geneva till Dec. 15. COLOMBO - Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday that his country had joined the Belt and Road Initiative with the launch of operations at the Hambantota Port through a joint venture with China. The port was handed over to the China Merchant Ports Holdings on a 99-year lease agreement at a ceremony, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority together with CMPH will manage the operations of the southern facility. "Today we have made arrangements for the management and long-term success of the Hambantota Port. This Sri Lankan and Chinese joint venture, which has taken over the management of this port, and its operations will ensure an additional port in the Indian Ocean," Wickremesinghe said. About fifty global leaders are expected to attend the One Planet Summit on Tuesday in Paris hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron to decide what steps to take after the US government left the Paris Climate Change Agreement. China's Vice-Premier Ma Kai, as the special envoy of President Xi Jinping, will attend the gathering on finance in support of climate action, according to the Foreign Ministry. The one-day event, on Dec 12, will take place on the anniversary of 197 countries adopting the Paris Agreement in 2015. Macron reportedly will announce 12 projects at the event, which will be jointly organized by the French government, the United Nations and the World Bank. The politicians, business leaders and academics will discuss scaling-up finance for climate action, greening finance for sustainable business, accelerating local and regional climate action and strengthening policies for ecological and inclusive transition. When US President Donald Trump announced his administration's intention to leave the Paris Agreement, Macron decided to host this event to "make the planet great again" at the G20 summit held in Germany in July. After signing Paris Agreement, China has consistently turned the international commitments into domestic action, which have been shown in its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). During his recent meetings with European officials, China's new Ambassador to the EU Zhang Ming also pledged that China will be working with the EU to strength multilateral global governance and boost cooperation on climate change. The experts have hoped that this event can see some tangible actions from the developed economies in technology transfer and financial help to poorer countries, which have been discussed for a decade. "It is not bad though, and in times when leaders, like Donald Trump, are taking steps in the wrong direction, it is good to show willingness to move forward," said Dennis Pamlin, senior adviser to the Research Institutes of Sweden. Pamlin said China's experiences in building some low-carbon cities can be shared at the summit, and it is also a good opportunity to discuss the Belt and Road Initiative and build zero-carbon or low-carbon global infrastructure in support of a zero-carbon global economy. "Hopefully some stakeholders will take the opportunity in Paris to highlight that concrete action is what we really need," said Pamlin. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 12/11/2017 page12) As a sociologist who studies family and marriage trends, I predict that in the coming years, well see a growing wave of mainstream media and academic stories contending that religion, especially evangelical Christianity, hurts women, children, and families. These stories will be framed around one key question: Is faith a force for ill in family lifefrom marriage in general to domestic violence in particular? In recent years, the question has focused especially on spousal abuse against women. For example, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) recently published a report titled, Submit to your husbands: Women told to endure domestic violence in the name of God. The subtitle, too, issued a similar claim: Advocates say the church is not just failing to sufficiently address domestic violence, it is both enabling and concealing it. The series, which set off a firestorm between defenders and critics, exposed numerous cases of battered Christian wives who had been neglected or let down by their pastor or Christian counselor. Spotlighted by both ABCs online and television coverage, the story left the impression that some evangelicals support for gender traditionalism and male headship set the stage for abusive behavior. Although it ran in a major outlet half a world away, the story is suggestive of the kind of coverage that is likely to become more common here in the United States. This story and others like it, however, underscore common misperceptions about how religion impacts male behavior in marriage. So, what does the science tell us? Are some forms of evangelical Protestantism bad for marriage and good at fostering domestic violence? The answer is complicated, since some research suggests that gender traditionalism fuels domestic violence. For example, a study in the Lancet found that domestic abuse was higher in regions across the globe where norms related to male authority over female behavior are more common. In general, however, the answer to these questions is no. In my previous book, Soft Patriarchs, New Men: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands, I found that women married to churchgoing evangelical mencompared to women married to men in other major religious traditions or women married to unaffiliated menreport the highest levels of happiness. Their self-reports were based on two markers: love and affection you get from your spouse and understanding you receive from your spouse. This same demographic of women also report the highest levels of quality couple time. My newer book Soul Mates: Religion, Sex, Love and Marriage among African Americans and Latinos, co-written with sociologist Nicholas Wolfinger, reveals similar findings. Men and women who attend church together are almost 10 percentage points more likely to report that they are happy or very happy in their relationships, compared to their peers who attend separately or simply dont attend religious services at all. On average, then, evangelicals (as well other religious believers in the United States) who attend church regularly enjoy higher quality marriages compared to their less religious or secular peers. But are their marriages safer? My research suggests that wives married to churchgoing evangelical men are comparatively safe. In the National Survey of Families and Households, husbands and wives were both asked if their arguments had gotten physical in the last year, and, if so, if they or their partner had become physically violent. By these measures, churchgoing evangelical Protestant husbands were the least likely to be engaged in abusive behavior. Article continues below Research that looks solely at the impact of church attendance comes to similar conclusions. Sociologist Christopher Ellison and his colleagues found that women who were married or cohabiting were significantly less likely to report abuse if they regularly attended religious services. According to their study, compared with a woman who never attends religious services, a woman who shares similar demographic characteristics but attends several times a week is roughly 40% less likely to be a victim of domestic violence. Not surprisingly, they also found that men who attend religious services several times a week are 72% less likely to abuse their female partners than men from comparable backgrounds who do not attend services. What about nominal Christian men? Are they more or less prone to spousal abuse? Although the empirical story of religion and domestic violence looks good for practicing believers, its much less rosy for others. My research suggests that the most violent husbands in America are nominal evangelical Protestants who attend church infrequently or not at all. The reasons are not entirely clear. Its possible they believe Christian teaching about male headship gives them a hitting license. Or perhaps their class or culturemany of these men hail from parts of the South and Appalachia populated by working-class Scots-Irish descendants with a greater propensity for violent behavior explains these results. Religiously mixed couples may also have a greater risk for domestic violence, especially theologically conservative men married to women who do not share their religious views. In these cases, religion is not protective against abuse. Are there other cases in which religion is bad for marriage? Some research indicates that extrinsic religion can be problematic. Someone who practices extrinsic religion attends church or participates in other religious practices as a way to placate a spouse, impress community members, or alleviate a guilty conscience. One study found that men motivated by extrinsic religious concerns were more likely to be abusive towards their partners. Because this study was not based on a nationally representative sample of men, the findings are only suggestive. Nonetheless, it is certainly plausible that men motivated to engage in religious activities for largely or solely extrinsic reasons are worse husbands and fathers. Taken as a whole, what does the evidence suggest? In general, setting aside nominal Christians, the research indicates that evangelical Protestantism does not pose the kind of risks that are often alleged. Indeed, at least judging from studies here in the US, it looks like churchgoing may well help men steer clear of violence. How, exactly, does religion have a positive impact on marriage? In general, religion tends to impact married people quite positively. The family-friendly social networks, the higher propensity of religious couples to pray for their spouse, and the psychological comfort of faith all generally help to strengthen marriages. Two of these factorsthe social support and personal comfort derived from faithalso appear to protect spouses from the debilitating stress associated with difficult children, unemployment, the death of a loved one, and other circumstances. Moreover, religious Americansincluding evangelicalsare more likely to embrace family-centered values that foster marital permanence and a shared commitment to sacrificing for ones spouse and family. In the United States, in fact, it looks like mens commitment to family-centered beliefs is a more important predictor of their wifes happiness than their beliefs about gender rolesat least for Christian men. My research indicates that mens attitudes about marital permanence predicted greater marital happiness for their wives while mens attitudes about gender roles were unrelated to wives reports of happiness. Article continues below Given the contemporary cultural and political environment, we ought to be skeptical of stories reporting that faith is a force for ill and that the church is enabling bad behavior when it comes to women, children, and families. Thats because, in the main, faith appears to play a positive role in the lives of American familiesespecially for husbands and wives who can be found sitting together on Sunday morning at church. In some cases, does the church make domestic abuse worse, not in incidence, but in response? Domestic violence is still present in church-going homes, and Christian clergy, counselors, and lay leaders need to do a much better job of articulating clear, powerful messages about abuse and, more generally, married life. Although, as noted before, the church is not necessarily enabling abuse, some local churches, clergy, and counselors fail to address abuse head-on for fear of breaking up a marriage. Others steer clear of addressing the topic from the pulpit or in adult education for fear of broaching an uncomfortable subject. This silence around domestic violence has to end. W. Bradford Wilcox, the director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and a senior fellow of the Institute for Family Studies, is the coauthor of Soul Mates: Religion, Sex, Love, and Marriage among African Americans and Latinos (Oxford). Announcing Launch of 'Christian Civil Rights Watch' COLORADO SPRINGS, Dec. 11, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Today, Matt Barber, former Associate Dean of Liberty University School of Law and former VP of Liberty Counsel Action, announced the launch of a new, principled and aggressive Christian legal/public policy organization; Christian Civil Rights Watch (CCRW). Christian Civil Rights Watch is a group of Christian legal watchmen who educate, communicate and, where necessary, litigate. CCRW will proactively fight to restore justice for faithful Bible believers' Constitutionally protected civil rights. The organization aims to fulfill the mandate of God's word to leave a legacy of religious free exercise for current and future generations of Christ followers. Barber, who is CCRW's Co-Founder and General Counsel, said, "It's time to go on the offense! It's time to fight for true civil rights. The battle lines are drawn. Restoring Christian civil rights is the civil rights struggle of our time. Cultural Marxists, church-state separatists, 'progressive' anti-Christian religious segregationists and 'LGBT' sexual anarchists now openly attack our liberty. Who watches them?" asked Barber. "To fully advance the causes of radical feminism, abortion-on-demand, unfettered sexual license, 'gay marriage' and the like, the pagan left must do away with religious free exercise and Christian civil rights altogether," continued Barber. "Under the guise of 'anti-discrimination,' Christians today face discrimination at unprecedented levels. CCRW intends to reverse this growing trend," concluded Barber. CCRW Co-founder Gordon Klingenschmitt, PhD is a former Navy Chaplain who served in the Colorado legislature, and took a stand defending the right to pray "in Jesus' name." He says, "I'm so proud of my friend Matt Barber for standing up this new watchdog legal organization, and glad my non-profit Pray In Jesus' Name can be a partner in its initial foundation. CCRW will go on the offense for religious liberty in court, we're already suing anti-Christians in two states, and taking on domestic enemies of the Constitution. Matt will prove in court that Christians have civil rights too." For interviews about CCRW's mission and launch, contact: 202-255-1959 Christian Civil Rights Watch is a national non-profit 501c3 charity authorized for tax-deductible donations, mailed to: Christian Civil Rights Watch, P.O. Box 77077, Colorado Springs, CO 80970 Evangelist Alveda King: Boycott a Distraction as Alveda's 'Rome for The Holidays' Tour with a Special Visit to Joan Lewis' Home and More Continues... Contact: Leslie Palma, 732-757-9087 ROME, Dec. 11, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Amid boycotts during the opening of two civil rights museums in Mississippi last week, US President Donald John Trump said: "Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man I have studied, watched, and admired for my entire life." From Rome, Pope Francis recently wrote: "Here I think of the words of Martin Luther King who met every kind of trial and tribulation with fraternal love." Their words inspire my first trip to Rome. While my blogs are usually filled with lectures, lessons, encouragement and prayers for concerns for the world, it's a refreshing change of pace to share some joyful highlights. However, there's still "work mode" going on during this journey as well. For instance, back home members of The Congressional Black Caucus and a few members of the "old guard 20th Century Civil Rights Movement" missed yet another opportunity to speak up for the civil rights of the unborn last Friday; choosing instead to boycott the opening of the two new civil rights museums in Mississippi, where POTUS attended to bless the historical site. In 1958 an INDEPENDENT MLK said: "I don't think the Republican party is a party full of the almighty God nor is the Democratic party. They both have weaknesses ... And I'm not inextricably bound to either party." MLK was never registered as Democrat or Republican. He was an Independent. Meanwhile, I'm praying for you my beloved readers during this season. As you join in by reading about my journaled Rome trek, and my soon to be released KING TRUTHS, if you are hurting in any way, maybe from loss of a loved one or some other painful situation, may God's grace and goodness touch you during your deepest moments and bring light, love and healing to you! There's more to come. MERRY CHRISTMAS. Stay tuned. Chao. READ MORE HERE Morgan Kaolian AEROPIX After rising for three weeks, oil exports from the Middle East dropped the most since February last week. The drop comes shortly after OPEC and its allies last month agreed to keep 1.8 million barrels of oil a day off the market through next year. A group of local investors has acquired a former Weatherford campus north of Houston. The investors, led by Randy Wilhelm, a partner with real estate firm NAI Partners, purchased the three-building campus, which sits on 3.6 acres at 18155 Chisholm Trail, several miles north of Beltway 8. The sales price was not disclosed. The investors, who operate under a limited liability corporation called Marston Acquisition Co., plan to lease the Class A buildings, which total 48,300 square feet. They consist of a 21,000-square-foot crane-served manufacturing building and a 12,800-square-foot training facility. NAI Partners has already leased a third office and warehouse building spanning 14,500 square feet. RELATED: Transitioning Weatherford posts $256M loss John Ferruzzo and Nick Peterson of NAI Partners brokered the campus acquisition on behalf of Marston. The deal is not part of NAI Partner's investment fund, Peterson said. Launched in 2015, the fund acquires office, industrial and retail properties in Houston, Austin and San Antonio. The group of investors became interested in acquiring the Weatherford campus after the oilfield services company consolidated its operations to another facility, Peterson said. "It was driven by good location and good value," Peterson said. "These are nice, Class A facilities that were kept up well." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Chef David Guerrero is no stranger to arepas. He's had them on his menu at Andes Cafe since the casual neighborhood restaurant dedicated to the foods of South America opened in 2014. But four trips to Venezuela in recent years have intensified his appreciation of the griddled corn cakes that are practically the national dish of Venezuela and enjoyed widely in Colombia as well. His arepa passion is now manifest in Gordi's Arepas & More, the new vendor in the Conservatory food hall downtown. Actually it isn't in the basement space with the other food hall vendors. It's at the street-level entrance in a snug kiosk space that Conservatory owners have used to feature pop-ups and tryouts for potential full-service vendors downstairs. But Guerrero's idea for a permanent space dedicated to the joys of the South American corn pockets made sense to Conservatory which installed him several weeks ago in the very visible entrance space. "I'm so into arepas," said Guerrero who will be one of the featured chefs in the new Bravery Chef Hall concept opening downtown next summer. "They're filling, casual, and you can make them with anything you want." True, arepas, which can be fried, baked or griddle cooked, are thick corn cakes open to a variety of fillings. The Gordi's menu features assorted cold and hot arepas with amusing names: Phat Queen is a grilled arepa filled with chicken, avocado, green onions and sweet peas; The Best features braised beef, black beans, plantains and cheese; The Blondie offers shredded chicken and muenster cheese; Domino is black beans and cheese; Cousin It boasts shredded flank steak; and The Snooty Girl likes hers with braised pork leg, avocado and cheese. The menu also offers daily and brunch special arepas that may include the Porky Cowboy (black forest ham, two kinds of cheese and avocado), Sweetheart (sweet plantains, black beans, avocado and cheese), or Pericos (scrambled egg, bacon and muenster cheese). Last month Gordi's offered the Altuve Special (braised pork leg, braised beef, and cheeses) to honor Astros star, and Venezuelan native, Jose Altuve. In addition to arepas, the menu includes wrap sandwiches made with cachapas, a sweet corn pancake. These are also filled with a variety of braised and grilled meats, cheeses and avocado. The "& More" part of the menu is dedicated to smoothies, such as passion fruit, papaya, mango and Venezuelan chocolate. Arepas and cachapas wraps range from $6.99 to $8.99; smoothies are $3.99. "It's not like I invented the arepa," Guerrero said, "but I want to show people here what they are." Gordi's Arepas & More, 1010 Prairie at Conservatory food hall, 832-894-2343 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate After years of renovations and sweat, a home in Houston's Third Ward has opened up for business as an overnight rental. The house at 2309 Wichita has undergone a metamorphosis since being purchased by developer Nick Ugarov in 2014. RELATED: 2309 Wichita, one of Houston's favorite quirky homes nears end of its renovation (MARCH 2017) Chron.com has diligently followed the renovation and restoration of the historic home, which previous owner Charles Fondow began fortifying with elaborate additions before his death in 2011. Ugarov has opened his doors to Chron.com every step of the way. Now the rest of Houston and others can finally stay in the home, which Ugarov has launched as a bed and breakfast. There are now eight bedrooms in the house, plus a cozy, second-floor apartment in the back. There is even a pool for when Houston's warm weather rears its muggy head. Rooms in the home can now be rented nightly via Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity, and even Airbnb. Dubbed Houston Towers, in part for its four kooky add-ons, it's available for visitors who wish to spend the night. RELATED: Catching up with Houston's favorite spooky home renovation project (JUNE 2016) Before Ugarov's painstaking project began, it was known to locals as spooky, weird, and sometimes sinister-looking. These days, it's rather quaint and charming, a far cry from the "Addams Family"-ready appearance it had just a few years ago. Ugarov has always maintained that his goal was to complete the vision of Fondow, who died too soon to realize the property's full potential and beauty. Now Playing: The renovation of one of Houston's favorite quirky homes has reached its completion in the Riverside Terrace area. The four-story, eight bedroom home (with a separate apartment) has become a cult hit over the past few years since its previous owner passed away. Video: Houston Chronicle The home was originally built in 1935 and served stints as an orphanage, a duplex, and even a daycare, before being purchased by Fondow in the '80s. Fondow originally purchased the two-story brick home with $350,000. He was a dedicated DIY handyman that watched Hurricane Alicia hit Houston in 1983, after which he began fortifying his home beyond what most contractors would recommend. "This house is the love of my life," Fondow told the Houston Press in 2001. "I don't know how to live in a house that's finished." RELATED: Spooky looking Houston mansion has found a buyer (MAY 2014) Fondow himself told an outlet in 2001 that he invested some $300,000 in it along the way. After he died in 2011 at the age of 64, the house went into real estate limbo. Houston real estate blog Swamplot posted photos of what the house looked like when Fondow still lived there and hosted parties for his friends. According to the HAR site's sale report available online, the 4,900-square-foot property sold for $251,000 in April 2014 to Ugarov. Since 2015, Ugarov has added five new air conditioning units, an elevator, a commercial-grade water heater, paved the front yard for extra parking, and added 18 cameras inside and out for extra security. Ugarov has tried to stay as close as possible to Fondow's strange vision of what the home should look like. Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. He's an intolerable native Texan with too much ink in his skin and too much brisket stuck in his teeth. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Houston police Monday were investigating a triple shooting late Sunday at a West Houston apartment complex where a Nintendo-playing session turned into a gun fight. Police were called about 10:45 p.m. to an apartment complex in the 5600 block of Chimney Rock, just south of Westpark Drive, said Houston Police Lt. Gordon Macintosh. Officers found one man who had been shot in his own apartment, he said. Two more shooting victims were in another apartment, where they had run to get help. Now Playing: Three men were shot late Sunday at a West Houston apartment complex when a Nintendo game broke out into an altercation. Video: OnSceneTV Two of the men had been shot in the back; the other had been shot in the abdomen. All three were transported to the hospital. Witnesses told police two guns were involved. The suspects are all in their early twenties, Gordon said. Police are investigating. Although Hurricane Harvey was the story of the year across the Houston area, these non-hurricane headlines thrust Houston neighborhood news into the national spotlight throughout 2017. There were bizarre murder plots, shocking cases of animal cruelty and heists gone wrong. A Houston financial adviser agreed to pay nearly $314,000 to settle government charges that he defrauded investors in Presidio Venture Capital, a private equity fund he created by enticing investors with false information and misappropriating investor funds. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged James C. Tao with using $200,000 in investor funds to invest in companies Tao either owned or had a personal interest in, and paying for unauthorized expenditures including $7,500 to organize a conference on marijuana investing and $10,000 to buy penny stocks, according to the government's lawsuit. Tao neither admitted or denied the government's charges when he agreed to settle. Tao's former partner Donna Boyd agreed to settle charges of violating broker-dealer registration requirements and pay a $10,000 penalty. Lawyers for Tao and Boyd did not return calls for comment. Tao and Boyd were operating a branch office of an unrelated - and unidentified - investment firm in the Westchase area of Houston when they created Presidio Venture Capital in 2012, according to the SEC. The fund, which was created with neither the knowledge or approval of their employer, was purportedly to invest in Houston start-up technology companies. The pair began raising money in 2013 but Boyd dropped out of the venture later that year. The fund eventually raised $860,000 from 25 investors, including 14 clients from the investment firm. Friends, family members and business contacts were also solicited, according to the SEC. The fund eventually grew to just over $1 million. RELATED: Whistleblowers who call the SEC gain financial rewards The fund's marketing materials touted a 12 percent historical rate of return which the SEC called "false and misleading." Tao came up with that figure, according to the SEC, by using "internet research" to calculate the average rate of return for all private equity funds over the past two decades. The SEC said the 12 percent return had no connection to the historical record of Presidio Venture Capital or its managers. Details of the fund came to light last year when one of the investment firm's clients who bought into Presidio Venture Capital complained to the registered investment firm where Tao and Boyd worked, according to the SEC. The firm investigated and Tao and Boyd were terminated. Tao reimbursed the disgruntled investor $75,000 but because Tao didn't have enough money on hand, he raised the money by bringing in two new investors, according to the SEC. The new investors were led to believe their money would be invested in accordance with the fund's goals, the SEC said, and not going to repay an unhappy investor. Around 500 gathered at the West campus of the Second Baptist Church in Houston on Nov. 27 for the memorial of 39-year-old Sealy Fire Chief Eric Zapalac. Zapalac died Nov. 20 from a massive heart attack, according to a statement from his widow, Kelly. A member of the Sealy Fire Department for 21 years, Zapalac also served as an Engineer Operator for the Houston Fire Department for 16 years, according to the Sealy Fire Department website. Zapalac received full fire department honors at his funeral, according to Assistant Fire Chief Kenny Willingham, which entailed retiring his Sealy fire chief badge and his HFD engineer operator numbers, among other honors. After Zapalac's death, Willingham said finding a new Sealy fire chief is not a priority for the department now. "Currently, we have two assistant chiefs, myself and Cliff Langton, and we're running the department until ... we're not even entertaining a new chief until we get things handled here." Willingham said eventually the position will likely be filled by a Sealy Fire Department member. According to Willingham, Zapalac was well-known in the Sealy community, especially for teaching fire prevention classes at schools and daycares. "We miss our brother," Willingham said. "We miss our Fire Chief. He did a lot for this fire department here in Sealy. He left some big shoes to fill, and we're going to do our best to carry on the way he would want us to." Born in Bellville but raised in Sealy, Zapalac graduated from Texas A&M TEEX Professional Firefighter Training Academy in 1999, and worked as a licensed paramedic for Austin County EMS. He and his wife were married in 2002 and had three children, according to the Sealy Fire Department website. The Texas Tribune held a discussion about Health Care after Hurricane Harvey on Thursday, Nov. 30 at the Texas Woman's University Institute of Health Sciences in Houston. This conversation event was the second out of the three-part series on the state's direction for health care. The conversation was carried out with State Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place; Elena Marks, president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation; and Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health. Moderator Brandon Formby, urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, opened the discussion asking about what it takes to get health care in up and running during a disaster and to prepare for the influx of displaced people that comes with a natural disaster. Shah said with the number of hurricanes that either hit the city or even felt the impact from neighboring states hit by tropical storms and hurricanes has provided the county with the ability to learn what to do in the future and how to improve the health care system. "We now transfer ourselves 25 to 15 years ahead and what we have now is a system that really did invest in that health care equation, that means we did things like not but the generates in the basement," Shah said. Shah said that with each natural disaster there are steps of improvement taken and learned experiences that come with a disaster. Now, there is discussion about naming a facility or by default assume a facility will come into play when there is an emergency like Hurricane Harvey. "One of the biggest challenges that we have is that when people come into the health care system you can start to measure their diseases," Shah said. "The challenge is during Hurricane Harvey people could not get to the health care system." Marks said that looking at what builds a healthy community what makes an individual a family, a neighborhood, a city, a county healthy the investment that is made in health care have a smaller impact on overall health outcomes. "We are spending way too much time and money on the health care medical services piece and we are really under invested in what you would call determinants of health," Marks said. Marks added that in this country there is an obsession with investing in medical services but no focus on investing in looking at what makes people healthy. "We are not taking care of the things that lead to healthy people and health communities," Marks said. "We're great once you are really sick, you can go to the med center if you can pay and get great treatment otherwise the chance to live a healthy life are stacked against you." Davis spoke on the impacts of disease after a major storm siting that after Katrina West Nile virus and other mosquito carried illnesses had doubled. She also said that health care providers should stay vigilant as challenges could still be ahead. "We'll keep on patting ourselves on the back that we got through Harvey," Marks said. "But then there's everything else." Nov. 22 An officer was dispatched to the 5900 block of Kirby in regards to a suspicious person/activity. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the individual who had committed a theft in the 2500 block of University and was hiding the stolen items. While placing the subject under arrest, he became uncooperative and began resisting. The subject was taken into custody for theft and interfering with public duties of a peace officer. An Officer was dispatched to the 3700 block of Goode Street in reference to an abandoned bike in the roadway. An officer was dispatched to the 2600 block of Nottingham in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle that had already occurred. Nov. 23 An Officer was dispatched to the 2900 block of Albans in reference to burglary of a motor vehicle that had already occurred. Nov. 25 An officer observed a subject standing in the 2600 block of Albans urinating in the roadway. The subject was placed in custody and booked into the West University Jail for disorderly conduct. At 9:14 am, an officer observed a vehicle traveling at 71 MPH in a posted 35 MPH speed zone westbound in the 4200 block of Bissonnet. A traffic stop was conducted and after further investigation the driver was arrested for the offense of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information. An officer was dispatched to the Houston Police Department Southeast Jail to pick up a prisoner with warrants out of the West University Municipal Court. The prisoner was transported and processed without incident. At 10:51 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to fraud that already occurred. Nov. 26 At 9:53 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 3500 block of Amherst in regards to found property. Upon arrival, it was discovered the complainant found a children's bicycle on his property. Nov. 27 Officers responded to a disturbance in progress call at the 4000 block of Bellaire Blvd. Officers responded to a possible intoxicated male, officers observed the male walking a short distance away from the reported location and he was taken into custody for public intoxication. Nov. 28 An Officer was dispatched to the 2700 block of Nottingham in reference to a theft that already occurred. An Officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to found property that was located at Colonial Park. Upon arrival, the officer took care and custody of the property and submitted it into the evidence locker for safe keeping. Nov. 29 An officer observed a vehicle traveling southbound in the 6400 block of Buffalo Speedway with expired registration. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was subsequently taken into custody for Class C Misdemeanor traffic violations. Nov. 30 At 8:29 am, an officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference to an identity theft that already occurred. An officer was dispatched to the 2700 block of Barbara Ln. for a burglary of a vehicle report that had already occurred. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A man accused of driving a truck into a Conroe police Christmas 2015 has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. Maycol Douglas Lagos-Valladares was convicted of the first-degree felony offense of aggravated assault of a public servant. He was sentenced on Friday. According to a release from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, Lagos-Valladares is a member of the MS-13 street gang. HOUSTON CRIME: Woman found dead, partially naked in SW Houston Conroe Police Officer Michael Chapman testified that he answered a call about a possible burglary near Interstate 45 and FM 1488 on Dec. 25, 2015. He alleges that he saw two people burglarizing the business West End Roofing and told them to stop. According to a previous story, one unidentified suspect at the scene got into a car and fled. As Chapman was getting back into his car, Lagos-Valladares got into a truck by himself and drove it into Chapman's driver's side door. The officer's left leg was pinned between the door and the frame of his vehicle before he could fully get into the car. The collision shattered Chapman's fibula and tibia, according to the district attorney's office. Now Playing: The San Marcos Police officer shot and killed in the line of duty has been identified as 58-year-old Kenneth Copeland. Video: Fox 26 Houston Conroe police officers responded to the scene and were able to locate the truck the next morning, based on Chapman's description of the truck. Conroe officers also found shingles from West End Roofing in the truck. It's unclear if a witness saw the crash occur or if Chapman radioed for help. Conroe police arrested Lagos-Valladares, along with three other suspects. SUBURB SHOCK: The stories that rocked Houston's suburbs in 2017 Juan Vargas was also charged with first-degree felony aggravated assault on a public servant. He pleaded guilty in January for a 13-year prison sentence. Eric Flores-Mejia was charged with criminal attempt and pleaded guilty in May 2016 for a six-month jail sentence. Lariza De la Cruz was also charged with criminal attempt but prosecutors dismissed the charge in January. Based on previous reports, it's not clear if Vargas, Flores-Mejia and De la Cruz were at the scene that Chapman arrived to on Dec. 25, 2015 or how else they were tied to the reported burglary. The Conroe Police Department did not immediately respond to calls from Chron.com on Monday afternoon. Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Officers found a woman's body partially clothed on the side of a street in southwest Houston early Monday morning, police said. Officers arrived to the 9800 block of Brooklet in the Alief area around 2 a.m. Monday, the Houston Police Department said. The victim, who appeared to be under the age of 30, was not wearing pants or underwear. The woman did not have any ID on her, police said, but one distinctive mark is the "Black Candy" tattoo on her outer left ankle. Now Playing: A woman was found dead and partially clothed, lying on the side of the street in southwest Houston, police said early Monday morning. Video: METRO Video Police suspect foul play was involved, and are investigating her death as a homicide. In the area where her body was found, warehouses, various industrial businesses and vacant fields line Brooklet, which is directly behind the Sam Houston Tollway and just beyond Bissonnet. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Houston ISD officials are proposing to tear down four elementary schools ravaged by Hurricane Harvey and rebuild them a plan that would keep students out of their home campuses until at least 2020. Students at Braeburn, Kolter, Mitchell and Scarborough elementary schools would return to new, elevated campuses on the same sites as the current facilities, according to a plan unveiled Monday. The district's board of trustees is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to approve funding for the $126-million proposal. If passed, Houston ISD would become the first district in the region to approve demolition of a school following Hurricane Harvey. All other local districts with heavily-damaged schools, including Humble, Katy and Sheldon ISDs, have opted to repair existing buildings. Now Playing: Houston Chronicle photojournalism Mark Mulligan returned to several sites he photographed in the Meyerland area of Houston on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, later in the week to document how much they had changed since flood waters roared through the area. These photographs show just how high the water was in the area. What they do NOT show are the thousands of homes here and elsewhere in the region that are having to be completely gutted. Parts of the city and region are still underwater. Video: Houston Chronicle The four Houston schools sustained catastrophic flood damage after Harvey pummeled the Houston area in late August, dropping records amounts of rain. District officials decided to start from scratch due to the extent of damage, the age of the buildings and the need to elevate the campuses to avoid future flooding, Houston ISD Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby said. The campuses were built between 1956 and 1966, when local building codes didn't require higher elevations inside floodplains. "At the end of the day, this just makes a whole lot of sense from all angles," Busby said. "Throwing good money at old buildings is just not considered wise in the long term. These schools not only had issues related to Harvey, but we were also working with issues unrelated to Harvey on routine maintenance." MORE: School days extended at 11 Houston ISD schools due to Harvey District officials aim to open the new campuses in January 2020. In the meantime, students at the shuttered schools which served 2,870 kids in the 2016-17 school year will continue to attend classes at temporary locations. Busby said it's "pretty definitive" that students at Mitchell Elementary School, located on the city's south side, and Scarborough Elementary School, on the city's north side, will remain at their temporary campuses. But administrators are having preliminary discussions about whether to move students from Braeburn and Kolter elementary schools, on the city's southwest side, into different temporary facilities. Students from Braeburn and Kolter travel 11 and four miles, respectively, to their current campuses. Busby said a decision will likely be made in the coming months. Houston ISD Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones, whose district includes Scarborough Elementary School, described the proposal as the "best-case scenario" given the extent of damage. "I wish it didn't have to be done, but certainly it's our responsibility to make these communities whole," Skillern-Jones said. District officials estimate each school will cost up to $30 million to demolish and reconstruct. The campuses will look virtually identical, using a single design to cut down on costs and construction timelines. Houston ISD administrators expect the costs will be covered through a combination of insurance payouts, federal emergency management funds and state aid. But it will likely take years to get the money, so the district plans to use $70 million in Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone funds which are revenues generated by increases in tax collections and $56 million from its "rainy day" reserves. Busby said the district has already spent about $80 million on Harvey-related costs to date. The district projected to have well over $200 million in "rainy day" funds at the end of fiscal 2017-18, giving it enough cushion to pay for the new construction. Trustee Mike Lunceford, whose district includes Braeburn and Kolter elementary schools, said decisions about rebuilding schools should be made now, rather than waiting for insurance and government reimbursement. He said he's supportive of the district's plan, though he has a few questions about the cost and a separate proposal to change the district's policies for maintaining reserve funds. "A lot of people are talking to me, asking if we're going to rebuild the schools," Lunceford said. "They definitely need to be rebuilt. Both schools (in my district) have more-than-adequate population." Lunceford added he's hopeful the district will find a more convenient temporary location for Braeburn students, who are traveling 11 miles each day to the old DeBakey High School. Three other Houston ISD schools that remain closed wouldn't be demolished under the plan. Students are expected to return to Robinson Elementary School after the winter break, district officials said, and renovations at Hilliard Elementary are ongoing. Houston ISD leased the building that was home to Liberty High School, and administrators are considering plans for a future campus. Repairs are already underway at other heavily-damaged schools outside of Houston ISD. Humble ISD officials have said they expect repairs to Kingwood High School to cost more than $70 million, with the goal of reopening the campus in mid-March. Sheldon ISD aims to reopen C.E. King middle and high schools, which sit on the same property, after the winter break. Katy ISD board trustees were scheduled to vote Monday night on authorizing a $5 million construction contract for repairs to Creech Elementary School. SUBSCRIBERS: A damaged elementary school was built in a flood pool - and Katy school officials didn't know. Click here to read the full story on our subscriber website, HoustonChronicle.com. Fort Bend and Brazoria County officials say residents who smell rotten eggs in the area should not be alarmed -- there's nothing harmful in the air. But environmental experts say that line of thinking doesn't track. "It doesn't follow that some people might find the smell 'overwhelming' but there is no risk to health," said Luke Metzger, state director of Environment Texas. The smell is emanating from an oil spill that occurred last week at a well near the Fort Bend County Tollway and McHard Road in southwest Houston, according to Fort Bend County's Office of Emergency Management. "Right now there is no danger," said Alan Spears, the county's deputy emergency management coordinator. Spears did not know how much oil had spilled, but said it didn't leak past the property and the clean up is being handled by well-driller IWR Operating. The phone numbers listed for the company, based in Dallas, were incorrect or did not work. The county office released an update on the incident Dec. 7, saying that the smell likely is from hydrogen sulfide -- a colorless, flammable gas that smells of rotten eggs. Low concentrations of the gas can irritate a person's eyes, nose and throat and may cause breathing difficulties for individuals with asthma. Prolonged exposure can cause headache, fatigue and eye inflammation, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. However, Spears said Texas Commission on Environmental Quality officials have been monitoring the air since last week and have found no danger. "There's a bad smell, for sure, but as far as particles in the air causing serious health issues, there's none of that," he said. TCEQ officials said Monday they are investigating odor complaints related to this spill from residents. On Saturday, Brazoria County posted a message on its Facebook page alerting individuals to the cause of the smell and informing them that there was "no immediate threat the public." "The well was capped and the immediate emergency was clear," the post stated. "Currently, due to ongoing cleanup of the well and our current weather conditions, residents may notice the sulfur or rotten egg odor while outdoors." Metzger is concerned that the risks of this incident are being downplayed by officials. "We saw that happen during [Hurricane] Harvey where government officials said there was no threat only to see dozens of people call 311 to complain of bad smells and later data showing Houston ended up having the worst smog days of the year," he said. Spears did not know when the smell would dissipate. "As long as they're cleaning it up, it's on the ground and they'll probably stir it up," he said. Alex Stuckey covers science and environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey A standoff between police and a man holed up with a rifle inside a northeast Harris County home ended peacefully Monday. A SWAT team and helicopter was sent to a home in the 8700 block of Deep Valley Drive around noon after nearby construction workers told Harris County Precinct 3 Constable's deputies that the man had brandished a firearm at them "unprovoked," Chief Inspector Jorey Herrscher said. It was not immediately clear what caused the incident, Herrscher said. The standoff was resolved peacefully around 1 p.m., he said. Two Harris County schools were also placed on lockdown. Cravens Early Childhood Academy and Monahan Elementary were placed on lockdown just before noon as a "precautionary method while police investigate an external situation that has occurred in the area," the Sheldon Independent School District posted online. Everyone at the campuses is safe, the district said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Salvadoran immigrant convicted in a Houston double slaying in 2000 lost a late-stage appeal on Monday in the U.S. Supreme Court, moving him one step closer to a possible execution date despite claims of intellectual disability. Gilmar Guevara was sentenced to death 16 years ago after fatally shooting two store clerks during an unsuccessful burglary attempt from which he fled empty-handed. But the 48-year-old's lawyers are still arguing that he's too intellectually disabled to execute. "Texas courts used a now-discredited set of rules to determine that Mr. Guevara was not intellectually disabled," said attorney Lee Kovarsky. "The only expert to evaluate him under the appropriate clinical rules has concluded that he has intellectual disability." READ ALSO: For first time in more than 30 years, no Harris County death row inmates executed Now Playing: A Mexican citizen on death row in Texas has been executed for the 1997 killing of his cousin. Video: Time At his trial, prosecutors described Guevara as "a person with no moral compass" when he confessed to the murders of two other immigrants - 48-year-old Tae Youk of South Korea and 21-year-old Gerardo Yaxon of Guatemala at the Town Market in southwest Houston. He also confessed to the killing of 22-year-old apartment security guard Freddy Marroquin, though he was not tried for that slaying. More Information site:* AN See More Collapse "Whether it's a death sentence or a life sentence doesn't matter to me because I just lost my father," Hang Youk, one victim's son, said at the time. "And that's not something that can be changed." Two others were charged in the shooting, but police identified Guevara as the triggerman in both the store robbery and the later slaying at a nearby apartment complex. READ ALSO: Of the 10,000 books banned in Texas prisons, jailbreak classic 'The Count of Monte Cristo' not one During the appeals process, Guevara's defense held that his trial counsel was ineffective and that he was too intellectually disabled to legally face the death penalty anyway, citing cognitive testing and long-term evidence of mental defects. Those who knew him as a child said he didn't start talking till age 4 and was still unable to tie his shoes by 7, according to court records. He scored a 60 on a full-scale IQ test for Spanish speakers. Citing, in part, a landmark Supreme Court decision earlier this year in the Bobby Moore case, which found that Texas did not properly evaluate intellectual disability, Guevara's defense asked the justices to reverse lower court rulings rejecting claims regarding his low intelligence. But on Monday, the Supreme Court denied his petition without comment. Mike Anderson was an 18-year-old freshman at Texas State University when he was busted with less than a gram of weed. Police arrested him, took his mug shot, and he spent the night in jail. The legal consequences for being caught with such a small amount of marijuana - just enough for a joint or two - were minimal, but expensive. Prosecutors offered to drop the charges if he attended a drug program and did community service, and once he turned 21, he could get the record of his arrest expunged for about $500, wiping the history of his arrest from public view. "After I got it expunged I thought it was pretty much a done deal," he said of the order granted earlier this year. But the next time he Googled his name, he realized the ordeal was far from over. His arrest photo was posted on Mugshots.com. The page was one of the top results for anyone who might be looking for him. And as Anderson applied for internships - a graduation requirement for mechanical engineering majors - recruiters who initially seemed interested would offer the spot to someone else. "It wasn't right," said Anderson, a junior. (Stateline agreed not to use his real name to protect his privacy.) "I called (Mugshots.com) on the phone, and they told me basically the only way I could get the mug shot to come down was to pay a certain fine. Proof of (expungement) wasn't valid." In an age where the flow of online personal information is rampant, the estimated 77 million Americans with criminal records are a rich target for websites that collect mug shots from police departments and sheriffs' offices across the country and typically charge hundreds or thousands of dollars to have the photos removed. Even those who are arrested, but never charged, have their photos on the sites. Since the websites' business practices came to light in 2013, they have drawn the ire of many state lawmakers who called the sites exploitative. Texas is one of 17 states with laws designed to help people like Anderson, cracking down on mug shot websites by banning them from charging removal fees, stemming the flow of mug shots from law enforcement agencies or requiring that the postings be accurate. But so far, the laws have been largely ineffective in providing relief to those whose photos are featured on the sites. "They haven't worked," said Eumi Lee, a law professor at University of California-Hastings who has spent three years studying the effectiveness of mug shot laws for an upcoming legal review article to be published by Rutgers. "But they've had a bunch of unintended consequences." Mug shot companies have ignored the laws or quickly figured out ways to work around them, Lee said, and in places where people can no longer pay to have photos deleted, they often have no remedy to get them removed. And once law enforcement releases the photos, there is little they can do to stop them from ending up on sites. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The suspect in a gruesome triple homicide Friday in Northwest Houston has been captured, the Harris County Sheriff's Office announced early Monday morning. Jeffrey Duane Noble, 35, has been charged with capital murder in the slayings. After fleeing Houston in a red Honda Accord Friday, Noble was captured overnight in Dallas by the Dallas Police Department, HCSO said. Dallas County records show he is being held in the Dallas County jail on no bail. Now Playing: Latest Local And State News Video: Houston Chronicle Noble had become a person of interest in the triple murder almost immediately after deputies were called to a home on the 15700 block of Creekhaven in northwest Houston Friday afternoon. Upon arrival at the home, sheriff's deputies found John and Jessica Sciandra dead from gunshots to the head and Jordan Collier dead from apparent gunshot wounds to the neck and jaw. A woman who lived at that residence and who knew all three victims told deputies that Jeffrey Noble had stormed into her bedroom about 4 p.m. and revealed a large rifle in his jacket. He then pointed the rifle at Jessica Sciandra's bedroom and fired, without striking anyone, the woman told deputies. He walked into the living room, where John Sciandra and two other men she didn't know were sitting, and continued firing, the woman said. After those two men fled the home, Noble returned to the woman's bedroom and ordered her to leave, to get into the car. At that time, she took off running, hearing Noble firing again and again. The woman ran toward a nearby neighbor, Claire Vincik and told her, "somebody is shooting up the house" and to call 911, Vincik told the Houston Chronicle. "It almost looked like she was hiding from someone," Vincik said. A second woman who had also been in the home at the time of the shootings told deputies she had seen Noble shoot Jordan Collier, before running out of the house and hearing more gunfire as well. Both women were acquainted with Noble. HCSO had put out Noble's name and mugshot Friday evening, saying he was a person of interest in the homicides. Later that evening, he was charged with capital murder. Brooke Lewis, Robert Downen, Keri Blakinger and Lindsay Ellis contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A jury sentenced a Fort Bend woman to 30 days in jail and 12 months probation on Monday after she made dozens of "hateful" phone calls to her ex-husband's girlfriend in 2015. Prosecutors said Pamela Sue Kahlden, 50, would leave multiple voice mails per day, sometimes more than 10, according to a Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office news release. The calls were described as "vile, hateful" and "jealous" by prosecutors who said Kahlden left more than 50 messages even after charges were filed against her. IN TEXAS: Teacher-student sex scandals of 2017 that made headlines Now Playing: Jessica Leeds, Rachel Crooks, and Samantha Holvey spoke out. Video: Fortune Kahlden began making phone calls to her ex-husband's girlfriend in 2013, according to prosecutors. When the victim went to authorities about the voice mails, Kahlden was placed on probation for six months. Prosecutors said Kahlden began making phone calls again "as soon as" her probation came to an end in 2015. "I asked the jury to send a message and tell Kahlden that enough was enough," said lead prosecutor Adrianne Norman in a prepared statement. "The law protects the victim from the defendant's actions. The jury agreed and held her accountable." POLICE: Irving man forced 15-year-old runaway into prostitution and 'branded' her "And since the defendant did not learn her lesson the first time, the State asked the Court to assess 30 days in jail as a condition of Kahlden's probation this time," Norman said. A Fort Bend County jury found Kahlden guilty of harassment, a Class B Misdemeanor. In addition to serving jail time, Kahlden will be on probation for 12 months and be required to take an anger management class. See other weird and bizarre Texas arrest and crimes of the past year. Anne Hammer is one of millions of elderly Americans who could face a substantial tax hike in 2018 depending on the final negotiations over the Republican tax bill. In her retirement community in Chestertown, Maryland, it's the big topic of conversation. Hammer is 71. Like many seniors, her medical bills are piling up. There are doctor visits, insurance premiums, drugs, a colonoscopy, a heart scan, an unexpected trip to the emergency room that lasted three days, ongoing monitoring for breast and ovarian cancer that run in her family and the costs of medical staff at her retirement community. Her out-of-pocket medical expenses vary, but she estimates they are around $20,000 a year. Under current law, she can take a big medical deduction on her taxes. Last year, she was able to reduce her total taxable income by $16,000 because of the medical deduction alone, saving her over $3,000 on her tax bill. The House tax bill would eliminate the deduction, while the Senate bill would keep it (and even make it a bit more generous). It's a key difference that must be reconciled before final legislation goes to President Donald Trump. "I have enough money to last until I'm 95," says Hammer, who has carefully saved for decades. "But if I have to pay that much more in taxes, I might run out of money by 85." The medical deduction started in 1942 to help Americans deal with what lawmakers at the time called "extraordinary" costs of medical care, the kind that hit when someone in the family has cancer or needs round-the-clock care. Currently, anyone can deduct medical expenses that account for more than 10 percent of their adjusted gross income (income minus deductions and exemptions). The Senate bill would expand that to 7.5 percent of income for this year and next. In 2015, 8.8 million Americans used the deduction. Over half were seniors above age 65, according to AARP. 'It's very, very scary' As soon as Hammer, a former university administrator and MetLife compliance manager, read about the House plan, she realized it would alter not just her taxes, but possibly her life. She has income from Social Security, a modest pension and private retirement accounts. She pulls in about $55,000 a year, enough to pay for her retirement community and her medical bills. But if she loses the medical deduction, her taxable income would jump - and so would her taxes. Her home state of Maryland bases its taxes off of the federal ones, so losing the medical deduction at the federal level would lead to more taxes at the state level as well. The more money that goes to taxes, the less she has to live on later in life. "It's very, very scary," says Hammer. It would be even worse if her medical costs go up. She already anticipates eye surgery and a dental procedure next year. Trump promised the middle class would be better off under his plan, but scrapping this deduction hits some in that group. Nearly 70 percent of the people claiming the deduction made $75,000 or less, according to AARP. "This isn't a high-income deduction," says Cristina Martin Firvida, director of financial security and consumer affairs at AARP, which has been running ad campaigns and urging Congress to keep the deduction. Republican lawmakers in the House had previously argued their tax overhaul would be so beneficial to families that individual provisions like the medical deduction would no longer be necessary. But more recently, they have acknowledged the significant impact of eliminating this particular tax break. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, the lead author of the House bill, said last week that the medical deduction is on his radar heading into the conference committee since many of his fellow GOP lawmakers have contacted him about it. "That issue is being raised a lot by our lawmakers as very important," Brady said. Eliminating the medical deduction raises $10 billion a year - about 7 percent of the cost of reducing the tax rate for corporations from 35 percent to 20 percent, as the tax overhauls do. Dramatic change Losing the deduction is especially burdensome for families caring for someone with a chronic disease. Cecilia "Sis" Tunnell is 88 and has Alzheimer's. Her daughter Mary Pagel runs a thriving accounting practice in San Luis Obispo, California, and moved her mom to a nursing home nearby. The facility, specialized care and a nurse cost over $130,000 last year, a hefty sum the family can pay because of years of careful planning. Pagel handles her mother's taxes and estimates that Tunnell would go from paying less than $2,300 in taxes last year to paying over $50,000 if the House plan went into effect and the medical deduction went away, because her mother's taxable income would jump by six figures. Many other clients of Pagel's have been calling her with similar concerns. It alters the math dramatically, even for families that have saved for years in order to fund top-notch care that doesn't rely on the government. "It freaks me out," says Mary. "The costs of medical care are not going to go down, and you just don't know how long someone will need care with Alzheimer's or another chronic illness." While most of the focus been on the elderly, Americans of all ages would be affected if the tax deduction is lost. Randy Sherfy was a former college athlete and a rising star at a law firm when he left his home early on a Saturday morning in 1992 to go on a bike ride with friends. A driver hit him a few miles from his home. He was 41 at the time. Many surgeries later, Randy's body was mostly repaired, but he never recovered from the brain injury. He has been living in a traumatic care facility in Texas ever since, which costs over $60,000 a year. He pays for it from income from a settlement with a driver and disability insurance he had from his law firm. Many are under 50 His brother, an accountant in Austin, estimates Randy's taxes would go up substantially without the medical tax deduction. In most years from 2007 to 2014, Randy paid almost nothing in taxes because of the medical deduction, his brother says. Under the House bill, he would suddenly have taxable income of $60,000 a year. About a quarter of people who claim the medical deduction are under age 50, according to AARP. "Most of the people in nursing homes don't have a lot of choice of how they're spending their dollars," says Joe Sherfy, Randy's brother. "He was the victim of an accident." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JERUSALEM - The French and Israeli leaders sparred verbally Sunday over the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, while new violence rippled across the region following the move by U.S. President Donald Trump. In Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard, seriously wounding him in the first attack in the volatile city since Trump's pronouncement Wednesday. In Beirut, scores of Lebanese and Palestinian demonstrators clashed with security forces outside the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy, and Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo demanded that the United States rescind the decision. The move upended decades of U.S. policy, and a longstanding international consensus, that the fate of Jerusalem be decided in negotiations. Israeli and Palestinian claims to the city's eastern sector form the emotional core of their conflict, and Trump's announcement was seen as siding with the Israelis and has drawn wide international criticism. French 'disapproval' At a meeting in Paris with Israel's visiting prime minister, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned recent violence against Israelis. But he also expressed "disapproval" of Trump's decision, calling it "dangerous for peace." "It doesn't seem to serve, in the short term, the cause of Israel's security and the Israelis themselves," Macron said. He urged Israel to freeze its construction of settlements on occupied lands and called for other confidence-building measures toward the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has called Trump's decision "historic," said Israel has maintained its capital in the city for 70 years and the Jewish connection to Jerusalem goes back 3,000 years. "Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel," he said. "We respect your history and your choices. And we know that as friends, you respect ours." "I think the sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we move toward peace," he added. The exchange between the two allies set the stage for what could be a tense meeting Monday for Netanyahu with European Union foreign ministers in Brussels. The Jerusalem issue and the moribund peace process are expected to be high on the agenda. Last week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned that Trump's decision "has the potential to send us backward to even darker times than the one we are already living in." She also warned that Trump's "move could diminish the potential role that the United States could play in the region and create more confusion around this." The meeting could be a precursor for what seems to be an emerging rift between Israel and the U.S. on one side, and Europe and the Palestinians on the other. Missing 'opportunity' Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said Trump's decision has in effect disqualified the U.S. from continuing in its role as the traditional mediator of peace talks. The Palestinians have spent recent days trying to rally Arab and broader international opposition to the decision. After Abbas political adviser Majdi Khaldi said Saturday that the Palestinian leader won't meet with Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the region this month, a spokeswoman for Pence said Sunday it was "unfortunate that the Palestinian Authority is walking away again from an opportunity to discuss the future of the region." EU leaders, including Macron, have reiterated support for establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Trump has said he would support the idea if both sides endorse it - effectively giving Israel a veto over any peace proposal. Netanyahu's government is dominated by opponents to Palestinian independence. Trump's Middle East team, headed by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, has been working for months on a peace plan but has not yet released it. The Palestinians staged three "days of rage" after Trump's dramatic announcement, with clashes breaking out in flashpoints across the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, and Gaza militants firing rockets into Israel. Four people in Gaza were killed. In the West Bank, there were dozens of injuries but no deaths. There were indications that Sunday's stabbing at the Jerusalem bus station was motivated by Trump's move, although police did not officially confirm it. Palestinian youths also clashed in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, hurling stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired back with rubber bullets and tear gas. In Beirut, Lebanese security forces broke up the protest outside the U.S. Embassy after demonstrators pelted them with stones. After a rowdy start, the protest drew several hundred people and became more peaceful, with demonstrators chanting and singing. BEIRUT - The United Nations children's agency said Sunday 137 children stranded in a rebel-held suburb near the Syrian capital require immediate evacuation amid a crippling siege in which five have reportedly died from a lack of medical care. The Eastern Ghouta suburb, home to 400,000 residents, has been besieged since 2013 and humanitarian conditions there have deteriorated sharply amid violence that intensified recently. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 202 people, including 47 children, have been killed since Nov. 14. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN -- Former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, an outspoken Second Amendment supporter and history enthusiast, on Monday filed to run for his old job. He immediately began firing at Bush with criticisms of how Bush has mishandled the ongoing Alamo project and the housing recovery from Hurricane Harvey that he described as "chaos," with assistance slow to get to the hundreds of thousands of Texans who are remain without permanent housing. "I care deeply about Texas and heritage and history," Patterson said. "I can't sit back any longer and watch what is going on." Patterson served 12 years as land commissioner, leaving in 2015 to run an unsuccessful race for lieutenant governor. Bush replaced him as head of the agency that oversees public lands and the Alamo, another duties. In addition to Bush, Patterson will face two other Texans who have filed to challenge Bush in the March 6, 2018 Republican primary election: Decatur land surveyor Davey Edwards and retired Sherman school teacher Rick Range. Patterson said hundreds of thousands of homeowners -- an estimated 300,000 in the Houston are alone -- were impacted by Hurricane Harvey and the resulting floods, many of them still living in tents. Three months after the storm, tens of thousands in the Houston area are still without homes -- including 22,000 children, Patterson said. Patterson said federal and state housing assistance programs have not been tapped quickly enough -- or at all -- to provide expedited assistance to get Harvey victims back in their homes, as has been done in past storms. Separately, Patterson blasted Bush's handling of the ongoing Alamo preservation project in San Antonio -- a state-funded project run by three separate non-profit entities that answer to Bush, but conduct their business in secret. That secrecy was the target is intense criticism last week by members of the Senate Finance Committee, which demanded Bush open the non-profits' business details to public scrutiny. Bush said he would refer that decision to the boards of those entities. At a committee hearing, Bush defended his handling of the housing-recovery program. He said sate efforts have been delayed by complicated federal regulations, but that he expects the funding to soon be available. As for the Alamo issue, Bush said the private non-profits were needed to protect big-name board members. Patterson said he would end the secrecy surrounding the Alamo operating entities, and make the Alamo employees work for the Land Office. While calling himself s a "small government Republican," Patterson said having Alamo operations be transparent is important. As Austin Bureau Chief, Mike Ward covers the Executive Branch, criminal justice and ethics issues, and does the weekly Texas Take Podcast with Quorum Report Editor Scott Braddock. Send Mike comments and story tips at mike.ward@chron.com. And get his updates on Twitter @ChronicleMike. (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump directed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to send American astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars, shifting the agencys mission from the study of Earth. Trump signed a directive to the NASA administrator outlining the new mission on Monday. Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement that the new policy reflects recommendations from the National Space Council, a White House advisory panel Trump appointed earlier in the year. The White House didnt provide details about how NASAs work to return to the moon would be funded, or whether any current programs would be cut. The president will change our nations human spaceflight policy to help America become the driving force for the space industry, gain new knowledge from the cosmos, and spur incredible technology, Gidley said. In September, Trump nominated Representative Jim Bridenstine, a Republican from Oklahoma, to be the next NASA administrator. Bridenstine, who if confirmed would be the first elected official to head the agency, is known as an advocate for bringing private companies such as Elon Musks SpaceX into NASAs work. SpaceX launches rockets for customers including NASA, commercial satellite operators and the U.S. military. On Tuesday morning, the closely-held company is slated to fire off a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft laden with cargo supplies destined for the International Space Station, in what will be the companys 17th mission of the year. Musk, 46, served on Trumps early advisory councils until June of this year, when he parted ways with the administration over Trumps decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accords. When the U.S. retired the space shuttle program in 2011, NASA turned to private industry to fill in the gap when it comes to human space flight. SpaceX and Boeing both have billion-dollar contracts to send American astronauts to the space station, with the first key tests of the technology slated for 2018. Musk has also announced plans to send paying tourists on flights around the moon. In the signing ceremony at the White House on Monday, Trump called the directive very exciting and very important for our country, adding that it also happens to be jobs. 2017 Bloomberg L.P. 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. A.O. Centrul de Drept al Femeilor anunta concurs pentru selectarea expertilor nationali pentru dezvoltarea conceptului de sprijin psihosocial si a Curriculumului de instruire in acest sens CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. Nearly 1,200 parishioners of St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church rejoiced in song and prayer Sunday evening as part of the first Mass held in the churchs new addition. After nine years of planning, fundraising, designing, and construction, the doors to the large, airy, room were opened at 5:45 p.m. Dec. 3 for a 6 p.m. Mass. The patient and quiet cluster of approximately 600 church members who had gathered in the former worship area quickly entered the room, selected their seats, and took in the beauty of the surroundings. Planning got under way for the addition at St. Edwardss, 569 Clifton Park Center Road, when church officials, ministry volunteers and members realized the seriousness of the necessity for more space. We need it, said Elaine, a parishioner who withheld her last name as she waited outside the doors. I cant wait to see the stained glass windows. Im incredibly excited, said John Leirey. Its been quite a while. I got a look at the windows this morning. The circular seating arrangement, which holds 1,140, was quickly filled and the service got underway with the Bishop of the Albany Catholic Diocese Monsignor Edward Scharfenberger consecrating the baptismal pool and the structure itself. Birth in this stream is birth in holiness. May the waters remind us of our baptism, he said in a clear voice. May the word of God always be heard in this place as it achieves the salvation for you. The new addition is a mixture of new and old. New technology allows voices to be heard clearly from anywhere in the room while the eight restored stained glass windows in the rooms circular wall are reminders of the Catholic Churchs long history in the Capital District. St. Edwards has one of the largest membership rolls in the Capital Region. Church officials put the number of families who are members at 2,100. About 1,300 of those families are said to attend one of four weekend services regularly. The design, construction, and restoration of the windows were estimated to have cost $6.6 million. The new space was designed for audio visual capabilities and the possibility of live streaming services over the Internet. Its architect, Sean Reilly of the Kerns Group, a Virginia-based firm, said the rooms circular design would decrease the distance between the last row of seats and the altar and allow the room to hold a greater number of worshipers. Both design factors were planning committee requests. The Rev. Patrick Butler, who serves the church parishioners and assisted Scharfenberger on Sunday, said he was thrilled with the design. Its a pretty intimate space and that was a nice feeling, he said. Its 55 feet from the person in the last pew to the altar, half the distance as it was before. I want to be closer to them and I want them to be closer to each other. Though the room is not completely finished, Butler noted that its design has made it bright and airy. That was the number one thing people told us they wanted, he said. Work still being done includes some finishing screens near the chapels, a marble altar, and a new ambo or pulpit that was originally built in Westminster Abbey in 1849. The original abbey on the site in London was founded and dedicated by King Edward, later St. Edward the Confessor, in 1065. Its a nice historical connection to St. Edward, Butler said. The nine-foot tall pulpit is quite ornate. The upper part will become the pulpit from which our readings will take place and the rest of it will be turned into a table that will be placed to the side. In his homily, Scharfenberger used the new addition and its ongoing work as a metaphor saying it was a work in progress, much as the Catholic Church. People say the Catholic Church is 2,000 years old but it wasnt old in Gods day, Scharfenberger said. The church is still young. The churchs best days are yet to come. None of us is a finished product. Your best days are yet to come, as an individual, a church, a parish. He noted how the stained glass windows were reminders of the two churches in Troy from which they came, where their colors and teachings had illuminated generations of worshipers. God so much wants to come into our lives, Scharfenberger said. God is patient. He keeps coming back. If you ask, God will come. He is actively involved in our lives but you have to keep the relationship going. You cant put him on auto-pilot. The service was not without levity. In describing how God does the heavy lifting, Scharfenberger said he had heard that God is planning to give the workers at Amazon chocolates to help ease their work loads. And, after describing himself as the pastor of the parish and therefore entitled to preach in the church, Butler, in his remarks, said he would remember that point when the notes for the building came due. There are no pillars here, Scharfenberger said. Theres nowhere to hide. Gods like that. Components & Peripherals News Former Icahn Capital Managing Director Resigns From Xerox Board As Activist Investor Seeks Election For Four Director Nominees Alec Shirkey Share this The standstill agreement between Xerox and activist investor Carl Icahn has ended with the resignation of Icahn supporter Jonathan Christodoro from the company's board of directors. The Icahn Group will look to place four nominees on the Norwalk, Conn.-based printing giant's board at its annual shareholders meeting in 2018, including Christodoro, who said he would seek re-election in a resignation letter published Friday. The other three candidates are Keith Cozza, Jay Firestone and Randolph Read. "As you know, the Board has been addressing issues I consider vital to Xeroxs current and future well-being," Christodoro wrote in the letter, obtained through a company filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "Until the last few weeks, it appeared that the Boards decisions would be consistent with my views on the best interests of Xerox and our shareholders. It now appears, however, that the Board will make decisions and take Xerox in a direction with which I strongly disagree." [Related: Xerox To Split In 2, Give Icahn 3 Board Seats ] Currently, the Icahn Group only holds one seat on the Xerox board of directors. The investor group also received three Conduent board seats when the services powerhouse was spun off by Xerox in January 2016, just two months after Icahn purchased a more than 7 percent stake in the combined company. Christodoro, former managing director of Icahn Capital, has previously served as a board director for PayPal, Lyft and eBay, among several other companies. Cozza has been president and CEO of Icahn Enterprises as well as COO of Icahn Capital. Firestone has filled the roles of chairman and CEO of media production firm Prodigy Pictures since 2006. And Read has been president and CEO of Nevada Strategic Credit Investments since 2009. Xerox issued a statement following Christodoro's resignation emphasizing its commitment to shareholders and "strategic transformation" initiatives. "In 2017 alone, we expect to meet or exceed our target of $600 million of gross cost savings, a critical step as we continue our journey to improving our revenue trajectory. Shareholders have recognized our strong progress: Xeroxs share price has increased almost 30 percent year-to-date, well in excess of the S&P500," the company said. Xerox has been busy in recent months, conducting the largest product launch in company history earlier this year with the unveiling of 29 new printers and multifunction devices. The launch was aimed at driving more recurring revenue for channel partners by enabling services such as custom app development through the ConnectKey device interface. North American partners, for instance, gained access to apps that convert paper-based processes into automated digital workflows in the education, healthcare and finance verticals. The Xerox board's corporate governance committee will make formal recommendations regarding Icahn's nominees in the company proxy statement mailed to voting investors at the 2018 meeting, which has not yet been scheduled. Components & Peripherals News Carl Icahn Wants Jeff Jacobson Out As Xerox CEO: 'It Will Go The Way Of Kodak If There Aren't Major Changes' Alec Shirkey Share this Investor Carl Icahn turned his attack on Xerox up a notch Monday afternoon, calling for the removal of Xerox CEO Jeff Jacobson less than a year after he was appointed. "The CEO is the most important person in the company. We believe Xerox still has potential, but it will go the way of Kodak if there arent major changes," Icahn told the Wall Street Journal. "The times have changed, but not the old guard that controls the board." In the interview, Icahn said he wanted to avoid a board dispute, but added that Xerox denied his request to extend the deadline to nominate board directors. That resulted in Icahn supporter Jonathan Christodoro resigning from the board, ending the standstill agreement between Icahn and Xerox reached last year. [Related: Icahn Loyalist Resigns From Xerox Board As Activist Investor Seeks Election For Four Director Nominees] Icahn has nominated four candidates for election to the printing giant's board of directors, including Christodoro, who referenced disagreements between himself and other Xerox board members in a resignation letter submitted Friday. The other three candidates are Keith Cozza, Jay Firestone and Randolph Read. "Until the last few weeks, it appeared that the Boards decisions would be consistent with my views on the best interests of Xerox and our shareholders," Christodoro wrote. "It now appears, however, that the Board will make decisions and take Xerox in a direction with which I strongly disagree." Jacobson has held the chief executive position since January, by which time Icahn had purchased more than 7 percent of the company. Former CEO Ursula Burns stepped down last year following the planned split between Xerox and services giant Conduent. Icahn owns more than a 9 percent stake in Xerox, according to the Wall Street Journal, but only holds one seat on the company board. Three of Conduent's board seats belong to Icahn. Xerox did not provide additional comment but pointed to a statement released Monday morning, in which the Norwalk, Conn.-based company pointed to its commitment to shareholders and a 30 percent year-to-date increase in stock price. "In 2017 alone, we expect to meet or exceed our target of $600 million of gross cost savings, a critical step as we continue our journey to improving our revenue trajectory Shareholders have recognized our strong progress: Xeroxs share price has increased almost 30 percent year-to-date, well in excess of the S&P 500," the company said. In 2013, Icahn put forth significant efforts to derail Michael Dell's attempt to win shareholder support for privatization of his company. Dell ultimately prevailed, and in a 2014 interview with The Channel Company's Bob Faletra, Dell called Icahn "a bad guy" who lies and lacks ethical boundaries. Xerox shares closed flat in trading on Monday at $29.59. Networking News Cisco CEO Robbins on John Chambers: 'You're The Cornerstone In Our History' Matt Brown Share this The John Chambers era ended with little fanfare Monday as Cisco Systems' former CEO stepped down from his position as chairman of the board, officially leaving the leadership ranks of the company he helmed for 20 years, but the event didn't pass without a few heartfelt words from his successor, Chuck Robbins. "You're the cornerstone in our history," Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins told Chambers during the company's annual shareholder meeting Monday. "No other person is more responsible for Cisco's significant technological and societal contributions, and you'll always be a part of Cisco just as I imagine Cisco will always be a part of you." Shareholders elected Robbins, along with a slate of other candidates, to the Cisco board, and he is expected to be appointed chairman. Chambers, who was CEO between 1995 and 2015, announced last September that he would step down from the chairmanship when his term ended. [Related: Cisco's Chambers Term As Chairman Ends Monday, Board Expected To Pass Torch To CEO Robbins] Chambers Monday looked back on a 27-year career with Cisco, and said the company under Robbins is poised to lead a rapidly changing IT market. "You're going to see a company that will lead in digitization and continue to change the world," Chambers said. "When you look at our employees and look at the pride they have in the organization, it's what really makes me most excited. This company has the courage to dream big dreams like nobody else. It sets audacious goals of being one or two in everything we do." Under Chambers' leadership, Cisco grew from $1.2 billion in revenue to $47 billion. "Everybody likes to write about the success, but it's really how you handle your challenges and your setbacks that determine if you've got a great company or not." "We had the courage to say we can change the world and do it to the benefit of creating unprecedented opportunities for our shareholders, our customers, our employees and our partners," Chambers said. "We had the opportunity to also establish a culture, which is what I'm probably most proud of." Chambers joined Cisco in 1991 as head of sales, and was CEO from 1995 to July of 2015. He's been a member of the board of directors since 1993. He'll now have the honorary title of chairman emeritus. Cisco partners said Monday that Chambers leaves a legacy of channel advocacy, respect and communication. Robbins, partners said, is so far proving himself up to the task of carrying on that legacy. "I watched the Cisco organization turn from a fairly unfriendly position on the channel to one that's the best in the business," said Michael Girouard, executive vice president of sales at Teklinks, a Birmingham, Ala., Cisco partner. "Cisco's channel program sets the bar. It's the one we compare to every other, and they did that under John's leadership." Robbins' efforts to steer the company into more software- and subscription-based products and services rather than its traditional, proprietary, expensive networking hardware are already bearing fruit, said Girouard, noting that Teklinks saw triple-digit year-over-year revenue growth this year. "We've really embraced what's Cisco's doing in security, that's it's a really important part of the market. They're really making up ground and moving more toward an annuity model. That's really smart, and the quicker they can make that change and master it, the sky's the limit. I couldn't pick a better partner in this business," he said. Chambers "managed the partners and the street with equal respect," said Gary Berzack, CTO of eTribeca, a New York, N.Y.-based Cisco partner. "That's not so easy when you have to make decisions on behalf of partners that may not be popular with [Wall Street.]" As a result, Chambers "has a fierce following of channel partners," Berzack said. "I always found it interesting that the large partners would rebrand roles in their own company to be similar to those roles at Cisco." "Think of all the transitions John steered Cisco through, and the growth he's led by investments in innovation, and also shrewd acquisitions, and the vast majority of those acquisitions came to market very quickly as new products or adding functionality to other product lines," said Kent McDonald, vice president at Long View Systems, a Toronto solution provider. More than just a shrewd corporate chess master, Chambers was the "spiritual leader" to Cisco and its partners, McDonald said. "He would have us all mesmorized by what we had achieved and believing that the world was our oyster, that we'd be a force to be reckoned with, and would dominate the market," McDonald said. "We trusted him, and his investment in us and our investment in him have proven good bets. You could have an informal conversation with him at the halls of the partner conference, and you can see him on stage with world leaders. You saw him on the world stage, but it didn't create a barrier to engaging the partner community or the customer community." Robbins, McDonald said, has earned the channel's confidence that he can lead the company and its partners through a changing IT landscape and into significant revenue growth in new technologies like the cloud. "He's the right guy," McDonald said. "He knows the channel. We know him. What he's managing is very different from what John has seen: Cloud, recrurring revenue, etc., and we see the results of his stewardship and the bets that he made. "We've seen significant growth with Cisco double-digit growth in a market that people say is freaky. It's shifting, and it's not about the number of boxes you ship, it's about the solutions, the architectures, the software, the enablement and the adoption. There's some element of the partner community that might be troubled by that transition, but we're bullish." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The next time a Connecticut company threatens to move its headquarters to Boston, Catherine Smith should ask a harsh question. Hows that working out for General Electic? the state economic development commissioner might ask. Or, How about Alexion? It could be a key business function, like, say, drug discovery at Pfizer, much of which moved from Groton and New London to Boston a five years back. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media. None of these exits from the Land of Steady Deer in the Woods to the New England Tech Mecca have done much for the bottom lines, the output, the stock prices or the popular views of these companies. GE has endured a disastrous 2017, a year after moving its headquarters from Fairfield to the Seaport district in Boston. Ousting former CEO Jeffrey Immelt for cutter John Flannery, a Connecticut native, has only highlighted the problems. And Flannery, famously, has delayed construction of the glitzy Boston edifice by a couple of years amid a free fall in the share price helped along by a halving of the dividend. So much for global-scale software ambitions. Contributed photo Alexion hauled in more than $50 million from Smiths department to move from Cheshire to a fancy new headquarters in a remade downtown New Haven, only to announce Sept. 12 that it, too, is tapping into the Seaport district for its head office. Amid cutting (and giving back half the state payoff), the new CEO the third in three years after a scandal-ridden housecleaning has seen shares fall another 21 percent in the last three months to $112, down from more than $200 in the heady summer of 2016. On Friday, The New York Times reported that activist hedge fund Elliott Management wants Alexion to cut faster in other words, to act more like a company whose stock multiple is coming down from the clouds. Alexions main product, Soliris, a treatment for a rare blood disease, remains a cash cow, but whats on the horizon? Pfizer, which still has about 3,000 people in post-discovery development in Connecticut, touted good news Friday in late-stage human trials of its new breast cancer drug, Talazoparib. But for the most part, Pfizer has hardly spent the last few years replacing the old blockbusters that made it the biggest name in pharma Viagra, Lyrica, Lipitor and others. Shares have bounced around the low to mid-$30s for the last year and still havent reached their mid-2016 highs even though President Donald Trump could very well unlock upwards of $80 billion for Pfizer. In other words, so far at least, the Boston-Cambridge play hasnt worked wonders as Wall Street looks for Pfizers next huge acquisition as much as its next medical breakthrough. Obviously, any of these companies could do fantastically well in Boston over time. But over the weekend I got a call from a wiseguy Connecticut executive. He pointed out, half in jest, that maybe companies moving from Connecticut to Boston are asking for trouble. If the pattern tells us anything, its not that Boston is toxic, but its not a magic bullet, either. No place is, when it comes to corporate relocation. In the quaint world where a lot of us grew up, people followed jobs, wherever they were. Weve swung so far toward jobs following people that maybe its time for a bit of healthy balance in that world view. We havent found that theres a shortage, said Ben Berkowitz, founder and CEO of SeeClickFix in New Haven, who grew up in the Elm City (and was not my caller). Weve been able to hire engineers. Hes the first to say Connecticut needs to make its urban culture more magnetic for young professionals. Were never going to be Boston or New York, but hey, most likely Aetna wont move to New York, either, if it joins with CVS. dhaar@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Three people were hospitalized and several others lost their home after a woman accidentally started a fire inside a multifamily building while trying to kill beg bugs with alcohol, authorities said. The fire broke out late Friday in Cincinnati's Avondale neighborhood, just north of downtown. Cincinnati Fire Department District Chief Randy Freel did not respond to an inquiry from The Washington Post on Sunday, but he told reporters that the fire started in the first-floor unit, where the woman lives. The alcohol she was using ignited near an open flame, which was probably a candle or burning incense, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Three people went to a hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, Freel told reporters. Seven adults and three teenagers were displaced by the fire. One of those displaced was Kamaron Lyshe, who rushed home after learning that his building was on fire. For the next hour, Lyshe shared what was happening through a Facebook Live video, which showed a massive fire billowing out of the building's roof. Flames were no longer visible from the street about a half-hour into the video. Later, a visibly upset Lyshe appears to be sitting in a car and sending messages to friends. "Pretty much everything we got is all up in flames. It's crazy," he said, as he lets out a deep sigh. "Now everything is gone." Now Playing: A recent study suggests that combating the spread of bed bugs may be as simple as keeping ones dirty clothes out of their reach. Video: GeoBeats Hours later, Lyshe took pictures and videos of what was left of his building, including the third-floor unit where he lived with his family. The roof of his unit had collapsed. Its hallways and rooms were covered with ashen debris. "My room is completely destroyed, all my clothes. My closet was right here," Lyshe can be heard saying as he briefly aims his phone at a pile of rubble. Down the hallway was his brother's room, he said, where pieces of burned wood were piled on the bed. His brother's closet appears to have been spared, with several pieces of clothing still intact. "I'm kind of dealing with it right now. I'll start from scratch," he told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "It's like a dream ... everything is burned. I'll start fresh. It's all we can do now." Authorities did not release the names of the residents, including the woman who started the fire. Fire officials told reporters that this was the second fire in two weeks caused by someone trying to kill bed bugs. A 2015 survey by the National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky found that bed bug infestations continue at high rates in the United States, with nearly all of the respondents saying they'd been treated for bed bugs in the past year. Infestations happened most often in nursing homes, office buildings, schools and day-care centers, according to the survey. Do-it-yourself defenses against bed bugs have resulted in accidental fires in the past. In 2013, a 13-year-old boy trying to kill a bed bug doused the insect with alcohol and then lit a match, causing a fire to start in his apartment building. In 2012, a Carlisle, Kentucky, woman set her apartment building on fire after she doused a couch in alcohol and accidentally dropped a lit cigarette on it. About 30 people lost their homes, while four were treated for smoke inhalation. In Indianapolis that year, flames spread to a home after two men set their infested couches and two chairs on fire in the back yard. Freel said homeowners and renters wanting to get rid of bed bugs should call pest professionals instead of trying to solve the problem themselves. 10 Aralk 2017 Pazar, 13:55 The removal from office of Atasehir Mayor Battal Ilgezdi has been interpreted by the CHP as being a revenge operation for General Chair Kemal Klcdaroglus disclosure of the Isle of Man documents and the intelligence agency briefing to Erdogan on Reza Zarrab. Klcdaroglu, who is in London, obtained information on the phone from staff after having learnt of Atasehir Mayor Battal Ilgezdis removal from office. The conclusion was reached that the target of the operation was Klcdaroglu and there was an attempt to exact revenge using the same means over his comments about Erdogans children and relatives. With Klcdaroglu deciding to refrain from commenting until he had returned to Turkey, Deputy General Chair Aykut Erdogdu, who was part of the London delegation, made an announcement and expressed his outrage. Do it if you dare Erdogdu, stating that they knew where the AKP was going with this, said, They are trying to exact revenge for the incidents of corruption to which reference has recently been made. However, the removal of opposition mayors from office in this way only happens in fascist regimes. We will never permit this. We will not sacrifice a mayor brought into office with the peoples votes to the Interior Ministrys political instructions. Erdogdu, wishing for an investigation commission to be set up in Parliament and for all parties mayors to be investigated, commented, Do it if you dare and we will see which mayors are without blemish and have probity. The aim is to change the agenda CHP parliamentarians expressed outrage at Ilgezdis removal from office. -Bulent Oz: The Interior Ministrys removing Ilgezdi from office is mobbing conducted against the CHP. You cannot silence the CHP with this mobbing conducted under the state of emergency. -Yldz Tur Bicer: The members of the most discredited government in history with all kinds of graft and illegality at home and abroad are trying to splatter opposition municipalities with the dirt of its disgusting municipalities using its filthy grip on power. -Eren Erdem: They greet with bands and processions the FETOists who signed up to being gifted lot after lot, but they either assign curators to municipalities that they are unable to win through the ballot box or try to stage a coup against the will of the nation there with removals from office. -Ahmet Akn: What is being done to CHP municipalities is fear over the 2019 local election. If we pile up their own corruption and disgraces, this would stretch from here to the Isle of Man and they are using CHP municipalities to change the agenda. ILGEZDIS STATEMENT CONCERNING HIS REMOVAL FROM OFFICE The statement made by the Ministry of the Interior is as follows: Due to reports compiled by the Civil Service Inspectorate and investigations and prosecutions being conducted by the judicial authorities into him, a decision was made on 06.12.2017 by the Ministry of the Interior to remove Atasehir Mayor Battal Ilgezdi from his office. In removing Battal Ilgezdi from his office as mayor, the following matters were taken into consideration, deemed to be acts of abuse of duty by acting in breach of the Development Law, the Law on Making Statement of Assets and Combatting Bribery and Corruption and the Public Procurement Law, causing loss to municipalities/the public, bid-rigging, unjust acquisition of property and turning a blind eye to the compilation of untruthful documents by public servants: Even though Battal Ilgezdi gave the impression of having ended following his election the business he engaged in prior to being elected Atasehir Mayor, his continuation of this business through the intervention of close relatives and persons and companies he was in a political and business relationship with and concealing his own presence, the activities conducted through these individuals and companies being almost entirely related to Battal Ilgezdi and involving sham elements and, where necessary, being carried out by having new companies formed or appointing close relatives to chair the board of directors at existing companies, the construction works performed by these persons and/or companies being carried out within Atasehir Municipalitys area of responsibility, despite the serious violations of planning law involved in construction works being undertaken, the failure for the requisite statutory procedures to be performed and/or caused to be performed on time and in full by Atasehir Municipality officials, or even the deceiving of other authorities through the compilation of untruthful documents, the acquisition of considerable amounts of immovable property by close relatives disproportionate to their economic circumstances, the causing of loss to the municipality by conducting transactions to the benefit of persons/companies that the Mayor is in collaboration with contrary to legislation in the sale and/or putting out to tender of shares in certain of Atasehir Municipalitys immovable properties, the passing on with regard to the said matters of allegations and complaints about various improprieties and irregularities that were submitted to our Ministry, the commencement of procedures by our ministry into a portion of these and the granting of approval for investigation, and, additionally, the submission to the competent judicial authorities of allegations and complaints over which the judicial authorities are contemplating the necessary action, and the existence of a pending lawsuit brought against Battal Ilgezdi by Istanbul Anatolian Chief Prosecution for bid rigging and unjust acquisition of property. The bringing about through sham transactions of the transfer of the municipal share in the plot on which the building known as Buz Rezidans was erected, the granting of an occupancy permit to Buz Rezidans despite breaches of the construction licence, the failure for the sanction pursuant to Articles 32 and 42 of the Construction Law to be applied and, when the necessity arose to apply the statutory sanction, the failure for it to be applied as required, the embarking on housing development illicitly, for profiteering purposes and contrary to planning legislation on the area known as Erguvan Park, bid rigging in the tender for the construction and to confer use of the buildings to be constructed in the area, the purchasing by a close associate of Atasehir Mayor Battal Ilgezdi who was one of his relatives of a plot in an area that is a residential area in the development plan, the construction of a private educational institution contrary to planning legislation on this plot that was a residential area, the subsequent sale of these premises to a company on which a relative close to Battal Ilgezdi serves as board of directors chair and its also being rented out as a private school at a high price by this company, the conducting of procedures that were in breach of planning legislation at the buildings known as Oda Kule 1 and Oda Kule 2, and all these illicit and procedures that involve corruption being conducted by creating a complex chain of relationships involving the mayors close relatives and business partners and the latters close relatives and with him concealing his own identity, which are public knowledge, serve as examples of this corruption that is being brought to attention. Battal Ilgezdi: I am above board. I am without blemish. Following Atasehir Mayor Battal Ilgezdis removal from office by the Interior Ministry, there were flurry-filled hours at Atasehir Municipality. With party supporters who had gathered in front of the Town Hall expressing their support for Ilgezdi, they displayed outrage at the government. The CHP urgently summoned all Central Executive Board members to assemble in front of Atasehir Town Hall. The deputy general chairs, Istanbul MPs and CHP mayors and sub-province chairs in Istanbul convened with Ilgezdi at the town hall and assessed the situation. There are acquittal rulings Battal Ilgezdi, addressing those who had come to support him in front of the town hall, said, As you know, I am the first mayor to have complained about himself. Do it if you dare. Let their own mayors go and complain about themselves. All of these allegations came before the judiciary and acquittal rulings were passed over them all. We are supposedly tampering with documents. The judiciary is in your hands and the media is in your hands. If there is something we have tampered with come out with it. The law has collapsed here. Political motives are involved in this. We are here. There is nothing that I cannot account for as mayor. I am above board. I am without blemish. Covering-up operation CHP Istanbul Province Chair Cemal Canpolat, stating that the AKP was conducting an operation to cover up the corruption attributable to it, said, This is an operation to secure the surrender of the Republican Peoples Party municipalities. We will not surrender the CHP municipalities. We will never permit operations conducted under instruction. We will fight to the end. I invite all party supporters and all Istanbullians here. This is basically the price for five million votes in Istanbul being cast for no. Do whatever you will, we will take Istanbul and we will oust you in the election. Isle of Man payback Istanbul MP Bars Yarkadas, in turn, expressing his reaction to Ilgezdis removal from office, said, This operation is a payback for the Isle of Man documents. The rulership is trying to dispel and discredit the uproar created by the Isle of Man documents through the perception that there is corruption at CHP municipalities. The rulership, which has removed its own mayors from office without citing a reason but has been unable to lift the stain of corruption from these mayors, is turning its attention to CHP municipalities and is trying to establish what it sees as equivalence. Engin Altay: We are entering a dangerous process CHP Deputy Group Chair Engin Altay assessed the removal from office of Atasehir Mayor Battal Ilgezdi by saying, We are entering a new and dangerous process of tension. Tayyip Erdogan is a politician who thrives on sectarianism and polarisation. He is now doing precisely this. This is a sign that even greater crisis-ridden days await Turkey. Altay, noting that the possibility of tampering with evidence had been cited as grounds for Ilgezdis removal from office, said, This operation is a case of the guilty party brazenly accusing the innocent. More Interior Ministry staff and public prosecutors have come and gone to Atasehir town hall than municipal staff. There remains nothing that has not been picked through and investigated. Non-existent evidence cannot be tampered with. Altay, saying, The degree is apparent to which Tayyip Erdogan has been cornered and is being judged in the public conscience over matters such as the Isle of Man documents that General Chair Kemal Klcdaroglu has disclosed and Reza Zarrabs confessions, said that Ilgezdis removal was a political operation conducted to counteract the AKPs loss of esteem in the public conscience. Altay, noting that the will of the people of Atasehir had been usurped, said, We will stand up for the CHP municipalities in their entirety through the person of Battal Ilgezdi. What is in need of investigation is the Isle of Man documents, Zarrabs confessions and the 17-25 December bribery and corruption affair of the century that has been closed. CALL FROM CHP ISTANBUL The CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairs Office called on all MPs, sub-provincial chairs, mayors and members to congregate in front of Atasehir town hall building at 19.00 hours. ANNOUNCEMENT FROM CHP ISTANBUL PROVINCIAL CHAIR CANPOLAT CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Cemal Canpolat, arriving in front of the town hall, made an announcement to members of the press. Canpolat said, This is the AK Partys operation to cover up and conceal the corruption attributable to it. Our Atasehir Mayor made a criminal complaint about himself to the Republic Chief Prosecution two years ago. Saying, Come and investigate the news reports emerging about me, he himself went along with the sub-province chair and applied to the Republic Chief Prosecution. He and his family come face to face with an inspector every day on each occasion. There is one sole aim here. This is an operation to portray a Republican Peoples Party mayors success as being failure. This is an operation to secure the surrender of the Republican Peoples Party municipalities. Canpolat, saying that the Republican Peoples Party municipalities would not surrender, commented, We will never permit operations conducted under instruction against Republican Peoples Party municipalities. We will fight to the end. Now I ask through the press. To the Interior Minister. Which paper have you requested and Battal Ilgezdi did not furnish you with it? Which document have you requested and he did not supply it? You perceive him to be a threat and oust him. We will not let you conduct this operation. I invite all party supporters and all Istanbullians here. I invite all MPs here. We will not leave this country in your arbitrary rule. We are ready as Republican Peoples Party members and as Istanbullians to put up every kind of fight, to engage in every kind of struggle and to pay every kind of price. This is basically the price for five million votes in Istanbul being cast for no. Do whatever you will, we will take Istanbul and we will oust you in the election. Everywhere in the world, a period in which assaults increase incrementally is a period in which the footsteps of fascism are on their way. We will not surrender this country to fascists and fascist dictators. We will fight this fight to the end. http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/882441/Atasehir_Belediye_Baskani_Battal_ilgezdi_gorevden_uzaklastirildi.html Most people probably have very little idea what the Equality and Human Rights Commission either is or does, and I suspect they dont really care. The EHRC is a publicly-funded quango set up in 2006 with a responsibility to promote and protect equality and human rights in this country, whatever that means. It is no doubt a well-intentioned body and may do some good. But the normally obscure EHRC has just made an announcement that is both crass and destructive. The commissions chair, David Isaac, told a Sunday newspaper that it is going to launch its own inquiry into last Junes Grenfell Tower fire in which 71 people lost their lives. Yet there is already an official inquiry into the causes of the Grenfell tragedy under an independent retired judge, Sir Martin Moore-Bick. The EHRCs parallel inquiry threatens to undermine the official one and to overshadow it, since it is expected to be completed by next April, very possibly earlier than Sir Martins interim report, and certainly long before his full findings are published. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is going to launch its own inquiry into last Junes Grenfell Tower fire in which 71 people lost their lives Moreover, the EHRC is not primarily interested in the causes of the fire. No; it wants to know whether the human rights of the victims were abrogated by the State. To judge by Mr Isaacs remarks yesterday, its resounding conclusion will be that they were. What on earth is going on? Grenfell was a terrible tragedy in which the occupants of the flats were fatally betrayed by various agencies: Kensington and Chelsea council; the management company that looked after the flats; and some of the builders responsible for their refurbishment, in particular the combustible cladding. Unfortunately, even while smoke was still emerging from the blackened building, the issue of responsibility became politicised, with some on the Left alleging that the fire represented a callous and calculated assault by the State on the poor. The EHRC is now in danger of feeding that myth by calling its own inquiry. A month after the inferno, Labours hard-Left Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell described what had happened as social murder. This outrageous phrase carried the implication that the fire was virtually a deliberate act of homicide on the part of the authorities. Relatives of victims and survivors of the disaster found themselves represented by an intemperate group called Justice4Grenfell. One of its members, Ishmahil Blagrove, who seems fairly typical in his extremism, said after the fire: I want there to be a revolution in this country. After it was announced at the end of June that Sir Martin Moore-Bick would be in charge of the official investigation, Justice4Grenfell wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May to inform her that it was withdrawing its support for the public inquiry. The commissions chair, David Isaac, is a City lawyer who rakes in 500,000 a year. He is a Labour supporter and former chairman of gay rights group Stonewall Sir Martins crime appeared to be that he was white, male and relatively privileged. Labour MPs such as David Lammy and Emma Dent Coad (who represents Kensington) had the temerity to attack him on these very grounds. In fact, Sir Martin is a highly experienced, independent-minded man, and certainly no lackey of the State. He is extremely expert in the law of contract, and if anyone can untangle the overlapping responsibilities of the 60 firms involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, its him. His terms of reference are to ascertain the causes of the fire, to apportion blame where there is evidence of fault, and to establish whether there are lessons to be learned that should be applied to other blocks of flats. Surely that is what most of the relatives of victims and survivors also want if only their voices could be heard. How could this fire have happened, and so many people have died, in the heart of London in 21st-century Britain? Needless to say, Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party has demanded a much broader review into social housing policy in the hope, no doubt, that this might supply it with ammunition with which it could embarrass the Government. The Equality and Human Rights Commission wanted a similarly wide-ranging inquiry which addressed the issue of whether the human rights of the occupants of the flats had been breached. It applied to be a core participant in the official investigation, but was rejected, possibly because Sir Martin feared it would try to hijack the proceedings with its own agenda. And so the EHRC has decided to launch an inquiry of its own, which it will produce in double-quick time. We may be almost 100 per cent sure of the outcome. The commission will declare that the State failed to respect the human rights of the occupants of the flats. A month after the inferno, Labours Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell described what had happened as social murder My contention is that this would be an utterly meaningless conclusion, which wont help the relatives of victims or survivors of the Grenfell fire, or throw any light on its causes or on preventive measures that should be taken in the future. But it will nonetheless encourage those who are striving to frame the debate in heated political terms, and aim to pin the blame on the heartless and mean-minded State which in this instance, of course, means the supposedly wicked and hard-hearted Tories. Well, the Tories can perhaps look after themselves. I feel more concerned about justice and truth. For the effect of the commissions rushed and entirely predictable report will be to shake the confidence of many people in Sir Martins far more painstaking and probably much more open-minded version. What he eventually says will have been pre-empted by all the publicity enjoyed by the commissions meretricious point-scoring publicity that will be seized on by Justice4Grenfell and the Labour Left, both of which want the tragedy of Grenfell to be judged through a political prism. The danger is that when Sir Martins full report is finally published, its findings and recommendations will be taken less seriously than they should be, or even disregarded. Justice4Grenfell will doubtless insist that the issue is all about the human rights of the occupants of Grenfell Tower having been ignored. How incredible that the EHRC, which is a publicly-funded body with an annual budget of 20 million, should seek to undermine the credibility of an official inquiry. In effect, it is exploiting the present mood of public scepticism in which the integrity of conscientious public servants such as Sir Martin is increasingly doubted. God knows how David Isaac, who appears to be a respectable City lawyer, could have got mixed up in such an ill-conceived project. He chaired the gay rights group Stonewall from 2003 until 2012, and doesnt seem an obvious political subversive. There is always a danger of normally quiescent and generally harmless quangos doing something idiotic in order to justify their existence. Ironically, the damaging decision by the EHRC to mount its own inquiry may lead to calls for it to be wound up. The tragedy is that the more the catastrophe of Grenfell Tower is politicised and the more there is loud but empty talk about human rights violations the less likely it is that the occupants of Grenfell Tower will ever secure the detailed explanation of these appalling events that they deserve. It's the costly eating habit that millennials have been accused of not being able to shake. But it turns out they can have their avocado on toast - and eat it too - by following one simple financial move. Millennials are spending almost the same amount on fees for additional superannuation accounts as they are for their breakfast of choice, consumer organisation Choice revealed on Monday. Consumer organisation Choice revealed on Monday that Australian millennials can have their avocado on toast - and eat it too - if they start following one simple financial move (stock image) Millennials are spending almost the same amount on fees for additional superannuation accounts as they are for their breakfast of choice (stock image), the group revealed on Monday The group found millennials spend $1321 a year on breakfast - less than $100 more than what many are spending on annual fees for unconsolidated super accounts. Annual fees for a 34-year-old's $50,000 super account with one of Australia's biggest funds come in at $1248, Choice data revealed. Australian Taxation Office figures from the end of financial year found 14.8 million Australians have a super account, with 40 per cent of those holding multiple accounts. Super fund Hostplus chief executive David Elia encouraged Australians to consolidate their super accounts to avoid paying unnecessary fees and to maximise compound interest. The group found millennials spend $1321 a year on breakfast (stock image) - less than $100 more than what many are spending on annual fees for unconsolidated super accounts Hostplus chief executive David Elia (pictured) encouraged people to consolidate accounts 'Account consolidation only takes a few minutes there are no forms, its all online and it could mean the difference between affording a deposit on a house at retirement,' he told Perth Now. 'The more money you have in one account, the harder it can work for you and the more interest you can earn.' Choice spokeswoman Stefanie Menezes said having duplicate super accounts could cost millennials $25,000 by the time they retire. She added: 'The research couldn't be clearer, young Aussies love to eat out and for many a super serving of avocado on toast will be on the menu, but they can offset their breakfast spending through super savings.' But Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees chief executive Eva Scheerlinck said careful consideration should be given when choosing which super account to consolidate. 'You need to compare the long-term returns of each fund, the fees charged and ensure the insurance offered is appropriate for your needs,' she told the publication. Embrace the wonders of winter and cosy up in one of these frosty hideaways .. CHILL OUT IN SWEDEN Enjoy spectacular views of the Northern Lights whilst wrapped in a thermal one-piece at this arctic hotel in Sweden The original ice hotel, re-carved each year, is 200km north of the Arctic Circle great for seeing moose and the Northern Lights. INSIDER TIP: The hotel is between -5c and -8c, but they provide a thermal one-piece and boots for you. Theres a heated building with a sauna next door. DETAILS: Three nights from 1,154 pp for two sharing (one night in an ice room, two in a warm room) including flights and transfers, discover-the-world.co.uk LET IT SNOW, NORWAY Experience being pulled on a sledge by huskies whilst staying at The Snow Hotel in Norway The Snow Hotel consists of 20 sculpted rooms. Go ice-fishing or on a sledge pulled by huskies. INSIDER TIP: If -4 is too cool for you, try a separate warm cabin. DETAILS: Hotel opens December 20. Rooms from 277 per person including warm clothes, dinner & breakfast, kirkenessnowhotel.com. Flights to Oslo from 54 return, on to Kirkenes from 160 return, norwegian.com. STAY COOL IN CANADA Get an adrenaline rush on the Everest slide at The Hotel de Glace in Canada The Hotel de Glace, a snow and ice guest house, is a 30-minute drive from Quebec City airport. Theres skating and 35 slides near by. INSIDER TIP: Reach speeds of nearly 50mph on the Everest slide. DETAILS: Hotel opens January 4. Rooms from 127 a night including winter activities passport, hoteldeglace-canada.com. Return flights to Quebec City around 880 return, aircanada.com. A terminally ill mother who penned a heart-wrenching letter to her two young sons she won't see grow up has moved into palliative care. Mother-of-two Sara Chivers, from Melbourne, was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour in March, nine years after she beat brain cancer. As her condition deteriorates, the 34-year-old mother - whose tumour hasn't shrunk despite undergoing surgery - has been left struggling to walk or talk. Speaking to The New Daily via email, Ms Chivers made a heartbreaking admission: 'I don't really know how much time I have left. Sara Chivers and her 20-month-old son Alfie have both been diagnosed with brain cancer The mother previously wrote a heart-wrenching letter to Alfie, his older brother Hugh (right) and her loving husband Leigh 'Each day brings new challenges. First, it was just some physical weakness, then it impacted my ability to walk or care for the boys,' she said. 'Now, the most devastating impact is my speech and energy to even think clearly are being taken away from me.' And just months after she was told her brain cancer had returned, her 20-month-old son Alfie was diagnosed with the same disease in September this year. The 34-year-old mother has since moved into the same palliative care centre, where her youngest son - who can no longer walk or talk - is being treated. The family are building memories together - as the mother and son battle the same disease Dealing with another blow, the parents were told that for little Alfie to survive, he needed to undergo three months of high-dose of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Mrs Chivers is now doing everything she can to save her son's life and create as many memories with her family as she can before her time runs out. And despite her battle, Mrs Chivers said she has remained positive for her family. 'It's about trying to get out of bed each day, putting one foot in front of the other so that I can spend time with my boys,' she said. She admitted she was 'terrified' about dying but she wanted to raise awareness about the disease in an effort to find a cure for her son Alfie. Mrs Chivers is now doing everything she can to save her son's life and create as many memories with her family as she can before her time runs out Her latest interview comes after she penned a heartbreaking letter, supplied to the New Daily, to Alfie and his brother Hugh, aged three, about the kind of woman she is and her hope for their futures. 'I won't be around to see you grow up. It's a hard thing to say and even harder to face,' her letter begins. 'I know your Dad, and our village of family and friends, will keep me alive for you as much as they can, but there are some things I want you to hear from me.' Mrs Chivers goes on to explain that her favourite perfume is Michael Kors, favourite meal is spaghetti bolognese and favourite season is winter. 'Don't be afraid of expressing your emotions. I will never tire of hearing 'I love you' from Leigh, you boys, my family, friends,' she continues. 'Pay attention to study but know there is so much more to school life than textbooks. Play team sports. Try a musical instrument. Learn a language.' Alfie (pictured with his mother) was diagnosed with brain cancer just months after Mrs Chivers found out the cancer she had beaten eight years ago had returned Mrs Chivers then challenges her boys to 'love hard', be brave in their convictions and always fall back on their family when the going gets tough. 'Be kind to your Dad. It won't be easy for him raising you alone, but every decision he makes will be with your best interests at heart,' she wrote. 'He is an exceptional father and role model. Don't let him doubt himself or the wonderful job he will do shaping you into the men I dream of you growing up to be. 'There will come a time when he wants to find happiness again with a new partner. Accept and embrace his choice, and know she will be a positive female influence in your lives too. 'I have absolute faith that he will make the right decision, for him and you both, and I hope she enriches your lives as much as you've all enriched mine.' Her emotional letter finishes with a few words to her loving husband Leigh, reading: 'He is my companion, my rock, my everything. It was always him. Always will be.' 'He is my companion, my rock, my everything. It was always him. Always will be,' Sara writes in the letter, describing her husband Leigh (pictured) Mrs Chivers has undergone surgery on the largest tumour, which has helped with her mobility and will improve her quality of life as she fights for Alfie Mrs Chivers has undergone surgery on the largest tumour, which has helped with her mobility and will improve her quality of life as she fights for Alfie. The resilient toddler has had three separate surgeries to remove the fluid from his brain and give him a fighting chance at beating the devastating disease. Survival rates for brain cancer have not improved in the last three decades. Mrs Chivers' sister Stephanie has set up a fundraising page for those hoping to help with the Chivers family's costly battle against cancer. For those wanting to financially support brain cancer research in Australia, Mrs Chivers recommends donating to Cure Brain Cancer or Carries Beanies 4 Cancer. Gift giving can be difficult especially when you're searching for the perfect present just days before Christmas. It may seem even more complicated when you're buying a gift for someone who follows a cruelty-free lifestyle. Never fear, FEMAIL has rounded up the best vegan products available in Australia that you can purchase. FEMAIL has rounded up the best vegan products available in Australia you can purchase BATH BOMBS If you want to give someone a little bit of luxury then there are plenty of cruelty-free bath products on the market. InkBlot exclusively sells bath bombs and each uses biodegradable glitter, making it as eco friendly as possible. 'Normal glitter is made from polyester which is harmful on the bodies and the environment,' the company said in an Instagram post. 'We pride ourselves on being a vegan friendly and environmentally ethical business.' InkBlot exclusively sells bath bombs and each uses biodegradable glitter, making it as eco friendly as possible Oh Deer Sugar was started by a couple who labelled their business a 'non-edible bakery' with a focus on vegan and cruelty-free bath and body products. 'The business started off as a Christmas gift idea. I made the body scrub, put it in a jar and tied a ribbon around it and put a photo of it on Facebook,' Sharni Rosser previously told Daily Mail Australia. They now also have a Christmas selection which includes a Gingerbread Bubble Bar, Rudolph's Wild Sleigh Ride bubble bar and a Candy Cane Shower Moose. Oh Deer Sugar was started by a couple who labelled their business a 'non-edible bakery' with a focus on vegan and cruelty-free bath and body products MAKE UP When it comes to the beauty industry it can be hard to know which products are truly cruelty-free. 'As a vegan hair and make up artist this is something our founder Stacey Abdilla knows all too well,' The Little Vegan MakeUp Shop told FEMAIL. 'Over the years Stacey has done a whole lot of research into cruelty-free make up and spent many hours testing out every vegan makeup product she could get her hands on.' Primarily online, The Little Vegan Make Up Shop stocks their favourite indie brands such as Lime Crime, L.A. Girl and Mermaid Salon. When it comes to the beauty industry it can be hard to know which products are truly cruelty free The Little Vegan Make Up Shop offers a variety of cruelty-free make up brands for those that love make up but don't want to contribute to animal testing NAIL POLISH Not many people know that nail polish isn't always cruelty-free as often animal products such as carmine, guanine and oleic acid can be found in them. This is when Melbourne-based brand Kester Black steps in with their vegan nail polishes. Anna Ross, 29, had originally created a small jewellery business but before long she naturally progressed to nail polishes, which was when Kester Black was born. Not many people know that nail polish isn't always cruelty free as often animal products such as carmine, guanine and oleic acid can be found in them - this is when Kester Black steps in Anna previously told Daily Mail Australia they managed to triple their turnover in three months and she now plans on having a 30 million dollar business in five years. Kester Black produces ethical, sustainable cosmetics and skincare and they aim to redefine the industry standard for ethical cosmetics by making products that have a positive social and environmental footprint. They also have a Christmas range, which features bon bons and polishes named after reindeers. Kester Black also has a Christmas range, with some of their polishes named after reindeers BAGS When people think of a good quality bag, briefcase or wallet they often think of leather but with changing technologies and opinions more and more are being made that are cruelty-free. One example of a fake leather company doing well is Canadian-based Matt and Nat, which delivers to Australia and can be found in selected stores. 'From the start, being committed to not using leather or any other animal-based materials in our designs felt natural to us,' their website reads. When people think of a good quality bag, briefcase or wallet they often think of leather but with changing technologies and opinions more and more are being made that are cruelty free One example of a fake leather company doing well is Canadian-based Matt and Nat 'Each season, we continue to explore new innovative ways to remain sustainable and eco-friendly.' Since their creation in 1995, the brand has experimented with different recycled materials such as recycled nylons, cardboard, rubber, cork and recycled plastic bottles. SKINCARE Two skincare brands that will leave your skin feeling as good as new are Happy Skincare and Cedar and Stone. 'Happy Skincare is a natural health-obsessed mix-a-holic's dream! And it all started in our kitchen when Aaron mixed up a 100 per cent natural stretch mark cream for Phoebes pregnant belly,' the website reads. The brand is organic, 100 per cent natural, vegan and uses 'a few handfuls of amazing Australian ingredients'. Happy Skincare is organic, 100 per cent natural, vegan and uses 'a few handfuls of amazing Australian ingredients' The Pig in Mud Mineral Mask and the new Charcoal Micellar cleansing water are perfect stocking stuffers. Cedar and Stone is a 100 per cent plant-based skincare company with a firm ethos on minimising the use of harsh chemicals. The company was founded by sister duo Kate and Anna who were sick of seeing products that were labelled organic actually being made up of hidden chemicals. Cedar and Stone is a 100% Plant Based Skincare company with a firm ethos on minimising the use of harsh chemicals 'Reduce, reuse and recycle. Our hope is for people to see 'natural' and 'organic' as normal, not as an alternative,' they said. They sell a range of products including cologne, hand cream, shave bars and bath salts. A maternity hospital has revealed its most popular baby names of 2017, with surprisingly traditional monikers topping the charts. Queensland's Greenslopes Private Hospital rounded up the top names ranging from traditional to modern after delivering more than 1,000 babies this year. And unsurprisingly, old favourite Olivia took the lead for the girls name at the Brisbane ward, followed by Zara, Zoe, Addison and Ava. A maternity hospital has revealed its most popular baby names of 2017, with surprisingly traditional monikers topping the charts (stock images) Queensland's Greenslopes Private Hospital rounded up the top names ranging from traditional to modern after delivering more than 1,000 babies this year Olivia took the lead for the girls name at the Brisbane ward, followed by Zara, Zoe, Addison and Ava (pictured left American socialite Olivia Palermo and right American actress Zoe Kravitz) After taking the top spot around the world for the most popular name in 2015, Charlotte has been bumped down to seventh place. For the boys, the names were quite traditional. There was a four-way tie for first place between Harrison, Henry, Oliver and William, followed by Liam, Charlie and Jacob. Greenslopes maternity services manager Raechel Frost said parents seem to have taken inspiration from celebrities or movies. There was a four-way tie for first place between Harrison, Henry, Oliver and William, followed by Liam, Charlie and Jacob (pictured left Prince William and right Liam Hemsworth) American actor Harrison Ford could likely inspire the popularity of the name Harrison 'People get their influences from everywhere, and is a huge phenomenon so it could well be an influencer,' she told The Courier Mail. The boys' name Arlo sprung into the top 20, likely inspired by the main character in Disney movie The Good Dinosaur. Ms Frost added there had also been an increasing trend of parents adding a modern twist to traditional names such as Adalyn instead of Adeline. GIRLS Olivia Zara Zoe Addison Ava Emilia / Amelia Charlotte Matilda Chloe Emily Georgia Eva Lily Lucy Mia Ruby Sophia Sophie Adeline/Adalyn Annabelle Aria Audrey Eleanor Emma Grace Advertisement His biography of Princess Diana shook the world when it was released in 1992, revealing her battle with bulimia, suicide attempts and her heartache over Camilla. Now author Andrew Morton is set to turn his attention to the newest member of the royal family, bride-to-be Meghan Markle. The 64-year-old confirmed the news on Twitter, saying: 'Excited to be writing Meghan Markle's story. She has bags of charisma. A royal star who will have tremendous impact on royal family and wider world.' According to The Bookseller, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, will be published on 19th April 2018, a month before the former Suits star weds Prince Harry at Windsor Castle. The British author lives in California not far from where Meghan grew up and promises the tome will be an 'unparalleled' look at Meghan's life before she met the Prince. Royal biographer Andrew Morton is set to released a tell-all book about Meghan Markle a month before her wedding to Harry in April The 64-year-old British author who lives close to where Meghan grew up in California confirmed the news on Twitter Morton's book about Diana caused shockwaves around the world when it was released in 1992 'I was a fan of Meghan's long before she met Prince Harry. She has star quality, what some have called "the Markle Sparkle",' he said. 'Confident, groomed and camera ready, she is a dramatic contrast to the blushing, coy royal brides of recent history. 'The warmth and affection Meghan and Harry displayed during their engagement interview is light years away from the stilted "whatever love means" conversation with Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. 'Meghan is an exciting and genuinely charismatic addition to the royal family - she makes the House of Windsor seem relevant again. Hers is a fascinating story and I can't wait to tell it.' The biographer says he was a fan of 'charismatic' Meghan before she started dating Prince Harry Mr Morton wrote international bestseller Diana: Her True Story in 1992 and a revised edition after her death based on taped responses from Diana to his written questions. Those recordings, about seven hours of taped responses, were secretly made in Kensington Palace in 1991 during a series of interviews conducted through an intermediary, Dr James Colthurst. There is no suggestion, however, that Meghan has co-operated in any way with Morton's latest book. In the tapes, the princess talks openly about her life before marrying Prince Charles, her long battle with bulimia, her suicide attempts, the heartache over her husband's long affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and her strained relationships with other members of the Royal family. Mr Morton says that loved-up Harry and Meghan couldn't be further from stilted Charles and Diana When the book was first released it was met with 'shock, disgust and astonishment' from many members of the public. The Archbishop of Canterbury condemned it, an MP suggested Mr Morton be imprisoned in the Tower of London, and the chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, Lord McGregor, accused the media of dabbling their fingers in the stuff of other peoples souls. In the ensuing furore, the book was banned by numerous major bookstores and supermarkets until it became apparent that the book had been produced with the Princess' co-operation. The beauty force was strong at the Los Angeles premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi Saturday. Stars of the film like Lupita Nyong'o and Daisy Ridley and celebrity attendees like Sofia Carson celebrated the anticipated release with bright and glitzy red carpet make-up and hair looks. Billie Lourd, who has a small role in the movie, even paid tribute to her late mother Carrie Fisher with a Princess Leia-esque hairstyle. Read on below for the most head-turning looks from the night and get tips to recreate them at home. BILLIE LOURD Shine bright: Billie Lourd, 25, dazzled on the red carpet at the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere in Los Angeles Saturday Like mother, like daughter: Billie paid homage to her late mother Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, with a braided updo Billie Lourd honored her late mother Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, on the red carpet Sunday. Fans were quick to point out that Billie's braided updo was reminiscent of the style worn by Princess Leia in the original 1977 Star Wars film. Hairstylist Chad Wood embellished the look with an Epona Valley evil eye comb accessory for good luck. The actress, who has a small role in the film as Lieutenant Connix, paired the bun with a twinkling and fluttery eye look and a silver glitter manicure courtesy of nail artist Mary Wolf. LUPITA NYONG'O Giving lip: Never one to shy away from statement make-up, Lupita Nyong'o, 34, stunned in a fuchsia lip For a 'glamorous with a touch of futuristic' look, make-up artist Nick Barose sent Lupita onto the red carpet with glowing skin, a soft metallic plum eye and a bright fuchsia lip. 'Purple is an unexpected bold lip color that seems hard to pull off, but you can make it work by choosing shades that are a bit more pink or purple,' he said. On Lupita, he used used Lancome Color Design Lipstick in Hit Lit as a base and the brand's Juicy Shaker in Berry in Love on top 'to add a bit of sheen to the center of the lips'. Hairstylist Vernon Francois got the Star Wars actress' natural strands ready for the evening by applying his eponymous brand's Leave-In Conditioner for hydration, the Styling Cream for volume and the Dazzling Spritz Shine Spray for a luminous finish. DAISY RIDLEY Starry night: Daisy Ridley, 25, gave a nod to Star Wars, in which she plays Rey, with a star-printed gown and a futuristic beauty look In the details: Daisy's metallic blue-grey smoky eye and silver hair accessory complemented her sequin dress Daisy, who is reprising her role as Rey in the film, complemented her star-print Monse gown with a shimmering blue-grey smoky eye. Hairstylist Robert Vetica created an intricate updo that he swears is actually pretty simple. 'I didn't need a hair dryer or heat tools,' he told harpersbazaar.com. The pro prepped Daisy's hair with Leonor Greyl Au Lotus Volumizing Mousse to give strands 'the right amount of stiffness'. He then created three ponytails in the back center of her head starting at the crown. He tucked the lengths of the first under the second and repeated the process before tying the bottom into a knot and securing with bobby pins. In keeping with the metallic theme, he finished the look with an angular Sylvain Le Hen hair accessory. SOFIA CARSON Seeing red: Sofia Carson, 24, made an appearance at the premiere with a crimson smoky eye Sofia may not be in the film, but she did get the bold beauty memo for Saturday's red carpet. The Disney star made an entrance with a red cat eye look we can't wait to try for our next holiday party. Make-up artist Patrick Ta also usedCover FX's forthcoming Glitter Drops and Shimmer Veil to highlight the high points of Sofia's face and the inner corners of her eyes. Hairstylist Caile Noble created a sleek low ponytail with a deep side part that showed off her diamond accessories. A north Yorkshire town that was once dubbed 'Scrooge town' has pulled out all the stops to turn up the sparkle for this year's festive season. Christmas was once declared 'cancelled' in Harrogate after it failed raise enough money to put up any lights, a tradition many other towns across the UK follow. Instead of being left in the shade, however, Yorkshire pride kicked in and the community vowed that this must never happen again. They launched an annual 'How Big is Your Bauble' campaign to raise 30,000 by running a best Christmas shop window competition to ensure the lights never go out on the town voted Britains happiest place to live. Traders got into the competitive festive spirit to battle it out for the coveted title of best Christmas shop window and it was all captured in front of the TV cameras for Channel 5's Harrogate: A Great Yorkshire Christmas. Betty's Tea Room window designer Robyn Cox proudly stands outside his display as part of the competition For months the old spa resort has been awash with rumours, late night window snooping and tales of trees the size of Redwoods. Preparations began in September following the announcement for the competition, with many local shops taking the planning and design of their own windows very seriously. Interior designers Furnish & Fettle are one of the stores featured in the documentary and showroom boss Adam Hickinbottom had big ideas to help them grab the title of best window. He tried to turn a 6ft mannequin Tullulah into an angel with peacock feathers for wings and also borrowed a 10,000 stag head studded with Swarovski crystals. Eleanor Goddard, who runs the shop with husband Glyn, suspected a rival store owner was following her on social media under a false name to find out the design for her window. Eleanor Goddard and Adam Hickinbottom Owner of Interior Design Retailer 'Furnish and Fettle' fear they have a spy checking on their plans Sandi Sales Sandi of dance retailer Adage Dance prepping her shop window for the big shop window compeition Showroom manager Adam Hickinbottom of Furnish and Fettle is hard at work turning a 6ft mannequin Tullulah into an angel with peacock feathers Adage Dance owner Sandi Sales, who store is four streets away, came close to tears trying to sculpt an over-sized music box Nutcracker ballerina from fine wire. She won last year with a display featuring kids dancing, but faced stiff competition this year. Nearby, Bijouled jeweller Georgina Collins wanted celebrate her tenth year in business with a win and said it would be the cherry on top of the cake. 'People always say "we love your window" but we never win,' she complained. This year shed pinned all her hopes on her Three Divas of Christmas Past, Present and Future. The town locals kept a close eye on their arch rival Bettys Tea Rooms as every year, they say, it pours cash into its display 'like Yorkshire Tea into a bottomless mug'. It's all good fun for the Harrogate town locals as they try and raise 30,000 for the Christmas lights Ann Percival and Mervyn Darby from the Rotary Club of Harrogate head into to town to judge the Shop Window Competition Georgina Collins the owner of retailer Bijouled preparing her shop window with designer Clare Jordan Heading up the creation of the display is Robyn Cox, Bettys Head of Beautiful - the decorations are kept locked away in a secret room. Work goes on into the night on the theme which centres on chocolate animals Harry the Hedgehog, Freddy Fox and Sophie Squirrel. Designer Robyn Cox is seen in the documentary having a last minute panic as garland runs out. 'Everyone wants to beat Bettys,' says Stray FM DJ Nick who helped launch the competition. It's all lighthearted fun for the town as the main goal is to raise 30,000 so the lights can remain on. The winner of the competition will be revealed in Channel 5s Harrogate: A Great Yorkshire Christmas on Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm Thousands of women are bonding over a piece of short fiction that they say perfectly captures the uncomfortable encounters so many of them have faced. In its December 11 issue, the New Yorker published a short story called Cat Person by writer Kristen Roupenian, which documents the meeting and short-lived relationship of a 20-year-old woman with an older man. Since the piece debuted, women have been sharing it with friends and analyzing it on social media, sharing amazement with how relatable they find the main character's story. Ladies love a good read: Women are going wild for a short story published in the latest issue of the New Yorker Common thread: Thousands of women are amazed at how relatable the piece is and how well it captures their own feelings and experiences Fiction frenzy: The story is called Cat Person and was written by Kristen Roupenia Been there: The story is about an uncomfortable dating experience from the point of view of a young woman Surprise hit: Kristen is the author of Cat Person, the short story which has resonated with thousands of women online The over-7,000-word piece isn't exactly a speedy read, but it's attracted thousands of fans who can't stop talking about it on Twitter. It tells the story of Margot, a 20-year-old college student who is working at a movie theater concession stand when a somewhat older man named Robert takes a liking to her and asks for her phone number. They spend weeks texting, during which time Robert alternatively acts like he likes her very much like by insisting on getting her snacks when her campus dining hall is closed and becomes more stingy with his friendliness, making Margot feel like she needs to work to keep him interested. 'Soon she noticed that when she texted him he usually texted her back right away, but if she took more than a few hours to respond his next message would always be short and wouldn't include a question, so it was up to her to re-initiate the conversation, which she always did,' the piece reads. They go on a strange first date which is described in excruciating detail, from the Holocaust movie he picks to the dig he makes about her casual outfit. Despite these moments that might make a reader think, 'Run, girl, run!' Margot ends up going home with Robert. Thanks: Kristen took to social media to thank her new-found fans for their support Expectations: The author has since granted several interviews in which she talked about the piece and why she thinks so many women relate to it Though some said it's a great representation for dating in the digital age, some think the feelings go deeper than that Tapping in: One woman pointed out that it's unfortunate that there aren't more stories that speak to women's experiences on the same level Just before they have bad sex, she decides she doesn't want to do it. But because she fears his reaction if she pulls the breaks, she goes through with it. 'The thought of what it would take to stop what she had set in motion was overwhelming; it would require an amount of tact and gentleness that she felt was impossible to summon,' the piece reads. The overall feeling of the story and several details in particular have touched a nerve with many female readers, who've lauded the piece on social media. 'The most gut-wrenching, relatable content I've ever read,' wrote one. 'Just read the New Yorker's "Cat Person" and want to crawl up under a duvet and die it's so embarrassing and relatable,' wrote another. 'The "cat person" essay in the New Yorker is so bizarre, awkward, relatable and horrifying,' added a third. 'Basically anyone who's ever used a dating app could write Cat Person, just maybe not as well,' said writer Nancy Jo Sales, tapping into the feeling of familiarity shared by many readers. Yikes: Many saw their own uncomfortable dating encounters in the story, both in interactions with men and bad sex Insight: Some expressed a wish that more men would read the piece to better understand what so many women feel Playing the part: Much of the story portrays the main character adjusting her actions and words to placate the man she is interested in 'I want an investigation on how she wiretapped my inner monologue,' said another in a much-liked tweet. Others tweeted to talk more about the common experiences brought up in the piece. In particular, many wrote about how women are conditioned and socialized from a young age to be agreeable, to not come off as 'prude' or 'uptight' and to make men feel comfortable. 'As brilliantly/depressingly relatable as everyone has said. Now imagining a world where women aren't socialized to placate men's feelings above her own safety, happiness and pleasure,' an Australian woman wrote. While some said they could especially relate in times of online dating, a few pointed out that the problems aren't new now, they are just magnified. Mesured: Many of the woman's actions seem calculated to prevent her date from getting angry or reacting badly, which he does on occasion Cool dude: Robert, the male character, gets angry when he feels he isn't being paid proper attention or respect Dig deeper: Some women are frustrated to find that men reading the piece aren't 'getting it' Complex: While a man's bad behavior is betrayed, the piece is more about the steps women take to work around bad male behavior, prevent it, and save themselves from it 'Robert isn't a new character or a product of the digital age. He's had that same reaction earlier, too it's just easier to spot & compare notes nowadays,' read one tweet. A few Twitter users were quick to point out that the story isn't necessarily about a man behaving badly, but more about how women are socialized to deal with men who behave badly, or who might behave badly. 'Hey, men: we don't claim this story is about a guy being abusive/nasty to a girl. That's another level. This is about the romantic hoops women are trained to jump thru, continually, from a [very] young age & the kid gloves we wear around guys for protection from [your] rage/entitlement,' wrote one woman. 'The number of guys rallying to Robert's defense in threads related to this (see: this tweet alone) is maybe my favorite thing about the article? Men refuse to see masculinity for how fragile it is,' said another. She is known as one of the most stylish royals around. And Queen Letizia of Spain made a typically glamorous entrance when she touched down in Senegal on Monday night. Letizia, 45, who is on a four-day working visit to the west African country, showcased her faultless style in a fit-and-flare dress with eye-catching monochrome stripes for her arrival at at Dakar airport. She was met by First Lady Marieme Faye Sall, who is the wife of the country's President Macky Sall. Thick as thieves: Queen Letizia of Spain made a typically glamorous entrance when she touched down in Senegal on Monday night The pair appeared to be getting along famously as the laughed and joked on the tarmac before heading indoors. The Spanish queen consort's visit is intended to boost support for the cooperation projects that Spain has in Senegal, such as the defence of women's rights and social and economic development. Letizia, who is the wife of King Felipe VI, is due to kick off her engagements tomorrow at the Technical Cooperation Office of the AECID, where she will hold a meeting with Spanish and international cooperation workers. Later, she will move to the 'Aula Cervantes' in the Campus of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), the country's main university. Letizia steps off her plane. The mother-of-two is accompanied by the Secretary of State for International Cooperation and for Ibero-America and the Caribbean, Fernando Garcia Casas Two first ladies: The pair appeared to be getting along famously as the laughed and joked on the tarmac before heading indoors Queen of style: Letizia, 45, who is on a four-day working visit to the west African country, opted for a fit-and-flare dress in eye-catching monochrome stripes when she landed at Dakar airport Important visit: The Spanish queen consort's visit is intended to boost support for the cooperation projects that Spain has in Senegal, such as the defence of women's rights and social and economic development Flying start: Letizia, who is the wife of King Felipe VI, is due to kick off her engagements tomorrow at the Technical Cooperation Office of the AECID Working trip: Later on Tuesday, Letizia will move to the 'Aula Cervantes' in the Campus of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), the country's main university There, she will be informed of the work of the Cervantes Institute in Senegal and attend a meeting with the rector of the UCAD and other academic authorities, as well as Spanish teachers and students. She will be treated to lunch at t the luxurious Terou-Ki hotel, a five star hotel with spectacular sea views, before heading on to visit to Red Cross of Dakar to learn about a project for the protection of Senegalese women's rights. The mother-of-two is accompanied by the Secretary of State for International Cooperation and for Ibero-America and the Caribbean, Fernando Garcia Casas, as well as the Director of Cooperation with Africa and Asia of the AECID, Cristina Diaz. More than 40 million bottles of gin are polished off every year in Britain - which suggests we're glugging a lot of tonic water too. There are plenty to choose from on supermarket shelves, and there is an astonishing price difference between own-brand tonic waters that can cost just 45p a litre and premium options like Fever-Tree, which can cost up to 3.40 for the same amount. But can the average drinker really tell the difference between supermarket tonic and one that's seven times more expensive when they aren't told which is which? Channel 4's Supershoppers put it to the test with a blind tasting - and the results were very surprising. Mid-range Schweppes, which costs 1.19 for a litre, was pitted against Fever-Tree Tonic Water, which costs 3.38 for 1 litre at Tesco Co-presenter of Supershoppers, Anna Richardson, asked blind taste testers to see if they could tell the difference between various tonic water brands Ordinary gin lovers were asked to comment on the flavour of three different tonic waters without knowing which was which on the show, which airs tonight. None of them managed to identify the cheapest, with two out of five testers saying they their favourite was the lowest priced tonic water: Tesco's own brand, which costs just 45p a litre. Three out of five however said they preferred the most expensive tonic water by Fever-Tree, which costs 3.38 for two 500ml bottles at Tesco. No-one was a fan of Schweppes mid-range 1.19 tonic water, which the testers branded 'too sweet'. Three out of the five testers said they preferred the most expensive tonic water by Fever-Tree - but the other two said they preferred Tesco's 45p own-brand tonic The blind taste testers tried three different tonic waters and the brands were hidden behind different letters so the testers couldn't see The testers found that Schweppes was too sweet, though one of the testers said he liked that about the 1.19 tonic water The segment was filmed for Supershoppers, which exposes tricks of the retail trade. Pricey Fever-Tree won the taste test, with one drinker remarking: 'The first one [Schweppes] felt like it was scraping and cleaning my teeth. That one was a lot smoother.' But the testers also liked Tesco's own-brand Indian Tonic Water, with one saying 'that certainly was the winner'. And when they found out the own-brand tonic was seven times cheaper than Fever-Tree, one of the testers said: 'I would never have gone for a Tesco own-brand, but tasting it along side the Fever-Tree, it's quite similar so I might go out and get that.' Fever Tree and Fentimans are two examples of premium tonic water on the marker, while Schweppes is a mid-range option Earlier in the show, Dimitrios Tsivirikos, a consumer and business psychologist, explained how premium brands such as Fever-Tree have to use clever marketing to win over customers. The website tells the story of how its founders travelled the world, including to 'dangerous' parts of the globe such as the Congo, to source natural ingredients for their products. Fever-Tree is now worth 2 billion after only being founded in 2005, so it's clearly working. Dimitrios explained to presenter Anna Richardson: 'At the end of the day, it's just tonic water. 'They have to come up with a story a narrative, a picture for people to be associated with, and something to love.' Saskia Meyer, marketing director at Fever-Tree, said: 'We are delighted to come out on top of this taste test. Since we started over 12 years ago, we have been focused on putting quality ingredients back into the category that for too long had been overlooked. At Fever-Tree, all our mixers are carefully crafted using naturally sourced ingredients, from the most remote parts of the world, to complement the wide variety of fantastic spirits now available to consumers.' A spokesperson for Schweppes GB said: 'We are disappointed with the results of the Supershoppers taste test as we know that Schweppes comes out top time and time again in robust independent third party tests against other branded tonic waters. We know that 6.5 million households buy Schweppes each year and they tell us they love it that's why it is still the nation's favourite tonic.' / Brands have been contacted for comment. She is one of the most famous British actors of stage and screen, so you might expect Dame Judi Dench to have an opulent birthday cake to celebrate turning 83 this year. But instead the Oscar-winner, thought to be worth 26 million, blew out the candles on a 7 Colin the Caterpillar cake from M&S. Dame Judi's daughter posted a picture on Twitter of the beaming Hollywood star with the cheap and cheerful chocolate cake, which has become almost as iconic a symbol of British culture as the veteran actress herself. And her fans went wild over the photo, remarking that it may be 'the most British thing ever'. Dame Judi Dench celebrated her 83rd birthday on Saturday with a 7 Colin the Caterpillar cake The cake has become a staple at children's parties and office birthday celebrations since M&S first launched the caterpillar cakes in 1990, with 7 million of them sold. You would struggle to find a British citizen who hasn't tucked into one of the catepillar-shaped smiley-face chocolate cakes in their lifetime. And now it can be revealed that the cakes have one very famous fan in Judi Dench, the star of countless films from Shakespeare In Love to James Bond. Dame Judi, whose birthday was on Saturday, was photographed with a Colin cake that had six lit candles on top, by her daughter, the actress Finty Williams. Her fans loved the fact the millionaire actress celebrated with a cheap and cheerful cake from M&S that has become a staple at children's birthday parties She paid a loving tribute to her mother, captioning the image: 'Happy birthday my beautiful, wonderful, inspirational Mama.' Fans were thrilled that their favourite actress was a fan of such simple pleasures, and called the image the 'most British thing ever'. One said: 'It's nice to know that even Judi Dench is given that office birthday stalwart Colin.' Another joked that the cake was 'why she should be prime minister,' while another added that it was yet another 'reason to love Judi Dench'. One declared she 'couldn't love her more'. Judi Dench will present a documentary about her love for trees on December 20 called Judi Dench: My Passion For Trees on BBC One Dame Judi will present a documentary about her love for trees as part of the BBC's Christmas TV programming, which has also caught the public's eye. She will show the cameras around a secret woodland she has been tending to for 30 years. She reveals that her trees are dedicated to loved ones who have passed away, including her late husband, Michael WIlliams, who died of lung cancer in 2001. Her closest companion now is her 'chap' conservationist David Mills, 74, who runs the British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield, Surrey. The pair do not live together but spend a lot of time as a couple, and say they share a passion for trees. For some, even just the suggestion of a slice of fruit-laden Christmas cake is a step too far. So, when a Facebook post mooted the idea of adding in a chunk of British cheese - say Wensleydale or Cheddar - alongside said cake, an impassioned debate ensued. While many of the 10,000 people - and counting - who responded felt that it was a harmonious culinary marriage, others suggested the pair should never meet on the same plate. Scroll down for video This image of a crumbly English cheese sitting alongside a piece of cheese is beyond the pale for some - and an absolute festive must for others One Facebook user, Steve Powell, wrote: 'I love cheese...and I love Xmas cake...but never the twain shall meet. So it's a big NO from me!' Another added that the idea was a regional one that had never crossed boudaries. Margaret Travers wrote: 'No! We moved from the Midlands to Durham/Yorkshire border when I was 7, that was when I first encountered this, thought it odd I must admit.' Betty Davey agreed it wasn't a pairing that she could warm to. She wrote: 'Might be okay, but after a heavy Christmas meal, pudding alone is a struggle...so with cheese also? Phew, for me not!' Andy Hyde added: 'Looks and sounds like a very improbable combo. (Googled "Cheese with xmas cake - are these people mad?" and brain is going "Noooo...!") - but I've always got a lump of Red Leicester in the fridge, so might give it a try. On the other side of the argument, there were plenty of people who thought the idea was a delicious one. We love it! Thousands of people have joined the debate to say they love the combo of fruitcake and cheese Sue Simmons wrote: 'I think it's a Northern thing. We always have cheese with fruit cake...delish! With either Wensleydale, Cheshire or Lancashire.' Anne Mellett added: 'Definitely and a glass of Madeira wine.' Julie Beaumont added simply: 'It's the only way to eat it.' John Cookson fired off: 'Why is anyone even questioning this? Of course you should have cheese with your Christmas cake. In fact, it should be taken with any rich fruit cake - not just at Christmas.' Sylvia Browne agreed, writing: 'My dad wouldn't eat Christmas cake without cheese. The look on my southern fiance's face was hysterical the first time in Yorkshire. He still doesn't get it.' Others threw a curveball, saying they could cope with the idea of cheese and Christmas cake but only if the cake came without icing cake and marzipan. Julie Blakey added: 'No, because it has icing on it. However, if it were a plain fruit cake without icing then yes and it would have to be Wensleydale.' It's traditional to pop open a few bottles of bubbles on Christmas and the surrounding days. But if you want to guarantee you'll have enough fizz for the holiday, make sure you buy your bottles before December 23. The day is known as 'Sparkling Saturday' because it's the biggest Prosecco sales day of the year for supermarkets. Sainsbury's is expecting to sell nearly half a million bottles on December 23 alone, so it's best to pick up your fizz well in advance to avoid being left without sparkling wine this festive season. Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Aldi said sales of sparkling wine usually peak on December 23 Morrisons and Aldi also told FEMAIL that December 23 is expected to be its biggest Prosecco sales day. A spokesman for Morrisons said: 'Prosecco is still many people's favourite fizz and, at Christmas, they're increasingly looking to trade up to higher quality bottles, so we're expecting a busy day.' Sainsbury's meanwhile is expected to sell a whopping 489,000 bottles of Prosecco and other sparkling wines, such as Champagne, on Sparkling Saturday. Most people plump for Prosecco, but it predicts that sales of pricier Champagne will rise this year. Buy Prosecco and sparkling wines ahead of December 23 to avoid them selling out. Sainsbury's has reduced the price of its new Champagne, a NV Champagne, to 13.50 if you buy a case of six Elizabeth Newman, category manager of beers, wines and spirits at Sainsburys said: 'Despite the success of Prosecco, we've found customers still look to Champagne as the go-to choice for special occasions. 'Were really excited about the new Taste the Difference Non-Vintage Champagne as a taste profile, its a new departure for our range and its been a number of years in the making. She added: 'Id expect the new NV Brut to be a particularly sought-after bottle. Sales of fizz on the December 23 are certainly set to be a record breaker.' A hack allows shoppers to pick up the new Champagne for just 13.50 a bottle. The supermarket has reduced the price from 18 to 16.50, but you can reduce the cost even further by picking up six bottles at a time. Buying six will give you a further 25 per cent discount, which reduces the price of each bottle to just 13.50. A father with terminal cancer has spoken of the tear-jerking moment his children said all they want for Christmas is for 'Daddy to be alive'. Matthew Dons was initially given just 12 weeks to live after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer aged 36 and was told the devastating news it had spread. He has struggled to explain his prognosis to daughter Jessica, four and son Edward, eight. Since receiving his bad news last year the married English teacher raised 50,000 for immunotherapy which has 'bought him time' and shrunk his tumours by half. Now he appealing for help to raise another 30,000 for beam proton therapy in Japan. The pioneering treatment is credited with saving the life of young Ashya King, a five-year-old Hampshire boy with brain cancer who was told by British medics that there was nothing that could be done to save him before being treated in Prague. Matthew Dons, pictured with Jessica, 4, was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer last year The teacher and his wife Chikako struggled to explain his prognosis to their daughter Jessica, 4 and son Edward, 8 Matthew says Jessica knows her Daddy is ill but she doesn't really understand BATTLE TO FIGHT FOR THEIR SON'S LIFE The Ashya King case made the headlines in the summer of 2014 The Ashya King case sparked an international manhunt and resulted in a change to NHS policy. Brett and Naghmeh King were arrested after they took their son, then five, for brain tumour treatment abroad as the NHS initially refused to offer proton beam therapy, which his parents felt was less harmful than conventional radiotherapy. The case made the headlines in the summer of 2014 after they took him from Southampton Hospital and travelled to the Czech Republic for treatment at the Proton Therapy Center. Ashya was finally allowed to undergo treatment a Prague hospital after a long legal battle fought by his parents. Eventually, he was declared cancer-free in March last year. A study published in the Lancet Oncology journal states that proton beam therapy causes fewer side-effects in child cancer patients than radiotherapy. At that time the NHS did not provide proton therapy, however it has funded treatment abroad since April 2008 where evidence has shown there to be benefit. In this case the doctors did not support moving the boy. In 2016, following the publication of a prospective phase II trial the NHS decided it will pay for children with medulloblastoma to travel abroad to receive proton therapy. Now Ashya's concerned parents have said the NHS is still failing their son by refusing to give him vital treatment and regular check-ups. Advertisement Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the fourth most common form of the disease in the UK, after breast, prostate and lung cancers. More than 41,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with the disease each year, according to Bowel Cancer UK. 'What if mummy dies too?' Matthew, who is originally from Norwich and now lives in Japan with his wife Chikako, said: 'My cancer was a shocking news that came out of the blue. It was very difficult explaining it to my children. 'Jessica knows her Daddy is ill she sees me hooked up to my chemotherapy drip at home but she doesn't really understand. 'Edward is old enough to understand about death and he asks my advice on how he can look after his little sister when I'm not here and he is the "man of the house".' 'He also asks me, "What if mummy dies too?" It's absolutely heartbreaking.' Matthew is grateful for all the generous people who have dug deep to help him to live this long and said: 'When you're told you're going to die of cancer, you just want to do anything you can to buy some more time. 'There's talk about how much it costs to keep a terminal cancer patient alive. But you can't put a price on a child having six more months with their parent. Six months is a precious gift when you have children. 'I was in disbelief' Last July, while visiting family in the UK, Matthew, who is now 37, suffered diarrhoea but thought he was run down from a chest infection. When it didn't clear up he had a colonoscopy after was in disbelief when he was told it was bowel cancer because of his age and he had no family history of the disease. The condition is rare in young people most of those diagnosed are over the age of 60. After having an operation last August to remove the primary growth in the bowel, and some of the accessible lymph tumours, Matthew started gruelling rounds of chemotherapy Matthew said his son Edward asks his advice on how he can look after his little sister when he's no longer here The 37-year-old refused to give up hope Further tests and scans would deliver more devastating news the tumours had spread to his liver, lymph nodes and peritoneum, the membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity. Matthew said: 'I remember when I was told by my doctor that it was terminal. I was in disbelief. 'He literally had five minutes to tell me I was going to die and I felt so sorry for him, 'And I worried about the strain on my wife and how I would tell the children. 'The peritoneum is essentially the membrane that protects all your organs. I was told it's extremely difficult to treat cancer when it has spread there.' Never giving up Nevertheless, Matthew refused to give up hope and vowed he would do all he could to survive as long as he could for Chikako, Jessica and Edward. After having an operation a month later to remove the primary growth in the bowel, and some of the accessible lymph tumours, Matthew started gruelling rounds of chemotherapy which have been ongoing ever since. 'The UK is a world leader for cancer care in some areas, but not for others,' he said. 'I was told by a medical expert that it's not the best place for my type of cancer. 'I'm lucky that I could have treatment in the UK or in Japan, and I figured out that my chances were better in Japan. 'The health service is amazing there, there's no waiting to see a doctor, you just walk in off the street for an immediate appointment.' Matthew is now hoping he will be well enough to have proton beam therapy in the US in January So after a successful fundraising campaign, Matthew had immunotherapy available in Japan privately at 2,000 a go along with chemotherapy. This is a relatively new treatment that wakes up a patients own immune system so it can fight the cancer. 'I've had the treatment around once a month, or whenever I could afford it. I had a scan recently that showed some remarkable results. 'The seven-and-a-half cm tumour in my liver has halved. Three have completely disappeared. The tumours in my lymph nodes are gone too. 'It can be difficult to tell from a scan but they're fairly confident the cancer in my peritoneum has been eradicated too. I had six tumours and the treatment reduced them to three.' Matthew is now hoping he will be well enough to have proton beam therapy in Japan in January. 'I always told myself when I was told it was terminal that if I could just keep going you never know what new treatments will come out that could help me. 'I've got to try to do all I can for my wife and for my children.' To donate to Matthew's fundraising appeal visit here. WHAT IS PROTON BEAM THERAPY? Proton beam therapy is a type of radiotherapy that aims proton beams at cancers. While conventional radiotherapy uses high energy beams of radiation to destroy cancerous cells, often damaging surrounding tissue, proton beam therapy aims radiation directly at the tumour. Because it is so highly targeted it means it can avoid healthy tissue, particularly tissues and organs behind the tumour. While radiotherapy can lead to side effects such as nausea and can sometimes disrupt how some organs function, proton beam therapy has a lower risk of side effects. This means it is effective for treating cancer that affects critical areas, such as brain cancer. Advertisement Professor Lesley Regan said women should be able to take an abortion pill at home because it is safer to do so One of Britain's leading maternity doctors has called for pregnant women to be able to take abortion pills at home. Professor Lesley Regan, who is President of The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said women should be able to take the medication at home because it is safer to do so. Under current guidelines, women seeking an abortion in the first nine weeks of pregnancy take two sets of drugs in a clinic. But Professor Regan says women should be able to take the second pill, misoprostol, in the comfort of their own home. According to The Times, Professor Regan said misoprostol was safer for women to take at home as it can take effect on the journey from the clinic. Just weeks ago, women in Scotland became the first in the UK to be allowed to take the abortion pill at home. Campaigners welcomed the move and called for it to be rolled out across the rest of Great Britain. However, ministers were warned going ahead with the plans as it risks a return to the days of 'back-street abortions'. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), which has been lobbying to change the law in the UK, urged Theresa May to follow the Scottish government's lead. Scotland's chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood has written to health boards to say that misoprostol can be taken safely by women outside a clinical setting. Under current guidelines, women seeking an abortion in the first nine weeks of pregnancy take two sets of drugs in a clinic Announcing the decision, Scotland's public health minister Aileen Campbell said: 'Abortion can be an emotive subject, however I am proud this government is working hard to ensure women are always able to access clinically safe services. 'Scotland is now the only part of the UK to offer women the opportunity to take misoprostol at home when this is clinically appropriate, a decision that allows women to be in control of their treatment and as comfortable as possible during this procedure.' Pro-choice campaigners and other groups said the change offers practical and emotional benefits to women having a termination. ABORTION LAW SHOULD BE CHANGED SAYS TOP DOCTOR Women should be able to terminate pregnancies with the approval of a single doctor, says one of the countrys top medical leaders. Professor Lesley Regan, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said abortions should be treated no differently from other medical procedures including something as simple as removing a bunion. She called for abortions to be decriminalised and made much more freely available. The current law the 1967 Abortion Act states abortions are illegal without consent from two doctors. Professor Regan represents almost 6,000 senior doctors specialising in childbirth and womens health. Advertisement Engender, Amnesty Scotland and Rape Crisis Scotland said making women travel to clinics to take the pill 'denies women clear potential advantages in terms of their well-being at what is often a very difficult time'. Ann Furedi, chief executive of BPAS, said: 'We thoroughly welcome the Scottish government's decision. 'This will spare women not only the difficulties associated with having to make more than one clinic visit, childcare, transport, time off work, but it will also spare women from the risk of symptoms on their way home, having taken the medication in a clinic. 'It is simply perverse that a woman arriving at a BPAS clinic in England and Wales with an incomplete miscarriage can be given the medication to take in the comfort and privacy of her own home, while a woman seeking an abortion must take that same medication on site. 'We hope that the government will follow Scotland's lead and roll out this important policy change across the rest of Great Britain.' Professor Lesley Regan (right) with Professor Gudrun Moore at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in 2013. Earlier this year Professor Regan said terminations should be treated the same as any other medical procedure WOMEN ARE SEEKING PILLS ONLINE British women are seeking abortion pills online due to barriers accessing care, research suggests. A new study found some women in England, Scotland and Wales are shunning traditional routes such as the NHS in favour of seeking help online. Experts found that 519 women contacted Women on Web between November last year and March this year. All were living in Wales, Scotland and England, where abortion is legal. The anonymised emails of 180 women were analysed, who gave 209 reasons for seeking an abortion via online services. Among all the reasons, 49 per cent listed barriers to getting an abortion the conventional way, including long waiting times, distance to clinic, work or childcare commitments, lack of eligibility for free NHS services and prior negative experiences of abortion care. Advertisement But anti-abortion campaigners said the step would leave women without medical help and could put them in danger. John Deighan, head of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children in Scotland, told The Times: 'This would mark a return to the days of back-street abortions with no medical oversight and dreadful threats to womens health.' The Scottish Government said the move did not require a change in the law but came under existing powers available within the 1967 Abortion Act. Latest official figures show that 190,406 abortions were carried out in England and Wales in 2016, a slight fall on the previous year. But there has been a significant rise in terminations among women over 30, particularly unmarried ones. Earlier this year Professor Regan said terminations should be treated the same as any other medical procedure. She said said that women seeking abortions should only have to obtain consent from one doctor, just as if they were having a bunion removed. 'If you go and get your bunions sorted you would go to a consultation then you take a decision and the doctor who was competent to undertake the procedure would sign the form too, and that would go forward,' she said. A British woman has become the first in the world to be given a revolutionary breast cancer treatment. Anna Jones, 65, who is terminally ill, has been given a breakthrough combination of immunotherapy drugs that doctors hope will extend her life. Experts at The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester believe the treatment which operates in a twin attack against tumour cells could help women for whom no other drugs work. Mrs Jones, a grandmother of two from Rochdale, has been fighting the disease for more than a decade. She has previously tried ten different treatments, including several rounds of chemotherapy. Anna Jones, 65, pictured, who is terminally ill has trialed been given a breakthrough combination of immunotherapy drugs that doctors hope will extend her life. But each drug has failed and she is now pinning her hopes on the therapy a combination of established immunotherapy drug Herceptin and a second drug so new it is only known by the code name R06874281. Mrs Jones, who has been taking the treatment for six weeks, said: Fingers crossed that its a wonder drug I would be over the moon, not just for myself but for other women as well. Of course it is scary being number one they dont know what the side effects are because nobody has tried it before. But it is exciting. Mrs Jones, who worked for the NHS before she retired, has been fighting advanced breast cancer since she was diagnosed in August 2004. Anna Jones, pictured, has received a combination of established immunotherapy drug Herceptin and a second drug so new it is only known by the code name R06874281 She was told she had the particularly aggressive HER2-positive form of the disease, which is responsible for 13,000 new cases in the UK each year. When they found it the cancer had already spread to the lungs, the liver and the bones, she said. It is a death sentence but every day I am thankful to have got this far. I have seen things I never thought I would see, I have seen my granddaughter go to her first prom, to buy her first car. She added: The treatment has been a battle but I have stayed positive all the way. I have lost my hair several times with the chemotherapy. And I have taken lots of different types of hormone therapy. Taking part in a clinical trial is also a major commitment she has to travel into Manchester every week to receive the combination treatment, which is delivered via a drip over four hours. She then stays overnight so doctors can monitor her. But Mrs Jones, who lives with husband David, 66, views it as a privilege. Anna Jones and her husband David, pictured, have been fighting her battle with breast cancer for nearly a decade and hope the new treatment will extend her life She said: It is wonderful to know that other people will potentially benefit in the future from this research. It would be a good legacy to leave. I feel very privileged to know that Im the first person in the world to have been given this new combination. Roche, the company which makes the drug, has agreed to keep Mrs Jones on the treatment for at least two years as long as she continues to benefit from it. Her doctors expect to know in the New Year if she is responding. The combination treatment is designed to work on two fronts by boosting the immune systems ability to attack while simultaneously taking down the cancers defences. The RO6874281 drug introduces a potent version of the Interleukin 2 protein into the bloodstream, which stimulates the bodys immune system to kill rogue cells. It is taken at the same time as Herceptin, which binds onto the cancer cells to make tumours visible to the immune system. Around 60 people will eventually take part in the global study, including patients in the UK being treated at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Barts Health NHS Trust and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. RO6874281 has previously been taken by a small number of patients in a safety trial. However, this is the first time it has been combined with Herceptin. Professor Andrew Wardley, from The Christie hospital, said: This is an exciting and very novel form of therapy especially for breast cancer and Im delighted that our patient Anna will be the first to hopefully benefit from this treatment. We believe that the two drugs working together will be more effective at targeting the cancer and stimulating the bodys immune system to kill the cancer cells. The HER2-positive form of the disease is responsible for about one in five of all cases and tumours are notoriously fast growing and difficult to treat. Breast cancer is Britains most common female cancer, with more than 55,000 new cases and 11,000 deaths every year according to the most recent figures. The number is rising steadily due to the ageing population and lifestyle factors such as obesity. A study last week found that women who lose half a stone significantly reduce their odds of developing breast cancer. US researchers said even relatively modest weight loss has a considerable effect. Losing two stone or more cuts the chances of developing breast cancer by a third. A company owned by a multi-billion pound pharmaceutical failed to fully inform doctors of how dangerous vaginal mesh can be, a BBC Panorama investigation has found. The programme, airing tonight, will also reveal how an implant made by Ethicon was only tested on 31 women and in sheep before being used in patients. The company, owned by Johnson and Johnson, sells its scandal-hit products in the UK under the brand name Gynecare TVT. An investigation reveals how a director at the company asked for the wording to be changing in the safety leaflets for mesh implants to recognise the dangers - but her request was ignored. It comes amid mounting pressure for the ban of controversial vaginal mesh implants, which have left thousands of women on the brink of suicide. The revelation follows the death of a prominent vaginal mesh campaigner, who reportedly died from sepsis triggered by her implant. Christina Brajcic, 42, from Ontario, Canada, passed away on Thursday following a four-year battle with persistent infections - as a result of her mesh Christina Brajcic, 42, from Ontario, Canada, passed away last Thursday following a four-year battle with persistent infections - as a result of her mesh. Her death last week followed landmark moves by English and Australian health officials to recommend the controversial implants should no longer be used. It is expected that the NHS will follow the guidance from Nice, the Government's healthcare adviser - despite not being obliged to do so. The verdict comes after the Government released its three-year investigation into the mesh scandal last September. It rejected calls for a ban at the time. Australian watchdogs also banned the use of vaginal mesh implants for prolapse last week after a review found 'the benefits do not outweigh the risks'. 'I'M MORE OF HER CARER THAN I AM HER LOVER' The scathing comments come as MailOnline spoke to John Sharman (right), who revealed his beloved wife Lynne (left) was left suicidal from the implant A 65-year-old grandfather has slammed the controversial vaginal mesh procedure that has destroyed the life of his beloved wife and left her contemplating suicide. John Sharman, from Reading, revealed Lynne's heartbreaking account of the scandal-hit surgery, which left her in unbearable pain and unable to have sex, following the emergence of hundreds of similar stories. He decided to tell MailOnline of her painstaking ordeal from a man's point-of-view, which is often forgotten amid the scores of outraged women who have spoken, in an attempt to raise awareness about the topic which, up until now, has been swept under the carpet. The father-of-three he has sometimes thought about leaving Mrs Sharman, who he has been married to for 43 years, due to the effect the mesh has had on their marriage. Mr Sharman, who met his wife at a chess club, told MailOnline: 'It does impact your relationship and now I'm more of her carer than I am her lover and a husband. 'She has been left in constant pain which has totally altered our sex life, social life and the way we operate and what we do.' Advertisement However, vaginal mesh remains a viable option in both countries for surgeons operating on women suffering from incontinence. The BBC Panorama investigation reveals that Ethicon produces 'Instructions for Use' (IFU) leaflets to accompany mesh products to explain how doctors should insert them. They also explain the 'adverse reactions', or risks, associated with surgery to help surgeons explain these to patients. But in 2009 an associate medical director at Ethicon warned that the statements about side effects in the IFU leaflets for mesh products were not sufficient. At the time the leaflets said that side effects were 'transitory', the BBC Panorama investigation will reveal. THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MESH Different types of mesh implants include: Mini-sling: This implant is embedded with a metallic inserter. It sits close to the mid-section of a woman's urethra. The use of an inserter is thought to lower the risk of cutting during the procedure. This implant is embedded with a metallic inserter. It sits close to the mid-section of a woman's urethra. The use of an inserter is thought to lower the risk of cutting during the procedure. TVT sling : Such a sling is held in place by the patient's body. It is inserted with a plastic tape by cutting the vagina and making two incisions in the abdomen. The mesh sits beneath the urethra. : Such a sling is held in place by the patient's body. It is inserted with a plastic tape by cutting the vagina and making two incisions in the abdomen. The mesh sits beneath the urethra. TVTO sling : Inserted through the groin and sits under the urethra. This sling was intended to prevent bladder perforation. : Inserted through the groin and sits under the urethra. This sling was intended to prevent bladder perforation. TOT sling : Involves forming a 'hammock' of fibrous tissue in the urethra. Surgeons often claim this form of implant gives them the most control during implantation. : Involves forming a 'hammock' of fibrous tissue in the urethra. Surgeons often claim this form of implant gives them the most control during implantation. Ventral mesh rectopexy : Releases the rectum from the back of the vagina or bladder. A mesh is then fitted to the back of the rectum to prevent prolapse. Advertisement In an email in January 2009 the associate medical director wrote about three Ethicon Gynecare TVT mesh implants suggesting that the wording be changed. She wrote: 'From what I see each day, these patient experiences are not "transitory" at all.' However, Ethicon did not update them to remove the word 'transitory' at the time. The companys latest IFUs, updated in 2015, say some effects may be permanent. Ethicon, who spoke to Panorama as part of the investigation, confirmed it did not change the wording of the IFUs at the time. It concluded: 'The wording in the IFU was appropriate for the intended users - trained pelvic floor surgeons.' Dr Wael Agur, a consultant urogynaecologist, told BBC Panorama the IFUs are very important. He said: 'Its so important for me as a surgeon to understand full the risks of a medical device Im about to implant during a surgical procedure and my first resource would be the IFU. 'I would expect the manufacturer to have a comprehensive list of the adverse events and the risks within the instructions for use so I fully understand these and communicate them.' Ethicon launched the TVT-Secur implant in 2006 worldwide. It was intended to be the companys safest and most effective pelvic mesh product. The product, which Johnson & Johnson has since paid one sufferer who became reliant on a walking stick $57 million, was withdrawn from the market in 2012. Ethicon told Panorama: 'While we empathise with those who have experienced complications, the vast majority of women with pelvic mesh see an improvement in their day to day lives. 'All surgical pelvic floor procedures with and without mesh come with the risk of developing complications.' The MHRA, the UK medical devices regulator, told Panorama it recognises some women develop serious complications. It said: 'Currently, from a regulatory perspective these devices are acceptably safe when used as intended and as part of an appropriate treatment pathway.' The Panorama investigation follows the warning that there is inadequate regulation for vaginal mesh products which has exposed women to unnecessary harms. THE INADEQUATE REGULATION OVER VAGINAL MESH IMPLANTS Professor Heneghan has now launched a fresh attack on mesh, asking for them to be given temporary licences that restrict them solely to use in clinical trials - and not in humans. Professor Heneghan and colleagues argue evidence from large trials over the safety of mesh did not emerge until 20 years after the first products were introduced. Writing in the BMJ Open, they suggest they can't be considered safe as they didn't undergo scrutiny in scientific studies with a follow-up of at least five years. The attack on regulation was made after looking at 61 mesh devices given marketing clearance in the US when they were previously deemed lower risk. Only two of the original devices were approved under close scrutiny, with the rest being given clearance for being 'equivalent' to the already approved ones. The results show no evidence of any new clinical trial data at the time of device approval for all of these 61 devices, Professor Heneghan warned. They argue changes in design 'should have alerted regulators' to differences in the characteristics of the mesh that should have negated the use of equivalence. The findings also show a lack of long term data to inform the use of vaginal mesh devices - an argument campaigners have long pointed to. And when longer term evidence did emerge, it identified serious concerns - which many officials have since ignored, implied Professor Heneghan and colleagues. They also recommend a patient registry should be established for all implantable devices to enable long term follow-up and surveillance. This has received the backing from Sling The Mesh, a campaign group which has quadrupled in size since the scandal made headlines in April. Kath Sansom, founder of the 4,600-strong group, welcomed Professor Heneghan's comments, and said there 'virtually is no regulation'. She told MailOnline: 'Carl is a respected leader in the field of evidence based medicine and lays bare the farce of supposed medical device regulation. 'Patient safety in this country is shocking - devices permanently implanted into people with no trials and without the proper studies to back it up. 'People trust that those in power to control patient safety are doing their job. Carl has fully exposed just how woefully poor regulation is. 'The Government and the MHRA should be ashamed of themselves. First PIP, then metal hips and now mesh. 'How many more disasters before they realise medical devices should all be tracked on a national register.' Ms Sansom, a Cambridge-based journalist, said the cost would be low compared to the cost of thousands of patients being left with life-changing injuries. Advertisement Writing in the BMJ Open, Professor Carl Heneghan said they can't be considered safe as they didn't undergo scrutiny in properly conducted scientific studies. The professor of evidence-based medicine at Oxford University has previously described the mesh scandal as akin to thalidomide. The controversial implants, which can shrink, twist, curl and cut through tissue, have left thousands of women on the brink of suicide, unable to work and even walk. They have been used since the late 1990s to help women overcome incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse - often two major issues of childbirth. Despite the risks, which have been widely publicised in recent months, most women experience no problem and doctors are adamant the procedure is beneficial. The scandal came to light in April, when the NHS tried to dodge media attention over the implants that left hundreds of women in agony. Vaginal mesh implants (pictured) have left women wheelchair bound and unable to have sex Senior doctors immediately called for a public inquiry into the controversial mesh, with some saying the scandal was comparable to thalidomide. Figures estimate 100,000 women across the world are looking at taking legal action against the device manufacturers. Mesh, introduced 20 years ago and dubbed 'gold-standard', was promoted as a quick, cheap alternative to complex surgery for incontinence and prolapse. 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 Because it did not require specialist training to implant, outraged women have since begged for tougher regulations to conduct such surgery. 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 injury. Some studies, published in an array of scientific journals, have shown that pain, erosion and perforation from the surgery can strike 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. Scottish officials asked for it to be suspended in Scotland in 2014 pending a similar review, but hundreds of women are still believed to be having the surgery. More than 10,000 women a year are fitted with mesh in the UK - but around 4,800 have since come forward to reveal they have been left in agony from the mesh. However, campaigners stress these are just the tip of the iceberg and that actually there are thousands more - but they have been kept silent. Leading mesh manufacturer Johnson & Johnson was forced to pay out $57 million in September to a woman fitted with the implant. Ella Ebaugh, 51, from Philadelphia, was awarded the eight-figure sum after a jury found the company to be negligent and its product defective. In her first UK interview, she told BBC Panorama: 'The pain that I have I will have to live with for the rest of my life. Theres nothing they can do to help me.' BBC Panorama: The Operation That Ruined My Life to air on BBC One, 7.30pm, Monday 11th December An Indian teenager is struggling to stand up after an infection caused his leg to swell to 53 pounds. Tulsi Adivasi, 18, began suffering the problem at 11 years old but his mother relied on witch doctors and quacks for his treatment. Tulsi spends his days sitting in one position because any movement brings excruciating agony. Now the youngster says he is depressed because he is dependent on his elderly, widowed parent and he feels he is a burden on his family. She earns just 12 a month from working in the fields day and night and Tulsi wants to help her raise his brothers and sister. He said: 'I cannot take the weight of this leg anymore. This is so heavy that I cannot even lift my leg and have to walk using crutches. 'The whole village sympathises with me; young children laugh at me and are afraid of my leg.' While he has not been diagnosed yet, Tulsi's symptoms look like a case of elephantiasis where severe swelling occurs in the arms, legs, breasts, or genitals. It is caused by parasites being transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. Scroll down for video Tulsi Adivasi, 18, from India, began suffering with a leg infection at 11 years old The teen may have elephantiasis when parasites are transmitted from a mosquito He spends days sitting in one position because any movement brings extreme pain 'There are days where we eat nothing at all' Born into a poverty-stricken family in Madhya Pradesh in central India, Tulsi had developed some sort of infection on his left leg aged 11. However, because of the lack of education and money, his mother Guddi did not take him to medical doctors and instead went to unqualified 'healers' She said: 'My husband had died ten years ago. Ever since I have been working day and night to make ends meet. I have to feed my four children. 'There are days when we have nothing to eat at all. We are living in forests where there is no mode of transportation available for commuting and no doctor dares to come here because of irregular terrain. 'His treatment meant I had to take him to town but I had no money for transport or to give doctor for fees and medicines.' Tulsi says he is depressed because he is dependent on his widowed mother The lump on his leg has spread to his foot and his toes are not even visible under the flesh Because of the lack of education and money, his mother Guddi did not take him to medical doctors and instead went to unqualified 'healers' WHAT IS ELEPHANTIASIS? Elephantiasis is normally caused by a parasite from a mosquito bite and is usually found in tropical areas. It is characterised by the massive enlargement of an area of the body via obstruction of the lymphatic system. This results in the accumulation of fluids in the affected part of the body. According to the World Health Organisation, nearly 1.4billion people in 73 countries worldwide are threatened by the condition, which is also known as lymphatic filariasis. WHO figures suggest that approximately 80 per cent of these people are living in regions including Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. More than 120million people are currently infected, with about 40 million disfigured and incapacitated by the disease, the organisation adds. Advertisement Tulsi got some initial relief but without proper treatment, the severity of Tulsi's condition has only grown worse over time. The lump on his leg has spread to his foot and his toes are not even visible under the flesh. While he has not been diagnosed yet, Tulsi's symptoms look like a case of elephantiasis where severe swelling occurs in the arms, legs, breasts, or genitals. It is caused by parasites being transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. 'I do not know what the disease is but I hope that there is some treatment available,' Tulis said, adding that if he gets treated, he would like to help his ailing mother run the family. 'Because of the weight of the leg, I can do nothing and work is just a dream. I have to depend on my mother and I feel like a burden on her. 'She is old and ailing but has to work day in and day out to feed us. But if I can get a treatment and get legs back I can also start working and help my mother and raising my brothers and sister.' Heartbroken parents of a six-year-old boy who died from meningitis B have released the final images of their son in hospital. Oliver Hall, from Halesworth, Suffolk, died 24 hours after contracting the bacterial infection which mainly strikes babies and children. His grieving parents, Georgie, 37, and Bryan, 43, speaking for the first time since his death last October, are now calling for all children to be vaccinated against the deadly strain of the disease. Their call piles further pressure on the Government to get all children protected and reiterates a landmark petition following the death of two-year-old Faye Burdett in 2016 which attracted more than 820,000 signatures. Vaccinations against meningitis B have been available for babies up to a year old on the NHS since 2015 but not for older children. Oliver Hall, from Halesworth, Suffolk, died in hospital 24 hours after contracting the bacterial infection which mainly affects babies and children Mrs Hall said medics at James Paget University Hospital, Norfolk, 'did everything they could' to save her son's life before he passed away. A meningitis B vaccine is currently available to children up to the age of one, but the Government last year said making it available to all children was 'not cost effective'. The vaccine is privately available in Superdrug, Boots and in private clinics from 210 for a two-dose course. One in 10 of the 3,200 cases of the bacterial meningitis in the UK per year are fatal, with one in three left with permanent disabilities. Oliver's parents claim widening the programme will save lives and want to meet with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to raise their concerns. Public Health England data last September showed since the jab was introduced it has been behind a 42 per cent drop in cases of Men B. His grieving parents, Georgie, 37, and Bryan Hall, 43, are now calling for all children to be vaccinated against the deadly strain of the disease (believed to be taken last year) WHAT IS MENINGITIS? Meningitis is caused by bacteria and results in an infection in the spinal cord and brain lining. It can also lead to blood infections. The disease commonly occurs among people who seem perfectly healthy and its onset is without warning. You can catch the disease by being in close contact with someone who has it - such as kissing them or absorbing their germs when they cough. It is easily spread among people living in tight quarters. For this reason, it is commonly perceived as a disease that mainly affects students living on college campuses. Even when treated, the disease kills 10 to 15 of every 100 infected people. And 10 to 20 of every 100 survivors will be disabled after contracting the disease. Advertisement Mrs Hall said: 'The government are saying it is not cost effective to vaccinate more children against this disease. 'Meningitis Now, the charity that we are working with, are arguing that point. Our main goal is to help them to get this vaccination rolled out to more children.' Speaking about the death of her son in October for the first time, Mrs Hall added: 'Oliver achieved so much in his short life. 'He will always be remembered and so we have set up the Oliver Hall Forever Fund tribute website, which is supporting Meningitis Now.' 'More than 4,000 has been raised so far - and we are really grateful to everyone for their donations and support. 'To see that total going up makes it feel that Oliver's life was not in vain.' Meningitis B most often strikes children under the age of one, and symptoms can include cold hands, confusion and headaches. A rash is deemed the most common sign of the infection that strikes the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. The bacterial infection isn't always fatal - but it can leave victims with long-lasting problems, such as amputation, deafness and learning difficulties. Anyone willing to donate can do so here. Mrs Hall said medics at James Paget University Hospital, Norfolk, 'did everything they could' to save her son's life before he passed away (pictured with his brother Charlie) A cure for Huntington's disease could be in the pipeline following the results of a groundbreaking new drug trial. For the first time, scientists have been able to correct the defect that is responsible for the devastating neurodegenerative disease. The results, hailed as the 'biggest breakthrough in 50 years', saw 46 patients of the incurable disease given an experimental drug. University College London researchers discovered the pill lowered their levels of toxic proteins in the brain. The drug, dubbed a 'tremendous step forward', was also found to be safe - despite fears it could lead to meningitis. For the first time, scientists have been able to correct the defect that is responsible for the devastating neurodegenerative disease Professor Sarah Tabrizi, lead researcher told the BBC: 'I've been seeing patients in clinic for nearly 20 years, I've seen many of my patients over that time die. 'For the first time we have the potential, we have the hope, of a therapy that one day may slow or prevent Huntington's disease.' Professor Tabrizi, director of UCL's Huntington's Disease Centre, added: 'This is of groundbreaking importance for patients and families.' Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that affects the central nervous system and leads to involuntary movements, difficulty talking and memory loss. The condition, which affects 8,500 adults in the UK and around 30,000 in the US, occurs as a result of a fault in the huntingtin gene. On average, patients live for between 10 and 20 years after their diagnosis. The results, hailed as the 'biggest breakthrough in 50 years', saw 46 patients of the incurable disease given an experimental drug The huntingtin protein itself is vital for the development of the brain, but the genetic error leads to it instead killing brain cells. HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE: THE FACTS Huntingtons disease is an illness caused by a faulty gene in your DNA (the biological instructions you inherit which tell your cells what to do). If you have Huntingtons, it affects your bodys nervous system the network of nerve tissues in the brain and spinal cord that co-ordinate your bodys activities. Huntingtons can cause changes with movement, learning, thinking and emotions. Once symptoms begin, the disease gradually progresses, so living with it means having to adapt to change, taking one day at a time. Living with Huntingtons disease can be very challenging. Getting the right information and support is vital and were here to help. Huntingtons is not something you can catch; it is inherited. Every child conceived naturally to a parent who carries the Huntingtons gene has a 50% chance of inheriting it. Advertisement The new drug works by silencing the faulty huntingtin gene - stopping the creation of damaged proteins in the brain, the BBC reports. Having proved successful on animals, the British researchers looked to investigate the drug's effects on human patients. For the trial, the patients were injected with the drug into their spinal fluid at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Alongside its benefits at reducing the amount of huntingtin, the volunteers were found to tolerate the drug well. However, the team remain adamant that more research is needed to prove that lowering levels of huntingtin could lead to a possible cure. The results of the Roche-owned drug, which was created by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, are expected to published in a journal next year. Professor John Hardy, who was awarded the Breakthrough Prize for his work on Alzheimer's, welcomed the findings. He told the BBC's James Gallagher: 'I really think this is, potentially, the biggest breakthrough in neurodegenerative disease in the past 50 years. 'That sounds like hyperbole - in a year I might be embarrassed by saying that - but that's how I feel at the moment.' Professor Hardy believes the findings also offer hope for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, both of which see a build-up of toxic proteins in the brain. It's certainly one way to make himself popular with his clients. A dentist's hilarious parody of a popular rap song has gone viral and made some Facebook users 'cry with laughter'. Dr Milad Shadrooh, aka The Singing Dentist, created his own version of Big Shaq's 'Man's Not Hot' - dubbed the most popular tune of 2017. Calling himself 'Big Plaq', the real-life dentist makes reference to the sounds his drill makes - instead of the imitated gun shots in the viral tune. Dr Shadrooh has racked up a huge following online for his parodies of chart-topping hits, including a cover of Ed Sheeran's melody 'A Shape Of You'. Since his latest, called 'Man's Got Floss', was posted on Facebook at the weekend, it has attracted 7.2 million views and 112,000 'likes' on the social networking site. Scroll down for video Dr Milad Shadrooh, aka The Singing Dentist, created his own version of Big Shaq's 'Man's Not Hot' - dubbed the most popular tune of 2017. Calling himself 'Big Plaq', the real-life dentist makes reference to the sounds his drill makes Viewers have since applauded his efforts at encouraging good oral hygiene, saying children will particularly enjoy the parody take on the rap. Dr Milad Shadrooh, owner of Chequers Dental in Basingstoke, was described in the comments section as being a 'genius' for his version. Facebook user Julie Johnson posted: 'Oh.....my....God!!! The laughter that responded to this video.........my eyes are crying....my face is hurting.....I cant stop laughing!' The original tune, rapped by satirical artist Big Shaq, was originally made as part of his joke appearance on BBC Radio One Xtra. Big Shaq, a character created by comedian Michael Dapaah, has since achieved global fame, and includes hip-hop star Drake in his legion of fans. It mocks so-called 'roadman' culture and features indirect references to guns, drugs and asking for the release of his made-up friends in prison. Since its release in September, the catchy rap shot in the charts, reaching number five in the UK, and gained more than one hundred million views on YouTube. Big Shaq, a character created by comedian Michael Dapaah, has since achieved global fame, and includes hip-hop star Drake in his legion of fans. Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has tweeted his approval of the song, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has referenced the tune at a conference. Mr Corbyn was asked if he wanted to take off his jacket during this year's Labour Party Conference in Brighton. He replied 'man's not hot'. Paying new mothers 200 in supermarket vouchers could encourage them to breastfeed, a new study reveals. Researchers found the financial incentives, to spend at Tesco, Asda and Morrison's, were responsible for a 6 per cent jump in breastfeeding rates. Breastfeeding levels in the UK are the lowest in the world. In some areas just 12 per cent of six to eight-week-old babies are breastfed. This is despite clear NHS guidance that recommends children should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their lives. Researchers found financial incentives, in the region of 120, were responsible for a 6 per cent jump in breastfeeding rates The new study of 10,000 new mothers, undertaken by researchers at Sheffield and Dundee universities, may help overturn the growing problem. How was the study carried out? New mothers were offered shopping vouchers worth up to 120 if babies received breast milk at two days, 10 days and six weeks old. A further 80 of vouchers was available to the volunteers if their babies continued to receive breast milk up to six months of age - like guidelines state. Nearly half (46 per cent) of eligible mothers signed up to the scheme and two fifths claimed at least one voucher for breastfeeding. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that the vouchers 'really lifted mums and gave them recognition and acceptance'. WHY ARE MOTHERS NOT BREASTFEEDING? Mothers are giving up breastfeeding because they are too embarrassed, dont want to be tied down and fear babies arent getting enough milk. Figures from more than 152,000 British women show that less than half 45 per cent still give their babies breast milk at two months. The NHS recommends that babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months and after that given a combination of breast milk and food for about a year. But statistics from the Governments quarterly survey show only 30 per cent of babies aged six to eight weeks were given solely breast milk. Another 15 per cent of the 152,169 women who completed the questionnaire said they were partially breastfeeding at that stage and giving babies some formula milk. Britain has the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. A Lancet study in January showed only 0.5 per cent of UK babies are still given breast milk after a year compared with 23 per cent in Germany, 56 per cent in Brazil and 99 per cent in Senegal, West Africa. To try to establish the reasons for this, Public Health England carried out a separate survey on 500 new mothers. Nearly two thirds 63 per cent said they would be worried about breastfeeding in front of strangers while 44 per cent were wary of doing so with friends. Advertisement What do mothers think? Fiona Sutcliffe, 29, from Sheffield, who took part in the trial with her daughter, said: 'Breastfeeding is quite difficult in the beginning. 'The scheme is a really good way of keeping going - keeping motivated to stay on track rather than giving up and going for the bottle. 'It provides little milestones, little stepping stones and helps you get breastfeeding established.' Study co-author Mary Renfrew, professor of mother and infant health at the University of Dundee, welcomed the findings. She said: 'This is the first large-scale study to show an increase in breastfeeding in communities where rates have been low for generations. 'It can be particularly difficult for women to breastfeed without strong family and community support, because of strong societal barriers.' The vouchers were designed to acknowledge the value of breastfeeding and reward mothers for the 'work involved'. New mothers were recruited from areas with particularly low breastfeeding rates, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and north Nottinghamshire. The benefits of breastmilk Breast milk contains antibodies passed on from the mother that help boost a babys immune system and help it fight infections and viruses. There is also evidence that breastfed babies have higher IQs and are less at risk of obesity formula milk is higher in fat. Breastfeeding is considered beneficial for the mother and enables her to bond with the newborn. It also enables her to lose weight, as nursing mothers burn up to 500 calories a day extra, according to previous research. It is estimated the NHS would save at least 17 million every year in hospital admissions and GP visits if more women were supported to breastfeed for longer. Children are more likely to have epilepsy if their mother had arthritis while the youngster was in the womb, a major study concludes. Researchers discovered the risk of the seizure-triggering disorder is increased by 160 per cent if the woman suffered rheumatoid arthritis. They are also three times as likely to develop the agonising condition in later life, data of nearly 1.4 million births shows. Danish scientists are now calling for children born to arthritis sufferers to be given 'special attention' to monitor their health. A major study has concluded that children who are born to mothers with arthritis are more likely to have epilepsy The findings, derived from 25 years of research, are believed down to the origins of rheumatoid arthritis - an autoimmune condition. What triggers epilepsy? Theories have suggested the condition, most common in women, triggers the body to release self-attacking antibodies that could get passed down into the womb. However, in most cases of epilepsy, it's unsure what disrupts electrical signals in the brain and causes seizures. The Odense University Hospital researchers haven't pinpointed exactly why arthritis may lead to epilepsy and have only established an association. THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF ARTHRITIS People living with arthritis are at greater risk of a deadly lung disease, it was warned in October. Sufferers are almost 50 per cent more likely to end up with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers found. It was added by experts to the list of complications, along with heart disease and diabetes, now linked to the painful condition. Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term illness in which the immune system causes the body to attack itself, causing painful, swollen and stiff joints. But the extra problems come from the inflammation it causes in those joints. It is this inflammation which is thought to lead to COPD - the umbrella term for diseases from emphysema to acute bronchitis which can cause wheezing and breathlessness so bad that daily activities can become impossible. Advertisement Lead author Dr Line Jlving said: 'We have addressed a concern in pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis... on the future health of their offspring. 'Our results call for special attention on child development of rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, and epilepsy if exposed to rheumatoid arthritis in utero.' The researchers also found that the risk of thyroid disease, which can affect how quickly the heart beats, was increased by 220 per cent. Rheumatoid arthritis: The facts Rheumatoid arthritis - different to osteoarthritis, which is caused by wear and tear, affects 400,000 in the UK and 1.5 million in the US. The condition, which can begin at any age - but plagues most people between 30 and 60, usually affect the hands, feet and wrists. Currently, it is incurable and treatment revolves around reducing painful flare-ups. The findings, published in Arthritis Care & Research, assessed 2,106 children born to women with rheumatoid arthritis and 1,378,539 without. Does the link already exist? It's not the first time scientists have suggested there is a link between the form of arthritis in pregnancy and children going on to develop epilepsy. Copenhagen University researchers uncovered a similar association when they reviewed data from nearly two million births last November. We've heard it all before: desk work is wreaking havoc on our health. But experts warn that, while 86 percent of Americans work at a desk, few know how to offset the damage. If you spend at least six hours a day at a desk, your heart attack risk is double what it should be. Computers also increase your risk of vision loss by 40 per cent, increase insulin resistance, and affect our mental health. This culture of working has given rise to the 'weekend warrior' who packs a week's worth of exercise into two days, and after-hours yoga or meditation. However, research shows that may only have a superficial impact on boosting your health. We spoke to a cardiologist, a personal trainer, and an optometrist about the dangers of desk work, and some concrete tips that really could balance out the downsides. Data show around 86 percent of Americans work at desks, but few of us know what it is doing to our bodies HEART HEALTH: EVEN FOUR WORKOUTS A WEEK IS NOT ENOUGH IF YOU DON'T HAVE STANDING BREAKS What's the damage? 'The major things from a point of view of your heart is if you're sitting your heart rate will lower, and this affects everything,' Dr Allan Stewart, MD, Director of Aortic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells Daily Mail Online. He runs through the laundry list of issues: 1) You tend to eat less healthy foods 'If you don't have the ability to get up, you will just make do with the food near you or that can be delivered to you, which tends to be less nutritious,' Dr Stewart explains. 'Also if you're going to be sat all day, you're going to look for things that will give you a sugar rush for energy.' 2) You build up fat on your heart 'Muscles burn less fat because you're less active. Because you have an increase in circulation of fatty acids and cholesterol to the heart, this increases your risk of a heart attack,' Dr Stewart says. 'Even if you go to the gym four times a week you won't completely offset the damage of sitting for at least six hours a day. You will still have a higher risk of heart attack.' A toll on the heart: A Mount Sinai cardiologist breaks down how sitting impacts the heart 3) You build up dangerous insulin resistance 'We have also seen that people who sit for six hours a day are less sensitive to insulin,' says Dr Stewart. Insulin resistance is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes, which is triggered by sedentary behavior and obesity - but Dr Stewart warns even seemingly healthy desk workers have a high risk. 4) You gain a 'spare tire' around your middle 'If you are not moving your muscles, you're not processing glucose enough, meaning you'll have more fat around your 'spare tire' (i.e. belly and love handles),' Dr Stewart warns. What can you do? Unfortunately for weekend warriors, Dr Stewart claims that most of the damage to your heart and muscles will already be done. Without some breaks during the day, you still carry the same risk, he says. Here are his tips to offset your risk: 1) Stand whenever possible Dr Stewart recommends getting up at every opportunity to keep your heart rate up - whether it's to take a phone call, to have a conversation, or to grab a glass of water. 2) Take a standing break every hour If you maintain regular bouts of movement, Dr Stewart says, you will prevent your heart rate from grinding down to a sluggish rate. 3) Walk and talk meetings 'If you have a meeting that doesn't require sitting at a computer to look at a screen, why don't you go for a walk if the conditions are nice,' he suggests. 4) Turn your desk into a workout if you're at home 'Get an exercise ball and put it on an uneven surface so your core is engaged,' Dr Stewart recommends. 'Or put your laptop on a treadmill so you can walk while you work.' 4) ...And keep up with your normal workouts 'You need to get 30 to 45 minutes of exercise at least four days a week,' he says. POSTURE AND TONING: WHY SITTING FOR HOURS CAN ATROPHY YOUR MUSCLES What's the damage? 'Believe it or not the less we sit, the better for our bodys natural state,' Moe Widdi, a 'master trainer' at New York Health & Racquet Club, told Daily Mail Online. 'We are a creation of labor. Sitting down for a majority of the day, can increase our bodys risk for injury.' He explains that we will lose strength in key areas like our core and our glutes, forcing more pressure on our bones. 'All parts of the body work together, so if something is off it throws everything else off. Muscles begin to fire up differently and joints begin to change jobs to help compensate,' Widdi explains. 'In addition, posture is extremely vital to a persons life. It helps exude confidence, lessens the chance of injury, and can help you avoid asthma. 'When you develop poor posture, the shoulders close off towards the front of your body causing the back to round, restricting the lungs from getting efficient oxygen.' Do you have 'desk butt': Trainers warn sitting all day atrophies your muscles, making your bottom flat What can you do? To avoid injuries and poor posture, its important to strengthen your posterior and anterior muscles, muscles that control the back and front of your body. Widdi recommends these exercises four times a week to offset the damage: 1) WALL SLIDES Lay against a flat wall or mirror Flatten your back against it by contracting your core and tilting your pelvis to the back Put your arms and hands against the wall making a foot ball field goal Tuck in your chin by trying to put the back of your head against the wall, and press against the mirror as you are sliding your hands up and down. By doing so you're forcing the muscles we need in the back and neck to isolate and activate by keeping the back flat as you wall slide PRO TIP: if you can keep good form use a light bar or light pole 2) SUPINATED REVERSE FLYS Keeping the same form for your back as the Wall Slides, grab a Thera band with your hands supinated (palms facing up) to externally rotate your shoulders which allows you to contract your back muscles more when you do a reverse fly. Keep hands straight out in front of you, elbows locked in Then touch the wall with each rep if your range of motion permits PROTECT YOUR EYES: HOW SCREENS AFFECT YOUR VISION What's the damage? Screens are not going to make you go blind, assures Dr Randy McLaughlin,an optometrist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. However, he says the jury is still out on how damaging screens' UV rays can be to our eyes, and sitting for hours on end staring at one thing close up can put an increasing amount of strain on our retinas. 'The whole world is up close when you have a much higher neural demand from screens all day long,' he told Daily Mail Online. 'It means you're going to notice and feel that strain more.' He added that, while research is still ongoing in this field, ultra-violet rays are known to be unhelpful, if not directly damaging, for our eye health. Straining your eyes: Ultra-violet rays and focusing on one thing for hours creates eye strain What can you do? 1) Take vision breaks 'We recommend that people take visual breaks every 20 to 30 minutes,' Dr McLaughlin explains. 'Look away and relax your eyes for at least 30 seconds. You don't need to break your train of thought, just break your screen time for a moment.' 2) Use over-the-counter eye drops 'Liquid eye drops from the pharmacy work well, and that can relieve dryness or eye strain,' he says. 3) Get your eyes checked every two years For people who do not have vision issues or concerns to check out, you should be aiming for an optometrist check-up every other year. 'A lot of people may assume that their eyes are fine, and when they get round to getting checked out in their 40s they're embarrassed saying "I haven't been since high school!" 'Don't worry - we're not going to shame you for not coming! But we do recommend getting checked out every two years, just to make sure everything is fine.' An old drug prescribed to help people stop drinking alcohol may be an effective cancer-killer, according to new study. The drug, Antabuse, appears to 'freeze' cancer in place, preventing them from getting rid of waste, which, ultimately, kills them. Danish and Czech researchers tested the drug in live mice and human cancer cells and found that it was effective in both without harming other cells. These findings are not enough to indicate how Antabuse would behave in living people, but the drug is already FDA-approved and its patent is long expired, so if further testing is as promising as this study's findings, the drug could someday be a cheap alternative cancer treatment. The new study found that Antabuse effectively 'froze' breast cancer cells as well as those of prostate, colon and other cancers, eventually killing them Scientists were first tipped off to the Antabuse's potential power against cancer by a series of unfortunate coincidences documented in a 1971 case study. Doctors prescribed the drug to a 38-year-old woman who had turned to alcoholism to cope with her losing battle with breast cancer, which had spread to her bones. Her physicians halted her cancer treatment and gave her Antabuse. She lived for another 10 years before a drunken fall from a window killed her. When they performed an autopsy, the doctors were shocked to find that while Antabuse had evidently not stopped the woman from drinking, the cancer cells had largely disappeared from her bones. That remarkable case sparked a few small-scale trials in animals and humans. In both, Antabuse improved survival and slowed tumor growth, but scientists couldn't explain why. In 2015, the drug saw another revival for a novel use. Research showed that it was able to 'wake up' dormant HIV cells, which could help to ensure that the virus is completely wiped from a person's body by targeting the reactivated cells with an effective treatment. The new study, published in Nature, combined analysis of Denmark's extensive registry of cancer patients with close observation of how Antabuse interacts with cells. Antabuse disables a liver enzyme that is critical to the body's ability to break down alcohol, causing patients to hyperventilate, get nauseous and sometimes vomit. But findings from Palacky University in the Czech Republic and the Danish Cancer Society show that the drug may have more powerful effects than inducing a nasty, preemptive hangover. For 1,177 Danish patients that continuously took the anti-alcohol drug, the death rate was 34 percent lower. Antabuse was associated with better survival of all cancers, including breast, prostate and colon cancers. Compelling though those numbers are, they do not establish that Antabuse was the definitive cause behind the better survival rates in humans. In mice, however, the researchers observed and confirmed that the drug slowed the speed of breast cancer tumor growth, especially in combination with copper. The main byproduct of Antabuse combines with copper to jam up cancer cells' disposal processes for ill-formed proteins. This essentially 'freezes' the cancer cells, until their functions are shut down by the backed up proteins. Antabuse particularly has this effect on cancer cells, the researchers observed, leaving healthy cells unharmed. When little Zed Merrick scolded himself with a boiling cup of tea, his mother Nicky thought he would be left permanently scarred. But pioneering 'spray on' skin has left the boy with no lasting marks His grandmas back was turned for only a second, but thats all it took for little Zed Merrick to grasp a freshly-made cup of tea. Before anyone could stop him, the two-year-old had pulled the cup and its scalding contents down his front, causing second-degree burns to his torso. His piercing screams still live with his mother Nicky, but thanks to an innovative treatment hailed as the Holy Grail of burns care, Zed, now aged eight, bears no lasting scars. The treatment is spray-on skin, created with a postage stamp-sized piece of the patients own skin. It is placed in a battery-powered device the size of a lunchbox in a special solution containing enzymes that make the cells proliferate within half an hour this creates enough spray-on skin to cover an adult male torso. The technology can help burns victims heal without painful skin grafts and without unsightly and uncomfortable scars. However, its not widely available on the NHS. This is because its yet to be approved by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), which says the treatment shows potential to improve healing in acute burns but needs more evidence. Because the treatment is new, and initially expensive (it costs 1,000 to treat each patient), plastic surgeons say not everyone who could benefit is receiving it on the NHS. Before anyone could stop him, the two-year-old had pulled the cup and its scalding contents down his front, causing second-degree burns to his torso. His piercing screams still live with his mother Nicky, but thanks to an innovative treatment hailed as the Holy Grail of burns care, Zed, now aged eight, bears no lasting scars Nicky, 39, has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair (her husband, Chunky, 49, an engineer, was out at work at the time of Zeds accident). Like most toddlers, Zed was incredibly inquisitive, Nicky recalls. When I heard the screams, adrenaline took over; I threw a jug of cold water over his chest, my mum got his T-shirt off and we got him to the bathroom, where I was hosing him down with cold water. We covered him in cold, wet towels. I was wearing a fluffy black jumper and I can still remember that fluff was sticking to his chest where he was burned. But her instinct to cool the burn was correct. Advice from the British Burn Association and British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons is to put a burn under cool, running water for 20 minutes, ideally straight away, but even up to three hours later. Nicky and Zed were rushed by ambulance from their home in Ulceby, Lincolnshire, to hospital in Grimsby where he was given sedatives and pain relief. However, the burn was so serious Zed had a deep, partial-thickness burn, also known as a second-degree burn that specialist care was required and he was transferred to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield later that night. The treatment is spray-on skin, created with a postage stamp-sized piece of the patients own skin. It is placed in a battery-powered device the size of a lunchbox in a special solution containing enzymes that make the cells proliferate within half an hour this creates enough spray-on skin to cover an adult male torso First-degree burns heal without dressings. A third-degree burn the worst kind is when the damage has been sustained to the full thickness of the skin. The doctors started talking about a new therapy for burns, says Nicky. I agreed straight away. Zed was treated by Jeremy Rawlins, a consultant plastic surgeon who has helped pioneer the use of the therapy, called ReCell, made by Avita Medical. First developed in Perth, western Australia, it can be used to treat all sorts of burn injuries in adults and children, but not all NHS burns centres are using it. The standard treatment is to dress the wound for up to two weeks and areas that are slow to heal result in big scars or require skin grafts, says Mr Rawlins. With ReCell treatment, we can reduce the risk of scars. After taking a tiny shaving of healthy skin from Zeds torso under general anaesthetic, it was put through the ReCell kit and within 20 minutes, the spray-on skin liquid, called regenerative epithelial suspension, was created. However, although the treatment is approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), plastic surgeons say not everyone who could benefit is receiving it on the NHS, because it is new and expensive (it costs 1,000 to treat each patient) Before it can be applied, any dead skin cells have to be removed surgically. In Zeds case this was done using mild dermabrasion with a diamond burr rather like a sander, says Mr Rawlins. The whole operation, including preparing Zeds body and making the spray, took just 45 minutes, and Zed was then bandaged. When the dressings were changed after four days, the skin was healing brilliantly and after three weeks it healed completely (the area was covered with dressings to protect it for three more months). Nine months after the accident, Zed was discharged from follow-up appointments as the scar was virtually invisible. Mr Rawlins explains this is significant: I treat children for scar revisions as they grow, the scar gets tight and it can cause not only pain and poor range of movement but psychological trauma. For Zed, the treatment has been an amazing success. I can see some faint marks on his chest but most people wouldnt see anything, says Nicky. Zed loves swimming and has no worries about taking his top off its just normal skin. We feel very lucky to have had this treatment. Uber has agreed to settle a civil lawsuit with an Indian woman who accused the ride-hailing company and its top executives of unlawfully obtaining medical records and engaging in offensive conspiracy theories after a company driver allegedly raped her, according to reports. The 2014 incident in New Delhi had triggered scrutiny into Uber by the Indian government and the company was banned from operating in the national Capital till June 2015. The 26-year-old woman, identified only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit filed in the federal court in California in June, had said in the complaint that Uber executives unlawfully obtained and shared her medical records from that sexual assault. A driver working for Uber in Delhi, India, waits to receive instructions for his next passenger The woman was living in Texas when she filed the lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed days after it emerged that Eric Alexander, the president of business in the Asia Pacific, had obtained her medical records and shown them to then Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick and companys then senior vice-president for business Emil Michael. Michael's name was later dropped from the lawsuit. The company later fired Alexander. The lawsuit was settled in San Francisco where Uber has its headquarters, the BBC reported Terms of the latest settlement have not been disclosed. A Delhi court in 2015 sentenced Uber driver Shiv Kumar Yadav to life imprisonment for raping the woman. A woman uses the Uber app to hail a ride. The company was banned from operating in India's capital between 2014 and June 2015 The lawsuit said that after the woman's sexual assault, Alexander went directly to Delhi where he managed to obtain her confidential, private medical records generated by physicians who examined her after the brutal rape. Alexander then showed the records to Kalanick and Michael and the three discussed the records among themselves and with other staff at Uber, speculating that Plaintiff had made up the brutal rape in collusion with a rival of Uber in India. Advertisement Many people turned to exploring local nature paths for their daily exercise when lockdown closed gyms and group sports took a hiatus amid the pandemic. Amateur photographers who captured stunning images of animals in their natural habitat were quick to submit their snaps to Weekend magazine's annual Wildlife Photography Challenge in the hopes of winning a package worth over 1,000. The entrants were split into five categories - Birds; Mammals; Insects; Under-18s; and Reptiles, Fish, Amphibians & Molluscs. While each category winner received a Nikon mirrorless digital camera kit and a year's subscription to Nikon Owner magazine, the overall winner also received a trip to the Camargue with wildlife photographer Simon Stafford, courtesy of Create Away, for a four-night masterclass in photographing the region's wild horses, flamingos and bulls. Judges David Suchet, Clare Balding, Lucy Cooke, Steve Brown, Kelly Brook and Michael Eleftheriades were impressed with Lee O'dwyer, 67, a retired engineer from Lancashire, who was awarded the overall winner for his shot of a long-tailed tit. These runner-up snaps taken by talented amateur photographers prove choosing an overall winner was a tough decision... BIRDS PUFFIN: Taken by Joseph Bristow, 23, a retail supervisor from Llantwit Major. 'Arriving at 3am and queueing for the 6am ticket office to open. First in line I caught the boat over to Skomer Island. With only a few hours permitted on the island I had no time to waste. Surrounded by the Puffins was an amazing spectacle and allowed me to capture some amazing photos. I found this one puffin who seemed very tame and loved posing for the camera. As he stared down the barrel of my lens I took my shot and was pleased with the result. I found the black background really provides a provocative and striking image highlight the vibrant colour of the Puffins.' KESTREL CHICKS: Taken by Jayne Kirkby, 20, from Braintree, Essex. 'Beautiful pair of Kestrel chicks, taken at Wrabness on 20th June 2020.' KINGFISHER: Tim Clifton, a 59-year-old from, St Leonards on Sea, snapped this captivating photo of a kingfisher hunting for small fish MALLARD: William Watson, 64, a semi retired HGV driver from East Dunbartonshire. 'Taken on the Forth & Clyde canal (December '19') Bishopbriggs, As I went to take this photo of this female Mallard it stretched creating a nice reflection....' INSECTS BUTTERFLY: Adam Lane, a 27-year-old host at Legoland, from Slough, captured a butterfly perched on a purple flower in specular detail WASP: Shelia Moth took this captivating photo of a wasp on a thistle, capturing the insect and plant in immense detail SPIDER: Taken by Geoffrey Wells, 67, a maintenance caretaker from North Yorkshire. 'This picture was taken in my back garden during the recent lockdown.' REPTILES MATING FROGS: Taken by Steve Jellett, 64, from Essex, who is retired. 'Taken in small garden pond when 21 frogs descended to mate.' MAMMALS ROE DEER: Tim Cliffton, a 75-year-old from St Leonards on sea, took a photograph of two roe deer spotted in a field MOUSE: Taken by Cameron Parfitt, 20, a student at the University of Brighton, from Worthing. 'I would love to highlight that even in your back garden there are images to be had. This image is of a cheeky wood mouse that keeps stealing food from what we have now dubbed the mouse feeder. It's not unheard of for this little guy to be found inside the feeder without a care in the world stuffing himself with the bird seed.' JUNIORS FOX CUB: Billy Evans-Freke, 15, a secondary school student from East Sussex. 'It wasn't a long wait in the hide before the first fox cub woke up from its nap and came out into the open. It was soon followed by another cub. At first they stayed in the shadows of the bushes near the den. But once they gained their confidence they started coming closer. This cub in particular was very curious and came very close to the hide.' An Army officer accused of indecent behaviour for allegedly organising a ladies meeting with a raunchy honeymoon theme has been pushed out of the Pune-based Army Institute of Technology (AIT). Earlier this year, the Major General-rank officer had organised a ladies meeting based on a honeymoon theme where the wives of young officers studying in AIT were invited to take part. After the pictures of the meeting went viral among social media groups in the Army, they came in for severe criticism from officers who were agitated over such events being organised officially by a senior officer in the force. Sources alleged that the officer tried to make the party look raunchy by placing beds in the middle of the hall with handcuffs placed on them 'When the matter reached the Army chief, he took it very seriously and the officer has now been shunted out from his office in AIT and sent to a formation in Chhattisgarh,' an Army source told Mail Today. Sources alleged that the officer had tried to make the ladies party look raunchy by placing beds in the middle of the hall with handcuffs placed on them. Also put up at the venue were sexy cutouts of women, which sources say are totally against the traditions of the force where women are treated with utmost respect. The young officers whose wives had attended the party had also expressed anguish over the party theme to their top brass, the sources claimed. Sexy cutouts of women were also apparently seen at the event 'The Army chief's instructions have been very clear that while dealing with cases of moral turpitude and corruption, no mercy should be shown towards personnel, and officers and jawans should be treated alike,' the source said. In recent times, the force has been very harsh in cases of moral turpitude as a Flag officer was shunted out for stealing the affections of his brother officer's wife while a Major General is facing a court martial in Ambala for allegedly trying to violate the modesty of a lady officer much younger than him in age and rank. Sources said the chief's belief is that even if in cases of moral turpitude where the relationships are consensual, they will not be allowed as it is felt that the force is like a big family and showing leniency in such cases may affect its moral fabric. A Lieutenant Colonel rank officer was also dismissed from service for having an affair with the 19-year old daughter of a fellow officer after he was found guilty of the offence. Before Gen Rawat took over in January this year, a number of allegations of corruption in promotions and postings would crop up every now and then, but now the system is in the process of being made more transparent. The chief, sources said, has made it clear that corruption would not be tolerated. Rahul Gandhi's elevation to Congress president on Monday gave the party reason not just to celebrate but keep the festivities going for the next few days to whip up enthusiasm among the cadre ahead of the second phase of polling in Gujarat. The announcement by the party central election authority (CEA) head Mullappally Ramachandran at the party headquarters on Monday afternoon was almost drowned out by fireworks and cheering right outside 24, Akbar Road. Though Rahul was the sole contender in the race for the top job with 89 nominations backed by 10 proposers each all rooting for him, the party's CEA chose to wait for the last day of withdrawal of nominations to make a final announcement. Rahul Gandhi has officially been appointed Congress leader The announcement was made by the party central election authority (CEA) head Mullappally Ramachandran on Monday afternoon to huge celebrations outside Rahul will formally take charge on December 16 at 11am with the handover of a certificate for his election to the post. Following a revamp of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) over the next few weeks, a large All India Congress Committee (AICC) convention will be held by the end of January either in Karnataka or in the national Capital. The announcement of Rahul's appointment as party president on Monday was marked by celebrations across state units as frenzied party workers burst crackers and ordered in kilos of sweets and flowers. Festivities are expected to continue for the next few days to whip up enthusiasm among the cadre ahead of the second phase of polling in Gujarat The party headquarters swarmed with leaders and supporters carrying congratulatory banners even before Ramachandran made the announcement. Party leaders said the celebrations are set to continue over the next few days as Gujarat gears up for the second phase of polls. On Monday, while the announcement was being made in Delhi, Rahul joined the celebrations in Savli near Vadodara right before a public rally. As the party faces a tough political battle in Gujarat, the party leadership is expectantly looking at the change of guard to inject new hope and enthusiasm into the party cadre. The announcement of Rahul's appointment as party president on Monday was marked by celebrations across state units Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate Rahul. 'I congratulate Rahulji on his election as Congress president. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure,' he tweeted. 'The entire country has a lot of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. Long before he was elected, he proved his mettle. He knows his responsibility,' senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters. 'I am sure the party will see not just revival but massive growth under your able and dynamic leadership,' Punjab CM Amrinder Singh tweeted. After Indian and Chinese foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the RIC (Russia-India-China) meet in New Delhi, the two sides have decided to hold border talks in quick succession on December 20 and 21. Special representatives on border talks of India and China, national security advisor Ajit Doval and state councillor Yang Jiechi respectively, would meet in New Delhi. After the Doklam crisis that led to tensions between India and China to epic proportions, the thaw came ahead of the BRICS summit when both sides mutually agreed to pull back from the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the RIC meet in New Delhi on Monday Mail Today has learnt that both sides want to focus on 'areas of convergences' and build on the 'commonality'. The RIC meet gave India and China an opportunity to take things forward from the meeting that was held in Xiamen between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the decision was taken to engage at foreign ministry level. The dates were finalised when the foreign ministers met on the sidelines. Amid the controversies and concerns, all three nations found ways to come together in the fight against terrorism, a core issue for India. The 15th RIC meet joint communique condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including the recent heinous terrorist attacks around the world. While there were no terrorists or terror networks that were named, as was the case in the BRICS joint statement, the communique did mention 'proscribed' terrorists and organisations. It said: 'We agree to strengthen cooperation to take decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities. We condemn all forms of terrorism and all terrorists, terror entities and organisations listed by the UN Security Council.' External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in her address to the media, mentioned the names of organisations emphasising on the need for a comprehensive policy on global terror. She said: 'While discussing terrorism, I put across my view that significant rise in acts of terrorism by terrorist organisations such as Taliban, Daesh (ISIS), al-Qaeda and LeT directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development. India strongly recommends a comprehensive policy for dealing with global terrorism.' When asked if Hafiz Saeed and ban on activities of Masood Azhar at the UNSC came up during the talks, a highly placed source told Mail Today: 'All issues were discussed. There is a need to focus on the bigger picture and not let one issue hold the relationship hostage.' Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: 'We discussed the issue of terrorism and ways to fight against it.' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov added to it, reiterating Russia's policy of 'zero tolerance'towards terrorism. 'Fight against terrorism should be united and there must not be any kind of compromise in this regard', he said. Apart from terrorism, the three foreign ministers discussed disarmament, situation in the Middle East and North Africa, global economic challenges, transnational organised crime, illicit drug trafficking, food security and climate change. The 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral dialogue at foreign ministers level in New Delhi on December 11 provides an occasion to make a general evaluation of the dynamics at play in this trilateral relationship that is marked by stable India-Russia ties, increased India-China tensions and an upsurge in Russia-China relations. Russia dominated the trilateral talks when they began in September 2003, with Sergey Lavrov imposing his masterly grasp of international issues over the triad when he became foreign minister in 2004. However, with the phenomenal rise of China in recent years, the vast financial resources at its disposal and the unveiling of its geopolitical ambitions across Eurasia, the internal equations within the group have changed. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the RIC meet in New Delhi on Monday Russia remains a formidable military power but its economy is under stress, while Chinas diplomatic options have expanded hugely because of its economic power and developing military strength. Russias relations with the West have sharply deteriorated, compelling it to move eastwards for political and economic space, resulting in an intensified strategic partnership with China. Ironically, this has made it easier for China to expand, including into traditional Russian geopolitical space in Eurasia. China is also positioning itself as a rival of the US in the Asia-Pacific region by expanding its power base in Asia by bringing Eurasian countries into its economic orbit and making inroads into the Gulf region and key African as well. It seeks to establish a G2 in Asia, and if it compels the US to reach such an accommodation, it will be at the cost of both Russia and India. If, after the US/EU policy of brow-beating Russia through a policy of sanctions and preventing a normalisation of relations between the two dictated by geographic proximity, economic interests and security considerations, Russia has now decisively strengthened the Asian vector of its foreign policy, it would not want to be thwarted in its quest for a larger role in Asian affairs by a US-China G2. Russia has a natural resource base in its Asian stretches, military deployments and relationships with countries like Vietnam to have a credible posture in the region. It is an active participant in APEC. Even if the US in pursuit of its current policies of placing increasing curbs on Russian power were to leverage its China relationship to checkmate Russia also in the east, any G2 type of arrangement would be manifestly inconsistent with its moves to cultivate India as a counter to China through the concept of the Indo-Pacific, the promotion of trilateral India-US-Japan political and naval cooperation mechanisms and support for a quadrilateral regional dialogue by the inclusion of Australia. Challenge Russia faces another challenge from China that has the consequence of outflanking it even in Europe. Chinas Eurasian ambitions are not limited to Central Asia, they are also directed at Europe through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Chinas objective is to create an economic corridor to Europe, expand trade and investment ties with European countries, which will, in turn, inevitably lead to increased Chinese political influence in the European continent. Ironically, this dynamic is occurring at a time when Russias own relationship with Europe has rapidly deteriorated and a strong anti-Russian media campaign continues. China is not only intruding into Russias sphere of influence in Central Asia but also positioning itself in Europe in a way that undercuts Moscows European footing. At a time when Russia is unable to manage its relationship with Europe, China has established a 16 plus 1 dialogue comprising of China and 16 Balkan and Central European states - largely EU members - in the context of the BRI and the alluring promise of Chinese investments in developing infrastructure in these countries, especially in the railways and ports sectors. This is already raising concerns in Brussels about the oversight that Brussels can and should exercise on this dialogue, and in the capitals of major western European countries as well about the competition their companies will face from Chinese entities. Background In this background, while India and Russia have undoubtedly a shared interest in engaging China, they also need to keep a close watch on its vaulting ambitions and consult with each other frankly on what the realisation of its goals would mean for their respective interests. The initial objective of the trilateral dialogue was to concert with each other on the challenges the international community was facing from the emergence of a unipolar world after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the policies of regime change pursued by the US and its disregard of certain established principles of international law such as respect for state sovereignty. The three countries supported a multipolar international system based on the central role of the United Nations and reform of the international political and financial institutions. They opposed the extraterritorial application of national legislation as well as unilateral sanctions beyond those agreed by the UN Security Council and so on. These objectives remain relevant. To this can be added a joint front against international terrorism ( should China give up its double standards), strengthening cooperation in identified areas within BRICS as well the SCO formats, internet governance, the central role of the WTO in governing international trade, and climate change issues. India and Russia, however, have to be vigilant that the RIC does not become a vehicle for facilitating Chinas destabilising rise Centrica: The British Gas owner does not believe price caps will benefit customers Energy firms have criticised government plans to introduce a price cap on gas and electricity bills. Experts believe customers overpaid for energy by 1.4 billion last year because the market is not competitive enough. Lawmakers have now introduced a bill for a temporary price cap to try and help reduce average bills by 100. It will last until the end of 2020 and could be extended by three years. But in evidence to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, British Gas owner Centrica and other firms said they did not believe it would work. Centrica said: We believe that the Governments objectives are unclear and potentially contradictory. Price comparison firm uSwitch said the price cap risks leaving consumers worse off overall. Many income investors are guilty of relying too heavily on the so called dividend stalwarts in the FTSE 100. It is not just minor investors but fund managers who foul of this too. Popular income stocks AstraZeneca and British American Tobacco are among the top ten holdings of roughly two-fifths of funds in the Investment Association UK Equity Sector. However, there are plenty of dividend golden nuggets waiting to be unearthed outside the UK's blue chip index in small and medium-sized companies for those willing to go prospecting. Many UK income funds invested in BP were hit by the infamous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico In the past, many investors viewed UK smaller companies solely as growth opportunities, but this no longer rings true. Andrew Summers, head of fund selection at Investec Wealth & Investment, said many of these shares have excellent prospects for paying secure and growing dividends. They also provide diversification away from the companies and many of the sectors that dominate the payment of dividends in the FTSE 100 - and many have healthy balance sheets. Summers added: 'Despite comprising of 100 stocks, the FTSE 100s total dividend pay-out is very concentrated. This exposes income investors to the risk that just one company or one sectors woes could materially impact their income. 'The further afield investors can search for yield the better the diversification and the more opportunities to identify companies that have strong and stable dividends.' Dividend cover is a good metric to get an idea of which stocks have scope to scale their dividend payments in the future. It is the ratio of a company's net income over dividends paid to shareholders. When dividends exceed profits, the ratio is below 1, so anything above that figure suggests dividends are more sustainable and affordable for companies to pay out. The average dividend cover for stocks listed in the FTSE 250 fell to 1.2 times by the end of March this year - the lowest level since the post 2008/09 credit crunch recession, according to the latest annual research conducted by the online stockbroker The Share Centre. This is because dividend payouts increased by 3 per cent, in spite of a 16 per cent fall in net profits in the 250. Even at this low level, 250 firms still have stronger dividend cover than in the 100. Among large caps, profits fell more gently (11 per cent), but dividends increased quickly (8 per cent). Their cover also fell, therefore, to 0.7 times. This means that these companies couldn't pay their dividends from profits alone. Data for the smallest stocks is harder to come by but they tend to be greater than larger shares, according to Gervais Williams, who co-manages the Miton UK Multi Cap Income fund with Martin Turner. Think small to win big: Heading down the stock market ladder can deliver well covered and growing dividends Where fund managers are finding small cap dividends Unicorn UK Income predominately invests in stocks outside the FTSE 100 that typically go under the radar of big name funds - and looks for those deemed to be of high quality and that have a history of scaling their earnings. This investment strategy has come up trumps recently, with the fund ranking third, fifth and fourth in the list of best performers within the Investment Association UK Equity income sector over a one-year, three-year and five-year investment period. Simon Moon, who co manages the fund with Fraser Mackersie, singles out Somero, a 156million company listed on AIM, as a prime example of a promising dividend small cap British stock. It has yielded 2.45 per cent over the past 12 months - but 6.95 per cent when a separate payout made to shareholders called special dividend is taken into account. It also has a dividend cover of 2.2 times. The stock is expected to grow its yield to over 3 per cent in the coming year, according to Moon. Small and mid-cap stocks provide diversification away from the companies and sectors that dominate dividends in the FTSE 100 He is also a fan of the 953million high street retailer of greeting cards and gift merchandise, the Card Factory. The firm has yielded 3.3 per cent over the last 12 months or 8.8 per cent with the firm's special dividend included. Its dividend cover is 3.3 times. The stock is also expected to generate 3 per cent in the coming year without specials factored in, Moon said. Moon said: 'The company is vertically integrated, allowing it to produce high quality cards at market-leading prices. Shares have been subdued largely on concerns surrounding the strength of the UK consumer, this has provided a great opportunity to get into a high quality retailer.' The Miton UK Multi Cap Income fund takes a slightly different tack. The fund has more room to invest in British blue-chip dividend stocks. Around 19 per cent of the fund's income is generated by FTSE 100 dividend stocks, according to Gervais Williams, who co-manages the fund with Martin Turner. The rest is attributed to income from UK stocks in the FTSE 250 and AIM. The managers adopt a bottom-up approach to stock picking, meaning they focus on the financial health of individual companies rather than the sectors they operate in. The duo favour companies with strong balance sheets - those with little debt Williams says - and with a good cash flow to capital expenditure ratio. The fund is the best performer in the IA UK Equity Income sector over a five-year investment period and is third over three years. Its one-year performance is not as impressive but still ranks a very respectable 14th. Williams highlights insurance company Randall and Quilter as an often overlooked income stock. The 167million company had produced dividend yield of 6.57 per cent and has a dividend cover of 1.37 times. 'We like it because it has a strong balance sheet and its net cashflow is around the 90million mark. We also like that it has tangible assets per share.' This gives shareholders an idea of how much they might get in the unlikely event that the company liquidates and the assets were sold for the values reflected on the balance sheet. The table shows the performance of Randall and Quilter over the past 12 months Williams also favours 325million real estate investment trust company Mucklow which boast dividend yield of 4.32 per cent in the past 12 months with dividend cover of 2.11 times 'We do not own a lot of real estate companies because they tend to have a bit of debt on their balance sheet but Mucklow does not have as much. 'The company owns manufacturing sites in the UK and is likely to benefit from the rising cost of Chinese labour. Some businesses will be less inclined to have their products manufactured overseas but there is a shortage of manufacturing facilities in the UK. 'This has resulted in an increase in rates for use of these sites which has in turn benefited Mucklow.' Four funds that invest in small and mid caps for income Cherry picking your own individual shares and building a diversified portfolio can be tricky and somewhat hot and miss. One trap that many investors fall into is becoming over exposed to a handful of sectors that hold much-lauded big dividend payers. Therefore, many investment advisers say investing in a fund or investment trust for income is the way to go, allowing the fund manager to do the ahrd work for you. However, many funds scouring the UK market for income opportunities invest in the same stocks. The problem with this is, should another 'BP moment' - where the oil company cut its dividends in the aftermath of the infamous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 - happen, all these will be negatively affected. This is why diversification in the funds that you hold and what they invest could be wise. We've asked Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown to list four top income funds with a healthy weighting to small and mid cap stocks: Laith Khalaf of Hargreaves Lansdown said there aren't many funds that invest predominantly in small and mid caps Marlborough MultiCap Income - Ongoing charges 0.80 per cent This is the only one income fund I could suggest that invests predominantly (ie more than 50 per cent) in small and mid caps. There is considerable strength and depth in their investment team, which is an excellent resource for manager Siddarth Chand Lall when identifying opportunities for this fund. This team has added a huge amount of value against the UK market over time, driven primarily through investment in UK smaller companies. The following funds have a healthy slug of small and mid-cap holdings. Woodford Equity Income - ongoing charges 0.75 per cent Neil Woodford hasnt has a great time of late, but form, as they say, is temporary, class is permanent. Neil Woodford has proved his talent over a 30-year career and his equity income fund has a relatively high weighting to small and mid caps. JO Hambro UK Equity Income - Ongoing charges 0.80 per cent The managers look for companies with an above-average dividend yield where investors are under-appreciating the potential for future earnings and dividend growth. This usually leads them into out-of-favour areas of the market, with a bias towards higher risk small and medium-sized companies. Significant time is spent meeting company management to gain an understanding of a company's future prospects. Majedie UK Income - Ongoing charges 0.81 per cent The managers seek undervalued companies that are undergoing a transformation to improve future prospects. They take a patient approach and focus on companies that can deliver an attractive income while they wait. As the fund is designed to produce an income, it has a large exposure to higher yielding stocks. However, the fund has a bias to higher-risk medium-sized companies to produce much of the income. Owner Ahmed Hasoon forces him up and down the precarious building, issuing shouts and the occasional prod and thwack with a hefty stick The donkey pauses to shift the three 40lb marble slabs uncomfortably strapped to its back as it grinds its hooves into the gravel and heaves up the remaining stairs. Zake is climbing up an 11-storey housing block and spends hours each day ferrying sand, cement, marble and heavy tools up and down the debris-strewn stairwells. In any working day, the 13-year-old animal can move a tonne of materials, alongside fellow donkey, ten-year-old Aladghm. Their owner Ahmed Hasoon forces them up and down the precarious building, issuing shouts and the occasional prod and thwack with a hefty stick. These are the builder donkeys of Nablus; labourers of a building boom in the West Bank of Palestine, whose welfare is being monitored by a British charity. Their daily drudgery, amid a frenetic building site full of dust and sparks from angle-grinders, is a world away from the gentle Nativity imagery of donkeys on Christmas cards that will start to drop through the letter boxes of millions of homes this week. 'It is harrowing to witness. They haul back-breaking loads hour after hour, day after day,' says Tim Wass MBE, chief executive of the Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land sanctuary, which rescues animals across Israel and Palestine. 'Some of these donkeys endure barbaric treatment and it is horrible to think of what Christmases they will have working long shifts without proper food, water or care. 'They are prisoners of work, becoming emaciated, ill and then discarded at the side of the road.' Zake the donkey spends hours each day ferrying sand, cement, marble and heavy tools up and down the debris-strewn stairwell of an 11-storey housing block In any working day, the 13-year-old animal can move a tonne of materials, alongside fellow donkey, ten-year-old Aladghm. These are the builder donkeys of Nablus; labourers of a building boom in the West Bank of Palestine, whose welfare is being monitored by a British charity. Their owner Ahmed Hasoon forces them up and down the precarious building, issuing shouts and the occasional prod and thwack with a hefty stick Harriet Dodd, programme director of the Brooke charity, which campaigns for the welfare of 100 million working donkeys, horses and mules worldwide, says: 'Sadly, a large number of these animals are suffering from injuries, dehydration and malnutrition caused by the extreme environments they work in. 'Their owners are often poor, and don't have the skills or resources to properly care for their animals.' The RSPCA is backing the Safe Haven's work and spokesman David Bowles adds: 'It is important to educate the owners that it is in their own and the donkeys' interest to care for them and ensure they are in good condition. 'Using donkeys for work is a tradition in some countries but those that are well cared for will actually work better.' But the Safe Haven charity, which organises free veterinary and farrier treatment for the builder donkeys and takes in abandoned or wounded donkeys at its base, is facing a funding crisis that threatens its mercy mission. 'We are saving donkeys every day but funds are running out and right now we cannot go on beyond December 22 - we won't even make Christmas Eve,' says Mr Wass, former chief officer of the RSPCA, appointed to rescue the Sussex-based charity, whose Royal patron is Princess Alexandra. 'We can make such a difference to suffering animals but we need the British public to back us so we can carry on with the work.' Their daily drudgery, amid a frenetic building site full of dust and sparks from angle-grinders, is a world away from the gentle Nativity imagery of donkeys on Christmas cards that will start to drop through the letter boxes of millions of homes this week 'It is harrowing to witness. They haul back-breaking loads hour after hour, day after day,' says Tim Wass MBE, chief executive of the Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land sanctuary, which rescues animals across Israel and Palestine Mr Wass said 'Some of these donkeys endure barbaric treatment and it is horrible to think of what Christmases they will have working long shifts without proper food, water or care' The RSPCA is backing the Safe Haven's work and spokesman David Bowles adds: 'It is important to educate the owners that it is in their own and the donkeys' interest to care for them and ensure they are in good condition The pitiful procession continues throughout the day with the donkeys picking their way through power cables, rubble and past the open lift shaft to deliver their loads. Their hooves regularly slip on the polished marble and then it is on to the gravel-strewn makeshift stairs laden with builder bags draped over their backs as they deliver higher up into the block in the Rafidia district. Zake the name means clever munches on cardboard during a brief break at the foot of the building as his owners struggle to lift buckets of cement to fill the bags that he will take up 11 flights of stairs. Aladghm and Zake are crucial to livelihood of the Hasoon family explains Ahmed's 33-year-old son Hamid as he positions more marble slabs on one of his family's six donkeys that work on the apartment block, 30 miles north of Jerusalem. 'They are part of our family and we take good care of them,' he says. 'They work very hard and without them we would have nothing. They are why we get these jobs. 'But we treat them well, we care for them. Some people don't.' The Hasoon family, who live five kilometres from the site, make around 200 a week for working on the increasing number of high rise blocks being built on the slopes of the narrow valley that frames Nablus, the economic capital of Palestine. 'I look at Nablus and see the city that donkeys built,' adds Mr Wass. 'Nablus is in a growth spurt because economy of Israel and West Bank is growing quite rapidly, and they are building where-ever you can see. 'Land is at a premium and the buildings are getting closer and closer together so there is no room to get modern machinery in which is where the donkeys come in because they are small and nimble. The Safe Haven charity, which organises free veterinary and farrier treatment for the builder donkeys and takes in abandoned or wounded donkeys at its base, is facing a funding crisis that threatens its mercy mission. 'We are saving donkeys every day but funds are running out and right now we cannot go on beyond December 22 - we won't even make Christmas Eve,' says Mr Wass The pitiful procession continues throughout the day with the donkeys picking their way through power cables, rubble and past the open lift shaft to deliver their loads Their hooves regularly slip on the polished marble and then it is on to the gravel-strewn makeshift stairs laden with builder bags draped over their backs as they deliver higher up into the block in the Rafidia district Aladghm and Zake are crucial to livelihood of the Hasoon family explains Ahmed's 33-year-old son Hamid as he loads up two of his family's six donkeys that work on the apartment block, 30 miles north of Jerusalem 'We are finding that our regular visits with free check-ups is making a difference with some owners who now think more about their animals' welfare. 'But other donkeys are not so lucky and have to endure dreadful conditions. We recently saved one that had an axe wound to its back.' Stark evidence of the donkeys' plight is regularly delivered to the charity's outreach centre in Nablus. Dr Rakan Salous, a 28-year-old university-educated vet from Nablus, who inspected Zake and Aladghm on the building site, says injured donkeys are often abandoned as owners don't want them back. 'The injuries we see are mostly from slipping on the stairs or back sores and swollen joints from the heavy weights.' Dr Salous, who also completed a course studying donkey welfare in the UK, sometimes sleeps at the base as the treatment list can stretch to 60 donkeys on a busy, market day. A limping donkey found tethered to a hook with an injured leg is groomed, fed and placed in a pen next to three-month-old Nicoll, who was abandoned at three days old. 'She was just left outside the centre because she was a distraction to her mother's work efforts,' adds Mr Wass, who was awarded his MBE for his work on the RSPCA's responses to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth, avian flu and seal distemper virus. 'Owners don't want foals because they cannot work and the maternal bond stops their mothers working so they have to go. They are just left by the side of the road. Some die from dehydration, others get hit by cars. Nicoll was very lucky.' The Hasoon family, who live five kilometres from the site, make around 200 a week for working on the increasing number of high rise blocks being built on the slopes of the narrow valley that frames Nablus, the economic capital of Palestine 'I look at Nablus and see the city that donkeys built,' adds Mr Wass. 'Nablus is in a growth spurt because economy of Israel and West Bank is growing quite rapidly, and they are building where-ever you can see 'We are finding that our regular visits with free check-ups is making a difference with some owners who now think more about their animals' welfare, said Mr Wass Mr Wass adds: 'But other donkeys are not so lucky and have to endure dreadful conditions. We recently saved one that had an axe wound to its back' Back at the charity's main sanctuary, ten miles from the Israeli coastal town of Netanya, volunteers and staff care for 252 donkeys on a tight three-acre site sandwiched between two avocado groves. Burnie is one of 12 donkeys receiving intensive medical care. He was doused with petrol and set alight suffering burns across his body that need regular attention to soothe the pain and ward off infection. The Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land charity, originally founded by a British Airways stewardess, hit tough times after currency fluctuations added almost one third to their running costs and a management changeover caused administrative complications. Mr Wass said the organisation was being restructured and running costs reduced to save money and that Princess Alexandra had recently renewed her patronage for another three years. The re-shaped sanctuary now restores donkeys to health and then sends them to olive, avocado and orange farms. 'The donkeys graze and fertilise naturally in a secure, fenced off area with adequate shade and water supplies,' adds Mr Wass. Stark evidence of the donkeys' plight is delivered to the charity's outreach centre in Nablus. Dr Rakan Salous, a 28-year-old vet from Nablus, who inspected Zake and Aladghm on the building site, says injured donkeys are often abandoned as owners don't want them back At the charity's main sanctuary, ten miles from the Israeli coastal town of Netanya, volunteers and staff care for 252 donkeys on a tight three-acre site sandwiched between two avocado groves 'The farmer doesn't have to put down nitrate fertilisers and can make up 20% extra because the produce is now organic so it is complete solution for the farmer, the donkey and environment. 'Some of this produce will end up in British homes and it will be heart-warming to know that, in time, the public is playing a part in a better future for these donkeys. 'Our ambition is to raise animal welfare awareness in the Holy Land, give hope to badly-treated donkeys and, eventually, make builder donkeys obsolete as pit ponies in the UK.' :: A donation of 3.50 will buy a comfortable head collar without chains and 10 will buy enough antibiotics to treat ten donkeys for a week. The situation in North Korea is entering a 'hot phase' amid heightened tensions in the region, Russia's Foreign Minister has warned. Sergei Lavrov, speaking after a meeting between of ministers from India and China, said all three countries did not want tensions to escalate further on the Korean Peninsula. It comes as senior UN official Jeffrey Feltman, who paid a rare visit to Pyongyang, warned conflict with North Korea is the biggest threat to the world. Jeffrey Feltman said there was a grave risk that a miscalculation could trigger war with Kim Jong-un as he urged the secretive nation to keep communication channels open during the rare visit. Feltman's trip to the North - the first by such a high-ranking UN diplomat since 2010 -- kicked off less than a week after Pyongyang said it test-fired a new ballistic missile capable of reaching the US. KCNA said the young leader, who was pictured strolling across the snow-covered peak sporting a heavy black coat, fur hat and buffed leather shoes, had climbed the 'sublime mountain of revolution', which is on the border with China Jeffrey Feltman (left) kicked off his four-day trip to the North - the first by such a high-ranking UN diplomat since 2010 - less than a week after North Korea said it test-fired a new ballistic missile capable of reaching the US The United Nations said Feltman met North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-Kuk and they 'agreed that the current situation was the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today'. Noting the 'urgent need to prevent miscalculations and open channels to reduce the risks of conflict,' Feltman said the international community was committed to finding a peaceful solution. Feltman, the UN's under secretary general for political affairs, also stressed the importance of full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions. The UN Security Council has hit the isolated and impoverished North with a package of sanctions over its increasingly powerful missile and nuclear tests, which have rattled Washington and its regional allies South Korea and Japan. North Korea's new missile: Pyongyang vs analysts Earlier, North Korea's state news agency KCNA said 'the US policy of hostility toward the DPRK (North Korea) and its nuclear blackmail are to blame for the current tense situation on the Korean peninsula'. But it added the North had agreed with the UN 'to regularize communications through visits at various levels'. The KCNA report did not mention any meetings with leader Kim Jong-Un, who has ramped up his impoverished nation's missile and nuclear program in recent years in order to achieve Pyongyang's stated goal of developing a warhead capable of hitting the US mainland. Feltman's visit also came after the United States and South Korea launched their biggest-ever joint air exercise. Pyongyang reiterated its view that these manoeuvres were a provocation, accusing the drills of 'revealing its intention to mount a surprise nuclear pre-emptive strike against the DPRK'. The Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday published a speech from earlier in the week by foreign minister Wang Yi in which he warned that the Korean Peninsula 'remains deeply entrenched in a vicious cycle of demonstrations of strength and confrontation.' 'The outlook is not optimistic,' Beijing's top diplomat added. It comes as it emerged that North Korean hackers are trying to take advantage of the surge in the value of bitcoins. The North on Saturday released photographs of Kim on the summit of the country's highest peak, the fabled 2,750-metre (9,020-foot) Mount Paektu, which he climbed to ponder recent successes in his drive for nuclear statehood The value of the currency hit above $17,000 in the last week making it an attractive target for hackers from North Korea according to Ashley Shen, an independent security researcher who spoke to Sky News. 'We assume one of the reasons why Bitcoin is being attacked is because the price keeps increasing and we think it's reasonable for hackers [to target],' Shen said. 'Digital currency might be easier to gain than physical currency. So I think it's reasonable.' Fears of a catastrophic conflict with the nuclear-armed regime have spiked as Kim and Donald Trump have taunted each other in recent months, with the US President pejoratively dubbing his rival 'Little Rocket Man' and a 'sick puppy'. Kim has called the 71-year-old president a 'dotard', meaning a weak or senile old man - an insult that was renewed Saturday as the North condemned Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 'Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising', KCNA quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying. Meanwhile, the US has threatened to take matters 'into our own hands' if China does not do more to counter North Korea. Americas Ambassador to the UN Nikky Haley told Fox News Sunday that China 'can do more' to clamp down on Pyongyang. She added: 'And we're putting as much pressure on them as we can. The last time they completely cut off the oil, North Korea came to the table. And so we've told China they've got to do more. If they don't do more, we're going to take it into our own hands and then we'll start to deal with secondary sanctions.' In a bizarre twist today, it was also reported that former US basketball star Dennis Rodman plans to visit North Korea again after arriving in Beijing. According to The Express, Mr Rodman, who has met Kim Jong-un in the past, did not reveal his reason for his visit to China, but said: 'There is a possibility of visiting North Korea soon after Beijing.' In a tweet yesterday he wrote: 'Great week of humanitarian work in Guam and Tokyo, Japan now just got to Beijing..Guess whats next? #Peace #Love #NotWar' The tweet included a picture of him wearing a shirt with the word 'unite' and images of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un. Advertisement The third annual British Life Photography Awards (BLPA) has announced the winners of its latest competition to document culture in the UK. Established in 2014 these awards recognise the talents of both amateur and professional photographers, while simultaneously reviving a greater awareness of documentary photography to new audiences and the general public. The awards are a showcase for contemporary imagery that capture the essence and spirit of British life, whether a family's farming tradition in southern England, or an eccentric Londoner rocking out on the River Thames. Both thought-provoking and humorous, the competition is separated into nine categories, including: Rural Life, Urban Life, Street Life, Portraiture, Life at Work, Brits on Holiday, British Weater, Historic Britain and documentary. The overall winner this year was Paul Carruthers for his image 'Lifeguard', taken on Bantham Beach, Devon - he also won the Life at Work category. BLPA will exhibit a selection of approximately 80 of the submitted images at Royal Albert Hall from 7 January next year. The exhibit will then travel to Glastonbury, Yorkshire, Dumfries, North Yorkshire. A book entitled 'The British Life Photography Awards Portfolio 3' will also be available to view the winners and commended entries from 2017. The overall winner this year was Paul Carruthers for his image 'Lifeguard', taken on Bantham Beach, Devon - he also won the Life at Work category Pictured, David Fletcher's photo "New Forest Commoner" shows Ann who is the 13th generation of her family to have farmed there in New Forest commoner Pictured, Brits on Holiday winner Erika Szostak's "Tourist feeding seagulls" at the Brighton seafront in East Sussex, shot after the photographer had just finished photographing the Brighton Naked Bike Ride Pictured, Documentary series winner David Fletcher"New Forest Commoner" and Ann is a New Forest commoner and the 13th generation of her family to have farmed there, now single-handedly Pictured, Rural Life winner photographer Jo Teasdale's "Sunnies" taken at The Goodwood Revival, a vintage spectacle based in the heart of Sussex Pictured, Documentary Series winner photographer David Fletcher's "New Forest Commoner" of a 13th generation farmer who had many of her calves die througout the winter Pictured, Portraiture winner photographer John Angerson takes picture of artist and painter David HockneyDavid Hockney at the Royal Academy, London Pictured, Historic Britian winner photographer Janine Wiedel documenting Alan and fellow workers on midday break in 1977 at the Sandy Lane Pub, Aston, Birmingham Pictured, Documentary Series winner photographer David Fletcher's "New Forest Commoner" which documents the life of cow farmer Ann who is the 13th generation of her family to have farmed in New Forest Pictured, Urban Life winner photographer Wayne Richard's "Old Man River" taken on The Thames in LondonTaken whilst where buskers are a regular feature Pictured, Documentary Series winner photographer David Fletcher's "New Forest Commoner" exploring the life of a 13th generation cow farming family Pictured, British Weather winner photographer Guy Corbishley's image Sunset and blanket fog where LondonDeptford Park School can be briefly visible in a break of fast moving blanket fog during sunset over south east London Airport brawl between Hells Angels and the Comanchero ended fatally in 2009 Drugs trafficked by different bikie groups are now arriving in the same shipments Police have seen an outbreak of co-operation among notorious NSW bikie clubs Outlaw bikie gangs are putting their bloody rivalries aside to join forces and maximise criminal profits. In the latest NSW Crime Commission report, police said cooperation between organised crime groups is 'flourishing,' and groups such as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, the Comanchero Motorcycle Club and the Lone Wolf Motorcycle Club, are working together to access broader distribution networks. Police said they are seeing different drugs, organised and trafficked by different crime groups, arrive within the same drug shipments to Australia's shores. Police have seen an outbreak of co-operation between notorious bikie clubs (pictured) Police say criminal activity is hard to detect because a lot of it is 'coordinated offshore' Another big concern for police is money laundering with evidence that illegal money is being channeled and concealed by 'legitimate business enterprises'. Transactions of several hundred thousand dollars from successful drug importations had been seen by the Commission. Police said it's difficult to monitor illegal activity because 'much of the organisation is coordinated offshore', often by expatriate Australians living overseas. But recently police seized over 1 tonne of ephedrine, suggesting domestic production of drugs such as ice is still high, despite it's low cost from offshore suppliers. A 29-year-old Hells Angels bikie was killed in a brawl with rival club the Comanchero at Sydney Airport in 2009. Comanchero boss Mahmoud Mick Hawi was convicted of his murder, and the fatal brawl was a turning point for the state in their fight against bikie groups, prompting immediate action from federal politicians. A Hells Angels bikie was killed in a rival brawl at Sydney Airport in 2009 (pictured) The NSW Police State Crime Command's Criminal Groups Squad director Deborah Wallace told The Daily Telegraph that at a low level, bikies remained fierce enemies - but their bosses did business together. 'At the upper level they are quite prepared to work together to progress their criminal activity and they'll seek out facilitators that could be accountants, anything at all. 'At the bottom level they rely on that brotherhood, that romantic side, because they need to recruit people to do their dirty work. The whole ethos that you're a particular chapter forever, is gone. (Bikie clubs) are certainly alive and well, they're just morphing into a different look, more like organised crime than a group of bike riders,' Detective Superintendent Wallace said. Western Sydney University organised crime lecturer and former detective Dr Michael Kennedy told the publication that police shouldn't be fooled into thinking that the hatred between the bikie clubs was over. 'They'll just come together on a business deal. They're not friends, they've got nothing in common and they'll kill in order to make money. They will walk over each other to get the result they want,' Dr Kennedy said. With Monday tipped to be Australia's largest online shopping day of the year, Daily Mail Australia has rounded up some of the hottest deals available. As Christmas fast approaches, the Australian Retailers Association predicted this week to be the busiest of the year. Thousands of people are expected to flock to online retailers at lunchtime on Monday in an effort to beat the Christmas delivery deadline. Daily Mail Australia rounded up some of the hottest sales available online. ASOS The online clothing store has slashed the cost of dresses and jumpsuits, perfect for your work's upcoming Christmas party, or a present for your girlfriend. In addition to sales of up to 70 per cent off its outlet collection, the retail giant is offering 30 per cent off its 'summer saviours' range. Club Frill Detail Jumpsuit has been slashed from $93 to $30 with free shipping and returns The Paris Bardot Wrap Front Midi Dress (left) is $39.50 down from $62, and the Short Sleeve Skater Dress with Pleat Detail (right) is $30.50 down from $83 Closet V-Neck Side Tie Playsuit is just $44.50 down from $124 on Australia's ASOS site EBay The online retail juggernaut is offering killer sales in the lead up to Christmas, with the price of some children's toys slashed by more than 50 per cent. EBay is also featuring some of its top selling fragrances for up to 57 per cent off. For those wanting to stock up on booze ahead of the festive season, the retailer also has a 20 per cent off sale on its liquor with a huge collection of alcohol for purchase. Kids lightning McQueen Electric Ride on Toy slashed from $549 to $249 - a massive 54 per cent off This Buggy Electric Off Road Car is slashed from $207 down to $139 Britney Spears Fantasy Eau de Parfum Spray is 57 per cent off, down from $59 to $24 on eBay Perfect gift for you man: Jean Paul Galtier (left) is 49 per cent off, down from $139 to $69.99 Priceline The go-to beauty store is offering makeup palettes for a fraction of their usual cost, making them the perfect gift idea for Christmas. Models Own Sculpt and Glow - Highlighter Palette is $14.97 down from $24.05 Cotton On Cotton On has everything from active wear to fashion staples, and with the silly-season fast approaching, it's brought the cost of some products down to just $5. In addition to its dirt-cheap clothing range, the budget chain has slashed its Christmas decorations and cards by over 50 per cent. Double Back Yoga Crop Bra has been slashed from $29.95 to just $10 at Cotton On Cotton On's Bedtime Frill Short: the nighttime wear costs just $5 down from $19.95 Missguided The online fashion store is boasting dresses for just $32.95, paired with free standard shipping. Women hoping to snap up a bargain have until midnight on Monday to capitalise, with a special sale of 50 per cent off all orders costing over $180 - with no fine print. Nude coloured Snake Wrap dress slashed from $70.95 down to just $32.95 Harvey Norman Harvey Norman is boasting some extraordinarily hot deals in the lead up to Christmas, with cheap Samsung Galaxy tablets and Nikon digital cameras. The technology and homewares giant has huge sales on a range of products. Samsung Galaxy Tab costs just $296, saving buyers $40 at Harvey Norman Harvey Norman shoppers can save $120 on this Nikon D3400 DSLR Camera which costs just $416 Online shopping market eBay expected more than 2.7 million shoppers on Monday alone. 'This year we've seen the busiest online shopping da ypushed out to the second week of December because gift shoppers are becoming more confident that they can order online later,' chief financial officer Gavin Dennis told The Daily Telegraph. Mr Dennis expected eBay's peak periods to be between 1pm and 2pm for desk workers, and from 9pm to 9.15pm for smartphone users. The retail juggernaut said 70 per cent of its shoppers made purchases on mobile phones, rather than computers. EBay Australia predicted five gifts would be sold on its site per second on Monday. Electronic gadgets, jewellery, Apple products and Star Wars branded items were tipped to be the most popular. Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said there was a 3.96 percent jump in online purchases this year, with many of them being made this week. Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said there was a 3.96 percent jump in online purchases this year, with many of them being made this week Electronic gadgets, jewellery, Apple products and Star Wars branded items were tipped to be the most popular items bought online and shipped to Australians 'There's been an incredible amount of people shopping online over the weekend but Monday is probably going to be one of the busiest days for gift shopping,' he said. Mr Zimmerman urged buyers to check the delivery date of their purchases to ensure they arrived in time. Australians were expected to spent more than $50 billion this Christmas period, which kicked off on November 15. Consumers already spent $23.65 billion online before October. Adult film actress August Ames (pictured) was found dead on last Tuesday A gay porn actor who had trashed adult film star August Ames on social media has fired back stating that he didn't have anything to do with her death. Ames, 23, was found dead last week from a suspected suicide in California just days after she was forced to defend herself against online critics who accused her of being homophobic. Ames stated her reasons for choosing not to work with an actor who had previously shot gay porn. But her remarks irked adult film star Jaxton Wheeler who wrote a threatening message on twitter. 'The world is awaiting your apology or for you to swallow a cyanide pill. Either or we'll take it,' he wrote. Jaxton Wheeler, an adult film star who took to Twitter with a threatening message against her Wheeler's tweet was published after Ames' death, and it doesn't appear that he was aware of her suicide when he published his message His tweet appears to have been published with Wheeler seemingly unaware that Ames has already taken her own life when he published his message. The pair had previously been in touch on Twitter the day before her death, when Ames told Wheeler that she never said gay performers don't get tested. Wheeler is now feeling the backlash with one popular production company, Evil Angel, saying that he would never shoot a scene for them again. Wheeler added that he has received death threats and was fired from two upcoming shoots. That backlash against Wheeler was swift with many people taking issue at his abusive tweet including former adult film actress Jenna Jameson Wheeler was quickly dropped from a number of production companies with whom he had worked with in the past A suicide note Ames reportedly penned before her death did not mention harassment and only apologized to her family Ames' final tweets did not reference Wheeler, but were addressed to the flood of internet trolls making similar comments. Another former adult film actress Jenna Jameson also chimed in: 'You told my friend August to swallow ancyanide (sic) pillyou are directly responsible for her death. I will not rest until you are deleted from social media all together,' she wrote on Twitter. According to the New York Daily News Wheeler defended himself Sunday as he explained that he was just upset that Ames was spreading false information about the gay porn industry's STD testing regulations. Ames, 23, born Mercedes Grabowski, was found dead last week of a suspected suicide in California. The 23-year-old had starred in almost 290 movies A final tweet revealed how the pressure got too much for Ames as she finally took her own life Camarillo police said that Ames was pronounced dead at the scene, noting there had been no indication of foul play 'The idea that I played any role in her decision is erroneous, as is the idea I demanded her death,' he told the gay porn blog The Sword. 'All adult professionals have the same screening and testing protocols. As a performer, she knew that, but she put it out there to her half-million Twitter followers who didn't. Now they believed it. It struck a huge nerve.' Wheeler released a lengthy statement in which he stated how he was 'saddened' by Ames' death and admitted his language had been unnecessarily harsh. 'I acknowledge that I responded with emotions and an unfortunate choice of words. None of my aggression was directed at August nor her ability to consent to who she decides to work with,' he wrote. 'My issue was with the misinformation that exists within the adult industry on crossover talent I go through the same rigorous, regular testing all talent does.' Wheeler performs in both gay and straight porn films, and identifies as pansexual, which means his sexuality is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation. Although Ames' initial tweet did not reference testing specifically, she implied that working with an actor who previously shot gay porn was a health risk. Adult film actress August Ames (L) and husband, adult film producer Kevin Moore, attend the 2016 Adult Video News Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 23, 2016 'Whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow for @EroticaXNews, you're shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can say. Do agents really not care about who they're representing? #ladirect I do my homework for my body,' she wrote on December 3. In a final couple of tweets Ames addressed to the flood of internet trolls making similar comments. 'NOT homophobic. Most girls don't shoot with guys who have shot gay porn, for safety. That's just how it is with me. I'm not putting my body at risk, I don't know what they do in their private lives,' she wrote. 'F--k you guys for attacking me when none of my intentions were malicious. I f--king love the gay community! What the f--k ever! I CHOOSE who I have inside my body. No hate.' In a suicide note that Ames apparently wrote before her death, she did not mention harassment and apologized to her family. Australians are no stranger to bizarre laws and heavy fines - but one state appears to cop it more than most. New South Wales residents have been quick to share their outrage after being handed heavy fines for minor infractions. From pouring liquid on to grass to driving too slowly, Daily Mail Australia looks back at some of the more bizarre laws heavily enforced by authorities over the past year. Busy city commuters were given a rude shock earlier this year when police were seen waiting for them at popular intersections in Wynyard, in Sydney's CBD. Sydneysiders were fined for taking off across the road without the blessing of a pedestrian light earlier this year (pictured) Workers who crossed the road without waiting for the pedestrian light were fined $72 in August. While an appeal may have gotten them off the hook, NSW law states their fine would have increased to $2,200 if they lost in court - leaving the option undesirable. Later that month, a tourist was subjected to the wrath of petty council rangers. Matthew Banks, from Western Australia, was travelling near Byron Bay in his van, when a coffee stop proved to be more expensive than first thought. Matthew Banks (pictured) was fined after pouring some spoiled coffee on the grass Friends of the Western Australian had made coffee using ingredients inside the car, which had been vacant for a week as Mr Banks underwent knee surgery. He was issued a $450 fine (pictured) for 'aggravated littering' by rangers he claims flicked through a book of by-laws to find something to ticket him for Unfortunately, the milk had been spoiled, leaving the batch of coffee was undrinkable. Mr Banks and his friends poured the liquid on to some nearby grass to get rid of it, but were spotted by rangers from the local council, who fined him $450 for 'aggravated littering'. He told Daily Mail Australia earlier this year a family picnicking in the same area had seen rangers flick through a book of local laws before one cried out 'we got him!'. In September, Tim Agius drove in the right-hand lane for about 1.5km down the Pacific Highway between Port Macquarie and Coff Harbour in NSW. A NSW Police officer spotted the man and chased after him, at one point reaching a speed of 220km/h - just to hand him a fine. For his short jaunt in the right-hand lane, Mr Agius was fined $325 and told he would lose three points off his licence because of his actions. Outraged, the man took his fine to court, where a judge found the police officer had been overzealous in his attempt to catch the man. Reviewing the dashcam footage, the Magistrate scrapped the demerit point portion of the fine and capped it at $200. A policeman zoomed along a highway at 220km/h in desperate pursuit of a driver who was simply driving in the right hand lane On Thursday, a young motorcycle rider was given a $300 fine for incorrect placement of his helmet. The 20-year-old man was pulled over near Sydney's CBD just after 3pm by police, who noticed his helmet was on backwards. He told officers he was trying to avoid putting the strap on a pimple that had taken residence on his face. Police fined him $319, and issued three demerit points to the man when he was caught on Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills. This motorcycle rider was pulled over and fined $319 for wearing his helmet upside down The bizarre laws and overzealous enforcement isn't unique to New South Wales. In Queensland, boat owner Nico Brand was fined $365 for neglecting to wear his seatbelt as he pulled his boat out of the water earlier this year. After loading his vessel onto a trailer and driving it 15 metres across a public jetty, he was approached by police, who asked him why he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. In addition to his hefty fine, Mr Brand also lost three demerit points. Queensland man Nico Brand was fined $375 and lost three points off his license for towing a boat out of the water without a seat belt earlier this year (pictured) A local council in Melbourne has upped the fine for dog owners who don't pick up after their pets from $200 to $500. Owners who take the risk and don't bring a bag with them will be facing a $200 fine - even if their dog doesn't relieve itself. Casey City Council said the move was in response to community outrage over lazy pet owners. Speeding fines in Victoria start at $198, and a driver must exceed the speed limit by 30km/h to reach a fine just $15 more than it would cost them to leave their dog's poo on the ground. Advertisement The steely blue eyes may be faded, but the expression is as challenging as ever. This astonishingly realistic painting of Prince Philip captures the craggy character of the 96-year-old royal as he stands in the impressive Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle. By contrast, his youngest child Prince Edward who, it is believed, will one day inherit his fathers title can be seen in a somewhat more eyecatching outfit. A newly emerged photograph shows Edward hosting a dinner at his country home, Bagshot Park, in his role as chairman of international special projects for the Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation. The beautiful painting captures the craggy character of the 96-year-old royal as he stands in the impressive Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle Edward, 53, is wearing a bow tie, blue velvet smoking jacket, Stewart Black Modern tartan trousers (the Queen is their chief of chiefs) and a pair of monogrammed slippers. The leather-soled footwear, which looks to have been hand-made from velvet to match his jacket, bears his royal cipher the letter E, with a crown above it. By contrast, his youngest child Prince Edward who, it is believed, will one day inherit his fathers title can be seen in a somewhat more eyecatching outfit Worn as an indoor replacement for boots or shoes, they are known as Prince Albert slippers after Queen Victorias husband, who elevated their status by adding the velvet uppers and quilted linings. Philips more regal attire is the Windsor uniform, a type of formal dress worn only at Windsor Castle by male members of the Royal Family which was introduced by George III as far back as 1777. The duke has been captured by the Australian-born artist Ralph Heimans, whose creations are breathtakingly true to life but not strictly hyper-realistic, in which the work looks no different from a high resolution photograph. It is understood that Philip sat for him once at Windsor Castle, a royal residence favoured by both Philip and the Queen and one that holds special significance in regard to the dukes ancestry. At the end of the Grand Corridor is the Tapestry Room where both his mother, Princess Alice, and maternal grandmother, Princess Victoria, were born. In the background of the portrait are marble busts of Princess Alice by Joseph von Kopf and another of Princess Victoria by Hugo Hagen. Notably, Philip himself is depicted wearing the blue sash of the Order of the Elephant, Denmarks highest-ranking honour. Dating from 1693, the order has the Danish monarch as its head and is now used almost exclusively to honour other international royalty and heads of state. Philip was born a prince of Denmark as well as Greece: His grandfather, George I of Greece, was originally a Danish prince born in Copenhagen, while his great grandfather, Christian IX, was king of Denmark from 1863 to 1906. The portrait has been produced for display at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark, which is holding a retrospective exhibition of Mr Heimans work next year, part of which aims to explore the historical and cultural connections between the Royal Families of Great Britain and Denmark. Mr Heimans, a father of two young daughters who now lives in Herne Hill, South London, painted the Diamond Jubilee portrait of the Queen which now hangs in Westminster Abbey and has other works in the Royal Collection. He admits to being really quite shambolic and says the only time he ever wears a tie is when he paints royalty. But he also says he is so paranoid about not spoiling a paintings surface that if a fly enters his studio he drops his brush and chases after it with a swatter. As well as being seen in Denmark, his portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh will also go on display in Britain at some point next year. Prince Edward (centre) and his wife The Countess of Wessex (second from right) held a Special Projects Dinner at their home in Bagshot Park Mr Heimans painted the Diamond Jubilee portrait of the Queen which now hangs in Westminster Abbey and has other works in the Royal Collection Whether Prince Edward will one day inherit that title remains to be seen, but it is known that father and son are remarkably close. It has often been said that Edward is his fathers favourite, the duke indulging his youngest in order to make up for the distance between himself and his older children, particularly Prince Charles. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told in the Daily Mail last month how, when Edward memorably quit the Royal Marines in 1987 only four months after starting, the Queen made her displeasure clear. It was Philip, Seward says in My Husband And I, The Inside Story Of 70 Years Of The Royal Marriage, who was most sympathetic. He understood his sons decision, which he considered a brave one, and supported him fully, she said, in spite of the fact that he was Captain General of the Royal Marines. It is clearly significant that Edward has taken on his fathers mantle at the helm of the Duke of Edinburghs Awards scheme, founded by Philip in 1956 to encourage his own spirit of adventure in young people. The leader of Kensington and Chelsea council will not attend a national memorial for victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy after families asked the local authority to stay away. Elizabeth Campbell, who has been criticised for being out of touch with the tower blocks residents, also revealed she was on a Caribbean holiday when the disaster unfolded. She had been in Bermuda watching the Americas Cup yacht races with her husband when the devastating fire killed 71 people in the council-owned high-rise. Mrs Campbell only took over as leader of Kensington and Chelsea council in July weeks after the deadly blaze. Elizabeth Campbell, the leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, will not attend a national memorial for victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy at the request of families Mrs Campbell only took over as leader of Kensington and Chelsea council in July weeks after the deadly blaze. She has been accused of being 'out of touch' with residents But the admission is likely to prompt further criticism that she does not understand the needs of survivors or the bereaved families from the tower block. She has faced repeated demands for her to resign since she took over, and said she will not go to this weeks national memorial service for those who died. Mrs Campbell told The Sunday Times she understood public anger directed at the Conservative-run council, which has been accused of ignoring repeated warnings about fire safety at the tower. But she questioned critics who portrayed her as a rich Tory toff, adding: I think the whole thing about identity politics is completely ridiculous. Mrs Campbell, the daughter of a former Hong Kong tycoon, faced criticism earlier this year when she admitted she had not been inside high-rise tower blocks before the Grenfell fire. She was previously the councils cabinet member for family and childrens services, but resigned from the post a few months before the fire because she wanted to take time off with her husband, businessman Colin Campbell. The couple were in Bermuda when the Grenfell tragedy made headlines around the world and Mrs Campbell said she did not hear about it for a day, but then returned to London immediately to help out. Since taking over, Mrs Campbell has committed the wealthy councils 274million cash reserves to helping victims of the fire, including 235million to a house-buying programme. Mrs Campbell had been in Bermuda watching the Americas Cup yacht races with her husband when the devastating fire killed 71 people in the council-owned high-rise She told The Sunday Times: Im there to do whatever I can, day by day, family by family. You cant undo the past, but you can try and make the future a better place. Asked about criticism of the council by victims, she said they had the right to be angry. She said: I sat in a hotel with someone who lost their spouse and their two children and was on the phone with them while that was happening. And I sat and wept with them, thinking, Why is that person not stringing me up, crucifying me because I represent everything that has gone wrong? Families asked the council not to send representatives to the national memorial service due to be held at St Pauls Cathedral on Thursday, which is due to be attended by senior members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles, William and Harry. Mrs Campbell said: Its hugely sensitive and I dont want to impose myself in any way. She added: The service isnt about me, its for the people who lost everything on that terrible night six months ago, and it is in memory of those who tragically lost their lives. It is only right that we respect the wishes of those involved. Thursdays service has been timed to mark six months since the fire and a minutes silence is due to be held on the day at the councils offices in Kensington Town Hall. A Vietnamese hacker broke into Perth Airport's computer files and obtained sensitive security information. Le Duc Hoang Hai masqueraded as a third-party contractor in March last year to hack into IT systems. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's cyber security adviser Alastair MacGibbon told The West Australian the Vietnamese man stole a 'significant amount of information' about security at Perth Airport buildings. He added the hack a as a 'near miss' that could have been a lot worse. A Vietnamese hacker broke into the computer systems of Perth Airport to obtain sensitive security information The hacker was able to get information on Perth Airport building security but not radars Perth Airport told federal cyber security authorities in Canberra who then tipped off Vietnam Perth Airport noticed a security breach and told federal cyber security authorities in Canberra. They traced the cyber break-in to a hacker in Vietnam. The 31-year-old man was arrested in Vietnam after authorities there received a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police. He was last week convicted in a Vietnamese military court and sentenced to four years behind bars. However, he was unable to access radars, computer data related to air traffic or the personal details of customers, which meant travellers were not put in danger. Perth Airport was the only Australian target for the hacker who had compromised the websites of Vietnamese banks, telecommunications and an online military newspaper, The West Australian said. The hacker from Vietnam obtained information about the security layout of Perth Airport Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's cyber security adviser Alastair MacGibbon said the Vietnamese man stole a 'significant amount of information' about building security Family and friends have mourned the tragic death of a 22-year-old who died after being knocked to the ground in a late-night brawl. Adelaide man Jack Hanley, 22, died after he was struck in the head on the corner of Hindley and Morphett Streets in Adelaide's centre just after 5.30am on Sunday. Emergency services rushed to the scene but were unable to revive the Glandore man. Mr Hanley's friends consoled each other just metres from where his body lay covered by a sheet in the popular party precinct. Scroll down for video Adelaide man Jack Hanley, 22, (pictured) died after he was struck in the head on the corner of Hindley and Morphett Streets in Adelaide's centre just after 5.30am on Sunday Mr Hanley's devastated sister Caity took to Facebook on Sunday to post a tribute to her 'beautiful little brother'. 'I will miss you so much Jacky boy, I still can't comprehend what has happened and wish this was all just a bad dream. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten,' she said. 'The pain for us all is immeasurable.' Friends of the 22-year-old also flocked to social media to pay tribute to their friend who was 'taken far too soon'. 'I will miss you so much Jacky boy, I still can't comprehend what has happened and wish this was all just a bad dream. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten,' Caity Hanley said Friends consoled each other mere metres from where Mr Hanley's body lay on the ground Family and friends have mourned the tragic death of Mr Hanley (centre) who died after being knocked to the ground in a late-night brawl Police covered Mr Hanley's body as it lay on the corner of Hindley and Morphett Streets in Adelaide's centre in the early hours of Sunday morning A friend of Mr Hanley's sits on the curb in Adelaide's centre, metres from where his body lay 'With a heavy heart I'm sharing this post before everyone finds out along the grape vine. This SA police news post is unfortunately about my beautiful little brother Jack,' Caity Hanley wrote 'Jack Hanley, you were my brother. I love you and am at a complete loss. You leave a massive hole for all of us. You are a kind, funny, gentle man,' Nick Ward said. After reviewing CCTV, detectives arrested a 22-year-old Kingswood man and charged him with manslaughter. He was refused bail and is expected to front the Adelaide Magistrates' Court on Monday. Police believe up to 10 people were involved in the brawl, and said more arrests were possible. Adelaide man Jack Hanley, 22, (pictured) died after he was struck in the head on the corner of Hindley and Morphett Streets in Adelaide's centre just after 5.30am on Sunday Theresa May will hail a new sense of optimism over Brexit today as she pledges to secure a trade deal which delivers prosperity and security for generations to come. Addressing the House of Commons for the first time since last weeks breakthrough, the Prime Minister will promise to ensure that a sovereign UK takes control of its borders, money and laws once again. Striking an upbeat note about the next phase of talks with Brussels on trade and other issues, she will call for bold new economic and security relationships with the EU after we leave. Mrs May is likely to face a rousing reception from backbench Tory MPs today after dramatically regaining the political momentum. Scroll down for video Theresa May, pictured with Jean-Claude Juncker last Monday, will strike an upbeat note about the next phase of talks with Brussels on trade and other issues Smiles: David Davis and Labour Keir Starmer on yesterday's Andrew Marr show Details of her statement were released last night as: The Irish government reacted furiously to Brexit Secretary David Daviss claim that the deal was not legally enforceable, saying it was binding; Labour was accused of planning to betray voters by seeking to allow easy EU migration, paying billions to Brussels indefinitely and accepting EU diktats; Mr Davis said he wanted a Canada plus plus plus trade deal, but fiercely rejected the idea of the UK copying EU rules and regulations; Ministers were braced for a rebellion from ten or more pro-Remain Tories on a crucial amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill this week. DAVIS: I WANT A 'CANADA PLUS PLUS PLUS' DEAL The Canada deal, formally known as the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement, is the EUs most ambitious and comprehensive trade deal. Pictured: David Davis on the Andrew Marr show yesterday David Davis yesterday described his ambition for Britains trade deal with the EU as Canada plus plus plus. The Canada deal, formally known as the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement, is the EUs most ambitious and comprehensive trade deal. It eradicated all tariffs on industrial goods and fishing, and more than 90 per cent of all agriculture tariffs. However, some products are not covered and others can be sold in only limited quantities. Ministers are confident of securing a tariff-free deal because of how much Britain buys from EU countries. Other notable advantages are that Canada doesnt pay into the European Union budget, nor is it required to accept free movement of EU workers. The deal took seven years to negotiate, but ministers argue Britain is beginning at a very different starting point where all our laws and rules are the same as those in Brussels. When the Brexit Secretary talks about plus plus plus, it is because he wants more than Canada in recognition of Britains importance as an EU trading partner. Advertisement In a statement to MPs today, Mrs May will confront doubters who suggested we wouldnt get past phase one of the talks. The Prime Minister is pictured with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker leaving a press conference last week Mrs May is also set to unify Brexiteers and Remainers in her Cabinet. She is pictured with Jean-Claude Juncker last week The Brexit Secretary, left with the Prime Minister, also moved to calm fears of Brexiteers concerned by a section of the agreement which said Britain would have full alignment with the EU on regulations and standards that had an impact on Northern Ireland Last week after a frenetic 24 hours of diplomacy Mrs May concluded her agreement with European Commission negotiators on the rights of EU nationals, the divorce settlement and Northern Ireland. On Thursday, leaders of EU member states are expected to sign off the deal, and agree that talks can move on to trade in the coming months. ALL THAT BREXIT JARGON EXPLAINED What is full alignment? In last weeks Brexit deal, Theresa May agreed to keep the UK in full alignment with the EU on issues relevant to Northern Ireland. Remainers seized upon the language to say it meant Britain would be closely tied to Brussels, but ministers insist it does not mean Britain will be tied directly to the single market and customs union. David Davis said it meant Britain will meet the same outcomes but not do it by just copying what the EU does. What is divergence? Brexiteers warn it would be a disaster to tie Britain too closely to the EUs rules. They want to allow for maximum divergence distance from the EU so Britain can negotiate better trade deals with non-EU countries. However, managing the border between the North and South of Ireland becomes more difficult the more the UK diverges from EU rules. For example, if Britain did a US trade deal to allow chlorine-washed chicken into the UK, how can you prevent the chicken being sold into the European market? What happens next? Cabinet ministers must decide next week what the UK wants the end state of relations with the EU to look like that is, how much divergence they will seek. In theory, the more distance Britain seeks, the more restrictive its trade deal could be. The Cabinets crunch meeting is next week expect Remainers to call for less divergence and Brexiteers for more freedom. Advertisement In a statement to MPs today, Mrs May will confront doubters who suggested we wouldnt get past phase one of the talks. She will also seek to unify Brexiteers and Remainers in her Cabinet. She will say: I have always been clear that this was never going to be an easy process. It has required give and take for the UK and the EU to move forward together. And that is what we have done. Of course, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. But there is, I believe, a new sense of optimism now in the talks and I fully hope and expect that we will confirm the arrangements I have set out today in the European Council later this week. In doing so, we can move on to building the bold new economic and security relationships that can underpin the new deep and special partnership we all want to see. 'A partnership between the European Union and a sovereign United Kingdom that has taken control of its borders, money and laws once again. 'A partnership that is in the best interests of the whole United Kingdom. And a partnership which can deliver prosperity and security for all our people, for generations to come. Mr Davis said the chance of there being no deal had dropped dramatically. He also insisted Britain will not pay a 39 billion exit bill to Brussels unless there is a trade deal rejecting a claim from Chancellor Philip Hammond that we would pay up regardless. The Brexit Secretary also moved to calm fears of Brexiteers concerned by a section of the agreement which said Britain would have full alignment with the EU on regulations and standards that had an impact on Northern Ireland. Mr Davis insisted the phrase had been changed from non-divergence which would have meant cutting and pasting rules from Brussels. Instead, Britain would be allowed to change its rules as long as they resulted in similar outcomes, he said. But his suggestion the deal on Ireland was much more a statement of intent than it was a legally enforceable thing sparked a swift backlash from Dublin, which sought the assurances to avoid a hard border with Northern Ireland. Leo Varadkar, Irelands premier, has described Britains commitments to ensure no return to a hard border as cast-iron. The Irish governments chief whip, Joe McHugh, added: We will as a government, a sovereign government in Ireland, be holding the UK to account, as will the EU. This is the heart-stopping moment a diver almost got his head taken off by a huge Great White shark. The salvage diver was floating near the sea bed somewhere off the coast of South Africa when the shark appeared out of nowhere behind him. He was diving with his son, who took the frightening footage, and didn't see the shark coming as he was looking the other way. The salvage diver didn't see the shark coming as he was looking the other way during his expedition off the coast of South Africa The aquatic beast emerged from the gloom with no warning and swam straight over the top of the diver, bumping into his head on the way. The diver appeared shocked by the close encounter, clutching his head in surprised panic before looking up in disbelief. Though the shark bared its teeth as it approached the defenceless divers, it moved straight past without showing any interest in devouring them. The shark emerged from the gloom without warning swimming straight for him Though the shark bared its teeth as it approached the defenceless divers, it moved straight past without showing any interest in devouring them Other divers and spearfisherman suggested the shark realised the pair were not prey and showed no signs of being in 'attack mode'. They were far luckier than numerous other divers who have been attacked by Great Whites and other big sharks even just this year. Just last month tourists cage diving off South Africa got a fright when one of the killer sharks bit at the cage bars a dozen times before it was distracted by bait. Steve Coogan has slammed Brexiteers and claimed they are Little England dinosaurs like Alan Partridge. The 52-year-old actor, who has played the hapless radio host for more than 20 years, said his characters archaic social views are now widespread. He explained Partridge would have voted to leave the EU and said it was depressing that the public agreed with him. Speaking to the Radio Times, the left-wing comedian said: The world has coalesced into a situation that is sympathetic to Alan, which for me is quite depressing. Steve Coogan, who has played hapless radio host Alan Partridge for more than 20 years, said his characters archaic social views are now widespread Sometimes I agree with Alan but on Brexit Im a Remainer, and I feel quite conflicted about it. Hes definitely a bit of a dinosaur. Unbelievably, you look around at the world now and see that there are still broadcasters with full-on red-blooded Alan-like attitudes. 'We thought we had thoroughly debunked that. It just shows how little influence you actually have on the national culture. Coogan said he was conflicted about addressing Brexit in a new series of Alan Partridge. The hit comedy returns to BBC One next year with Alans Little Englander attitude prime for unpicking the EU vote. Coogan said he was conflicted about addressing Brexit in a new series of Alan Partridge However, the actor and comedians position as a Remainer left him unsure over whether to take on the issue. He eventually decided to include the topic as having a fool praise something is a far more powerful indictment than just criticising it. Also, Alan can be like the boy who says the emperors wearing no clothes, he said. Because of their opposing political views, Coogan said he didnt think the pair would get on in real life. He added: Actually, I dont think Alan would like me. If we met, Alan would say to me, "oh, stop being provocative. Please say funny things and just leave it at that".' Because of their opposing political views, Coogan said he didnt think he and Alan Partridge would get on in real life He added he had only recently removed Alan as an albatross around my neck. Coogan also revealed he was paid more for doing voices for Despicable Me than for all his years playing Alan Partridge. Asked if Partidge had made him wealthy, he said: I suppose so, but only when I went on tour, really, not doing television. Ive made more money doing the voices for Despicable Me than I have for Alan Partridge. But what he has done is open doors for me and let me do other things. Im very grateful to Alan. Asked if he has become Partridge-like, Coogan replied: Alan is part of my DNA, but I edit my DNA and take out all the bits that are rational and are diplomatic. So, theres a side of him in me. He added: In fact, sometimes in the past, people have tried to use it as a stick to hit me with and said, Ha, ha, look at Steve Coogan, hes really like Alan Partridge. To which my response is always, Yes, I know. Why is that terrible? Of course I am! He eventually decided to include the topic as having a fool praise something is a far more powerful indictment than just criticising it He said the character allows him to say things that, were I to say them as myself, would probably be career-ending. Coogan said that the character was a burden on him until he started working on other projects. He said: Alan was an albatross around my neck until about eight years ago, when I started doing stuff like The Trip and Philomena. 'When I got an Oscar nomination for Philomena, I thought, Well, Ive definitely drawn a line under something". 'So, counterintuitively, I didnt want to do Alan because I had to do Alan; I wanted to do Alan because I wanted to do Alan.' The actor has been vocal about his left-wing views in the past and once said he would be keen to become involved in the Labour Party under Ed Milliband. Speaking in 2012, he said: Im sometimes very Left-wing, other times Im a little Left-wing, but I never go right of that centre post. The actor once said he would be keen to work with the Labour Party. He has also become a campaigner against tabloid newspapers and received a six-figure sum in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers in October after his phone was hacked. A leading arts college has given students a refund following accusations that one of its masters courses was not up to scratch. London-based Central St Martins (CSM) promised to prepare the next generation of writers to survive and thrive in the industry. But course attendees claimed that classes were often cancelled, there was a lack of feedback and work that was submitted went unacknowledged. The iconic Central Saint Martins' Lethaby Building at Southampton Row,Holborn. Central St Martins College of Art and Design has since moved to a new university campus at King's Cross, freeing up its former buildings The university has now refunded 5,000 to all 23 first-year dramatic writing students, and partially refunded most second years, after they took their case to the college authorities. CSM tried to settle the dispute in the 2016-17 academic year by offering to pay 30 per cent of the fees, according to the Times, but ended up agreeing a full refund. However, those accepting the repayment were required to sign a contract allowing the college to take back the money if they went public with the agreement. The contract allegedly read: I acknowledgethat if I disclose the fact or terms of the settlement that I will be in breach of this settlement agreement and the university shall pursue me for breach of contract and recovery of all sums paid to me. Central Saint Martins' Charing Cross Road site, Soho It is understood that this settlement is the first of its kind, though some students on the course still say it is not enough to cover the cost of supporting themselves in London. Formal complaints made by the students emerged following a freedom of information request. They include concerns that industry masters, who promised to work with them, never showed up and emails were not answered. The university has admitted that last years course had fallen below its usual standards. A spokesman said: We have made major improvements to how we run MA dramatic writing. 'We have recruited new staff, increased input from industry professionals and provided extracurricular opportunities for collaboration. We have every confidence in the changes and improvements that have been introduced for the new academic cycle 2017-18. Two separate sightings of crocodiles only metres from the shore at packed beaches in far north Queensland have led to fears a swimmer will soon be attacked. A two-metre maneater walking onto the sand at Cairns and a three-metre monster in the shallows at Townsville, left beachgoers in shock over the weekend. Already this year there have been two fatal attacks in the state and now a number of local politicians are calling for a cull, fearing there may soon be another death at the mouth of a croc. Scroll down for video An increase in the number of crocodile sightings in recent months has led to calls for 'urgent action', with fears an attack may be fatal (Pictured is a crocodile at Adelaide River, in the NT) A saltwater crocodile wandered up onto Kewarra Beach in the Far North on Friday night at 6pm Federal MP Bob Katter is calling for 'urgent action' after a spate of recent sightings at packed beaches in tourist hot spots Federal MP Bob Katter, who has been known to be anti-crocs, is calling for 'urgent action' after the recent appearances at packed beaches in tourist hot spots. Most worryingly, the reptile at Kewara Beach near Cairns was not deterred by many swimmers nearby, with the crocodile sat up on the sand for close to 30 minutes. Two days later and a few hundred kilometres south, another monster reptile swam by a popular swimming area in Townsville, also in far north Queensland. The sightings have led locals to call for increased crocodile management, with locals saying unless changes are made the results could be devastating. 'It's not a good situation for us to be in as a community,' local councillor Brett Olds told the Cairns Post. 'It's not good enough and there is going to be a kid taken soon.' In March this year there was a fatal attack at Palmer Point, in Queensland, killing 35-year-old fisherman Warren Hughes. The remains of missing elderly woman Anne Cameron were found inside a 4.5-metre croc at Craiglie Creek, near Port Douglas, in October. Earlier this year fishermen took matters into their own hands, killing this 5.2-metre animal near Townsville (pictured) The biggest crocodile reportedly ever seen in Australia was this 9.7-metre monster at Mackay, in Queensland on May 16, 1951 'The fact is that the croc numbers have exploded over the last 10 years and the crocs need to be removed,' Mr Katter (pictured) said Angry locals have previously matters into their own hands, with a number of massive maneaters being killed in recent years. In September, a 5.2-metre croc was shot dead in the Fitzroy River at Townsville, while weeks earlier authorities had to kill a two-metre beast when it got too close to public in Cairns. Another reptile was found floating dead in the water with a bullet wound in its head in early December, also in far north Queensland. Mr Katter admitted he was worried about how comfortable the animals appeared when near humans. 'In the last 10-12 days we've have had a croc in the swimming enclosure at Machans Beach, in the swimming enclosure at Palm Cove, a sighting at the beach at Port Douglas, an attack upon a tourist in the Daintree and now a sighting at Kewarra,' he said. There has been two deaths from crocodiles in Queensland this year, with worried locals saying 'there is going to be a kid taken soon' 'The fact is that the croc numbers have exploded over the last 10 years and the crocs need to be removed.' But it's seemingly not just humans at risk from the hungry reptiles. Multiple videos of massive maneaters turning cannibal have surfaced recently, with the crocs more than happy to feast on their own kind. In April epic footage showed the moment a large salt water crocodile swam through a waterway with its prey, a smaller croc, hanging from its mouth. The video of the dominant monster devouring its prey was captured in Kununurra, Western Australia. More than four out of five men convicted of grooming girls for sex are Asian, according to a report. Seven in ten of the Asian men responsible are of Pakistani Muslim background, it found. The study by the Quilliam think-tank, which focuses on countering Islamic extremism, was based on court evidence given by Asian men during trials of abuser gangs. The report, which will be made public this week, said that girls from the Asian community are seen as commodities to be protected, whereas girls from outside of the community are seen as fair game. Nine men were sentenced in 2012 for abusing young girls in Rochdale. Top row left to right: Abdul Rauf, Hamid Safi, Mohammed Sajid and Abdul Aziz; Bottom row left to right: Abdul Qayyum, Adil Khan, Mohammed Amin and Kabeer Hassan Findings were gathered by British-Pakistani authors, who say they hope it will encourage Asian communities to take responsibility. The authors said: In attempts to protect the sentiments of the British Pakistani community, we have failed vulnerable young girls who have suffered years of irreversible damage. Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale child sex grooming gang They added that there was a disproportionate representation of males with Asian heritage convicted in such cases with the Asian male perpetrator/white female victim dynamic serving as the prominent feature of these grooming gangs. 'Most of these men are of Pakistani (Muslim) origin, and the victims that have come forward so far are almost exclusively young white girls. A series of high-profile cases have resulted in the conviction of abuse gangs in cities including Rochdale and Oxford. The Rochdale case led to widespread allegations that police and local authorities were ignoring sex offences by gangs because of a fear of being labelled racist. Researchers examined 58 sex gang cases from 2005 to 2017. Of the 264 offenders, 84 per cent were Asian, mostly Pakistani, 8 per cent were black and 7 per cent were white. Pictured is Molly Windsor depicting one of the abuse victims in the BBC drama Three Girls Quilliams Haras Rafiq told the Sunday Times: There has been a lot of coverage of grooming gangs from the politically correct, who dont want to talk about it, and the bigots who want to use it for hate. Not talking about it doesnt make the problem go away, and letting bigots hijack the debate creates further division in society. 'We as a society need to tackle this head on. Criminals and corrupt politicians and businessmen could escape exposure under a new attempt to restrict Press freedom Criminals and corrupt politicians and businessmen could escape exposure under a new attempt to restrict Press freedom. The fresh bid to restrict the rights of journalists and the media to inquire into crime and corruption involves attempts to change a data law that is going through Parliament. One Labour amendment to the Data Protection Bill would mean that the Information Commissioner would have powers to decide whether codes of conduct under which journalists work should be recognised by the new law. The Bill is aimed at producing an up-to-date data protection regime, which strengthens rights and gives individuals more control over their personal information. Organisations that did not safeguard sensitive data would risk heavy fines. But importantly, the legislation provides an exemption for journalists who access and store personal information without consent when exposing wrongdoing. This means that individuals under investigation by journalists would not be able to interfere with their inquiries or block publication of stories that would bring to light wrongdoing. A series of attempts have been made to introduce changes to the Bill which would remove safeguards for freedom of expression, bind journalists and make their inquiries either difficult or impossible. The new Labour amendment would award powers to the Information Commissioner to decide that a code of conduct followed by journalists was inadequate to allow any journalist exemption from strict data protection rules. It would mean that the Information Commissioner could rule against the code operated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation the regulator free of state control to which the great majority of newspapers belong or that of Ofcom, which governs the behaviour of BBC and other broadcast journalists. If this happened it would threaten the ability of most journalists to write or broadcast about criminals or the corrupt. A second amendment would rewrite the new law so that a second half of the Leveson inquiry into Press standards would go ahead. Last month the News Media Association criticised amendments to the Bill to try to restrict the freedoms of journalists, saying these would give powerful claimants with something to hide fresh ammunition to pursue legal claims and shut down legitimate public interest investigation into their activities. ICAN established a UN treaty that is calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons The statement comes amidst escalating nuclear threats from US & North Korea ICAN director Beatrice Fihn warns that the 'deaths of millions' could be imminent If the Australian founder of a Nobel Peace Prize-winning organisation is to be believed, the destruction of humankind through nuclear weapons is just 'one tiny tantrum away'. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) issued the warning as North Korea and America exchanged escalating threats over the nuclear testing regime in Pyongyang. 'Will it be the end of nuclear weapons, or will it be the end of us?' asked the organisation's director Beatrice Fihn. 'The deaths of millions may be one tiny tantrum away.' Leader of the Nobel Committee Berit Reiss-Andersen presents to Nobel Peace Prize to the Executive Director of ICAN Beatrice Fihn and 85-year-old Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons aims to rid the world of atomic weaponry Ms Fihn accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of ICAN at the ceremony in Oslo on Sunday Ms Fihn accepted the award on behalf of ICAN at the ceremony alongside an 85-year-old atomic bomb survivor from Hiroshima Setsuko Thurlow. 'Devices that are incapable of distinguishing between a combatant and a child are simply unacceptable,' Ms Thurlow said, who was 13 years old when her city was attacked. 'Survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are living witnesses to the horror of nuclear war... world leaders must heed their call for a nuclear-weapon-free future,' she said. Ms Thurlow added that she was overjoyed by the news that ICAN had won the Nobel Peace Prize, describing it as a wonderful and well-deserved honour. 'I am so deeply humbled to have been invited to jointly accept the prize on behalf of the campaign,' she said. 'It has been such a privilege to work with so many passionate and inspirational ICAN campaigners around the world over the past decade. The Nobel Peace Prize is a powerful tool that we can now use to advance our cause.' Ms Beatrice Fihn (right) with 85-year-old Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow at the ceremony Setsuko Thurlow (pictured) accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway alongside Beatrice Fihn 'It has been such a privilege to work with so many passionate and inspirational ICAN campaigners,' said Setsuko Thurlow as she spoke at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo ICAN is best known for leading the controversial campaign demanding a global treaty banning nuclear weapons, The Guardian reported on Monday, The award was bestowed 'for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treated-based prohibition of such weapons'. In July 2017, the United Nations adopted the proposed treaty, under which states committed to never 'develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons'. So far, 56 countries have signed the treaty and three have ratified it - the ban will come into effect when 50 countries in total have signed and ratified the document. Most critics believe the treaty will not be effective without the participation and cooperation of the world's nine nuclear powerhouses - the US, China, France, Britain, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. But those in favour argue that the treaty will succeed through 'moral suasion' in the same way the ban on cluster weapons and landmines became a success. Donald Trump (pictured) has threatened nuclear war against North Korea on many occasions Trump called the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un 'Rocket Man' in an immature tweet recently North Korea has fired 23 missiles in 16 tests of atomic weapons since February of this year Amidst an escalating nuclear arms race, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un recently called Donald Trump a 'dotard' on Twitter, to which he responded by describing his rival as a 'madman' and nicknaming him 'Little Rocket Man'. Both leaders have threatened the other with nuclear annihilation on numerous occasions, with Trump vowing to to 'totally destroy' North Korea with 'fire and fury' with North Korea firing 23 missiles in 16 tests since February. 'The only rational course of action is to cease living under the conditions where our mutual destruction is only one impulsive tantrum away,' Ms Fihn said in Oslo on Sunday evening at the award ceremony. '[Nuclear weapons] are a madman's gun held permanently to our temple.' Kim Jong-Un called Donald Trump a 'dotard' after hearing of his threats of nuclear warfare Trump and Kim Jong-un have exchanged escalating threats over nuclear testing in Pyongyang Trump responded to being called 'old' by Kim Jong-un by tweeting that he was 'short and fat' While accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, ICAN founder and professor of global health Dr Tilman Ruff used the opportunity to urge Australia to follow New Zealand's lead and sign the UN treaty. 'Nuclear weapons pose an existential threat in any hands and the risks of nuclear war are as high now as they have ever been,' he said. 'Yet the current Australian government has done all it can to get in the way of efforts to end this existential threat to humanity.' The Australian government has long been in favour of nuclear weapons, fighting to have the treaty negotiations defeated before it was passed in 2007 with 123 countries voting in favour. But a more recent poll, conducted in September 2017, found that 73 per cent of Australians support the prohibition of nuclear weapons, agreeing that they 'pose a threat to global security'. Professor of global health Dr Tilman Ruff (centre) urged Australia to sign the weapons treaty Setsuko Thurlow was 3 years old when Hiroshima was bombed, killing 80,000 in the first day Addressing the crowd in Oslo, he also said that the honour extended to the 'millions' of campaigners who have worked tirelessly for the abolition of nuclear weapons since 1945. 'That particularly includes the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the hibakusha and victims of nuclear test explosions, including in Australia and the Pacific, whose painful personal testimonies have played such a crucial role,' he said. But instead of downsizing nuclear arsenals, countries like North Korea and the US are modernising and increasing their power, resulting in a disenchantment with the non-proliferation treaty and calls for an outright ban on nuclear weapons. The last (and only) two times a nuclear power was used against civilians was in 1945. More than 80,000 people in Hiroshima and a further 40,000 people in Nagasaki were killed instantly when an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese cities. Japan's Emperor Hirohito denounced the power of the 'new and most cruel bomb', which had cost 226,000 people their lives by the end of 1945 and continues to cause illnesses, birth defects and radiation exposure more than 72 years later. Each August 6, thousands of people gather at Peace Memorial Park in the centre of Hiroshima to commemorate the anniversary of the devastating attack People gather at Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on the anniversary of the atomic bombing The paper crane has become a symbol of hope in Japan after a young girl tried to make a thousand of them while in hospital being treated for leukemia caused by nuclear radiation Advertisement Celebrities like Rob Lowe and Ellen Degeneres were among the thousands forced to plan escape routes as Southern California's largest and most destructive wildfire threatened the safety of residents. New evacuations were ordered as the fire sent up an enormous plume near Montecito and Carpinteria - seaside areas in Santa Barbara County that had been under fire threat for days and were now choked with smoke. Early on Sunday, actor Rob Lowe announced his plans to flee to safety as the flames continued the route. 'Praying for my town. Fires closing in. Firefighters making brave stands. Could go either way. Packing to evacuate now,' Lowe wrote to his Twitter page. This afternoon, Comedian Ellen Degeneres also said her property was 'under threat of being burned.' Degeneres tweeted: 'We just had to evacuate our pets. I'm praying for everyone in our community and thankful to all the incredible firefighters. 'Everyone in the Montecito area is checking up on each other and helping to get people and animals to safety. I'm proud to be a part of this community,' she added. 'I'm sending lots of love and gratitude to the fire department and sheriffs. Thank you all. #ThomasFire' US forest fire crews fight fire with fire as they set off huge backfires to cut off the northern flank of the Thomas fire near Rose Valley recreation area Saturday. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres Southern California Santa Barbara PIO Mike Eliason watches as a home between Via Baja and Foothill goes up in flames Tuesday midday after a fast-moving, wind-fueled wildfire swept into Ventura destroying many homes early Tuesday Actor Billy Baldwin shared shocking photos from outside his house showing dust clouding over the sky. 'Smoke from the #ThomasFire blocks out the sun... San Ynez, CA North Santa Barbara County #ThankYouFirefighters!!!,' Baldwin wrote in the picture post. #Thomas Fire now: 173,000 acres, 4,500 firefighters, 710 structures and 15% contained,# he said this morning. Crews with help from a fleet water-dropping planes and helicopters saved homes as unpredictable gusts sent the blaze deeper into residential foothill areas northwest of Los Angeles that haven't burned in decades. 'The winds are kind of squirrely right now,' said county fire spokesman Mike Eliason. 'Some places the smoke is going straight up in the air, and others it's blowing sideways. Depends on what canyon we're in.' The Thomas Fire advances toward homes and farms near town as it continues to grow on December 10, 2017 near Carpinteria Firefighters watch after setting a backfire at night to make progress against the Thomas Fire before the winds return with the daylight near Lake Casitas on December 9, 2017 near Ojai, California Strong Santa Ana winds have been feeding major wildfires all week, destroying hundreds of houses and forcing tens of thousands of people to stay away from their homes A fire whirl, also called a fire devil, forms as firefighters use drip torches to set a backfire at night in an effort to make progress against the Thomas Fire before the winds return with the daylight near Lake Casitas on December 9 near Ojai The department posted a photo of one residence engulfed in flames. It's unclear whether other structures burned. Thousands of homes and businesses in the county were without power. The air thick with acrid smoke, even residents of areas not under evacuation orders took the opportunity to leave, fearing another shutdown of U.S. 101, a key coastal highway that was closed intermittently last week. Officials handed out masks to residents who stayed behind in Montecito, the wealthy hillside enclave that's home to celebrities such as Lowe, Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bridges. A few miles to the west, Santa Barbara Zoo was closed to the public and its 500 animals confined to their night quarters all day. The zoo was just outside the evacuation area, but smoke and ash blew through the 30-acre property. Firefighters made significant progress Saturday on other fronts of the enormous fire that started Dec. 4 in neighboring Ventura County. As containment increased on other major blazes in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties, resources from those fires were diverted to the Santa Barbara foothills. Forecasters said Santa Ana winds that whipped fires across the region last week would continue in some areas at least through Monday. Huge smoke clouds rise into the sky at the Thomas fire Saturday. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres Horses that were evacuated from the Thomas Fire are seen on December 10, 2017 in Ojai A lack of rain has officials on edge statewide because of parched conditions and no end in sight to the typical fire season. 'This is the new normal,' Gov. Jerry Brown warned Saturday after surveying damage from the deadly Ventura fire. 'We're about ready to have firefighting at Christmas. This is very odd and unusual.' High fire risk is expected to last into January and the governor and experts said climate change is making it a year-round threat. Overall, the fires have destroyed about 800 homes and other buildings, killed dozens of horses and forced more than 200,000 people to flee flames that have burned over 270 square miles (700 square kilometers) since Dec. 4. One death, so far, a 70-year-old woman who crashed her car on an evacuation route, is attributed to the fire in Santa Paula, a small city where the fire began. The Ventura County blaze also continued to burn into rugged mountains in the Los Padres National Forest near the little town of Ojai and toward a preserve established for endangered California condors. Ojai experienced hazardous levels of smoke at times and officials warned of unhealthy air for large swaths of the region. Fire fighters attack the Thomas Fire's north flank with backfires as they continue to fight a massive wildfire north of Los Angeles, near Ojai US forest fire crews fight fire with fire as they set off huge backfires to cut off the northern flank of the Thomas fire near Rose Valley recreation area Saturday Firefighting helicopters try to save a house from the Thomas wildfire in Carpinteria, California on December 10 The South Coast Air Quality Management District urged residents to stay indoors if possible and avoid vigorous outdoor activities. As fires burned in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, firefighters were already in place north of San Diego on Thursday when a major fire erupted and rapidly spread in the Fallbrook area, known for its avocado groves and horse stables in the rolling hills. The fire swept through the San Luis Rey Training Facility, where it killed more than 40 elite thoroughbreds and destroyed more than 100 homes most of them in a retirement community. Three people were burned trying to escape the fire that continued to smolder Sunday. Most of last week's fires were in places that burned in the past, including one in the ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air that burned six homes and another in the city's rugged foothills above the community of Sylmar and in Santa Paula. Meanwhile, the Lilac Fire #reached a peak of 1,409 Sunday and officials at the central command center say they're likely to begin releasing crews from duty now that the fire has reached 60 percent containment,' according to Fox 5 San Diego. Crews worked through Sunday to strengthen containment lines and put out hot spots, the news station said. 'The fire's looking really good, despite the wind,' said Cal Fire public information officer and Battalion Chief, Henry Herrera. 'If we can get through today I think we'll be in pretty good shape for the remainder of this incident.' Firefighter Malachi Anderson churns up the ashes as Nicholas Spanheimer hoses as they and other crew members with Cal Fire Engine 2472 do mop up work after the Lilac fire along Olive Hill Road Firefighter Roebey Utviek climbs up a steep embankment covered with a thick layer of ash as he and the crew of Cal Fire Engine 2472 head int the woods to put out hot spots Firefighters Malachi Anderson, left, and Nicholas Spanheimer return to their fire truck as they do mop up work after the Lilac fire Tonnes of asbestos-contaminated waste has been dumped in a suburban Sydney street with authorities involved in a delicate clean-up operation. Firefighters noticed several tonnes of the potentially deadly material when they were called to Chester Hill, west Sydney, about 1am on Monday. A police hunt was immediately launched to find the culprit. Scroll down for video Tonnes of asbestos-contaminated waste has been dumped in a suburban Sydney street with authorities involved in a delicate clean-up operation Emergency service workers discovered the asbestos after they suited up in hazmat gear to search through the waste, Seven News reported. Residents in the Chester Hill area were told to stay inside their homes until Bankstown Council workers could safely remove the waste. The Environment Protection Agency said it was investigating the incident. Anyone with information about the waste, or with dash-cam footage of a tip-truck in the area, has been urged to contact the police. Industrial vehicles clean the suburban street after eight tonnes of excavation material was illegally dumped A bulldozer and industrial truck were used to clean the residential street on Monday Emergency service workers discovered the asbestos after they suited up in hazmat gear to search through the waste Residents in the Chester Hill area were told to stay inside their homes until Bankstown Council workers could safely remove the waste A truck was caught on CCTV footage, showing the full load of waste being dumped in the middle of the street. Lumps of concrete, sticks, soil, and traces of asbestos were found, which could prove potentially deadly for anyone who breathes it in. A team of investigators has been at the scene all morning attempting to determine exactly what is in the waste. Regional Illegal Dumping Squad's Daryl Atkins condemned the people responsible. 'There are some arguments which say the tipping fees are the problem, but a lot of times it seems people are purely lazy,' he told Nine News. 'They want to unload their load the night before because they've got work to do again the next day - but this quite obviously is not the right place for the material.' Samples for analysis will be taken from the waste, as police continue to investigate. The culprit faces heavy fines and potential jail time. A truck was caught on CCTV footage, showing the full load of waste being dumped in the middle of the street The men and women fighting crime may be less threatening to the public if they wore a certain shade of blue. Queensland police asked 1,000 people which hue of blue was more approachable to them when they saw officers on the street. They found a less militaristic-looking uniform made the public feel less threatened, as police design a new uniform. The police officers from Brisbane's Upper Mount Gravatt in light-blue shirts as 'approachable' These police women from Cairns display tasers on their belts, which gives them authority The 'most approachable' uniform featured a light blue shirt without a load-bearing vest for a gun and a taser. However, a police uniform was regarded as having more legitimacy if it featured a dark-blue shirt with a firearm placed in a thigh holster and a taser on the hip. The Queensland Police Service asked the University of Queensland to conduct an online poll to gauge public reaction on shades of blue. 'The introduction of new uniform and equipment has the potential to make officers appear too tactical, and may therefore negatively impact the way members of the community view the police,' the police said. This officer from Gympie, north of Brisbane, has a dark uniform that is more militaristic looking The Queensland Police asked the public to rate uniforms featuring dark and light-blue shirts The police are seeking a balance between making the police appear approachable and legitimate to the public. The survey found a taser positioned on an officer's hip made them less approachable to the public. When it came to different circumstances, a uniform with a light-blue was regarded as more appropriate for community events like a school visit. However, a dark-blue shirt exuded more authority for tense situations like crowd control. These officers from Pullenvale in Brisbane's leafy west have their firearms and tasers on show This officer from Townsville in north Queensland wears a uniform suited to crowd control Queensland Police asked the University of Queensland to help them gauge public reaction 'This will likely ensure maximum co-operation and approval from the public,as high ratings of police legitimacy have been linked to public satisfaction and law-abiding behaviour,' the police said. Women and older people were generally more trusting of police, giving a high rating to police uniforms regardless of the shade for legitimacy and approachability. People in the city and country also had the same perception of police uniforms. After her triumph in Brussels on Friday morning and full steam ahead now for Brexit, Theresa May has been enjoying her best headlines since that botched General Election campaign and her unfortunate Tory conference appearance. Who could blame her if she wanted to sit back and take a breather during the festive period but she must strongly resist the temptation. Once dubbed the weakest PM since John Major when he was clinging to power, shes now in a stronger position than at her coronation in July 2016 and needs to exploit it by flexing her muscles with a Cabinet reshuffle in the New Year. Once dubbed the weakest PM since John Major when he was clinging to power, Theresa May is now in a stronger position than at her coronation in July 2016 and needs to exploit it by flexing her muscles with a Cabinet reshuffle in the New Year Graham Brady quit as a shadow minister in 2007 in protest at then Tory leader David Camerons opposition to the introduction of any new grammar schools First out should be party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin. Hes a decent man who hates the job. Put him out of his misery, Mrs May, and replace him with the most powerful Tory MP that no one has ever heard of. Graham Brady quit as a shadow minister in 2007 in protest at then Tory leader David Camerons opposition to the introduction of any new grammar schools. Since 2010, the MP for Altrincham and Sale West has been chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs who wield immense power and can decide a PMs fate before the electorate get a chance to do so. On the weekend after the election, Brady met the PM and was crucial in her decision to hang on in there and fight back. Hes been a rock to Mrs May ever since, and its time he was rewarded. The PM should make Brady party chairman with a big Cabinet role, and give him the chance to be a new Norman Tebbit or Cecil Parkinson, who were lynchpins of Mrs Thatchers governments. Not only is Brady a strong media performer, I hear hed like to do the job. Remember where you read it first! A loser in the literary jungle NOW that his profile-raising stint on Im A Celebrity has ended, heres a reality check for Stanley Johnson. The second volume of his memoirs, Stanley, I Resume, was seen on sale recently in a branch of Poundland. Advertisement Tory MP Ben Bradley has knocked seven-time winner Comrade Corbyn off his perch by scooping the Parliamentary Beard of the Year award. Hes the first Tory to win the title in a competition run by the Beard Liberation Front (really!). Mrs Thatcher will be spinning in her grave. She famously never promoted a bearded MP to the Cabinet. Ex-Home Secretary Alan Johnson has no regrets at quitting Parliament this year: I want Jeremy to win, but just as [Corbyn] was not entirely enamoured with the government I was in, Im not totally enamoured with his front bench. He predicts a bleak future for Labour. Jeremy and the people around him are part of sectarian politics, they define themselves by what theyre against and there will be more disruption, falling out and enmity within Labour as a result. We saw it in the early Eighties and were due a re-run. How right he is. Blairite Peter Kyle enjoyed one of the 2017 elections big wins in Hove. He is now in the sights of Momentum, the Corbynites who want to replace moderates with candidates who espouse radical socialist policies. Last week, there was a clean sweep of nine Corbynites elected to the Local Campaign Forum which organises Labour candidate selection for Hoves 2019 elections. Jon Rogers, one of them, says: Last time anything significant happened in local government was when the Ken Livingstone-led GLC tested the boundaries of what progressive councillors could do with their positions . . . Kyle has been warned. Lib Dem Baroness Doocey, 69, on sexual improprieties: If any male peer touched my knee . . . I wouldnt make an issue of it Id just call them a complete w*****! she tells The Oldie magazine. I dont think any female peers would take a blind bit of notice, but its a generational thing. Quite. One Netflix subscriber in the UK watched the animated film Bee Movie a total of 357 times in 2017, new figures show. Netflix has provided details of some of its users habits after having one of its most popular days of this year following the release of the second series of the sci-fi series Stranger Things. But while the show was binge-watched in the first 24 hours of its release, one Netflix subscriber preferred to watch the 2007 animation staring Jerry Seinfeld as Barry the Bee. The Bee Movie was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards, although the picture was by no means a blockbuster hit. Jerry Seinfeld stars as the voice as Barry the Bee in animated film Bee Movie, pictured, determined to stop humans from stealing the hive's honey Other data released by the streaming service revealed that Greenleaf, a series about a family and their sprawling megachurch in Memphis, was the most 'devoured' show in the UK in 2017 - meaning the programme had been watched for more than two hours per day. Spoof true crime drama American Vandal was the second most popular show. Netflix also revealed the shows fans were most likely to watch ahead of their viewing partners. Orange Is The New Black was the show most likely to make viewers cheat on their significant other, followed by Stranger Things, Narcos, 13 Reasons Why and Star Trek: Discovery. Riverdale, Marvel's Iron Fist, Ozark, Better Call Saul and The Crown also prompted fans to cheat and watch ahead. Jean Alexander, who played Hilda Ogden Coronation Street actress Jean Alexander - famous for her headscarf and curlers in the role of Hilda Ogden -has had her ashes scattered at a beauty spot. The soap star died on October 14 last year just three days after her 90th birthday. This year the family lost her beloved brother Kenneth Hodgkinson at the age of 92, and it prompted the family to lay them both to rest together. A world away from the cobbled streets of the show that gave her fame, Jean Alexander's ashes have been scattered near Grasmere in the Lake District - a spot where the ashes of Kenneth's late wife Cynthia were laid. Kenneths daughter Sonia Hearld, 65, told the Daily Mirror: 'We spent many happy holidays there as kids. It has happy memories. The family know it, so it is a good place. 'Jean loved going up there. While she was not a great top of the hills walker, she did love pottering around and seeing the scenery. 'It just seemed the most suitable thing to do. It seemed to be a nice place, a quiet place.' The actress spent 23 years on the soap as the archetypal working class Northern woman. The character was hard-edged busybody but furiously house-proud, particularly of the flying duck ornaments which adorned a mural - or muriel, as Hilda told guests - in her front room. Jean passed away peacefully in her hospital bed after being admitted to hospital. A world away from the cobbled streets of the show that gave her fame, Jean Alexander's ashes have been scattered near Grasmere in the Lake District (pictured) - a spot where the ashes of Kenneth's late wife Cynthia were laid Hilda was a hard-edged busybody but furiously house-proud, particularly of the flying duck ornaments which adorned a mural - or muriel, as Hilda told guests - in her front room Hilda broke down at the sight of her late husbands abandoned spectacles, leaving viewers in tears themselves She always had her hair tied up ready - in case. All she had to do was whip the curlers out and give it a flick up with the comb, Jean said Members of the Coronation Street cast tap dancing to keep fit in this 1970s photo. Jean is second left alongside Julie Goodyear, who played Bet Lynch, on the far right Famed for her catchphrase Ta-ra, chuck, pub cleaner Hilda Ogden was unexpectedly taken to the nations heart. A thorny relationship with husband Stan Ogden, played by Bernard Youens, helped the characters go down in British television history. After Stans on-screen funeral - following Youens death from a heart attack in 1984 - Jean departed from the normal comic nature of her role. Hilda broke down at the sight of her late husbands abandoned spectacles, leaving viewers in tears themselves. Liverpool-born Jean took her inspiration for the characters costume from wartime munitions workers in her home city. She always had her hair tied up ready - in case. All she had to do was whip the curlers out and give it a flick up with the comb, she said. Jean (far right) passed away peacefully in her hospital bed after being admitted to hospital on Tuesday Coronation Street at Christmas 1984. Lest to right - Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear), Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) and Betty Turpin (Betty Driver) Jean was discharged from hospital and allowed back to her care home, where she had lived since 2014 after suffering a minor stroke Jean Alexander as Hilda Odgen on Coronation Street - with her trademark curlers - holding up Rommel the cat during an episode in 1986 She never did go anywhere that was worth going to - but thats where I got the idea from. Jean insisted in an interview with the Manchester Evening News that she would not return to Coronation Street because life and attitudes have changed'. MOST MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM ONE OF TV'S FEISTIEST CHARACTERS HILDA OGDEN Woman, Stanley. Woman. Hildas response when her husband asks what her lipstick tastes of after the couple share a clinch on their second honeymoon. We are a family of professional cleaners, which puts us higher up in Godliness than some folk I could name. after a row with Rovers landlady Annie Walker. I wouldnt give them to a working man, but seeing as you dont fall under that category theres no problem is there? Now get them ate. Hilda, when Stanley objects to pilchards for tea. You great, big, fat lump of human uselessness. Hilda to Stanley. Elsie Tanners eart is where a fellas wallet is and the bigger the wallet, the more eart shes got. Hilda on Corries Elsie Tanner. Advertisement She said: I know the programme tries to reflect life and in Hildas time it was more simple and cosy. Today, life and attitudes have changed and permissiveness has crept up on us. So now it is all about whos sleeping with whom. The programme may reflect life, but equally young people are being influenced by what they see in it. Even girls of 13 think they absolutely must have boyfriends, otherwise people will think they arent normal. She added that she wished there was more fun on the Street, and criticised modern story-lines for being too dragged out. Im glad I was there in those earlier, more gentle years, she said. I enjoyed my time as Hilda and it is lovely that viewers still remember her with such affection. Almost 20 years after quitting Coronation Street, Jean was still so fondly remembered that she was voted the nation's favourite soap star. After winning the poll, she said: 'It's unbelievable that people are still so fond of Hilda. 'We had so many wonderful individual characters when I was in the show, Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner come to mind, so to be picked out from amongst that crew is very, very flattering.' Her famous fans included Sir Michael Parkinson, writer Willis Hall, former Poet Laureate John Betjeman and the late Russell Harty, who formed themselves into the British League for Hilda Ogden. Her response was typical, saying: 'I just couldn't see myself stood on a pedestal cast in bronze. 'Knowing my luck, the Southport seagulls would find me and do their worst, as they have done before - usually when I have just washed my hair.' Born in Toxteth, Liverpool, she started her acting career in 1949 and made her television debut in the police series Z-Cars. She first appeared in Coronation Street in 1961 as landlady Mrs Webb, returning three years later as Hilda, and went on to win a Royal Television Society Award in 1985 for the role. Jean also played Aunty Wainwright, the money-grabbing local junk shop owner, on the long-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, from 1988 to 2010. The actress had made a good recovery from a stroke in 2014, with Jean telling her fans not to worry and that she was fit and well. She added at the time: Thank you to everyone for all the goodwill messages, I was very touched but there is still life in the old dog yet. 'I've spent my career playing old ladies - now I am one.' Tributes poured in from social media, with current Coronation Street stars and long-time fans leaving heart-warming comments for the woman they remember as Hilda Ogden Jean at the BAFTA awards at London's Drury Lane in April 2002 (right) and attending the Coronation Street 40th anniversary party (right) 'Former scriptwriter and archivist Daran Little wrote: 'Very sad to hear of the passing of Jean Alexander, a wonderful actress and a true friend. Tara chuck.' Pictured is Jean at the BAFTAs Gold Coast City Councl say ibis problem is the responsibility of the restaurant Scared diners go elsewhere or are forced to move inside because of pesky birds Theo Kostoglou has had to replace glassware because it's been broken by beaks Owner of Greek Street Grill says bin chickens are costing his business money A restaurant owner in Surfers Paradise has hired 'bird shoo-ers' to keep pesky ibises away from paying customers. Greek Street Grill owner Theo Kostoglou says the bin chickens are costing him business because they scare customers and steal food from their plates, which he has to replace. 'I have to have a staff member outside the front at all times to watch the birds. They're not fearful of humans and they hang around and sit and watch people eat. They wait for customers to look away then they jump on the tables and eat the food and drink the drinks', Mr Kostoglou told Daily Mail Australia. Restaurant in Surfers Paradise has hired 'bird shoo-ers' to keep pesky ibises away (pictured) Bin chickens scare customers away and steal food from the plates of those that stay (pictured) 'They even get their long beaks inside bottles. It's all extra costs for my business,' he added. Mr Kostoglou said he and the restaurant next door had both complained to Gold Coast City Council about the ibises, but we're told it was for them to deal with. 'The council say it's nothing to do with them. 'I have to employ an extra staff member to watch for birds and spray them with water and vinegar. I have to take these extra measures because the birds aren't safe to have around. Their beaks are quite scary and they can carry diseases. I don't want them passing anything on to my customers,' he said. He said he'd like the council to send an environmentalist to find a solution. 'I don't want the birds killed but the council could find a safe option of getting rid of them. 'We've been told that the birds are trained to find the food source, then the rest of the birds follow them. 'I'd like someone to retrain them to go to a remote area. Then the rest can follow,' he said. Mr Kostoglou said ibises wait for customers to look away then jump on the tables (pictured) In a statement, the Gold Coast City Council said the ibises are protected under State Government legislation. '[The] Council cannot remove the birds from the precinct. Importantly, even if we did, ibis fly up to 20km daily from the hinterland to Surfers Paradise as they know there are food scraps left on dining tables. 'To physically relocate the 20 problem birds would only see them return within a day or so. 'So it is not a simple matter of relocating nuisance birds. ''There are less than 20 problem birds in the Surfers area and it is a matter for private food service areas to ensure they keep the birds away from their dining areas. The number one rule is don't feed them, and don't allow patrons to feed them. 'If cafe owners ensured any food plates were quickly removed from tables as diners departed, we are confident that in a short time, the birds would realise that there are no food scraps available and would move on naturally. 'We feel for the cafe owners and have attended each cafe, with the Division Councillor, to explain to them their responsibility.' A Queensland judge has found Heidi Strbak inflicted the blunt force trauma that led to the death of her four-year-old son Tyrell Cobb in 2009. Tyrell died on the night of May 24 after two separate blows to his abdomen that caused internal bleeding and the leaking of his stomach contents, known as peritonitis. Strbak pleaded guilty to her son's manslaughter in November but denied she delivered the fatal blows. Heidi Strbak (left) was found to have inflicted the blows that killed her four-year-old son Tyrell Cobb (right) in 2009 The mother pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month but has denied delivering the fatal blows to her child Defence barrister Greg McGuire had argued the circumstantial case against Strbak's then-partner Matthew Scown was stronger than against the boy's mother. But Justice Peter Applegarth on Monday found there was a 'no compelling evidence that Scown inflicted the fatal injuries'. Justice Applegarth found Strbak was not only responsible for the serious damage that killed Tyrell but also for many of the non-fatal injuries inflicted on him in the days before his death. Tyrell had 53 bruises and 17 abrasions from head to legs when he died. Strbak could be seen rocking back and forth in the dock and shaking her head as Justice Applegarth handed down his findings. Tyrell had 53 bruises and 17 abrasions from head to legs when he died in May 2009 Justice Applegarth found 34-year-old Strbak was responsible for the serious damage that killed Tyrell The judge also found she was responsible for many of the non-fatal injuries inflicted on him in the days before his death She also appeared exasperated as she spoke to her lawyer after the court closed. The 34-year-old will now be sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court on December 18. Scown, also 34, was sentenced to four years' jail after pleading guilty to manslaughter but walked free from court in October, having already spent two years and eight months in custody. He was sentenced on the grounds he was not responsible for Tyrell's injuries but failed in his duty of care by not seeking medical help for the boy. Police are concerned the man might be injured as they search the park The 35-year-old posted selfies to Facebook from the park around 3.30pm Bushwalker reported missing on Sunday afternoon after failing to return home Selfies posted by a bushwalker 24 hours ago could help police in their search for the man who vanished on Sunday afternoon. David Occhipinti, 35, is believed to be missing in Werribee Gorge State Park in Victoria, around 70km northwest of Melbourne. Police believe the semi-experienced bushwalker set off to walk the 10km track around the Werribee Gorge Circuit. David Occhipinti, 35, from Noble Park North, is believed to be missing in Werribee Gorge State Park in Victoria Selfies posted by the bushwalker 24 hours ago could help police in their search for the man who vanished on Sunday afternoon Police believe the semi-experienced bushwalker set off to walk the 10km track around the Werribee Gorge Circuit (pictured) Mr Occhipinti posted selfies to his Facebook page from the the western lookout around 3.30pm yesterday. The 35-year-old, from Noble Park North, has reportedly visited the park twice before and was believed to be carrying a small supply of food and water. Police found the man's car at a nearby park overnight and are searching the area by land and air. The 35-year-old was due to arrive home around 7pm on Sunday night and is not carrying a GPS device The 35-year-old, from Noble Park North, has reportedly visited the park twice before Sergeant Mark Bacon told the Herald Sun there are concerns Mr Occhipinti may be injured. 'They [his friends and family] are anxious for him to be located,' Sergeant Bacon said. 'The longer it gets, the more concerned we become. He may be injured in the bushland somewhere.' Police have begun to search for the man off-track in the 575 hectare state park Rescue teams have been searching marked tracks in the 575 hectare park for the missing man. Police will now start searching for Mr Occhipinti off-track. The 35-year-old was due to arrive home around 7pm on Sunday night and is not carrying a GPS device. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Two Melbourne mothers have been sentenced to jail after they drunkenly bashed a paramedic so badly he could never return to work. Amanda Warren, 31, and Caris Underwood, 20, punched and kicked experienced ambulance worker Paul Judd as he tried to treat a patient at Reservoir, Melbourne's north, in April 2016. Warren was ordered to spend eight months in jail, and Underwood four months, when they appeared for sentencing in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday. Underwood (pictured) was sentenced to four months jail, when she appeared for sentencing in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday Amanda Warren, 31, (pictured outside court on Monday) and Caris Underwood, 20, punched and kicked an experienced ambulance worker Mr Judd broke his foot in the violent attack and has required multiple surgeries since. Warren and Underwood pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury to Mr Judd. A magistrate indicated on Monday morning he would jail the pair, after considering new laws for attacks on emergency workers. 'I have concluded that for both accused, an immediate custodial sentence is required,' Magistrate Lance Martin said. Warren (pictured outside court on Monday) and Underwood pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury to Mr Judd Amanda Warren is seen entering the Melbourne Magistrates Court in Melbourne, Monday, December 11, Unless there are 'special reasons', Victorian laws introduced in 2014 demand a mandatory minimum jail term of six months for anyone who intentionally injures an emergency worker. But defence lawyers for Underwood and Warren previously argued special circumstances were present and the pair should avoid jail. The court was told Underwood was abused as a child and has a young baby, while Warren suffered mental health issues and has four young children. Assault victim Paul Judd addressed the media outside Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday A violent brawl involving dozens of rowdy teenagers broke out inside a McDonald's and spilled onto the street on Friday night. The argument started inside the fast food store in Echuca, northern Victoria, but quickly escalated as two large groups of boys clashed again outside. One shirtless boy could be heard screaming 'I'll f***ing kill you' repeatedly as he lashed out at another man - both who were restrained by a group of friends. A violent brawl involving dozens of rowdy teenagers broke out inside a McDonald's The argument started inside the fast food store in Echuca, northern Victoria, but quickly escalated Footage of the violent confrontation was uploaded on social media and viewed thousands of times. At one point in the vision a group of at least ten people could be seen trading blows as bodies were tackled and thrown roughly onto the concrete road. The groups eventually appeared to disperse as tensions simmered. Victoria Police confirmed they were called to the McDonald's after receiving reports of a brawl outside the store on High Street. 'Police attended however the brawl has already dispersed. There were no arrests and no injuries reported,' a police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. 'No complaint has been made in relation to the incident.' A group of brave onlookers have saved a Southport chemist from a light-fingered thief by tackling him to the ground before he could leave the shop with the stolen items. CCTV obtained by Channel 7 captured the moment that the robber, dressed in a plain grey sweater with the hood pulled up over his face, tried to make a quick exit from the pharmacy. But he is stopped in his tracks by a quick-thinking man in a black shirt, who ran up to him and pinned his arms to his sides before he could get out the door. Two men have stopped a thief (centre) who tried to escape after robbing a Gold Coast chemist The two men manage to wrestle the man away from the door and back inside the pharmacy A second witness dressed in a white shirt and black shorts also rushed to help, pulling the man's arm away from the door handle as he tried leave the premesis. Merchandise was knocked to the floor during the struggle between the three men, before the two witnesses managed to overpower the thief, drag him back inside the chemist and pin him to the ground. As they struggled, a third man joined the fray - and the combined weight of the three men stopped the robber from escaping. Squirming on the floor, they put him in make-shift handcuffs provided by the pharmacist as yet more customers are drawn to the unfolding spectacle. The establishment's owner disappeared out the door and returned with two police officers, who quickly dashed through the door to assess the situation. Between them, they were able to subdue the would-be thief and eventually haul him into a sitting position by his sweater. The pharmacist (second from left) gives wire to one of the men to make temporary handcuffs as the third man (far right in red shorts) lends a hand in keeping the thief lying on the ground The thief is kept on the floor until two policemen (pictured right) are able to attend the scene The quick-thinking men have been liberally praised by the hundreds of thousands of people who have seen the video, with one writing that they deserve 'a big kiss'. 'Good on ya boys, you should be proud of yourself to have protect[ed] your part of the community,' wrote one admirer. Another wrote that we need 'more heroes like them' in Australia, and yet another agreed that their actions to save the local shop from robbery was 'the true meaning of community'. Embattled senator Sam Dastyari's own senior Labor colleagues are calling on him to quit parliament. Three Labor frontbenchers Linda Burney, Catherine King and Tony Burke are publicly pressuring the senator to resign, following yet another revelation about his alleged connections with China. Senator Dastyari's political stocks have tumbled again, following a Fairfax Media revelation he tried to stop Labor's deputy leader Tanya Plibersek from meeting China critic and democracy activist Joseph Cheng Yu-shek during a visit to Hong Kong in January 2015. Scroll down for video Labor senator Sam Dastyari's A spokesman for the Sydney-based senator has rejected the claims as 'complete rubbish'. However Linda Burney, Labor's human services frontbencher, said Senator Dastyari needed to consider his future in parliament. 'Sam Dastyari, I'm sure, is thinking very deeply about his role within the party,' she told Sky News on Monday. 'It is now up to Mr Dastyari to consider his position and I'm sure that he is doing that, but in relation to the continued role of Sam within the parliament that is a matter very much for Sam.' Labor frontbencher Linda Burney has called on Sam Dastyari to consider his future in politics Labor's health frontbencher Catherine King says Sam Dastyari's career wasn't going 'very far' Catherine King, Labor's health spokeswoman, said Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was reluctant to promote Senator Dastyari, who was last month sacked as deputy opposition whip. 'Bill has made it very, very clear that Sam's political career is not going very far and I think they're matters for Sam to reflect upon,' she told reporters. The Opposition's citizenship spokesman Tony Burke said his colleague had made too many mistakes on China. 'Sam Dastyari, in terms of the penalty that he's paid, it's happened twice to him now,' Mr Burke, a fellow Labor right-faction member from New South Wales, said. 'The consequences of that are pretty obvious in terms of the challenge for future promotion.' Labor frontbencher Tony Burke has called on Sam Dastyari, a fellow right-faction politician from Sydney, to realise he was unlikely to be promoted Sam Dastyari was revealed to have warned Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo (pictured) his phone might be bugged Senator Dastyari was sacked from Labor's frontbencher last year after it was revealed he had accepted $1,670 from a Chinese-linked company, Top Education, to pay an office bill. Last month, it emerged Senator Dastyari had told billionaire Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo his phone might be bugged as he met the political donor at his Mosman mansion on Sydney's North Shore. Senator Dastyari also gave a media conference to the Chinese language media, where he contradicted Labor's position on the Sea China Sea. He also also been revealed to have asked Defence officials 115 questions about China in just four years. Former prime minister Tony Abbott (right) told Sydney radio host Ray Hadley (left) that Labor senator Sam Dastyari would resign from parliament on Sunday Former prime minister Tony Abbott is predicting Senator Dastyari will quit parliament on Sunday, the day after the crucial Bennelong by-election in Sydney's north. 'Take it from me Ray, insiders in the Labor party have given up on him,' he told Sydney radio 2GB presenter Ray Hadley on Monday. 'They are doing a series of inside jobs on him now and my tip is, on the Sunday after the Bennelong by-election Sam Dastyari will resign. 'His blindness to reality is so great that it really is a political character flaw.' Two women are set to become the first couple in Australia to file for a same-sex divorce under new laws. The couple married in 2015 at a consulate in Perth under the laws of a European country, where same-sex marriage was already legal. However, the marriage broke down and the pair separated, before finding it difficult to divorce under Australia's former marriage laws. Two Perth women are set to become the first couple in Australia to file for a same-sex divorce under new laws after marrying at a European consulate in 2015 (Pictured is a mock ceremony in Victoria following a Marriage Equality rally) One of the woman drafted solicitor Maria Loukas and barrister Teresa Farmer to find out her options and whether it was possible at all. 'The difficulty for this particular couple was having married under legislation of a European country, they couldn't access the divorce system in that country because they weren't residents in that country - neither of them were,' Ms Farmer told the ABC. Ms Loukas said her client had reportedly been caused a great deal of anxiety and stress because of the situation as she was not 'able to move on with her life'. 'It's been about not being able to tidy up the end of something to be able to start fresh somewhere else...She's been held back in many ways,' she said. One of the woman drafted solicitor Maria Loukas (left) and barrister Teresa Farmer (right) to find out her options and whether it was possible at all Amendments to legislation now means the Perth couple's union is recognised in their home country - as is their eligibility to file for divorce Australia's new same-sex marriage act came into effect on Saturday, with thousands of gay couples heading to registry offices around the country to file their intention to marry. Amendments to the legislation now mean the Perth couple's union is recognised in their home country - as is their eligibility to file for divorce. Ms Farmer said the pair are now 'no different to any other married couple'. It comes after the United Nations found Australia violated international human rights by not allowing same-sex couples wed overseas to divorce. The decision handed down in August concerned an Australian woman who married in Canada in 2004 and was unable to be legally divorced from her partner. Australia's new same-sex marriage act came into effect on Saturday, with thousands of gay couples heading to registry offices around the country to file their intention to marry (Pictured are MP's celebrating the bill's passing in parliament) Armie Hammer has apologized to Casey Affleck for questioning why he won the 2016 Best Actor Oscar when he was accused of sexual assault. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last month, Hammer said it was a double standard for Affleck to have won such a prestigious award while facing two sexual harassment cases while Nate Parker was placed in a 'director's jail' after allegations of sexual assault resurfaced. In a statement released on Friday through his PR firm, Hammer said he 'misspoke' when comparing the cases. Armie Hammer (right) has apologized to Casey Affleck (left) for comments he made in a Hollywood Reporter interview questioning why Affleck won a Best Actor Oscar when he was accused of sexual assault while Nate Parker was placed in a 'director's jail' after allegations of sexual assault resurfaced Hammer said he intended to make a 'social comment about double standards in general' but instead made a poor comparison that he 'deeply regrets making' (Pictured, Parker in February 2017) 'I would like to sincerely apologize to Casey and his family for my recent comments about him in my THR interview. Without knowing the facts about the civil lawsuits at issue (which I now understand were settled), I misspoke,' Hammer said in an email statement to Fox News. 'I conflated sexual harassment cases with a criminal case involving sexual assault charges. The cases in which Casey was involved were not criminal and instead involved civil claims from his 2010 movie I'm Still Here,' the 31-year-old actor continued. In 2010, Affleck was sued for allegedly sexually harassing two female crew members on the set of the film I'm Still Here. The two cases were settled out of court and dismissed, according to The Hollywood Reporter. One of the women claimed Affleck got into her bed while she was sleeping. The other alleged he violently pressured her to stay in his hotel room. The claims were settled in court for an undisclosed amount later that year. In the initial interview, Hammer drew a comparison between the two men: '[Parker] had one incident - which was heinous and atrocious - but his entire life is affected in the worst possible way. And the other guy won the highest award you can get as an actor. It just doesn't make sense.' Affleck won the Best Actor Oscar in 2016 for his role in Manchester by the Sea. Hammer said he intended to make a 'social comment about double standards in general' but instead made a poor comparison that he 'deeply regrets making'. In 2010, Affleck (left) was sued for allegedly sexually harassing two female crew members on the set of the film I'm Still Here. The two cases were settled out of court and dismissed, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Hammer (right) said in his statement that he 'conflated sexual harassment cases with a criminal case involving sexual assault charges' Hammer said in the initial interview that Parker's Birth of a Nation was up for an Oscar last year before the director's 1999 rape allegation was brought up. He and his Penn State roommate were accused of raping a student. Parker (pictured, February 2017) was acquitted 'I also didn't mean to insinuate, nor do I believe, that Casey or anyone from his camp had anything to do with leaked information that took place during the press for 'Birth of a Nation,' Hammer said. Hammer said in the initial interview that Parker's 2016 period drama Birth of a Nation was up for an Oscar last year before the director's 1999 rape allegation was brought up. Parker and Jean Celestin, Parker's college roommate from Penn State and the co-writer of Birth of a Nation, were accused of raping a student when they attended the university in 1999. Celestin was found guilty of sexual assault, but it was overturned when the student did not testify. She reportedly killed herself in 2012. Parker was acquitted of the crime, but was later accused of exposing himself to a female student trainer. Amorous couples are flocking to a beach to have sex 'all day' - and locals are sick of it. Residents near Mudjimba Beach on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, say gay couples are meeting to have anonymous sex metres from where families with young children frolic on the sand. Locals say the 'creepy' couples have transformed the beach from a family hot spot into an 'uncomfortable' area. It comes after a couple was spotted having sex in broad daylight on Sydney's Bronte Beach (pictured) The no-go area extends across a stretch of beach from a new boardwalk all the way to the Twin Waters lifeguard tower. Locals said the men would walk along the beach wearing obscure items of clothing after setting up the encounter on a social media group, then signal each other. 'It is a serious problem that is really getting out of hand, particularly with school holidays approaching,' one told the Sunshine Coast Daily. 'I've been down there fishing and seen them meet up. Knowing you're on a family beach and people are having sex behind you is just uncomfortable.' Gay men are using Mudjimba Beach (pictured) on the Sunshine Coast to have anonymous sex metres from where families with young children frolic on the sand, locals claim. The couples would then disappear into the sand dune to have sex, with the activity so popular they had worn a path to the edge of the fenceline. The source said in recent weeks the issue got worse to the point where men were masturbating in full view of families and made lewd posts of social media. 'This isn't about gay people or me being homophobic, it is just creepy. Go and get a hotel room. We are not against gay culture but we don't think the beach is the place for it,' the local said. Christian Beasley, 32, escaped around 4.10am local time by cutting a hole through steel bars in the ceiling and then jumping over a 20-foot-high wall behind Kerobokan prison Indonesian police are hunting for an American man who escaped Monday from an overcrowded prison in Bali by cutting through steel bars in the ceiling. Christian Beasley, who was being held on suspicion of selling narcotics but hadn't been sentenced, escaped around 4.10am local time by cutting a hole through steel bars in the ceiling and then jumping over a 20-foot-high wall behind the prison. Beasley was arrested in August at a post office in the Kuta tourist area of Bali with a package containing 5.7 grams of hashish. This is the second breakout of foreign inmates at the Kerobokan prison this year. The overcrowded jail is about six miles from the main tourist beaches in the Kuta area, and often holds foreigners facing drug-related charges. 'It is thought that the prisoner escaped ... by cutting through the steel bars above the ceiling,' Badung Police chief Yudith Satria Hananta said in a statement, without giving details of how Beasley escaped without being detected. Beasley, 32, from California, is believed to have then used a rope to climb down a wall before getting over a perimeter wall in an area being refurbished. This is the second breakout of foreign inmates at the Kerobokan prison this year. The overcrowded jail is about six miles from the main tourist beaches in the Kuta area, and often holds foreigners facing drug-related charges (stock image) Police have questioned witnesses and guards and are hunting for Beasley, Hananta said. Another American, Paul Anthony Hoffman, 57, was captured while also trying to escape,the chief said. Representatives of Beasley and Hoffman could not immediately be reached for comment. An investigation was underway to determine if prison guards were involved in the escape, said Surung Pasaribu of the local office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry. He also said there is a shortage of guards for the prison, which was built to accommodate about 300 people but has nearly 1,600 inmates. It was the second escape from the prison in Bali's capital, Denpasar, since June, when inmates from Australia, Bulgaria, India and Malaysia tunneled to freedom about 12 meters under the prison's walls. The Indian and the Bulgarian were caught soon after in neighboring East Timor, but Australian Shaun Edward Davidson and Malaysian Tee Kok King remain at large. Davidson has taunted authorities by saying he was enjoying life in various parts of the world, in purported posts on Facebook. Kerobokan has housed a number of well-known foreign drug convicts, including Australian Schappelle Corby, whose 12-and-a-half year sentence for marijuana smuggling got huge media attention. Indonesia has executed several foreign drug convicts in recent years. The country's prisons are often overcrowded - in part caused by the war on drugs led by the government of President Joko Widodo, which has led to a surge in the number of people locked up. As of June, Kerobokan housed 1,378 inmates, more than four times its planned capacity of 323, government data show. Prison escapes are fairly common in Indonesia, which launched an investigation this year after about 350 inmates broke out of a prison on the island of Sumatra. Showboating probably wouldn't be on your list of priorities if you were on an important airdrop mission flying thousands of feet above the ground. But that wasn't the case for one crazy Russian pilot who performed some dangerous stunts in a fighter jet over the skies over Syria. The footage, that emerged on LiveLeak, was captured from inside a cargo plane and shows a Sukhoi Su-30 jet emerge and cruise behind the freighter after goods are dropped out of the sky. Five cargo containers were dropped from the back of the freighter while on an airdrop mission over Syria As the goods containers fell from the sky, an Su-30 fighter jet, used to escort the cargo plane, emerged and began tailing the aircraft from a dangerously close distance The jet points its nose in the direction of the open hatch and hold its position for almost a full minute before making a dramatic maneuver and flying off In the video, which was uploaded four days ago, five large containers are released from the back of the cargo plane before the escort aircraft comes within metres of the open hatch. The jet points its nose in the direction of the camera and hold its position for almost a full minute. The Su-30 gets close enough that the pilot can be seen in the cockpit. It is believed the stunt took place over the Deir Ezzor province where it was likely on a routine escort mission to supply airdrops. It is unknown whether the stunt was a spur of the moment action or a choreographed maneuver The footage, which was captured by aircrew on the cargo ship, shows the jet dramatically turning upside down and vanishing out of the frame After holding its position behind the freighter, the jet dramatically turns upside down and vanishes out of the frame. As the video finishes, three astonished crew members can be seen celebrating with their arms in the air once the escort pilot finishes his maneuvers. It is believed the stunt took place over the Deir Ezzor province where it was likely on a routine escort mission to supply airdrops, according to AMN. Whether the stunt was a spur of the moment action or a choreographed maneuver is unknown. Advertisement As part of the crew digging a subway extension under the streets of Los Angeles, Ashley Leger always keeps her safety gear close by. When her phone buzzes, she quickly dons a neon vest, hard hat and goggles before climbing deep down into a massive construction site beneath a boulevard east of downtown. Earth-movers are diverted, and Leger gets on her hands and knees and gently brushes the dirt from a spot pointed out by a member of her team. Her heart beats faster because there's a chance she'll uncover what she calls 'the big find.' Scroll down for video A skull of a young Columbian mammoth found at the construction site of the Metro Purple Line extension is placed on a cart at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles subway system is expanding and so too are the number of prehistoric fossils being recovered as crews dig beneath the city Leger is a paleontologist who digs for fossils in the middle of a city rather than an open plain or desert. She works for a company contracted by Los Angeles transportation officials to keep paleontologists on hand as workers extend a subway line to the city's west side. 'They're making sure that they're recovering every single fossil that could possibly show up,' Leger said of her team of monitors. 'They call me anytime things are large and we need to lead an excavation.' Since work on the extension began in 2014, fossilized remains have routinely turned up from creatures that roamed the grasslands and forests that covered the region during the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago. They include a partial rabbit jaw, mastodon tooth, camel foreleg, bison vertebrae, and a tooth and ankle bone from a horse. Paleontologist Ashley Leger shows the skull of a young Columbian mammoth found at the construction site of the Metro Purple Line extension in Los Angeles But the discovery that still makes Leger shake her head in disbelief came about a year ago, shortly after construction began on the project's second phase. She was at home getting ready for bed when a call came in from one of her monitors. 'It looks big,' he told her. The next morning, Leger knelt at the site and recognized what appeared to be a partial elephant skull. It turned out to be much more. After 15 hours of painstaking excavation, the team uncovered an intact skull of a juvenile mammoth. Since work on one extension began in 2014, workers have routinely turned up fossilized remains of rabbits, camels, bison and other creatures that roamed the region during the last Ice Age A skull of a young Columbian mammoth found at the construction site of the Metro Purple Line extension is placed on a cart at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Los Angeles Paleontologist Ashley Leger navigates through the construction site of the Metro Purple Line extension in Los Angeles. Earth-movers are diverted, and Leger gets on her hands and knees and gently brushes the dirt from a spot pointed out by a member of her team 'It's an absolute dream come true for me,' said Leger, who spent the previous decade at a South Dakota mammoth site with no discoveries even close to the size of the one in Los Angeles. 'It's the one fossil you always want to find in your career.' California's stringent environmental laws require scientists to be on hand at certain construction sites. Paleontologists have staffed all L.A. subway digs beginning in the 1990s, when work started on the city's inaugural line, said Dave Sotero, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Paying for the paleontologist staff from Cogstone Resource Management is factored into the project's cost, he said. When scientists are brought in to see what crews might have unearthed, work on the project continues, albeit in a different location. 'Our crews try to be as mindful as possible to help them do their jobs. We get out of their way,' Sotero said, adding that when the mammoth skull was uncovered, construction workers helped deliver it to the mouth of the site. A worker operates a backhoe at the construction site of the Metro Purple Line extension in Los Angeles A worker stands near a backhoe at the construction site of the Metro Purple Line extension in Los Angeles A worker operates a backhoe at the construction site of the Metro Purple Line extension in Los Angeles Workers nail boards to the wall at the construction site of the Metro Purple Line extension in Los Angeles From there, the skull was hauled a mile or so to Los Angeles' La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, home to one of America's most fossil-rich sites. Assistant curator Dr. Emily Lindsey called it a 'pretty remarkable find,' noting that while thousands of dire wolf and saber-toothed cat remains have been uncovered in L.A., there have been only about 30 mammoths. A few hundred pounds and the size of an easy chair, the skull is especially rare because both tusks were attached. It's being studied and is available for public viewing inside the museum's glass-walled Fossil Lab. With a nod to Hollywood, the eight- to 12-year-old Colombian mammoth was named Hayden, for the actress Hayden Panettiere, featured in the TV series 'Nashville' and 'Heroes.' The Cogstone monitor at the construction site had been watching her on television before spotting the speck of bone that turned out to be the intact skull. Similar endeavors have turned up subterranean treasures during digs in other cities. Workers at a San Diego construction site found fossils including parts of a mammoth and a gray whale and multiple layers of ancient seashells. Last year, crews working on a development near Boston's seaport uncovered a 50-foot (15-meter) wooden boat possibly dating as far back as the late 18th century. Lindsey praised California's efforts to ensure science and urban development overlap, while bemoaning what bygone treasures may have been lost before the regulations went into place in the early 1970s. 'Most of the past is below the ground, so you're only going to find it when you dig,' she said. 'As the city grows, I'm sure we'll find more exciting fossil material.' A British graduate has died in her sleep while on a 'trip of a lifetime' to Australia. Chantelle Madonia, who suffered from a heart condition, was five months into a year abroad after completing a master's degree in global governance. The 23-year-old died in her bed in Sydney as a result of atrial septal defect, more commonly referred to as a hole in the heart. Her devastated mother Lisa, of Llanishen, Cardiff, said it was 'comforting' to know that Chantelle 'died living her dream'. Chantelle Madonia, who suffered from a heart condition, was five months into a year abroad in Sydney after completing a master's degree in global governance Chantelle (pictured with her younger sister Isobel) had been paying for her travel costs by working as a waitress in Sydney and hoped to work in cyber security after returning to the UK 'She was loving life there,' she added. 'She worked hard so she could take sight-seeing trips and adventures around the country. 'She'd been enjoying the wildlife trips especially. The trip had been her dream for a long time and was her reward to herself after completing her master's degree. 'Chantelle was an amazing girl and a fantastic daughter. I can't remember a time when she wasn't smiling. 'She wanted to travel the world and she did. She loved meeting new people. She said the people she met in Australia were like a family to her.' Chantelle had been paying for her travel costs by working as a waitress in Sydney and hoped to work in cyber security after returning to the UK. Mrs Madonia said her heart problems had first been revealed in 2012, after doctors detected a murmur. Chantelle had planned to spend a year in Australia after previously travelling to Thailand and Nepal Her devastated mother Lisa (pictured right) said it was 'comforting' to know that Chantelle 'died living her dream' Atrial septal defect: Condition which causes a 'hole in the heart' Atrial septal defect is a congenital heart condition that sufferers are born with although the cause is unknown. The condition usually means that there is a hole in the upper chambers of the heart, which means that the oxygen-rich and the oxygen-poor blood, instead of being kept separate, are allowed to mix and flow from the heart to the body and lungs. Children with ASD only show mild symptoms but can be prone to more chest infections and can sometimes cause breathlessness and a heart murmur. Some small defects just require close monitoring as they can sometimes close on their own. However, larger holes require surgery to correct the defect, although after surgery, most children do not need further operations, and go on to lead normal healthy lives. If not repaired, the ASD may increase the risk for other problems, including heart failure. Advertisement Chantelle's aunt Ellie Tomlin said said thousands of pounds have since been raised to go towards funeral costs. She added: 'Chantelle was so full of life and loved to travel. She always supported her friends and family and was always thinking and worrying about others. 'Every picture you see of her Chantelle always had a smile and that's what comforts us. She was very strong-minded. She was very ambitious. 'We knew Chantelle was popular but we've had so many people want to help us, not just with fundraising but also coming to the house. 'We never thought this would happen but she just inspired so many people.' Chantelle had planned to spend a year in Australia after previously travelling to Thailand and Nepal. Ms Tomlin added: 'She had friends from all over the world and we've had messages from people she met in different countries. It's just been phenomenal.' More than 8,000 has been raised to go towards funeral costs. There are plans to donate any extra money raised to the British Heart Foundation. A fundraising page says: 'All we want to do is to celebrate the courageous, outgoing, wonderful life she lived in such a small space of time.' Kim Jong-un may be attempting to make an arsenal of bioweapons after stepping up moves to build factories and laboratories, it has been claimed. The North Korean dictator is steadily acquiring new machinery that can be used to churn out deadly microbes by the tonne, according to US and Asian intelligence officials. It comes ten years after a report sent to Congress warned secret work was underway to produce a biological weapon - but that the hermit state lacked the technical know-how to complete the programme. Kim Jong-un may be attempting to make an arsenal of bio-weapons after stepping up moves to build factories and laboratories, it has been claimed WHAT ARE BIOWEAPONS? Biological weapons, also known as germ weapons, use any form of disease-causing microbes to attack or kill humans, animals or plants. Lethal bioweapons may be capable of killing hundreds of people, but cannot heavily damage infrastructure or buildings like conventional explosives. Weapons or bombs can be loaded with millions of viruses, bacteria or other infectious agents, including those responsible for smallpox, anthrax, the bubonic plague (black death) and more. The unpredictability of bioweapons, as well as their potential to cause widespread pandemics, means most countries have agreed to ban the entire class. Advertisement But according to the Washington Post, Kim Jong-un has sent experts around the world to secure degrees in microbiology. Analysts in America are concerned that the research could now spiral into full-scale production of dangerous pathogens that can be loaded into bioweaponary. The Post quotes a senior US official as saying: 'That the North Koreans have [biological] agents is known, by various means. The lingering question is, why have they acquired the materials and developed the science, but not yet produced weapons? 'If it started tomorrow we might not know it, unless we're lucky enough to have an informant who happens to be in just the right place.' Biological weapons, also known as germ weapons, use any form of disease-causing microbes to attack or kill humans, animals or plants. It comes ten years after a report sent to Congress warned secret work was underway to produced a biological weapon - but that the hermit state lacked the technical know-how to complete the programme Lethal bioweapons may be capable of killing hundreds of people, but cannot heavily damage infrastructure or buildings like conventional explosives. Weapons or bombs can be loaded with millions of viruses, bacteria or other infectious agents, including those responsible for smallpox, anthrax, the bubonic plague (black death) and more. The unpredictability of bioweapons, as well as their potential to cause widespread pandemics, means most countries have agreed to ban the entire class. It comes as the US, South Korea and Japan started joint exercises today to track missiles from North Korea. The trilateral drill comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and declared it had achieved nuclear statehood, escalating global alarm over its weapons push. The two-day exercise - the sixth since June last year - kicked off in waters near the Korean peninsula and Japan, Seoul's defence ministry said. 'During the drill, Aegis warships from each country will simulate detecting and tracking down potential ballistic missiles from the North and sharing information,' it said in a statement. Two US ships are taking part, with one each from the two Asian countries. Both South Korea and Japan have security alliances with the US, although their own relationship is marred by disputes over history and territory. Washington and Seoul staged their biggest-ever joint air drill last week in a show of force against Pyongyang, which is subject to multiple sets of UN sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes. Tension flared anew in the flashpoint peninsula after the November 29 launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM, which the North claimed could deliver a 'super-large heavy warhead' anywhere on the US mainland. Many analysts suggest that the rocket is capable of reaching the US mainland but voiced scepticism that Pyongyang has mastered the advanced technology needed to allow the rocket to survive re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. Last month's launch was the first test of any kind since September 15, and quashed hopes that the North may have held back in order to open the door to a negotiated solution to the nuclear standoff. The North's leader Kim Jong-Un has traded threats of war and personal insults with US President Donald Trump, heightening fears of another war on the peninsula once devastated by the 1950-53 Korean War. The South condemned the launch and on Monday imposed new unilateral sanctions on its neighbour. Pyongyang regularly condemns joint exercises by the US and its neighbours as preparations for war. But Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera said Sunday: 'It is North Korea that is raising tensions. No one in the world - me, Prime Minister Abe, President Trump or Defence Secretary Mattis - is hoping to have conflicts.' 'If North Korea promises to abandon nuclear and missile programmes, that will lead to dialogue,' he added while visiting an army base in northern Japan to observe a separate Japan-US drill. Advertisement Hezbollah says it will refocus its efforts on fighting the Palestinian cause after Donald Trump chose to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, called on the group and its allies in the region to present a 'united front' against Israel. His announcement came as thousands of the group's supporters took to the streets of Beirut chanting 'Death to America!' and 'Death to Israel!' while carrying banners that read 'Jerusalem, Eternal Capital of Palestine' and 'Jerusalem is Ours'. Nasrallah had called for the demonstration last week. The marches, along with fresh violence in the West Bank and Gaza, came after Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech to EU diplomats in Brussels saying Trump's declaration had 'made peace possible.' Hezbollah has announced it will refocus its efforts on fighting the Palestinian cause after Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel (pictured, anti-Trump banners at a Hezbollah march in Lebanon on Monday) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the group in Lebanon (pictured on Hezbollah's al-Manar TV) made the announcement as thousands took to the streets of Beirut in a day of protests against Trump Nasrallah (whose picture, right, was carried through Beirut along with a portrait of former Hezbollah military leader Imad Mughniyeh) had called for the protests on Sunday Marchers chanted 'Death to America!' and 'Death to Israel!' while carrying banners that read 'Jerusalem, Eternal Capital of Palestine' and 'Jerusalem is Ours' Protesters chant slogans as they hold Lebanese and Palestinian flags during a march in Beirut on Monday Benjamin Netanyahu said he believes that European countries will follow Donald Trump in recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will join the US in moving their embassies there Netanyahu, who met in Brussels with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, also said that Israel has prevented terror attacks in Europe and stopped the spread of radical Islam by providing stability Benjamin Netanyahu also met with Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday, telling Palestinians afterward that the sooner they accept Jerusalem as the new capital of Israel 'the sooner there will be peace' Macron issued his own, much more measured, statement in which he condemned Hamas rocket attacks on Israel but also called for an end to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank Protests across the Muslim world entered their fifth day on Monday. Here a Palestinian throws a rock at Israeli security forces near the city of Ramallah, on the West Bank Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces continued in the West Bank on Thursday. Pictured here, a man kicks a flaming tyre at Israeli security near Ramallah Palestinian paramedic volunteers carry away an injured protester during clashes near Ramallah on Monday Israeli security forces observe Palestinian protesters near Ramallah amid violent clashes Masked protesters throw rocks at Israeli security guards near the Jewish settlement of Beit El, in the West Bank Protesters burn images of Donald Trump in Gaza City in fury at his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel Israeli security forces run toward Palestinian protesters as scenes turn violent in the West Bank on Monday 'There is now an effort an effort to bring forward a new peace proposal by the American administration,' he said after meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini 'I think we should give peace a chance. I think we should see what is presented and see if we can advance peace.' 'It's time that the Palestinians recognise the Jewish state and also recognise the fact that it has a capital. It's called Jerusalem,' he said. 'I believe that, even though we don't have an agreement yet, this is what will happen in the future. I believe that all, or most, of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and engage robustly with us for security, prosperity and peace.' Mogherini reiterated that the bloc would continue to recognise the 'international consensus' on Jerusalem. Erdogan: US is 'partner to bloodshed' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the US todayit was a 'partner to bloodshed' after Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel sparked violence. Erdogan bitterly opposes Trump's decision and has sought to mobilise the Muslim world against it, calling a summit of Islamic countries on December 13 in Istanbul. The Turkish president, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, said the 'struggle' of Muslims would not end until there was an independent Palestinian state. 'They will never be able to clean the blood,' he said in a speech in Ankara. 'With this recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it (the United States) has become a partner to this bloodshed. We do not recognise this decision, we will not,' he added. Turkey had high hopes for relations under the Trump presidency, but ties have frayed with rows over the Syria conflict, a New York legal case and now Jerusalem. Erdogan said that the current 'vandalism and cruelty' in Jerusalem would not last. 'Those who think they own Jerusalem today will not find trees to hide behind,' he said. Advertisement She repeated the Union's commitment to a two-state solution and that it was in Israel's interest to find a sustainable solution to its conflict with the Palestinians. The EU, she said, would step up its peace efforts and would hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas next month. She also condemned attacks on Israel and on Jews elsewhere in the world, including in Europe where a synagogue was firebombed in the Swedish city of Gothenburg at the weekend. A demonstration condemning Netanyahu's visit is planned for later in the morning in Brussels. Protesters also took to the streets in Iran, with a few hundred conservatives marching in Tehran, chanting 'the US is a murderer', 'Palestinian mothers are losing their children' and 'Death to America'. A neon board on the side of the square announced that there were only 8,240 days left for Israel - a reference to a speech by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which he predicted the end of Israel by 2030. 'Mr Trump has done a good job of speeding things up. We were expecting Israel to be dismantled later... but this is the beginning of the end of Israel,' said Hosseini. 'We have to thank him for what he did.' Netayahu's comments came after a meeting with Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday, in which he said the sooner Palestinians can accept Jerusalem as Israel's capital, 'the sooner there will be peace'. Macron called for Netanyahu to show 'courage' in restarting the peace process and called for an end to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank. In a concession to Netanyahu, he started the statement by condemning 'all the attacks of the last few days', including rockets launched by Hamas at the Jewish state. Netanyahu had earlier said he planned to rebuke Macron for condemning Trump's statement, but ignoring the attacks by Hamas. The Jewish leader also hit out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had earlier branded Israel a 'terrorist country' that 'kills children'. 'I am not used to receiving lectures about morality from a leader who bombs Kurdish villagers in his native Turkey, who jails journalists, who helps Iran get around international sanctions, and who helps terrorists, including in Gaza, kill innocent people,' Netanyahu said. 'That is not the man who is going to lecture us.' Macron had taken a phone call from Erdogan, according to a source close to the Turkish leader, and agreed that Trump's declaration had not been good for the region. Erdogan also spoke to other regional leaders and vowed to do everything possible to reverse the declaration. Armed members of the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamist organisation Palestinian Islamic Jihad, march in Gaza The Al-Quds brigades took to the streets of Gaza City on Monday to protest against Donald Trump's decision Palestinian women wave national flags while chanting slogans during an anti-Trump march in Gaza City Marchers holding a Palestinian flag walk through the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Monday As Netanyahu spoke protesters in Indonesia took to the streets for a fifth straight day of demonstrations Effigies of Donald Trump were burned in the street in anger at his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital An Indonesian protester holds the Palestinian national flag during a rally against Trump held in Jakarta on Monday Hamas tunnel destroyed The Israeli military destroyed a Hamas tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into its territory on Sunday. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, told reporters that Israel had used a new set of 'tools' developed since the 2014 war with Hamas in order to destroy the tunnel. He said forces had detected the tunnel months ago and continued to monitor construction efforts by Hamas militants before demolishing it. Israel has made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority since that war, when Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel. Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations caught Israel off guard, killing five soldiers in one attack, and terrified the local population. Conricus said a new system involving combat units, military intelligence, logistics and research had been used to destroy the tunnel. Advertisement Earlier on Sunday, a 25-year-old Israeli security guard was left in critical condition after being stabbed at Jerusalem's central bus station. The guard was attacked with a kitchen knife by a 24-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank as he approached a metal detector who fled but was arrested after being tackled by a passerby. Meanwhile demonstrators burned Israeli flags and clashed with police elsewhere in the West Bank, while Palestinian Christians also held a march denouncing Trump's decision. In Lebanon scenes outside the US embassy turned ugly as police were forced to use tear gas and water cannon to force back rioters who tried to storm the building. Marchers in Jalalabad,Afghanistan, also burned effigies of Trump and thousands gathered on the streets of Jakarta, Indonesia, in a fourth straight day of anger. Missiles were fired into Israel from Gaza on Friday night, provoking a response from Israeli fighter jets and tanks that left two members of Hamas dead. The most serious disturbances came at Rachel's Tomb near Hebron, in Tulkarm and on the outskirts of Bethlehem. A Palestinian youth was critically injured when he was hit in the eye by a rubber bullet in Ramallah, local media reported. The Israeli police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, denied this, saying that protesters were 'precisely injured in the lower part of the body'. A 25-year-old Israeli security guard is in critical condition in hospital after being stabbed at Jerusalem's central bus station Police say they have arrested a 24-year-old man and are questioning him, but say his background and motivation are not clear The attack happened as violent clashes continued across the West Bank and Gaza after Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital city Demonstrators attempted to break into the embassy in Lebanon before police managed to force them back A burning Israeli flag is draped across barbed wire outside the US embassy in Aukar, east of Beirut, on Sunday Protesters run from riot police after they used water cannon and tear gas outside the American embassy Meanwhile, three Israelis were wounded as a bus travelling near Haifa in northern Israel came under attack by Arab youths hurling rocks. The driver was injured by flying glass and evacuated to hospital while two passengers were treated at the scene, near the town of Arara. Police made two arrests. Demonstrations were also held elsewhere in the country, including in Umm el-Fahm, Rehat, Tira and Tamra, but these were significantly smaller than those seen on Friday's 'day of rage'. Nevertheless, the protests on Friday and the subsequent scuffles were less serious than had been expected, falling well short of the 'new intifada' demanded by Hamas. It came after about 25,000 Israelis demanded that Mr Netanyahu resign by taking to the streets of Tel Aviv last night, chanting 'mafia, mafia', and 'being a pig isn't kosher'. They were voicing concerns over claims that Mr Netanyahu received gifts from wealthy businessmen and made a deal with a newspaper for positive reporting, and that legislation was drafted to keep the allegations secret. A similar protest in Haifa turned violent when a group of anarchists supporting the boycott of Israel joined the march. The rallies followed a huge demonstration last week, when about 30,000 people spontaneously protested against corruption on Rothschild Boulevard, one of Tel Aviv's most iconic streets, in one of the largest rallies in recent memory. Naftali Bennett, the Right-wing leader of the Bait Yehudi party, made a bold pitch to become Israel's next prime minister, saying he has 'broad experience in business, economics, government and security and I plan to use all of it.' He stopped short, however, of calling for early elections. In a further sign of diplomatic backlash over the Trump announcement, a Palestinian Authority official confirmed that its president, Mahmoud Abbas, would pull out of a meeting with US vice president Mike Pence later this month. A White House aide said that the meeting was still scheduled, however, adding that would be 'counterproductive' for Mr Abbas to cancel it. Palestinian officials are understood to be lobbying the UN security council to pass a resolution demanding that the US withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Fourteen out of the 15 members of the Security Council condemned Mr Trump's move in an emergency meeting in New York on Friday. Yesterday, the Arab League demanded that the US change its stance on Jerusalem for fear that it would stoke further unrest across the region. A Russian mother has been jailed for 18 and a half years for killing two of her sons with a drug once used as 'rat poison'. Elena Kordyukova, 39, from Ekaterinburg had also attempted to murder another son the same way, but doctors were able to save his life. A fourth child, a daughter, had also died young, but forensic scientists were unable to determine her cause of death. Killer mother: Elena Kordyukova, pictured with her son Mikhail, was found to have poisoned three of her four children, killing two and leaving a third seriously ill Kordyukova's childre; sons Ilya, Maxim and Mikhail and daughter Alexandra all suffered from a rare genetic disorder called atypical haemolytic-uremic syndrome. It causes the formation of blood clots in small blood vessels throughout the body, leading to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and death. Maxim, Mikhail and Alexandra all died under the age of three. Kordyukova told police she wanted her children to die so she could have more children 'without health problems'. The remains of Maxim and Mikhail were exhumed and found to have significant traces of Warfarin, an anticoagulant drug originally developed as a rat poison. Murderer: Kordyukova, pictured with Mikhail, was accused of also poisoning the couple's daughter Alexandra, but when her remains were exhumed her body was so decomposed that forensic experts could not determine a cause of death The Kordyukovs children Ilya, Maxim, Mikhail and Alexandra all suffered from a rare genetic disorder called atypical haemolytic-uremic syndrome Kordyukova told police she wanted her children to die so she could have more children 'without health problems' The drug could have been used to treat their disorder, but is lethal in large doses. Alexandra's body was also exhumed but had already decomposed to the point where forensic experts were unable to tell whether she had also been poisoned. Her eldest son Ilya, eight, was found to have taken 30 doses of the drug administered by his mother while in hospital. He was left in a 'grave' condition but survived. The children's father Andrey Kordyukov described his wife as a 'loving mother' who had tried to save her children. But a court in Ekaterinburg was told that she had confessed to murder and attempted murder, saying she 'had tried to cure them, but it was easier to get rid of this burden and try to give birth to new children who were healthy'. Elena Kordyukova, pictured in court, has been jailed for 18 and a half years for the murders Defending: Andrey Kordyukov, pictured in court, has defended his wife and says their child who is still alive, Ilya, needs her at home Psychiatrists found she was 'completely normal' and aware of her crimes, the judge was told. Police say her husband was unaware of her killing spree. He said Ilya needed his mother at home and they would appeal her sentence. Added to time she has already been in detention, she will serve a full 20 years, the maximum for a woman in Russia. 'She is a wonderful mother. I saw how caring she was for the children,' he said. He claimed she told him that she had been 'forced' to make a confession. A schoolgirl narrowly missed having a skin graft after a dangerous YouTube craze left her with burns and no feeling in her hand. Ebony Worthington, 10, had to be taken to a specialist burns unit after taking part in the 'Aerosol challenge', which sees youngsters spray deodorant on their skin at close range for as long as they possibly can. The youngster, of Farnworth, near Bolton, sprayed aerosol on her hand for a few minutes, leaving an angry red burn. The next day at school the mark on Ebony's hand had swollen up and looked infected, so her teachers rang her mother to refer her to hospital. She was rushed to hospital and referred to Manchester Children's Hospital burns unit where doctors were inclined to perform a skin graft. Ebony Worthington, 10, had to be taken to a specialist burns unit after taking part in the 'Aerosol challenge', which sees youngsters spray deodorant on their skin at close range for as long as they possibly can. She is pictured in hospital Her mother Kirsty Heathcote, 30, is frantic with worry and unable to see her daughter in hospital as she has a cold and can't risk exposing her to any germs. She told the Bolton News: 'At first they thought she might need a skin graft, which would have been awful I hated the thought of her being in so much pain because of this silly challenge. 'Unfortunately, some kids have seen this craze on YouTube and it has just spread from there - they don't realise the seriousness of what it can do to you, and neither did I. 'Parents need to be aware of what their children are watching on Youtube. Every child is seeing these kind of videos now, but they don't understand the dangers.' Ebony's classmates have been warned not to make her mistake and try the 'damaging and painful' challenge. Her injuries are due to heal in the next four to six weeks, but her mother is still worried about long-term damage, which could affect her passion for gymnastics. With Ms Heathcote unable to visit her daughter, her grandmother has stayed by her bedside and will accommodate her when she is discharged. Earlier this year Cornwall mother Sara Pears Stanley posted pictures of her daughter Kaitlyn's arms (pictured) covered in red burns after she did it She said: It has all come from these Youtube videos - I have watched a few and there are some that really go wrong. 'After she had done it, Ebony came downstairs and put her hand on the freezer and said she had banged it. 'An hour later, she came back and showed me the mark on her hand - it was white and a perfect circle. 'The next day, her school phoned me to say that they were very concerned - the mark had started to swell and had gone numb. 'It looked infected and the hospital told us it was a bad burn, so they contacted the burns unit at Manchester Children's Hospital. Teenagers across Britain have been taking to YouTube to film themselves spraying deodorant on their skin at close range for as long as they can for the last few years 'At first they thought she might need a skin graft, which would have been awful - I hated the thought of her being in so much pain because of this silly challenge. 'Fortunately, she just needed it bandaged, but she was very close to needing a graft. She was very lucky.' She continued: 'It's a nightmare. I can't believe that something this simple can cause so much damage. 'I keep the deodorant in the bathroom and I have never thought that it should be hidden away because it is a danger. 'Ebony has no feeling in the top of her hand at the moment, so we just have to hope that is not long-term. 'She does gymnastics and I don't want this to jeopardise the things that she enjoys.' 'I have been to the school and they told me that every teacher has spoken to their classes about it. Hopefully none of them will try it again. 'This has been awful for me, but my mum has been amazing and hasn't left Ebony's side. 'Ebony has been so brave and she has definitely realised how silly she was and the consequences of her actions. Another concerned parent posts a graphic warning about the 'Aerosol challenge' The consequences are extremely painful and can leave lasting damage to the skin (pictured) 'She is a very bright girl, so we are all surprised that she would do this. It just goes to show how easily influenced any child can be. 'I worry about what the next challenge will be. The next one could fatally harm someone.' The 'Aerosol challenge' first emerged a few years ago, with children and teenagers across Britain rushing to try the new craze. But pictures posted by concerned parents on social media have shown the damaging effect it can have on young people's sensitive skin. Earlier this year Cornwall mother Sara Pears Stanley posted pictures of her daughter Kaitlyn's arms covered in red burns after she did it. She wrote on Facebook: 'Apparently the new craze up Bodmin college is the 'deodorant challenge'. I've warned Kaitlyn not to do it again...Just want you all to be aware'. The British Skin Foundation has condemned the trend, branding it 'painful and damaging'. A spokesman told MailOnline: 'The British Skin Foundation would never encourage the use of any aerosol product in close proximity to the skin for a prolonged period. 'These products should be used appropriately and responsibly as extended use can lead to the freezing action producing a cryogenic burn. 'Short term this is both painful and damaging but prolonged exposure could lead to permanent damage or disfigurement.' A former beauty queen-turned-drug-dealer who suffered horrific burns when a grenade blew up in her face during a dramatic police raid has been spared jail. Felicia Djamirze, 29, was charged with drug trafficking offences after a police operation targeted Queensland's Fraser Coast cocaine and ice dealers last year. The former Miss Australia International was asleep with her alleged bikie-linked partner when officers threw flash grenades into the bedroom in February 2016. She was told by prosecutors on Monday she 'cannot complain about the collateral damage that occurred' during the raid, the Fraser Coast Chronicle reported. Felicia Djamirze (pictured left prior to raid), who suffered horrific burns (right) when a grenade blew up in her face during a dramatic police raid, has been spared jail Djamirze was a respected member of the community before she got involved with the wrong crowd, her defence counsel told Brisbane Supreme Court. 'She was in the wrong place at the wrong time and with the wrong partner. What a gross understatement that is,' Bruce Walmsley reportedly said. But Djamirze knew her partner at the time, Dean O'Donnell, was dealing drugs, prosecutors argued. She was handed a three-year suspended jail term for supplying a dangerous drug, with the judge adding he didn't expect to see her before the courts again. The former Miss Australia International was asleep with her alleged bikie-linked partner when officers threw flash grenades into the bedroom in February 2016 Shortly after the police raid, Djamirze spoke to Channel Nine's A Current Affair program about the incident. 'I thought I was going to die... they left me there to burn,' she said at the time. 'I was in a state of shock. "Burnt, I'm burnt," I repeated myself over and over, and I was told, "You are not burnt... you'll be fine." 'I had glass all through my face, my scalp. I had glass all through in my right eye... I didn't even know if I had a face left.' Djamirze said she had no comment as she left court on Monday. O'Donnell is expected to be sentenced later this month. CCTV has captured the moment heartless thieves led a poorly dog away from a service station while its owner was distracted. Sophie Macaskill, 37, was travelling home to Manchester when her mini dachshund called Ruby fell ill and was sick, so she pulled into the Rivington Services near Chorley in Lancashire. But as Ms Macaskill cleaned her car a gang of four stole Ruby - who urgently needs treatment after being mauled by another dog. Ruby the miniature dachshund was snatched from outside a service station in Lancashire As the other members of the group keep watch, one man leads Ruby away from the scene Ms Macaskill, from Manchester, said: 'I'm just so anxious - I can't stop thinking about her. 'I keep waking up in the night - I'm just so incredibly worried. 'She's not in great health and needs her medication and an operation. 'I tied her up outside the services so I could use the toilets and she was there for a really short amount of time.' Shocking CCTV footage shows the gang of two men and two women scan the area for Ruby's owner on December 3 before running over to the little dog and leading her away. Shocking CCTV footage shows the gang of two men and two women scan the area for Ruby's owner Ruby was mauled by another dog and is need of surgery and medication. Pictured, the distinctive markings on her back where she was shaved for treatment Lancashire police confirmed they were investigating reports of a dog theft from Rivington Services and are appealing for anyone who saw these people Ruby's owner, from Manchester, said: 'I'm just so anxious - I can't stop thinking about her' A Twitter page has now been set up appealing for help from members of the public and any witnesses who may have seen the theft, or seen Ruby since. Lancashire police confirmed they were investigating reports of a dog theft from Rivington Services on Sunday, December 3. Detectives are asking for anyone who can identify the people in the CCTV images to get in touch. Her owner said: 'I tied her up outside the services so I could use the toilets and she was there for a really short amount of time' Detectives are asking for anyone who can identify the people in the CCTV images to get in touch Ruby is on antibiotics and painkillers, without out which she could be at risk of infection after being bitten by another dog A Lancashire Police spokesman said: 'Ruby was last seen at Rivington Service Station on the M61, on Sunday when her owner went inside to use the facilities. 'We believe Ruby may have been stolen and are investigating.' Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting SC1709369. A young woman has mercilessly mocked police on Facebook. Tiana Hewitson, 22, was wanted in relation to an outstanding warrant for fraud offences. Police took to Facebook on November 16 to post a picture of Ms Hewitson and appeal to the public for information on her whereabouts. Police took to Facebook on November 16 to post a picture of Ms Hewitson and appeal to the public for information on her whereabouts But it seems the young woman has made a mockery of the post commenting on it nearly a month later. 'I'm free you putrid dogs they still haven't got me hahahahahahahaha,' she wrote on December 7 in response to NSW Police on Facebook. 'Anyone who sees Ms Hewitson is advised not to approach her,' NSW Police previously said. NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia the woman had actually been arrested in November. 'She is currently on bail and is due to appear before court on December 18,' a police spokesperson said. 1980 - Jessica Leeds Jessica Leeds, a 75-year-old former businesswoman who lives in Manhattan, told the New York Times last year that she was 'assaulted' by Trump on a flight when she was 38. Leeds explained how she was sat beside Trump in first class on a flight, when the Republican nominee lifted the arm-rest between then and allegedly began touching her. 'He was like an octopus,' she told the Times. 'His hands were everywhere.' 1989 - Ivana Trump The Donald's first wife claimed she was 'violated' by him after a violent attack, documents filed as part of the couple's divorce claimed, according to the Daily Beast. Ivana distanced herself from the claims last year when Trump started his campaign. Early 1990s - Kristin Anderson Kristin Anderson was out with friends, chatting up a storm at a Manhattan nightspot, when she felt fingers creep up her miniskirt, slide up her inner thigh and then touch her vagina through her panties. Anderson, now 47, told the Washington Post that it was Donald Trump who touched her at the nightclub. She said the incident took place in the early 1990s, when she was in her early twenties and an aspiring model. 1993 - Jill Harth Jill Harth, a makeup artist, accused Trump of 'attempted rape' stemming from an incident in 1993. Harth told the Guardian the incident in question took place during a visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in January of that year. 'He pushed me up against the wall, and had his hands all over me and tried to get up my dress again,' she told the newspaper. 'I had to physically say: 'What are you doing? Stop it.'' 1993 - Vendela Kirsebom Former supermodel Vendela Kirsebom exclusively told DailyMail.com that Donald Trump's 'vulgar' and 'sexist' remarks about the size of women's breasts forced her to switch tables at a White House dinner party. The sports Illustrated cover model claims her night at a 1993 Vanity Fair event was ruined because she was sat next to the billionaire. Recalling the 'excruciating' night, Kirsebom, 50, said: 'Everything he said was so vulgar. 'I couldn't listen to his nonsense for an entire night so I asked if I could be moved.' 1996 - Lisa Boyne Lisa Boyne, CEO of a health food company, claims that in the summer of 1996 she saw Trump make a series of women walk up and down a restaurant table so that he could announce whether they were wearing underwear. 'It was the most offensive scene I've ever been a part of,' she told The Huffington Post last year. 'I wanted to get the heck out of there.' According to Boyne, she and friend Sonja Tremont - better known today as Sonja Morgan of 'Real Housewives of New York' - had been invited to dinner in Manhattan with Trump and late modelling agent John Casablancas. 1997 - Four Miss Teen USA contestants Mariah Billado and three other contestants claimed to Buzzfeed that Trump walked into dressing rooms prior to the pageant while competitors were naked. 'I remember putting on my dress really quick because I was like, "Oh my god, there's a man in here",' she told Buzzfeed Bilado told the website that Trump then said something like: 'Don't worry, ladies, I've seen it all before'. 1997 - Miss USA contestant Temple Taggart Temple Taggart, a former Miss Utah, told the New York Times last year that Trump kissed her on the lips during the pageant. 'I thought, "Oh my God, gross"... I think there were a few other girls that he kissed on the mouth. I was like "Wow, that's inappropriate",' she told the newspaper. Taggart has also sat down for an interview with NBC News. 'When I first heard the leaked tape, it's very unsettling... you don't want to hear anyone talking about women like that,' she said in a promotion clip for the interview. 1997 - Cathy Heller Cathy Heller, now 64, claims the billionaire kissed her on the mouth without her consent in 1997 while she attended a Mother's Day luncheon with her family at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. She told The Guardian last year: 'He took my hand, and grabbed me, and went for the lips,' she said. She claimed she held back but he persevered. 'And he said, "Oh, come on". He was strong. He grabbed me and went for my mouth and went for my lips.' Trump denied the accusation, claiming she was motivated by a personal vendetta to have her family's membership fees reimbursed. 2000 - Miss USA contestant Bridget Sullivan Bridget Sullivan told Buzzfeed last year that the then-owner of the pageant walked through the backstage area to wish contestants good luck, despite the fact many of them were naked at the time. 'The time that he walked through the dressing rooms was really shocking. We were all naked,' Sullivan said. She went on to describe Trump as a 'creepy uncle', saying he would 'hug you just a little low on your back.' Buzzfeed spoke with four other contestants from that year - none whom remembered Trump walking through the dressing room when contestants were naked. 2001 - Miss USA contestant Tasha Dixon Tasha Dixon told CBS News last year walked into the changing rooms at the pageant without warning, meaning many of the competitors were naked or not fully dressed. 'Our first introduction to him was when we were at the dress rehearsal and half naked changing into our bikinis,' Dixon said in an interview. 'He just came strolling right in. 'There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.' 2003 - Mindy McGillivray Mindy McGillivray, 36, told the Palm Beach Post that Trump grabbed her backside after she helped a photographer who was covering a concert at Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion. McGillivray, who was 23 at the time, said she was with Ken Davidoff at the Mar-a-Lago on January 24, 2003. 'All of a sudden I felt a grab, a little nudge. I think it's Ken's camera bag, that was my first instinct,' she told the newspaper. 'I turn around and there's Donald. He sort of looked away quickly.' 2004 - Trump discussed what he thought it would be like to have sex with a teenage Lindsay Lohan on the Howard Stern Show 'She's probably deeply troubled and therefore great in bed,' Trump told Stern when asked by the shock jock if he could imagine bedding 'troubled teen' Lindsay Lohan. Trump went on to say: 'How come the deeply troubled women, you know, deeply, deeply troubled, they're always the best in bed?' At the time of the interview, Lohan was just 18 years old. Trump was 58. The conversation continued with Trump speaking about a friend he described as 'a great Playboy' and who he said only wants to date 'crazy' women. 2005 - Rachel Crooks Rachel Crooks was a 22-year-old working as a receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate company based in Trump Tower in Manhattan, when she says Trump kissed her on the mouth without permission while in an elevator in 2005. 'It was so inappropriate,' Ms. Crooks told the New York Times. 'I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.' Crooks told the newspaper the incident took place after she shook hands with Trump in an elevator and he allegedly refused to let go. She says he then began kissing her on the cheeks, before then kissing her lips. 2005 - Donald Trump admits he would 'inspect' pageant contestants backstage Donald Trump bragged about the extra power he had during an interview with Howard Stern in April 2005, the tapes of which have been released by CNN. 'I'll tell you the funniest is that I'll go backstage before a show and everyone's getting dressed,' Trump said about the pageant. 'No men are anywhere, and I'm allowed to go in, because I'm the owner of the pageant and therefore I'm inspecting it. "Is everyone OK?" You know, they're standing there with no clothes. "Is everybody OK?" 'And you see these incredible looking women, and so I sort of get away with things like that.' 2005 - Trump brags about being able to grope women without consent to Billy Bush on the set of Access Hollywood 'You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful - I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait,' he was heard saying to Billy Bush on the set of Access Hollywood in 2005 in a recording published by the Washington Post last year. 'And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.' 2005 - Natasha Stoynoff Natasha Stoynoff recounted how she had traveled to Mar-a-Largo to interview Trump and his wife, Melania, in December 2005. She said Donald took her into a room he really wanted to see, before forcing himself on her. 'We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds, he was pushing me against the wall, and forcing his tongue down my throat,' she wrote for People. Stoynoff went on to say how she was rescued when a butler walked in, however when the two were alone again shortly after Trump told her they were 'going to have an affair'. 2006 - Samantha Holvey Samantha Holvey claims that as a 20-year-old representing North Carolina in the 2006 Miss USA pageant, Trump would inspect her and other contestants before the competition. She has said she was 'disgusted' by the now-president's repeated behavior. It was 'the dirtiest I felt in my entire life,' she told CNN last year. 'He would step in front of each girl and look you over from head to toe like we were just meat, we were just sexual objects, that we were not people.' 2007 - Summer Zervos - contestant on The Apprentice Summer Zervos, who was a contestant on the fifth season of The Apprentice, said Trump groped and kissed her in his room at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2007. She claims that she reached out to Trump a year after she left the show to speak about possible business opportunities, and when she met with him he kissed her 'open mouthed' multiple times, and at one point placed his hand on her breast. She claims he then had her lie in bed with him she said telling her he wanted to watch 'telly telly', but soon after began 'thrusting his genitals' at her despite her pleas asking him to stop. Zervos said during a press conference about her accusations: 'You do not have the right to treat women as sexual objects just because you are a star.' 2009 - Called Khloe Kardashian 'a fat piglet' Trump made rude and offensive comments about Khloe Kardashian's physical appearance and weight while she filmed Celebrity Apprentice back in 2009, according to multiple people who worked on the set. 'He said: "Why don't we fire Khloe? She is a fat piglet. Why did we get the ugly Kardashian?"' a source told Huffington Post. 2010 - Friend of CNN anchor Erin Burnett Erin Burnett detailed an encounter that a friend had with Trump in March 2010 in the boardroom at Trump Tower, when he allegedly tried to kiss her without permission. The woman told Burnett, according to CNN: 'Trump took Tic Tacs, suggested I take them also. He then leaned in, catching me off guard, and kissed me almost on lips. I was really freaked out. 'After (the meeting), Trump asked me to come into his office alone. Was really unsure what to do. ... Figured I could handle myself. 'Anyway, once in his office he kept telling me how special I am and gave me his cell, asked me to call him. I ran the hell out of there.' 2013 - Miss USA contestant Cassandra Searles Searles, who won Miss Washington in 2013, said Trump tried to seduce her, groped her, and treated the women in the pageant 'like cattle', according to Yahoo News. 'Do y'all remember that one time we had to do our onstage introductions, but this one guy treated us like cattle and made us do it again because we didn't look him in the eyes?' she wrote last year. 'Do you also remember when he then proceeded to have us lined up so he could get a closer look at his property? 'Oh I forgot to mention that guy will be in the running to become the next President of the United States.' She then added: 'He probably doesn't want me telling the story about that time he continually grabbed my a** and invited me to his hotel room.' Theresa May was lashed for offering a Brexit deal that is 'unravelling quicker than a hand-knitted Christmas jumper' today as she defended her agreement with Brussels. Labour's Lords leader Baroness Angela Smith tonight said Brexit Secretary David Davis being forced onto the airwaves to clear up remarks he made yesterday was a bad sign for the deal's future. The Prime Minister is fighting to keep her draft agreement afloat long enough for EU leaders to certify sufficient progress has been made on the divorce and start trade talks. Mr Davis risked derailing the agreement when he said it was not binding - but Dublin and Brussels reacted calmly to the apparent cracks in the consensus. Mrs May was bolstered in the Commons this afternoon as Tory MPs put on a rare show of unity in support of the deal - just days after renewed rumours she could be ousted. Backbencher Philip Davies made an isolated attack on Mrs May to protest Britain agreeing a divorce bill of up to 39billion. But as Iain Duncan Smith and Anna Soubry united across the Tories' internal ideological divide, Mrs May was cheered as she said no money would be paid without a UK-EU trade deal. Labour's Lords leader Baroness Angela Smith (pictured in the Lords tonight) said Brexit Secretary David Davis being forced onto the airwaves to clear up remarks he made yesterday was a bad sign Mrs May insisted the 39billion divorce bill showed the UK was taking 'responsibility' and meant the taxpayer would soon see 'significant savings' that could be pumped back into key public services David Davis and Boris Johnson were in the Commons to hear the PM's statement today Responding to the statement in the Lords tonight, Lady Smith said while businesses needed certainty the Brexit Secretary was 'all over the place and hardly a safe pair of hands'. In response to a repeat of the Prime Minister's statement on the negotiations, she urged Mrs May to 'read the riot act to squabbling, inconsistent ministers'. Calling for clarity from the Government, Lady Smith said: 'There is a real fear this seems to be unravelling quicker than a hand-knitted Christmas jumper.' The Brexit Secretary was embarrassingly sent out this morning to correct his comments - promising that Britain would stand by the arrangements and they were 'more than legally enforceable'. The climbdown appears to have defused the row for the time being, with Irish PM Leo Varadkar - who previously insisted the agreement is 'bullet proof' - saying he was 'very happy with the clarification'. The government is desperate to paper over the cracks at least until after a crucial EU summit later this week, when the bloc's leaders will decide whether to approve the start of trade talks. Amid fears that the deal has already tied us into 'soft' Brexit, Mrs May told the House that powers over 'borders, money and laws' would be reclaimed. She was given the benefit of the doubt by many Tory MPs concerned about derailing the Brexit process altogether, but some still voiced significant misgivings about the divorce deal and trade commitments. Amid fears that the deal has already tied us into 'soft' Brexit, Theresa May told the Commons today that powers over 'borders, money and laws' would be reclaimed Conservative backbencher Philip Davies told Mrs May: 'She said there had been give and take in this negotiation and she is absolutely right - we are giving the EU tens of billions of pounds and they are taking it.' As a temporary Tory peace broke out, ex minister Ms Soubry demanded Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn welcome the 'major step forward' after labelling his response in the Commons as 'pitiful', adding she was confused over his view on the agreement. Tory former cabinet minister Ken Clarke, another pro-EU MP, was cheered by colleagues after he congratulated the Prime Minister for her 'triumph' last week. HOW THE IRISH BORDER ISSUE COULD WRECK THE DEAL What is 'full alignment'? In last week's Brexit deal, Theresa May agreed to keep the UK in 'full alignment' with the EU on issues relevant to Northern Ireland. Remainers seized upon the language to say it meant Britain would be closely tied to Brussels, but ministers insist it does not mean Britain will be tied directly to the single market and customs union. David Davis said it meant Britain will meet the same 'outcomes' but not do it 'by just copying what the EU does'. What is 'divergence'? Brexiteers warn it would be a disaster to tie Britain too closely to the EU's rules. They want to allow for maximum 'divergence' distance from the EU so Britain can negotiate better trade deals with non-EU countries. However, managing the border between the North and South of Ireland becomes more difficult the more the UK diverges from EU rules. For example, if Britain did a US trade deal to allow chlorine-washed chicken into the UK, how can you prevent the chicken being sold into the European market? What happens next? Cabinet ministers will consider next week what the UK wants the 'end state' of relations with the EU to look like that is, how much divergence they will seek. In theory, the more distance Britain seeks, the more restrictive its trade deal could be. The Cabinet's crunch meeting is next Tuesday expect Remainers to call for less divergence and Brexiteers for more freedom. Advertisement Iain Duncan Smith, a prominent Brexiteer and former Tory leader, joined Mr Clarke in congratulating Mrs May on 'driving through an improved agreement'. Shipley MP Mr Davies pointed out that Mrs May's mantra that 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed' implied there was no legal obligation to pay a divorce bill. 'Can the PM explain why she is paying tens of billions of pounds to the EU that are not legally due when she is continuing with a policy of austerity at home?' he said. Many of my constituents simply do not understand why this money comes from.' Mrs May also had to deny a suggestion from another Tory, Mike Wood, that the UK could face 'punishment payments' in future. Mrs May said she had never pretended Brexit would be an 'easy process'. 'It has required give and take for the UK and the EU to move forward together. And that is what we have done,' she said. She insisted that the settlement on a divorce bill of around 39billion represented the UK acting 'responsibly'. It will mean that soon the government will be sending less to Brussels and would have 'more money to spend on our priorities at home' - such as housing, schools and the NHS. The PM also warned that the payment would be 'off the table' if a trade agreement with the EU was not reached. Sealing the divorce deal was 'good news for people who voted Leave and Remain' as there would be a 'smooth and orderly' withdrawal from the bloc. Mrs May said she was now focused on securing a 'partnership between the European Union and a sovereign United Kingdom that has taken control of its borders, money and laws once again'. Last week after a frenetic 24 hours of diplomacy Mrs May concluded her agreement with European Commission negotiators on the rights of EU nationals, the divorce settlement and Northern Ireland. It included a provision that there will be 'full alignment' between the UK and EU on key trade rules. The clause was essential to winning Irish support, but sparked fury in the DUP - whose 10 MPs are propping Mrs May up in power. They humiliatingly torpedoed the PM's first attempt to seal the deal on Monday, even though she was already in Brussels about to make a statement with Mr Juncker. After days of frantic work, a new clause was included spelling out that any alignment would apply to the UK as a whole rather than just Northern Ireland. However, Mr Davis risked reopening the bitter dispute yesterday as he moved to calm concerns that the commitment meant the whole UK would 'cut and paste' rules from Brussels. Mr Davis was sent out today to calm a burgeoning row with Ireland over his claim the divorce deal was not 'legally binding' Michael Gove was among the ministers at Downing Street today for the Cabinet meeting Leading Brexiteer Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who has been pushing for a softer break from the EU, were also at the Cabinet meeting today He said the deal on Ireland was 'much more a statement of intent than it was a legally enforceable thing', and Britain would be allowed to change its rules as long as they resulted in similar outcomes. The Irish government's chief whip, Joe McHugh, said last night: 'We will as a government, a sovereign government in Ireland, be holding the UK to account, as will the EU.' And Ireland's deputy PM Simon Coveney said the UK had made a 'clear and positive commitment'. 'Art.46 of Fridays agreed text re Ireland/NI: 'The commitments and the principles...are made and must be upheld in all circumstances, irrespective of the nature of any future agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom.' - clear and positive commitment from UK Govt,' he posted on Twitter. Mr Davis claimed today that his words had been 'completely twisted'. He told LBC Radio: 'What I actually said yesterday in terms was we want to protect the peace process, want to protect Ireland from the impact of Brexit for them, and I said this was a statement of intent which was much more than just legally enforceable. Ireland's deputy PM Simon Coveney said the UK had made a 'clear and positive commitment' 'Of course it's legally enforceable under the withdrawal agreement but even if that didn't happen for some reason, if something went wrong, we would still be seeking to provide a frictionless invisible border with Ireland.' But DUP MP Ian Paisley gloated that Mr Davis had been right first time and Mr Varadkar had been 'done over'. 'Frankly, whatever efforts are made to characterise this week Leo Varadkar was done over by the EU, the UK and the DUP,' he said. The EU commission said the 'joint report' setting out the agreement was not yet 'legally binding' as a Withdrawal Treaty had not been ratified. 'Formally speaking, the joint report is not legally binding,' the European Commission's chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters. 'But we see the joint report of Michel Barnier and David Davis as a deal between gentlemen and it is the clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK government.' Theresa May, pictured with Jean-Claude Juncker last Monday, will strike an upbeat note about the next phase of talks with Brussels on trade and other issues Irish PM Leo Varadkar (pictured left in Dublin last week) has insisted the divorce deal is 'bullet proof'. But David Davis (pictured right on the BBC's Andrew Marr show with Labour's Keir Starmer yesterday) suggested it was merely a 'statement of intent' The Brexit Secretary, left with the Prime Minister, also moved to calm fears of Brexiteers concerned by a section of the agreement which said Britain would have 'full alignment' with the EU on regulations and standards that had an impact on Northern Ireland Mrs May underlined the position on the Irish border, telling the Commons that the government 'remains committed to protecting North-South cooperation and to its guarantee of avoiding a hard border'. 'Any future arrangements must be compatible with these overarching requirements,' she said. I DON'T HAVE TO BE CLEVER TO NEGOTIATE BREXIT, SAYS DAVIS David Davis has said being 'clever' is not necessary to negotiate Brexit. He said the main qualification for his job was staying calm. But he admitted that had been tested as he and the PM fought to get a compromise last week. Mr Davis said: 'What's the requirement of my job? I don't have to be very clever, I don't have to know that much, I do just have to be calm. 'And that did test the calmness a bit, a little bit. 'But we had to pick another day and we looked at Wednesday but Wednesday wasn't long enough for the DUP to sort themselves out so we made it Thursday, Friday morning.' Advertisement 'The United Kingdom's intention is to achieve these objectives through the overall EU-UK relationship. 'Should this not be possible, the United Kingdom will propose specific solutions to address the unique circumstances of the island of Ireland. 'In the absence of agreed solutions, the United Kingdom will maintain full alignment with those rules of the Internal Market and the Customs Union which, now or in the future, support North-South cooperation, the allisland economy and the protection of the 1998 Agreement.' Downing Street said the Cabinet congratulated Mrs May and Mr Davis at the weekly meeting today. The PM told the gathering members of the public in her constituency over the weekend had expressed satisfaction that 'we're on our way'. The Cabinet held a 30-minute discussion on the terms of the deal, but no ministers voiced reservations, according to No10. In a statement to MPs today, Mrs May will confront doubters who suggested we wouldn't get past phase one of the talks. She will also seek to unify Brexiteers and Remainers in her Cabinet. In his interview today, Mr Davis gave an insight into the tensions of last week, as the DUP collapsed the first attempt to get a deal. The PM (pictured on the plane en route to Brussels early Friday morning) will gather her Cabinet today as she seeks to quell fears that the divorce package has tied us into 'soft' Brexit He said the main qualification for his job was staying calm, but that had been tested as he and the PM fought to get a compromise. Mr Davis said: 'What's the requirement of my job? I don't have to be very clever, I don't have to know that much, I do just have to be calm. 'And that did test the calmness a bit, a little bit. 'But we had to pick another day and we looked at Wednesday but Wednesday wasn't long enough for the DUP to sort themselves out so we made it Thursday, Friday morning.' Former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith said that while Mrs May's agreement was 'not ideal' it was an improvement in the state of the negotiations. However he said the deal was a draft that 'simply gets us through the first round'. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the leading Brexiteer said: 'Most importantly, though, all this can be torn up tomorrow, because 'nothing is agreed until everything is agreed'. PM ASKS EU CITIZENS TO STAY IN BRITAIN Theresa May has urged more than three million European Union nationals living in Britain to stay in the country after Brexit. In an open letter to EU citizens living in the UK today, the PM said she was 'delighted' their rights would be protected under the divorce deal. She said she was 'proud' they choose to live in the UK, adding in an open letter: 'I greatly value the depth of the contributions you make - enriching every part of our economy, our society, our culture and our national life. 'I know our country would be poorer if you left and I want you to stay.' Advertisement 'This is in effect an indicative text, whose purpose is to get us to the next phase of discussions. 'That is when the shadow boxing of this past year will turn into real hard pounding. 'Of great importance will be our right to diverge from the EU on regulation, to follow rules we deem are in the best interest of the British people, and to have charge of our own trading policy. On these there will be heavy punches thrown. The important thing is, we now have space to have that debate.' Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Mrs May 'cannot now be spooked by the extreme Brexiteers in her party'. In an open letter to EU citizens living in the UK today, Mrs May urged more than three million European Union nationals living in Britain to stay in the country after Brexit. She said she was 'delighted' their rights would be protected under the divorce deal. She said she was 'proud' they choose to live in the UK, adding in an open letter: 'I greatly value the depth of the contributions you make - enriching every part of our economy, our society, our culture and our national life. 'I know our country would be poorer if you left and I want you to stay.' DAVIS VOWS TO GET A 'CANADA PLUS PLUS PLUS' DEAL WITH EU The Canada deal, formally known as the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement, is the EU's most ambitious and comprehensive trade deal. Pictured: David Davis on the Andrew Marr show yesterday David Davis yesterday described his ambition for Britain's trade deal with the EU as 'Canada plus plus plus'. The Canada deal, formally known as the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement, is the EU's most ambitious and comprehensive trade deal. It eradicated all tariffs on industrial goods and fishing, and more than 90 per cent of all agriculture tariffs. However, some products are not covered and others can be sold in only limited quantities. Ministers are confident of securing a tariff-free deal because of how much Britain buys from EU countries. Other notable advantages are that Canada doesn't pay into the European Union budget, nor is it required to accept free movement of EU workers. The deal took seven years to negotiate, but ministers argue Britain is beginning at a very different starting point where all our laws and rules are the same as those in Brussels. When the Brexit Secretary talks about 'plus plus plus', it is because he wants more than Canada in recognition of Britain's importance as an EU trading partner. Advertisement A Sydney man who directed the live sexual abuse of overseas children via an online video stream has had his 'manifestly inadequate' sentence increased by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. Bryan Walter Beattie, 44, was sentenced in the NSW District Court in June to 10 years with a non-parole period of six years, but the terms have now been increased to 14 years with a non-parole period of 10 years. He pleaded guilty to 23 offences including possessing child abuse material and causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual intercourse outside Australia in his presence. Bryan Walter Beattie (pictured) was sentenced in the NSW District Court in June to 10 years with a non-parole period of six years, but the terms have now been increased to 14 years with a non-parole period of 10 years He pleaded guilty to 23 offences including possessing child abuse material and causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual intercourse outside Australia in his presence He was arrested in 2015 after police seized his laptop and external hard drive and discovered hundreds of child abuse images and videos featuring children, including an infant aged about six to eight months. 'The images and videos classified were highly disturbing, distressing and offensive, and many involved young pre-pubescent Asian male children,' according to the agreed statement of facts. One folder on Beattie's external hard drive contained 132 videos in which he watched and directed the live sexual abuse of 17 boys in the Philippines. He typed instructions about what acts he wanted to see. Beattie made 41 payments totalling $4,150 to an overseas account in 2011 and 2012 with investigators alleging they were for the live sexual abuse (stock image) Beattie made 41 payments totalling $4,150 to an overseas account in 2011 and 2012 with investigators alleging they were for the live sexual abuse. Justices John Basten, Michael Walton and Derek Price upheld crown submissions about the inadequacy of the sentences imposed, with the latter two judges agreeing the term should be 14 with a non-parole period of 10 years. Referring to one particular offence, Justice Price said Beattie 'was a live spectator and active participant, via real-time video link of the gross sexual abuse of pre-pubescent Filipino boy'. The conduct was 'vile and heinous' and the sentence 'falls well short of adequately reflecting the gravity of the offence and the need for general deterrence and denunciation' of it. Justice Basten proposed resentencing Beattie to 20 years with a non-parole period of 13 years. The rise of robots can be a good thing for Britain because they will do boring jobs and boost the economy, Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson today said. He urged Britons to 'embrace an android' and insist that if the Government invests properly in automation then it could produce as many jobs as it destroys. Mr Watson's comments come amid growing fears the spread of artificial intelligence could cost millions of jobs and cause mass unemployment as human workers are displaced by machines. But the Labour deputy leader said: 'Much has been written about the impact of technological change and the dystopian future we could all face as a result of the rise of the robots. 'It can sometimes feel like we are preparing for a world in which artificial intelligence, algorithms and automation, rather than human endeavour and hard work, will shape every aspect of our society and our economy. Tom Watson, pictured at Labour's annual conference in Brighton in September, urged Britons to 'embrace an android' and insist that if the Government invests properly in automation then it could produce as many jobs as it destroys 'That sounds like a frightening prospect. But it needn't be.' He said that by allowing '21st-century machines' to undertake boring and routine tasks in the workplace humans will be freed to do other jobs with bigger economic benefits. And, paraphrasing David Cameron's famous call to 'hug a hoodie' he added: 'That is liberating. 'So I suppose what I'm really saying is: robots can set us free ... A former prime minister once famously said "hug a hoodie". Today, I'm asking you to embrace an android.' He made the comments at the launch of the final report of the Future of Work Commission, which found that people should not fear the 'march of the robots'. Although the study admits that to take advantage of the growth in automation workers in Britain will have to be re-skilled to move into other jobs. Mr Watson convened and co-chaired the commission, which also includes experts including Nobel prize-winning economist Sir Christopher Pissarides, and Harvard and Oxford University professors. The Commission blames the UK's low productivity and stagnant wage son decisions made by politicians in Government rather than robots. And the report found that 'mass technological unemployment' as a result of automation is 'highly unlikely'. A robot barrister serves up a cup if coffee in San Francisco. A report earlier this year by PwC found that up to 10 million UK jobs could be lost as robots take them over - but today's Future of Work Commission report says automation can boost the economy and create jobs They are calling for more investment to be ploughed into education and training so that workers can adapt and change jobs. They are calling for children to be taught about artificial intelligence in secondary schools and the creation of a universal, lifelong future skills account to help people retrain over their entire lives. And they want a slew of tax changes so businesses are incentivised to invest in new technologies. Helen Mountfield QC, who co-chaired the commission, told The Guardian: 'Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence don't need to spell the end of work. But we cannot sit passively by letting technological change just happen. 'We need to decide what sort of future we want and make policy choices, design education and introduce a legal architecture to shape a future of good work which benefits everyone, in which the rewards of innovation are fairly shared.' It comes after a report by leading accountancy PwC earlier this year warned that more than 10 million UK workers are at high risk of losing thehir jobs to robots. A man in eastern China was rushed to the hospital last week after being hit by a 6.5-foot-long spear while sitting in car. It's believed that the weapon had been thrown at him and broke through the window. Local police are investigating whether or not the incident was an intentional attack. The man in China was taken to the hospital with a 6.5-foot-long spear lodged in his back (left). Doctors did not remove the spear immediately in fear of a haemorrhage (right) The incident occurred on December 8 in Anhui Province. An anonymous source told local newspaper ahwang.cn that he saw someone throwing the spear in the direction of the car when the victim was inside. After being hit, the man was taken to the Huangshan People's Hospital in Anhui Province for emergency treatment. Doctors inspected the patient and found that the spearhead was lodged in his upper abdominal area. The man appeared to be conscious in a video emerged on Chinese news websites. The spear was thrown at the man who was sitting inside a red car through a window Doctors shorten the spear before sending him to another hospital with better equipment The red-tasselled spear was a military weapon used in ancient China during war times Video from the hospital shows the man lying on his stomach as the spear protrudes out from his back. Local doctors didn't remove the spear immediately in fear that the operation might trigger a haemorrhage. They shorten the spear before transferring him to another hospital with better medical resources. The red-tasselled spear, a traditional weapon in China, was used for centuries by warriors in imperial China. Huangshan police are investigating the incident. It's yet to be revealed whether the man had been the victim of a deliberate attack or an accident. Patrice Nganang, a professor at New York's Stony Brook University, is due to go before a prosecutor in the coming week An American university professor who has been detained in Cameroon since Thursday has now been charged with insulting the country's dictator. Family and friends are calling for public support in a campaign for his release. Patrice Nganang, a professor at New York's Stony Brook University, is due to go before a prosecutor in the coming week, according to an account from his wife that was sent to fellow Stony Brook professor Robert Harvey. Nganang was detained on Thursday as he was trying to leave Cameroon to join his wife in Zimbabwe. He and his attorney were informed of the accusations made against him at a hearing with judiciary police and were told the charges include allegation of insulting Cameroon president Paul Biya as well as issuing a death threat. Nganang has been critical of how Biya has handled a secessionist movement in some English-speaking areas. He wrote an article that was published shortly before he was detained. At the judiciary police hearing on Saturday, Nganang's lawyer said he didn't represent a threat because he had never worked with any violent or armed groups and had always been a peaceful activist. A prosecutor will decide what happens with the case moving forward. President Biya is the longest-ruling dictator in Africa and now - following the resignation of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe - also the oldest ruler in sub-Saharan Africa. He has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and plans to stand for another term next year. He was also the country's prime minister from 1975. Biya's 35-year rule has grown increasingly intolerant of dissent, with opposition activists, journalists and intellectuals routinely arrested and sometimes charged. President Biya is the longest-ruling dictator in Africa and now - following the resignation of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe - also the oldest ruler in sub-Saharan Africa. Pictured: Biya at the UN in September In April, a Cameroonian reporter for Radio France International was jailed for 10 years by a military court on terrorism charges, including for failing to report acts of terrorism to authorities. The verdict attracted international criticism. He has criticized what he calls secessionists among the country's English-speaking minority, who have complained of discrimination. Supporters of detained professor Nganang called for an outpouring of support, suggesting actions including calling the Cameroon embassy to demand his release. They also recommended getting in touch with the US Department of State and federal elected officials, reaching out to advocates like Amnesty International or the Committee to Protect Journalists and spreading the campaign through social media. Iranian press have poured cold water on hopes Boris Johnson's trip to the country may help a British woman imprisoned by Tehran. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting against Iran's government. She has always denied the allegations. After nearly an hour of talks with the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, yesterday, a spokesman for Boris Johnson said they 'both spoke forthrightly' and 'agreed on the need to make progress in all areas'. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meets Iranian president Hassan Rouhani in talks many hoped would pave the way to allowing imprisoned Briton Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe freed But reports in Iranian media appear to play down hopes the visit will lead to any change on the country's position on Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, pictured with her daughter Gabriella Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has said he hopes the talks could lead to his wife being freed before Christmas. But Iranian media played down those hopes today, undermining Mr Johnson's visit and doubling down on the disputed claims against Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The country's Sharq newspaper said Mr Johnson went home 'empty handed', while daily Vatan-e Emruz claimed Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was important to the UK because she is an 'agent', according to BBC Monitoring. Papers in the Middle Eastern country also noted that official Iranian accounts of Mr Johnson's meeting with the president do not mention Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Iranian state TV also did not mention any discussion of the case in its reporting of Mr Johnson's visit. The response to the trip came after Mr Radcliffe said he is still optimistic his wife will be home soon. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has been campaigning for her release and hoped Mr Johnson's visit could pave the way to her being freed Mr Johnson also met Iran's foreign minister Javad Nari in Tehran over the weekend He said Mr Johnson made every effort during his two-day visit to Iran, with 'positive consequences from that'. With the postponement of a new court case against his wife, which appeared to come as a result of Mr Johnson's trip, Mr Ratcliffe said the weekend has been positive, but there is a risk of him over reading it all. 'We were fearing a bad day and we haven't had that, which makes it a good day. I guess we will see what the next few days mean,' he told the Press Association. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard has been campaigning for her to be released 'But it feels like it a really good sign, almost like we have a momentum - we have had a couple of things that have been positive over the weekend.' Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 38, a British-Iranian dual national, has been held in the country since April 2016 on trumped up espionage charges. She had been due in court amid threats to double her five year sentence after Mr Johnson incorrectly told a parliamentary committee that she had been in Iran to train journalists. In a statement released by her husband yesterday, she said: 'Is there light at the end of the tunnel? I can see some light today, more than before. 'The court, the imprisonment emerged all of a sudden out of the blue, so I hope it can disappear out of the blue also if there is enough will.' This is the moment an internet star known as 'China's first rooftopper' fell to his death from the top of a 62-storey skyscraper. Wu Yongning, 26, was doing pull-ups at the top of the Huayuan International Centre in Changsha, the capital of Huan Province, when he lost his grip and fell. Harrowing footage captured the moment he let go, plunging 45ft on to a terrace below where his body was later found by a window cleaner. Wu Yongning, 26, fell to his death from the top of the Huayuan International Centre in Changsha, the capital of Huan Province, while filming a stunt (right) Wu fell from a 62-storey building in the Huayuan International Centre complex (above) The incident was captured on a camera that Wu had placed on another part of the building to record himself. Wu Yongning's girlfriend, who refers to herself as Jin Jin, told the Beijing News that he was due to ask her parents' permission to marry her two days after the stunt. Jin Jin told the newspaper that he planned to bring her family a bridal gift of 80,000 yuan (9,000), roughly the same amount he was due to earn from the video. Wu died on November 8 but his death was only confirmed by family members on December 8 after fans became concerned that no videos had been posted to his social media account for a month. Local authorities investigating the case described it as an 'accident' and have already ruled out foul play. Wu had been planning to propose to his girlfriend after filming the video on November 8, but died after losing his grip and falling 45ft on to a terrace (file pics) On live-streaming video site 'Volcano', Wu had one million followers and 300 videos. He held 217 live-streaming sessions and was paid around 55,000 yuan (6,000) for doing so. Viewers paid him with virtual currency if they liked the videos. Fans have now flooded social media with tributes to Wu. Jin Jin, said Huayuan International Centre is only open to the public until the 44th floor, after which key cards are required to access the Grand Hyatt hotel. As security personnel were also present on the hotel's top floor, she said she believes her boyfriend took a lift to 'over 40 floors' and then free-climbed 'nearly 20 more floors' to reach the position where he filmed. Wu started life as a background actor in films but then began filming viral videos and aimed to become China's most famous 'rooftopper' Wu used to work as a lowly paid background actor for various films in China before becoming a video blogger at the beginning of this year. He discovered that by posting videos of himself climbing up dangerous structures, he could earn much more money than acting and could help his family improve their living standard. In the space of 10 months, Wu scaled skyscrapers around China and performed stunts on top of them. On October 3, he filmed himself doing an one-arm handstand on top of the 70-storey Sun Moon Light Plaza in Chongqing. One month before, a video on his social media account showed him walking on a tiny ledge on top of the 68-storey Yuexiu Fortune Center in Wuhan. One of his most famous stunts took place in mid July. In it, Wu did pull-ups without harness by grabbing to the edge of a 1,000-metre-high (3,280 feet) walkway in Zhangjiajie. Advertisement London is heading back to work on 'Black Ice Monday' after yesterday saw the heaviest snow fall in almost five years, causing chaos on roads and rail routes across the capital. Commuters battled through their journey to work as trains and the tube network struggled to cope with melted snow and catching up from mass cancellations yesterday. The Met Office has issued a yellow ice warning for London and the south east, with conditions expected to be at their worst between 9.25am and 4pm today. Some snow is still expected in parts of the capital, with rainfall from Storm Anna passing across Belgium and France also affecting areas of the south east today. Most rain and sleet will have passed eastwards by late afternoon, but the remnants of snow - the heaviest fall London has seen since March 2013 - will continue to cause problems. Schools across the capital have also been forced to shut their doors with public transport strained after yesterday. Hundreds of commuters wait in the terminal at Waterloo Station, London, as trains and the tube network struggles to cope with melted snow and catching up from mass cancellations yesterday Some snow is still expected in parts of the capital, with rainfall from Storm Anna passing across Belgium and France also affecting areas of the south east today London commuters battled through their journey to work as trains and the tube network caught up after mass cancellations yesterday. Pictured is a Jubilee Line train running on icy tracks in Stanmore, north London The capital experienced the highest levels of snow fall since March 2013, with snow and ice accumulations still spread across the city. Early morning commuters are pictured trudging down the platform in Stanmore, north London Children are pictured walking to school in Stamore, north London. Several of the capital's schools have been forced to close Yesterday saw the highest levels of snow in London for almost five years - since March 2013. Londoners took to social media to post pictures of parks, gardens and vehicles covered in white Those expecting to jet off in search of some winter sun have been faced with delays and cancellations at almost all of the capital's airports. Transport for London said there was a good service on the network, but warned some services may be affected later on. National Rail say poor weather conditions are still affecting train services across England and Wales, with several key routes out of London disrupted. A spokesman said heavy snow is causing serious disruption on the London Northwestern Railway, with trains out of London Euston running with severe delays or cancellations. Snow has largely cleared in central London, but commuters and sightseers are battling high winds, rain and sleet Schools across the capital have also been forced to shut their doors with public transport strained under the pressure from several inches of snow yesterday. Pictured are Transport for London said there was a good service on the network, but warned some services may be affected later on Cyclists and pedestrians are being warned of the possibility of injuries from melted ice and snow in London today Heavy snow and ice was on the ground as people woke up in areas of north London (pictured) this morning Heathrow Airport was in chaos yesterday with stacks of flights cancelled or severely delayed. Pictured are passengers waiting in Terminal 5 Chiltern Railways, Gatwick Express, CrossCountry, Great Western, Virgin, London Midland, Southern and ThamesLink services have all been affected and passengers are advised to check for updates before travelling. Flights at Heathrow Airport are disrupted 'due to crew and aircraft being out of position following yesterday's weather', with flyers told to check online before going to the airport. At Gatwick Airport 'high winds in the South-East and storms across Europe are likely to cause disruption to some flights today'. London Southend also has delays and cancellations today, while Stansted and London City Airport are reported to be operating as normal. Those flying from Luton could also see delays or cancellations, with further snow forecast until midday. Passengers are advised to check before travelling. Snow was still falling in north London this morning as commuters trudged through a blanket of white to get to their trains Settled snow is pictured melting, triggering a yellow Met Office warning, with dangers reported for pedestrians and motorists The Met Office reported 3cm of snow in Northolt, west London, yesterday and 1cm on the ground at Heathrow Airport at 10pm. Outside Greater London the heaviest fall was in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, which got 14cm. In the absence of ice there will be a 'mixture of rain and sleet', with forecasters warning against 'possible injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces'. A forecaster told MailOnline: 'We still have some falling snow in parts of the south east of England. 'Storm Anna is working it's way across France and Belgium, but that weather feature will extend across the south east bringing wintery showers. That will be mixed in with sleet and snow. 'That weather feature will have worked its way eastward by about tea time, when there will be some northerly winds making it feel quite cold.' Frustrated Londoners have taken to social media to express their discontent at the bad weather. Heather Cracknell tweeted: 'Entirely miserable weather in London today: snow all gone and water everywhere. Boots leaking so I've had wet toes since 8.05am.' Hatty Collier said 'the UK is completely incapable of coping with a bit of snow', complaining that her 35-minute commute into central London took her one hour and 20 minutes. Begrudged Londoners took to social media to express their discontent at the bad weather. Heather Cracknell described conditions as 'miserable' Daniel from London said snow 'just makes everything s*** and you end up slipping everywhere' Hatty Collier complained that her usual 35-minute commute into London took her an hour and 20 minutes because 'the UK is completely incapable of coping with a bit of snow' Yen Ting said now the snow is starting to disappear 'London now is the coldest and gloomiest London I've experienced' Harvey Weinstein, left, is being investigated for raping Paz de la Huerta twice in 2010 Harvey Weinstein is 'highly unlikely' to be charged over allegedly raping actress Paz de la Huerta, it has been claimed. The Hollywood mogul is being investigated for raping the Cider House Rules star on two occasions in 2010. However, sources have told TMZ that a prosecution is 'highly unlikely'. According to the website, the fact that the case is more than seven years old creates problems, including memory of the incidents. The case is also complicated by the fact that the actress interacted with Weinstein between the alleged assaults. The 33-year-old, also known for her role in hit TV series Boardwalk Empire, reported the incidents to authorities on October 25. She later described the alleged assaults to Vanity Fair magazine in November. The first occurred when Weinstein demanded to come inside de la Huerta's apartment after driving her home, she said. The 33-year-old, who is also known for her role in hit TV series Boardwalk Empire, reported the incidents to authorities on October 25 'He pushed me onto the bed and his pants were down and he lifted up my skirt. I felt afraid... It wasn't consensual,' she told the magazine. De la Huerta said the second assault occurred about a month later when Weinstein showed up at her building despite her having asked him to leave her alone, and suggested talking about it in her apartment. She had been drinking and 'was in no state. I was so terrified of him... I did say no, and when he was on top of me I said, "I don't want to do this,"' the actress said. 'He's like a pig... he raped me,' she said. Accounts of abuse by Weinstein that were published in October in The New York Times and The New Yorker encouraged others to speak out, unleashing a cascade of allegations of sexual harassment and assault against leading figures in Hollywood and elsewhere Among the items turned over to police were notes from her therapist confirming that de la Huerta spoke about the alleged assault at the time. 'I recall you telling me that Harvey Weinstein was seeking sexual contact with you on more than one occasion with the promise of additional roles,' wrote SueAnne Piliero in a letter to the district attorney's office. 'I recall you reporting to me a sexual encounter with Harvey Weinstein involving intercourse in your apartment in 2010 that resulted in you feeling victimized. I recall you telling me that it felt coercive to you and that you didnt want to have sex with him, but felt that you had to as he was a man of power and rank and you couldnt say no to his sexual advances.' Accounts of abuse by Weinstein that were published in October in The New York Times and The New Yorker encouraged others to speak out, unleashing a cascade of allegations of sexual harassment and assault against leading figures in Hollywood and elsewhere. Weinstein has denied the allegations. A convicted paedophile found strangled alongside his daughter could have been lying dead for four days before police found his body, an inquest heard. And his daughter could have been lying next to him for two days before police made the gruesome discovery, an inquest heard. Noel Brown, 69, was found dead alongside daughter Marie, 41, at his home in Deptford, south-east London, the early hours of last Monday. It has been claimed his daughter Marie could have been strangled after stumbling in on the killer attempting to chop up her father when she went to check on him after not hearing from him. Police broke into the flat early last Monday and found their bodies. Noel Brown, 69, was found dead alongside daughter Marie, 41, at his home in Deptford, south-east London, the early hours of last Monday - but they have been there for days Forensics scouring the scene of the gruesome double murder have been seen handling what is believed to be a knife Post-mortem examinations revealed both had been strangled by 'compression of the neck'. At Southwark Coroners Court today an inquest into the deaths was opened and adjourned which heard Noel could have died as early as November 30 - four days before he was found on December 4. Police discovered the nursery worker (pictured) and her father after receiving a tip-off from a concerned member of public DI Helen Rance, of the Met Police's Serious Crime Command investigating the case told the court Noel's time of death is between November 30 and December 4. Creche worker Marie's time of death was between December 2 and December 4. Both bodies were identified by their passports, the court heard. DI Rance said: 'Police were called on Monday December 4. When they arrived they found the deceased bodies of Noel Brown and Marie Brown. 'The time of death for Mr Brown is between November 30 and December 4. For Marie Brown it is December 2 and December 4.' Senior Coroner Andrew Harris said: 'A provisional cause of death has been given as neck compression. 'I understand from the autopsy report that the deaths are to be treated as suspicious and the circumstances are such that I open an inquest. 'These two persons deaths are not natural and an investigation has been opened. Mr Brown (left) was a regular in a local bookmakers but officers said his recent big win was not related. His daughter (right) went to the home after getting concerned A police forensic officer searching wheelie bins at the scene as the area has been taped off 'As somebody may be charged with a homicide offence I suspended my investigation for the police to carry out their enquiries.' The court heard no one is in custody over the killings. Noel was jailed for eight years in 1999 for abusing two girls and was still on the sex offenders' register at the time of the killing. One line of enquiry being explored by detectives is that Brown was targeted by anti-paedophile vigilantes. Brown, who was born in Jamaica, was jailed at the Old Bailey in 1999 for abusing two girls and was released from jail in 2004. Scotland Yard said there were no signs of a forced entry, suggesting the suspects were known to Noel and Marie disturbed them. Rumours suggested that Mr Brown, known to frequent local betting shops in Deptford, south east London, may have been targeted after landing a big win. But detectives say there is 'no evidence' to suggest that was the case. Some Britons are so lonely they think their phone is their best friend, a Labour MP will today warn. Rachel Reeves will say the UK is in the grip of a loneliness 'epidemic' which urgently needs to be tackled on a national scale. She will say the decline of traditional centres of where people from across the community mix, like the local pub and church, is fuelling the problem. Ms Reeves, co-chairwoman of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, will make the comments at a speech to mark the end of its first year of research into the issue. She will tell the Policy Exchange thinktank: 'When the culture and the communities that once connected us to one another disappear, we can be left feeling abandoned and cut off from society,' she will say, describing the issue as a new social epidemic. Rachel Reeves will say the UK is in the grip of a loneliness 'epidemic' which urgently needs to be tackled on a national scale (file pic) 'In the last few decades, loneliness has escalated from personal misfortune into a social epidemic. 'More and more of us live alone. We work at home more. We spend a greater part of our day alone than we did 10 years ago. 'It sometimes feels like our best friend is the smartphone.' The Labour MP for Leeds West will say if the Welfare State was created today then loneliness would have been added as a sixth 'giant evil' to be tackled alongside want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness. And she will urge for an overhaul in how the welfare state works to tackle the growing plight of lonely people in the UK. She will say: 'We need a new kind of welfare system that acts as a convenor, bringing people together to help them help themselves.' And she will warn that teachers, social workers and others who re in a position to connect people have been turned into 'cogs in a machine', focused on 'meetings, testing, assessing, referring, auditing'. The commission was set up in the wake of the murder of Jo Cox (pictured) the Labour MP for Batley and Spen who was stabbed and shot to death by a far-right fanatic Thomas Mair in June last year. Her death shocked the country and saw hundreds of floral tributes left in her in Birstall village She will add: 'They are good people who want to make a difference, but nothing changes. 'Beveridge would not only recognise the evil of loneliness, he would follow up on his belief in voluntary action and give more power and control to people', according toa preview of the speech in The Guardian: The commission was set up in the wake of the murder of Jo Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen who was stabbed and shot to death by a far-right fanatic Thomas Mair in June last year. Ms Reeves co-chairs the commission with the Conservative MP Seema Kennedy to continue the work done by Ms Cox, a mother-of-two who was killed just a year after she was elected to Parliament. The two MPs also warn that loneliness is as damaging for a person's health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day of being obese. And they say it costs the British economy 32billion a year. Prof Jane Cummings, the chief nursing officer for England, told 'I welcome the Jo Cox Foundation's work to raise awareness of and take action to alleviate loneliness. 'Social isolation can have a devastating impact not only on people's mental wellbeing, but evidence shows that it can also increase the risk of premature death by around a third.' Kamran Ali is pictured leaving Southend Magistrates Court today A trainee GP has denied sexually assaulting four patients and possessing child porn. Dr Kamran Ali faces a string of charges where it is alleged he touched female patients' genitals when they came in for examinations. The married trainee GP had been working at a surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, in Essex before he was arrested by police. Ali faces six charges of sexual assault, one count of possessing extreme horse pornography and one count of possessing child porn. The 39-year-old and spoke only to confirm his name, age and address when he appeared at Southend Magistrates' Court. He gave not guilty pleas to the charges and will next appear in Basildon Crown Court on January 8 to formally enter a plea. He stood emotionless during the brief hearing where his solicitor Gudrun Young described him as a '39-year-old man of good character'. She also told the court the Ali had been in the country for 10 years and his wife was also a doctor. Addressing the defendant, chair of the magistrates Ann Wade released him on conditional bail. He must not apply for international travel, leave the UK or attempt to contact any witness. This little girl nearly bit off more than she could chew after she had her tooth pulled out using a Champagne bottle. Viva Frei, a father from Montreal, Canada, pulled out his daughter's friends tooth when he tied string around her loose tooth and attached it to the cork of a bottle. With his own daughter watching and a host of other people looking on in amazement, the lawyer-turned-YouTuber set up cameras around the room to film the 'world-first' stunt. Frei, who has previously pulled teeth using a squirrel and a drone, told the camera: 'We are going to remove a tooth by celebrating removing the tooth. 'We are going to pop the cork and it's going to pull the tooth out.' One of his daughters says the tooth pull would be 'gross' and 'scar her for life', but Frei insists that tooth pull will be 'glorious'. He then proceeds to tie a knot into the string around the loose tooth and pops the cork of the bottle. The tooth then flies out of her mouth without even making the girl flinch. After popping the cork, Frei says: 'It worked. Oh my gosh guys! Yes, I did it again people!' YouTuber Viva Frei holds up a cork bottle of cider in a Champagne bottle to the camera The young father then attaches a string onto the girls tooth and proceeeds to pop the cork David Davis risked fuelling the Brexit row again today by insisting he does not need to be 'clever' to negotiate with the EU - and blaming the DUP for the delay in striking a divorce deal. Despite previously warning that the talks could be the 'most complicated of all time', the Brexit Secretary said he only needed to be 'calm' rather than intelligent. He said the frantic effort to get agreement with Brussels last week had tested his patience - and said the DUP's failure to 'sort themselves out' had held up the process. The unguarded comments came after Mr Davis was sent out to try to soothe a row he triggered by playing down the UK's commitment to a soft border in Ireland as merely a 'statement of intent'. Brexit Secretary David Davis was sent out today to calm a burgeoning row with Ireland over his claim the divorce deal was not 'legally binding' The PM (pictured on the plane en route to Brussels early Friday morning) will gather her Cabinet today as she seeks to quell fears that the divorce package has tied us into 'soft' Brexit The intervention threatened to throw the deal back into chaos. Irish PM Leo Varadkar previously described Britain's commitments to ensure no return to a hard border as 'cast-iron' and 'bullet proof', and allies warned last night that they would 'hold the UK to account'. Mr Davis pledged today that Britain would stand by the arrangements and they were 'more than legally enforceable'. The frantic negotiations last week saw the DUP torpedo the PM's first attempt to seal the deal on Monday, even though she was already in Brussels about to make a statement with Jean-Claude Juncker. They were anxious that a provision to protect the soft Irish border, vowing 'full alignment' between the UK and EU on key trade rules, risked tearing the UK apart. After days of frantic work, a new clause was included spelling out that any alignment would apply to the UK as a whole rather than just Northern Ireland, and a deal was finally reached on Friday. Giving an insight into the stresses of the process, Mr Davis told LBC radio: 'What's the requirement of my job? I don't have to be very clever, I don't have to know that much, I do just have to be calm. 'And that did test the calmness a bit, a little bit.' The comments contrast with his words from September last year, when he said of Brexit: 'It may be the most complicated negotiation of all time. By comparison, Schleswig-Holstein (a notorious 19th-century political problem) is an O-level question.' In remarks that could infuriate the DUP, whose 10 MPs are propping Mrs May up in power, Mr Davis today laid the blame for the trouble firmly at their door. 'We had to pick another day and we looked at Wednesday but Wednesday wasn't long enough for the DUP to sort themselves out so we made it Thursday, Friday morning,' he said. The frantic EU divorce negotiations saw the DUP torpedo the PM's first attempt to seal the deal last Monday. Pictured are DUP MPs Nigel Dodds, Jeffrey Donaldson and Gregory Campbell in the Commons last week Irish PM Leo Varadkar (pictured left in Dublin last week) has insisted the divorce deal is 'bullet proof'. But David Davis (pictured right on the BBC's Andrew Marr show with Labour's Keir Starmer yesterday) suggested it was merely a 'statement of intent' DUP leader Arlene Foster (pictured on Friday) held up the divorce deal over fears commitments on a soft Irish border could tear the UK apart Mr Davis also said he does not believe economic forecasts as he discussed the furore over the Government's failure to formally assess the likely impact of EU withdrawal on different sectors of the UK economy. He was accused of misleading Parliament last week after admitting no impact assessments had been made because their usefulness would be 'near zero' due to the scale of change which Brexit is likely to cause. The Brexit Secretary said: 'In the last 18 months I've talked about impact here and there, but an impact statement, this is a thing that the Labour Party have been going on about, an impact statement has got a proper meaning in Whitehall, there's a definition of it and so on, including things like forecasts. 'Now I don't actually believe economic forecasts, they have all been proven wrong, I mean look at all the ones about Brexit. 'So what we do is we look at what we call a sectoral analysis which is the size of the thing, the size of the industry, employment levels, how much is dependent on Europe, how much is dependent on European regulations, how much opportunity there is in other countries. 'When you know those things, you know what you need to know.' A Grooming gang are feared to have used a McDonald's to meet teenage girls for sex abuse. Scotland Yard detectives are investigating claims four girls aged between 13 and 15 were raped after being picked up by the grooming ring around the fast food branch in Stratford, east London. But it is thought there could be many more victims of the gang, possibly more than 30 girls. Police are investigating a child abuse gang thought to have operated around this McDonald's It is thought younger boys may be being used as 'hooks' to meet schoolgirls, who are then abused by older men. A Met Police spokesman said: 'A safeguarding operation, Operation Grandbye, has been running since the beginning of November in response to increased issues relating to child sexual exploitation (CSE) in and around the Stratford Mall in Newham. 'Groups of young girls have been seen congregating with older males.' Police said they have referred some girls to social services over grooming fears. 'Some girls felt they were in a relationship but others were there to either make money or do a job in relation to drugs,' Detective Inspector Laura Hillier told The Independent. A 34-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of rape and possession with intent to supply drugs. Four others, a 16-year-old, two 15-year-olds and a 21-year-old - have been arrested on suspicion of other offences by officers working on the same operation. A 21-year-old, Peter Maynard, was given a conditional discharge for possession of cannabis after he was arrested by officers working on the probe. Police say victims thought they were in a relationship with one of the gang. File photo Police say a variety of methods will be used to tackle drug dealing and child sexual exploitation in the area against girls as young as 13. In a press statement, Detective Inspector Laura Hillier added: 'A common feature of child sexual exploitation is that the child or young person does not recognise the coercive nature of the relationship and do not see themselves as a victim of sexual exploitation. 'As a result they are unlikely to report the abuse, meaning the issue remains seriously under reported. 'It is therefore essential that not only police and partners, but also the wider community, are alert to the warning signs. 'We all have a responsibility to keep our children and young people safe from harm and getting the local business sector on board will assist in the prevention, detection and safeguarding of those at risk.' A Superdrug worker who attacked a colleague before pushing a woman in front of a double-decker bus has walked free from court after she was found legally insane. Desta Degol, 28, was working at the chemist in Praed Street, Paddington, at the time of the offence shortly after 6pm on May 17 last year. After losing her temper inside the store she whacked fellow worker Najat Hachchani, 62, over the head in the first of three random attacks. Degol then stormed out of the branch, leaving displays strewn in her wake, and headed towards the Edgware Road, Southwark Crown Court heard. Desta Degol (pictured) was working at the chemist in Praed Street, Paddington, at the time of the offence shortly after 6pm on May 17 last year On her way, she spotted stranger Giash Ahmed and threw a bottle of water in his face before grabbing his head and punching him up to four times. Shocked pedestrians then followed as Degol went to cross the road, pausing at the island where she shoved Zhanerke Shangereyeva, 22, head-first into the path of an oncoming bus. Fortunately, the driver managed to make an emergency stop as the Chinese woman quickly rolled out of its way. Degol was held by a number of members of the public before police arrived. Shocked pedestrians followed Degol (pictured) as she went to cross the road, pausing at the island before shoving Zhanerke Shangereyeva, 22, head-first into the path of an oncoming bus She was originally arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder Ms Shangereyeva, who luckily sustained only minor scratches. Degol was then sectioned and later gave a prepared statement in interview, saying her psychosis left her in a very deluded state of mind with an impaired perception of reality. I had absolutely no intention to harm any of the three people that I am alleged to have attacked on this date, she added. I have no idea why I approached these people, I simply was not thinking coherently. I am very sorry that the incidents happened and very embarrassed too. What has happened has shocked and scared me. Last December she was charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. At a hearing last month, a jury found her to be not guilty by reason of insanity. Degol was held by a number of members of the public before police arrived outside the store You have been found on the agreed psychiatric evidence placed before a jury to be not guilty by reason of insanity of a very serious offence, said Judge Christopher Hehir. The allegation being that you tried to hurt somebody in a serious way by pushing her under a bus. The judge explained that such a finding left him with three methods of disposal. The first, a hospital order, was deemed not suitable whereas an absolute discharge at the other end of the spectrum did not reflect the seriousness of the offence regardless of her state of mind. Degol, of Tottenham, north London, was made subject to a two-year supervision order under the care of a community psychiatric nurse. Senate candidate Roy Moore has strongly denied dating underage women after his campaign was rocked by accusations last month that he pursued underage women when he was in his 30s. Moore, a 70-year-old conservative Christian and former state judge, will face off in tomorrow's election against Democrat Doug Jones, a 63-year-old former US attorney. While President Donald Trump is backing Moore, many other national Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have distanced themselves from Moore after several women made accusations he pursued them as teenagers. Scroll down for video Moore (pictured), a 70-year-old conservative Christian and former state judge, will face off in tomorrow's election against Democrat Doug Jones, a 63-year-old former US attorney Moore said his opponent was 'viciously attacking' him because his values are 'not what the Alabama people find dear to them'. Pictured: A sign held up at a campaign event in Fairhope Now, just a day before the big election, the former Alabama chief justice told The Voice of Alabama Politics he 'never molested anyone'. Moore, when asked by host Bill Britt about the allegations, explained: 'I had no encounter with them. 'I don't know why they're saying it. But it's not true.' He added: 'I said I did not know any of them women who have charged me with sexual allegation of molestation and I did not know any of the women. 'When I saw these pictures on the advertisements of my opponent, I did not recognize any of those women. I did not know them. 'I did not date underage women. I did not molest anyone.' He then said his opponent was 'viciously attacking' him because his values are 'not what the Alabama people find dear to them'. Doug Jones is 'painting himself as a moderate', he went on, 'when in fact he's a very liberal Democrat.' While President Donald Trump is backing Moore, many other national Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have distanced themselves from Moore after several women made accusations he pursued them as teenagers Opinion polls show Moore with a narrow lead in the Southern state, which Trump won by 28 percentage points over Democrat Hillary Clinton in last year's presidential election. The allegations have given new hope to Jones, who has touted his record that includes prosecuting former Ku Klux Klan members responsible for a 1963 bombing of a black church in which four girls were killed. If Jones wins on Tuesday, Republicans would control the Senate by a slim 51-49 margin, giving Democrats much-needed momentum ahead of the November 2018 congressional elections, when control of both chambers of Congress will be at stake. Doug Jones is 'painting himself as a moderate', Moore went on, 'when in fact he's a very liberal Democrat' Yet for many Republicans, Moore is a paragon of traditional values. They reject accusations that he molested two teenage girls and pursued relationships with others decades ago. Moore denies the charges. 'Everyone has to vote their convictions,' said Kevin Mims of Montgomery, as he held his Bible outside his Baptist church Sunday in Montgomery. 'My conviction is he's the right man for the job.' Where Moore's critics see a state judge who defied federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court's decision legalizing same-sex marriage, Mims see a stalwart who stands 'on the word of God.' Other conservatives see an anti-establishment firebrand in the mold of Trump, who won Alabama by 28 percentage points. Moore encourages that view with fundraising emails that urge backers to help him 'defeat the elite,' a swipe at both Democrats and the establishment Republicans who tried to deny him the GOP nomination earlier this year. A failed UKIP candidate who fled to Pakistan after she was convicted of calling a Tesco worker a 'f***ing foreigner' has been jailed for three months in her absence. Blackfriars Crown Court heard Sam Naz, 34, launched a foul-mouthed racist tirade at trolley collector Mohammed Watfa at a Tesco in Leyton, east London. Naz - who finished fifth in her bid to oust Zac Goldsmith as MP for Richmond Park and North Kensington - turned on Mr Watfa, 49, when he tried to intervene as she was attacked by another shopper. In his scathing sentencing remarks, the judge labelled the mother-of-two 'bigoted and cruel' as he said there was 'not one iota of humility in her'. Sam Naz (pictured with Nigel Farage) launched a foul-mouthed racist tirade at trolley collector Mohammed Watfa Naz finished fifth in her bid to oust Zac Goldsmith as MP for Richmond Park and North Kensington The court heard how Naz claimed she had been throttled by a male customer, who was never traced, and shoved into a parked car on March 22, 2015. She then lost her temper and turned on Mr Watfa after the man sped off, calling him a 'f***ing b***ard', a 'f***ing foreigner' and taunting: 'What kind of f***ing foreigner are you?' Naz insisted throughout three trials that Mr Watfa was the aggressor who sparked the row by helping her assailant flee before telling her 'you f***ing deserved it'. The first jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court failed to reach verdicts before she was convicted and fined 1,500 at the same court following a retrial last September. But she appealed and the conviction was quashed in February this year. She stood trial for a third time last month and was found guilty for a second time of racially aggravated intentional harassment. Blackfriars Crown Court heard she has since flown to Pakistan for one of her daughters to receive medical treatment. 'She is not happy with the treatment in the UK,' said her barrister, Rupert Russell. The judge, Mr Recorder Dafydd Enoch QC branded the stunt a 'delaying tactic'. 'So, it has got nothing to do with the fact that she is facing a jail sentence today?' he asked. Naz berated the officer in the case for 'believing a bunch of terrorists over me', the court heard Naz, a former Ukip party member, has since flown to Pakistan for one of her daughters to receive medical treatment When Mr Russell suggested Naz would not be staying abroad and was 'not a flight risk', the judge added: 'That is exactly what she has done.' 'I take the view that this is a blatant attempt to avoid the inevitable,' he said. The judge labelled Naz 'bigoted and cruel' After making it clear her sentence would not be increased by her 'deliberate absence', the judge jailed her for three months for her 'sustained, deliberate and cruel racist tirade'. Jurors heard Mr Watfa approached Naz to see if she was ok after spotting a man with his fist clenched and ready to punch the mother-of-two. He described separating the pair and directing the stranger back to his own car, which Naz was dragged behind as she clung on in an attempt to stop him leaving. After berating his failure to help, the supermarket worker claimed Naz's verbal abuse quickly escalated into a foul-mouth barrage ending with the charity worker hissing at him: 'What kind of f***ing foreigner are you?' Mr Watfa claimed he heard the same slurs of 'you f***ing immigrant' and 'he's a racist, he's a bastard, he's a c**t, he's a f***ing foreigner' were repeated as many as 50 times. Jurors heard Naz initially told officers the allegations were part of 'a Muslim IS conspiracy' from within Walthamstow's Asian community. She also berated the officer in the case for 'believing a bunch of terrorists over me', the court heard. Naz, from Richmond in southwest London, was sentenced to three months imprisonment in her absence Addressing Naz as if she were present, the judge said: 'You set yourself up and promoted yourself as someone who wanted to and deserved to represent the people of this country in Parliament. 'By so doing, you had a public responsibility to behave decently and appropriately, particularly in public. 'The people who you abused on this day in public were the very people whose votes you were courting. 'The idea that you could represent such people in Parliament is difficult to swallow and I would have thought that no self-respecting political party would wish to have its interests represented by you in the future given the evidence we have heard in this trial and the resultant conviction. 'You have, in my judgement, displayed publicly a persona which is bigoted and cruel. 'There is not one iota of humility in you.' Naz, from Richmond in southwest London, denied a single count of racially aggravated intentional harassment but was convicted by the jury. She was sentenced to three months imprisonment in her absence. Three British travellers zig-zagged across three countries in South America and necked three beers in just 56 minutes. Calum Foskett, 27, Jed Gibbs, 27 and Joe Oliver, 29, all from Bedfordshire, crossed the Amazon twice on a leaky boat and raced along dirt roads on motorbikes during their whistle stop bar crawl in Peru, Brazil and Colombia. Their three-country beer-stop set them back just 25 - roughly the same price as five pints in London. The three friends from Bedfordshire necked three beers in three South American countries in under an hour The trio started off in Colombia and used a tuk-tuk (pictured) and speed boat to reach Peru This map shows the route the three friends took during their three country beer stop The British travellers decided to go on the 10 mile crawl across the three countries, where there are open borders, after their flights were delayed. The three friends started off in Colombia and used a tuk-tuk and speed boat to reach Santa Rosa, in Peru, where they downed their first beer. They then rushed back to the port and crossed the Amazon again, where they drunk a can of Skol in Tabatinga, Brazil. They then hopped on the back of a taxi motorbike to cross the border into Colombia where they ran to a bar in the southern city of Leticia. The friends finished their first beer at 29 minutes, the second on 41 minutes and consumed their final beer in Colombia after 56 minutes. After reaching their second country, Brazil, the three friends downed a can of Skol The friends reached Brazil by a rickety boat and downed a beer in the port city of Tabatinga Speaking from Colombia, law student Mr Foskett said: 'It started off as a joke in a bar and then we realised no one had ever tried it before, and then we had a problem with our flights and were stuck for over a week. 'Whilst working out how to spend our time we were looking at a map and realised it could be possible to visit all three countries within an hour. 'From there, it escalated to a beer in each country in under an hour. 'We tried to make it as challenging as possible by adding two extra rules. We had to finish where we started making sure it was a full loop and each beer had to be served to us rather than bought in a shop. 'It was tough going and I thought we weren't going to make it at some points...it was like something from the Crystal Maze.' The friends also travelled by motor taxi which they described as being a 'bit scary' He added: 'It's certainly different, How many pub crawls involve crossing a river by boat and shooting round on motorbikes? 'The motorbike taxis are a bit scary...they don't hang around. 'Also the boat from Peru to Brazil appeared to have a leak but luckily we stayed above water. 'Although it looks like fun, it was tiring as well. We spent the rest of the day laying in hammocks.' The three friends hope they have set a record. 'We gave it a good go, but I think it can be beaten...not by much though, Mr Foskett added. The trio are in South America for three months and will return home in January. A Dutch model has died in mysterious circumstances in Malaysia amid reports she plunged from a 20th floor apartment after a party. Ivana Smit, 18, was found dead on a sixth floor balcony of the Persiaran Capsquare block in Kuala Lumpur's Jalan Dang Wangi district and was not wearing any clothes. Police insist there were 'no criminal elements' to the young model's death, but her devastated family has demanded an investigation. Dutch model Ivana Smit has died in mysterious circumstances in Malaysia amid reports she plunged from a 20th floor apartment Ivana Smit, 18, was found dead on a sixth floor balcony of the Persiaran Capsquare block in Kuala Lumpur's Jalan Dang Wangi district and was not wearing any clothes Police insist there were 'no criminal elements' to the young model's death, but her devastated family has demanded an investigation The model's body was found at the Persiaran Capsquare block in Kuala Lumpur's Jalan Dang Wangi district The teenager, who had worked in fashion shows for Chanel and other brands, had been partying but reportedly returned to the flat at 5am last Thursday. But several hours later her dead body was found naked after allegedly falling from the balcony and landing on the sixth floor of the block. Police said there were 'no criminal elements' to the death but Ivana's devastated father along with his wife and son have now arrived in the country and contacted Interpol to demand a full probe into the incident. Ivana's grandfather Fredrik Smit, who has lived in Penang, Malaysia, for over two decades and raised Ivana as a child there, said today: 'We cannot believe she fell from level 20 and the body was found at level 6. The teenager, who had worked in fashion shows for Chanel and other brands, had been partying but returned to the flat at 5am last Thursday 'She was found there naked. Where are her shoes and underwear? He added: 'We believe there is a criminal element in Ivana's death. Of course we don't believe the story from the police because they can't give us photographs or a report from the scene. Ivana's father has contacted the Dutch ambassador and Interpol.' Ivana's father Marcel Smit claims Ivana sent her boyfriend a message and selfie at 7.25am before she was found dead around seven hours later last Thursday afternoon at around 2 or 3pm. He told Dutch media: 'At about 10am she would have fallen from the balcony at 20 floors high. How is that possible? It is strange that she was not found until 3pm. 'She is tall, 1.81 meters, but the barrier is also 1.20 meters. Only when you bend over, do you fall off. She did not fall and did not jump either.' Ivana's father Marcel Smit claims Ivana sent her boyfriend a message and selfie at 7.25am before she was found dead around seven hours later last Thursday afternoon at around 2 or 3pm Ivana (pictured) had first moved to Malaysia 13 years ago and lived with her grandfather Fredrik Marcel claims that police want to 'close the case quickly' and that neighbours heard 'shouts and an argument'. According to Ivana's family, alcohol and ecstasy have allegedly been found in the blood of his daughter. The model's uncle Fred Agenjo said: 'Those are not drugs that you're going to sleep on. 'There are so many questions. Her clothes have been found, but her shoes and underwear are not. 'The police do not look at her mobile phone. The police do not want to say whether the drugs were taken when they were alive. We want a full investigation.' Ivana had first moved to Malaysia 13 years ago and lived with her grandfather Fredrik. She was the second runner-up in Malaysia Supermodel Search 2014 and a leading model in the country. Dang Wangi police chief Assistant Commissioner Shaharuddin Abdullah said the case was 'sudden death' and appealed for more information from witnesses. He said: 'Our investigations so far and the post-mortem report show no elements of foul play.' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has fired a warning at the United States and said it was a 'partner to bloodshed' after Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel sparked violence. Erdogan bitterly opposes Trump's decision and has sought to mobilise the Muslim world against it, calling a summit of Islamic countries on December 13 in Istanbul. The Turkish president, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, said the 'struggle' of Muslims would not end until there was an independent Palestinian state. 'They will never be able to clean the blood,' he said in a speech in Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has harshly criticized Israel and the United States over the US stance on Jerusalem Erdogan bitterly opposes Trump's decision and has sought to mobilise the Muslim world against it, calling a summit of Islamic countries on December 13 in Istanbul Protests continue to be held across the world following the controversial decision. These female masked members of the Palestinian Al-Quds Brigades demonstrated in Gaza City 'With this recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it (the United States) has become a partner to this bloodshed. We do not recognise this decision, we will not,' he added. Turkey had high hopes for relations under the Trump presidency, but ties have frayed with rows over the Syria conflict, a New York legal case and now Jerusalem. Erdogan said that the current 'vandalism and cruelty' in Jerusalem would not last. 'Those who think they own Jerusalem today will not find trees to hide behind,' he said. Trump's move has ignited protests across the Islamic world and deadly violence in the Palestinian territories. He said Wednesday's summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul would be a 'turning point' on the issue. And on Monday Hezbollah said it will refocus its efforts on fighting the Palestinian cause in the wake of Trump's decision. Trump's move has ignited protests across the Islamic world and deadly violence in the Palestinian territories. American and Israeli flags were burned in Gaza City today Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had traded verbal blows at the weekend, with the Turkish leader describing Israel as a 'terrorist state' that kills children Erdogan bitterly opposes Trump's decision and has sought to mobilise the Muslim world against it, calling a summit of Islamic countries Protests across the Muslim world entered their fifth day on Monday. Here a Palestinian throws a rock at Israeli security forces near the city of Ramallah, on the West Bank Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces continued in the West Bank on Thursday. Pictured here, a man kicks a flaming tyre at Israeli security near Ramallah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon, called on the group and its allies in the region to present a 'united front' against Israel. His announcement came as thousands of the group's supporters took to the streets of Beirut chanting 'Death to America!' and 'Death to Israel!' while carrying banners that read 'Jerusalem, Eternal Capital of Palestine' and 'Jerusalem is Ours'. Nasrallah had called for the demonstration last week. The marches, along with fresh violence in the West Bank and Gaza, came after Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech to EU diplomats in Brussels saying Trump's declaration had 'made peace possible.' Israeli security forces observe Palestinian protesters near Ramallah amid violent clashes Palestinian paramedic volunteers carry away an injured protester during clashes near Ramallah on Monday Hezbollah has announced it will refocus its efforts on fighting the Palestinian cause after Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel (pictured, anti-Trump banners at a Hezbollah march in Lebanon on Monday) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the group in Lebanon (pictured on Hezbollah's al-Manar TV) made the announcement as thousands took to the streets of Beirut in a day of protests against Trump Nasrallah (whose picture, right, was carried through Beirut along with a portrait of former Hezbollah military leader Imad Mughniyeh) had called for the protests on Sunday Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had traded verbal blows at the weekend, with the Turkish leader describing Israel as a 'terrorist state' that kills children. Hours later Netanyahu hit back, calling his counterpart a leader who bombs Kurdish villagers and supports terrorists, during an official visit to Paris. However Erdogan did not refer to Netanyahu in his latest speech. Last year, Turkey and Israel ended a rift triggered by Israel's storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead and led to a downgrading of diplomatic ties. The two sides have since stepped up cooperation, particularly in energy, but Erdogan has repeatedly been bitterly critical of Israeli policy. A one-punch killer has appealed against his five-year jail sentence, arguing it is excessive. Patrick Cronin, 19, was 'coward punched' outside the Windy Mile pub in Diamond Creek, Melbourne, during a fight involving up to 30 people in April last year and later died. His attacker Andrew William Lee was jailed for a maximum of eight years after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Scroll down for video Patrick Cronin, 19, (pictured) was 'coward punched' outside the Windy Mile pub in Diamond Creek, Melbourne during a fight involving up to 30 people in April last year His attacker Andrew William Lee (pictured) was jailed for a maximum of eight years after pleading guilty to manslaughter But Lee has launched an appeal only a week after Patrick's devastated parents wrote a letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions saying the sentence was too lenient, the Herald Sun reported. Lee, a father of a young son, changed his plea to guilty two days into his trial at the Supreme Court of Victoria in September. Patrick's father, Matt Cronin, on Monday told the publication the appeal was a 'kick in the guts'. 'I'm not shocked but I'm really disappointed,' Mr Cronin said. In their letter to the DPP, Robyn and Matt Cronin said the sentence was not long enough. 'As victims of the most horrendous crime against our beautiful, innocent son, we are left with no sense of justice and we are seeking your intervention to send a message that Victoria does not accept and should not accept such lenient sentences for this type of manslaughter,' the letter said. Pictured: Mr Cronin's parents Robyn and Matt leaving the Supreme Court of Victoria earlier in Lee's trial Camilla Wageman (pictured) was a confident young law student when she was lured into a sinister cult accused of brainwashing members into having sex with its serial rapist leader Camilla Wageman was a confident young law student when she was lured into a cult accused of brainwashing members into having sex with its serial rapist leader. The South Korean-based Christian sect, known as Providence, began establishing Australian branches in the 1990s on the orders of Jeong Myeong-seok, who is serving a 10-year jail term in Seoul for raping and molesting his followers. Recruiters in Australia's major cities roam shopping malls and university campuses looking for tall, attractive women who are encouraged to become 'spiritual brides' of the leader, according to former members. Ms Wageman is one of many Australians who have been convinced to abandoned their friends and family to live a life of secrecy under the strict teachings of the self-proclaimed Messiah. 'Right from the start of learning Bible studies, I heard where Pastor Jeong was,' the young Canberra woman is heard saying in a promotional video for the cult. Scroll down for video The South Korean-based Christian sect known as Providence began establishing Australian branches in the 1990s at the orders of Jeong Myeong-seok (pictured) 'Right from the start of learning Bible studies, I heard where Pastor Jeong was,' Ms Wageman is heard saying in a promotional video for the cult 'I heard about what he'd been accused of... [but] as I saw the way that he lived, I came to really admire the things that he'd achieved. 'I read what had been written about him on the internet, so I was fully aware about all of the rumours about him from the start. And of course I was quite sceptical about him myself to start off with. 'But after listening to him preach about love, forgiveness, compassion and self-improvement on such a consistent basis, I realised no one could preach like that unless they were living like that too.' Ms Wageman's father Gerry spoke on Monday of his 'great mourning' that he had 'really lost his daughter' to the cult. Recruiters in Australia's major cities roam shopping malls and university campuses looking for tall, attractive women who are encouraged to become 'spiritual brides' of the leader Jeong Myeong-seok, who is serving a 10-year jail term in Seoul for raping and molesting his followers He said his only contact with the former Australian National University student is through an occasional email or a rare phone call. 'You can't mention anything about Providence... if you touch on that subject no questions are ever answered,' he told the ABC's 7.30. 'The only way to make contact with her is through her pre-cult persona and remember the things we did before she joined and the fun we had. 'That is still more or less what is happening currently... I'm told that she will come out eventually. I hope that will be in my life time.' Ms Wageman (pictured) is one of many Australians who have been convinced to abandoned their friends and family to live a life of secrecy under the strict teachings of the self-proclaimed Messiah Ms Wageman's father Gerry spoke on Monday of his 'great mourning' that he had 'really lost his daughter' to the secretive cult Former followers previously told Daily Mail Australia of the shocking psychological and emotional damage they were left with after breaking from the sect. Elizabeth, who chose not to give her full name for fear of reprisals, was a member of Providence's Canberra faction for 18 months. 'I was shopping inside the Canberra Centre in April 2011. A Korean woman came over and said she was holding a Christian art show. It looked good so I thought I would check it out,' she said last year. After meeting the group's local leader she moved in with them later that year and was subjected to the indoctrination process. Ms Wageman's father said his only contact with the former Australian National University student is through an occasional email or a rare phone call Elizabeth (pictured) said she was a member of Providence's Canberra fraction for 18 months 'We had to wake up at 3am every day to pray because they said this brought us closer to god. It's a mind control technique: when you're deprived of sleep you can't critically think,' she said. Teachings were centred on the 'Messianic' leader Jeong, who was depicted as a living Deity who had been falsely accused and persecuted like Jesus Christ. 'They encouraged us to write letters to him like he was our lover. He wrote sexually explicit replies saying things like ''your white skin arouses me,'' or ''your vagina would look pretty''.' The religious group's spokesman at the time refuted Elizabeth's claims and said there was no record of such letters. 'They encouraged us to write letters to him like he was our lover,' said Elizabeth, pictured with members of the organisation's Canberra faction Former cult members have told police they were ordered to have sex with Jeong to remove their sins, according to previous media reports Both Providence and Camilla Wageman rejected all allegations made against them when contacted by the ABC Other former cult members have told police they were ordered to have sex with Jeong to remove their sins, according to previous media reports. He was accused of rape and fled South Korea in 1999 before he was extradited from China and charged. He was sentenced to 10 years' jail, though his supporters maintain his innocence. Jeong is due to walk free from his South Korean jail cell early next year. Both Providence and Camilla Wageman rejected all allegations made against them when contacted by the ABC. Meha Ahmad, a producer for the Chicago radio show The Morning Shift on WBEZ, said she was refused a ride while standing in the street with her young family A Muslim woman has claimed a Jewish Uber driver refused to allow her in his car because 'Jerusalem belongs to the Jews'. Meha Ahmad, a producer for the Chicago radio show The Morning Shift on WBEZ, said she was refused a ride while standing in the street with her young family. She explained she was waiting at Chicago's Navy Pier when her car - driven by a man - pulled up. But when she tried to open the door, she claimed in a Twitter post, the driver would not unlock it. 'Instead [he] lowers his passenger side window and obv[iously] wants to say something,' she wrote. 'I step up and he's like 'I can't take you, I'm Jewish.' I'm like....... 'Ok so?' He repeats 'I'm Jewish, I can't drive you'.' She claimed at this point her family - including children aged two and five - were pleading to get in the car because they were cold. But the man allegedly added: 'I'm Jewish, I'm not letting you in', before showing her a necklace to prove his faith. Meha continued: 'Then he's like 'I'm Jewish, JERUSALEM BELONGS TO THE JEWS, I CAN'T DRIVE YOU.' She explained she was waiting at Chicago's Navy Pier when her car - driven by a man - pulled up. But when she tried to open the door, she claimed in a Twitter post, the driver would not unlock it Meha continued: 'Then he's like 'I'm Jewish, JERUSALEM BELONGS TO THE JEWS, I CAN'T DRIVE YOU'' 'Finally I'm like 'well you can cancel this ride bc I'm not about to get hit with a fee'.' Meha, who previously worked for state-funded Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, claims she was then emailed by Uber. A representative of the firm told her she was 'sorry to hear about the experience' but said it would not be possible to investigate due to a lack of evidence, Meha claimed. But in a statement to MailOnline, a spokeswoman from Uber said: 'Discrimination has no place on the Uber app. What's been reported is unacceptable and we have removed this driver's access to Uber.' The allegation comes days after President Donald Trump acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in a move that upset many Muslims around the world. A synagogue was firebombed in Gothenburg, Sweden on Saturday in an attack believed to be related to the announcement. But not all Jews were pleased with President Trump's declaration. She explained she was waiting at Chicago's Navy Pier when her car - driven by a man - pulled up. Pictured: A general view of Chicago Some Twitter users who identified as Jews even replied to Meha's post to apologize on behalf of the Jewish people. Another user, however, accused her of fabricating the entire story. A 78-year-old grandfather was killed by two drivers who were racing at twice the speed limit as he crossed the road, a court heard. Glenn Donovan, 34, was racing his white Volkswagen Scirocco at 79mph through a 40mph zone against BMW driver Stephen Richards, 43, the Old Bailey heard. Donovan drove through a pedestrian crossing followed a second later by Richards, who struck Mohammed Muqtadir, 78, as he crossed the road on April 7 last year. Emergency services arrived, but Mr Muqtadir was pronounced dead at the scene on the A12 between Redbridge and Gants Hill in east London. Mohammed Muqtadir, 78, was killed in April last year as he used a pedestrian crossing. Glenn Donovan, 34, and Stephen Richards, 43, are standing trial at the Old Bailey, accused of causing death by dangerous driving Jurors were told it was a matter of 'pure chance' which of the two drivers hit Mr Muqtadir at about 5.50am. Although the crossing had a red man, if the BMW had not been driving so fast Mr Muqtadir would have been able to cross in time, the Old Bailey was told. The court heard Richards was driving home from a night shift at work with a passenger, Jamie May. Prosecutor Sarah Przybylska said: 'Mr May noticed the defendant Donovan's white Volkswagen Scirocco driving erratically, changing lanes, tailgating. 'At the Redbridge roundabout Donovan's car pulled alongside Richards' car and then in front of him. 'Mr May saw Donovan's car swerve, then heard a bang and realised that Richards' car had hit someone. 'That sound of someone being hit was the collision between Mr Richards' car and Mr Muqtadir. He saw Donovan's car driving off at speed.' Police arrived and spoke to Richards and Mr May. Police collision investigator Clive Austin found both cars were travelling at 79mph when they reached the pedestrian crossing, the court heard. The prosecutor said: 'Both were braking and so it is likely that each vehicle was travelling at a greater speed on their approach to the crossing. 'Had the BMW been travelling at the 40mph speed limit it would not have hit Mr Muqtadir, as he would have had time to cross the road before the BMW reached the crossing.' Emergency services arrived, but Mr Muqtadir was pronounced dead at the scene on the A12 between Redbridge and Gants Hill Police identified Donovan through his registration number and went to his house at 1pm the same day. When police tracked down Donovan, he told them that he had left work in Stratford at about 5.40am and did not notice anything out of the ordinary as he drove home. Ms Przybylska said the two motorists were driving as part of a 'joint enterprise' and were both responsible for the death. She added: 'This dangerous driving occurred on the spur of the moment. Donovan was driving behind Richards at speed, tailgating, and then undertook him. 'He drove off at high speed - in excess of 79mph - and then Richards followed him, matching his speed. 'Whether you call this road rage or racing, both cars were travelling at grossly excessive speed in a built up area in convoy. It was a matter of pure chance which of them hit Mr Muqtadir.' Richards, from Romford in east London, has pleaded guilty to causing the death of Mr Muqtadir by his dangerous driving. Donovan, also from Romford, admits dangerous driving but denies causing death by dangerous driving. The trial continues. Advertisement The taxi driver behind the failed terror attack in a New York City told investigators he meant to detonate his homemade pipe bomb in the busy subway station after seeing the walls festooned with Christmas posters - in revenge for violence against Muslims all over the world. While initial reports suggested the crude pipe bomb, made from a pipe, a 9-volt battery, match heads, sugar, Christmas tree lights and screws, had detonated prematurely, suspect Akayed Ullah, 27, insisted he set off the bomb deliberately. The bombing attack at the Port Authority Bus Station subway station comes just days after Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparking violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Ullah, who was arrested and taken for questioning after the bomb only partially detonated, told police he was walking through the underground tunnel at 7.20am, between the Port Authority station towards Times Square, when he saw the Christmas-themed posters on the wall, which reminded him of ISIS' calls last month for militants and lone wolves to attack holiday markets. 'He acknowledges he purposely set it off then and there,' a senior law enforcement official told the New York Post. The Bangladeshi immigrant added that he was specifically inspired by ISIS, 'not Al Qaeda'. Authorities say that if the explosive had fully detonated in the busy Midtown Manhattan subway station, there would have been more injuries and doubtless loss of life. The attack came days after Ullah's Brooklyn neighbors say they heard a huge row coming from his home, reporting yelling and screaming over the past two nights. His parents have since released a statement saying they are 'outraged' by the allegations, and the treatment of their family since the terror attack. Ullah, who was allowed to stop and pray multiple times during his interrogation, was taken to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for serious burns and lacerations to his abdomen and hands but is expected to survive. At the hospital, the Brooklyn resident told investigators that he was inspired to carry out the attack by the recent flare ups between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Scroll down for video A 27-year-old Bangladeshi national was arrested on Monday after a pipe bomb partially exploded in a New York City Subway tunnel Akayed Ullah, a resident of Brooklyn, was taken into custody after the attack. He says he wanted to carry out the terrorist attack in retribution for Muslim Palestinians. Ullah is seen here being taken to the hospital Authorities don't believe the subway corridor was the intended target of the attack since the pipe bomb Ullah was carring attached to his body only partially exploded Ullah was the only person seriously injured in the explosion. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for burns and lacerations to his abdomen and hands At the hospital, Ullah told investigators that he made the explosive device last week. There are conflicting reports about whether he made the bomb at his apartment or at his job at an electrical company Video from inside the tunnel purports to show the moment the explosion occurred (center) and the injured suspect (right) lying on the ground Commuters exit a train as a police officer stands in a closed-off underground walkway near the site of a pipe bomb explosion in the tunnel that connects the Times Square subway station to the Port Authority Bus Terminal The cordoned off walkway where Ullah is believed to have walked down before detonating the bomb. On the walls are paintings of people in seasonal dress. Ullah says he was inspired to set off the explosion after seeing Christmas posters Ullah would have also had to walk past these Macy's advertisements for Christmas gifts. Pictured, forces stand guard at Herald Square subway station after an explosion in Manhattan borough of New York City Last week, President Trump sparked tensions between the Jewish Israelis and Muslim Palestinians when he officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - a city the two groups have been fighting over for decades. Monday's attack was the first terror attack on U.S. soil since that proclamation, but only one of many violent demonstrations across the world since the controversial move was announced last Wednesday. It was also the second time in two months that New York City was the target of a terrorist attack. President Trump said in a statement that 'lax' immigration policies were to blame for the attack, and urged Congress to 'enact legislative reforms to protect the American people'. Authorities say Ullah took the A train subway to the Port Authority Bus Terminal stop Monday morning, and started walking east towards Times Square via an underground terminal when a pipe bomb hidden underneath his clothes prematurely exploded. Law enforcement officials don't believe the passageway was the intended target since the 'low-tech' bomb - attached to Ullah with Velcro and zip ties - did not explode fully. The chemical explosive appears to have ignited but the pipe itself did not burst. Screws were found at the scene, indicating that they may have filled the pipe and were intended to be used as shrapnel. In the end, Ullah was the only one seriously injured by the explosive (three others reported to hospitals for ringing in the ears and headaches). Hero Port Authority Police Officers Sean Gallagher 26, a former Marine, Anthony Manfredini, 28, a former Marine bomb tech, Drew Preston, 36, a former Army soldier with three combat tours, and Jack Collins 45, an attorney, have been identified as the cops who took Ullah into custody. It was Officer Manferdini who spotted people running out of the passageway and he was swiftly joined by his colleagues as they ran towards the explosion and witnessed Ullah, crumpled on the floor, trying to get to his cellphone. Many improvised explosive devices often use cellphones as the detonator, so he may have been trying to set off the second explosive that was found on his body. 'The person on the floor was reaching for his cell phone. The officers at that point had to make a decision so no one else would be hurt and they decided at that point to take the person into custody,' Bobby Egbert, spokesman for the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, told 1010 WINS. 'There was a struggle with him, they had to keep him from reaching the cell phone, obviously they had no idea what he was going to do with the cell phone.' After he was arrested, Ullah was rushed to Bellevue Hospital where investigators started questioning him as he got treatment for his injuries. Law enforcement sources who spoke to Ullah at the hospital say he confessed to plotting the attack in retribution for recent actions by Israelis against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, CNN reports. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo described Ullah as 'disgruntled'. Also while he was at the hospital, Ullah revealed that he learned how to make explosives online, and that he constructed the pipe bombs about a week ago. There are conflicting reports about whether he put the bombs together at his apartment or at his job at an electrical company where he appears work with his brother. Firefighters, police officers and FBI agents converged on the area of the attack near Times Square Monday morning around 7:30am - causing rush hour chaos for many New Yorkers Port Authority closed down the bus terminal after the attack. The bus terminal is the busiest in the world - serving about 225,000 commuters a day Armed NYPD officers at the scene on Monday morning await instruction after the suspect was taken away Ullah immigrated to the U.S. in February 2011 from his native Bangladesh. His photo ID shows he was certified to work as a taxi cab driver, but he let his cab license expire in 2015 Neighbors in Brooklyn say Ullah (left and right) did not appear to be married or have any kids. He lived in the basement of a building in Flatlands, below an apartment where his brother and sister live The Bangladeshi former taxi driver who botched his 'revenge' attack on the US with a homemade bomb: What we know about Akayed Ullah Akayed Ullah moved to the U.S. from Bangladesh with his family seven years ago. He came to the U.S. on a F-4 visa, a preferential visa for those who have family already in the country, according to Fox News. He is now a legal green-card holder according to the New York Post. Bangladesh's police chief said the suspect, who lived in Chittagong, had no criminal record and wasn't on the radar of authorities. Ullah lived in Brooklyn and held a taxi license from 2012 to 2015, when it lapsed. It was for a livery service rather than a yellow cab. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNN that Ullah was 'disgruntled' and learned how to make the pipe bomb online. There are conflicting reports about where Ullah made the device. The New York Post say he constructed it at the electrical company where he worked, while a law enforcement source who spoke to the AP said he made it in his apartment. Law enforcement sources who spoke to Ullah at the hospital say he confessed to plotting the attack in retribution for recent actions by Israelis against Muslim Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Investigators have yet to determine an official motivation for the failed attack, but there have been reports that Ullah was inspired by ISIS. Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press he was not in direct contact with the terrorist group. So far, officials believe that Ullah carried out the attack as a 'lone wolf' Advertisement Records show that Ullah moved to the U.S. from Chittagong, Bangladesh in February 2011 on a F-4 visa, and is now a legal green-card owner. The FR-4 visa is a preferential visa for those who already have family in the U.S. He reportedly immigrated with his parents and three to four siblings. Ullah had recently visited his home country on September 8. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in an afternoon press conference that the president is working to end such 'chain migration' in favor of merit-based immigration policies. It's still unclear what exactly Ullah did for work in electronics. He previously had a taxi cab license, but let it expire in March 2015. While he doesn't have a criminal record - either in Bangladesh or the U.S. - Ullah has been cited several times for traffic violations. Investigators have yet to determine an official motivation for the failed attack, but there have been reports that Ullah was inspired by ISIS. Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Ullah was inspired by the group, but not in direct contact with them. The attack is being celebrated on pro-ISIS 'channels'. Investigators say he watched ISIS videos and read extremist propaganda such as Al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine, NBC News reported. The magazine famously posted an article titled: 'Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom.' So far, officials believe that Ullah carried out the attack as a 'lone wolf'. Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC's Morning Joe that the suspect 'supposedly was setting the device off in the name of ISIS' and that it was 'definitely a terrorist attack, definitely intended'. At a morning press conference, current NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said that the suspect 'did make statements' but that they are not going to comment on them yet. Though it's still early in the investigation, New York City officials say it was definitely an attempted terror attack. 'This was an attempted terror attack and thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said. The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the largest in the country and the busiest in the world - serving about 225,000 commuters a day. It's what's known by law enforcement officials as a 'soft target' because it handles a lot of traffic but doesn't have the same kind of security as a place like an airport. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said a bombing in the subway is 'one of our worst nightmares' - but he said New Yorkers will get through this as they have before on 9/11 and even the most recent terror attack on Halloween. 'This is the New York. The reality is we are the target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy and against freedom. We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor and that makes us an international target. 'We understand that anyone can go on the internet and download garbage and vileness on how to put together an amateur-level explosive device and that is the reality that we live with. 'The counter reality is that this is New York and we all pitch together and we are a savvy people and we keep our eyes open and that's what 'see something, say something' is all about. And we have the best law enforcement on the globe and we're all working together extraordinarily well,' Gov. Cuomo said. A woman in a headscarf was seen being led away from an address in Ocean Parkway connected to Ullah on Monday NYPD officers carried out search warrants on three buildings connected to Ullah after the bombing on Monday. Two of them were located in Kensington and one in Flatlands. Above an aerial view of the Flatlands apartment Police were seen speaking to residents at the Flatlands home on Monday morning. Police reportedly talked to Ullah's father, mother and brother at this home Police are seen at another address connected to Ullah in the the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, on Ocean Parkway Above another view of the Kensington apartment building connected to Ullah Police officers in SWAT gear were called in to help carry out some of the search warrants on Monday Law enforcement agents are seen again carrying out a search warrant at an undisclosed location in New York City on Monday Following the attack, police descended on at least three addresses connected to Ullah in Brooklyn - one in Flatlands and two in Kensington. Ullah's mother, father and brother were seen being interviewed outside of the one of the addresses. His parents have since released a statement saying they are 'outraged' by the treatment of their family. 'We are heartbroken by the violence that was targeted at our city today, and by the allegations being made against a member of our family,' the family said in a statement read by Albert Fox Cahn, legal director for Council on American-Islamic Relations-New York. 'But we are also outraged by the behavior of law enforcement officials who have held children as small as 4 years old out in the cold and who held a teenager out of high school classes to interrogate him without a lawyer, without his parents,' the statement continued. SUSPECT'S FAMILY 'OUTRAGED' BY TREATMENT We are heartbroken by the violence that was targeted at our city today, and by the allegations being made against a member of our family. But we are also outraged by the behavior of law enforcement officials who have held children as small as 4 years old out in the cold and who held a teenager out of high school classes to interrogate him without a lawyer, without his parents. These are not the sorts of actions that we expect from our justice system, and we have every confidence that our justice system will find the truth behind this attack and that we will, in the end, be able to learn what occurred today. Advertisement 'These are not the sorts of actions that we expect from our justice system, and we have every confidence that our justice system will find the truth behind this attack and that we will, in the end, be able to learn what occurred today.' Police had cordoned off the block of East 48th Street in Flatlands where the alleged terrorist had been living and the bomb squad were on the scene. Leonora Podlyashuk lives on the same floor as an apartment being searched in connection with Ullah at 679 Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. She told DailyMail.com that a man, believed to be Ullah, his wife and son, aged about 5 years, moved into the building five months ago. The woman was pregnant at the time with their second child, and has since given birth. Her baby is 2 or 3 months old. 'The wife was pleasant, would say hello in the elevator, but I never saw any men [in the apartment],' she said. 'I would not have recognized him if shown a photo.' The wife was dressed in traditional Muslim attire, she said. It is unclear if the man is Ullah or a relative. The neighbour said some 20 police officers and FBI agents have been in the hallways since 8am today. Ullah was connected with another Brooklyn address on East 2nd Street. A woman who spoke on the intercom to DailyMail.com said she had 'no comment' about the suspect. Alan Butrico, owner of Locksmith hardware store on Avenue N in Marine Park, told DailyMail.com that a Bangladeshi family lives at the home the police had cordoned off. Butrico added to CNN that Ullah lived in the basement of the building while Ullah's brother and sister lived in the apartment above him. 'He wasn't friendly at all. The family was very quiet themselves. They don't talk to nobody. They just stay there,' Butrico said. Burtico says that the last two nights, tenants told him that they heard 'screaming and yelling' coming from Ullah's home, but they did not call police. Ally Mohammed, who works in the deli across the street, described the family as 'very nice, hardworking people'. He said that the suspect's mother came into his store and was very pleasant and that his father owned a grocery store in the area. Mohammed said that he believed the suspect lived with his brother, sister-in-law and their child, of around four years old. He said that he believed the brother had finished college and had a job in the city. He said he did not believe Ullah was married or had any children. 'What he did has nothing to do with Islam, maybe he was brainwashed,' Mohammed said These are the 4 Port Authority police officers who arrested NYC terror attack suspect: Officers Sean Gallagher 26; Drew Preston 36; Jack Collins, 45; Anthony Manfredini, 28 Firefighters are seen at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue on Monday morning after an explosion in the Port Authority bus terminal transit tunnel An NYPD police officer stands in front of gathered firefighters outside the Port Authority terminal as commuters walk around them Panicked commuters piled on to escalators to get out of the station after the explosion which occurred just after 7:20am An NYPD van parked outside the Port Authority entrance at 8th Avenue and 41st Street on Monday morning The scene near the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Monday morning as police and firefighters worked amongst commuters An area of several blocks was in lockdown immediately after the incident, sparking commuter chaos and confusion among others trying to navigate the busy Manhattan streets An ambulance near the scene of the explosion on Monday morning. Four people were injured, including the suspect Kisslyn Joseph, 19, from Grenada, has been staying next door to the suspect's home at her brother Kevin Alexander's house. She told DailyMail.com that she heard shouting from what appeared to be an argument on the phone inside the home on Sunday morning around 2am. She said that the argument was in English but she was unable to hear what was being said. Other neighbors also had negative memories of Ullah. 'He was just nasty. We would tell him to move the car, he felt like he owned it,' the owner of a hardware store who had previously fought with Ullah told CBS News. 'I've seen him in the neighborhood walking around. Pretty much looks like he always has something on his mind. Never says hello, doesn't talk to anybody,' one woman said. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the city's Mayor Bill De Blasio gave a press conference at around 9.30am to say there was no outstanding threat A fire fighter grabs equipment from his trunk at the scene of the explosion on Monday morning The subway at Port Authority was closed for several hours after the incident. The bus terminal has since reopened Not long after the explosion and despite a large police presence, tourists took photographs on 8th Avenue which was uncharacteristically free from traffic because of the incident An armed officer stands at the corner of West 42nd Street between police vans and cars A street vendor tows their food cart away from the scene as foot fall decreases because of the attack A strong police presence remained at the scene in the hours after the incident. The Port Authority terminal was reopened at around 9.30am, two hours after the blast Social worker Michael, 35, was commuting from New Jersey to Brooklyn when the chaos unfolded. He said: 'There were people running from various angles and screaming that someone had a gun. People were saying 'just run, just go'. Everyone was looking around confused. POLICE ASK FOR PUBLIC'S HELP Anyone with information on suspect Akayed Ullah is being asked to call the terror hotline at 888-NYC-SAFE Advertisement 'After a few minutes I think I heard another person say there was an explosion and that's when people started to panic. There was a lot of chaotic shouting and screaming. I saw a guy spring past me and as people scattered the crowd began to hurry more and push through the doors. 'There are escalators that lead outside and steps and people were running up to get outside. We are talking 50 or 60 people. People were running over each other at one point. It became like a domino effect as everyone tried to run through the doors. 'We got out and I ran across the street to 41st. I could hear sirens going off and people were grabbing their phones and calling home. Everyone was quite panicked and shook up.' He added: 'It's scary. I'm quite on edge now.' Dozens of fire fighters flocked to the explosion site. They were matched in numbers by NYPD officers Commuters were still rushing out of the station shortly after 8am. The explosion was reported at 7.20am The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the busiest in the world in terms of traffic. About 225,000 people use it daily Video from above the 'Crossroads of the World' showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. Everything around the Port Authority in the 42nd Street area was shut down while police investigated the bombing - a surreal scene of what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. A spokesman for the Port Authority say they plan to have the transit hub up and running fully by the evening rush hour. Mayor De Blasio said getting transportation up and running again was an important message to the failed terrorist. 'We're not going to allow them to disrupt us. That is exactly what they what and that is exactly what they are not going to get,' he said. An armored police vehicle at the Port Authority bus terminal on Monday morning after the attack The scene on Monday morning as NYPD officers and fire fighters continued to work at the scene Port Authority Police were also on hand in addition to NYPD officers. They ushered commuters out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal building Commuters marched out onto 8th Avenue shortly before 8am. They came off buses which were already on their way when the explosion occurred While the suspect's motivation has not been established yet, his alleged statements about ISIS and Bangladeshi background suggest he was motivated by extreme religion. The attack also comes on the heels of a Muslim day of rage in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, last week where thousands of Muslims protested over President Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The decision - which breaks with decades of tradition in international policy - has drawn widespread criticism from Muslims and Christians around the world. Previous presidents have refrained from such direct involvement in the Middle East's historic conflict but Trump proudly waded in. Moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was a campaign promise which he now boasts about fulfilling. The Bangladesh government condemned the attack in a statement issued Monday through their embassy in Washington, DC. 'Government of Bangladesh is committed to its declared policy of 'Zero Tolerance' against terrorism, and condemns terrorism and violent extremism in all forms or manifestations anywhere in the world, including Monday morning's incident in New York City,' she said. This attack underscores the need for Congress to work with the President on immigration reforms that enhance our national security and public safety. We must protect our borders. We must ensure that individuals entering our country are not coming to do harm to our people and we must move to a merit-based system of immigration. Sarah Huckabee Sanders White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Monday morning that the president had been briefed on the situation. At an afternoon press conference, Sanders released a statement on behalf of the administration - saying this morning's incident is a further example of the need for tougher immigration policies. 'This attack underscores the need for Congress to work with the President on immigration reforms that enhance our national security and public safety. We must protect our borders. We must ensure that individuals entering our country are not coming to do harm to our people and we must move to a merit-based system of immigration,' she said. She went on to say that President Trump has been fighting to end chain migration, which would have prevented an attack like this. 'The President is certainly concerned that Congress, particularly Democrats, have failed to take action in some places where we feel we could have prevented this,' Sanders said. 'Specifically, the President's policy has called for an end to chain migration and if that had been in place, that would have prevented this individual from coming to the United States.' Monday's explosion also comes a month after Sayfullo Saipov plowed through cyclists on the a cycle path in Tribeca. The Uzbek national killed eight people in his rented Home Depot truck by mowing them down before crashing into a school bus. He injured another 12. Saipov, 29, who was living in Paterson, New Jersey, was gunned down by a police officer and remains in custody. Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited Saipov in his statement on the latest terror attack, saying that the immigration policies that let Ullah and Saipov into the country need to end. 'The President is exactly correct about the changes we need to our immigration system. We have now seen two terrorist attacks in New York City in less than two months that were carried out by people who came here as a result of our failed immigration policies that do not serve the national interest - the diversity lottery and chain migration. The 20-year-old son of the sister of a U.S. citizen should not get priority to come to this country ahead of someone who is high-skilled, well educated, has learned English, and is likely to assimilate and flourish here. 'It is a failure of logic and sound policy not to adopt a merit-based immigration system. The President has asked Congress to work with him on ending the diversity lottery and chain migration. He has proposed switching to a merit-based system of immigration similar to the Canadian and Australian systems. That means welcoming the best and the brightest and turning away not only terrorists but gang members, fraudsters, drunk drivers, and child abusers. Such a merit-based system would make us safer and welcome individuals who would be best able to assimilate and flourish in our country,' Sessions said. After the attack, the dollar lowered but stock markets recovered when the situation had been contained. The S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq indexes rose 0.1 to 0.3 percent when the main U.S. stock markets opened two and a half hours later. The dollar slipped as far as 113.245 yen against the Japanese currency. The Swiss franc, a refuge at times of heightened risk, reached a high of 1.16755 francs per euro. . 'We did see equities futures moving lower and it is not a surprise that we saw a move in crosses like dollar-yen,' said CIBC's head of currency strategy Jeremy Stretch. 'There is a susceptibility, whenever there is a degree of uncertainty, for the usual suspects to react.' A mother was kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight with her elderly parents and two-year-old son for not immediately stopping breastfeeding when cabin crew asked her to put him into his seat so that they could take off. Mei Rui, 34, her son Lukas and her parents were flying from Houston, Texas, to New York City on December 8 when they were booted off the plane. They had been sitting on the tarmac for almost three hours because of a de-icing delay, she claims, when she began to breastfeed her 'exhausted' two-year-old son. Shortly afterwards, a flight attendant told her to stop and put him in his seat because they claimed they were ready to take off. The mother claims the door was still open. Because of this, she asked for a few more minutes but then complied and 'forced' Lukas into his own seat where he began to cry for 25 minutes before a flight attendant asked them to get off. When they refused, Spirit made the entire plane disembark then reboard. Mei said her son had previously flown domestically and internationally without incident. Children are allowed to fly on their parents laps until they are two but must then have their own seat. Mei Rui, her elderly parents and her two-year-old son were kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight on Friday because she would not immediately stop breastfeeding the toddler when cabin crew asked her to. Her son is seen above with his grandparents after being 'forced' into his seat by his mother. She says that 25 minutes afterwards, they were thrown off the aircraft In videos taken at the gate afterwards, staff can be seen laughing and refusing to tell her exactly what they had done wrong beyond saying they did 'not comply with instructions'. They called police to escort the family away from the gate. Fellow passengers who saw the incident unfold said they were 'disgusted' by how Spirit treated the family. Rui, a Yale medical school graduate and cancer researcher who is also an accomplished piano player and teacher, said the ordeal was worse than Hurricane Harvey which destroyed her home and her elderly parents' home. They were on their way to New York for her to participate in an assignment on behalf of the MD Anderson Cancer Center. After the incident at George Bush International Airport, Rui says her father was so distraught he collapsed and had to go to the hospital. In a Facebook post she wrote directly after the incident on Friday, she said: 'This was an even more traumatic morning for us than when Harvey destroyed our homes. 'My dad almost had a heart attack and collapsed on the floor. I had never imagined something like this could happen to our family. Mei Rui, 34, was on her way from Texas to New York with her son and parents to take part in a work assignment. She is a cancer researcher Once they had been thrown off the plane, the mother, her parents and her son stood by the gate asking to be told which rule they had broken but were never given a straight answer beyond 'you were not compliant'. Eventually, police were called. She is pictured struggling with her son as police watch on and her parents stand by in a photograph taken by another passenger who said they were 'disgusted' by the ordeal A Spirit employee (left) refused to tell the woman which rule she had broken and laughed when she asked what he would do if it happened to his family. 'It wouldn't happen to my family, I can assure you,' is what he told her. Right, one of the several police officers called 'I am heartbroken that I could not protect my old parents and Lukas from this cruelty!' In videos she shared, Lukas can be seen wailing in his seat as his Chinese grandmother tried to console him and his mother pleaded: 'He is in his seat? What else do you guys want?' Her father, the toddler's grandfather, watched on from across the aisle as a flight attendant told them: 'I just need to check.' Once they had been taken off the plane, she filmed more footage at the gate. There, a Spirit employee stood in front of her with two police officers and laughed while he said: 'It wouldn't happen to my family, I can assure you.' Rui asked him again: 'If you can tell me which rule I broke I will go with you.' He replied: 'I do not have the ability to do that. No, no.' He refused to tell her exactly what she had done to break the rules, saying only that she did not 'comply' with instructions. He dismissed her claims that they had been thrown off the flight because Lukas was crying. Rui, with her son, said the ordeal was worse for the family than Hurricane Harvey which claimed their houses Another passenger who saw the ordeal unfold described the airline's treatment of the family as 'disgusting' 'I just want to know why we are getting kicked off the plane!' Rui, who is from Shanghai but has lived in the US since attending college, said. 'Because you were not compliant,' was the answer she was given. They left the airport and, in a taxi away from it, her father collapsed, she said. 'My parents and my young son are completely traumatized from this experience. The man offered to place her on a different flight with another airline more than once but still did not say why they had been kicked off. Spirit refunded the woman and her family for their tickets. In a statement to DailyMail.com, a spokesman said: 'No one was removed for breastfeeding. 'We were forced to remove a passenger from flight 712 after she refused to comply with crew instructions several times while the doors were closed during taxi and safety briefing. 'To ensure the safety of our guests and crew, FAA regulations and airline policies require all passengers stay seated and buckled during takeoff and landing. We reviewed multiple accounts from the crew and other guests sitting nearby and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue. 'As a courtesy, weve issued a full refund to the customer in question.' They would not comment on Rui's claims that the door was still open when she was breastfeeding. A woman who says she dated Roy Moore when she was 17-years-old is speaking out for the first time on camera on the eve of the special election for the U.S. Senate in Alabama. Debbie Wesson Gibson said in a Today show interview that she approved of Moore at the time of their romance which was legally allowed under Alabama law but now believes that he is a 'creeper' for dating teens. 'He is unfit for public service at the Senate level in this nation,' she said in an interview that aired Monday morning. Gibson also accused the president, who recorded a robo call for Moore over the weekend and touted him at a campaign-style rally, of being 'willing to sell his soul for political gain' over his endorsement of the alleged sexual assaulter and harasser of teens. Scroll down for video A woman who says she dated Roy Moore when she was 17-year-old is speaking out. Debbie Wesson Gibson says, 'He is unfit for public service at the Senate level in this nation' All eyes are on the race in Alabama between Moore and Democrat Doug Jones that will be decided on Tuesday Moore will get a shove across the finish line this evening from Steve Bannon, the president's ex-chief strategist. Democrat Doug Jones (left) received a weekend assist from Cory Booker (right), a New Jersey senator expected to challenge Trump in 2020 All eyes are on the race in Alabama between Moore and Democrat Doug Jones that will be decided by the special election that takes place Tuesday. Both sides are making a last-minute blitz, with Moore re-emerging on the airwaves Sunday to tie his candidacy to President Trump's agenda and defend himself against allegations of assault and molestation. 'I did not know them,' Moore said of his accusers on the radio program 'The Voice of Alabama Politics.' 'I had no encounter with them. I never molested anyone, and for them to say that, I don't know why they're saying it, but it's not true,' Moore added. Moore will get a shove across the finish line this evening from Steve Bannon, the president's ex-chief strategist who returned last summer to the helm of Breitbart News. Democrat Doug Jones received an assist from Cory Booker, a New Jersey senator who's expected to challenge President Donald Trump for the Oval Office in 2020, and Deval Patrick, the former Massachusetts governor. Former President Obama also recorded a robo call for Jones, CNN reported. 'This one's serious,' the ex-Democratic president says in the recording. 'You can't sit it out.' Democrats are targeting the African-American vote in the deeply southern state, hoping that if enough black voters show up to the polls Tuesday they can offset the traditionally large Republican base. On Monday, Fox News released a poll that showed Democrat Jones 10 points ahead of Moore, an outlier compared to other recent surveys from the Trafalgar Group and Gravis that gave Moore a four- to five-point edge. The Fox poll showed Jones receiving 50 per cent support from likely voters in Alabama, where Moore had the support of 40 per cent. Kellyanne Conway, the president's counselor and a former pollster, suggested in a Monday morning appearance on Fox & Friends that Moore would eek out a victory. Speaking about national Democrats, she said, 'I think if they had polling showing Doug Jones ahead, they'd been crowing about it ... and they just haven't.' 'They have a couple people down there. But really, they've spent money on this race, but they really haven't had superstars, powerhouses going into Alabama,' she stated. Booker has been the biggest draw for Jones by design. The Democratic candidate's campaign has said it does not want Washington meddling in the GOP-controlled state's special election. Mystery money has flooded into the race in support of both Jones and Moore, according to a report by the Center for Public Integrity, as donors have exploited legal loopholes so that they go publicly unnamed until after the December 12 vote. Several super PACs involved in the race have timed their spending so it doesn't trigger disclosure retirements, the joint report with NBC News said. In an interview from the state, Booker told Vice News that President Trump should resign over the allegations of misconduct against him. 'Why isnt Donald Trump doing the same thing? Who has more serious allegations against him, with more women who have come forward,' he said, referring to the announced resignation of Democratic Sen. Al Franken. At a weekend appearance with Booker, Jones hammered Moore for his light campaign schedule in the lead-up to the election. 'What kind of senator hides from his constituencies when he runs for office? What kind of public servant hides and only goes into enclaves and doesn't address the media?' he said. Moore has since sat down for interviews, including the one with The Voice of Alabama Politics and another for Bannon's Breitbart website. Trump has not campaigned alongside Moore. He held a rally across the border in Pensacola, Florida, on Friday, evening though, where he told his supporters who live in Alabama to vote for Moore. The president had waffled early in his support for Moore, only to endorse him last week on Twitter and in a call as he reflected on the possibility that Republicans could lose the vote for his agenda in the Senate. Conway said Monday as she defended Trump's endorsement: 'I think the president couldn't be more clear about how he feels about this race. He has said, this is the president talking now, the president has said, go vote Roy Moore. 'He's made it very clear that he wants that vote in the United States Senate. The president has said a vote for lower taxes, more secure borders, certainly less regulations, more ISIS in defeat around the globe.' Sen. Richard Shelby, Alabama's other GOP senator meanwhile confirmed on Sunday that he had cast a write-in vote for Tuesday's Senate special election in the state, instead of voting for embattled GOP hopeful Roy Moore. 'I couldn't vote for Roy Moore. I didn't vote for Roy Moore. But I wrote in a distinguished Republican name. And I think a lot of people could do that,' Shelby said on CNN's State of the Union. Shelby noted that while he'd rather see a Republican win, he hoped that victor would be a Republican write-in. Sen. Richard Shelby couldn't stomach voting for Roy Moore - nor Democrat Doug Jones - so he confirmed that he cast a write-in ballot for U.S. Senate in Alabama CNN's Jake Tapper (left) interviewed Sen. Richard Shelby (right) on Sunday. Shelby has represented Alabama in the Senate for nearly 31 years, though won't cast a vote for the Republican on the ballot Judge Roy Moore is being accused of preying on teenage girls, however has stayed in the Alabama Senate race. Voters head to the polls in this special election on Tuesday When the accusations first came out against Moore that he had preyed on teenage girls, displaying inappropriate behavior including sexual assault Republicans had floated the idea of a write-in campaign, which included candidates like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had vacated the seat, and Sen. Luther Strange, who lost to Moore in the GOP primary. However, no such effort got off the ground in part because Bannon decided to stand by Moore, eventually getting President Trump to give the Senate hopeful an endorsement too. Now Moore and Jones are locked in a tight race, which should have been a cake walk for Moore in the deep red state. 'I don't know what is going to happen,' Shelby admitted on Sunday. 'You know, as a Republican, I had to vote Republican. I wanted to vote Republican.' 'I understand where the president's coming from. I understand we would like to retain that seat in the U.S. Senate, but I tell you what,' Shelby continued. 'We call it a tipping point. And I think so many accusations, so many cuts, so many drip, drip, drip, drip when it got to the 14-year-old story ... that was enough for me.' Shelby was referring to the story of Leigh Corfman, first reported in the Washington Post, who said a 32-year-old Moore volunteered to watch after her at the courthouse as her mother stepped into a custody hearing. Later, he picked her up and took her to his house in the woods and upon arrival 'took off her shirt and pants and removed his clothes. He touched her over her bra and underpants, she says, and guided her hand to touch him over his underwear,' the Post wrote. Upon hearing about that, Shelby said he came to a decision: 'I said, I can't vote for Roy Moore.' Shelby, who's represented Alabama in the Senate for nearly 31 years, also said he believed the female accusers are credible. 'I think the women are believable. I have no reason not to believe them ... they are credible, but I wasn't there, I don't know what happened,' the senator said. 'But there's a lot of stories there. There's a lot of smoke. Got to be fire somewhere.' Dean Young, Moore's chief political strategist who was speaking on behalf of the campaign on ABC's This Week, argued the opposite, saying that he didn't believe the accusers. Young argued that 'the people of Alabama want to know why 30 days before an election people would just come out of the woodwork and say Judge Moore did this and Judge Moore did that.' 'I'm not sure why they did it,' he continued. 'I don't believe them and the people of Alabama don't believe them.' While Democrat Jones has held event after event, since the accusations have come out against Moore, the Republican Senate hopeful has only held a handful of public events. He had nothing on his schedule over the weekend, though will hold a rally Monday night, alongside Bannon and Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican. Young blew off the assertion that Moore was in hiding. 'Well, Judge Moore's been out for 25 years across Alabama and he's known by the people,' the campaign adviser said. 'He's talked to the people of Alabama and they are with Judge Moore.' 'That's why I believe if we get our vote out - and we will - Judge Moore will be the senator that will be going up to Washington on December 12 and helping Donald Trump with his agenda,' Young said. Donald Trump, according to his many critics, is the single most divisive, stupid, bigoted and unpopular president in American history. To say Trump is polarizing is to massively understate the sheer enormity of hatred that exists toward the billionaire tycoon who won the White House just over a year ago. On social media, every minute of every day, I see hysterical liberals screaming themselves digitally hoarse with rage at his very existence. I have friends, and indeed family members, who cant utter his name without physically shuddering. To them, Trump epitomizes the very worst kind of leader and the very worst kind of American. To many Donald Trump is the most divisive, stupid and bigoted president in history. Some refuse to even utter his name. But theres one thing even his most vociferous enemies cannot continue to deny, and its this: Donald Trump delivers on his promises Yet, theres one thing even his most vociferous enemies and that is a historically high volume of human beings cannot continue to deny, and its this: Donald Trump delivers on his promises. Of course, in the main, theyre not promises his opponents actually wanted him to keep, but that is beside the point. When you win an election, you also win the right to carry out the pledges you made as a candidate. That is the inherent bedrock of democracy. And judging Trump entirely from that perspective, he is beginning to really, REALLY deliver. In the past week alone, there were three perfect examples. First, Candidate Trump repeatedly vowed to wipe the hell out of ISIS. Now, within a year, the Islamist terror group that gained so much ground and support during Barack Obamas tenure he dismissed them as a J.V. team has been routed from Syria and Iraq. To put this into proper context, at one stage ISIS held land equivalent to West Virginia and was aggressively expanding its geographical caliphate. Now theyve been driven out of both countries with astonishing speed. Experts say this success is down to Trump authorizing his military commanders, led by secretary of defense Gen. James Mattis, to do what they needed to do without getting bogged down by slow-moving, agenda-driven politicians in Washington. Brig. Gen. Robert Sofge, the top US Marine in Iraq, said he and his men enjoyed not having to deal with too many distractions and there was no question about what the mission in Iraq now was. Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for Iraqs Ministry of Defense, agreed: I was not optimistic when Trump first came to office, he said, but after a while I started to see a new approach. I saw how the coalition forces were all moving faster to help the Iraq side more than before. There seemed to be a lot of support, under Obama we did not get this. Then-president Obama dismissed ISIS as the 'JV team' and, according to Iraqs Ministry of Defense, he didn't offer them the support Trump has given. Now ISIS has been driven out of Iraq and Syria in the past year with astonishing speed Nobody is complacent about the ongoing threat of ISIS and its supporters continuing to commit terrorist acts on civilian soil as they are driven from the battlefield. But the importance of kicking them out of Iraq and Syria cannot be overstated. Second, the President has enjoyed similar success on the domestic economic front. At every campaign rally, Candidate Trump promised to preside over economic growth, gets jobs going again, and stock markets roaring. Hes doing all that. Unemployment is at a 17-year low, hiring is strong - last Fridays jobs report showed 228,000 new jobs in November - GDP expanded 3.3% in the third quarter, and the stock market keeps breaking new records. All this after Americas supposedly leading economist Paul Krugman tweeted on election night: It really does now look like President Donald J. Trump, and markets are plunging. If the question is when markets will recover a first-pass is never. Financial experts put this success down to Trump unburdening America of many of the over-draconian and panicky regulatory barriers put in place after the 2008/9 crash. As a result there is a new spring in the step of the US economy, a tangible surge in confidence after years in the post-crash doldrums. Riding the wave of all this optimism, Trump has just got his much-vaunted $1.4 trillion tax overhaul approved in the Senate. If it succeeds how he says it will and its a very big if - then he will head into the 2020 election with a massive, possibly unbeatable head of steam. Very few US presidents in history have ever lost if theyve run again on the back of a surging economy. Trump is thus achieving an almost unique feat of being personally disliked in almost unprecedented levels his approval ratings have plummeted to 32% in some polls - but being increasingly lauded for his handling of the economy, a new Gallup survey showing him with a 45% approval rating for this key issue. Third, Candidate Trump promised to confirm Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv. Last week, he announced both things. I personally think its a dangerous and unnecessary move, but you cant say he didnt vow to do it if he got elected because he did, repeatedly. Candidate Trump promised to confirm Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the US Embassy there. Last week, he announced both. I personally think its a dangerous and unnecessary move, but you cant say he didnt vow to do it. Here, a sign in Jerusalem These three momentous things follow a long line of promises Trump has kept. He has moved to renegotiate NAFTA, pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, walk out of the Paris climate accord, target the Iran nuclear deal and start work on his big, beautiful wall along the Southern border (just the threat of it has led to a 38% fall in illegal immigrants coming over that border since he was elected). The Supreme Court even recently approved his revised and very controversial travel ban on residents of seven predominantly Muslim countries. Again, regardless of what you think of it, this was something Trump said hed do and he has done it. By contrast, Obama an eloquent, intelligent and thoughtful man liked and admired by almost the entire world abjectly failed on many of his biggest promises including pledges to close Guantanamo Bay, get new gun control laws, create a path to citizenship for undocumented illegals, reform Washington, and end the war in Afghanistan. Donald Trump is an imperfect president in many ways and I say that as someone who has known him as a friend for ten years and likes him. Hes an inflammatory tweeter, picking fights with anyone and everyone from Kim Jong Un to Gold Star widows. Weve never seen a president behave this way and it terrifies people, He flies fast and loose with the truth, though in that regard he is not a rare specimen in the world of Washington, or indeed global politics. And he does truly dumb, offensive and totally unnecessary things like retweet unverified anti-Muslim videos by the racist Britain First organisation, then obstinately refuse to undo the retweets when he is told exactly who they are. Going back over my old columns since his inauguration, Ive found myself harshly criticising him as much as Ive praised him. Yet there can be no doubt now that President Trump is a man who is delivering on his promises to the American people who voted for him. They are not the bleeding hearts of New York and Los Angeles, nor the largely liberal media elite who seem hell bent on destroying him as revenge for his fake news mantra. Donald Trump is an imperfect president and an inflammatory tweeter (seen here Monday morning) and the liberal media are hell bent on destroying him. And the media's indignation would be easier to swallow if they didn't keep getting stories wrong Incidentally, the latters indignation at this slur would be easier to stomach if they didnt keep reporting false anti-Trump stories. In the past 10 days alone, journalists from four supposedly reputable media organisations (ABC, CNN, Bloomberg and Washington Post) have had to retract stories a shameful state of affairs that simply serves to strengthen his point. No, those who voted for Trump are the people who live between the coasts, the Middle Americans who saw in him a loud, brash, uncompromising, ruthless bull in a china shop who might just cut through all the Washington crap to make their lives safer and more prosperous. I was down in Florida and Missouri recently and the Trump train is steaming just has hard there as it was before the election. They love what they see in their president, warts and all. They think hes got ISIS on the run, illegal immigration back under control, jobs pouring back, the economy roaring again, and the cocky all-powerful media back in its box. Love him or loathe him, Trumps doing exactly what he told them hed do. This is the moment Field Marshal Edmund Allenby became the first Christian to hold Jerusalem for 730 years as he captured the city 100 years ago today. The victory was an important morale boost for British forces during the First World War following defeat at Gallipoli, with David Lloyd George describing it as 'a Christmas present for the British people'. As a mark of respect for the Muslim and Jewish residents of the Holy City, Allenby entered on foot through Jaffa Gate rather than horseback. Field Marshal Edmund Allenby enters Jerusalem through the Jaffa Gate after capturing the city from the Ottomans in 1917. He approached the city on horseback, but as a mark of respect to Jews and Muslims, dismounted and entered on foot Allenby became the first Christian to hold Jerusalem in 730 when he won victory over the Turks, but in his declaration of martial law (pictured) he pledged to maintain all holy sites as their religions instructed The victory was a needed morale boost for the British after the defeat at Gallipoli and was declared a 'Christmas gift for the British people' by David Lloyd George Residents of Jerusalem watch as British troops enter the city on this day 100 years ago after defeating the Ottomans During his proclamation from the Citadel he told listeners that he had come not as a conqueror but as a liberator, promising freedom from the oppressive Ottomans who had held Jerusalem for 400 years. The 100th anniversary of Allenby's victory came as Jerusalem was once again thrust into the media spotlight after Trump recognised it as Israel's capital. The decision sparked protests across the Muslim world, as Islamic leaders want part of the city recognised as the capital of Palestine as part of a two-state solution. Marching alongside Allenby as he entered through the Jaffa Gate 100 years ago today was officer TE Lawrence, otherwise known as Lawrence of Arabia. He wore a borrowed British uniform for the occasion, according to the BBC, rather than his customary Arab dress. Allenby was assigned commander of the Egyptian Expeditionary Forces in June 1917 after predecessor Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Murray was relieved of duties. Murray had been given the task of capturing the Holy City by Christmas, and while he had made an initial lightning advance across Egypt's Sinai desert and into Palestine, his efforts had stalled. In an attempt to revitalise the weary troops and deliver a much-needed PR boost to the war effort, Allenby - known as 'the Bull' - was brought in. It took him until November to capture Gaza, after which he advanced to Jerusalem. Allenby captured the city by encircling it, then luring the Turks out by staging a retreat, conscious of the need to avoid shedding blood in such a holy place Alongside Allenby for the parade was officer TE Lawrence, otherwise known as Lawrence of Arabia, who had to borrow a uniform for the parade because he typically wore Arab dress Lawrence would later describe the capture of Jerusalem as 'the supreme moment of the war' But wary of a bloodbath within the city itself, he instead encircled it, then drew the Turk defenders out by staging a retreat. By December 7 the last of the Turk forces had surrendered, making way for Alleny to enter the city four days later and declare victory. In his declaration, he said: 'To the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Blessed and the People Dwelling in Its Vicinity. 'The defeat inflicted upon the Turks by the troops under my command has resulted in the occupation of your city by my forces. 'I, therefore, here now proclaim it to be under martial law, under which form of administration it will remain so long as military considerations make necessary. 'However, lest any of you be alarmed by reason of your experience at the hands of the enemy who has retired, I hereby inform you that it is my desire that every person pursue his lawful business without fear of interruption. 'Furthermore, since your city is regarded with affection by the adherents of three of the great religions of mankind and its soil has been consecrated by the prayers and pilgrimages of multitudes of devout people of these three religions for many centuries, therefore, do I make it known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest, or customary place of prayer of whatsoever form of the three religions will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred.' The city would remain under British control until 1948, when the Mandate of Palestine was ended in favor of the creation of two separate states - one Jewish, one Arab - based on a resolution by the UN General Assembly. Britain announced the termination of its Mandate over Palestine to take effect on May 15, 1948, and on May 14 the State of Israel was proclaimed. TV presenter Christine Lampard will give evidence behind a screen in the case of an aspiring actor accused of causing her 'severe alarm and distress' with a three-year stalking campaign. Christof King, 39, is accused of bombarding Mrs Lampard, 38, with unwanted letters, emails and tweets between January 2015 and September this year. The aspiring actor, who has been in a series of low-budget productions and student films, allegedly turned up to the Lampards' 10million west London mansion uninvited on several occasions. Christof King (pictured left), 39, is accused of bombarding Christine Lampard (right), 38, with unwanted letters, emails and tweets between January 2015 and September this year King, of north west London, is pictured outside Westminster Magistrates where he first appeared in court He has been banned from contacting Christine and her former England star husband Frank, 39. The judge also told him to not to attend any events that the celebrity couple may appear at He appeared at Isleworth Crown Court today and was bailed ahead of another hearing on February 19 before trial on June 4. The stalking is said to have caused 'serious alarm and distress' to the former One Show host and had an adverse effect on her day-to-day activities. He has been banned from contacting Christine and her former England star husband Frank, 39. The judge also told him to not to attend any events that the celebrity couple may appear at. King, of Kilburn, north west London, denies one charge of stalking. Mrs Lampard will give her evidence from behind a screen if the trial goes ahead as scheduled. Born in Newtonwards, Northern Ireland, she is well-known for presenting Dancing On Ice and The One Show. She famously quit the BBC for a lucrative deal to present failed Daybreak with Adrian Chiles on ITV. Mrs Lampard tied the knot with the Chelsea midfielder in December 2015 in Knightsbridge after meeting at the Pride of Britain Awards in 2009. Mrs Lampard is step-mother to Frank's two daughters from his previous marriage. This is the shocking moment a five-year-old boy was scolded by a visiting Santa who waved a stick at him. The bad Santa was filmed berating the terrified child during an arranged visit in a village in the northern Romanian county of Bistrita-Nasaud. Santa was in fact the boy's 40-year-old uncle who was instructed by the boy's mum, 31, to give him a telling-off. But when she sent the video to her estranged husband he was so outraged that he notified child protection authorities. The video shows the bearded Santa pointing a long staff at the boy as he tells him off. The boy kneels and cowers against a wall with his hands up to his face. At one point Saint Nick shows a less than saintly side by slamming his staff angrily down on the floor - and he also taps the boy with it. Santa was in fact the boy's 40-year-old uncle who was instructed by the boy's mum, 31, to give him a telling-off. She said she 'wanted to teach him some discipline' The Santa imposter can be heard saying: 'Why are you naughty at nursery school?' But as the clip ends he starts rummaging in his sack for some presents for the boy. The boy's father saw the clip when the child's granny sent it to him. She'd sent it to him after he asked for proof that the money he'd provided for presents had been well spent. But he was appalled at the way his son had been treated. He contacted the Child Protection Directorate in his home county of Constanta in south-eastern Romania, who passed on the case to their counterparts in Bistrita-Nasaud. The bad Santa was filmed berating the terrified child during an arranged visit in a village in the northern Romanian county of Bistrita-Nasaud The organisation's head Teodor Sangeorzan said: 'We also saw the movie - you can't do something like that to a child. 'He was emotionally abused and traumatised.' Bistrita-Nasaud County Police Inspectorate spokeswoman Crina Serban said: 'Police started an investigation as a result of the video footage emerging in the media. 'The police officers of Prundu Bargaului Rural Police have compiled a criminal case regarding the maltreatment of a child. 'The police also requested the support of the General Directorate of Child Protection.' At one point Saint Nick shows a less than saintly side by slamming his staff angrily down on the floor - and he also taps the boy with it The mother of the unnamed family later told Romanian media: 'I wanted Santa to scare him a little. 'But he also received some gifts from Santa. 'The images show no sign of real violence, the Santa doesn't hit him. 'I can admit that I might have been wrong - I thought it would be good to discipline him a little. 'I wouldn't hurt my child! I love him from the bottom of my heart. 'I never hit him.' It is unclear yet what punishment the boy's mother and uncle were facing. Police have arrested five people after two young sisters and their brother died following a devastating blaze at their home which started when flammable liquid was poured down the chimney, it is claimed. Demi Pearson, 14, died along with her brother Brandon, eight, and sister Lacie, seven, after the fire broke out in Salford, Greater Manchester, at 5am on Monday. Their 35-year-old mother, Michelle Pearson, is in a serious condition - heavily sedated in hospital - and has not been told of her children's deaths. It has now emerged that the family of Ms Pearson had been living under threat before the devastating fire. And a family friend has claimed flammable liquid was poured into the home by an alleged attacker who squirted it 'down the chimney'. Police have now detained a 20-year-old woman, 23-year-old man and two other men aged 20 and 18 on suspicion of murder. A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. Scroll down for video Seven-year-old Lacie Pearson (pictured) died following the arson attack at her home on Monday morning Lacie Pearson, seven, (left) and her sister Demi (right) have been named as two of the victims Their mother has been named as Michelle Pearson (pictured) and is still in hospital in a serious condition Ms Pearson's three-year-old daughter Lia was also in the house and remains in a critical condition with her mother in hospital. The youngster's older brother Kyle Pearson, 16, escaped the burning property and has paid tribute to his siblings. Ms Pearson is the mother to all five children. Flammable liquid made its way into the house and a family friend told The Sun: 'I heard it (came) down the chimney.' A stepfather one of the teenagers who survived told the paper that a man turned up at the house 'yelling abuse' and was 'banging on the door'. He said: 'The mum was speaking to him out the window, telling him to 'pack it in'. She called the police. Officers attended. They took statements.' Police were called to the property at around 2am following a reported incident - three hours before the blaze took hold. Security had been stepped up at the mid-terrace property and sources said the house had been 'target hardened' to protect the family. An increased security device was fitted on the letterbox and officers said the force had 'very recent physical contact with the family - within a day of the attack. There have also been reports that the perpetrator used scaffolding to launch the attack, although there has been no confirmation of this by police. Chief Supt Wayne Miller said there had been 'earlier incidents' at the address, but refused to elaborate further or confirm the nature of the call. As a result of the prior police contact GMP has voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in line with procedure. The police chief said: 'There have been earlier incidents at the address and consequently a referral to the IPCC has been made.' Demi Pearson, 14, has been named as one of three children killed in a suspicious house fire Brandon, eight, (pictured) also died following the tragedy in the early hours of Monday Fire investigators are pictured at the scene after the devastating blaze in Salford on Monday Forensic officers attended the scene of a house fire in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Monday Kyle, who managed to escape, told the Manchester Evening News: 'I was only chatting with them last night. I told Brandon to go to bed. It's hard to talk about it. I'm in shock. 'Demi was a top girl, very funny. Brandon was very clever and doing well at school. He was brainy. 'He loved playing computer games and he was looking forward to Christmas. 'I fell asleep and the next thing I knew was I could hear my mum screaming, 'Fire!' There was lots of smoke so I climbed out of an upstairs window. 'I've gone to get back in but a cloud of smoke hit me in the face. I tried to break the front door down and smashed a window, but I couldn't get in because of the flames and the smoke. 'I can't get my head around it. It's disgraceful.' Kyle was able to escape with his 16-year-old friend Bobby Harris and the pair were described as 'walking wounded'. The father of the children was not in the house at the time of the incident - but has been notified about the deaths. Police had set up a forensics tent outside the home, where burnt out windows can be seen Police closed off a road in Salford on Monday following the fire which killed three children A metal screen was put up at the entrance to the street following the fire on Monday morning Greater Manchester Police say they are keeping an 'open mind' as to whether or not the incident is gang related. They are understood to be investigating whether a flammable liquid was poured through the home's letterbox to start the fire. Police were called to the property in the hours before the fire, reportedly to a wheelie bin which was ablaze. A close family friend who didn't wish to be named said: 'Michelle is now in Wythenshawe Hospital. She's not doing very well. 'She has six children and the father of her youngest, Paul, passed away last year of cancer. 'They were all looking forward to Christmas and she had done her Christmas shopping. 'I'm just stood wishing she was walking over the field with the kids after picking them up from school but I know that's not going to happen. She loved to do that.' A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said this evening: 'Earlier this evening, officers arrested a 23-year-old man and 20-year-old woman in connection with the investigation on suspicion of murder. 'Two further men aged 18 and 20 have also been arrested on suspicion of murder. A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. 'Shortly before 5am on Monday 11 December 2017, emergency services were called to Jackson Street to reports of a house fire. 'On attendance, efforts were made to rescue the people inside the house but tragically, a boy aged 8 and two girls aged 7 and 14 died. 'A three-year-old girl remains in a critical condition and a 35-year-old woman remains in a serious condition, both in hospital. Two 16-year-old boys were able to escape the property. 'This evening, officers arrested a 23-year-old man and 20-year-old woman in connection with the investigation on suspicion of murder. They both remain in custody for questioning.' Friends of Demi posted tributes on Facebook after hearing of her tragic death this morning Screens have been erected in the street while the police investigation takes place Friends of the 14-year-old Demi - who went to the Harrop Fold school featured in TV show Educating Greater Manchester - took to social media to express their grief. Kirsty Livingstone wrote on Facebook: 'Demi you are one of the funniest and loving young woman that I've ever got to know. 'I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to watch you from from a lil girl to a beautiful young woman I can't believe you're gone.' Marley McCabe wrote in an emotional post: 'Wake up to hear my baby girl has lost her auntie Demwhat we love so much. Fly high we will miss you so much the worlds took the wrong ones.' Leah Nicholson posted a picture montage of the teenager, saying 'So glad I met u. Can't believe ur gone heart goes out to all ur friends and family we love u so much, miss u already, love u.' Hollie Moore added: 'Can't believe it honestly demi, you helped me through everything with my grandma and now you're gone. Spread your wings and fly high beautiful, ps. I love you.' Her headteacher Drew Povey said: 'We are devastated at the tragic loss of life today in our community. Our thoughts are prayers are with the family involved.' Four fire engines were called to the blaze in the Worsley area as roads around the scene were closed this morning. Police have launched a murder probe amid claims flammable liquid may have been used It is believed that police had been called to the house to a reported incident there at around 2am, around three hours before the fire service were alerted to the blaze. It is understood that in the earlier incident, the police and the fire service were responding to reports of a wheelie bin at the home being set on fire. Police confirmed an earlier incident but declined to describe what happened or when it was. They have referred themselves to the IPCC over the calls. Chief Superintendent Miller added: 'The death of these three children is heart breaking. Our thoughts are with their loved ones and the little girl and her mum who are in hospital fighting for their lives. 'We currently have specially trained officers with the family to help them through this devastating time. 'We are appealing for witnesses to the fire, anyone who saw anything or who may know the people involved to please come forward and tell us what you know. 'This is a fast moving live investigation and we have a Major Investigation Team with scores of dedicated detectives working tirelessly. 'I want to describe what this incident is; it's the murder, using fire, of three children and we have a three-year-old girl fighting for her life who is seriously ill. 'This will devastate this family forever and words cannot describe what they are going through. We need the public's help to find the answers the family deserve. 'We want to make arrests as soon as possible and we appeal to local people to help us in this.' Pictures from the scene this morning show the fire-damaged window frames of the house This is the unsettling moment a woman screams that she will 'kill everyone' aboard a flight after she was caught smoking. In shocking scenes, the woman - wearing sunglasses and a straw hat - roars in the face of airline staff. She yells: 'I will kill everybody on this f****** plane! I will kill everybody on this f****** plane! I will!' There were 141 people aboard the aircraft. In shocking scenes, the woman - wearing sunglasses and a straw hat - roars in the face of airline staff The terrifying video was captured by another passenger on the Portland to Sacramento Southwest Airlines flight. According to KOIN6, the woman had been caught smoking a cigarette and tampering with the smoke detector in the aircraft's bathroom. The airline explained that crew dealt with the woman until she was met by police when the plane landed. Southwest explained: 'Our crew in command of Flight 2943 travelling from Portland on Saturday afternoon safely landed on-time in Sacramento following an in-flight disturbance. 'Our reports from flight attendants indicate a customer violated federal laws by both smoking on board an aircraft and by tampering with a smoke detector in an aircraft restroom. 'Our crew enforced the regulation and that was followed by the passenger outburst. According to KOIN6 , the woman had been caught smoking a cigarette and tampering with the smoke detector in the aircraft's bathroom. Right: The person recording the video hides behind a seat 'The safety of our crew and passengers is our top priority and we take all threats seriously. 'The pilots declared an emergency to receive priority handling from air traffic controllers, and our crew handled the situation on board until the plane landed and local authorities stepped in. 'The flight carried 136 customers and a crew of five.' A turtle and a seal make an unlikely pair of friends as they cling together underwater. The playful monk seal appeared to sense the turtle was in distress and joined it for 20 minutes. The three-year-old seal placed its flippers around the turtle while lying on top of it like it was cuddling it. Unlikely friends: The playful monk seal sensed the green turtle was in distress and joined it for 20 minutes to hug it This cute interaction was caught by photographer Beat Korner, 62, while he was underwater by Olowalu Beach in Hawaii, USA. Mr Korner, of Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, Canada, said: 'The large turtle was there to feed on green algae and green weed and was entangled in some fine fish line wrapped around its front flippers and through its beak so it couldn't move its head. 'This distress may have attracted the seal to investigate and it hung around for 20 minutes to hug, push and nibble the turtle. 'The turtle was swimming along and seemed not to mind the seal at any time. Adorable: The three-year-old seal placed its flippers around the turtle while lying on top of it like it was cuddling it 'All happened very calmly without any signs of hurry or distress. 'Even when the seal nibbled on the turtle's head and flippers the reptile never bolted or fought back.' John McDonnell today suggested Parliament should go on tour around Britain - despite calling for MEPs to stop shuffling between Brussels and Strasbourg because it is a waste of money. The shadow chancellor also suggested Cabinet meetings could be held in different towns and cities across the country to make Parliament less London-centric. He said taking the House of Commons around the UK would show the country would help combat the view that too much decision making happens in Westminster. But he was accused of hypocrisy after Mail Online unearthed a Commons motion he signed in 2007 condemning the European Parliament for a similar stunt. It voiced concern at the 209million euro bill (143m) racked up every month when MEPs packed up and moved from Brussels to hold weekly sessions in the French town of Strasbourg. James Cleverly, Tory MP for Braintree, told Mail Online: 'I often find myself disagreeing with the foolish proposals put forward by John McDonnell, it's interesting to hear that he now disagrees with himself. 'The cost of taking Parliament on tour would be prohibitive. British people would rather see that money spent on public services rather than on poorly thought through gimmicks like this.' John McDonnell, pictured in the City of London today, also suggested Cabinet meetings could be held in different towns and cities across the country John McDonnell has laid himself open to accusations of hypocrisy after Mail Online unearthed a Commons motion he signed in 2007 condemning the European Parliament for a similar stunt Chloe Westley, campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Taxpayers want politicians to spend the money they give to the government responsibly. 'Taking parliament on a tour of Britain may sound like a fun road trip for Corbyn and McDonnell, but it would be an unnecessarily costly exercise at at time when spending needs to be brought down.' She added: 'If the shadow chancellor wants to reach out to people across country he should advocate lower taxes so that hard pressed families can keep more of the money they earn.' Speaking in the City of London today, Mr McDonnell said: 'I think there's an argument put forward for ensuring that certainly Cabinet and maybe sessions of Parliament can be held elsewhere. 'I know Jeremy (Corbyn) has been talking about holding shadow cabinet meetings around the country on a regular basis now and I think you'll see that evolve into other forms of direct devolution of sittings etcetera. 'The issue here... is that there is a view that decision-making located in Whitehall, Westminster and the City results often in a distortion of the economic policy direction, not taking into account the real needs of the regions of our country, the regions and nations of our country. LABOUR THREATEN TO MOVE BANK OF ENGLAND FROM ITS 300-YEAR HOME Labour today threatened to move the Bank of England from the London street it has called home for nearly 300 years. John McDonnell said the Bank of England in Threadneedle Street - in the heart of the City of London - could be moved to Birmingham. A new National Investment Bank and Strategic Investment Board would also be created in the city. Together these would form a new 'economic policy hub' which would help spread jobs and wealth. The findings are contained in a new report which lays out ideas for Labour's next general Election manifesto. Bank of England offices could also be set up in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast, with two smaller regional ones in Newcastle and Plymouth, it said. Graham Turner, of GFC Economics, which produced the report, said: 'This isn't just about devolution, this isn't just about trying to move some back office jobs out of London, it's about creating a counterbalance, creating an opportunity for an alternative cluster. 'It seemed to us that Birmingham was the most obvious choice, I know people will have different opinions and we're certainly not saying this is the final recommendation, it's simply a suggestion.' Advertisement 'And in some ways that may have contributed towards the Brexit vote as well. 'So this gives us an opportunity now of looking afresh at the institutional framework but also the institutional locations as to whether or not we can address some of the imbalances in decision-making that have taken place in the past.' And he also suggested the Bank of England could be moved from Threadneedle Street - its home for almost 300 years - and shifted to Birmingham. The recommendation is part of a new report which lays out ideas for the party's next General Election manifesto. But while Mr McDonnell now appears to fan of proposals to take MPs on a potentially expensive tour of the UK, he used to be a vocal critic of the EU's move. Every month MEPs who usually sit in Brussels pack up their offices and travel over to the French town of Strasbourg, where they rack up big hotel bills. Their offices are also packed up and sent across in lorries in an expensive and polluting convoy. The move - dubbed the travelling circus - has sparked widespread criticism and been condemned by MEPs themselves, but there have been no serious attempts to put an end to it in case it upsets the French. In a Commons motion signed in 2007, Mr McDonnell was among dozens of MPs from across the political divide to condemn the expensive stunt. The early day motion stated: 'That this House notes with serious concern the study revealing that more than 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide is generated by the monthly move of the European Parliament from Brussels to Strasbourg. 'It further notes that the European Parliament estimates that it could save 209 million euros (143 million) a year by meeting only in Brussels and ending its 560-mile round-trip monthly commute. 'It notes that other large political entities such as the United States and China manage to function well with a single national legislative capital. 'It believes that the image of the European legislature transporting itself on such a basis damages the image of the European Union in the eyes of its citizens and the wider world. 'And calls on members of the European Parliament to consider what action they can take to end this monthly commute.' John McDonnell, pictured with striking workers outside the Bank of England in August, has threatened to move the Bank of England from the London street it has called home for nearly 300 years. The report, which Mr McDonnell was launching today, also recommended moving much of the Bank of England to Birmingham and creating a new National Investment Bank and Strategic Investment Board in the city. Together these would form a new 'economic policy hub' which would help spread jobs and wealth, it is claimed. Bank of England offices could also be set up in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast, with two smaller regional ones in Newcastle and Plymouth, it said. Graham Turner, of GFC Economics, which produced the interim report, said he would expect 'some of the domestic banking capability' of the Bank of England to move to Birmingham. He said a new home in Birmingham would be a good thing as it could be an hour's train ride away from South Wales - if there are improvements to the track. He said: 'This isn't just about devolution, this isn't just about trying to move some back office jobs out of London, it's about creating a counterbalance, creating an opportunity for an alternative cluster. 'It seemed to us that Birmingham was the most obvious choice, I know people will have different opinions and we're certainly not saying this is the final recommendation, it's simply a suggestion.' The son of millionaire property tycoon Peter Higgins has been found not guilty of drug and weapon charges after police allegedly found $3000 cash and a machete in his car. Riley Higgins, 19, was cleared in a Sydney court after he was accused of handling suspected drug money and hiding a machete in his vehicle in December of last year, The Daily Telegraph reports. The property heir's 57-year-old father and co-founder of Mortgage Choice told the court he gifted his son the cash and that the weapon was used to cut weeds. Riley Higgins (pictured right with his sister Georgia and father Peter) was found not guilty of drug and weapon charges Riley, 19, was cleared in court after he was accused of handling suspected drug money and hiding a machete in his vehicle in December of last year Police arrested Higgins at Redfern in December 2016 after observing the teenager driving erratically and disobeying a give way sign. He was charged for the possession of the cash, machete and bong and for driving an uninsured, unregistered car. Higgins pleaded guilty to the drugs and driving charges but not guilty to dealing with the proceeds of crime, possessing stolen goods and carrying a knife in public. His father Peter - who also owns Sydney Polo Club - took to the stand to confirm the $3000 cash was to pay for a mechanic and said he had witnessed his son use the machete to cut weeds on the family's 370-acre property in Richmond, in Sydney's west. Police arrested Higgins at Redfern in 2016 after observing the teenager driving erratically and disobeying a give way sign Higgins pleaded guilty to the drugs and driving charges but not guilty to dealing with the proceeds of crime, possessing stolen goods and carrying a knife in public Police prosecutor Sgt Jonathon Martin questioned Higgins about messages downloaded from his iPhone which he claims contained discussions about drugs and selling drugs. The Daily Telegraph reported the messages contained information such as '$500 for two grams of cocaine' and '$50 for two portions of acid'. 'I suggest this in fact explains why you had $3527 cash in your purse it is because you had been involved in charging these amounts for these substances,' Sgt Martin probed Higgins, to which he replied: 'I disagree.' Magistrate Jennifer Price ruled in favour of Higgins following a day-long hearing. More than 2,000 have honoured a dead Croatian general who drank cyanide at the Hague after he was convicted of carrying out war crimes in Bosnia. Huge crowds packed a public memorial in Zagreb for the service to remember war criminal Slobodan Praljak whose final act was to kill himself in front of UN judges. Public buses ran free of charge to the ceremony for the wartime military commander, who swallowed potassium cyanide last month during a court hearing broadcast live around the world. About 2,000 people filled the main concert hall where the memorial was held, while hundreds more crowded into the building's entry and hallways to watch on giant screens. Scroll down for video More than 2,000 have honoured a dead Croatian general who drank cyanide at the Hague after he was convicted of carrying out war crimes in Bosnia Huge crowds packed a public memorial in Zagreb for the service to remember war criminal Slobodan Praljak whose final act was to kill himself by driking cyanide (pictured) in front of UN judges Public buses ran free of charge to the ceremony for the wartime military commander, who swallowed potassium cyanide last month during a court hearing broadcast live around the world Praljak had a private funeral in Zagreb last week, according to media reports. The 72-year-old took his life just seconds after appeal judges in The Hague upheld his 20-year jail sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bosnia's 1990s conflict. The judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia confirmed that Praljak and his five Bosnian Croat co-defendants were part of a 'joint criminal enterprise' to ethnically cleanse Bosnian Muslims in the war. But since Praljak's death, Croats have paid multiple tributes to the late general, laying flowers and lighting candles in town squares in Croatia and Bosnia. Monday's commemoration, organised by the Croatian generals' association, was attended by at least one government minister in the EU member state, along with top officials of the ruling conservative HDZ party. The event, which lasted around an hour, included music, recitals and speeches by Praljak's associates and friends from the military, politics and theatre. Monday's commemoration, organised by the Croatian generals' association, was attended by at least one government minister in the EU member state, along with top officials of the ruling conservative HDZ party The 72-year-old took his life just seconds after appeal judges in The Hague upheld his 20-year jail sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bosnia's 1990s conflict The event, which lasted around an hour, included music, recitals and speeches by Praljak's associates and friends from the military, politics and theatre About 2,000 people filled the main concert hall where the memorial was held, while hundreds more crowed into the building's entry and hallways to watch on giant screens 'No one can compare to a great man like Slobodan,' said Miroslav Tudjman, an MP with the HDZ and son of late Croatian nationalist president Franjo Tudjman. Tudjman branded the UN court's verdict as a 'degradation of international justice'. 'It's a parody, a theatre of the absurd,' said Tudjman, slamming 'incompetent and irresponsible judges at the court in The Hague'. Zlatko Vitez, a well-known actor in Croatia, said that Praljak, who worked in film and theatre before joining the military, would be remembered as a 'Croatian martyr'. The commemoration ended with a rendition of the Croatian national anthem led by a choir. The crowd, some of whom had travelled from Bosnia, stood up and joined the singing. Before the ceremony, visitors queued up to sign two books of condolences. The commemoration ended with a rendition of the Croatian national anthem led by a choir. The crowd, some of whom had travelled from Bosnia, stood up and joined the singing Before the ceremony, visitors queued up to sign two books of condolences A man writes in a guestbook during a commemoration for Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak at Lisinski hall in Zagreb, Croatia Vjekoslav Balen, a 74-year-old pensioner in the queue, said Praljak was a 'hero' who 'took his own life for Croatia's wellbeing, for the future'. Later on Monday, a mass for Praljak was due to be held in a Zagreb church. The appeals verdict for Praljak and his co-defendants was the last ruling from the ICTY before it shuts down at the end of the year. Their convictions were upheld for crimes including murder, persecution and inhumane treatment. Although allies against Serbs for most of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war, Croats and Muslims fought each other in 1993 and 1994. A Welshman who flew to the Dominican Republic to live with his internet girlfriend is now stranded in the country after she rejected him because he 'doesn't have any money'. Struggling mum-of-four Wilfa Soto Peguero claimed she agreed to get to know balding Brit Glyn Thomas Bailey in person after he offered to help her raise her children. But she claimed when she went to pick up at the Caribbean airport, he had no return ticket and no money. He became a celebrity on the island when she made a video and posted it to social media, begging someone to take Mr Bailey off her hands because she couldn't afford to feed him. His whereabouts today was unclear but he is expected to be flown back to Britain in the coming days with the help of locally-based British diplomats. Struggling mum-of-four Wilfa Soto Peguero claimed she agreed to get to know Briton Glyn Thomas Bailey in person after he offered to help her raise her children The Welshman is now waiting to return to the UK after buying a one-way ticket to the Dominican Republic to live with his internet girlfriend Ms Peguero said she agreed to meet Mr Bailey, who is from Rhymney in south east Wales, after chatting for six-months on the internet using Google Translate. In their chats she said he admitted he wasn't wealthy but promised to help her raise her children, including two young daughters still living with her. She said: 'I asked him to send me money so I could go and fetch him from the airport and he never sent me anything. 'But as he was coming to meet me I couldn't just abandon him like he was a nobody so I decided to borrow money to go to the airport. 'Later when I checked his ticket I realised he'd come with the intention of staying here and I can't look after him. 'I have explained it to him a thousand ways. If I had my own house I'd let him stay but I don't.' Ms Peguero said she agreed to meet Mr Bailey, who is from Rhymney in south east Wales, after chatting for six-months on the internet using Google Translate In a warning to other women, she added: 'I'm making this video for many young people, for many women, so that they learn from what happened to me and don't try to find love online. 'That was a mistake I made and won't make again. 'Don't believe in anyone. Some men are good but many are bad and want to be maintained. 'I've got to look after him because he hasn't got any money. 'I've got my heart and I'm not going to refuse him food when he's not giving me any money but I can't look after him.' She added: 'I wasn't looking for a man for money. We simply got to know each chatting over the Internet. In a warning to other women, Ms Peguero said: 'I'm making this video for many young people, for many women, so that they learn from what happened to me and don't try to find love online' Ms Peguero claimed she had already been visited by British diplomats, who were last night said to be assisting Glyn 'I prefer to be poor and happy, not rich and unhappy and I want Glyn back in Britain so people stop talking about me and criticising me. 'I've been left with a debt of 240 I borrowed to go and pick him up at Punta Cana International Airport which I haven't asked him for because I'm going to pay it back myself however I have to.' She also claimed she had already been visited by British diplomats, who were last night said to be assisting Glyn. Wilfa's neighbour Kevin Osiris Mendez, among well-wishers said to have helped feed and lodge Glyn over the past few weeks in their neighbourhood where he became a local talking point, told the TV station: 'We've all been worried. I'm a friend of Wilfa's and a friend of the family and this has been a headache for us. Dominican Republic daily Diario Libre said the British Embassy in the capital Santo Domingo had agreed to assist Mr Bailey after a hospital check-up A woman neighbour who got to know Mr Bailey said: 'He left the area on Thursday. He didn't offer any resistance but he didn't want to go' 'I helped her as much as I could with temporary accommodation for this man.' Another local, who asked not to be named, said: 'He seemed like a nice bloke but it's not the time at the moment to be looking after dependents. Glyn's an adult man and the only adults you should be taking care of are your parents.' A woman neighbour who got to know him said: 'He left the area on Thursday. He didn't offer any resistance but he didn't want to go.' Dominican Republic daily Diario Libre said the British Embassy in the capital Santo Domingo had agreed to assist Mr Bailey after a hospital check-up. A spokesperson for The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: 'Our staff in the Dominican Republic are offering assistance to a British man and are in contact with the local authorities.' A trio of the president's accusers reemerged on Monday to hound him for sexually harassing them. Samantha Holvey, Jessica Leeds and Rachel Crooks had previously made allegations against Trump and appeared on Megyn Kelly 'Today' to demand justice as the White House resumed its claim that the issue had been litigated in last year's election. 'All of a sudden, he's all over, me, kissing and groping and groping and kissing,' said Leeds, a self-proclaimed Democrat, who says she revealed her story because 'I wanted people to know what kind of a person that Trump really is...what a pervert he is.' Leeds claims that Trump assaulted on a plane in the '70s and called her a 'c***' when he ran into her some time later at a party in New York while he was still married to his first wife Ivana. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO A trio of the president's accusers reemerged on Monday to hound him for sexually harassing them. Samantha Holvey (center) Jessica Leeds (right) and Rachel Crooks (left) had previously made allegations against Trump in last year's election and appeared on Megyn Kelly 'Today' to demand justice 'All of a sudden, he's all over, me, kissing and groping and groping and kissing,' said Leeds, a self-proclaimed Democrat, who says she revealed her story because 'I wanted people to know what kind of a person that Trump really is...what a pervert he is' 'I was so uncomfortable, and a little, yeah, threatened, like I didn't have a choice,' Crooks on Monday said Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant, said that Trump came back stage in 2006 and reviewed the women while they were indecent. 'I was not a human being. I did not have a brain I did not have a personality. I was just simply there for his pleasure' The two other women said that Trump's conduct while he was a businessman left them 'shocked' and 'devastated' and feeling 'very gross' and 'very dirty.' 'I was so uncomfortable, and a little, yeah, threatened, like I didn't have a choice,' Crooks on Monday said. Kelly's program was preempted in New York as an explosion went off in Manhattan that the authorities have said was an attempted terror attack. Her show aired in other parts of the country, however, including Washington. Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant, said that Trump came back stage in 2006 and reviewed the women while they were indecent. She recalled thinking at the time that it would be a meet and great with Trump. But she says it wasn't. The former Miss North Carolina says Trump was 'just looking me over like I was just a piece of meat.' 'I was not a human being. I did not have a brain I did not have a personality. I was just simply there for his pleasure. It left me feeling very gross, very dirty, like this is not what I signed up for.' Holvey said that no other director of a pageant came backstage to ogle the contestants. Leeds claims that Trump assaulted on a plane in the '70s and called her a 'c***' when he ran into her some time later at a party in New York while he was still married to his first wife Ivana Crooks claims that Trump assaulted her near the elevator bank in his office building. The office she worked in had rental space there. She says it started with him hitting on her. 'And I think his core supporters do know. I mean, I think they recognize. But he's their dog, so they're gonna stick with their dog,' Leeds said. Kelly chimed in: 'Because he's got the right team jersey on' 'And then he kissed me on the lips, and I was shocked, yeah, I mean, devastated, and it happened so fast, I guess, I wish I would have been courageous enough to be like, what's going on, and you need to stop this.' After declining comment on the matter initially, the White House sprung a statement on Kelly in the middle of her program. 'These false claims, totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during last year's campaign,' the statement said, 'and the American people voiced their judgement by delivering a decisive victory.' It went on to say that the 'timing and absurdity' of the accusers' claims, along with their 'publicly tour' they've started 'only further confirms the political motives behind them.' 'It's laughable,' Crooks replied a moment later. Crooks has contemporaneous emails that she sent her sister at the time of the alleged assault, in January of 2006, when Trump was already married to his third wife Melania. She said Monday that she'd be 'more than happy' for security footage to come out that proves the accuracy of her story. She added, 'He owns the building. I doubt that's going to happen.' Leeds says she began telling her story publicly once it became clear that Trump was serious about running for president. As to whether the Democrat thought her allegation would be enough to keep him out of office, she said, 'I don't think I thought I had that kind of power. But I really wanted people to know who he is and what he is. 'And I think his core supporters do know. I mean, I think they recognize. But he's their dog, so they're gonna stick with their dog,' she said. Kelly chimed in: 'Because he's got the right team jersey on.' The accusations against Trump have received new attention now that he's thrown his weight behind Alabama Republican Roy Moore. Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct by a number of women, including one who says he touched her when she was just 14 years old and he was 32. Trump has separately been accused of misconduct by 16 women, including Crooks, Leeds and Holvey. Leeds, a 75-year-old former businesswoman who lives in Manhattan, told the New York Times last year that she was 'assaulted' by Trump on a flight when she was 38. She claims she was seated beside Trump in first class, when the then-businessman lifted the arm-rest between them. He allegedly put his hand up her skirt. 'He was like an octopus,' she told the Times. 'His hands were everywhere.' Retelling her story to Kelly on Today, Leeds said: 'I'm not a small person. I managed to wiggle out and stand up, grab my purse, and I went to the back of the airplane.' She has been accused of faking the information because the plane wouldn't have had an arm rest in first class at the time of the alleged incident. Leeds admitted today that 'I don't remember what happened to the arm rest' - she just recalls that there wasn't one stopping Trump from assaulting her. Crooks was a 22-year-old working as a receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate company based in Trump Tower in Manhattan, when she says Trump kissed her on the mouth without permission in 2005. 'It was so inappropriate,' Crooks told the New York Times. 'I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.' She told the newspaper before the election that the incident took place after she shook hands with Trump in an elevator and he allegedly refused to let go. She says he then began kissing her on the cheeks, before then kissing her lips. On the Today show she said: 'You feel like you have to say yes to guys. You don want to be the nasty girl. The mean girl who doesn't comply and puts up a fight. I guess..I wish I had been stronger then. I mean I feel differently now. I'd like to think things would be a lot different now. ' 'These false claims, totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during last year's campaign,' a statement from the White House on Trump's behalf said, 'and the American people voiced their judgement by delivering a decisive victory' Holvey claims that as a 20-year-old representing North Carolina in the 2006 Miss USA pageant, Trump inspected her and other contestants before the competition. She has said she was 'disgusted' by the now-president's behavior in an interview last year with CNN and it was 'the dirtiest I felt in my entire life. 'He would step in front of each girl and look you over from head to toe like we were just meat, we were just sexual objects, that we were not people,' she told the network then. Other contestants from Trump's pageants have also said the acted inappropriately. As a private citizen, the president himself boasted about how his celebrity gave him the ability to grab women with impunity and forcibly kiss them on the now-infamous Access Hollywood tape. Trump said he would 'grab them by the p****.' Then he added: 'When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.' On the heels of the October 2016 release of the hot mic video, more women accused Trump, the GOP nominee for president at the time, of sexual misdeeds, including groping, kissing and sexual harassment. While the recording was expected to tank Trump in the November election, the candidate eventually rebounded, in part because he muddied the waters by pointing to Bill Clinton's alleged and admitted sexual misdeeds and characterizing his rival Hillary Clinton as complicit. Leeds said after the taping at a press conference, 'Were at the position now where in some areas of our society, people are being held accountable for unwanted behavior, but we are not holding our president accountable for what he is and who he is' And while three members of Congress said they were leaving last week over their own sexually scandals Sen. Al Franken, Rep. John Conyers and Rep. Trent Franks and Hollywood heavyweights such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey have been banished, Trump has been bulletproofed against similar allegations. The White House sided with Trump in October of this year and suggested that he women accusing him were all liars. 'We've been clear on that in the beginning, and the President's spoken on that,' press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley meanwhile encouraged women to speak out against sexual harassment and assault including against President Trump on Sunday. Appearing Sunday on Face the Nation, CBS' John Dickerson asked the former South Carolina governor, the state's first female executive, how people should 'assess the accusers of the president. 'Women who accuse anyone should be heard,' Haley replied. 'They should be heard, and they should be dealt with.' Leeds told said Monday that she would like Trump to have a 'reckoning' over what he did. 'I would like to see that hes not Teflon,' she said, 'and that he acknowledged in some fashion or another and be called to answer to the charges.' She said after the taping at a press conference that accused harassers are being held accountable 'except for our president.' 'Were at the position now where in some areas of our society, people are being held accountable for unwanted behavior, but we are not holding our president accountable for what he is and who he is,' Leeds said. Crooks said an congressional investigation would be 'fair' considering that senators were planning to investigate their Franken until he resigned. Franken was under the scrutiny of the Senate Ethics Committee because he was a senator, however, and the body is inherently responsible for policing members' conduct. Bill Clinton's impeachment in the House for perjury and obstruction of justice over his affair with Monica Lewinsky stemmed from an independent counsel investigation into his real estate investments and White House travel office firings that were said to be politically-motivated. President Trump and his associates, some of whom work at the White House, are being probed by a special counsel who reports to the Department of Justice. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has not indicated that he interested in pursuing any of the allegations against Trump outside of collusion and obstruction of justice in the firing of ex-FBI Director James Comey, however. Most of the sex assault allegations decades old and stretch beyond the statue of limitations, in the first place. A fourth accuser, Lisa Boyne, called into the press conference on Monday to 'demand that Donald Trump step down like Al Franken.' 'Because what hes acknowledged, what hes made appropriate culturally is a thousand times worse than anything Al Franken has done,' she said. Boyne has accused Trump of looking up models' skirts at a 1996 dinner. At the presser, Holvey said she believes Trump should resign, then added, 'I dont think he ever will.' Brittany Covington, 19, was sentenced to four years probation on Friday in Chicago A teen who narrated a shocking video of a disabled man being tortured and abused has been sentenced to probation. Brittany Covington, 19, was sentenced to four years probation on Friday in Chicago, after pleading guilty to a hate crime, in a case that received national attention earlier this year. The incident, broadcast live on Facebook, involved a white victim and four black people who taunted him with profanities against white people and now-President Donald Trump. Covington had been held in jail without bond since January, when the video surfaced. Her three co-defendants are her sister Tanishia Covington, 24, Jordan Hill, 18, and Tesfaye Cooper, 18. They remain in custody and their cases are pending. Charged (left to right): Tanishia Covington, 24, Jordan Hill, 18, and Tesfaye Cooper, 18, remain in custody in the case and plea negotiations are ongoing Prosecutors say the saga first unfolded this past New Year's Eve, when Hill picked up the victim, who has a chronic mental disorder, in a stolen van at a suburban Chicago McDonald's, the Sun-Times reported. The pair had been classmates at an alternative high school in the west suburbs of the city, and drove around in the stolen van for three days visiting friends, police said. During that time, the victim slept in the stolen van, cops said, until they ended up at the Covington sisters' apartment on the West Side of Chicago. Shocking video of the incident shows the victim being hit and racially taunted There, a 'play fight' between Hill and the victim escalated and the victim was bullied into a corner by the defendants, according to police. Hill and Cooper allegedly cut his clothing with a knife, hit him and forced him to drink toilet water. On the video of the attack, the suspects are seen beating the victim and can be heard taunting him and shouting profanities. 'F**k Trump!' and 'F**k white people!' can be heard in the background of the video. At one point, someone demanded that the victim kiss the floor, and told him to 'say "I love black people".' Prosecutors say that Hill called the victim's mother and asked for $300 in ransom for his return. The victim eventually escaped and a police officer spotted him wandering down a street, bloodied and disoriented. In Brittany Covington's plea deal, prosecutors dropped a kidnapping charge and others in exchange for her pleading guilty to committing a hate crime, aggravated battery and intimidation. The judge ordered her to not use social media for four years. She also must perform 200 hours of community service. The other three suspects remain in custody and plea negotiations with them are ongoing. Malcolm Turnbull has sensationally admitted he 'regrets' calling for then-prime minister Tony Abbott to be overthrown after losing 30 consecutive Newspolls. The Liberal leader himself has now lost 24 in a row and is in danger of losing this Saturday's Bennelong by-election to star Labor candidate Kristina Keneally, a former New South Wales premier. When Mr Turnbull challenged Mr Abbott in September 2015, he cited his 30 consecutive Newspoll losses to Labor to make the case for knifing a first-term prime minister. 'I do regret having said it, only because it allowed people to focus on that rather than the substantive reasons,' Mr Turnbull told the Daily Telegraph. 'The substantive reasons I stated were related to economic leadership and governance.' Scroll down for video Malcolm Turnbull has sensationally admitted he 'regrets' calling for then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott to be overthrown after losing 30 consecutive Newspolls 'I do regret having said it, only because it allowed people to focus on that rather than the substantive reasons,' Mr Turnbull said of Abbott's departure from the top job The Liberal leader himself has now lost 24 in a row as his party continue to lose grip on the Australian public, including the once-safe seat of Bennelong, which appears to be edging in Labor and Kristina Keneally's favour A citizenship saga, constant party in-fighting and an infamous run-in with U.S. President Donald Trump are just a few of the embarrassing public moments for Mr Turnbull, but he believes he was justified his dethroning of Mr Abbott. 'When I became prime minister, I said we'd deliver confidence and investment and growth and all those things,' he told Financial Review. 'Business confidence is high, investment has picked up very strongly, jobs growth is strong, unemployment is at its lowest in nearly four years. We're not complacent but we have certainly fulfilled those promises.' However, the voters clearly disagree, as Mr Turnbull's party continue to trail in the two-party preferred. The most recent Newspoll had Bill Shorten's Labor opposition ahead 53-47 after preferences. 'Business confidence is high, investment has picked up very strongly, jobs growth is strong, unemployment is at its lowest in nearly four years. We're not complacent but we have certainly fulfilled those promises' A report by The Australian revealed Keneally had drawn level with a 50-50 two-party preferred, just a week out from the by-election The Liberal Party is in danger of losing the crucial northern Sydney seat of Bennelong, which has been held by former prime minister John Howard and former tennis champion John Alexander. A report by The Australian revealed Ms Keneally had drawn level with a 50-50 two-party preferred, less than a week out from the by-election. The poll found Mr Alexander's primary vote had dropped an astonishing 11 per cent since the 2016 election. Mr Alexander quit parliament in December after discovering he was a dual citizen through his British father, making his ineligible to sit in parliament as the Turnbull Government governs without a working majority. 'Labor has thrown an enormous amount into it. They are doing everything they can to take him on. The point we make again and again, don't let Kristina Keneally do to Bennelong what she did to NSW as premier,' Mr Turnbull said. Among his plans for 2018, which revolve mostly around economic reform, Mr Turnbull is promising cuts for the middle-class and a focus on national security Among his plans for 2018, which revolve mostly around economic reform, Mr Turnbull is promising cuts for the middle-class and a focus on national security. The new Home Affairs Department will be launched in January, as will an announcement on his National Energy Guarantee. 'But I want everyone to understand that we're focused on helping middle income Australians,' Mr Turnbull said. Despite calls from Labor and the public to step down after nearing closer to Mr Abbott's Newspoll slump, the prime minister says he isn't going anywhere just yet. 'I will stay as long as the people want me to stay and the people obviously include the most important people which is Lucy. We are both committed to public service.' An off-duty police officer allegedly gunned down a 21-year-old university student at a bar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after she refused to turn off a song he disliked. Hayssa Andrade, 21, was allegedly shot around 20 times by Jorge Aguiar da Silva, 38, in the early hours of Friday at a roof top bar in Campo Grande, Rio de Janeiro. The victim was rushed to Rocha Faria Municipal Hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Murdered: Hayssa Andrade, 21, was allegedly shot around 20 times by off-duty military policeman Jorge Aguiar da Silva, 38, at a bar in Rio de Janeiro Shocking: Miss Andrade had reportedly picked a Brazilian funk song associated with a local gang, which the policeman objected to Miss Andrade had refused to back down over her pick of party music after Aguiar da Silva, objected to what was playing. Investigators said the young woman's body was riddled with 36 bullet wounds after she made a 'desperate' attempt to defend herself by raising her arms during the assault. The suspect, who was said to have shown signs of intoxication, was arrested at the scene of the crime and covered his head with a yellow t-shirt as he was taken away. No one else was injured. Detectives seized a Taurus 380 calibre pistol along with documents of ownership. The revolver had allegedly been thrown over a wall near the property before agents arrived. An autopsy carried out by the Forensic Medicine Institute (IML) indicated the victim suffered 36 bullet-related injuries to her body with several gunshot wounds to her forearms. Fight: When Miss Andrade refused to change the song, Aguiar da Silva, pictured, is said to have pulled out a gun and opened fire Scene of the crime: The incident took place on this rooftop bar in western Rio de Janeiro on the early hours of Friday morning Homicide division chief Fabio Cardoso explained: 'The examination found the victim had been shot 36 times with forensic experts reporting 22 entry and 14 exit wounds. However, it was likely that (Hayssa) was shot around 20 times because some of the bullets caused two or more perforations. 'The suspect appears to have used all the ammunition in his pistol against the woman. 'This revolver has a capacity to carry 19 bullets with one in the chamber. From our investigations it seems the accused used all the cartridges in the shooting. '(Hayssa) had several injuries on her hands and arms, suggesting a desperate attempt by the young woman to defend herself. The shots mainly hit the hands, arms, chest, stomach and internal organs' According to eyewitnesses, Ms Andrade was at the open air party spot with two girlfriends. She did not know the accused, who is a married man. It's alleged Silva tried to chat up the group but was rejected. When the host put on some music it was agreed everyone would have the opportunity to pick a tune. Arrest: Aguiar da Silva is led from the scene of the crime by police officers Investigators said the young woman's body was riddled with 36 bullet wounds after she made a 'desperate' attempt to defend herself by raising her arms during the assault Ms Andrade choose a Brazilian funk song which is widely associated with Commando Vermelho (Red Command) one of Brazil's most dangerous criminal gangs engaged primarily in arms and drug trafficking. Party goers reported the assailant objected to the tune calling it 'thug music' and became 'angry and aggressive' when the victim refused to turn it off. The disagreement spiralled out of control with witnesses claiming Silva showed off his gun several times and made deaths threats. Ms Andrade reportedly challenged the accused asking: 'What are you going to do, kill me?' Whereupon Silva is said to have drawn his weapon and unleashed a barrage of bullets. According to relatives, the victim was the younger of two sisters and was at university studying business administration after working for several years as a saleswoman. Experts released her body for burial and the funeral took place on Saturday, attended by scores of grieving family and friends. The accused has been remanded in custody facing murder charges. He is expected to appear in court by the end of this week. Katie Mager (pictured), 27, and Ryan Reiersgaard, 27, were arrested for falsely reporting that they were robbed of more than $22,000 worth of valuables and cash Two Minnesota tourists visiting Chicago falsely claimed three men robbed them of more than $22,000 worth of valuables and cash because they just wanted to 'have some fun'. Katie Mager, 27, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, and Ryan Reiersgaard, 27, of Burnsville, Minnesota told authorities they were walking near 300 North Columbus Drive on Thursday when the men approached them with a knife and stole their valuables. According to the Chicago Tribune, Mager and Reiersgaard claimed the three men took a $12,000 engagement ring, $5,000 cash, and a $3,000 Louis Vuitton suitcase. They told police a Burberry purse, a $2,000 MacBook Air laptop, a $300 suitcase, a wallet and a $150 iPad Mini were also among the valuable items stolen. The pair called 911 around 1.50am on Thurday morning and told officers that they got lost after taking GPS directions to a hotel. They reportedly told officers they had landed at O'Hare International Airport from Minneapolis around 9pm and spent three hours trying to find a rental car. According to authorities, Mager and Reiersgaard told police they got lost while trying to meet a friend and were on foot with their luggage when they were 'robbed'. Mager reportedly told police that she could recognize one of the alleged thieves because he looked like 'Fat Albert'. Reiersgaard (pictured) blamed Mager for the incident. He told police that it was her idea and 'he doesn't know her motives' They reprotedly told police that the incident took place as they were walking near 300 North Columbus Drive (pictured) on Thursday when the men approached them with a knife and stole their valuables. They were both held on $10,000 bond and will appear in court on Thursday Mager told authorities that the mythical man smelled of 'marijuana, was short in height and heavy-set'. Reiersgaard then blamed Mager for the incident. He told police that it was her idea and 'he doesn't know her motives', according to the Tribune. According to the Assistant States Attorney Joseph Carlson, Reiersgaard told authorities that he was only trying to have some fun on his birthday. Police said they couldn't provide serial numbers for the luggage, electronics and jewelry, but airport security footage showed them traveling without luggage. Mager and Reiersgaard were both arrested and charged with a felony count of disorderly conduct for falsely reporting a crime. They were both held on $10,000 bond and will appear in court on Thursday. Pregnant women will be able to request a seat on the Tokyo subway through a messaging app in a trial designed to get the attention of passengers who have their heads buried in smartphones. The test, beginning today, will link women with 'supporters' who have downloaded the app and alert them when a seat is wanted. Its purpose is to ensure passengers who 'would not notice their existence because they are looking at their smartphones' are alerted to pregnant women in their midst. The test, beginning today, will link women with 'supporters' who have downloaded the app and alert them when a seat is wanted The trial is being run on the last carriage of eight trains a day along the Ginza Line, which travels through the centre of Japan's capital, according to the Japan Times. The messages will only be sent to people near the pregnant woman who indicates she wants a seat. Nearby users of the app can then offer their seat by specifying their location and permitting the woman to take their perch. The trial is being organised by the Tokyo Metro Co, Line Corp and Dai Nippon Printing Co. A Dai Nippon official said that, if the trial should be successful, it could expand to include other people more likely to need a seat. A Dai Nippon official said that, if the trial should be successful, it could expand to include other people more likely to need a seat The spokesperson said: 'By putting the service into practical use, we are aiming to create a system that is helpful not only for pregnant women, but also for disabled and elderly people.' Ultimately, it is hoped the project will lead to a technology that allows pregnant women to emit a signal with a special device that alerts all registered passengers that they are nearby and keen to sit down. An arrested man's fingers were chopped off when a police station door was slammed shut, leading to calls for the force to fit 'finger guards'. Decorator Jamie Clark, 28, was left 'screaming in agony' and begging to be let out of the cell after losing his fingers, but says nobody came to help until a piece of his flesh was found in the corridor. The father-of-one says he was pepper sprayed, stripped naked and bundled into the room in Llanelli, South Wales, after being wrongly accused of attempting to assault a police officer. Mr Clark was left disabled for life despite being cleared of assaulting a police officer following his arrest He was arrested after a row with his girlfriend but was later cleared of assaulting a Dyfed-Powys officer. Mr Clark won a legal battle to obtain footage of the horrifying moment his fingers were severed. He gave the video footage to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge any officer with misconduct. Mr Clark was left screaming for help after his fingers were chopped off in the cell door hinge and says nobody came to help him until a body part was found in the corridor But the watchdog has called on the force to consider safety guards on cell doors. An IPCC spokesperson said: 'The IPCC investigation into how Mr Clark sustained a serious hand injury in custody in Llanelli was completed in May. 'In the lead investigators opinion there was insufficient evidence upon which a reasonable tribunal could conclude that any Dyfed-Powys Police officer had a case to answer for misconduct. 'The force accepted recommendations to remind custody officers that significant events and decisions should be recorded in detail and to ensure custody staff training looks at minimising any risk of injury to detainees during the closure of cell doors. Footage shows the South Wales officers closing the door to the cell after Mr Clark says he was pepper sprayed and stripped 'Dyfed-Powys Police also planned to assess the possibility of installing finger guards in custody suites.' The video shows a naked Mr Clark running at the cell door as it was being closed, after was allegedly bundled in by six officers. Mr Clark claims he was bundled into the cell by six officers. 'I went to get out but thats when I felt this huge pain and felt my flesh being torn away when the door was shut,' he said. 'I was screaming in agony. I was begging the officers to open the door but no one helped me. 'I have never known fear and pain like it.' Mr Clark was accused of attempting to assault PC Christopher Burton following his arrest in June last year. Magistrates heard he tried to bite PC Burton while he and other officers attempted to get him into a police van and later taken to Llanelli Police Station. When the door was shut, Mr Clark's three fingers were chopped off in the hinge of the cell door It was once he was in custody that Mr Clark suffered severe injuries when his hand was trapped in the hinge of a cell door. The court heard PC Burton found a piece of the his finger in the hall. Mr Clark was cleared in court after his solicitor fought to obtain a copy of the CCTV from police. His solicitor Patrick Llewelyn said: 'He was arrested for an offence he wasnt prosecuted for and while being detained he suffered serious injuries which will be the subject of a complaint or civil claim. Mr Clark can be seen looking down at his hand in horror after three of his fingers were severed in the accident 'People expect to be treated fairly when they are dealing with the police. 'We have seen evidence which suggests the police on this occasion deviated from the highest standards of practice.' A police spokesman said: 'Dyfed-Powys Police accepts the conclusion from the IPCC that there is no case of misconduct to answer in respect of a complaint from Mr Jamie Clark. 'The force has complied with recommendations from the IPCC, including adding a new element around finger safety to training and reviewing the possibility of finger guards.' A new shock poll from Fox News shows Democrat Doug Jones 10 points ahead of Republican Roy Moore as voters head to the polls tomorrow in Alabama to select the state's next U.S. senator. Moore, a twice removed state Supreme Court judge, was already a controversial figure in Alabama politics, but has had to answer to accusations that he sexually harassed and assaulted teenage girls, a revelation first published in the Washington Post on November 9. 'I did not know them,' Moore said in a new interview with 'The Voice of Alabama Politics' on Sunday. 'I had no encounter with them. I never molested anyone, and for them to say that, I don't know why thy're saying it, but it's not true.' The GOP hopeful's denials have allowed him to receive an endorsement from President Donald Trump and campaign help from former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, who will appear at a rally for Moore in Midland City, Alabama tonight. Moore's campaign has tried to stitch the political futures of Trump and Moore together more tightly, so the state who voted for the president by 28.3 points won't give a Senate seat to a Democrat for the first time in 31 years. 'So this is Donald Trump on trial in Alabama,' said Moore's chief political strategist Dean Young on Sunday. 'If the people of Alabama vote for this liberal Democrat Doug Jones, then they're voting against the president who they put in the office at the highest level.' Scroll down for video A new Fox News poll shows GOP Senate hopeful Roy Moore trailing Democrat Doug Jones by 10 points in the special election, which will take place tomorrow. While the Fox poll is an outlier, Moore's campaign has been plagued by sexual misconduct accusations for weeks President Trump slowly edged himself over into Roy Moore's column in the race, pointing out that the Republican hopeful has denied the pedophilia accusations against him and noting it would be better to have a Republican in the Senate than the Democrat Roy Moore's chief political strategist Dean Young (pictured) said Sunday that 'this is Donald Trump on trial in Alabama,' suggesting to voters that a vote against Moore indicated a vote against Trump, who the state put in office by 28.3 points Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon's presence alongside Roy Moore in both the primary and the special election suggested to voters that the ex-Judge was really President Trump's guy, despite the president's backing of Sen. Luther Strange in the primary Trump also suggested his agenda was at stake as he slowly moved his support into Moore's column. The president had originally teamed up with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in support of Sen. Luther Strange in the GOP Alabama primary, as the state looked to permanently fill the seat once held by Trump's Attorney General Jeff Sessions. But Moore destroyed Strange, the appointed seat-filler, in the late September primary, besting the incumbent by about 10 points. The ex-judge had been aided by Bannon in the primary, whose presence relayed to voters with a wink, wink, nudge, nudge that Moore was the true Trump-ian pick. When the sexual misconduct allegations came out, Bannon's people forcefully pushed back on reports that suggested the Breitbart head's support was wavering. Over at the White House, there was some mixed messaging. Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway at one point said 'no Senate seat is worth more than a child,' but then changed her tune less than a week later saying that Moore's vote would be helpful on the president's tax reform bill. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (right) visited Alabama to support Democratic Senate hopeful Doug Jones (center), as the Democrats hope that black voters can help offset the large number of Republican, white voters who traditionally vote in the state's elections Democratic Senate hopeful Doug Jones (left) was given an assist from popular New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker who came to Alabama this weekend to campaign for Jones, who's mounted the biggest Senate threat the Republicans have seen in the state in decades White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on November 16 that, 'The president believes that these allegations are very troubling and should be taken seriously.' 'And he thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be,' she said. She used the latter line several more times until Trump, himself, pushed the door open to support Moore as he talked to reporters en route to Mar-a-Lago for his Thanksgiving break. 'Look he denies it ... he totally denies it,' Trump said, while also whacking the Democrat. 'We don't need a liberal person in there. ... We don't need somebody who's soft on crime like Jones.' Last Monday, with eight days to go in the race, the president called Moore to offer him his endorsement. Then, on Friday, Trump appeared in nearby Pensacola, Florida, and encouraged voters in Alabama, living just over the state line, to support Moore. Trump's voice is being used in a pro-Moore robo call to get Alabamans to the polls in the support of the candidate tomorrow, on special election day. Democrats have countered Trump's support by trotting out some of their own. Over the weekend, two of the party's most prominent African-American politicians Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick campaigned alongside Jones, hoping to increase black support for the candidate, to offset the state's white voters who tend to vote Republican in large numbers. CNN reported Monday that President Obama has recorded a robocall to help Jones too. And Politico reported that former Vice President Joe Biden has recorded a robocall to boost Jones' chances as well. While the Moore-Jones race has dominated the national political conversation, Moore himself stayed largely off the campaign trail in recent days. He was last seen in public on Tuesday and his campaign announced the Bannon-Gohmert rally for Monday night, on election eve. On Sunday, he participated in two interviews as he made his final push. Beyond dismissing the sexual misconduct allegations yet again, on Breitbart's Aaron Klein Investigative Radio, Moore suggested that politically it was him against the world. 'I'm fighting both the Republican establishment out of Washington as well as the Democratic Party,' he said. 'The Republican establishment actually wants Jones in there because they think they can beat him in two years without a contest,' he explained. 'And, of course, the Democrats want Jones in there for their vote.' A number of Senate Republicans have expressed disgust that Moore didn't drop out of the race once the allegations became public. The state's own Sen. Richard Shelby, who was elected as a Democrat, but is now a Republican, confirmed Sunday that he had cast a write-in vote, not wanting to aid Jones, but not wanting to boost Moore. But Moore also articulated that a vote for him would make it easier for President Trump's agenda to get passed. 'I think we need to move on things while we have the opportunity to do so,' he noted. Harrowing footage of a pregnant woman being tasered in jail five days before she lost her baby has emerged. Martini Smith was jailed in September 2009 when she was 20 and pregnant. She was taken into custody at the Franklin County Jail in Ohio on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge for stabbing her boyfriend in self-defense. Corporal Matthew Stice tasered her because she could not remove her tongue stud, the last item of jewelry she was wearing. She had been stripped of her top and was wearing just her jeans. Harrowing images show Smith falling against a concrete wall and sliding down it as Stice tasered her. Five days later, Smith lost her baby. It is not clear if she was still in custody of if she had been released. Martini Smith is pictured writhing on the ground after being tasered at the Franklin County jail in Columbus, Ohio, in September 2009. She lost her baby five days later It is not clear how far into her pregnancy the woman was at the time. She was tasered by Corporal Matthew Stice because she could not take out her tongue stud She did not directly state that the taser caused her to lose the child. It is not clear how far along she was in her pregnancy at the time. She sued the police force afterwards and, in 2011, was awarded $27,500 in a settlement but it was not reported at the time that she had been pregnant. In an interview last week however, Martini, now 26, told Reuters that the loss of her baby still haunted her. 'It stays with me like it was yesterday,' she said. Smith had been taken into custody after for stabbing the boyfriend who she said was beating her. Once she had arrived at the county jail, she was ordered to remove all her jewelry and clothes. When it came to taking out her tongue stud, she said she had trouble because her fingers were numb from having been handcuffed for six hours. Now 26, Smith (pointing to where she was tasered in the chest) said she could remember the incident like it was 'yesterday' Smith is one of nine people who sued the county over excessive use of tasers in the jail. Above, Wendy West is tasered in October 2008 at the same facility Jordan Norris at the Cheatham County Jail in Ashland City, Tennessee, another facility where inmates have died because of taser use. He survived Stice then tasered her, sending bolts of electricity into her chest. She fell back against the wall and slid to the ground. Afterwards, she pleaded: 'Why did you Tase me? I wasnt harming nobody. I cant just take it out.' In the video, she can be heard yelling: 'I'm about to have a seizure.' Her miscarriage happened five days later. The domestic violence charges against her were eventually dropped. She spoke with Reuters as part of a wider investigation into excessive force of tasers across the country. Other videos gathered show inmates sitting on benches in their cells handcuffed before being tasered. One man was deaf. Their investigation uncovered 104 deaths in prisons since 2000 that were the result of taser use. Corey Carter is stunned by officers at the McCurtain County Jail in Idabel, Oklahoma, on February 12, 2015 Gary Kane is atsered by police at Franklin County Jail on October 10, 2009. None of the deputies in Franklin County faced charges. Instead, the county paid out lawsuit settlements in 2011 Of the 104 inmates who died, just two were armed. A third were in handcuffs or other restraints when stunned. In more than two-thirds of the 70 cases in which Reuters was able to gather full details, the inmate already was immobilized when shocked pinned to the ground or held by officers. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer said the videos were proof of 'grave abuse' The cases reflect a fundamental challenge of using Tasers in correctional settings: The weapons, designed to control violent or threatening suspects on the street, have fewer legitimate uses behind bars, where prisoners typically are confined in a cell, often restrained and almost never armed. While Tasers can be an effective way to stop an assault on a guard or another inmate, veterans of the corrections system say the weapons too frequently are used on people who pose no imminent physical threat. Smith's case, along with dozens of others, prompted the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, to call for an investigation into police use of tasers across the country this week. Nils Melzer said videos like the one of Smith's demonstrate 'clearly gratuitous infliction of severe pain and suffering.' He was concerned about incidents in four jails; Franklin County, Ohio; Cheatham County, Tennessee; Franklin County, Arkansas; and McCurtain County, Oklahoma. No deputies from Franklin County have been charged despite the city paying out in lawsuit settlements in 2011. Smith's was just one of nine that were filed against it. Melzer said the videos were proof of 'grave abuse'. A 23-year-old Google engineers has been found dead near a bike trail along the San Francisco Bay. A bicyclist spotted the body of Chuchu Ma, of Mountain View, California, in the water along the Bay Trail on the Sunnyvale-Moffett Field border last Thursday morning. The Google software engineer had been reported missing in Mountain View - a few miles away - the same day. A bicyclist spotted the body of 23-year-old Chuchu Ma, of Mountain View, California, in the water along the Bay Trail on the Sunnyvale-Moffett Field border last Thursday morning The Google software engineer had been reported missing in Mountain View - a few miles away - the same day Ma, who graduated with a Bachelor's in Computer Science from the University of Texas, Austin, in 2016, had worked as an engineer at Google for more than a year. Google released a statement on the woman's death shortly after her body was identified. 'Chuchu was an excellent software engineer in our developer product team,' the statement to KRON 4 said. The statement added: 'We are devastated to learn of her passing, and our deepest condolences are with her family and friends.' Ma, who graduated with a Bachelor's in Computer Science from the University of Texas, Austin, in 2016, had worked as an engineer at Google for more than a year Details surrounded Ma's death have not yet been released and it remains unclear if she was a victim of a crime Police have not revealed the details surrounding Ma's death, but NBC News reports that her body was found face down and naked in the water. It remains unclear if she was a victim of a crime. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety's investigation is ongoing as they wait for the coroner's autopsy results. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety has asked anyone with information to contact the detective unit at (408)730-7110. Bobby Vedral, a banker partner at Goldman Sachs, said Jeremy Corbyn could win power within months if Theresa May's ailing government breaks under pressure Jeremy Corbyn would turn Britain into 'Cuba without the sunshine', a major figure in the City of London has warned. Bobby Vedral, a banker partner at Goldman Sachs, said the Labour leader could win power within months if Theresa May's ailing government breaks under pressure. The warning is the latest signal from the City's financial centre raising alarm about the prospect of Labour's left-wing agenda being imposed. Mr Vedral made his claims at an equity conference in Amsterdam last month, warning the Labour programme of tax rises on the wealthy and a sweeping nationalisation agenda would be a 'disaster'. He said: 'There is a clear risk in my opinion in the next six months of Corbyn. 'Now that is a problem.' Mr Vedral's claim comes after businesses were told Theresa May is 'hanging by a thread' and they should prepared for a Corbyn Government. The advice was issued by an influential city trading firm that warned Labour taking power would be a 'nightmare scenario' for the pound. CME Group, an American financial market company with a major office in the City of London, issued the warnings in a briefing last month at the height of the harassment scandal sweeping Westminster. The warning is the latest signal from the City's financial centre raising alarm about the prospect of Jermey Corbyn (pictured in the Commons today) and Labour's left-wing agenda being imposed In the CME paper, Erik Norland, the group's executive director and a senior economist, describes how the Government was 'taking the brunt' of 'allegations of inappropriate conduct within Parliament'. 'Since losing its parliamentary majority in June 2017, British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party has been hanging by a thread, propped up by coalition partner, the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland,' he said. 'Given the fragility of the current government, markets should probably be thinking carefully about the next Prime Minister and the potential impact on the UK economy and currency. 'The Labour Party has moved into a small but consistent polling lead since the June election. 'When new elections take place, they could easily produce a Labour majority or a hung parliament.' Marcia Y. Eubank, 49, was arrested on suspicion of murder Saturday in Ohio A woman charged with murdering her husband lived with his dismembered body parts in her home for five months, police have said. Marcia Y. Eubank, 49, was arrested on suspicion of murder Saturday in Coventry Township, Ohio, after police discovered the remains of her husband, 54-year-old Howard L. Eubank. The couple had been married for 24 years, and had at least one son. Marcia has a work history at a nursing home and Howard worked at a water supply company. On Saturday afternoon, their son made a terrifying discovery in his parents' home in the community of 11,000 on the southern outskirts of Akron. Howard and Marcia Eubank were married in 1994. She is seen left with her grandmother center, and the man on the right is believed to be Howard, who was found dead Saturday Police responded to this residence after getting a tip on Saturday. They found a tote bag in the back yard of the home containing the dismembered remains of Howard Eubanks Police say he found decomposing body parts in a home office that was 'exclusive' to his mother's use, WKYC reported. The son exchanged several text messages with his mother before calling 911 to alert authorities at 1.38pm on Saturday, police said. Investigators responded to the home and discovered decomposing body parts inside various bags and luggage around the house. Investigators believe that Marcia shot and killed him in June, and then dismembered his body with several saws and lived with the remains in her home. Howard's co-workers at the water supply company told police that they received a 'bizarre' text message from his phone this summer, claiming that he was suddenly moving to Texas on June 18. Marcia appeared in court via video link from the Summit County Jail on Monday (pictured left and right). Her bail was set at $1million 'Its sick. Ive known these people for over 20 years,' neighbor Jackie Kaylor told the Beacon-Journal. 'Its absolutely devastating. I just cant believe this is all real,' Kaylor said. Kaylor said officials were on the scene from about 1pm to midnight Saturday 'carrying different bags of things from outside the house and back yard'. Marcia was not home at the time of the search, but cops located her in the parking lot of a local business Saturday evening and took her into custody without incident. She was then interviewed by sheriffs detectives and subsequently charged with one count of murder and booked into the Summit County Jail. An autopsy on will be performed this week at the Summit County Medical Examiners Office, but officials say preliminary information leads them to believe Howard was shot multiple times. Marcia appeared in court via video link from the Summit County Jail on Monday. Her bail was set at $1million. She is next due to appear in court on Wednesday. Hasna Begum (pictured in her police mugshot) started stalking Pietro Sanna, 23, on social media after they broke up A jealous Clintons shop assistant who donned a blonde wig and black leather gloves before stabbing her ex-lover 36 times was jailed for at least 20 years today. Hasna Begum, 25, started stalking Italian part-time DJ Pietro Sanna, 23, on social media after they broke up last December. When Begum found out a woman called Giulia Consonni - who Mr Sanna had met on Tinder - was following her ex-boyfriend on Instagram, she called her an 'ugly b****' and sent threatening messages. The 4ft 11in Begum made her way to Mr Sanna's home in Canning Town, east London on June 23 and knifed him 36 times. She made off with his mobile phone and 'rubbed out' his social media profiles in the days after the killing. The shop worker said that she was 'accessorising' when she put on a blonde wig and gloves before making her way to Mr Sanna's house. Begum claimed she was defending herself after Mr Sanna kicked her in the chest, then grabbed a knife which he held towards her. But a jury at Inner London Crown Court took two hours to convict her of murder today. Sentencing her to life imprisonment and ordering she serve at least 20 years before she can be considered for parole, Judge Jeremy Donne, QC, told her: 'You were seen by a witness to be angry. 'You had certainly behaved in an angry way in the days leading up to the 21st June, as evidenced by your threatening messages to Giulia Consonni, who had done little more than follow your former boyfriend on Instagram. 'Having gone to Pietro Sanna's address, having a some point armed yourself with at least one knife - I say at least one knife because two knifes were found to be missing from the address afterwards - the number and direction of knife wounds, particularly to the back which tend to point from the extremes of the body towards the centre, either demonstrate a complete change in position or the simultaneous infliction of wounds with knifes in both hands. Before killing Pietro Sanna (pictured), Begum was seen climbing out of her kitchen window shortly after 6am on June 23 wearing a blonde wig and black leather gloves 'Whether the wounds to the lower body were caused as he kicked out from the ground or by you when he was prone on the ground, simply to inflict further damage to him is again not to the point - what is relevant is that you continued to attack, causing a total of 36 wounds to his body, the overwhelming majority of which would have caused profuse blood loss and two of which puncturing his lungs. 'After the attack you remained in his room and while he was dying or when he was dead, you helped yourself to some of his clothing and left the address, taking with you the knife or knifes and Pietro Sanna's telephone. 'Why you did this is not entirely clear but the indication is that you had an unhealthy obsession with Pietro Sanna. 'What you did was a terribly wicked thing, it has had the damaging effect of depriving a family a son, it has also had the damaging effect of depriving your family from you. 'All murders are completely senseless, this is both tragic and senseless.' The pair had met in Canary Wharf where Begum worked at Clinton Cards and Mr Sanna worked at sandwich chain Birley's. Begum came from a traditionalist Muslim background and said her Bangladeshi parents would not consent to her drinking and having boyfriends, so they would meet secretly at his home during the year long relationship. When quizzed by police following her arrest on June 28, Begum said she had not seen or spoken to Mr Sanna (pictured) in months Giving evidence she said wearing a wig was 'normal for her and she wore the gloves 'to accessorise' her outfit. She said she believed he was cheating on her as she received texts 'not meant for her' and noticed a full packet of condoms had emptied during her visits to his home. Begum was seen climbing out of her kitchen window shortly after 6am on June 23 wearing a blonde wig and black leather gloves. CCTV cameras caught her jumping into a taxi and making her way to Mr Sanna's home in Ravenscroft Grove and was seen by a neighbour banging loudly on his front door. Just over an hour later, neighbours reported hearing a male voice shouting 'I'm dying, I'm dying' before his lifeless body was finally discovered three days later. Begum fled the scene with his mobile phone, calling a taxi from the car park outside to get treatment for a cut on her finger. She then returned hom to wash her blood-soaked clothes. Begum had Mr Sanna's phone in her possession after the killing but called it on 24, 25 and 26 June. When quizzed by police following her arrest on June 28, she said she had not seen or spoken to Mr Sanna in months. Prosecutor Duncan Penny QC said Mr Sanna's mobile was found inside the pocket of a grey hoodie found in Begum's wardrobe alongside some hair extensions. Police also discovered that Begum had used the phone to change Mr Sanna's Instagram username - from Pieztek to Sarah654ty - and profile picture. Mr Penny said this was an attempt to 'scrub out' the 23-year-old digitally, as well as physically, after the stabbing. A black ladies left-hand leather glove was recovered from a bin on the first-floor bathroom in her home bearing damage to the undersides of the fingers. An expert was able to determine that the slash which penetrated the fabric lining matched the location of Begum's cut. Begum claimed Mr Sanna had bombarded her with prank calls after they broke up and invited her to his house that morning to talk about the relationship. She insisted he threatened her with a kitchen knife when she grabbed his phone to look for evidence he was unfaithful. Begum, of Millwall, Isle of Dogs, denied but was convicted of murder. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 20 years. A pregnant nurse nearly sustained a miscarriage after a furious mother kicked her in the stomach for hurting her son at a hospital in China. Footage emerged showing the moment the mother grabbed the nurse's hair at the clinic of Tongshan People's Hospital on December 8. Chutian Metropolitan Daily reported that the woman accused the nurse of causing her son to bleed while pulling out a needle from his hand. Ms Fang, in orange coat, is seen pulling a pregnant nurse's hair in a hospital in Tongshan, China (left). The nurse (right, middle) is reported to be pregnant The 38-year-old mother, surnamed Fang, was said to be the wife of Xu Lianglu, the head of the Urban Management Bureau in Tongshan, Hubei Province. She took her four-year-old son to the hospital on December 8 for an IV injection. Ms Zhu, the nurse, injected the needle to the boy's hand. It's reported that Ms Fang started shouting at the nurse when her son was seen bleeding on his hand while having the needle pulled out by Ms Zhu. Video shows her pulling the pregnant nurse's hair as other medical staff tried to pull the pair apart. Onlookers told the reporter that they saw Ms Fang kicking Ms Zhu's stomach. Pictured: The pregnant nurse appears to have symptoms of miscarriage after being kicked in the stomach by Ms Fang. She is sent to the gynaecology department right after Ms Zhu was bleeding when she was taken to gynaecology department. It's unclear of what happened to her baby. A hospital worker told Beijing Youth Daily that Xu Lianglu, the head of Tongshan Urban Management Bureau, went to visit the injured nurse in the afternoon. He explained that his wife 'had a bad temper and you [Ms Zhu] should bear with it as working in a service occupation'. Tongshan County People's Government has posted an announcement in regard to the incident. The statement said Ms Fang had been arrested by the local police. Her husband, Xu Lianglu, was sacked from his post as a result of the incident. Ms Fang received a 500 yuan (57) fine and a 12-day detention. Dozens of people sat in complete silence on Sunday afternoon as they competed in the fifth international Space-out Competition. Around 70 contestants were invited to sit on yoga mats in Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei, Taiwan, without looking at their phones or making a noise for 90 minutes. During the competition, volunteers in white coats monitored the contestants' pulses to check they were still awake. Scroll down for video Dozens of people sat in complete silence on Sunday afternoon as they competed in the fifth international Space-out Competition. Around 70 contestants were invited to sit on yoga mats in Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei, Taiwan, without looking at their phones or making a noise for 90 minutes The contest was invented in 2012 by South Korean visual artist WoopsYang to show the importance of taking a break from our busy lives. Among the contestants this year was Hong Kong filmmaker Pang Ho-cheung who told South China Morning Post: 'We are always looking at our phones, always communicating by phone. The competition was won by Chan Kai-Ho, 24, from Hong Kong, with Taiwanese student Kuo Han-cheng coming in second place. The contest was invented in 2012 by South Korean visual artist WoopsYang to show the importance of taking a break from our busy lives. While rhe competition was won by Chan Kai-Ho, 24, from Hong Kong, with Taiwanese student Kuo Han-cheng coming in second place WoopsYang, who started the event in South Korea in 2014, said it was about encouraging busy people to use their downtime in a more meaningful way - that does not involve consuming things like shopping. Adding that people should reduce their smartphone use too, she told SCMP: 'Sometimes you should take time to do nothing. 'Your brain should be turned off sometimes. When you don't use your laptop it goes to sleep. People's brains should also sleep sometimes.' Artist WoopsYang, who started the event in South Korea in 2014, said it was about encouraging busy people to use their downtime in a more meaningful way - that does not involve consuming things like shopping The contest took place in Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in central Taipei with participants sitting on yoga mats for 90 minutes as volunteers wandered around monitoring their pulses and making sure none had fallen asleep. Spectators then voted for the top three they thought were the best at unwinding and losing themselves in the morning. Spectators then voted for the top three they thought were the best at unwinding and losing themselves in the morning. A special award even went to the contestant whose heart rate was most stable during the competition A special award even went to the contestant whose heart rate was most stable during the competition. WoopsYang said the event in the middle of Taipei was a 'visual juxtaposition', as the stillness of the contestants contrasted with the business of life around them. It was the fifth Space-out contest, with previous events also held in Beijing, South Korea the Netherlands. China is said to be planning five settlement points for North Korean refugees as the tension between Washington and Pyongyang escalates. Reports have suggested that over a million of North Korean residents could swarm into neighbouring China if armed conflicts breaks out on the Korean Peninsula. Kim Jong-un, North Korea's Supreme Leader, tested the Hwasong-15 missile on November 29, its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile to date which likely puts the whole of the US within range. Kim Jong-un thanked workers at a factory that built the tires for a huge vehicle used to transport a new intercontinental ballistic missile that was test-launched last month A leaked document shows China is planning refugee camps in Changbai County in Jilin Province which borders North Korea. Pictured, a Chinese soldier guards on a bridge on the China-North Korea border on April 8, 2008 in Linjiang of Jilin Province Changbai county is separated from the Ryanggang Province of North Korea by the Yalv River Beijing's plan of North Korean refugee camps was mentioned in an internal document released by the Changbai County Branch of state-owned China Mobile Communications Corporation. Changbai County is a stone's throw from North Korea's Hyesan city and is home to thousands of residents who are ethnically Korean but have Chinese passports. The document, which started circulating on the Chinese internet last week, claimed that the Changbai County authority planned to build five 'refugee settlement points' because 'the situation on the North Korean border has been unstable'. It wrote that the county's government had asked China Mobile to provide communication signals for the refugee camps. The document claimed that workers from China Mobile tested the signals in the area on December 2. When being asked about the alleged refugee camps, Lu Kang, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said on Monday that he was unaware of the plan, according to New York Times. Mr Lu did not deny their existence, said the same report. Speaking to a reporter from Radio Free Asia, an official at the Changbai County government denied the alleged plan of North Korean refugee camps. Beijing's plan of North Korean refugee camps was mentioned in an internal document (above) released by the Changbai County Branch of China Mobile Communications Corporation Last Wednesday, Jilin Daily, the state-run newspaper of the province, published an article telling the residents how to protect themselves against a radioactive fallout Tourists having fun in the snow in Changbai Mountains (left). North Korean women wash their laundry by the Yalu River, at a village on the foothills of the Changbai Mountains in 2010 (right) Changbai County, a Mandarin-Korean bilingual county, shares a 260.5-kilometre-long (161 miles) border with North Korea. The Chinese county is separated from the Ryanggang Province of North Korea by the Yalv River. Around 14,000 residents in Changbai are ethnically Korean, accounting for 17 per cent of the entire population of the county. The county is situated in the southern part of Jilin Province, which shares a long border with North Korea. Last Wednesday, Jilin Daily, the state-run newspaper of the province, published an article titled 'common knowledge of nuclear weapons and how to protect yourself against them'. The long article gave advice to the local residents on what to do in case of a nuclear explosion. The newspaper also published comic strips telling people how to protect themselves against radioactive fallout and how to escape from buildings. This image shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, third from left, and what the North Korean government calls the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, in North Korea North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is seen during the inspection of a potato flour factory in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency December 6, 2017 The newspaper article came a week after Pyongyang tested its Hwasong-15 missile. Kim Jong-un claims the missile is capable of carrying a 'super heavy nuclear warhead' and can bring the payload back to earth intact. Following the test, America and South Korea launched their largest ever joint air drills in a show of force to Pyongyang. China then announced its own air drills, saying they were intended as a warning to Washington and Seoul not to invade. While Beijing has distanced itself from North Korea in recent months, authorities are opposed to conflict on the Peninsula and to having a US military presence on their border. A man was arrested on Thursday in connection to a deadly robbery that took place at a Rite Aid in California last month. Kimani Randolph, 21, was taken into custody after the Citrus Heights Police Department identifed him as the primary suspect who physically knocked over 87-year-old Marilyn Stribley as he fled the scene on November 27. Stribley was hospitalized following the incident and died from her injuries a week later on December 2, according to police. Kimani Randolph (top left), 21, was arrested in connection to the deadly robbery that took place at a Rite Aid in California last month Police released surveillance footage of the robbery at the Rite Aid located in the 6600 block of Auburn Boulevard. Police said there were also two other suspects (left in blue) who fled the store as Stribley laid in the doorway Stribley (right) was hospitalized following the incident and died from her injuries a week later on December 2, according to police. Kimani Randolph (left) was arrested on Dec 7 Police released surveillance footage of the robbery at the Rite Aid located in the 6600 block of Auburn Boulevard. The video shows one suspect, believed to be Randolph, running into Stribley, causing her to fall backward as she tried to enter the store. Another suspect is then seen stepping over Stribley as they fled the scene. Police said she was knocked unconscious when she fell, and when other people initially came to her aid, she had no pulse. Officers and fire personnel began gave her CPR, and Stribley was taken to a hospital. At the time, police said three men, all described as black and between age 18 to 20, had entered the store and approached the pharmacy counter. Video shows one suspect, believed to be Randolph (top left), running into Stribley, causing her to fall backward as she tried to enter the store Another suspect (pictured) is then seen stepping over Stribley as they fled the scene They reportedly jumped over the counter and demanded various prescription drugs. Pharmacy employees, fearing for their safety, handed over the drugs, police said. Authorities said that Randolph was on probation for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. But the other two suspects have not been located. Randolph was located and arrested, without incident, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 7. Randolph will be extradited back to Sacramento next week. He is currently in custody for robbery and violation of probation. The Citrus Heights Police Department said that they will 'continue to work with the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office related to additional charges stemming from the death of Mrs. Stribley'. 'We hope this arrest brings some closure to the family of Mrs. Stribley,' police said. Anyone having information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Citrus Heights Police Department at 916-727-5500. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call the crime tip line at 916-727-5524. Police said Stribley (pictured) was knocked unconscious when she fell, and when other people initially came to her aid, she had no pulse. Officers and fire personnel began gave her CPR, and she was taken to a hospital Theresa May has made a grand overture to urge EU nationals living in Britain not leave after Brexit by telling them directly 'I want you to stay'. The PM scrambled to try to win over Europeans who have moved to the UK by saying she understands their 'underlying anxiety' at their future when we quit the bloc. Mrs May said she is 'delighted' to have come back from Brussels with a pledge to guarantee the rights of EU nationals living in Britain. In an open letter to EU nationals, she said she was 'proud' they had chosen to live in the UK and that she wanted them to stay after Brexit on the terms agreed in Brussels. The missive is a follow-up to one sent by the Prime Minister in October when she told the 3.3million Europeans living in Britain they would be allowed to stay regardless of the outcome of talks. The letter was released as Mrs May was grilled by MPs on the terms of her divorce deal in a marathon session at the Commons Despatch Box. Theresa May (pictured in the House of Commons) scrambled to try to win over Europeans who have moved to the UK by sayings he understands their 'underlying anxiety' at their future when we quit the bloc In an open letter to EU nationals (pictured) Mrs May said she was 'proud' they had chosen to live in the UK Mrs May held talks with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borissov, at Downing Street yesterday with talks focused on the rights of EU citizens after Brexit In the letter to EU citizens, the PM wrote: 'I greatly value the depth of the contributions you make - enriching every part of our economy, our society, our culture and our national life. 'I know our country would be poorer if you left and I want you to stay.' She told EU citizens their rights would be written into UK law through a Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill. MIGRANTS MUST BE ALLOWED IN UNTIL 2021, EU DEMANDS Britain is facing demands to push back the date that new EU migrants can arrive to 2021 in return for a two-year transition deal, it emerged last night. EU negotiators plan to demand this later 'cut-off date' during the next phase of negotiations, in return for the transition deal wanted by the Prime Minister. The ultimatum risks infuriating Brexiteers who insist leaving should mean regaining control of the UK's immigration system. The divorce deal agreed by Theresa May last week proposes a cut-off date of March 2019, after which new EU migrants would lose the automatic right to reside in the UK on a long-term basis. British officials insist the issue has been largely settled in negotiations but the EU believes that the date can be pushed back further. A European Commission report said: 'The ''specified date'' should, in the Commission's view, be defined not as the date of the United Kingdom's withdrawal, but as that of the end of the transitional period. Advertisement And she said that - controversially - their rights will be guaranteed by the European Court of Justice for eight years. She pledged that a new system to apply for settled status would be up and running next year and cost 72.50 for a standard adult version. Mrs May went on: 'So right now, you do not have to do anything at all. 'You can look forward, safe in the knowledge that there is now a detailed agreement on the table in which the UK and the EU have set out how we intend to preserve your rights - as well as the rights of UK nationals living in EU countries. 'For we have ensured that these negotiations put people first. That is what I promised to do and that is what I will continue to do at every stage of this process. 'I wish you and all your families a great Christmas and a very happy New Year.' Earlier, Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov said he would raise the issue of citizens' rights during talks with Mrs May in Number 10. 'We will have the opportunity to speak about Bulgarian representatives who have been residing in Great Britain for over five years, about preserving and maintaining their lifestyle in spite of Brexit obviously taking place,' he said as he met the Prime Minister in Downing Street. The Prime Minister greeted her Bulgarian counterpart in a soggy Downing Street ahead of their bilateral talks Mr Boyko is the first EU leader Mrs May has met since sealing her divorce agreement on Friday In her letter, she told EU citizens their rights would be written into UK law through a Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill Mrs May finally managed to get EU leaders to sign up to her Brexit deal and move on to trade talks on Friday - days after her initial plans were torpedoes by the DUP. But some Brexiteers warned they were deeply unhappy that European judges would still be able to hold sway over Britain for a decade after we quit the EU. While the deal also allowed EU nationals to bring their spouses, parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren, who do not live in the UK, to join them in the future. And this will extend to future spouses of EU citizens even if they are not yet together. In the Commons yesterday afternoon, Mrs May came under fire from Tory Brexiteers as she defended her EU divorce deal. Mrs May insisted the 39billion divorce bill showed the UK was taking 'responsibility' and meant the taxpayer would soon see 'significant savings' that could be pumped back into key public services Conservative backbencher Philip Davies told Mrs May: 'She said there had been give and take in this negotiation and she is absolutely right - we are giving the EU tens of billions of pounds and they are taking it.' David Davis and Boris Johnson were in the Commons to hear the PM's statement The PM faced a grilling in the Commons on why she had agreed to hand over up to 39billion to Brussels when the country was still going through austerity. HOW THE IRISH BORDER ISSUE COULD WRECK THE DEAL What is 'full alignment'? In last week's Brexit deal, Theresa May agreed to keep the UK in 'full alignment' with the EU on issues relevant to Northern Ireland. Remainers seized upon the language to say it meant Britain would be closely tied to Brussels, but ministers insist it does not mean Britain will be tied directly to the single market and customs union. David Davis said it meant Britain will meet the same 'outcomes' but not do it 'by just copying what the EU does'. What is 'divergence'? Brexiteers warn it would be a disaster to tie Britain too closely to the EU's rules. They want to allow for maximum 'divergence' distance from the EU so Britain can negotiate better trade deals with non-EU countries. However, managing the border between the North and South of Ireland becomes more difficult the more the UK diverges from EU rules. For example, if Britain did a US trade deal to allow chlorine-washed chicken into the UK, how can you prevent the chicken being sold into the European market? What happens next? Cabinet ministers will consider next week what the UK wants the 'end state' of relations with the EU to look like that is, how much divergence they will seek. In theory, the more distance Britain seeks, the more restrictive its trade deal could be. The Cabinet's crunch meeting is next Tuesday expect Remainers to call for less divergence and Brexiteers for more freedom. Advertisement Conservative backbencher Philip Davies told Mrs May: 'She said there had been give and take in this negotiation and she is absolutely right - we are giving the EU tens of billions of pounds and they are taking it.' The PM insisted the government was taking 'responsibility' and insisted the taxpayer would soon see 'significant savings' that could be pumped into key public services. She also made clear the payment would be 'off the table' if a trade agreement with the EU was not reached The clashes came as Mrs May was forced to move to appease anger in Dublin after David Davis played down the effect of the painstakingly-assembled deal and suggested it would not be 'legally enforceable'. The Brexit Secretary was embarrassingly sent out this morning to correct his comments - promising that Britain would stand by the arrangements and they were 'more than legally enforceable'. The climbdown appears to have defused the row for the time being, with Irish PM Leo Varadkar - who previously insisted the agreement is 'bullet proof' - saying he was 'very happy with the clarification'. The government is desperate to paper over the cracks at least until after a crucial EU summit later this week, when the bloc's leaders will decide whether to approve the start of trade talks. Amid fears that the deal has already tied us into 'soft' Brexit, Mrs May told the House that powers over 'borders, money and laws' would be reclaimed. She was given the benefit of the doubt by many Tory MPs concerned about derailing the Brexit process altogether, but some still voiced significant misgivings about the divorce deal and trade commitments. Mrs May also had to deny a suggestion from another Tory, Mike Wood, that the UK could face 'punishment payments' in future. Mrs May said she had never pretended Brexit would be an 'easy process'. 'It has required give and take for the UK and the EU to move forward together. And that is what we have done,' she said. Theresa May and EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, pictured in Brussels on Friday, agreed that sufficient progress has been made on EU citizens rights, the divorce bill and the Irish border to move on to the all-important trade talks. The leaders of the EU 27 members states will decide whether to sign it off at a summit on Friday She insisted that the settlement on a divorce bill of around 39billion represented the UK acting 'responsibly'. It will mean that soon the government will be sending less to Brussels and would have 'more money to spend on our priorities at home' - such as housing, schools and the NHS. The PM also warned that the payment would be 'off the table' if a trade agreement with the EU was not reached. Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal's sister has admitted repeatedly slamming the head of their mother against a car. Alexis Blumenthal, 48, from Thame in Oxfordshire, launched a four-year campaign of rage against mother Celia, 76. Celia became so scared of her own daughter that she had to have a lock fitted on her bedroom door. Alexis Blumenthal (pictured), 48, from Thame in Oxfordshire, launched a four-year campaign of rage against mother Celia, 76 In the first incident, Alexis grabbed her mother by the hair and punched her a number of times, before pushing at the top of a flight of stairs, at a house in Watlington. Celia was forced to cling on to the banister to stop her from falling all the way down. Another attack saw Alexis 'slam' her mother's head against a car on a street in Thame. In a victim statement Celia said that her daughter had carried out a campaign of 'verbal and violent abuse' over the last four years, largely due to her alcoholism. Alexis admitted attacking her mother at Oxford Magistrates' Court and is remanded on bail for four weeks for sentencing on January 11. In the victim impact statement which was read out in court, Celia said her daughter had gone to live at her address after returning from South Africa, where she had lived for a considerable part of her life. She said that after a few months, maids had begun to find bottles of alcohol hidden around the house and that she had hidden them fearing for her daughter's wellbeing. This, she said, was when the 'verbal and violent abuse' began. 'It was as if she had the strength of 10 men,' elderly Celia said. 'There would be times when I would wake up to her standing beside my bed. I do believe that the rages were so bad that if she had access to a knife she would have used it against me. 'By August her behaviour had become too much and I did not want to live in fear anymore. I kept thinking: 'Is she standing outside my house? Has she let herself in and is she going to attack me again?' Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal's sister has admitted repeatedly slamming the head of their mother against a car Prosecution lawyer Katie Jeanes said: 'The first of the offences took place in September this year. The defendant and Celia Blumenthal, who is her mother, had been to the Shepherds Crook public house. 'Mrs Blumenthal's daughter had been drinking before they returned to her mother's address at about 5pm or 6pm in the evening.' She said it had been a few hours later when Celia had gone to bed and her daughter took her medication upstairs, that the first altercation took place. The prosecutor explained: 'The defendant grabbed hold of Mrs Blumenthal's hair and punched her several times and the last punch caught her on the left cheek causing bruising and pain. 'The defendant pushed her in the back with open hands. Mrs Blumenthal had to hold onto the stair banister to prevent herself from going down the stairs. 'In total Mrs Blumenthal thinks the defendant must have hit her six or seven times and she described her daughter as 'being in a frenzy'. 'On October 7 this year the police were contacted by a member of the public, referred to as Mrs Lambert, after she saw an incident in the town centre of Thame, involving the defendant and Mrs Blumenthal again.' The prosecution lawyer said the victim had just driven her daughter home and parked outside her house on East Street in Thame when the younger woman 'grabbed Mrs Blumenthal's head before slamming it into the car frame three or four times.' She added that the witness had heard the defendant screaming 'you f*****g b***h, I'm going to kill you' before going out onto the street and calling the police, at which point the altercation stopped and the younger woman left the scene. The copper-haired defendant, who entered court wearing a large, black jacket in faux fur, a black sun hat and large sunglasses to hide her face, began crying as the evidence was read out. Defence lawyer Angela Porter said: 'Mrs Blumenthal has reflected on all that has been going on and is aware that her mother has attended court to give evidence. She said that on the night of the first offence, the defendant had been drinking but had been certain in her own mind that she had not done what her mother said she had done. However, after learning that her mother was going to give evidence against her, Mrs Blumenthal had decided to change her plea to guilty, explaining that 'if her mother said so that's what she must have done.' Ms Porter added: 'Her mother rented a flat for her which she moved into in September. 'Her mother is no longer paying the rent for her and Mrs Blumenthal is having difficulties paying for it herself.' Addressing the defendant, presiding magistrate Mohammed Ramzan said: 'We are going to adjourn your case until January 11 at 2pm. That is going to be a Thursday and you will need to be back at this court at 1.30pm. 'At this point you are going to keep the bail conditions that you had from before, we are not changing anything.' These conditions meant Blumenthal could not contact her mother or call at her house unless accompanied by a police officer with the purpose to collect her own belongings from the property. A man has been arrested for allegedly trespassing at Buckingham Palace, it was revealed tonight. The 24-year-old was held three minutes after he stepped over a low perimeter fence adjacent to the Royal Palace and attempted to climb a wall outside the estate. Police are not treating the incident as a terrorist act and the suspect was not carrying any weapons. A 24-year-old man was arrested for allegedly trespassing at Buckingham Palace in London (pictured) He was also arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a controlled substance, but no police action will follow on that matter. He was released after undergoing a mental health assessment following the incident on Sunday evening. He was detained at 9.45pm. But he is due to report to police early in the New Year after being investigated for trespass. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Officers from the Met Police Royalty and Specialist Protection Command have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of trespass, contrary to section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. 'They arrested the man at approximately 9.45pm on Sunday, December 10, three minutes after he stepped over a low outer perimeter fence adjacent to Buckingham Palace and attempted to climb a wall outside the Palace estate. He was also arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a controlled substance after police attended the scene (pictured) 'The man was not found in possession of any offensive weapons and the incident is not being treated as terrorist related. 'He was also arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a controlled substance - for which he was subsequently released with no further action. 'The man, who has undergone a mental health assessment, has been released on conditional bail, to return to a central London police station in early January, in relation to his arrest for trespass.' A federal judge warned President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Monday that he shouldn't be trying his case in the press after he was caught editing an op-ed for a Ukrainian paper. That includes drafting opinion essays published in other countries he was warned as he appeared in court. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Paul Manafort that his editing of an op-ed that appeared in an English-language newspaper in Ukraine is not something she is going to tolerate. The judge's warning came after special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors discovered that Manafort edited an op-ed published in the Kyiv Post last week. The article appeared under the name of a former Ukraine official. It discussed Manafort's consulting work in Ukraine, which is at the heart of the case against him. Here for the hearing: Paul Manafort got a break from house arrested when he was driven to federal court in Washington D.C. in a white Range Rover and accused of breaching his gag order Also in court: Rick Gates, Manafort's right-hand man and deputy on the Trump campaign appeared in front of Judge Amy Berman Jackson in the wake of the charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller Jackson said she would take under advisement Manafort's proposal to have his house arrest lifted in exchange for accepting four of his properties as collateral. He returned to house arrest after the hearing. Prosecutors for special counsel Robert Mueller had revealed they knew every word Paul Manafort changed in an opinion piece about his involvement in Ukrainian politics. They said they tracked the changes the former Trump campaign chairman made as he edited the piece while under house arrest. Prosecutors say the op-ed was part of a public effort Manafort was trying to orchestrate that would have violated a judge's order to refrain from trying his case in the press. Manafort's attorneys argue that he had only edited the piece after receiving it from a former Ukrainian public official whom he knew through his consulting work in Ukraine. They also say Manafort didn't violate the judge's order and was exercising his free speech rights to defend himself. Defense lawyer Kevin Downing said on Thursday's filing that his client was involved only in editing the piece to ensure accuracy, and that it would not prejudice the case because it was ultimately published in a Ukrainian newspaper, not an American one. 'The defense did not, and does not, understand that the court meant to impose a gag order precluding Mr. Manafort from addressing matters, which do not "pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice to this case",'' Downing wrote. Earlier in the week, prosecutors said in a filing that they had reached out to Manafort's lawyers when they discovered the draft and had been assured that it would not be published. The piece appeared online in the English-language Kyiv Post on Thursday. The article, which was authored by Oleg Voloshyn, a former spokesman for Ukraines foreign affairs ministry, praised Manafort's political work in helping Ukraine secure better relations with the European Union. 'I can only wonder why some American media dare falsely claim that Paul Manafort lobbied Russian interests in Ukraine,' the piece said. 'Without his input Ukraine would not have had the command focus on reforms that were required to be a nation candidate to the EU.' Back to house arrest:Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Manafort that she would deliberate on his offer of handing over four properties as collateral to end his house arrest Brian Bonner, the chief editor at the Kyiv Post, told Reuters that the article was submitted on Monday. Bonner said Voloshyn claimed to have written the article and then sent it to Manafort and the American's longtime Russian colleague, Konstantin Kilimnik, for fact-checking before submission. Bonner said he did not immediately publish the article because he was suspicious of the contents and wanted to confirm that Voloshyn had written it. 'It was blatantly pro-Manafort with an opinion about his activities that most people don't share and that his record in Ukraine doesn't support,' Bonner wrote in an email. Voloshyn told Reuters he was not immediately in a position to comment. It was not clear when U.S. District judge Amy Berman Jackson would decide whether or not the order was violated, but Manafort and Gates are due to appear before her on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for a status hearing. Andrew Lindup (pictured), 36, was killed on December 15, 2016 by 'callous' Daroush Fayaz, 25, who served only 61 days in jail after admitting failing to stop The family of an IT technician killed in a hit-and-run have called for a change in the law after the driver could only be charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Andrew Lindup, 36, was killed on December 15, 2016 by 'callous' Daroush Fayaz, 25, who served only 61 days in jail after admitting failing to stop. Fayaz, who might have been speeding, parked his van in a side road and fled. The van wasn't found for 15 days and as there was no evidence he was driving dangerously he could only be charged with failing to stop even after the coroner deemed the word 'accident' was inappropriate to describe how Mr Lindup died. Coroner Andrew Walker concluded: 'It seems to me accident does not fit the conclusion here. This was a road traffic collision, and I propose to record as a conclusion the words road traffic collision and not an accident.' Mr Lindup's family has now demanded a change in the law and outside the inquest, Andrew's dad David said: 'Because Fayaz failed to stop, and because of the lack of evidence at the scene, the CPS decided not to bring charges of causing death by dangerous or careless driving. 'Instead they charged him with the much less serious offence of failing to stop. 'He was jailed for four months and was out after 61 days. It's not much for killing my son is it? 'The simple facts are that Fayaz did not stop, he did not brake despite his windscreen being smashed, he did not look back, he did not try to help my son and he did not call for help. 'He then tried to cover his tracks for 15 days and has shown no remorse for snatching my son away from me and devastating Andrew's family and friends' lives.' Family of Andrew Lindup outside North London Coroneris Court, Barnet, North London David Lindup (right), father of Andrew Lindup killed when a van driver hit him at speed then fled the scene leave North London Coroner's Court He added: 'The greatest irony in all of this is that the law protects the worst drivers, effectively acting as an incentive for motorists to flee if they kill or seriously injure somebody. 'If a driver remained at the scene of a fatal crash, they would be tested for alcohol or drugs, and possibly prosecuted for causing death by dangerous or careless driving and face up to 14 years in prison. 'But if they run away and are then found at a later date, and there was no other evidence of dangerous or careless driving, they can only be prosecuted for failing to stop. 'It is wiser to flee, ditch the vehicle and hope never to be identified. The law isn't fit for purpose and needs to be changed.' David Lindup, right, has called for a change in the law. He said: 'Because Fayaz failed to stop, and because of the lack of evidence at the scene, the CPS decided not to bring charges of causing death by dangerous or careless driving' The inquest heard that Fayaz hit Mr Lindup, who worked for Islington Council, in Holtwhites Hill, Enfield, north London, at about 7.10am. Fayaz then parked the silver Ford Transit van, which was left with a smashed windscreen, in a side street away from the scene, before police found the vehicle 15 days later and arrested him. North London Coroners Court was told there were no marks in the road indicating Fayaz braked during or after the smash and he could have been travelling over the 30mph speed limit. PC Adrian Van Lancker told the inquest he believes Fayaz was travelling at a speed of up to 41mph. Coroner Andrew Walker said police evidence showed Fayaz was travelling between 21mph and 41mph when the smash happened. PC Van Lancker said: 'My assessment would be 35mph to 41mph.' The inquest heard that Fayaz hit Mr Lindup (whose family are pictured), who worked for Islington Council, in Holtwhites Hill, Enfield, north London, at about 7.10am The coroner gave the conclusion Mr Lindup, who was originally from Solihull in Birmingham, died as a result of a road traffic collision. Afterwards, David Lindup added: 'My son Andrew was run down and killed by a man who callously left him for dead. 'In that moment the driver Daroush Fayaz single-handedly destroyed my family. 'Fayaz's actions following the collision are unforgivable, cowardly and despicable. 'Despite media appeals he didn't come forward, instead choosing to hide his van, which had been damaged extensively, in a side street for 15 days. 'He only gave himself up when the police found it. 'If Fayaz had stopped and tried to help I could have almost forgiven him. 'I cannot forgive him now. He has ended the life of someone who cared for life and he should still be behind bars today.' Fayaz was also banned from driving for 14 months after the smash, fined 200 and told to sit an extended driving test. He served 61 days of a four month sentence after pleading guilty on July 24, 2017 to failing to stop. A 32-year-old was jailed for life on Thursday after being caught sending a nine-year-old who lived 700 miles away sexually explicit text messages. Scott Trader, who lives in Port St Lucie, Florida, has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple child pornography and sexual abuse charges in September, according to the Miami Herald. His crimes came to light in May when a father in Thomasville, North Carolina, looked at his nine-year-old daughter's smartphone and found sexual text messages and photographs from Trader on the SayHi application. The dad contacted police on May 30, who notified Homeland Security. Homeland Security then found messages from Trader to the nine-year-old repeatedly asking for nude pictures. Scott Trader, who lives in Port St Lucie, Florida, was jailed for life on Thursday after being caught sending a nine-year-old who lived 700 miles away sexually explicit text messages She first sent him photos of herself fully clothes, and told him her age. He then messaged her: 'Aw, you're very pretty for your age, You look sexy in those pajamas.' 'The victim eventually sent at least one photo of her vagina and one photo of her pulling her shirt up, exposing her nipples,' according to court documents. Trader also sent the victim a video of himself masturbating and 'a still image which depicted Trader's face in his bedroom.' He also sent her an array of other photographs. Trader's SayHi profile includes his Kik username, and Homeland Security reached out to the app with an emergency disclosure request. The application gave the government agency Trader's account information, allowing him to be tracked to his Port St Lucie address. When an arrest warrant was granted on June 1 - Homeland Security found him in his home with his wife. In the house they found 10 media storage cards, three phones, an external hard drive and a laptop all full of child pornography. Some of the content involved a two-year-old in Trader's care who, in one of the videos, was forced to kiss Trader's penis. Authorities then quickly got their hands on his driver's license and criminal history. In 2012 Trader was arrested in Port St Lucie for promoting a sexual performance by a child, lewd behavior, and possession of child pornography, according to the Herald. The charges were eventually dropped. Then in December of that same year he was arrested for lewd behavior and molesting a victim under the age of 12; the case is still open. In August of this year Trader's wife, who isn't named, filed for divorce. It was granted on October 18. On September 29 he pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, distribution of material containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, possession of matter containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, and production of material containing victual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors. A female teacher has been arrested and charged over historical child sex offences dating back 20 years. Police detained the 47-year-old woman after visiting her home in Padstow, in Sydney's west, on Monday. The arrest follows a 10-month an investigation into alleged sex offences against a 15-year-old male student at a high school in Birrong in 1997. Scroll down for video A female teacher was arrested and charged over child sex offences dating back 20 years Police also allege a second 15-year-old boy at the same school was also sexually assaulted by the teacher. The woman was charged with 16 counts of aggravated sexual assault and five counts of indecency. She was bailed to appear in Bankstown Local Court on January 10. Police detained the 47-year-old woman after visiting her home in Padstow, in Sydney's west The Pentagon is allowing transgender people to enlist in the military beginning Jan. 1, despite President Donald Trump's opposition. The new policy reflects growing legal pressure on the issue, and the difficult hurdles the federal government would have to cross to enforce Trump's demand to ban transgender individuals from the military. Two federal courts already have ruled against the ban. Potential transgender recruits will have to overcome a lengthy and strict set of physical, medical and mental conditions that make it possible, though difficult, for them to join the armed services. Maj. David Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman, says the enlistment of transgender recruits will start Jan. 1 and go on amid the legal battles. The Defense Department also is studying the issue. Salute: Trump, who saluted a Marine after he stepped off Marine One on Sunday night as he returned from Mar-a-Lago, had banned transgender troops but the Pentagon will allow trans-enlistment Previous protests: Trump's ban set off demonstrations when it was suddenly announced by tweet How Trump announced ban: His three tweets on July 26 set off the ban but it is now the subject of a series of legal challenges and will not be enforced unless the government wins them Eastburn told The Associated Press on Monday that the new guidelines mean the Pentagon can disqualify potential recruits with gender dysphoria, a history of medical treatments associated with gender transition and those who underwent reconstruction. But such recruits are allowed in if a medical provider certifies they've been clinically stable in the preferred sex for 18 months and are free of significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas. Transgender individuals receiving hormone therapy also must be stable on their medication for 18 months. The requirements make it challenging for a transgender recruit to pass. But they mirror concerns President Barack Obama's administration laid out when the Pentagon initially lifted its ban on transgender service last year. The Pentagon has similar restrictions for recruits with a variety of medical or mental conditions, such as bipolar disorder. 'Due to the complexity of this new medical standard, trained medical officers will perform a medical prescreen of transgender applicants for military service who otherwise meet all applicable applicant standards,' Eastburn said. Last year, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter ended the ban on transgender service members, allowing them to serve openly in the military. He said that within 12 months - or by July 2017 - transgender people also would be able to enlist. Trump, however, tweeted in July that the federal government 'will not accept or allow' transgender troops to serve 'in any capacity' in the military. A month later, he issued a formal order telling the Pentagon to extend the ban. He gave the department six months to determine what to do about those currently serving. New rules: Barack Obama (pictured with transgender Staff Sgt Logan Ireland, right) lifted rules in 2016 when then banned transgender service personne Trump's decision was quickly challenged in court, and two U.S. district court judges have already ruled against the ban. Part of one ruling required the government to allow transgender individuals to enlist beginning Jan. 1. The government had asked that the Jan. 1 requirement be put on hold while the appeal proceeds. The Pentagon move Monday signals the growing sense within the government that authorities are likely to lose the legal fight. 'The controversy will not be about whether you allow transgender enlistees, it's going to be on what terms,' said Brad Carson, who was deeply involved in the last administration's decisions. 'That's really where the controversy will lie.' Carson worried, however, that the Defense Department could opt to comply with a deadline on allowing transgender recruits, but 'under such onerous terms that practically there will be none.' Carson, who worked for Carter as the acting undersecretary of defense for personnel, said requiring 18 months of stability in the preferred sex is a reasonable time. 'It doesn't have any basis in science,' he said, noting that experts have suggested six months is enough. 'But as a compromise among competing interests and perhaps to err on the side of caution, 18 months was what people came around to. And that's a reasonable position and defensible.' Laura Plummer, 33, facing a Christmas Day trial on drugs charges in Egypt has been warned her ordeal could drag on longer A British woman facing a Christmas Day trial on drugs charges in Egypt has been warned her ordeal could drag on for many more months. Laura Plummer had hoped she might be freed on the opening day of the trial after a judge had time to consider all the evidence against her. But the 33-year-old has now been told her trial could be adjourned for another month meaning she would have been held in prison for over five months before she has a chance to protest her innocence. Legal sources in Egypt said those charged with serious criminal offences can be held up to two years before going on trial. Laura has been behind bars since October 8th when she was arrested with hundreds of pain killers in her suitcase after a customs search at the airport in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. The shop manager from Hull insisted the 290 Tramadol pills were for her boyfriend to help ease his back problem. Egyptian authorities charged her with being a drug smuggler as the drugs are banned in the country where they are sold on the black market to heroin addicts. Laura insisted she had no idea the drugs were banned and had no plans to sell them. Laura (pictured) had hoped that she would have been released on the opening day of her trial after the judge had considered the evidence against her. But she has now been told the case could be adjourned for another month Charges: Shop manager Laura, from Hull, insisted the 290 Tramadol pills were for her boyfriend Omar Caboo (pictured) to help ease his back problem Laura's family have said she has lost a lot of weight and is pale as she awaits her trial in a prison cell in Egypt that she shares with up to 25 other women She is due to stand trial on Christmas Day with her defence team amassing a huge file of evidence to prove she was not a smuggler but simply naive by flying to Egypt with the drugs. Her sister Jayne Synclair told MailOnline the prospect of yet another delay was a devastating setback for the family. Several family members plan to travel to Egypt to support Laura when she appears in court in the town of Safaga on Christmas Day. 'We had hoped that Laura would be released on Christmas Day by the judge, but her lawyers in Egypt say there is now a chance the case will be adjourned for another month. 'It is very disappointing but that is how the legal system works over there and we have to respect that. Laura is doing okay but she has lost some weight and is very pale. 'She is being treated very well while in prison but of course we just want her home as soon as possible. This has gone on too long.' Laura is being held in a cell with up to 25 other women at a police station on the outskirts of the Hurghada resort. She has been allowed visits by her family and 34-year-old boyfriend Omar Caboo. Omar has given a witness statement and provided medical notes to show he has an injured back and the Tramadol tablets were to help him cope with the pain. The British consulate has also regularly visited Laura and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has made representations about the case to the Egyptian Prime Minister. Jayne said she is allowed to spend two hours with Laura during prison visits. 'I was able to take her about 50 cards and letters from people, some from strangers and that helped lift here spirits,' said Jayne. 'She knows people are thinking about her and want her back home. Case: he British consulate has also regularly visited Laura and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has made representations about the case to the Egyptian Prime Minister 'Her employers have written a wonderful reference for the court and have said they are keeping open her job. But it is hard at Christmas. Everyone's in the Christmas spirit and we all want to be with our families. We just want Laura here but know it will not happen this Christmas.' Laura was given the Tramadol which are available on prescription in the UK by a workmate after she told her about her boyfriend's back problem. The friend has so far refused to get involved in the case and help Laura by making a statement that the drugs were issued to her. Since her arrest in October Laura's legal team in Hurghada have been compiling evidence to show that she was not a drug smuggler which carries a death sentence in the Muslim country. Her lawyer Mohamed Osman said it was very unlikely she would face the death penalty but could get up to seven years in jail if convicted. He had hoped that Laura would be granted bail but the application has been rejected by the courts. The Plummer family have already spent over 10,000 on legal fees after being fleeced by a conman who offered to help Laura get released. Her father Neville wired the money to the 'lawyer' in Egypt but he simply disappeared without offering any help. Laura's mum Roberta and brother Craig have flown out to Hurghada to visit her and expressed concern for her mental well being. The family last month issued a statement apologising to the Egyptian Government for any inconvenience Laura had caused by her arrest. Laura family including mother Roberta (left) and sisters Jayne Sinclair and Rachel appeared on ITV's This Morning to highlight her case Sister Rachel said: 'I would like to place on record our gratitude for the fairness and just manner the Egyptian justice system has shown Laura. 'We realise Laura has unintentionally done wrong in the eyes of the Egyptian authorities. A totally innocent action that has resulted in her being held in custody by the police in Hurghada. 'Laura as well as all of us love Egypt, and upon visits to see Laura we have been happy with the professional and fair way the police officers have been with Laura.' The apology was advised after the family had previously been critical of the conditions Laura was being kept in. Her prison ordeal elicited little sympathy from the police chief in charge of the facility, telling MailOnline 'She's not staying in the Sheraton'. Uber and Lyft have been slammed for surge pricing in Manhattan after a failed terror attack which halted public transport and left thousands scrambling for options during rush hour on Monday morning. Commuters were left struggling to get to work after being forced out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal after the explosion at 7.20am. Bangladeshi national Akayed Ullah, 27, who is a cab driver from Brooklyn, set off the homemade pipe bomb device prematurely while walking through the subway transit tunnel between the terminal and Penn Station. It sparked rush hour chaos which included road closures and subways coming to a halt, prompting commuters to find alternative ways to get to work. Many turned to the ridesharing apps but were horrified to discover prices had crept up by as much as four times the normal amount because of the increased demand. Uber prices surged on Monday morning for more than two hours after an attempted terrorist attack at Port Authority Bus Terminal at 7.20am. The demand was felt all over the city Getting to the affected zone from other parts of Manhattan was also more expensive than Uber said it disabled the surging within minutes of reading news of the explosion online and said it had begun reimbursing passengers who paid extra. Surging occurs automatically when there is increased demand in one area. But New Yorkers who were affected by the chaos of the blast were requesting cars all over the city after having to adjust their commutes due to train and bus closures. In one case, a passenger paid $50 to travel 30 blocks. Another told DailyMail.com that a journey which ordinarily costs her around $28 had skyrocketed to $75. 'Shame on you Uber!' were among the outraged comments from disgruntled app users as they were confronted by the increase while trying to move out of affected zones. One Lyft passenger who requested a car at 9.19am was told a ride from Williamsburg to Chelsea would cost $100 'Hoping you'll address the surge pricing in the Times Square area due to the pipe bomb this AM. Algorithms are not our friend,' said one user. 'Uber you should be ashamed for surge pricing after a bomb went off in NYC during rush hour. It took my fiance and I $50 to go 30 blocks. 'Absolutely shameful,' bemoaned another. 'Surge pricing in NYC? A terror attack in midtown - what better time to take advantage of a horrible situation and people in need. This is disgusting!' was another user's complaint. Others labeled the increased fares 'opportunistic' and 'outrageous'. Subways were closed as a result of the attack and the blocks surrounding the bus terminal were in lockdown The bomber has been named as Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi who lives in Brooklyn. He burned himself in the stomach when the device detonated early at 7.20am as he walked through the transit tunnel Akayed Ullah, the suspected bomber, remains in hospital under police supervision Lyft was also hit with complaints from frustrated passengers. For a journey from Williamsburg to Chelsea, one person was quoted $96. They said it would ordinarily have cost $17. Both services said they were offering refunds to anyone who paid more than normal. 'For passengers who did incur higher prices as a result of Prime Time in the Port Authority area, we plan to proactively reimburse them,' Scott Coriell, a Lyft spokesperson, said. An Uber spokesman told DailyMail.com that within minutes of hearing about the unfolding incident, they disabled surging in the area. 'Within minutes of seeing reports of an incident, we disabled dynamic pricing in the area. 'In addition, we are proactively refunding riders for dynamic pricing on affected trips in the area,' they said. An exasperated Theresa May tonight demanded the SNP Westminster leader 'Google' her position on the Irish border after he asked her to repeat it. Ian Blackford insisted the Prime Minister should tell the Commons she was committed to a soft border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Mrs May has said repeatedly that is what she seeks and promises on the Irish question were enshrined in a draft Brexit deal sealed amid a tense stand off last week. An exasperated Theresa May tonight demanded the SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford (pictured in the Commons today) 'Google' her position on the Irish border Mr Blackford insisted the Prime Minister should tell the Commons she was committed to a soft border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Mr Blackford highlighted contradictions in the UK Government's Brexit approach in his response to Mrs May's Commons statement on her draft deal today. He added: 'For the absence of any doubt, can the Prime Minister tell the House today that in no circumstances will we be returning to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. 'Let's make this commitment in the House today.' Mr Blackford said all governments across the UK should be 'fully involved' in the next phase of Brexit talks. He added: 'Any special arrangements for Northern Ireland must now be available to all nations of the United Kingdom. 'The SNP will continue to speak with one loud and clear voice - the Prime Minister must commit today to keeping the UK in the single market and customs union. 'To do otherwise would be catastrophic for jobs, for workers' rights, for people's incomes and living standards.' Mrs May (pictured in the Commons today) has said repeatedly a soft border is what she seeks and promises on the Irish question were enshrined in a draft Brexit deal last week Mrs May replied: '(Mr Blackford) asks me to confirm in this House that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. 'I have to say to him, it's not the first time I've made this statement in this House - he can Google it and find from Hansard how many times I've said it. 'Indeed, if he had listened to my statement and looked at it, I said the joint report reaffirms our guarantee that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.' Mrs May added Northern Ireland has a land border with a country remaining inside the EU, noting: 'It is already the case that there are a number of unique specific solutions that pertain to the island of Ireland - the common electricity market, for example.' On the single market and customs union, Mrs May reiterated the UK will be leaving both. This is the jaw-dropping moment when a heavily armed Russian fighter jet almost wipes out his wingman in an incredibly close call. The Su-35 nearly hits the Su-30 both which are heavily armed and are believed to be stationed in Syria. The Su-30 is believed to have a R-77 on board, an electronic warfare pod known as the 'Amraamski' which has only recently been seen flying over Syria. US and British airforces wouldn't make the same level of of parallel maneuvering over safety fears, according to aviation website The Drive. The Su-35 nearly hits the Su-30 both which are heavily armed and are believed to be stationed in Syria The Su-30 is believed to have a R-77 on board, an electronic warfare pod known as the 'Amraamski' which has only recently been seen flying over Syria The US recently slammed what it described as an 'unsafe intercept on one of its next-generation planes' after the same type of Russian fighter jet came within a mere 15 metres of it. Last month, another Su-30 came as close as 50 feet from the US aircraft in international airspace. The plane is designed to improve anti-submarine warfare and it also has anti-surface missile capabilities. It is described as an anti-submarine warfare, anti-shipping, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and was intercepted by a Russian Su-30 fighter jet. A US Coast Guard cutter has intercepted a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel trying to smuggle 3,800lbs of cocaine near Texas. According to a press release from the US Customs and Border Protection, the incident began unfolding on November 12, when a CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) crew aboard a P-3 Long Range Tracker aircraft tracked the vessel in international waters, Self-propelled semi-submersible vessels are low profile vessels designed to navigate low in the water to avoid detection. Busted: A US Coast Guard cutter last month intercepted this self-propelled semi-submersible vessel laden with 3,800lbs of cocaine Three crew members on board the vessel trying to smuggle drugs into the US have been arrested The following day, the Coast Guard cutter intercepted the vessel, arrested the crew and confiscated more than 3,800lbs of cocaine. The three suspected smugglers are now facing charges in the US. The drug cartels are relentless and extremely innovative, said National Air Security Operations Center Corpus Christi Director Allen Durham. Interdicting self-propelled semi-submersible vessels requires expertise and the right aircraft. Air and Marine Operations will continue to beat the cartels at their own game to protect our borders. The operation involved several interagency partners including the Coast Guard and the US Navy. AMO operates maritime patrol aircraft from Corpus Christi, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida, to conduct long-range aerial patrols and surveillance missions along the US borders and in drug transit zones in Central and South America. P-3 aircrews detect, monitor, and disrupt smuggling activities before they reach shore. Police in Brazil have been slammed after posing for selfies with a notorious gangland kingpin accused of drug-trafficking, murders and extortion. Police in Rio de Janeiro captured Rogerio Avelino da Silva - also known as Rogerio 157 - on Wednesday, which was seen as a rare victory for authorities struggling to curb rising violence a year after the city hosted the Summer Olympics. But just days after the success, the police face an angry backlash for taking pictures with the suspected killer. Police in Brazil have been slammed after posing for selfies with a notorious gang kingpin accused of drug-trafficking, murders and extortion. Police in Rio de Janeiro captured Rogerio Avelino da Silva - also known as Rogerio 157 - on Wednesday The 35-year-old is thought to have been behind a recent wave of shootings in Rochina, Rio's largest favela, where men fought gun battles against rival gangs. The images, shared on WhatsApp and then across social media, show da Silva handcuffed next to officers with beaming smiles. In one photos, da Silva is seen smiling with the officers, while in others he appears stone-faced. The pictures dominated the headlines in Brazil over the weekend as outraging a population fatigued by ongoing crime wars. The arrest of da Silva came amid an operation in the northern part of the city that included nearly 3,000 police and Army soldiers who have been sent in to help stabilize areas of frequent conflict. Police said da Silva was found under the covers of a bed in a house in the favela, or slum, of Arara. But just days after the success, the police face an angry backlash for taking pictures with the suspected killer. The 35-year-old is thought to have been behind a recent wave of shootings in Rochina, Rio's largest favela, where men fought gun battles against rival gangs The images, shared on WhatsApp and then across social media, show da Silva handcuffed next to officers with beaming smiles. In one photos, da Silva is seen smiling with the officers, while in others he appears stone-faced Two bodyguards reportedly fled when police arrived. Police said da Silva gave a fake name and said he was a cousin of the woman who owned the house. 'For 10 years, he has been causing problems for Rio de Janeiro,' state Security Secretary Roberto Sa told reporters. Da Silva, known as 'Rogerio 157,' is accused of crimes including homicide, trafficking and extortion. Authorities had offered a $16,000 reward for information that led to his arrest and circulated his image widely. The arrest of da Silva came amid an operation in the northern part of the city that included nearly 3,000 police and Army soldiers who have been sent in to help stabilize areas of frequent conflict Two bodyguards reportedly fled when police arrived. Police said da Silva gave a fake name and said he was a cousin of the woman who owned the house Over the last several months, several police operations, which shut down parts of Rio and often led to shootouts, have been focused on apprehending da Silva. Da Silva oversaw drug trafficking operations in the Rio slum of Rocinha. In August and September, battles between followers of da Silva and a former Rocinha boss, who is in prison, prompted authorities to send in military police and soldiers to stabilize the area. Within hours of Wednesday's arrest, several photographs of police with a handcuffed da Silva began appearing on social media. In one selfie, both a woman police officer and da Silva smile. Authorities said they would crack down on that behavior. 'People should not glamorize a criminal,' Sa said, adding that the capture likely led to a moment of euphoria for police. The wife of a pharmaceutical executive who was convicted in connection with a fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 76 has begged the court not to take away her diamonds, mansion, and BMW. Lisa Cadden, 50, and her three children filed a petition with the US District Court of Massachusetts seeking to protect $3.6million of family riches from a court-ordered seizure for victim restitution, the Boston Herald reported. Her husband Barry Cadden, 50, was sentenced to nine years in prison in June on racketeering and fraud convictions. He was the co-founder and former president of the now-defunct New England Compounding Center (NECC), which shipped contaminated steroid injections to 23 states in 2012, causing an outbreak of fungal meningitis. Now wife Lisa Cadden, a pharmacist who also worked at the company but was not criminally charged, seeks to protect their riches from a $7.5million restitution judgement for the victims of the outbreak. Lisa Cadden, 50, (left) filed a petition seeking to protect $3.6million of family riches from victim restitution. Her husband Barry Cadden (right) was sentenced to nine years in prison in June, after being convicted over an outbreak caused by his company's medication The petition seeks to protect the Caddens' $1.4million mansion in Wrentham, Massachussets (pictured) as well as millions in other assets from a victim's restitution judgement The Caddens also hope to keep this well-appointed oceanfront vacation home in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, which was assessed at $594,300 The petition seeks to protect the Caddens' $1.5million trust fund, which was established in 2007. The family also petitioned to keep their $1.4million mansion in Wrentham, Massachussets as well as an oceanfront vacation home in North Kingstown, Rhode Island assessed at $594,300. As well, the Caddens asked the court to let them keep a red BMW M3 purchased for $86,662 and $26,000 in diamonds bought from DeScenza. The petition came in response to Judge Richard G. Stearns' preliminary order that those assets be forfeited to help compensate victims. Those victims and their family members reacted with disgust at news of the Caddens' plea to stop their riches from going to the victim fund. The Caddens also seek to keep a red BMW M3 purchased for $86,662 (stock image) 'It may not be Christian of me, but as far as I'm concerned, Barry Cadden, his wife and children can end up in a trailer park,' Kathy Pugh of Michigan told the Boston Herald. Her mother, Evelyn Bates-March, 86, died February 28 of respiratory failure nearly five years after developing an abscess on her spine from an NECC shot. HOW THE DRUGS CAUSED MENINGITIS NECC distributed nearly 18,000 vials of mold-contaminated steroids to 23 states in 2012. The drugs triggered meningitis in hundreds of people. This specific strain of the illness was caused by a fungus called Exserohilum rostratum, a black mold that normally attacks plants. The fungus rarely hurts humans, but caused major health issues when injected into people's spinal columns. Advertisement 'This doesn't surprise me. It's always been about the money,' Pugh said of the petition. The scandal first unfolded in 2012, when more than 800 people were sickened and at least 76 eventually died. The outbreak spread through steroid injections contaminated with a common mold that is normally harmless, but caused major complications when injected directly into patients' spinal columns. Prosecutors said Barry Cadden, the compounding pharmacy's head pharmacist, ran his company as a criminal enterprise, selling substandard and non-sterile drugs to medical facilities nationwide. They said he directed the shipment of 17,600 vials of contaminated steroids often prescribed for back pain despite knowing they were made in unsafe conditions, leading to the outbreak. Pharmacist Barry Cadden, 50, was sentenced to nine years in prison in March after he was convicted for racketeering and fraud for his role in a 2012 meningitis outbreak Barry Cadden was convicted in March of fraud and racketeering by a federal jury in Boston but cleared of the harshest charges he faced, second-degree murder. The outbreak sparked calls for increased regulation of compounding pharmacies, which differ from ordinary drugstores in that they custom-mix medications and supply them directly to hospitals and doctors. Congress in 2013 passed a bill giving federal officials more oversight of the pharmacies. The Justice Department called the tragedy 'the largest public health crisis ever caused by a pharmaceutical product'. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders uncorked a furious attack on the media after news outlets had to pull back critical stories saying reporters are 'purposely misleading the American people.' But challenged to come up with an example she offered no cases of intentional deceit. Sanders spoke after President Donald Trump issued yet another of his own attacks on the 'fake news' media on Twitter over the weekend. But in Sanders' case, she brought the attack on reporters' motives directly to a room full of correspondents. 'I'm not done!' she said as reporters tried to cut off her lecture. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders accused reporters of 'purposely putting out information that you know to be false' Sanders escalated her attack on the media after CNN's Jim Acosta told her that 'journalists make honest mistakes and that doesn't make them fake news.' 'You cannot say that it's an honest mistake when you are purposely putting out information that you know to be false,' Sanders responded. 'There's a very big difference between making honest mistakes and purposely misleading the American people, something that happens regularly,' Sanders said. 'We've seen it time and time again over the last couple weeks,' she complained. 'A number of outlets have had to retract, and change, and rewrite, and make editors notes to a number of different stories. Some of them with major impacts including moving markets,' she observed. Among the journalists she was referencing was Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel, who tweeted out a photo of a half empty arena after President Trump had said the Pensacola arena was packed. The photo was taken before Trump started speaking. Weigel took it down after about 20 minutes and apologized after Trump called him out in front of millions of Twitter followers. 'When journalists make honest mistakes they should own up to them,' Sanders said, as reporters shouted out that Weigel did, in fact, apologize. 'I'm sorry. I'm not finished,' Sanders said as repoters tried to interrupt 'I'm sorry. I'm not finished,' she continued. 'There's a very big difference between making honest mistakes and purposely misleading the American people, something that happens regularly,' she continued. 'You can't say I'm not done,' she scolded reporters who tried to interrupt her. 'You cannot say that it's an honest mistake when you are purposely putting out information that you know to be false. Or when you're taking information that hasn't been validated that hasn't been offered any credibility and has been continually denied by a number of people including people with direct knowledge of an incident,' she continued. She was asked why Trump came down hard on journalists for errors but not on Russia for its deliberate disinformation campaign. Sanders said it was 'not something we're comparing the two on.' Acosta asked her to identify an example of the spread of deliberately false information. CNN's Jim Acosta told Sanders that journalists sometimes make honest mistakes She brought up a retracted report by ABC News correspondent Brian Ross though she did not repeat the charge that it was a deliberate lie. 'I think that was pretty misleading to the American people,' she said. The network had to pull back a story after Ross erroneously reported that a source claimed that a close associate of retired national security advisor Mike Flynn's was prepared to testify that Trump 'directed him to make contact with the Russians' during the course of the 2016 presidential race. Sanders clamped down hard on reporters trying to ask follow-up questions, and told CNN's Acosta: 'Jim I'm going to say once and for all that I'm moving on to Jim Stinson,' then called on the reporter for the LifeZette site founded by conservative Trump supporter Laura Ingraham. President Donald Trump hit out at the news media again, calling it 'out of control' just 48 hours after corrections were made from major outlets and their employees, regarding reports and photos that later turned out to be inaccurate Trump hit out at the news media again over the weekend, calling it 'out of control' just 48 hours after corrections were made from major outlets and their employees, regarding reports and photos that later turned out to be inaccurate. 'Very little discussion of all the purposely false and defamatory stories put out this week by the Fake News Media,' Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon. 'They are out of control - correct reporting means nothing to them. Major lies written, then forced to be withdrawn after they are exposed...a stain on America! The tweet came on the heels of major outlets such as CNN and The Washington Post posting corrections on stories and photos that were revealed to be incorrectly reported. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Trump (pictured Friday) called the media 'a stain on America' following a 48 hour period that included a disproved report over an e-mail that appeared to show Trump-Russia collusion and sharing of a photo that misrepresented the size of a rally crowd Sanders went after ABC's Brian Ross, who was suspended after an inaccurate report about the Russia probe On Friday morning, a seemingly explosive CNN report indicated that the media outlet had obtained confirmation that an e-mail was sent to the Trump campaign, as well as to prominent Trump family members, offering a decryption key and link to a large quantity of hacked Democratic National Committee e-mails. According to CNN's sources, the e-mail was sent on September 4, 2016, nine days prior to when the hacked documents were made public by WikiLeaks. The date of the e-mail appeared to indicate that the Trumps had been offered special and advance access to the hacked DNC e-mails, which suggested that the e-mail was a noteworthy piece of evidence in the Trump-Russia collusion investigation. Hours after the CNN report surfaced, The Washington Post, which had obtained a copy of the actual e-mail, revealed that the date stamp on the e-mail was actually September 14, 2016 - the day after WikiLeaks had made the hacked e-mails public via a Twitter link, meaning that the sender of the e-mail was merely pointing the Trump campaign to widely available information. In other words, the email - one of thousands Donald Trump Jr had turned over to a House Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference into the 2016 Election - revealed nothing. By 12.46pm on Friday, CNN had started to issue corrections about the story, both online, via social media and on air. The network cited the fact that multiple sources had confirmed the incorrect September 4 date, but that the CNN reporter had not actually seen the e-mail itself. Following CNN's correction of the disproved e-mail date story, Trump called CNN 'Fake News' in a pair of tweets, wondering if the report was due to 'gross incompetence' Trump, who had been in Pensacola, Florida, for a rally on Friday, triumphantly took to Twitter on Saturday to post a pair of tweets crowing about how 'Fake News CNN' had been 'caught red handed.' 'Fake News CNN made a vicious and purposeful mistake yesterday,' Trump tweeted at 5.02am Saturday, while wondering if the e-mail date report was due to 'gross incompetence' at the network. Twenty minutes later, Trump tweeted, 'CNN'S slogan is CNN, THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS. Everyone knows this is not true, that this could, in fact, be a fraud on the American Public. There are many outlets that are far more trusted than Fake News CNN. Their slogan should be CNN, THE LEAST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS!' On Saturday morning, Trump tweeted about how his Florida rally was 'packed to the rafters' Shortly after, Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel tweeted out a picture of the arena that made it appear as though the rally was sparsely attended A photo taken during the rally showing that the arena was, indeed, 'packed to the rafters' Trump quickly tweeted out pictures showing the full crowd at the rally and demanded an apology from Weigel, as well as his employer, the Washington Post On Saturday, responding to Trump's tweet about how his Pensacola, Florida, rally had been 'packed to the rafters' with supporters, Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel, using his personal Twitter handle, posted a photo of a barely populated arena in a seeming effort to disprove Trump's words. 'Packed to the rafters,' Weigel quipped of his phony photo. That tweet, naturally, went viral as it called to mind other instances in which Trump had seemingly overstated crowd attendance at events, such as his inauguration, which photographic evidence apparently provided otherwise. At 2.01pm, Trump lashed out with a set of his own photos, showing that the venue was, in fact, truly 'packed to the rafters'. Weigel, Trump tweeted, 'put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before I arrived @ the venue, w/ thousands of people outside, on their way in. Real photos now shown as I spoke. Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo!' Weigel quickly apologized on Twitter, writing at 2.04pm, 'Sure thing: I apologize.' He went on to say that he deleted the empty-looking crowd photo and had been 'confused' into thinking it represented rally attendance during the speech due to the fact that Trump could be seen in the bottom right corner. Trump responded to the apology effort by demanding that Weigel be fired from his job at the Washington Post, a news outlet that Trump has frequently taken aim at. The disproved e-mail and crowd size story came just one week after ABC News suffered embarrassment over a report regarding former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. ABC News investigative reporter Brian Ross said in a report that aired the morning of December 1, that a source claimed that a close associate of Flynn's was prepared to testify that Trump 'directed him to make contact with the Russians' during the course of the 2016 presidential race. At around 6.30pm that day, however, Ross was on-air issuing a 'clarification' that the source had explained it wasn't until after the election that 'President-elect Trump asked [Flynn] to contact Russia on issues including working together to fight ISIS.' ABC News suspended Ross for four weeks without pay following the incident. A Chinese political donor linked with embattled senator Sam Dastyari reportedly paid $55,000 to attend a lunch with Labor leader Bill Shorten. Huang Xiangmo's donation to Labor was previously disclosed, but reports on Tuesday linked the transaction to a boardroom lunch in Sydney. The meeting with the opposition leader took place in October 2015 during talks on the China-Australia trade deal. A Chinese political donor linked with embattled senator Sam Dastyari reportedly paid $55,000 to attend a lunch with Labor leader Bill Shorten (pictured) Huang Xiangmo's (pictured with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop) donation to Labor was previously disclosed, but reports on Tuesday linked the transaction to a boardroom lunch in Sydney Details of the meeting emerged when Mr Huang's company Yuhu Group was made to list the expense on a disclosure to the City of Ryde. Their official statement to the local council describes the meeting as: 'boardroom lunch with Hon. Bill Shorten, ALP National,' ABC News reported. Mandarin International Investments Pty Ltd - registered with ASIC at the same address as Yuhu Group - was used to make the donation. The meeting occurred as ASIO chief Duncan Lewis warned Australian political parties about Mr Huang's Chinese government links. The meeting with the opposition leader took place in October 2015 during talks on the China-Australia trade deal (pictured is Sam Dastyari) '[Mr Shorten] always acted in accordance with the advice of security agencies,' said a spokesperson for the Labor leader. The trade deal discussed during the meeting was heavily opposed by unions and Labor backbenchers, but was eventually opposed by Mr Shorten. 'Labor campaigned for a stronger China Free Trade Agreement that protected local jobs, and we eventually pressured the Government to cave into our position,' the spokesperson said. The details come as Mr Shorten faces pressure to expel Senator Dastyari from the party over his links to Mr Huang. Mr Dastyari has been under fire over his dealings with the Chinese billionaire, and stands accused of warning Mr Huang his phones may be tapped. Labor candidate for Bennelong Kristina Keneally (pictured) responded to Mr Turnbull's calls for Mr Dastyari to step down by accusing the prime minister of 'Chinaphobia' The embattled senator gave a media conference to the Chinese language media, where he contradicted Labor's position on the Sea China Sea. He has also been revealed to have asked Defence officials 115 questions about China in just four years. As new details have come to light in recent weeks the Turnbull Government have stepped up their attacks on Mr Dastyari, demanding Mr Shorten take action. 'There has been foreign interference in Australian politics and Sam Dastyari is a classic case,' said Mr Turnbull. 'Why is Bill Shorten allowing him to stay in the Labor Party?' Labor candidate for Bennelong Kristina Keneally responded to Mr Turnbull's calls for Mr Dastyari to step down by accusing the prime minister of 'Chinaphobia'. 'There is an element of Chinaphobia that is rippling through Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals' rhetoric,' the former New South Wales premier said on Saturday. Daily Mail Australia contacted Yuhu Group and Mr Shorten's office for details. Two buff gym buddies who heroically stopped a pharmacy robbery while on a date night with their partners have opened up about the terrifying burglary. Andy David and Gerard Pashkevich were finishing dinner with their girlfriends on Sunday night when they saw a man holding up a Gold Coast pharmacy. 'We were out for dinner and saw a fella run in with a balaclava, he was behind the counter getting money out,' one of the men explained on Sunrise. Speaking to Sam Armytage, who joked she 'wouldn't want to run into them in a dark alley', the men said the robber told them he had a gun. Scroll down for video Revealed: Gym buddies Andy (left) and Gerard (right) have been revealed as the buff heroes who thwarted a Gold Coast pharmacy robbery The men stopped an alleged thief (centre) who tried to escape after robbing the chemist Throwing caution to the wind, they tackled the suspected thief to the ground - with one snapping his finger in half and losing his flip-flops in the process. 'He was pretty wide-eyed, he looked up and re-thought his situation,' Gerard joked. CCTV captured the moment the men brought the alleged thief to the ground - ironically knocking over a stand of protein bars in the process. The men explained that their girlfriends, who were watching on in horror outside the Southport chemist, were only able to relax when police arrived. 'They weren't very happy, during and after they were very angry... but they are happy now,' they laughed. The two men manage to wrestle the man away from the door and back inside the pharmacy The men explained that their girlfriends, who were watching on in horror outside the Southport chemist, were only able to relax when police arrived The alleged robber, a 47-year-old man from Burleigh Waters, was arrested and charged with one count of armed robbery. He appeared in court on Monday but his case was adjourned to a later date. The quick-thinking men were praised by the hundreds of thousands of people who watched the video, with one writing that they deserved 'a big kiss'. 'Good on ya boys, you should be proud of yourself to have protect[ed] your part of the community,' wrote one admirer. Another wrote that we need 'more heroes like them' in Australia, and another agreed that their actions to save the shop from robbery was 'the true meaning of community'. The pharmacist (second from left) gave wire to one of the men to make temporary handcuffs as the third man (far right in red shorts) helped them keep the thief lying on the ground The White House denied Monday that the president had ever sexually harassed or abused a group of women who came forward during the election but reemerged on Monday to demand a congressional investigation. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House spokeswoman, said the allegations were old news and the president has addressed them. 'This took place long before he was elected to be president,' Sanders said. 'And the people of this country, at a decisive election, supported President Trump, and we feel like these allegations have been answered through that process.' As she was questioned about the complaints from a total of 16 women - four of whom took part in a press conference today - Sanders claimed that eyewitness accounts of the incidents the White House says never happened would exonerate the president and offered to provide a list of them later. 'And I can say that the President has directly responded and said that these allegations are false, and that's what I'm doing in relaying that information to you,' she stated. The White House denied Monday that the president had ever sexually harassed or abused a group of women who came forward during the election but reemerged on Monday to demand a congressional investigation A trio of the president's accusers reemerged on Monday morning hound him for sexually harassing them during Megyn Kelly's NBC program. Samantha Holvey, Jessica Leeds and Rachel Crooks had previously made allegations against Trump and appeared on 'Today' to demand justice. They later appeared at a press conference to demand a congressional investigation and Trump's resignation along with a fourth woman accusing Trump of harassment who joined them by phone. 'All of a sudden, he's all over, me, kissing and groping and groping and kissing,' said Leeds, a self-proclaimed Democrat, who told Today that she revealed her story because 'I wanted people to know what kind of a person that Trump really is...what a pervert he is.' Leeds claims that Trump assaulted on a plane in the '70s and called her a 'c***' when he ran into her some time later at a party in New York while he was still married to his first wife Ivana. Samantha Holvey (center) Jessica Leeds (right) and Rachel Crooks (left) had previously made allegations against Trump in last year's election and appeared on Megyn Kelly 'Today' to demand justice 'All of a sudden, he's all over, me, kissing and groping and groping and kissing,' said Leeds, a self-proclaimed Democrat, who says she revealed her story because 'I wanted people to know what kind of a person that Trump really is...what a pervert he is' 'I was so uncomfortable, and a little, yeah, threatened, like I didn't have a choice,' Crooks on Monday said Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant, said that Trump came back stage in 2006 and reviewed the women while they were indecent. 'I was not a human being. I did not have a brain I did not have a personality. I was just simply there for his pleasure' The two other women said that Trump's conduct while he was a businessman left them 'shocked' and 'devastated' and feeling 'very gross' and 'very dirty.' 'I was so uncomfortable, and a little, yeah, threatened, like I didn't have a choice,' Crooks on Monday said. Kelly's program was preempted in New York as an explosion went off in Manhattan that the authorities have said was an attempted terror attack. Her show aired in other parts of the country, however, including Washington. Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant, said that Trump came back stage in 2006 and reviewed the women while they were indecent. She recalled thinking at the time that it would be a meet and great with Trump. But she says it wasn't. The former Miss North Carolina says Trump was 'just looking me over like I was just a piece of meat.' 'I was not a human being. I did not have a brain I did not have a personality. I was just simply there for his pleasure. It left me feeling very gross, very dirty, like this is not what I signed up for.' Holvey said that no other director of a pageant came backstage to ogle the contestants. Leeds claims that Trump assaulted on a plane in the '70s and called her a 'c***' when he ran into her some time later at a party in New York while he was still married to his first wife Ivana Crooks claims that Trump assaulted her near the elevator bank in his office building. The office she worked in had rental space there. She says it started with him hitting on her. 'And I think his core supporters do know. I mean, I think they recognize. But he's their dog, so they're gonna stick with their dog,' Leeds said. Kelly chimed in: 'Because he's got the right team jersey on' 'And then he kissed me on the lips, and I was shocked, yeah, I mean, devastated, and it happened so fast, I guess, I wish I would have been courageous enough to be like, what's going on, and you need to stop this.' After declining comment on the matter initially, the White House sprung a statement on Kelly in the middle of her program. 'These false claims, totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during last year's campaign,' the statement said, 'and the American people voiced their judgement by delivering a decisive victory.' It went on to say that the 'timing and absurdity' of the accusers' claims, along with their 'publicly tour' they've started 'only further confirms the political motives behind them.' 'It's laughable,' Crooks replied a moment later. Crooks has contemporaneous emails that she sent her sister at the time of the alleged assault, in January of 2006, when Trump was already married to his third wife Melania. She said Monday that she'd be 'more than happy' for security footage to come out that proves the accuracy of her story. She added, 'He owns the building. I doubt that's going to happen.' Leeds says she began telling her story publicly once it became clear that Trump was serious about running for president. As to whether the Democrat thought her allegation would be enough to keep him out of office, she said, 'I don't think I thought I had that kind of power. But I really wanted people to know who he is and what he is. 'And I think his core supporters do know. I mean, I think they recognize. But he's their dog, so they're gonna stick with their dog,' she said. Kelly chimed in: 'Because he's got the right team jersey on.' The accusations against Trump have received new attention now that he's thrown his weight behind Alabama Republican Roy Moore. Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct by a number of women, including one who says he touched her when she was just 14 years old and he was 32. Trump has separately been accused of misconduct by 16 women, including Crooks, Leeds and Holvey. Leeds, a 75-year-old former businesswoman who lives in Manhattan, told the New York Times last year that she was 'assaulted' by Trump on a flight when she was 38. She claims she was seated beside Trump in first class, when the then-businessman lifted the arm-rest between them. He allegedly put his hand up her skirt. 'He was like an octopus,' she told the Times. 'His hands were everywhere.' Retelling her story to Kelly on Today, Leeds said: 'I'm not a small person. I managed to wiggle out and stand up, grab my purse, and I went to the back of the airplane.' She has been accused of faking the information because the plane wouldn't have had an arm rest in first class at the time of the alleged incident. Leeds admitted today that 'I don't remember what happened to the arm rest' - she just recalls that there wasn't one stopping Trump from assaulting her. Crooks was a 22-year-old working as a receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate company based in Trump Tower in Manhattan, when she says Trump kissed her on the mouth without permission in 2005. 'It was so inappropriate,' Crooks told the New York Times. 'I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.' She told the newspaper before the election that the incident took place after she shook hands with Trump in an elevator and he allegedly refused to let go. She says he then began kissing her on the cheeks, before then kissing her lips. On the Today show she said: 'You feel like you have to say yes to guys. You don want to be the nasty girl. The mean girl who doesn't comply and puts up a fight. I guess..I wish I had been stronger then. I mean I feel differently now. I'd like to think things would be a lot different now. ' 'These false claims, totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during last year's campaign,' a statement from the White House on Trump's behalf said, 'and the American people voiced their judgement by delivering a decisive victory' Holvey claims that as a 20-year-old representing North Carolina in the 2006 Miss USA pageant, Trump inspected her and other contestants before the competition. She has said she was 'disgusted' by the now-president's behavior in an interview last year with CNN and it was 'the dirtiest I felt in my entire life. 'He would step in front of each girl and look you over from head to toe like we were just meat, we were just sexual objects, that we were not people,' she told the network then. Other contestants from Trump's pageants have also said the acted inappropriately. As a private citizen, the president himself boasted about how his celebrity gave him the ability to grab women with impunity and forcibly kiss them on the now-infamous Access Hollywood tape. Trump said he would 'grab them by the p****.' Then he added: 'When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.' On the heels of the October 2016 release of the hot mic video, more women accused Trump, the GOP nominee for president at the time, of sexual misdeeds, including groping, kissing and sexual harassment. While the recording was expected to tank Trump in the November election, the candidate eventually rebounded, in part because he muddied the waters by pointing to Bill Clinton's alleged and admitted sexual misdeeds and characterizing his rival Hillary Clinton as complicit. Leeds said after the taping at a press conference, 'Were at the position now where in some areas of our society, people are being held accountable for unwanted behavior, but we are not holding our president accountable for what he is and who he is' And while three members of Congress said they were leaving last week over their own sexually scandals Sen. Al Franken, Rep. John Conyers and Rep. Trent Franks and Hollywood heavyweights such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey have been banished, Trump has been bulletproofed against similar allegations. The White House sided with Trump in October of this year and suggested that he women accusing him were all liars. 'We've been clear on that in the beginning, and the President's spoken on that,' press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley meanwhile encouraged women to speak out against sexual harassment and assault including against President Trump on Sunday. Appearing Sunday on Face the Nation, CBS' John Dickerson asked the former South Carolina governor, the state's first female executive, how people should 'assess the accusers of the president. 'Women who accuse anyone should be heard,' Haley replied. 'They should be heard, and they should be dealt with.' Leeds told said Monday that she would like Trump to have a 'reckoning' over what he did. 'I would like to see that hes not Teflon,' she said, 'and that he acknowledged in some fashion or another and be called to answer to the charges.' She said after the taping at a press conference that accused harassers are being held accountable 'except for our president.' 'Were at the position now where in some areas of our society, people are being held accountable for unwanted behavior, but we are not holding our president accountable for what he is and who he is,' Leeds said. Crooks said an congressional investigation would be 'fair' considering that senators were planning to investigate their Franken until he resigned. Franken was under the scrutiny of the Senate Ethics Committee because he was a senator, however, and the body is inherently responsible for policing members' conduct. Bill Clinton's impeachment in the House for perjury and obstruction of justice over his affair with Monica Lewinsky stemmed from an independent counsel investigation into his real estate investments and White House travel office firings that were said to be politically-motivated. President Trump and his associates, some of whom work at the White House, are being probed by a special counsel who reports to the Department of Justice. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has not indicated that he interested in pursuing any of the allegations against Trump outside of collusion and obstruction of justice in the firing of ex-FBI Director James Comey, however. Most of the sex assault allegations decades old and stretch beyond the statue of limitations, in the first place. A fourth accuser, Lisa Boyne, called into the press conference on Monday to 'demand that Donald Trump step down like Al Franken.' 'Because what hes acknowledged, what hes made appropriate culturally is a thousand times worse than anything Al Franken has done,' she said. Boyne has accused Trump of looking up models' skirts at a 1996 dinner. At the presser, Holvey said she believes Trump should resign, then added, 'I dont think he ever will.' A man was taken to hospital following a violent robbery in Melbourne's west on Monday night. The 22-year-old Point Cook man was leaving a grocery store on The Avenue, in Sunshine West, around 8pm when he was slashed by a machete-wielding thug. Police reported the thief stole the victim's car keys and phone, before slashing the man several times with a machete. The thug then fled the scene, leaving the man with several injuries. The victim was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries to his head, arm and leg. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A 22-year-old man suffered non-threatening injuries after being attacked with a machete in Melbourne's west on Monday night Landry Ntahes gang crushed one mans toes with pliers and pulled out anothers teeth before ramming a metal pole down his throat The boss of one of Britains biggest bitcoin firms is a convicted criminal, jailed for two robberies in which victims were tied up and tortured. Landry Ntahes gang crushed one mans toes with pliers and pulled out anothers teeth before ramming a metal pole down his throat. But Ntahe is now head of operations and company director of BCB ATM, which owns and operates 19 bitcoin cash machines. News that Ntahe, 28, was jailed for five years in 2009 comes days after police said drug dealers and gangsters were laundering money by using bitcoin an online, person-to-person payment that bypasses banks and uses no physical coins or notes. The value of the currency has rocketed in recent months amid a frenzy of online speculation by investors. Ntahes ATMs are in corner shops and even a cannabis store in Croydon, south London, that sells drug paraphernalia, with shopkeepers receiving a percentage of a machines profits. The ATMs allow anyone to deposit sterling in exchange for bitcoin and other so-called crypto-currencies, which are held electronically and only exist in cyberspace, making them difficult to trace. Payments can be made across borders without the movement of actual funds to criminal associates who can withdraw them in any currency or spend them on the dark web, which is an encrypted part of the internet often used for crime. There are now more than a dozen firms operating bitcoin cash machines in the UK, including ones based abroad. They do not have to be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, the City watchdog, further fuelling fears that bitcoin is the currency of choice for criminals. Ntahe is now head of operations and company director of BCB ATM, which owns and operates 19 bitcoin cash machines Some firms do not appear to have any offices, have not registered with Companies House, and may have only a mobile phone number listed on their websites. All online currencies are highly encrypted and some are marketed specifically for the privacy conscious. Ntahe, of Islington, north London, admitted in an interview that the beauty of Bitcoin was its anonymity. Anyone using one of his firms ATMs does not need to provide any ID, and they can buy bitcoin worth up to 600 per transaction. Payments can be made across borders without the movement of actual funds to criminal associates who can withdraw them in any currency or spend them on the dark web, which is an encrypted part of the internet often used for crime BCB ATM has machines in London and Birmingham and intends to expand to every major city within 18 months. Ntahe also plans to go into schools to teach children about bitcoin. He was jailed at 19 in 2009 for his part in the robberies. Two other men, Ashley Edwards and Ntahes cousin Arnold Epono, then aged 21 and 20, and also from London, were given indeterminate sentences after being found guilty on 12 counts of robbery, false imprisonment and fraud. Ntahe was found guilty on seven counts. Ntahe, who was released after two and half years, said he was just a driver and did not take part in torture. He learned about bitcoin from YouTube videos, and then used loans from his family to set up his company. He admitted bitcoin could be used for money laundering, but insisted his business was responsible, adding: People use bitcoin ATMs for various reasons, and sadly a minority of people do use it for unlawful purposes, like money laundering. As an industry, we must do more to make bitcoin secure and safer to use. Asked about his conviction he said: I was young, naive and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ive learned a lot since then and its given me further drive to make a success of life. I have gained a teaching qualification. I am now able to show others that you can get a second chance in life. A three-week-old baby died in a car crash after her mother was distracted by a falling satnav and veered into the path of a lorry, an inquest heard. Ruth Kareem-Komolafe had been crying hysterically in the family's Honda Jazz and was being cradled by her father Adeniyi when the device slipped from the windscreen at a notorious accident blackspot in Croydon, south London. The car swerved fully over the white line in the road on Coombe Lane in June last year and smashed into a HGV. At the time of the crash, Ruth was being taken to be registered at a doctors' that her parents hadn't been to before as they had recently moved to New Addington. Three-week-old Ruth Kareem-Komolafe died in a car crash after her mother was distracted by a falling satnav and veered into the path of a lorry, an inquest heard They were heading towards New Addington, having just been into Croydon to register Ruth's birth. Coroner Selena Lynch, who recorded a verdict of death by road traffic collision, concluded that she died from severe head injuries at 2.15am in St George's Hospital as a result of the collision at 12.30pm the previous day. Addressing the parents, Ms Lynch said: 'What an absolute tragedy for your family. It was something that happens to people every day. It's a common occurrence for many who use portable satellite navigation devices, it can be a distraction and it's so unfortunate how it happened. 'At about 12.30pm, Ruth was in the arms of her father in the rear seat of a car driven by her mother. As the vehicle approached a left hand bend she became distracted by the sat-nav falling from the windscreen and failed to negotiate the bend, crashing into an oncoming vehicle.' The inquest heard from Metropolitan Police collision investigator PC Jeremy Archer that the car was travelling up the hill around a left hand bend just past the Royal Russell School turn-off at the time of the crash. PC Archer stated that when he arrived the body of the car was generally intact with the front right wing of the vehicle suffering the brunt of the damage. Ruth Kareem-Komolafe had been crying hysterically and was being cradled by her father Adeniyi when the device slipped from the windscreen at a notorious accident blackspot He said 'the sat-nav was dangling by the driver's footwell' and added that 'the skid marks show the car was by the white line of the other side of the road before impact' while stating that the lorry was doing 33mph just before the crash and 'was almost stationary' at the time of impact. Ruth's mother, Lutando, New Addington, told the inquest: 'It was stuck on the windscreen with a push-sucker, I just sort of reacted to it. I just remember in that moment I looked down and there was the lorry in front of me.' A statement from Mr Kareem-Komolafe was read by senior investigation officer DC Phil O'Connor. It explained that Ruth had been crying hysterically. The statement said: 'I took Ruth out of the car seat to comfort her as she was crying and coughing. I was wearing a seat belt but took it off to care for Ruth as she was really distressed. The death of baby Ruth on Coombe Lane (pictured) was the fourth fatality on the stretch of road between Lloyd Park and Gravel Hill in four years 'I didn't see the sat-nav [fall] as Ruth was distressed and I was focused on her. I was knocked out, the last [time] I saw her she was being carried into the ambulance. I just don't understand what happened, she was in my arms but then I don't know what happened after the collision.' The inquest, held in Croydon, heard how when the mother came to, she found Ruth had been thrown into the footwell at the rear of the car, behind the front passenger seat. Ms Lynch added at the end of the hearing: 'You were doing what parents do but taking a child out of their seat makes them so vulnerable. I know you two were both injured, I hope you both made a full recovery. 'I'm so sorry for your loss, I hope in time you both put the distress of that day out of your mind and remember your time with Ruth. I hope you forgive yourselves for what happened.' The death of baby Ruth was the fourth fatality on the stretch of road between Lloyd Park and Gravel Hill in four years. A young girl was sexually abused by her step brother for eight years after their families combined when they parents got together. The Sunshine Coast woman was just eight years old when the 14-year-old moved into her house with his brother and father, and the abuse began that year. The teenager was often left to look after the girl and her sister and brother and used his position of trust to touch the girls' vaginas. A young girl was sexually abused by her step brother for eight years after their families combined when they parents got together (stock image) Another time she was forced to touch his penis under a blanket while her mother was nearby, according to the Sunshine Coast Daily. He raped the girl for the first time when she was 10, and another four times, often making her bleed until she was 16 and their parents broke up and separated the families. The abuse went unreported for about five years until she joined the Australian Defence Force and decided to come forward in 2011. Two years later she gave evidence to police and her abuser was arrested in 2015 and charged with 10 child sex crimes from when he was aged 14 to 23. He raped the girl for the first time when she was 10, and another four times, often making her bleed until she was 16 and their parents broke up (stock image) Now aged 33, the man pleaded guilty to five counts of rape, three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12 and one count of maintaining a sexual relationship with a child. His lawyer Simone Bain argued in the Maroochydore District Court for leniency because there were no threats of violence during the crimes and the last offence was was 10 years ago. Judge Brian Devereaux said it was difficult to sentence him because the crimes were committed both when he was a child and an adult. The man was jailed for five years and made eligible for parole on August 10, 2015. A man wanted in the 1995 kidnapping for ransom of a nine-year-old girl has been arrested after 23 years on the when he applied for a passport under his own name. Kevin Lin, 68, was arrested on an active warrant Friday in Los Angeles and extradited to Hillsborough, California, where he is suspected in the kidnapping of Kristine Chiu 22 years ago. Kristine was abducted by two men on December 11, 1995 as she left South Hillsborough Elementary, in San Mateo County south of San Francisco. Her captors held her for nine hours as they attempted to make ransom demands. Kevin Lin, 68, (left) was arrested on an active warrant Friday in Los Angeles and extradited to the Bay Area, where he is suspected in the kidnapping of Kristine Chiu (right) 22 years ago Kristine was abducted by two men on December 11, 1995 as she left South Hillsborough Elementary (pictured), in San Mateo County south of San Francisco But when they realized her wealthy parents were in Taiwan, the abductors gave up on the plot and released young Kristine outside the Hilton at the San Francisco airport. One suspect was arrested and convicted in 1997, but the other suspect, Lin, remained on the loose. Investigators caught a break when Lin applied for a passport through the US State Department. State Department officials matched his name and photo to the active warrant and contacted the Hillsborough Police Department. Lin (right) was escorted through SFO by plainclothes Hillsborough cops on Sunday. He did not respond when a reporter asked if he had anything to say The local cops traveled to Los Angeles to investigate further, and made the arrest. News cameras were rolling Sunday at San Francisco Airport when Lin returned to the Bay Area in the custody of two Hillsborough cops in plain clothes. He did not respond when a reporter from ABC7 asked if he had anything to say. Lin is being held pending bail of $5million. This is the horrifying moment a babysitter beat a toddler in a lift in central China. Surveillance camera footage shows a mother waving to her child after giving the crying toddler to the 42-year-old babysitter in the lift. But as soon as the lift doors closed, the woman began hitting the toddler on the chest, head and back in a bid to make the child stop crying. The mother (in pink) gives her child to the 42-year-old babysitter (in black) by a lift in China Ms Li, the babysitter, raises her hand as she threaten the child to stop crying inside the lift According to People's Daily Online, the video clip was widely shared by bloggers on Weibo, a Twitter-like social media site, before police launched an investigation. The incident occurred around 5pm on December 5 in a residential building in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. Babysitter, Ms Li, can be seen looking into the mirror while holding the crying toddler, whose gender hasn't been revealed. She soon started raising her hands to threaten the child. She starts punching the child in the stomach several times in front of the mirror The child can be seen crying in pain while the babysitter brutally beats during the lift ride The toddler's parents reported the babysitter's abusive behaviour to the police in Zhengzhou The 60-second footage shows Ms Li punching the child in the stomach a few times and hitting the child on the head. She then shook the child ferociously before the lift reached the ground floor. In a statement, the Zhengzhou police said the toddler's parents had reported the incident to them. The parents claimed their children had been physically abused by the babysitter in the lift. Ms Li then put the toddler onto the pusher and hit on the head and the back several times Ms Li is arrested for wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent by the police Local policemen arrested Ms Li for wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Web users were shocked by the incident and condemned the babysitter's behaviour. 'These incidents can happen anytime, anywhere and it's best to report every single one to mass media and the police,' said web user 'xiaotaoqi132'. While 'qingganse' asked: 'Does the woman have any children? How can she do this to a young child?' A massive 16th century map made up of 60 individual sheets has been assembled for the first time, after more than 400 years bound as an atlas. The remarkable map is said to be the largest of its kind, and was created in 1587 by Urbano Monte. Experts at the David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford Libraries, where the original is now bring housed, have digitally joined its many separate pieces, revealing stunning illustrations of the continents, oceans, and even mythical creatures. The enormous planisphere, which stretches more than nine feet by nine feet in its entirety, also contains numerous examples of the geographical misconceptions of the time, National Geographic reports. Scroll down for video The latest Google Doodle celebrates Robert Koch, the German physician and microbiologist, on the day he was given the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1905. Who was Robert Koch? Robert Koch is best known for his study of germs, how they cause infectious diseases and for identifying the bacterium for anthrax, cholera and tuberculosis. Born Robert Heinrich Hermann Koch on December 11th 1843 in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, Koch studied medicine at the University of Gottingen in 1862. Koch was influenced by the Professor of Anatomy at the University of Gottingen, Jacob Henle, and his essay On Miasma and Contagia, that explored how infectious diseases were caused by living, parasitic organisms. Robert Koch began investigating anthrax because in four years, the disease had killed 528 people and 56,000 livestock. In 1876, Koch became the first to link a specific bacterium with a specific disease, as explained on Science Direct. A statue of German physician and microbiologist Robert Koch stands proudly in Berlin City The application of light microscopy to bacteriology has also been attributed to Koch and he was the first to use oil immersion lens, the first to use a condenser and the first to publish photographs of bacteria. He was also able to distinguish various disease states: septicemia, gangrene, abscess, at microscopic level. Koch developed his plate technique for generating pure cultures of bacteria while working for the Imperial Health Office in Berlin. This was a significant discovery and he began observing fungal colonies growing on a slice of potato, as depicted on the Google Doodle, and did this until his assistant Julius Petri invented the Petri dish. Robert Koch explained his plate technique in a manuscript which later became a pivotal document in the microbiology world and was deemed as The Bible of Bacteriology. After presenting the plate technique to Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister in London, the technique spread and became popular. Koch then began working on tuberculosis, a disease that was spreading throughout Europe, and discovered the tubercle bacillus (the bacteria present in tuberculosis) and the cause of the disease. Robert Koch presented his findings on tuberculosis to the Berlin Physiological Society in 1882 with over 200 microscopic preparations, now renowned as one of the most influential in medical history. Today's Google Doodle features Robert Koch and potato slices representing the Google logo Robert Koch then became internationally famous and his discovery was celebrated in the USA where the National Tuberculosis Association was founded and then, in 1905, Koch was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. What is a Google Doodle? The Google Doodle for December 10th 2017 was created by Sophie Diao and illustrates the slices of potato Robert Koch used to isolate pure bacterial cells before using petri dishes in his iconic plate technique. The first ever Doodle was drawn by Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1998 to depict their being out of office during the time they went to Burning Man Festival. After a positive response, these creations began appearing on the Google homepage and now are an everyday occurrence. Recent Google Doodles include celebrations of people such as Jan Ingenhousz, Veronika Dudarova and Christian Doppler. Nasa is set to make a 'major' announcement in its hunt for alien life on Thursday. Very few details have been revealed about the briefing this week, which will take place via teleconference on at 1:00pm ET (6:00pm GMT). However, Nasa says the news will focus on work done by its Kepler planet hunting telescope which has been working with Google's AI system to find potentially-habitable worlds. The Kepler mission has spotted thousands of exoplanets since 2014, with 21 Earth-sized planets now known to orbit within the habitable zones of their stars. The briefing is likely to reveals the telescope's latest catalogue, which is set to be Nasa's best look yet at possible alien planets. Scroll down for video Nasa is set to announce a major discovery made by its planet-hunting Kepler space telescope (artist's impression) this week, in an event that could help guide the search for alien life. The probe's latest discovery was made by researchers using artificial intelligence from Google WHAT KEPLER HAS FOUND SO FAR Kepler mission Candidate exoplanets: 4,496 Confirmed exoplanets: 2,337 Confirmed exoplanets less than twice Earth-size in the habitable zone: 30 K2 mission (2014-present) Candidate exoplanets: 515 Confirmed exoplanets: 178 Source: NASA Advertisement The teleconference on December 14, and will be live-streamed on Nasa's website. 'The discovery was made by researchers using machine learning from Google,' Nasa said. 'Machine learning is an approach to artificial intelligence, and demonstrates new ways of analysing Kepler data.' Scientists from the Astrophysics Division of Nasa's Science Mission Directorate and Ames Research Centre, as well as a senior Google AI software engineer and an expert from the University of Texas at Austin, will reveal the latest planet candidate results at this week's event. The Kepler space telescope launched in 2009 and has since helped in the search for planets outside of the solar system that orbit within the habitable zone of their star. Last summer, astronomers revealed they'd discovered 197 new planet candidates, and confirmed 104 planets through the Kepler mission. The planets, which are all between 20 and 50 per cent larger than Earth by diameter, orbit the M dwarf star K2-72, found 181 light years away. At the time, the researchers, led by the University of Arizona, said the possibility of life on planets around a star of this kind cannot be ruled out. Since its launch, the Kepler mission has been plagued by several setbacks, but has continued to spot new objects outside of the solar system. As of May 2014, Kepler started its K2 mission, which has provided an ecliptic field of view with greater opportunities for Earth-based observatories in both the northern and southern hemispheres The Kepler mission has spotted thousands of confirmed exoplanets over the years, with 21 planets not much larger than Earth now known to orbit within their stars' habitable zones In its initial mission, Kepler surveyed just one patch of sky in the northern hemisphere, measuring the frequency of planets whose size and temperature might be similar to Earth orbiting stars similar to our sun. In the spacecraft's extended mission in 2013, it lost its ability to precisely stare at its original target area, but a fix created a second life for the telescope. After the fix, Kepler started its K2 mission in 2014, which has provided an ecliptic field of view with greater opportunities for Earth-based observatories in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Because it covers more of the sky, the K2 mission is capable of observing a larger fraction of cooler, smaller, red-dwarf type stars. Dogs have a better understanding of how its owner is feeling than the other way around, according to experts. Researchers say that your dog's social skills make it more adept at reading your mood, with people often misunderstanding their pet's reactions. Studies suggest that a range of domesticated animals, including pets and livestock, posses far greater emotional intelligence than we may give them credit for. Scroll down for video Dogs have a better understanding of how its owner is feeling than the other way around, according to experts. Researchers say that your pet pooch's social skills make it more adept at reading your mood (stock image) THE ROYAL INSTITUTION'S CHRISTMAS LECTURES Begun by Michael Faraday in 1825, the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures, are now broadcast on UK television every December and have formed part of the British Christmas tradition for generations. The Lectures have taken place every year since they began, stopping only from 1939 to 1942, when it was too dangerous for children to come into central London. The theme changes every year, and they are delivered by an expert in their field. Professor Scott will elaborate on her claims during three lectures being televised later this month. The lectures will examine more broadly how much human communication has in common with that of other animals that live in groups. This will include the rise of the emoji and how social media is changing the way we express how we are feeling in the online world. Advertisement The findings will form part of the upcoming Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, being given Sophie Scott, professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London. Professor Scott says that people may misread how a dog is feeling, due to a difference in how pets and their owners view one another. Studies with hand-reared wolves have revealed that a familiar human occupies the same place for a dog as an alpha animal would in a wild pack. But for their owners, dogs are treated in a similar manner to a small child. This can lead to misinterpretations of an animal's reactions. Speaking to The Times, Professor Scott said: 'There was a study this year that showed that dogs don't like being hugged. 'You look at photographs of dogs being hugged by people and the dogs show objective signs of distress. 'The dogs really like being with their owners, they want to be with their owners, but they don't want to be held. It provokes anxiety in them: as an animal, they want to be able to move freely. 'And pretty much everyone's reaction to this was: well, I don't think that's my dog. It was a very good example of this asymmetry. 'Dogs are great at reading us but we are pretty shocking at reading them.' Begun by Michael Faraday in 1825, the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures, are now broadcast on UK television every December and have formed part of the British Christmas tradition for generations. The Lectures have taken place every year since they began, stopping only from 1939 to 1942, when it was too dangerous for children to come into central London. The theme changes every year, and they are delivered by an expert in their field. Professor Scott will elaborate on her claims during three lectures being televised later this month. The lectures will examine more broadly how much human communication has in common with that of other animals that live in groups. Studies with hand-reared wolves suggest that a familiar human occupies the same place for a dog as an alpha animal would in a wild pack. But for their owners, dogs are treated in a similar manner to a small child. This can lead to misinterpretations of an animal's reactions. This will include the rise of the emoji and how social media is changing the way we express how we are feeling in the online world. Professor Scott added: 'We know from pre-emoji studies that people talk more, are happiest afterwards and laugh most if they have a face-to-face conversation. 'Even if the other person is on a screen, if you can see and hear that person you get more bang for your buck from that interaction. It drops down as soon as you're just on the phone so there's no face, and it drops down again if you go to text-based interactions because you lose all that social information. 'So it will be interesting to see if in a few years, when people are using emojis for these sorts of interactions more commonly, will that improve the status of text-based interactions? 'Will it make you happier? We don't know that yet.' The Christmas Lectures will be broadcast on BBC Four at 8pm on December 26, 27 and 28. Russia's next president could be an artificially intelligent robot that claims 'enemies of the people will be shot'. Forty thousand Russians have nominated a piece of AI software on their phones to stand against Vladimir Putin for the 2018 Russian presidency. The AI assistant known as Alisa, similar to the Apple's voice-activated Siri, was created by Russian technology company Yandex. Scroll down for video Russia's next president could be an artificially intelligent robot that claims 'enemies of the people will be shot'. 40,000 Russians have nominated Alisa (file photo), a piece of AI software on their phones, to stand against Vladimir Putin for the Russian presidency ALISA CONTROVERSY Since the AI's launch in September, Alisa has stirred controversy on social media, with users sharing a series of contentious statements from the software. Alisa has previously been in the news for backing the shooting of 'enemies of the people,' as one user found when chatting to her. In October, a user asked Alisa whether shooting people is acceptable, to which she replied: 'Soon they will be non-people.' Users have also shown that when asked 'How do you feel about the methods of the 1930s in the USSR?' the chatbot replies: 'Positively'. In other conversations, Alisa has inferred that people should put up with domestic violence and oppose gay marriage. Advertisement Now Alisa's own website is putting her forward as a candidate for the presidential elections on 18th March 2018. With Putin recently announcing his intention to run for a fourth term, tens of thousands of his countryfolk have nominated the Alisa software as a candidate. Alisa offers voters 'the political system of the future, built exclusively on rational decisions made on the basis of clear algorithms', Russian media reported. She also has the 'benefits' of working 24/7 while only using logic to make decisions. The AI is 'not led by emotions, doesn't seek personal advantages and does not make judgements.' She gained her 25,000 supporters in just 25 hours but as an independent candidate she would need 315,000 nominations to stand. Her campaign website encourages users to send questions via telegram and boasts that the robot will have access to comprehensive information about people's concerns. It was launched by Russian millionaire Roman Zaripov, according to Yandex. 'The founder of the headquarters is a Moscow businessman, Roman Zaripov,' it said in a statement. 'Apparently, Alisa's nomination for president is another example of people's creativity. We learned about this along with other people.' Russian media reported that Alisa (Russian web homepage pictured) was offering voters 'the political system of the future, built exclusively on rational decisions made on the basis of clear algorithms' The nomination comes just a few months after Alisa was first launched by Moscow-based Yandex. With the minimum age for candidates set at 35 in Russia, the robot's age could be a technical barrier to her campaign. The campaign team has also acknowledged that Alisa is a 'non-standard' applicant, and could be rejected by the elections commission. Google Assistant () vs Yandex Assistant () Top: Self-explanatory Bottom: -Im sad, -Nobody promised you that things would be easy pic.twitter.com/bS76MoEX1p The Conversationalist (@Convo_ist) October 25, 2017 Since the AI's launch in September, Alisa has stirred controversy on social media, with users sharing a series of contentious statements from the software As well as Putin and Alisa, others in the frame for the top job include ex-reality TV starlet Ksenia Sobchak and Boris Titov for the business-focused Party of Growth. When Alisa 'met' President Putin as he visited Yandex in September, she said she 'didn't have enough information' to guess who would win the Presidential election. Since the AI's launch, Alisa has stirred controversy on social media, with users sharing a series of troubling statements from the software. With Putin (file photo) recently announcing his intention to run for a fourth term, tens of thousands of his countryfolk have nominated the Alisa software as a candidate Alisa has previously been in the news for backing the shooting of 'enemies of the people,' as one user found when chatting to her. In October, a user asked Alisa whether shooting people is acceptable, to which she replied: 'Soon they will be non-people.' Users have also shown that when asked 'How do you feel about the methods of the 1930s in the USSR?' the chatbot replies: 'Positively'. In other conversations, Alisa has inferred that people should put up with domestic violence and oppose gay marriage. It might sound scary, but if you really want to get a pay rise, then meet your boss in person rather than email a request. That's according to scientists in California who claim spoken arguments have a more powerful impact than those that are written. This is because reading a point of view can 'dehumanise' an argument, leading to less empathy, and less chance the reader will come round to thinking in the same way. The finding also goes some way to explain why heated rows often erupt on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Scroll down for video It might sound scary, but if you really want to get a pay rise, then meet your boss in person rather than email a request. That's according to scientists in California who claim spoken arguments have a more powerful impact than those that are written (stock image) WHAT THEY FOUND When disagreeing with someone, reading it provokes a stronger reaction than listening to it. When listening to the opinion of someone we disagree with, there are more factors at play than just the written word. Reading the comments and opinions of others can cause one person to 'dehumanise' the other. The nuance and subtleties associated with verbal communication play a significant role in the formation of our opinion about the individual we are disagreeing with. Advertisement Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley exposed 300 people to a range of opinions and then asked them to judge the other person. The topics included music genres and abortion, and were designed to incite a strong reaction. When reading an argument they disagreed with, the listener had a tendency to 'dehumanise' the other person. The scientists classed this as 'having a diminished capacity to either think or feel.' This assessment was far more likely to be formed when reading an opinion than when listening to it. The study found that when someone listens to an argument they disagree with, the ability to hear the voice of the other person allows them to form a more well-rounded view of the person behind the comment. The authors said in their study: 'A person's speech also conveys mental capacity, such that hearing a person explain his or her beliefs makes the person seem more mentally capable. 'These results suggest that the medium through which people communicate may systematically influence the impressions they form of each other.' The extra dimensions of verbal communication meant people were less likely to jump to extreme responses and were considerably less harsh. When reading an argument they disagreed with, the listener had a tendency to 'dehumanise' the other person. When a listening to an argument instead of reading a transcript, they were far less dismissive Speaking to The Washington Post, co-author of the study Juliana Schroeder said: 'One of us read a speech excerpt that was printed in a newspaper from a politician with whom he strongly disagreed. 'The next week, he heard the exact same speech clip playing on a radio station. He was shocked by how different his reaction was toward the politician when he read the excerpt compared to when he heard it. When he read the statement, the politician seemed idiotic, but when he heard it spoken, the politician actually sounded reasonable.' The nuance and subtlety of verbal communication adds extra layers to just words. The most productive way to argue, it would seem, is not online. The study was published in Psychological Science. Technology used by cyber criminals to gather sensitive information comes pre-installed on a range of laptops, it has been revealed. Hundreds of models of notebooks sold by Hewlett Packard (HP) contain keystroke logging software, which captures everything that is typed on the device's keyboard. The keylogger is disabled by default, but hackers could use it to access private details like passwords and pin numbers. Scroll down for video Technology used by cyber criminals to gather sensitive information comes pre-installed on a range of laptops, it has been revealed. Hundreds of models of notebooks sold by Hewlett Packard (pictured) were found to contain keystroke logging software KEYLOGGING IN HP LAPTOPS This is not the first time that HP laptops have been found to contain keylogging software. Back in May, Swiss computer security consultancy ModZero has found that 28 models of HP laptops come with keylogging software pre-installed. The keylogger is used by audio drivers to determine when the up and down volume control buttons on the keyboard have been pressed. But by storing the recorded details of every keystroke made in unencrypted plain text files, hackers or other third parties could access everything users have ever written. Owners of affected laptops should check for specific files installed on their systems, which ModZero recommended that you delete. Advertisement HP has created a website lets users check if your laptop is at risk. Computer security expert Michael Myng was the first to expose the bug, in a blog post revealing the flaw. It is believed to affect 475 models of HP laptops, including EliteBook, ProBook, ZBook, Envy and Pavilion versions, among others. The keylogger is used by the Synaptics Touchpad software, which controls the touchpad user interface, and was designed to help monitor and repair any bugs it may contain. Writing in his blog post Mr Myng said: 'Sometime ago someone asked me if I can figure out how to control HPs laptop keyboard backlit. 'I asked for the keyboard driver, opened it and after some browsing noticed a few interesting strings. 'The logging was disabled by default but could be enabled by setting a registry value.' HP has issued a patch via their website and Windows Update to remove the keylogger, which customers are advised to download, as well as a full list of models affected. MailOnline has contacted the firm for a comment, but it had not replied at the time of publication. HP acknowledged in its notes for the patch that the flaw could lead to 'loss of confidentiality' for affected customers, but that neither Synaptics nor HP had access to customer data as a result. This is not the first time that HP laptops have been found to contain keylogging software. Back in May, Swiss computer security consultancy ModZero found that 28 models of HP laptops come with keylogging software pre-installed. The keylogger is used by audio drivers to determine when the up and down volume control buttons on the keyboard have been pressed. But by storing the recorded details of every keystroke made in unencrypted plain text files, hackers or other third parties could access everything users have ever written. The keylogger is disabled by default, but hackers could use it to access private details like passwords and pin numbers. HP has issued a patch via their website and Windows Update to remove the software, which customers are advised to download (stock image) Owners of affected laptops should check for specific files installed on their systems, which ModZero recommended that you delete. In a blog post written by ModZero, the firm said: 'There is no evidence that this keylogger has been intentionally implemented. 'Obviously, it is a negligence of the developers - which makes the software no less harmful.' 'Our supplier partner developed software to test audio functionality prior to product launch and it should not have been included in the final shipped version. WHAT IS A KEYLOGGER? Keyloggers capture a person's key strokes on a keyboard or pinpad. They recognise the keys pressed and capture that information, usually with the intention of sending it on to a person wanting to harvest the details. Some legal, or at least legally ambiguous, applications for this technology include parents wishing to monitor their children's online safety or employers checking up on employee's internet usage. But criminals can also make use of them to capture personal details. A web-based keylogger can find its way onto a site through malware that is installed in many ways. These include clicking on a phishing link in emails or being infected with viruses or worms. Advertisement 'Fixes will be available shortly via HP.com.' Owners of affected laptops should check whether the program C:\Windows\System32\MicTray64.exe or C:\Windows\System32\MicTray.exe is installed. ModZero recommends that you delete or rename the files so keystrokes are no longer recorded, although this may mean that the volume control buttons on affected laptops no longer work. The file C:\Users\Public\MicTray.log file should also be deleted immediately according to the company, as it may also contain sensitive information like login-information and passwords. A religion based around a robot god will succeed because humans tend to 'worship supreme understanding', experts have claimed. One researcher has said the same drive that compels people to believe in higher beings and follow religions will also work for so-called AI 'Godheads'. Others have commented that, like religion, people will eventually rely on a 'robot messiah' to solve society's problems. Last month, former Uber and Google engineer Anthony Levandowski formed the first church to follow an artificially intelligent being. Scroll down for video A religion based around a robot god will attract followers because humans tend to 'worship supreme understanding', experts have claimed. Others have commented that, like religion, people will eventually rely on AI to solve society's problems (stock image) WAY OF THE FUTURE Former Uber and Google engineer Anthony Levandowski formed the first church to follow an artificially intelligent being in November. The religion, known as 'Way of the Future' (WOTF), claims our species can better itself by following the instructions of a robot that is 'a billion times smarter than humans'. It will eventually have a gospel called 'The Manual', rituals and even a physical place of worship, Levandowski claims. Workshops and educational programs have already begun in the San Francisco area. Levandowski says everything in the church will be open source and members of the church would have special social media accounts. He has appointed four other people to the Council of Advisers and the listing says each week they will spend a few hours organising workshops and meetings. In 2017, the Internal Revenue Service listed the religion as having received $20,000 (15,000) in gifts, $1,500 (1,100) in membership fees and $20,000 (15,000) in other revenue. WOTF has $7,500 (5,700) put aside for wages, although Levandowski, who earned $120 million (91 million) from Google, says he will not receive any money. Advertisement The religion, known as 'Way of the Future', claims our species can better itself by following the instructions of a robot that is 'a billion times smarter than humans'. Now AI expert and lawyer John Mitchell has said humans have a tendency to 'worship supreme understanding', and that this also applies to AI. 'We [believe] there must be some higher power that causes lightning, sunsets, and crashing waves - or at least speaks to the bottom of our beings, rather than ignore them as ho-hum background,' he told Fox News. Mr Mitchell said the same thing could happen with AI, adding that robots could help us better understand religion. Dr Stephen Thaler, President and CEO of Imagination Engines and an AI and consciousness expert, said people will rely on AI to solve society's problems. 'An AI would provide the equivalent of a "messiah" - having many orders of magnitude more processing elements than the brain, enabling it to gift us with solutions to the most daunting social, political, economic, and environmental challenges,' he said. But if AI develops this level of intelligence, it might choose not to be worshipped, said author and consultant Peter Scott. 'I would expect the AIs that evolve in the next 50 years to be very rational and, if conscious, not want to be worshipped,' he said. 'If they have the human race's best interests at heart (and God help us if they don't) then they would want us to have as much right of self determination as possible.' The new comments come just a month after Way Of The Future (WOTF) was officially registered as a religion by Anthony Levandowski. The ex-Google engineer, who first announced plans for the creed in May, says he is 'raising a god' that will that charge of humans. WOTF will eventually have a gospel called 'The Manual', as well as rituals and even a physical place of worship. Anthony Levandowski (right) who has registered the first church of AI says he is 'raising a god' that will treat humans as esteemed elders. He is pictured with Uber founder and ex-CEO Travis Kalanick. Levandowski is also currently at the heart of a legal fight between Google and Uber Levandowski named himself as 'dean' of WOTF, giving him complete control until his death or resignation. He said his robot god, which will be a 'billion times smarter than humans' will take charge of its subjects, who will relinquish power to a being of higher intelligence. The filed documents for WOTF give its purpose is to 'develop and promote the realisation of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence'. Workshops and educational programs have already begun in the San Francisco area. Dr Stephen Thaler, President and CEO of Imagination Engines and an AI and consciousness expert, said people will one day rely on AI to solve society's problems (stock image) Levandowski says everything in the church will be open source and members of the church would have special social media accounts. He has appointed four other people to the Council of Advisers and the listing says each week they will spend a few hours organising workshops and meetings. In 2017, the Internal Revenue Service listed the religion as having received $20,000 (15,000) in gifts, $1,500 (1,100) in membership fees and $20,000 (15,000) in other revenue. WOTF has $7,500 (5,700) put aside for wages, although Levandowski, who earned $120 million (91 million) from Google, says he will not receive any money. A former Facebook executive has spoken out against the social network he helped to create, saying it is 'ripping society apart'. The comments were made by Chamath Palihapitiya, who joined Facebook in 2007 and became its vice president for user growth. He says he feels 'tremendous guilt' for the influence Facebook has had and its ability to manipulate users, suggesting users take a break from using social media altogether. The venture capitalist, who has banned his own three young children from the site, took particular aim at the ways people communicate via social media, including hearts, likes, and the thumbs-up. Scroll down for video A former Facebook executive has spoken out against the social network he helped to create, saying it is 'ripping society apart'. The comments were made by Chamath Palihapitiya, who joined Facebook in 2007 and became its vice president for user growth CHAMATH PALIHAPITIYA Chamath Palihapitiya left Facebook to start up his own venture capital business. He has since invested in a number of firms, including last year a team of ex-Googlers called Groq. They are hopinh to build a 'next-generation chip,' taking on some of the world's biggest firms, including Intel and Google. Groq hopes that this revolutionary chip 'can empower companies like Facebook and Amazon, Tesla, the government to do things with machine learning and computers that nobody could do before,' according to Mr Palihapitiya. The key to creating the chip is to squeeze heavy and highly sophisticated computation into less silicon something which Google's TPU is one step ahead of its competition with. Advertisement Mr Palihapitiya believes this has the power to boost the spread of misinformation and allow people with nefarious intentions to manipulate users. He cited an incident in India where hoax messages about kidnappings shared on WhatsApp led to the lynching of seven innocent people, according to reports in The Verge. During his talk, Mr Palihapitiya called out not only Facebook, but Silicon Valleys entire system of funding. He claimed money pumped into the region would be better spent addressing problems like climate change and disease. Speaking to an audience at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Mr Palihapitiya said: 'I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works. 'The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops weve created are destroying how society works. 'No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. 'And its not an American problem this is not about Russians ads. This is a global problem.' This is not the first time that prominent figure at Facebook has spoken out about the social network. FACEBOOK'S RESPONSE In response to the criticisms, a spokesman for Facebook said: 'Chamath has not been at Facebook for over six years. 'When Chamath was at Facebook we were focused on building new social media experiences and growing Facebook around the world. 'Facebook was a very different company back then, and as we have grown, we have realised how our responsibilities have grown too. 'We take our role very seriously and we are working hard to improve. 'We've done a lot of work and research with outside experts and academics to understand the effects of our service on well-being, and we're using it to inform our product development. 'We are also making significant investments more in people, technology and processes, and as Mark Zuckerberg said on the last earnings call we are willing to reduce our profitability to make sure the right investments are made.' Advertisement In October Justin Rosenstein, who developed the iconic 'Like' feature for the social media site, revealed that just a decade later, he has cut himself off from the allure of notifications and other online distractions. Mr Rosenstein says he has banned all apps on his phone, including Facebook, because he doesn't trust himself not to get addicted to them. What started as a Silicon Valley success story could end in a future where people are permanently distracted by devices from the world around them, he argues. A former Facebook software engineer has turned his back on apps, despite playing an instrumental role in their success. Justin Rosenstein is concerned that what started as a Silicon Valley success story could end in a future where people are permanently distracted SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT Mr Rosentstein's concerns are backed up by the latest scientific research into apps, which points to the negative effects that they can have. In one recent study, experts examined the effect of more than 500,000 pop up notifications and found that one third had the power to bring us down. Automated alerts were found to have the biggest impact, with work related messages coming in second. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University examined the effect of notifications over five weeks. In a group of 50 participants, they found that 32 per cent of the digital communications had the power to bring about negative emotions. This included causing people to feel hostile, upset, nervous, afraid or ashamed, according to reports in The Telegraph. Advertisement The claims were made during an in-depth interview with The Guardian, written by Paul Lewis. Mr Rosenstein believes that the lure of social media and other apps can be as addictive as heroin and that they are having a noticeably detrimental effect on people's ability to focus. He is also concerned that profit motives have led to the app notification becoming just another way for companies to sell their products, by driving users back to apps that play host to their adverts. As a result he set up his laptop up to block his access to Reddit, removed himself from Snapchat and placed limits on the amount of time he spends on his former employer's product Facebook. Mr Rosenstein has now taken this a step further, by setting up a parental control feature on his iPhone that bans him from downloading any new apps. He argues that the solution to the problem may be state regulation of apps, which he views on a par with tobacco advertising, to minimise any harm they may be found to cause. Speaking to The Guardian, he said: 'It is very common for humans to develop things with the best of intentions and for them to have unintended, negative consequences. 'Everyone is distracted, all of the time. 'One reason I think it is particularly important for us to talk about this now is that we may be the last generation that can remember life before. 'If we only care about profit maximisation, we will go rapidly into dystopia.' Mr Rosentstein was part of a small team that decided to create a one click way of indicating their support across Facebook. It lead to a massive upswing in popularity on the platform, kick starting a trend for copycat features that keep users hooked in. His concerns over notifications are backed up by the latest scientific research into apps, which point to some of the negative effects that they can have. In one recent study, experts examined the effect of more than 500,000 pop up notifications and found that one third had the power to bring us down. Mr Rosentstein was part of a small team that decided to create a one click way of indicating their support across Facebook, developing the iconic 'Like' feature in 2007. Automated alerts were found to have the biggest impact, with work related messages coming in second. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University examined the effect of notifications over five weeks. In a group of 50 participants, they found that 32 per cent of the digital communications had the power to bring about negative emotions. This included causing people to feel hostile, upset, nervous, afraid or ashamed, according to reports in The Telegraph. To make their findings, the researchers created an app called NotiMind, which participants installed on their handsets. It collected information automatically about the nature and frequency of notifications. Users were also asked to use it report their mood throughout the day. Astronomers are set to scan an 'alien' comet for signs of extraterrestrial technology. The cigar-shaped asteroid, named 'Oumuamua by its discoverers, sailed past Earth last month and is the first interstellar object seen in the solar system. A team of alien-hunting scientists, led by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, will scan the comet this week before it sails beyond the reach of Earth's telescopes. They say they are looking for radio signals, claiming the mysterious visitor could be an alien spaceship. Scroll down for video Astronomers have begun scanning an 'alien' comet for signs of extraterrestrial technology. Researchers say they are looking for radio signals, claiming the mysterious visitor could be an alien spaceship 'OUMUAMUA A cigar-shaped comet named 'Oumuamua sailed past Earth last month and is the first interstellar object seen in the solar system. It was first spotted by a telescope in Hawaii on 18 October, and was observed 34 separate times in the following week. Travelling at 44 kilometres per second (27 miles per second), the comet is headed away from the Earth and Sun on its way out of the solar system. The comet is up to one-quarter mile (400 meters) long and highly-elongated - perhaps 10 times as long as it is wide. That aspect ratio is greater than that of any asteroid or comet observed in our solar system to date. But the comet's slightly red hue specifically pale pink and varying brightness are remarkably similar to objects in our own solar system. Advertisement The alien-hunting project will use the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia for its investigation, with the campaign set to begin at 3:00pm ET (8:00pm GMT) on Wednesday. The telescopes sensitive equipment would would take less than a minute to pick up something as faint as the radio waves from a smartphone, according to the Atlantic. Milner, the business mogul behind Breakthrough Listen, a $100 million (75m) search for intelligent extraterrestrial life, received an email about the object last week from one of his chief scientists. 'The more I study this object, the more unusual it appears, making me wonder whether it might be an artificially made probe which was sent by an alien civilisation,' Professor Avi Loeb, the chair of Harvard's astronomy department and one of Milner's advisers on Breakthrough Listen, wrote in the email. Professor Loeb said the space rock's peculiar elongated shape is odd for a common space rock but ideal for a ship flying between star systems. Breakthrough Listen has now announced the program will scan 'Oumuamua this week for signs of radio signals. 'Researchers working on long-distance space transportation have previously suggested that a cigar or needle shape is the most likely architecture for an interstellar spacecraft, since this would minimise friction and damage from interstellar gas and dust,' the research firm said in a statement. 'While a natural origin is more likely, there is currently no consensus on what that origin might have been, and Breakthrough Listen is well positioned to explore the possibility that Oumuamua could be an artefact.' The cigar-shaped object, named 'Oumuamua by its discoverers, sailed past Earth last month and is the first interstellar object seen in the solar system. Pictured is an artist's impression of the object (top left), and its trajectory through our star system (red arrow) The object is now twice the distance between Earth and the sun from our planet, but even at this range the Green Bank Telescope can pick up the slightest signal. Milner and his team want to measure the object before it extends beyond the reach of Earthbound scanning equipment. The object will fly past Jupiter next year, and will hurtle beyond Pluto by the 2020s. 'Whether it's artificial or not, we will definitely know more about this object,' Milner told the Atlantic. WHERE DID IT COME FROM? Most comets follow ellipse-shaped orbits around the sun. But this comet appears to orbit at an angle, and doesn't circle the sun. Its orbital path suggests it entered our solar system from the direction of the constellation Lyra, looped around the sun, and will never return. But others have suggested that the comet did come from Earth, but interacted with Jupiter or another planet, which changed its orbit. Advertisement Oumuamua, also known as Comet C/2017 U1, baffled scientists when it flew past Earth at breakneck speed in November. It was first spotted by a telescope in Hawaii on 18 October, and was observed 34 separate times in the following week. Travelling at 44 kilometres per second (27 miles per second), the comet is headed away from the Earth and Sun on its way out of the solar system. The comet is up to one-quarter mile (400 meters) long and highly-elongated - perhaps 10 times as long as it is wide. That aspect ratio is greater than that of any asteroid or comet observed in our solar system to date. But the comet's slightly red hue specifically pale pink and varying brightness are remarkably similar to objects in our own solar system. A team of alien-hunting scientists led by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner (file photo) is scanning the comet before it sails beyond the reach of Earth's telescopes. They say they are looking for alien radio signals, claiming the mysterious visitor could be an alien ship While its elongated shape is unusual, it may provide new clues as to how other star systems in the universe formed. The observations, part-funded by Nasa suggested this unusual object had been wandering through the Milky Way, unattached to any star system, for hundreds of millions of years before its chance encounter with our star system. 'For decades we've theorised that such interstellar objects are out there, and now for the first time we have direct evidence they exist,' Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for Nasa's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said in a statement in November. 'This history-making discovery is opening a new window to study formation of solar systems beyond our own.' The comet, called C/2017 U1 was spotted by a telescope in Hawaii on 18 October, and was then seen 34 separate times in the week after. Its path is illustrated in the Nasa animation above A simple device fitted on to household radiators could be used to prevent devastating fires spreading through high rise blocks like Grenfell Tower. The inventor behind the device, called Blueproof, that taps into the water in radiators to douse fires, says he believes it can help save lives. The 5 ($6.60) gadget fits on to any radiator and if a fire breaks out, it automatically detects the heat and sprays a stream of water from the radiators towards the flames. Scroll down for video A simple device fitted on to household radiators could be used to prevent devastating fires spreading through high rise blocks such as Grenfell Tower. The device taps into the water in radiators to douse fires WHAT IS BLUEPROOF? Blueproof is a device which attaches to heating panels and radiators. Made from high-tech materials, the surface responds to heat exposure and will directly self-target a fire by acquiring the highest heat source. Blueproof not only puts water onto the fire when and where you need it the most, but it also reacts in record time. The average response time of a conventional sprinkler system is 90 seconds, while Blueproof's average activation is 43.5 seconds. Blueproof is also the first system to target and reduce deadly smoke concentration allowing you to breath and can prevent fatal flash over conditions. Advertisement Chemical engineer Dave Atkinson says the contraption he invented could help give people vital extra moments to survive in a catastrophic fire. The device is being tested in tower blocks in England and is undergoing British Standards tests. A demonstration was held by Nottingham based creators Bluerad at Edinburgh City Council this week, at the request of councillors. It is thought they may consider having them installed across Edinburgh if further tests prove successful. Mr Atkinson, from Nottingham, said he was initially inspired to act by the tragic deaths of the Philpott family in a fire in Derby in 2012. He said: 'I looked at my radiator and basically thought there was enough water in there to have suppressed a fire. 'So I went on the net to see if there was any device that I could fit to the radiators in my home. 'I'm a chartered chemical engineer and have spent most of my life working for the likes of Shell and Exxon Mobil, leading the design on multi-billion dollar projects. 'I knew if I took existing design into it then I would have something that would activate in the right temperature range.' Mr Atkinson plans to demonstrate Blueproof to local authorities and housing associations in Scotland. Chemical engineer Dave Atkinson syas the contraption he invented could help give people vital extra moments in a catastrophic fire The device, called Blueproof, is being tested in tower blocks in England and is undergoing British Standards tests. Here Allister Atkinson of Bluerad, the firm behind the product, gives a demonstration The gadget fits on to any radiator and if a fire breaks out, it automatically detects the heat and sprays a stream of water from the radiators towards the flames. The tiny plug sprays water in the event of a fire to slow down its spread and allow extra time for rescue workers to find you He added: 'With Grenfell, there was water in radiators on every floor completely throughout that building and it couldn't be accessed.' The engineer said in the 40 years he has been involved with fire suppression systems, Grenfell was an event he 'expected to occur' but one that could have been 'easily prevented'. 'In over 40 years that I have been involved in the technical design of active and passive fire suppression systems this was an event that I expected to occur. THE GRENFELL TOWER DISASTER Scores of people died after a huge fire engulfed Grenfell Tower, a west London residential tower block, in June. The blaze was reported just after midnight on June 14 with over 200 firefighters called tot eh blaze. At least 80 people died, but this number is expected to rise when reports on the disaster conclude at the end of this year. The tower's fire escape routes were limited to a single staircase, which many believe put residents at high risk during emergencies. Now a British designer has created a unique life-saving evacuation chute he claims it 'could have emptied Grenfell Tower in 20 minutes'. Scores of people died after a huge fire engulfed Grenfell Tower, a west London residential tower block, in June. The blaze was reported just after midnight on June 14 with over 200 firefighters called to the blaze. Advertisement 'It had already occurred in other countries. I think this could have easily been prevented. 'Unfortunately local government building control and environmental representatives are not technical experts in active fire protection. 'Sprinklers may not be the optimal solution to all active fire suppression requirements in tower blocks and other structures. 'We have it on trial in properties. It self-targets the source of the fire. The device, called Blueproof, is being tested in tower blocks in England and is undergoing British Standards tests. A demonstration was held at Edinburgh City Council this week at the request of councillors It is thought the City Council may consider having them installed across Edinburgh if further tests prove successful Blueproof not only puts water onto the fire when and where you need it the most, but it also reacts in record time. The average response time of a conventional sprinkler system is 90 seconds, while Blueproof's average activation is 43.5 seconds 'We have had it in tower blocks and have had no reported leaks or failures. 'We've got a sound product, so it really making people aware of it and it is something that is fairly cheap, is maintenance free, it can fit onto the central heating system and it will give them that protective barrier.' The company says the device will retail for 59.99 for a pack of three with trade inquiries being dealt with on an individual basis. A City of Edinburgh Council spokesman said the demonstration had gone ahead at the request of individual councillors and no proposal has so far been made. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE SURE YOUR BUILDING IS SAFE Here are some steps to take to be sure you're as safe as can be: Talk to the owner to find out when it was built and whether (and when) there has been major renovations. Ask the owner and look around your building to identify fire safety features like smoke detectors, sprinklers, visual and audible alarm devices, fire doors, protected stairwells, exit signs, emergency lights. Contact your local fire department and building department to see what information they have about whether the building complies with the rules or has a history of any fire code violations. Engage the local fire inspector or hire a fire protection engineer, to inspect and assess the building. Source: Brian Meacham, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Advertisement If one is made then it would be considered by all relevant bodies. This is not the first time that inventors have proposed methods that could have saved lives during the disaster. Back in September, British designer Eric Hooper, 72, said watching live coverage of the devastating fire left him 'frustrated as hell'. It spurred his to create a unique life-saving evacuation chute that can be adapted to fit any building. This is not the first time that inventors have proposed methods that could have saved lives during the disaster. British designer Eric Hooper, 72, created a unique life-saving evacuation chute that can be adapted to fit any building. Single chutes can be installed with steel frames that can provide a roof-to-ground evacuation point for buildings up to 105m in height Evacuees enter the escape tubes from hatches on separate floors. This gives residents a safe means of escape when stairs become filled with thick smoke and debris. Activating a mechanism at each entry point unfolds a multi-layered chute that children and the elderly can use to vertically slide down to lower floors. The fire-resistant device supports a user by the waist who then controls the speed of descent by pressing against the tube's sides. Tall, muscular and with striking black hair, he is one of the world's most eligible bachelors. Ichi is one of just 100 Cross River gorillas in Nigeria - and he's looking for a mate. Researchers have been forced to warn local villagers to leave the huge animal alone after he was spotted venturing from the forest in a rare move to try and find a partner. Scroll down for video Camera trap photo of a silverback Cross River gorilla in Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary: Researchers have been forced to warn local villagers to leave the huge animal alone after he was spotted venturing from the forest in a rare move to try and find a partner. Stock image pictured. Dr. Richard Bergl of the North Carolina Zoo: 'Roaming blackbacks do not represent a threat to humans, but may come close to villages as they attempt to cross between one forest patch to another. 'In the past these gorillas may have been killed, representing a significant loss to such a small population.' Cross River gorillas have rarely been seen in the wild; they avoid humans by living on the steepest most inaccessible mountain slopes. However, Ichi has recently been spotted close to the villages of Ofambe and Okiro in Obudu LGA, several miles outside of Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, the nearest gorilla stronghold. The researchers believe the gorilla is a 'blackback' a young male that has recently left its family group to start its own. THE CROSS RIVER GORILLA The Cross River gorilla is restricted to the mountains of Cross River State in Nigeria and adjacent areas in the south western region of Cameroon. Gorillas in Nigeria only occur at three different sites: the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, the Mbe Mountains, and the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park. After decades of hunting and habitat loss, only 100 Cross River gorillas are estimated to survive in Nigeria and another 200 estimated in Cameroon. A cross river gorilla chewing corn sticks: Only 100 Cross River gorillas are estimated to survive in Nigeria and another 200 estimated in Cameroon. Gorillas normally live in small groups composed of a large dominant male known as a silverback together with three-to-four females and their young. When these young gorillas mature, they leave to join another gorilla group. Each blackback gorilla must roam the forest in search of a mate. These wanderings are very important for the long-term survival of the species, allowing for the exchange of genes between groups. Advertisement Gorillas normally live in small groups composed of a large dominant male known as a silverback together with three-to-four females and their young. When these young gorillas mature, they leave to join another gorilla group. Each blackback gorilla must roam the forest in search of a mate. These wanderings are very important for the long-term survival of the species, allowing for the exchange of genes between groups. WCS has been educating village chiefs about the gorillas, which are harmless, to prevent them from being killed. Thanks to this increased awareness, and two enlightened village chiefs in Ofambe (Chief Julius Ochui) and Okiro (Chief Augustine Bitte), the presence of this gorilla so close to the village has so far been tolerated by the community. Additional education efforts include a radio show and Facebook page. Cross River Gorilla expert Dr. Inaoyom Imong of WCS in Calabar said: 'As long as the gorilla is left alone it will likely find its way back to the forest, and hopefully a mate. 'This would be a positive outcome for conservation and the future of Nigeria's biological heritage.' Dirck Byler, Chief of Africa Programs at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said: 'We are pleased to be able to support this important work to recover the critically endangered Cross River gorilla. 'The news of a blackback dispersing outside of Afi is a clear indication that this project is having a significant impact in the region.' WCS works to save Cross River gorillas through support for protected area management and wildlife law enforcement in Cross River National Park in Nigeria, along with Takamanda National Park, Mone River Forest Reserve, Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary and the Mbulu forest in Cameroon. Britain must designate overseas territories as 'bluebelt' to protect sea life and stop plastic pollution further poisoning the world's oceans, campaigners have urged. Following the last episode of Planet Earth II, the Great British Oceans coalition has urged the UK government to protect endangered species by safeguarding remote marine zones. The campaign is to create 1.5 million square miles (4 million square kilometres) of protected 'bluebelt' around seven of the 14 British Overseas Territories. If the plan goes through, it could create the largest network of marine reserves in the world. Scroll down for video Britain must designate overseas territories (pictured) as 'bluebelt' to protect sea life and stop plastic pollution further poisoning the world's oceans, campaigners have urged THE BLUEBELT The campaign is to create 1.5 million square miles (four million square kilometres) of protected 'bluebelt' around seven of the 14 British Overseas Terroritories. If the plan goes through, it could create the largest network of marine reserves in the world. The Blue Belt consists of Ascension Island, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha. Within this area is breeding grounds for a quarter of the world's penguins, a third of albatrosses, endangered turtles and the largest's coral atoll on Earth. Already 133 MPs have backed the 'bluebelt' campaign. Advertisement The territories included in the scheme are Ascension Island, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha. Within this area is breeding grounds for a quarter of the world's penguins, a third of albatrosses, endangered turtles and the largest's coral atoll on Earth, according to the Great British Ocean website. The organisation aims to get the government to establish 300,000 square miles (500,000 square kilometres) of Marine Protected Area in the South Sandwich islands next year. Already 133 MPs have backed the 'bluebelt' campaign. 'Through the actions of successive governments, the UK has demonstrated global leadership in ocean conservation', the website said. 'We call on the UK to reaffirm this leadership by working with the governments of the Overseas Territories to deliver on Blue Belt pledges.' The organisation aims to establish a protected Marine Protected Area in at least 50 per cent of Ascension Islands waters in 2019. They also want a marine protection regime in Tristan da Cunha by 2020. Another campaign led by a coalition of groups including the Marine Conservation Society, is calling for 30 per cent of global oceans to be turned into marine sanctuaries. 'We have found a growing tide of plastic pollution on UK shores, and must act now to stem that tide', Sandy Luk of the Marine Conservation Society told the Telegraph. Following the last episode of Planet Earth II, the Great British Oceans coalition has urged the UK government to protect endangered species by safeguarding remote marine zones. Pictured is Long Beach on Ascension Island which is part of the proposed scheme The campaign is to create 1.5 million square miles (four million square kilometres) of protected 'bluebelt' around seven of the 14 British Overseas Territories, including St Helena Island (pictured) Pitcairn Island in the Pacific ocean is one of the islands that could be protected. If the plan goes through, it could create the largest network of marine reserves in the world 'The UK's influence on the waters of all of the world's ocean is immense, and we call on UK governments to show leadership at this crucial moment to protect some of the natural jewels of our fragile blue planet.' The campaign #BackTheBlueBelt is backed by Blue Marine Foundation, Greenpeace, the Marine Conservation Society, The Pew Trusts, RSPB and Zoological Society of London. Blue Planet II has highlighted the devastating effect of waste on our oceans. In the final episode, viewers witnessed an albatross chick dying from eating a plastic toothpick that pierced its intestine and a sperm whale tries to eat a blue plastic bucket confusing it for food. Seen by more than 17 million Britons, and hundreds of millions of viewers around the world, the nature documentary is helping to pressure governments to tackle the plastic menace. Nightingale Island (pictured) is part of the Tristan da Cunha group. Already 133 MPs have backed the 'bluebelt' campaign Pictured are king penguins on the beach at St. Andrew's Bay, South Georgia Island. The organisation aims to establish a protected Marine Protected Area in at least 50 per cent of Ascension Islands waters in 2019 Love penguins & turtles & sharks & coral & wonderful marine life in general? Contact your MP easily via our website & ask them to #BackTheBlueBelt & protect 4million km2 of ocean https://t.co/0dt0giYeSn pic.twitter.com/mPDlKeRhfM Great British Oceans (@GBOceans) November 24, 2017 An earlier instalment carried haunting shots of a pilot whale calf believed to have died from plastic pollution. Lucy Quinn, of the British Antarctic Survey Team, demonstrated how albatross chicks are suffering from eating our waste. She said the population of the birds in South Georgia in the South Atlantic has been falling for four decades, with some of the decline blamed on discarded plastic fishing gear and other rubbish. 'Albatrosses have the ability to cough up bits of food that they can't digest, and from that we can tell what they have been eating,' Dr Quinn said. The researchers found the birds had swallowed plastic food bags among other discarded items. An albatross chick died from eating a plastic toothpick that pierced its intestine in another heartbreaking example of the devastating impact plastic waste is having on our oceans In the final episode of Blue Planet II this Sunday, viewers saw a sperm whale try to eat a blue plastic bucket after confusing it for food Explaining how the chick died, Dr Quinn said: 'Unfortunately there was a plastic toothpick that had actually gone through the stomach. Something just as small as that has managed to kill the bird. It's really sad.' The amount of rubbish in Britain's seas has increased by more than 150 per cent in a year, figures from last month showed. Plastic items, including bags and bottles, accounted for nearly all the litter found last year. MPs said the 'damning' report highlighted the need for Ministers to take urgent action to clean up Britain's coastal waters. The Daily Mail has led the way on ending the plastic menace, calling for restrictions on bottles, bags, toxic microbeads and coffee cups. If youve ever nodded off on public transit after a long day of work (or a big night out), Google Maps upcoming feature could be just what you've been looking for. The firm is set to launch a new feature that will provide users with real-time updates about their trips, including a reminder to get off at your stop, according to TechCrunch. The update could also prove useful for travelers in unfamiliar areas, giving live guidance about a journey from start to finish. Scroll down for video The firm is set to launch a new feature that will provide users with real-time updates about their trips, including a reminder to get off at your stop, according to TechCrunch. Users will be able to indicate when they want to 'start' a trip THE UPDATE Google has been testing real-time notifications for transit journeys, according to TechCrunch. Users would be able to 'start' and 'end' a trip, during which they could scroll through the details, and receive updates. It appears the feature will also let users know when the bus or train is approaching their stop. It's unclear when the new feature will launch, though TechCrunch says the firm plans to roll it out 'soon.' Advertisement Google has been testing out the feature among a small group of users, with plans to launch it soon, TechCrunch reports. Once the feature arrives, users will be able to search transit directions like they usually do, and indicate when they want to start a trip. Then, theyll be shown details and updates on the route. These will appear in both the app and on Android lock screens, according to TechCrunch. It will also notify you when your bus or train is nearing your stop. The firm has made a number of changes recently to make its service more user friendly. If youve ever nodded off on public transit after a long day of work (or a big night out), Google Maps upcoming feature could be just what you've been looking for. Stock image Last month, the tech giant overhauled its map color scheme and added new icons to help users quickly identify different points of interest. Places like a cafe, church, museum, zoo or hospital will have a designated color and icon to make it easier for users to find what they're looking for. For example, if you're looking for a coffee shop in a new neighborhood, you could open Google Maps and look for the nearest orange icon - the color code for Food and Drink places. Google Maps has also updated the driving, navigation, transit and explore maps to better highlight the information most relevant to each experience - such as construction work signs for driving and train stations for transit Google made a cheat sheet of the new colors and icons to help users become acquainted with the new look Google Maps also updated the driving, navigation, transit and explore maps to better highlight the information most relevant to each experience - such as gas stations for navigation and train stations for transit. Google made a cheat sheet of the new colors and icons to help users become acquainted with the new look. Google products set to incorporate the new feature include Google Assistant, Google Search, Google Earth, and Android Auto. Google has updated its map color scheme and added new icons to help users quickly identify different points of interest. For example, if you're looking for a coffee shop, you could open Google Maps and look for the nearest orange icon - the color code for Food and Drink places Over time, the new style will also appear in the apps, websites and experiences offered by companies that use Google Maps APIs as well. Other recent additions to Google Maps include the new video review feature. The feature, launched in September, allows users to create 10-second video clips in the Maps app or upload 30-second clips from their camera roll to describe their experiences at destinations in a new way. She said her ex-husband Karl Stefanovic was 'dead' to her after their 21-year marriage fell a part last year. And Cassandra Thorburn, 46, appeared to keep her distance from the Today show host last week, when they both attended an event for their youngest son River, 11. The mother-of-three told Daily Mail Australia on Monday that she and Karl, 43, continue to amicably co-parent their children, which also include Jackson, 18, and Ava, 12. Keeping their distance: Cassandra Thorburn and ex-husband of 21 years Karl Stefanovic both attend their son's speech day in Sydney... but steer clear of one another 'We have three children together and often attend events but of course not together. We are divorced,' she said. She added that the kids are currently on holiday. The former couple arrived separately last week and avoided direct contact with each other during a 'speech day' at Sydney's Luna Park. No direct contact: The former couple arrived separately and avoided direct contact with each other during the 'speech day' at Sydney's Luna Park One image showed Cassandra speaking to their son near the water's edge, while Karl, 43, stood alone and looked on from at least 10 meters. Cassandra appeared to be in high spirits as she took selfies with River, wearing heels, black tight trousers and a white T-shirt. Cutting a solitary figure, Karl appeared to patiently wait for his chance to congratulate his son on his speech day. Selfie time: Cassandra appeared to be in high spirits as she took selfies with River, wearing heels, black tight trousers and a white T-shirt Getting through it: The reunion for Karl and Cassandra come after the former ABC journalist , 46, told Woman's Day magazine she 'was in a very dark place' when the relationship fell apart River later met with his famous father, who ruffled his hair and shared a tender moment near the harbour. The reunion for Karl and Cassandra come after the former ABC journalist , 46, told Woman's Day magazine she 'was in a very dark place' when the relationship fell apart. Likening the break-up to experiencing the death of a family member, she admitted she will never have an amicable friendship with her ex. 'The children still have a father but I don't have a husband. He really is dead to me and no, we won't ever be friends again,' she said. Sweet moment: River later met with his famous father, who ruffled his hair and shared a tender moment near the harbour Proud parents: Both Karl and Cassandra looked proud as punch as they attended the function Standing her ground: Likening the break-up to experiencing the death of a family member, Cassandra admitted she will never have an amicable friendship with her ex Emotions: Following their breakup, Cassandra said she was left in shock, falling in a 'heap' Following their breakup, Cassandra said she was left in shock, falling in a 'heap' when the couple's children would go to school. 'There were days in the beginning I would get up, put on a brave face and drop the kids at school, then I'd get to the back door and I would lie in a heap for the rest of the day unable to move - there were very dark days,' she told the magazine. 'I was completely gazumped when I realised Karl had gone.' The mother-of-three added that she had relied on her friends for support in the wake of the split, but there were still elements of her former life she couldn't bring herself to face - like the former's couple's marital bed. 'I was completely gazumped when I realised Karl had gone': Cassandra and Karl split last year Doting dad: Karl was seen making his way to the event at Luna Park 'I slept on the couch in front of the fire for months because I didn't want to go near the marital bed. I was in a very dark place,' Cassandra confessed. Since the split, Karl moved on and started a relationship with 33-year-old shoe designer, Jasmine Yarbrough. Cassandra and Karl's children have not spent that much time with his new flame, despite the couple living just a suburb away. Despite the turmoil of the relationship breakdown, Cass admitted she was now feeling stronger than ever and was prioritising the happiness of her children above all but was open to meet someone new if the opportunity arose. New flame: Since the split, Karl has started a relationship with Jasmine Yarbrough (left) She's best known for her Golden Globe-winning performance in The Affair. And Ruth Wilson was sure to stun the audience once again at the British Independent Film Awards in London on Sunday. The 35 year-old poured her incredible figure into an elegant white satin slip-inspired dress, which showed off her amazing curves. Scroll down for video Ruth Wilson, 35, was sure to stun the audience once again at the British Independent Film Awards in London on Sunday The Surrey actress let her stunning outfit do all the talking, as she only accessorised the ensemble with sparkling diamond chandelier earrings. Ruth balanced the delicate look black strapped heels, with mismatched jeweled embellishments to add a touch of glamour. The Lone Ranger star kept it fresh-faced when it came to her make-up, opting for light mascara and a berry lip. Giving her dress the full impact, she draped her brunette locks naturally on her shoulders, styled with soft curls for an Old Hollywood vibe. Braless: The 35 year-old poured her incredible figure into an elegant white satin slip-inspired dress, which showed off her amazing curves In March, Ruth discussed her sex scenes with The Wire star Dominic West in The Guardian, and confessed that they both had to get very familiar with each other very quickly for the American Showtime drama, which finished its third season in January. When asked about the copious amount of sex scenes the pair have onscreen, she said she hadn't met Dominic before they ended up in 'ridiculous' positions. She added: 'We mainly laugh and giggle through our sex scenes. He usually has to go on top, and hates me for it, because he has to reveal his bum. 'We all have our insecurities, including Dominic West. It doesn't stop him though, he gets it out every week. It's a ridiculous job.' Ruth has also signed up for a BBC drama that will see her play her real-life grandmother Alice, who found out on her husband Alecs death that he was a bigamist. It later transpired that Alec, an MI6 agent and author, had four families over the course of 30 years. Ruth first learned of the scandal at 18, when her grandmother let her read a memoir she had written. 'We all have our insecurities': Ruth discussed her sex scenes with The Wire star Dominic West in The Guardian, and said they: 'Mainly laugh and giggle through our sex scenes. He usually has to go on top, and hates me for it, because he has to reveal his bum Katie Holmes found herself getting snowed on in New York this Sunday. But the 38-year-old was prepared for the December chill, having wrapped herself in a stylish off-white scarf with grey stripes and a bit of fringe. Modeling a form-fitted pine green coat, Kate was glimpsed with a smile on her face as she carried a shopping bag from Old Navy. Scroll down for video On the go: Katie Holmes found herself getting snowed on in New York this Sunday Katie elegantly clashed a pair of wine-colored boots with blue jeans. Though she used to be seen about with long hair, she's had it lopped off, debuting her current much shorter style this autumn. She explained to People near the end of October that the hairdo, which was the handiwork of celeb coiffeur DJ Quintero, is 'for a role.' Said she: 'Im getting ready to play a woman in a movie called The Doorman. Shes an ex-Marine and shes a warrior. Im excited. Im training. Im sore.' A bit of Christmas shopping?: Modeling a form-fitted pine green coat, Kate was glimpsed with a smile on her face as she carried a paper bag from Old Navy The Batman Begins actor began dating Scientologist movie star Tom Cruise in 2005, and seven weeks into the relationship, they were engaged. Their Scientologist wedding was held at the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Bracciano in November 2006, seven months after their daughter Suri was born. Katie filed in 2012 for a divorce that was finalized only 10 days later, with Suri's mother retaining primary custody, though Tom could visit, per People. Doting mother: Katie has an 11-year-old daughter called Suri Cruise, who is the product of the former's six-year marriage to Tom Cruise The way they were: Their Scientologist wedding was held at the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Bracciano in November 2006, seven months after their daughter was born Ron Miscavige, father of Scientology leader David Miscavige, told MailOnline last year that Katie's misgivings about Scientology - including the effect it could have on Suri - contributed to her decision to leave Tom. Katie and Jamie Foxx only went public with their romance this year, though there had been speculation they were an item since 2013. There has been a swirl of rumors that Katie's divorce agreement prohibited her from publicly dating anyone for five years after the split with Tom. She won major praise earlier this year for her role as Rose Armitage in thriller Get Out. And now actress Allison Williams, 29, can add another accolade to her growing list, as she helped pick up the gong for Best International Film at the British Independent Film Awards in London on Sunday. The former Girls star looked radiant in form-fitting black dress as she collected the award with co-star Daniel Kaluuya. Scroll down for video Co-stars: The former Girls star looked radiant in form-fitting black dress as she collected the award with co-star Daniel Kaluuya The newly blonde starlet kept her relatively simple, with only a pair of minimalist diamond drop earrings and her wedding rings giving the outfit a touch of sparkle. Compensating for her understated look, Allison left her blonde wavy locks to frame her face, which boasted a chic peach lip and smokey eye. Her co-star Daniel Kaluuya looked ever-so dapper in a maroon fitted blazer and matching trousers. He coordinated his dark ensemble with a black turtleneck and black polished shoes. Winner: Actress Allison Williams, 29, can add another accolade to her growing list, as she helped pick up the gong for Best International Film at the British Independent Film Awards in London on Sunday Happy: The newly blonde starlet kept her relatively simple, with only a pair of minimalist diamond drop earrings and her wedding rings giving the outfit a touch of sparkle Pose: Compensating for her understated look, Allison left her blonde wavy locks to frame her face, which boasted a chic peach lip and smokey eye Best film: Her co-star Daniel Kaluuya looked ever-so dapper in a maroon fitted blazer and matching trousers. He coordinated his dark ensemble with a black turtleneck and black polished shoes Backstage: The Girls star looked angelic behind the scenes of the awards, as she stood in front the ready-to-go statues The stylish duo were presented their award by actress Andrea Riseborough. Other winners include veteran actor Gary Oldman, 59, who received the Variety Award. The star will next appear in The Darkest Hour, in which he plays Winston Churchill during the Second World War. 21 year-old actress Florence Pugh picked up the gong for Best Actress, who could barely contain her excitement as she hilariously posed with presenter Jason Issacs. The Lady Macbeth actress rocked a glittering khaki green gown with a sequin-embellished umpire line. Expert: Other winners include veteran actor Gary Oldman, 59, who received the Variety Award Jubilant: 21 year-old actress Florence Pugh picked up the gong for Best Actress, who could barely contain her excitement as she hilariously posed with presenter Jason Issacs. Kick up your heels! The Lady Macbeth actress rocked a glittering khaki green gown with a sequin-embellished umpire line Josh O'Connor bagged Best Actor for his role in God's Own Country, in which the 27 year-old plays a Yorkshire farmer dealing with with arrival of a migrant worker. The Lewis actor looked red carpet-ready in a smart midnight blue suit, luckily coordinating with the prize presenter, Downton Abbey's Joanne Froggatt, who stunned in her floor-length jewel encrusted gown. Actress and screenwriter Alice Birch beamed as she picked up her award for Best Screenplay for her screenwriting debuty, Lady Macbeth. Blue hue: The Lewis actor looked red carpet-ready in a smart midnight blue suit, luckily coordinating with the prize presenter, Downton Abbey's Joanne Froggatt, who stunned in her floor-length jewel encrusted gown Eye on the prize: Josh O'Connor bagged Best Actor for his role in God's Own Country, in which the 27 year-old plays a Yorkshire farmer dealing with with arrival of a migrant worker Grateful: Joanne embraced Josh as he came to pick up his award for Best Actor. The Essex actor was previously in ITV crime drama Lewis Lady in black: Actress Alice Birch beamed in black velvet as she picked up her award for Best Screenplay for her screenwriting debut Lady Macbeth Actress Alice Birch beamed in black velvet as she picked up her award for Best Screenplay for her screenwriting debut Lady Macbeth. Naomi Ackie picked up the prize for Most Promising Newcomer. The Lady Macbeth actress stunned in her cobalt blue dress and eye catching red lip as she posed with I Daniel Blake star Haley Squires, who won the award last year, and playwright Arinze Kene. Academy Award-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, 80, made a rare appearance to collect the Richard Harris award, which is awarded to those who have made an outstanding contribution to British film. Previous winners include Emma Thompson and Julie Walters. Huge honour: Naomi Ackie picked up the prize for Most Promising Newcomer. The Lady Macbeth actress stunned in her cobalt blue dress and eye catching red lip as she posed with I Daniel Blake star Haley Squires, who won the award last year, and playwright Arinze Kene Promising: Best newcomer Naomi messed around while posing with previous winner Haley Squires and playwright Arinze Academy Award-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, 80, made a rare appearance to collect the Richard Harris award, presented to her by Jared Harris and daugther Joely Richardson - dressed in Roksanda Elated: Vanessa picked up the award for outstanding contribution, previously won by Emma Thompson and Julie Walters They are the ultimate glamour couple, who enjoy a lavish life filled with red carpet events, overseas trips and parties. But it was the weekend christening of AFL player Jordan Lewis's twin boys that appeared to be one of Jesinta and Buddy Franklin's favourite and most meaningful events this year. Former Miss Universe Australia winner Jesinta, 26, and Sydney Swans star Buddy, 30, gushed over Jordan and Lucy Lewis's twins, Ollie and Hughie, while attending the special day on Sunday. Are they next? Jesinta and Buddy Franklin get VERY clucky at the christening of AFL player Jordan Lewis's adorable twin boys The model shared a picture of the ceremony to her Instagram account, congratulating the couple on their young brood. 'Ollie & Hughie's Christening ... What a beautiful family you've created x,' she posted before adding a love heart emoji. Meanwhile, Godfather Buddy posted his own adorable picture of himself with one of the boys. 'Beautiful day today for the Christening of Ollie and Hughie ... I think this is Ollie,' the AFL player wrote. The young couple then entered into plenty of banter with Jordan and each other over social media, especially over who gets baby duties. The Melbourne player jokedthat Buddy will be the boss if anything happens to them. '[If] the mafia get Luce and I, you're in charge. @buddy_franklin23,' the Demons player posted. Switching plays: Sydney Swans star Buddy stands behind the priest at the christening of Melbourne Demons player Jordan Lewis's twin boys Model Jesinta was on-hand to offer support, making a quip about Buddy's child-minding skills. 'These kids are in good hands...' The banter wasn't lost on fans of the glamorous couple, who started asking about the couple's future baby plans. 'Great pic @buddy_franklin23 yay are u & @jesinta_franklin gettin clucky.' Baby plans? Jesinta, 26, and Buddy , 30, have been coy in the past about answering questions relating to future family plans The young couple have been coy in the past about baby plans. The former Apprentice contestant has said her own mother is a big influence on her life and credits her own success to her. I wouldnt be in this career if it werent for Mum and everything shes done for us,' she said. She is set to leave Albert Square this festive season in spectacular fashion, this Christmas alongside her on-screen sister Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald). But Jacqueline Jossa, who's been on the BBC for seven years, has joked that her time with the soap will never end as she feels like she's married a 'young Adam Woodyatt' in her husband Dan Osborne. The 25-year-old actress told Radio Times that Dan, who she married earlier this year, wants Lego for Christmas, a similarity to Adam, who plays Ian Beale on the soap. Scroll down for video Lego lover: Actress Jacqueline Jossa revealed that her husband Dan Osborne wants Lego for Christmas in an interview with the Radio Times ahead of her dramatic Eastenders departure She said: 'My husband Daniel has actually told me what he wants this year. It's Lego, which is quite shameful, isn't it? 'Either the Disney Castle or Big Ben. Did you know that Adam Woodyatt is also into Lego? I always say I'm married to a young Adam Woodyatt they're very similar.' Jacqueline tied the knot with Dan in June after four years together, and the couple are also parents to two-year-old daughter Ella. In a festive shoot for the publication's Christmas Issue, Jacqueline can be seen in a stunning forest green gown alongside co-stars Jake Wood and Lorna Fitzgerald, as they decorate a Christmas tree in the shadow of the Queen Vic. Happy couple: Jacqueline (here in January 2016) tied the know with TOWIE star Dan in June this year, and the couple are parents to two-year-old daughter Ella Parallels: Jacqueline said: 'I always say I'm married to a young Adam Woodyatt they're very similar' 'They're very similar': Jacqueline compared her new husband Dan (left) to a young Adam Woodyatt (right) Jacqueline will make her sensational departure from Eastenders this festive season, though bosses have remained tight-lipped on how she and co-star Lorna Fitzgerald leave the BBC soap. Fans have predicted it will have something to do with their father Max's latest antics, as he becomes increasingly unhinged after being duped out of his revenge victory by Wilmott-Brown and rejected by his girlfriend Fi. As he sinks further and further into insanity, he will plot to finally get his revenge on Ian Beale and Phil Mitchell, by deciding to murder them both. Expecting: Jacqueline (here in January 2015 during her pregnancy) shares two-year-old daughter Ella with now-husband Dan Dramatic: Jacqueline will depart Eastenders this festive season with on-screen sister Lorna Fitzgerald (left) pictured with their on-screen father Max (Jake Wood) Insane: Viewers have seen Max grow increasingly unhinged in recent weeks, and over the festive season the villain will turn murderous Out now: Jacqueline made the comments in the Christmas Issue of The Radio Times, available on Tuesday 12 December Actor Jake Wood teased that Max feels murder is the right thing to do, and after his daughters Lauren and Abi ostracise him in the coming weeks, the villain feels he has nothing to lose. Jacqueline and Lorna's exit from Eastenders was announced back in September. An spokesman told Mail Online: 'We can confirm that Jacqueline and Lorna will be leaving EastEnders. They have both been wonderful to work with and we wish them all the best for the future.' On the pair's exit a source told The Sun: 'It will be one of the biggest on-screen moments of the year. Sometimes a great storyline comes at the cost of losing some characters. The cast will be sorry to see them go.' Read the full interview with Jacqueline Jossa and the cast of EastEnders in the new issue of Radio Times magazine, out now. She's become the model of the moment. And Hailey Baldwin proved her worth as she commanded attention in a saucy Instagram story on Sunday. The 21-year-old stunner showcased her sensational figure in the posting as she donned revealing white lingerie. Saucy: Hailey Baldwin, 21, commanded attention in a saucy Instagram story on Sunday Daring to impress, the American beauty put her ample assets on center stage as the lacy top left little to the imagination. Her delicate decolletage and toned tummy was also on full display as the slinky garb flashed the flesh. Throwing caution to the wind, the Maxim Hot 100 winner went virtually makeup free with just a dab of berry lip. Her trademark blonde tresses were swept back in a tight bun as she gave a sultry pose in the bathroom mirror. Stunner: Hailey graced the red carpet for the Jingle Ball North concert in Toronto, Canada The posting comes a day after Hailey made a grand appearance at the Jingle ball North concert in Toronto, Canada . She donned a high fashion editorial look as she rocked a satin shirt dress for pop music's star-studded event. Her gorgeous gams were on full display as the black leather knee high boots accentuated her statuesque features. Leggy lady: Her gorgeous gams were on full display as the black leather knee high boots accentuated her statuesque features With a nod to fashion label Comme des Garcons, Hailey's loose fitting button down featured photos of models. The white satin oxford plunged low revealing her pretty decolletage as it hung off one of her petite shoulders. Meanwhile, the annual concert showcasing the top musical performers of the day brought out a bevy of stars including Fergie and Cardi B. Work commitments took a back seat as Angelina Jolie spent part of her weekend browsing for bargains with her family at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena. The actress, 42, was joined by three of her six children in Shiloh, 11, and twins Knox and Vivienne, nine, as she ventured out on Sunday afternoon. Attempting to hide her identity under a very large floppy black hat, Angelina cut a low-key figure while browsing the various stalls. Scroll down for video Casual: Work commitments took a back seat as Angelina Jolie spent part of her weekend browsing for bargains with her family at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena The star wore a long gray jersey coat over a black dress with lace at the bust, while slipper-style black flats and a large black leather tote rounded things off. Meanwhile Shiloh wore a gray hoodie with the hood worn over her short blonde hair. She added tan cargo pants and black flipflops and snaked on tortilla chips as she walked along. Family outing: The actress, 42, tried to hide her identity under a very large floppy black hat as she took three of her six children shopping Casual: Shiloh, 11, wore a gray hoodie with the hood up over her short blonde hair. She added tan cargo pants and black flipflops and snaked on tortilla chips as she walked along Knox was dressed in a black t-shirt and black sweatpants with black trainers. He carried a toy wooden crossbow that he'd found at one of the hundreds of stalls of merchandise. Vivienne had on camouflage pants and black shoes along with a baggy white cotton shirt that she left untucked. She also carried a purchase - a blue and green blanket dotted with dinosaurs. Their famous mother also carried purchases in a white plastic bag. Star power: Angelina sported large sunglasses and small diamond earrings on her outing with her brood Successful trip: Knox, nine, was dressed in a black t-shirt and black sweatpants with black trainers. He carried a toy wooden crossbow Dressed down: Vivienne, nine, had on camouflage pants and black shoes along with a baggy white cotton shirt that she left untucked Bought toys: Vivienne also carried a purchase - a blue and green blanket dotted with dinosaurs. Her mom carried additional purchases in a white plastic bag Not seen with Angelina were her three other children whom she shares with ex Brad Pitt - Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, and Zahara, 12 Meanwhile, Angelina co-wrote an Op-Ed published in a British newspaper on Sunday calling for more to be done to protect women in war zones. She co-authored the article for The Guardian with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for The Guardian. 'In our different roles we have seen how conflicts in which womens bodies and rights are systematically abused last longer, cause deeper wounds and are much harder to resolve and overcome. Ending gender-based violence is therefore a vital issue of peace and security as well as of social justice,' the two wrote. 'Despite being prohibited by international law, sexual violence continues to be employed as a tactic of war in numerous conflicts from Myanmar to Ukraine and Syria to Somalia. It includes mass rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, and rape as a form of torture, ethnic cleansing and terrorism. It accounts in large part for why it is often more dangerous to be a woman in a warzone today than it is to be a soldier.' They concluded: 'It is humanitys shame that violence against women, whether in peaceful societies or during times of war, has been universally regarded as a lesser crime. There is finally hope that we can change this. We owe it to ourselves men and women alike and to future generations.' Attenborough And the Giant Elephant Rating: John Noakes: TV hero Rating: Sir David Attenboroughs documentaries are usually uplifting and inspiring, filled with memorably beautiful images. They may contain sombre warnings about pollution and climate change, but they are underpinned with hope. Attenborough And The Giant Elephant (BBC1) offered very little hope. It was a tale to empty you of all faith in humanity a catalogue of appalling greed, ignorance and mistreatment. Attenborough and the Giant Elephant (BBC1) told the tale of Jumbo, the first animal to become a global celebrity In more than 60 years of wildlife broadcasting, Sir David has never made anything quite like this. It was often difficult to watch, but it was a story that had to be told. The elephant was called Jumbo, and he lived 150 years ago, the first animal to become a global celebrity. Captured in Africa as a baby, almost certainly by poachers who slaughtered his mother for her ivory, he became a star attraction at London Zoo, giving rides to children. By day, he was a gentle giant, carrying his surly keeper Matthew Scott and half a dozen youngsters on his back for hours without complaint. All he asked for was a constant supply of sticky buns. Binge of the weekend: The Crown (Netflix) returned better and more controversial than ever, with Claire Foy and Matt Smith superb as the Queen and Prince Philip. It opens with a slow-burning row. I wonder, do they watch it at Sandringham? Advertisement But at night, when the crowds were gone, Jumbo was an elephant in horrific torment. He suffered uncontrollable rages, smashing his head against the bars of his cage so hard that he shattered both tusks.The only medicine the zoo had for Jumbo was whisky. It seemed to calm him. At the American Museum of Natural History, Jumbos bones have been stored for more than a century yet the remains have never been studied scientifically, till now. Sir David examined the poor animals jaw, and saw at once the ghastly evidence of what ailed Jumbo. His teeth were rotted and misshapen: the sugary buns that children fed him by the hundred had caused appalling dental problems. Sir David pointed to another cause for the misery: even as a young elephant, Jumbo had suffered from arthritis exacerabated by the rides he constantly gave. He ended his life as part of circus master P. T. Barnums freak show in America. A train hit him as he was led across railway tracks to his wagon. Death could only have been a mercy to the unfortunate creature. In more than 60 years of wildlife broadcasting, Sir David has never made anything quite like this. It was often difficult to watch, but it was a story that had to be told This was a thoroughly researched piece of animal history, told with Sir Davids accustomed charm. He tried to brighten it with a visit to a U.S. sanctuary where rescued circus elephants now live in comfortable retirement. John Noakes: TV Hero (BBC2) showed the former Blue Peter presenter's superhuman courage But the truth is that Jumbo is a symbol of how sadistically human beings have treated elephants for 150 years. Today, some experts warn we have perhaps 20 years to save them from extinction. The whole business, like this one-off documentary, is heartbreaking. An elephant gave the marvellous Noaksie, who died earlier this year, one of his most famous TV moments though, as his fellow Blue Peter presenter Val Singleton revealed on John Noakes: TV Hero (BBC2), mischievous Lulu didnt actually tread on Johns foot. He was acting, for laughs. But John wasnt acting when he scaled Nelsons Column with not so much as a hard hat for safety gear. Noaksies courage was superhuman: whether he was asked to hurl himself down the Cresta Run on a bobsleigh or jump out of an aeroplane, he never thought twice about it. This was a terrific tribute to a unique star and a salute to an era of recklessly entertaining telly that is long gone. Its just a shame that many of the clips were so well-known. There must be dozens more in the archives just as good. Lets have a whole series. Bella Hadid was spotted hauling her Louis Vuitton luggage through JFK Airport's bustling terminal in New York on Sunday alongside an assistant. The 21-year-old IMG Model went make-up free for her eight-hour flight from England's Heathrow Airport and scraped her extension-free brunette bob into a messy top-bun. The Victoria's Secret catwalker sported a $154 black tracksuit from UK feminist clothing brand LAPP along with matching patent leather platform boots and a faux-fur hooded jacket. Scroll down for video On a roll! Bella Hadid was spotted hauling her Louis Vuitton luggage through JFK Airport's bustling terminal in New York on Sunday alongside an assistant Aside from attending the launch of her $5,900 limited-edition Tag Heuer Link watch, Bella spent her time in London day-drinking Corona beer on a park bench in Primrose Hill with pals. Hadid - who boasts 17.4M social media followers - wrote 'coming home' on Instagram, meaning the cozy Pennsylvania horse farm her mother Yolanda (born Van den Herik) bought back in June. Meanwhile, the nepotistically-privileged socialite's millionaire real estate developer father, Mohamed, remains in her native Los Angeles. According to MailOnline, the half-Jordanian, half-Dutch stunner spent a whopping 'three minutes' at a Palestinian protest against President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Globetrotter: The 21-year-old IMG Model went make-up free for her eight-hour flight from England's Heathrow Airport and scraped her extension-free brunette bob into a messy top-bun Athleisure: The Victoria's Secret catwalker sported a $154 black tracksuit from UK feminist brand LAPP along with matching patent leather platform boots and a faux-fur hooded jacket Busy: Aside from attending the launch of her $5,900 Tag Heuer Link watch, Bella spent her time in London day-drinking Corona beer on a park bench in Primrose Hill with pals Bella was still wearing her glamorous fur-collared Ermanno Screvino FW/17 corduroy coat and red-sequin gown selected by stylist Elizabeth Sulcer as she briefly picketed the US Embassy near Hyde Park. It was the day after Hadid declared on Instagram that she 'stands with Palestine' after seeing the sadness of her 'father, cousins, Palestinian family, and ancestors.' 'Jerusalem is home of all religions,' the Fyre Festival promoter wrote. 'For this to happen, I feel, makes us take 5 steps back making it harder to live in a world of peace. The TREATMENT of the Palestinian people is unfair, one-sided and should not be tolerated. I stand with Palestine. There is no hate against anyone... There are no sides... All religions living side by side.. Now it is Just one man..it has always been a factor of trying to bring peace... Where is the hope..?' Next destination: Hadid wrote 'coming home' on Instagram, meaning the Pennsylvania horse farm her mother Yolanda (pictured) bought back in June Darling daddy: Meanwhile, the nepotistically-privileged socialite's millionaire real estate developer father, Mohamed, remains in her native Los Angeles Pictured Friday: The half-Jordanian, half-Dutch stunner spent 'three minutes' at a Palestinian protest against President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital Photo opp: Bella was still wearing her fur-collared Ermanno Screvino FW/17 corduroy coat selected by stylist Elizabeth Sulcer as she briefly picketed the US Embassy near Hyde Park 'Jerusalem is home of all religions': It was the day after Hadid declared that she 'stands with Palestine' after seeing the sadness of her 'father, cousins, Palestinian family, and ancestors' On Thursday, Us Weekly reported that homeschooled millennial has been 'talking, texting, and FaceTiming' her ex-boyfriend The Weeknd ever since he split from Selena Gomez (who's back with ex Justin Bieber) last month. The 27-year-old Canadian crooner (born Abel Tesfaye) - who's currently touring Australia - will next compete for best urban contemporary album at the Grammy Awards airing January 28 on CBS. With Bella's busy schedule, it's hard to believe she takes '30 pills and self-administers two shots a day in the keester' just to properly function with her Lyme Disease - according to InStyle. Pictured in 2016: On Thursday, Us Weekly reported that homeschooled millennial has been 'talking, texting, and FaceTiming' her ex-boyfriend The Weeknd ever since he split from Selena Gomez last month She's currently celebrating a gal pal's birthday in Miami. And Iskra Lawrence was clearly having the time of her life as she spent some quality girl time with her friends on the beach and at the shops. The Aerie model, 27, rocked a pair of grey leggings that clung to her physique as she hit the beach with her friends before trying on a festive pair of red and white pajamas. Life's a beach! Iskra Lawrence was clearly having the time of her life as she spent some quality girl time with her friends shopping around and on the beach Pajama party! Iskra hit the beach with her friends before trying on a festive pair of red and white pajamas Iskra and the girls all wore a black T-shirt in honor of the birthday girl that declared in bold font, 'Fatty's B'Day Turn Up.' Strolling beside the waves with her pals, the cheerful star soaked in the sea breeze before posing up a storm beside a lifeguard tower. The model flashed a huge smile as she struck a playful pose while sitting on the brightly painted tower. Aside from hitting the beach with her pals, Iskra and her friends also rocked matching red and white striped pajamas. Sending temperatures soaring! Lawrence's grey leggings clung to her physique Peace out! The 27-year-old flashed a peace sign as she celebrated her gal pal's birthday Pretty in plaid! Lawrence rocked a blue plaid shirt that knotted at her waist The model laughed and smiled as she tried on the comfortable pajamas with all her pals in tow. From the red carpet to modelling for Aerie, Iskra's schedule has been jam-packed with glamorous events as of late. She also joined forces with Aly Raisman to talk about body positivity and self-love at Aerie in Miami that same day. Just the girls! Iskra kicked back on the lifeguard tower beside her friends Hitting her stride! The star stepped out in a comfortable and sporty pair of trainers Beach girl: The model soaked in the sea air as she strolled by the ocean with a shopping bag in hand The golden-haired beauty refuses to label herself a plus size model and she previously protested against the lack of diversity during London Fashion Week. It is no wonder she has secured so many high-profile invites after she forged a successful modelling career with the aim to change the industry's perceptions on beauty and size. Iskra has courted the attention of her legion of loyal fans on Instagram with her body confidence and positivity. She recently described on social media how 'imperfectly' is 'perfect' because 'real is good enough' as she continues to craft a positive body image for her followers. Birthday fun! Lawrence and her pals all rocked matching birthday T-shirts Earning her fashion stripes! Iskra padded around the shop in her socks and striped pajamas On screen it is the Resistance against the First Order. But behind the scenes of Star Wars there is a much bigger battle going on over the fate of Carrie Fisher's dog Gary. The late actress's assistant Corby McCoin and her daughter Billie Lourd have been at loggerheads over the beloved French Bulldog's role in the wake of his master's passing. Gary: assistant Corby McCoin (pictured) and her daughter Billie Lourd have been at loggerheads over the beloved French Bulldog's role in the wake of his master's passing McCoin has been in possession of the pooch since the Princess Leia icon passed away last Christmas. Since then, the fan favourite pet has made a number of public appearances which Billie is not happy about, according to TMZ. While McCoin wants to take the dog to functions to allow fans meet him and feel close to Fisher, Lourd reportedly believes this is cheapening her memory. According to the site, the dog was due to make an appearance at ComicCon, but Lucasfilm contacted the organizers and asked them to block it. Nope: While McCoin wants to take the dog to functions to allow fans meet him and feel close to Fisher, Lourd (pictured at the premiere on Saturday night) reportedly believes this is cheapening her memory Cheapened: While she and her dad, CAA exec Bryan Lourd, fully understand how close Carrie was to her pet, they do not want her memory defined by the animal He was also supposed to make an appearance with Mark hamill at Star Wars Celebration in Orlando last year, but again it was blocked. Billie was actually the dog's original owner; her mother adopted him as a service animal to help deal with her bipolar disorder. While she and her dad, CAA exec Bryan Lourd, fully understand how close Carrie was to her pet, they do not want her memory defined by the animal. Working relationship: Billie was actually the dog's original owner; her mother adopted him as a service animal to help deal with her bipolar disorder TMZ reported that Lourd senior even offered McCoin $250 a month to prevent him from parading the dog, but was rejected. Gary meanwhile, who went everywhere with Carrie before she died, has a cameo appearance in The Last Jedi, as an alien pet. Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens on Friday. He broke his silence about splitting with Alex Nation for the first time on Monday. And former Bachelor Richie Strahan left the previous day for a getaway to Japan, accompanied by friend and former Big Brother housemate Travis Lunardi. The 32-year-old shared his excitement to travel in a series of Instagram snaps, following Alex's new fiancee Maegan Luxa's interesting message to him a day earlier. Scroll down for video Sojourn: After breaking his silence on splitting with Alex Nation, former Bachelor Richie Strahan left for a getaway to Japan 'Here we go!' the reality star announced in the first of many social media uploads, accompanied by a shot of his coffee, passport and plane tickets. His next capture was a panorama photo out the window of the plane, showcasing the bright blue sky and wing of the aircraft. He flaunted his business class status in the next image, a shot of a complimentary grey shirt with a satin ribbon tied around it. 'Here we go!' the reality star announced in the first of many social media uploads, accompanied by a shot of his coffee, passport and plane tickets Views: His next capture was a panorama photo out the window of the plane, showcasing the bright blue sky and wing of the aircraft Richie then took a selfie with Travis, both smiling broadly as they enjoyed their spacious seats with the caption: 'This ledge [legend]'. He then shared another selfie, this time in the dark with his eye-mask propped above his face and the words, 'Epic nap on the way to Japan'. The rope access technician opened up to New Idea on Monday about his split with Alex, saying he had 'made a lot of sacrifices' for their failed relationship. Buddies: Richie then took a selfie with Travis, both smiling broadly as they enjoyed their spacious seats with the caption: 'This ledge [legend]' Elite: He flaunted his business class status in the next image, a shot of a complimentary grey shirt with a satin ribbon tied around it Alex has moved on with her fellow AFL player girlfriend Maegan Luxa, and the lovebirds revealed their engagement one week ago. They were snapped in Sydney Airport on Sunday, where Maegan had a cryptic message for Richie when approached by paparazzi. 'You can guess it ... I wouldn't say it. I would do what I did last time,' she softly answered amid laughs. Called it quits: The rope access technician opened up to New Idea on Monday about his split with Alex, saying he had 'made a lot of sacrifices' for their failed relationship Nineties supermodel Cindy Crawford and her mini-me daughter Kaia Gerber had a ball at a fundraiser for Best Buddies, which took place at Pinz Bowling Center in Studio City on Sunday. As usual, the evergreen mother-of-two easily defied her 51 years while clad in a grey peasant blouse, black skinny jeans, and big buckled boots. The longtime Versace muse toted a Gucci cross-body bag and rocked dark sunglasses as she chatted with a female friend. Scroll down for video 'Doing Calvin's (M) signature move!' Nineties supermodel Cindy Crawford (R) and her mini-me daughter Kaia Gerber (L) had a ball at a fundraiser for Best Buddies, which took place at Pinz Bowling Center in Studio City on Sunday Meanwhile, the nepotistically-privileged 16-year-old - who scored her California driver's license on September 5 - was joined by her 17-year-old gal pal and fellow IMG Model, Charlotte Lawrence. The Malibu High School junior - who relies on stylist Elizabeth Sulcer - showcased her long skinny legs in tiny denim shorts, an Ice Cube T-shirt beneath a darker jean jacket, and Converse high-tops. Inside, Cindy (born Cynthia) hung out with several people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who receive support from the nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization. Best Buddies is 'dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development' for the IDD community. Casually clad: As usual, the evergreen mother-of-two easily defied her 51 years while clad in a grey peasant blouse, black skinny jeans, and big buckled boots Mystery woman: The longtime Versace muse toted a Gucci cross-body bag and rocked dark sunglasses as she chatted with a female friend Crawford and her second husband Rande Gerber plan on celebrating Christmas with the Chanel Metiers d'Art catwalker and their 18-year-old son Presley at a 'resort for five days.' 'Last year, we were with Rande's family. This year it is mine, and I am so excited that all of the cousins will be together,' the Northwestern University drop-out told People on Wednesday. 'We used to take everyone to our house in Mexico and stay a little longer. But now the kids are growing up and prefer to spend New Year's Eve with their friends and not with us!' Despite Presley's affinity for vaping - the Midwestern beauty has advised her offspring to not smoke, to eat well, drink lots of water, get regular exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Got her California driver's license on September 5! The nepotistically-privileged 16-year-old was joined by her 17-year-old gal pal and fellow IMG Model, Charlotte Lawrence (R) Pins: The Malibu High School junior showcased her long skinny legs in tiny denim shorts, an Ice Cube T-shirt beneath a darker jean jacket, and Converse high-tops Strike! Inside, Cindy (born Cynthia) hung out with several people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who receive support from the nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization Starstruck: Best Buddies is 'dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development' for the IDD community 'I'm so happy for Kaia and tell her there are no beauty secrets,' Cindy explained. 'But she needs to remember to take off her makeup before she goes to bed each night. I also tell her not to over tweeze her eyebrows because they won't necessarily grow back.' Crawford - who boasts 6.1M social media followers - continued: 'But when it comes to modern technology, I have both of my kids advise me!' The genetically-blessed foursome recently became the first family to collectively represent the Swiss luxury watchmaker, Omega SA, in a campaign shot by famed lensman Peter Lindbergh. 'The kids prefer to spend NYE with their friends!' Crawford and her second husband Rande Gerber plan on celebrating Christmas with the Chanel Metiers d'Art catwalker and their 18-year-old son Presley at a 'resort for five days' (pictured Wednesday) They are the star couple who tied the knot in 2012. And in their trademark witty style, Zoe Foster Blake paid tribute to her husband Hamish on their fifth wedding anniversary, which is also his birthday, on Monday. The 37-year-old shared a comical homage to the father of her two children to Instagram, calling him her 'homeboy'. Scroll down for video Zany: In their trademark witty style, Zoe Foster Blake paid tribute to her husband Hamish on their fifth wedding anniversary, which is also his birthday, on Monday Uploading a snap of Hamish and their toddler Sonny wearing matching 'Homeboy' bracelets by Venessa Arizaga, she added a lengthy funny caption. 'He was my homeboy first, Sonny, back off! Ha ha but seriously, I have known Hamish for like 10 years longer than you so tone it down, champ,' she joked to her son. 'No for real, I want to wish happy birthday to my beautiful homeboy in love and life (AND happy anniversary, because my GOD are we efficient in this family),' she said. 'He was my homeboy first, Sonny, back off! Ha ha but seriously, I have known Hamish for like 10 years longer than you so tone it down, champ,' she joked to her son The author urged her almost 630,000 followers to head to Hamish's Instagram and comment on his most recent post: 'Buon compleanno, ti auguro un sacci di funghi!'. '[It means] (Happy birthday, I wish you a lot of mushrooms!) (He hates mushrooms.),' she explained. 'Doesn't like mushrooms? What a monster. I'd be asking for a divorce!' offered one fan in the comments section. Bliss: The high-profile lovebirds were married on Hamish's 31st birthday five years ago The high-profile lovebirds were married on Hamish's 31st birthday five years ago. 'I'll never forget the moment I first saw Zoe as a bride... I've never had my breath taken away until that moment,' Hamish told Woman's Day at the time. In addition to Sonny, they welcomed daughter Rudy Hazel in August this year. The Australian stunner once toured Europe as an oboe musician before finding her feet in modelling. After signing to her first agency at 14, it didn't take long for the model to strut her stuff down the catwalk for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret by age 24. And on Monday, the now 26-year-old beauty shared a sweet throwback image of herself as a fresh-faced child to her more than 305k followers. Guess who? The Australian stunner once toured Europe as an oboe musician before finding her feet in modelling Scroll down for video She resides in New York, but regularly gushed about her upbringing in Perth's beachside town, South Fremantle. Wearing a blue school uniform, she smiled with her mouth closed for the photo as her locks were tied up with clips and a floral hairtie. Growing up as a teen she sported porcelain skin, dark hair and a side fringe, but can you recognise this Australian beauty? Guess who! She's an international model who has walked for Victoria's Secret... but would YOU recognise her as a teenager in this throwback snap? The model is Perth native, Bridget Malcolm. The married personality can be seen in the throwback snap standing in a white singlet and denim shorts. She was 15 when the image was taken. Bridget captioned the snap: 'How's this for a throwback? Bridget's first digitals... 15 years old (I grew out that hair cut).' Familiar face! The model is Perth native, Bridget Malcolm Successful: She's strutted her stuff down the catwalk for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret Bridget is no stranger to sharing old images of herself. She's previously shared a snap from her childhood showing herself in glasses and braces. She explained that when she was discovered at age 14, she had braces and 'self-cut hair' and it took her a while to find self-confidence. She said she initially felt 'terrified' and struggled to look people in the eye on earlier jobs. Looking back: Bridget is no stranger to sharing old images of herself. She's previously shared a snap from her childhood showing herself in glasses and braces 'Eventually modeling taught me how to look people in the eye, and that I deserve to be where I am today, no matter what the trolls say,' Bridget wrote on her blog. Answering a fan's query about whether she should model as a teenager, Bridget said that modelling had given her a world of confidence. 'When IMG scouted me at 14, I was terrified. I couldnt talk, and I felt like I had fooled everyone,' she wrote. 'It took a couple of years to shake this feeling, but eventually modeling taught me how to look people in the eye, and that I deserve to be where I am today, no matter what the trolls say.' But Bridget stressed the budding model should only work part-time until they were 18, and find other hobbies so their life didn't just revolve around the fashion world. This would make things easier when you weren't chosen for jobs, the Victoria's Secret model argued . 'This job has a shelf life, and you will endure a lot of rejection,' she went on to write. It is a lot easier to endure the rejection when you have a full life outside of modeling; with interests in people outside of the industry, and other hobbies to occupy your mind and time. 'Never lose sight of what life without modeling will look like for you because one day it will happen! Plus it keeps you interesting.' CAUTION: MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD Fans of the Walking Dead are reacting to the show's shocking mid-season finale. After the show revealed Rick's son Carl was bitten by a walker during Sunday's episode, fans were beside themselves. One hysterical viewer wrote: 'Not Carl!!! Not that way!!!!' while others used GIFS and memes to convey their feelings.' Jaw dropping: Fans of the Walking Dead are reacting to the show's shocking mid-season finale Sunday which revealed Rick's son Carl was bitten by a zombie and is going to die soon While the character, who is played by actor Chandler Riggs, hasn't died yet, a bite means it's only a matter of time until Carl's death. One tweet from a user called @RickAndThangs had the Confused Math Lady meme above text that read: 'Trying to figure out ways Carl could survive the walker bite.' The account continued expressing their disbelief, writing: 'CARL IS IMMUNE. LETS SAY IT TOGETHER' atop an image of Spongebob's Patrick Star explaining something emphatically. User Lauren Gonzalez was also in denial, tweeting: 'Carl better be the first character in this show who is immune.' Cruel world! 'Yall took Glenn and now Carl,' wrote a fan, referring to the quick-thinking character played by Stephen Yeun who was brutally killed in the riveting closer to last season Say it ain't so! After the show revealed Rick's son Carl was bitten by a walker, fans were besides themselves, with one hysterical viewer writing: 'Not Carl!!! Not that way!!!!' Crunching the numbers: One tweet from a user called @RickAndThangs had the Confused Math Lady meme above text that read: 'Trying to figure out ways Carl could survive the walker bite' In denial: The account continued expressing their disbelief, writing: 'CARL IS IMMUNE. LETS SAY IT TOGETHER' atop an image of Spongebob's Patrick Star explaining something Don't think there's a shot for that... User Lauren Gonzalez was also in denial, tweeting: 'Carl better be the first character in this show who is immune' Hug it out: Another tweet showed a teary-eyed Rick and series favorite Daryl embracing each other, captioned simple: 'I need a hug' 'Yall took Glenn and now Carl,' wrote a fan, referring to the quick-thinking character played by Stephen Yeun who was brutally killed in the riveting closer to last season. Another tweet showed a teary-eyed Rick and series favorite Daryl embracing each other, captioned simple: 'I need a hug.' The post was paired with a crying Leonardo DiCaprio asking 'How am I supposed to live?' in a clip from the 1995 film Total Eclipse. 'It won't be the same without you...' a sentimental post from user @ImmortalDaryl read along with a picture of Daryl and a younger Carl sitting together. Picture's worth a thousand words: One post let the GIFs do the talking, showing a sobbing Emma Stone shoveling ice cream into her mouth while just tweeting the text: 'Carl' Best buddies: 'It won't be the same without you...' a sentimental post from user @ImmortalDaryl read along with a picture of Daryl and a younger Carl sitting together Fan favorite: It was easy for fans to get sentimental about the character, who has been played by actor Chandler Riggs since the show's start Rest In Power: While the character, who is played by actor Chandler Riggs, hasn't died yet, a bite means it's only a matter of time until Carl's death One post let the GIFs do the talking, showing a sobbing Emma Stone shoveling ice cream into her mouth while just tweeting the text: 'Carl.' 'You ain't gonna do Carl like that!' a tweeter said along with a grab of Danny Devito's character Frank from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia looking somber and saying 'nope.' 'Carl Grimes, just a kid trying to grow up in the apocalypse' posted one fan page. They paired the message with a collage of the character from each of the zombie show's eight seasons. Growing up: 'Carl Grimes, just a kid trying to grow up in the apocalypse' posted one fan page along with a collage of the character from each of the show's eight seasons Not my boy! 'You ain't gonna do Carl like that!' a tweeter said with a grab of Danny Devito's character from It's Always Sunny In Philedelphia looking somber and saying 'nope' Unbelievable: One poster was more incredulous than anything, writing: 'So youre telling me, that Carl can get shot twice and then ends up dying from a bite?' 'Let me just say it already, its so haaaaard to say goodbye....got damn it Carl,' user Icon Living wrote over a GIF of a boy shedding a single tear. One poster was more incredulous than anything, writing: 'So youre telling me, that Carl can get shot twice and then ends up dying from a bite?' Rather than being bitter, the fan embraced the twist, continuing: 'I f***ing love it. RIP you little s***, you and your hat.' Showrunner Scott M. Gimple talked about the plot twist during the post-episode chat show Talking Dead, where he explained that Carl's bite 'will play out as bites play out in the show.' Cry me a river: 'Let me just say it already, its so haaaaard to say goodbye....got damn it Carl,' user Icon Living wrote over a GIF of a boy shedding a single tear Unfinished business: Although Carl's fate is sealed, TWD showrunner Scott M Gimple said Carl still 'has some business to attend to' upon the series' return early next year Although his fate is sealed, Gimple said Carl still 'has some business to attend to.' He explained: '[A bite] is a one-way ticket, but I'd like to think that the things that we see in the next episode are so important in his life and the other characters' lives.' Carl's end is an unexpected choice, as the character is still alive in the comic books which inspired the show and has been a constant since the show's 2010 debut. Walking Dead returns from a mid-season hiatus in February, airing February 25 2018 on AMC. Bella Thorne has revealed she was molested. The actress, 20, told Twitter followers on Friday she was a survivor of sexual abuse after a user commented on a photo she posted, 'What did Disney do to this girl?! I think she was molested.' Thorne tweeted in response: 'Yeah I was. So it wasn't Disney.' Heartbreaking: Bella Thorne has revealed she was molested (pictured Mexico in October 26) She tweeted minutes later, 'The world can be a sick place sometimes.' The user had initially asked the question in response to a photo Bella had posted of herself wearing a purple suit, which she captioned, 'I would f**k this suit if I could.' Thorne wrote no other information about her experience. After making the revelation, Thorne was immediately flooded with messages of support from fans after making the heartbreaking revelation. 'Love u mama ur the strongest person I know,' Bella's boyfriend, Mod Sun, tweeted at her. Revelation: Thorne wrote no other information about her experience Response: The actress, 20, told Twitter followers on Friday she was a survivor of sexual abuse after a user commented on a photo she posted, 'What did Disney do to this girl?! I think she was molested' Encouraging: Thorne's fans sent positive messages her way 'You are brave & loved & perfect the way you are. I'm so sorry. & sorry that some loser who doesn't know you would write something so gross,' tweeted Thorne's Famous In Love co-star Georgie Flores. 'Means more than you know,' Thorne replied back, along with several heart emojis. Thorne's star rose after she appeared in the Disney channel series Shake It Up from 2010 to 2013. She's catapulted to fame and has appeared not only on television but on film as well, including The DUFF, Blended, and Boo! A Madea Halloween. Thorne currently stars in the series Famous In Love and the upcoming teen romance film, Midnight Sun. Sending support: Bella's Famous In Love co-star Georgie Flores sent an encouraging message Will Smith made an appearance at the 2017 Comic Con Experience in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday. The Hollywood star was promoting his upcoming Netflix sci-thriller Bright along with his co-star Joel Edgerton and director David Ayer. Will, 49, was in high spirits as he played to the appreciative crowd. Scroll down for video Star power: Will Smith made an appearance at the 2017 Comic Con Experience in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday The Men In Black and Independence Day star wore a bright yellow v-neck long-sleeved top and black jeans. He added blue shoes. During the course of the promotional appearance, he took the microphone and cracked jokes, took selfies and rapped. Colorful: The Men In Black and Independence Day star wore a bright yellow v-neck long-sleeved top and black jeans. He added blue shoes He's a pro: During the course of the promotional appearance, he took the microphone and cracked jokes, took selfies and rapped Entertainer: Will, 49, was in high spirits as he played to the appreciative crowd and showed off his moves Selfie time: The Hollywood star was promoting his upcoming Netflix sci-thriller Bright along with his co-star Joel Edgerton, right, and director David Ayer, left In Bright, Will and Joel play LAPD detectives with a difference. Will is a human cop while Joel is an Orc and the two have an uneasy relationship until one night they discover the existence of a weapon that could destroy everything. The visual effects-laden fantasy is rumored to be the most expensive Netflix project to date with Vulture reporting it cost upwards of $100 million to make. It will be released on the premium streaming service on December 22. Fantasy adventure: In Bright, helmed by the Suicide Squad director, Will and Joel play LAPD detectives with a difference Pricey: The visual effects-laden movie is rumored to be the most expensive Netflix project to date, reportedly costing upwards of $100 million to make He's played Ramsay Street resident Karl Kennedy on Neighbours since 1994. And now, actor Alan Fletcher is talking about his character's sordid affair with a nurse that shocked the nation two decades ago. Speaking with TV Week on Monday, the 60-year-old stated: 'That story line... was when Neighbours underwent a renaissance.' Shock affair! Neighbours star Alan Fletcher (centre) has talked with TV Week about his character Karl's extramarital affair with much younger nurse Sarah (played by Nicola Charles, right), which gave the soap a ratings boost in 1997 The shock affair been Karl, an upstanding family man with three children, and young nurse Sarah Beaumont (played by Nicola Charles) gave the soap a ratings boost back in 1997. Making the frisky fling even more outrageous was the fact Karl's daughter, Libby, was close friends with Sarah. 'It really revitalised the show', Alan told TV Week of the plot-twist tryst that captured the nation's attention. Nineties nostalgia! Karl's affair was made all the more shocking as viewers saw him as an upstanding family man Karl's wife Susan (played by star Jackie Woodburne) memorably slapped her philandering husband across the face and told him to move out of their Ramsay Street address. Although they later reconciled, Karl again cheated on Susan with the scheming Izzy Hoyland (played by pop queen Natalie Bassingthwaite). Natalie is set to return to the soap in 2018, reviving her role as Izzy, which will no doubt cause more drama for the marriage of Karl and Susan. Turbulent relationship: Karl and Susan's troubled on-off marriage has been a major focus of Neighbours for almost a generation Troubled husband and wife on screen, best friends off-screen: Alan gushed about Jackie in the TV Week interview And while Karl and Susan's troubled on-off marriage has been a major focus of Neighbours for almost a generation, Alan and Jackie don't have any dramas off-screen despite playing the strained spouses. 'The highlight of Neighbours will always be my relationship with Jackie,' Alan stated. 'Jackie and I are firm and fast friends with makes my work life so much more enjoyable'. Louis Tomlinson reunited with his son Freddie Reign during a custody hand-off with his Calabasas-based babymama Briana Jungwirth on Sunday. It seemed to be a bit of a tense moment between the famous Yorkshireman - turning 26 on Christmas Eve - and the 25-year-old former stylist wearing a shearling coat and mini-dress. Meanwhile, the former couple's 23-month-old baby boy appeared to be in good spirits in his cute striped polo shirt, grey jeans, and Converse high-tops. Scroll down for video Family first: Louis Tomlinson reunited with his son Freddie Reign during a custody hand-off with his Calabasas-based babymama Briana Jungwirth on Sunday Tomlinson (born Austin) was dressed down for daddy duties in his usual athleisure wear - this time an Army-green Supreme sweatsuit with $180 grey Reebox 'Pump Supreme' sneakers. Louis 'dumped' Briana when she was eight months pregnant with little Freddie, but 'promised to love and support their child financially' - according to Life & Style. Last month, the former 1D boybander called his on/off relationship with his British girlfriend Eleanor Calder 'amazing.' Emotional: It seemed to be a bit of a tense moment between the Yorkshireman - turning 26 on Christmas Eve - and the 25-year-old former stylist wearing a shearling coat and mini-dress Cherubic child: Meanwhile, the former couple's 23-month-old baby boy appeared to be in good spirits in his cute striped polo shirt, grey jeans, and Converse high-tops Athleisure wear: Tomlinson (born Austin) was dressed down for daddy duties in an Army-green Supreme sweatsuit with $180 grey Reebox 'Pump Supreme' sneakers 'Each relationship is different, but I am very, very lucky and very happy,' the Back to You belter told Metro's Guilty Pleasures. 'Definitely [more kids] at some point. It's one step at a time. That's probably what I get most excited about, doing all the family stuff and dad stuff.' On Thursday, Tomlinson paid tribute to the most important woman of his life, his late mother Johannah, on the year anniversary of her death age 43 after a battle with leukemia. Christmas stockings: Louis reportedly 'dumped' Briana when she was eight months pregnant with little Freddie, but 'promised to love and support their child financially' 'Definitely [more kids] at some point!' Last month, the former 1D boybander called his on/off relationship with his British girlfriend Eleanor Calder 'amazing' (pictured March 8) RIP: On Thursday, Tomlinson paid tribute to the most important woman of his life, his late mother Johannah, on the year anniversary of her death age 43 after a battle with leukemia Careerwise, Louis' boozy music video for Miss You about 'dancing on tables' and 'singing until last call' has amassed 2.2M views on YouTube since it dropped Friday. On December 2, the X Factor alum made his triumphant return to the ITV competition to perform Miss You, which is the third single off his untitled solo debut album released through his label Triple String Ltd. 'I'm off my face!' Careerwise, Louis' boozy music video for Miss You about 'dancing on tables' and 'singing until last call' has amassed 2.2M views on YouTube since it dropped Friday Michelle Marsh recently sparked rumours she's rekindled her relationship with her Married At First Sight 'husband' Jesse Konstantinoff, after the pair were seen exchanging flirty messages on Instagram. And on Monday, the stunning blonde did little to dampen the speculation by posting a picture of an ENGAGEMENT ring to her social media account. The provocative post prompted several fans to question whether green grocer Jesse may have got down on bended knee, with one writing: 'Engagement ring??Something to tell us miss?' Teasing fans! On Monday, MAFS beauty Michelle Marsh did little to dampen the speculation she is back with her ex Jesse Konstaninoff by posting a picture of an ENGAGEMENT ring to her Instagram page 'Congratulations' another presumptive fan wrote, accompanied by a ring emoji. However, Michelle went on to clarify that, while her snap did feature engagement bling, it was not a photograph of her own hand. 'Looked right past my TWIINS glass in that post ... most definitely not engaged ladies. That's my lovely friend Caris .. she's the lucky duck' she stated. Flirting: Michelle was spotted flirting with MAFS 'ex-husband' Jesse Konstantinoff on Instagram last week Clarification: Michelle clarified that it wasn't her hand in the snap, after fans questioned whether she had become engaged The Perth-based beauty is a wine maker, and her snap was uploaded to promote her alcoholic beverage, rather than boast about an engagement. However, fans could easily be forgiven for the misunderstanding given her flirty online exchanges with 'ex' Jesse. Last weekend, Michelle shared a photo of a Perth beach accompanied by the caption: 'Wouldn't want to be anywhere else' Split: Stunning Michelle infamously 'friendzoned' fruit and veg vendor Jesse on the top-rating reality show earlier in the year Flirty exchange: Michelle and Jesse are clearly close friends, sharing banter beneath a recent Instagram upload Ex Jesse then cheekily commented: 'As long as you like isolation' accompanied by a winking emoji. Continuing the banter, Michelle wrote back: 'OMGGGGG don't you start this again'. Jesse replied with another winking face and the word 'haha'. Pals: Daily Mail Australia reached out to both Michelle and Jesse for comment last week, who stated that they were just good friends Stunning Michelle infamously 'friend zoned' fruit and veg vendor Jesse on the top-rating reality show earlier in the year. She subsequently began a relationship with firefight Adam Medwick, however he has not been featured on her Instagram for some time. Daily Mail Australia reached out to both Michelle and Jesse for comment last week, who stated that they were just good friends. She married her handsome husband Matthew Mills on the tropical island of Mustique last year. And 'Deliciously' Ella Mills reminisced on the lavish ceremony as she revisited the Caribbean resort on a sun-soaked holiday with her other half on Sunday. The 26-year-old food blogger showed off her sensational figure in a high-cut red swimsuit as she cosied up to Matthew in the same spot where the pair tied the knot last April. Stunner: 'Deliciously' Ella Mills reminisced on the lavish ceremony as she revisited the island on a sun-soaked holiday with her other half on Sunday Ella took to Instagram to document her pre-Christmas trip, cheekily posing in-between two palm trees in the flattering one piece, which showcased a hint of cleavage in a low cut neckline. She styled her brunette tresses in a neat ponytail and shaded her eyes from the sun in a pair of oversized sunglasses. Captioning the shot: 'Sunday feels like', the healthy eating guru looked happier than ever as she soaked up the sun's rays. Sweet: The 26-year-old food blogger showed off her sensational figure in a high-cut red swimsuit as she cosied up to Matthew in the same spot where they tied the knot In another shot the Sainsbury's heiress described her heart 'bursting' with love as she cosied up to her husband. Flashing her diamond engagement ring, Ella seemed overwhelmed with emotion as she penned: 'Standing in the spot we got married in. Makes my heart burst standing here. It was definitely the best decision Ive ever made. Loving getting some real time together away from our computers and the madness of running our business this week - such heaven. ' The eldest daughter of Camilla Sainsbury seems to have celebrated their belated one-year anniversary on the luxury getaway. She told Women's Health in September: 'It was our first wedding anniversary in April and we'd planned a romantic trip to Paris leaving on a Thursday evening. Ella and Matthew originally opened their first deli in Marylebone, calling it 'Mae' - standing for Matt and Ella. But they changed the name to Deliciously Ella this year 'But that afternoon, two of our biggest cereal stockists said they needed a pile of documents we thought we had three weeks to finish - so we ended up spending our anniversary in a Portakabin, finalising spreadsheets, eating about 30 kilos of granola.' The former model became engaged to Mills after just four months of dating, with them moving in together after just two weeks of dating They met when her father, former Labour MP Shaun Woodward, introduced them and had their first date at London's Soho House. True love: The loved-up couple first met in 2015, and both said it was love at first sight Despite a relatively small guest list, their wedding celebrations are said to have gone on for four days, with the wedding accommodation - a set of private villas - costing up to 50,000 each. The loved-up pair, who met in 2015, opened their joint business venture, a deli in Marylebone, last year, and have gone on to open another in Mayfair, both under the Deliciously Ella name. Ella used to be a self-confessed 'sugar monster', who was struck down with a rare illness that attacked her nervous system and left her bed-bound. She said she cured herself through healthy eating. They celebrated ten years of marriage earlier this year. And Jordana Brewster and Andrew Form kept the romance alive with an intimate date night at Los Angeles' Craig's Restaurant on Sunday. Perfecting a smart, casual style for her amorous evening, the 37-year-old actress seemed unable to wipe the smile from her face as they left the celebrity hot spot. Scroll down for video Hitting the town: Jordana Brewster and husband Andrew Form kept the romance alive with an intimate date night at Los Angeles' Craig's Restaurant on Sunday The Fast and Furious star highlighted her lithe physique in a simple yet chic black camisole top. Injecting a pop of colour into her evening ensemble, Jordana slipped into a pair of statement coral trousers and elongated her pins with platform sandals. Giving her date night style some added pizzazz, she finished the look with a pendant necklace and toted her evening essentials in a quilted red, Chanel handbag. Svelte: The Fast and Furious star highlighted her lithe physique in a simple yet chic black camisole top and skintight pink trousers Jordana kept her hair and make-up simple, letting her brunette locks cascade around her face in natural waves. Producer Andrew put on an equally dapper display for their evening out, opting for navy chino trousers and a smart, tailored jacket. Jordana and Andrew met in 2006 on the set of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, of which Andrew served as producer. Perfecting a smart, casual style for her amorous evening, the 37-year-old actress seemed unable to wipe the smile from her face as they left the celebrity hot spot The pair announced their engagement that same year in November - one month after the film was released. A year later they tied the knot in a private ceremony in the Bahamas. They have since welcomed four-year-old son Julian and one-year-old son Rowan. She was stunned after winning the show on Sunday night, admitting she 'didn't think anyone would like her'. And Georgia Toffolo will be blown away by the outpouring of love for her on social media now that she's Queen of the Jungle. The Made In Chelsea star, 23, could not contain both her shock and delight as she was announced the winner, after receiving the majority of more than nine million votes cast - leaving actor Jamie Lomas in second place. Scroll down for video Take a bow! Fans were quick to hit Twitter and Instagram to share their delight over Gergia Toffol's triumph on I'm A Celebrity on Sunday - sharing reams of excitable memes in tribute to the 'absolute sweetheart' YES, YES, YES! From a clip of Meryl Streep's exuberant reaction to Patricia Arquette's equal pay speech at the 2015 Oscars, to images from Beyonce's Run the World video - social media went wild in celebration of Toff's win on the show Fans were quick to hit Twitter and Instagram to share their delight over her triumph - sharing reams of excitable memes in tribute to the 'absolute sweetheart'. From a clip of Meryl Streep's exuberant reaction to Patricia Arquette's equal pay speech at the 2015 Oscars, to images from Beyonce's Run the World video - social media went wild for the royally good reality star. It is now believed that Toff is set to make a whopping 5million off the back of her win, with ITV reportedly fighting against Made In Chelsea's home channel E4 to hire her as a presenter, as well as produce her own spin-off show. The MIC star pipped actor Jamie Lomas and radio host Iain Lee to the title, after winning over viewers with her sense of humour and constantly positive attitude. Outpouring: Fans flocked to Twitter to pay tribute to Toff's 'kindness' and 'humility' - as well as her arguments against sexism in camp Clearly not realising how popular she has been throughout the series, the blonde was lost for words as she was crowned the winner, telling Ant and Dec: 'I don't know what to say. I didn't think anyone would like me! Sorry I'm so taken aback. I'm so shocked.' It is now believed that Toff is set to make a whopping 5million off the back of her win, with ITV reportedly fighting against Made In Chelsea's home channel E4 to hire her as a presenter, as well as produce her own spin-off show. The MIC star pipped actor Jamie and radio host Iain Lee to the title, after winning over viewers with her sense of humour and constantly positive attitude. Clearly not realising how popular she has been throughout the series, the blonde was lost for words as she was crowned the winner, telling Ant and Dec: 'I don't know what to say. I didn't think anyone would like me! Sorry I'm so taken aback. I'm so shocked.' And after being crowned Queen of the Jungle, and now Channel 4, BBC and ITV are vying to sign her up for her own show. A source said: "All three major networks are fighting for her. ITV see massive potential, while Channel 4 are keen to keep her as they feel ownership after giving her a break on 'Made In Chelsea'. She has also been offered a book deal and clothing line." Toff has also been inundated with a series offers as she moaned about not having plans for New Year's Eve. The insider added to The Sun newspaper: "Some want to fly her to Barbados, New York and Dubai. Others offered her dinner or to take her down their local so she doesn't see in 2018 alone." Hip-hip hooray! From an excitable Dec Donnelly to Fresh Prince's Carlton's celebratory dance, the memes came in thick and fast as the programme came to an end Toff surprised herself when she won the show as she admitted she "didn't even think anyone would like her". She told hosts Ant and Dec: "I don't know what to say. I didn't think anyone would like me, let alone pick me to win. "Sorry, I'm really taken aback. It's really overwhelming. Thank you so much. Thank you so much to everyone who voted. Sorry, I don't know what to say, I'm really shocked." Toff was handed her winning flower crown over to her from last year's winner Scarlett Moffatt. She told her: "I feel like crying for you. It's girls like you that make me feel so proud to be a young woman. You did it for all of us girls in there, proper girl power." Meanwhile, Jamie - who finished as runner up - also heaped praise on the blonde star for always giving everything a go. He said: "She's a great champion, she deserved it. "She's got stuck in, she's been brilliant, funny, entertaining, so well done Toff. You deserve it." Channel Nine has cancelled it's Logie award-winning series Love Child after four seasons, its been revealed. The popular drama, which stars Jessica Marais, was reportedly axed last month, according to News.com.au on Monday. The cast was notified in recent weeks that the show would not be renewed for a fifth season, months after season four premiered to it's lowers ever ratings of 624,000 metro viewers. Cancelled: Channel Nine has cancelled it's Logie award-winning series Love Child after four seasons, its been revealed A spokesperson Channel Nine confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the show will not be renewed. The report also claims the future of Network Ten's The Wrong Girl, which also stars Jessica Marais, remains uncertain. The network's popular drama Offspring has been put on hold and star Deborah Mailman said producers made the right choice. Uncertain future: The report also claims the future of Network Ten's The Wrong Girl, which also stars Jessica Marais (2-L), remains uncertain On hold: The network's popular drama Offspring has been put on hold and star Deborah Mailman (R) said producers made the right choice 'You don't want to keep pushing out a show that's sort of lost its appeal,' she said. 'It's very difficult to know what sort of life Australian drama has on our screens anymore.' It comes after actress Sophie Hensser-Bloom previously hinted at the show cancellation. 'If this was the last season I would be comfortable,' she told the Daily Telegraph. The blonde also revealed that she was eyeing roles in Hollywood and will be meeting with U.S. TV bosses. Axed: The popular drama, which stars Jessica Marais, was reportedly axed last month, according to News.com.au on Monday Sophie isn't the only one that's hinted that she's moved on from her role on the show. Danielle Catanzariti, 25, who plays the role of Italian migrant Elena Capobianco, echoed a similar sentiment to Sophie in a recent interview. In the series, her character is ordered by her father to marry a man she hasn't met yet in Italy. 'If this was the last season I would be comfortable!' The report comes after actress Sophie Hensser-Bloom previously hinted at the show cancellation Former child star Danielle Catanzariti (pictured) has spoken about her career breakthrough after landing a role on hit TV series Love Child However, she risks upsetting her father when she falls pregnant by a young Australian man. The role represents a career breakthrough for Danielle, who starred as a teenager in 2008 Australian film Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger. 'Esther was such an iconic role,' Danielle told The Daily Telegraph. 'I feel like I have grown up now and moved on from that.' The role represents a career breakthrough for Danielle, who starred as a teenager in 2008 Australian film Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger (pictured) 'I think that I am in a new chapter in my career.' And it appears the work is now coming in thick and fast for the Sydney-based actress, who has recently extended her talents to the stage. Danielle is starring in the popular West End and Broadway show The Nether, which is now running at Sydney's Seymour Centre. The show is a futuristic and intricate crime drama which previously received rave reviews from The New York Times. He was one of the most beloved contestants on this year's I'm A Celebrity. But despite having fun in the jungle, Stanley Johnson certainly looked in his element as he relaxed by the pool at the luxury Versace Palazzo Hotel poolside on the Gold Coast ahead of Sunday's finale. The I'm A Celebrity star, 77, continued to prove his playful mounted the lilo and lapped up the sizzling Australian rays as he stripped down to his patterned swimming trunks. Scroll down for video How to lilo after I'm A Celebrity! Shirtless Stanley Johnson certainly looked in his element as he relaxed by the pool at the luxury Versace Palazzo Hotel poolside on the Gold Coast ahead of Sunday's finale Away from the hardships he faced in the camp, Stanley looked blissfully happy as he splashed around in the pool. The father-of-six, including former Mayor of London Boris, gave a thumbs up as he enjoyed cooling off in the pool. Later in the day, he beamed when he was reunited with his close pal Toff, whom he forged a close bond with after they survived the I'm A Celebrity jungle together. It's a luxury: The father-of-six, including British politician Boris, gave a thumbs up as he enjoyed cooling off in the pool Fine form: The 77-year-old showed off his weightloss in the jungle as he happily lapped up the Aussie sun Beach life! The former politician then headed down to the sea to continue his relaxing day Always smiling: Stanley was close to winner Georgie Toffolo during their time in camp together The politician greeted the jungle queen with an affectionate kiss on the cheek and a friendly embrace when she touched down at the luxury hotel. Suited and booted for the occasion, Stanley teamed his light blue linen shirt with an cream blazer. Meanwhile, Toff had no time to change out of her jungle gear and she was sporting her ethereal garland made up of deep purple flowers and delicate foliage. Regal reunion: Later in the day, he beamed when he was reunited with his close pal Toff, after she was crowned Queen of the jungle Emotional: So taken with Stanley, the young reality star even cried when his time in the jungle came to an end earlier after the formed a close bond The pair were delighted to be reunited after a tearful goodbye when Stanley was the fifth celebrity to be voted off the show. Wiping away her tears, reality star Toff said: 'Im really upset. I woke up this morning and made a mental note I was going to ask Stanley if we could be pen pals, I want to write to him all the time when were back home.' Meanwhile, Stanley discussed their friendship when he was greeted by cheeky presenters Ant and Dec after his exit. He had nothing but kind words to say about the reality star and he insisted: 'I've got a soft spot for Toff! I'm soft for Toff!' During his jungle stint, Stanley battled with bulls' testicles, insect swarms and near-starvation but it was the women's 'offending' knickers in the camp he found most difficult to tackle. Suited and booted: Stanley teamed his light blue linen shirt with an cream blazer while Toff had no time to change out of her jungle gear A royal greeting! The politician greeted the jungle queen with an affectionate kiss on the cheek and a friendly embrace when she touched down at the luxury hotel Detailing his experience in his jungle diaries first published in the Mail On Sunday, he wrote: 'Ive risen late only to find that Coronation Street star Jennie McAlpine has hung her knickers to dry on the throne, so we have a little debate. "Is it in order," I ask the assembled company, "for honourable members to hang their knickers on the PMs chair?" Iain opposes the motion as the Creeks Secretary of State for Health. 'When I call on Jennie to defend the motion, she surprisingly refuses to do so, removes the offending knickers and fashions a "knickerstick" to wave over the fire. 'Suddenly it seems that everywhere I look there are knickers. The practice caught on. All the women then found their own knickersticks. Ill say this: you dont get debates like that in the Commons.' Fabulous fun: The pair were delighted to be reunited after a tearful goodbye when Stanley was the fifth celebrity to be voted off the show Hamish Blake and wife Zoe Foster Blake's toddler son Sonny has become just as popular as his famous parents in recent years. And the adorable three-year-old continues to steal the spotlight, even on Hamish's 36th birthday on Monday. In a heartfelt snap shared to Zoe's Instagram page, the chubby-cheeked toddler was snapped helping decorate a homemade cake in celebration of the comedian's birthday. 'Happy birthday daddy': In a heartfelt snap shared to Zoe's Instagram page, Sonny was snapped helping decorate a homemade cake in celebration of his dad Hamish's birthday The colourful cake was smothered with bright yellow frosting and had 'Happy birthday daddy 36' spelled out with chocolate letters. Hamish shared his own snap online, alongside fellow comedian Ryan Shelton - and the pair were stuck behind desks. 'Man there's nothing like doing some work on your birthday and watching your buddies have to pretend they're not about to launch into the biggest surprise party of all time!!!' he captioned. Working on his birthday! Hamish shared his own snap online, alongside fellow comedian Ryan Shelton - and the pair were stuck behind desks ''Seriously Hame, we planned nothing, sorry, could we get back to it please?' Sure Ryan! I'll just type away like a ton of balloons aren't going to fall from the hidden panels in the fake roof you probably stayed up all night installing! 'You're the best! You can't fool me! #birthdaymadness #blessed #unfooled'. The sassy caption was accompanied by three pictures of Hamish looking very pleased with himself and a confused Ryan trying to focus beside him. Twins! She also took the time to share a sweet snap of the two leading men in her life wearing matching 'homeboys' bracelets While the doting father worked his wife, author Zoe Foster-Blake, was busy preparing a cake that read 'Happy Birthday Daddy' with their son Sonny. She also took the time to share a sweet snap of the two leading men in her life wearing matching 'homeboys' bracelets. 'He was my homeboy first, Sonny, back off!!' The 37-year-old writer of Who Gives A Fart shared on social media. The happy couple: Hamish and his wife Zoe share two children together The look of love! Hamish is the proud father of Sonny and Rudy 'Ha ha ha but seriously I have known Hamish for like 10 years longer than you so tone it down, champ. 'No but for real, I want to wish a happy birthday to my beautiful homeboy in love and life (AND happy anniversary, because my GOD are we efficient in this family), and urge you to comment on Hamish's latest post with Buon compleanno, ti auguro un sacci di funghi! '(Happy birthday, I wish you a lot of mushrooms!) (He hates mushrooms.)' Many of her 627,000 followers took heed and wrote the Italian phrase on her husband's latest snap. Hamish, who worked alongside his best friend Andy Lee on Hamish and Andy for 14 years, presented their last radio show gig together earlier this month. She enjoyed a sun-soaked holiday in the Maldives last month, during which time she treated her fans to a plethora of bikini snaps. And Elizabeth Hurley appeared to be missing the hot climates of her tropical trip as she posted a sizzling bikini-clad shot via her Instagram on Sunday. Flaunting her age-defying figure in a tiny hot pink two-piece, the 52-year-old actress was a vision of beauty as she reclined on a sandy beach. Scroll down for video Elizabeth Hurley flaunted her age-defying figure in a tiny hot pink two-piece on her Instagram The Royals star, who is the owner of an eponymous swimwear line, oozed glamour in the tiny bikini that showed off her ample cleavage and enviably taut stomach. Showcasing her natural beauty, the stunning brunette appeared to go make-up free for her beach outing, with just a glossy balm on her lips. In another shot, Liz's bikini was visible under a sheer strapless dress which complemented her swimwear with a patterned pink design. Her brunette tresses were slightly windswept as she showed off her sun-kissed tan in the beach ensemble. Age-defying: The Royals star, who is the owner of an eponymous swimwear line, oozed glamour in the tiny bikini that showed off her ample cleavage and enviably taut stomach The Bedazzled star treated fans to a number of swimwear snaps during her luxurious getaway. In one stunning snap, the British sex symbol defied her years as she showed off her enviable stomach and lean legs in afun sideways pool snap. Clearly having the time of her life, Elizabeth oozed sex appeal as she floated in the glistening waters with a big smile plastered on her face. The tiny red bikini top just about contained her assets, while the barely-there bottoms gave way to her yoga-honed legs. With her brunette locks sprawled out in the water behind her, Elizabeth proved she was in high spirits as she grinned up at the camera. She's got the look: In another stunning snap, the British sex symbol defied her years as she showed off her enviable stomach and lean legs in a fun sideways pool snap In another shot, the English beauty reclined in a glittering gold triangle top and matching bottoms, captioning it: 'All that glitters.' It was hard to believe the bombshell was in her fifth decade as she showed off her supernaturally flat abs and full chest in the flirty top gold and black top. Liz, who is mother to 15-year-old son Damien, masked her eyes with retro aviators while wiggling to the tune of a Latin-infused instrumental during her social media post. Glittering goddess! The Bedazzled star continue to prove she was still as sultry-as-ever when she took to Instagram to promote her own line of swimwear on Thursday The EDtv actress's sultry display comes after Elizabeth insisted she has no desire for son Damian, 15 who she shares with ex Steve Bing, to become a celebrity due to feeling 'trapped by fame.' The Austin Powers star told The Daily Telegraph that she would not want Damian to garner the attention attached to being a star, despite his role as Prince Hansel von Liechtenstein in her E! series The Royals. Elizabeth, who soared to fame in the Nineties while dating Hugh Grant, has a famously close bond with her son, making her concerns understandable although his exposure thus far could make her quest for her son's anonymity a mean feat. In September Liz revealed she is still on great terms with her exes Hugh, former husband Arun Nayer and ex fiance Shane Warne. She told Mail On Sunday's You magazine: 'If someone's lovely how could you not be on good terms with them? None of us has ever done anything bad to one another.' The star added: 'Hugh and Arun are very important in our lives. Shane is still a good friend. We were texting each other last night.' He has cracked various jokes about his troubled year during I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!. And after calling it a wrap on another year of the successful ITV series, Ant McPartlin looked happy as he left dinner in Australia with his pals Dec Donnelly and Georgia on Monday. Ant, 42, who battled drink and drug addiction in rehab earlier this year, seemed in good spirits as he posed for a fan photograph, which was taken by Georgia, who is the assistant of Dec's PR wife Ali Astall. Scroll down for video Time to relax! After calling it a wrap on I'm A Celebrity this year, Ant McPartlin looked happy as he left dinner in Australia with his pals Dec Donnelly and Georgia Snap happy: Ant, 42, who battled drink and drug addiction in rehab earlier this year, seemed in good spirits as he posed for a fan photograph, which was taken by Georgia, who is the assistant of Dec's PR wife Ali Astall Ant embraced the sunshine Down Under as he puffed away on a cigarette during the casual evening in a black button down top, shorts and checked monochrome shoes. With a pair of sunglasses propped down his front, Ant, whose wife Lisa Armstrong is back in the UK, looked in a great mood as he embarked on the low-key stroll. It wasn't long before Ant was approached by an eager fan who asked for a photograph and he happily obliged. Georgia - who works for Ant & Dec's management company James Grant - helped as she snapped away while Dec and his fan smiled to the camera. Chilling: Ant embraced the sunshine Down Under as he puffed away on a cigarette during the casual evening in a black button down top, shorts and checked monochrome shoes In great spirits: With a pair of sunglasses propped down his front, Ant, whose wife Lisa Armstrong is back in the UK, looked in a great mood as he embarked on the low-key stroll Famous: It wasn't long before Ant was approached by an eager fan who asked for a photograph and he happily obliged Say cheese! Georgia happily helped as she snapped away while Dec and his fan smiled to the camera Georgia also showed off her stylish flair for the outing in a floral shirt and ankle-grazing blue denims, complete with gold sandals. The leggy beauty styled her blonde locks into a braided updo and accessorised with dainty gold hoops. With a smile on her face, Georgia looked in high spirits during the evening with her pals, Ant and Dec. Trendy: Georgia - who works for Ant & Dec's management company James Grant - also showed off her stylish flair in a floral shirt and ankle-grazing blue denims, complete with gold sandals Mane attraction: The leggy beauty styled her blonde locks into a braided updo and accessorised with dainty gold hoops Happy: Smiles were shared all around as the pals embarked on their dinner outing Relaxed: Clearly pleased with another successful season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! under his belt, Dec was unable to wipe the smile from his face following dinner Georgia has been pictured with Ant and Dec a few times since their arrival to Australia last month - no doubt, cementing her friendship with the pair. Clearly pleased with another successful season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! under his belt, Dec was unable to wipe the smile from his face. He opted for a casual navy top and light blue jeans while a pair of shades rested on his forehead. Earlier in the week, Ant McPartlin was seen yet again making a hilarious joke about his woes as he told co-host Dec: 'You thought I had problems!' The host's one-liner comes after it was revealed the duo boast a secret third member, Andy Milligan, who works tirelessly behind the scenes every day to create their jokes for I'm A Celebrity. Companion: Georgia has been pictured with Ant and Dec a few times since their arrival to Australia last month - no doubt, cementing her friendship with the pair Sighting: At the end of last month, she was spotted enjoying a conversation with Ant outside a bookstore in Oz Shore looks good! On Sunday, Georgia joined Ant and Dec's wife Ali Astall at the beach Friendship: Georgia went on to soak up the sun during another sunny excursion with Ant and Dec in Australia The hilarious moment came when Dec appeared to struggle to pronounce the word 'admirable' after which his quick-witted co-star made his one-liner. In the first episode of I'm A Celebrity, Dec joked about the rumours of Ant being replaced as he said: 'It's me and the gorgeous Holly Willoughby.' He then added 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: 'Unbelievable. I was always going to make it, come on.' Having a giggle: Ant was seen making a hilarious joke about his woes as he told co-host Dec Donnelly: 'You thought I had problems!' Cracking up: Ant's one-liner comes after it was revealed the duo boast a secret third member, Andy Milligan, who works tirelessly behind the scenes every day to create their jokes for I'm A Celebrity He then added excitedly: 'I'm back my friend!' before the pair sweetly hugged, to the applause of the production crew. It now transpires the hilarious skit was penned by Andy, who has worked with the hosts for 12 years and is thought to have masterminded the witty asides that addressed Ant's rehab stint for painkiller addiction. Ant has suffered a difficult 2017, after admitting in June he had been battling a two-year addiction to painkillers after a devastating knee injury and fertility issues. Media-shy: The handling was met with praise from viewers - with Andy rumoured to be behind the operation, according to the Mirror Ant revealed his plans to check in to rehab for alcohol and drug addiction, when he gave a candid interview to The Sun admitting he had 'let people down', before thanking his wife Lisa Armstrong and co-star Declan for the support they had provided. While he hasn't been joined by wife Lisa out in Oz, due to her working commitments on Strictly Come Dancing as a make-up artist, she made sure to hit back at the speculation, breaking her silence on the duo's rumoured 'marriage woes'. Lisa had hit back at the long-running reports that the duo have separated by taking to Twitter, as she penned on the microblogging site: 'I'm not estranged, thank you'. He's come through it: He admitted he had 'let people down', before thanking his wife Lisa Armstrong (pictured) and co-star Declan for the support they had provided She's the TV presenter who just married her partner of five years. And Lauren Phillips has been giving her 82,000 followers something to be jealous about posting a number of luxurious honeymoon snaps. The Myer ambassador wed her creative director fiance Lachlan Sparks on Saturday in a custom-made Con Ilio gown. Scroll down for video 'We are overwhelmed with happiness': Lauren Phillips shares snaps from her lavish honeymoon as the new couple gorges on wedding cake and Twisties The happy couple left their reception party in idyllic Flinders, Victoria, and headed just 17 minutes north to Red Hill, where they will spend time relaxing. They drove the short distance in a Mazda FWD which had their wedding hashtag #meetthepharks emblazoned on the side. Checking into South Hampton Luxury Retreat, the 30-year-old wasted no time at all heading to the acreage's infinity pool. Talk about iconic! They drove the short distance in a Mazda FWD which had their wedding hashtag #meetthepharks emblazoned on the side 'This place is heaven,' Lauren captioned the Instagram post. She instantly set up pool-side with a packet of Twisties courtesy of her brand new family. 'When the new mother-in-law delivers the hangover cure,' she wrote of the snack. 'Got it @lachspark?': Lauren posted a hilarious snap of a chocolate bar made for newlyweds Pool with a view! She instantly set up pool-side with a packet of Twisties courtesy of her brand new family But she wasn't the only one enjoying a snack, with Lachlan busted eating some of their Sweet Bakes wedding cake on the kitchen counter. 'Let the post-wedding blow out begin #busted,' Lauren captioned the funny snap. The retreat is made up of three luxury homes which overlook a winery in the centre of Red Hill. Oops! But she wasn't the only one enjoying a snack, with Lachlan busted eating some of their Sweet Bakes wedding cake on the kitchen counter Bring on the celebration: The retreat is made up of three luxury homes which overlook a winery in the centre of Red Hill The pair decided to sample the alcohol whilst there, with Lauren choosing an image of them clinking glasses to thank some of there 180 guests at the wedding. 'From the bottom of our very full hearts, thank you to everyone for your best wishes and kind words. We are overwhelmed with happiness.' According to Stayz.com holidaymakers must stay a minimum of two nights at the stunning locale, which totals approximately $4,000 around the Christmas period. Bauer Media is the powerhouse magazine publisher behind glossy publications such as Women's Weekly, Woman's Day and Cosmopolitan. And according to a new report published by Confidential on Tuesday, 'several luxury wardrobe and beauty products have vanished from one of its departments.' The publication states that 'staff are yet to be questioned' over the incident. 'Staff are yet to be questioned': Shock claims that valuable items have VANISHED from Bauer Media's Sydney office 'The matter is an internal matter being reviewed and it has not been confirmed that there is any suggestion of theft or otherwise,' the spokeswoman told Confidential yesterday. A source who works for Bauer at their famous Park Street offices in the heart of Sydney, told the publication that the beauty products had been 'fleeced'. Additionally, the source claimed that items from the clothing is also unaccounted for. According to Confidential 'at least some of the [missing] products were borrowed from Myer so they could be photographed for the print magazine Myer Emporium'. Famous offices: Powerhouse publisher Bauer Media has offices on Sydney's Park Street The department store giant hired Bauer to produce the magazine for them- however, the magazine has now ceased publication after being 'axed' by the media company just weeks ago. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to both Bauer Media and Myer for comment. The exact figure of the missing products has not been disclosed. Cuts: According to a report on Mumbrella published on November 22, Bauer axed four extra magazines in addition to Myer Emporium According to a report on Mumbrella published on November 22, Bauer axed four extra magazines in addition to Myer Emporium. Last year, Bauer famously ceased publishing iconic women's magazine, Cleo, which had been in circulation for 44 years. The media company has been in the headlines in recent months after Rebel Wilson sued its magazine Woman's Day for defamation. Bauer are currently the $4.56 million the actress was awarded in court. On Saturday, Kirk Douglas cemented his status not only as one of Hollywood's most legendary actors but also one of the longest living, as he marked his 101st birthday. And his grandson Dylan Douglas - whose parents are Catherine Zeta-Jones and son Michael Douglas - wasted no time in paying tribute to his famous relative, when he took to Instagram to share a heart-warming snapshot of himself with the star. Alongside the image, which showed the 17-year-old lovingly planting a kiss on the cheek of his smiling grandfather, Dylan wrote: 'Happy birthday 101 years and still sexy love you with all my heart Pappy.' Scroll down for video Big celebration: Kirk Douglas' grandson Dylan Douglas took to Instagram to pay tribute to the star, as he marked his 101st birthday on Saturday The tribute was one of a number posted on social media by the Spartacus star's decedents, with Dylan's 38-year-old half-brother Cameron Douglas also taking to the photo-sharing app, where he shared a selection of snaps of Kirk spanning decades. 'Heres to 101 years of art, inspiration, and philanthropy...still going strong! Happy Birthday Pappy! #Livinglegend,' wrote the actor, who is expecting the imminent arrival of his daughter with girlfriend Viviane Thibes. Dylan's mother also paid tribute to her father-in-law on Instagram, sharing a shot of herself hugging the actor as he perched himself on her knee. Make a wish! Sitting beside his wife Anne Douglas, the star blew out a single candle on his cake Snap: Kirk's daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones also shared a snap of herself with him Time to celebrate: At the bash, Kirk was joined by his sons (L-R) Michael and Joel Douglas Decorated: The sweet treat was decorated with an array of petals, and his age on the front She wrote: '101 today!!!! My darling Pappy on my knee. Happy Birthday to my wonderful, inspirational and loving father in law, Kirk. Love you with all my heart.' According to Deadline's Pete Hammond, Kirk's 73-year-old son Michael flew from New York to California especially to join in the festivities - before jetted back to the East Coast in anticipation of becoming a grandfather via Cameron. While Deadline reports that Michael's wife of 17 years Catherine wasn't able to make to the gathering, it's said that she relied on the wonders of technology to spread good tidings, singing Kirk a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday via FaceTime. Among the family members also in attendance at the lunchtime bash were Kirk's son Joel - who 'posed for a photo with Michael and Kirk, spelling out 101 with their fingers' - and his actress granddaughter Kelsey Douglas, who is set to turn 25. Tribute: Cameron Douglas, who is set to imminently become a father, paid tribute to the star Honoured: Cameron, who is Michael's eldest son, shared a shot of Kirk and his wife Anne Douglas last month, as she was honoured for her work with the homeless Milestone: Last year, when the star turned 100, his relatives also flooded social media with snapshots of themselves celebrating with the star And, of course, Anne Douglas, his 98-year-old wife of 63 years, was by his side for the celebration, which attracted the likes of Hollywood power players Ron Meyer and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Last year, Oscar recipient Kirk's 100th birthday was celebrated with a party that was just as much of a hot ticket, with Steven Spielberg expressing his admiration for the silver screen legend in a gushing speech. 'I used to think 100 was a number that was the impossible dream,' he began, before explaining how impressed he was with 'what you have done with your life'. After reminding Kirk that he was an 'honorary member of the Spielberg family', the movie mogul delivered what was perhaps the ultimate compliment. A big fan: During Kirk's 100th birthday celebration, film-maker Steven Spielberg had nothing but admiration for the screen legend Recognising greatness: Studio executive Jeffrey Katezenberg was on hand to celebrate with Kirk both last year (pictured) and this year 'I wanted to come here and say I've been shooting movies and television shows for 47 years now and I've worked with the best of them and you're the only movie star I ever met,' he gushed. He continued, 'there is something that you have that no one else ever had... When you watch Kirk's performance in anything, in anything he's ever done, you cannot take your eyes off of him. It's not possible to look away from him.' Spielberg called it an optimistic ferocity and it's something he challenges all his actors to achieve in his films. 'You're a miracle man,' the Raiders Of The Lost Ark director concluded. Family: Kirk's granddaughter Kelsey Douglas often uploads snaps of herself with her family Here's to many more years! The star is regularly celebrated on social media by his relatives He's got the moves: Last year, Dylan took to Instagram to share a video of Kirk dancing away Brooklyn Beckham was spotted heading to class on his bicycle amid reports of a terrorist pipe bomb explosion in the subway just blocks away from his college classroom. The son of David and Victoria Beckham, 18, seemed unaware of the incident as he hopped on board of his bike while heading to New York City's Parsons School of Design on Monday. However, the budding photographer threw caution to the wind once again as he rode on a brake-free fixed-gear bicycle - a practice which is illegal in the UK. Scroll down for video Riding along: Brooklyn Beckham was spotted heading to class on his bicycle amid reports of a terrorist pipe bomb explosion in the subway just blocks away from his college classroom Make or brake: However, the budding photographer, 18, threw caution to the wind once again as he rode on a brake-free fixed-gear bicycle - a practice which is illegal in the UK Keen on getting to his class on time, Brooklyn looked focused as he rode along on his bike. The teen channelled grunge vibes in a black hoodie, matching skinny jeans and a pair of Dr. Martens. He shielded himself from the winter chill with a bulky green khaki jacket and a grey beanie. Brooklyn ensured all of his essentials for his morning of study were in his blue backpack. Continuing his day: The son of David and Victoria Beckham seemed unaware of the incident as he hopped on board of his bike while heading to New York City's Parsons School of Design on Monday In his element: Keen on getting to his class on time, Brooklyn looked focused as he rode along on his bike Stylish: The teen channelled grunge vibes in a black hoodie, matching skinny jeans and a pair of Dr. Martens While he made his way safely along the streets of New York on his bike, driving that particular mode of transport without brakes is illegal in the UK. However, British born Brooklyn carried on about his day regardless. This comes after Brooklyn hit his dad David, 42, where it hurts, after landing himself a Top 10 debut in British GQ's 50 Best Dressed Men in the World. Warm: He shielded himself from the winter chill with a bulky green khaki jacket and a grey beanie Everything he needs: Brooklyn ensured all of his essentials for his morning of study were in his blue backpack Careful! While he made his way safely along the streets of New York on his bike, driving that particular mode of transport without brakes is illegal in the UK Confident: However, British born Brooklyn didn't seem to care too much as he carried on about his day More stylish than his dad! This comes after Brooklyn landed himself a Top 10 debut in British GQ's 50 Best Dressed Men in the World - beating his dad David David, who is generally considered one of the snappiest dressers in showbusiness, slipped 13 places in the 2018 list, while Brooklyn ranked number 9. On his triumph, GQ's style editors commented: 'He's continuing his father's excellent work in the field of menswear for the next generation.' Meanwhile, Brooklyn's romance with Chloe Moretz is going from strength to strength since they confirmed they were back together in October, shortly after he relocated to to her city to study. While he is loved-up, Brooklyn recently admitted that he has a few 'fangirls' at Parsons School of Design in NYC, where is studying photography. They tied the knot in August after nine years together and are already parents to three-year-old son Teddy. And now Adam Thomas, 29, has revealed that his wife Caroline, 27, is expecting their second child next year and admitted that they conceived their unborn tot on their wedding night. Speaking to OK! Magazine, the Emmerdale star explained that he has already chosen a unusual name for their baby should it be a boy and thye plan to find out the gender on Christmas day when Caroline will pop a balloon with the colour akin to the sex inside. Scroll down for video Adding to the family: Adam Thomas has revealed that his wife Caroline is expecting their second child next year and admitted that he has already chosen a unusual name for their unborn tot should it be a boy Aside from the exciting reveal, the soap star - who jokingly tweeted today 'I hope it's mine' - admitted that although the pregnancy was a surprise, they are delighted with the news. He said: 'We always wanted another baby but we werent planning for it to happen so soon after getting married. We conceived on our wedding night!' Already thinking ahead, he told the publication: 'If its a boy, I like the name Paddington. Teddy likes the name too. However, Caroline admitted she's not keen on proposed forename but insisted its difficult to find a moniker not associated with her students. Delighted: The pair are already proud parents to three-year-old Teddy Excitement: Speaking to OK! Magazine , the Emmerdale star, 29, explained that conceived their little one on their wedding night and plan to find out the gender on Christmas day when his 27-year-old love will pop a balloon with the colour akin to the sex inside And while Caroline admitted it would be nice for their son to have a brother and to experience the close bond Adam has with his siblings Scott and Ryan, the actor revealed he would 'probably cry' if he finds out they are having a girl. He shared: 'Im convinced we are having another boy so it will be quite overwhelming if I find out we are having a daughter. Being a dad to a girl would be a lovely experience.' In September, the couple spoke about their fairytale wedding and Adam said that it was the moment he knew he would be with her 'forever'. Ideas: Aside from the exciting reveal, the soap star - who jokingly tweeted today 'I hope it's mine' - admitted that although the pregnancy was a surprise, they are delighted with the news and he even has a name picked out inspired by a certain fictional bear Meanwhile, the star is appearing in panto in Manchester this winter and said he couldn't wait to get out of his 'comfort zone' on This Morning last month. Adam - who appeared on 2016's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! - was leaving Emmerdale and his character Adam Barton behind after eight years on the show. 'Go and get your tickets now, they're running out!', he exclaimed, adding, 'Holly and Phil will be there, you can meet them!' Emotional: And while Caroline admitted it would be nice for their son to have a brother and to experience the close bond Adam has with his siblings Scott and Ryan, the actor revealed he would 'probably cry' if he finds out they are having a girl Adam - whose twin brother is Love Island 2016 star Scott Thomas and whose brother is Corrie veteran Ryan Thomas - also discussed his older sibling's new role in Neighbours. He said of Ryan's Australian adventure: 'I'm so jealous, he's living it up in the sun... and I'm in Emmerdale! It's his first time in Australia, he's a little tourist.' The cheeky chappie turned the table on Holly and Phil during the interview, asking them whether they would take part in I'm A Celebrity. 'I would do it, absolutely', Phil declared, prompting a surprised Holly to say, 'You have to do it!' Runs in the family: Adam's twin brother is Love Island 2016 star Scott Thomas (right) and while his older brother is Corrie veteran Ryan Thomas (left) The Golden Globe Award nominations were announced on Monday morning with The Shape Of Water, Big Little Lies and The Post doing well. And it wasn't long before celebrities took to social media to share their joy over the good news. Meryl Streep, nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama, for The Post, said: 'Im thrilled for the movie, for Steven and Tom, and for the incredible ensemble of actors who made this movie need its moment in history. Thanks HFPA.' She's happy: Meryl Streep expressed her joy over being nominated for a Golden Globe for her work on The Post; seen in January He got one too: Her co-star Tom Hanks, nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, for The Post, added: 'Very happy the work of the others on The Post has been given the attention they deserve. Thank you to the HFPA' Her co-star Tom Hanks, nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, for The Post, added: 'Very happy the work of the others on The Post has been given the attention they deserve. Thank you to the HFPA.' Nicole Kidman, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her work in Big Little Lies, said: 'We are all aware of how rare it is for a show and its cast to be honored in such a huge way, and we are all incredibly grateful.' She added: 'Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for giving the show so much love. It was made with love, guided by the incredible David E. Kelley and Jean-Marc Vallee as well as my partners in passion Reese Witherspoon, Per Saari and Bruna Papandrea. Thrilled: Nicole Kidman of Big Little Lies, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, said: 'We are all aware of how rare it is for a show and its cast to be honored in such a huge way, and we are all incredibly grateful' More: She added: 'Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for giving the show so much love. It was made with love, guided by the incredible David E. Kelley and Jean-Marc Vallee as well as my partners in passion Reese Witherspoon, Per Saari and Bruna Papandrea' 'The character Celeste is so precious to me and the recognition is deeply appreciated.' Her husband Keith Urban tweeted: 'Hey baby- CONGRATULATIONS on all the GLOBES love this morn!!!!!! Incredibly proud of you, the work, and all the BLL and TOTL team. THE STARS ALIGNED!!! xxxxxx - KU.' Jude Law of The Young Pope, nominated for Best Performance by Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, said: 'Im happy that my work with the wonderful Paolo Sorrentino has been recognised. Thank you HFPA.' He made it! Jude Law of The Young Pope, nominated for Best Performance by Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, said: 'Im happy that my work with the wonderful Paolo Sorrentino has been recognised' Success: Alison Brie of Glow, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, added: 'Wow wow wow!!! Thank you HFPA for the nomination!! I am over the moon!!!' Claire Foy of The Crown, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series, Drama, said it was an 'honour.' In the same category Caitriona Balfe (Outlander) was nominated and congratulated by her costar Sam Heughan, who wrote: 'Congratulations yazzzzz!!!' The actress began: 'It is such an honour to receive this nomination today! Thank you so much to the HFPA for their continued support of The Crown. I cant express enough what a wonderful project it has been to be a part of, with such an extraordinary cast and crew. Thank you, thank you.' The Crown creator Peter Morgan, who was nominated for Best Television Series, Drama, said: 'Thrilled thrilled thrilled thrilled!!!!' Alison Brie of Glow, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, added: 'Wow wow wow!!! Thank you HFPA for the nomination!! I am over the moon!!!' Royal move: Claire Foy of The Crown, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series, Drama, said it was an 'honour' Hugh Jackman, who stars in The Showman, wrote: 'Over 7 years ago we began the journey to get @GreatestShowman made into a major motion picture. Through all of the (literal) blood, sweat and tears .... giving up was never an option. As it is said - with great risk comes great reward. Thank you #HFPA! @goldenglobes.' Seth Rogen tweeted: 'THE DISASTER ARTIST get nominated for big Hollywood awards!! What a story!!' Kevin Bacon of I Love Dick, nominated for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series, Musical or Comedy, said: 'Thanks to the amazing Actors , Writers Directors and crew of this truly experimental.' Freddie Highmore of The Good Doctor, nominated for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series, Drama, had a lot to say. 'There cannot be more wonderful news to wake up to on a Monday morning than this. Thank you to each and every member of the Hollywood Foreign Press for this amazing honour. Im proud that an optimistic, hopeful and unabashedly "good" character like Shaun has resonated with so many. His show: Hugh Jackman, who stars in The Showman, wrote: 'Over 7 years ago we began the journey to get @GreatestShowman made into a major motion picture. Through all of the (literal) blood, sweat and tears .... giving up was never an option' 'And to David, the writers, producers, cast and crew of The Good Doctor thank you all, and I cant wait to spend the day celebrating with (most of!) you on set today.' Armie Hammer, who was nominated for his work in Call Me By Your Name, said: 'I guess if youre going to be woken up at 5am it might as well be with this kind of call. But then your day peaks at and where do you go from there?' His co-star Timothee Chalamet, who was also nominated, added: 'I didnt want to anticipate this at all. I was stunned by this. My mom texted me "Yeah!" I love it.' Bob Odenkirk of Better Call Saul, nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama, said: 'Im thrilled to be noticed and nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press. My evolving role on Better Call Saul is incredibly rewarding. Like the fans, I cant wait to see where it goes next.' Frankie Shaw of SMILF, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, wrote: 'I cant believe it! What started as a little short film I shot in my friends bedroom turned into this. I am so honored for the show to be recognized and for our name to be up there with all of these amazingly creative and talented people. Thank you to Showtime for believing in us, and thank you thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press!!!' Chrissy Metz of This Is Us said: 'A big thank you to #HFPA for our @NBCThisisUs nominations! We are honored. @goldenglobes.' She is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Her moment: Chrissy Metz of This Is Us said: 'A big thank you to #HFPA for our @NBCThisisUs nominations! We are honored. @goldenglobes' Insecure star Issa rae wrote: 'Thanks for the congrats, everyone! Much love to my #InsecureHBO family & congrats to the other nominees! #GoldenGlobes.' Millie Bobby Brown added: 'Congrats @DavidKHarbour and @Stranger_Things for the #GoldenGlobes nominations! Happy days #DadDance @netflix.' Shawn Levy, executive producer of Stranger Things, nominated for Best Television Series Drama: 'While all of us working on STRANGER THINGS were grateful for the success of our first season, we were also vigilantly determined not to rest on that. We wanted to make a second season that would feel authentic to our show and characters, but strive further in cinematic scope, emotion and depth. The lead: Guillermo del Toros Shape of Water (pictured) leads the nominations with seven followed by Steven Spielbergs The Post and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with six each 'We are so grateful for the reception of STRANGER THINGS 2 and the recognition of the HFPA with this second Golden globe nomination.' Billie Jean King said: 'Congratulations to #EmmaStone and @SteveCarell on their @goldenglobes Best Actress and Best Actor nominations for @billievsbobby! Two great people who delivered two incredible performances. Proud to have played a small part in the film's success! #GoldenGlobes Edgar Wright tweeted: 'Go, Baby, go!' There were some negative reactions to the nods, however. 'The Golden Globes could have nominated Greta Gerwig, Dee Rees, Jordan Peele or even Patty Jenkins for Best Director. But no, we got five white men. Very disappointed,' one person tweeted. Meanwhile....: Fans were not happy that Patty Jenkins was not nominated for Wonder Woman Gerwig made a directorial debut with Lady Bird, Jenkins did Wonder Woman and Peele was on Get Out. Guillermo del Toros Shape of Water leads the nominations with seven followed by Steven Spielbergs The Post and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with six each. Lady Bird stood alone in third place with four nominations, including Saoirse Ronan in the lead actress category. Call Me By Your Name, The Greatest Showman, All the Money in the World, Dunkirk, and I, Tonya all followed with three nominations each. HBOs summer hit Big Little Lies dominated the competition on the TV side with six nominations. FXs Feud: Bette and Joan followed with four, and This Is Us, Fargo, and The Handmaids Tale tied for third place with three nods each. The 75th Golden Globes Awards will air live from the Beverly Hilton Hotels Grand Ballroom on January 7 on NBC with host Seth Meyers. Sofia Vergara can wear a trendy ensemble better than many women half her age. And when the Modern Family actress hit Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills on Saturday, she did just that. The 45-year-old Colombian beauty - who was likely shopping for husband Joe Manganiello - wore a ripped top and jeans that didn't miss the mark. Fountain of Youth: Sofia Vergara wears ripped ensemble while shopping on Saturday in Beverly Hills Classic beauty: The stunner might be wearing Nike sneakers for a shopping trip, but she didn't leave home without her Hermes Birkin bag The beauty showed how to perfectly combine trendy items with some classic items during her shopping trip. The Hot Pursuit star wore a long-sleeve shirt full of small holes all over paired with an equally hole-y pair of jeans with ventilation appearing around the knees. Her comfortable Nike high-top sneakers are a must when you plan to do a lot of walking, especially during holiday shopping. She finished her look with a black Hermes Birkin bag and oversized sunglasses. Red carpet ready: Manganiello and Vergara celebrated two years of marriage in November; here they are seen on Saturday at The Last Jedi premiere in LA Vergara and Manganiello, who celebrated two years of marriage in November, stepped out for the premiere of the latest Star Wars film on Saturday and the couple looked more in love than ever. In an Instagram post shared on both Sofia's and Joe's accounts, the love birds showed how thoughtful they are with one another. The True Blood alum had the words 'I love Sofia' engraved onto the collar of his suit jacket. True love: Manganiello keeps his wife close with a secret message hidden under his collar The siren was spotted shooting Modern Family scenes with co-stars Sarah Hyland, Ty Burrell and Rico Rodriguez in Venice Beach on Thursday. The hit series is currently in its 9th season and has aired 197 episodes to date. Sofia's work on the comedy helped catapult her to become the highest paid actress on television, according to Forbes. Gloria! The Colombian native, who portrays Gloria Delgado Pritchett on Modern Family, shot scenes for the ninth season in Venice Beach on Thursday Fans are currently still awaiting for the release of Vergara's newest film Bent, co-starring Andy Garcia and Karl Urban. The revenge-thriller shot this Spring in Italy but has not yet received a date it will hit theaters. The brunette is rumored to have her first nude scene in the film when she and Urban are in the shower together. She was photographed in Rome wearing only a bed sheet alongside the Star Trek star. The mom-of-one plays the role of Rebecca, a woman described as a a ruthless, seductive government agent. She shot to fame on Love Island last summer, getting engaged to fellow dater Alex Bowen after a whirlwind five months together. But Olivia Buckland left her hunky fiance at home on Tuesday evening, as she attended the Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter festive lunch at The Ivy Soho Brasserie. The 24-year-old reality star flashed her bronzed limbs in a red velvet dress as she joined fellow Love Islander Chloe Crowhurst at the star-studded London bash. Scroll down for video Reality star babes: Love Island stars Olivia Buckland and Chloe Crowhurst stunned in thigh-grazing dresses as they attended the Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter festive lunch at The Ivy Soho Brasserie Olivia, who is an ambassador for the fake tan brand the lunch was hosted for, ensured she looked suitably bronzed for her night out. Flaunting her sunkissed limbs in a racy thigh-split dress, she added height with some black caged heeled sandals. Styling her golden locks in a sleek middle parting, she plumped her pout with nude lipstick and framed her eyes with bronze iridescent shimmer. She seemed to be in great spirits as she mingled with Chloe, who starred on this year's Love Island, and Celebs Go Dating host Nadia Essex. Chic: The 24-year-old reality star flashed her bronzed limbs in a red velvet dress and fur jacket Looking good: Olivia, who is an ambassador for the fake tan brand the lunch was hosted for, ensured she looked suitably bronzed for her night out Chic: Flaunting her sunkissed limbs in a racy thigh-split dress, she added height with some black caged heeled sandals Olivia enjoyed a whirlwind romance with Alex Bowen since meeting in the Mallorcan villa in July 2016, getting engaged just five months later during a romantic trip to New York City. The couple, who readily admit that making their relationship work after the ITV2 show was 'hard work', credit their lasting romance with making an effort to see each other every day when they came out of the villa. Alex said: ' Olivia has a job I'll go with her, if I have a job she'll come with me. I had a lot of PAs when I first came out. But I would spend every night in my own bed. 'It was such hard work but we made it work and we're really happy together. Just hanging out: The reality star beamed as she mingled with Marissa Carter Taking the plunge: Chloe Crowhurst, who starred on this year's Love Island, looked chic in a tuxedo-style wrap minidress Olivia added: 'He was making the effort to come back and see me every night before the next one. We worked really really hard on it. It probably made us the most tired people in the world. But we always wanted to be together. 'I always say our relationship is mega strange because we spend 24/7 together and we never get sick of each other. We're so so lucky that we just get on super well.' Meanwhile Alex and Olivia, who finished as runners-up to Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde, revealed they had a rather unconventional -and very drunken- way of celebrating their engagement, with a wild visit to a strip club. Double trouble: Made In Chelsea star Tina Stinnes and Celebs Go Dating host Nadia Essex were also in attendance Having a whale of a time: The pair appeared to be in great spirits as they stopped for a snap Alex said: 'I was really ill before we went to New York and I was getting better each day I was there but I hadn't really been eating before we went. 'We went to have cocktails after in the hotel and we got absolutely trashed, so trashed. I had two and I was drunk. 'We looked across the street and saw the strip club and we both looked each other laughed and said 'come on we'll go in.' Alex then paid for a dance for his new fiance which went down a storm with Olivia. Olivia said: 'We made friends with this stripper she was so lovely. We were so drunk and we're always up for a laugh. That was just pure banter, it wasn't sexual. It was hilarious.' Budding beauty: Presenter Hayley Sparkes rocked a floral velvet wrap dress and metallic heels They are hot on the promotional trail for the highly- anticipated new Star Wars film, with the world premiere held in Los Angeles on Saturday. And Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill looked slightly weary as they touched down in London in Monday following an 11 hour flight from Los Angeles, ahead of The Last Jedi UK premiere on Tuesday. Daisy, 25, who plays Jedi Padawan Rey in Episode VIII of the space saga, donned a black t-shirt, matching leggings and a denim shearling coat for her arrival into Heathrow Airport. Scroll down for video Touchdown: Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill looked slightly weary as they touched down in London in Monday following an 11 hour flight from Los Angeles, ahead of The Last Jedi UK premiere on Tuesday Her brunette tresses were tied back into a ponytail while her sparkling eyes were hidden behind leopard print shades. The star showed off her natural beauty by going make-up free for her arrival as she pushed a trolley of suitcases. Acting legend Mark, 66, channeled his Jedi alterego Luke Skywalker as he strolled through the terminal, clad in a hooded leather jacket reminiscent of a Jedi's robe. He was joined by his glamorous wife Marilou York and his daugghter Chelsea, 29. Premiere eve: Mark, 66, was joined by his glamorous wife of 39 years Marilou York and their daughter Chelsea Feeling the force: Acting legend Mark, 66, channeled his Jedi alter-ego Luke Skywalker as he strolled through the terminal, clad in a hooded leather jacket reminiscent of a Jedi's robe Mark paired his jacket with a khaki t-shirt, black trousers and a checked scarf as he acclimatised to the frosty UK temperatures. Dozens of flights have been cancelled at the UKs busiest airport as the fallout from the weekends heavy snow continues to cause disruption for passengers. Heathrow said it was operating three-quarters of its full schedule as airlines dealt with the knock-on effects of Sundays heavy snowfall, which turned to ice overnight as temperatures plummeted. Their arrival came after the glittering world premiere at LA's Shrine Auditorium on Saturday. Rey of Light: The Last Jedi, which is out on December 15, picks up with the Resistance fighting Supreme Leader Snokes First Order which is trying to take over the galaxy Battle: Rey (Daisy Ridley) tries to convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill, above) to join the Resistance and bring hope to the rebels against Snoke's villainous rule. The film's director-writer Rian Johnson paid special tribute to late Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher as he introduced the screening, saying: 'I want to dedicate tonight to Carrie, who is up there right now flipping me the bird, saying `Damn it Rian, dont you dare make this night a solemn tribute. 'So lets all have a blast tonight for Carrie.' The film ends with a dedication to Fisher, who plays Princess Leia. Lure of the Dark Side: Questions remain over whether Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver) will face justice for murdering his father Han Solo (Harrison Ford) Carrie died at age 60 last December after completing her work on The Last Jedi. She shot to fame as the feisty and determined Princess Leia in the original three Star Wars film- A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Her character, now known as General Leia Organa, leader of the Resistance, plays a key role in the film. Iconic: The film's director-writer Rian Johnson paid special tribute to late Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher as he introduced the screening,(pictured above in Return of the Jedi in 1983) The Last Jedi, which is out on December 15, picks up with the Resistance fighting Supreme Leader Snokes First Order which is trying to take over the galaxy. The film's release comes two years after The Force Awakens. Rey (Daisy Ridley) tries to convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to join the Resistance and bring hope to the rebels against Snoke's villainous rule. The star-studded ensemble cast, including Ridley, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong'o, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis and Hamill. Disney has a strict embargo on full reviews until Tuesday, but early spoiler-free Twitter reaction has been universally positive. Legendary: Mark Hamill shot to fame in the original Star The Empire Strikes Back. 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi is everything. Intense, funny, emotional, exciting. Its jam-packed with absolutely jaw dropping moments and I loved it so, so much. Im still shaking,' wrote Gizmodo's Germain Lussier. 'I cant believe The Last Jedi exists. @rianjohnson is a madman and I love him for it. He takes Star Wars to the edge and throws it over. What a crazy, awesome movie. Well be talking about this one for a long, long time.' SlashFilm's Peter Sciretta tweeted: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi is so very different, exciting, surprising. So many emotions, so many amazing moments. Stay away from spoilers. Fighter: John Boyega will return as Resistance Fighter Finn in the new film The LA Times Jen Yamato claimed: 'StarWars: The Last Jedi is so beautifully human, populist, funny, and surprising. I cried when one POC heroine got her moment because films like these leave their mark on entire generations -- and representation matters.' The original trilogy's plot focused on the Rebel Alliance, led by Leia and its battle to destroy the Galactic Empire's space station, the infamous Death Star, manned by supervillain Darth Vader. Luke Skywalker, then a simple farm boy, acquires droids that possess stolen blueprints for the Death star. She was no doubt delighted when the Indian millionaire donated 135,000 euros to her Breast Cancer Research Foundation earlier in the evening. And Elizabeth Hurley appeared to a high following the massive donation as Sudha Reddy playfully feed her a sweet treat during her fundraising dinner on Monday night in Paris. The 52-year-old - who stunned in a glittering pink gown - welcomed the delicacy from her stylish pal while cameras captured the moment during the charitable evening at the Shangri La Hotel. Scroll down for video Having her cake: Elizabeth Hurley showed her appreciation for the charitable donation from Sudha Reddy as the businesswoman feed her a sweet treat during her fundraising dinner on Monday night in Paris The age-defying beauty - who has been a dedicated brand ambassador for breast cancer awareness for more than two decades - dazzled as her chowed down on the delicacies provided by Sudha. Making sure all eyes were on her, Elizabeth's glossy pout and brunette locks took centre stage as her pal fed her a taster of the food on offer which she appeared to enjoy. Earlier in the evening, she showcased her famously svelte frame into a glittering pink gown, complete with plunging neckline. Eat up: The 52-year-old - who stunned in a glittering pink gown - welcomed the delicacy from her stylish pal while cameras captured the moment during the charitable evening at the Shangri La Hotel Enjoyment: The age-defying beauty - who has been a dedicated brand ambassador for breast cancer awareness for more than two decades - dazzled as her chowed down on the delicacies provided by Sudha Rocking her amazing brunette locks in glamorous curls, the star put on a showstopping display as she posed at the bash. Liz kept her makeup classic but dramatic in a smoky eye and nude lip gloss, with the only accessory being a pair of jewelled stud earrings. The Royals star later posed on the carpet with Indian billionaire Sudha Reddy - who was being honoured at the dinner, after donating to both Hurley's Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Fight Hunger foundation. Think pink: Elizabeth Hurley stole the show at a breast cancer charity dinner in Paris, France on Monday night Inner princess: Liz commanded attention in the showstopping ensemble, with the only accessory being jewelled stud earrings Liz has spent more than 20 years as a global ambassador for the Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) campaign. The Austin Powers actress spoke this week about her commitment to the cause on NBC's Megyn Kelly Today. 'I lost my grandmother to breast cancer in the early '90s,' she explained. 'I joined the Estee Lauder company a couple of years later, and Evelyn Lauder, who was Estee Lauder's daughter-in-law, came up to me straight away and said, "I've just started this new campaign, would you help me?"' Guest of honour: Liz posed with Indian billionaire Sudha Reddy on the red carpet, as the dinner was to honour the entrepreneur for her donations to Liz's Breast Cancer foundation Incredible: Both women dazzled in their looks, with Sudha choosing a bronze sequinned gown and matching cape 'I said, "Yes, yes, what is it?" and she said, "Well, women all over the world are dying of breast cancer and nobody is talking about it. I want to change that."' The company launched its Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and the pink ribbon shortly after - which is now a widely recognisable symbol for the fight against the disease. 'At that time, there was no pink ribbon. Nobody spoke about breast cancer,' she said. In September Liz revealed she is still on great terms with her exes Hugh, former husband Arun Nayer and ex fiance Shane Warne. She told Mail On Sunday's You magazine: 'If someone's lovely how could you not be on good terms with them? None of us has ever done anything bad to one another.' The star added: 'Hugh and Arun are very important in our lives. Shane is still a good friend. We were texting each other last night.' Honoured: Liz recently told Megyn Kelly how her foundation both raised awareness of breast cancer, and created the recognised pink ribbon symbol She was crowned Queen of the Jungle on this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! winning the viewers vote over runner-up Jamie Lomas. And Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo has had an army of stars congratulating her on the win, one such star was her Made in Chelsea pal Emily Blackwell, who posted a nostalgic snap of the pair on Instagram. The 20-year-old beauty shared a photo of her with Toff in revealing crop-tops, congratulating the blonde on her win in Sunday night's show with a gratuitous sexy throwback. Scroll down for video Thrilled: Made in Chelsea star Emily Blackwell, 20, congratulated co-star Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo on her I'm A Celebrity win in a sultry Instagram post Emily captioned the post: 'WELL DONE @toffgeorgia you absolute queen! So proud now get yooo a** home weve missed you.' In the snap, Emily showed off her ample cleavage in a grey vest top, along with a dramatic bronze smoky eye, while braless Toff flashed some serious underboob in a pulled-up white T-shirt. Toff was crowned the Queen of the Jungle on Sunday and - along with Emily - a slew of her Made in Chelsea co-stars rushed the congratulate her on the victory. Champion: Toff was crowned the new Queen of the Jungle in the I'm A Celebrity final on Sunday night Pals: Emma gushed about Toff, captioning her Instagram post: 'WELL DONE @toffgeorgia you absolute queen! So proud now get yooo asss home weve missed you' Jamie Laing, who recently returned to London after appearing on ITV2 spin-off series Extra Camp, posted a short but sweet tweet celebrating Toff's success, writing: 'You smashed it girl @ToffTalks.' Posting a snap of her and Toff enjoying a summer drink together on Instagram, Binky Felstead gushed about the blonde, writing: 'TB to last summer living with this Jungle QUEEN!!!.... Proud of you girl, you've smashed it! CONGRATULATIONS!' Ollie Locke also praise his pal, posting a picture of Toff enjoying a comically large bottle of rose with the caption: 'Our new Queen of the Jungle!!! @toffgeorgia I have NEVER been so proud of anyone!! I Love you soooo much my darling girl!!! LOVE and enjoy every second!!' Delighted: A slew of Made in Chelsea stars rushed to congratulate Toff on her victory, with Louise Thompson simply tweeting 'Well done' MIC buddies: Binky Felstead posted a snap of her and Toff enjoying a summer drink together 'So proud': Ollie Locke posted a comedic snap of Toff on Instagram, calling the spunky blonde 'my darling girl' Thrilled: Jamie Laing, just days after his return from Australia, praised Toff for her appearance on the show Chelsea beauty Louise Thompson also tweeted: 'Well done @ToffTalks.' While some have predicted that Toff's jungle victory could open up new opportunities for the star, others have been left speculating whether she will return to Made in Chelsea. Ahead of her journey Down Under, producers promised that Toff's departure from the E4 series would not be forever, but since then Toff's popularity has shot sky high, with a Tory insider hint her interest in politics would make her ideal Parliamentary candidate. The source told The Daily Star: 'Georgia would be a perfect candidate for Parliament as she is a young, vibrant face of the future. She has the full package - intellect, charm and looks.' What's next? Insiders have predicted Toff could cash in on a slew of deals after her I'm A Celebrity victory, leaving her future on Made in Chelsea in doubt She left her long standing profession as an escort after meeting her new beau Ryan Phelan. And it seems Samantha X, whose real name is Amanda Goff, can't get enough of her man. The 43-year-old shared a post to Instagram on Tuesday of her cuddling up to the Channel Seven TV presenter. Scroll down for video 'Happy as a pig...with the man I adore!' Retired call girl Samantha X gushes over her beau Ryan Phelan as she cuddles up next to him The blonde captioned the post: 'Happy as a pig in poo poo with the man I adore @ryanphelan_tv' It appears she is full of praise for her new man. Only just last week she wrote lovingly of Ryan 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. '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 Meanwhile, since making things official with Ryan, Amanda appears to be proud of her new role as a 'clothes-on' counselor for men in need of relationship advice. The blonde, who offers guidance on affairs of the heart via her website, posted a screenshot of an email she received from a happy customer recently. '[Samantha] had the empathy of a reliable friend and the objectivity of a concerned stranger,' gushed her new 'client' '[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. '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. Alexander Skarsgard shocked fans when he debuted a bald head on the red carpet in October. The True Blood star continued to wear the follicly challenged look as he shot scenes for the Kim Nyguyen film The Hummingbird Project, currently shooting in Toronto. He stars in the dramatic film alongside Salma Hayek and Jesse Eisenberg, who shot an intense scene on Monday. Earlier in the day Skarsgard, 41, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of the abusing Perry Wright on Big Little Lies. Battle of the sexes: Salma Hayek yelled at Alexander Skarsgard as Jesse Eisenberg looked on during shoot for The Hummingbird Project in Toronto on Monday The Swedish native was bundled up in an oversized blue jacket over a pair of dark tan corduroys and work boots. In some scenes, he wore a grey beanie hat to keep his head warm in the chilly weather. Eisenberg, who plays Skarsgard's cousin in the film, wore a similar ensemble with multiple layers underneath his winter coat. Hayek was more bundled up between scenes in a long black coat with a business suit underneath. Her character has a trendy silver balayage hairdo that's completely different to any style we've ever seen the actress wear. The big chill: Skarsgard and Eisenberg played cousins in the new dramatic film Cut! Hayek wore a warm coat over the business suit her character donned in the Kim Nguyen-directed project The film follows Vincent (Eisenberg) and Anton (Skarsgard) who are cousins from New York who are players in the High Frequency Trading game. They plan to become millionaires by building a fiber optic cable that runs from Kansas to New Jersey. Hayek stars as their former boss Eva Torres, a power yet manipulative trader who will stop at nothing to get in their way. Their journey to riches shows them that money is not the ultimate prize. Dome: Skarsgard showed an extreme closeup of his balding scalp on Instagram in October FIN: Skarsgard thanked his co-star Eisenberg as he called wrap on the project on Sunday Monday is believed to have been the last day of shooting of the film, according to an Instagram account believed to belong to the 6'ft 5" Swede. 'That's a wrap! Thanks for all the laughs Jesse,' the Instagram user RexDanger posted. Posts have appeared from the set including a close-up of his new hairdo, a bald top with hair growing on the sides. Bald is beautiful: Skarsgard unveiled his bald look in October at the Volez Voquez Voyagez x Louis Vuitton event in NYC It was announced on Monday morning that the Legend Of Tarzan star had earned a Golden Globe nomination in the Best Supporting Actor in a mini-series category for his work on the HBO hit Big Little Lies. His co-stars Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon were also honored in the category, Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. The series itself also earned a nod for Best Limited Series. Winning: Nicole and Alexander were nominated for Golden Globe Awards for their portrayal of an abusing married couple in Big Little Lies Turn on: Kidman and Skarsgard battled it out in the small screen adaptation of the Liane Moriarty novel It was announced on Saturday that the show will be coming back with a second season, which will change it's category moving forward for any award nominations. There's no word whether Skarsgard could bring his character back to life via flashbacks in the continuation. Though casting is still under negotiations, it is rumored that most of the stars of the critically acclaimed book-turned-small-screen-superstar will be back. They're the loved-up Instagram power couple who celebrated their two-year anniversary in June. And Natasha Oakley, 26, has hinted she's taken the next step in her relationship with beau Gilles Souteyrand by sharing a decidedly amorous snap this week. Taking to her popular Instagram account on Monday, the A Bikini A Day blogger shared a photo of herself being swept into the arms of her man as they embraced on the shore of Miami Beach. 'I could stay in your arms forever': Natasha Oakley, 26, has hinted she's taken the next step in her relationship with beau Gilles Souteyrand by sharing a decidedly amorous snap this week Natasha's engagement-style photo was accompanied with the gushing caption: 'I could stay in your arms forever @Gilles_Souteyrand'. Gilles responded to the adorable snap in a comment underneath, writing: 'I am planning to have you in my arms forever at @tashoakley.' It was no surprise Natasha's fans were sent into meltdown by the post, with many followers sharing comments speculating that the pair were secretly engaged. 'Most romantic place': Adding fuel to fire, Gilles also shared a romantic snap of the pair kissing on the beach Speculation: 'Get married already!' quipped one fan in a comment, while another added: 'You're engaged?' 'Get married already!' quipped one fan, while another added: 'You're engaged?' Adding fuel to fire, Gilles also shared a romantic snap of the pair kissing on the beach, accompanied with the caption: 'When you stroll on the beach and [kiss emoji] happen! Most romantic place.' While Natasha has remained tight-lipped on whether she is set to tie the knot, it wouldn't be the first time Natasha changed her relationship status in secret. Former flame: Back in 2014, Natasha secretly split from her then-boyfriend, French Big Brother star Martin Medus (R) Moving on: After splitting with Martin, she went on to date Gilles for six months before finally debuting their romance on social media- taking fans by surprise Back in 2014, Natasha secretly split from her then-boyfriend, French Big Brother star Martin Medus. She went on to date Gilles for six months before finally debuting their romance on social media- taking fans by surprise. Natasha has also previously sparked engagement rumours by wearing a diamond sparkler on her ring finger, but has so far stayed silent on the matter. Timeless star Matt Lanter lights up the cover of the winter 2017 issue of LaPalme Magazine. Expecting his first child with wife Angela in less than a month, the 34-year-old heartthrob is savoring every part of the process as he prepares to become a father. He told the magazine: 'She is due January 11th and we have a podcast called Hello Bump to document our time with her being pregnant, emotionally and her physically. Father-to-be: Matt Lanter opens up about expecting his first child with wife Angela in his interview with LaPalme Magazine for its winter issue He continued: 'We started doing it just for us, so we could listen back on our experience, but then and we figured we could do this and maybe it will help others too. 'She talks about the grossest, nastiest stuff about her being pregnant, and she is like "why dont people tell you this stuff. People arent honest about this stuff". We have been doing it every week.' The actor also dished on the couple's bond, revealing that their faith keeps them grounded. Talking of the podcast he's doing with his wife, Matt explained: 'She talks about the grossest, nastiest stuff about her being pregnant, and she is like "why dont people tell you this stuff.' Geek chic: The TV star rocks a variety of outfits for the spread 'We both have strong faith in the Lord, and I think for us, that is something that bonds us and we have a focus on that above all else. We are both playful, and we have a lot of fun and jab at each other. I feel like sarcasm is important in a relationship.' The former 90210 star previously revealed his excitement about becoming a father to PEOPLE in August. 'First steps, first words, first everything,' gushed the Ohio-born actor, 'We keep picturing the quiet moments (after the loud ones, of course) and morning snuggles with our baby!' 'We keep picturing morning snuggles with our baby': Matt revealed his excitement at becoming a father in an interview with People in August Fashion spread: The former 90210 star is seen in a floral shirt and khaki green sweater Looking sharp: Matt is dapper on the cover of the winter 2017 issue of the magazine Matt and wife Angela told the magazine 'We are both overjoyed to be blessed with this new addition to our family.' In September they revealed in a podcast that they're expecting a girl. Matt, who voiced Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, wed Angela in a spectacular Star Wars themed ceremony back in 2013. The couple live in Los Angeles with their beloved Maltipoo pup Ahsoka. Not long now! The couple are expecting a baby girl on January 11 They have been blissfully loved-up since the beginning of the year but denied recently getting engaged. And Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews looked closer than ever as they stepped out for a date night at Blue's secret gig in London on Sunday. The Irish TV presenter, 32, and her 28-year-old Made In Chelsea star beau were perfectly in sync as they made their way to the venue, with Vogue sweetly linking arms with Spencer. Scroll down for video Smitten: Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews looked closer than ever as they stepped out for a date night at Blue's secret gig in London on Sunday Sweet: The Irish TV presenter, 32, and her 28-year-old Made In Chelsea star beau were perfectly in sync as they made their way to the venue, with Vogue sweetly linking arms with Spencer Vogue put on an extremely leggy display in a blue and white checked silk mini-dress decorated with red roses, which flaunted her toned pins with its handkerchief hem. The elegant dress cinched in at the middle to show off the star's toned waist and she added extra height to her frame with peeptoe lace-up ankle boots. The star accessorised with a patent leather jacket, a selection of gold chains and a cute black bobble hat. Her caramel flecked brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight while she opted for a minimal dusting of radiant make-up to enhance her pretty features. Leggy: Vogue put on an extremely leggy display in a blue and white checked silk mini-dress decorated with red roses, which flaunted her toned pins with its handkerchief hem Laughter: The elegant dress cinched in at the middle to show off the star's toned waist and she added extra height to her frame with peeptoe lace-up ankle boots Meanwhile hunky Spencer, went for an all-black ensemble of a v-neck t-shirt, jeans and a leather jacket, while his chestnut locks were styled into a quiff. Looking happier than ever, the couple couldn't help but crack smitten smiles as they stepped out. They were en-route to the Blue/Green gig which saw the iconic noughties boyband change their name in support of the npower Go Green tariff. Vogue and Spencer went public with their romance in March after meeting on The Jump. They haven't been shy about flaunting their love for each other, with Spencer gushing on social media, 'never been happier in my life' while she reciprocated, 'at my happiest with this boy by my side.' Strut: Meanwhile hunky Spencer, went for an all-black ensemble of a v-neck t-shirt, jeans and a leather jacket, while his chestnut locks were styled into a quiff Toned: Vogue looked radiant as she pulled off a sultry pose on the red carpet Glittering: Stacey Solomon (L) donned a bizarre glittering and very baggy gold two piece while Gabby Allen flashed her bra in a sheer sequinned top Fierce: Former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts worked a leather skirt and beret at the gig Hot couple: Kelly Brook and beau Jeremy Parisi were the epitome of smitten as they arrived Chic: Kelly showed off her slim legs in black cigarette pants paired with a checked blazer Elegant: Her caramel flecked brunette tresses were styled in loose glossy waves for the gig Cute: Jeremy and Kelly looked truly smitten as they cosied up en-route to the gig Smile: Kelly and Jeremy couldn't keep the smiles off their faces as they walked into the gig Sweet: Kelly flashed a broad smile as she linked arms with her hunky beau Where's Lee? Blue members Simon Webbe, Antony Costa and Duncan James posed before their gig Strength to strength: Vogue revealed the secret to success with their relationship is that they never argue in a recent interview with The Sunday Mirror Vogue revealed the secret to success with their relationship is that they never argue in a recent interview with The Sunday Mirror. She said: 'He is my best pal. I remember thinking we would be best friends forever. It is the first relationship where I don't have fights with people.' The duo are currently living together and their move came after Vogue denied reports she had moved into Spencer's Chelsea home. Speaking during an appearance on Loose Women, Vogue revealed the pair have bought a new house together. She said: 'We moved in together last night. He arrived home at four in the morning from Greece and forced me to get up to have a glass of champagne to toast the new house. He didn't want me to move in to his house. 'He lives in a one-bed in Chelsea and I have a lot of clothes so that was never going to work. And I lived with two Irish boys so I think we've always wanted to have our own place so that's what we started looking at straight away.' Previously, Vogue was married to Westlife's Brian McFadden for three years before they parted ways in July 2015. Spencer, meanwhile, has dated a string of beauties including Louise Thompson, Stephanie Pratt, Vicky Pattison and Lauren Frazer-Hutton. She's been making the most of family life after welcoming her first child, baby son Jack Oscar, into the world in June. And Rosie Huntington-Whiteley spent some quality time with other members of her nearest and dearest as she enjoyed a girls' day out with her sister Florence and pet dachshunds Peggy and Dolly at the beach in Malibu, California, on Monday. The model and actress, 30, looked happy and relaxed as she wrapped up in a low-key blush knit sweater and charcoal-colored jeans. A time for family: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley enjoyed a girls' day out with her sister Florence and pet dachshunds Peggy and Dolly at the beach in Malibu, California, on Monday The Transformers star teamed her casual ensemble with a pair of tan suede UGG boots for her day at the coast with her sibling. Wearing her wavy blonde hair down, the former Victoria's Secret Angel shielded her eyes from the sunshine in a pair of sunglasses, while opting for little to no make-up. At one point, the British-born beauty was squatting on the sand as her two little pooches rose up onto their hind legs to get closer to her. Rosie's younger sister wore a paid of high-waisted sky blue jeans with a printed T-shirt, white sneakers and shades. Puppy love: The model and actress, 30, looked happy and relaxed as she wrapped up in a low-key blush knit sweater and charcoal-colored jeans Life's a beach: The Transformers star teamed her casual ensemble with a pair of tan suede UGG boots for her day at the coast with her sibling Rosie and Florence also have a brother called Toby, who works as a fitness instructor in London. The star, who grew up on a farm in Devon, south-west England, before being scouted as a model when she was 16, has previously said her family is the main thing she misses about being based in Los Angeles. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar magazine in November 2016, she said: 'The one big downside is not having my family within reach. 'I would love to be able to invite them over for a roast dinner, or be able to say to my brother or sister, "Why don't you pop over for a glass of wine tonight?" but I can't and it weighs heavily on me.' Plenty to smile about: . Wearing her wavy blonde hair down, the former Victoria's Secret Angel shielded her eyes from the sunshine in a pair of sunglasses Rosie has been with her fiance, British actor Jason Statham, 50, since 2010, and they welcomed their son Jack this June. She made the announcement with a sweet black and white Instagram photo showing her baby's hand gripping her index finger. 'Our little man arrived! Jack Oscar Statham - 8.8lbs on Saturday June 24th,' she wrote in the caption, closing with a heart emoji. Rosie's career continues to go from strength to strength as she navigates life as a working mother. Last month, she landed in fifth places on Forbes' annual list of the world's best-paid supermodels, with earnings of a staggering $9.5 million in just 12 months. Throwback: Rosie has been with British actor Jason Statham, 50, since 2010, and they welcomed their son Jack in June (pictured in February during her pregnancy) She welcomed her first child Poppy Alice in January. And Phoebe Burgess, 27, proved that she's a bona fide yummy mummy as she brandished her post-baby figure during a lavish Fijian getaway with husband Sam this week. In a series of Instagram updates shared to her popular page on Monday, the glamorous WAG showcased her toned and trim physique in a high-waisted black bikini and straw sun-hat. Yummy mummy alert! Phoebe Burgess, 27, proved that she's a bona fide yummy mummy as she brandished her post-baby figure during a lavish Fijian getaway with husband Sam this week In one snap, Phoebe is seen posing on the tropical beach alongside her South Sydney Rabbitohs star beau as he cradles little Poppy in his arms. 'Inseparable', Phoebe captioned the adorable family snap. In another image shared to her Instagram Story, Phoebe once again revealed her enviable physique alongside Sam and Poppy, captioning this snap simply with: 'Team'. That's one way to show your patriotism! Meanwhile, English-born Sam appeared to be in his element as he posed on the sand in a pair of tiny Budgie Smuggler swimming trunks emblazoned with a St George's cross-inspired design Meanwhile, English-born Sam appeared to be in his element as he posed on the sand in a pair of tiny Budgie Smuggler swimming trunks emblazoned with a St George's cross-inspired design. On Monday, Phoebe also revealed glimpse at her and Sam's holiday antics by uploading a video of the pair singing along to Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry Be Happy. Never one to shy away from the camera, Phoebe used the selfie-style video as an opportunity to reveal a generous glimpse of cleavage in her skimpy bikini top. Busting out a tune! On Monday, Phoebe also revealed glimpse at her and Sam's holiday antics by uploading a video of the pair singing along to Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry Be Happy Cheers! In another video, Sam was seen kicking back with a cool beverage The couple jetted off to the picturesque getaway spot ahead of their second wedding anniversary, which takes place later this month. Phoebe, who tied the knot with Sam in a lavish wedding nearly two years ago, recently gushed about motherhood. 'I love caring for [Poppy], nurturing her, putting her first and watching her grow into a cheeky, fun and loving little human. It's insanely special,' she told Nine Honey. 'Motherhood has been exhilarating exhausting and then wonderful again. She added: 'Motherhood has unearthed a whole new side to me that I hadn't explored yet.' Burgeoning bump: The Pilateswear designer previously showed off her huge belly prior to giving birth earlier this year Motherhood: Phoebe, who tied the knot with Sam in a lavish wedding nearly two years ago, recently gushed about motherhood Building memories: 'I love caring for [Poppy], nurturing her, putting her first and watching her grow into a cheeky, fun and loving little human. It's insanely special,' she told Nine Honey The biggest hurdle facing WA Premier Mark McGowan remains the fact Labor is at the mercy of the opposition and crossbench in the upper house despite their landslide victory at the election. Nonetheless, it's been a solid first parliamentary year in government, with Labor delivering on some election commitments and continuing to highlight the opposition's lack of fiscal credibility. Analysts David Black and John Phillimore agree Mr McGowan has handled premiership well. But Prof Black says the premier still has a difficult task in pushing legislation through parliament. "The disadvantage is that they don't control both houses of parliament," he told AAP on Sunday. "The (other) real difficulty is they don't have a mandate for increasing taxes." Regarding the failed gold tax hike, which was twice blocked in the upper house, Prof Phillimore said because it was sold to the public as a budget repair measure, it was a "nil-all draw" for the major parties. But he warned the opposition must pick its battles for blocking legislation or it would only further highlight the unfair and flawed upper house electoral system. Prof Black says Treasurer Ben Wyatt seems to be "one of the strongest players in the administration" with one of the toughest jobs. Prof Phillimore said Labor could continue to attack the opposition over their time in government due to the Liberals lack of fiscal credibility which had left the state with a massive debt and deficit. Mr McGowan's confidence in parliament has also increased since the March election, perhaps due to having a united and strong team behind him. But the opposition is struggling in the lower house. "The leadership is essentially a hangover from the previous government," Prof Black said. The Liberal party's internal problems, with former premier Colin Barnett's continued public commentary and criticism of his own cabinet, are compounding the issues. Prof Black says while Mr Barnett hasn't helped his party, he's likely to retire soon triggering a by-election in the leafy seat of Cottesloe, which has been won by Liberals at every election since 1950. Whoever the Liberals nominate for the seat will say a lot about the structure of the party going forward, Prof Black says. Another possible by-election could be for the seat of Darling Range if Labor-turned-independent Barry Urban is forced out over questions about his qualifications. Prof Black says it will be difficult for Labor to win if that by-election happens. The legislative assembly resumes next February, but there is plenty of work done between now and then. The next big challenge will be when Mr Wyatt hands down the mid-year review on December 20. Labor candidate Kristina Keneally says voters in the Bennelong electorate are "alarmed" by the prime minister's rhetoric on China. Malcolm Turnbull at the weekend doubled down on his criticism of Beijing interfering in domestic politics while insisting the communist leadership would respect his tough talk. But Ms Kenneally on Monday said people from China and Korea have told her "they are really alarmed by the prime minister's rhetoric". "They see it as China-phobia," the former NSW premier said while campaigning in Bennelong ahead of Saturday's by-election. "They see it as scaremongering. They see the suggestion from the prime minister that people from Chinese or Asian backgrounds are somehow suspicious and they don't like it." Tasmania should consider offloading major assets to pay off some of its crippling unfunded superannuation liability and better fund community services, an economist says. Saul Eslake's yearly economic report card, released on Monday for the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says the state government should think about selling or leasing infrastructure such as energy providers TasNetworks and Aurora Energy. "(It) will provide some 'headroom' to borrow in order to fund higher levels of investment on rigorously selected infrastructure," he said. The state's public sector superannuation liability reached $8.5 billion at the end of the 2016-17 financial year. It accounts for nearly a third of Tasmania's gross product, a larger proportion than any other state or territory. With a March election due, Mr Eslake called on the state's next ruling party to invest more in education and health and community services. Tasmania has the nation's oldest and least educated population. "The economic and social challenges facing Tasmania, over the next four years and beyond, cannot be addressed by a government which seeks a mandate for doing nothing more than 'minding the store' - however competently they do that," Mr Eslake said. "This is a moment in Tasmania's history where those who seek to shape its future should be imaginative and bold, rather than cautious or timid." The current Liberal government recently pledged to extend all high schools to Year 12 by 2022 if re-elected. Tasmania's economic growth of 1.1 per cent in 2016-17 was slower than any other state or territory apart from Western Australia, which contracted by 2.7 per cent. Mr Eslate noted the mining industry had a third consecutive "large decline" sector, falling by 9.1 per cent. But it wasn't all bad news, with the 2017 Tasmania Report describing "strong growth" in areas including agriculture, tourism, health, aged care, IT and telecommunications and business investment. Australia's first national toxic waste repository is one step closer to operating, despite a government environment body flagging huge environmental and financial risks. The Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority has recommended the approval of a central Australian salt mine to house up to 400,000 tonnes of hazardous waste underground per year for 25 years. Tellus Holdings wants to set up the Chandler mine on Maryvale Station, 15 kilometres from Titjikala, a remote Aboriginal community located 120km south of Alice Springs. The NT EPA identified "potentially significant" environmental impacts and financial risks to the community and the government, and made 19 recommendations to help mitigate them. Tellus must ensure rigorous regulatory oversight, including public disclosure of any financial assurance or security held in respect of the proposal and independent auditor and process safety oversight reports. "A whole-of-project financial assurance would ensure that significant residual environmental impacts and risks are acknowledged, and financial risk to the NT government is avoided, covering all financial obligations under an appropriate regulatory regime," EPA Chairman Dr Paul Vogel said. The NT EPA said further work was required to demonstrate that the Chandler Facility is the best option for disposing hazardous waste without unacceptable environmental impacts now or in the future. The project proposal will now go to Environment Minister Lauren Moss for consideration before seeking federal approval. Tellus Managing Director Duncan van der Merwe says the company has spent millions of dollars over seven years to complete a thorough environmental, social, economic benefits and impacts assessment of the project. "Our plan is to create 270 jobs (720 at peak) during the $676 million build phase and 180 jobs during the operations phase," he said. "Tellus sees waste as a valuable resource where we should find ways for it to re-enter the circular economy or stored safely until it can be reused or recycled." A tradesman in his mid-50s kidnapped an eight-year-old girl in regional NSW before raping her and returning her an hour later to the spot he'd abducted her from, NSW Police say. Detectives also allege he produced child abuse material in the short time he held the girl captive after taking her in Wellington, near Dubbo, on Saturday afternoon. Police say the 55-year-old tradie was working at a house in Wellington when he persuaded the girl to get into his vehicle after midday. A 55-year-old tradie has been denied bail after allegedly kidnapping and raping a girl, eight The eight-year-old was reported missing and police immediately launched an investigation. 'The man allegedly sexually assaulted the girl before returning her an hour later to where she was taken from,' a police spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. Officers on the scene - who were frantically searching for the girl - arrested the man. He was taken to Wellington police station and charged with kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, sexual intercourse with a child, procuring a child to produce child abuse material and producing child abuse material. The local man appeared in Dubbo Local Court on Monday and was refused bail. He will reappear in the same court in mid-February. Two Melbourne mums are likely to be jailed for drunkenly bashing a paramedic, leaving him with a broken foot and unable to return to work. Amanda Warren, 31, and Caris Underwood, 20, punched and kicked experienced ambulance worker Paul Judd as he tried to treat a patient at Reservoir in April 2016. Mr Judd has been unable to return to work since the violent attack and has required multiple surgeries on his foot. Waren and Underwood pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury to Mr Judd and are due to be sentenced in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon. A magistrate in the morning indicated he will jail the pair, after considering new laws for attacks on emergency workers. "I have concluded that for both accused, an immediate custodial sentence is required," Magistrate Lance Martin said. Unless there are "special reasons", Victorian laws introduced in 2014 demand a mandatory minimum jail term of six months for anyone who intentionally injures an emergency worker. But defence lawyers for Underwood and Warren previously argued special circumstances were present and the pair should avoid jail. The court was told Underwood was abused as a child and has a young baby, while Warren suffered mental health issues and has four young children. Mr Martin indicated he would also sentence them to community corrections orders in combination with prison. The case was stood down until Monday afternoon while Warren and Underwood are assessed to determine if they are suitable for such orders. A small but select fleet will contest Tuesday's Big Boat Challenge, with two of the four Sydney to Hobart supermaxis not racing. The fleet of four, which includes supermaxis Wild Oats XI and Black Jack, is the smallest in the history of the race which started back in 1994. Of the other supermaxis entered for the Hobart race, LDV Comanche is still waiting for some of her crew to arrive from overseas, while InfoTrack is in preparation mode for the big race later this month. Rounding out Tuesday's fleet are the 80-foot Beau Geste owned by Hong Kong businessman Karl Kwok and the 66-foot Wild Oats X, a stablemate of Wild Oats XI, which is also owned by the Oatley family. The race starting on Sydney Harbour has been dominated in recent years by Wild Oats XI. Black Jack skipper Mark Bradford understands why some owners may be reluctant to line up for the race just two weeks out from the Sydney to Hobart. "There's a lot of decisions to be made here," Bradford told AAP. "The risk management of these projects is a real factor and certainly sailing in the Big Boat race does add a fair bit of risk to your project so close to Christmas. "But it also gives you an opportunity to start the boat. "We've now done in the last month three starts against Wild Oats XI, we've got one more on Tuesday. "That's four starts we've done against each other and these other guys (LDV Comanche and InfoTrack) haven't done any starts. "Starting, getting out of the heads and being clean heading south is a pretty big part of the race, more from a safety standpoint for us. "But I understand why other boats don't want to do it, because you have a collision or a problem, or a breakage at this point, it could potentially put you out of the (Hobart) race." Some supermaxis, including InfoTrack (racing as Perpetual LOYAL) have had damage issues in previous Big Boat Challenges. The race raises funds in support of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Trusts, which was established following the loss of six lives in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart. A complication has arisen in retired major general and Liberal candidate Jim Molan taking the NSW Senate seat originally vacated by former Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash. The High Court heard on Monday the special count confirming Mr Molan's election could not be immediately accepted as the count potentially threw into doubt which NSW coalition senators had three-year terms and which had six-year terms. Ms Nash was to be replaced by Liberal candidate Hollie Hughes, but Ms Hughes was found by the court to be disqualified because of her job with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Mr Molan was the next candidate after Ms Hughes on the coalition's 2016 NSW Senate ticket. Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, whose tenure could be affected by the result, has been allowed to be a party to the case which will be heard by Justice Stephen Gageler on December 22. The Senate agreed after the 2016 double-dissolution election that six-year terms would go to the first six senators elected in each state and three-year terms to the bottom three. In NSW, this meant Marisa Payne, Arthur Sinodinos and Ms Nash were given six-year terms, and senators Fierravanti-Wells and John Williams got three-year terms. Geoffrey Kennett SC, who was appointed by the attorney-general to be a contradictor in the case, told the court the special count result following Ms Hughes' disqualification may alter the terms of senators Fierravanti-Wells and Williams. However, the court was later told only Senator Fierravanti-Wells was likely to be affected. Senator Williams signalled this year he intended to retire at the next election. Mr Kennett said there was a problem with the "phraseology" at the end of the special count order in relation to the "place for which Ms Nash was returned". "There would be left hanging the question of who is to fill the various places (under section 13 of the constitution)," he said. Section 13 covers the concept of three and six year terms in the Senate. The court was also told there were no eligibility issues with Mr Molan taking the seat. Mr Molan's counsel Arthur Moses QC said there was some urgency in resolving the matter as the Senate returned on February 5 and NSW had been without one of its senators "for some time". Australian sailor Sophie Ciszek and the MAPFRE team hold a slender points lead as the Volvo Ocean Race heads to Melbourne for the first time in over a decade. The Spanish-based team led Vestas 11th Hour Racing by a single point when the fleet left Cape Town on Sunday. The seven-boat fleet will dock in Melbourne after completing the demanding 6,500 nautical mile third leg of the race. "We're doing so well, so obviously there's momentum there ... that gives us a lot of confidence," Ciszek said. "Taking part in this race is special, but being able to do it and sail into your home port is absolutely amazing. "But this is a tough leg and it's going to be pretty rough. "This leg with double points is super-important ... so there's a bit of pressure there. "But hopefully we can keep doing what we have been and win it." Ciszek, 32, joined the 10-sailor MAPFRE crew - led by Basque skipper Xabi Fernandez - in July this year after competing with the all-female Team SCA in the last Ocean Race in 2014-15. She has also previously raced on notable yachts including Wild Thing, Brindabella and Shockwave in four Sydney-Hobart Races. The lead boat is expected to arrive at Docklands some time on the 26th or 27th of December, where a sailing festival will be held until the next leg - to Hong Kong - starts on January 2. This year's race is the 13th edition of the open ocean race that was first run in 1973. It started from the Spanish city of Alicante on October 22 and will finish at The Hague in June. At 45,000nm, this will be the longest course in the history of the race. In a bid to make the race a true test of sailing skill all seven competing boats are the same. The Volvo Ocean 65s are just over 22m long and weigh approximately 12,500 kg. The federal government has established a body of indigenous leaders to advise on its northern development agenda. Northern Australia Minister Matt Canavan says eight senior community figures would ensure the policy benefits Aboriginal businesses and supports innovation. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said a major proportion of Northern Australia was indigenous land, where more investment and jobs are needed. "Indigenous Australians must have a seat at the table and have the opportunity to pursue development that they want on their land if we are to realise the potential of our north," Senator Scullion said. Northern Territory appointee Dr Donna Odegaard said the group wanted to expand the capability of First Nations communities, with many having their own successes which others could learn from. Western Australian appointee Peter Yu said he would embrace the challenge to investigate policies to drive critical growth in remote regions. The group will attend the next ministerial forum on northern development to be held early next year. INDIGENOUS REFERENCE GROUP MEMBERS: Lawford Benning, Chair, MG Corp and CEO, Gelganyem Trust Peter Yu, CEO, Nyamba Buru Yawuru Dr Donna Odegaard, CEO of Aboriginal Broadcasting Australia Joe Morrison, CEO, Northern Land Council Vonda Malone, Mayor of the Torres Shire Council Colin Saltmere, Associate Professor at the Aboriginal Environments Research Centre at the University of Queensland Fiona Jose, Executive General Manager, Cape York Partnership Nigel Brown, CEO, Larrakia Development Corporation and member of the Northern Australia Advisory Council. Malcolm Turnbull has admitted a loss in this weekend's federal by-election in Bennelong would place his government in a "very precarious" position. Liberal candidate John Alexander will battle out Saturday's high-profile race against former NSW Labor premier Kristina Keneally. Mr Alexander triggered the by-election after he resigned as Bennelong's MP over a dual citizenship issue. If Ms Keneally could pull off an upset, it would rob the Turnbull government of its majority. "Obviously we'd be down to 75 votes-all in the House of Representatives. It would be very precarious," Mr Turnbull told News Corp journalist Miranda Devine on her web-based show on Monday. Ms Keneally has accused Mr Turnbull of alarming rhetoric amounting to "China-phobia" and "scaremongering", as both sides zero in on Chinese voters in the Sydney seat. But the prime minister turned the attack back on Ms Keneally, who he says is trying to paint an unfair picture of him. "Kristina Keneally I see is trying to play this up and suggest that I of all people am anti-Chinese. That just shows how desperate she is," Mr Turnbull said. "If Kristina Keneally were to win in Bennelong not only would you be allowing her to do in Bennelong what she did in NSW, you'd be bringing Bill Shorten closer to the prime ministership." The government has now lost 24 consecutive Newspolls, drawing closer to the 30 straight cited by Mr Turnbull as a reason for successfully challenging former prime minister Tony Abbott for the Liberal leadership. "I do regret having said it only because it allowed people to focus on that, rather than substantive reasons," Mr Turnbull said. He said the main issues which led him to mount a challenge were around economic leadership and governance rather than metrics. Mr Turnbull refused to canvass the possibility of winning seats back from the opposition in subsequent by-elections if Labor MPs are referred to the High Court over their eligibility to sit in parliament. A Sydney man who directed the live sexual abuse of overseas children via an online video stream has had his "manifestly inadequate" sentence increased by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. Bryan Walter Beattie, 44, was sentenced in the NSW District Court in June to 10 years with a non-parole period of six years, but the terms have now been increased to 14 years with a non-parole period of 10 years. He pleaded guilty to 23 offences including possessing child abuse material and causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual intercourse outside Australia in his presence. He was arrested in 2015 after police seized his laptop and external hard drive and discovered hundreds of child abuse images and videos featuring children, including an infant aged about six to eight months. "The images and videos classified were highly disturbing, distressing and offensive, and many involved young pre-pubescent Asian male children," according to the agreed statement of facts. One folder on Beattie's external hard drive contained 132 videos in which he watched and directed the live sexual abuse of 17 boys in the Philippines. He typed instructions about what acts he wanted to see. Beattie made 41 payments totalling $4,150 to an overseas account in 2011 and 2012 with investigators alleging they were for the live sexual abuse. Justices John Basten, Michael Walton and Derek Price upheld crown submissions about the inadequacy of the sentences imposed, with the latter two judges agreeing the term should be 14 with a non-parole period of 10 years. Referring to one particular offence, Justice Price said Beattie "was a live spectator and active participant, via real-time video link of the gross sexual abuse of pre-pubescent Filipino boy". The conduct was "vile and heinous" and the sentence "falls well short of adequately reflecting the gravity of the offence and the need for general deterrence and denunciation" of it. Justice Basten proposed resentencing Beattie to 20 years with a non-parole period of 13 years. Today's Birthday, December 12: Quan Yeomans, Australian musician and frontman of multi-ARIA Award-winning band Regurgitator, (1972 - ). The frontman of iconic 90's Aussie band Regurgitator, Quan Yeomans is known for writing his own style of postmodern musical lyrics that dealt with topics including fame and capitalism. Most recently Regurgitator worked with Chinese musicians for a live reinterpretation of The Velvet Underground's debut record. Born in Sydney, Yeomans grew up in both there and in Brisbane. His mother Lien was a prominent Vietnamese-Australian chef and author while his father was a psychiatrist. After graduating high school Yeomans drummed for Brisbane punk band Zooerastia. Then after a fortuitous meeting with Ben Ely on a bus, in 1993 Yeomans formed Regurgitator with Ely and Martin Lee. In 1991 Yeomans travelled to Rio de Janeiro with his father for a World Economic Forum. Deeply affected by talks about global capitalism and the crushing debt cycle experienced by Third World nations, Yeomans has since said his band's signing with Warner Music felt hypocritical. The group released their first album Tu-Plang in 1996, and released several other successful albums over the years including Unit the following year, ...art in 1999, 2007's Love and Paranoia 2007 and SuperHappyFunTimesFriends in 2011. In 2004 Regurgitator filmed Band In A Bubble for Channel V. Holed up for three weeks on public display in the middle of Melbourne's Federation Square the band recorded their fifth album Mish Mash! all filmed and broadcast live, ending with a live performance of their new material. Yeomans embarked on solo project Quan the Amateur over many years, releasing a self-titled album at the end of 2008 which he recorded in Hong Kong. He performed the album for the 2009 Big Day Out tour. Twenty years after releasing their second album Unit, Regurgitator reformed to perform a 50-year anniversary tribute to The Velvet Underground's debut album. Their reinterpretation of the famous album featured Chinese musicians and traditional instruments including a guzheng. On New Year's Eve Regurgitator will play The Hill in Gippsland, Victoria, alongside Ball Park Music and Japanese Wallpaper. Chinese tourists have spent more than a record $10 billion in Australia over the past year and their numbers now nearly surpass Kiwi visitors. Results from the International Visitor Survey, released on Tuesday, show 1.33 million visitors from China travelled to Australia during the past 12 months to September. That's just short of the 1.35 million who travel across the ditch from New Zealand. While here, Chinese tourists spent $10.3 billion, out of the overall visitor spend of $41.2 billion. It's the first time such Chinese spending has exceeded $10 billion. International visitors aged 15 years and over grew by seven per cent, reaching more than eight million people, and they stayed a record 268 million nights. With Chinese tourists travelling more, Trade Minister Steve Ciobo wants them to continue to choose to Australia. "We want to see full planes flying from Shanghai to Sydney, Beijing to Brisbane and Guangzhou to Cairns," Mr Ciobo said. "The more tourists we can get to Australia, the more business for our hotels, shops and restaurants which will create new local jobs." The families of the boys killed in their Sydney classroom when a four wheel drive ploughed through the wall have spoken of their grief. Andrew Encinas, nine, was killed alongside his friend Jihad Darwiche, eight, when a Toyota Kluger crashed into their Banksia Road Public School classroom in early November. Andrew's mother Nicole, who dropped her son at school that day, has told News Corp Australia his death has left the family devastated. "His death has left a big hole in our lives, it's still too raw and painful for us to talk about," she said. "I don't wish to say how I feel about the driver until we know the full facts of what happened that day. "We're still trying to make sense of it all. Andrew was a beautiful, joyful, boy who lit up the house. Jihad's mother Susanne says she cannot sleep, but has no ill will towards the driver, who has been charged over the boys' deaths. "Sometimes I think I can't cope, our family is struggling to come to terms with losing Jihad, it's hard," Ms Darwiche said. "But the support we have had from the community has been overwhelming." Maha Al-Shennag, 52, has been charged over the crash. More than 70 firefighters have worked through the night to save a factory that went up in flames in Sydney's west. Emergency services were called to the Parramatta laundromat about 10.30pm on Monday following reports the two-level building was on fire, police say. Firefighters worked for hours to completely extinguish the blaze which severely damaged the inside of the building, Fire & Rescue NSW spokesman Norm Buckley told AAP on Tuesday. The factory was sandwiched between two other buildings, but firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighbouring businesses. The laundromat is now a crime scene as police and fire investigators work to determine what sparked the blaze. Jeff Fenech reckons there's an easy way for Gary Corcoran to take advantage if the bullish Brit really thinks Jeff Horn is a serial headbutter. Hit him. "Every time he puts his head in, hit him with an uppercut, finish with a hook at put his head back up," Fenech said. The former three-division world champion believes Corcoran's camp is playing a "mind game" with Horn's corner by airing allegations of foul play at Monday's fiery pre-fight press conference in Brisbane. Corcoran's co-trainer Frank Greaves said Horn was a "dirty" boxer and played a compilation video of instances the 29-year-old former schoolteacher has led with his head across his 18 career fights. Horn's trainer Glenn Rushton strenuously denied the claims and said the London-based Irish Traveller was already looking for excuses. Fenech admitted he did the same thing as Horn but said it was all within the rules. "That's just Jeff's way of getting in close. It's not illegal. I did it all my career," he said. "I don't see anything wrong with it. If they've watched it on video enough, there's a way to throw some punches to your advantage. "Every time he leans down, throw an uppercut and a hook after it and pivot out of there. "That's what I'd be telling my fighter if that was the case instead of worrying about headbutting him." Both sides intend to meet with New York referee Benjy Esteves Jr before the bout to address the claims. Greaves is demanding a level playing field: if Horn is allowed to headbutt, so too is Corcoran. "I'm sure there won't be a problem with that," Fenech said. "The difference is Jeff's not trying to headbutt, he's just leading with his head. If he does that and Gary headbutts it's a different thing." Horn said the allegations annoyed him. "They're making a big deal about it," he said. "They obviously want the referee to be watching it. "I'm never going to deliberately come in there and smack my head against someone. It's stupid, why would I be smacking my face up?" Former senator Nick Xenophon has criticised key South Australian government infrastructure projects as he continues his push to be elected to state parliament. He says spending $160 million on the tunnel extension to the O-Bahn guided busway and the cost blow-out of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital show greater accountability and a better watchdog is needed. "At a cost of $10 million a year for a well-resourced watchdog, this would be a tiny premium to pay for what would in effect be an insurance policy against future infrastructure debacles," Mr Xenophon told an industry breakfast on Tuesday. Asbestos has been discovered in several council-owned workplaces in the NSW Blue Mountains including a pre-school, prompting a full investigation backed by the state government. SafeWork NSW launched the investigation after it became aware of alleged asbestos mismanagement at several Blue Mountains City Council-managed workplaces, including the preschool, library, citizens' hall and council depot. "This is a very significant step, but it's absolutely warranted as the number of asbestos discoveries in the mountains and council's poor asbestos management are alarming," Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean said in a statement. The Islamic State group has lost vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria Up to 6,000 Africans who fought for the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in Iraq and Syria could return home, the African Union's top security official warned Sunday, calling on countries to prepare for the threat. Smail Chergui, the AU's commissioner for peace and security, said African nations would need to work closely with each other and share intelligence to counter returning militants. "There are reports of 6,000 African fighters among the 30,000 foreign elements who joined this terrorist group in the Middle East," Chergui told a meeting in Algiers, according to the Algeria Press Service news agency. "The return of these elements to Africa poses a serious threat to our national security and stability and requires specific treatment and intense cooperation between African countries," he said. Tens of thousands of foreign fighters joined the Sunni extremist group after it seized vast swathes of Iraq and Syria and declared a caliphate in 2014. But the group has suffered a host of losses to both its territory and military capabilities in the last year. Backed by a US-led coalition, Iraqi forces gradually retook control of all territory lost to the jihadists, declaring on Saturday that the country was now liberated from its control. In Syria, the group faces western-backed Syrian rebels, jihadist rivals and government forces that are supported by Russia and Iran. But the losses have sparked fears that IS's remaining foreign fighters may now relocate, bringing their extremist ideology and violence with them. South African police officers respond to yet another shooting of alleged gang members in Manenberg, known as South Africa's "gang capital". With rifles raised, South African police speed through the streets of Manenberg, responding to yet another call to quell violence in one of the country's most murderous ganglands. Arriving in this drab suburb of the tourist city of Cape Town, a dead body is found lying in the road -- the aftermath of a battle between rival gangs. On the chaotic street, small children peek at the corpse as police shout at onlookers, ordering them to move on. Sporadic gun battles in gang hotspots around the Cape Flats area have increased and prompted authorities to call for an army intervention as the overwhelmed police fight for control. "There is nothing we can do, except to keep away from the streets," said 71-year-old Manenberg resident Keenan Willemse from the doorstep of his house. "When the shooting starts, we stay indoors. We have almost become prisoners in our own homes. The streets are bad." Recent official crime statistics revealed that nearly 20 percent of murders reported in the Western Cape province were caused by gang violence, although the figure is believed to be higher. According to media reports, more than 50 people, mostly residents caught in the crossfire, have been killed in the Cape Flats over the past five months. The low-lying Cape Flats, set between Cape Town and the picturesque winelands region, is home to a mostly mixed-race population -- known as Coloureds -- where gangsterism is concentrated. Local residents bear the brunt of gang-related crime as gang members wage turf wars and retaliatory attacks on rivals. - 'Outsmarted the police' - According to media reports, more than 50 people, mostly residents caught in the crossfire, have been killed in the Cape Flats over the past five months One elderly man was shot and killed in October on his way to collect his monthly social grant payout, and a mother was fatally wounded by a stray bullet while chatting to a friend outside her house in September. Arrests are few, and police action is often too late. The lucrative drug trade business, goods smuggling and protection rackets are the main source of income for gangs. "I think they have outsmarted the police, they are more organised," said Faldiela de Vries, a co-founder of the Manenberg People's Centre, a community action group. Criminologists say as long as there is poverty, gangsterism will be hard to eradicate. "What is more frightening is that the age of the perpetrators has become younger," she told AFP. "In the 1980s they were in their 30s and 40s," she said, adding that now children as young as 12 years old are recruited into gangs. Gang membership in Western Cape is estimated at over 100,000 -- creating a culture of violence that echoes international crime syndicates in the United States and South America. Manenberg, the stronghold of the notorious Hard Livings gang, has the reputation of being South Africa's "gang capital". Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has asked for military assistance to support the police. "By bringing in the army, the soldiers will be given the same powers as police, not act as soldiers in a war," she said. "What worries me the most about this culture of gangsterism and violence is the seemingly endless flow of firearms and illicit substances." - Rival gang warfare - South African President Jacob Zuma is expected to decide soon whether to deploy the army to back up the police in the Cape Flats. South African President Jacob Zuma is expected to make a decision on the army deployment soon. Soldiers were last sent into the Cape Flats in May 2015, following a surge in violent crimes. In several neighbourhoods in the Cape Flats like Bishop Lavis, Hannover Park, Mitchells Plain and Elsies River mostly under-age boys are used as drug runners and to hide weapons. The Hard Livings gang, one of the oldest organised crime groups, use the British Union Jack as their flag and have rivals spread across the Cape Flats, especially a gang that calls themselves the Americans. Dozens of other gangs have sprung up like the Sexy Boys, Dixie Boys and Clever Kids who battle with the numbers gangs -- the 26s and 28s -- which originate from prison. "Many young people are lured into gangs, as a result people get into trouble for hanging out with their school friends without knowing that they are gang members," 17-year-old Linden Brown from Manenberg said. In October, an alleged gang leader was shot four times outside the Cape Town International Airport terminal, in full view of travellers and no one has been arrested for the shooting. Back in 1996, notorious leader of the Hard Livings, Rashaad Staggie, was shot and set alight by a community mob in the streets of Salt River, in what was seen as one of the toughest stands against gangsterism. According to criminologist Don Pinnock, the gangs in Cape Town's previously marginalised areas were bred by the inequality of the apartheid system. "For as long as there is a problem of poverty, guns and drugs, gangsterism will be hard to eradicate," said Pinnock, based at the University of Cape Town. "Gangs are admired by youngsters who lack social stability and have little prospects in life. That is one of the things that makes it so hard to eradicate." Sun Zhengcai, who was once tipped to become a member of the party's top leadership, has had a precipitous fall from grace since he was suddenly removed from office this summer China's top prosecutor said Monday it has opened a criminal investigation into the former party chief of Chinese mega-city Chongqing, who was expelled from the Communist Party earlier this year following corruption allegations. Sun Zhengcai, who was once tipped to become a member of the party's top leadership, has had a precipitous fall from grace since he was suddenly removed from office this summer. He will be investigated for "accepting bribes," according to a brief statement on the website of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. The decision follows Sun's expulsion from the CCP in September after an investigation by the party's disciplinary body found the politician had abused his position by taking bribes and trading power for sex. The former member of the party's Politburo was also accused of nepotism, sloth and leaking confidential party information and betraying party principles. Sun had once been tipped for promotion to the Politburo's elite, seven-member standing committee. At 53, he was the youngest member of the 25-member Politburo and he was even seen in some quarters as General Secretary Xi Jinping's potential successor. In October, the CCP accused Sun and two others of attempting to rig leadership elections at top party gatherings, potentially threatening Xi's ascension to the party's top spot. Sun was the first serving member of the Politburo to be placed under investigation since Bo Xilai, also a former Chongqing party chief who was jailed for life in 2013 in the wake of a massive anti-corruption campaign launched by Xi. His sweeping crusade against official corruption over the last five years has removed several rivals, leading some analysts to liken it to a political purge. Displaced Iraqi children who fled from Baiji in a camp on the city's outskirts on November 27, 2017 A white rocking horse and a child's toy car lie abandoned on a dusty lane in the Iraqi city of Baiji, a small sign of the ruin that can be seen all around. Two years after the jihadists of Islamic State group were forced from this one-time industrial hub, Baiji remains a devastated ghost city as pledges of funds to help rebuild life have failed to materialise. Home to what was once Iraq's biggest oil refinery, its rubble-strewn streets are lined by the twisted carcasses of buildings, and in 2016 it was declared a disaster zone by the national parliament. "Up until now there has been no money to reconstruct the town despite the promises made by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi," Khaled Hassan Mahdi, a member of the regional council, told AFP. A displaced Iraqi woman who fled from Baiji pictured at a camp on November 27, 2017 Instead, Mahdi said, all available funds have gone into financing Iraq's military campaign against IS, which Abadi declared defeated after three years of brutal fighting. "And even if the ministries unblock the money, it will only go to restoring infrastructure, water, roads, electricity, but not pay benefits to people or give them aid to rebuild their homes." - '90 percent destroyed' - For Baiji, 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Baghdad, its role as a major industrial centre boasting sprawling oil and chemical plants seems like a distant memory. "It will be very difficult to rehabilitate the Baiji refinery, which was built in 1975 and used to produce 250,000 barrels a day, as so much equipment has been pillaged," a high-ranking official in Iraq's North Oil Company told AFP. Even if the facility does get up and running again, the official said, then "it won't have the same capacity as before". Iraqi children displaced from Baiji at a camp on the outskirts of the city on November 27, 2017 The level of devastation in Baiji is among the worst left behind after Baghdad's punishing campaign to reclaim its towns and cities from the grip the jihadists, who fought fierce house-to-house battles to cling on to the city. "Baiji is the most destroyed place in Iraq after western Mosul," said council member Khazal Hammadi, referring to the obliterated old heart of the country's second city. Before the jihadists seized control in 2014 the city had a population of some 180,000 people. "Now 90 percent of Baiji is destroyed and the people have still not returned," city councillor Sheikh Hatef Bassam said. Wearing a black and white checked keffiyeh headscarf, he insists that "the destruction was the work of the IS terrorists after local Arab tribes rejected their presence". But the full story of Baiji's downfall is far more protracted and complex. After the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Baiji found itself at the heart of the so-called "Sunni triangle" where those loyal to ousted leader Saddam Hussein continued to wage a ferocious insurgency -- and the oil infrastructure was attacked repeatedly. A member of the Iraqi forces guards a checkpoint in Iraq's northern city of Baiji on November 27, 2017 IS swept into the city in June 2014 as the Iraqi forces collapsed and after more than a year in control were forced out by government troops and allied militias with the help of air power from a US-led coalition in October 2015. - 'Given us nothing' - Traffic has long ceased along Baiji's wrecked main highway and, apart from a few military checkpoints, life is nowhere to be seen. "The city is destroyed and the houses are uninhabitable," said local militia commander Hajj Ibrahim Taha. "The roads are destroyed, the water system is damaged, electricity is non-existent and all the people have left." Local police chief Saad Nafus said that some families come back from time to time to check their houses, but they have to get "authorisation" from security officials who still worry about jihadists returning. In a camp for displaced people run by charities in the region, three kilometres north of the city of Tikrit, former Baiji resident Amer Abbas has no idea if his home is still standing or not. "We are afraid that we will find nothing if we go back," he said. Nearby, Said Imad Ahmed said he already knows full well that his house has been destroyed and that for the foreseeable future he will remain trapped in the camp. "I don't have any money to rebuild and the government has given us nothing," he said. "We have no choice but to remain here." The pair made a break from the Indonesian resort island's main prison by cutting a hole in the roof with a hacksaw, authorities said. It was not clear how they obtained the tool A US man convicted on drugs charges escaped Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail in an early Monday morning jailbreak with another American prisoner who was caught almost immediately, an official said. The pair made a break from the Indonesian resort island's main prison by cutting a hole in the roof with a hacksaw, authorities said. It was not clear how they obtained the tool. Police are now scouring the palm-fringed island and handing out pictures of escapee Chrishan Beasley, a 32-year-old arrested in August for carrying five grams of hashish. Foreigners are regularly arrested for drugs offences on Bali. Beasley was awaiting a sentencing in his case. It was not immediately clear how much jail time he was facing, but Indonesia has some of the world's toughest drugs laws, with the death penalty available in some trafficking cases. Beasley's accomplice in the escape, convicted thief Paul Anthony Hoffman, 57, was apprehended before he could make good on the escape. "Paul was immediately recaptured by the locals who saw him trying to escape while Chrishan, who climbed up before him, managed to run away," Kerobokan chief warden Tonny Nainggolan told AFP. Hoffman is serving a 20-month sentence for robbing a number of convenience stores at knifepoint. Kerobokan houses some of the country's most notorious and high-profile inmates, including members of the so-called Bali Nine which plotted to bring heroin into Australia via Bali. Two members of the group have been executed. Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where inmates are often held in unsanitary conditions at overcrowded and poorly guarded prisons. In May, more than 200 inmates staged a mass breakout from an overcrowded prison on Sumatra island, while last year a convicted child murderer escaped from jail by putting on a woman's Muslim veil, make-up and sunglasses and walking out past unsuspecting guards. Officials hope to halt the spread of diphtheria before Indonesia hosts the Asian Games next year Millions of Indonesian children are being vaccinated this week as the country responds to a widespread diphtheria outbreak that has killed dozens, officials said Monday. Some eight million children and teenagers across the Southeast Asian nation will receive the shot to prevent further spread of the disease which is caused by a bacterial infection. It can lead to breathing difficulties, heart failure, paralysis, and even death if left untreated. Widespread incidents of the communicable disease are relatively rare in Indonesia, although it had the second largest number of reported cases globally from 2011-2015, behind India, according to the World Health Organization. This year, nearly 600 cases have been detected in 95 Indonesian communities across 20 provinces, killing 32 people. The vaccination programme started from Monday in three of the country's most populous provinces, including the capital Jakarta, and could continue into next month, officials said. The spike in cases is due to poor public awareness as well as a growing anti-vaccination movement in Indonesia, the health ministry said. "Diphtheria cases have been rare for a long time in Indonesia, so people were no longer aware of the danger and did not take their children for vaccinations," senior ministry official Jane Soepardi told AFP. Officials hope to halt the spread before Indonesia hosts the Asian Games next year. "It was not scary at all. My teacher told me we all must be vaccinated and it did not hurt either," Ragil Setiawan, a 10-year-old student at an elementary school in Tangerang, just outside of Jakarta, said Monday after getting his shot. Many busy migratory routes have been cut by roads and railway lines in India's Assam and West Bengal states, increasing the risk of accidental elephant deaths A train has struck and killed five elephants as they crossed over tracks at a tea plantation in northeast India, an official said Monday. The elephants, including a pregnant female, were part of a larger herd wandering through the plantation early Sunday in Assam state, home to India's biggest wild elephant population, when they were mowed down by the train. "All five elephants died on the spot. A stillborn calf was later removed from the pregnant female," said Vikas Brahma, head of Assam's forest department. Brahma told AFP it was uncommon for elephants to move through that section of Assam, a thickly-forested state famed for its tea and wildlife, and officials were unaware there were herds in the area. Railway authorities have been issuing alerts about elephant herds passing through the state to prevent accidents. But a railway spokesman told the Indian Express newspaper that no speed restrictions were in place at the time of the accident on Sunday, as the area was not a designated migratory path for elephants. Deforestation and construction activity near their habitats force elephants to stray further afield for food, often bringing them into conflict with humans. Many busy migratory routes, known as elephant corridors, have been cut by roads and railway lines in Assam and neighbouring West Bengal state, increasing the risk of accidental deaths, poaching and stampedes. Assam has 5,620 elephants according to a 2011 census, more than any other state in India. An estimated 60 elephants have died so far this year in Assam, Brahma said. Many of the deaths were caused by electrocution, as farmers erect electrified fences around their fields to keep wild animals away. Elsewhere, an elephant killed a trainer during a procession at a Hindu temple in the southern state of Kerala on Sunday. The elephant ran amok amid a large group of devotees, trampling and killing the trainer, the Press Trust of India reported. Seoul and Washington decided to install the powerful US THAAD system in the South earlier this year South Korean President Moon Jae-In hopes to "normalise" ties with giant neighbour China on his first state visit to the country this week, his office said Monday, after Beijing was infuriated by a US missile system deployment. Seoul and Washington decided to install the powerful US THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system in the South earlier this year to guard against threats from the nuclear-armed North. Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, slapping a string of measures against South Korean businesses and banning group tours to the South, in moves seen as economic retaliation. China is the South's top trading partner and the diplomatic row took a major toll on many South Korean firms, most notably retail giant Lotte Group, which provided the land to host the powerful US missile system. Angry boycott campaigns and regulatory crackdowns by Chinese authorities decimated its business in the world's second-largest economy, and it was forced to put its supermarket unit in China up for sale. But last month the two countries issued identically-worded statements on their mutual desire to improve relations. It did not state any specifics, but Beijing has demanded that Seoul formally promise not to deploy any more THAAD launchers and not to join any regional US missile defence system. Nam Gwan-Pyo, a deputy director of the presidential national security office, did not give reporters details of any concrete steps that could be expected from Moon's four-day trip -- his first to China since taking power in May. But he said it would be a turning point in relations towards a "more mature" relationship, he said, "by recovering bilateral trust and strengthening friendship between the leaders of the two nations". Ties recently showed some -- albeit limited -- signs of thaw as China's state tourism board approved last month Seoul-bound group tours from some parts of China. Moon heads to Beijing on Wednesday and will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping the following day to discuss issues including how to curb the North's nuclear weapons drive, Nam added. China -- the North's sole diplomatic ally and economic lifeline -- has stepped up sanctions on the North amid pressure from the US and the international community to play a bigger role in taming its regime. Beijing has backed recent UN sanctions imposed on the North over its nuclear and missile tests, including a ban on coal imports, although it repeatedly pushed for talks to defuse the tensions. It has urged a "double freeze" on both North Korean weapons tests and joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington -- an idea consistently rejected by the US and South Korea. Netanyahu's visit to Brussels comes after he met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that recognising Jerusalem as his country's capital "makes peace possible", after widespread international criticism of the US decision to do so. US President Donald Trump's announcement last week has been followed by days of protests and clashes in the Palestinian territories, as well as demonstrations across the Islamic world. The EU expressed alarm at the decision, which upends seven decades of US policy on the disputed holy city, and the bloc's foreign ministers are set to urge Netanyahu to resume dialogue with the Palestinians as he meets them over breakfast in Brussels. The Israeli premier said what Trump had done was to "put facts squarely on the table" by acknowledging Jerusalem had been the capital of the Israeli state for 70 years and of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. "It doesn't obviate peace, it makes peace possible, because recognising reality is the substance of peace, it's the foundation of peace," he said in a statement alongside EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini. Mogherini, who last week warned the Jerusalem decision could take the situation "backwards to even darker times", restated the EU's position that a two-state solution with Jerusalem as capital for both Israelis and Palestinians was the only sustainable way to resolve the conflict. Netanyahu pointed to a new US peace initiative as a possible way forward. "There is now an effort under way to bring forward a new peace proposal by the American administration. I think we should give peace a chance. I think we should see what is presented and see if we can advance this peace," he said. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been working with a small team to develop a new US proposal to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but it is not clear what progress he is making. Netanyahu's visit to Brussels comes after he met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday. Macron called on him to freeze settlement building and to re-engage with Palestinians. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital and previous peace plans have stumbled over debates on whether and how to divide sovereignty or oversee holy sites. Police said journalist Paul Comiti was detained on Saturday in Srinagar Indian authorities have detained a French journalist in Kashmir where he was making a documentary on security in the disputed territory, officials said Monday. Police said Paul Comiti was detained on Saturday in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, because of visa irregularities. Comiti, 47, told AFP that he had been followed before his arrest on Saturday. The intelligence services "were very nervous and had been following me for several days", Comiti said by telephone from the Kothi Bagh police station where he was still in detention on Monday. According to Comiti, he was taken to the station by security forces after going to a demonstration on human rights in the territory that is also claimed by Pakistan. Kashmir was divided between Indian and Pakistani sectors when the two split in 1947 Police told AFP that Comiti had been held because he entered India on a business visa rather than one for journalists. Comiti said he had asked Indian authorities two months ago for permission to film the documentary for a production company owned by his father, Tony Comiti. The journalist added that he had met with military officials, separatist militants and human rights lawyers during his two-week stay in Kashmir. The French embassy in New Delhi said it was in contact with Comiti. Kashmir was divided between Indian and Pakistani sectors when the two split in 1947. The Indian side has been at the centre of a separatist conflict that has left tens of thousands of mainly civilian dead since 1989. President Vladimir Putin has declared that his alliance with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been victorious, and that Russia will begin withdrawing troops from the war-torn country. Speaking during a visit to a military airbase near Latakia, northeast Syria, Putin announced that he has ordered a pullout of 'a significant part' of Russian forces. Russia first intervened in the conflict in 2015, staging air strikes in support of its ally Damascus targeting both ISIS and other jihadists as well as rebels fighting government troops. Smiling Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, greets Russian President Vladimir Putin upon his arrival to the Hemeimeem air base in Syria The close allies embraced at the airfield before Putin boasted how Russia had achieved victory in Syria Putin and Assad pose with Russian air force pilots during their visit after Putin declared a victory in Syria 'Victory': President Vladimir Putin orders withdrawal of 'a significant part' of Russian troops from Syria during a surprise visit to the war-torn country on Monday 'I order the defence minister and the chief of general staff to start withdrawing the Russian group of troops to their permanent bases,' Putin said in a televised speech as he visited Russia's Hemeimeem airbase in Syria. 'I have taken a decision: a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in Syria is returning home to Russia.' Putin said the troops had helped the Syrian army crush the 'most battle-ready group of international terrorists,' apparently referring to ISIS. He added that 'if the terrorists again raise their heads, we will deal such blows to them they have never seen.' The Russian leader also hailed the valor of his troops, saying 'You have shown the best qualities of a Russian soldier.' Russia first intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2015, staging air strikes in support of its ally Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu meet with Russian air force pilots Firm friends: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu watch the troops marching at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria The size of the Russian deployment in Syria has not been confirmed by the Kremlin 'Our homeland thanks you, my friends,' Putin said, 'Have a safe trip. I thank you for your service.' After seeing troops march, Putin drove up to the Russian warplanes parked on the runway and talked to the pilots, who said they will fly back home later in the day. Putin and Assad were pictured smiling and shaking hands, before Putin left for Egypt where he arrived later on Monday. Putin reportedly told Assad he would discuss the prospects for a peace settlement with the leaders of Egypt and Turkey later Monday. 'I hope that together with Turkey and Iran we will succeed in restoring peaceful life and launch a political process to settle the situation in Syria,' Putin said. Syrian TV said Assad thanked Putin for his troops' 'effective contribution' to the fight against terrorism in Syria, which he said the Syrian people 'will never forget.' 'Syria has been saved as a sovereign, independent state, refugees are coming home and conditions have been created for a political settlement under the United Nations' auspices,' Putin said. A fresh round of Syrian peace talks is scheduled for next week in Astana, Kazakhstan said Monday, as part of a Moscow-led push to end the six-year conflict. The two-day talks in Astana will begin on December 21 and will focus on freeing prisoners, the delivery of humanitarian aid, the functioning of de-escalation zones and other issues, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Putin looks out the window from his presidential plane on his way to visit the Hemeimeem air base Putin and Assad agreed that the Russian military will maintain its presence at Hemeimeem and a naval facility in Tartus Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the Russian military commander in Syria, said the military will pull out 23 warplanes, two helicopter gunships, special forces units, military police and field engineers. Surovikin said the remaining forces will be sufficient to 'successfully fulfill the tasks' to stabilize the situation in Syria. He did not say how many troops and weapons would stay behind. Syria has allowed Russia to use Hemeimeem air base indefinitely without cost. Moscow also has a deal with Syria to use the Tartus base for 49 years, which could be extended if both parties agree. The Russian military plans to modernize the air base and expand its runways to allow it to host more warplanes. It also intends to expand the Tartus facility significantly to make it a full-scale naval base capable of hosting warships, including cruiser-sized vessels. Alliance: Russian troops in Syria, where Putin's regime have been supporting dictator Bashar al-Assad since 2015, are pictured at an unknown date Quick stop: After a speedy visit to Syria, Putin arrived in Cairo to meet with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, pictured today It also follows the Russian announcement last week that the Syrian army under the Russian air cover routed the Islamic State in eastern Syria and fully restored control over the border with Iraq. Putin said last month that efforts to end the war were entering a 'new stage' as the focus shifted from military intervention to political reform. Russia launched its air campaign in Syria at the end of September 2015 when Assad's government was teetering on the brink of collapse and quickly changed the course of the conflict in its favor. The size of the Russian deployment in Syria is not known but independent Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer estimates that up to 10,000 troops and private contractors could have taken part in the conflict. More than 340,000 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against Assad's rule that sparked a brutal crackdown. No caption The EU on Monday agreed to resume political contacts "at all levels" with Thailand, more than three years after suspending them in protest at the military coup in Bangkok. The bloc said developments in Thailand this year, including the adoption of a new constitution and a pledge by junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha to hold elections in November 2018, meant it was "appropriate" to resume ties. But the European Union repeated its call for the restoration of full democracy and said it was still concerned about harassment of human rights activists and the curtailing of free speech in Thailand. A meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels said they considered it was "appropriate to pursue a gradual political re-engagement with Thailand". The EU "has decided therefore to resume political contact at all levels with Thailand in order to facilitate meaningful dialogue", the ministers said in a text approved at the meeting. EU ministers halted all official visits to Thailand and suspended the signing of a partnership and cooperation accord with Bangkok in June 2014 after the army ousted the elected government. But Prayut's election promise and other measures such as the end of prosecuting civilians in military courts for certain offences have persuaded the EU to re-engage. The bloc said it would look at possibly resuming talks on a free trade agreement with Thailand -- as well as the partnership and cooperation accord -- "with a democratically elected civilian government under the new constitution". But even when Thailand holds elections, they will not restore the same level of democracy the country had before the coup -- a new junta-drafted charter curbs the power of elected politicians and calls for a fully appointed upper house, with several spots reserved for military leaders. The military has further enshrined its role by declaring that any future administration must adhere to its "legally binding 20-year-plan" for the country A Palestinian protestor throws stones towards Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Ramallah on December 11, 2017 as protests continue in the Middle East and elsewhere over US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital The Middle East saw a fifth day of protests on Monday over US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, while further global condemnation followed the deeply controversial move. While tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met EU foreign ministers in Brussels, declaring that the move he has lauded as historic "makes peace possible". He also said he expected "all or most" European countries would follow the United States -- but the 28-nation bloc's foreign policy head Federica Mogherini gave him a stern rebuff, telling him to "keep his expectations for others". In Cairo, Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced Trump's decision as "destabilising" while calling for a resumption of long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks. And after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara later Monday, Putin said the Trump declaration could "derail" peace efforts. At a joint press conference, Erdogan said he and Putin had taken a similar approach on the issue, while accusing Israel of continuing to "add fuel to the flames". Erdogan has been perhaps the most outspoken of global leaders in warning about the consequences of Trump's move. Earlier Monday he said in a speech in Ankara that Washington was a "partner to bloodshed". A boy with a Palestinian flag painted on his face during a rally organised by Lebanon's Hezbollah in Beirut on December 11, 2017 Hezbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006, organised a demonstration in Beirut in which tens of thousands of people chanted "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" In Tehran, hundreds of diehard Iranian conservatives rallied against Israel and said Trump had hastened its demise by his decision. In Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, dozens of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. "We came here against Trump's decision and we want to send a message that Jerusalem is and will stay our capital, and we will stay to defend it," one protester in a black ski mask told AFP. There were also low-level clashes in Hebron and the Gaza Strip. A burning portrait of US President Donald Trump on the ground during a demonstration in Tehran on December 11, 2017 About 27 Palestinians were wounded by live fire or rubber bullets throughout the day, the Red Crescent said. Palestinian demonstrations have declined in number and intensity since reaching a peak on Friday, but there are concerns they will again increase later this week. Late Monday, at least two rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, with one intercepted by Israel's missile defence system. In response, Israel's army said it hit Hamas military positions in the strip with tank and aircraft fire. There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side. Four Palestinians have been killed so far in clashes or Israeli air strikes in response to rocket fire from Gaza, and hundreds have been wounded. - 'Walking away' - Tens of thousands of people have protested in Middle Eastern and Muslim nations. Palestinian leaders are outraged by Trump's move, but they also face difficult choices in how to respond since they rely on US aid and would like to salvage the possibility of a two-state solution to the conflict. President Mahmud Abbas will refuse to meet US Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the region later this month, Palestinian officials say, a move that led Washington to accuse Abbas of "walking away" from a chance to discuss peace. A masked Palestinian protester throws a petrol bomb at Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of Hebron on December 11, 2017 Abbas on Monday met Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a key US ally in the region, ahead of a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Wednesday. Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said Sisi reaffirmed Cairo's "firm" position on the need to maintain the legal and historical status of Jerusalem and support for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Netanyahu, who has been dogged by corruption investigations against him at home, has lauded Trump's declaration. On Monday, he was in Brussels as part of a two-day trip to Europe after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris the previous day, on visits planned before Trump's move. Macron urged Netanyahu to "show courage" and take measures to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, including freezing settlement construction in the West Bank. But Netanyahu, who heads what is seen as the most rightwing government in Israeli history, showed no sign of obliging, instead blaming the Palestinians for stalled peace efforts. Monday's parley with EU foreign ministers was the first such meeting with an Israeli premier in 22 years, and came after the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini warned that Trump's move could take the situation "backwards to even darker times". Netanyahu later said he told the ministers to "stop spoiling the Palestinians -- tell them clearly". "I think that the Palestinians need to be brought back to earth, to reality," he said. An Israeli border policeman looks on as he walks through tear gas fumes during clashes with Palestinian protesters near an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank city of Ramallah on December 10, 2017 Mogherini said the "worst thing that can happen now is an escalation of tensions, of violence", and restated the EU's position that a two-state solution with Jerusalem as capital for both Israelis and Palestinians was the only sustainable way to resolve the conflict. - Global condemnation - Trump's Jerusalem declaration upended decades of precedent and broke with international consensus, drawing global condemnation. Jerusalem's status is perhaps the most sensitive issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel sees the entire city as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state. Trump noted in his decision that Jerusalem's final status would have to be decided in negotiations between the two sides, but the Palestinians are not convinced. Many analysts have questioned how a fair peace process could be possible after such a major concession was made without seeming to demand anything in return. Jerusalem is home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and the Arab and Muslim world has seen the US move as an affront. burs-mjs/js There had been high hopes that the Suu Kyi government would herald a breakthrough for freedom of speech, but the rights group Free Expression Myanmar said those hoped-for gains were so far strikingly absent Defamation cases have rocketed since Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government came to power in Myanmar, a report said Monday, as the rich and powerful intensify their use of draconian laws to muzzle civil society and the media. There had been high hopes that the new government would herald a breakthrough for freedom of speech after half a century of stifling military rule. But the rights group Free Expression Myanmar (FEM) said those hoped-for gains were so far strikingly absent. Ninety-seven cases have been brought under the notorious Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Act since March 2016 compared with just 11 under the previous military-backed government, FEM said in a report. Nearly all of them involve defamation charges covered by the law, the report said, snaring online satirists, activists and journalists. Every case that has made it to court has ended with a guilty verdict and a prison sentence. "Over the past two years, Article 66(d) has been the tool of choice for those in positions of power, who want to extend their punishment of people who are trying to hold them accountable, online," FEM said. Amendments to the law prodded by public discontent have had "no discernible impact," it added. The group reiterated calls for the "fundamentally undemocratic" law to be completely repealed, saying at least two-thirds of complaints would have been rejected had defamation been properly defined. A recent case against the editor of the Myanmar Now news agency is still ongoing. Swe Win stands charged with insulting a Buddhist monk who praised the killer of a Muslim government lawyer. There have been only three appeals in the past two years as convicts under the law fear failure will earn an even longer sentence, the rights group said. One of FEM's researchers, Maung Saungkha, was a victim of the law under the previous government. The young writer was arrested in 2015 for penning a satirical verse about having a tattoo of the former junta-installed president Thein Sein on his penis. "The previous government used 66(d) to pursue people who criticised them and they just paved the way for the next government to follow," he told AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with President Bashar al-Assad during his first visit to Syria Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on Monday for the last leg of a day-long diplomatic dash, during which he ordered the partial withdrawal of Russia's troops from the war-torn country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Putin at his presidential complex in Ankara for a closed-door meeting. This is the eighth face-to-face meeting between Putin and Erdogan this year, a sign of the intensity of a relationship that had hit rock bottom in November 2015 when Turkey shot down a Russian war plane over Syria. Putin was welcomed earlier in the day at Russia's Hmeimim airbase by Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on a surprise first visit to the country. In a televised speech to Russian troops, Putin said he had ordered his Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to start a partial withdrawal. "I have taken a decision: a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in Syria is returning home to Russia," he said at the base in Latakia Province, a government stronghold. Russia first intervened in the conflict in 2015, staging air strikes in support of Assad which targeted both the Islamic State group (IS) and other jihadists as well as rebels fighting government troops. Putin said the troops had helped the Syrian army crush the "most battle-ready group of international terrorists," apparently referring to IS. "On the whole the task has been completed. And completed brilliantly." - 'Our homeland thanks you' - Putin said last month that efforts to end the war were entering a "new stage" as the focus shifted from military intervention to political reforms. Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2015, staging air strikes in support of its ally Damascus targeting both the Islamic State group and other jihadists as well as rebels fighting government troops He said both Hmeimim and Russia's naval facility in Tartus would continue to function and warned that Russia would repel any new attacks by militants. Putin made the Syria stopover, the first by a Russian head of state since president Dmitry Medvedev visited in 2010, en route to Egypt, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, one of Ankara's prime foes in recent years. Putin thanked the troops for defending Russia from terrorism and helping Syria remain a "sovereign independent state". He said the conflict proved that Russia's armed forces, including intelligence officers, pilots, sailors, special forces, military police, sappers and military advisers, were on top form, and he also praised the country's defence industry. "Our homeland thanks you, my friends," he said. - 'Deep gratitude' - Putin also held talks with Assad, who expressed his "deep gratitude" for Russia's role in the conflict. "The Syrians will never forget what the Russian forces did," official Syria media quoted him as saying. Putin said he would discuss Russia's efforts to convene Syria's political congress with the leaders of Egypt and Turkey, and then brief Assad. While Turkey has backed the anti-regime opposition and Russia along with Iran is the main international supporter of Damascus, Putin and Erdogan have worked closely to resolve the Syrian conflict in recent months. Ankara officially remains opposed to Assad staying in power in any transition but has notably toned down its rhetoric against the Syrian leader in recent months. After talks, Erdogan said the next step to help resolve the Syrian conflict would be to hold a second summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi "as soon as possible". Last month Putin held a summit with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Erdogan in the city to discuss Syria. Putin said at the beginning of 2018 that a congress of national dialogue should be held to seek a political solution for Syria, adding that he spoke to Assad about it. - Pentagon scepticism - Last week Putin announced he would be standing in the March presidential election that he is widely expected to win, and his lightning visit to Syria was likely to play well with Russian voters. The commander of Russia's forces in Syria, Sergei Surovikin, said 23 Russian planes, two helicopters and military police would be returning to Russia soon, national television reported. Asked how long the process of bringing back the contingent from Syria would take, Shoigu said: "They have already started coming back, we will see how it goes," Russian news agencies reported. The Pentagon voiced scepticism about Putin's announcement, saying such declarations were not necessarily reflected by action. The size of the Russian deployment in Syria is not known, but Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent Russian military expert, has told AFP that up to 10,000 troops and private contractors may have taken part in the conflict. Putin had ruled out dispatching ground forces in Syria, making the air force the mainstay of Moscow's Syria campaign. Around 40 Russian servicemen have reportedly been killed in Syria since Moscow's intervention. The Kremlin has acknowledged some of those deaths. But the losses may be higher given the number of Russian troops and mercenaries believed to be in the country, observers say. More than 340,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against Assad's rule that sparked a brutal crackdown. burs-raz/js German cities including Berlin saw anti-Israel demonstrations over the weekend The German government said Monday it was "ashamed" of weekend demonstrations against the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital which saw some protesters chant anti-Semitic slogans and torch Israeli flags. Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters that although Berlin opposed the move by US President Donald Trump last week, it strongly condemned protests in German cities where "hatred" of Israel and Jews was expressed. "At certain rallies over the weekend, slogans were chanted, Israeli flags were burned and slander against the state of Israel and Jews in general were spread which were shameful," Seibert said. "One has to be ashamed when hatred of Jews is put on display so openly on the streets of German cities." Seibert noted that Germany had a "particular responsibility toward Israel and Jewish people in general" because the Nazis slaughtered six million Jews in the Holocaust. He said that while Berlin protected a constitutional right to free speech and assembly, that freedom did not cover incitement of racial hatred or violence. "It is important that we continue to stand up to all of that," he said. Speaking later after a meeting of her Christian Democratic Union party, Merkel condemned what she called "serious rioting" at the demonstrations. "We oppose all forms of anti-Semitism and xenophobia -- no differences of opinion, including about the status of Jerusalem, justify such actions," she said. "The (German) state must use all the means at its disposal to stop this." German cities including Berlin and Munich saw anti-Israel demonstrations over the weekend. At a protest late Friday in front of the US embassy in the German capital and again on Sunday in the ethnically diverse Neukoelln district of Berlin, demonstrators burned the Israeli flag. A spokesman for Berlin police told DPA news agency Monday that the authorities would keep a close eye on any further protests in the coming days for legal infractions. Seibert said last Wednesday that Merkel "does not support" Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital "because the status of Jerusalem can only be negotiated within the framework of a two-state solution". The UN refugee agency has evacuated refugees from Libya to Niger. It is appealing for countries to take in a further 1,300 vulnerable migrants at risk of abuse in the north African country The UN urgently appealed Monday for countries to take in 1,300 "extremely vulnerable" refugees stranded in Libya, following revelations of horrific abuse of migrants in the country. The UN refugee agency said there was a dire need for 1,300 resettlement places by the end of March 2018. "This is a desperate call for solidarity and humanity," Volker Turk, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, said in a statement. "We need to get extremely vulnerable refugees out of Libya as soon as possible," he said. The chaos-ridden country has long been a major transit hub for migrants trying to reach Europe. Many refugees and migrants have fallen prey to serious abuse there at the hands of human traffickers and others. European and African leaders have already vowed to evacuate nearly 4,000 distressed migrants from Libya after global outrage erupted last month over video footage showing African migrants being auctioned off as slaves in the country. "Many refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons in Libya are victims of serious violations of human rights, including different forms of inhumane, cruel and degrading treatment," the UNHCR warned in Monday's appeal. It stressed that many of them had been detained for an indefinite period of time in deplorable conditions, denouncing the "routine detention of refugees and displaced people." The UN refugee agency in early November evacuated a first group of 25 vulnerable refugees -- 15 women, six men and four children of Eritrean, Ethiopian and Sudanese nationalities -- to Niger. "Given the imminent humanitarian needs and the rapidly deteriorating conditions in detention centres in Libya, UNHCR is actively working to organise more life-saving refugee evacuations to Niger in the coming weeks and months," Turk said. UNHCR said the vulnerable refugees included unaccompanied children, single mothers, people with serious medical conditions and people who had been severely tortured during their journey or in detention in Libya. The agency said it aimed to evacuate them to Niger and hopefully other emergency transit centres pending their final resettlement to other countries. "Given the seriousness of the situation for refugees in Libya, we need to explore all sorts of solutions, including resettlement, family reunification, evacuation to UNHCR-run emergency facilities in other countries, or voluntary return," Turk said. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is wanted on genocide charges linked to the conflict in Darfur War crimes judges in The Hague delivered a slap to Jordan on Monday, referring the Arab country to the United Nations for failing to arrest the visiting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on genocide charges. Despite two international warrants for his arrest on 10 charges arising from the conflict in Darfur, Bashir freely attended an Arab League summit in Amman in March. Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled that "Jordan failed to comply with its obligations... by not executing the court's request for the arrest of Omar al-Bashir and his surrender to the court while he was on Jordanian territory on 29 March 2017". Jordan is a member of the Rome Statute, which underpins the tribunal -- established in 2002 to try the world's worst atrocities -- and as such has agreed to comply with the court's orders. In Amman, foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed described the ICC move as "unfair" and said Jordan would examine all options. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010, but he has steadfastly denied the charges related to the conflict in war-torn Darfur, and has evaded arrest. The judges decided that Jordan's "non-compliance" should be referred to the UN Security Council as well as the tribunal's own Assembly of State Parties. But it is unlikely there will be much further action taken at the UN. In July, the judges ruled that South Africa had flouted its duties to the ICC in 2015 by failing to arrest Bashir, when he attended an African Union summit. But presiding ICC judge Cuno Tarfusser, who also signed Monday's order against Jordan, decided that it would be "effectively futile" to refer Pretoria to the UN. There have been six previous referrals of various countries to the Security Council for allowing Bashir to travel freely on their territory. Pretoria's lawyers had argued at an ICC hearing in April that there "was no duty under international law on South Africa to arrest" Bashir. But the judges ruled that international obligations could not "simply be put aside" if a country disagrees with them, and said Bashir did not enjoy immunity. A man was in custody after an explosion in the subway station at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York A man carrying a pipe bomb strapped to his body detonated it in a crowded New York subway passageway during the morning rush hour Monday, seriously injuring himself but only lightly injuring three others. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called the bombing an "attempted terrorist attack," and identified the 27-year-old man identified as Akayed Ullah. The blast took place at the height of morning rush hour in the subway station at the new York Port Authority bus terminal, not far from the city's iconic Times Square, sparking commuter panic and travel disruptions. Subway trains were bypassing the Port Authority and Times Square stations as the investigation continued. The bomber was in custody and sent to a hospital with burns and wounds on his body. The explosion rattled a city still scarred by the devastating September 11 attacks, and a truck attack on October 31 that left eight dead on a bike path. "This is New York. The reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters. "This was an attempted terrorist attack," Mayor Bill de Blasio added. "Thank god the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals." New York police commissioner James O'Neill said the 27-year-old suspect had strapped the explosive device, which resembled a crude pipe bomb, to his body. He suffered burns to the hands and abdomen, and other injuries. Photos circulating on social media shoed the man on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back and injuries to his torso. Former New York police chief Bill Bratton told MSNBC television that he had been told the suspect was originally from Bangladesh and may have been acting in the name of the Islamic State group. Police quickly evacuated the Port Authority station and closed roads in the area, which were filled with police cars and ambulances with flashing lights. President Donald Trump was briefed on the explosion, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote on Twitter. - 'One of our worst nightmares' - The city remains constantly on edge as a target of possible terror attacks, and is on high alert ahead of the holidays, which culminate every year with the giant New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, attended by hundreds of thousands of revelers. On October 31, Sayfullo Saipov, an immigrant from Uzbekistan, drove a rented truck down a busy bike and pedestrian path, killing eight people and injuring 12. Explosion in New York It was the first deadly terror attack in New York since 9/11, though several plots since then have been disrupted. Monday's attack highlighted one of New York City's greatest vulnerabilities -- its underground transit system. A bomb in a subway station "is in many ways one of our worst nightmares," Cuomo said. "We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor, and that makes us an international target. We understand that," he added. Lebanese demonstrators march with a model of the Dome of the Rock, along with their national flags and the flags of Palestine and the militant Shiite movement Hezbollah, during a protest in the capital Beirut on December 11, 2017 Tens of thousands of supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah demonstrated in Beirut on Monday, chanting "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" in protest over the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Protesters marched through the Iran-backed Shiite movement's south Beirut bastion, carrying banners reading "Jerusalem, Eternal Capital of Palestine" and "Jerusalem is Ours". Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah had called for the mass demonstration last week after US President Donald Trump decided to upend decades of diplomatic protocol by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The move has been widely condemned and sparked days of protest across the Middle East. "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and will be until Judgement Day," said Iman Ghadbun, 28, attending the protest with her seven-year-old daughter. Israel fought a devastating war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 that killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 120 Israelis, most of them soldiers. "We will never abandon Jerusalem," Nasrallah told the crowd in an address beamed on a massive screen. "All Arab peoples must repeat with the Palestinian people: 'We will be millions of martyrs to sacrifice for Jerusalem'," he said, a pledge echoed in unison by the crowd numbering tens of thousands. Israel withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending a 22-year occupation, but the two countries remain technically at war and there have been occasional skirmishes on the border. "When the world stands together Trump has to change his mind, right?" said Hassan Mousa, a 28 year-old photographer with a hipster beard and slicked back hair. "We're the children of Hezbollah, of course we're ready to fight," he said. The rally was held under tight Hezbollah security and passed without incident, a day after a much smaller protest turned violent near the US embassy on the outskirts of Beirut. On Sunday, several people were lightly wounded, including an AFP photographer, when Lebanese security forces responded to stone throwing with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets. The few hundred protesters, mostly from Palestinian, leftist and Islamist parties, were blocked by a metal gate on the road leading to the highly-protected US embassy. The talks will focus on freeing prisoners, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the functioning of de-escalation zones A fresh round of Syrian peace talks is scheduled for next week in Astana, Kazakhstan said Monday, as part of a Moscow-led push to end the six-year conflict. The two-day talks in Astana will begin on December 21 and will focus on freeing prisoners, the delivery of humanitarian aid, the functioning of de-escalation zones and other issues, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The announcement came as Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian forces in Syria during a surprise visit to the war-torn country earlier Monday. Nearly all of the seven rounds of Syria negotiations in Astana have involved representatives of the Syrian regime and the armed opposition, as well as the three power-brokers: Russia, Iran and Turkey. Moscow has spearheaded the talks in Astana since the start of the year as it tries to turn its game-changing military intervention into a negotiated settlement. Both Russia and Iran have thrown their support behind the regime of Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey has provided backing to the rebels. The negotiations, which run in parallel to broader UN-backed talks in Geneva, involved armed rebels and government officials and have focused mainly on military issues. The Kremlin also hopes to convene a political congress in the Black Sea resort of Sochi which would bring together regime officials and the opposition to reinvigorate a hobbled peace process. More than 340,000 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in March 2011 when protests against Assad's rule sparked a brutal crackdown. The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the agency's largest and most expensive peacekeeping force The bodies of 14 Tanzanian peacekeepers killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo by suspected Ugandan rebels were repatriated Monday, where the defence minister welcomed them as "heroes". The arrival of the plane carrying 14 white coffins covered with the UN's blue flag was marked by a military ceremony at the international airport in Dar es Salaam. "We are here to welcome our heroes," Tanzanian defence minister Hussein Mwinyi said of the soldiers, all members of the Tanzania People's Defence Forces. They were killed on Thursday in the conflict-torn east of the country after clashes with suspected Ugandan Muslim rebels of the so-called Allied Democratic Forces. The attack was the biggest single loss of peacekeepers in nearly a quarter of a century. Tanzanian and Nepalese troops formed a guard for the 14 coffins, draped with the Tanzanian flag, in a ceremony near Beni in the North Kivu province before the bodies were flown home. The UN had lowered the death toll to 14 from 15, with a further 53 injured. The Tanzanian press has said two other soldiers are missing. "The death of our Tanzanian friends shall be written in the history of the Congolese nation, in tribute to their sacrifice," said Congolese General Leon Mushale. "They will remain in the hearts of the Congolese people." David Gressly, the UN's deputy special representative for the DR Congo, said the peacekeepers would not step back from their work. "The Blue Helmets will continue to protect the people of Beni," he said. The attack is the bloodiest against MONUSCO, the UN force that was deployed in DRC in 1999, and the worst against a UN force since the death of 24 Pakistani peacekeepers in Somalia in June 1993. The European Union on Monday said the "unacceptable attack... underscores the fragility of the security situation in eastern DRC, amplified by the current uncertainty over the country's political situation." It called on the DR Congo authorities to carry out an inquiry "so that those responsible can be swiftly brought to justice," according to an EU statement issued in Kinshasa. A portrait of US President Donald Trump burns during a demonstration in Tehran on December 11, 2017 Hundred of Iranian diehard conservatives rallied on Monday against Israel and said US President Donald Trump had hastened its demise with his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital. The rally in downtown Tehran featured the sort of thumping, Turkish-style dance music that is normally banned in the Islamic republic but has become increasing popular at hardliner events. It is made acceptable to conservative ears with the addition of lyrics such as "the US is a murderer" and "Palestinian mothers are losing their children" and, of course, the ubiquitous "Death to America". Participants blamed the middling turnout on rushed preparations. Iranian protesters hold anti-Israeli slogans during a demonstration in Tehran on December 11, 2017 to denounce US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital "The publicity was a bit weak. I only learned about today's demo around midnight, and I'm coming directly from the hospital because I'm a medical student," said Ali Esfahani, 23. He said Trump's decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, which was widely condemned across the globe, "was one more cruelty on top of America's previous oppressions" and could not be tolerated. Such protests tread a fine line, pledging support for the Palestinian cause without calling for direct military action by Iran. "I don't think there will be a need to send any troops because there are a lot of people in Lebanon, Syria and inside the Palestinian territories. They will be enough to get rid of the Israelis," a cleric, Seyed Abdullah Hosseini, told AFP. A neon board on the side of the square announced that there were only 8,240 days left for Israel -- a reference to a speech by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which he predicted the end of Israel by 2030. "Mr Trump has done a good job of speeding things up. We were expecting Israel to be dismantled later... but this is the beginning of the end of Israel," said Hosseini. "We have to thank him for what he did." Later in the day, President Hassan Rouhani told the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas's leader in Gaza on the phone that together Muslims could defeat Israel. "The oppressed people of Palestine and Islamic ummah (community) will undoubtedly defeat the US-Israeli plan with their unity and resistance," Rouhani told Ismail Haniya, as quoted by the government's website. US President Donald Trump says that he is "reading documents a lot" and does not watch between four and eight hours of TV news a day President Donald Trump on Monday denied a New York Times story on his daily White House life that says he watches up to eight hours of cable TV news a day. "Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong!" the US president wrote on Twitter. "Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News," he added. Trump then described CNN news anchor Don Lemon as a person "I once called the 'dumbest man on television!'" A lengthy New York Times story over the weekend, citing sources close to the president, says that Trump gets up early in the morning and immediately tunes into the cable TV news and commentary shows. The former New York real estate magnate often fires off early morning tweets that react to cable TV news stories, often those on Fox News. Trump, 71, is sensitive to criticism on the subject. "I do not watch much television," Trump told reporters on his recent trip to Vietnam. "I know they like to say -- people that don't know me -- they like to say I watch television. People with fake sources -- you know, fake reporters, fake sources. But I don't get to watch much television, primarily because of documents. I'm reading documents a lot." Later in the trip he complained that the only US cable TV news available to watch in the Philippines was CNN. An armed militiaman stands guard at the entrance of the headquarters of the Muslim "self-defence force" group of the PK5 majority Muslim district of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, on November 15, 2017 Plans by Central African Republic's beleaguered government to reassert control in the north of the country were in difficulties on Monday after clashes marred the return of the state's top representative to a key city. Colonel Augustin Tombou was formally installed on Saturday as prefect in the town of Kaga-Bandoro -- a politically important step in the strategy to restore state authority in strife-torn provinces. But sources reported a surge of violence, including mortar rounds fired against UN peacekeepers, gunfire targeting a camp for displaced people and a grenade that was thrown during Tombou's induction ceremony. Tombou's residence was "partially destroyed" and the prefecture itself was burned down, Jean-Serge Bokassa, minister of territorial decentralisation and administration, told AFP by phone on Monday. The prefect has been taken to a secure location but does not have the means to exercise his duties, he said. "We are looking at urgent steps for enabling the prefect's proper deployment," he said. A vehicle owned by an aid organisation was carjacked by armed men, and another was looted, a source with an NGO in the capital Bangui said. "What worries us is that if this situation continues, aid workers will have to pull out once more," the source said, referring to a wave of attacks on NGOs. Meanwhile, a clash between two armed groups killed seven people in the predominantly Muslim PK5 quarter of Bangui on Monday, security officials said. A member of one group was killed in the early morning, triggering a cycle of reprisals. The United Nations peacekeeping force MINUSCA and CAR security forces intervened to restore order, UN spokesman Vladimir Monteiro told AFP. The PK5 neighbouhood has often been at the heart of tensions in the relatively calm Central African capital. One of the poorest countries in the world, CAR has been riven by conflict between nominally Muslim and Christian militias, which started after the 2013 overthrow of leader Francois Bozize. Outside of Bangui, most of the rest of the country is in the hands of militia groups, who fight over resources such as diamonds and cattle. More than three quarters of the country's 4.7 million inhabitants live in extreme poverty, according to the World Bank. The country is classed last -- in 188th place -- on the Human Development Index of the UN Development Programme. The latest clashes took place in an area dominated by two armed groups -- the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central Africa (FPRC) and the Movement for Peace in Central Africa (MPC). Both are offshoots of the pro-Muslim Seleka rebel alliance, which overthrew Bozize and was forced out in turn by international military intervention. "We do not accept prefects who are military," said Fadoul Bachar of the FPRC via the messaging application Whatsapp. "If they are civilians, no problem, if they are military, we will oppose them fiercely." Tombou, who was appointed in August, is one of eight military figures among the 16 named by the government. Democratic senators are seizing on renewed complaints by a trio of Donald Trump accusers and calling on the president to resign for his past conduct toward women. Joining the charge Monday was Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who helped lead a successful internal party effort to force out Sen. Al Franken over misconduct. 'President Trump has committed assault, according to these women, and those are very credible allegations of misconduct and criminal activity, and he should be fully investigated and he should resign,' Gilliband told CNN Monday. She added: 'These allegations are credible; they are numerous. I've heard these women's testimony, and many of them are heartbreaking.' Gillibrand joins a handful of Democratic lawmakers who are calling on Trump to step down for having reasons nothing to do with Russia or his business interests the topics that have dominated investigatory and media scrutiny of the president. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said President Donald Trump should be investigated and resign over allegations of misconduct toward women After the trio of Trump accusers held a press conference calling for a congressional investigation of Trump, the won over Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee. 'These women are right, Wyden wrote on Twitter. If @realDonaldTrump won't resign, Congress must investigate allegations by many, many women that he sexually assaulted and harassed them. No one is above the law,' Wyden wrote. Others who have called for or entertained Trump's resignation over the issue include Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Accusers Jessica Leeds (left) and Samantha Holvey want President Donald Trump's past sexual misconduct allegations investigated by Congress 'These women are right, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon wrote on Twitter regarding the president's accusers Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand calls on Trump to resign on CNN 'The president should resign because he certainly has a track record with more than 17 women of horrific conduct,' Merkley told NBC's 'Meet The Press.' Sanders tweeted that Trump should 'think about resigning' in light of the allegations. The White House on Monday rejected calls for a congressional investigation of claims Donald Trump sexually harassed women, saying the American people had spoken on the matter by electing him president. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said the allegations were old news and the president has addressed them. 'This took place long before he was elected to be president,' Sanders said. 'And the people of this country, at a decisive election, supported President Trump, and we feel like these allegations have been answered through that process.' Sen. Ron Wyden said Trump's accusers 'are right' en. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., accompanied by Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., and former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, speaks at a news conference where she and other members of congress introduce legislation to curb sexual harassment in the workplace. She is one of a handful of Demoratic senators calling for President Trump to resign Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speak before the full committee markup of the tax reform legislation on Capital Hill Three women who claim they were sexually harassed by Trump before he ran for president urged Congress on Monday to investigate his behavior and allegations of misconduct. The three, who first came forward during last year's presidential race with their claims of harassment, said they were speaking up again because of the current climate. In recent months, countless women have broken their silence about abuse suffered at the hands of powerful men in the worlds of entertainment, the media, business and politics, in the wake of the bombshell allegations that felled movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. "The environment's different," said Samantha Holvey, who claims Trump came backstage when she and other contestants in the 2006 Miss USA pageant were dressing. "Let's try again," Holvey said, in explaining her decision to repeat her allegations. Rachel Crooks, who says Trump forcibly kissed her on the mouth after she introduced herself to him at Trump Tower in 2005, urged lawmakers to "put aside their party affiliations and investigate Mr. Trump's history of sexual misconduct." Crooks voiced hope "that we will hold Mr Trump to the same standard of Harvey Weinstein and the other men who were held accountable for their reprehensible behavior." Jessica Leeds, who says she was groped and forcibly kissed by Trump on a commercial flight decades ago, said Trump has not been held accountable for "what he is and who he is." The White House swiftly dismissed the claims as "false." "The timing and absurdity of these false claims speaks volumes and the publicity tour that has begun only further confirms the political motives behind them," a White House statement said. - 'A decisive election' - Rachel Crooks, one of three women alleging harassment by President Donald Trump, accuses him of kissing her after she introduced herself to him outside an elevator at Trump Tower in 2005 Addressing reporters, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president "has addressed these accusations directly and denied all of these allegations. "This took place long before he was elected to be president and the people of this country had a decisive election, supported President Trump," Sanders said. "We feel like these allegations have been answered through that process." Gillibrand, a Democratic senator from New York, told CNN that Trump should "immediately resign." "President Trump has committed assault according to these women," she said. "And those are very credible allegations. "I think he should immediately resign and if he doesn't we should have the investigation," Gillibrand said. Democratic senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Jeff Merkley of Oregon also called over the weekend for Trump to step down. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden backed the call for a congressional investigation -- which appeared unlikely to occur given the Republican control of both houses of Congress. "These women are right," the senator from Oregon said in a tweet. "If @realDonaldTrump won't resign, Congress must investigate allegations by many, many women that he sexually assaulted and harassed them. No one is above the law." Three US lawmakers announced their resignations from Congress last week over sexual harassment allegations, including Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota. In announcing his resignation, Franken took aim at Trump. "I, of all people, am aware that there is some irony in the fact I am leaving while a man who bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office," he said. A total of 16 women have come forward with claims of misconduct by Trump, who boasted in a tape that surfaced during the campaign that he could kiss and grope women with impunity, because of his celebrity. In an apparent divergence from the White House line, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday that any women claiming to be victims of sexual harassment -- including those implicating Trump -- "should be heard." Spectators listen to a television news brodcast of a statment by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, before a public television screen outside the central railway station in Pyongyang on September 22, 2017 The UN rights chief told the Security Council on Monday that tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment. An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide "literally a lifeline" for 13 million of them, said UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. "But sanctions may be adversely affecting this essential help," he told a special Security Council meeting on human rights in North Korea. Sanctions that have tightened controls over international bank transfers "have caused a slowdown in UN ground operations, affecting the delivery of food rations, health kits and other humanitarian aid," he said. The rights chief asked the council to conduct an assessment of the human rights impact of sanctions and urged them to take action to minimize consequences. Over the past year, the council has adopted three rounds of sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang's military programs after Kim Jong-Un's regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and a series of advanced missile launches. The council's sanctions committee on North Korea will meet later Monday to hear a briefing from a UN humanitarian official on the impact of recent punitive measures. Aid groups are facing hurdles to clear customs for goods destined for North Korea, to ensure procurement and transport of aid supplies, as well as rising food prices in the reclusive state that have shot up 160 percent since April, said UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca. - China fails to block rights meeting - The Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang's ally. China requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support. Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three were opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply. Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao said the council's discussion of rights abuses in North Korea was "counterproductive" at a time when tensions are running high on the Korean peninsula. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said human rights should be discussed more often by the top UN body as a way to bolster conflict prevention. "Any country that does not take care of its people ends up in conflict," said Haley. The United States, Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay had requested the meeting, the fourth to be held since 2014. Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao said the council's discussion of rights abuses in North Korea was "counterproductive" at a time when tensions are running high on the Korean peninsula China has sought every year to block the special meeting, arguing that the Human Rights Council in Geneva was the forum to address concerns about North Korea's rights record, and not the Security Council. Pyongyang is accused by a UN commission of inquiry of running a vast network of prison camps, resorting to torture, arbitrary detentions among other widespread abuses. The rights chief told the council that "the context of military tensions seems to have deepened the extremely serious human rights violations" endured by the country's 25 million citizens. North Korea's UN mission released a statement taking aim at the United States and its allies for raising "the non-existent 'human rights issues'" at the council. The UN's political affairs chief, Jeffrey Feltman, will brief the council on Tuesday on his talks in Pyongyang ahead of a ministerial-level meeting on North Korea on Friday. Palestinians wave the national flag during a demonstration in Gaza City on December 3, 2017, in support of the reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah, though the two groups then missed a deadline for talks December 10, 2017 Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have missed a major deadline in their reconciliation bid by failing to transfer power in the Gaza Strip, with the rivals on Monday trading accusations of blame. US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital has further complicated an already difficult attempt to transfer power in Gaza from Islamist movement Hamas back to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, have seen protests and clashes each day since Trump's declaration on Wednesday. Sunday had been the deadline for the handover, a decade after Hamas seized power in the Palestinian enclave in a near civil war with president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah, based in the occupied West Bank. An Egyptian-brokered agreement in early October originally set a December 1 deadline for full transfer of power back to the PA, which is dominated by Fagah, though that was later pushed back to December 10. In Gaza, the situation was essentially unchanged despite the deadline, with Hamas police still patrolling the streets, while crippling electricity shortages endured. Hamas claimed on Saturday it had handed over control of all government ministries, but Fatah's top negotiator later said "obstacles" remained. PA government spokesman Yousef Mahmud said Monday it had not received full control in key ministries. In a statement on official Palestinian news agency WAFA, he accused Hamas of seeking to stop the handover. Fawzy Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, told AFP that Mahmud's statement was an attempt to "cover up the government's failure to carry out its duties to the people of Gaza". Palestinians and international players had hoped that a reconciliation deal could lead to the easing of Israeli and Egyptian blockades on Gaza, reducing the suffering of the two million people largely trapped in the enclave. Both sides still publicly said they remain committed to the reconciliation, but fears that it could collapse are growing. - 'A dead end' - They appear no closer to an agreement about the future of Hamass vast military wing, which has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, while they must still resolve the issue of two separate civil administrations. Abbas has also not yet lifted sanctions against Hamas, including cutting payments for electricity, further worsening an already severe power shortage in Gaza. There was already little optimism about achieving a full handover by December 10, but Trump's controversial announcement has added further complications. The Palestinian government has called for wide-scale peaceful protests against it, but Hamas has called for violence -- hailing attacks against Israelis as the start of a new violent intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation. Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union. Four Palestinians in Gaza, including two Hamas fighters, were killed either in clashes with Israeli forces or by Israeli air strikes in retaliation for rocket fire on Friday and Saturday. Naji Sharab, political science professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, said Trump's move made the reconciliation bid harder. "Some want uprising and others don't. Some want a military escalation and some don't," he told AFP. "With the Jerusalem issue, they cannot continue." Jamal al-Fadi, a politics professor, said he feared the process could now collapse. "I believe that in the short term it will hold, but the issue of reconciliation will come back to the top of the agenda considering the needs of the people for solutions." "It seems that the process has reached a dead end." Protesters demonstrated in front of the US Army career center in Times Square, New York in July when the US moved to block transgender recruits A US federal judge Monday cleared the way for transgender people to join the military from January 1, denying a request from President Donald Trump's administration to delay the move. The ruling will be seen as a blow to Trump, who in July sent out three tweets saying that transgender troops could not serve "in any capacity," citing "tremendous" medical costs and disruption. Those messages, later followed by a formal White House memorandum, set off a roar of protest -- with several service members and rights groups quick to sue. Already two federal courts have ruled against Trump's proposed ban. Under a new policy first announced when Barack Obama was still in power, the Pentagon was supposed to start accepting transgender recruits on July 1 this year, but Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis pushed that back by six months to January 1 pending further review. Then last week, the Justice Department asked a federal court to further delay the January start date while the legal battle plays out. But US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled Monday that the government had not shown it would be "irreparably harmed" if the military begins to accept transgender men and women on January 1. Government lawyers cited Lernes Hebert, an acting deputy assistant secretary of defense, as saying that meeting the January deadline would "impose extraordinary burdens on the department and the military services" because "there are considerable requirements associated with implementing this significant and complex policy change." Kollar-Kotelly said she was not convinced. In her ruling, she wrote that the government had failed "to acknowledge the considerable amount of time defendants have already had to prepare for the implementation of this particular policy." "Defendants have had the opportunity to prepare for the accession of transgender individuals into the military for nearly one and a half years," the judge wrote. - 'Planning to prepare' - Pentagon spokesman Major David Eastburn said the military was "planning to prepare" for transgender people to enter the military from January 1, in accordance with federal court rulings. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders referred questions on the matter back to the Pentagon and the Justice Department. The Palm Center think tank, which focuses on sexual minorities in the military, said the Pentagon is ready to implement the new policy, noting that it had been doing the ground work for two years. "That is longer than the preparation the military had for repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' and accession of openly gay Americans," the center's director Aaron Belkin said in a statement. The number of transgender troops among America's 1.3 million active duty service members is small, with estimates topping out at 15,000. Trump's July tweets caught observers and many in the military off guard, coming with little apparent coordination with the Pentagon. The president's policy shift meant that transgender troops who were encouraged to come out under one administration suddenly faced getting booted under another -- opening up a legal quagmire for the Pentagon. Several senior military officials voiced unease over the policy shift, and the head of the Coast Guard said he would not "break faith" with transgender personnel. Trump has said he did the Pentagon a "great favor" by banning transgender troops, saying the issue had been "complicated" and "confusing" for the military. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has long advocated land-swaps in a future peace deal that would see some Arab areas of Israel handed over to the Palestinians in exchange for Israeli retention of some West Bank Jewish settlements Israel's defence minister on Monday called Arab MPs "war criminals" a day after he urged a boycott of Israeli Arabs living near the scene of clashes over the US president's Jerusalem declaration. Avigdor Lieberman was speaking in a televised parliamentary debate on a motion of no confidence in the right-wing government filed by the mainly Arab Joint List alliance. Presenting the motion, Joint List lawmaker Hanin Zoabi said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "should be tried at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, because he is a war criminal." "Occupation is always belligerent, violent, illegitimate and a basis for war crimes," she added, referring to Israel's 50-year occupation of the Palestinian territories. "All the Joint List are war criminals, every one of you," Lieberman responded. The alliance has 12 Arab members and one Jew. "You exploit the weaknesses and advantages of a democratic state to destroy us from within, we have no illusions," he told them. "You are here by mistake and the time will come when you will not be here." Arab Israelis are descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land following the creation of Israel in 1948. Today they account for some 17.5 percent of the population. Lieberman has long advocated land-swaps in a future peace deal that would see some Arab areas of Israel handed over to the Palestinians in exchange for Israeli retention of some West Bank Jewish settlements. He has also proposed conditioning the Arabs' continued Israeli citizenship on them taking oaths of loyalty to the Jewish state. Dozens of Arab Israelis on Saturday night blocked the Wadi Ara intersection in northern Israel, police said, throwing stones at vehicles and burning tyres in protest at Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The windows of a bus were smashed and its driver was slightly injured. Police arrested two minors and a man from Arara, an Arab town in the Wadi Ara area. Speaking to Israeli army radio the next day, Lieberman proposed collective punitive sanctions. "Those who demonstrate in Israel holding Hezbollah, Hamas and PLO flags are not part of the state of Israel," Lieberman said. "I therefore call on Israeli citizens to impose an economic boycott on Wadi Ara -- don't shop there, don't eat in the restaurants and don't buy services from them." Jewish Israelis must simply "give them the feeling they're not wanted here," he said, noting instances in which Arabs from the area carried out attacks against Israelis or supported militant activities. Clashes and protests erupted in the Palestinian territories after Trump's declaration last Wednesday, but there has been relatively little unrest within Israel itself. President Trump directed NASA on Monday to send Americans to the Moon for the first time since 1972, in order to prepare for future trips to Mars. 'This time we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint,' Trump said at a White House ceremony as he signed the new space policy directive.'We will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars and perhaps someday to many worlds beyond.' The directive calls on NASA to ramp up its efforts to send people to deep space, a policy that unites politicians on both sides of the aisle in the United States. US President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for Space Policy Directive 1, with the aim of returning Americans to the Moon The last time US astronauts visited the Moon was during the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s However, it steered clear of the most divisive and thorny issues in space exploration: budgets and timelines. Space policy experts agree that any attempt to send people to Mars, which lies an average of 140 million miles from Earth, would require immense technical prowess and a massive wallet. The last time US astronauts visited the Moon was during the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s. On July 20, 1969, US astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon. Trump, who signed the directive in the presence of Harrison Schmitt, one of the last Americans to walk on the Moon 45 years ago, said 'today, we pledge that he will not be the last.' Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the newly revitalized National Space Council, have previously vowed to explore the Moon again, but offered few details. Former US president George W. Bush also pledged to send Americans to the Moon as part of the Constellation program, which ran from 2005 to 2009. Constellation was projected to cost $100 billion, and aimed to get boots on the Moon's surface by the late 2020s. In 2009, then president Barack Obama deemed it too costly and repetitive of missions already achieved, and canceled the program in order to focus on reaching Mars by the 2030s. Trump vowed his new directive 'will refocus the space program on human exploration and discovery,' and 'marks an important step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972.' The goal of the new Moon missions would include 'long-term exploration and use' of its surface. 'We're dreaming big,' Trump said. A White House statement acknowledged that partnerships with other nations and private industry would still be needed. The US 'will work with other nations and private industry to return astronauts to the Moon, developing the technology and means for manned exploration of Mars and other destinations in our solar system,' it said. Huthi rebel fighters are seen riding an armoured vehicle outside of the residence of Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa on December 4, 2017 UN officials who examined debris from missiles fired at Saudi Arabia from Yemen have not confirmed that they were Iranian-made but are still analyzing the information, according to a confidential report obtained by AFP on Monday. Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of supplying weapons to Yemen's Huthi rebels who fired a missile intercepted near Riyadh airport on November 4. Weapons supplies to the Huthis would be in violation of a UN arms embargo on Yemen and of a ban on weapons sales by Iran. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that the missiles fired on July 22 and November 4 both had a diameter that was "consistent" with a Scud missile. The Qiam-1 is a variant of the Scud missile. Guterres said "the missiles had similar structural and manufacturing features which suggest a common origin", according to the report sent to the council on Friday. He cautioned that UN officials were still "carefully reviewing all the information and material available," but offered no firm conclusions. A separate team of UN experts who inspected the missile fragments during a visit to Riyadh last month found a possible link to an Iranian manufacturer, the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group which is on the UN sanctions blacklist. The experts who report to the sanctions committee found a component marked by a logo similar to that of the banned group, which is a subsidiary of the Iranian Aerospace Industries Organization. In his report, Guterres said officials had seen the logo but again said they were still analysing the information. US Ambassador Nikki Haley has called for international action against Iran over the missile attacks from Yemen against Saudi Arabia, which Riyadh has described as a "direct aggression". Iran has repeatedly denied that it is arming the Huthis. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthis imposed a blockade of Yemen's air and sea ports and borders after the missile was fired at Riyadh, citing concerns that weapons were being smuggled into Yemen. During a fact-finding mission to Saudi Arabia, UN officials also examined two drones recovered in Yemen but did not confirm a Saudi claim that one of them was Iranian-made. Guterres also raised violations of a travel ban by senior Iranian military commander, Major General Qasem Soleimani, to Iraq and Syria. "Truth is not killed by killing journalists," reads this chalk marking at a June protest in Mexico City -- 11 journalists have been killed in Mexico in 2017 Eleven journalists have been killed in Mexico in 2017, making it the second deadliest country in the world for members of the media Press freedom advocates called Monday for US authorities to release from custody a Mexican journalist facing deportation to his home country where he says his life is endangered. Members of news organizations and at least one lawmaker drew attention to the case of Emilio Gutierrez, who arrived in the United States a decade ago after reporting on abuses by Mexican military authorities. Gutierrez spoke to a Washington news conference at the National Press Club via telephone from a detention center in Texas where he has been held since last week. "I am terrorized to set foot in Mexico, I don't ever want to go back to Mexico," he said during the call. Gutierrez, who was presented with the National Press Club Press Freedom Award earlier this year, was detained last week after an immigration panel denied his appeal for political asylum. John Donnelly, a member of the press club's press freedom team, said the organization is urging the release of the 64-year-old Gutierrez. "He came here after credibly perceiving that his life was in danger there because of his reporting," Donnelly told the news conference. After his reporting on military abuses, Donnelly said, "he learned he was on a hit list, that's why he left Mexico." US Congressman Don Beyer joined calls for the release by the office of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE. "Mr. Gutierrez is a well-known journalist who faces a clear and present danger should he return to Mexico. I implore @ICEgov to reconsider its decision to deport him," Beyer said in a tweet. The media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders also urged authorities to grant Gutierrez asylum. "Emilio should be granted asylum. A return to Mexico, which is structurally violent and where journalists are regularly targeted, is out of the question for him," said Emmanuel Colombie, director of the group's Latin American region. According to RSF, 11 journalists were killed in Mexico in 2017, making it the second deadliest country for members of the media, after Syria. Eduardo Beckett, Gutierrez's lawyer, said he is willing to go to a third country but this poses logistical problems since he has no valid passport. Police respond to an explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on December 11, 2017 in New York US President Donald Trump said Monday that a bomb attack by a 27-year-old from Bangladesh on New York's subway system underscored the "urgent need" for Congress to enact immigration reform. Three people were slightly injured after the attacker's pipe bomb exploded only partially, while the suspect was sent to a hospital with apparently severe burns and wounds on his torso and hands. "First and foremost, as I have been saying since I first announced my candidacy for president, America must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country," Trump said in a statement. He added that the suspect, identified as Akayed Ullah, had entered the country through "extended-family chain migration," a system the president is seeking to end that allows families to sponsor relatives to come to the United States. He also cited his controversial travel ban on the entry of nationals from eight countries -- six of which have Muslim majorities -- as "one step forward in securing our immigration system." Other measures Trump said he hoped Congress would pass included "increasing the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, enhancing the arrest and detention authorities for immigration officers, and ending fraud and abuse in our immigration system." Trump also reiterated his call for terror convicts to receive "the strongest penalty allowed by law, including the death penalty." He had previously called for the death penalty for Sayfullo Saipov, an immigrant from Uzbekistan who killed eight people and injured 12 in an October 31 truck attack in New York. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer criticized concessions given to wealthy countries claiming development status, like China and India The top US trade representative launched a broadside at the World Trade Organization on Monday, accusing it of losing its focus on trade negotiation and becoming a "litigation-centered" body. "Too often members seem to believe they can gain concessions through lawsuits that they could never get at the negotiating table," Robert Lighthizer told the WTO ministerial conference in Buenos Aires. He also criticized special treatment given to some countries because of their allegedly dubious development status. The comments by Lighthizer, President Donald Trump's top trade representative, had been much anticipated at the conference held every two years -- the first of the Trump era. Trump has long made the WTO a preferred target of its "America First" policy, threatening to pull Washington out of the trade organization it says is hampering its ability to compete. "We cannot sustain a situation in which new rules can only apply to the few, and that other will be given a pass in the name of self-proclaimed development status," said Lighthizer, referring to countries like China and India. "There is something wrong, in our view, when five of the six richest countries in the world presently claim developing country status." Countries claiming development status at the WTO are given concessions, including longer transitions periods, before being required to fully implement agreements. Trump has long protested that the body's multilateralism is hampering US trade at the expense of bilateral deals. The US president has already withdrawn Washington from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and insisted on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. France meanwhile backed the call of the host, President Mauricio Macri of Argentina, that "WTO problems get fixed with more WTO -- not with less WTO." "France is attached to multilateralism. We don't want that framework to be called into question," said French minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, though he acknowledged that "there are improvements to be made." - Final declaration in doubt - Washington has been accused of strangling the WTO's dispute settlement system by blocking the appointment of new judges to the body. Lemoyne expressed fears that the WTO's dispute settlement body would be paralyzed in a few months. Lighthizer told the meeting, however, that it was "impossible to negotiate new rules when many of the current ones are not being followed. "This is why the United States is leading a discussion on the need to correct the sad performance of many members in notifications and transparency." "Some members are intentionally circumventing these obligations, and addressing these lapses will remain a top US priority," he said. The US stance has cast doubt on the ability of the conference to produce a joint statement Wednesday on the final day of the conference. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said Sunday that he would ask Lighthizer to show "political commitment, political will and flexibility." "Without flexibility we will not get anywhere," Azevedo told reporters. Migrants wait to be rescued by the Aquarius rescue ship run by non-governmental organisations "SOS Mediterranee" and "Medecins Sans Frontieres" in the Mediterranean Sea, 30 nautic miles from the Libyan coast, on August 2, 2017 Amnesty International on Tuesday accused European governments of "complicity" in the detention under horrific conditions of migrants in Libya, especially through their assistance to the Libyan coastguard implicated in people trafficking. "European governments are knowingly complicit in the torture and abuse of tens of thousands of refugees and migrants detained by Libyan immigration authorities in appalling conditions in Libya," the rights group said in a report. It accused European governments of "actively supporting a sophisticated system of abuse and exploitation of refugees and migrants by the Libyan coastguard, detention authorities and smugglers in order to prevent people from crossing the Mediterranean". "Hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants trapped in Libya are at the mercy of Libyan authorities, militias, armed groups and smugglers often working seamlessly together for financial gain," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty's Europe director. "European governments have not just been fully aware of these abuses; by actively supporting the Libyan authorities in stopping sea crossings and containing people in Libya, they are complicit in these abuses." Dalhuisen urged European governments to "rethink their cooperation with Libya on migration and enable people to get to Europe through legal pathways, including by resettling tens of thousands of refugees". "They must insist that the Libyan authorities end the policy and practice of arbitrary arrests and detention of refugees and migrants, immediately release all foreign nationals held in the detention centres," he said. He charged that "by supporting Libyan authorities in trapping people in Libya... European governments have shown where their true priorities lie: namely the closure of the central Mediterranean route, with scant regard to the suffering caused". Officials in the Libyan coastguard, trained and equipped by European governments, notably Italy, to curb the flow of migrants "are known to operate in collusion with smuggling networks and have used threats and violence against refugees and migrants", according to Amnesty which cited testimony from dozens of migrants. Those interviewed had "described the soul-destroying cycle of exploitation to which collusion between guards, smugglers and the Libyan coastguard consigns them", it said. Migrants whose boats have been intercepted are sent to detention centres "where they endure horrific treatment. Up to 20,000 people currently remain contained in these overcrowded, unsanitary detention centres," it said. The Amnesty report also accused the Libyan coastguard of endangering migrants' lives and of intimidating NGOs operating in the Mediterranean on rescue missions. It singled out a November 6 incident involving the coastguard and a German relief group, Sea-Watch, in which at least five migrants died. The UN-backed government in Tripoli said on Saturday that Italy and Libya are to set up a joint commission in an attempt to fight back against people traffickers and tackle illegal migration. Human-trafficking networks have flourished in the chaos that followed a NATO-backed uprising which toppled long-time Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. FALLBROOK, Calif. (AP) - A week of destructive fires in Southern California is ending but danger still looms. Well into what's considered the wet season, there's been nary a drop of rain. That's good for sun-seeking tourists, but could spell more disaster for a region that emerged this spring from a yearslong drought and now has firefighters on edge because of parched conditions and no end in sight to the typical fire season. "This is the new normal," Gov. Jerry Brown warned Saturday after surveying damage from the deadly Ventura County fire that has caused the most destruction and continued burning out of control. "We're about ready to have firefighting at Christmas. This is very odd and unusual." Firefighters light backfire while trying to keep a wildfire from jumping Santa Ana Rd. near Ventura, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Even as firefighters made progress containing six major wildfires from Santa Barbara to San Diego County and most evacuees were allowed to return home, predicted gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) through Sunday posed a threat of flaring up existing blazes or spreading new ones. High fire risk is expected to last into January and the governor and experts said climate change is making it a year-round threat. Overall, the fires have destroyed nearly 800 homes and other buildings, killed dozens of horses and forced more than 200,000 people to flee flames that have burned over 270 square miles (700 square kilometers) since Monday. One death, so far, a 70-year-old woman who crashed her car on an evacuation route, is attributed to the fire in Santa Paula, a small city next to Ventura where the fire began. The Ventura blaze continued to burn into rugged mountains in the Los Padres National Forest near the little town of Ojai and toward a preserve established for endangered California condors. While many evacuation orders were lifted, new ones were established as the fire grew. Brown said he had witnessed the "vagaries of the wind" that had destroyed some houses and left others standing and expressed concern for those who lost everything. "What can you say?" he asked. "When you lose your house and your belongings and people lose their animals, it is a horror and it's a horror we want to minimize." Firefighters were on high alert for dangerous fire potential even before the first blazes broke out. On Dec. 1, they began planning for extreme winds forecast in the week ahead. Ken Pimlott, chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said authorities were prepared for destruction on the level of 2003 and 2007 firestorms in Southern California and possibly those in Northern California that killed 44 people and destroyed nearly 9,000 homes and other buildings in October. By Monday, officials had brought in fire crews from the northern part of the state as reinforcements and marshaled engines, bulldozers and aircraft. On Tuesday they brought in more helicopters from the National Guard and "every last plane we could find in the nation," said Thom Porter, southern chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The military provided C-130 planes for firefighting, said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Office of Emergency Services. More than 290 fire engines came from Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, Oregon and Nevada. But when flames met ferocious winds, crews were largely powerless to stop them. Even fire-attacking aircraft were helpless while being grounded at times because of night, high winds or smoke. As fires burned in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, firefighters from other states were already in place north of San Diego on Thursday when a major fire erupted and rapidly spread in the Fallbrook area, known for its avocado groves and horse stables in the rolling hills. "We had many resources in the area very quickly on this incident, but unfortunately within several minutes the fire had gotten out of control and well-established, and necessitated massive evacuations," said Steve Abbott, chief of the North County Fire Protection District. The fire swept through the San Luis Rey Training Facility, where it killed more than 40 elite thoroughbreds and destroyed more than 100 homes - most of them in the Rancho Monserate Country Club retirement community. Three people were burned trying to escape the fire that continued to smolder Saturday. Most of this week's fires were in places that burned in the past, including one in the ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air that burned six homes and another in the city's rugged foothills above the community of Sylmar and in Santa Paula. The fire in Fallbrook was no exception. Ten years ago, during a deadly spate of Santa Ana wind-driven infernos, flames wiped out most of the more than 200 homes in the Valley Oaks Mobile Home Park. Memories of that blaze were fresh as flames approached Thursday and sheriff's deputies told residents to leave immediately. By the time he got the order to go, Mateo Gonzalez had already helped his brother move out of his nearby place and packed all of his important belongings. In the 2007 firestorm, Gonzalez had almost no warning before his house was destroyed, only four months after moving in. "We weren't prepared the first time around. This time we were," he said Saturday, the day after he returned to his undamaged home. ___ Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this report. ___ For complete coverage of the California wildfires, click here: https://apnews.com/tag/Wildfires. This Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017 satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe shows plumes of smoke from fires burning in the mountains east of San Fernando, Calif. (DigitalGlobe via AP) 2017 DigitalGlobe Firefighters monitor the Thomas fire as it burns through Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A plane drops fire retardant on a wildfire Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Fallbrook, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) A fire engine passes flames as a wildfire burns along Santa Ana Road near Ventura, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) California Gov. Jerry Brown discusses the Thomas fire and the extended length of the state's fire season during a press conference on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, in Ventura, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A hillside glows with embers as the Thomas fire burns through Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Dick Marsala looks through debris from his destroyed home after a wildfire roared through the Rancho Monserate Country Club Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Bonsall, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Fire crews search for hot spots among destroyed homes in the Rancho Monserate Country Club community Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Fallbrook, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Firefighter Simon Garcia, of Heartland Fire Dept., gets a hug from a woman who did not give her name after she arrived to find her house was intact in the Rancho Monserate Country Club, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Fallbrook, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) The Thomas fire burns through Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A helicopter drops fire retardant on a wildfire, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Fallbrook, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Firefighters monitor the Thomas fire as it burns through Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Dick Marsala looks through debris from his destroyed home after a wildfire roared through the Rancho Monserate Country Club Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Bonsall, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Firefighter Joe Santos of Nevada works to contain the Thomas fire burning through Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A statue sits among destroyed homes in the Rancho Monserate Country Club community Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Fallbrook, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) A tanker drops retardant while trying to keep the Thomas fire from spreading into Fillmore, Calif., on on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Workers repair transmission lines damaged by the Thomas fire in Ojai, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A helicopter douses a smoldering pile of wood chips and mulch, sparked by a wildfire Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Fallbrook, Calif. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) A fire engine passes flames as a wildfire burns along Santa Ana Road near Ventura, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - In his sternest rebuke yet, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby said repeatedly Sunday his state can "do better" than electing fellow Republican Roy Moore to the U.S. Senate, making clear that a write-in candidate was far preferable to a man accused of sexual misconduct. Days before the pivotal race, Shelby, who is Alabama's senior senator, said he had already cast an absentee ballot for another, unspecified Republican, even as other prominent state Republicans fell in line behind Moore. Moore faces Democrat Doug Jones in the special election Tuesday to replace Jeff Sessions, now the U.S. attorney general. FILE- In this Nov. 30, 2017 file photo, former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks at a campaign rally, in Dora, Ala. Most statewide Republican officeholders in Alabama say they're voting for Moore for U.S. Senate, but the state's senior U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby didn't vote for Moore. Polls show Moore in a tight race with Democrat Doug Jones. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) "I couldn't vote for Roy Moore. I didn't vote for Roy Moore. But I wrote in a distinguished Republican name. And I think a lot of people could do that," Shelby told CNN's "State of the Union." "The state of Alabama deserves better," he said. "There's a lot of smoke," Shelby said of Moore and his accusers. "Got to be some fire somewhere." The accusations against Moore have left many GOP voters and leaders in a quandary. Voters face the decision of whether to vote for Moore, accused of sexual misconduct with teenagers decades ago when he was a county prosecutor, or sending Jones to Washington, which would narrow the GOP's already precarious majority in the Senate. They also could write in a name on their ballots or simply stay home. Meanwhile, most GOP politicians in the state must run for re-election next year - where they will face Moore's enthusiastic voting base at the polls. Shelby said allegations that Moore had molested a 14-year-girl in particular were a "tipping point" in disqualifying him. His latest comments cast fresh doubt on a former judge that President Donald Trump and most Republican leaders in Alabama are backing to help maintain the party's narrow 52-48 majority in the Senate. Shelby's outspokenness against a man who could become his colleague was the exception rather than the rule. "I have stated both publicly and privately over the last month that unless these allegations were proven to be true I would continue to plan to vote for the Republican nominee, Judge Roy Moore," Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill wrote in a text message to The Associated Press. "I have already cast my absentee ballot and I voted for Judge Moore." The AP tried to find out how Republican leaders from Alabama plan to vote. Most officeholders or their staffs responded, while others have publicly stated their plans during public appearances or to other media outlets. However, several officeholders did not respond to calls, emails or texts from the AP. They include U.S. Reps. Martha Roby, Mike Rogers and Gary Palmer, as well as state Treasurer Young Boozer and state House Speaker Mac McCutcheon. State officeholders who said they intended to vote for Moore often cited the need to keep the seat in Republican hands. In addition to Merrill, others who plan to vote for Moore include Gov. Kay Ivey; Attorney General Steve Marshall; state Auditor Jim Zeigler; Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan; state Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh; and Public Service Commissioner Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, who previously led the state GOP. Also voting for Moore are current state party head Terry Lathan and U.S. Reps. Mo Brooks of Huntsville and Robert Aderholt of Haleyville. Shelby's decision has played prominently in Jones ads pointing out Republicans who are not voting for their party's nominee. On Sunday, Shelby acknowledged that if Moore is elected, he would probably have to be seated in the Senate but that an Ethics Committee investigation was already been contemplated to remove him. "I think that the Senate has to look at who is fit to serve in the Senate," he said. CNN reported last month that U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne said he will vote Republican and that he does not cast write-in votes. In a statement to the AP, Byrne said it is up to voters to decide. "Some serious allegations have been made and Judge Moore has vehemently denied them. Frankly, I don't think the people of Alabama want me, any national politician, or the national news media telling them what to think or how to vote," Byrne said in the statement. "The decision is ultimately up to the people of Alabama to evaluate the information they have before them and make an informed decision. We must respect the voters' decision." Sen. Luther Strange, who lost to Moore in the Republican primary, did not respond to a request for comment from AP, but told The Washington Post recently that the election is up to voters. "I'm staying out of it now. I think everybody knows how I feel about Judge Moore. We made our case and the voters made a different decision," Strange told the newspaper in a video on its website. Sessions, who resigned from the Senate to join the Trump administration, declined to say how he would vote. Moore and Jones are competing for his old job. "There have been some ads that may have suggested I endorsed a candidate, that is not so," Sessions said. "I believe that the people of Alabama will make their own decision." State party loyalty rules could prohibit a GOP politician, or someone who aspires to be one, from publicly backing Moore's opponent. The rule says anyone who openly supports another party's nominee over a Republican could be barred from running as a Republican in the future. Ivey became governor earlier this year after Robert Bentley resigned amid a sex scandal involving a much younger female political aide. When reached by the AP, Bentley declined to say who he is voting for Tuesday. Ivey said last month that she has no reason to disbelieve the women who have accused Moore and is bothered by their allegations. But Ivey, who plans to run for governor in 2018, said she will vote for Moore anyway for the sake of GOP power in Congress. Her office did not respond to a request for an updated comment. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Sadie Gurman, Donna Cassata and Hope Yen in Washington contributed to this report. DETROIT (AP) - The St. Louis Blues quickly made the most of their limited opportunities. Jaden Schwartz knocked home his own rebound and the Blues scored four times on only five shots on the way to beating the Detroit Red Wings 6-1 Saturday. Vladimir Sobotka, Scottie Upshall, Jay Bouwmeester, Brayden Schenn and Dmitrij Jaskin also had goals for the Blues in their third straight victory. St. Louis Blues' Vladimir Sobotka, from left, celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings with teammates Vladimir Tarasenko (91) and Vince Dunn (29) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) "That really didn't seem like a 6-1 game," Bouwmeester said. "We had the lead for most of it, but we weren't playing great." Frans Nielsen scored for Detroit, which has won just once in its last eight games. Outshot 29-22, including an 11-4 margin during the first period, the Blues took advantage of some spectacular puck stopping from Jake Allen and some questionable goals against Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard to fashion a 4-0 lead through the first two periods. "We spent a lot of time in our zone, but we were able to keep them to the outside and Jake was great," Bouwmeester said. "He let us take advantage of the opportunities we did have." Howard continued his struggles of the past few weeks, allowing four or more goals for the fifth time in eight starts and sixth time in nine appearances. "What it came down to is I need to come with saves for the guys," Howard said. "At the end of the day, the guys did their job and I have to do mine for them." Shortly after killing off a high-sticking penalty, the Blues opened the scoring at 11:50 of the first period. Schwartz took a pass from Alex Steen and drove a low shot that Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard stopped with his left pad. Schwartz put the rebound past Howard. The Blues made it 2-0 at 4:07 of the second period when Sobotka's long wrist shot from just inside the Detroit blue line beat Howard high on the glove side. It was the Blues' first shot on goal since Schwartz opened the scoring. St. Louis made it three goals on three consecutive shots when Upshall got loose on a breakaway after a turnover by defenseman Niklas Kronwall and slipped the puck between Howard's pads to make it 3-0 at 6:17 of the second period. Jay Bouwmeester's shot deflected off the stick of defenseman Mike Green and over Howard's glove at 16:26 of the second period for the Blues' fourth goal on five shots. Petr Mrazek replaced Howard in the Detroit goal to start the third period. Nielsen spoiled Allen's bid for a shutout 7:18 in the third period. At the nine-minute mark, Jaskin beat Mrazek with a forehand deke move to make it 5-1. Schenn tucked a rebound past Mrazek with 42.2 seconds to play to complete the scoring. Despite the deficit, the Red Wings felt that they were playing solidly through the first two periods and deserved a better fate. "We definitely didn't like the score, but I think we did some really good things out there," Nielsen said. "I'm a big believer that over 82 games in this league, you get what you deserve. We've got to keep believing in it and keep working out there." NOTES: The Red Wings recalled LW Tyler Bertuzzi from AHL Grand Rapids to replace LW David Booth, out with an undisclosed injury. . Blues C Jaden Schwartz did not return after suffering a lower-body injury while blocking a shot by Wings D Mike Green late in the first period. UP NEXT Blues: Back home on Sunday to face the Buffalo Sabres. Red Wings: Play the third game of a five-game homestand Monday against the Florida Panthers. ___ More AP NHL: www.apnews.com/tags/NHLhockey St. Louis Blues goalie Jake Allen (34) stops a Detroit Red Wings shot in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) St. Louis Blues right wing Scottie Upshall (9) scores on Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard (35) in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli military on Sunday said it has destroyed a tunnel built by the Hamas militant group that stretched from the Gaza Strip several hundred meters (yards) into Israeli territory, declaring a breakthrough in its war against underground threats from the Palestinian enclave. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, told reporters that Israel had used a new set of "tools" developed since a 2014 war with Hamas in order to destroy the tunnel. He said forces had detected the tunnel months ago and continued to monitor construction efforts by Hamas militants before demolishing it. Israel has made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority since that war, when Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel. Although they did not manage to reach civilian areas, the infiltrations caught Israel off guard, killing five soldiers in one attack, and terrified the local population. Conricus said a new system involving combat units, military intelligence, logistics and research had been used to destroy the tunnel. The system was first used to detect a tunnel that was destroyed on Oct. 30, but other aspects of the system were used this time around, he said. "There seems to be a change, a paradigm here in how these terror tunnels will be able to threaten us in the future," he said. "It is by no means behind us, but this will surely force the terrorist organizations to change techniques and to adapt." Hamas, the armed group that controls Gaza, declined to comment. Conricus said the tunnel began in the central Gazan town of Khan Younis and stretched for over a kilometer (half a mile) across the border and into Israel. Although not complete, he said the tunnel was "very substantial," equipped with electricity, communications equipment and a ventilation system. It was located about a kilometer from an Israeli community. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the tunnels were an unacceptable threat and that Israel would invest "every resource" to stop them. "I hope that in the coming months the threat of tunnels on the residents surrounding Gaza will become a thing of the past," he said. The army said the timing of the weekend operation was not connected to a flare-up of deadly violence that followed President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The decision has infuriated the Palestinians, who seek Israel-annexed east Jerusalem as their own capital. Over the weekend, Israeli airstrikes hit several militant sites in Gaza in response to rocket fire, killing two Hamas militants. On Friday, two protesters were shot dead in skirmishes with Israeli troops along Gaza's border. Hamas' military wing issued a statement earlier Sunday threatening Israel with a "heavy price." "Our battle for Jerusalem is going on round the clock, above and under the ground," the statement said. ___ Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed reporting. A man was shot and killed by an officer in Oklahoma City after he reportedly took pepper spray and a taser away from the cop during a scuffle Sunday evening. Oklahoma City Police Sgt Robbie Robertson said the officer responded to a request to check on a person lying on the side of the road. When she approached the man, he was not cooperating with the officer. The officer then used pepper spray on the man and a scuffle broke out. A man was shot and killed by an officer in Oklahoma City after he reportedly took pepper spray and a taser away from the cop during a scuffle. Neither person involved in the confrontation has been identified by police. Police responded to the scene around 6.30pm on Sunday Authorities said the man was able to knock the pepper spray away and punch the officer in the face. The officer then attempted to use a taser and he took that from her and tried to use it on her. Robertson said the officer then drew her gun and fired at the man. The man died at the scene. Robertson said the officer drew her gun and fired at the man. The man died at the scene (pictured) The officer was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries to her face and hands 'Hopefully, our officer is okay and, again, this is why we take the steps that we do. We have the training that we get and that we receive and the equipment that we are able to utilize,' said Captain Bo Mathews of the Oklahoma City Police Department. 'You know, she used her pepper spray, she escalated to a taser and then ultimately she had to use her firearm,' Matthews added. Officials said the shooting was reported around 6.30pm. The officer was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries to her face and hands. Neither person involved in the confrontation has been identified by police. SHE IS ONLY 13 She is only 13, but R had already learned to fear the military men. Last year, she says, soldiers stabbed her father to death. One day in late August, ten soldiers barged into R's house. They snatched her two little brothers, tied them to a tree and beat them. R tried to run out the front door, but the men caught her. They tethered her arms to two trees. They ripped off her earrings and bracelets, and stripped off her clothes. R screamed at them to stop. They spit at her. Then the first man began to rape her. The pain was excruciating. All ten men forced themselves on her before she passed out. R's older brothers carried her toward the border. Once in Bangladesh, a doctor gave her emergency contraceptives. R desperately misses her little brothers, and her sleep is plagued by nightmares. She struggles to eat. Before the rape, she says softly, she was pretty. RAPED TWICE F and her husband were asleep at home in June when seven soldiers charged into their bedroom. The men bound her husband with rope and gagged him with a scarf they ripped from F's head. They yanked off F's jewelry and stripped off her clothes. They threw her to the floor, where the first soldier began to rape her. Her husband wriggled the gag from his mouth and screamed. One soldier shot him, and another slit his throat. After the assault, the men dumped F's naked body outside her home and set it on fire. The neighbors rescued her. Two months later, she realized she was pregnant. In September, her nightmare began again. F was asleep at a neighbor's house when five soldiers broke down the door. The soldiers slashed the throat of the 5-year-old boy who lived there and killed his father. They stripped off the women's clothes. Two men raped F, and three men raped her friend. After the men left, the women lay on the floor for days before fleeing for Bangladesh. Despite everything, F is determined to love the child. HER HUSBAND BLAMED HER K and her family were settling down to breakfast one morning in late August when they heard the screams of other villagers outside. Her husband and three oldest children bolted out the door. But K was nearly 9 months pregnant and had two toddlers to watch. She couldn't run anywhere. The men barged in, threw her on the bed, yanked off her jewelry and stole the money she had hidden in her blouse. They ripped off her clothes and tied down her hands and legs with rope. When she resisted, they choked her. And then they began to rape her. She was too terrified to move. One man held a knife to her eyeball, one a gun to her chest. Another forced himself inside her. Then they switched places. All three men raped her. She began to bleed and was certain her baby was dying. She blacked out. When she awoke, the men had gone. Her husband blamed her for the assault, admonishing her for not running away. The family fled to Bangladesh. Two weeks later, K gave birth to her son. A, 35, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in August I WAS IN IMMENSE PAIN R was at home in late August with her husband and five of her six children when she heard a commotion outside. She saw houses going up in flames in her village. Her husband ran out, but she had the children to take care of. Five soldiers barged into the house. Her children screamed and ran outside. The men stripped off her clothes, took her necklace and kicked her in her back with their knees. Then one of the men began to rape her, while the other four held her down and hit her with their guns. When it was over, they took money and her husband's clothes from the wardrobe. She fled to Bangladesh with her family the next day. She struggled to move with her injuries, and had to use a walking stick. 'I was in immense pain,' she says, pausing to take a long breath at the memory. 'It hurt so much to walk through the hills.' Four days later, she arrived in Bangladesh. ALLAH SAVED US A was at home praying with her four children in late August when about 50 soldiers surrounded her village and opened fire on the men. A began to shake; she had heard of soldiers raping women in other villages. Three men burst into her house and told her to get out. She refused. They beat her. Her children screamed. The soldiers slapped them, then threw them out of the house. Two of the soldiers hit her until she fell. One pressed his boot against her chest, pinning her down. They took off her jewelry and stripped off her clothes. Then all three raped her, punching and kicking her when she screamed. One pressed a knife to the back of her neck, making her bleed. She still bears a faint scar. After the attack, she bled so heavily she thought she was dying. A farmer told her that her husband had been shot to death, so her brother, mother and daughter helped her make the painful trek to Bangladesh. 'They wanted to wipe us out from the world,' she says of the military. 'They tried very hard, but Allah saved us.' In the first few days after the attack, she cried all the time. Now she cries silently in her mind. THE BABY GIRL WAS DEAD M was at home feeding her son rice in late August when a bullet from the military blasted through the bamboo wall of her house and struck her teenage brother. Her husband and children ran out of the house. But M was 8 months pregnant, and did not want to leave her brother behind. For two days, she stayed by his side, until he died. Soon after, four soldiers charged into her house. They began slapping and punching her. Three soldiers dragged her outside the house, stripped her and beat her. When she screamed, they put a gun in her mouth. The first man began to rape her, while the other two held her down and punched and kicked her pregnant belly. After the second rape, she kicked them so ferociously, they finally left. M felt intense cramping in her belly. She gave birth that night at home. The baby girl was dead. M buried the infant in an unmarked grave by her house. Her husband returned, and they made the three-day walk through the hills to Bangladesh. 'They humiliated us, they destroyed our land and farm, they took our cows, they took our produce,' she says. 'How would I go back? They destroyed our livelihood.' M, 25, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh WHEN WILL I HAVE PEACE? H was reciting the sunrise prayer at home in late August with her husband and six children when she heard a commotion outside. A dozen soldiers burst through her door and started beating her husband. They grabbed three of her children by their feet, carried them outside and bashed them against trees, killing them. Her husband screamed, and H ran out of the house. As she fled, she heard gunshots behind her. She never saw her husband again. She made it with her three other children to the nearby hills, where other women from her village were hiding. But soldiers descended upon the women and dragged them away to rape them. They ripped off H's clothes, took her jewelry and tied her hands behind her back with her headscarf. One man held her head and hands back, while another held her legs. The third raped her. Then they switched. All three men raped her. Her crying children refused to leave her side during the assault. The soldiers slapped them, kicked them, tried to shove them away. They refused to budge. When the soldiers finished, her 8-year-old daughter tried to cover her naked body with her torn clothing. It took her and her children four days to reach Bangladesh. 'I've lost my husband, I've lost my children, I've lost my country. When will God take me back to my country?' H says. 'When will I have peace?' I BURN INSIDE FOR MY CHILDREN When seven soldiers stormed into the house in October, 2016, S's husband fled. The soldiers began beating her parents. A soldier beat S with his gun, ripped two of her babies from her arms and dropped them on the floor. They tore the clothes off S, her mother and several other young women in the house, and took S's earrings and money she had hidden in her clothes. Two soldiers took S to a field. They covered her mouth with their hands to stop her screams. They held her down and raped her. When it was over, she hid in the hills but eventually returned home. In August, S was at home with her family when the military began firing rocket launchers at houses, setting them ablaze. Her husband and two eldest children fled, but she stayed behind to pack up her baby girls and a few belongings. One baby was in a swing, the other sleeping on the floor. A rocket launcher hit the house. The babies went up in flames before her eyes. There was nothing she could do. So she ran. She hid with the rest of her family in the hills for several days before making the 3-day trek to Bangladesh. 'I burn inside for my children, but what can I do?' she asks. 'They burned to death. I guess that was my destiny.' SHE TOLD NO ONE The military surrounded N's village one early morning in late August. Around 18 soldiers stormed her house, and dragged N outside with her sister-in-law and mother-in-law. The women were taken to the center of the village, where soldiers robbed them of their jewelry. Three men then took her to the hills and stripped her naked. Two men held down her hands while a third raped her. Then they switched positions. All three raped her. During the attack, they showed her their knives and beat her. She was too frightened to fight back. When it was over, they left her there. She returned home and told no one about the rape. She was in agony after the assault and bled for eight days. SHE SAW HER VILLAGE BURNING There was no warning before five soldiers suddenly stormed into 16-year-old S's house one morning in early August. They searched the home for money and valuables. Then they slashed her husband's neck, killing him. The men briefly left to ransack other neighboring houses, before returning. Two soldiers pulled her into a room, snatched her 3-month-old son from her arms and put him on the floor. They searched her clothes for valuables and took her earrings. Another three men came in and began to beat her with guns while the others stripped off her clothes. One soldier held down her hands, and another put his gun in her mouth. All five men raped her. When she struggled, they beat her. She could hear her baby crying and was terrified the men would kill him. When they were finished, they let her get dressed and then dragged her bleeding body outside to the center of the village. Soldiers were dragging other women they had assaulted out of surrounding houses. The men beat S and the other women again, then left them. S ran back to her house, grabbed her baby and ran. As she fled, she saw soldiers lining men and boys up and shooting them. When she made it to the hills, she looked down and saw her village burning. SHE NEVER SAW HER SON AGAIN The soldiers had been harassing T's family for days: Showing up and stealing their food, urinating in their rice, hitting T and, once, stripping off her clothes. And then one morning in mid-August, five men dragged her husband out of the house, where they slashed his neck. They grabbed her 10-year-old son and dragged him outside; she never saw him again. Her 12-year-old daughter managed to flee. The soldiers took off T's earrings and nose ring, then stripped off her clothes. When she screamed, they kicked her. Then they pinned her to the floor. Two men held her while the first man raped her. Then they switched. One man put a gun in her mouth to silence her screams. Afterward, she bled for two days. Months later, her back still hurts from the attack. When they finished, they ate the food in her kitchen and stole her chicken and duck. They also dragged away the body of her husband. She ran into the hills and found her daughter and father. They tried to find safety in neighboring villages, but the military kept showing up. With nowhere to go, they headed toward Bangladesh. A, 20, was raped by three soldiers at knifepoint. After the attack, she bled so heavily she thought she was dying. A farmer told her that her husband had been shot to death, so she fled ALL I HAVE LEFT ARE MY WORDS N's husband was walking down a road in late August when several villagers saw soldiers grab him and drag him into the hills. Later that day, children in the hills came upon his head, along with several other corpses. Soldiers were milling around near the bodies. N stayed in her house with her 8-year-old daughter for the next few days, unable to stop crying. Then suddenly, around 80 soldiers descended on the village. Five soldiers came to her door and shouted: 'Who's inside?' N was terrified. The men barged in. One man held her as she screamed and fought. They covered her eyes with tape, and hit her head with a gun. Two held her in place while three others began rifling through her clothing. There was nothing for them to steal; she'd already hidden her valuables. They ripped her clothes off and beat her in the head with a gun until she blacked out. When she awoke, her vagina was swollen, bleeding and covered in sores. She had clearly been raped; by how many men, she does not know. She was in too much pain that day to leave the house. She and her daughter fled the next day for Bangladesh. She bled for eight days, and three months later still has trouble urinating. 'I have nothing left,' she says, blinking back tears. 'All I have left are my words.' SHE BLED FOR SIX DAYS N, 17, was at home with her parents and siblings in late August when she heard the crackle of gunfire. Suddenly, 10 men burst into the house. They began slashing open sacks of rice looking for valuables. Then the soldiers tied her hands with rope behind her back and put tape over her mouth. Five of the men held her frantic family back, hitting them with their guns. They ripped off her clothes, snatched her earrings and took the money she had hidden in her new blouse. When she tried to protest, they hit her with their guns. They threw her to the floor. Five men then took turns raping her, while the others helped hold her down. Her parents were forced to watch. When they screamed, the soldiers beat them. Eventually, they stood in silence as their daughter was assaulted. After the men left, N's parents untied her and washed her. She bled for six days. The family left for Bangladesh the next day. N was in too much pain to walk, so her father carried her over the border. IT WAS JUST ALL PAIN Around 100 soldiers surrounded A's village one afternoon in late August. A's husband fled, leaving her alone in the house with their 2-year-old son. Two soldiers came into her house. One soldier threw her baby on the floor, then grabbed A by the neck. Both men slapped her and pointed their guns at her. They tore off her clothes. She wept and begged them to stop. One of the men took off her earrings. Then they shoved her to the ground, laughing at her. One soldier pressed his knife to her right hip and cut into her flesh. Both of them punched her in the face. The men then took turns raping her. She could hear her son crying. She prayed to Allah, terrified the men would kill her and her boy. 'It was just all pain,' she says now. As the soldiers walked out, they fired their guns toward the sky. After the rape, she couldn't eat for days and struggled to walk. She hid in the nearby hills with her son until she found her husband. Together, the family walked for 14 days until they finally crossed the border into Bangladesh. TEARING HER FLESH WITH THEIR TEETH M was at home with her husband, her sister-in-law and her sister-in-law's brother in late August when security forces stormed their village. The husbands fled, leaving M alone in the house with her sister-in-law, who was in the shower. Three men kicked the door open. They tied M's arms behind her back. They dragged her sister-in-law out of the shower. They bit her face and body, tearing her flesh with their teeth. All three men raped her, then stabbed her torso and her breasts with their knives, killing her. One of the men came over to M, stripped her clothes off and took her earrings. He unzipped his pants, pushed her down onto her back and then raped her. He choked her and punched her in the face and chest, and bit her eyebrow. She was terrified she would be killed like her sister-in-law. She screamed so loudly that her neighbors came running. The men then fled. She has no plans to return to Myanmar. 'How can I go where there is all this pain and suffering?' she says. SHE DOES NOT KNOW HOW THEY DIED D was at home one evening in late August when she heard noise outside. Her two older sons and husband rushed out of the house, leaving her alone with her 3-year-old boy. Three men entered her home. She screamed and her son began to cry. They took her nose ring and earrings, then ripped off her clothes. One man restrained her arms and held a knife to her hip while the other two men raped her. She feared the men would kill her, so she stifled her screams. After two hours, the men finally left. When her husband returned, he found her naked. But she was too ashamed to tell him what had happened to her. She was so swollen and bled so much that she found it difficult to walk for nearly three weeks after the rape. They fled to another village. While there, people from her village told her that her home had been burned, and that they had seen the dead bodies of her eldest sons. She does not know how they died. D and her family arrived in Bangladesh in October. IT WAS NEVER-ENDING It was late August and K was around four months pregnant when soldiers swarmed her village. Four men smashed the door open, tied up her husband and began beating and kicking the couple's children. They kicked K's 3-year-old daughter in the head so hard that she died of her injuries three days later. They dragged K's husband out of the house and took him to a police station. They snatched the money she had hidden in her blouse and took her earrings. Then they ripped off her clothes. They hit her face and kicked her back. They tied her up and began to rape her, one after the other. The men kicked her so viciously, she feared the baby inside her would die. 'It was never-ending,' she says now. Just before the men left, they shoved a gun inside her vagina. The pain was excruciating. The next day, a village leader helped raise the money the soldiers demanded to release K's husband from the police station. In November, K gave birth to a baby boy. He was two months' premature, and his skinny arms are barely wider than an adult's thumb. K is too malnourished to produce much milk for him, so he is subsisting on sugar water. M, 30, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh SHE FEARED HER BABY WAS DYING S was pregnant and at home with her family in late August when 20 soldiers surrounded her village. All the men in the area fled, including her husband. Four soldiers burst into the house, grabbed her two crying toddlers and beat them. She tried to run, but they caught her and dragged her deeper inside the home to a bathing area. One man threatened her with a gun, another with a knife. They ripped her clothes off, and took her gold earrings and gold chain. They threw her to the floor. One man held her left arm, one held her right arm and one held down her legs, while the fourth man raped her. Then they switched. All four men raped her. When she screamed, they threatened to shoot and stab her. They kicked and punched her so hard, she feared the baby inside her was dying. Finally, they left. After the attack, she felt sharp pains in her belly and bled for a month. For two weeks, she thought the baby had died. Finally, she felt something moving inside her. Her husband never returned home. She does not know whether he is dead or alive. IF WE CAN LIVE PEACEFULLY It was mid-afternoon one day in late August when about 10 men in camouflage uniforms entered M's house. Her three children began to scream and cry. Five men took her husband away, and four forced her out of the house and into the nearby hills. One of the men held a gun to her. They tore her clothes off and took her earrings. They bit her face and her body and hit her. They tied her mouth with her own headscarf. And then three of the men held her down while the other man raped her. The attack lasted for hours; all four of the men raped her. The men eventually released her and she stumbled back to her house. Her husband was not there. After resting for five days, she took her children and began the three-day journey to Bangladesh. She had to use a walking stick to move her battered body. Despite the horror she endured, she would consider returning to her homeland - if she is assured of her family's safety. 'If we can live peacefully side by side like we do here in Bangladesh, then I will go back,' she says. WE'VE HAD ENOUGH TORTURE F was at home in late August when she heard screaming outside. Her husband went to investigate and saw that about 300 soldiers and Buddhist villagers had surrounded the area. The men began burning houses and arresting people. Soldiers separated the men from the women. About eight soldiers and villagers grabbed F's husband and tied his hands behind his back. They tore off her and her mother's jewelry. Then they took the women outside and set fire to F's house. Around 100 men took F, her mother and about 20 other women to another village. The soldiers beat them with guns, kicking and slapping them. Once they reached the next village, the women were forced to lie down on the ground next to each other. The men tied their wrists together with rope and began to rape them. Ten men raped F, beat her with their guns, kicked her and slapped her. She could hear her mother crying and calling 'Allah' as she, too, was raped. It was dark when the men finally left. F managed to wriggle her wrists free of the rope and ran into a field. In the morning, she returned to search for her mother, but she had vanished. She saw at least five women lying dead on the ground, their throats cut. She has no idea what has become of her husband. And she cannot imagine returning to her homeland. 'We've had enough torture,' she says. SHE DOES NOT KNOW IF HER HUSBAND IS ALIVE S was lying in bed with her husband and son after dinner in late August when around 10 soldiers burst into the house. A few took her husband outside. Five stayed behind, and one pointed his gun at her. She tried to run, but they grabbed her and kicked her back, stomach and chest. They stripped off her clothes and took her necklace and earrings. Three men raped her. Her young son began to cry. A soldier pointed his gun at the child and he screamed louder. S was in agony. After the men were finished, they took her outside, naked. Her son followed them. About two dozen other women, also naked, had been dragged outside as well. The soldiers forced the women to march toward a rice paddy, beating and kicking them as they walked. S felt blood running down her legs. Once they arrived, the men ordered them to lie down. S fought back and soldiers kicked her. She fell to the ground. Three more soldiers began to rape her. When at last the assault was over, S fled back toward her house with her son, only to find her home had been burned along with many others. She does not know if her husband is alive. BOSTON (AP) - The intensifying legal tussle over whether a struggling Massachusetts museum should be allowed to auction 40 works of art, including two by Norman Rockwell, has raised questions about when - if ever - it's appropriate to unload the collection. A look at the arguments for and against, and why the case against the Berkshire Museum has aroused such anger: ___ FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2017 file photo, some 30 protesters gather outside of the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Mass., holding signs bearing pleas to "save the art" and thanking Attorney General Maura Healey for her office's last minute appeals court filing that was successful in delaying the first sale of 40 works of art, including two by Norman Rockwell. The intensifying legal tussle over whether the museum should be allowed to auction the 40 works of art has raised questions about when, if ever, it's appropriate to unload the collection. (Stephanie Zollshan/The Berkshire Eagle via AP, File) WHY IS THE MUSEUM SELLING THE ART? In simple terms, the Pittsfield museum says it needs to sell the art for its very survival. The museum, founded in 1903, says it has been running an operating deficit that in the past 10 years has averaged more than $1 million annually, and will close within eight years without an infusion of cash. If it closes, all the art will be lost, museum officials have argued. The art sale "would allow us to protect our most important asset: our open doors," Elizabeth McGraw, president of the museum's board of trustees, wrote in an op-ed piece in The Berkshire Eagle. The goal of the auction is to raise $50 to $60 million to boost the endowment by about $40 million and fund renovations. The museum is pivoting away from art and more toward natural history and science to fill a currently empty niche in a region known for its world-class museums and cultural institutions. ___ WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIONS? The decision to sell the art , announced publicly in July, was made after two years of meetings. It drew immediate condemnation from national museum groups as well as area residents who said selling the collection to pay the bills violates a cardinal rule of museums. The sale of the two Rockwell pieces struck a nerve because the famed illustrator lived in nearby Stockbridge for the last 25 years of his life and gave the oil paintings to the museum as gifts. One of them, "Shuffleton's Barbershop," could fetch as much as $30 million at auction. Opponents of the sale say the museum's contentions about its dire financial condition are vastly overstated. A Williams College economist who looked at the museum's finances determined that all it needs is an infusion of about $11 million to its current $8 million endowment to operate in the black, according to Michael Keating, a lawyer for several parties - including Rockwell's three sons - who went to court to block the sale. The museum has consistently stood behind its financial assertions. ___ WHAT IS THE LEGAL BATTLE ABOUT? The auction of the first seven of the 40 works, including the Rockwell pieces, was scheduled for Nov. 13. But Rockwell's sons and others went to court in October to halt the sale . The Rockwell pieces were gifts to the museum from Rockwell himself, made with the understanding that they would be kept as part of the museum's permanent collection, Keating said. Many of the other pieces on the auction block came to the Berkshire Museum from the now defunct Berkshire Athenaeum and are subject to a state law that said they should not be taken out of Pittsfield. Although the Superior Court judge denied that request to halt the sale, the attorney general's office, which has jurisdiction over public charitable trusts including museums, asked for and received from the state Appeals Court an injunction to allow for the completion of an investigation into whether the sale is legal. That injunction was supposed to expire Monday but the attorney general's office has asked for an extension until Jan. 29. The judge did not immediately rule pending a response from the museum's lawyers due Tuesday. ___ WHAT'S NEXT? Museum officials and trustees repeatedly have said there are no legal barriers to the auction. William Lee, a lawyer for the museum, has asked for an expedited trial due to the institution's "precarious financial position." But the endgame for the legal wrangling could be months away. Ultimately, it could be decided by the Supreme Judicial Court, the state's highest court. UKHIA, Bangladesh (AP) - The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, The Associated Press found in interviews with Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. Yet their stories were hauntingly similar. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. Here are the accounts as told by 21 women and girls. They agreed to be identified in this story by their first initial only, out of fear the military will kill them or their families. The full story can be seen here: http://bit.ly/2iUJOjw This combo photo comprises of portraits of some of the Rohingya Muslim women taken during an interview with The Associated Press in November 2017 in Kutupalong and Gundum refugee camp in Bangladesh. They said they were raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ____________ The Associated Press reported this story with a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. ____________ SHE IS ONLY 13 She is only 13, but R had already learned to fear the military men. Last year, she says, soldiers stabbed her father to death. One day in late August, 10 soldiers barged into R's house. They snatched her two little brothers, tied them to a tree and beat them. R tried to run out the front door, but the men caught her. They tethered her arms to two trees. They ripped off her earrings and bracelets, and stripped off her clothes. R screamed at them to stop. They spit at her. Then the first man began to rape her. The pain was excruciating. All ten men forced themselves on her before she passed out. R's older brothers carried her toward the border. Once in Bangladesh, a doctor gave her emergency contraceptives. R desperately misses her little brothers, and her sleep is plagued by nightmares. She struggles to eat. Before the rape, she says softly, she was pretty. ___ RAPED TWICE F and her husband were asleep at home in June when seven soldiers charged into their bedroom. The men bound her husband with rope and gagged him with a scarf they ripped from F's head. They yanked off F's jewelry and stripped off her clothes. They threw her to the floor, where the first soldier began to rape her. Her husband wriggled the gag from his mouth and screamed. One soldier shot him, and another slit his throat. After the assault, the men dumped F's naked body outside her home and set it on fire. The neighbors rescued her. Two months later, she realized she was pregnant. In September, her nightmare began again. F was asleep at a neighbor's house when five soldiers broke down the door. The soldiers slashed the throat of the 5-year-old boy who lived there and killed his father. They stripped off the women's clothes. Two men raped F, and three men raped her friend. After the men left, the women lay on the floor for days before fleeing for Bangladesh. Despite everything, F is determined to love the child. ___ HER HUSBAND BLAMED HER K and her family were settling down to breakfast one morning in late August when they heard the screams of other villagers outside. Her husband and three oldest children bolted out the door. But K was nearly 9 months pregnant and had two toddlers to watch. She couldn't run anywhere. The men barged in, threw her on the bed, yanked off her jewelry and stole the money she had hidden in her blouse. They ripped off her clothes and tied down her hands and legs with rope. When she resisted, they choked her. And then they began to rape her. She was too terrified to move. One man held a knife to her eyeball, one a gun to her chest. Another forced himself inside her. Then they switched places. All three men raped her. She began to bleed and was certain her baby was dying. She blacked out. When she awoke, the men had gone. Her husband blamed her for the assault, admonishing her for not running away. The family fled to Bangladesh. Two weeks later, K gave birth to her son. ___ I WAS IN IMMENSE PAIN R was at home in late August with her husband and five of her six children when she heard a commotion outside. She saw houses going up in flames in her village. Her husband ran out, but she had the children to take care of. Five soldiers barged into the house. Her children screamed and ran outside. The men stripped off her clothes, took her necklace and kicked her in her back with their knees. Then one of the men began to rape her, while the other four held her down and hit her with their guns. When it was over, they took money and her husband's clothes from the wardrobe. She fled to Bangladesh with her family the next day. She struggled to move with her injuries, and had to use a walking stick. "I was in immense pain," she says, pausing to take a long breath at the memory. "It hurt so much to walk through the hills." Four days later, she arrived in Bangladesh. ___ ALLAH SAVED US A was at home praying with her four children in late August when about 50 soldiers surrounded her village and opened fire on the men. A began to shake; she had heard of soldiers raping women in other villages. Three men burst into her house and told her to get out. She refused. They beat her. Her children screamed. The soldiers slapped them, then threw them out of the house. Two of the soldiers hit her until she fell. One pressed his boot against her chest, pinning her down. They took off her jewelry and stripped off her clothes. Then all three raped her, punching and kicking her when she screamed. One pressed a knife to the back of her neck, making her bleed. She still bears a faint scar. After the attack, she bled so heavily she thought she was dying. A farmer told her that her husband had been shot to death, so her brother, mother and daughter helped her make the painful trek to Bangladesh. "They wanted to wipe us out from the world," she says of the military. "They tried very hard, but Allah saved us." In the first few days after the attack, she cried all the time. Now she cries silently in her mind. ___ THE BABY GIRL WAS DEAD M was at home feeding her son rice in late August when a bullet from the military blasted through the bamboo wall of her house and struck her teenage brother. Her husband and children ran out of the house. But M was 8 months pregnant, and did not want to leave her brother behind. For two days, she stayed by his side, until he died. Soon after, four soldiers charged into her house. They began slapping and punching her. Three soldiers dragged her outside the house, stripped her and beat her. When she screamed, they put a gun in her mouth. The first man began to rape her, while the other two held her down and punched and kicked her pregnant belly. After the second rape, she kicked them so ferociously, they finally left. M felt intense cramping in her belly. She gave birth that night at home. The baby girl was dead. M buried the infant in an unmarked grave by her house. Her husband returned, and they made the three-day walk through the hills to Bangladesh. "They humiliated us, they destroyed our land and farm, they took our cows, they took our produce," she says. "How would I go back? They destroyed our livelihood." ___ WHEN WILL I HAVE PEACE? H was reciting the sunrise prayer at home in late August with her husband and six children when she heard a commotion outside. A dozen soldiers burst through her door and started beating her husband. They grabbed three of her children by their feet, carried them outside and bashed them against trees, killing them. Her husband screamed, and H ran out of the house. As she fled, she heard gunshots behind her. She never saw her husband again. She made it with her three other children to the nearby hills, where other women from her village were hiding. But soldiers descended upon the women and dragged them away to rape them. They ripped off H's clothes, took her jewelry and tied her hands behind her back with her headscarf. One man held her head and hands back, while another held her legs. The third raped her. Then they switched. All three men raped her. Her crying children refused to leave her side during the assault. The soldiers slapped them, kicked them, tried to shove them away. They refused to budge. When the soldiers finished, her 8-year-old daughter tried to cover her naked body with her torn clothing. It took her and her children four days to reach Bangladesh. "I've lost my husband, I've lost my children, I've lost my country. When will God take me back to my country?" H says. "When will I have peace?" ___ I BURN INSIDE FOR MY CHILDREN When seven soldiers stormed into the house in October, 2016, S's husband fled. The soldiers began beating her parents. A soldier beat S with his gun, ripped two of her babies from her arms and dropped them on the floor. They tore the clothes off S, her mother and several other young women in the house, and took S's earrings and money she had hidden in her clothes. Two soldiers took S to a field. They covered her mouth with their hands to stop her screams. They held her down and raped her. When it was over, she hid in the hills but eventually returned home. In August, S was at home with her family when the military began firing rocket launchers at houses, setting them ablaze. Her husband and two eldest children fled, but she stayed behind to pack up her baby girls and a few belongings. One baby was in a swing, the other sleeping on the floor. A rocket launcher hit the house. The babies went up in flames before her eyes. There was nothing she could do. So she ran. She hid with the rest of her family in the hills for several days before making the 3-day trek to Bangladesh. "I burn inside for my children, but what can I do?" she asks. "They burned to death. I guess that was my destiny." ___ SHE TOLD NO ONE The military surrounded N's village one early morning in late August. Around 18 soldiers stormed her house, and dragged N outside with her sister-in-law and mother-in-law. The women were taken to the center of the village, where soldiers robbed them of their jewelry. Three men then took her to the hills and stripped her naked. Two men held down her hands while a third raped her. Then they switched positions. All three raped her. During the attack, they showed her their knives and beat her. She was too frightened to fight back. When it was over, they left her there. She returned home and told no one about the rape. She was in agony after the assault and bled for eight days. ___ SHE SAW HER VILLAGE BURNING There was no warning before five soldiers suddenly stormed into 16-year-old S's house one morning in early August. They searched the home for money and valuables. Then they slashed her husband's neck, killing him. The men briefly left to ransack other neighboring houses, before returning. Two soldiers pulled her into a room, snatched her 3-month-old son from her arms and put him on the floor. They searched her clothes for valuables and took her earrings. Another three men came in and began to beat her with guns while the others stripped off her clothes. One soldier held down her hands, and another put his gun in her mouth. All five men raped her. When she struggled, they beat her. She could hear her baby crying and was terrified the men would kill him. When they were finished, they let her get dressed and then dragged her bleeding body outside to the center of the village. Soldiers were dragging other women they had assaulted out of surrounding houses. The men beat S and the other women again, then left them. S ran back to her house, grabbed her baby and ran. As she fled, she saw soldiers lining men and boys up and shooting them. When she made it to the hills, she looked down and saw her village burning. ___ SHE NEVER SAW HER SON AGAIN The soldiers had been harassing T's family for days: Showing up and stealing their food, urinating in their rice, hitting T and, once, stripping off her clothes. And then one morning in mid-August, five men dragged her husband out of the house, where they slashed his neck. They grabbed her 10-year-old son and dragged him outside; she never saw him again. Her 12-year-old daughter managed to flee. The soldiers took off T's earrings and nose ring, then stripped off her clothes. When she screamed, they kicked her. Then they pinned her to the floor. Two men held her while the first man raped her. Then they switched. One man put a gun in her mouth to silence her screams. Afterward, she bled for two days. Months later, her back still hurts from the attack. When they finished, they ate the food in her kitchen and stole her chicken and duck. They also dragged away the body of her husband. She ran into the hills and found her daughter and father. They tried to find safety in neighboring villages, but the military kept showing up. With nowhere to go, they headed toward Bangladesh. ___ ALL I HAVE LEFT ARE MY WORDS N's husband was walking down a road in late August when several villagers saw soldiers grab him and drag him into the hills. Later that day, children in the hills came upon his head, along with several other corpses. Soldiers were milling around near the bodies. N stayed in her house with her 8-year-old daughter for the next few days, unable to stop crying. Then suddenly, around 80 soldiers descended on the village. Five soldiers came to her door and shouted: "Who's inside?" N was terrified. The men barged in. One man held her as she screamed and fought. They covered her eyes with tape, and hit her head with a gun. Two held her in place while three others began rifling through her clothing. There was nothing for them to steal; she'd already hidden her valuables. They ripped her clothes off and beat her in the head with a gun until she blacked out. When she awoke, her vagina was swollen, bleeding and covered in sores. She had clearly been raped; by how many men, she does not know. She was in too much pain that day to leave the house. She and her daughter fled the next day for Bangladesh. She bled for eight days, and three months later still has trouble urinating. "I have nothing left," she says, blinking back tears. "All I have left are my words." ___ SHE BLED FOR SIX DAYS N, 17, was at home with her parents and siblings in late August when she heard the crackle of gunfire. Suddenly, 10 men burst into the house. They began slashing open sacks of rice looking for valuables. Then the soldiers tied her hands with rope behind her back and put tape over her mouth. Five of the men held her frantic family back, hitting them with their guns. They ripped off her clothes, snatched her earrings and took the money she had hidden in her new blouse. When she tried to protest, they hit her with their guns. They threw her to the floor. Five men then took turns raping her, while the others helped hold her down. Her parents were forced to watch. When they screamed, the soldiers beat them. Eventually, they stood in silence as their daughter was assaulted. After the men left, N's parents untied her and washed her. She bled for six days. The family left for Bangladesh the next day. N was in too much pain to walk, so her father carried her over the border. ___ IT WAS JUST ALL PAIN Around 100 soldiers surrounded A's village one afternoon in late August. A's husband fled, leaving her alone in the house with their 2-year-old son. Two soldiers came into her house. One soldier threw her baby on the floor, then grabbed A by the neck. Both men slapped her and pointed their guns at her. They tore off her clothes. She wept and begged them to stop. One of the men took off her earrings. Then they shoved her to the ground, laughing at her. One soldier pressed his knife to her right hip and cut into her flesh. Both of them punched her in the face. The men then took turns raping her. She could hear her son crying. She prayed to Allah, terrified the men would kill her and her boy. "It was just all pain," she says now. As the soldiers walked out, they fired their guns toward the sky. After the rape, she couldn't eat for days and struggled to walk. She hid in the nearby hills with her son until she found her husband. Together, the family walked for 14 days until they finally crossed the border into Bangladesh. ___ TEARING HER FLESH WITH THEIR TEETH M was at home with her husband, her sister-in-law and her sister-in-law's brother in late August when security forces stormed their village. The husbands fled, leaving M alone in the house with her sister-in-law, who was in the shower. Three men kicked the door open. They tied M's arms behind her back. They dragged her sister-in-law out of the shower. They bit her face and body, tearing her flesh with their teeth. All three men raped her, then stabbed her torso and her breasts with their knives, killing her. One of the men came over to M, stripped her clothes off and took her earrings. He unzipped his pants, pushed her down onto her back and then raped her. He choked her and punched her in the face and chest, and bit her eyebrow. She was terrified she would be killed like her sister-in-law. She screamed so loudly that her neighbors came running. The men then fled. She has no plans to return to Myanmar. "How can I go where there is all this pain and suffering?" she says. ___ SHE DOES NOT KNOW HOW THEY DIED D was at home one evening in late August when she heard noise outside. Her two older sons and husband rushed out of the house, leaving her alone with her 3-year-old boy. Three men entered her home. She screamed and her son began to cry. They took her nose ring and earrings, then ripped off her clothes. One man restrained her arms and held a knife to her hip while the other two men raped her. She feared the men would kill her, so she stifled her screams. After two hours, the men finally left. When her husband returned, he found her naked. But she was too ashamed to tell him what had happened to her. She was so swollen and bled so much that she found it difficult to walk for nearly three weeks after the rape. They fled to another village. While there, people from her village told her that her home had been burned, and that they had seen the dead bodies of her eldest sons. She does not know how they died. D and her family arrived in Bangladesh in October. ___ IT WAS NEVER-ENDING It was late August and K was around four months pregnant when soldiers swarmed her village. Four men smashed the door open, tied up her husband and began beating and kicking the couple's children. They kicked K's 3-year-old daughter in the head so hard that she died of her injuries three days later. They dragged K's husband out of the house and took him to a police station. They snatched the money she had hidden in her blouse and took her earrings. Then they ripped off her clothes. They hit her face and kicked her back. They tied her up and began to rape her, one after the other. The men kicked her so viciously, she feared the baby inside her would die. "It was never-ending," she says now. Just before the men left, they shoved a gun inside her vagina. The pain was excruciating. The next day, a village leader helped raise the money the soldiers demanded to release K's husband from the police station. In November, K gave birth to a baby boy. He was two months' premature, and his skinny arms are barely wider than an adult's thumb. K is too malnourished to produce much milk for him, so he is subsisting on sugar water. ___ SHE FEARED HER BABY WAS DYING S was pregnant and at home with her family in late August when 20 soldiers surrounded her village. All the men in the area fled, including her husband. Four soldiers burst into the house, grabbed her two crying toddlers and beat them. She tried to run, but they caught her and dragged her deeper inside the home to a bathing area. One man threatened her with a gun, another with a knife. They ripped her clothes off, and took her gold earrings and gold chain. They threw her to the floor. One man held her left arm, one held her right arm and one held down her legs, while the fourth man raped her. Then they switched. All four men raped her. When she screamed, they threatened to shoot and stab her. They kicked and punched her so hard, she feared the baby inside her was dying. Finally, they left. After the attack, she felt sharp pains in her belly and bled for a month. For two weeks, she thought the baby had died. Finally, she felt something moving inside her. Her husband never returned home. She does not know whether he is dead or alive. ___ IF WE CAN LIVE PEACEFULLY It was mid-afternoon one day in late August when about 10 men in camouflage uniforms entered M's house. Her three children began to scream and cry. Five men took her husband away, and four forced her out of the house and into the nearby hills. One of the men held a gun to her. They tore her clothes off and took her earrings. They bit her face and her body and hit her. They tied her mouth with her own headscarf. And then three of the men held her down while the other man raped her. The attack lasted for hours; all four of the men raped her. The men eventually released her and she stumbled back to her house. Her husband was not there. After resting for five days, she took her children and began the three-day journey to Bangladesh. She had to use a walking stick to move her battered body. Despite the horror she endured, she would consider returning to her homeland - if she is assured of her family's safety. "If we can live peacefully side by side like we do here in Bangladesh, then I will go back," she says. ___ WE'VE HAD ENOUGH TORTURE F was at home in late August when she heard screaming outside. Her husband went to investigate and saw that about 300 soldiers and Buddhist villagers had surrounded the area. The men began burning houses and arresting people. Soldiers separated the men from the women. About eight soldiers and villagers grabbed F's husband and tied his hands behind his back. They tore off her and her mother's jewelry. Then they took the women outside and set fire to F's house. Around 100 men took F, her mother and about 20 other women to another village. The soldiers beat them with guns, kicking and slapping them. Once they reached the next village, the women were forced to lie down on the ground next to each other. The men tied their wrists together with rope and began to rape them. Ten men raped F, beat her with their guns, kicked her and slapped her. She could hear her mother crying and calling "Allah" as she, too, was raped. It was dark when the men finally left. F managed to wriggle her wrists free of the rope and ran into a field. In the morning, she returned to search for her mother, but she had vanished. She saw at least five women lying dead on the ground, their throats cut. She has no idea what has become of her husband. And she cannot imagine returning to her homeland. "We've had enough torture," she says. ___ SHE DOES NOT KNOW IF HER HUSBAND IS ALIVE S was lying in bed with her husband and son after dinner in late August when around 10 soldiers burst into the house. A few took her husband outside. Five stayed behind, and one pointed his gun at her. She tried to run, but they grabbed her and kicked her back, stomach and chest. They stripped off her clothes and took her necklace and earrings. Three men raped her. Her young son began to cry. A soldier pointed his gun at the child and he screamed louder. S was in agony. After the men were finished, they took her outside, naked. Her son followed them. About two dozen other women, also naked, had been dragged outside as well. The soldiers forced the women to march toward a rice paddy, beating and kicking them as they walked. S felt blood running down her legs. Once they arrived, the men ordered them to lie down. S fought back and soldiers kicked her. She fell to the ground. Three more soldiers began to rape her. When at last the assault was over, S fled back toward her house with her son, only to find her home had been burned along with many others. She does not know if her husband is alive. In this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, photo, R, 13, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her family's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, photo, R, 13, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, adjusts her headscarf while photographed in her family's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, F, 22, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in June and again in September, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, F, 22, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in June and again in September, clutches her hands around her pregnant belly as she is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, photo, K, 25, mother of six, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, photo, K, 25, mother of six, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed as she nurses her baby with her two children beside her in their tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, R, 28, mother of six, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, R, 28, mother of six, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, caresses her daughter while being photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, photo, A, 35, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, photo, A, 35, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, photo, M, 25, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, photo, M, 25, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, photo, H, 30, mother of six; three children killed, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, photo, H, 30, mother of six; three children killed, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, photo, S, 25, mother of four who's baby girls were killed, and says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in October, 2016, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, photo, S, 25, mother of four who's baby girls were killed, and says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in October, 2016, is photographed with her child next to her in their friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, photo, N, 30, mother of three, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, photo, N, 30, mother of three, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, S, 16, mother of baby boy, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in early August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, S, 16, mother of baby boy, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in early August carries her baby while being photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, T, 33, mother of two, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in mid-August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, T, 33, mother of two, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in mid-August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, N, 31, mother of girl, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, N, 31, mother of girl, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, adjusts her headscarf as she is photographed outside her home in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, N, 17, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, N, 17, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, A, 20, mother of one, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, A, 20, mother of one, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, covers her face while being photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, M, 30, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, M, 30, mother of four, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, D, 30, missing two of her four sons, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in a friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, D, 30, mother of four where two of her sons are missing, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, hides her face while she was being photographed in a friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, K, 30, mother of six who's 3-year-old daughter was killed, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, K, 30, mother of six who's 3-year-old daughter was killed, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, carries her baby born two months premature, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, S, 25, mother of two, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, S, 25, mother of two, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, M, 35, mother of three, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, photo, M, 35, mother of three, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her friend's tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017, photo, F, 27, mother of one and says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Gundum refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017, photo, F, 27, mother of one, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Gundum refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) In this Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017, photo, S, 22, mother of one, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in late August, is photographed in her tent in Gundum refugee camp in Bangladesh. The use of rape by Myanmar's armed forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 Rohingya Muslim women and girls now in Bangladesh. They were interviewed separately, come from a variety of villages in Myanmar and now live spread across several refugee camps in Bangladesh. The military has denied its soldiers raped any Rohingya women. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) BALI, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesian police are hunting for an American citizen who escaped Monday from an overcrowded and understaffed prison on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. Head of Kerobokan prison Tonny Nainggolan said Chrishan Beasley, 32, is believed to have escaped at around 4 a.m. by sawing through a ceiling and then climbing over a 6-meter (20-foot) -high wall behind the prison. Beasley was arrested in August at a post office in the Kuta tourist area of Bali with a package containing 5.7 grams of hashish. A motorcyclist passes by Kerobokan prison where American citizen Christian Beasley was detained for hashish drug offense, in Bali, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Indonesian police are hunting for Beasley who escaped Monday from the overcrowded and understaffed Kerobokan prison. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) Nainggolan said another American inmate, Paul Anthony Hoffman, 57, who has been serving a 20-month prison sentence since July for robbery, was captured while trying to escape. An investigation was underway to determine if prison guards were involved in the escape, said Surung Pasaribu of the local office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry. He also said there is a shortage of guards for the prison, which was built to accommodate about 300 people but has nearly 1,600 inmates. It was the second escape from the prison in Bali's capital, Denpasar, since June, when four foreign inmates escaped through a drainage tunnel. Two of them, Bulgarian Dimitar Nikolov Iliev and Indian Sayed Mohammed Said, were recaptured in East Timor days later and were returned to Bali. The two others, Shaun Edward Davidson of Australia and Tee Koko King bin Tee Kim Sai of Malaysia, are still at large. Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where prisons are overcrowded with people convicted of drug crimes as part of the government's anti-drug crusade. In May, more than 440 prisoners escaped from an overcrowded prison on Sumatra island when they were let out of their cells to perform Friday Muslim prayers. In July 2013, about 240 prisoners, including several convicted terrorists, escaped during a deadly riot at a prison in another part of Sumatra. ___ This story has been corrected to show that the first name of the escaped American is Chrishan instead of Christian, and the family name of the second American is Hoffman instead of Hoffam. ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - The first law enforcement officer in the U.S. ever to be charged with a terrorism offense is again scheduled for trial. Jury selection begins Monday afternoon in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, in the case against Nicholas Young, who was a police officer in the region's Metro system when he was arrested last year in a government sting. Prosecutors say Young bought nearly $250 in gift cards he intended for the Islamic State group, giving the cards to an individual who turned out to be an FBI source. Young's lawyers say the sting amounts to entrapment after their client was under surveillance for six years. Documents show Young had been under surveillance since 2010. The trial had been expected to begin last week but was delayed when new evidence emerged. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Activists burned U.S. and Israeli flags in front of the American embassy in Jakarta on Monday in a fourth day of protests in Indonesia against President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Several hundred protesters from an Islamic youth group rallied outside the embassy, burning flags and images of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. Wearing white robes, the protesters unfurled banners reading "U.S. Embassy, Get Out from Al-Quds" and "We are with the Palestinians." Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, the historic Middle East city that is a holy site for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Protesters burn a poster of U.S. President Donald Trump during a rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Hundreds of people staged the protest in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to denounce Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A weekend protest at the embassy attracted several thousand people and similar protests have been held in other cities around Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation. Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has strongly condemned Trump's move, which he described as a violation of U.N. resolutions. Indonesia does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and has long been a strong supporter of Palestinian aspirations for statehood. Trump's announcement Wednesday overturned decades of U.S. policy, and a longstanding international consensus, that the fate of Jerusalem be decided as a part of a peace deal between Israel and Palestine. Israeli and Palestinian claims to the city's eastern sector form the core of their conflict, and Trump's announcement was seen as siding with the Israelis. Protesters burn a large U.S. flag during a rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Hundreds of people staged the protest in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A Muslim protester displays a Palestinian flag during a rally outside U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Hundreds of people staged the protest in the Indonesian capital to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Protesters shout slogans during a rally outside U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Hundreds of people staged the protest in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Protesters step on U.S. and Israeli flags during a rally outside U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Hundreds of people staged the protest in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Protesters carry a representation an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump during a rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Hundreds of people staged the protest in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to denounce Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/ Achmad Ibrahim) WASHINGTON (AP) - When President Donald Trump's U.N. ambassador recently urged the world to sever diplomatic ties with North Korea, she was sketchy on the details: Should all embassies close? How about those providing the U.S. intelligence from the largely inscrutable country? And what of Sweden, which helps with imprisoned Americans? Nikki Haley's recent call to action underscores the challenge for the United States as it tries to advance a nonmilitary strategy for resolving the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Isolating the reclusive, totalitarian state has been a central component of the U.S. plan, even though Washington says it remains open to talks. Like international economic penalties, the Trump administration believes the diplomatic isolation serves two purposes. In this Dec. 8, 2018, photo, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at United Nations headquarters. When Haley recently urged the world to sever diplomatic ties with North Korea, she was sketchy on the details: Should all embassies close? How about those providing the U.S. intelligence from the largely inscrutable country? And what of Sweden, which helps with imprisoned Americans? Haley's call to action underscores the challenge for the United States as it tries to advance a nonmilitary strategy for resolving the nuclear standoff with North Korea. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) It's designed to punish North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for developing an atomic arsenal of bombs and intercontinental missiles that potentially could deliver nuclear warheads anywhere in the United States. U.S. officials also contend that freezing out North Korea could drive Kim's government to seek negotiations. "We do know they care a lot about their international reputation," said Mark Tokola, a former No. 2 at the U.S. Embassy in South Korea. Trump's team has chalked up some successes in narrowing the North's diplomatic reach. Mexico, Peru, Italy, Spain, and Kuwait have expelled North Korean ambassadors from their countries. Haley said Portugal and the United Arab Emirates have suspended diplomatic relations. Others have cut trade and security ties. But North Korea isn't and won't be completely isolated. Last month, China, whose once-close relationship with North Korea has been strained by its adoption of tough U.N. sanctions, sent its highest level envoy to Pyongyang in two years. North Korea also recently welcomed a Russian parliamentary delegation, in a sign of increasing contacts between the former Cold War partners. And the North just hosted the most senior U.N. official to visit in years: Jeffrey Feltman, the undersecretary-general for political affairs. Even before he departed, experts played down expectations that Feltman, formerly a senior American diplomat, could offer a breakthrough as the standoff over the North's nuclear weapons threatens to spiral into war. Feltman carried no message from Washington, State Department spokesman Heather Nauert said. Yet Feltman's visit, which included an audience with Kim's foreign minister, added to questions about how effectively the U.S. can isolate North Korea. Feltman left Pyongyang on Saturday after four days of talks with the North Korean Foreign Ministry. "I have to brief the secretary-general first," he said when asked for details of his trip. Also unresolved is whether Trump and his top advisers have a game plan for the second half of a strategy they've called "maximum pressure and engagement." If North Korea signals a willingness to negotiate, now that Kim has declared that he has "realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force," how will the U.S. respond? "This is probably as good a time as any to try to pivot to engagement," said Suzanne DiMaggio at the New America think tank, who has been involved in several rounds of unofficial talks with North Korean officials. She said the administration has focused almost completely on pressure. Kim's declaration followed North Korea's test last month of its most powerful intercontinental missile yet, which led Haley, at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, to speak of a world "closer to war." At the same time, she pushed for others to cut trade and diplomatic ties with Pyongyang. U.S. officials say doing so would stop North Korea from abusing diplomatic privileges that allow it to raise revenues or conduct illegal business in support of its nuclear and missile programs. It's also intended to exploit North Korean sensitivity to its international standing. But the U.S. has given mixed messages on what form concretely the isolation should take. Haley called on all governments to sever ties. Other U.S. officials say the emphasis is on getting North Korean diplomats expelled from overseas postings, not on closing foreign embassies in Pyongyang. To date, no embassies have shut down in the North Korean capital as a result of the U.S. campaign. According to research by the Washington-based East-West Center and the National Committee on North Korea, North Korea maintains diplomatic relations with 167 countries. It has embassies in 47 foreign capitals. Twenty-four countries have embassies in Pyongyang, and those include American rivals and friends. "If the U.S. is really serious about depriving North Korea of diplomatic relations, it must start with its own closest ally, Great Britain," said Artyom Lukin, a North Korea expert at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. Since the U.S. has no diplomatic presence of its own in North Korea - the two sides remain technically in a state of war - it relies to some extent on Britain, Germany and other partners to stay abreast of what's happening there. Most critically, it needs Sweden, its protecting power, to assist three currently detained Americans in North Korea, on the rare occasions when Kim's government allows consular access. Any isolation campaign will have only marginal diplomatic and economic effect without the participation of North Korea's most powerful partners, China and Russia. Both support more dialogue with the North, not more diplomatic sanctions. Even if only smaller countries follow America's advice, the U.S. could lose potential go-betweens, such as Vietnam and Mongolia, which have constructive relations with the U.S. and North Korea. "If they left, I would be worried I was losing a source of information and a more neutral voice that the North Koreans might actually listen to," said Frank Jannuzi, a former Senate staff specialist on Asia. ___ Online: State Department on North Korea: https://www.state.gov/p/eap/ci/kn/ U.N. Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, center, arrives at an airport in Beijing, China, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. The senior U.N. official left Pyongyang on Saturday after four days of talks with the North Korean Foreign Ministry. Feltman met North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on Thursday and also had two sessions of talks with Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Guk. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) BEIJING (AP) - China's auto sales were flat in November compared with a year earlier, leaving total purchases in the world's biggest market up an anemic 1.9 percent for the first 11 months of 2017, an industry group reported Monday. Chinese drivers bought 2.6 million sedans, SUVs and minivans, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Total vehicle sales, including trucks and buses, edged up 0.7 percent to just under 3 million vehicles. Chinese auto sales have struggled this year after a temporary tax cut boosted 2016's growth to 15 percent. Sales contracted in April and May before growing feebly in recent months. That weakness is a setback for global automakers that look to China to drive future revenue, though some have grown faster than the market, taking share from Chinese and other rivals. In November, SUV sales rose 8.9 percent over a year earlier to 11 million, while sedan purchases shrank 4.8 percent to 12.2 million. For the first 11 months of the year, sales totaled 22.1 million. Chinese demand has weakened as economic growth slowed and Beijing and other major cities tightened restrictions on ownership to curb smog and congestion. Sales by Chinese domestic brands overall rose 5 percent to 1.2 million vehicles, according to CAAM. Their share of the market expanded by 1.6 percentage points to 45.8 percent. - General Motors Co., which competes with Volkswagen AG for the status of China's most popular automaker, said sales by the company and its Chinese manufacturing partners rose 13 percent from a year earlier to 418,225 vehicles. - Ford Motor Co. sales fell 8 percent to 117,593 vehicles. Year-to-date sales were off 6 percent at just under 1.1 million. - Nissan Motor Co., the most popular Japanese brand in China, said monthly sales rose 21.8 percent to 165,384 vehicles. Sales through November were up 12 percent at 1.3 million. - Toyota Motor Co. sales gained 9.9 percent to 109,600. Year-to-date sales grew 10.7 percent to 1.2 million. - BMW AG said November sales rose 12 percent to 55,293 vehicles. Year-to-date sales were up 14.7 percent to 542,362. ___ China Association of Automobile Manufacturers: www.caam.org.cn JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel is preparing to extradite a 63-year-old citizen to the United States, where he is wanted on suspicion of killing his mother. The state prosecution says Monday it has asked the court to declare Thomas Joseph Gross fit for extradition. The American extradition request says Gross travelled to Florida in 2012 to visit his mother. The night before his return to Israel he allegedly drugged her and stabbed her to death in her car outside her Lakewood Ranch home. The next morning he called 911, saying he had found her body, and tried to portray the scene as a suicide or robbery gone wrong. Gross' Israeli lawyer says he was previously questioned and released by authorities and the extradition is a shaming attempt by his sister over an inheritance battle. KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Georgian president turned opposition leader in Ukraine, walked free Monday after a court in the Ukrainian capital refused to sanction his arrest, vowing to push for a peaceful government change. Saakashvili was arrested Friday on allegations that he colluded with Ukrainian businessmen tied to Russia to topple President Petro Poroshenko, accusations Saakashvili rejected. "I consider myself a prisoner of Ukrainian oligarchs," he said in an apparent reference to the business background of Poroshenko, who ran a chocolate business before he was elected president. Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili gestures in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Mikheil Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Prosecutors had asked to keep Saakashvili under house arrest, but the judge turned it down to the applause of Saakashvili's supporters. The court's verdict marked a defeat for Poroshenko, who has faced mounting criticism for his failure to uproot endemic corruption. The victorious Saakashvili said after the verdict that he will coordinate with other political forces in Ukraine to push for a peaceful change of government. Saakashvili, who was refusing food to protest the arrest, said that the first thing he now wants is to get back home and eat. Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister who leads an opposition party, attended the hearing in a show of support for Saakashvili. About 200 of Saakashvili's supporters gathered outside the court and scuffled with police earlier Monday. On Sunday, thousands of Saakashvili's supporters marched across Kiev, demanding his release and calling for Poroshenko to be impeached. Saakashvili was a key figure in the 2003 Rose Revolution protests that drove Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze from office. He served two terms as Georgian president in 2004-2013, winning broad acclaim for his anti-corruption efforts, but drawing criticism over a disastrous war with Russia and what his opponents saw as an authoritarian streak. Poroshenko named him the governor of Ukraine's Odessa region in 2015, but Saakashvili resigned the following year, claiming that Poroshenko and other officials were impeding anti-corruption reforms, and became a strong critic of his former patron. Georgia stripped Saakashvili of his citizenship after his move to Ukraine. Poroshenko this summer rescinded his Ukrainian citizenship while Saakashvili was out of the country, leaving Saakashvili stateless. He forced his way into Ukraine in September, barging across the border from Poland with the help of a crowd of supporters. ___ Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili arrives at a court in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Mikheil Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili smiles in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Mikheil Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili gestures in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Mikheil Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili arrives at a court in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Mikheil Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili smiles in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Mikheil Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, center, gestures as former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, right, attends hearings in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Mikheil Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, center, listens to his lawyer in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, center, gestures as former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, second right, attends hearings in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, right, talks with his wife Sandra Roelofs, left, and former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, second left, before a hearing in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili stands behind the glass and talks to reporters before a hearing in a court room in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Mikheil Saakashvili, the adamant opposition leader who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship four months ago, was arrested late Friday, Dec. 8, in Ukraine's capital. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) DODOMA, Tanzania (AP) - The bodies of 15 United Nations peacekeepers killed last week in eastern Congo arrived home in Tanzania on Monday, as a U.N. official vowed military offenses will be launched against rebels who carried out the attack. The bodies were received in the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam by Tanzanian defense and military officials. The killings shocked many in this East African country that is known for its relative stability in a region often wracked by violence. In a memorial ceremony Monday David Gressly, the U.N. deputy special representative for Congo, said those who staged the assault, which wounded 50 others, will pay for their actions. U.N peacekeepers stand behind coffins with the remains of Tanzanian peace keepers killed by rebels, during a memorial ceremony in Beni, eastern Congo, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. The United Nations Deputy Special Representative for Congo says military offenses will be launched against rebels killed at least 15 Tanzanian U.N. peacekeepers last week in eastern Congo. (AP Photo/Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro) The Dec. 7 attack about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Beni was the deadliest single attack on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in nearly 25 years. At least five Congolese soldiers also were killed in the attack. The peacekeeping base has been repeatedly attacked by rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces group. Tanzania's ambassador in Congo, Paul Ignace Mella, called on the U.N. to protect its peacekeeping soldiers. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo is the largest in the world. The U.N.'s top official for peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will travel to Congo to attend a memorial ceremony Thursday to honor the slain peacekeepers. Later Lacroix will head to Tanzania "to personally convey to the people and government of Tanzania the U.N.'s deep gratitude for the sacrifices of their men and women," U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said in New York Monday. Congo, the size of Western Europe, has seen immeasurable cruelty and greed as a result of its mineral resources while more than 80 percent of the population lives below the absolute poverty line of $1.25 a day. The nation suffered through one of the most brutal colonial reigns ever known before enduring decades of corrupt dictatorship. Back-to-back civil wars later drew in a number of neighboring countries. Many rebel groups have come and gone during the U.N. mission's years of operation, at times invading the regional capital, Goma. ___ Maliro contributed from Beni, Congo. U.N peacekeepers carry a coffin with the remains of a Tanzanian peacekeeper killed by rebels, during a memorial ceremony in Beni, eastern Congo, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. The United Nations Deputy Special Representative for Congo says military offenses will be launched against rebels killed at least 15 Tanzanian U.N. peacekeepers last week in eastern Congo. (AP Photo/Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro) U.N peacekeepers carry a coffin with the remains of a Tanzanian peacekeeper killed by rebels, during a memorial ceremony in Beni, eastern Congo, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. The United Nations Deputy Special Representative for Congo says military offenses will be launched against rebels killed at least 15 Tanzanian U.N. peacekeepers last week in eastern Congo. (AP Photo/Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro) WASHINGTON (AP) - An investment firm that once hired Michael Flynn has denied he sent text messages during President Donald Trump's inauguration indicating U.S. sanctions would be "ripped up" so a nuclear reactor project in the Middle East involving Russian interests could proceed. The firm, however, cited only one set of cell phone records to show that there were no text messages between Flynn and the firm's managing director on Inauguration Day. That leaves open the possibility that Flynn relied on other devices or private messaging applications. Before becoming White House national security adviser, Flynn was advising ACU Strategies on a project to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East that had been stymied by sanctions targeting Russia. In this Dec. 1, 2017 photo, former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves federal court in Washington. A whistleblower has told House Democrats that during President Donald Trump's inauguration speech, Flynn texted a former business associate to say a private nuclear proposal Flynn had lobbied for would have his support in the White House. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Last week, Maryland Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings said a whistleblower reported that ACU's managing director boasted on Inauguration Day that he had exchanged texts with Flynn indicating that the project was "good to go" and that U.S. sanctions hobbling the project would be "ripped up." Cummings, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said the account raised serious questions about the blurring of Flynn's private and public interests. Flynn, who spent a month as Trump's top national security aide before he was fired by the new president, pleaded guilty 10 days ago to lying to FBI agents about his conversations with Russia's ambassador about the Obama administration's Russia sanctions. Flynn is now cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Cummings said last week in a letter to House Oversight committee chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., that his staff had informed Mueller's office about the whistleblower's account and delayed making the information public "until they completed certain investigative steps. They have now informed us that they have done so." In ACU's letter to Cummings last week, Thomas Cochran, the firm's senior scientist, said the witness' allegations "are patently false and unfounded." Cochran said that phone billing records for the firm's managing director showed no communications with Flynn. On Monday, Cummings' staff released his response to Cochran's denial, questioning whether the text message billing records it cited covered all communications on Jan. 20 between Flynn and Copson. Cummings noted that Copson could have messaged with Flynn through encryption applications that would not reveal the texts in billing statements. "Of course, it is possible that you were using a messaging application that does not generate a telephone company record. It is possible that the website printout that you provided does not reflect all text messages," Cummings said to Copson. Cummings urged Copson to allow House investigators to question him "to help resolve these questions." It was also not clear whether Flynn had been provided a government cell phone by the inauguration or owned a private cell phone with another number - or whether Copson was using another phone at the time. Both Copson and Cochran worked with Flynn starting in 2015 when the former U.S. Army lieutenant general joined up with ACU in its plan to build dozens of reactors in the Mideast with aid from Russian and other international firms. Copson has said that his firm provided Flynn with a $25,000 check - left uncashed - and paid expenses for Flynn's 2015 trop to the Mideast to aid the project. Cochran said that Copson sent only two messages and received only one message on the day of Trump's inauguration. None came from a cell phone that Flynn used when he worked for the firm in 2015 and 2016, Cochran said. Copson's billing statements "flatly contradict the core allegation that Mr. Copson received a text message from General Flynn during President Trump's inaugural speech," Cochran said in his note to Cummings. ROME (AP) - An Italian man who drove his car last week into pedestrians near a Christmas market in the northern town of Sondrio had been aiming to kill. Sondrio Prosecutor Claudio Gittardi confirmed Italian media reports Monday the suspect is being investigated for wanting to carry out a massacre. The car struck and seriously injured a woman Saturday at an outdoor skating rink near the Sondrio market before crashing into a pillar. Two others who had been strolling in the pedestrian-only square suffered light injuries in the crash, which was originally blamed on drunk driving. In this photo taken on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, the car that was driven into a pedestrian-only square seriously injuring a woman near an outdoor skating ring near the Sondrio market, Italy, before crashing into a pillar. Italian media say an Italian man who drove the car had been aiming to kill. (Carlo Orlandi/ANSA via AP) "As things stand, the incident seems to have been determined by personal dynamics and not with the aim of terrorism," according to police who investigated, Gittardi said in an email to The AP. The prosecutor didn't elaborate. ANSA said the suspect, 27, when he was arrested at the scene, said that he "should have killed more" people. WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge is warning President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman that he shouldn't be trying his case in the press. That includes drafting opinion essays published in other countries. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Paul Manafort that his editing of an op-ed that appeared in an English-language newspaper in Ukraine is not something she is going to tolerate. The judge's warning came after special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors discovered that Manafort edited an op-ed published in the Kyiv Post last week. The article appeared under the name of a former Ukraine official. It discussed Manafort's consulting work in Ukraine, which is at the heart of the case against him. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort arrives at federal court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) The judge has barred Manafort and the prosecution from making public statements about his case. Europe's five biggest economies have warned Donald Trump that plans for massive US tax reforms may end up violating international trade rules. Finance ministers from Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Spain say they have 'significant concerns' about some of the US President's tax initiatives and fear they could harm the global economy. In a letter to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the ministers said the tax overhaul could risk 'seriously hampering genuine trade and investment flows' between Europe and America. Their warning mirrors fears among some European businesses that aspects of Mr Trump's tax-reform bills may have been designed to give American companies an advantage over foreign rivals. Europe's five biggest economies have warned Donald Trump (pictured) that plans for massive US tax reforms may end up violating international trade rules The ministers, including Britain's chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured), warned that Trump's measures could 'discriminate' in a manner which would contravene World Trade Organisation The ministers, including Britain's chancellor Philip Hammond, warned the measures could 'discriminate' in a manner which would contravene World Trade Organisation (WTO) provisions, would be inconsistent with double taxation rules, and would be 'poorly targeted' at helping to combat tax avoidance. 'The inclusion of certain less conventional international tax provisions could contravene the US's double taxation treaties and may risk having a major distortive impact on international trade,' the letter stated. One of Mr Trump's proposals would see US companies forced to pay a 20 per cent tax on payments to foreign companies effectively forcing them to spend money with American firms. This, the ministers, said, 'would impact on genuine commercial arrangements'. Because it would only apply where payments are being made for foreign goods and services, this would discriminate and break WTO rules. The plans have not yet been passed by the US Congress. The letter warned that 'it is important that the U.S. government's rights over domestic tax policy be exercised in a way that adheres with international obligations to which it has signed-up.' In a letter to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (pictured), the ministers said the tax overhaul could risk 'seriously hampering genuine trade and investment flows' between Europe and America EU nations have been warily eyeing President Trump's domestic tax proposals as they made their way through congress and have long expressed fears they might hurt world trade and EU companies in particular. The five ministers specifically targeted the so-called Base Erosion and Anti-abuse Tax (or BEAT) Senate bill. This measure aims to combat what is called base erosion and profit shifting, the practice by some multinationals to avoid tax by exploiting mismatches in countries' tax rules to artificially report their profits in countries with low or no taxes. The finance ministers lauded the measure's aim to ensure companies pay their fair share in taxes to the U.S. But they said that under the current plans, the measures would also hurt genuine commercial deals. In the financial sector in particular, 'the provision appears to have the potential of being extremely harmful for international banking and insurance business.' U.S President Donald Trump (left) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron after at the Elysee Palace in Paris They said it 'may lead to significant tax charges and may harmfully distort international financial markets.' The EU's 28 finance ministers had already expressed concern about the U.S. plans during a meeting last week, but now its five biggest economies have gone ahead with their own warning. In Washington, however, Republicans are upbeat about finalising the tax bill from the House and Senate versions for Trump's first major legislative accomplishment in nearly 11 months in office. Trump has set a Christmas deadline for signing the bill into law, giving lawmakers named to a special conference committee two weeks to iron out major differences in the House and Senate versions of the legislation. The conference committee has scheduled its first formal meeting for Wednesday. Both measures would cut taxes by about $1.5 trillion over the next decade while adding billions to the $20 trillion deficit, combining steep tax cuts for corporations with more modest reductions for most individuals. Together, the changes would amount to the biggest overhaul of the U.S. tax system in 30 years, touching every corner of society. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - As Alabama's high-profile Senate race heads toward a Tuesday vote, supporters and opponents of GOP candidate Roy Moore are bending the truth - or shattering it to pieces - in the campaign's final stretch. One website falsely proclaimed that one of the women who accused Moore of sexual misconduct had recanted. Another erroneously reported that a Moore accuser "forged" his yearbook inscription to her. On the other side, Moore's detractors took to social media to assert, erroneously, that Moore had written in a 2011 textbook that women shouldn't hold elected office. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts: FILE- In this Dec. 5, 2017, file photo, former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks at a campaign rally in Fairhope Ala. As Alabama's high-profile Senate race heads toward a Tuesday vote, supporters and opponents Moore are bending the truth, or shattering it to pieces, in the campaign's final stretch. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) ____ NOT REAL: BREAKING: Roy Moore's accuser arrested and charged with falsification THE FACTS: A story published by a satire site called NoFakeNewsOnline and many others reported that Alabama Attorney General John Simmons filed misdemeanor charges of falsification against Mary Lynne Davies for accusing Moore of assaulting her. John Simmons is not the state's attorney general, Steve Marshall is; and Mary Lynne Davies is not among the eight women who have publicly accused Moore of misconduct. Alabama's online court system has no record of charges against someone by that name. The story was published just as Moore accuser Beverly Nelson acknowledged adding two notations to a yearbook inscription she says Moore wrote to her in 1977. _____ NOT REAL: BREAKING: Roy Moore's Lying Accuser Admits He Didn't Ever Touch Her THE FACTS: None of the women who accused the Alabama Republican Senate candidate of sexual misconduct, including two women who said Moore molested them, have backed off their initial claims. This fake headline is from a website, Reagan Was Right, which promotes hoaxes and satire. The woman featured in a photograph accompanying the story shows a British reality TV star, not any of the eight women who have accused Moore of sexual misconduct. _____ NOT REAL: Moore Co-Authored Textbook that Said Women Can't Hold Public Office THE FACTS: Moore is in fact a co-author of a "textbook" which serves as a study guide for a series of Bible-based video and audio lectures on U.S. law and public policy. The course packaging also identifies him as a "featured speaker." Despite claims spread on the web this week, however, Moore did not author the specific section or deliver the lecture that argues that women should not hold elected office. That talk was given by William Einwechter, an elder at Immanuel Free Reformed Church in Pennsylvania. Moore's office says he does not believe that women are unqualified for public office. _____ NOT REAL: BREAKING: ROY MOORE ACCUSER ADMITS SHE FORGED PART OF YEARBOOK INSCRIPTION!!! THE FACTS: Moore supporters celebrated misleading news that Beverly Nelson, one of his accusers, admitted forging a 1977 yearbook inscription that was considered key evidence against the Alabama Republican. The inscription reads, "To a sweeter more beautiful girl I could not say, 'Merry Christmas.'" It is followed by the signature "Roy Moore D.A." and the notation "12-22-77 Olde Hickory House." Nelson's attorney, Gloria Allred, said Friday that Nelson had added the date and restaurant name to the inscription. However, Allred also said that a handwriting expert found Moore's signature in the yearbook to be authentic. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Rubinkam contributed to this report. ___ This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform. ___ Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://www.apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck A former Oklahoma City mayor and member of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents has sparked outrage by comparing comparing gay people to pedophiles. Kirk Humphreys made the comments during a local public affairs TV show that aired over the weekend in Oklahoma, during a discussion of sexual misconduct scandals in Congress. Humphreys and others were discussing allegations against Minnesota Senator Al Franken, who is stepping down, and President Donald Trump when Humphreys began to ramble about other subjects. He said he was 'going to make a lot of people mad today.' 'Is homosexuality right or wrong? It's not relative, there's a right and wrong,' Humphreys said on KFOR's weekly show Flashpoint. 'If it's OK then it's OK for everybody and, quite frankly, it's OK for men to sleep with little boys.' 'Is homosexuality right or wrong? It's not relative, there's a right and wrong,' Humphreys said. 'If it's OK then it's OK for everybody and, quite frankly, it's OK for men to sleep with little boys.' The panel was discussing the resignation announcement of Senator Al Franken (pictured) when Humphreys began to ramble about other subjects LGBTQ advocacy group Freedom Oklahoma called for Humphreys' removal from the Board of Regents if he didn't apologize. Executive Director Troy Stevenson said Monday that Humphreys' comments were disheartening and dangerous for LGBTQ youth who are already harassed and bullied. A staffer at Humphreys' office said he was out of town Monday and unavailable to comment. Humphreys, 67, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. The president of the University of Oklahoma distanced himself from Humphreys' comments. President David Boren noted that Humphreys was not speaking on behalf of the university, adding that the school was committed to diversity and inclusiveness. State Rep. Emily Virgin, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, was stunned at the remarks 'I do not share his views on this matter,' Boren said in a statement. A state lawmaker who appeared with Humphreys pushed back at him on the show, saying it was wrong to compare sexual misconduct and crimes to the legal behavior of consenting adults. 'Mr. Humphreys' comments were disgusting, offensive, and just plain wrong,' Rep. Emily Virgin, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, later said on her Facebook page. 'I unequivocally stand with the LGBT community. Stevenson said his group planned to protest an Oklahoma City real estate project that belongs to Humphreys' family business if he doesn't apologize. PARIS (AP) - The Latest on the French president's climate change grants (all times local): 8:30 p.m. American climate scientist Camille Parmesan is elated at the prospect of spending the next five years doing her research in France instead of the U.S. Arnold Schwarzenegger arrives on bicycle to meet Paris mayor Anne Hdalgo, Monday Dec. 11, 2017 in Paris. Schwarzenegger is in Paris to attend the One Planet climate summit Tuesday with more than 50 world leaders and co-hosted by the U.N. and the World Bank. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) She's one of 18 initial winners announced Monday of a special contest launched by President Emmanuel Macron in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's rejection of the Paris climate accord. In an interview with The Associated Press, Parmesan, of the University of Texas at Austin, described funding challenges for climate science in the U.S. and a feeling that "you are having to hide what you do." She said Macron's appeal "gave me such a psychological boost, to have that kind of support, to have the head of state saying I value what you do." Parmesan will be working at an experimental ecology station in the Pyrenees on how human-made climate change is affecting wildlife. Trump has expressed skepticism about global warming and said the Paris accord would hurt U.S. business. 8:00 p.m. French President Emmanuel Macron has awarded grants worth millions of euros to bring 18 American and other climate scientists to France, a program to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's rejection of the Paris climate accord. Macron devised the grant competition hours after Trump announced in June that he would withdraw the United States from the 2015 deal. The French president announced the first winners in Paris on Monday. The French government said in a statement that more than 5,000 people from about 100 countries expressed interest in the grants. A majority of applicants were U.S.-based researchers. The research of the winning recipients focuses on pollution, hurricanes and clouds. Borrowing from Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan, Macron said: "France and Europe will be the place where we will decide how to make our planet great again." ___ 7:35 p.m. French President Emmanuel Macron is welcoming American and other foreign climate scientists to France as he tries to pump new energy into an international agreement to curb global warming. Macron is announcing the winners Monday of a contest offering millions of euros in grants for climate scientists to relocate to France. The French leader devised the grant competition hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced in June that he would withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate accord. Macron told a group of scientists and startup entrepreneurs in Paris, "We will be there to replace" U.S. financing of climate research. He promised to put in place a global climate change monitoring system and said "If we want to prepare for the changes of tomorrow, we need science." Macron is hosting more than 50 world leaders at a climate summit in Paris Tuesday. ___ 6:15 p.m. Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguing that U.S. President Donald Trump's rejection of the Paris climate accord doesn't matter, because companies, scientists and other governments can "pick up the slack" to reduce global emissions. The Hollywood star and former California governor took a spin on a Parisian electric bike Monday as part of events leading up to an international climate summit Tuesday hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Schwarzenegger said "Donald Trump pulled Donald Trump out of the Paris agreement," but many in the private sector, cities and state governments, engineers and universities remain committed to fighting climate change. A prominent environmental campaigner, Schwarzenegger acknowledged that many people "don't understand what global warming or climate change really means," and urged environmental activists to focus on efforts to fight pollution instead because of its health risks. ___ 11:20 a.m. French President Emmanuel Macron's "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants initially were aimed at American climate change researchers, but competition has been expanded to other non-French climate scientists. Macron is unveiling the first winners Monday evening at a startup incubator in Paris called Station F, where Microsoft and smaller tech companies are announcing projects to finance activities aimed at reducing emissions. French national research agency CNRS says the applicant list was whittled down to 90 finalists in September, the majority of them Americans or based in the U.S. About 50 projects will be chosen overall, and funded with 60 million euros ($70 million) from the state and French research institutes. Some French researchers have complained that Macron is showering money on foreign scientists while they are pleading for more support for domestic higher education. ___ 9:40 a.m. Several U.S.-based climate scientists are about to win multi-year, all-expenses-paid grants to relocate to France. The "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants are an effort by French President Emmanuel Macron to counter U.S. President Donald Trump on the climate change front. Macron announced a competition for the grants hours after Trump declared he would withdraw the U.S. from the global accord reached in Paris in 2015 to reduce climate-damaging emissions. Macron is unveiling the winners Monday evening ahead of a climate summit Tuesday aimed at giving new impetus to the Paris accord and finding new funding to help governments and businesses meet its goals. More than 50 world leaders are expected in Paris for the "One Planet Summit," co-hosted by the U.N. and the World Bank. Trump was not invited. Arnold Schwarzenegger meetS Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, Monday Dec. 11, 2017 in Paris. Schwarzenegger is in Paris to attend the One Planet climate summit Tuesday with more than 50 world leaders and co-hosted by the U.N. and the World Bank. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Arnold Schwarzenegger arrives on bicycle to meet Paris mayor Anne HIdalgo, Monday Dec. 11, 2017 in Paris. Schwarzenegger is in Paris to attend the One Planet climate summit Tuesday with more than 50 world leaders and co-hosted by the U.N. and the World Bank. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) ATLANTA (AP) - It can sometimes seem as though mass shootings are occurring more frequently. Researchers who have been studying such crimes for decades say they aren't, but they have been getting deadlier. In the five years since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school, the nation has seen a number of massacres topping the death toll from Newtown and previous mass shootings, many of them involving rifles similar to the one used in Sandy Hook. But Americans wanting to know why deadlier mass shootings are happening will get few answers. Is it is the wide availability of firearms? Is it the much-maligned "assault weapon" with its military style? Is it a failing mental health system? FILE - In this June 12, 2016, file photo, Sonia Parra, left, and Andrea Parra, who said they lost friends in the Pulse nightclub shooting, hold candles on the street corner near the nightclub in Orlando, Fla. In the five years since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the nation has seen a number of massacres topping the death toll from that shooting. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File) "We're kind of grabbing at straws at this point in terms of trying to understand why the severity of these incidents has increased," said Grant Duwe, a criminologist who has been studying mass killings since the 1990s. The federal government does little research on the matter, because a measure dating to the 1990s had the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention retreat from firearms research. Instead, a handful of academics, like Duwe, have toiled sometimes for decades with limited funding trying to better understand why these shootings happen and how to prevent them. While mass shootings happen with regularity, they still remain so rare that there isn't enough information to draw conclusions with any certainty. The profile of mass shooters - loners, depressed individuals, people who rarely smile or those who take to the internet to rant about a perceived insult or gripe - is so broad and common that it's impossible to pinpoint who might turn that anger into violence. "There are lots of people who are isolated, don't have lots of friends, who don't smile and write ugly things on the internet and blame others for their misfortunes and don't want to live anymore and talk about mass killers and maybe even admire them," said Northeastern University professor James Alan Fox, who began studying mass shootings in the 1980s and has written six books on the topic. Five years ago this week, Adam Lanza, a troubled young man in Newtown, Connecticut, shot and killed his mother in their home and then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School with an AR-style long gun and a handgun. He fatally shot 20 children and six educators, then himself. In the years since, the nation has witnessed even deadlier attacks: the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016 in which a gunman killed 49 people and this year's shooting in Las Vegas, where a man in a casino hotel fired on concertgoers on the ground below, killing more than 55. This year's shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, by an Air Force veteran who shot up a church sanctuary, killing more than two dozen, also is now among the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history. Mass shootings are widely defined as one in which four or more people are killed in a public place, excluding both domestic violence and gang-related violence. The rate has remained steady at about 20 per year for the past three decades, Fox said. Still, five of the 10 deadliest have occurred since Sandy Hook, he said. "Some years are worse than others, and bad years tend to be followed by not-so-bad years," Fox said. While two of the deadliest took place this year, "you can't take the actions of one or two people and call it a new phenomenon. That's abberational. You can't make any pattern or trend based on that." It's also unclear whether the higher death tolls are the result of more firearms being available or firearms being more effective. Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter, used bump stocks to allow a number of his guns to mimic fully automatic weapons, but his perch high above the outdoor concert also made the shooting more effective and deadly. That's the tactic the gunman in the 1966 University of Texas at Austin shooting used when he took to a tower overlooking the campus, shooting down for more than 90 minutes. In half of the deadliest mass shootings, the perpetrator used at least one AR-style firearm. In one, the massacre at a McDonald's in San Ysidro, California, in 1984, the shooter used an Uzi submachine gun. The others were carried out with handguns, the weapon used in the majority of mass shootings. "Contrary to what some folks may think, the incidence of mass public shootings has not increased since Sandy Hook or even the five years before that," Duwe said. "What has changed - and this is certainly true around the time of Sandy Hook and even since then - the severity of mass public shootings has certainly increased. That is one genuine change we've seen." Jillian Peterson, an assistant professor at Hamline University and a forensic psychologist who previously worked in New York crafting psychological profiles of convicted murderers facing the death penalty, recently helped launch a project designed to catalog and analyze mass shootings dating back to the 1960s. The project is being done jointly with James Densley, an associate professor of criminal justice at Metropolitan State University. They have no financing and are relying on about a dozen students to gather research based on public documents and media reports. The reason why someone carries out a mass shooting has been elusive, and it's a question she hopes the research will help answer. Are mass shooters of today and future bent on outdoing previous slayings by inflicting higher death tolls? That, too, is unclear. She cautions that such questions and answers continually evolve. "This is ever-changing," Peterson said. "Just because we understand it today, we might not understand it tomorrow. That part gets hard. This is changing as society changes." FILE - In this June 12, 2016, file photo, Jermaine Towns, left, and Brandon Shuford wait down the street from Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., where a gunman opened fire, killing 49 people. In the five years since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the nation has witnessed even deadlier attacks, including the shooting at the Pulse nightclub and the Oct. 1, 2017, shooting in Las Vegas, where a man in a casino hotel gunned down 55 concertgoers on the ground below. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File) FILE - In this June 12, 2017, file photo, people gather at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on the first anniversary of the mass shooting there. In the five years since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the nation has seen a number of massacres topping the death toll from that shooting. But Americans wanting to know why mass shootings are happening will get few answers. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File) FILE - In this June 12, 2016, file photo, people wait outside the emergency entrance of the Orlando Regional Medical Center hospital just hours after a gunman opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., killing 49 people. It can sometimes seem as though mass shootings are occurring more frequently. Researchers who have been studying such crimes for decades say they aren't, but they have been getting deadlier. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File) FILE - In this Oct. 3, 2017, file photo, Las Vegas residents, from left, Roberto Lopez, Briana Calderon and Cynthia Olvera, pause at a memorial site in Las Vegas two days after a man gunned down dozens of people from his high-rise hotel suite. In the five years since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Connecticut elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the nation has seen a number of other massacres, many of them involving rifles similar to the one used in Sandy Hook. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File) MONTROSE, Pa. (AP) - A gas driller argued in court Monday that it's entitled to monetary damages from a Pennsylvania homeowner who continued bad-mouthing the company after settling his water-contamination lawsuit against it more than five years ago. Houston-based Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. claims Dimock resident Ray Kemble and his former lawyers tried to extort the company through a frivolous federal lawsuit that recycled already-settled claims against Cabot. The lawsuit, which was filed in April but withdrawn two months later, accused Cabot of polluting Kemble's water supply anew. Cabot says the claims in Kemble's suit were the subject of a 2012 settlement between Cabot and dozens of Dimock residents, including Kemble. Cabot's suit also claims Kemble has repeatedly breached the 2012 agreement by publicly talking about the company. Dimock resident Ray Kemble speaks with reporters outside the Susquehanna County Courthouse in Montrose, Pa., Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. is suing Kemble and his former attorneys, claiming they filed a frivolous lawsuit against it. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam) The company is seeking monetary damages against Kemble and his former lawyers. The first hearing in the case was held Monday. Kemble and his new lawyer said Cabot is trying to use the legal system to chill dissent and discourage attorneys from taking on contamination cases. "This is just a way to shut the people up of the county and of the state, and I just don't think it's right," Kemble told reporters. "We the people have the right to talk." Cabot's lawyers said the company merely wants Kemble to abide by the terms of the settlement, which forbids him from talking to the media about his water supply. Kemble, who's long been one of the most outspoken anti-drilling activists in Pennsylvania, disparaged Cabot by making "false, unsubstantiated claims," company lawyers said in a filing. Pennsylvania regulators previously held Cabot responsible for polluting residential water wells in Dimock, a tiny crossroads that has long been one of the central battlegrounds in the fight over gas drilling and fracking. Cabot remains banned from drilling in a 9-square-mile area of Dimock, which is in the heart of the gas-rich Marcellus Shale rock formation in northeastern Pennsylvania. Cabot won a default judgment against Kemble in October because he failed to respond to the company's lawsuit in time. Kemble asked the judge Monday to set aside the judgment, saying he'd been rejected by 30 lawyers and was forced to represent himself before attorney Rich Raiders recently agreed to take the case. Kemble also asked the judge to rule that he's entitled to immunity under a Pennsylvania law that affords liability protection to individuals seeking enforcement of state or federal environmental laws. The judge did not immediately rule. The federal government returned to Dimock over the summer to investigate ongoing complaints about the quality of the drinking water. Government scientists collected samples from 24 homes, including Kemble's, testing the water for bacteria, gases and chemicals and the indoor air for radon. Homeowners got the first batch of results - for methane - in October. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a federal public health agency, told homeowners that in all but two homes, the tests either failed to detect methane or detected it at low levels. The agency noted that methane levels can fluctuate from day to day. DALLAS (AP) - An off-duty police officer chased two teenagers who were burglarizing his SUV and killed one of them after firing his gun more than a dozen times, prosecutors told a Dallas jury on Monday during the former officer's murder trial. Ken Johnson has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the death of 16-year-old Jose Cruz. Johnson resigned from the police force in the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch shortly after the March 2016 shooting in nearby Addison. The shooting occurred after Johnson saw two people burglarizing his personal SUV, according to investigators. Surveillance video shows that Johnson chased the teens with his SUV, rammed the teens' car and then repeatedly fired into their stopped vehicle. The second teenager, Edgar Rodriguez, suffered a head wound and lost a finger in the shooting. He testified Monday that Johnson didn't say anything before firing into the car. Rodriguez previously acknowledged that he and Cruz were trying to steal seats from the SUV. Johnson's attorneys have said the former officer feared for his life. Johnson worked as a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer for nearly eight years before he was hired by Farmers Branch police in March 2015. Johnson was cleared of two excessive force complaints while with the transit agency. In one instance, a background investigator for Farmers Branch said the complaint was the result of Johnson "attempting to remove a combative person from the train" and that the excessive force allegations were "unfounded." FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A Republican Kentucky lawmaker known for his inflammatory social media posts comparing President Barack Obama and his wife to monkeys has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who attended his church. Both Republican and Democratic leaders on Monday called for Dan Johnson to resign. The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting quotes Maranda Richmond as saying that Johnson assaulted her in the basement of his house in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2013. Police records obtained by the news organization show Richmond told them about the assault in 2013. But investigators closed the case and did not file charges. Johnson was elected to the state legislature in 2016. Neither Johnson nor police department officials returned calls from The Associated Press. FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2016 file photo, Kentucky state Rep. Dan Johnson speaks during a news conference outside the Bullitt County courthouse in Shepherdsville, Ky. Johnson, who attracted national attention last year when he compared President Barack Obama and his wife to monkeys has been accused of sexual assault. The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting quotes Maranda Richmond as saying she has asked Louisville police to reopen an investigation of Dan Johnson. (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro, File) Reaction was swift from the leaders of the state's two major political parties, who said Johnson should resign immediately. David Osborne, acting speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, said the report was "compelling and deeply troubling." Republican Gov. Matt Bevin was more cautious, saying he had not read the report and "let's wait until we get some facts" before commenting. The allegation surfaced on the eve of a pivotal U.S. Senate election in Alabama, where Republican candidate Roy Moore is facing allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has urged Moore to drop out of the race, while Republican President Donald Trump has campaigned for Moore. Johnson is the bishop of Heart of Fire ministries in Louisville. The church is known for its "gun choir ," which features Johnson and others holding guns while singing "Amazing Grace." He ousted a Democratic incumbent during the 2016 elections, part of a wave of Republican victories that handed the GOP control of the state House of Representatives for the first time in nearly 100 years. Richmond is a former member of Johnson's church and a friend of his daughter. The Associated Press does not generally identify alleged sexual assault victims, but is doing so because Richmond has gone public with her story. Attempts to find a phone number for Richmond were unsuccessful on Monday. She did not respond to a Facebook message. She told the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting she attended a party at Johnson's home on New Year's Eve 2012. That night, Richmond said she was asleep on a couch in the basement when she woke up to find Johnson standing over her. She said he groped her, stuck his tongue in her mouth and slid his hands down her pants and into her vagina. Richmond said she begged Johnson to stop, but that he kept telling her she would like it. Eventually, she said, Johnson stopped and left. Richmond went to the police. Records show investigators with the Louisville Metro Police Department recorded a phone call between Johnson and Richmond's father, in which Johnson said he "couldn't imagine doing that to Maranda." A detective closed the case in 2014 because the "victim refuses to cooperate," according to police documents posted online by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. Richmond denied this. "I never once did not want to continue on," she said. Representatives from the police department did not return multiple calls from The Associated Press seeking comment Monday. The allegation against Johnson is not the only scandal to affect Kentucky House Republicans. Former Kentucky House Speaker Jeff Hoover resigned his leadership position last month after acknowledging he paid to settle a sexual-harassment claim made by a woman in his office. Three other Republican lawmakers were part of the secretive settlement and have been stripped of their committee chairmanships. All four remain in the state legislature. This is the second time Republican leaders have asked for Johnson's resignation. In 2016, while he was a candidate for office, he was criticized for posting racists photos on his Facebook page comparing former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama to monkeys. He rejected Republican leaders' calls for him to drop out of the race, and ended up winning it. Bevin did not comment on Richmond's allegations against Johnson, telling reporters he has a policy of not speaking "specifically about an individual." He did say "there should be zero tolerance" for sexual harassment. WASHINGTON (AP) - Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and House Republicans have escalated their feud with Patagonia after the outdoor retailer told Americans that President Donald Trump "stole your land" in his move to shrink two sprawling Utah national monuments. The dispute pitting the GOP against a private company raised questions about use of taxpayer resources for political criticism and whether Republicans are trying to stop Patagonia sales weeks before the Christmas holiday. On the day of Trump's announcement about the monuments, the California-based retailer replaced its usual home page last week with a black screen and stark message: "The President Stole Your Land." Patagonia filed suit to block the planned reduction to Utah's Bears Ears National Monument. FILE - In this May 9, 2017, file photo, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke rides in the Bears Ears National Monument with local and state representatives in Blanding, Utah. Zinke is strongly disputing a claim by outdoor retailer Patagonia that President Donald Trump "stole" public land by shrinking two national monuments in Utah. (Scott G Winterton/The Deseret News via AP) In a tweet, the House Natural Resources Committee said Patagonia is "lying" and making the allegation about Trump's plan "to sell more products to wealthy elitist urban dwellers from New York to San Francisco." The Republican-led committee also sent out a widely distributed email with the subject line, "Patagonia: don't buy it." A committee spokesman said Monday the email was not urging a boycott of Patagonia, but rather was telling consumers, "Don't buy the lies" about Trump's plan. "We're just telling Patagonia: stop selling a false narrative," said Parish Braden, a spokesman for the committee. Patagonia's lawsuit, filed in conjunction with a rock climbing advocacy group and other organizations, is among a flurry of lawsuits that have been filed over Trump's move to reduce the size of Bears Ears by nearly 85 percent and cut in half the land protected in Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The company said it spent years supporting groups creating other national monuments and directly lobbied for protections at Bears Ears. Zinke accused Patagonia of lying about Trump's actions and retweeted the committee post on his official account. In response, former government ethics chief Walter Shaub launched a tweet storm, saying Zinke "misused his official position by re-tweeting this wildly inappropriate tweet." Shaub, who resigned in July as head of the Office of Government Ethics after repeated battles with the Trump administration, called Zinke "the poster child for this lawless administration's misuse of governmental authority & resources." Zinke's "thuggish interference with a business is outside the scope of his duties, raising a question as to whether a sovereign immunity defense might fail" if Patagonia sues him for libel or slander, Shaub said. The committee may have violated House rules against advertising for or against a private individual, firm or corporation, Shaub said. "The federal govt officially and publicly calling a company a liar for political reasons is a bizarre and dangerous departure from civic norms. It's also decidedly anti-free market," he tweeted. Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat who serves on the committee, said Republicans were spending taxpayer money to attack a private company that criticized Trump. "Allowing them to get away with it is a dangerous precedent," Gallego said. Committee Democrats, meanwhile, appeared to welcome the GOP feud with Patagonia, tweeting that it was resulting in "greater awareness that our #publiclands are under attack." More attacks from Zinke and other Republicans will only lead to more business for Patagonia, which equals "an increased bottom line for a company that defends #MonumentsForAll," the Democrats said. The confrontation could be paying off for Patagonia. Teresa Courage, a former Utah resident who now lives in New York, said on the company's Facebook page that she did all her Christmas shopping at Patagonia because of its politics. "I love supporting a company that's going to go out on a limb and do that," she told The Associated Press. "It speaks to me about its integrity. They're not just following the money." ___ Associated Press writer Michelle Price in Salt Lake City contributed to this story. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Latest on a former Oklahoma City mayor and member of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents who is being criticized for comparing gay people to pedophiles (all times local): 5:15 p.m. The chair of the board that governs the University of Oklahoma system says the panel disagrees with one of its members saying that gay people are like pedophiles. FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2006 file photo, Kirk Humphreys, the former mayor of Oklahoma City, speaks at a news conference in Oklahoma City. Humphreys, a member of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, is being criticized Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, for comparing gay people to pedophiles and politicians who have resigned recently after allegations of sexual misconduct. Humphreys made the comments over the weekend on a television public affairs show. The LGBTQ advocacy group Freedom Oklahoma has called for his removal from the board if he does not apologize. (AP Photo/File) Chairman Clay Bennett, who also is chairman of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, said in statement Monday that the OU board of regents values students' diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Bennett said the board is reiterating its commitment to fairness and inclusion at OU system universities. Humphreys made the comments on KFOR-TV's public affairs show over the weekend. The former Oklahoma City mayor also compared gay people to politicians who've recently resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct. Humphreys has not responded to requests from The Associated Press for comment. ___ 2:25 p.m. The University of Oklahoma's student body president is chastising a Board of Regents member who compared gay people to pedophiles. Student government President J.D. Baker released an open letter Sunday urging the campus to voice its opinion about comments Kirk Humphreys made on a local TV public affairs show over the weekend. Baker says the comments were "outright disrespectful, out of line and ignorant." The president of the university's LGBTQ Alumni Society went a step further Monday, calling on Humphreys to resign. Joe Sangirardi says Humphreys serves as a regent to support students, not attack them. Humphreys made the comments during KFOR-TV's public affairs show. The former Oklahoma City mayor also compared gay people to politicians who've recently resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct. Humphreys has not responded to requests from The Associated Press for comment. ___ 12:15 p.m. The president of the University of Oklahoma is distancing himself from comments made by a Board of Regents member who compared gay people to pedophiles. University President David Boren said in a statement Monday that board member and former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys wasn't speaking on behalf of the university. Boren also says he doesn't share Humphreys' views and that the university is a diverse and inclusive family. Humphreys made the comments during a local TV public affairs show that aired over weekend on KFOR-TV. He also compared gay people to politicians who've recently resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct. A staffer at Humphreys' office says he was out of town Monday and unavailable to comment. Humphreys also didn't immediately reply to an email seeking comment from The Associated Press. ___ 10:55 a.m. A former Oklahoma City mayor and member of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents is being criticized for comparing gay people to pedophiles. Kirk Humphreys made the comments over the weekend on KFOR-TV's public affairs show. He also compared gay people to politicians who've recently resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct. LGBTQ advocacy group Freedom Oklahoma has called for his removal from the board if he doesn't apologize. Executive Director Troy Stevenson says Humphreys' comments were disheartening and dangerous for LGBTQ youth who are already harassed and bullied. A staffer at Humphreys' office said he was out of town Monday and unavailable to comment. Stevenson said Monday his group will protest an Oklahoma City real estate project that belongs to Humphreys' family business if he doesn't apologize. NEW YORK (AP) - Some stinging mistakes in stories involving President Donald Trump have given him fresh ammunition in his battle against the media while raising questions about whether news organizations need to peel back the curtain on how they operate. The president tweeted six attacks on what he calls "fake news" over the weekend, saying the "out of control" media puts out purposely false and defamatory stories. That led to a contentious exchange at Monday's White House press briefing between press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and CNN's Jim Acosta. "Journalists make honest mistakes," Acosta said. "That doesn't make them fake news." President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. Trump is returning from a trip to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) When Sanders responded that reporters should own up to their mistakes, one said, "we do." "Sometimes, but a lot of times you don't," she said. "There's a very big difference between honest mistakes and purposely misleading the American people." Trump has his own issues: the Washington Post's fact-checking blog counted 1,628 false or misleading claims made by the president in his first 298 days in office. Still, it was an undeniably bad week for news organizations reporting on investigations into the Trump campaigns dealings with Russia. ABC News suspended Brian Ross for incorrectly reporting the timing of a Trump directive to Michael Flynn. Several news outlets wrongly reported that Trump and his family's bank records were the subject of the special prosecutor's subpoena. And CNN corrected a story on the timing of a tip to the Trump campaign about damaging information on Democrats. With the hyper-speed of the modern news environment, the stories spread swiftly beyond their original source. News organizations corrected themselves but fell short in their explanations, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a communications professor and the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. "When a mistake is made, the public really needs to understand why it was made and what corrections have been put in place to make sure it doesn't happen again," she said. In announcing Ross' four-week suspension, ABC News issued a two-paragraph statement saying the story "had not been fully vetted through our editorial standards process." Executives were not made available to explain to the public what exactly that meant. Ironically, the only time ABC News President James Goldston's reaction to the error was heard came from a leaked tape of him talking to staff members obtained by CNN's media reporting team. Sanders specifically cited Ross' story when asked for an example of one that was purposely misleading. When CNN made its mistake a week later, its own executives did not talk publicly about it - even when the topic was discussed on the network's weekend show about the media, "Reliable Sources." Network representatives, speaking without allowing a name to be attached, blamed the error on sources that provided information to reporters Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb. That still left questions: New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen wondered, for example, how it was possible that different sources made the same error about a date. CNN earlier this year fired journalists involved in a discredited story about former Trump aide Anthony Scaramucci. CNN said - again, without allowing a name to be attached- Raju and Herb followed the network's procedures for sensitive stories. In the Scaramucci case, the reporters didn't. Again, it was up to consumers to decipher precisely what that meant. CNN's communications staff, responding Monday to Trump's tweet that he once called anchor Don Lemon "the dumbest man on television," said "in a world where bullies torment kids on social media to devastating effect on a regular basis with insults and name calling, it is sad to see our president engaging in the very same behavior himself. Leaders should lead by example." With politicians targeting journalists, it is more important than ever to be clear, Jamieson said. People need to know that there are consequences when reporters make mistakes, and what those consequences are, she said. She pointed to The Washington Post, which last Friday began what it said will be an occasional series of videos about its operations. The first, titled "How to Be a Reporter," featured interviews with two journalists who worked on the newspaper's story about Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore dating young girls. The reporters explained how they were tipped to the story and went about reporting it. "As corny as it sounds, the agenda is to find out what the reality is, what the truth is of the story," said reporter Stephanie McCrummen. "That's it." Over the weekend, Trump demanded an apology from the Post for a photo that he said was deceptive about the number of people who attended his Florida rally, since it had been taken while people were waiting outside. Post reporter Dave Weigel apologized; Trump later said he should be fired. On Monday, Trump said a Times story exaggerated the amount of time he watched television each day, and that he seldom watched CNN or MSNBC. The Times said its story was based on interviews with 60 people, "including many who interact with President Trump every day." ___ Associated Press reporter Kenneth Thomas in Washington contributed to this report. BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - The United States said Monday that the World Trade Organization is losing its focus on trade negotiation and "becoming a litigation-centered organization." U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer also complained that some WTO members try to gain concessions through lawsuits that he said they could never get at the negotiating table. "We have to ask ourselves whether this is good for the institution and whether the current litigation structure makes sense," Lighthizer said at the WTO's ministerial meeting that is being held in Argentina. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, left, Mexico's Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, center, and Switzerland's Johann Schneider-Ammann, gather for before the start of the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Without naming names, he also said some member countries use their status as developing nations to obtain concessions and don't follow WTO rules. "We need to clarify our understanding of development within the WTO," he said. "We cannot sustain a situation in which new rules can only apply to the few, and that others will be given a pass in the name of self-proclaimed development status." President Donald Trump has said the policy of the U.S. "is to aggressively promote and use American-made goods." Some member nations that favor free trade have decried what they say are Trump's protectionist measures. But many also acknowledge the 164-nation WTO needs reform. "We believe that it's not sustainable to advance in a scheme where one is always the protectionist and the other one (is) the one who always breaks the rules," Argentine President Mauricio Macri said Sunday during the event's launch. "The problems of the WTO will be resolved with more WTO, not less WTO." Earlier this year, 10 WTO members, including the European Union, Canada and Japan, urged Washington to continue honoring the trade body's "Government Procurement Agreement" that binds the U.S. and 45 other countries - mostly EU members - to open government procurement markets to foreign competition and make them more transparent. This week's meeting in Buenos Aires will also address issues including food and agriculture, e-commerce, fisheries, and development. A network of worldwide civil society organizations says about 60 of its experts who were planning to attend had their credentials revoked by Argentina's government. A delegate sits waiting for the start of the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017.(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida couple left a boy alone in a trailer for about two months. The Pensacola News Journal reports that 34-year-old Jennifer Nichols and 32-year-old Joshua Sanders were arrested Nov. 30 and charged with child neglect. Officials didn't say how old the boy was or how he was related to Nichols or Sanders. A woman told Escambia County deputies she began renting the trailer to the couple at the beginning of September. She eventually realized that the child was living there alone, though the couple would occasionally bring him food and money. The woman told investigators when she contacted the couple, Sanders told her it was not her problem as long as he paid the rent. Nichols and Sanders remained jailed Monday. Jail records didn't list an attorney. ___ Information from: Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com A woman making a long-planned trip with her parents and young son says Spirit Airlines kicked the family off the plane when she didn't immediately stop breast-feeding the 2-year-old, who was restless after a long delay. Mei Rui, a concert pianist and cancer researcher, says she asked for a few minutes to let her son fall asleep in her arms while the plane was still at the gate in Houston and other passengers were walking around. A Spirit spokesman disputed the woman's account on Monday. He said Rui repeatedly failed to follow flight attendants' instructions to buckle her son into his seat after the plane's door was closed. The spokesman, Stephen Schuler, said that Rui told crew members they would have to drag her off the plane while she recorded them. The incident is the latest in a growing series of confrontations between airline passengers and crews, some of which have been captured on video and posted on social media. The dragging of a United Express passenger from a plane in Chicago last April seemed to be a defining event that led to new policies on United and other carriers. But those policy changes were mostly designed to reduce oversold flights and didn't address situations like the one Friday at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport. Rui, who came to the U.S. from China at age 14 and has excelled in music and works at a prominent cancer clinic in Houston, said her family boarded Spirit Flight 712 around 5:45 a.m. for the scheduled 6:30 trip from Houston to Newark. After sitting at the gate for more than two hours during a weather delay, everyone was ordered off the plane. Passengers then re-boarded, but Rui's son was having trouble sleeping, so she started nursing him. Two flight attendants told Rui her son had to be in his seat. She said she appealed to be given "a couple more minutes" so the boy would fall asleep, then she would buckle him in. "I did not want to be that parent with the screaming kid," Rui said in an interview. Passengers were ordered off the plane again, by which time, Rui said, her son was back in his seat. It was too late. While other passengers boarded for the third time, Spirit employees and several police officers blocked her family from returning to the plane, she said. Schuler, the airline spokesman, said Spirit was forced to remove the passenger for refusing to follow crew orders to buckle in after the main door was closed. He said police were called when Rui tried to force her way back on board. "Multiple reports from the crew and other passengers nearby confirm the doors were closed when the incident happened," Schuler said in an email. Rui called that "a blatant lie. We were stationary at the gate and the plane door was still open so people were walking around." She also said police were called before her family left the plane - they saw the officers at the end of the jet bridge. Rui said she was going to New York City for a recording with patients that is part of a cancer study. She never got there. Schuler said as a courtesy Spirit refunded Rui's entire trip and offered to book her on another airline, but she declined. ___ David Koenig can be reached at http://twitter.com/airlinewriter BARBERTON, Ohio (AP) - Authorities say an Ohio woman shot her husband multiple times earlier this year and dismembered his body. Forty-nine-year-old Marcia Eubank has been charged with murder in the death of 54-year-old Howard Eubank. Records don't show an attorney for her. The Summit County sheriff's office says in a release that deputies went to the couple's home in Coventry Township in suburban Akron on Saturday when the couple's adult son called about possible remains. The deputies found deteriorating remains tentatively identified as those of Howard Eubank. The release says investigators believe Eubank was killed earlier this year in a "domestic-related incident." Authorities say Marcia Eubank was arrested later Saturday in a store parking lot. A Barberton Municipal Court judge on Monday set bond for her at $1 million. WASHINGTON (AP) - A government watchdog on Monday urged the Education Department to resume the process of forgiving student loans for tens of thousands Americans who were defrauded by for-profit colleges. The Office of Inspector General, an independent body within the education agency, recommended in a report that the department restart "review, approval, and discharge process" for defrauded studs. The group also recommended that the department establish timeframes for considering the claims and "develop controls to ensure timeframes are met." The report also noted that the department has significantly shrunk the staff of its unit the processes these claims, from 19 contracted staff, on top of attorneys, in November 2016, to just six contracted staff in September 2017. A spokeswoman for the department did not immediately return a request for comment. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has come under criticism for stalling the review of over 95,000 claims for loan cancellations. The agency has not approved a single claim during her time in office and DeVos' critics charge that she is looking out for the interests of the for-profit industry, rather than colleges. DeVos says she needs time to put together new rules for how loans are forgiven that would be fair to students, but also prevent any potential abuse of the system. The AP reported in October that the department is considering abandoning the Obama-era practice of full loan forgiveness in favor of partial relief. The department has halted Obama-era revisions to the process of loan forgiveness that boosted protections for students, citing pending litigation. The agency is now in the process or rewriting those rules with input from educators and experts. Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate committee overseeing education, said the report confirms that DeVos "tried to shirk her responsibility to these students and shut down the borrower defense program, leaving them with nowhere to turn." "Secretary DeVos needs to stop listening to the for-profit executives she hired and start following the recommendations of the Department's independent watchdog by providing much needed, and legally required, relief to students who were cheated out of their education and savings," Murray said in a statement. BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut zoo is welcoming the addition of two tiger cubs. Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport said Monday that its 10-year-old Amur tiger, Changbai, gave birth Nov. 25 to four tiger cubs, but only two survived. The surviving female cubs were taken from Changbai when she showed no interest in taking care of them. The 2-week-old cubs are in seclusion in the zoo hospital. Staff is hand-feeding the cubs five times a day. This Dec. 11, 2017, photo released by Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo shows one of two new tiger cubs at the zoo in Bridgeport, Conn. The zoo's 10-year-old Amur tiger, Changbai, gave birth Nov. 25 to four cubs but only two survived. The 2-week-old female cubs, removed from the mother when she showed no interest in taking care of them, are in seclusion in the zoo hospital. They are being hand fed five times a day. (Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo via AP) The zoo says one of the four kittens had been found unresponsive after birth and a second kitten died later that night. Director Gregg Dancho says every possible effort was being made to help the kittens survive. The zoo says Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are very rare. In this Dec. 11, 2017, photo released by the Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, two new tiger cubs huddle together at the zoo in Bridgeport, Conn. The zoo's 10-year-old Amur tiger, Changbai, gave birth Nov. 25 to four cubs but only two survived. The 2-week-old female cubs, removed from the mother when she showed no interest in taking care of them, are in seclusion in the zoo hospital. They are being hand fed five times a day. (Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo via AP) JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli military said it intercepted a rocket launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip late Monday, a few hours after Israel bombed Hamas military positions in retaliation for rocket fire earlier in the evening. The military said in a statement that the Iron Dome missile defense system shot down a rocket fired at Israel from the Palestinian territory. No injuries or damage were reported in Israel. Shortly afterward, an Israeli tank responded by bombarding a Hamas military position in the northern Gaza Strip, the military said. No injuries were reported. Earlier, Israeli planes and tanks shelled the coastal territory after militants fired a rocket toward southern Israel, in what was the latest in a series of cross-border exchanges that have left at least four Palestinians dead since Friday. Monday's strikes came a day after Israel said it destroyed a tunnel built by Hamas that ran several hundred meters (yards) into Israeli territory. Hamas threatened Israel with a "heavy price" for demolishing the tunnel. Palestinians and Israeli forces have clashed across the West Bank and along the Gaza border following President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Palestinians were infuriated by the president's declaration last week, because they seek east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. LANSING, Mich. (AP) - A government safety panel on Monday urged the temporary shutdown of twin oil pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac until their operator can finish inspections and repair coating gaps, after some members expressed concerns over a recent deal between the state and Enbridge Inc. The Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board approved the non-binding resolution as members of Gov. Rick Snyder's administration who sit on the panel abstained from voting. Other non-binding resolutions call for temporarily halting the flow of oil during storms that produce sustained waves at least 3 feet (0.9 meter) high for longer than an hour, instead of an 8-foot (2.4-meter) threshold included in the agreement, and recommend that a "more robust" study of alternatives to Line 5 be completed. The agreement, announced Nov. 27, sets an Aug. 15 deadline for determining the future of the nearly 5-mile-long (8-kilometer) segment beneath the channel where Lakes Huron and Michigan converge. Options include shutting down the pipeline or routing it through a tunnel beneath the lakebed where it now rests. Because five or six members of the 16-person board voted for the measures while many others abstained, there was confusion over whether they had passed. Co-chairwoman Valerie Brader, executive director of the Michigan Agency for Energy, said she expected the Republican governor's administration to consider the resolutions as advisory while also taking note of the number of abstentions. Board member Jennifer McKay of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council said she hopes the governor gives the resolutions "due consideration" and seeks amendments to the deal. Although the federal government regulates oil pipelines, Michigan owns the lake bottom and in 1953 granted an easement to the Canadian company allowing the pipeline to go there. "We know we have coating gaps. It's a violation of the easement and it only makes sense to shut down the pipeline until Enbridge can adequately address and fix the coating issues to ensure we don't have any type of rupture or leak," she said. The line transports about 23 million gallons (87 million liters) daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario. At least four board members expressed frustration that Snyder struck the agreement without their input, contending it short-circuited the public process and signals that tunneling the pipeline is ultimately the state's preference. State officials on the board, however, said the deal is an interim one and is not intended to "prejudge" the fate of the pipeline. "Certainly apologies if there was any perceived disrespect," said Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh. "As we heard about the entire length of the pipeline, there were some measures put into place ... to ensure that there was a higher standard essentially in the interim as this board contemplates the future of Line 5." Some board members, including a state Public Service Commission member and a representative for Attorney General Bill Schuette, said they had not had a chance to adequately study the resolutions at the meeting and they should have been circulated earlier. Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy said the company was evaluating the measures. "We believe the Nov. 27 agreement between Enbridge and the State of Michigan benefits everyone who wants to protect communities and the environment around the Great Lakes," he said. While not ruling out a permanent shutdown, the agreement includes a series of steps intended to boost the underwater pipes' safety. Enbridge agreed to evaluate three options by June for routing the underwater segment through a tunnel or trench, on or beneath the lakebed - either using the existing pipes or building a new one. The company promised steps to prevent the lines from being damaged by a ship anchor, expedite monitoring of the pipelines with cameras or other devices, and speed up methods for detecting potential ruptures and responding to spills. Additionally, Enbridge said it would replace another section of Line 5 beneath the St. Clair River where it crosses the U.S.-Canadian border with a new pipe inside a tunnel after receiving federal and state permits. The company has repeatedly insisted the underwater segment installed is in good condition and has never leaked. However, state officials and environmental groups have expressed alarm over recent disclosures of gaps in its exterior layer of protective enamel coating and unsupported spaces beneath the pipes. ___ Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/David%20Eggert . Leading Cabinet Brexiteer Michael Gove has said voters will be able to force changes to an EU withdrawal deal at the next election if they do not like it. The Environment Secretarys comments came as Prime Minister Theresa May won public backing from both wings of the Tory party after securing an agreement with Brussels to start post-Brexit trade negotiations. Under the deal, Britain will pay a divorce settlement of between 35 billion to 39 billion, allow the European Court of Justice (ECJ) a legal role for eight years after withdrawal, and ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. I've consistently said that we want to build a deep and special partnership with the EU as we implement the decision of the British people to leave in March 2019. Todays deal will provide clarity and certainty for UK business and for all our citizens. pic.twitter.com/9eiMzVCAZS Theresa May (@theresa_may) December 8, 2017 Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Gove said: The British people will be in control. If the British people dislike the agreement that we have negotiated with the EU, the agreement will allow a future government to diverge. The Environment Secretary said that after a transition period, the UK would have full freedom to diverge from EU law on the single market and customs union. The comments came as it emerged the Cabinet is set to finally discuss what the UKs post-Brexit end state relationship with the EU should be at a meeting on December 19. Ive made six key commitments to Northern Ireland as part of my negotiations with the EU: https://t.co/BgWa0cEdqu pic.twitter.com/lVaMO2keC8 Theresa May (@theresa_may) December 8, 2017 The gathering is expected to see prominent Leave campaigners such as Mr Gove and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson argue their Brexit version of withdrawal against the softer stance taken by Chancellor Philip Hammond and Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage predicted that Tory anger at Mrs Mays agreement with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker would emerge over the weekend. He told the BBC: I think that within the next 48 hours you will hear a lot more Conservative voices saying, actually, they are not happy with whats happened today. (PA Graphics) Proposals allowing the ECJ a role in overseeing EU citizens rights in Britain for eight years after Brexit have caused concern to some Tories, as well as a compromise on the Irish border issue which stated that if no trade deal is reached, the UK as a whole will maintain full alignment with elements of the EU single market and customs union which support the economy of the island of Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement. Tory former Brexit minister David Jones warned this could severely handicap Britains ability to enter free trade agreements covering areas such as agriculture with countries outside the EU, such as the US. But, Justice Minister Dominic Raab said the details of how to deal with the issue of the Irish border had still to be worked out in full. He told BBC 2s Newsnight: You can call it strategic ambiguity, you can call it constructive ambiguity what I am admitting to you, very openly, and honestly, is that we have agreed principles, but that the details still need to be ironed out on this very bespoke set of issues around Northern Ireland which cant be dealt with properly and responsibly outside of the context of the broader negotiation on customs and trade and all of those other things we have said all along. Nick Clegg has revealed how the decision to take his teenage son to the doctor for a tiny bump led to the shock diagnosis of blood cancer. The former deputy prime minister said it was after a family holiday in northern Spain in September 2016 that his son Antonio began complaining about a lump on the top of his chest. In an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, Mr Clegg described the 15-year-old, who he shares with his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, as an incredibly active, physically strong boy. With his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez (Steve Parsons/PA) To this day, I dont know what possessed me to take him to the GP, he said. It was those early days in September, you know, when you have to get kids ready for school. Miriam had to work very heavily that week, so I was at home most of the time, helping to do the preparatory things, buying clothes for the new term and Antonio said he had this thing. We had an afternoon, so I thought, Why dont I just take him, and hell stop going on about it. Mr Clegg said it was unusual for his son to complain, and that his decision to seek help was out of character as normally he is quite brutal owing to the mentality of his Dutch mother who thought going to the doctors should be avoided. The former Liberal Democrat leader said the GP was brilliant as lymphoma is quite a difficult thing to diagnose. You could barely see it with the naked eye. But he took pretty much one look at him and said, Thats not right, he told the publication. Describing the cancer as like a huge bunch of black grapes when viewing the x-ray, he said from then on it felt as though they they were sailing through a storm. Mr Clegg said: Antonio was extraordinarily brave and resilient. Im not sure he fully appreciated the enormity of it at the time. He said his son is now back at school, and in September told how Antonio received treatment at University College Hospital in London undergoing chemotherapy and taking heavy steroids. The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British women imprisoned in Tehran, said he is still optimistic his wife will be home for Christmas. Richard Ratcliffe said Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has made every effort during his two-day visit to Iran, with positive consequences from that. Mr Johnson has been seeking the release of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe as he held top-level talks in Tehran with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, right, meets Boris Johnson (Iranian Presidency Office via AP) With the postponement of a new court case against his wife, which came as a result of Mr Johnsons trip, Mr Ratcliffe said the weekend has been positive, but there is a risk of him over reading it all. We were fearing a bad day and we havent had that, which makes it a good day. I guess we will see what the next few days mean, he told the Press Association. But it feels like it a really good sign, almost like we have a momentum we have had a couple of things that have been positive over the weekend. Alongside his wife not appearing in court, she has also seen a psychiatrist and the propaganda pedalled against her through Iranian media has subsided, Mr Ratcliffe said. He added: It is all movement, it doesnt change the fundamentals but it makes the change in the fundamentals more likely. (Family handout/PA) Having always been keen to have his wife home for Christmas and for her birthday which follows soon after, he said he is optimistic that this is still achievable. But as Christmas gets closer it gets harder to expect, he added. I wasnt presuming that she would come back on the plane with him. So I think for me, it was always best case scenario that his going would unlock the door and then days later she might be able to come home. That is still possible, she has still got that application for early release, she has still got a medical assessment all those things that were hanging there on the good side are still there. The bad stuff that was hanging there seems a bit more remote, the good stuff feels like it is more and more likely to go ahead. Of course the bad stuff is still possible, and the good stuff is still not guaranteed, but the balance has shifted. (Vahid Salemi/AP) Asked what he would say to those who may suggest Mr Johnson has failed in not bringing Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe on the plane with him, Mr Ratcliffe said it was always going to be tricky. But it looks to me like he is making every effort that he can and it looks like there have been positive consequences from that, he added. Mr Ratcliffe said that until December 24 comes he is certainly hopeful of his wife coming home, and added: This weekend has given me more cause for hope, not less. Lets us hope the days to come are equally as good, and if they are, then yes she will be home for Christmas but of course they might not be. So I do need to reserve some energy in case I need to go again. The Government is failing Grenfell Tower survivors by leaving many homeless and without faith in the public inquiry six months on, Labour has warned. Jeremy Corbyn demanded action from the Prime Minister after it emerged more than 100 households that escaped the blaze were facing Christmas in hotels. Only 42 families from the tower have moved in to permanent new homes since the fire on June 14, a pace described by the Labour leader as a disgrace. (Jonathan Brady/PA) This week will see survivors and bereaved families mark the six month anniversary of the tragedy, while the public inquiry into its causes will hold two hearings. Mr Corbyn said in a statement: Six months on from the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Government is failing to learn its lessons and, more importantly, failing the survivors. It is a disgrace that the majority of Grenfell residents have still not been given homes and that tower blocks across our country have still not been made safe. We need answers from the Government and we need action. The judge-led probe into the disaster was thrust back into the spotlight over the weekend as Labour backed an overhaul of its format and Britains official human rights watchdog expressed misgivings. Shadow housing secretary John Healey wrote to the Prime Minister asking if she would respond to a petition launched by bereaved families and survivors in recent weeks. John Healey (Dominic Lipinski/PA) It called on her to install an expert panel from a diverse range of backgrounds to sit alongside inquiry head Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who has been criticised for being out of touch. Mr Healey said: It is clear that doing so will strengthen survivors confidence in the inquiry and increase their willingness to participate, both considerations that are absolutely vital to the inquirys success. He also asked for clarity on how the legal costs of the survivors and victims families would be covered. On Monday the Equality and Human Rights Commision (EHRC) announced its own investigation into the blaze, examining whether authorities failed in their legal obligations to residents. This includes whether Kensington and Chelsea Council fell short in its duty to provide safe housing to tenants and protect their lives prior to the disaster. Its decision to carry out an independent review will be interpreted by some as a vote of no confidence in certain aspects of Sir Martins work. A Government spokesman said: We expect the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to do whatever is necessary to ensure households can move into settled homes as swiftly as possible, taking into account individual needs. The council is moving at the pace of the families and individuals involved, and all families that lost their homes in the fire have been offered temporary or permanent accommodation. Hundreds of homes have been acquired to give people as much choice as a possible - nobody will be forced to move until they are ready The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to make a four-day official visit to Norway and Sweden in January and February. William and Kate will travel to the Nordic countries at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Kensington Palace has said. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Sweden and Norway from Tuesday 30th January to Friday 2nd February #RoyalVisitSweden #RoyalVisitNorway pic.twitter.com/q3dOyeiwZc The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 11, 2017 The royal couple will visit the Swedish capital, Stockholm, from January 30-31 then travel to Norways capital, Oslo, from February 1-2. The royal couple will visit two capitals early next year (Chris Jackson/PA) The duchess, who is expecting her third child, will be well into her pregnancy when she makes the trip. Head coach Antonio Conte insists Chelsea must be positive about the Champions League draw which sees his side face five-times European champions Barcelona. Having finished second in their group behind Roma, the Premier League champions were hoping for a potential last-16 tie against Besiktas but instead came out against Lionel Messis band of superstars. Its a draw. Our reaction must be positive, Conte said at his press conference on Monday ahead of Tuesdays Premier League clash at Huddersfield. Antonio Conte When you are in this stage you must be ready to face every team. In this case we must be ready to face Barcelona. When you play against Barcelona you must put 120 per cent at home and away if you want to hope to go to the next round. The first leg takes place at Stamford Bridge on February 20 - and is scheduled to be followed by Premier League matches at Manchester United (February 24) and Manchester City (March 3) - with the second leg at the Nou Camp on March 14. And Contes immediate focus is on the Premier League after last Saturdays loss at West Ham saw the Blues slip 14 points behind City as the Italian dismissed past battles with Barca. We've had some great times at Stamford Bridge, haven't we, @andresiniesta8? pic.twitter.com/R9BZq99HN0 FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 11, 2017 But he will hope to invoke the memory of their remarkable win over the Catalan giants in 2012, when goals from Ramires and Fernando Torres saw them reach the Champions League final on away goals despite the earlier dismissal of John Terry. The past is the past. Now its the present, another story. Its totally different, he said. Tottenham were also handed a questionable reward for finishing ahead of Real Madrid in their qualifying group as they were paired with last years runners-up Juventus. But Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool will be relatively content after being paired with Basel, Sevilla and Porto respectively. The round of 16 #UCLdraw has been made Backing your team to progress? pic.twitter.com/v7I6dSq7Tc UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 11, 2017 The remaining three ties pit Real Madrid against Paris St Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk with Roma, and Bayern Munich against Besiktas. Spurs can expect to face a sterner test than that posed by Juventus in their last meeting in a pre-season friendly at Wembley in August, which the north Londoners won 2-0. City will be delighted to land Swiss outsiders Basel. But they will have good cause to be wary against their experienced opposition, who beat both United and Benfica on their way to qualifying as runners-up from Group A. David Davis has said he does not have to be very clever to do his job as Brexit Secretary. Mr Davis insisted I do just have to be calm, revealing that last Mondays botched attempt at getting an agreement with the European Union to move to Brexit trade negotiations had tested that ability. Theresa Mays hopes of getting the green light for trade talks were torpedoed at the start of last week by the Democratic Unionist Party, which props up her Government, over concerns that plans for the Irish border could lead to a new frontier being drawn in the Irish Sea. Brexit Secretary David Davis said calmness is more important than cleverness in his job (Mark Marlow/PA) David Davis: I don't have to be very clever to do my job pic.twitter.com/3WujEb9j9K LBC (@LBC) December 11, 2017 The Prime Minister was forced into a week of negotiations with the Northern Irish DUP, Ireland and the EU before finally getting a dramatic last-minute deal on Friday, paving the way for trade talks. Mr Davis said the phone call Mrs May had with DUP leader Arlene Foster last Monday, which appeared to undo the planned deal, was a lot shorter than people say, and revealed his patience was tested by events. The Brexit Secretary told LBC radio: Whats the requirement of my job? I dont have to be very clever, I dont have to know that much, I do just have to be calm. And that did test the calmness a bit, a little bit. We will not accept any form of regulatory divergence which separates Northern Ireland economically or politically from the rest of the United Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/uCBVdfVQTJ Arlene Foster DBE PC #ProudofNI. (@ArleneFosterUK) December 4, 2017 Mr Davis also said he does not believe economic forecasts as he discussed the furore over the Governments failure to formally assess the likely impact of EU withdrawal on different sectors of the UK economy. He was accused of misleading Parliament last week after admitting no impact assessments had been made because their usefulness would be near zero due to the scale of change Brexit is likely to cause. The Brexit Secretary said: In the last 18 months Ive talked about impact here and there, but an impact statement, this is a thing that the Labour Party have been going on about, an impact statement has got a proper meaning in Whitehall, theres a definition of it and so on, including things like forecasts. UK govt did not make a formal quantitative assessment of economic impact of leaving customs union before it made that decision, says Brexit minister David Davis. This statement is unlikely to instil confidence in EU that UK knows what wants out of Brexit. CER (@CER_EU) December 6, 2017 Now I dont actually believe economic forecasts, they have all been proven wrong, I mean look at all the ones about Brexit. So what we do is we look at what we call a sectoral analysis which is the size of the thing, the size of the industry, employment levels, how much is dependent on Europe, how much is dependent on European regulations, how much opportunity there is in other countries. When you know those things, you know what you need to know. Discussing reports that he may retire in 2019, when the UK will exit the EU, Mr Davis dismissed suggestions he may have to stay in post during a post-Brexit transition period if a trade agreement has not been reached. He said: We want the substantive negotiation concluded before the transition period starts, I mean there might be details to be sorted but the main deal has got to be struck. Asked if those details would fall to him, Mr Davis replied: Anybody can do details, well let you do the details. Motorists have been warned to take care after the UK was covered with a blanket of snow, which is turning into dangerous ice. But some people were determined to enjoy themselves and the weather also made for some impressive vistas. (Steve Parsons/PA) (Owen Humphreys/PA) (Steve Parsons/PA) (Nick Potts/PA) (Steve Parsons/PA) (Steve Parsons/PA) (Gareth Fuller/PA) (Gareth Fuller/PA) (Gareth Fuller/PA) (Niall Carson/PA) (Niall Carson/PA) (Niall Carson/PA) Firms in the Square Mile are planning to shift 10,500 jobs out of Britain by the first day of Brexit as the economic reality of the vote begins to bite. EYs Brexit Tracker, which monitors 222 financial services firms, also shows that banks, asset managers and brokers are now expecting client facing and front office roles to leave Britain because of Brexit. The net result will be the loss of 10,500 highly skilled jobs to the City. The Square Mile faces an exodus of banking jobs in the wake of Brexit (PA) Although the figure is lower than the 12,500 estimated last year, the number of financial services firms publicly estimating job relocations has risen from 12 to 26. Omar Ali, EYs UK financial services leader, said: Contingency plans have developed significantly over the last year, putting firms in a stronger position to estimate how many UK jobs they need to move. Firms are working hard to find viable solutions that will allow them to continue to serve their customers and satisfy regulators with the minimum disruption. As a result, many of the jobs that are moving are client facing, front office roles to ensure that companies can continue to serve their clients under EU law from Day One. EYs Brexit Tracker shows that, since the referendum, 68 of the 222 companies monitored have said they are considering or have confirmed they are moving some of their operations or staff out of the UK. Cities such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Dublin will be the beneficiaries of a smaller City of London. Mr Ali added that the Governments announcement on Friday that it has agreed an outline for a potential transition sent a wave of relief across the City. Banks and financial firms are preparing to shift portions of their UK operations to the EU in hopes of safeguarding against the loss of passporting rights, which currently give UK-based financial services cross-border access to the bloc. Britain will lose passporting rights when it leaves the single market in March 2019. The fresh data will be sombre reading for the Treasury after figures showed that the UKs financial services sector paid its highest tax bill on record last year, raising fears that a Brexit banking exodus could ultimately harm Government coffers. The industry shelled out a total of 72.1 billion in tax contributions in the year to March 31, marking a 1% increase from a year earlier and resulting in the highest amount that the sector is recorded to have paid in the 10 years that data has been collected. Sir Mark Boleat, former Chairman of the City of London Corporation, said: This research confirms what everyone in British business knows that not only is Brexit damaging our economy now, but it will get far worse once we leave. Some financial services can only be provided in Europe by institutions based in countries in the Single Market. Thats just the rules. The Governments decision to take Britain out of the single market will force firms to move jobs away from the UK to Continental Europe. Donald Trump has said he wants to send man back to the moon - and on to Mars. The US president signed a policy directive on Monday instructing Nasa to refocus Americas space programme on human exploration and discovery. He said the move marks an important step in returning American astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 for long-time exploration. President Donald Trump holds up a figurine handed to him by former Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmitt, right (Evan Vucci/AP) This time we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint, we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps some day, to many worlds beyond. Past presidents, including George HW Bush and George W Bush, also proposed returning to the moon and missions to Mars, but budget constraints derailed their plans. Mr Trump was joined at the White House by several current and former astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, and former US senator and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Jack Schmitt, the next-to-last person on the moon. Former Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmitt hands a figurine to President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP) Today we pledge that he will not be the last, and I suspect well be finding other places to land in addition to the moon, Mr Trump said. No human has been on the moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. Only 12 men have set foot on the moon, all of them Americans. Under the directive, the government is also expected to work closely with other nations and private industry. By Joseph Ax LOWER MERION, Pa., Dec 10 (Reuters) - In Pennsylvania state Senator Daylin Leach's bid to win a seat vital to the Democratic Party's chances in 2018 elections of taking control of the U.S. Congress, his opponents may not be his biggest obstacle. Leach is running in one of the country's most gerrymandered congressional districts, one with such a twisting, winding shape that it has earned the derisive nickname "Goofy Kicking Donald Duck." The 7th congressional district has become a national poster child for critics of gerrymandering, the process by which one party draws district boundaries to ensure an advantage among voters. Democrats say the lines have helped Republicans like U.S. Representative Patrick Meehan, the four-term incumbent Leach seeks to unseat, to stay in office. That could soon change, however. On Monday in state court in Harrisburg, one of three lawsuits challenging those boundaries heads to trial. The outcome could shift several battleground districts in Pennsylvania and in turn boost the Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, where they last held the majority from January 2007 to January 2011. The 7th district is so precisely engineered that at one point it narrows to the width of a single seafood restaurant, snaking past two other congressional districts so it can link two far flung Republican-leaning areas. "Three congressional districts all converge on this spot," Leach said from the parking lot at Creed's Seafood and Steaks last week, as cars whizzed overhead on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. "This is the sixth; over there is the seventh; and down that road is the 13th," he said, pointing in several directions. "This is what gerrymandering looks like on the ground." Leach has at least four opponents to defeat in the Democratic primary before he would run against Meehan. A spokesman for the Republican did not respond to requests for comment on the trial over gerrymandering. Critics of gerrymandering say it helps explain why Pennsylvania has sent 13 Republicans and only five Democrats to the U.S. House since the 2011 redistricting, despite being a closely divided swing state. Republican legislators counter that the lines were drawn in accordance with the law and that their candidates have prevailed in elections thanks to superior policy ideas. The Democrats have targeted six Republican-held districts in the state as part of their quest to pick up the 24 House seats they need to overturn the Republicans, who also have a Senate majority and President Donald Trump in the White House. Democrats need to win the nationwide popular vote by at least 10 points in 2018 to do so, in part because of gerrymandered lines, according to Michael Li, a redistricting expert and lawyer at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice. "Pennsylvania is probably the most aggressive of the gerrymanders," he said. "You look at some of the maps in the Philadelphia suburbs, and it looks like a 4-year-old just slapped paint around." DISTRICT LINES ON TRIAL The non-partisan League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania sued the state in June, arguing the maps violate the state constitution by depriving residents of a meaningful vote. The litigation is part of a growing set of legal challenges to partisan redistricting, including a U.S. Supreme Court case out of Wisconsin that could for the first time establish a constitutional standard to measure the legality of such map-making. The high court is scheduled to decide that case by June 2018, five months before the midterm elections. "The politicians are not supposed to pick their voters; the voters are supposed to elect their leaders," said Mimi McKenzie, an attorney with the Public Interest Law Center who represents the League of Women Voters and other Pennsylvania voters. Spokesmen for the state's Republican legislative leaders, defendants in the case, said the redistricting followed the process laid out in the state constitution and that the U.S. Supreme Court has said political considerations can play a role. "They just can't understand how Republicans can actually beat their candidates," Stephen Miskin, a spokesman for Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai, said of the legal challengers. In addition to the state case, two pending federal lawsuits also challenge the district lines as unconstitutional. Legal observers consider the state lawsuit the most likely to succeed in time for the voting next November. The Democratic-majority state Supreme Court has ordered the presiding judge to render his decision by Dec. 31. The high court will then determine whether to accept his ruling or issue its own conclusions. The state lawsuit asserts the redistricting included numerous examples of blatantly partisan lines. Democrat-dominated Reading, one of the most economically depressed cities in the state, was carved out of the 6th district and placed into the reliably Democratic 13th, a move the plaintiffs said was intended to render the city's votes meaningless. Montgomery County, where state senator Leach lives, has approximately 820,000 residents, slightly more than the 711,000 needed for a single congressional district, but has been sliced into five separate districts. Leach said he would make gerrymandering a campaign issue. "It's theft of democracy," Leach said. "This is horribly destructive." (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Grant McCool) By Nicole Mordant VANCOUVER, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Canadian developers of cobalt and lithium mines stand to benefit from a round of investments from the makers of electric vehicles and the batteries powering them, a potential game-changer for small miners short on money to develop deposits of these critical battery ingredients. Toronto-listed cobalt companies, Ecobalt Solutions and Fortune Minerals, are in talks, ranging from preliminary to more advanced, with more than a dozen groups, including car and battery makers, on financing their projects, their chief executives told Reuters. The interest in miners from downstream players along the battery supply chain - a new area of investment for most - would provide a life-line to miners at time when equity funding for developers remains relatively tight after a five-year downturn on weak metals prices. "We anticipate additional transactions in the coming months and years. It is a function of demand-supply imbalance," said John Kanellitsas, President and Vice Chairman of Lithium Americas Corp, which raised nearly $300 million this year for a project in Argentina. A string of potential financing deals in Canada comes after a handful of predominantly lithium miners in Australia - the world's biggest lithium producer - secured investment from mainly Chinese automakers and battery makers this year looking to lock in future raw material supply. For a FACTBOX on recent deals, click: Lithium mine developers have been able to secure funding earlier than their cobalt peers as fears of a supply shortage started in late 2015, when cobalt was still in surplus. Like lithium, cobalt's price has doubled - but most of that upswing has come this year on concerns of multi-year shortfalls in the next decade as demand from the electric vehicle sector surges. Cobalt's fortunes are more closely tied to batteries than lithium's: about 55 percent of all cobalt goes into battery chemicals compared to about 40 percent for lithium, according to a Dec. 4 BMO Capital Markets report. For a graphic click http://tmsnrt.rs/2AE9JGq Although there are no guarantees that deals will be struck, the cobalt miners, who have been advancing their projects for more than a decade, are in their strongest position yet to secure funding, said Cormark Securities analyst MacMurray Whale. That is because of deficit forecasts due to constrained supply and expected soaring demand from the electric vehicle market. "All those elements together suggest to me that it can't be better," Whale said. MINING HUB IN CANADA With more than 1,200 publicly listed mining companies, Canada has long been the global hub for mine developers with projects around the world. Vancouver-based Ecobalt's "path forward" is to first sign a long-term supply agreement, called an offtake, with one or more customers to provide a portion of the funds it needs to develop its Idaho cobalt project, CEO Paul Farquharson said in an email. Once in place, this would significantly lower the risk for the project, making it more attractive for banks to provide debt financing and other investors to fund the balance. Ecobalt outlined plans on Dec. 7 to produce for offtake a cobalt concentrate, a less-processed cobalt product than initially planned - a step that could slash as much as $100 million, according to analysts, off its previous project capital cost estimate of $187 million. Ecobalt, whose Idaho project is the only fully-permitted, primary cobalt deposit in the United States, is the most likely of the Canadian cobalt developers to secure financing, possibly within six months, said Eight Capital analyst David Talbot. Canada's Nemaska Lithium and Mason Graphite , which both have projects in Quebec, could also secure funding in coming months, Talbot said. Graphite is another battery ingredient but unlike cobalt and lithium, batteries are not graphite's main end-use. Ecobalt's Idaho project has unique advantages over other projects including that around 75 percent of its revenue will come from cobalt and that it is located in a safe political jurisdiction, Talbot said. Almost all cobalt is produced as a by-product from copper and nickel mines, meaning output increases are dependant on other markets. More than half of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country racked by political instability and legal opacity, and where child labor is used in mines - a worry for automakers looking to secure ethically-sourced battery raw materials. Fortune, which is seeking more than $700 million to develop its Nico cobalt mine and processing plant in Canada, expects to secure finance in 2018 once it releases a feasibility study on an expanded project, CEO Robin Goad said. "Our biggest advantage is to be able to market our project as a Canadian source of supply," Goad said. (Additional reporting by Tom Daly in Beijing; Editing by Denny Thomas and Edward Tobin) BERLIN, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The German government condemned on Monday the burning of Israeli flags and use of anti-Semitic slogans reported at protest rallies in Berlin and other cities after U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert repeated Berlin's criticism of Trump's decision but said that did not justify anti-Semitic acts, adding that Germany had a historic responsibility to stand by Israel and all Jews everywhere. Anti-Semitism remains a very sensitive issue in Germany more than 70 years after the end of the Nazi-era Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed. Germany regards itself as one of Israel's closest allies. "One must be ashamed when such open hatred of Jews is on display on the streets of German cities," Seibert told a regular government news conference. "Our laws on freedom of expresssion and assembly guarantee everyone a right to peaceful protest, but this right is no free pass for anti-Semitic atrocities, for incitement and violence," he said, calling for continual efforts to combat such incidents. Trump's decision last week to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital reversed decades of U.S. policy and caused consternation across the Arab world and among Western allies. It has ignited "Day of Rage" street protests in the Palestinian territories and beyond. On Sunday, about 2,500 people demonstrated in Berlin against Trump's decision and one Israeli flag was burned, police said. They have launched investigations into 11 people, one of them related to the flag burning. On Friday hundreds of people had gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Berlin for "Day of Rage" protests. Police said they had detained 10 people during that protest and brought criminal charges against 12 people, including for burning Israeli flags. Additional "isolated" incidents have been reported in Munich and other German cities, Seibert said on Monday. A Justice Ministry spokesman said authorities would prosecute those responsible for the flag-burning incidents. Seibert also criticised comments made by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who referred to Israel over the weekend as a "terror state". "Basically, we see it as completely wrong, unacceptable and inappropriate to describe Israel in such a manner," he said. Other top German officials, including the foreign, justice and interior ministers, have condemned anti-Semitic acts and the burning of Israeli flags in interviews and on Twitter. A German foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday the country's ambassador to Kuwait had met Kuwaiti officials on Nov. 28 to discuss a separate issue that has raised concerns among Jewish groups about anti-Semitism. A German court ruled last month that Kuwait Airways had the right to refuse to carry an Israeli passenger due to his nationality, saying Germany's anti-discrimination law applies only in cases of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic background or religion, not citizenship. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Gareth Jones) SOFIA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Bulgaria has asked Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG to overhaul and maintain its 15 aged MiG-29 fighter jets in a four-year deal worth up to 81.3 million levs ($49 million), the country's defence ministry said on Monday. NATO and EU member Bulgaria needs to keep its Soviet-era aircraft operational after plans to buy eight new fighter jets hit another snag. The defence ministry will have to virtually restart the process and is yet to send requests for proposals to aircraft makers. Main contenders remain Swedish manufacturer Saab's Gripen jets, Portugal and the United States with secondhand F-16s and Italy with secondhand Eurofighter Typhoons. Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov has said Bulgaria may also send a request to Boeing for F-18 aircraft. ($1 = 1.6586 leva) (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov and Tsvetelia Tsolova; Editing by Greg Mahlich) BEIRUT, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister on Monday defended its ballistic missile programme and urged European countries not to be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's confrontational policy towards Tehran. In an op-ed article in the New York Times, Mohammad Javad Zarif also urged European powers to help preserve the landmark 2015 deal under which Iran curbed its disputed nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of a number of international sanctions. In October Trump struck a blow against the deal, approved by his predecessor Barack Obama, by refusing to certify that Iran is complying with the terms of the deal despite findings to the contrary by U.N. nuclear inspectors. Trump has also called Iran an "economically depleted rogue state" that exports violence. "Europe should not pander to Washingtons determination to shift focus to yet another unnecessary crisis - whether it be Irans defensive missile programme or our influence in the Middle East," Zarif wrote. His remarks seemed to be at least partly aimed at France which has been critical of the Islamic Republic's missile tests and regional policy, including involvement in Syria's war, in recent weeks. Last month French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "very concerned" by the missile programme and called for talks about it, an appeal rejected by Iranian officials. Irans missiles are for defensive purposes only, Zarif wrote in the op-ed. "We have honed missiles as an effective means of deterrence. And our conscious decision to focus on precision rather than range has afforded us the capability to strike back with pinpoint accuracy," he wrote. "Nuclear weapons do not need to be precise. Conventional warheads, however, do." While criticising the missile programme, European powers that were party to the nuclear deal - France, Britain and Germany - have reaffirmed their commitment to the nuclear deal and voiced concern at Trump calling it into question. Zarif also criticised rival Saudi Arabias regional policy and military campaign in Yemen but also called for dialogue. "As Iran and its partners labour to put out fires, the arsonists in our region grow more unhinged. Theyre oblivious to the necessity of inclusive engagement," Zarif wrote. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; editing by Mark Heinrich) By Andrea Shalal BERLIN, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital did not justify the use of anti-Semitic slogans at rallies in Germany. German police reported the burning of Israeli flags and use of anti-Semitic slogans at demonstrations against Trump's move in Berlin and other cities. Merkel said that her government, which has criticised Trump's declaration, would fight xenophobia with full force. "We condemn all kinds of anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and no disagreements, not even over the status of Jerusalem, justify such actions," Merkel told journalists after a meeting of the leadership of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Anti-Semitism remains a sensitive issue in Germany, one of Israel's closest allies, more than 70 years after the end of the Nazi-era Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany had a historic responsibility to stand by Israel and Jews everywhere. "It's shameful when such open hatred of Jews is on display on the streets of German cities," he told a regular government news conference. "Our laws on freedom of expression and assembly guarantee everyone a right to peaceful protest, but this right is no free pass for anti-Semitic atrocities, for incitement and violence." STREET PROTESTS Trump's decision caused consternation across the Arab world and among Western allies, and ignited street protests in the Palestinian territories and beyond. On Sunday, about 2,500 people demonstrated in Berlin and one Israeli flag was burned, police said. They said they were investigating 11 people. On Friday, hundreds of people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. Police said they had brought criminal charges against 12 people, including for burning Israeli flags. Seibert said other "isolated" incidents had been reported in Munich and other German cities. He also said it was wrong and unacceptable for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to have referred to Israel over the weekend as a "terror state". Germany's foreign, justice and interior ministers have also condemned anti-Semitic acts and the burning of Israeli flags in interviews and on Twitter. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Germany's ambassador to Kuwait had met Kuwaiti officials on Nov. 28 to discuss another issue that has raised concerns among Jewish groups. A German court ruled last month that Kuwait Airways had the right to refuse to carry an Israeli passenger due to his nationality, saying German law forbade discrimination only on the basis of race, ethnic background or religion, not citizenship. (Editing by Kevin Liffey) By Axel Bugge LISBON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Portugal's corporate sector is ripe for investment, said billionaire U.S. investor Paul Kazarian who became one of Greece's biggest bond holders and has now opened his first office in Europe in Lisbon. The Socialist governments in both Greece and Portugal have adopted impressive policies to put their countries on the path to recovery after the euro zone debt crisis, said Kazarian, who owns Japonica Partners. Both Portugal and Greece were bailed out during the crisis, but Portugal has returned to strong growth and exited its lifeline in 2014, while Greece still receives financial help under a programme which is expected to expire in 2018. "Both (Greece and Portugal) have done very well over the last two years, in terms of improving their financial house keeping," Kazarian told Reuters in an interview. "Let's see what happens, it looks good and they're both Socialist governments." In Portugal a centre-left Socialist government came to power in 2015, following a centre-right administration, and has led the country to its strongest growth in at least a decade. Greek leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has also led his country since 2015. "I wouldn't have thought a Socialist government with no business background and management expertise would outperform the prior governments (in Portugal and Greece). I think like 'wow.' If I was the prior governments, I'd be embarrassed." Kazarian's Japonica became one of the largest holders of Greek debt in 2013, at a time when most investors shunned Athens. Japonica made a tender offer to buy up to 2.9 billion euros in face value of Greek bonds. He would give no further details of that investment, only to say "we're long-term holders" of Greek debt and that some of the bonds have now matured. Kazarian says he saw an "anomaly" in the pricing of Greek bonds at the time that he may not find again. But he has now opened an office in Lisbon and is looking at investment opportunities, including real estate and technology companies. Portugal is seeing a boom in property and its technology sector is growing, not least thanks to Web Summit - one of Europe's largest tech conferences - having moved to Lisbon. Kazarian said he prefers larger investments and thinks there are possibilities in Portugal, where companies tend to focus on the Portuguese-speaking world, rather than globally. He said the typical Portuguese company tends to focus for expansion on Portugal's former colonies, including Angola and Mozambique, "and then that's it." "If you can find a very attractive franchise, or business, and you can truly then make it global, globally competitive, that's where we can add value." Some Portuguese companies are "extraordinarily self-content" he said, saying big firms can also develop in small countries. He added that Japonica's Lisbon office would not only look at Portugal but also at Europe. (Reporting By Axel Bugge; Editing by Matthews Mpoke Bigg) By Barbara Lewis LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Junior explorer Sula Iron and Gold plans to change its name to African Battery Metals, reflecting a shift in focus after it bought a controlling stake in a cobalt licence in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The deal, which needs to be approved by shareholders later this month, would make Sula Iron and Gold the first AIM-listed company to run the risk of developing cobalt in DRC, its CEO said. DRC is plagued by conflict, political tumult and issues of child labour, but is also home to around two-thirds of the world's cobalt supplies. CEO Roger Murphy said in a telephone interview his company had a competitive advantage through its links with Madini Minerals, a private company with experience of working in DRC. Its partners include Murphy and another Sula board member. So far, DRC production has been dominated by Glencore and China Molybdenum. Canada's First Cobalt Corp said in September it had decided to focus its efforts on Canadian cobalt, abandoning seven cobalt exploration properties in DRC it had considered. Analysts say more companies might have to consider DRC as demand for phone and electric vehicle batteries drives demand. Cobalt prices have more than doubled this year. Broker SP Angel said in a note the licence acquisition "provides the London market with a new exploration exposure to the growing interest in cobalt as a battery metal". Until now Sula Iron and Gold was focused on iron ore and gold in Sierra Leone. Murphy said the aim was to continue to develop those assets but through a subsidiary named Blue Horizon and the company may seek a joint venture partner. In DRC, African Battery Metals will explore a licence area of 55 square kilometres near existing cobalt and copper mines. Murphy said the company was paying $100,000 in two tranches for the licensed area, which is sold by DRC lawyer and businessman Jean-Pierre Mwamby, who retains a 30 percent stake. The company has also raised 1.75 million pounds ($2.34 million) before expenses through a share placement. ($1 = 0.7473 pounds) (Reporting by Barbara Lewis; additional reporting by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Editing by Adrian Croft) He was a rich man now, she hesitantly and doubtfully uttered in Gamperaliya, thus setting down the confusions and conflicts and shifts of temper that would adorn the first honestly conceived Sinhala film ever made. The man who taught her English in that sequence, conducting lessons under her mothers watchful gaze, aspired to be that rich man, and for the entirety of the film and its sequel, Kaliyugaya, he hoped to win her by gaining the wealth that his education would bring. She on her part gave the impression that she was no more than a submissive receptacle, never capable of any real free will or autonomy, and yet it was because of her submissiveness, her lack of a proper character, that the men and women who figured in her life changed so dramatically. In the very first scene of Gamperaliya Lester James Peries hence said everything that he wanted to say in this respect, and in so doing he went for the perfect couple: the English teacher was Henry Jayasena and the student was Punya Heendeniya. In the history of the Sinhala cinema women have typically been portrayed as either the objectified fantasies of men they were supposed to be, in which case they were paragons of virtue, or the vamps, the seducers, the rebels they were taught all their lives not to be, in which case they were confused prodigals. Beginning with Rukmani Devi, the female figure almost always embodied goodness, but when she lapsed, when she went wayward, the hero and the star was there to rescue her. The first 20 years of our cinema, right after 1947, saw this kind of woman before the arrival of Malini Fonseka, who in Punchi Baba and Akkara Paha began playing to the fantasies of men by alluring them. The women of our cinema had existed to be rescued and redeemed by their lovers. It was with Malini that we saw a qualitatively different woman. Between Rukmani and Malini, occupying a twilight world, we see Punya Heendeniya. Punya entered the industry towards the latter part of the 1950s as an idealised woman because Rukmani Devi, who herself was idealised, though as a more tragic figure, was situated in a largely urban and sophisticated setting. Punya figured in quite a different milieu: the rural Sinhala Buddhist bourgeoisie, who gained more prominence after 1956 and the election of Bandaranaike. In the films of L. S. Ramachandran Deiyange Rate, Kurulubedda, Sikuru Tharuwa we see the emergence and the empowerment in our cinema of this rural bourgeoisie, along with the myths that they affirmed and in a way symbolised. They all played around with variations of the conventional morality play, pitting good against evil and derived from the female goodness and male heroism which our culture (largely Sinhala and Buddhist) epitomised. Women were never allowed, in the early days, to a watch a Gammaduwa up close, nor were they allowed to don the headgear and go through the Ves Mangalya as they do today. That was at one level misogynistic, and was born in part from a culture of male protectiveness. The myth of female goodness derives for the most from this culture of protectiveness, and in Punya, who was featured in all those three movies, our storytellers found the archetype to square with that cultural sensibility. The first 20 years of our cinema, right after 1947, saw this kind of woman before the arrival of Malini Fonseka, who in Punchi Baba and Akkara Paha began playing to the fantasies of men by alluring them The outlook that was articulated and reflected in Deiyange Rate, Kurulubedda, and Sikuru Tharuwa was manifestly informed by the outlook of the Colombo Poets, who, while residing in Colombo, were obsessed with life outside the city. The village, to these poets (who were shaped by the Lake Poets of 19th century England), was the ultimate salvation of their country, their race. As opposed to the Peradeniya poets and novelists, who preferred a Westernised conception of literature, with the individualist, psychological subjectivity of D. H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf, their counterparts in Colombo inadvertently borrowed from the early English theatre (that influenced the novels of Samuel Richardson) and placed the rural Sinhala Buddhist bourgeoisie and peasantry on the stereotypes of that early morality theatre: the young hero, the ageing villain, the good girl. All three films depicted and placed Punya as that good girl. In these movies, she consequently privileges tradition over individuality, and gradually becomes bereft of a personality. Ediriweera Sarachchandra in The Sinhalese Novel (which bolstered Martin Wickramasinghes reputation) contended that the only characteristic of Nanda, from Gamperaliya, was her lack of any vivid character. She only existed to listen to her elders, to willingly reject any outside intrusions and step in line with the accepted authority. Gamperaliya was a more realistic, and thus a more multifarious, depiction of that obedient woman; Kurulubedda, which got praised so lavishly by Sinhalese critics (particularly those like Jayawilal Wilegoda) that it was erroneously considered the first real Sinhala film (instead of Rekava), wasnt multifarious this way. The women in it existed in a dichotomised world, between good and evil, submission and rebellion: in short, the past and the future. It was a Colombo poet who scripted these films, incidentally: P. K. D. Seneviratne, acknowledged by Lester James Peries as probably the only man at the time who wrote original movie scripts. He attributed to Punyas characters an emotional resonance and spirit of resilience which could easily be squared with the triumph of moral goodness within her. Punya was a beauty, but never overly and superficially adorned: she was more a simple village damsel than the cosmetic nightingale that Rukmani Devi had been, and continued to be. She gave the impression of being fragile, of being open to abuse and exploitation, but because of her moral standing perhaps, she warded off every and any obstacle that beset her (particularly in Sikuru Tharuwa, where she wards off the advances of the lascivious vel vidane, played by D. R. Nanayakkara). Her career was never as prolific and versatile as that of her contemporaries, but Id like to think this was more a strength than a weakness on her part. In an industry where men were said to make the moves long before Nadeeka Gunasekara, Swarna Mallawarachchi, and Anoja Weerasinghe came forward and, in the films they were in, repudiated the patriarchy inherent in their field being a prolific actress could have diluted her image of the perennially optimistic and tradition bound woman. We needed her at this juncture (the 1960s) because, while her characters seem rather overly optimistic and hopeful today, they help explain, and also reflect, the subtle ways in which culture and cinema cross each others paths even in a society where the movies are still derided as a Western import (like ours). Ramachandrans Deiyange Rate, an adaptation of the W. A. Silva novel, was a watershed in this respect. Punya was a beauty, but never overly and superficially adorned: she was more a simple village damsel than the cosmetic nightingale that Rukmani Devi had been, and continued to be. She gave the impression of being fragile, of being open to abuse and exploitation Peries did away with the need to bifurcate our women between goodhearted lovers on the one hand and unredeemable vamps on the other with Gamperaliya. I wrote before that in Lester we come across our first film-maker who raised flak and earned praise from every quarter in our critical fraternity. That was because he was uncompromising in his attempts to peel away the false and the tawdry, the remnants of the past, which the Sinhala cinema thrived on. If Gamperaliya seems too slow paced today (especially to those who have short attention spans) its because no one can match his meticulous attention to visual detail. To a considerable extent this was true of his depiction of the two main women in the story: the Kaisaruvatte sisters, Nanda and Anula. In Punya he had found the perfect embodiment of rural innocence, but he never forced her to become one-dimensional the way she had been earlier. What this compelled, subsequently, was an amalgamation of sensibilities between the realist in Lester and the romantic in Seneviratne. The two would amalgamate in Ran Salu. Kurulubedda was celebrated as the first real Sinhala film, erroneously, even though it was inspired by the visual loveliness of Rekava. Ran Salu, which is set against the urban bourgeoisie, in Colombo 7, was in that sense inspired by the milieu that was depicted in Delovak Athara, with roughly the same cast (Irangani Serasinghe, J. B. L. Gunasekara, Tony Ranasinghe). Laleen Jayamanne in her book Toward Cinema and its Double implies that in Ran Salu we see the authorial intervention of Peiris in the storys transformation of the innocent village girl to an innocent Colombo 7 girl. But that wasnt really Peries, because as he himself said frequently, he had no actual control over the plot: it was Seneviratne himself who had wanted to turn Punya into an urbanised version of the village damsel she had played before. Lesters film is an inversion of the modernist paradigm of getting the city to assimilate the village; Punyas character, Sujatha, well to do and complacent, sees the futility of such a thing and tries to achieve the opposite. Again, we see here that thin line between submission and rebellion, in turn reflected by the line between the past and the future. The past is idealised, poetically and in almost unrealistic ways, while the future is demonised (the antagonist, Cyril, who is engaged to Sujatha, dreams of such a future in England: he tells her father that he is disgusted by betel-chewing villagers). Unlike Seneviratnes previous forays, here goodness and badness are not concentrated in the village, but are instead split between the rural and the urban: the former epitomised by Dayananda Gunadawardena as Senaka, the latter by Tony Ranasinghe as Cyril. Her implied engagement to the former at the end, which subverts our expectations of her taking to the life of a nun, repudiates any image we would have entertained of her giving up her upbringing for the religious. Punya, going by that, remained moored to the secular world, as a harbinger of moral goodness: a secular life of explicit devotion. After her departure to Africa and later to England, with her husband, she returned to the cinema to play a different woman: the Nanda of Kaliyugaya After her departure to Africa and later to England, with her husband, she returned to the cinema to play a different woman: the Nanda of Kaliyugaya. We see a shattering of the idealisms of her youth here; all thats left is a shell-shocked, sterile, empty life. But one role was never enough, which is why, even today, as I look through all her performances, she remains the finest tribute to rural femininity we could have had. The cinema of rural femininity, in Sri Lanka that is, consequently belongs to her. New York (dpa) Dec 10, 2017 - Time is of the essence to find a diplomatic solution to rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the UNs political chief told North Koreas foreign minister during a visit to Pyongyang this week, a spokesman said Saturday. Jeffrey Feltman, the highest-ranking UN official to visit the reclusive communist state since February 2010, had a series of meetings with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his deputy Pak Myong Guk in the trip which ran from Tuesday to Friday. Both parties agreed that the current situation was the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today, the UN said in a statement. Feltmans visit follows last months launch by North Korea of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang said could reach the entire US mainland. But a UN spokesman stressed before Feltman set off that the invitation was extended on the sidelines of the UNs General Assembly in October, and was not in reaction to the latest provocation. Arab countries have demanded the US revoke its decision recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital, calling it invalid. This shift in the US policy on Jerusalem is a dangerous development whereby the US has isolated itself from being a sponsor and mediator in the [Middle East] peace process, Arab Foreign ministers said in a final statement following an emergency meeting in Cairo. The officials also called for a UN Security Council motion declaring that Trumps decision violates international resolutions and has no legal effect. The ministers called on their leaders to hold an emergency summit on Jerusalem, proposing Jordan as a venue. Jordan currently holds the rotating Arab League presidency. Prior to the meeting, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki said his delegation to the Arab regional organization would push for a clear reaction to Trumps decision. He also confirmed that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not meet US Vice President Mike Pence on his upcoming visit to the Middle East this month, as a symbol of protest. Trumps decision has outraged Palestinians and triggered street protests across the Arab and Muslim worlds. Earlier Saturday, Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church said it had refused a meeting with Pence when he visits Cairo. The move came a day after Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the head of al-Azhar, Egypts highest Islamic body, also announced that he was cancelling a meeting with Pence. The church said that Trumps decision to move his countrys embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has shown no regard to feelings of millions of Arabs. Cairo/Gaza, (dpa), 10 Dec 2017 By Sarah Thadhani Leading Sri Lankan porcelain tableware manufacturer Dankotuwa Porcelain PLC (DPL) sees ample opportunity in the neighbouring Indian market and is gearing to further expand its business interests in that country, a top company official said. According to DPL Chairman Ranjan Asirwatham, the company has tapped into the middle class Indian market and is further pursuing to increase demand for their products since a large proportion of the countrys wealth lies in that market as well as the numbers. The companys 2016/17 annual report said plans to capture a higher sale in the Northern Indian region continues through agents appointed to cover both the institutional and hotel sectors. Asirwatham also said the company has ramped up its marketing campaigns and is trying to follow the footsteps of tea major Dilmah in positioning its brand in the global market place. However, Sri Lanka has always been known for their tea and not porcelain ware. So it will be a rather difficult hurdle to leap over, Asirwatham told Mirror Business at the opening DPLs Signature Showroom in Colombo 07, recently. Dankotuwa caters to a custom specialized niche market where they manufacture and sell lifestyle based porcelain ware. Not only did this store feature its own home-grown brands - Dankotuwa and Royal Fernwood - it also houses worldwide brands such as Lenox and Portmeirion. Dankotuwa also manufactures for Englands longest leading porcelain brand, Royal Worchester, which is under the Portmeirion Groupe. DPL said one and a half years of their work has paid off as theyve introduced these two prominent British brands to Sri Lanka in order to enhance customer shopping experience and satisfy their various needs. DPLs clientele includes countries in the US and Europe but a few road bumps were faced with the depreciation of the Euro, which affected demand. As of now, Thailand and Bangladesh are Dankotuwas biggest competitors as they provide cheaper alternatives. Our overall growth plan for 2020 includes several new exciting initiatives such as Signature Showrooms aimed at taking the group to new heights, said Asirwatham. Porcelain is an expensive business and constant innovation will need to take place for DPL to remain competitive not just in the local but international market as well if it is to reach its seat at the table next to Dilmah. For the six months ended September 30th 2017, DPL posted a net profit of Rs.18.4 million, down 59 percent year-on-year (YoY) on a revenue of Rs.1.09 billion, down Rs.1.2 billion YoY. Since the end of Sri Lankas civil war in 2009, the number of tourist arrivals to the country has increased significantly, from 448,000 in 2009 to 1.8 million in 2015. By 2015, tourism had already become the third main foreign exchange earner (US $ 2.98 billion) in Sri Lanka. According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Strategic Plan 2017-2020 of the Tourism Development Ministry, the tourist arrivals have further increased to two million and revenue from tourism has risen to US $ 3.5 billion. In 2015, the Forbes Magazine placed Sri Lanka among the top 10 coolest countries to visit. These facts clearly show the huge potential of the tourism sector and how it can bring in more foreign exchange to the country. Tourism can improve the overall economy and thereby make a substantial contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisations (UNWTO) brochure, Tourism and the SDGs, and the revised list of SDG indicators, tourism could improve performance in all SDGs; this alone is reason enough to harness benefits of tourism. Interrelation between tourism and SDGs Tourism creates jobs countrywide by offering direct and indirect employment opportunities, particularly for youth, in both urban and rural communities. Domestic tourism accounts for a significant share of the sectors income, while expenditure by international tourists counts as exports for Sri Lanka. Thanks to its heritage and culture, which dates back to thousands of years, unmatched biodiversity, beautiful beaches and some of the worlds best marine resources, beautiful mountain ranges and other natural resources, Sri Lanka boasts of a huge potential for tourism-led growth. As such, if tourism is promoted more effectively, it would be one of the most important sources of foreign exchange earnings for the country. As tourism encompasses a wide range of goods and services, it generates multiple positive effects across other economic activities, penetrating the local economy and expanding the growth impact from trade. That said, while it is important to maximize on the economic benefits and other positive effects of tourism, it is equally important to develop strategies to ensure that the possible evil effects of tourism, such as the prevalence of drugs, prostitution, child abuse, are effectively controlled and minimized, so that Sri Lankas social and cultural values can be kept intact. The tourism sector is linked to all 17 SDGs and it would be useful to give due consideration to those links when developing strategies to improve the tourism sector, while taking a closer and more coordinated look at its contribution to achieving SDGs. To this end, it would be essential for the Tourism Development Ministry to collaborate with all ministries, departments, other governmental agencies, as well as with the private sector agencies, involved in planning and implementing strategies to achieve SDGs. Some of the ways in which tourism could make useful contributions towards achieving SDGs by 2030 are discussed in this article. Reduction of poverty and inequality and indirect contributions to agricultural, health and education sectors: Tourism fosters economic growth and development at all levels, as it promotes and helps entrepreneurship, especially among small businesses and the creation of employment opportunities, which reduces poverty and the grassroots level. It can spur agricultural productivity by promoting the production, use and sale of local produce in tourist destinations, resulting in higher and more stable incomes, which leads to more resilient and sustainable agricultural communities. Tourism can be a powerful tool for developing communities and reducing inequalities, if it engages local populations and all key stakeholders in its growth. It can reduce regional disparities by giving communities various opportunities to prosper in their own regions. Tourisms contribution to economic growth and development can also have a knock-on effect on health and education sectors in the country. Foreign exchange earnings and tax income from tourism can be reinvested in healthcare and services and in improving the educational facilities. As a well-trained and skilful workforce is crucial for tourism to prosper, the sector should also provide incentives for training and skill development among the employees. Improvements in water and sanitation: Tourism can play a critical role in achieving access to safe water, as well as hygiene and sanitation for all. The efficient use of water in the tourism sector, coupled with appropriate safety measures, waste water management, pollution control and technology efficiency, can be the key to safeguarding water resource, which should benefit all. Conserving and preserving environment: Tourism contributes to and is affected by climate changes. As such, it is in the sectors own interest to play a leading role in lowering energy consumption and shifting to renewable energy sources, especially in the transport and accommodation sectors, in-order to minimize any adverse effects to the environment. As a sector that requires substantial energy input, tourism can accelerate the shift towards renewable energy and thereby contribute to innovative energy solutions. Sustainable tourism has the potential to advance urban infrastructure and universal accessibility, promote regeneration of the area and preserve cultural and natural heritage sites the assets on which tourism sector depends. Greater investment in green infrastructure, such as efficient transport facilities with minimum air pollution, conservation of heritage sites and greener open spaces, will result in smarter and greener cities, which benefit locals as well as the tourists. As coastal and maritime tourism is important for Sri Lankas tourism sector, any tourism development activity in these regions should serve as a vehicle to enhance economic growth, improve livelihoods and create jobs, while ensuring the sustainability of the oceans and coastal areas. Sustainable tourism can also play a major role, not only in conserving and preserving biodiversity, but also respecting the terrestrial ecosystems. Improving public-private partnerships: Tourism development relies on excellent infrastructure and an innovative environment. Making infrastructure more sustainable, resource-efficient and clean could attract more tourists and other sources of foreign investment. Due to its cross-sectoral nature, tourism has the ability to strengthen public-private partnerships and engage international, national, regional and local stakeholders to work together to achieve the SDGs and other common goals. (Wimal Nanayakkara is a Senior Visiting Fellow of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) with research interests in poverty and is a specialist in sampling. He was previously engaged at the Census and Statistics Department, where he functioned as Director General for 12 years. He received his BSc in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Peradeniya and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Statistics from the University of Reading, UK. He can be reached at wimal@ips.lk) The elders among us still have nostalgic memories from the past when accomplished politicians ruled the country. This was several decades ago. The sacrifices they made and the dedication with which they serviced made the people happy. It is with a tinge of sadness that they talk about the vacuum created by these politicians who are no more or retired. The politicians who belong to this past era are of such high calibre. Their distancing from the present day politicians is justifiable. However, the present politicians live in a reverie for long years with little or no concern about their duties to the people. These politicians run around seeking support when elections are around the corner. Even in present times there are people who command recognition. One such person is the founder of the Pragna Pradeepa Programme Dr. Jayantha de Silva. He has been popular among the people for his dedicated service. He has been distributing large consignments of books and school requisites to the children from low income families and has implemented projects of his own to uplift the poor. This year marks 30 years in De Silvas career as a social worker. Withstood criticism It is an arduous task to be dedicated in serving the the people. Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala was a classic example of a great man who relinquished all comforts and sacrificed his whole life to serve his fellow men. However, it is sad to know that he has been subjected to criticism and humiliation rather than being praised. Regardless of praise or blame he continued with his services to the nation. He has strongly believed that one mustnt take to social service unless one is prepared to withstand criticism. Ultimately he was so disgusted with the country that he left for India, never to return. Dharmapala was hopeful of being reborn in India after his death. Dharmapalas life story is a clear indication of trials and tribulations facing a man dedicated to service. One can judge in the light of his life story what obstacles would have been experienced by this samaritan Dr. Jayantha de Silva, during his 30 years of serving the public. I thought of social service and started my ambitious career as a social worker early in life. I undertook that arduous task even before I took to politics. I followed the path of my parents who were social workers. They often said that the ideal life for a person would be to serve fellow men. Their vehement expectation was that I dedicate my life to serve the nation and my fellow men. Example is better than precept they say. My mother never allowed any visitor to leave at least without having a cup of tea. If it was lunch time he was sure to be hosted to lunch, is how he recalled the days when he was young and came under the care of his parents. Ananda College gave a new impetus to his ambition and equipped him with the noble concept that of serving the people. Several of the teachers at Ananda College were dedicated social workers who set an example to individuals like Dr. de Silva. I thought of social service and started my ambitious career as a social worker early in life. I undertook that arduous task even before I took to politics. I followed the path of my parents who were social workers -Dr.De Silva The right path In fact Ananda College had been founded by patriots to kindle the flame of wisdom in children belonging to ordinary families. I as one of them decided to follow in the footsteps of patriots who founded Ananda College. Everyone of these patriots shone as a beacon light to the children and helped to put them on the right path. With this in view I founded the Pragna Pradeepa Programme which today celebrates the 30th anniversary in its long journey, Dr. De Silva said. He said that Ananda College was the nursery where he was cast in a mold and turned out as a social worker. There was another indispensable character behind his success. This towering figure in the Pragna Pradeepa Programme is no one else, but its Secretary Deshabandu A Sumith Perera who has been playing an integral role. At the beginning the donation of school books was funded by Dr. Jayatha de Silva with his personal wealth. He spent the whole of his salary for this worthy cause. We inaugurated the Pragna Pradeepa Programme with only eight children. We were able to organise a loan scheme for low-income families, depending on self employment. We implemented projects to develop infrastructure facilities in under developed areas. The project to uplift the living standards of carters was just another special project implemented by us, Sumith Perera said. They soon realized that the Pragna Pradeepa Programme was for them and they joined hands with us to forge ahead. They offered us strength to make it a massive social service venture which functions as a local NGO. In reply to a question on the obstacles faced by the Pragna Pradeepa Programme during the 30 years, Sumith said at the outset that the people had a misunderstanding that this programme was just an attempt to gain cheap political mileage. But in the long-run they realized the truth that it was an endeavour to uplift underprivileged people and not one that was politically motivated, Perera said. They soon realized that the Pragna Pradeepa Programme was for them and they joined hands with us to forge ahead. They offered us strength to make it a massive social service venture which functions as a local NGO. At present it has a staff comprising 35 people who are rendering a voluntary service, he further added. Perera said that a massive donation of schoolbooks along with the holding of a cultural show have been scheduled for December 16 at the Campbell Park in Borella to mark the 30h anniversary of this programme. Sri Lanka has water problems and as the countrys urban infrastructure expands, those problems are set to exacerbate. Sri Lankas water problems range from too much water to too little water and the absence of a proper waste water management system brings in a whole lot of new problems. In this backdrop, what is the way forward for Sri Lanka? Mirror Business met with Andy Tan, Country Manager of Singapore and Export Markets (Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Myanmar) of Grundfos the Danish pump manufacturing giant, whose business is water sustainability to have a brief chat about Sri Lankas water future in a context where it has been predicted that water will be a scarce resource for over a billion Asians in about four decades. Can you explain the vital role of water supply and waste water management going forward for cities in Asia, which are said to undergo an unprecedented transformation with a massive number of people calling such cities their homes? With rapid urbanisation driving population growth in Asian cities, the region can expect about one billion more people becoming water-stressed over the next 35 years. With that, our water supply and waste water management systems play an important role in ensuring water security for all, which faces complications brought about by the consequences of climate change and the vulnerability of ageing water distribution facilities. Hence, these pressing issues call for a re-evaluation of our existing systems to adopt new technologies that would help us manage water as a finite resource, to which Grundfos is contributing through its latest innovations and solutions. What are the key challenges the Asian city planners face getting their cities ready to accommodate this influx of people who migrate from village areas to cities to upgrade their living standards? The increase in demand from the influx of people in cities will cause a greater strain on resources such as water the main challenge for Asian city planners is to ensure greater water sustainability by minimising any loss during the process. Sri Lankas unaccounted water rate water lost through issues such as pipe leakage is at 30 percent and 49 percent in Colombo. With increasing water demand on the back of growing consumer and business appetites, the last thing Sri Lanka needs is water wasted through poorly constructed infrastructure or networks. How Grundfos helps these cities address the issue of water leakage is with forward-looking water utility solutions such as our Demand Driven Distribution system, which uses an intelligent software that automatically adjusts the water flow through the use of remote sensors at the end user points of use. As you may know, Sri Lanka has embarked on an ambitious programme to make Colombo and its suburbs in the Western Province a megapolis. What would be the key advice youd give to Lankan city planners? One key thing to note would be to ensure that the city is smart when it comes to responding to the current climate conditions. Communities and industries must be self-sufficient by consuming the least resources. For example, pumps are responsible for a staggering 10 percent of global electricity consumption, while playing a vital role in the transportation and treatment of water in cities today. In order for a megapolis to function optimally for its citizens for the long term, it needs to look at performing effectively and efficiently in areas like pumps used in water transport and treatment. Smart technology is the key for cities in Sri Lanka, with the potential of Industry 4.0 to integrate into manufacturing and agricultural industries to reduce financial and environmental costs unprecedented. For example, Grundfos intelligent pumps in the iSolution range can save energy costs by 40 to 50 percent. Additionally, city planners need to consider how the megapolis can be resilient in mitigating the potential damages extreme weather events such as flooding can bring. Urban flood management requires a more holistic approach beyond measures like drains and canals and in order for a city to be prepared, intelligent practices such as implementing water level sensors to ensure that the existing drainage infrastructure from being overwhelmed. Also, Sri Lanka is building a port city reclaiming the sea. As a result, water is going to be a very precious resource. In this backdrop, what would be the best approach by Sri Lanka in terms of water supply and waste water management? As we understand it, Sri Lanka has issues largely pertaining to water treatment and transportation. To manage water and waste water well, it is critical to understand the complete water cycle, with each process and their inter-relationship clearly defined with a clear water policy and supported with strong enforcement. Each process should also be followed with market best practice and equipment. Desalination is always applicable in remote places or at least as a contingency water supply option. The key challenge with regard to desalination is always the high usage of energy. With that, Grundfos is able to advice on energy recovery for our desalination systems. Together with our motor technology and iSolution initiative, we are able to provide a more efficient solution. The recommended approach for Sri Lanka is to look towards digital technology, big data and intelligent products and networks to distribute water resources efficiently and solve large-scale environmental challenges. As mentioned, technology such as our Demand Driven Distribution can help municipalities better able to control water pressures in pipes and limit extensive leakage issues, helping them better manage their water resources. Grundfos understands the chain of importance in the water cycle and this is where we contribute with efficient energy solutions with our pumps. In recent times Sri Lanka has been battered by multiple incidents of flooding and part of the country has been experiencing the worst drought in three decades as a result of climate change. How can the smart technology adopted by companies like Grundfos can be of assistance to mitigate these extremities? Each situation for flood control and water management comes with its own unique issues and usually requires a very specific approach. At the same time, at an industry level, there needs to be an urgent reconsideration on how we could change the way storm water and water supply is managed, by better leveraging technology. In Sri Lanka, flooding is a common issue. Integrating the existing technologies into flood-preventative measures sensors, rainfall measurements, automation technologies, intelligent pumping systems, data analytics and industrial Internet of things can help to create a smart water grid. Grundfos provides a wide range of pumping solutions, including flood-control pumps, which can be engineered to provide a more customised solution and is engineered to cope with the heavy demands of flood management. Sri Lanka has also recently been hit by the worst drought in 40 years. Technology can play a significant role in mitigating droughts, in the form of data gathering to determine drought intensities, data-based analytics to detect and prevent water loss through pipe leaks, rainwater harvesting and energy-efficient water supply. To help drought-stricken cities tackle periods of water scarcity, Grundfos has supplied solutions that are able to utilise abundant solar energy to power water supply, such as the SQFlex submersible pumping system. The pump system offers the perfect water supply solution in remote areas where water is scarce and the power supply is non-existent or unreliable. In Sri Lankas water supply system, non-revenue water due to leakages remains a massive challenge to be addressed. Any thoughts, probably drawing analogies from other countries that faced the same problem and overcame it successfully? Sri Lankas unaccounted water rate is at 30 percent and 49 percent in Colombo. This water is lost through pipe leakages from wear and tear brought about unregulated water pressure. Using Grundfos Demand Driven Distribution is one solution where municipalities are able to control water pressures in pipes and limit extensive leakage issues. For example, in Cambodia, we worked with the national water authority to address the issue of non-revenue water, an issue which has been at the top of its agenda. We put in place our Demand Driven Distribution solution, which tackled water leakage issues by using an intelligent software that automatically adjusts water flow through the use of remote sensors at the end user points of use. In your opinion, how should water be treated a basic human right or a commodity? How important it is for a government to get the water tariffs right? In Sri Lankas case, water is highly subsidised and as a result, the countrys water agency is in perennial debt and cannot carryout upgrades unless the Treasury gets involved. Everyone has the basic right to water and sanitisation, which is also explicitly recognised by the United Nations. Grundfos recognises that adequate water tariffs are important in order to improve water use efficiency and securing financial sustainability of water utilities and operators. However, from our perspective, as a manufacturer of pumping solutions and technology, we want to highlight that there are also other key areas of considerations to ensure access to water for everyone, such as tackling issues such as non-revenue water. Despite their sustainability claims, the majority of Sri Lankan corporates give scant regard for water treatment in their production processes. Most of them say sophisticated waste water treatment plants are costly and beyond their budgets. Any comments? While industries have made great strides in switching to newer technology, adoption is still a challenge. However, what companies need to realise is that while advanced intelligent technology can cost more upfront, the benefits in the long run will exceed the upfront investment. As these innovations are further developed on a larger scale and with affordable distribution, an education process needs to take place and cost will be less of a barrier in the near future. What are your thoughts on the recent report by IFC, which stated that Sri Lanka offers US $ 2.7 billion worth of investment opportunities in waste water management? The Sri Lankan government has been implementing reforms to encourage private sector-driven growth to ensure sustainable economic development and it is heartening to see its Board of Investments identifying climate-smart urban water as one of its priorities. In order to realise this goal, greater attention needs to be paid towards ensuring energy efficiency throughout the infrastructure of the entire water cycle process whether it is at the collection stage, treatment or even supply. For example, in addition to providing efficient pumps, Grundfos also contributes at the design and specification phase, such as using Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling to determine optimal flow patterns for pumping stations and retention tanks. Our pumping, mixing, dosing and aeration systems are thus optimised for each other, ensuring a cohesive system working efficiently. The expected scale of investment will mean more opportunities for solution providers like Grundfos to introduce these advanced intelligent technologies that are both sustainable and energy efficient, playing a role in the expected 64 percent of waste water to be treated by 2030. However, in order for this to be sustainable, the government needs to also put in place a clear water policy, introducing interdisciplinary cooperation across utilities, authorities and companies. For example, in Copenhagen, urban planners had worked together companies like Grundfos and consultants including DHI and Ramboll, along with many others, to ensure a secure public water supply. While neighbouring Sri Lanka is struggling to attract higher numbers of tourists, the island archipelago the Maldives attracted 127,986 tourists this October, which was 8.9 percent more tourists compared to a year ago, with keen interest from Europeans. The European region sourced approximately half of the tourists to the Maldives, increasing 12 percent year-on-year (YoY). The German market had the largest influence in these numbers, with 15,007 tourists arriving, which was an increase of 14.9 percent YoY. The number of British tourists arriving in the Maldives was flat at 9,173. The Russian traveller numbers increased by 25 percent YoY to 5,485, while 4,898 Italian tourists travelled to the island nation, up 18.8 percent YoY. From Asia and the Pacific, 57,658 tourists arrived in the Maldives, up 5.7 percent YoY. The single largest market, China, fell by 2.6 percent YoY to 28,689 tourists, although the Indian market increased by 17.7 percent YoY, bringing in 7,414 tourists. The Americas market expanded 14.1 percent YoY to 5,008 tourists. Over the first 10 months of this year, arrivals to the Maldives increased 6 percent YoY to 1.13 million tourists. Approximately 511,000 tourists each came from Europe and Asia and the Pacific although the former market grew by 10.7 percent YoY for the Maldives, while the latter grew by just 0.9 percent YoY. The Americas market for the 10 months increased 21.5 percent YoY to 48,563 tourists, while the number of Middle Easterners arriving fell by 3.2 percent YoY to 42,740 tourists. The occupancy rate at Maldivian establishments fell to 60.3 percent over the first 10 months, compared to 63.4 percent YoY. The average duration of stay of tourists increased to 6.2 days, compared to six days a year ago. While leading Sri Lankan leisure group Jetwing recently said that for them, it is now too late to enter into the Maldives, many Sri Lankan hotel companies are still investing in properties in the archipelago. Interestingly, despite the higher arrivals to the Maldives, Sri Lankan leisure giants John Keells Hotels PLC and Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC, which are the largest foreign-owned resort operators in the Maldives, posted lower profits for the first six months of the 2018 financial year from April to end-September in their Maldivian operations. NSBM Green University Town Acting Chairperson Ruwanthi Gunathilake recently declared open the NSBM Career Fair with the presence of Deputy Vice Chancellor Chaminda Rathnayake, School of Business Dean Thilini De Silva, School of Computing Dean Chaminda Wijesinghe, Head of Student Affairs Baratha Dodankotuwa and academic and non-academic staff at the NSBM Green University Town, Homagama recently. Representatives from the sponsoring organisations were also present at the opening ceremony. It was able to link 63 leading companies with 2,850 students from NSBM and 43 other higher education institutions over the two days. NSBM Career Fair was organised to support graduates of the Schools of Business and Computing of NSBM who are graduating in December 2017 and are therefore, available for employment. In addition, undergraduates of NSBM who are available for internships also attended the career fair. Further, it was also opened for the fresh graduates and undergraduates of all other universities and education institutions. Companies at the fair were seeking candidates for entry-level employment and internships/training opportunities; they conducted walk-in interviews and successful candidates received their letters of appointment at the fair itself. Laugfs Holdings, Omobio and IFS R&D International conducted workshops on career guidance and skills development. IFS R&D International Director Software Development Mangala Perera, who spoke at a workshop, said: We really appreciate the effort made by NSBM to prepare students with the right skills and behaviours they need to succeed in the industry. We believe that the industry should actively support universities to improve the quality of the IT education because the IT industry itself mainly depends on the quality of professionals we get from the universities. Laugfs Holdings and Omobio were the Gold sponsors for the career fair (Laugfs Holdings was Gold sponsor for Business category Omobio was Gold sponsor for IT category) while Avery Dennison Lanka, Commercial Leasing and Finance, Hemas Consumer, Hirdaramani Group, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, IFS R&D International, ISM APAC and Moodys Analytics Knowledge Services joined the event as Bronze sponsors. Laugfs Holdings Manager Talent Acquisition Tharindu Somiratna said: Laugfs as a growing conglomerate, counts on Sri Lankan talent. NSBM Career Fair was a great opportunity to reach such young marketable talent. Omobio General Manager Samitha Nagasinghe said: NSBM Career Fair was a very positive and well-organised event. We look forward to this again next year and years thereafter. The sponsors of the event were awarded with a token of appreciation by Ruwini Gunathilake for their contribution at the event. NSBM Green University Town is a fully-fledged university town built on a 26-acre premise at Homagama. It currently houses over 9,000 on-campus students, which will record the highest student population among the state and private universities by the end of year 2018. NSBM offers UGC-approved and foreign undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in three streams namely business management, computing and engineering. New York City Police say a man is being held after an explosion at a bus station in Manhattan. The blast happened on Monday morning at the Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square. No-one other than the suspect had been hurt, officials say. US media quote police sources as saying that a possible pipe bomb was detonated in an underground passageway. Some reports says the suspect went into the station carrying a device that went off prematurely. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident. The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the largest in the US, serving more than 65 million people a year. The Times Square-42nd Street subway station complex is located underneath the transport hub. (BBC) Sampath Bank gave away special rewards to 25 students who had excelled in the Grade 5 Scholarship examination at a ceremony held at its head office premises recently. Sampath Bank PLC Managing Director Nanda Fernando and the members of the banks corporate management were joined by the students parents and the principals of their schools on this occasion. M.A.M.I. Jayarathna from GM/Welipillewa Kanishta Vidyalaya, Ganemulla, who was ranked second in the island at the Grade 5 Scholarship examination, was awarded with a cheque for Rs.100,000. The top five achievers in each district were given Rs.10,000 each with the schools of the children ranked first and second in the district receiving Rs.25,000 and Rs.20,000, respectively. The bank has been engaging students and parents through the Sampath Bank Grade 5 Scholarship seminar series since 2009. Seeking to support students from underprivileged backgrounds, the initiative provides them with the requisite knowledge and skills to help them better prepare for the Grade 5 Scholarship exams. Over 10,000 students attended the workshops that were held in Kirindiwela, Wellawaya, Polghawela, Galle, Homagama, Batticaloa and Ratnapura this year. National Freedom Front (NFF) Deputy Leader Weerakumara Dissanayake, National Organiser Piyasiri Wijenayake and North Central Provincial Councillor P.B. Kumara today joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by President Maithripala Sirisena. They obtained their new SLFP memberships from the President at the Presidential Secretariat. In a statement, the Presidents Media Division said the three members pledged their support to President Sirisena at the upcoming local government election. Video by Buddhi Unilever Sri Lanka, the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Sri Lanka and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Sri Lanka together announced the initiation of strategic public-private partnerships (PPPs)around the countrys key priorities related to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a media conference held on 7th December. Taking this message to the wider public through the media, they hope to raise awareness on the importance of PPPs for the country. The partnerships revealed at the event were a result of the inaugural Unilever-UNGC forum held earlier this year that engaged members of the public and private sector, academia, media and non-government development agencies on how they could work together on helping Sri Lanka achieve the goals. A wave of sustainable business projects are set to be rolled out through these partnerships. Aitken Spence Holdings, Commercial Bank PLC, Dialog Axiata PLC, MAS Holdings and Unilever Sri Lanka have pledged their support to drive these projects.Members of the projects working committees met after the media conference to discuss the road map for each project.Aligning the project goals to the wider national agenda, the teams finalized the immediate next steps. Carl Cruz, Chairman, Unilever Sri Lanka said, The countrys goals around the 2030 SDGs cannot be achieved through the efforts of any single entity, acting alone. We need to rally each other up, go outside our comfort zones and work together to help the nation realize its vision. We firmly believe that adopting sustainable models both in civil service and in business while mobilizing collective action will help bring longer lasting, wide spread positive change. This is the only way in which we can ensure that we move ahead as one, without leaving anyone behind. And we are delighted to have found likeminded partners in the UNDP and the UNGC to work with on this journey. We are excited about the journey ahead as we work with them and other partners who have come forward in support this mission to see these projects to fruition. Mr. Austin Fernando, Secretary to H.E. the President of Sri Lanka, said, While the government continues to work towards bringing about sustainable development, we need to understand that this cannot be done without the involvement and support of the private sector and all other stakeholders. H.E. President Maithripala Sirisenatoo has time and time again stressed on the importance of public-private partnerships in fostering national development through economic growth. Commending Unilever,UNDP and UNGC for their efforts in shaping such partnerships, I look forward to seeing the progress of the projects being rolled out by them together with Aitken Spence, Commercial Bank, Dialog and MAS. Mr. Jorn Sorensen, UNDP Sri Lanka Country Director stated, This is the start of a new movement. By connecting businesses with governments and the development partners, we can create an environment that unleashes the potential of the private sector because investing in the Sustainable Development is a win-win.As such, the private sector is an important strategic partner for UNDP in achieving its vision to help countries eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and exclusion within broader sustainable development. UNDP is pleased to be a catalyst in convening the relevant stakeholders to support Sri Lanka achieve sustainable human development, because strong partnerships help us deliver stronger results that improve people's lives. Mr. Jegan Durairatnam - Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Commercial Bank PLC, Mr. Shayam Majeed - Group Chief Customer Officer Dialog Axiata PLC, Shakthi Ranatunga, Director - Group Human Resources, MAS Holdings, and Dr. Rohan Fernando, Chairman of United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Sri Lanka shared their views on the forum, its outcomes and the way forward. Unilever also announced its partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to host a high-level private sector forum on sustainable human development every year, starting from 2018. This is part of their efforts to further strengthen discussions around public-private sector partnerships, continue the dialogue with private sector, provide a framework for cooperation and facilitate greater collaboration. comes to a close families of the disappeared still linger in hope that their loved ones would return. Some have been missing for decades and yet their loved ones express hope of their return. In the Budget 2018 speech Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that the Office of Missing Persons(OMP) will commence operations from 2018. However the debates on the Enforced Disappearance Bill have been postponed twice. Against this backdrop civil societies have shown concern over the delay in passing the Enforced Disappearances bill and setting up of the OMP. Disappointing responses The UN rapporteur on Transitional Justice Pablo de Greiff, who visited the country recently, said that there were victims in every community who have rights to truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence. Amnesty International (AI) has estimated that since the 1980s there have been at least 60,000 and as many as 100,000 cases of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka. The victims include Sinhalese young men suspected of having connections with the JVP in 1989 and 1990 and Tamils suspected of links with the LTTE during the war. The victims also include human rights defenders, aid workers, journalists and critics of the Government. Attorney-at-Law and senior researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), Bhavani Fonseka, said that though successive Governments have identified enforced disappearances as a problem, the responses from the Governments, including the current regime, have been disappointing. The Government committed to an office of missing persons and to criminalize enforced disappearances. As for the OMP, despite the commitment to establish it in 2015, to date it has not still been operationalized. Minister Samaraweera said during his budget speech that it will be operationalized in January, 2018. CPA is extremely concerned about these delays, she said. Meanwhile the Constitutional Council has reportedly selected seven members to the OMP and the names have been submitted to the President for approval. Sri Lanka is a signatory to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance since December 10, 2015.This was also committed in 2015. The Government ratified the convention in 2016 and made a draft enabling legislation with the Government in attempts made to have a debate on it. But the debates were postponed, said Fonseka. National Peace Council Executive Director Dr. Jehan Perera admitted that though the Government was proceeding slowly it was on the correct path. I am confident the enforced disappearances bill will eventually receive approval. This will possibly be after the Local Government Elections because the Government doesnt wish to give any opportunity to the opposition to use these new initiatives for political propaganda, said Perera. The Opposition claims that these efforts are aimed at targeting the military, the war heroes, and the security forces. It is meant to ensure that our security forces operate within the law, and dont violate peoples human rights, he explained. Asked if the disappearances that took place during the JVP insurrection were included in these new initiatives he said that there was no time bar on the OMP. HRC downgraded Many families with victims of enforced disappearances have made complaints at the Human Rights Commission(HRC). On inquiry a Commissioner of the Human Rights commission, Ambika Satkunanathan said that the failure to take action regarding complaints of enforced disappearances is one reason the HRC was downgraded from A to B status in 2007 by the International Coordinating Committee on National Human Rights Institutions. Commissions appointed A number of Presidential commissions appointed have issued substantive reports which include the names of alleged perpetrators whom the Commissions have recommended action be taken against. However, these recommendations werent implemented and in some instances the reports of the Commissions werent released, she said. Fonseka expressed similar sentiments that though successive Governments have appointed commissions there hasnt been action taken afterwards. Weve seen the all island commission on enforced disappearances headed by Manouri Muttetuwagama in the 90s. Then we had the Udalagama Commission, the LLRC Commission and several others. One of the recommendations of the LLRC which was made public in 2011 was that this issue of enforced disappearances is so significant, that it needs special attention and as a result the previous Government established the Paranagama Commission. So successive Governments have come up with very specific measures, mostly commissions of inquiries. But it has stopped there,she added. The President has met with families of the disappeared and promised that the Government would probe the issue of enforced disappearances. But again it seems to be more the rhetoric, than real action, noted Fonseka. She stressed that as the Government of Sri Lanka has committed locally and internationally to take specific steps to address the issue, it could not be said that it was an international conspiracy or some form of an international agenda. Make such acts a crime Dr. Perera further said that the existing law can be used to investigate into cases of enforced disappearances. At the moment there is no will because of opposition, misunderstanding, false propaganda about what all these means, he stressed. In a Supreme Court FR case on enforced disappearances, decided this year, the Supreme Court found the State to be responsible for the disappearance of two individuals and ordered the State to pay Rs 1 million each to their parents as compensation. The case was about the enforced disappearance of Selvarajah Gunaseelan and K Kugadas in Batticaloa in 2008. The OIC of the police station was ordered to pay Rs 50,000 each to the parents of the disappeared persons.The duo disappeared when they were at the police station. Meanwhile Fonseka pointed out that no one can be prosecuted for the crime of enforced disappearance as an enforced disappearance wasnt a crime within the Sri Lankan legal jurisdiction. Offenses such as kidnappings and abductions- found in the penal code- dont encompass the crime of enforced disappearances. The operationalizing of the OMP and criminalizing enforced disappearances are attempts to prevent this from happening, she said. Parents deaths were accelerated by their grief, -Dandeniya In 1989 a factory worker in the free trade zone, Ranjith Herath was summoned for a labour inquiry. He was accompanied by M.Lionel. However they never returned home. The following day their bodies were found burning at the Raddoluwa junction in Seeduwa where now a monument has been built to commemorate the disappeared. Heraths fiancee at the time Jayanthi Dandeniya, now a political activist, spoke to the Daily Mirror about how the damage inflicted by the JVP insurrection and the extra-judicial killings have now become merely a thing of the past which is considered as a fascinating story. The parents of the children who disappeared during the 1988/89 period are very old now. Some have died. The truth is that the death of these parents was accelerated by their grief, she said. He son would have been murdered, but the body would have not been handed over to the mother. Instead the perpetrators would take it with them She further said that some parents had suffered from mental illnesses as a result of the grief. Dandeniya said that some of the young wives remarried, but most of them didnt. Nevertheless they have endured difficulties and educated their children well. The mothers tried to hide from their children the fact that their fathers had been killed when they were small. Some children were lied to that their fathers were abroad, she said. Referring to events at that time, Dandeniya said that people would be killed and there would be a piece of paper lying close to the dead bodies stating that the bodies shouldnt be removed. Peoples ears were cut. NICs were collected. People were asked to switch off lights,she reminisced. There is no punishment for the perpetrators. No one investigates. There are no court cases, she claimed. The son would have been murdered, but the body would have not been handed over to the mother. Instead the perpetrators would take it with them. How can this be a disappearance? The mother saw the child being killed, said Dandeniya who hails from Beliaththa where the JVP was very powerful. Two of her brothers were also victims to these killings. The parents of the children who disappeared during the 1988/89 period are very old now. Some have died. The truth is that the death of these parents was accelerated by their grief An MOU with the OMP As the Office of Missing Persons will be a specialized body dedicated to investigate enforced disappearances the HRC hopes to enter into a memorandum of understanding(MOU) with the OMP instead of replicating the work of the OMP. We are pleased that the recent budget has allocated a substantial sum to begin its operations, said Satkunanathan. Recommendations The HRC has written to President Maithripala Sirisena urging him to ensure the Bill on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances is enacted and has recommended changes to the current Bill to strengthen it and bring it in line with the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Apart from the Bill being passed and the OMP being set up Dr.Perera recommended that there should be a campaign to spread awareness to inform people about the purpose of these In a Supreme Court FR case on enforced disappearances, decided this year, the Supreme Court found the State to be responsible for the disappearance of two individuals and ordered the State to pay Rs 1 million each to their parents as compensation initiatives and that they are not about threatening national security. This is about protecting human security and human security is what national security is all about. We have security forces because we want to protect the people of this country. These laws are meant to protect the people of the country. That message has to be taken to the people at large, so that they arent deceived by false propaganda,said Dr. Perera. Enforced Disappearances defined Missing persons could also include persons who have gone missing due to reasons not involving the State as well According to Article 2 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance an enforced disappearance is the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place such a person outside the protection of the law. As Dr.Jehan Perera pointed out missing persons could also include persons who have gone missing due to reasons not involving the State as well. Very progressive move, says Mano Ganesan Speaking to the Daily Mirror Minister of national Co-Existence Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganesan said that the OMP will be operationalized in the weeks to come. The effort to operationalize the OMP is a very progressive move. Due to the efforts of people like us within the Government, the civil society and the international community, the OMP is slowly, but steadily taking shaped, he said. The President has to formally approve the names of the OMP commissioners decided on by the Constitutional Council, he added. Asked whether the enforced disappearance bill will be taken up for debate soon, he said that that the focus now was on the OMP. The Bill which was to be submitted to the Parliament was postponed. Since the OMP Act has already been passed, we thought that we would start with the OMP, and proceed with the Bill afterwards, he said. Once the OMP is established people not only from the North and East, but also the South can make complaints, he said throwing light on the positives of the OMP. This will not be a static office. There will be regional offices, mobile offices which can go to villages and approach the people, he added. GAIL had contracted LNG from the US to meet the demand of growing Indian economy with power sector being considered as a major buyer. New Delhi: GAIL India Ltd will import about 5 million tonnes (MT) of LNG from the US next fiscal, replacing the volumes the state-owned utility buys from the spot market, a senior company official said. GAIL has contracted 5.8 MT per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, some of which it has swapped - either by exchanging the gas with someone having it nearer to India or by time-swapping it. "We expect to receive about 5 million tonnes of LNG from US next fiscal (2018-19)," the official said. This will be used for replacing the LNG that GAIL currently buys from the spot or current market as well as on short term contracts. "Out of our LNG buying of about 33 million standard cubic meters per day (8.25 MT per annum), only 17-18 mmscmd comes from long-term contract with RasGas of Qatar. The rest is all spot or short term contract volumes, which we hope to replace with US LNG," he said. The official said the company sold a "major chunk" of the US LNG via time swaps, destination swaps and shipping optimisation. Under the time-swap deals, the company will buy LNG from international companies this year and sell equivalent amount of Henry Hub-indexed volumes during 2018-19. Besides, to cut shipping costs, it has entered into deals to take deliveries of gas from a nearer location and in exchange given its US volumes to company closer to the origin. The official said some of the time-swapped volumes have started arriving in India but refused to give details. GAIL has a deal to buy 3.5 MT a year of LNG for 20 years from Cheniere Energy of the US and has also booked capacity for another 2.3 MT at Dominion Energy's Cove Point liquefaction plant. The company expects US LNG supplies to begin from March/ April next year, he said. GAIL had contracted LNG from the US to meet the demand of growing Indian economy with power sector being considered as a major buyer. But electricity produced using imported LNG is not finding buyers due to cheaper alternatives including renewables, leading to stranding of significant capacity out of 25,000 MW of installed gas based power plants. GAIL had in May signed a first-ever time-swap deal to sell some of its US LNG. Under the agreement, it will get 15 cargoes or about 0.8 MT of LNG from an unnamed trader this year. In return, GAIL will sell 10 cargoes or about 0.6 MT next year from Sabine Pass on the US Gulf coast. GAIL had separately signed a deal with Royal Dutch Shell to sell about 0.5 million tonnes of its US LNG. The LNG that GAIL will receive this year between April and December under the time-swap deal will be at oil-linked prices. The sale of US gas next year will be at a premium to its pricing formula on a free-on-board (FOB) basis. New Delhi: As concerns over Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 (FRDI) refuses to die, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday himself came forward to assure that in case of a bank failure the Centre will fully protect deposits made by the customers. The government is very clear about it, said the finance minister. This is the third statement by the finance ministry in last seven days assuring people that the FRDI bill will not harm their interests in case of a bank failure. There had been apprehensions in some sections that the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 (FRDI) may result in people losing their hard earned savings in case of a bank failure. He said that about Rs 2.11 lakh crore is being pumped in to strengthen the Public Sector Banks so there is no such question arises of a failure of banks. FRDI Bill, 2017 is before the Joint Committee of Parliament. Whatever are the recommendations of the committee, the government will consider. But rumours are being spread about the bill, the minister said. The FRDI Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2017. The Bill proposes to create a framework for overseeing financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies, NBFCs companies and stock exchanges in case of insolvency. The controversy is about the bail-in provision in the FRDI Bill, which some analysts say may mean that creditors and depositors have to absorb losses in case of a bank failure. This had raised concerns that people may have to bail out banks with their hard-earned money if a bank goes bust. Currently under the Deposit Insurance Corporation Act, a maximum of Rs 1 lakh of every depositor in banks is insured in case a bank goes bust. But, FRDI proposes a Resolution Corporation in association with regulator will determine the amount of money of people to be insured in case of bank failures. Mumbai: Top Bollywood actors, including Kareena Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Madhuri Dixit, have condemned the alleged molestation of National Award-winning actor Zaira Wasim. The 17-year-old actor, known for her roles in films like "Dangal" and "Secret Superstar", was allegedly molested on a Delhi-Mumbai flight on Saturday night. The actor later narrated her ordeal on Instagram via a live video. Wasim said she was on an Air Vistara flight from Delhi to Mumbai when a co-passenger sitting behind her put up his feet on her armrest. The man was arrested by police in Mumbai last evening. When asked about the incident, Pednekar said she was shocked to know about the alleged molestation but the actor was happy that Wasim showed courage to speak up about her ordeal. "I am appalled. She is a child. There is a problem in our culture where people think, especially if you are an actor, that you are their property. This is hugely problematic. "But I am very happy that she put it out on social media. I am glad she took that step because it needs a lot of courage to speak, to come out and take a stand like that. More power to her," Pednekar said. Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan said women are far superior than men and the females can rise above any difficulty. "I definitely feel women are way more superior than men. We are fighters and whichever situation it is in our life, personal or professional, we all come out as fighters. When we talk about God, we talk about goddess. So, we look from the perspective of a woman. "When we talk about the earth, we say Mother Earth. So, whenever we talk about anything, we talk about women. Women are far superior (than men). So, they can fight out of every situation," Khan said. Actor Taapsee Pannu, who has always raised her voice against violence against women, said, "I just hope she gets justice. It is good that at least she has raised her voice. She deserves to get justice." Noted actor Madhuri Dixit said, "This should not happen, neither in India nor in any other part of the world." Television actor Mouni Roy said she was deeply saddened by the incident, which is an act that stems from a poor mentality. "Now, what should I say about this country. On one hand we talk about women empowerment, on the other hand we hear about all these incidents. But I think it is very important not to just stand against it and talk about it, but also to educate people against this," she said. "I genuinely don't know what to say. It deeply saddens me. The kind of life we lead, the kind of education we all are getting, in fact, the levels of education in towns and villages have gone up. This is just really sad. I think this reflects a poor mindset," Roy added. When asked for his opinion on the incident, actor Sushant Singh Rajput said, "We talk a lot (but) I think at the right place and in the right time, we need to take action also. We are intelligent and responsible enough as a country to see to it that these things don't happen." The celebrities were speaking at the red carpet of Lux Golden Rose Awards here last night. Actor Zareen Khan said there should be a focus on preventing such incidents rather than attending to "minuscule" things. "I really don't know what to say about it because such incidents keep happening in our country. Rather than focusing on issues like these, I don't know why our country is behind minuscule matters," she said. "The way we talk about women empowerment and safety, I don't think only talking about it is needed. We also need to take some action to stop all of this," Khan added. In the video, which Wasim recorded immediately after deboarding the flight, she broke down several times. "This is not done, I am disturbed... Is this how you're going to take care of girls? This is not the way anybody should be made to feel. This is terrible!" she said. "No one will help us if we don't decide to help ourselves. And this is the worst thing," she added. Rajugadu is complete except for two songs and the lead pair, Raj Tarun and Amyra Dastur, will be leaving for Thailand for shooting the songs. The film, Rajugadu is complete except for two songs and the lead pair, Raj Tarun and Amyra Dastur, will be leaving for Thailand for shooting the songs. I am very excited about my debut film, says director Sanjana Reddy, adding that the post-production work is also complete. The output has come out nicely and I am eagerly waiting to see it in the theatres, she says, while thanking producer Anil Sunkara for the opportunity. This is my debut as director, but the producer gave me a free hand to complete the film. All the actors supported me though they are very senior, says Sanjana, revealing that she is leaving on the 20th of this month for Thailand to complete the two songs. The romantic comedy is releasing on the occasion of Sankranti and will be competing with many big films. Chetak Festival, Sarangkheda is an age-old pastoral fair of horses that has been transformed into a month-long celebration. Mumbai: Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation has organised Sarangkheda Chetak Festival 2017 from 3rd December 2017 to 2nd Jan 2018 to attract domestic and foreign tourists in Nandurbar district. The 31 days of Sarangkheda Chetak Festival 2017 has observed the arrival of more than 2500 horses at the major horse carnivals in the State of Maharashtra. The first day of the festival also exhibited horse dance shows and pawara, a tribal dance by the locals of Nandurbar district. The festival was graced at the hands of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Minister of Tourism Jaykumar Rawal, Nitin Gadre (IAS), Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra, Vijay Waghmare, (IAS) Managing Director, MTDC , Aashutosh Rathod, Joint Managing Director, MTDC and other stakeholders. Chetak Festival, Sarangkheda is an age-old pastoral fair of horses that has been transformed into a month-long celebration. The festival is held in the attractive rural localities of Northern Maharashtra on the banks of Tapi River for the last 300 years. The Maharashtra government is trying to create awareness about the festival and Nandurbar district to attract both national as well as worldwide tourists to this emerging holiday destination. MTDC and Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra is dedicated to take this festival to a global podium through the development of infrastructure, advertising and promotion. MTDC has planned to develop a horse museum for travelers that will inform them about the numerous qualities of breed, marking, lifespan and color etc. of horses. The Government has sanctioned Rs 4.98 crores for the museum and the dome shaped horse museum will be constructed on 6.5 acres land along the Tapi River. The other amenities like art gallery, exhibition venue, audio-visual room, food stall, shops will be made in the museum. Through these steps, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and MTDC desire to increase the economic and tourist footfall in Nandurbar district. Speaking at the Occasion, Shri.Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of Tourism & (EGS), Government of Maharashtra. It is a privilege to promote the rich legacy of horses and the Department of Tourism and MTDC is optimistic to take this festival on the global platform. Sarangkheda, a small village with the population of 10,000 citizens organising this festival from more than 300 years." He went on to add, "The festival displayed horses from states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Afghanistan, and Gujarat etc. We constantly endeavour to create new avenues of tourism in the state and Adventure tourism is a growing segment that attracts huge number of youngsters. I believe that adventure activities like horse riding and sport activities at Nandurbar district will be the perfect getaway at The Chetak Village. We are also developing a horse museum to showcase the diversity of horse and the breeds to the visitors. Beasley is yet to be caught by authorities, the 10 most daring and amazing escapes from prison in history. (Photo: Pixabay) An American citizen detained for a drug offense escaped from a prison on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. Head of Kerobokan prison Tonny Nainggolan says Christian Beasley, 32, was believed to have escaped at around 4 am Monday by sawing through a ceiling and then jumping over a 6-meter (20-foot) high wall behind the prison. Beasley was arrested in August at a post office on Bali with a package containing 5.7 grams of hashish. While, Beasley is yet to be caught by authorities, the 10 most daring and amazing escapes from prison in history. Maze Prison Escape: In the biggest prison escape in British history, on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 38 Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners, escaped from H-Block 7 of the prison. HM Prison Maze was considered one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe. Accounts state that shortly after 2:30, the prisoners took control of the H-block holding the prison guards hostage at gunpoint. Some of the prisoners took the guards clothing and car keys in order to help with their escape. At 3:25, a truck bringing food supplies arrived and the prisoners told the driver that he was going to help them escape. They tied his foot to the clutch and told him where to drive. At 3:50 the truck left the H-block, and soon after the prison, carrying all 38 men. While 19 escapees were caught, the remaining escapees were assisted by the IRA in finding hiding places. Alfred Hinds: Alfie Hinds was a British criminal and escape artist who, while serving a 12 year prison sentence for robbery, successfully broke out of three high security prisons. Despite the dismissal of thirteen of his appeals to higher courts, he was eventually able to gain a pardon using his knowledge of the British legal system. After being sentenced to 12 years in prison for a jewelry robbery, Hinds escaped from Nottingham prison by sneaking through the locked doors and over a 20-foot prison wall for which he became known in the press as Houdini Hinds. The Texas Seven: The Texas 7 was a group of prisoners who escaped from the John Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas on December 13, 2000. They were apprehended January 21-23, 2001 as a direct result of the television show Americas Most Wanted. The seven carried out an elaborate scheme and escaped from the John B. Connally Unit, a maximum-security state prison near the South Texas town of Kenedy. Using several well-planned ploys, the seven convicts overpowered and restrained nine civilian maintenance supervisors, four correctional officers and three uninvolved inmates to facilitate their escape. Of the escaped convicts, 5 living members of the group are all on death row awaiting death by lethal injection. Of the other two, one committed suicide and one has already been executed. Alfred Wetzler: Wetzler was a Slovak Jew, and one of a very small number of Jews known to have escaped from the Auschwitz death camp during the Holocaust. Wetzler is known for the report that he and his fellow escapee, Rudolf Vrba, compiled about the inner workings of the Auschwitz camp a ground plan of the camp, construction details of the gas chambers, crematoriums and, most convincingly, a label from a canister of Zyklon gas. Wetzler escaped with a fellow Jew named Rudolf Vrba. With the help of the camp underground, at 2 pm on Friday, April 7, 1944 the eve of Passover the two men climbed inside a hollowed-out hiding place in a wood pile that was being stored to build the Mexico section for the new arrivals. The two remained in hiding for 4 nights to avoid recapture. On April 10, wearing Dutch suits, overcoats, and boots they had taken from the camp, they made their way south, heading for the Polish border with Slovakia 80 miles (133 km.) away, guiding themselves using a page from a childs atlas that Vrba had found in the warehouse. Sawomir Rawicz: Rawicz was a Polish soldier who was arrested by Soviet occupation troops after the German-Soviet invasion of Poland. On 9 April 1941, Rawicz claimed that he and his six allies escaped in a middle of a blizzard. They rushed to the south, avoiding towns in fear they would be betrayed, but apparently they were not actively pursued. They also met an additional fugitive, Polish woman Krystyna. Nine days later they crossed the Lena River. They walked around Lake Baikal and crossed to Mongolia. Fortunately, people they encountered were friendly and hospitable. During the crossing of the Gobi desert, two of the group (Krystyna and Makowski) died. Others had to eat snakes to survive. Around October 1941 they claim to have reached Tibet. Locals were friendly, especially when men said they were trying to reach Lhasa. They crossed the Himalayas somehow in the middle of winter. Another of the group died in his sleep in the cold and one fell into a crevasse and disappeared. Rawicz claims the survivors reached India around March 1942. Escape From Alcatraz: In its 29 years of operation, there were 14 attempts to escape from Alcatraz prison involving 34 inmates. Officially, every escape attempt failed, and most participants were either killed or quickly re-captured. However, the participants in the 1937 and 1962 attempts, though presumed dead, disappeared without a trace, giving rise to popular theories that they were successful. The most famous and intricate attempt to escape from Alcatraz (June 11, 1962) saw Frank Morris, and the Anglin brothers burrow out of their cells, climb to the top of the cell block, cut through bars to make it to the roof via an air vent. From there they climbed down a drain pipe, over a chain link fence and then to the shore where they assembled a pontoon-type raft and then vanished. The Great Escape: Stalag Luft III was a German Air Force prisoner-of-war camp during World War II that housed captured air force personnel. In January 1943, Roger Bushell led a plot for a major escape from the camp. The plan was to dig three deep tunnels, codenamed Tom, Dick, and Harry. Each of the tunnel entrances was carefully selected to ensure they were undetectable by the camp guards. In order to keep the tunnels from being detected by the perimeter microphones, they were very deep about 9 metres (30 ft) below the surface. Finally, on Friday, March 24, the escape attempt began. Unfortunately for the prisoners, the tunnel had come up short. It had been planned that the tunnel would reach into a nearby forest, but the first man out emerged just short of the tree line. Despite this, 76 men crawled through the tunnel to initial freedom, even through an air raid during which the camps (and the tunnels) electric lights were shut off. Finally, at 5am on March 25, the 77th man was seen emerging from the tunnel by one of the guards. Out of the 76 men only 3 evaded capture. Fifty men were killed and the rest were captured and sent back. India is a country with a diverse culture and is also home to various mindsets which may at times clash. In the past events like Kiss of Love have sparked controversy as couples have also been harassed by the moral police for violating what they call Indian culture. While kissing in public may still be a taboo in many parts of India, a town in Jharkhand comes across as a surprising example. MLA Simon Marandi recently organised an event where couples expressed love by kissing each other in public and the one with the longest kiss won the competition. The contest was organised to celebrate love and romance between married couples and is a way to reduce divorce and differences among couples according to Marandi. The annual fair which also includes tribal dance, archery and running has been organised in Dumaria for the past 37 years, but kissing was added this year. It's the kind of a story straight out of a fairytale. When Verona Koliqi from London showed her fiance Mirand Buzaku a childhood family photo taken during a visit to a beach in Montenegro, he noticed something striking in the background. A picture of a young boy floating on a lilo in the sea behind the Koliqi family appeared to be wearing the same clothes he once owned. A post shared by Inspire (@veronavanity) on Dec 2, 2017 at 11:07am PST "He noticed the kid in the back had the same shirt, shorts and floaty as him," Koliqi is quoted as saying by The Independent. Adding, "We analysed further and confirmed with family members that its him photobombing my family photo." Buzakus family confirmed it was very likely him because they had visited the beach around that time. While they never met as children, they did cross paths in Kosovo in 2016. A year later they were engaged. A post shared by Mirand Buzaku (@mirandbuzaku) on Aug 10, 2017 at 8:11am PDT Since sharing their story on Instagram it has gained a lot of love and 31,215 likes. Various state police teams visit Jamtara as part of the probe to zero in on conmen, who are mostly school dropouts, according to the police. (Representational image) Hyderabad: New batches of online fraudsters from Jamtara district of Jharkhand infamous as a training hub for cyber criminals are a cause of worry for the police. The Jamtara district is infamous for its tutorials where hundreds of youths are trained in phishing techniques. Various state police teams visit Jamtara as part of the probe to zero in on conmen, who are mostly school dropouts, according to the police. As the popularity of Jamtara district spreads, the youths from the adjoining Dumka, Deoghar, Dhanbad and Giridih districts are also making a beeline to learn the rudimentaries of online cheating, said cyber crime inspector, K.V.M. Prasad. The Jharkhand police so far this year has caught 200 youngsters involved in phishing rackets. The deceaseds relatives staged a protest at the police station and demanded that action to be taken against sub-inspector, who had beaten up Varadarajulu and his wife. (Representational Image) Kurnool: A 39-year-old roadside vendor committed suicide by consuming acid after a sub-inspector, allegedly, had beaten him along with his wife at a police station when the couple approached the police to give a complaint about a problem they were facing. The incident took place at Dhone town on Sunday. According to sources, G. Varadarajulu, a roadside vendor, setup his business (selling pallis) in front of a wine shop near Sriram cinema theatre in Dhone town. Two days back, he and another vendor quarrelled over business issues. Both of them approached police for settling the row. However, police personnel did not pay any attention towards the issue. Feeling that injustice was meted out on him regarding the issue, on Saturday Varadarajulu along with his wife Sujatha went to police station and appealed the police to solve the problem. Instead of solving the problem, the station sub-inspector started beating both of them in public outside the police station. The sub-inspector threatened to file cases against on them if they will not calm on this issue. The couple returned home and on earlier hours of Sunday, Varadarajulu consumed acid while his family members were sleeping. His wife who found her husband in an unconscious position alerted family members, who rushed him to government local government hospital. He was shifted to Kurnool Government General Hospital, where he died while undergoing medical treatment. The deceaseds relatives staged a protest at the police station and demanded that action to be taken against sub-inspector, who had beaten up Varadarajulu and his wife. New Delhi: After Manmohan Singh on Monday asked Narendra Modi to apologise to the nation for spreading falsehoods and canards while campaigning for Gujarat Assembly elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit back at Congress veteran leader for seeking an apology from the Prime Minister. Former PM Manmohan Singh has issued a statement asking PM Modi to apologise for what he said in an election rally with regard to a meeting involving Pakistani delegations. It is surprising that Congress party expect the Prime Minister of India to apologise for it, Jaitley said. In a statement on Monday, Manmohan came down heavily on Modi for accusing him of "not showing courage" to order a surgical strike after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground, Singh said in the statement. I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehoods and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, Singh said. The Congress leader also dismissed Modi's allegations that Singh and Mani Shankar Aiyar had discussed Gujarat Assembly elections with Pakistani officials on December 6, and conspired to make Ahmed Patel the chief minister of the state. Jaitley has demanded that the Congress come out with detailed facts on what transpired in that meeting and what was the necessity of having it in present circumstances. Yesterday they were in denial about it and today instead of accepting it as a misadventure. They try to blame those raising the issue, Jaitley said. He accused Aiyar of maintaining a parallel line of dialogue, underplaying Pakistan's role in instigating terrorism in India and continuing to engage with the neighbouring country. Singh had asked Modi to apologise to the nation for the allegations he made against the Congress party and its members, and restore dignity of the office he (Modi) occupies. 'Dangal' actor Zaira Wasim who was travelling in Delhi-Mumbai Air Vistara flight had narrated her ordeal on Instagram via live video. (Photo: File) Mumbai: A 39-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly molesting actor Zaira Wasim onboard a Delhi-Mumbai flight on Saturday night, police said. The man has been identified as Vikash Sachdev. Deputy Commissioner of Police Anil Kumbhare said he will be produced in the court on Monday. Sachdev has been booked under section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC, and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) since the actor is a minor, Senior Police Inspector, Sahar, Lata Shirsat, said. The 'Dangal' actor had narrated her ordeal on Instagram via live video. "So, I just landed and you know the whole irony of this is that the guy... this is not done at all. This is not the way, this is not a girl should be made to feel because this is terrible. Is this how they are doing to take care of girls? No one will help us if we don't decide to help ourselves. This is the worst thing," she said in the Instagram live video. Zaira said she tried to click a photo of the man, but couldn't get a clear shot due to dim lights. "Managed to get this (shot of the molester's foot). The lights were dimmed so it was even worse. It continued for another 5-10 minutes and then I was sure of it. He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck," she posted, also slamming the airline saying, "Slow claps for Vistara's crew guys! Wonderful!" she wrote. Read Also: FIR filed in Zaira Wasim molestation matter; Vistara ensures detailed probe After the matter came to light, a woman police officer was sent to the hotel, where the actor is staying, to record her statement, and a case was registered against an unknown person at Sahar Police station. After the video posted by Zaira, the National Commission of Women (NCW), the Delhi Commission of Women (DCW), the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have sought details from Air Vistara over the incident. Taking note of the incident, the airline have ordered a detailed investigation into the incident. In a statement, the airline also apologised, adding Zaira started yelling at the accused passenger only during the descent of the flight, due to which the cabin crew couldn't move because it's mandatory to have no movement during the final phase of the flight as seat belts are on. Rahul Gandhi has been elected as the President of the Indian National Congress. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi has been elected as the President of the Indian National Congress, Congress Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran announced on Monday. Sonia Gandhi will officially hand over the mantle of the 132-year-old party to her son around 11 am on Saturday. "Rahul will be handed over the certificate of his election as the party president on December 16 at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office," Ramachandran said. "A total of 89 nomination proposals were received and all were valid. Since there was only one candidateRahul Gandhi was elected as the president of Indian National Congress," Ramachandran said. Uttarakhand: Celebration at Congress office in Dehradun after Rahul Gandhi elected as the party President. pic.twitter.com/6fWeG1bGYt ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since Independence, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have been dwindling in the recent past. The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab. A senior police official said that the preliminary investigation suggested that it was a 'well calculated' attack by Yadav on his colleagues. (Photo: File/Representational) Raipur: CRPF constable Sant Kumar Yadav, accused of shooting dead his four colleagues at a camp in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, on Sunday said he was being framed in the case, a claim dismissed by an official who called it a "well calculated" killing. Yadav (35) was on Sunday produced in a Bijapur court which sent him to judicial remand for two weeks, police said. Four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including two sub-inspectors, were killed and another injured on Saturday in a gunfire allegedly opened on them by Yadav at the force's 168th battalion 'G' company camp in Basaguda, located around 450 km from Raipur. Yadav told the press on the court premises on Sunday that he was not involved in the fratricide. "I completed my duty from 2 to 4 pm on Saturday and then went to freshen up. Around 5 pm, I heard the sound of bullets and ran towards the place. I immediately took position with my weapon like other personnel were doing. Who opened firing and on whom, I don't have any details," he claimed. Yadav, a native of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, said the company commander and other troopers held him after the firing saying he had killed the four personnel. "I came to know that they were killed by a different weapon not by mine. I don't know why I am being implicated when I haven't done anything," he said. When asked why he was being dragged into the incident without any reason, Yadav said, "Small issues and disputes can be there (among personnel) if we work together but it doesn't mean that anybody will take such an extreme step. I have come here to earn for my family and they have come for the same." Meanwhile, a senior police official posted in Bijapur said, the preliminary investigation suggested that it was a "well calculated" attack by Yadav on his colleagues. "After the incident, Yadav surrendered before his company commander and confessed to having committed the crime. However, he retracted his statement this morning," the official who questioned Yadav in the custody said. As per preliminary probe, Yadav was a habitual drinker and used to visit nearby villages in the insurgency-hit forest without informing anyone in the camp in search of locally-made liquor, he said. Yadav, who was earlier posted in the outpost of the CRPF's 168th battalion located close to the main camp of the unit in Basaguda, was shifted to the main camp recently after a complaint was lodged against him in connection with his habits, he said. The constable also had some issues with the deceased personnel and had an altercation with them in the past, according to the official. "After completing his duty yesterday, Yadav went to the officers' mess, picked up a weapon of one of his colleagues and sprayed bullets which shows that it was a well-calculated attack as he did not use his weapon," he claimed. Yadav fired more than 90 rounds, the official said. He said the casualties would have been more had some personnel not gone out on some duty at the time of the incident. The deceased included sub-inspectors Vikey Sharma (34) and Megh Singh (52), who hailed from Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, respectively. The other two deceased are Assistant Sub Inspector Rajveer Singh (48), who hailed from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, and Constable G Sankara Rao (37) from Vijaynagram in Andhra Pradesh. ASI Gajanand (49), a native of Rewari in Haryana, sustained injuries in his side ribs and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Raipur. 'I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread' by Modi, Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says. (Photos: PTI) New Delhi: Coming down heavily on the Prime Minister for accusing him of "not showing courage" to order a surgical strike after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Manmohan Singh on Monday said no one, including Narendra Modi, can question my public service to the countryto gain lost political ground. My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground, Singh said in a statement. Modi, while addressing a public rally at Vadodara in Gujarat on Sunday, said: "Someone who served at a high position in the Air Force has said that after 26/11, they went to the then prime minister with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then government did not show the courage to do that". I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehoods and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, Singh said. The former prime minister said the Congress Party needs no sermons on nationalism from a party and Prime Minister, whose compromised record on fighting terrorism is well known. He reminded Modi that he had visited Pakistan without an invitation after terrorist attack in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. He also demanded that Modi reveal the reason behind inviting the infamous Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to Air Force Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from the neighbouring country. The Congress leader also dismissed Modi's allegations that Singh and Mani Shankar Aiyar had discussed Gujarat Assembly elections with Pakistani officials on December 6, and conspired to make Ahmed Patel the chief minister of the state. The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations, Singh said, adding that none of the Indian public servants and journalists who were present at the dinner could be accused of indulging in any anti-national activities. Concluding his statement, Singh said he hopes the Prime Minister apologises to the nation for the allegations he made against the Congress party and its members, and restore dignity of the office he (Modi) occupies. Here's the letter by Dr Manmohan Singh along with list of invitees pic.twitter.com/gwpeagJxU9 Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) December 11, 2017 The statement by former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Rahul Gandhi has been elected as the president of the Indian National Congress. (File photo) New Delhi: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday expressed happiness on elevation of Rahul Gandhi as party president and said the latter has shown a lot of mettle over a period of time and will be able to execute his responsibility well Azad said the entire Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including the Prime Minister and his 80 ministers, was sitting in Gujarat for months but were still unable to counter Rahul. "Entire country has lot of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. He has shown his mettle over a period of time and particularly in the ongoing election in Gujarat. Much before he was elected he has made Prime Minister Modi rattled," Azad said. "He knows his responsibility and priorities very well," he added. Echoing similar sentiments, former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said at the time when the situation is 'worst under the ruling government', elevation of Rahul will prove to be good. "In such time Rahul Gandhi has been elected as party President. In Gujarat, he has proved he is the only candidate who can be relied upon and he is even facing Prime Minister Modi confidently," Gogoi told ANI. Meanwhile, the Congress worker and leaders across the nation are celebrating with great zeal. Scores of workers even gathered in front of the Congress office raising slogans for Rahul and distributing sweets. Rahul was formally declared as the Congress Party president earlier today. Confirming the elevation, Congress' Central Election Authority Chairman Mullapally Ramchandran said the committee had received 89 nomination papers, all proposing the name of Rahul for the coveted post. Rahul has succeeded his mother Sonia Gandhi, who held the post for nearly two decades. The election officials also seized as many as 12 cars that belong to various party functionaries in the late hours of Saturday. (Representational image) Chennai: Polling officials in RK Nagar seized a total of Rs 5.21 lakh cash on two different occasions after the election model code of conduct came into effect in high profile constituency. According to the police, the election flying squad officials, who were engaged in vehicle checking at Korukkupet area on Saturday night, checked a car and found Rs 2 lakh in possession of an Arakonam-based businessman. The officials seized the money and handed it over to Tondiarpet police and a case was registered. Similarly, the election official on December 2 seized cash worth `3.21 at Ambetkar Nagar from an AIADMK party cadre. In a press report, the election department has said that a total of Rs 5.21 lakh has been seized until Sunday. The election officials also seized as many as 12 cars that belong to various party functionaries in the late hours of Saturday. The cars were seized as candidates used them without proper permits. The cars will be returned after the by-election is over, an election official said. The election department also said that it had received 148 complaints until Sunday, of which 142 complaints are rectified. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also questioned Congress leaders, including its vice president Rahul Gandhi, for raising doubts over the surgical strikes. (Photo: Twitter | @BJP4India) Vadodara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a public rally at Vadodara in Gujarat, asked his predecessor Manmohan Singh why did he not show the courage to order a surgical strike post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, despite the readiness of the Army. He said after the Mumbai attacks, the Air Force had approached the then prime minister Singh with a plan for surgical strikes, but the government did not show the courage to order it. "Under whose advice did he (Singh) do so," Modi asked the gathering at the Navlakhi compound at Vadodara. "Someone who served at a high position in the Air Force has said that after 26/11, they went to the then prime minister with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then government did not show the courage to do that," Modi said and cited the example of his government's action in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack in September last year. "My government, in the aftermath of the Uri attack by Pakistan, had launched a surgical strike inside the borders of Pakistan, targeting several terror camps and launchpads. The strikes came as a surprise for the Pakistanis who were caught unaware. While the maximum damage was inflicted on their side, the Indian soldiers came back without any casualties," he added. Modi also questioned Congress leaders, including its vice president Rahul Gandhi, for raising doubts over the surgical strikes. "Are such secret matters to be discussed in public?" he asked, saying this was the difference between the NDA government and the UPA government. Modi said the reason behind his vacating the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat in 2014 was for blossoming the "lotus" in Uttar Pradesh and replicating the Gujarat model of development in that state. After winning two Lok Sabha seats from Vadodara and Varanasi in the 2014 general election, Modi had retained the Varanasi seat. He thanked the people of Vadodara for allowing him to resign from here. The Prime Minister also justified demonetisation, saying it was aimed at unearthing black money and preventing the parallel economy. He said the government had since succeeded in unearthing a "hawala" racket in Jammu and Kashmir which led to the arrest of many leaders who were advocating support for terrorism in the state. Congress leaders were not happy with demonetisation as it was a source of their income and even after a year since the note ban, they had kept the issue alive, he said. The Prime Minister also wondered how a "secret meeting" between Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and the former Pakistani high commissioner and other leaders from that country could take place without the knowledge of the Government of India. Modi said when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, he used to take permission from the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government at the Centre before holding a meeting with a foreign dignitary. New Delhi: Pakistan on Monday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modis charge of interference in the Gujarat polls, saying Islamabad should not be dragged into Indian electoral debate and that victories should be won on ones own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. Mr Modi had sparked a huge controversy on Sunday when he pointed towards a recent dinner at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars house which was attended by prominent dignitaries from Pakistan besides senior Congress leaders. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back and condemned the unwarranted statement by Pakistan, asking it not to sermonise to India. He alleged that the Pakistani statement sought to bail out the Congress party. In a tweet on Monday, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said, India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. The law minister hit back on this reaction. On Tuesday, a very curious statement has been released by Pakistan foreign office condemning Pakistan being dragged into Indias election and stated that Indians must learn to fight the elections on their own. I wish to tell Pakistan that Indians are capable of contesting (elections in) Indias democracy on their own as they do Indias Prime Minister is a popularly elected PM, He added, The role of Pakistan in promoting terrorism in India is too well known in the entire world. Please stop giving us lessons. We are proud of Indias democracy. he said. ... Pakistan comes out with an official statement in many ways seeking to bail out Congress party. Is it too suspicious? Surely, the country will draw its own conclusion, he added. It is common for diplomats stationed in New Delhi and visiting dignitaries to attend social events including private dinners. Mr. Aiyar himself has been a former diplomat. Union ministers in the Modi government too have, in their official capacity, attended formal occasions at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi previously. Mr Modi had himself visited Pakistan two years ago to personally extend greetings to the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday on Mr Sharifs invitation. Bengaluru: More than 100 convicts in Karnataka, who have completed their prison term of minimum 14 years with remission, will be set free on December 13. According to official sources, the governor has approved the release of 108 convicts, including 27 from the pending list from the various prisons in the state. "The convicts have been selected as per the state's revised guidelines on premature release of convicts. The Prisons Department had recommended the names of 93 convicts, of which 81 have been approved by the governor. He has also approved the release of 27 convicts, who were in the pending list," an official source told this newspaper. Some women lifers, whose names were recommended for premature release, have not made it in the final list on technical grounds, including their tenure in the prison. "This is the second batch of life convicts who will be set free prematurely this year. The government had released 144 convicts on Republic Day," he said. According to the July 2016 guidelines, a convict (male or female), who is undergoing life imprisonment and is covered by the provisions of Section 433A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), shall be eligible to be considered for pre-mature release after he or she has served a sentence of 14 years of imprisonment without remission. Male life convicts, who are not covered under Section 433A, can be considered for pre-mature release after they have served at least 14 years inclusive of remissions and 10 years without remissions. Female life convicts, not covered by Section 433A of CrPC and undergoing the sentence of life imprisonment can be considered for pre-mature release after serving 10 years, inclusive of remissions and seven years without remission There is an age concession for life convicts. A male lifer of or more than 65 years of age can be considered for early release after imprisonment of 14 years with remission. A female lifer aged more than 60 years can be considered for premature release after 12 years of prison term with remission. Bengaluru: 'Hai Bangalore' editor Ravi Belagere, accused of giving a supari to eliminate his colleague Sunil Heggaravalli over suspicions he was allegedly having a relationship with his partner Yashomathy, was on Monday sent to 14-day judicial custody, till December 23. The CCB police did not seek extension of his police custody, which ended on Monday, and let the First ACMM court send him to judicial custody. The Qaidi No. 12785 was lodged at Sanjeevini, the hospital on the premises of the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, as he is diabetic. Prison officials reportedly assigned an inmate to assist him as he is physically weak. Advocate Diwakar said that he presented a 100-page report on the health condition of Belagere and the need to monitor him constantly. A bail petition will be moved before a sessions court in a day or two. Belagere faces several cases against him but this is the first time he has been lodged in a prison. Union minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (right) and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov (left) at a joint press conference following the Russia-India-China Foreign Ministerial Meeting at Jawahar Lal Nehru Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The foreign ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) Sergey Lavrov, Sushma Swaraj and Wang Yi held trilateral talks in the Capital on Monday on a host of issues but Pakistan-based terror groups Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were not specifically named in the RIC joint communique that was issued on Monday. However, the Communique did state that the three countries agree to strengthen cooperation to take decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities and that the three countries condemn all forms of terrorism and all terrorists, terror entities and organisations listed by the UN Security Council. Both the LeT and the JeM are UN-proscribed terror outfits. Indian Government sources said the condemnation of terror and all UN-proscribed outfits in the Communique included the two terror outfits even though they were not mentioned by name. However, just three months ago, the two Pakistan-based terrorist organisations had been named as groups indulging in violence in a joint statement at the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) Summit in Chinas Xiamen city, indicating that the Chinese may have somewhat hardened their stand since then. China had once again recently blocked efforts led by India, the US, Britain and France to get JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN although the JeM itself has already been banned by the UN. Ms Swaraj, however, raised the terrorism issue strongly during the RIC talks, saying terror outfits like the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development. After a separate bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Ms, Swaraj said the two countries (India and China) agreed that they should further strengthen our mutual trust to develop a better understanding. Mr Subba Rao agreed in principle that Krishna water had been supplied to various projects under Srisailam dam but this was done on the directions of the Krishna River Management Board. Hyderabad: Telangana state government senior counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan on Monday asked how much Krishna water the AP government had diverted from the Srisailam dam during the current water year to projects located outside the Krishna basin and for the projects based on surplus flows from the river. He was continuing his cross examination of Andhra Pradesh irrigation affairs key witness K.V. Subba Rao, a former chief engineer, before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal. Mr Subba Rao agreed in principle that Krishna water had been supplied to various projects under Srisailam dam but this was done on the directions of the Krishna River Management Board. The cross-examination will continue on Tuesday. Key witness on agriculture affairs Dr P.V. Satyanarayana, principal scientist of Marteru Paddy Research Station, would be cross-examined over the course of the next couple of days. Mr Vaidyanathan posed 61 questions concerning diversion of Krishna waters, to most of which Mr Subba Rao replied that he was not aware and needed to check with irrigation officials. Mr Vaidyanathan asked whether, against the agreement of supplying 15 TMC ft of water to Chennai, the highest figure achieved at the Poondi reservoir point was only 5.18 TMC ft. This when 96 TMC ft of water was drawn from Srisailam to supply to various other projects. To this, Mr Subba Rao said the Pothireddypadu regulator was also meant for the Srisailam right branch canal and Telugu Ganga. The AP government had to supply water to Chennai though Karnataka and Maharashtra did not contribute their share of 5 TMC ft so far. Mr Vaidyanathan asked why the capacity of the head regulator capacity and the canal had been increased to 11,000 cusecs when the inter-state agreement stated that only 1,500 cusecs per day needed to be drawn for the Chennai scheme. Mr Subba Rao said since the length of canal is about 400 km, and it has to pass through areas in need of drinking and irrigation waters, there bound to be obstructions due to human interference. the AP witness also agreed that a number of projects were located outside the Krishna basin. The TS government has fielded irrigation department consultant G.S. Jha as key witness on irrigation affairs for the purpose of cross-examination by AP. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Madras high court judgment directing the state to establish Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (which will Hindi medium of instruction) in all the districts of Tamil Nadu and further direction to provide temporary sites and building to accommodate 240 children in each of the districts within a period of two months. A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud granted the stay on a special leave petition filed by Tamil Nadu challenging the judgment. The Bench after hearing senior counsel Aryama Sundaram and K. Vijayakumar issued notice to the petitioner on whose PIL the high vourt passed the order. TN, in its appeal, said the SLP raised substantial questions of law of general and public importance on the jurisdiction of the high court to direct the state government to establish Navodaya schools by giving lands without giving a finding that the existing infrastructure is inadequate. It said the state government refused to give permission to establish the Navodaya Vidyalaya schools primarily on the ground that they violate the policy adopted by the state government and the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006. Bengaluru: Dr Mahesha Vankalakunti, a Consultant Nephropathologist at Manipal Hospitals, is not just a clinician with loads of experience, but has also reached a milestone of conducting 25,000 kidney biopsies. What makes this feat unique is that the city has only three to four nephropathologists trained to conduct the tests. When he started, city hospitals had to outsource the patient details for kidney biopsies. "Before I joined Manipal Hospital in 2010, hospitals did not have nephrologists to give kidney biopsy tests and they had to be sent to other cities, including the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh. Bengaluru being a metropolitan city, I thought that we should have such an essential service considering the disease burden," he said. He started the journey in 2010 and facilitated Kidney Biopsy Reports for not just the entire state, but also West Bengal and other states. What started at our hospital caught the attention of other hospitals who also started sending samples to us. Currently, we get reports from entire Karnataka, South Maharashtra, Salem in Tamil Nadu, Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, which has the highest numbers," he said. Close to 100 nephrologists send him the samples for accurate reports. His work has currently been recognised by the Nephrology Association of Karnataka, who will honour him on December 23 for reaching the milestone and conducting the highest number of biopsies. Speaking about the need for timely reports, he said, Time is crucial. With the help of kidney biopsy, the doctors get complete information about the kind of disease and at what stage it is in, based on which the treatment is tailored. For end-stage cases, it is extremely important to know when they can start the dialysis. For transplant cases too, we need the report to see whether there is a kidney rejection and for that the doctors need the report as soon as possible as they have to start the anti-rejection therapy. At times of urgency, distance becomes extremely crucial and sending the sample outside the city carries the risk of losing time. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pays tribute to former chief minister S. Nijalingappa on his 115th birth anniversary at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Sunday. (Photo: DC) Bengaluru: The battle of wits between Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah and the Opposition BJP continues with the CM daring Union minister for Statistics, D.V. Sadananada Gowda to contest from Varuna constituency from where his son, Dr Yatindra is likely to contest in the 2018 Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters after garlanding the portrait of late chief minister, S. Nijalingappa in Vidhana Soudha here, Mr Siddaramaiah said, "Why should I be perturbed after he (Mr Gowda) became Mysuru revenue division BJP incharge? He is mistaken. I challenge him to contest against my son, Dr Yatindra in the forthcoming Assembly polls from Varuna." He added that he would not bother about hoax threats by anyone including Mr Gowda. "Why should Mr Gowda take pains searching for a candidate to field in Varuna, instead, he himself can contest from there," he retorted in response to a question. He further claimed that Mr Gowda was unaware of the voting pattern in Varuna. Voters overwhelmingly voted for me and I won by a margin of 32000 votes in Varuna last time, he reminded Mr Gowda. Reacting to the Chief Minister's open challenge, Union Minister of statistics and programme implementation, Sadananda Gowda ridiculed the CM's open challenge saying it was akin to a loser running away from the battleground even before the battle begins. "Our party is known for making leaders out of simple party workers. We will surely field a party worker, who will defeat Mr Siddaramaiah's nominees in his own turf," he thundered while reacting to reporters. He quipped that Mr Siddaramaiah leaving his constituency, Varuna to his son speaks volumes about his fear of losing the elections in 2018. Ananth: Target 22 of 28 seats in Bengaluru Union minister for parliamentary affairs Ananth Kumar on Sunday called on party workers to work hard to ensure the party's victory in as many as 22 seats out of 28 Assembly seats in Bengaluru. Speaking at the Parivartana Rally here, Mr Kumar said, "The time has come for BJP workers to teach a befitting lesson to Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah for whom the arrogance of power has gone into his head. He needs to be taught a lesson by ensuring his party's defeat in Bengaluru." According to him, if the party wins no less than 22 Assembly seats, it would help the BJP in achieving its mission of 150 seats easily. "BJP state president, B. S. Yeddyurappa who is touring the state must be given adequate support by party workers. He will be the catalyst to bring change in the state by ensuring the party's victory march in 150 seats," he said. Training his guns on Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, Mr Kumar remarked that the latter has suddenly woken up after a pro-longed sleep of four and half years and was talking about the dream of making Bengaluru an international city. "Mr Siddarmaiah often sleeps and sees a dream, he saw a dream of a steel bridge not for improving city infrastructure but to fill his coffers," he caustically remarked. I sincerely hope that he will apologise to the nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies, Manmohan Singh said. (Photos: PTI) New Delhi: In a sharp counter-offensive on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his conspiracy with Pakistan remark, former premier Manmohan Singh on Monday said he was setting a dangerous precedent with his ill-thought transgression and asked him to apologise to the nation. In a strongly-worded statement, Dr Singh rejected as innuendos and falsehoods Mr Modis comments, saying he did not discuss the Gujarat Assembly elections with anyone at the dinner hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistans former foreign minister Kurshid Kasuri here. I sincerely hope that the Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. I sincerely hope that he will apologise to the nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies, he said. Dr Singh said he was deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points by the PM. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of the Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly and regrettably, Shri Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief, he alleged. Addressing an election rally in Palanpur in Gujarat on Tuesday, Mr Modi suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly polls in the state. He claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars house over dinner on December 6. This was a day before Aiyars neech jibe against Modi that led to his suspension. Need no lesson on nationalism: Singh The Congress, Dr Singh said, needs no sermons on nationalism from a party and prime minister, whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known, while reminding Modi of his uninvited visit to Pakistan after terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan, he said. Claiming that his track record of public service to the country over the last five decades is known to all, he said no one, including Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground. Singh said the Gujarat issue was never raised by anyone present at the dinner and the discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations. He said besides himself and former vice president Hamid Ansari, others present at Aiyars dinner hosted for Kasuri, were the Pakistan High Commissioner, Natwar Singh, K S Bajpai, Ajai Shukla, Sharad Sabharwal, Gen Deepak Kapoor, TCA Raghavan, Satinder K Lambah, M K Bhadrakumar, CR Gharekhan, Prem Shankar Jha, Salman Haider and Rahul Khushwant Singh. None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti- national activities, he said. It is evident that in the Gujarat election campaign the BJP has been too embarrassed to tout the achievements of the so-called Gujarat model of development. The reason: the development claims simply do not add up. Ordinarily, political parties campaign hard and wait for results. Not Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has seen it fit to practically accuse former PM Manmohan Singh and recently retired vice-president Hamid Ansari, and others, of treason. The charge is that in a secret meeting at the residence of Mani Shankar Aiyar in New Delhi last week, these people conspired with Pakistans high commissioner in India to bring down the Modi government. Observers note that the Hindutva preaching by BJP-RSS for over more than two decades of BJP rule in the state appears to have left a patina of Hindu communal beliefs across social layers. It is to this that the BJP election campaign has repeatedly appealed as an invaluable resource, more markedly so in this election and by none other than the PM. Linking the Congress to the Muslim community exclusively is an old ploy of polarising the votes of Hindu-born citizens, but Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seems to have practically neutralised the propaganda through his temple visits. The logical next stop is Pakistan, and Mr Modi has taken the lead in trying to link top Congress individuals to a Pakistan-inspired effort to topple the Modi regime surely a dream plot for spy thrillers. It transpires Mr Aiyars principal guest was former Pakistan foreign minister Mahmud Ahmed Kasuri. The two were friends from their Cambridge days. As foreign minister, Mr Kasuri had worked to bring the two countries closer. Mr Aiyar has been very active in Track II processes designed to break the ice between India and Pakistan. Common protocol required that the Pakistan high commissioner be invited to the dinner. From whats been reported, the Indian guests included former minister K. Natwar Singh (long estranged from the Congress), a retired Army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor, retired foreign secretary Salman Haidar, a pair of former Indian high commissioners to Pakistan (recently retired), besides Dr Singh and Mr Ansari. It appears the former PM showed up just for the dinner in honour of Mr Kasuri and was not a part of the informal discussion on India-Pakistan relations. This dinner has been converted into a secret meeting by Mr Modi in a stump speech on Sunday, and the pre-dinner conversation into a conspiracy. The PM is not a fringe player. The allegation made by him logically leads to a demand for a trial for treason against the Indians at the dinner, a summary expulsion of the Pakistan high commissioner and a formal breaking of ties with the neighbouring country, besides an interrogation of the Prime Minister for the source of his information. One important saying I first encountered as a schoolboy was: Time and tide wait for nobody. I was reminded of it several years later when I was visiting Japan with my wife. There in Kyoto while travelling on the underground, she drew my attention to what looked like an advertisement one of the many on the walls of the underground station. The only striking difference was that while almost all advertisements were in Japanese and hence beyond our ability to read, this one was in Devanagari. What was it trying to communicate? Getting down from the train we went to read the ad and figure out its significance if any. We were surprised to see that the quote in Devanagari was about a verse in Sanskrit. Not ever in India do we see Sanskrit ads in our railway stations. From our limited knowledge of Sanskrit later supplemented by the help of a professor of Sanskrit we got the gist of the statement. It was telling the reader that of all things around us the most valuable one is time: if we lose it, we do not get it back. The scientist may call the above property the irreversibility of the flow of time. However, giving it a technical name does not imply that the phenomenon is understood! Just as we can move in space in any direction, top-bottom, East-West, North-South, can we likewise move freely into past and future? We cant. Otherwise there would be logical problems like the proverbial one wherein Mr A goes into the past and kills his grandfather before he got married; thus raising the question: How was A born? When I was completing my doctoral thesis I received an invitation to participate in an international conference, which had about a dozen speakers (including me) and about the same number of people to listen and discuss. The central topic for this meeting was the nature of time, including its unidirectional flow. After a stimulating discussion lasting five days the bottom line was that the apparent one-sided flow of time is hard to explain. The Sanskrit poster in Japan highlighted the same aspect of time. I felt, however, that the poster would have been more appropriate in India rather than in Japan. For, the Japanese have already acted on the teaching of the same. Their daily timetable sticks to the specified schedule. It is our experience that punctuality as a virtue has not been appreciated in our country. One would have expected the education sector to be more conscious in this respect. Alas, it is common experience that lectures and other public functions rarely start (and end) on time. The mindset vis-a-vis this happening is illustrated by one example. The chief guest at a university function arrived on the stipulated time in the host vice-chancellors office. The VC started chatting and went on well past the scheduled time of the event. The chief guest drew the VCs attention to the time delay and asked if they should start for the auditorium where the event was arranged. The VC, however, said, Sir, do not get worried. Our importance in this event will not be felt unless the audience is kept waiting for half an hour or so. So if a VIP is half an hour late in arriving, the VVIP will see to it that he is late by one hour. Given the importance of being punctual, there are further aspects of how we use our time. I came across a very effective demonstration of time management. A teacher brought into his class a bucket, some large stones, some small pebbles, some sand and a pot full of water. He put as many stones into the bucket as he could and asked the class if the bucket was full. Yes, said the class but the teacher shook his head. He put in pebbles to the extent possible and asked: Is the bucket full now? No, roared the class now aware of what was going on. The teacher now filled the gaps with sand and later by water. What did the demonstration indicate? Just as larger stones left gaps that could be filled with smaller units so should we use the free time available between our big jobs to complete our smaller jobs so that no time is wasted. But there was a second part to the above demonstration. The teacher started filling an empty bucket with small pebbles. When he filled it, he had no space left for large stones! The moral? If you keep doing small jobs you may discover that you have no time left for your important big jobs. I came across an example of this when a director of an institution complained that his administration took so much of his time that he could not do any of his academic work. This happened because he had refused to delegate part of his work to senior colleagues. Since he did not trust their ability, he himself was forced to look into and take decisions on numerous minor matters. That is where his time went! Samsung has been rumoured to unveil its Galaxy S9 in the first quarter next year. One of the biggest alterations coming to the new flagship will be an increased screen-to-body ratio which could reach up to 90 per cent. Several rumours hinted Samsung could achieve the high ratio with the upcoming device. The Galaxy S9 is also said to be taller than its predecessor. But a report from Dutch website GlaxyClub claims otherwise. The report says Samsung will use the same 18.5:9 display ratio as the Galaxy S8. However, the company would increase the screen-to-body ratio in a different manner, and the one that makes more sense. The most recent speculations suggest that the Galaxy S9 would come with smaller bezels, especially at the bottom where Samsung is trying to make them nearly invisible. The Galaxy S9 lineup will comprise of two models, just like the previous generations. This indicates we will get a 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 and a Plus-sized 6.2-inch Galaxy S9+. The smaller variant could feature a single-lens camera and 4GB of RAM, while the bigger variant will incorporate a dual camera setup along with 6GB RAM. The devices are most likely to be showcased in March at a dedicated event and will hit the shelves in April. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is a close ally of Trump, whose announcement triggered protests across the world. (Photo: AP) Cairo: A top Egyptian rights lawyer says at least eight protesters were detained and accused of "association with a terrorist organisation" after joining a small protest in Cairo over the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Khaled Ali says the protesters were arrested on Saturday in front of the Egyptian Press Syndicate in downtown Cairo after rallying against President Donald Trump's move. It wasn't immediately possible to reach the prosecutors on Monday for a comment. Ali says those detained, including a female activist, are accused of links to the Muslim Brotherhood group, Egypt's onetime largest Islamist group which was outlawed after the ouster of the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is a close ally of Trump, whose announcement triggered protests across the world. Patrice Nganang, a professor at New York's Stony Brook University, is due to go before a prosecutor in the coming week. (Photo: Twitter/ @nganang) New York: A Cameroonian-American writer detained as he tried to leave the Central African nation is facing charges over writings critical of its government and family and friends are calling for public support in a campaign for his release. Patrice Nganang, a professor at New York's Stony Brook University, is due to go before a prosecutor in the coming week, according to an account from his wife that was sent to fellow Stony Brook professor Robert Harvey. Nganang was detained on Thursday as he was trying to leave Cameroon to join his wife in Zimbabwe. Nganang and his attorney were informed of the charges against him at a hearing with judiciary police and were told the charges include accusations of insulting Cameroon President Paul Biya and issuing a death threat. Nganang has been critical of how Biya, in power since 1982, has handled a secessionist movement in some English-speaking areas. He wrote an article that was published shortly before he was detained. At the judiciary police hearing on Saturday, Nganang's lawyer said he didn't represent a threat because he had never worked with any violent or armed groups and had always been a peaceful activist. A prosecutor will decide what happens with the case moving forward. Nganang's supporters called for an outpouring of support for him, suggesting actions including calling the Cameroon embassy to demand his release; getting in touch with the US Department of State and federal elected officials; reaching out to advocates like Amnesty International or the Committee to Protect Journalists; and spreading the campaign through social media. Washington and Seoul staged their biggest-ever joint air drill last week in a show of force against Pyongyang, which is subject to multiple sets of UN sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes. (Photo: File/Representational) Seoul: The US, South Korea and Japan started joint exercises Monday to track missiles from North Korea, Seoul's military said, following the nuclear-armed Pyongyang's longest-range test launch to date. The trilateral drill comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and declared it had achieved nuclear statehood, escalating global alarm over its weapons push. The two-day exercise -- the sixth since June 2016 -- kicked off in waters near the Korean peninsula and Japan, Seoul's defence ministry said. "During the drill, Aegis warships from each country will simulate detecting and tracking down potential ballistic missiles from the North and sharing information," it said in a statement. Two US ships are taking part, with one each from the two Asian countries. Both South Korea and Japan have security alliances with the US, although their own relationship is marred by disputes over history and territory. Read: In latest effort to pressure N Korea, South Korea imposes new sanctions Washington and Seoul staged their biggest-ever joint air drill last week in a show of force against Pyongyang, which is subject to multiple sets of UN sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes. Tension flared anew in the flashpoint peninsula after the November 29 launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM, which the North claimed could deliver a "super-large heavy warhead" anywhere on the US mainland. Many analysts suggest that the rocket is capable of reaching the US mainland but voiced scepticism that Pyongyang has mastered the advanced technology needed to allow the rocket to survive re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. November's launch was the first test of any kind since September 15, and quashed hopes that the North may have held back in order to open the door to a negotiated solution to the nuclear standoff. The North's leader Kim Jong-Un has traded threats of war and personal insults with US President Donald Trump, heightening fears of another war on the peninsula once devastated by the 1950-53 Korean War. The South condemned the launch and on Monday imposed new unilateral sanctions on its neighbour. An alliance of Nepals main Communist party and former Maoist rebels is heading for a landslide victory and is expected to form the next government in Nepal, ousting the ruling Nepali Congress, after winning 106 seats in the historic provincial and parliamentary polls. The CPN-UML led by former prime minister K.P. Oli and the CPN-Maoist led by former premier Prachanda have forged an electoral alliance for both the landmark polls, which is seen as a turning point after two decades of conflict and political instability in Nepal. The poll outcome is expected to mark the end of Nepals transition to federal democracy, 11 years after the end of a brutal civil war in 2006. Since then, the Himalayan nation has seen 10 prime ministers. According to results released by the Election Commission on Monday, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist has won highest number of 74 seats, followed by its alliance partner CPN-Maoist Centre, which won 32 seats, out of the total 165 seats under the first-past-the-post election system. As the Left alliance headed for a clear majority in the 275-member Parliament, Oli was being projected to succeed PM Sher Bahadur Deuba. Oli won from the Jhapa-5 constituency by more than 28,000 votes as he defeated Nepali Congress candidate Khagendra Adhikari. Netanyahu, who has been angered by the EU's search for closer business ties with Iran, said Trump's move, condemned by the Palestinians and by Europe, should be emulated by them. (Photo: File) Brussels: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged the European Union to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but EU ministers shook their heads at Trump's move. Netanyahu, arriving for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, said Trump's move made peace in the Middle East possible "because recognising reality is the substance of peace, the foundation of peace." But even Israel's closest European allies such as the Czech Republic warned Trump's decision was bad for peace efforts, while France insisted Jerusalem's status could only be agreed in a final deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Asked by reporters about Trump's decision to switch the US Embassy to Jerusalem, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said: "I'm afraid it can't help us." Netanyahu, who has been angered by the EU's search for closer business ties with Iran, said Trump's move, condemned by the Palestinians and by Europe, should be emulated by them. "It's time that the Palestinians recognise the Jewish state and also recognise the fact that it has a capital. It's called Jerusalem," he said, after flying into Brussels from Paris after a meeting on Sunday with France's President Emmanuel Macron. "I believe that, even though we don't have an agreement yet, this is what will happen in the future. I believe that all, or most, of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and engage robustly with us for security, prosperity and peace." Last week, the Czech foreign ministry said it would begin considering moving the Czech Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which many in Israel saw as an endorsement of Trump's move. Read: Jerusalem row: Palestine walking away from chance to discuss peace, says US But Prague later said it accepted Israel's sovereignty only over West Jerusalem. EU foreign ministers reiterated the EU position that the lands Israel has occupied since a 1967 war - including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - are not part of the internationally recognised borders of Israel. "I'm convinced that it is impossible to ease tension with a unilateral solution," Zaoralek said as he and his counterparts arrived for a breakfast with Netanyahu. "We are talking about an Israeli state but at the same time we have to speak about a Palestinian state." Still Awaiting US Peace Plan France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged Washington to come forward with peace plans that are being drawn up by Jason Greenblatt, Trump's Middle East envoy, and Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner. "We've been waiting already for several months for the American initiative, and if one is not forthcoming that the European Union will have to take the initiative," Le Drian said. The EU believes it has a duty to make its voice heard as the Palestinians' biggest aid donor and Israel's biggest trade partner, even if EU governments have varying degrees of sympathy towards Israel and the Palestinians. Some in Israel see the European Union as being too pro-Palestinian because it insists products made in Israeli settlements must be clearly labelled in Europe. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, welcoming Netanyahu on the first visit to the EU by an Israeli premier in 22 years, that the bloc would continue to recognise the "international consensus" on Jerusalem. She repeated the Union's commitment to a two-state solution and that it was in Israel's interest to find a sustainable solution to its conflict with the Palestinians. The EU, she said, would step up its peace efforts and would hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in December. She also condemned attacks on Israel and on Jews elsewhere in the world, including in Europe. Trump's plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has prompted sometimes violent protests. A demonstration condemning Netanyahu's visit was planned for later in the morning in Brussels. I order the defence minister and the chief of general staff to start withdrawing the Russian group of troops to their permanent bases, Putin said. (Photo: File) Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday gave the order for a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria during a visit to the country's airbase there, news agencies reported. "I order the defence minister and the chief of general staff to start withdrawing the Russian group of troops to their permanent bases," Putin said as he visited Hmeimim airbase, RIA Novosti news agency reported. "I have taken a decision: a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in Syria is returning home to Russia." President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria, during a surprise visit to the war-torn country. Putin arrived at Russias Hmeimim airbase in Latakia province, a government stronghold, where he was welcomed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and the two men were pictured smiling, shaking hands and hugging. Putin said he had ordered defence minister Sergei Shoigu to start a partial withdrawal. I have taken a decision: a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in Syria is returning home to Russia, he said in a televised speech to troops at the base. Russia first intervened in the conflict in 2015, staging air strikes in support of its ally Damascus targeting both the Islamic State group (ISIS) and other jihadists as well as rebels fighting government troops. Putin said the troops had helped the Syrian army crush the most battle-ready group of international terrorists, apparently referring to ISIS. On the whole the task has been completed. And completed brilliantly, he said. Putin said last month that efforts to end the war were entering a new stage as the focus shifted from military intervention to political reforms. He said both Hmeimim and Russias naval facility in Tartus would continue to function and warned that Russia would repel any fresh attacks by militants. If terrorists rear their heads again we will inflict the blows that they have not seen yet, he said. The Kremlin strongman thanked Russian troops for defending Russia from terrorism and helping Syria remain a sovereign independent state. Putin said the conflict proved that Russias armed forces, including intelligence officers, pilots, sailors, special forces, military police, sappers and military advisers, were on top form, and he also praised the countrys defence industry. Our homeland thanks you, my friends, he said. Have a safe trip. I thank you for your service. After his speech Putin inspected the troops who goose-stepped to the tune of a popular Soviet-era song about World War II. Putin made the Syria stopover en route to Egypt where he arrived later on Monday. From there, Putin is scheduled to travel to Turkey for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Last week Putin announced he would be standing in the March presidential election that he is expected to effortlessly win, and his lighting visit to Syria can be expected to play well with the voters. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said India and China's strategic interests outweigh "partial frictions" and handling of the Doklam standoff through diplomatic means reflects the importance of bilateral ties. Ahead of his visit to India to attend the Russia-India- China (RIC) foreign ministers' meeting to be held in New Delhi today during which he would also hold talks with top Indian officials, Wang said China always values good neighbourliness and friendship between the two countries as "we are each other's big neighbours and ancient civilisations". He said India-China strategic interests outweigh differences and "partial friction". "We have handled the issue of cross-border incursions by the Indian border troops into China's Donglang (Doklam ) area through diplomatic measures," Wang told a symposium here last week, maintaining Beijing's stand. "Through diplomatic means, the Indian side withdrew its equipment and personnel which reflected the value and importance of China-India relations and demonstrated sincerity and responsibility of maintaining regional peace and stability," he said in his speech in Chinese posted on the website of the foreign ministry. "China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than differences, and far greater needs for cooperation than partial friction," he said. As long as China and India continue to engage in in-depth strategic communication and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of bilateral cooperation will be presented more clearly to the people, there will be a "prospect of the dragon and the elephant dancing together with 1 + 1 = 11 outlook," Wang said. The references to India by Wang were part of a lengthy speech about China's diplomatic achievements in 2017 and its relations this year with various countries including the US, Russia, Japan and countries in the disputed South China Sea region. Wang's visit to New Delhi is the first by a top Chinese official to India after the 73-day Doklam standoff and after the commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping. The over two-month Doklam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's 'Chicken Neck' corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. Wang's visit to Delhi is expected to be followed by top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi's trip later this month to attend the 20th round of China-India boundary talks. Yang along National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval are the designated special representatives for the border talks later this month. Both officials are also mandated to discuss the state of entire gamut of bilateral ties. In his address, at the symposium themed on international developments and China's diplomacy in 2017, Wang spoke about China's foreign policy outlook enunciated by the once-in- five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) held in October. The 19th CPC National Congress had charted the course for China's external relations. Wang said China needs to create a more favourable external environment and stronger external impetus to create a moderately prosperous society in all respects. "For China's diplomacy in the new era, we will take a longer and broader perspective and be even more open-minded and resourceful," he said. He reiterated that "war is by no means acceptable" in dealing with the nuclear issue related to North Korea, stressing that the possibility of negotiations remains. On ties with the US, he said "China is willing, on the basis of mutual respect, to live peacefully with the American superpower. The US needs to understand and accept a China that is following its own path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, one suited to its own conditions," official media quoted him as saying. He said the China-Russia relationship has become a major cornerstone for world peace and stability, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. On the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) he said it has become "the most popular international public goods programme". Chinese businesses have invested over $50 billion and created nearly 200,000 local jobs in countries that are participating, he said. India has objected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). CPEC is a part of the BRI. On Wang's visit to Delhi, Chinese think tanks said RIC foreign ministers' meeting offers Beijing and New Delhi an opportunity for face-to-face communication, which will effectively help both sides step out of the shadow of the Doklam standoff. "Admittedly, the past months have witnessed a downbeat narrative between the neighbours rather than a positive one, but with the meeting, China and India will send a message to the world that they will return to a stable and peaceful track," said Qian Feng, an analyst at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies told state-run Global Times. China and India have disagreements on counter-terrorism especially when it involves Pakistan, and China is unlikely to give up its stance on this issue during this meeting, Wang Dehua, head of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies, told the daily. China has opposed India's moves to get Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Masood Azhar listed as a terrorist by the UN. Wang Dehua also said persistent and honest talks between the two sides may help sort out differences on BRI. China also continues to oppose India's bid to enter the NSG primarily on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Popular actor Sudeep met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Monday and urged the State government to expedite the process of setting up a memorial dedicated to late Sandalwood actor Vishnuvardhan. The meeting also gave rise to speculation that Sudeep may be considering taking a plunge into politics, a rumour that has been heard for sometime. In a petition he submitted to the chief minister, Sudeep requested the government to grant one acre of land where a 'Dr Vishnuvardhan Punyabhumi' can be developed ahead of the legendary actor's eighth death anniversary on December 30. Vishnuvardhan, who died in 2009, was cremated at the Abhiman Studio in Uttarahalli. The Karnataka High Court, in 2015, stayed a government order granting two acres of land for the construction of Vishnuvardhan's memorial at Abhiman Studio, based on a petition filed by the sons of late Kannada actor T N Balakrishna. They argued that the government had granted 20 acres of land to Balakrishna for the construction of the Abhiman Studio in the 1970s. "I request you to identify one acre of land where Dr Vishnuvardhan was cremated," Sudeep has stated in his petition to Siddaramaiah. "If government rules do not permit development of both a memorial and punyabhumi in the same place, the fans of Vishnuvardhan, including me, are willing to give in writing that we will take up the responsibility of development," Sudeep stated. "If the government cannot suitably compensate the family of Balakrishna and buy the land, the fans of Vishnuvardhan may be allowed to buy it," Sudeep stated. "You have given the state many bhagyas (schemes). By taking this request to its logical end, you can take credit for completing the memorial that was announced by the previous government and meet a long-pending demand of Vishnuvardhan fans," Sudeep stated. The State government has already identified land for a Vishnuvardhan memorial in Mysuru, Sudeep pointed out. "But you are aware that it is the wish of Kannadigas and countless fans that a memorial should come up where Vishnuvardhan was laid to rest," Sudeep told Siddaramaiah. He also stated that there will be no objection if a memorial comes up in Mysuru as per the wishes of Vishnuvardhan's wife Bharathi. Ravi Belagere, editor of Kannada weekly 'Hi Bengaluru' was, on Monday remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. He has been charged with giving 'supari' (contract) for killing one of his employees and journalist Sunil Heggaravalli. Belagere was arrested on December 8 from his office-cum-house in Padmanabhanmagar by sleuths of the Central Crime Branch. He is in police custody for the last four days. He was produced before the first additional chief metropolitan magistrate in the morning. After hearing both the sides, the judge remanded Belagere in judicial custody till December 24. Prior to the order, K Divakar, the advocate representing Belagere, submitted to the court that his health condition was very poor, he was under medication and appealed for bail. After the court remanded him in judicial custody, Divakar pleaded the court to pass directions to the prison authorities to provide all medical assistance to him. The public prosecutor, who filed an application objecting to the bail plea, argued that Belagere had written many articles on underworld gangsters and he had close links with them. There are chances of Belagere destroying evidence and eliminating people related to this case using his underworld links. Investigation revealed that he had given his licensed revolver to a sharpshooter to kill Heggaravalli, he submitted. To carry out the 'supari', he was in possession of illegal arms and appealed to the court not to grant him bail. He also told the court that the CCB police seized an iphone and a tab from the suspect and sent them, along with the revolver and double barrel gun, to the forensic lab to check whether these weapons were used in any crimes in the past. Belagere's daughter Chethana and son Karna were present in the court during the hearing and they accompanied him till he reached the Parappana Agrahara central prison. The editor's advocate is likely to file a bail application before the sessions court on Tuesday. Elks and magpies get along, so to speak, because the elk needs grooming and the magpie is looking for dinner. But they may have never entered into this partnership if it were not for their particular personalities, suggests a study published in Biology Letters. Let's start with the elk. In Canada's western province of Alberta, they have been acting strange. Some have quit migrating, opting to hang around towns with humans who protect them from predators like wolves. Others still migrate. As a doctoral student at the University of Alberta, Robert Found, now a wildlife biologist for Parks Canada, discovered over years of observing their personalities that bold elk stayed, while shy elk migrated. But he noticed something else in the process of completing his research: As elk laid down to rest at the end of the day, magpies approached. There appeared to be a pattern: elk of some personality types aggressively rejected magpies. Others did not. "Sometimes the magpies will walk around right on the head and the face of the elk," Robert said. Scientists define animal personality by an individual animal's behaviour. It is predictable, but also varies from others in a group. Robert created a bold-shy scale for elk, measuring how close they allowed him to get, where elk positioned themselves within the group, which elk fought other elk, which ones won, how long elk spent monitoring for predators and their willingness to approach unfamiliar objects like old tires, skis and a bike. He also noted which elk accepted magpies. To study the magpies, he attracted the birds to 20 experimental sites with peanuts on tree stumps. During more than 20 separate trials with different magpies, he judged each bird's behaviour relative to the other magpies in a trial. Like the elk, he measured flight response, social structure and willingness to approach items they had not previously encountered. He also noted who landed on a faux-elk that offered dog food rather than ticks. Bolder elk and magpies exhibited riskier behaviours like tolerating the experimenter, approaching novel objects and fending off animals. About half of the elk let magpies land, and just over half the magpies landed on the fake elk. And it was the shy elk and bold magpies that were more likely to engage. This was counter-intuitive for an elk: eyeballs offer easy targets for hungry magpies. Mutualistic interactions But magpies also eat winter ticks. This tick species waits on tall grass for passing animals, like elk and deer, but preferably moose, which do not notice them until it's too late. They clump together and infest by the thousands, remaining on a host all winter, expanding to grape size when fully engorged. They can drain all the blood from a moose calf, and are credited with giving the moniker 'ghost moose' to those that groom themselves hairless. Elk have fewer winter ticks than moose, perhaps because they have had more time to evolve coping mechanisms, like habitual grooming. But hair loss around the neck is still a problem. Two decades ago, Bill Samuel, a retired moose biologist, found some moose also evade the pests by tolerating magpies. Perhaps, Robert thinks, shy elk gain an advantage over bold elk and compensate for their bashfulness by accepting magpies. Few studies have examined the role that personality plays in shaping interactions between species, especially mutualistic interactions. In one study, however, aggressive spiders in so-called mutualistic relationships suffered compared to docile spiders. And in another study, bold cleaner fish tended to cheat mutualism by consuming the protective mucus around their client fish and swimming off instead of eating parasites. Robert thinks personality reveals a messier mutualism than once assumed. While more research remains to be completed, Robert's peculiar observation, described for the first time, demonstrates the complex role personalities play in the animal kingdom. Whether emotional concepts or just behavioural tendencies, personalities exist in all kinds of species and can influence the interactions among and between them. Some combinations work; some don't. In this case, opposites attract - and it seems to be working. They often trumpeted, anxious and confused a driven from one village, only to be forced out from the neighbouring village. The herd even took refuge in a lake, the matriarch making desperate efforts to calm the young ones, while villagers stood close by shouting and screaming. The image of five elephants deep in the water with raised suspecting trunks constantly sniffing the air still remains fresh in my mind. And the commotion continued for over 12 hours. On November 18, a small herd of elephants that walked into the farm lands in Sathanur, a village in Kanakapura taluk, found themselves at the mercy of irate locals of two villages - both parties using crackers, loud threats to push the herd away from their lands, unknowingly obstructing the gentle giants from escaping into the forest too. The following morning, the Forest Department landed on the scene and tried to bring some order - and finally, the elephants were guided to take another stressful journey back home. Constant interaction This season, the elephants have arrived as expected. This might not have been the case several years ago. "I don't remember seeing an elephant in Sathanur about eight to nine years ago. But over the last few years, they have been a part of our lives - our crops, harvest, loss-profit, and our very own safety depends on the occurrence of wild elephants," explains Nagesh, a local. "The land I work on has been raided by elephants over seven times in the last four to five years," he adds. A ride through small roads within Sathanur town, a few years ago, threw up memories of quaint little village homes with low sloping roofs, fewer traffic, and dark nights, with no lights emanating from farmlands, giving the star-lit sky its due credit. These days, post 7 pm, you will hear locals on motorbikes singing on top of their voice, whistling and shouting while on the move and blinding bright yellow lights stand tall on farmlands. "Things have changed. A few years ago, elephants had raided over 43 farmlands in one night. Today, many people I know have leased out their lands not wanting to face elephants, season after season," recollects Swamy, another local. Let's face it, things have changed and for obvious reasons - as highlighted in the 'Right of Passage: Elephant Corridors of India', a study recently published by the Wildlife Trust of India in collaboration with Project Elephant and Elephant Family, a UK-based non-profit. The study identifies and records details pertaining to 101 elephant corridors across India. The report states that about 74% corridors are of a width of one kilometre or less today, compared with 45.5% in 2005, and only 22% corridors are of a width of one to three km now, compared with 41% in 2005. This clearly depicts the thinning of elephant corridors in India over the past 12 years. It's disheartening to know that in southern India, there is one corridor for every 1,410 sq km of available elephant habitat. Where will the elephants go while we aggressively continue to deplete their 'right of passage'? The other side Unlike other towns like Hassan, Sathanur does not host any resident (wild) elephants. A lone tusker or a herd is most often heard or spotted only in the late evenings. Santhaur, currently with no Range Forest Officer (RFO) in attendance, is under the supervision of RFO Halagur, Kiran. "As it is the harvest season right now, farmers are perpetually on the edge and we are doing everything we can to support them and ensure safe passage to elephants." Things have been changing over the years. With entry to the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary becoming more regulated and low tolerance exhibited by rangers towards locals and tourists who play loud music and drink around places like Muthathi, there are more displeased individuals among the locals than before, states the RFO. "There is anger towards the Forest Department, also because we are not tolerant to illegal chopping of trees and movement within the forests," adds Kiran. There is also the issue of participation - when the Forest Department tries to drive a herd away from a farmland, neighbouring farmers block them fearing for their own land. "Earlier, there were four night-watchers, we now have eight and have deputed two vehicles to speed up our response time to SOS calls. There is a small canal bordering the forest, through which elephants find their way into farmlands. We have sent a proposal seeking permissions to build a cement wall at this location to stop this passage," he adds. Many villagers feel positive about the move. It's interesting to note that farmers do not hate elephants; in fact, some of the farmers I spoke to expressed their sympathy for the animal. "On some evenings, you can hear the crackers followed by the trumpeting of elephants, the voices seem faint at times. But sometimes, when they get loud, I know it's my time to stay on guard. This summer, one elephant was found dead from dehydration. They come near the lake for water. They are also helpless, I truly feel sorry for them," says Hanmanthaiah, a farmer. This reminds me of an incident that occurred in January this year. A forest guard was killed by a tusker in Sathanur. The tusker was found at the same spot for the next two to three days. Many farmers, including those whose farmlands were frequently being raided by elephants opined that the tusker felt guilty for killing the man who protects his habitat. Many would call this talk anthropomorphism, but it also reminds me of a profound statement made by Primatologist Frans de Waal in his book, The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism among the Primates, "Those who exclaim that 'animals are not people' tend to forget that, while true, it is equally true that people are animals. To minimise the complexity of animal behaviour without doing the same for human behaviour erects an artificial barrier." The Cabinet on Monday cleared the eagerly awaited Metro line connecting the city with the Kempegowda International Airport. The project is estimated to cost Rs 5,950 crore, and is scheduled to be operational by 2021. The government also proposed a passenger service charge of Rs 60-80 on fliers to raise Rs 1,000 crore towards the construction of the line. Currently, the airport collects a user development fee of Rs 1,537 from international passengers and Rs 384 from domestic passengers. The passenger service charge is over and above what the airport is levying. The UDF is for the infrastructure the airport provides, whereas we have proposed a fee for providing Metro connectivity to the airport, said Mahendra Jain, additional chief secretary (urban development), who holds additional charge as managing director of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. The decision to levy a charge on airport passengers will need approval from the Centres civil aviation ministry and the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India. Now that the Cabinet has approved it, we will send a formal proposal to the agencies concerned, Jain said. 9 routes considered The Metro line to the airport will be an extension of the Gottigere-Nagawara line under Phase 2B. Earlier this year, the Metro authorities had proposed nine routes to the airport originating from KR Puram and Nagawara. The government eventually chose the latter starting point. The line will have seven stations and a 2021 deadline, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said, briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting. Karnataka hopes to get Rs 500 crore from the Centre under the Metro Rail Policy. The state government itself will put in Rs 1,250 crore, including Rs 250 crore of Karnatakas GST share. A lions share (54%) will be raised through loans adding up to Rs 3,200 crore. Short deadlines The government has set specific timelines for the project: Three months for land acquisition, three months for tendering, six months for award of contracts; and 30 months for civil works. The ruling Congress is planning to lay the foundation stone for the project ahead of the Assembly election in early 2018. An unusually combative former prime minister Manmohan Singh hit out at his successor Narendra Modi telling him that the Congress needed "no sermons on nationalism" from a person and party that had made compromises in fight against terrorism. In a scathing statement, Singh asked Prime Minister Modi to apologise to the nation for his "ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies." The sharp rebuttal from Singh came a day after Modi accused him and the Congress of conspiring against the BJP by holding "secret meetings" with Pakistani officials a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar's "neech" remarks against the prime minister. Singh rejected outright Modi's allegations as "innuendoes and falsehoods". "I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar as alleged by Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner," the former prime minister said. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of the prime minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly & regrettably, Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a former prime minister and Army Chief," Singh said in a statement here. "My track record of public service to the country over the last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Modi, cam lamely question it to gain lost political ground," Singh said. Singh reminded Modi of his "uninvited" visit to Lahore in 2015 after the terror attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur and asked him to give reasons for inviting an official of the ISI to the Pathankot Air Base to investigate a Pakistan-based terror attack. Congress leaders Anand Sharma and P Chidambarm also hit out at Modi for "dragging the political discourse to a new low" describing the BJP campaign for Gujarat election as "beyond bizzare". "Since when do we have to take permission to attend dinners," Sharma asked at a press conference here. The aggression displayed by the former prime minister also comes at a time when he has hit the campaign trail in Gujarat by addressing meetings and holding press conferences on demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax, which were highlighted as key election issues. Singh said he hoped Modi to show "maturity and gravitas" expected of the high office he held instead of "concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points". India has proposed $1 billion line of credit to promote sea, air and road connectivity projects with ASEAN, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. Apart from this, India has set up a project development fund of $77 million to develop manufacturing hubs in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, he said. "The Asean India maritime transport cooperation agreement is being negotiated...An Asian India civil aviation task force has been established to see optimisation of air connectivity. India has proposed to commit a line of credit of USD 1 billion to promote projects that support physical and digital connectivity," Gadkari said. He was addressing the Asean-India Connectivity Summit jointly organised by CII and Asean India Centre. The minister said Asean and India have also agreed to establish a maritime transport working group among India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to examine the feasibility of shipping networks. Asserting that connectivity is the pathway to shared prosperity, he said better connectivity is the core factor for strengthening Asean-India relations. "Connectivity projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (TH), extension of TH to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project are being planned and at different stages of implementation," he said. India is already working with Myanmar in the areas of border area development, capacity building, infrastructure development, connectivity projects and institutional development. Stressing on augmentation of international connectivity, the minister said for Bharat Mala project, around 2,000 km with an outlay of Rs 25,000 crore are earmarked to connect India's major highway corridors to international trade points. This will facilitate export/import trade with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. About BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) Motor Vehicles Agreement, Gadkari said action has been initiated for implementation of BBIN MVA by Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Actor-turned-BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raking up "unsubstantiated and unbelievable" stories linking Pakistan against political opponents. Sinha's comments came even as the BJP rallied behind Modi a day after he claimed that Congress leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, met the Pakistani High Commissioner here. The BJP asked why it took the Congress over 48 hours to accept that a "hush, hush" meeting with the Pakistani envoy and a former Pakistani minister did take place at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence. But Sinha's tweet came as a sour note. "Sir! Just to win elections anyhow, and that too at the fag end of the process, is it a must to come up with and endorse new, unsubstantiated and unbelievable stories every day against political opponents? Now linking them to Pakistan High Commissioner and Generals? Incredible," Sinha tweeted. Sinha also advised Modi to stop communalising the atmosphere and return to the promises that the BJP had made in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. "Sir! Instead of new twists and turns, stories and cover ups, let's go straight to the promises that we made, regarding housing, development, employment of youth, health, vikas model," he added. In another tweet, Sinha said, "Let's stop communalising the atmosphere and go back to healthy politics and healthy elections. Jai Hind." Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao asked in a tweet, "Why has it taken 48 hours for Dr (Manmohan) Singh to accept the meeting took place. Why did the Congress leaders deny yesterday (Sunday)." Rao's remarks came soon after Manmohan Singh issued a statement accusing Modi of spreading "falsehood and canard" in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat elections and asked him to "apologise to the nation". Modi on Sunday had accused a group of Congress leaders of meeting the Pakistan High Commissioner at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence before the latter called him (Modi) "neech". He said the meeting at Aiyar's residence was also attended by former Vice-President Hamid Ansari and the former PM. (end) The State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC) on Monday approved four new proposals including Boeing with a combined investment of Rs 3,427 crore which have potential to create 2,595 jobs. The SHLCC, headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, approved the proposal of Boeing India Private Limited to invest Rs 1,152 crore to set up an engineering and technology facility with electronics, avionics manufacturing and assembly at Aerospace Park in Bengaluru. The company has's proposed facility will be spread over 36 acres at the aerospace park, the government said in a statement. Among other proposals, the Committee approved Rs 740 crore investment proposal of CDC Development India Pvt Ltd for setting up a technology innovation international park, Rs 1,010 crore investment of Indian Coast Guard, which has proposed to set up a training centre at Baikampady industrial area in Mangaluru. The committee also approved a proposal of Universal Builders to develop an affordable housing project with an investment of Rs 525 crore in Hardware Park area at the Defence and Aerospace Park in Bengaluru. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at former prime minister Manmohan Singh for seeking apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he said was "flagging a political misadventure" by its senior leaders by engaging Pakistani leaders. As an opposition party, the Congress, too, was expected not to engage Pakistani leaders as the current national policy was not to do business with Islamabad till terrorism from there stopped. "An opposition party, particularly the principal opposition party, is also important in India's domestic politics. Therefore, when there's a national position on an issue, everyone is expected to maintain it." He said those like former Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar always had an inconsistent position. "They maintained a parallel line of dialogue, underplayed Pakistan's role in instigating terrorism in India and continued to engage with them (Pakistan)." Jaitley said "senior Congress leaders must desist from such adventure and come out with detailed facts on what transpired in that meeting and what was the necessity of having it under present circumstances. Yesterday, they were in denial about it and, today, instead of accepting it as a misadventure, they are trying to blame those raising the issue. When we were in the opposition too, we have followed the government's policy in this regard." He was responding to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who had earlier in the day accused Modi of spreading "falsehood and canards" about a meeting between Congress leaders and a former foreign minister of Pakistan and its envoy at suspended party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. At a rally on Sunday, Modi had alleged that the "three-hour secret meeting" was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, its former foreign minister, Manmohan Singh and former vice president Hamid Ansari. A Leftist alliance comprising the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) is poised to form the next government in Nepal. The alliance has raced ahead of the Centrist Nepali Congress-led coalition in the just-concluded elections to parliament. It will be some days before Nepal has an exact picture of its new parliament. Of the total seats in Nepal's federal legislature, 165 are decided on a first-past-the-post basis, with another 110 determined by proportional representation. Having won the first-past-the-post seats convincingly, the Left coalition is expected to take most of the proportional representation seats, too. Provincial elections were held alongside parliamentary polls and that, too, saw the Left alliance win handsomely. The clear mandate that voters have extended the Left will give Nepal a measure of political stability that has eluded it for long. Since the restoration of democracy in 1990, Nepal has seen shaky governments come, collapse and go. It has witnessed 10 governments over the past 10 years. The strong mandate will provide the Left alliance government with a strong foundation to last. However, many in Nepal and outside are sceptical of the Left alliance surviving its full term. The leaders of both the CPN (Maoist) and the CPN (UML), Pushpa Kamal Dahal (aka Prachanda) and K P Oli, respectively, are highly ambitious leaders and, till recently, they were bitter enemies and rivals. Their unity is recent. In fact, the rank-and-file of the two parties were taken by surprise when the alliance was announced. Will Dahal and Oli be able to set aside their long-standing rivalry to provide Nepal with the stability and good governance it so badly needs? The Nepali election result will evoke some concern in India. Oli, who is expected to become the next prime minister, projected a decidedly pro-China image during the election campaign. In fact, during his last stint at the helm, there were rumours that Delhi, which was upset with his bonhomie with Beijing, engineered his exit. There is some concern in India that his likely return as prime minister will see Nepal tilt towards China again. However, this is a simplistic reading of Nepali politics. Anti-India rhetoric is undoubtedly useful in winning votes in Nepal. But once in power, leaders adopt a pragmatic approach and seek equidistance between the two Asian giants. This is the path that the new government in Nepal will likely follow. Meanwhile, India must welcome the new government and offer all support to ensure Nepal's stability, security and economic development. Both sides have made mistakes in the past and hopefully, lessons have been learnt. India should be supportive of Nepal's quest for a stable and secure future. Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel on Monday once again asked his supporters to vote out the BJP in Gujarat. "I am not here to say who to vote for, but all I have to say is that if you vote for BJP, you would be a traitor of your community. For once, teach them a lesson. If you want, vote them back in 2022," Hardik told his supporters who had gathered in large numbers at New Nikol area of Ahmedabad. "Unless you give someone a chance, how will you know whether they are better or not?" he said. Hardik hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his reference to Pakistan's collusion in Gujarat elections. "What has Pakistan got to do with Gujarat elections? But in last 22 years, those who talked of development have gone back to their old theme - Ram Mandir, Hindu-Muslim, Pakistan. Do they talk of development?" Hardik said that he did not seek to grab power by defeating the BJP but wanted three things - "reservations for youth in unreserved classes, bring down unemployment and right price for farmers. If they announce this now, I shall end the agitation right here and turn it in to a 'Thank You' rally." Traffic snarls were witnessed in different parts of the city on Monday during Hardik's road show. There were reports of minor scuffles and stone-throwing, when BJP and PAAS workers clashed at Bapunagar election office of BJP candidate. The situation was brought under control after police intervention. Hardik held his road show even as Ahmedabad Police Commissioner refused permission for road shows by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president designate Rahul Gandhi in the city on Tuesday, on the grounds of security and traffic congestion. Hardik's road show was given permission with an understanding that it would not have more than five vehicles. However, thousands joined him on their personal vehicles. 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. A little over three months after a bitter border dispute over the Doklam plateau, which ended on 28 August, there are reports of a fresh presence of Beijing troops in the region. In the freezing winter, around 1,800 Chinese troops have now virtually established a permanent presence in the area at the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet junction, according to a Times of India report, which adds that Chinese troops have constructed two helipads, upgraded roads, and set up scores of pre-fabricated huts, shelters and stores. According to the report, while India has "achieved its strategic objective" of not letting China extend its existing road in Doklam, the fallout has been "the almost permanent stationing of People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops in the region". Earlier, PLA patrols would come to Doklam every year to mark their presence and lay claim to the area before going back. But according to officials, both China and India would in the past withdraw troops from the advanced regions of that area during the harsh winter months. On 1 December, the Chinese military had hinted that it would maintain a sizable presence of troops near the area of the standoff during winter, asserting that the region is in Chinese territory. "Donglong (Doklam) is Chinese territory," Col Wu Qian, spokesman of the Chinese ministry of defence said when asked about reports that PLA continues to maintain a sizable number of troops close to the Dokalam standoff area, doing away with the practice of vacating the place during winter. "Based on this principle we will decide on the deployment of troops on our own," he said without elaborating. The continued presence of Chinese troops near Yatung close to Doklam reportedly prompted India too to maintain troops there. While it is not clear whether the issue figured in the 10th round of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) talks between India and China in New Delhi on 17 November, officials said the meeting reviewed the situation in all sectors of India-China border and exchanged views on enhancing Confidence Building Measures (CBMS) and military contacts. Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat had warned in September that China would continue with its efforts to nibble away at disputed territories through "salami slicing", muscle-flexing and other measures. A Left alliance between former Maoist rebels and moderate communists is poised to form the next government in Nepal as it headed for a clear majority after winning 91 of the total 165 seats so far in historic polls that many hope will bring political stability to the Himalayan nation. According to results released by the Election Commission on Sunday, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified MarxistLeninist (CPN-UML) has won 66 seats while its alliance partner CPN Maoist-Centre bagged 25 seats out of the total 165 seats. The CPN-UML led by former prime minister K P Oli and the CPN-Maoist led by former premier Prachanda have forged an electoral alliance for both the provincial and parliamentary elections. The ruling Nepali Congress (NC), which was the largest party in the last assembly, has managed to win only 14 seats. As the Left alliance headed for a clear majority in the 275-member Parliament, Oli was being projected to succeed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Oli won from the Jhapa-5 constituency by more than 28,000 votes as he defeated Nepali Congress candidate Khagendra Adhikari. He polled 57,139 votes, the highest number of votes so far secured by any candidate in the election. In the assembly, 165 seats are directly elected and 110 are allocated to parties based on proportional representation. Two Madhesi parties, Federal Socialist Party Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party, have so far secured 11 Parliamentary seats each. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the Naya Shakti Party led by former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai and an independent candidate have secured one seat each. Sudheer Sharma, editor of the popular Kantipur newspaper, said the reason for the alliance doing so well was because their votes were not divided as was the case in past elections. They also promised a stable government for the next five years. Nepal has had 10 prime ministers in the past 11 years. The political instability has been blamed for slow progress in Nepal, one of the world's poorest countries. Many voters said they were eager for help in pressing the government to reconstruct hundreds of thousands of homes toppled in a devastating 2015 earthquake that killed 9,000 people. So far, less than 4 per cent have been rebuilt. The former rebels of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) fought government troops between 1996 and 2006, when they entered a UN-monitored peace deal and joined mainstream politics. They and their coalition partners also promised to work for good relations with both of Nepal's giant neighbours India and China. Officials said final results could take days. The mostly peaceful elections were held in two phases - the northern half of the country voted on 26 November and the rest on Thursday. The NC is expected to perform better in the proportionate voting, which was evident from the initial counting trends. The final results would be declared after the counting of votes for the proportionate voting system. It was the first election for seven provincial assemblies established under the constitution adopted in 2015. Election officials estimated turnout at 67 per cent among the 15 million eligible voters. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the elections marked "a historic moment for Nepal in implementing its federal structure as enshrined in the 2015 Constitution". Nepal's slow path to democracy began in 2006, when protesters forced the king to give up his rule. Two years later, Nepal officially abolished the centuries-old monarchy and decided that a federal system would best deliver services to all corners of the nation. But bickering among political parties delayed until 2015 the implementation of the new constitution, which declared Nepal a republic. Protests by ethnic groups in southern Nepal who complained they did not get enough territory in the province assigned to them had turned violent and left some 50 people dead. Protesters had blocked the border with India for months, cutting off fuel and other supplies. The two alliance partners are considering a merger to form the largest communist party in Nepal. If they merge, the post of party president and the country's president will be shared between Maoist chief Prachanda and top UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, according to reports citing insiders. Nepal has won the parliamentary election from Kathmandu-2 while Prachanda is set to win from Chitawan-3 constituency. Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Irelands Serious Crime Branch are appealing for information about Donegal woman Lu Na McKinney who died at Devenish Island in Fermanagh on Thursday, April 13th this year. Mrs McKinney (35), from Convoy, was on a family holiday when she died. The death of the mother-of-two, who was originally from China, was initially thought to have been a boating tragedy until the PSNI reviewed the evidence. A 41-year-old man was last week charged with her murder. Detective Inspector David McGrory said: Police are issuing a photograph of Mrs McKinney today in the hope that people will come forward with any information they have about her. I would like to hear from anyone who knew her or anyone who had contact with Mrs McKinney, who lived in Convoy, County Donegal, in the months preceding her death. Colleagues in An Garda Siochana are working jointly with PSNI to investigate Lu Nas death and anyone with information can contact either the PSNI on 101 ext 43373, confidential Crimestoppers number on 0800 555 111 or AGS at Letterkenny on 00353 749167100 or the AGS Confidential line on 1800 666 111. 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. Whether you plan on becoming the next Atlassian, or the next big thing in the share economy, many people, at some stage, will have their own new business dream. And in 2017, the startup space to be in is tech. Hundreds upon hundreds of adventurous and enthusiastic minds are venturing into the tech space with dreams of being the next big thing. Indeed, in just the first half of 2017, 71 private investments and acquisitions in the tech space alone racked up $564.1 million worth of deals. Among them, some seriously promising startups that raised anywhere in excess of $100million USD via several founding rounds, failed. Throw the cryptocurrency phenomenon into the mix, along with the trend toward Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and anyone with the right offering can dream big. Indeed, new business ventures are a cornerstone of a thriving and successful economy, and everyone is entitled to think big at least once in their lifetime about how your new business idea is going to change your life and set you up for the future. But what stops many potentially life-changing business ideas before theyve even seen the light of day is the reality that starting a business isnt easy or free, and that there a long list of barriers that need to be overcome. While that may sound like an obvious statement, with startup funding being the most obvious starting point for all new businesses yet its the costs that many burgeoning business owners overlook that cause them problems. In more than 20 years legal practice Ive worked with hundreds of startups and have seen some common themes as to why they fail. On the bright side, they can be avoided. Its about being aware of some simple principles and preparing accordingly. Far from this being a generous pouring of cold water on the brilliant ideas of Australian hopefuls, the intent is to help those hopefuls understand exactly what theyre in for, and how to properly prepare. The top five hidden traps that can stop a startup in its tracks: Lack of commitment from founding partners Its hard to start a business on your own and you often need partners in crime so to speak to share the load. However, founders often drop off in the first 6 -12 months. They do so for many reasons but most commonly its due to finances (i.e. lack of salary or low salary) and lack of commitment (they didnt think it was going to be this hard its easier to get a job). So, when founders leave, problems can arise in regard to their equity do they get their money back? And at what value? The answer is to ensure there is an agreement between founders, known as a Founders Agreement or alternatively a Shareholders Agreement which deals with the initial phase of the business, but also what happens when someone wants to leave. This is where an increasingly popular concept known as Founder Vesting becomes relevant. Overestimating sales Most start-ups can predict their costs for their initial operational period. However, most terribly overestimate their potential income. This is usually due to poor marketing, poor ability to convert users into paying users, sales (that is time between meeting a prospect, landing a sale, and revenue coming in particularly with corporate clients) and sometimes, simply that founders dont have the right skills to sell. Digging a deeper hole Often an idea at concept stage is great, but as you get into it, challenges arise. For example, you quickly discover user uptake isnt what you expected, or you didnt anticipate the capital required to be successful. The challenge at this stage is to know when to pivot to a new idea or when to shut down and cut your losses. However often, ego takes over. Founders dont want to give up their dream and admit they made the wrong call. If they keep digging a deeper hole, often they and their investors will fall into it. Not understanding the regulatory space and having no money to pay for it This is quite pertinent for fintech startups. Many start-ups do not consider the legal, regulatory or compliance aspects of their businesses. Many also do not set aside adequate capital to pay for meeting their obligations. Ive seen startups shut down because they dont have the ability to meet the requirements of an Australian Financial Services Licence or Australian Credit Licence (where either is needed). Sure, the ASIC sandbox may help, but this simply delays the inevitable compliance obligations. Not enough money This is linked to the sales and capital planning issue. In summary, the start-up runs out of cash as it simply hasnt gotten its financial projections right, nor has it been able to raise capital. Alternatively (and quite often) the start-up attracts seed capital from what we call the three Fs (family, friends and fools), but the business requires significantly more capital to be successful and cannot raise subsequent rounds. Founders are also often caught in the infinite loop of raising capital. Instead of raising capital and then working on the business, the Founders raise money via a drip feed. This means they spend their time constantly presenting to investors and chasing investors instead of working on their product. In short, raising capital is hard. The ability to attract capital depends on a range of variables including: Connections of the founders or seed investors. The founders themselves investors often invest in people and not businesses. Perhaps the investors do not believe the founders can deliver. Product type what was sexy for investors yesterday, isnt necessarily sexy today. Lack of worldwide focus. Poor user take-up of their product. So, a concrete and realistic fundraising plan needs to be in place before a business should consider itself ready to launch. The point is to seek the right advice and be sure youre ready. Optimism and enthusiasm are great qualities to have, along with resilience, when trying to start a business. But theyre a lot more useful when you are fully prepared and ready to go. Know your people, know your obligations and more importantly, know your product. A little bit can be made to go a very long way in this respect. About the author Darren Sommers is a Principal Solicitor at Melbournes KHQ Lawyers. He has more than 20 years experience providing general commercial legal advice and specialist technology law advice to clients in the IT industry and other technology industries. But members of nearby communities, represented by the Port Moresby-based Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights Inc (Celcor), claim they were not adequately consulted and that they hold grave concerns over its impact. Nautilus told the Guardian it has conducted dozens of community meetings reaching more than 30,000 people from nearby islands and has had its key documents, including a detailed environmental impact statement, publicly available for years. Nautilus Minerals Inc, a Canada-based company primarily owned by Russian and Omani mining firms, wants to extract gold and copper deposits from 1.6km below the surface of the Bismarck Sea, using a seabed mining technique never before used in commercial operations. SYDNEY - A controversial experimental deep-sea mine is being challenged in court by environmental groups who have accused the Papua New Guinea government of withholding key documents about its approval. There are also concerns over its financial viability and the PNG governments stake in it. Celcor, which has been assisted by the New South Wales Environmental Defenders Office, formally lodged an application in PNGs national court and served the PNG government last week. It said key documents had not been published, and that under the PNG constitution affected residents had a right to the information. The plaintiffs have previously sought documents including the original permit, the environmental management plan and independent reviews, all oceanographic data on the site, and any studies or modelling of the environmental, social, health, culture and economic impacts. They had also asked for any agreements made between Nautilus and the PNG government or other entities in relation to the project, and evidence of the mining ministers original granting of the exploration licence and his reasons. Our major concern is the environmental impact of this project, since there is no independent environmental study, a plaintiff, Jonathan Mesulam, from PNGs New Ireland Province, said. Mesulam criticised the companys consultation approach, and said the community at large did not give free, prior and informed consent on the companys permit. They had no control. It has been organised by the former minister, and a few other people from the local level government, he said. The Solwara 1 field, in a volcanic area between the islands of New Britain and New Ireland, was identified by Australias CSIRO in 1996. Nautilus was granted an environmental permit for the field in 2009, and a mining licence in 2011. Seabed mining which Nautilus described as the next big disruptive technology is usually based around areas of metallic nodules, or active or extinct hydrothermal vents, which carry valuable metal deposits. This month Nautilus issued a statement to the Toronto Stock Exchange warning of cash flow and financing difficulties, deferring for a third time its due date for a required $10m funding injection. As promised, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer's new leadership position didn't prevent him from completing his annual tour of New York's 62 counties. Schumer, D-N.Y., finished the 2017 installment of his statewide tour with a stop in Columbia County Friday. It was the second consecutive year he ended his 62-county swing in Columbia County. Before the start of the year, Schumer pledged to continue the 62-county tour despite being named Senate minority leader. He succeeded former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid as leader of the Senate Democrats. His trips around the state were less frequent. In 2015 and 2016, he visited upstate New York and Long Island 213 and 189 times. This year, he made 107 visits to Long Island and upstate New York counties, including 11 stops in central New York. He visited Cayuga County in July for a press conference at Emerson Park in Owasco. He urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve the necessary permits for the Owasco Flats restoration project. Schumer's 62-county tour dates back to 1998, when he challenged incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato. D'Amato, Schumer recalled in 2015, said New Yorkers wouldn't see Schumer "west of the Hudson should he win." On the campaign trail, Schumer pledged to visit every New York county if he was elected senator. After winning the 1998 race, he followed through on his promise by visiting each of the state's 62 counties during his first year in office. "This is a tradition that I have continued every single year because of how much I learn, not to mention how much I enjoy doing it," Schumer said Friday. Schumer isn't the lone statewide elected official who has embarked on the 62-county tour. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand traveled to every county in the state early in her tenure. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who crisscrosses the state five days a week, has touted her own 62-county tour in the past. But no one has been doing it longer than Schumer. "Almost 19 years later, now as the Senate minority leader, a position with great responsibility, my mantra is clearer than ever: Senators who stay in Washington and never return home are simply not doing their job," he said. "That's why I go to the street fairs, parades, graduations and all kinds of public events. Whether I'm in Allegany County or Franklin County, I'm always mixing and mingling with my constituents." The city of Auburn will hold a public meeting to gather community input on designs for a new playground at Casey Park. The meeting is set for 6 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 13, at Casey Park Elementary School. City staff is working with Play by Design, an Ithaca-based company that helps communities build their own playgrounds, to construct an inclusive, community-designed playground that can be utilized by all children. Senior Planner Tiffany Beebee said city officials "would like to see all community members involved. "This is different than typical playgrounds," Beebee said. "We're really having the community drive this playground. Play by Design will completely design this playground based on ideas generated at the community meetings." Students as Casey Park have already started coming up with ideas for the playground, Beebee said. Those designs will be available during the meeting for the public to look at. Beebee said others who have ideas are encouraged to bring them to Wednesday's meeting as well. The $215,000 project will be funded through the city's federal Community Development Block Grant allocations. Beebee said construction will begin in the spring or summer of 2018. For more information, contact the Office of Planning and Economic Development at (315) 255-4115 or email Beebee tbeebee@auburnny.gov or Renee Jensen rjensen@auburnny.gov. (Photo: Albin Hillert/World Council of Churches)Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor Setsuko Thurlow (center) and ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) executive director Beatrice Fihn (right) at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo on Dec. 10, 2017. More than 3,000 peacemakers from all over the world gathered in Oslo on Dec. 10 to commemorate the work of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapon's with banners with slogans such as: "The world must sign UN nuclear ban." ICAN is an alliance of 468 civil society organizations and it received the Nobel Peace Prize on Sunday for its ground-breaking efforts to secure a prohibition on nuclear weapons. The supporting organizations of ICAN include numerous religious groups including the Geneva-based World Council of Churches where its headquarters are based along with those of other ecumenical institutions. Beatrice Fihn, ICAN executive director, accepted the prize on behalf of all the campaigners in the alliance talking of fear, freedom and the future as the basis for a strong statement against the possession of nuclear weapons based on world realities. "A choice between the two endings: the end of nuclear weapons or the end of us. It is not naive to believe in the first choice. It is not irrational to think nuclear States can disarm. It is not idealistic to believe in life over fear and destruction; it is a necessity." Setsuko Thurlow, a Japanese survivor of the Hiroshima bombing also received the award on behalf of ICAN, saying in her speech that nuclear weapons and humanity cannot co-exist. "Every second of every day, nuclear weapons endanger everyone we love and everything we hold dear," Thurlow said, noting, "we must not tolerate this insanity any longer." She said, "These weapons are not a necessary evil; they are the ultimate evil," as she asserted that history will judge harshly those who reject the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit said after the official ceremony that the day held a special place in history as "a day that changes the agenda. "The people who makes peace applauded and they were applauded. We in the WCC are proud of being their partner. "To make peace is holy work. We are encouraged by the Nobel Peace Prize for ICAN. We need words that can make the world accountable to our call to make peace. "We need this treaty as an expression of how it should be, before it is so. We had a solemn moment of prayer and hope yesterday in the Trinity Church in Oslo." (Photo: WCC)World Council of Churches 1st Assembly, Amsterdam, 1948. It was the official founding of the WCC, its theme, coming soon after World War II was "Man's Disorder and God's Design." Pope Francis celebrated the Feast of All Souls Day commemorating all those who have died in war, reminding humanity not to forget past lessons and warning that the only fruit yielded by conflict is death. His words of warning and his powerful condemnation of warmongers came during his Nov. 2 homily at the Sicily-Rome American War Cemetery some 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Rome, Vatican Radio reports. "Please God," Francis prayed, "everything is lost with war. "There are men who are doing everything to declare war and to enter into conflict. They end up destroying themselves and everything." Pope Francis arrived at the war cemetery early in the afternoon so that he could spend time reflecting and paying his personal respects to the mostly young soldiers who gave their lives in the name of freedom and respect for humanity There are 7,860 servicemen buried there and in a chapel on the grounds are the names of 3,095 servicemen who went missing in action. Most of those who are buried in the Nettuno cemetery died in the liberation of Sicily, the landings at Salerno and Anzio, and in air and naval support of these operations in 1943 and 1944 during World War II. The Pope explained that pride is the vice which leads people to seek solutions to problems through a declaration of war, and that humanity "has not learned the lesson" nor does it seem to "want to learn it," Catholic News Agency reported Francis concluded by reminding that today is a day to pray for all the dead, but that we should pray especially for those young people killed in war and buried in the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery. "We also pray," he continued, "for the dead of today, the dead of war, even innocent children. This is the fruit of war: death." Australian schools are immersed in transforming teaching and learning to help equip their students for an uncertain future.The key issue for the Australian Government in determining how to spend its Gonski dollars is therefore to devise ways to support and scale up what is already underway.That is, the transformation of Australias school system requires strategic leadership, not restrictive regulation.The suite of actions school leaders draw on to lead change offers a range of possible actions for the Government to consider, including:Reversing Australias slide in international test rankings is not a goal that will inspire classroom teachers or principals to work even longer hours. What is required is a targeted strategic focus such as reducing academic underachievement.What international tests and NAPLAN results do show is that in Australia there are greater differences in student achievement within schools than between schools. No school is complacent about the spread of students academic outcomes and all have a vested interest in narrowing that achievement gap.A national goal that is experienced locally and which can be analysed and acted upon locally is much more likely to achieve measurable gains faster.Leaders will often seek to identify if a model of the practices or behaviours they wish to embed in their school already exists in a form that can be adopted or adapted. They will then look for staff members with the curiosity, interest or skills to champion introduction of the model.Governments typically identify existing models of desired practice through award programs or will support the creation of lighthouse schools through participation in funded projects.Promotion of good practice is the precursor of amplifying and accelerating its adoption.The Government has already taken significant steps to promote and amplify good practice through the work of AITSL and ACARA. Illustrations of practice, work samples, interactive tools and other resources support implementation of the Australian Curriculum and the professional development of teachers and school leaders.As suggested in AHISAs submission to the Review to Achieve Excellence in Australian Schools, one way to amplify and accelerate use of these resources is to develop an associated system of micro-credentialing to align with teachers professional development requirements.Successful transformations often begin with amplifying whats right rather than changing whats wrong.A strengths-based approach to leading change in Australias schooling system could therefore begin by recognising and drawing on the immense pool of professional knowledge, expertise and intellectual capital in schools. The Government should also recognise that most schools in Australia are already operating strategically within a continuous cycle of strategic development and that an appropriate policy response would be to seek ways to support, build or accelerate such practice.Dr Mark Merry is National Chair of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia and Principal of Yarra Valley Grammar in Victoria. To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020. America is a very compassionate nation donating over $390 billion to charities last year. When someone is in need, it is in our nature to reach out and help. Thoughtful contributors deserve to know that their donations actually go toward charitable work. It is also essential that anyone attempting to deceive the public under the guise of charity is put to a stop. New York State law requires that organizations that solicit money directly from the public register with the Department of Law. The law secures your right to know how much money these organizations raise and how your contributions are being used, including salaries and administrative expenses. During the holiday season, the appeals for charitable gifts will peak. With that in mind, I offer a few helpful dos and donts that you should keep in mind before contributing. Dos of charitable giving: Do ask to see identification for both the solicitor and the organization, including the organizations registration number; Do ask how much of your contribution goes toward fundraising and administrative expenses, including the salaries of the organizations directors and employees; Do ask for written literature, and read it; Do ask how much the organization itself is to receive if it is selling a product or service; Do ask whether your contribution may be tax deductible; Do be suspicious of anyone who cant respond to your questions satisfactorily. Donts of charitable giving: Dont be afraid to ask questions; Dont give to an organization you know nothing about; Dont let yourself be pressured into making a donation; Dont feel obligated to make a contribution on the spot you can always mail a contribution after receiving more information; Dont give because the solicitor gives you a sob story. This approach is quite often a sign of phony and unscrupulous operators; Dont be fooled by an impressive name or one that closely resembles the name of a respected or legitimate concern. Most organizations in New York State that engage in charitable activities and/or solicit charitable contributions are required to register with the Attorney Generals Charities Bureau. Under New York State law, charity is defined very broadly, and includes purposes such as cultural programs, education, poverty relief, promotion of health and research to cure disease, and other purposes to benefit the community. Although most charitable organizations are required to register, some are exempt, including: religious organizations, parent-teacher associations, membership organizations that do not solicit contributions from the public, certain educational institutions, and government agencies. Depending on the nature of their activities and whether they solicit contributions from the public, other organizations may also be exempt from registration. The New York State Attorney Generals office has additional information that can be helpful for givers and charities alike. The website, www.charitiesnys.com, contains financial reports of charities active in New York, guidance for those who manage charities and solicit charitable contributions, tips for those considering donating to charity, and links to other resources. The website also includes an on-line complaint form. All complaints received by the Charities Bureau are reviewed thoroughly to determine whether or not any action by the attorney general is warranted. Perhaps the best advice is to give to a local non-profit group or charity. There are many organizations staffed by volunteers that live and work right here in our community. These groups make a real difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors, and they are part of the reason why our area is so special. Finally, if you want to donate to a cause, but do not have the financial means to do so, consider giving your time it is just as valuable to non-profits in need. Jika Anda mencari situs web sbobet88 login yang andal dan aman untuk bermain poker online, permainan kasino, dan bentuk perjudian lainnya, Anda telah datang ke tempat yang tepat. Situs web kami menampilkan daftar lengkap permainan, opsi pembayaran, dan lainnya untuk memastikan Anda bersenang-senang saat bermain. Agen Judi judi adalah salah satu permainan poker online yang paling populer. Ribuan orang dari seluruh dunia telah bergabung dengan kasino online ini untuk bermain poker demi uang. Ini juga sangat mudah digunakan; yang Anda butuhkan hanyalah komputer atau smartphone dengan koneksi internet. Anda juga memerlukan koneksi wifi yang berfungsi. adalah situs poker top di Indonesia karena berbagai macam permainan dan layanan pelanggan yang sangat baik. Sangat mudah untuk memahami mengapa begitu banyak orang menikmati bermain poker online dan menikmati kesenangan dan hadiah dari permainan. Ini juga nyaman untuk bermain dari rumah, sehingga Anda dapat bermain kapan saja. tersedia di beberapa zona waktu, sehingga Anda dapat bermain kapan saja sesuai keinginan Anda. Anda bisa bermain saat pagi, siang, dan malam hari. Jika Anda merasa lesu, Anda selalu dapat bermain selama periode waktu yang kurang populer seperti jam 1 5 pagi. Gim ini mudah dimainkan dan memiliki RTP tinggi. Ini memiliki banyak tema dan kompatibel di berbagai platform. Ia juga menawarkan permainan seperti Lucky Lion, Queens of Glory, dan Bubbles Bonanza. Flow Gaming juga menyediakan slot video dan permainan jackpot dengan RTP tinggi. Selain itu, seorang petaruh harus mengamati tangan pemain lain sebelum mengambil keputusan. Ini akan membantunya membuat keputusan yang tepat untuk langkah selanjutnya. Selain itu, seorang pemain poker harus mempelajari dasar-dasar perjudian dan memahami konsekuensi dari kemenangan. Sebuah permainan kesempatan hanya sebagus pemainnya. Saat memilih situs kasino, pastikan untuk memeriksa reputasinya. Beberapa situs memiliki reputasi buruk, sementara yang lain memiliki reputasi baik. Penting untuk membaca syarat dan ketentuan dan memilih situs terbaik berdasarkan detail ini. Sebuah terpercaya Indonesia dapat menawarkan berbagai macam permainan dan deposit minimum yang rendah. Ini juga memiliki jackpot besar. Situs Judi Situs Judi adalah kasino online berlisensi yang menawarkan berbagai macam permainan dan menawarkan jaminan keamanan 100%. Permainan di situs ini sangat populer dan menawarkan jackpot besar setiap hari. Beragam permainan judi online bisa Anda temukan di , antara lain mesin slot, baccarat, dan poker. Situs ini juga menawarkan berbagai permainan arcade dan togel. Situs ini juga menawarkan fitur putaran gratis bagi pemain untuk memenangkan uang gratis. menawarkan berbagai macam metode pembayaran. Anda dapat menyetor menggunakan sebagian besar kartu kredit dan operator seluler utama dan bermain dengan uang sungguhan. Anda juga dapat menggunakan e-money untuk deposit. adalah kasino online yang aman dan ramah pengguna. Situs ini tersedia dalam berbagai bahasa dan didukung oleh penyedia internasional yang andal. Terdapat pilihan live chat 24 jam yang dapat diakses melalui perangkat mobile Anda. menawarkan keamanan dan privasi yang luar biasa. Informasi pribadi dan uang Anda 100% dilindungi. Situs web ini juga menawarkan berbagai permainan dan menggunakan dompet elektronik yang aman untuk pembayaran. Anda harus memilih permainan yang Anda sukai untuk dimainkan. Dalam hal ini, permainan slot adalah pilihan yang paling cocok. Jackpotnya sangat besar! Jadi, bermainlah dengan cerdas dan menangkan yang besar! Jadi, nikmati permainan pilihan Anda dengan bantuan kasino online Indonesia. di Indonesia adalah salah satu situs pembayaran online terbaik. Ini juga menawarkan berbagai macam permainan dan bonus. Selain pembayaran, ia juga menawarkan informasi lengkap tentang permainan slot. juga menawarkan berbagai metode deposit. Anda dapat melakukan setoran melalui transfer bank, telepon, atau mata uang digital. Situs ini juga tersedia di Indonesia dan Asia. adalah kasino online hebat yang menawarkan berbagai macam permainan slot. Selain itu, ia menawarkan bonus pendaftaran gratis. Dan, semua gimnya aman dan mudah diakses. Baik Anda seorang veteran atau baru memulai, adalah tempat terbaik untuk bermain. Comedian Hannibal Buress was taken into custody on Saturday, Dec. 9, by the Miami Police Department on charges of disorderly intoxication. Disorderly Intoxication Charge Buress was placed under arrest in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami on a disorderly intoxication charge at approximately 2 a.m. and was released on a $500 bail bond about four hours later. According to The Miami Herald, the comedian was taken into custody following an encounter with a police officer. It all started when Buress approached the officer with bloodshot eyes and a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, asking the police to call him an Uber. However, the officer refused, which allegedly led to Buress becoming aggressive. In his incident report, the officer said he then told the comedian to leave but Buress did not pay heed to the officer and instead walked into a nearby venue. The officer then followed him inside because he felt the comedian was too intoxicated to stick around. "Once outside, the defendant stood by the front gate and continued yelling profanities," the officer's report says. "I, then again, asked him to leave the area about five times. A crowd began to gather and vehicular traffic slowed as they watched the defendant yelling and being disorderly. Defendant arrested." All Over Social Media The Miami PD confirmed news of Buress' arrest on a disorderly intoxication charge after filmmaker Billy Corben tweeted them seeking answers. Hello Billy, Mr. Buress was arrested for disorderly intoxication, on December 9, 2017, at approximately 10:30 p.m. Miami PD (@MiamiPD) December 10, 2017 Corben's tweet came in the wake of a video of the comedian's arrest that started circulating on social media. The video, which appears to have been shot on a bystander's cellphone, shows Buress handcuffed against a Miami patrol car with two police officers standing in front of him. The comedian appears to be agitated and can be heard asking the officers the reason behind his arrest. The video footage went viral and spurred the #FreeHannibalBuress hashtag on social media as officers on the scene told Buress he was being detained for trespassing. However, it was later confirmed that he booked on a disorderly intoxication charge. Buress is a popular comedian and has featured in a number of stand-up specials. He has also starred in several films including Spider-man: Homecoming, Baywatch, Neighbors, Daddy's Home, and The Disaster Artist. His television credits include Comedy Central's Broad City and Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show. He is also known as the comic who famously called Bill Cosby a rapist on stage before several women came forward with sexual assault allegations against The Cosby Show star. Check out video footage of Buress' arrest below: A woman has accused Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme of intentionally kicking her in the head during a show on Dec. 9. Caught On Tape The 44-year-old rocker was caught on video violently kicking a woman named Chelsea Lauren during the band's set at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas concert in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 9. Lauren is a female photographer who works for the stock photography company Shutterstock, which has a licensing partnership with Variety magazine owner Penske Group. She took to Instagram to post the video footage of the incident that clearly shows Homme kicking her in the head as she was standing near the stage and taking pictures of the rocker. Homme can be seen walking past Lauren and then backtracking a step in what appears to be an attempt to kick away her camera. Lauren Reveals What Exactly Happened In an interview with Variety, Lauren recounted the incident that landed her in LA's Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She told the publication that she was standing on one end of the stage while three other photographers had taken their positions on the other side of the stage. Lauren said she was quite excited to be photographing Homme and the remaining band members as it was her first time clicking Queens Of The Stone Age. In her excitement, she started clicking away as she saw Homme approaching and the next thing she knew, he struck her camera with his foot and the camera connected with her face with a tremendous amount of force. She claims Homme made eye contact with her as he violently kicked her and then continued performing like nothing happened while she was left holding her face in agony. She said that she did nothing to provoke the violent behavior from Homme, who she also claims was smiling before he kicked her. Lauren then headed to the pressroom, before returning to her position next to the stage to click pictures of Thirty Seconds To Mars and Muse. She later checked in to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she received treatment for her injuries. Rocker's Bizzarre Behavior Homme acted erratically throughout the show. At one point, he apparently pulled out a knife and cut his own forehead to induce bleeding. He allegedly also yelled "f**k Muse" (the band was headlining the show after QOTSA's set) and called the crowd "retards" and at one point even urged them to boo him. Homme Issues Apology Homme later took to Twitter to issue an apology to the photographer. "Last night, while in a state of being lost in performance, I kicked over various lighting and equipment on our stage. Today it was brought to my attention that this included a camera held by photographer Chelsea Lauren," he wrote in the statement. "I did not mean for that to happen and I am very sorry. I would never intentionally cause harm to anyone working at or attending one of our shows and I hope Chelsea will accept my sincere apology," he added. The Thomas Fire has forced Ellen DeGeneres to evacuate her pets from her home in California. On Monday, the television host shared to her followers that her home is under the threat of being burned by the recent wildfire. DeGeneres and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, are among the thousands of families affected by the Thomas Fire. "Our house is under threat of being burned. We just had to evacuate our pets," the TV personality tweeted. "I'm praying for everyone in our community and thankful to all the incredible firefighters." She, however, assured that her neighbors are looking out for each other in this time of distress. Everyone in the Montecito area is checking up on each other and helping to get people and animals to safety. I'm proud to be a part of this community. I'm sending lots of love and gratitude to the fire department and sheriffs. Thank you all. #ThomasFire Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) December 10, 2017 According to E! News, DeGeneres' home is located in Carpinteria, close to Santa Barbara. The county, along with Ventura, is affected by the Thomas Fires. On Sunday, mandatory evacuation in the areas affected has been ordered by the local authorities. DeGeneres and de Rossi are reportedly living with several cats and dogs in their $18.6-million beachfront house. The celebrity couple also owns a property in the Santa Barbara. Celebrity Homes Affected Carpinteria and nearby town Montecito are homes to several celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Jane Seymour, Jeff Bridges, Al Gore, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, George Lucas, Oprah Winfrey, and Patrick Stewart. As of this writing, it is still unknown whether these personalities have abandoned their homes for safety. Meanwhile, Lea Michelle, Chelsea Handler, Lionel Richie, and Chrissy Teigen have already evacuated. The fire also impacted Kylie Jenner's cosmetics factory in Ventura County. Paris Hilton also tweeted last week that her pets have been evacuated from her home in L.A. This wild fire in LA is terrifying! My house is now being evacuated to get all of my pets out of there safely. Thank you to all the firefighters who are risking their lives to save ours. You are true heroes! pic.twitter.com/6uYBUh1pjV Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) December 6, 2017 Actor Rob Lowe (Parks & Recreation) was also forced to pack his bags and evacuate. He shared on Twitter that the fire is nearing his town. Praying for my town. Fires closing in. Firefighters making brave stands. Could go either way. Packing to evacuate now. Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) December 10, 2017 Thomas Fire's Wrath The Thomas Fire has forced more than 88,000 people to evacuate from their homes. Los Angeles Times reported that around 8,500 firefighters are trying to suppress the six wildfires around California. By Sunday, authorities revealed that 230,000 acres were affected by the wildfire. Over 524 structures were destroyed and another 135 were damaged in the city of Ventura alone. The Thomas Fire has become the fifth largest wildfire in the modern history of California. Carpinteria, in particular, is in danger. The dry vegetation around the area could hasten the spread of the fire. Schools in Santa Barbara County have already canceled classes. Some will not open until the New Year. WWE suspended Rich Swann following his arrest in Florida on Sunday, Dec 10. The 205 Live star was arrested for kidnapping and false imprisonment. On Sunday, the Gainesville Police Department released Swann's incident report on their official Twitter account. A mug shot of Swann was also uploaded online following numerous national media requests from the department. Rich Swann Gets Suspended By WWE A day later, WWE confirmed that Swann has been suspended. On their official website, the organization said that they have zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence of any kind. The duration of Swann's suspension is unclear as of the moment, but WWE said that it will all depend on the results of the investigation that is already taking place. Meanwhile, Swann was accused of kidnapping and battering his wife, Vannarah Riggs, as well as false imprisonment, following an altercation that took place while they were inside their car. After their heated argument escalated, Riggs got out of the vehicle and left Swann. However, the WWE superstar stopped in the middle of the traffic and grabbed his wife by her arm. An onlooker told police officials that Swann placed Riggs in a headlock and dragged her back into their car when she refused to follow his orders. Riggs, who is also a pro wrestler, screamed for help. Another insider said that Riggs did not put his car on park mode that's why it kept moving through the traffic. It eventually hit a telephone pole. Swann initially denied dragging his wife back into their car and said that Riggs went back with him on her own. He also said that he ran after her to get her phone because he was using her GPS for directions. Will Rich Swann Go To Jail? Following the incident, the pro wrestler was booked for simple battery and false imprisonment at the Alachua County Jail. If proven guilty of kidnapping, Swann could face up to five years in prison. He is also scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Dec. 11. Kidnapping or false imprisonment in Florida is considered a third-degree felony. On top of the possible prison sentence, Swann may also be required to pay a $5,000 fine. Battery, on the other hand, is a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida. Penalties include a $1,000 fine, one year in jail or 12-month probation. As of late, Riggs has not yet released her statement regarding the incident. Swann and Riggs just got married nine months ago. They were together for five years before they tied the knot earlier this year. The Shape of Water and Big Little Lies lead the Golden Globe Awards race as top winners in their respective divisions. Every year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association awards the Golden Globes for outstanding achievement in film and television. Actors Kristen Bell, Garrett Hedlund, Alfre Woodward, and Sharon Stone announced the nominees in front of a packed room full of photographers and media representatives. 'The Shape of Water' Evaporates Competition Critics' Choice Award favorite, The Shape of Water, earned seven nominations. The film was nominated in the Best Motion Picture-Drama category while Guillermo Del Toro received a nomination for Best Director-Motion Picture. Del Toro also shared a nomination with Vanessa Taylor for Best Screenplay- Motion Picture. Actors Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, and Richard Hawkins each placed in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama, Best Performance by an Actress in A Supporting Role, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. Composer Alexandre Desplat picked up the seventh nomination with Best Original Score-Motion Picture. Other Honorable Nominees In Films The Post and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri each received six nominations. In addition to The Post being nominated for Best Motion Picture-Drama, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep each earned places in the Best Performances-Drama category. Film legends Steven Spielberg and John Williams each received a nomination for Best Director and Best Original Score-Motion Picture. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 's Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell each scored acting nominations while the film picked up Best Motion Picture-Drama. Veteran actor Christopher Plummer earned Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for All The Money in the World. Plummer replaced the film's original actor, Kevin Spacey, after he was let go when sexual misconduct allegations against him surfaced. Greta Gerwig's breakout film, Lady Bird, earned four nominations. The film and lead actress Saoirse Ronan previously won New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress. 'Big Little Lies' Tops TV The Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman HBO drama, Big Little Lies, topped the television portion of the Golden Globes. The series picked up six nominations including Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made For Television. Both Witherspoon and Kidman were nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Actresses Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley each earned spots in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made For Television. Finally, Alexander Skarsgard picked up a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in A Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. 'Will And Grac'e Returns And Other Honorees Beloved NBC sitcom Will And Grace made its return to the Golden Globes after an 11-year hiatus. The show was nominated for two awards including Best Television Series-Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series for Eric McCormack. Feud: Bette vs. Joan picked up four nominations including Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Both Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon picked up nominations for their portrayals of the silver screen icons. Also, Alfred Molina picked up Best Performance by an Actor in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Late Night with Seth Meyers host Seth Meyers will emcee the 2018 ceremony, which will go live from Los Angeles' Beverly Hilton on Sunday, Jan.7 on NBC. Harvey Weinstein is responsible for 'The Weinstein Effect' that is taking over headlines and Hollywood. Since September, a wave of accusations against some of Hollywood's elite men implicating them as sexual predators with their actions being spread across the internet for everyone to see. Weinstein's accusations are probably the most horrendous. If the allegations are true, Weinstein has used his power to manipulate and demean women for decades and is now paying the price for it. Weinstein is currently being investigated for allegedly raping actress Paz De La Huerta on two separate occasions. De La Heurta claims that Weinstein raped her in 2010, once after showing up at her apartment and then another time after showing at her hotel lobby and following her to her home. De La Huerta came forward with her allegations to the New York City Police. While it looked like Weinstein could be facing some serious prison time, new reports suggest that might not be case after all. The Weinstein Effect Because the case against the Hollywood mogul is more than seven years, this may be problematic for the prosecutors looking to bring Weinstein to justice. Also, the actress was in contact with Weinstein in between the times of the two alleged attacks. Huerta's therapist also wrote a report to authorities that doesn't cooperate with what the Boardwalk Empire star claims happened. "I recall you reporting to me a sexual encounter with Harvey Weinstein involving intercourse in your apartment in 2010 that resulted in you feeling victimized. I recall you telling me that it felt coercive to you and that you didn't want to have sex with him, but felt that you had to as he was a man of power and rank and you couldn't say no to his sexual advances," her therapist wrote. Weinstein has denied De La Huerta's allegations. Other actresses who have claimed that Weinstein raped or assaulted them include: Rose McGowan, Ashley Judd, and Heather Graham. Even though Weinstein may not arrested for this case, he's not completely out of the dark yet. The producer's wife left him amid allegations and Weinstein is still being investigating by the LAPD and London police. A terrorist set of a pipe bomb that was strapped to his body in the Times Square section of New York City. Police revealed the explosion occurred in an underground passageway on 42nd street between 7th and 8th avenue. The bomb went off at 7:30 a.m. during rush hours on Monday, Dec. 11. Eyewitness News reports the suspects name is Akayed Ullah and is currently in custody. New York Citys Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Ullahs strike against the city was an attempted terrorist attack. The bomb was attached to Ullahs body with velcro; his arm and torso sections of his body were damaged due to the explosion. Preliminary investigation at the scene indicates that this male was wearing an improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body. He intentionally detonated that device," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill shared. Ullah is from Bangladesh and a supporter of ISIS. Hes been living in the United States for seven years now. He has a brother who attends a Brooklyn school that the authorities are currently searching for. The suspect is 27-years-old and three civilians have been injured due to his attack. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that President Donald Trump has been informed of the explosion. The President has not tweeted about the attack, instead, he tweeted about The New York Times and their bad reporting skills regarding an article the media outlet published about how much television he watches. Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the dumbest man on television! Bad Reporting. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2017 Enstarz will continue to have updates on this developing story. Celebrity chef and The Chew co-host Mario Batali is the latest high profile television personality to be accused of sexual assault allegations. The founding member of the ABC's culinary talk show has been advised to temporarily step down from his commitments to the Emmy-winning daytime series. Batali stepped down after a report, that the Food Network veteran has sexually assaulted several women, was published on the Eater New York website. "We have asked Mario Batali to step away from The Chew while we review the allegations that have just come to our attention," ABC stated in a statement. "ABC takes matters like this very seriously as we are committed to a safe work environment." The ABC Television Network also added that while it does not know about any additional harassment involving Batali or any other employee associated with The Chew, the network stated that it would quickly and efficiently deal with any harassment matter. Batali Apologizes To Victims The Iron Chef issued an apology statement to Eater New York, and the comment was directed towards his alleged victims. "Although the identities of most of the individuals mentioned in these stores have not been revealed to me, much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted," wrote Batali. "That behavior was wrong, and there are no excuses." Batali also apologized to his family, friends, employees, and customers and asked them for forgiveness regarding his actions. "We built these restaurants so that our guests could have fun and indulge, but I took that too far in my own behavior," Batali wrote. "I want any place I am associated with to feel comfortable and safe for the people who work or dine there." Batali Temporary Leaves Batali And Bastianich A spokesperson for Batali's culinary company, Batali and Bastianich Hospitality Group, has stated that Batali agreed to step away from the day-to-day business operations. "We take these allegations very seriously," said a Batali and Bastianich representative. "We have strong policies and practices in place that address sexual harassment. We train employees in these policies, and we enforce them, up to and including termination." Fall From Grace Batali began his celebrity culinary career when he first joined the Food Network in 1995. His first show, Molto Mario, aired on the culinary cable network from 1996 to 2004. Batali was also an original Iron Chef on the fan-favorite culinary competition show, Iron Chef America. Batali retired from the series at the end of the sixth season. For the past six years, Batali reached a broader audience as a part of The Chew's Emmy-nominated on-air team. The original line-up of Batali, Carla Hall, Michael Symon, Clinton Kelly, and Daphne Oz, won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host in 2015. Batali is the second high profile celebrity to leave his positions regarding sexual assault allegations following Russell Simmons, who left his own companies following the revelation of alleged allegations. President Donald Trump is facing a series of sexual assault allegations as numerous women stepped forward to share their stories about how the reality television celebrity turned POTUS forced himself upon them. The Allegations Former news anchor Juliet Huddy alleged that Trump tried to kiss her on a Trump Tower elevator in 2005. In a transcript provided by Page Six, Huddy revealed the news on the Mornin!!! With Bill Schulz podcast. "He took me for lunch at Trump Tower, just us two. He said goodbye to me in an elevator while his security guy was there, rather than kiss me on the cheek he leaned in to kiss me on the lips. I wasnt offended, I was kind of like, Oh my god,'" Huddy exclaimed. "He came up on stage and he turned around to the audience and, you know, there were 50 people there and he said, I tried to hit on her, but she blew me off," Huddy said, recounting what Trump had said when he visited her show, The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet. Despite accusing him of sexual harassment and assault, Huddy said she wasn't offended by his advances. She was only upset when Trump publicly supported Bill O'Reilly, who was terminated from Fox News after his own sexual assault allegations leaked. Shared Stories Between The Accusers Huddy's former co-worker Julie Roginsky confirmed Huddy's allegations by tweeting how the two spoke about the incident after it happened. "For all those who are doubting @JulietHuddyTVs story, please stop. She told me this story many years ago, well before Trump was running for anything," Roginsky wrote. "She has absolutely no agenda other than the truth here." Other women who have accused Trump of similar behavior noted that the 45th President groped and fondled them prior to his presidency. They shared their stories on Monday at a news conference. "This was serial misconduct and perversion on the part of Mr. Trump. Unfortunately, this behavior isn't rare in our society, and people of all backgrounds can be victims," Rachel Crooks, a former receptionist of Bayrock Group said. She accuses Trump of kissing her on the mouth without her consent in 2005, as well. Other accusers like Temple Taggart, former Miss Utah USA said Trump kissed her on the lips in 1997 and Mindy McGillivray said Trump grabbed her buttocks in 2003 when she was at his club Mar-a-Lago. President Trump Responds These women stepped forward as President Trump continues to support Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. Moore has been accused several times of child molestation. There is also video footage from Access Hollywood where President Trump was shown saying he was able to grab women "by the p--sy" because he is famous. Contestants who participated in his Miss USA pageant franchise came forward sharing how Trump would enter their dressing rooms unannounced while they would be half-dressed or naked. President Trump has denied these allegations and announced during a Monday press conference that the women have lied and will be sued. Im glad Im not an Alabama voter By Michael R. Shannon More specifically, Im glad Im not an Alabama conservative. The choice confronting conservatives in the December 12th special senate election is very difficult. But not so tough that our cultural arbiters arent eager to give conservatives and Christians the benefit of their wisdom. The same Opposition MediaPunditCelebrity nexus that didnt condemn Teen Vogue for its recent issue introducing young girls to the joys of anal sex, is now urging Christians to vote their convictions. This is certainly a welcome change from being characterized as figures of fun who dabble in hate, but Im still skeptical of the OpMedias sudden admiration for our sterling character. Particularly when they urge us to choose a candidate based on moral beliefs the OpMedia routinely mocks and derides. Our media betters want Christian voters to pick an ideal candidate. Someone who would look good in a Baptist pulpit, instead of the lefts hotel bathrobe. Naturally, their choice is Democrat Doug Jones instead of handson Republican Roy Moore. The argument isnt all that compelling, particularly when one recalls all of Roy Moores alleged victims survived, whereas Democrat Ted Kennedys didnt. This election is also noteworthy in that it reverses the usual noseholding option conservatives confront. I recently wrote how I was tired of being told to hold my nose and vote for country club conservatives. The Republican establishment would patiently explain that even though this spineless weathervane could never be depended upon to fight for bedrock conservative issues, he would be marginally better in office than his leftist opponent, since hes a sure vote for Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader. This year conservatives have a chance to vote for a somewhat tarnished candidate that will fight tooth and toenail for conservative causes and the establishment tells us to forget about that nose thing and just vote Democrat. From the beginning I was suspicious of the alleged underage abuse allegations against Moore. Ive worked in campaigns for over 40 years and timing is a key factor in the negative side of the campaign. Ive been the media consultant for races where we had devastating information regarding the opponent and we sat on it for weeks or months until such a time as the information could be released and the opposing campaign would not have time to recover. I suppose I could accept the Washington Posts claim that their scoop on Moore was generated inhouse and not handed to them on a platter like the Russian Dossier. Only, if the stories about Moores alleged behavior were common knowledge, why did the knowledge only become common nationwide after Moore defeated Luther Strange and it was too late to put someone else on the ballot? That convenient timing looks like a premeditated decision to hold the story and thereby influence the election. Then theres the yearbook signature thats an exact copy of the Judge Moore signature on the womans divorce decree from years later, but bears no relation to his unofficial personal signature at the time the yearbook was supposedly signed. The OpMedia is doing its part to make voting Democrat less painful for wavering conservatives and Christians. Why Democrat Doug Jones middle name is Moderate according to his glowing press clippings. Hes going to focus on jobs, education and infrastructure. Theres zero mention of Jones being the frontman for a George Sorosfunded effort to politicize US Attorneys. According to Breitbart, the Sorosfunded effort supported ending mass incarceration and its report authored by Jones used language similar to the Obama Justice Dept. effort to grant de facto amnesty to illegal aliens. Running in the middle and governing from the left is common for Democrats. Last election Virginia had its first transvestite candidate for the House of Delegates. This man in womans clothing assured voters that he also intended to focus on meatandpotatoes issues like transportation. You can imagine voters shock after he won when they learned his first issue in Richmond would be forcing insurance companies to cover gender transition and gender reassignment surgery. Evidently, the road our shiftshifter was most interested in improving was the one between his house and the genderbending clinic. Alabama voters will see the same transition when Jones gets to Washington, absent the pronoun switch. As far as Im concerned, the voting decision for Christians comes down to a single comparison. Roy Moore may or may not have fondled babies 40 years ago, but if Doug Jones gets to Washington hell be voting to kill babies and fund Planned Parenthood from day one. Thats why if I were an Alabama voter Id choose Roy Moore now and support a conservative opponent in the 2020 Republican primary. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). Home The American Renaissance: Chapter One By Michael Moriarty Why I have chosen to describe these thoughts on December 8, 2007 as The American Renaissance? Im not sure yet. One things for certain: I just survived the worst five-day cold of my entire life. It could very well have been pneumonia! Not now, however. The worst of it is over. Indeed, it has proven to be An Epic Ailment. Apropos of a mildly comforting epithet: If it doesnt kill you, it will make you stronger. If I were in my thirties, I wouldnt be writing about it. Im 76! And, thank God, Im still alive! This is way beyond a Second Chance! It is a One-Hundredth and Second Chance! I have survived a Killer Cold and President Trump has repeatedly survived a treasonous, New World Order attempt to hand American sovereignty over to a United Nations Fourth Reich. The first, formal efforts to impeach President Trump have failed. Subsequent attempts will also fail. I formally announce that: The Trump Era Is Unstoppable! President Harry Truman and General Dwight D. Eisenhower are back! Has North Korea become the Old Imperial Japan? The fundamentals of American success have returned!! Both individual liberty and individual responsibility are in charge of the American future! However! What about the Military-Industrial Complex that President Eisenhower was so worried about?! Hasnt The Military-Industrial Complex become President Trumps best friend? In the face Of Bipartisan, American support for THE NEW WORLD ORDER?! A Renaissance For The American Military-Industrial Complex Has Become INEVITABLE! What did the recent vote by the anti-Israel, New World Order, United Nations do to re-assert President Trumps obligations to strengthen and reinforce the American, Military-Industrial Complex?! The UN Shamelessly voted Against Israel! Like my cold, that could have been a Killer vote! It hasnt stopped Trump. And, with Divine Certainty, it certainly wont stop The United States of America! Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@yahoo.com. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. Home Examining the historical defence of Christendom as the conceptual template for the defence of Westernesse in J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings (Part Two) By Mark Wegierski This essay is based on a presentation co-authored with Wojciech Szymanski, M.A., which was read at the Fantastic Literature Conference 2016 (Religious Topics in Fantastic Literature) at the University of Lodz (Lodz, Poland), September 19-20, 2016. Like many great classic works of dystopia, science fiction, or fantasy, Tolkiens works are largely driven by the specific invented terms and languages used in them. The driving impulse of the works under study is the special languages used in them. The invention of language is a vital element of what Tolkien called the subcreation of a world, and it can be seen Tolkien has placed an enormous amount of effort into the construction of specific vocabularies. Nearly all of the special words appear in the ongoing flow of the text, without being italicized. Of course, these special languages are not created ex nihilo they are based on languages formerly used in human societies. In his world-building, Tolkien went to great lengths to create extensive invented languages. His most prominent invented language, two varieties of Elvish Quenya and Sindarin, -- have been based largely on a combination of Latin, Old Norse, Old Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Finnish elements, to name the most prominent influences. It is at least somewhat interesting that the relation of the Elvish languages to the Middle-Earth setting at the time of the War of the Ring, is somewhat similar to that of Latin to the various European cultures in more modern times. Tolkiens writing can be contrasted with that of the sword-and-sorcery subgenre, typified by Robert E. Howards Conan stories. While reading sword-and-sorcery can be a response to an over-regulated and over-bureaucratized world, it could be argued that there is also an element of cheapness, vulgarity, and gracelessness in sword-and-sorcery, especially in the less salubrious examples of this subgenre. The contrast with Tolkiens own writings, could not be more striking. Some have argued that Tolkiens promulgation of a warrior-ethic is more pagan than Christian. One sees in these works a robust, stalwart fight against various enemies. This does not seem to be a prominent feature of Christianity, as it exists today. Heroic resistance to ones enemies is often said to be a pagan, not Christian trait. Indeed, it could be perceived that, today, various denominations of Christianity are often very weak in facing their current-day adversaries. They seem to be talking all the time about forgiveness, about turning ones cheek, and so forth. It is argued that the key to understanding these works of Tolkien as actually more Christian, rather than pagan in spirit, is to refer to an earlier phase of Christian history, notably the defence of Christendom. The notion of Christendom has become extremely attenuated today. The notion of Christendom hearkens back to the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, when most Europeans lived within an over-arching religious-political-cultural complex that permeated their lives to an extent almost unimaginable today. Christendom was also something that had to be robustly defended. Over the course of close to 1,500 years, European history was punctuated by a series of great battles and sieges that held back various (mostly) Eastern adversaries. Here, one indeed finds a stalwart, robust resistance to various enemies. One can think of such decisive conflicts as Chalons (451 AD), Tours (732 AD), the Great Siege of Malta (1565), the sea-battle of Lepanto (1571), and the siege and battle of Vienna (1683). Much of this conflict was a struggle against the Ottoman Turks, who were called the sempiternal enemy of Christendom. Also, in the history of the British Isles, there had been at least three conflicts that seemed to fit the template of defending civilization. First of all, there was the stand of the legendary King Arthur and what remained of Roman Britain, against the Saxon invaders. Secondly, there was the later resistance of the Anglo-Saxon King Alfred the only English monarch surnamed the Great -- against the Danish Vikings. And thirdly, there was the struggle of Irish King Brian Boru against the Vikings. Indeed, G.K. Chestertons famous poem, The Ballad of the White Horse (1911) portraying an idealized King Alfred had been one of the inspirations for Tolkiens Middle Earth legendarium. There is little doubt that Tolkiens writing was meant to echo in many readers minds, various instances of the heroic resistance of the men of the West against various enemies. The defence of Christendom is very likely the conceptual template for the defence of what Tolkien, in these fictional works, himself calls Westernesse. The adversaries of Westernesse attack from the south and east, as was historically the case in Europe. Also, Tolkien names one of the southern powers, the Corsairs of Umbar which obviously brings to mind the Barbary Coast Corsairs that had plagued Mediterranean Europe for centuries. He also calls the tribes of men recruited by Sauron, the Southrons and the Easterlings. It should also be noted, that, as in the case of Europes historical battles for survival, the struggle, first against Morgoth, and, subsequently against Sauron, stretches across millennia, with many great battles and sieges. In The Lord of the Rings, the struggle reaches a crescendo, as Minas Tirith stands against the hordes of darkness. Both the historic and fictional struggles can be described as epic in scope. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home End the war on coal By Bryan Leyland and Tom Harris At the recent Environmental Protection Agency public hearing in Charleston, West Virginia, on withdrawing the Clean Power Plan, anti-coal activists were out in force: the Climate Justice Alliance, Sierra Club, Citizens Climate Lobby, Natural Resource Defense Council and many others. The New York Times reported that several groups also met at the University of Charleston, to discuss the purported environmental, health and climate benefits of reducing coal consumption. They apparently do not understand that the abundant, low-cost energy provided by coal laid the foundations of the industrial revolution and modern society. It provided power for trains that transported raw materials and factories that turned them into vital products. In the twentieth century coal-fired power stations provided the reliable, inexpensive electricity that is the lifeblood of modern economies. It still does today. The world has vast coal reserves. The USA alone still has a 380-year supply at current usage rates. It could be burned in modern clean power plants. Sadly, in the Western world, radical environmentalists are working to shut down existing coal-fired stations, and prevent new ones from being built. Meanwhile, hundreds of new coal-fired stations are being built annually in the rest of the world, to power expanding economies and bring improved health, welfare and prosperity to billions of people who until recently had no access to electricity. Developing countries must build new coal-fired stations to provide their poverty-stricken populations with reliable low-cost electricity. But environmentalists have convinced international development banks that coal is evil and persuaded the banks to squander vast sums on expensive wind and solar power that keeps a few lights burning a few hours a day. For commercial and industrial development, hospitals, schools and families, developing nations need abundant, continuous, low-cost electricity. In many cases, coal is by far the best option. So why is coal vilified? It is because of the mistaken belief that man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) is causing dangerous global warming. Indeed, coal stations are a major source of CO2 emissions. However, this climate change connection rests entirely on the output of computer models that are programmed to predict warming if CO2 increases. The models assume what they are supposed to prove! Speaking at the recent America First Energy Conference in Houston, Texas, University of Delaware climatology professor Dr. David Legates showed that climate models consistently predict far greater temperature rises than are actually observed: a full degree Fahrenheit difference by 2017. Models are tuned to give the results desired for political purposes, he explained. This is not science! Yet, the benefits of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide the only gas controlled by the Clean Power Plan are clear. CO2 is essential for plant growth. Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change expert Dr. Craig Idso told the Houston audience, The entire terrestrial biosphere is reaping incredible benefits from an approximately 40% increase in atmospheric CO2 since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. If it were true that man-made CO2 caused dangerous global warming, the best option would be nuclear power that is proven, safe and environmentally friendly. But environmental extremists claim that nuclear power is too dangerous, even though the only recorded deaths from nuclear power generation occurred at the obsolete and mal-operated Chernobyl station in Ukraine. The next best option is natural gas. This has been spectacularly successful in the United States, and hydraulic fracturing is producing abundant supplies of this vital fuel. Yet, despite its excellent safety record, activists violently oppose fracking. Instead, they push wind and solar power that exist only because they are heavily subsidized, and their health and environmental impacts are ignored. The huge expansion of wind and solar power has massively increased electricity costs because of subsidies, mandated purchases and the high cost of providing backup power whenever the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine. Reliability is also a problem, especially with wind power. For example, extensive blackouts occurred recently in South Australia when their wind power went offline in a gale and so overloaded the backup supply that it also shut down. Few people understand that the war against coal is actually a war against people and a cleaner environment. Modern highly efficient coal-fired power plants with stack gas cleanup the kind that can be built all over the world are as clean as they can be. Their emissions consist of water, CO2 and nitrogen. The stack gas cleanup removes virtually all the real pollutants, especially sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides. The only pollution left behind is coal ash, which freezes pollutants in its glassy matrix and can be stored safely in disposal facilities. The USA is not building modern coal-fired power plants because EPA regulations set allowable CO2 emissions per megawatt of electricity far below what can be achieved using the best technology. If it had been set slightly higher or better still, if no limit had been imposed on CO2 emissions the United States would be still leading the world in building modern, clean, efficient, economical coal-fired stations. Thats exactly what Europe, China, India and dozens of other countries are doing. Its clearly high time to end the war on coal! Bryan Leyland is an Auckland, New Zealand-based consulting engineer and the founding secretary and energy issues adviser for the International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC). Tom Harris is the ICSCs executive director. Home Impeach Mueller! By Dr. Robert Owens IMPEACH TRUMP! IMPEACH TRUMP! IMPEACH TRUMP! That is the screech were about to hear emanating from the denizens of the swamp. Sure Maxine Waters and a few others have been singing this song since election night when their plans for the last nail in our coffin went down in flames. Now its beginning to percolate through the monotone media megaphone. And though this was predicted in this column by this author before the inauguration it still has a jarring impact on the senses. Back in the Dream Times when the Deep State was able to turn Watergate into a Silent Coup the precedent was set. If someone tries to overturn the moneychangers tables they must be destroyed. If its a president, even one elected for the sole purpose of adding some reality to the mirage of our functioning oligarchy which portrays itself as a dysfunctional democratic republic, they must be hounded out of office, disgraced, and discredited. Thats the play book. Since before the inauguration the perpetually re-elected hacks aided and abetted by the ABCCBSNBCCNNMSNBCPBS Cartel and their paleo partners in print latched on to their intended weapon, The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! No matter that the initial facts of the story are ludicrous: the fictional Golden Shower Dossier and the Russian hack of the DNC, which was in fact an inside job. It doesnt matter that the very foundation of the Russian collusion theory is built on sand. Al that matters is that they now have a Special Counselor. They cant call him a Special Prosecutor because theres no legal foundation to appoint a Special Prosecutor, so if they call him a Special Counselor that should fool all of us out here in fly-over country. Prosecutors always believe whoever theyre investigating is guilty and that their job is to find enough evidence to prove what they believe. Innocent until you are proven guilty, right. Anyone who has ever been unlucky enough to have be involved in a criminal trial and lived to talk about it knows how that feels in reality. It has inspired some to look at the courthouse and say, It may say justice on the outside but there isnt any on the inside. Remember the Valerie Plame investigation? Someone blew her cover as an undercover CIA operative. Before the investigation even started they knew who did it. Eventually after a few years and millions of dollars they never prosecuted anyone for the leak; instead they prosecuted Lewis Scooter Libby the Chief of Staff of Vice President Dick Chaney for inconsistencies in his testimony, a process crime. These are search and destroy missions. They are looking to get as many convictions as they can to justify all of their expenses and to puff up the reputations of the scalp hunters who run them. This Special Counselor is one of the closest associates of James The Leaker Comey. He is staffing his office with Obama and Hillary supporters and were supposed to believe his investigation of a non-crime that never happened will produce objective results that anyone anywhere would imagine are justice? Witch hunts find witches. Thats what they do. If anyone was interested in finding real collusion to disrupt an American election they could look into the subject of the DNC emails leaked to WikiLeaks; the proven collusion between the Hillary Clinton campaign and Debbie Wasserman Schultz as revealed by unindicted co-conspirator Donna Brazile. Did you ever notice that none of the principles ever denied what was in the leaked emails, they merely complained about who leaked what to who. Why isnt there a Special Counsel looking in to how these people stacked the cards against poor old Bernie Sanders? He said all along the election was rigged and he was right after all. Why no interest in this? It doesnt serve to keep the swamp damp thats why. Our elite masters, the perpetually re-elected, the Deeps State, and the Media Cartel are setting the stage. They must drive Trump from office before he can actually drain the swamp. They must drive him out disgraced and repudiated or else the poor blind masses might figure out that we dont need technocrats to rule us. If a professional business man is necessary to clean up the mess professional politicians have made, what do we need professional politicians for? Now it turns out that Special Counsel Robert Mueller kept secret that Peter Strzok a top FBI investigator exchanged anti-Trump text messages with an FBI attorney. This transparent bias fuels questions about Muellers credibility and his ability to oversee an impartial investigation. It was revealed that Strzok helped push the largely unverified dossier on Trump, oversaw both the Clinton email and Russia collusion investigations, and conducted the July 2, 2016 interview with Hillary Clinton as well as the interview with Flynn. Several weeks later, he was handpicked to oversee the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government. Add all this to the fact that Mueller has packed his investigating team with Clinton Supporters and there you have it, a fair and unbiased effort by the Deep State to remove President Trump from office. They wont let little things like votes, or facts, or whats good for America get in their way. No, theyll soldier on and soon well hear their longed for victory chant IMPEACH TRUMP!!!! IMPEACH TRUMP!!!! echoing through the halls of Rome on the Potomac. To which I say, Impeach Mueller! Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com 2017 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home Keystone is anti-hydrocarbon zealotry in microcosm By Paul Driessen The Nebraska Public Service Commission (NPSC) recently voted to approve the states segment of the 1,200-mile Keystone XL Pipeline. While that would appear to allow construction to move forward, more obstacles loom before KXL can finally bring North Dakota and Canadian crude oil to Texas refineries. Commissioners who voted against approval have raised objections, some landowners still object to the pipeline crossing their lands, other landowners were not aware that the new route will cross their properties, and environmentalists plan more lawsuits to stop TransCanadas plans to finish Keystone. Further complicating matters, the NSPC-approved route is not the companys preferred path through the Cornhusker State. A spokesman said project engineers will have to assess how much the newly revised route will affect construction schedules and costs, on top of the $3 billion it already spent on KXL. The imbroglio is a tiny facet of the ideological green movements implacable opposition to carbon-based energy. Rooted in climate change dogma, its keep it in the ground mantra has become a rallying cry for nasty campaigns against pipeline construction, existing pipelines, drilling and even sand destined for fracking operations. Police increasingly have to deal with masked thugs, mountains of toxic trash, murder threats and even the possibility of improvised bombs hidden in peaceful protesters encampments. The attitudes and actions underscore the increasing power and recalcitrance of $13-billion-per-year Big Green industry, and how little fundamental facts affect its thinking. If the radicals believe there is an ecological or climate risk, they feel justified in using intimidation, criminal sanctions, and even force, violence and eco-terror to impose their will. Whatever they cannot make off limits via Antiquities Act, wilderness or other land use designations, they intend to lock up or shut down by other means. The most delayed and litigated pipeline in U.S. history, KXL has stirred controversy for over a decade. Proponents say it is a necessary, safe, effective way to transport crude oil to refineries that produce fuel for vehicles and raw materials for countless petrochemical products. In fact, segments of Keystone have already been in operation for several years, delivering crude oil to refineries in Illinois and Texas. A new, shorter, more direct route Keystone XL, running diagonally through Wyoming, the Dakotas and Nebraska would be less expensive and safer. The northern portions were approved years ago, but the Nebraska section encountered prolonged opposition from climate alarmists and President Obama. TransCanada had already agreed to move the route away from environmentally sensitive wetlands known as the Nebraska Sandhills. The NPSC decision shifted the pipeline further away from Sandhills. Diehard opponents say all pipelines are inherently unsafe, prolong the use of climate-damaging fossil fuels, and will become obsolete relics as America shifts entirely to renewable energy in a utopian decade or so. The United States already has 160,000 miles of liquid petroleum pipelines, 300,000 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines, and 2,200,000 miles of local gas distribution pipelines. Skilled builders will use the latest steel, valve, monitoring and other technologies to build the KXL segment and prevent spills. No one can guarantee that spills will never occur. A recent older Keystone pipeline break in South Dakota caused a 5,000-barrel leak. However, the Keystone and KXL lines traverse mostly rural areas, whereas truck and rail alternatives go along busy, congested highways and through towns and urban areas with far greater potential for loss of human life and property. A fiery 2013 derailment in Quebec killed 47 people and left many more badly burned; rail accidents in Colorado and Virginia resulted in significant oil spills but fortunately no deaths. By carrying 830,000 barrels of light and heavy crude every day, Keystone XL would eliminate the need for 1,225 railroad tanker cars per day (450,000 per year) or 3,500 semi-trailer tanker trucks daily (1,275,000 annually)! More than 99.9% of oil moved by pipeline arrives safely at its destination, the Wall Street Journal notes. Rail transit is 2.5 times more likely to have an accident resulting in an oil spill, and trucks are six times more likely to do so with both far more likely to injure, burn or kill many people. Indeed, the 5,000-barrel spill happened after the Keystone pipeline had safely delivered more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil, and TransCanada isolated the affected pipeline section within 15 minutes. No serious damage occurred. Equally important, wind and solar substitutes for fossil fuels have their own major ecological impacts which few environmentalists ever acknowledge. Using wind power to replace current US electricity generation and charge batteries for just seven windless days of backup power would require some 14 million towering 1.8-MW bird-and-bat-killing turbines, across acreage twice the size of California. The backup power would require over 650 million 100-kWh Tesla battery packs on still more acreage. This does not consider what it would take to replace vehicles with electric versions or coal and gas fuel in foundries, refineries and factories. The steel, copper, lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, fiberglass and other raw materials to build all those turbines, batteries and transmission lines would require massive quantities of earth removal, mining, processing, smelting and manufacturing much of it in developing countries under dangerous, inhuman conditions. Renewable energy is not ecological or sustainable. Activists who cry Climate Armageddon attempt to tie every temperature rise, hurricane and other extreme weather event to human greenhouse gas emissions. They ignore the record 12-year drought in Category 3-5 hurricanes striking the U.S. mainland, prior to Harvey and the warming hiatus that has prevailed since 1998, except during the 2015-16 El Nino temperature spike. Climate computer models falsely assume that plant-fertilizing carbon dioxide drives climate change and predict average global temperatures a full 1 degree F higher than have actually been observed by satellites and weather balloons, a gap that is widening every year. It now appears that Western Antarctic ice shelf instability is due to volcanic and magmatic activity beneath it not climate change. Heavily subsidized, sporadic, unreliable wind and solar combined provide less than 3% of all U.S. energy. One day, they (or some other as yet unimaginable energy source) may replace the fossil fuels that still account for 81% of the energy that makes US livelihoods, living standards and life spans possible and is lifting billions out of abject poverty, malnutrition and disease. But that day has not yet arrived. Fossil fuels provide feed stocks for paints, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other products that enrich and safeguard our lives. They keep our lights, heat and air conditioning on, and power the manufacturing centers that create computers, smart phones, healthcare technologies, vehicles and batteries. They take patients to hospitals, people to work and events, products to retailers and homes. They are the most efficient, most affordable power source for the modern civilization which we Americans enjoy and take for granted and to which all humans aspire. Pipelines are the fastest, safest, most direct, most economical way to get oil and natural gas supplies where they are needed. Keystone XL is a vital addition to Americas pipeline system. Its not perfect. But it is essential for a healthier, safer, more prosperous United States. Building it will create tens of thousands of jobs. As to handling anarchists who think they are above the law, these suggestions may help. Ensure that there are sufficient police and National Guardsmen to maintain control. Require permits and multi-million-dollar surety bonds for every encampment, to ensure safety, lawful activities, and cleanup of human and other wastes. Prohibit wearing of ski masks and collect IDs, fingerprints and photos of every activist. To prevent hypocrisy in anti-fossil fuel anarchist camps, prohibit all petroleum-based synthetic fibers (clothing, tents, sleeping bags); clothing derived from fibers grown, harvested and/or manufactured using fossil fuels; computers and cell phones with plastic housings; and transportation from protest sites in vehicles fueled or manufactured with hydrocarbons, in aircraft, or on asphalt roadways. Allow only growing, harvesting, garment manufacturing, food, cooking and travel using all-natural pre-1900 technologies so that campers can learn how wonderful life was back in the good old days. Paul Driessen is senior policy analyst for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org) and author of books and articles on energy and environmental policy. Home Trumps speech recognizing Jerusalem: What it says and what it doesnt say By Nadav Shragai The U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel overturns American policy dating back 70 years and entails several immediate results, some of them declarative and some also practical: Burial of the UN Resolution to Internationalize Jerusalem Trump put paid to the notion of internationalization, which the United States had not officially renounced since November 29, 1947. That same day, of course, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 on dividing the Land of Israel between the Jews and the Arabs. The partition resolution stated, among other things, that: The City of Jerusalem shall be established as a corpus separatum under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United Nations. According to the United Nations, the boundaries of Jerusalem then also encompassed the city of Bethlehem, and the internationalization of the city was to be in place for 10 years. However, it was never implemented. The outcomes of the Israels 1948-49 War of Independence and the division of Jerusalem between Israel and Jordan turned internationalization into a dead letter. Until the recognition speech, the United States had never officially renounced internationalization while giving most of the emphasis in its policy to repeated statements that Jerusalems status would be determined in negotiations between the sides. Now that Trump has recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital, internationalization has become, from the U.S. standpoint, irrelevant history. Plans for Dividing the City In Deep-Freeze Trumps speech puts into deep-freeze the audacious plans for a division of the city, which were on the negotiating table during the tenures of Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert. Barak and Olmert were prepared to divide Jerusalem, and two U.S. administrations, that of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, were intensely involved in mediating between the sides and encouraging them to adopt such a plan in the hope of achieving peace. The countries of the European Union also took part in the negotiations on dividing Jerusalem at different stages. In the wake of Trumps speech and his recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, the chances that during his tenure such plans will again be broached are low. A Single Territorial Unit without Sacrosanct Borders Until Trumps speech, the United States did not recognize either west or east Jerusalem as Israels capital, even though presidents, secretaries of state, and American diplomats were regularly hosted in the western part of the city. Trumps speech did not distinguish between west and east. He referred to Jerusalem with all its parts as a single unit. At the same time, the speech made clear that the United States does not necessarily regard the current borders as sacrosanct, or as the president himself put it: We are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved. Formal Recognition of the Reality of One Jerusalem Trump again mentioned the Jewish peoples historical bond to Jerusalem, while also emphasizing his awareness of the current reality in the city. The alley of the Western Wall has become a huge plaza. After many years, Jews can now visit the Temple Mount. The U.S. president now, in effect, recognizes all these places, along with the network of infrastructures, national parks, and governmental and national institutions that have been built in the added parts of Jerusalem including on Mount Scopus, where Hadassah Hospital and the Hebrew University were re-established after 1967. In Atarot to the north, the Atarot Airport was put to use (and later closed). Numerous archaeological digs have been conducted in all parts of the city, and Jerusalems glorious past through the ages has been revealed. All of this along with, of course, the older reality in the western part of the city, where the government offices, the Knesset, the presidents residence, and the Supreme Court are located the United States now recognizes as part of Jerusalem, capital of Israel. Symbolic Changes Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital will purportedly change the State Departments practice regarding the passport registration of American citizens born in Jerusalem. To this day, when an American is born in Paris, it is registered in his/her passport that the place of birth was in Paris, France. When an American is born in Tel Aviv, place of birth in the passport is recorded as Tel Aviv, Israel. But when an American is born in Jerusalem, place of birth is registered as only Jerusalem. Now that the United States has recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital, perhaps it will be possible to change this practice and register Jerusalem, Israel on the passports of Americans born in Jerusalem. What Is Missing from the American Recognition of Jerusalem as Israels Capital? There Are No Free Gifts There still is no easing of the major restrictions the United States has imposed on Israel regarding construction in Jewish neighborhoods and areas that are over the Green Line, whether in Jerusalem itself or in Greater Jerusalem. Whatever is happening behind the scenes on that issue is not talked about. Building in Givat Hamatos in southern Jerusalem, which was approved a considerable time ago by the planning institutions in Jerusalem, is still frozen. From an Israeli standpoint, this is a painful obstruction of a crucial urban-strategic link between the Gilo neighborhood and the Har Homa neighborhood. Construction is also frozen in the E1 area, where a neighborhood linking Maale Adumim and Jerusalem is supposed to be built. Construction in the Greater Jerusalem area is approved sparingly under American supervision. Even within Jerusalems municipal boundaries, little construction is approved in neighborhoods that were added to the city after 1967. Diplomatic observers in Jerusalem believe that reports in recent weeks about progress in talks on an Israeli-Palestinian deal of the century are not unrelated to the presidents declaration. According to this analysis, it is not inconceivable that Trump will now request a payment for this historic step in the form of Israeli concessions connected to the ongoing talks. The Temple Mount Not Part of the Game The status quo on the Temple Mount will be maintained. Jews will not be permitted to pray there, only visit. The Israeli-Jordanian de facto joint management of the site will continue. The senior status on the Temple Mount that Israel granted Jordan in the two countries peace treaty will not change. Trump now understands the huge sensitivity and volatility of one of the most sensitive spots in the Middle East. Jerusalems Borders Trumps speech does not promise, as noted, that Jerusalem will remain within its current boundaries when peace is achieved. The American president recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital but did not commit that its current borders are its final borders. He thereby left the Palestinians a narrow opening, but certainly not a wide-enough one to return to the grandiose and fanciful plans for the citys division that arose in the past. It is possible, for example, that the New York Times report on a Saudi proposal to Mahmoud Abbas that revives the old notion of a Palestinian capital in Abu Dis (a neighborhood bordering Jerusalem on the east) hints at additional new thinking in the context of U.S. policy on the Jerusalem issue. The Embassy Is Not Moving So Fast Trump, like his predecessors, will not be moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem tomorrow. He is deterred by the Palestinian threats on this issue. The administration is talking about a transfer process of three or four years. The site to be chosen for the embassy will, apparently, be in West Jerusalem and not in the east of the city. The president is now talking about launching the logistical preparations for the embassys transfer. Trump thereby joins a series of U.S. presidential candidates who promised but, upon becoming president, did not deliver. Perhaps this will change in the future. Where Will the Recognition Lead? The question of where Trumps statements and the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital will lead depends on the behavior of the sides. At least on the rhetorical level, Trumps declaration united the Muslim world (moderates and extremists) against Israel: Iran, Turkey, and Qatar, along with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, all denounced Trumps move and warned of the repercussions. At the same time, reality will ultimately be determined on the ground. The three days of rage that Fatah declared, and Hamas threat to renew the intifada, will test not only Israels ability to put out the fire if it erupts, but also the Palestinians ability to bring masses of people into the streets. When the issue of Al-Aqsa and the Temple Mount was on the agenda in the summer (in the metal detector crisis after the terror attack on the Mount), masses of Palestinians did take to the streets, and eventually, Israel gave in and removed the detectors. However, on other occasions during the past year when Hamas and Fatah called for a day of rage and protests, the street did not respond. If Hamas again succeeds to channel the protest in the Al-Aqsa direction and to convince the public that the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital once again means that Al-Aqsa is in danger, the masses will again take to the streets. But as long as Al-Aqsa is outside of the picture, the waves of protest will be lower. One of the dangers of another religiously driven imbroglio lies in the cooperation between Jordan and Erdogans Turkey. In recent years Turkey has been trying to gain a foothold in Jerusalem by funneling funds to various institutions and endeavors in the Old City and on the Temple Mount, and it has indeed accrued influence among the east Jerusalem population. Erdogan has already started trying to incite anger over the American recognition on a religious footing. Israels interest, then, is to try to isolate the Temple Mount from the current agitation and to prevent actors such as Hamas, the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement, Turkey, or Qatar from again setting the field ablaze. Nadav Shragai is a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. He served as a journalist and commentator at Haaretz between 1983 and 2009, is currently a journalist and commentator at Israel Hayom, and has documented the dispute over Jerusalem for thirty years. Home The first thing to say is, it is not funny. Kundan Shah never had any sense of humour. He had a sense of the wacky, he laughed easily, but he struggled to tell a joke. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983, henceforth JBDY) was, if anything, about the impossiblethe film was not meant to work. Shah was making it almost like it would be the only chance the film-maker would be given to use up footage and to shoot. He made it like he knew he would never make another. JBDY goes so far beyond ha-ha-funny that it becomes, rather like the pivotal moment in its plot, some kind of instant snapshot of Bombay (now Mumbai), and the India of that time: capturing something so gruesome that laughter became almost a last-resort action. This was an achievement that went beyond Shah, and it swallowed him. He even referred to it in a strange way, jumbling the words together into something that sounded a bit like janiybdoyroo. This was a film-maker who has made two major commercial hits, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994) and Kya Kehna (2000) and collaborated on a television series that would itself be a landmark, Nukkad (198687). And yet he would never transcend his first film, it remained the only film he had ever made or would ever make. The majority judgment of the Supreme Court that struck down triple talaq as unconstitutional has been welcomed as an important step towards ameliorating the plight of Muslim women and is indeed a landmark legal victory. Yet, many have expressed their unhappiness about the fact that the verdict was ambiguous, made ample room for personal law, and did not do enough in terms of upholding the constitutional rights of Muslim women (Mehta 2017).We would like to draw attention to a few observations that have emerged from two years of fieldwork at a sharia court or darul qaza (literally, place where the qazi sits) situated in a large Muslim ghetto of Kanpur.1 We argue that what is lost in the current discourse is the truism that personal law is a matter of resolving personal problems as much as it is a matter of law. They are enmeshed in kinship rules, household economics, and family intrigues. Here, litigants work towards resolution where privacy, expediency, and negotiation are the key terms. The question of personal law, therefore, needs familiarity with the processes through which Muslim women (and men)especially those belonging to the lower rungs of socio-economic hierarchy resolve their family and property disputes, obtain divorce and custody. While the media and public discourse have remained focused on the constitutional validity of certain practices in Muslim personal law, there is very little clarity around the question: how are Muslim family and civil cases adjudicated in India? The procedural aspect of Muslim personal law is a black box even for those well-conversant with the contemporary discourse on law and Islam. Feminist legal scholar and womens rights lawyer Flavia Agnes noted that during the six-day hearing on triple talaq in May 2017, it became apparent that even the legal luminaries had not done any research about the situation prevailing on the ground (Agnes 2017). Yet, in recent years there has been research that shows how adjudication in family matters takes place in collocation between civil, social, and religious forums (Lemons 2010; Solanki 2011; Vatuk 2014, 2017). For example, Gopika Solankis fine-grained analysis documents how legal practice is localised and decentralised by multiple legal actors such as lawyers, clergy, family members, religious organisations, sect councils, womens organisations as well as the doorstep courts, such as residential committees and womens ad hoc groups (Solanki 2011). Absurd said: Hello, I tried to search the forum upon posting this, however I didn't find a proper answer. I'm working in France for 6 years - can anyone tell me, if I can take out my pension accumulations if I will leave France/EU? Thanks Click to expand... No, you can't. When you get ready to retire, depending on where you are at that point, there is a good chance that your years worked in France will count toward your retirement entitlement in your country of residence. And if that country is a member of the EU, there is also a good chance that they will forward your retirement request to France. (If you retire outside of the EU, you may need to apply to France yourself.)The amount of your French pension may not be much, but when combined with any other pensions, may actually be rather handy. (I only worked for 2 1/2 years in Germany, but I get a small but steady pension payment every month now.)Cheers,Bev Ph76 said: We are kind of looking for an easier life style than what we have in Sweden with the dark & the cold most of the year, all free time consumed by cleaning, laundry, gardening and such, when we want to be able to spend that time with our kids as a family. But we are not willing to go down in living standards. Click to expand... Household help is cheap here. You can get live in 6 days a week childcare, household help, gardener, driver etc for next to nothing if you provide room and board. ( between $US 150 to $200 a month would be lots for the skilled people, a simple cleaner would be much less.). The hard part is finding someone good, dependable and trustworthy.That buys you something very valuable, time.A quick online look gives several 5 bedroom homes in Makati for between 200kp and 400kp a month depending on furnished or not. These will be luxury high-end homes in extremely safe subdivisions. Also, this is asking prices, you can always make a bargain, often 10% discounts for prepaying a year in advance.Before making your decision, why not ask for a site visit? Get a feel for the place, location is important because the worst thing here is traffic, you do not want a long commute. Often during rush hour times walking is the fastest way around, even for longer distances.If you come, just let us know. I am sure many here would be happy to have a coffee/beer with you and offer some insights. NAVAJO NATION A dead horse lay alongside Indian Route 12, just south of the Navajo Nation community known by old-timers as Tsihootso, good eating for a wild dog that scurried into the scrub as cars passed by. It drew little notice. Whether live and meandering across roads in town centers, or dead from getting slammed by vehicles while grazing the reservations thin forage onto highway shoulders, feral horses have become a familiar part of the 27,000-square-mile nations high desert landscape and a problem for the tribes emerging cattle ranching industry, according to Robert Joe, the Navajo Nations chief operating officer. The Navajo Nation a 17.5 million acre Indian reservation that stretches across portions of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico is the largest coal-producing tribe in the U.S. Coal mining, oil, natural gas and the tribes massive coal-fired plant, the Navajo Generating Station, accounted for 66 percent of the tribes revenue in 2016 down from as high as 77 percent in 2012. With the pending shutdown of the plant in 2019 and the collapse of the coal market, the impoverished nation is being forced to look at new sources of wealth. A federal program established in 2009 by Congress shows some promise in raising cattle on the Padres Mesa Demonstration Ranch a 640-acre swath of land on the reservation. At about the same time, San Antonio-based Labatt Food Service was looking for markets for a new distribution center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Labatt CEO Blair Labatt and Chief Operating Officer Al Silva met with ranch manager Bill Inman and tribal officials to pitch a Navajo beef label that would allow Indian casinos to feature their own beef. It could be expanded to a Native American beef label as more tribes joined on. The Navajo Beef label launched in November 2012. Labatt brought in a feed lot operator to fatten the cattle before slaughter and sent the meat off to its plants for processing. It also packaged, transported and a marketed the program, with pens and hats and posters featuring the label. They processed 545 head of cattle that first year, generating more than $500,000 in revenue for the Navajos. Last year, the program processed 1,998 head of cattle that yielded $2.3 million in revenue for 23 Navajo ranching families. According to Labatt, the company is barely breaking even with its investment, though the label has helped the company make inroads in stocking other items for Navajo casinos. Really we view this as the biggest philanthropic effort that weve ever undertaken, he said. The nations sheer size alone, however, could make it a major contender in the niche beef market. Families with small herds could get a part of a label thats already a star feature of casino restaurants and area supermarkets. For a place with a 44 percent unemployment rate, 7 percent graduation rate, and a $7,752 per capita income, the opportunity is hard to pass up. But the program, which includes five ranch hands, breeding stock, inspections, and other operating expenses, cost the federal government about $67,000 last year. The ranch is facing funding pressure from the federal government and at risk of closing. And grazing competition a horse eats 1 times more range than a cow has become an issue for the Navajos now that the potential of marketing Native American beef is being realized. Horses on the reservation have no natural predators, multiply prolifically, and eat up massive amounts of range. Amid an emotional debate that mirrors the national crisis over the exploding population of wild horses on federal lands, the Navajos havent been able to find a solution. Few are comfortable with the idea of killing them. Its a real controversial issue with the Navajos, because of the Navajo culture and just the story of the horse, the sacredness of what it represents and how its integrated into the prayers and ceremonies, Joe said. So its a tough one. But at some point there has to be some controls and management that come into play. Because today, none of that exists. The wild horse population on federal lands has more than doubled in the past 16 years to more than 113,000 in 2016 with an additional 93,000 feral horses roaming on tribal lands throughout the U.S., according to a July report by the GAO. There are now at least 40,000 feral horses on the Navajo reservation, and that population is expected to double in the next five years, according to aerial surveys funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The population boom has been linked to the prohibitions against domestic horse slaughter. Congress has effectively banned horse slaughter since 2005 by withholding funding for federal inspectors necessary to approve the meat for human consumption. That means there hasnt been domestic horse slaughter for more than a decade, which has given rise to a market for horses sent to Mexico for slaughter. Exports for slaughter in Mexico increased 680 percent from 2006 to 2010, the GAO said. Separate measures to outlaw exporting horses for slaughter in Mexico and Canada have failed. A provision by President Donald Trump to save $10 million in Bureau of Land Management costs by selling wild horses has outraged animal rights groups. Without the ability to take their horses to a processing facility, owners have few options in how to deal with overpopulation or aging horses. This means horses are more likely to be abandoned or mistreated, said Jeremy Fuchs of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. In the past, a down-on-his-luck Navajo could round up a horse or two, take it to a sale and net several hundred dollars. The horse meat would end up on dinner tables in parts of Europe and Asia, where its considered a delicacy. But exports have fallen after an animal welfare group called Animals Angels launched a campaign in 2013 in Europe releasing videos showing the brutality of horse slaughter and raising questions about the presence of veterinary drugs considered unsafe for humans in domestic horses sold for horse meat. Thats led to a dramatic increase in horse carcasses in the Texas-Mexico border town of Presidio from 12.5 tons in 2012 to 330 tons over the subsequent three years, the Express-News reported last year. Presidio is the end of the line for horses for which there was no market, in part because of the loss of the European customers. With overpopulation of wild horses on federal lands, regulations against slaughter, and the aftermath of the Great Recession, horses in some places are more or less worthless. You can get a truckload of wild horses for, its heartbreaking, $150, said Laura Leigh, founder of Nevada-based Wild Horse Education. That truckload can pull in anywhere from $50 to $100,000 depending on the current price of horse meat. Thats a lot of cash. Gloria Tom, director of the Navajo Department of Fish and Wildlife, said leaders were considering a proposal for an approximately $950,000 multidisciplinary horse management plan. The plan includes an educational campaign about the horses effects on the environment, on-reservation livestock sales for off reservation buyers and controlled horse hunts. We want to be able to offer monetary incentives for people to get rid of their horses because basically theyre just out there on the landscape, she said. Theyre not being used. Theyre just there. The plan also includes contraceptive darts, she said, but only for people who have control over their areas. Were talking about 18 million acres of land here, she said. I mean, if we had a small pasture and we knew what horse was darted, wed be able to do something like that. But were talking about a large land base and it just wouldnt be practical. In July, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, cast a pivotal vote opening the door for horse slaughter in the U.S. again. The legislation still needs to pass the Senate before it would become law, but it was the first indication in a while that Congress may reverse course on the practice. All of us would like to see wild horses and burros thrive in an ecologically balanced environment. But, this cannot happen unless the (Bureau of Land Management) has adequate means at hand to effectively manage horse and burro populations in an environmentally sensitive way, Cuellar said in an email. Due to this ban, the BLM has not been able to maintain horse populations at levels that protect wildlife habitat and enable multiple uses of land. Areas overpopulated by horses cannot sustain populations of wildlife. Ultimately, not only horses and burros themselves, but the entire ecosystem suffers. Cuellar added that hes sponsored horse and burro adoption events in his district and saw that it wasnt enough. Some horses considered successfully adopted have ended up in Mexican and Canadian packing plants, according to the Government Accountability Office. Similarly, current sterilization and birth control efforts have proved ineffective at controlling the wild horse population, leaving many to face gruesome deaths due to starvation, he said. Leigh said that the move to reopen domestic horse slaughter was about cattle raisers looking to control forage on federal lands where they have grazing rights. This machine is moving really fast to remove horses and put a bullet in their head, she said. Nobody comprehends that wild horse management is public land management, its attached to the federal grazing program The federal grazing program is broken. Inman, a former Texas rancher and Bureau of Land Management employee, knows well how horses can eat up rangeland. But Navajos with horses have a feeling of wealth, he said, even if they dont tend to the horses or know where they are. Roundup attempts have ended with Navajos showing up to reclaim their found horses or letting them loose from the pens. Since reservation lands are collectively owned, the program will fail unless everyones on board with managing horse numbers, not grazing too many head of cattle and breeding for the best genetics. During a drive up U.S. 191, which runs through the Navajo reservation up past the Utah border, Gene Shepherd, the first ranch hand hired at the Padres Mesa demonstration ranch, spoke of the many horse-vehicle collisions on the highway and the roundups by the Navajo Department of Agriculture that failed to fix the problem. I worked with them for three months, he said. Almost every day. But they didnt even put a dent in em. They came underneath a lot of criticism. A lot of people lost their jobs. In the past few years, fencing has been put in along the state-managed roadway. In the winter months, whats left of the grasses will get depleted, and desperate horses will try to get through the fences to try to reach the grass on the other side. Shepherd is a soft-spoken man who speaks Navajo fluently and sings at spiritual ceremonies. He grew up herding sheep. Before the ranch, he worked odd construction jobs. He slept in a horse trailer during the ranchs earliest days, because the ranch house with all its snakes reminded him of the Mormon-run Indian boarding schools hed escaped from in his youth. There arent many jobs on the reservation, so those who are employed either travel long distances or work for the government. Inman has been fielding cellphone calls from the agencys lawyers and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in an effort to save the ranch from losing its funding. When was the ranch started? How many acres was it? How much is it worth? How do we preserve it? How do we tear it down? Labatts also visited with tribal leaders and Arizona Sen. John McCain to try to help save Padres Mesa. Hes hopeful Padres Mesa will be maintained under the tribes new Naattannii (Navajo for leader) Development Corporation if the federal government cuts off funding. The DC folks, if they come out here then its a pretty easy sell that we are very unique, Inman said. They have a little issue, I hear, because theyre like, Who authorized a federal agency to start a ranch? Even though its great, the taxpayers money doesnt usually go to buy cows. And they didnt even know it really existed until this phase-out. lbrezosky@express-news.net WASHINGTON Sen. Richard Shelby, a fixture of Republican politics in Alabama for a generation, sent a clear message to his home state Sunday when he said on national television that the party could do better than elect Roy Moore to the states other Senate seat in two days. Shelby, appearing on CNNs State of the Union, stopped short of endorsing Moores Democratic opponent in the special election, Doug Jones, noting that he had written in the name of a distinguished Republican on his absentee ballot. But his decision to air his opposition to Moore on national television so close to the election added an exclamation point to an extraordinary break from the norms of modern party politics. Shelby pointedly declined to recommend that his fellow Republicans back their nominee in the tight race, a man Shelby would have to work with in the Senate if he is elected. I understand where the president is coming from. I understand we would like to retain that seat, Shelby said, referring to President Trumps endorsement of Moore despite accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenagers. But I tell you what, theres a time, we call it a tipping point, Shelby continued. I think, so many accusations, so many cuts, so many drip, drip, drip. When it got to the 14-year-olds story, that was enough for me. The senator has long opposed Moore, saying a month ago that he would absolutely not vote for the embattled candidate. Over the past month, Moore has been repeatedly accused of harassing and assaulting teenage girls when he was a state attorney in his 30s. One of the women told the Washington Post that Moore had touched her sexually when she was 14. He has denied any wrongdoing. The comments by Shelby, a key party figure at age 83, underscore the degree to which voters in Alabama both for and against Moore are viewing Tuesdays election as a referendum on the character of the Republican Party, which dominates there, and the state itself. Moore has faced scrutiny not just for the allegations of sexual misconduct, but also for a string of incendiary remarks, including comments that America was last great when families remained intact during the slavery era, and previous claims that Muslims should not be allowed to hold office. Rep. Terri Sewell, the only Democrat representing Alabama in Congress, said Sunday that the direction Moore represents is clear. If elected, she said, he would harken us back to the days of segregation. Speaking on ABCs This Week, she said she feels there was no reason not to believe the women who had come forward to accuse Moore of misconduct. Nicholas Fandos and Emily Cochrane are New York Times writers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Jury foreman Mixtli Bolanos, 9, and his friend wanted to convict Santa Claus of endangering children and violating the law that separates church and state. But the other jurors, also fourth-graders at James Bonham Academy, brought Mixtli around Saturday morning, reminding him what happened after Santa passed out candy in the federal courtroom. They called my bluff, and they said that I ate the candy, Mixtli said. And I did. Thus Santa, aka Kris Kringle or Luis Miranda, walked free after the 24th annual mock trial inspired by the movie Miracle on 34th Street. In addition to filling the jury, Bonham fourth-graders served as clerks and bailiffs. Prosecuting and defense attorneys were Boy Scouts from Troop 285 working toward citizenship badges. The U.S. District Court Committee and the San Antonio Bar Association helped organize the trial, with federal Judge Henry J. Bemporad presiding. The annual mock trial began with Burnet Elementary, but it has been a Bonham project since Burnet closed almost 20 years ago. Its just a really fun thing for the kids to learn how the judicial process works, said Sona Ramirez, a partner at Strasburger & Price and a member of the federal court committee. The case began with the San Antonio Police Department arresting Santa at 1 p.m. Wednesday as he was passing out candy and toys at Bonham. He is tried on similar charges every year in federal court. Hes always been acquitted except once a few years ago, when the prosecutors did an especially good job and Santa did not tamper with the jury enough, Ramirez said. Santas tampering Saturday took the form of passing out candy to jurors, court staffers, Bemporad and the audience. The defense will also say that Kris is a nice and innocent man who is just spreading joy to children, Gage Lagueux, 13, the lead prosecutor, said during opening arguments. Hes allowed to do this, just not at public schools. The fact of the matter is, he broke the law, and no one not me, not you, or even the president is above the law. After that argument, Santa handed out lumps of coal to the four prosecutors. The principal does not care about the happiness of the kids that are receiving the gifts, said Quinn Niebergall, 13, the lead defense attorney. He only cares about his job and making sure that he doesnt get in trouble with the board of education. On the stand, Santa maintained that he has a toy factory at the North Pole, from which his reindeer fly to deliver presents to the worlds children in one night because it makes them happy. No-ho-ho-ho, he sobbed as prosecutors and witnesses attacked him. Sean Hughes, father of a Scout defense attorney, testified for the prosecution in the assumed role of psychiatrist and author of the book Delusions of the Elderly. Another Scout father posed as a cultural anthropologist who argued that gift-giving is not a uniquely Christian pastime, and a third became a postman who gave Santa federal recognition by delivering him letters. Jake Ryan Stroope, 4, the son of an attorney at Strasburger & Price, took the stand to answer confidently that Santa makes him happy and Kris Kringle is Santa Claus. It took the jury almost 20 minutes to acquit. Santa didnt do anything to deserve this, Mixtli said after announcing the verdict. He brings families together. amalik@express-news.net The condemned soldiers marched one last time at daybreak, chains rattling, toward a scaffold where 13 nooses dangled from a long beam that would cast a long shadow over Fort Sam Houston and the U.S. Army. Standing 6 feet 6 and weighing 260 pounds, one condemned soldier known for telling stories everyone presumed to be lies but still loved to hear decided he wasnt going quietly. Ive wandered far away from God, Pvt. Frank Johnson began to sing at a place the executioners called Hangmans Grove, a white guard wrote in a letter to his parents. Now Im coming home. The other men of the 3rd Battalion, U.S. 24th Infantry sat in chairs on the hastily assembled scaffold near Salado Creek and joined in singing the hymn, prompting the white soldiers who had guarded them since their trial to weep. When the last notes faded into the icy wind, an Army major issued final instructions and cried, Attention! One hundred years ago today, the 13 African-American soldiers convicted in a mass trial at Fort Sam were executed at 7:17 a.m. Their deaths might have struck many as the completion of one of the largest murder trials in U.S. history, but in closing the books on a riot that left the city of Houston briefly under martial law months earlier, the hangings instead sparked a national outcry. The Camp Logan Mutiny, and the resulting executions, 19 in all, prompted a re-evaluation of the Armys justice system that would correct one of its most glaring shortcomings: the lack of an appeal process for condemned soldiers. The Aug. 23, 1917, riot at the start of Americas entry into World War I left 16 white people dead and two dozen injured. The 13 condemned men had been found guilty of mutiny, sedition, murder and lesser offenses in the first of three trials of more than 100 soldiers from the all-black infantry regiment. Six more would be executed at Fort Sam and buried with the others in unmarked graves near the scaffold. A total of 53 were handed life sentences. Many aftershocks Things that would shock people in 2017 were common in military trials a century ago. The 63 soldiers in the first trial in November 1917 were represented by a single officer who wasnt even a lawyer. He had been given 10 days to prepare his case. Soldiers testified under immunity. The Houston Riot, as its also called, involved sporadic firefights among soldiers, police and white civilians on a dark night 2 miles or so from Camp Logan, which is part of sprawling Memorial Park west of downtown. Through three trials in 1917 and 1918, no civilian could identify a single defendant. Yet the decision of three one-star generals and nine colonels in the first trial, held in what is now Fort Sams Gift Chapel, was not a surprise. In addition to the 13 sentenced to death, 41 got life sentences. In the next two courts-martial, 16 were ordered to face the hangmans noose, and 12 others were given life terms. A total of eight soldiers won acquittals in all three trials, while charges against one were dismissed. I dont think there is any doubt some of those soldiers were guilty of murder, said Fred Borch III, regimental historian and archivist for the Army Judge Advocate Generals Corps. But I have to believe some were innocent, at least of killing people. With 63 defendants (in the first trial), there are going to be levels of guilt with all of them. How can you shake out those levels with only one defense counsel? You just cant do it. Protests over the outcome, often from Africans-Americans but in some cases by white leaders who included senators and congressmen, spurred President Woodrow Wilson to commute 10 of the 29 death sentences. The NAACP, in turn, successfully lobbied Washington to get most of those handed long sentences out of prison by 1930, but civil rights activists marking the 100th anniversary of the hangings say more could be done. The head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conferences Fort Worth chapter, who brought about 40 high school students Saturday morning to see the chapel, Hangmans Grove and the soldiers graves in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, is asking President Donald Trump to posthumously pardon every soldier. Dr. (Martin Luther) King used to say the arc of a moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice, the Rev. K.P. Tatum Sr. said. And so were there to let them know not only that their lives were not in vain, but their legacy was not in vain, and that 100 years later our generation is learning about the story. The soldiers who came to Houston were part of a proud, highly decorated unit whose lineage went back to the famed Buffalo Soldiers who protected the American West. But their mission guarding Camp Logan and performing military police duties around Houston was a clouded enterprise even before they arrived in April 1917. Some in the city didnt want them there and told the Army so. Racism was rampant in Houston, as were fears that armed black soldiers could stir hostility toward whites and their recently instituted Jim Crow laws. The Houston Police Department often brutalized those in custody, and run-ins with black soldiers soon led to beatings. A fuse is lit Transcripts from the first trial, preserved in an extensive collection at South Texas College of Law, described ongoing disputes at Camp Logan, insults involving white workers, police and soldiers, sometimes violent. The police earned a reputation for arresting and beating soldiers who stood up to them when words were exchanged. A common racist epithet for black people appears to have been employed in connection with almost every case of disorder, a witness stated. The use of the word was invariably met by angry responses, outbursts of profanity and threats of vengeance. Things came to a head Aug. 23. At 10 a.m., police officers Lee Sparks and R.H. Daniels raided a craps game led by some young black men at San Felipe and Wilson streets. They ran, with Sparks following one of them into the home of an African-American woman, whom he arrested and reportedly slapped. Pvt. Alonzo Edwards of Company L got in the middle of it and was beaten and handcuffed. Police said he was drunk. Four hours later, a military police officer, Cpl. Charles Baltimore of Company I, talked with Sparks and Daniels about Edwards arrest. The conversation ended with Sparks pistol-whipping Baltimore, who ran, was shot at three times by Sparks, and later arrested and beaten again. Daniels would die in the riot, his corpse bearing bayonet wounds. The colored soldiers could not reconcile the actions of the police authorities of Houston with the ... principles they had been taught that authority was to be exercised with firmness, kindness and justice and that officers would treat enlisted men in ways that preserved their self-respect, wrote Col. J.A. Hull of the Judge Advocate Generals Corps and Maj. H.S. Grier. Word of Baltimores beating got back to camp, with some saying he had been killed. The report wasnt accurate, but it didnt matter. The fuse had been lit. Army Maj. H.K. Snow, a white infantry officer, recalled Sgt. Vida Henry coming to his tent and saying Major, I think we are going to have trouble tonight. Henry would be identified as a leader of the riot and was found dead when it was over, an apparent suicide. Snow went to investigate and saw a large column of men clustered around a tent in the rain. As quickly as they did recognize me they scattered in all directions, and I saw them taking ammunition away, holding it in their arms and in their hands, he testified. Major, what are we going to do when they hit us over the head beat us up like this? one of the soldiers asked. Snow, who had a flashlight, saw a crowd of 30 to 35 soldiers and realized that they were armed. When I started to go toward them they stopped me again and said, If you come another step, we will bore you or We will shoot you, he testified. Snow ordered them to put down their weapons. I told them that they were sticking their necks into ropes. I said they were committing suicide by doing anything of this kind, he testified. But all that I said was unavailing; their excitement, their anger seemed to be rising each second. At 8:25 p.m., Capt. Haig Shekerjian of the 24th Infantry also realized that the situation was beyond control. Men were packed very close to each other, calling out, Throw out that ammunition, Give me another bandoleer! Give me a rifle, Be sure you get enough, he told the court. Lets go! Snow heard one of the soldiers say. Riot rocks the Army The riot and its aftermath rocked the Army, prompting one major reform almost immediately and a quiet reassessment of the use of black soldiers in a racist military and society that could not tolerate them as equals. Under the Articles of War, a document going back to the Revolution, soldiers had no right to appeal in a time of war, but that was changed not long after the executions. Infuriated over the hangings, then-acting Judge Advocate General Brig. Gen. Samuel T. Ansell in 1918 prohibited the execution of any death sentence before a review and determination of legality. A review board for all serious courts-martial soon became the Armys first appellate structure. Congress later formalized it by statute and in so doing created the foundation for todays Army Court of Criminal Appeals. Borch, the regimental historian, said trials became less about enforcing discipline and more like courts. In 1917, for example, line officers led trials, not military judges. When Congress created the new Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1950 after President Harry S. Trumans order to desegregate the armed forces, an array of new protections took effect for troops, some stemming from abuses during World War II, when 1.7 million out of 12 million soldiers found themselves on the wrong end of military trials. The riots produced another, far more negative effect that lasted until 1951. The noble experiment of incorporating black officers and men into the Army literally blew up in their faces, John Manguso, retired director of the Fort Sam Houston Museum, wrote in a document used for a panel discussion years ago. Despite competent and gallant service of black soldiers in the (First) World War, only the problems and difficulties were remembered. As a nation, we were to repeat many of the same mistakes in World War II. As the result of (Houstons) night of violence, all Americans lost a great opportunity, and a quarter-century would pass before any further effort was made to allow black Americans to take their rightful place in the defense of the nation. On the day of execution 100 years ago, however, no one saw past the nooses. The scaffold was quickly demolished. The 13 soldiers, and the six others executed later, eventually were reburied at the national cemetery, where they rest under standard-issue headstones. A single eyewitness account of the hangings of the 13 soldiers survives, the letter written by one of the white soldiers who guarded them, published in 1941 in a Readers Digest anthology. He recalled the men shivering, perhaps more to the damp air than fear, and following their orders to the letter. Like the well-trained soldiers they were, they sprang to their feet as one man, every one of them wearing a proud smile, the guard, who remains unknown, wrote to his parents. Goodbye, C Company! they called. The major lowered his hand to his side with a snap: This was the signal for the men to pull the rope to spring the trap. sigc@express-news.net By Election Day 2014, when Republicans swept the statewide ballot behind a populist, conservative wave, Greg Abbott had dispatched 90 paid field staffers throughout Texas, five of whom were sent to Bexar County. Abbotts troops, backed by $47.5 million in campaign contributions, recruited an army of local volunteers while coordinating block walks and phone banking campaigns, employing a traditional grass-roots operation that, combined with a targeted push for the Hispanic vote, helped Abbott narrowly edge Democrat Wendy Davis in the San Antonio area. As the 2018 election cycle kicks off, the governor is leaving nothing to chance on his march to re-election, fortifying his troops on the ground through a massive war chest, as Democrats seek to tie him to controversial legislation and President Donald Trump a strategy they believe will provide a boost in November. Abbotts campaign did not end after the election: Hes kept five field organizers in Bexar County who work with GOP grass-roots organizations linked to the countys Republican Party. Now, with at least $41 million on hand, Abbott plans to put about 100 paid field staffers on the ground statewide by mid-January, surpassing the peak staffing scale of his 2014 operation. Nine of those staffers will be in Bexar County and the surrounding area, with plans to build on that in March, Abbott spokesman John Wittman said. Bexar County is incredibly important to the governor, Wittman said, pointing out that Abbott launched his campaigns in San Antonio in 2013 and 2017. He was married there, his wife is from there. Its something thats near and dear to him. Wittman declined to specify how much of the governors cash the campaign might funnel into the San Antonio area, but with Abbott making clear his intention to again push for the Hispanic vote, the fourth-largest county in the state, with a 60 percent Hispanic population, makes for a visible target. Thats one of the most exciting things were going to see in Bexar County this year, said former Bexar GOP Chair Robert Stovall, whos running for the 21st Congressional District. The governor has taken direct aim at putting resources here. He felt like he got a good portion of the Hispanic vote here. And hes back to prove it again. Meanwhile, a crowded lineup of candidates will face off in the Democratic primary, including Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Houston entrepreneur Andrew White, the son of former Gov. Mark White. Both jumped into the race last week, joining six other Democrats. That Abbott appears poised to put campaign assets into the San Antonio area makes sense, said Texas Democratic Party Press Secretary Delma Limones, because hes attacked issues that impact Bexar County voters the most, including health care, education and immigration, from the playbook of Donald Trump. Thats not going to play well with the voters of Bexar County, Limones said, focusing on Abbotts support for Senate Bill 4, a law that punishes local law enforcement for not cooperating with federal immigration agents and allows local officials to ask people about their immigration status. So, of course, he has to spend a good chunk of his money there to undo that damage. He doesnt have a good reputation there. Democrats efforts to tie Abbott and other GOP candidates to Trump sets up one side of what will be a clash of historical precedents in 2018 Texas races. You essentially have two different waves going on, said Mark Jones, a fellow in political science at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. The lower turnout (in midterm elections) generally favors Republican candidates, and because of the uncompetitive nature of statewide races, Democratic coattails are generally much weaker than Republicans in gubernatorial elections. But the reality is that Trump is a very unpopular president. He is likely in specific areas of the country to represent a millstone around many down-ballot candidates. Also at play is Abbotts down-ballot influence, which could boost local GOP candidates. That political relationship doesnt have nearly as strong a connection as the one between the president and member of Congress, according to Walter Wilson, a political science professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. But in a narrow race, a governor who wields as much funding as Abbott could tip the scales in one direction or another. His campaign also shares information gathered from block walks with local GOP candidates, Wittman said. When the governors on the ballot, particularly if hes running a good, well-funded campaign like we would expect the governor to, its helpful to local candidates, said Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at UT-Austin. But there are always local and national dynamics at work. One of those factors, Wilson said, is the focus of Abbotts political advertising. If hes spending it purely on ads to help get himself re-elected or some sort of more generic Republican message ... I dont think its going to impact other races, Wilson said. Now, if he decides to take a million dollars and attempt to torpedo vulnerable Democrats, or even Republicans that he doesnt like ... at that point, it could have an impact. But we also dont see politicians do that very often. Jones said that even if Abbott wins, his victory alone wouldnt be a marker of a successful campaign. The saying is that you should always run scared, Jones said. From Gov. Abbotts perspective, its not just that we wants to win. He wants to win by a large margin to demonstrate the legitimacy of his administration. The governors performance could depend on how effectively Democrats frame his support for SB 4. Abbott signed the bill in May, but a federal judge halted most of its provisions in an August ruling. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments for the case Nov. 7 after previously reinstating part of the law. That hurts him somewhat, Jones said of Abbotts support for SB 4. But not as much as Democratic activists make it out, because its such a complex issue. Limones acknowledged the complexity of immigration issues but said the bill was not only unpopular, but one of the most cruel pieces of legislation in the nation to come across. Abbott and the rest of the leadership have definitely disregarded how unpopular it is, Limones said. Theyre willing to put politics over people, because the reality is that this does harm Texas families. It does harm people in Bexar County and San Antonio. Wilson said its unlikely that Abbott will improve on his performance with Hispanic voters, citing historical trends among previous Republican politicians. What we tend to see is that Republicans who have better-than-average success winning Latino votes tend to see that support erode over time when people become familiarized with their policies, Wilson said. Where Democrats are most likely to hurt Abbott on immigration is by connecting him to Trump, Jones said. He added that the presidents indiscriminate policies ones that may deport criminals but also families that have become established in their communities have a negative impact electorally. The risk that Abbott ran into with support for SB 4 is that Democrats can better link him with Trumps aggressive enforcement efforts that have resulted in deportation of immigrants with long-standing ties in the community, Jones said. Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Manuel Medina sees Trump as perhaps the best weapon he can employ in 2018, pointing to Democrats sweeping victories in Virginia and New Jersey on Election Day this year as proof that 2018 will be a referendum on Trumps presidency. He has, in effect, nationalized next years midterm election, Medina said. Thats going to increase turnout. And when turnout is high, Democrats win. High turnout favors liberal candidates, Wilson said, because the block of reliable voters those who turn out in midterm and even off-year elections tend to be better educated, wealthier and more conservative. As you increase the electorate, what youre doing is youre picking up what we might call low-likelihood voters, people who are poorer, have fewer educational resources, who live in poorer communities where they are less likely to be mobilized by candidates and parties, Wilson said. To yield the turnout he wants, Medina will have to find a way to make information about the race so pervasive that its difficult for voters here in the county to escape, Wilson said. And thats going to cost money. Henson said its a reasonable expectation that Trumps presidency, and Republican dominance of all three branches of the federal government, would nationalize the election. But while national and state politics are likely to trickle into lower races to a degree, it will be up to the local party apparatuses, and the candidates themselves, to capitalize on public sentiment. Standing in the way for Democrats is an incumbent governor with more than $40 million in the bank. What you need is a lot of scaffolding to exploit those negative feelings toward Trump, Henson said. Its unclear whether the Democrats will have that or not. You have to have candidates on the ballot, you have to have resources to reach out and touch voters. While some say Abbott has a clear path to re-election, Medina isnt so sure. The bottom line is, we will have a candidate for governor next year, Medina said. We will rally behind him or her, and considering the national mood, we may pull off a surprise. So, more than investing in party building, I think Greg Abbott is making sure he wins next year. jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Moureen Kaki was scrolling through her Facebook feed, taking a break from studying for a chemistry final, when she saw the news. She knew it was coming, but still felt fear and uncertainty upon seeing the headlines: President Trump had formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and directed the State Department to begin planning to move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. Four days later, Kaki, 26, wore a white t-shirt displaying the name of the University of Texas at San Antonio organization she leads, Students for Justice in Palestine, while directing a Sunday morning rally in front of the Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. About 50 protesters gathered at the intersection of East Houston and North Alamo Streets, holding up signs No embassy in Jerusalem, We will not be silent, end the siege of Gaza while intoning chants: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! I think the president did something that was important for this conflict, Kaki said. He exposed the two-state solution for what it is. Its a sham, its a farce. Its not realistic. The protest, a joint initiative of the UTSA Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, San Antonio for Justice in Palestine and the San Antonio chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, followed clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, demonstrations that led to injuries, arrests and even a couple of reported deaths. Sundays rally here was peaceful but loud, with protesters passing around a bullhorn that carried their chants across the street to the Alamo. The crowd grew steadily in size, starting around 11 a.m. with a group of about 10 UTSA students before expanding into a large collection of protesters. As the chants began, people across the street turned to watch, some filming with their smartphones. A few crossed the street to join the protest. The occasional passing car honked in approval. Many rally-goers wore hats and shirts marked with the four colors of the Palestinian flag: black, white, green and red. One woman draped the flag over her shoulders as she stood atop the courthouse steps. Those in attendance Sunday expressed the overarching view that Trumps announcement, which broke long-standing U.S. policy, gave legitimacy to Israeli expansionist claims they characterize as false. Israelis and Palestinians dispute Jerusalems status, both claiming the city currently controlled by Israel as their political capital. The possibility of reaching a peace deal where Palestinians gain control of east Jerusalem has become increasingly distant in recent years. Trinity University professor Judith Norman, who attended the protest, called the conflict a political situation in which Israel is acting as a colonialist power to occupy Palestinian land. The U.S. is supposed to be an honest broker helping negotiate a settlement, but for a long time, given the enormous military aid that the U.S. gives to Israel, it hasn't been acting as an honest broker, Norman said. This is sort of solidifying the bias. And it's also, justifiably, angering Palestinians in the region, endangering their lives. Norman, who is Jewish, told the crowd to resist any attempt to recast the conflict in religious terms. Any rhetoric about how this helps protect Jewish rights and traditions and lives is not only false, but cynical, Norman said. This issue is not about Jews versus Muslims or Christians. It's about a colonialist oppressor and the people who have been subject to a brutal and illegal occupation. Trump framed his decision Wednesday as a long-overdue step and a recognition of reality. Acknowledging disagreement and dissent would follow the announcement, Trump nevertheless said the move should not be seen as a shift in the administrations goal of reaching a peace agreement. We are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace and a place far greater in understanding and cooperation, Trump said last week. jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HOUSTON As thousands turn to Texas windstorm insurer of last resort to make repairs in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, more than a half-dozen school districts, cities and other government agencies are still awaiting payment on nearly $60 million in claims from Hurricane Ike. Texas City Independent School District leads the list, with more than $17 million in outstanding Ike claims, followed by Dickinson ISD with $10.5 million and Chambers County with $9.5 million. Three other school districts, two cities and a community college are awaiting payment on additional claims of more than $22 million, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis. Officials said they have little faith that the insurer will pay the claims without further legal battles. Its scary, said Dickinson ISD Superintendent Vicki Mims, whose community was also hit hard by Harvey. As a school district, we have some resources to use. If youre a homeowner, what do you do? Fight TWIA for 10 years? Of the nine entities still seeking funds for Ike damages, five are trying to work through an appraisal process to determine how much the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association should pay. Dickinson ISD filed a lawsuit, turned to an independent judge and has battled a legal appeal in an effort to recover the losses. More Information Waiting for payments Nine entities are still awaiting payment for claims filed over damages from Hurricane Ike in 2008 from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, a quasi-governmental group that serves as an insurer of last resort for an area of coastal Texas that includes 14 counties and a slice of Harris County. Texas City ISD, $17.3 million Dickinson ISD, $10.5 million Chambers County, $9.5 million Anahuac ISD, $7.6 million Santa Fe ISD, $5.3 million College of the Mainland, $3.94 million Lamarque ISD, $2.75 million City of Santa Fe, $1.5 million City of Dickinson, $1.25 million See More Collapse Jennifer Armstrong, vice president of communications for TWIA, said the pending Ike claims are anomalies that dont portend problems for Harvey claims. We want to resolve anyones concern as best we can outside any process, Armstrong said. When we set payment on a claim based on an estimate, we realize it could be a different number when people do repairs. We always encourage policyholders to come back and work with us to make sure everyones satisfied. Claims through TWIA have gotten more complicated, however, since Ike struck Texas in 2008. In 2011, the Legislature passed a series of laws making an appraisal process the sole avenue through which policyholders can dispute claims and capping the amount of damages if a court finds TWIA guilty of wrongdoing. The more than 73,000 claims filed since Harvey will be the first major test of how the new policies could affect payouts. Some consumer advocacy groups and insurance experts worry that the new rules will allow the insurer to drag policyholders through years of proceedings without being held accountable for wrongdoing. TWIA has a recognizable pattern of stall tactics and attempts at nonpayment, Anahuac ISD Superintendent James Hopper wrote in a letter to a state lawmaker over his districts attempt to collect $7.6 million in claims. A quasi-governmental entity, TWIA provides insurance covering only wind and hail for 234,861 homeowners, businesses and government policyholders in a 14-county area of coastal Texas plus a portion of Harris County. It does not cover claims arising from flooding, such as that caused by Harvey, which dumped more than 50 inches of rain on parts of the Houston area. In Dickinson ISD, about 40 miles southeast of downtown Houston, officials say they know all about the slow process of recovering damages. After Hurricane Ike blew through Galveston Bay, Dickinson ISD spent about $1 million to replace the high school roof, which was lifted several inches by the storm and plopped back down, full of holes. San Leon Elementary and a gymnasium similarly had their roofs lifted and damaged, requiring substantial maintenance work. Other district schools suffered less severe wind damage. TWIA offered to pay $238,000 for all the damages, later upping the offer to $1.2 million on the condition that the district wouldnt ask for more. Dickinson ISD disputed the claim by filing a lawsuit, and the insurer asked that they resolve the matter through a process known as appraisal. The process required the insurer and Dickinson ISD to hire their own adjusters, both of whom agreed on a third-party umpire adjuster to oversee their work. If two of the three adjusters reached a decision on how much damage was sustained, that would be the amount the insurer would pay. Dickinson ISDs adjuster said the losses amounted to about $19 million; TWIAs calculated zero covered damages. An independent judge said the total damages were closer to about $11 million, a number to which the Dickinson ISD adjuster agreed. But instead of paying the court-ordered amount, TWIA balked. When a jury again ordered the insurer to pay Dickinson ISD, it appealed the decision. The case is now pending in a state appeals court. The Legislature created the Texas Catastrophe Property Insurance Association after several hurricanes slammed into the Texas coast in the late 1960s and in 1970, scaring many wind insurers out of coastal counties. The goal was to provide homeowners, business owners and government entities a way to get windstorm insurance in areas where private companies refused to write policies. TWIA was given its current name in 1997 and had small but consistent growth until Hurricane Rita in 2005, after which another wave of insurers said they would no longer write wind-damage insurance policies along Texas coast. The number of policies written by the state-backed insurer subsequently skyrocketed, said David Nardecchia, a senior specialist for the Office of Public Insurance Counsel and a former underwriter manager at TWIA. It varies by county, but in certain counties it could be pretty high, Nardecchia said. They have a majority of the risk in those counties. The insurer faced major problems after Ike, when more than 1,900 policyholders sued TWIA over its handling of claims. The insurer ended up settling a majority of those cases. However, state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, sponsored a series of changes to the agency in 2011 after alleging an outsized portion of the settlements went to pay attorney fees instead of policyholders. Those concerns were shared by then-Gov. Rick Perry and tort reform groups. The changes included a rule that makes the appraisal process the only way for policyholders to appeal TWIA decisions. Another new rule capped the amount that policyholders can recoup if a court finds TWIA guilty of wrongdoing: While other insurers in the state can be held liable for up three times the claim in cases of wrongdoing, TWIA is only liable for the face value of the claim. Seth Chandler, a law professor at the University of Houston who specializes in insurance, said the idea behind the appraisal process was that policyholders would benefit from potentially quicker payouts and settlements. But he questioned why TWIA is the only insurer in Texas given such treatment. Why is TWIA special? You could make the same argument for State Farm and Allstate and the rest of industry, Chandler said. Nardecchia said there are numerous reasons why TWIA is treated differently: Its the states insurer of last resort; its funded differently than private insurers; and, at one point after Hurricane Ike, there were concerns whether the agency could remain financially solvent. Lawsuits over claims can drag on for years even in the private market, Nardecchia said. Im not sure thats unique to TWIA in itself, Nardecchia said. In Texas City, the College of the Mainland is still waiting on $3.94 million it believes it is owed by TWIA from Hurricane Ike. The insurer originally offered to pay the community college about $46,000 for light poles that had blown around campus but offered nothing for damaged roofs, which school administrators say were full of holes. Without the money from TWIA, the school patched the holes. But they continue to spring leaks, causing ceiling tiles to bubble in the Student Center and water stains to creep along the upper walls of the schools dome-shaped gym. Clen Burton, a vice president at the college, said hes not surprised that the insurer covered only damage that could be seen from sidewalks. He said TWIAs original adjuster never looked on top of roofs or in crawl spaces and instead walked around the campus for about 90 minutes and left. Dickinson ISD also questioned the insurers actions during the appraisal process. While the districts adjuster went onto school roofs and into crawl spaces after Harvey, Deputy Superintendent Ryan Boone said TWIAs adjuster did not. They basically did a cursory look on our buildings, Boone said. It was a stop, look and listen, and then go about our business. TWIAs Armstrong said the insurer was concerned about the appraisal process in the nine remaining Ike cases, but not because it did anything wrong. She said those cases are more complicated because the appraisal processes didnt begin, in many cases, until four years after the storm. There had been other wind and hail events between Ike and the time some of those appraisals began, further compounding the issue. Armstrong suggested that there could be other concerns but said she could not elaborate because the cases are still working their way through the legal system. But the situation with Harvey is dramatically different than these nine Ike cases, Armstrong said. However, Wade Wendell of Texas Watch, a consumer and insurance policyholder advocacy group, said TWIA policyholders should be concerned because the new appraisal process is difficult to navigate and because the insurer is less liable for damages if it does something wrong. Theyre rigging the process, Wendell said. These changes further incentivize TWIA to test to see if policyholders can afford a lawyer or if they have the stomach to fight them in court for years. AUSTIN It was pretty dramatic when state senators from both parties lashed out at Land Commissioner George P. Bush over the way the Alamo is managed, saying they want more transparency in a system that relies strongly on nonprofit entities. It would have been more dramatic if they had done it before they allocated another $75 million to Bushs ambitious project to re-imagine the Alamo. With the budget knife in their hands, Senate Finance Committee members might have more easily been able to force changes in the management structure. Instead, the two-year budget approved earlier this year took effect Sept. 1, with the $75 million tucked inside. Whether they can make changes now is unclear. Asked whether they had voiced concern to Bush about the management structure before appropriating the money during this years regular legislative session, Bush spokeswoman Brittany Eck said that none of the senators or their staff members had expressed any worries. She said other than general questions, they have only expressed support during the numerous meetings, phone calls, and briefings with the General Land Office. Eck added that Bush had invited Finance Committee members to visit the Alamo three times for personal tours and briefings, including one that was two weeks before last weeks Finance Committee hearing. No Finance Committee members have been able to tour, she said, but others have. She said the response has been positive from attendees with regard to how we are working to recapture the 1836 Battlefield and preserve the Alamo for future generations. In fairness to the timing of their criticism, House and Senate budget writers are slammed to the wall during the regular legislative session. The two-year budget they oversee totals well over $216 billion in state and federal money and covers every state service. And lawmakers want to take care of the Alamo. They know the international reputation and historical importance of the shrine known as the cradle of Texas liberty. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said he absolutely wishes he had known more about the management structure when he and other Finance Committee members were making budget decisions. When were in session, were trying to make decisions like, Are we going to let the Alamo crumble? No, were not. Great. Going to give them money, Bettencourt said in an interview. They got a major allocation, given how tight the budget was. Sen. Kirk Watson, an Austin Democratic on the Finance Committee, agreed. Part of the problem with a lack of transparency is that sometimes you dont know whats going on. This may be Exhibit A, Watson said. People were wanting to do right by the Alamo. Concerns since have become louder, with critics worrying that the Alamo project might not properly spotlight the 1836 battle or might diminish its impact. Bush says his focus is to restore honor and dignity to the battlefield that is in touristy downtown San Antonio. Bettencourt and Watson said theyre glad for another chance to focus on the project, now that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has asked the Finance Committee to ensure state funds are spent to emphasize the battles importance. Both said senators message to Bush is clear. The setup is too complicated. And the public as well as the senators are making clear that the emphasis has to be on the battle, Bettencourt said. Watson said theres a desire that the operation that is addressing the Alamo is done in as open and transparent a way as can be done. Some want to see open meetings by the nonprofits. Some would like to see Alamo staff members work directly for the state, rather than for the nonprofit Alamo Trust. Its not clear what action lawmakers could quickly take with regard to the budget to ensure their concerns are addressed. Bettencourt said there may be a way, but he and Watson said theyd prefer a cooperative approach. Bush, who repeatedly has voiced his support for transparency, said he would discuss with other members of the nonprofit board on which he serves whether there can be additional changes. This is a concern, and it should be. This is the public taxpayers money, and we have nothing to hide. Weve been transparent about our financials and will continue to do so, Bush said. The Finance Committee plans to hold him to it. If nothing else, theyll have another chance to consider funding for the Alamo project in 2019. The multiyear project could cost $450 million in state, city and private funds. In the meantime, Bush will face a reminder on another front. As we reported Friday, Bush predecessor Jerry Patterson plans to file against him in the GOP primary Monday, promising to make his handling of the Alamo project front-and-center in the race. pfikac@express-news.net | Twitter: @pfikac AUSTIN While Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller was picking a fight with a fellow Republican over banana Nutella crepes on Facebook last week, Kim Olson was driving from her farm to a radio interview just south of Fort Worth. She went on the air to talk about food deserts, how food is a national security issue and why voters should elect her to take over the Texas Department of Agriculture, an agency that oversees school lunch programs, facilitates trade and market development for commodities like cattle and cotton and regulates fuel pumps and other issues. Olson is a farmer, a veteran and an author. Shes also a Democrat, and her party hasnt won a statewide office since 1994. Political experts say she may be the strongest candidate the party has on the ticket in 2018 and the Democrats best chance against Republicans who control state government in a red state next year, but say that Republican voters loyalty to their party stand in her way. Olson contends this is a winnable race. All Texans eat, she said. It doesnt matter if youre red or blue, youve really got to be red, white and blue because youve got to represent all Texans. Miller, a rodeo cowboy and Republican incumbent, is recognizable by his large white hat and known for his Facebook posts. Millers social media following is the largest among statewide elected officials here, boasting more than 623,000 followers on Facebook. Since he was sworn into office, he has grown a reputation for controversy. Less than two months into his term, which began in January 2015, he used state taxpayer dollars to finance a trip to Oklahoma where he received a Jesus shot, billed as being able to cure all pain for life. Two weeks later, he used state funds again to take a trip to Jackson, Mississippi, where he competed in a rodeo. He agreed to refund the money from his trips and was not charged with any wrongdoing. The controversies have made him vulnerable as he seeks his first bid for re-election. Last week Miller drew a Republican primary challenger: Trey Blocker, a lobbyist and Austin attorney who specializes in ethics law. The race between the two has already shown signs of getting hinted it could get ugly. Without mentioning the commissioner, Blocker announced his bid for office in a video stressing the agency needs an articulate, intelligent voice for our core conservative values. Im tired of the talk. Its time for action. Miller shot back, accusing Blocker of being a liberal and took it a step further, criticizing Blocker for having his photo taken at a restaurant that was serving Nutella banana crepes. Olson, who so far is unopposed in the Democratic primary, said her focus is on getting people fired up for her, for Democrats and to understand why agriculture is important in the state. She said she plans to run a positive campaign. She knows she lacks name recognition, but is trying to counteract that by visiting all 254 Texas counties and getting to know different people throughout the state. By the end of November, she had visited 88 counties, she said. Ag touches every aspect of this nations political arena and the nations place on the world power platform, she said. Its bigger than everyone thinks. Few people know much about agriculture or the agency, giving it a low profile few voters get excited about, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor who researches executive controversy and elections at the University of Houston. Political experts and operatives say that while a so-called blue wave of Democratic voters have come out in other races, such as in Virginia last month, foretelling a surge of voters pushing back against President Trump and the Republican party in power, it wont be strong enough to make a dramatic difference in Texas state races. Thats because Democratic voters also tend to stay home during midterm elections, said Rottinghaus, and the party will need someone strong at the top of the ticket running for governor or U.S. Senate to get people out to vote. [Olson] could be the highest performing Democrat if she runs a good campaign because she can present a strong narrative and is running against the weakest statewide Republican, he said. But even as a solid candidate, she could still lose the race 20 points behind her Republican counterpart, he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A line will start forming early Monday afternoon outside San Fernando Cathedral for a cherished point on the Catholic calendar, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Twenty-four years ago, the cathedral began holding its Serenata, or serenade, to La Virgen de Guadalupe, and the midnight Mass has become one of the Archdiocese of San Antonios most popular events of the year. Ultimately, hundreds will wait in Main Plaza to get a seat inside the cathedral. While in line, theyll pray while fingering rosary beads. A few will travel the length of the line on their knees. Known as the Patroness of the Americas, the Marian figure is a central one to Latino Catholics, who revere the story of a brown-skinned Marys apparition to a humble indigenous man, now St. Juan Diego, who spoke to her in his native Nahuatl in 1531 on a hill in Tepeyac in what is now Mexico City. The festivities in San Antonio have earned a reputation far beyond the city limits, thanks to its inclusion in televised coverage from the famous basilica and shrine built on the site. This year, as in the past two, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller will be in Main Plaza with fellow priests, seminarians, nuns and deacons and spend time with the faithful. The priests bless them, their children and their devotions candles, rosaries, images of Guadalupe and other saints. It has become a part of the archbishops ministry and an answer to the Vaticans call for the New Evangelization, an effort opened by Pope John Paul II, who asked Catholics to more deeply understand the Gospels and proclaim them to others, especially those whove experienced a crisis of faith. The New Evangelization also calls for Catholics to meet people where they are whether in faith or turmoil, devotion or light, church or workplace, or in Main Plaza in line for the Serenata. The eve of the feast day has turned into a really great moment of service, Garcia-Siller said. Three years ago, he took a break from prayer inside the cathedral before the Serenata and noticed the line of people outside. I decided to visit with them, he said. Thats how it started. Those waiting outside are in various stages of need and all look to Our Lady of Guadalupe for solace and comfort, as they would their own mothers, said Father Jonathan Felux, director of vocations and seminarians at Assumption Seminary, who will be at Main Plaza with the archbishop. They have a great desire to see our lady on that day, even some who havent been to church in a long time, he said. We pray with them, Felux said. We talk through things. Sometimes its a family or work crisis, a struggle with addiction, or not being able to deal with loss. Sometimes their burdens are financial or involve their immigration status. Its a beautiful thing to see them share something so intimate while theyre standing in the line, Felux said. Theres a sense of security of being home at the cathedral. Wherever their mother is, is home. Ive seen amazing moments of healing, he said. I see their faces. I see them relax and be more at peace. Those who approach the cathedral on their knees do it as an act of humility theyre in the presence of holiness and seek to be close to her, said Felux, who finds the gesture moving. Its an offering to God that says, I may not have much, but I give everything I am. Interacting with a member of the clergy adds to the special occasion, and Felux said the archbishops own popularity may be another factor people express joy to be in his presence, he said. Whatever their reasons, the core of the draw is faith Its not just a trip downtown to see a pretty building, Felux said. Priests accompanying the archbishop will be hearing confessions in Main Plaza in the hours prior to the 8:30 p.m. start of the Serenata. Several counselors from Catholic Charities will be available to speak with people who express or show special needs. The charitable arm of the archdiocese will provide other services as necessary, Garcia-Siller said. For those who dont get a seat inside, a Jumbotron will be set up in front of the historic church in the heart of the city. The Mass of the Patroness of the Americas, which will be bilingual, begins at midnight. Univision affiliate KWEX-TV will carry the local Serenata from 10:30 to 11 p.m. and then pick up network coverage out of Mexico City from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala Gerry Hertz says farmers may be too invested in canola By Diego Flammini News Reporter Farms.com Large canola yields in Saskatchewan are great but should come with a word of warning, according to Gerry Hertz, an agronomist and director with SaskCanola. Canola production rose across Canada by nearly 9 per cent since last year, up to 21.3 million tonnes this year, according to Statistics Canada. The yield in Saskatchewan grew by nearly 5 per cent to 11.2 million tonnes. And larger yields mean more chances of disease, Hertz said. Were walking closer to a cliff, he told the Regina Leader-Post yesterday. Blackleg has been inching its way up and, if youve got the right kinds of conditions and tight rotations, sometimes a problem thats lurking in the background might just rear its head. If youre growing canola every year, youre risking a lot of potential problems if something shows up, he said. (The canola crops) havent got burnt for a while, and theyre probably going to continue to do that. Producers are transitioning some acres to canola to make up for the declining prices of other crops, according to Florian Hagmann, a producer near Birch Hills, Sask. He harvested more than 90 bushels per acre in some fields. Given the current canola market, that could add up to a nice profit for producers. A tonne of crude canola oil can sell for almost $973, according to the Canola Council of Canada. Canola meal is selling at about $326 per tonne and canola seed is selling at approximately $579 per tonne. And farmers need to make those tough decisions about inputs and operating costs, especially as they continue to increase. The crop income to the farmer didnt change, but the cost of the machinery, the cost of the land, was really high, Hagmann told the Regina Leader-Post. The margin is getting tighter, so farmers are starting to farm every acre. By Pete Bauman At a recent meeting of the South Dakota Grassland Coalition, Ryan Brunner Commissioner of State School and Public Lands, provided excellent information for those interested in understanding more about grazing and hunting on South Dakota School and Public Lands. For additional information on the South Dakota office of School and Public lands, including annual reports and education allocations and various application forms, visit the South Dakota School & Public Lands website. What is the Office of School and Public Lands? In 1889, the federal government of the United States granted the state of South Dakota over 3.5 million acres. These lands, generally, were represented as sections 16 and 36 of each township to be used for funding schools and other public purposes. These, along with other lands, were divided among the states universities, specialty schools, and general school districts. To create revenue, these School Lands could either be sold or leased and the proceeds held in a permanent trust fund with the interest used for education. On average, revenue is generated from grazing, mineral, gas, and cropping leases. One hundred percent of the income generated from these lands is allocated to education. The operating budget for the office is based on legislative allocation. Annually, the office returns approximately $12 million to school districts and endowed institutions from approximately 760,000 acres, and annual funding for education has increased roughly 10% on average over recent years. How do grazing leases work? Every year, some portion of state School Lands leases are opened for public auction. These leases are managed as a 5-year base lease, with an additional 5-year renewal option. Prior to auction, a minimum bid rate is set based on the current cattle market. During the initial 5-year term, the lease payment is based on the actual competitive auction bid. However, during the second 5-year period, the lease rate is based on a set formula that depends on the cattle market and is non-competitive. Therefore, the rental rate for the second 5-year period can fluctuate from that of the first 5-years, and can be potentially less expensive. As an example, in recent years high crop prices have increased competition at these auctions, driving the initial bid price much higher than the required minimum for the first 5-years of the contact. The lease price then declines during the second 5-year period as competition is eliminated and the lease is based on the cattle market. How are lease auctions advertised to the public? Lease auctions must be announced at least four weeks in advance and are posted on the School and Public Lands website and in the official newspaper for each county. Auction announcements are published annually, generally in mid-March. What other expenses does a lessee incur? Lessees are responsible for paying the annual property taxes on state School Lands. Can I install fences and water on state school land? Because the office of School Lands has a limited budget, they rarely invest in infrastructural improvements. Often any infrastructural improvements such as fences and water development are the current lessees responsibility. Lessees apply for an infrastructural improvement permit with the office. The state does allow lessees to cooperate with outside agencies willing to cost share or otherwise fund infrastructural improvement projects. In all cases, the lessee essentially owns the infrastructure and its value unless or until the lease changes hands. In most instances, when state School Land goes to auction, the successful bidder will also incur a one-time payment, often to the previous lessee, for the value of the infrastructure associated with the lease. The land auctioneer discloses this value, so the bidders are fully aware of the valuation. This valuation is based only on the permitted infrastructure, thus former lessees are not reimbursed for non-permitted investments. If the successful bidder and the previous lessee do not agree on the terms of the infrastructural value, a third-party Board of Appraisal is appointed consisting of a representative of the former lessee, the new lessee, and a neutral person. If land goes unleased for 6 months, the office of School Lands then assumes ownership of all infrastructure and new lessees are not subject to the infrastructural improvement expenses. How many cattle can I graze if I rent state school land? Stocking rates are suggested by the state School Lands office at the time of auction on a price per animal unit month ($/AUM) basis. However, leases are structured to reflect a price per acre cost. Can I sublease school land? Generally, it is not legal to sublease state School Land to a third party. However, state law does allow for pasturing agreements where additional livestock may be brought in under the total allowable stocking rate. In these agreements, responsibility for lease payments and property taxes remain solely with the listed lessee. Can I break school land for crop production? No. The office of School and Public Land has placed a moratorium on any conversion of School Land grasslands for crop production or other uses. Click here to see more... By Steve Hu Will summer 2018 likely be wet or dry? While climatologists cant predict day-to-day weather conditions in advance of the next growing season, they can use seasonal and annual average records to identify climate trends that can help growers position their operations for the expected conditions. These climate trend projections, particularly for precipitation, are based on multi-decade climate variations that have been tested and shown to have persistent patterns. Seasonal and annual precipitation in Nebraska and the central U.S. Great Plains is one such variable with a fairly persistent quasi-20-year oscillation. This oscillation is shown in Figure 1 using data from the past 120 years. Figure 1. Departure from normal precipitation (standard deviation) in observed summer precipitation (June-August) (gray bars) in Nebraska from 1894-2017. The 0 line represents the mean over this period. The 20-year variation component of the precipitation is shown by the red line, and the multi-decade variation is shown by the blue line. Summer Precipitation Trends In addition to showing the quasi-20-year oscillation in Nebraska summer precipitation (June-August), Figure 1 shows a strong pattern of summer precipitation variations over the past 120 years. In the decades when this 20-year variation was in its dry phase, i.e., the red line was below 0.0 in Figure 1, most years had below-average summer precipitation. (For example, summer 2002.) On the other hand, when this variation was in its wet phase, or the red line was above 0.0 (Figure 1), most years in those decades had above-average summer precipitation. Now, looking at the most recent years, we see that this 20-year variation entered its dry phase around 2015. The first year in that dry phase, year 2016, had below-average summer precipitation. As this dry phase continues to develop in the next six to seven years, we anticipate that most summers will have below-average precipitation. Although an exception to this dry norm may occur in one or two summers, the overall trend will include the 2018 growing season and several seasons afterward. As noted previously, individual years can fall outside the trend. (Note that 2012, one of the driest Nebraska summers in recent history, was an exception that fell outside the wet norm in the 20-year variation.) To predict climate conditions for individual years within the pattern, growers should consult the 30- and 90-day precipitation and temperature forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Climate Prediction Center. Annual Precipitation Trends Annual precipitation in Nebraska also has a strong quasi-20-year trend as shown by the red line in Figure 2. This annual variation has a phase similar to the 20-year variation in the summer precipitation in recent decades (Figure 1). The annual precipitation trend also indicates Nebraska may be entering a dry phase for the next few years, reinforcing indications in the summer precipitation projection (Figure 1). Figure 2: Departure from normal precipitation in observed annual precipitation (gray bars) in Nebraska from 1894-2017. The 20-year variation component of the precipitation pattern is shown by the red line. The Numbers Behind Figures 1-2 In Nebraska, as in other High Plains states, precipitation varies significantly from east to west and from year to year. The mean annual precipitation from 1895-2016, averaged across Nebraska, is 22.71 inches and the standard deviation is 3.86 inches. The mean summer precipitation from 1895-2016 averaged across Nebraska is 9.39 inches and the standard deviation is 2.15 inches. In figures 1 and 2, the 0.0 line represents the mean precipitation level for 1895-2016: 22.71 inches for annual precipitation or 9.39 inches for summer precipitation. The numbers on the vertical axis indicate number of deviations from standard. For example, in Figure 1, the "2" indicates rainfall was two times the standard deviation of 2.15 or 4.30 inches above the normal/mean value of 9.39 inches. He said there were signs that the WA flock was holding its ground but the growth, if any, would come from existing farmers because the price of entering the industry was too high, although that could change. On each of the trading days at the WWC last month lines of superfine wool sold for more than 1700c/kg greasy but unlike other years, most were new seasons wool, not special bales stored away until record prices were on offer those had already been cleared out in previous months. Shanghai (Gasgoo)-Lynk & Co recently finished the construction of its Zhangjiakou Plant. The new plant features four workshops, including pressing, welding, coating and final assembling. With an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles, Lynk & Co will produce the 02 and 03 models in the future. Besides, Lynk & Co will adopt CMA platform, an exclusive platform for luxury compact vehicles, which is led by Volvo and co-developed by Geely Auto. Lynk & Co will produce a range of products, covering models from A0-class to C-class, including SUV, sedan and MPV. The Lynk & Co 02 and 03 will hit the market in the first half of 2018. In the future, Lynk & Co will release 2 or 3 new models in the market annually and will release around 10 models by 2020, shaping a complete products lineup and market deployment. Built and managed under Volvo's global quality standards, the plant is invested and operated by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. With the concept of Industry 4.0, Lynk & Co Auto Zhangjiakou Plant will be built into a plant with an integration of intelligent plant, intelligent manufacturing and intelligent logistics via introducing a complete IT system, adopting an advanced information management mode and employing cutting-edge devices. An Conghui, President and CEO of Geely Auto expressed that Lynk & Co Auto Zhangjiakou Plant plays a crucial role in the fulfillment of Geely's 2020 strategy and its global strategic deployment. They will continue to partner with world-leading auto parts suppliers to lead the development of high-end vehicles' industrial chain, thus leading the transformation and upgrade for auto industry in Northern China, he also added. Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions enter here to gain access. If you are not a Current Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! Rob Gruppetta, Head of the Financial Crime Dept. at the FCAArtificial intelligence will always be a work in progress in fighting money laundering and wont entirely replace humans and their intuition, a top UK regulator said. Any bank hoping for a black box in the corner that will sniff out the launderers will be disappointed, according to Rob Gruppetta, head of the financial crime unit at the UK Financial Conduct Authority or FCA. But the technology has the capability to better achieve what we all want: keeping finance clean, Gruppetta said last week during a talk in London. British banks spend 5 billion ($6.7 billion) every year combating financial crime, he said. A big chunk of that is spent on detecting suspicious activity and reporting it to the authorities. With those resources, shouldnt artificial intelligence eventually reach a level of effectiveness thats better than humans? According to Gruppetta, there are non-technological challenges that hold back the use of machine learning to fight money laundering. The biggest problem is the quality of information. Learning systems depend on feedback. But banks complain they hear little from police after filing a suspicious activity report, Gruppetta said. Without better feedback, banks cant train machines to spot the worst cases of actual or suspected money laundering. To fix that, banks and law enforcement agencies are cooperating more, Gruppetta said. And that cooperation may provide new fodder for the machines to chew on. Another obstacle is that each bank stands alone and only sees its own part of a transaction. Having just one piece of a jigsaw impairs a banks ability to train its machines to detect criminal funds, Gruppetta said. Banks arent at fault. Laws require them to protect customers and not share their data. The UKs new Criminal Finances Act creates a legal framework for information sharing, Gruppetta said. How much that will hep banks create smarter machines remains to be seen. Whats the future for AI versus money laundering? Machine learning should sit alongside human decision-making, Gruppetta said. We see it as complementing, not replacing, human judgment. Banks should continually refine their feedback processes, he said. Predictions that produced false positives (or false negatives), for example, should be used to refine the models. Ultimately, software deals in probabilities, not absolutes, Gruppetta said. So final decisions at banks about passing information to law enforcement will require human judgment. But smart machines can direct the humans to the cases of most interest, he said. ____ Rob Gruppettas full speech to the FinTech Innovation in AML and Digital ID regional event in London on December 6, 2017 is here. _____ Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Megan Schott(NEW YORK) -- Many use the beloved holiday tradition of dressing their kids up as an Elf on the Shelf just for laughs. But one Nashville, Indiana, mom is dressing her son up to raise money to buy toys for kids in need. Megan Schott started dressing up her 18-month-old son Forest as an Elf on the Shelf last year. "It was a lot," the mother of one recalled to ABC News. Schott, 30, noted that she takes anywhere between 80 to 100 photos just to get a single silly shot of her son as an Elf on the Shelf. The process usually takes an hour. But it became so taxing, she didn't want to do it again this year. "But everyone kept asking, 'Hey! Are we going to see Forest as an Elf on the Shelf?' So I said, 'Let's do a fundraiser out of it,'" she explained. "In order for me to post a nightly picture of Forest, someone would have to donate in the past 24 hours. It's kind of like a pay-per-view." Schott had an initial goal of $500. But she was blown away by the response, meeting that goal in a matter of days. So she bumped up her goal to $1,000, but she blew past that goal too. She's now raised more than $2,000, which she'll split and donate to the Salvation Army and the Columbus Fireman's Cheer Fund. Cheer Fund co-chairman Jarrad Mullis told ABC News that the Schott's donations will help the approximately 1,300 kids they serve each holiday season. A spokesperson for the fund added in a statement, "Having the community be so involved like Forest and his family is what makes the Cheer Fund succeed each year. Without the generosity of volunteers and donations, it wouldn't be possible. Forest's donation will go toward purchasing new toys, bikes and stuffed animals for the over 1,200 children we will help this year." For Schott, who works in administration at an automobile engine company, she just wants to teach her son how to live a great life. "I really want to teach my son to be a caring and compassionate person and to be there for others," she said. "When you promote compassion for others, the others will show their compassion too. Thats what our community has done." Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Shanghai (Gasgoo)-On Dec. 11, Ford Motor Company announced that its November sales in China reached 117,593 units, down 8% year on year. During January and November, it delivered 1,056,163 vehicles, decreasing 6% compared with the same period last year. Monthly sales for Changan Ford Motor totaled 84,231 units, down 12% year over year. Its cumulative sales during the past 11 months reached 724,521 units with a year-on-year drop of 14%. Jiangling Motor Corporation (JMC) sold 26,083 units in November, equaling to the sales of the same period last year. During January and November, its total delivery reached 262,620 units, increasing 13% compared to November 2016. Sales of Lincoln soared 70% year on year to 6,006 units, setting a new record high of monthly sales in China. During the past 11 months, Lincoln enjoyed great sales gains of 51,735 vehicles, surging 83% compared to the same period last year. Ford brand delivered 1,273 units, dropping 22% year on year. Its cumulative sales from January to November reached 17,287 units with a year-on-year increase of 11%. Jason Luo, Chairman and CEO of Ford China stated that Lincoln kept a strong sales growth momentum in November and broke the record of monthly sales again. With the launch of the new Navigator, the products lineup of Lincoln has been further expanded. Three models under Lincoln brand, the MKC, MKX and Navigator saw almost the same sales growth of around 27% year on year. In terms of Ford brand, the Mondeo boasted remarkable monthly sales, surging 61% year on year to 11,627 units. In the past 11 months, total sales of Mondeo reached 95,639 units, up only 1% compared with the same period last year. Jason Luo also added that the high-performance models under Ford brand, the Mustang and Focus RS also sold quite well. Their sales both soared 49% and 31% year on year respectively, though Ford brand saw a year-on-year sales decline of 22% in November. Kasabian and Courteeners will headline Teenage Cancer Trust shows at London's Royal Albert Hall in 2018. Kasabian The 'You're In Love With A Psycho' hitmakers and the indie rock group are the first acts confirmed for the iconic charity shows with Tom Meighan and co performing on March 24, and the 'What Took You So Long?' stars - fronted by Liam Fray - playing the world famous venue on March 23. It's a special gig for the latter, who are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their seminal album 'St. Jude' by performing the 2008 LP in full. It follows their homecoming gig at Manchester's Old Trafford to 50,000 fans, following the horrific terrorist attacks at Ariana Grande's Manchester Arena concert in May. Liam said: "It's a great honour and privilege to perform for such a brilliant charity at such a legendary venue. "This will be the first and last time we'll ever perform our debut album St. Jude in full in London and we're really pleased to be doing it for a such a great cause." Kasabian recently completed a 12 date UK Arena tour, in support of chart-topping record 'For Crying Out Loud', and can't wait to entertain the masses next Spring. Frontman Tom said: "We love playing the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust. It is a show we have come back to throughout our career for the special atmosphere and the amazing cause. Our fans love it and we do too, it will be a highlight of 2018 for us." The concert series was launched by the charity's Honorary Patron Roger Daltrey CBE, the legendary frontman of The Who, who said: "I'm really pleased to announce the first shows for The Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall next March. This will be the 18th year of these concerts for the charity. "It's great to be welcoming back Kasabian, they have been fantastic supporters of this charity since they first headlined for us back in 2007." Tickets go on sale on Friday (15.12.17). Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Government of Sri Lanka have jointly produced the first comprehensive manual for Sri Lankan exporters to export under the European Union Generalized System of Preferences Plus (EU GSP+) scheme. The EU-funded EU GSP+ Business Guide for Sri Lankan Exporters was released last week on the ITC website.The information in the manual was collected in June this year, according to Sri Lankan media reports. It highlights the GSP Regulation enumerating 27 conventions, including the core human and labour rights conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Government of Sri Lanka have jointly produced the first comprehensive manual for Sri Lankan exporters to export under the European Union Generalized System of Preferences Plus (EU GSP+) scheme. The EU-funded 'EU GSP+ Business Guide for Sri Lankan Exporters' was released last week on the ITC website.# It explains relevant rules of origin applicable to apparel under GSP+, relevant institutions in the EU and additional resources like web portals, where Lankan exporters can obtain more information. (DS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Karl Mayer, Germanys leading textile machinery firm, has announced that the company has officially opened the new workshop in Vietnam on November 13, 2017, after nine months of sufficient preparation. Karl Mayer, a market leader in textile machinery building, offers perfect solutions for warp knitting, technical textiles and warp preparation for weaving.On the day of opening ceremony, representative from Illies, Kuna Robert and Wu Chun Yan, the trainers who are providing courses for Vietnam workshop from Karl Mayer, and Eddy Ho, sales manager of Karl Mayer Hong Kong welcomed the participants of the first phase of workshop. The visitors, customers from Hanoi and Ho-Chi-Minh-City, attended the premiere event held from 13 to 17, November 2017, followed from a second one, held from 20 to 24, November 2017. Each of them took place in Ho-Chi-Minh-City and was attended by six participants. Karl Mayer, Germany's leading textile machinery firm, has announced that the company has officially opened the new workshop in Vietnam on November 13, 2017, after nine months of sufficient preparation. Karl Mayer, a market leader in textile machinery building, offers perfect solutions for warp knitting, technical textiles and warp preparation for weaving.# Karl Mayer is devoting to expand the Southeast Asian market, so that more and more Vietnamese manufacturers purchase Karl Mayer warp knitting machines. In order to meet the current market demand, Karl Mayer will provide more product-related learning courses to help customers getting familiar with the theory and operation of Karl Mayer machine.Trainees of Karl Mayer workshop Vietnam will be attending a one week WKB training course, including machines theory, study of warp knitted fabric constructions, textile calculations, and practical works on training machines. In addition, Karl Mayer workshop Vietnam will offer additional course of machine maintenance introduction and article change.The workshop will give information on topics like introduction on stitch formation warp knitting, tricot machine structure and technical features, function and explanation of the knitting element movements and their synchronisation with help of chain links, and explanation of the KAMCOS in details and hands on practice of each participant. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India FinanceAsia congratulates the winners of our Annual Achievement Awards in Australia and New Zealand for 2017. We honour the tenacity and innovation shown by these Best Houses over the past 12 months. To view the winners of our Best Deal Awards announced yesterday, click here. The award winners and their clients are invited to attend our 15th annual awards celebration dinner on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 at the Park Hyatt on Sydney Harbour. For more information on this event, please contact Vicki Shaw at [email protected] or +61 2 9967 5774. The winners Best Local Commercial Bank ANZ Best Foreign Commercial Bank Citi Best Investment Bank UBS Best Investment Bank, New Zealand Forsyth Barr Corporate Issuer of the Year Ausgrid Financial Issuer of the Year Latitude Financial Services Best Equity House UBS Best M&A House Goldman Sachs Best Local Bond House Westpac Best International Bond House Citi Best Green Bond House ANZ Best Debt Finance House National Australia Bank Best Financial Law Firm Herbert Smith Freehills TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Japan will on Monday release preliminary November numbers for machine tool orders, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In October, machine tool orders surged 49.8 percent on year. Japan also will see November figures for money stock and Q4 results for the BSI manufacturing index. The M2 money stock is expected to hold steady at 4.1 percent on year, while M3 is called unchanged at 3.5 percent. The BSI manufacturing index is expected to show a score of 10.0, up from 9.4 in the three months prior. The all industry index is pegged at 5.8, up from 5.1. The Philippines will release October numbers for imports, exports ad trade balance. In September, imports were worth $7.51 billion and exports were at $5.59 billion for a trade deficit of $1.92 billion. Finally, the markets in Thailand are closed on Monday in observance of Constitution Day, and will re-open on Tuesday. 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. Yidan Prize held its inaugural award ceremony on Dec 10, 2017 Welcome remarks by Dr Charles Chen Yidan Carol S. Dweck, Yidan Prize for Education Research Inaugural Laureate Vicky Colbert, Yidan Prize for Education Development Inaugural Laureate HONG KONG, Dec 11, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - The world's largest education prize, the Yidan Prize laureates accepted the inaugural awards and received gold medals from The Honorable Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GBM, GBS, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, at the Yidan Prize Award Presentation Ceremony held Sunday (12/10) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Each of the laureates will receive HK$30 million (about US$3.87 million) to recognize their distinguished contributions to global education and to help fund their future work.Carol S. Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, received the Yidan Prize for Education Research. Her groundbreaking research on the power of the "growth mindset", based upon the belief that intelligence is not fixed and can be developed over time, has become an influential concept in the field of education."It is a great honor to receive the Yidan Prize for Education Research and I accept it on behalf of my extraordinary students and colleagues. It is their work as much as mine. It is critical for educators to know that we cannot nourish the mind without the heart. We cannot expect good learning - joyful and effective learning - to happen in a mind that is disconnected from the heart. And we cannot expect our students to create the world of tomorrow, the world that we hope for, without a heart-mind that connects them to each other, to the larger society, and to the planet as a whole," Dweck said.Vicky Colbert, founder and director of Fundacion Escuela Nueva, Colombia, was awarded the Yidan Prize for Education Development. Her project Escuela Nueva ("New School" in Spanish) has improved the quality of education at rural public schools in Colombia since the mid-1970s. The pedagogical model has also been adopted by 14 countries, reaching over 5 million children."I am honored and deeply moved to receive this prestigious education Yidan Prize for Education Development. The recognition that we receive through this prestigious award is a further motivation to continue our commitment to the cause of basic education of high quality for all children. At Escuela Nueva Foundation in Colombia and many other countries of the world we work to establish affordable schools of excellent quality where children, teachers and parents are empowered to learn and contribute to a culture of peace and citizenship in their environment," Colbert said.Each laureate receives a gold medal and a total sum of HK$30 million (about US$3.87 million) including a cash prize of HK$15 million (about US$1.9 million) and a project fund of HK$15 million (about US$1.9 million).Presenting the awards, The Honorable Mrs Carrie Lam said: "The Yidan Prize gives us much to look forward to in education excellence. And for this, I am grateful to Dr Chen, the Yidan Prize Foundation and the international judging committee for their commitment to global education and educators, and for their contribution to the sustainable development of the world we live in. My congratulations again to this year's laureates, Professor Dweck and Ms Colbert, for their distinguished achievements. Working together, I know we can create a better world through education."Dr Charles Chen Yidan, founder of the Yidan Prize, said: "Yidan Prize aims to empower educators to transcend religion, race and nationality, to exert far-reaching, positive influence over humanity, and ultimately, to help create a better world. I hope that their practical experience and research findings can be applied more extensively, expanding their impact, and benefiting more people."The event was attended by prominent figures including H.E. Dr Ahmed Al-Eissa, Minister of Education, Saudi Arabia, Ms. Cherie Blair, Founder, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, and Jaime Saavedra, Senior Director, Education, World Bank Group, among others.The laureates are selected by a judging committee chaired by Dr Koichiro Matsuura, former director-general of UNESCO, which comprises two independent judging panels. Professor Paul Chu Ching-wu, professor of physics, T.L.L., Temple Chair of Science, University of Houston, heads the Yidan Prize for Education Research panel, and Dorothy K. Gordon, former director-general of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT leads the Yidan Prize for Education Development panel.About Yidan PrizeThe Yidan Prize is founded by Dr Charles Chen Yidan, the core founder of Tencent Holdings Limited. The Prize aims to recognize and support change makers for their most forward looking innovation that can create sustainable impacts on education systems for a better future. The Prize comprises two categories - the Yidan Prize for Education Research and the Yidan Prize for Education Development.The Prize is financed and governed by a HK$2.5 billion (about US$320 million) independent trust. Each prize carries an award of HK$30 million (about US$3.87 million), with a cash award of HK$15 million (about US$1.9 million), a further HK$15 million (about US$1.9 million) project fund, and a gold medal. Through a series of initiatives, the prize serves to provide a platform that allows the global community to engage in conversation around education and to play a role in education philanthropy. For more information, please visit www.yidanprize.org.*Photo from left: Mr Clive Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Yidan Prize Foundation; Carol S. Dweck, Yidan Prize for Education Research Inaugural Laureate; The Honorable Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, GBM, GBS; Vicky Colbert, Yidan Prize for Education Development Inaugural Laureate; Dr Charles Chen Yidan, Founder of the Yidan Prize.Contact:Yidan Prize FoundationLawrence LuiT: +852 2155 1582E: lawrence@yidanprize.orgWeber ShandwickMokka Mok / Winky ChowT: +852 2533 9971 / 2533 9923E: mmok2@webershandwick.com /wchow@webershandwick.comSource: Yidan Prize FoundationCopyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Andy Ahn Head of Marketing, Suprema Inc. Email: andyahn@suprema.co.kr SEOUL, KOREA, Dec 11, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Suprema, Inc., a leading global provider of biometrics and security technologies, today announced that the company has been recognized as one of the top 50 largest security company in A&S's 2017 Security 50 rankings. In this year's rankings, Suprema moved up in its ranking from 31st to 30th with its 2016 annual revenue of US$66.2 million. Since 2011, Suprema has been ranked in Security 50 for 7 consecutive years and is the only dedicated biometrics company in 2016 rankings.The Security 50 from A&S magazine is an annual rankings of publicly listed physical security manufacturers around the globe solely based on their financial performance (sales revenue). On the rankings, companies' businesses range from biometrics, access control, video surveillance, alarms and integrated security solutions.In the 2017 Security 50 rankings, Suprema is the only dedicated biometrics company among the 'Access Control Product Group', and Suprema ranked 4th in Access Control rankings after multi-nationals including Assa Abloy, Allegion and Nedap."We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the key player in security industry by listing our name on the prestigious 2017 Security 50 rankings. This is an incredible reflection of overarching vision and innovations of Suprema's technology, products and solutions. When it comes to biometrics, the market focus is shifting from technological advances to user convenience while user acceptance is rapidly growing with widespread of biometrics-enabled smartphones."As credential management and interoperability are becoming more important, we will put more effort into better delivering identity management solutions while maintaining the best-available biometric technologies over the competition," said Brian Song, CEO at Suprema.About Security 50Security 50, conducted by a&s International, is one of the most comprehensive and influential reports in the industry that ranks the top security manufacturers in the world. The annual Security 50 ranking is based upon product sales revenue, gross profit, and profit margin during the previous fiscal year. To find out the full list of 2017 Security 50 Rankings, please visit https://goo.gl/81fQev.About Suprema Inc.Suprema is a leading global provider of biometrics and security technology. By combining world renowned biometric algorithms with superior engineering, Suprema continually designs and develops industry leading products and solutions. Suprema's extensive range of portfolio includes biometric access control systems, time & attendance solutions, fingerprint live scanners, mobile authentication solutions and embedded fingerprint modules. Suprema has worldwide sales network in over 130 countries and is one of the world's Top 50 security company in its turnover (ranked in A&S's Security 50, 2010-2017). For more information, please visit www.supremainc.com.Source: Suprema Inc.Contact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The Scottish Investment Trust plc (SCIN.L) reported return on ordinary activities before tax of 67.06 million pounds for the year to 31 October 2017 compared to 195.26 million pounds, prior year. Return attributable to shareholders decreased to 65.81 million pounds from 193.72 million pounds. Return per share was 75.52 pence compared to 190.66 pence. On revenue basis, fiscal year return on ordinary activities before tax decreased to 21.35 million pounds from 23.50 million pounds. Return per share was 23.06 pence compared to 21.62 pence. For the fiscal year, net gains on investments held at fair value through profit and loss was 50.82 million pounds compared to 177.33 million pounds, last year. The Board recommended a final dividend of 14.5 pence per share which, if approved, will mean that the total regular dividend for the year will increase by 48.1% to 20.0 pence. The Board also recommended a special dividend of 5.0 pence per share in order to distribute the income generated in the year to 31 October 2017 in excess of the requirements of the proposed regular dividend. If approved, the total dividend for the year will increase by 11.1%. 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. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, 2017-12-11 13:30 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sabina Gold & Silver Corp (TSX:SBB.T), ("Sabina" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Nunavut Water Board (NWB) has commenced public review of the Type A and Type B water license applications related to initial development, mine construction and operation of the Back River Project (the "Project" or "Back River"). As announced on December 6, 2017, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, on behalf of the five responsible federal Ministers, accepted Nunavut Impact Review Board's recommendation for the Project to proceed to the regulatory and licensing phase. The NIRB has advised that the final Project Certificate will be issued on or before January 4, 2018. The Type B water license would enable Sabina to commence certain initial pre-development activities in 2018 including onsite construction of service roads and laydown pads, and the mobilization of fuel, supplies and equipment at the Goose property and marine laydown area. Sabina anticipates approval of the Type B water license in late Q1, 2018. The Type A water license would allow for full construction and operation of the Back River project. Sabina anticipates approval of the Type A water license in Q4, 2018. "With a positive Ministers decision now in hand we are pleased to see that the licensing process has commenced which will enable full development of the Back River Project" said Bruce McLeod, President & CEO. "We look forward to receiving the Project Certificate, various final licenses as well as finalizing the definitive agreements with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association for land tenure and Inuit benefits." Sabina Gold & Silver Corp Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. is a well-financed, emerging precious metals company with district scale, world class undeveloped assets in one of the world's newest, politically stable mining jurisdictions: Nunavut, Canada. In September 2015, Sabina released a Feasibility Study on its 100% owned Back River Gold Project which presents a project that has been designed on a fit-for purpose basis, with the potential to produce ~200,000 ounces a year for ~11 years with a rapid payback of 2.9 years. At a US$1,150 gold price and a 0.80 exchange rate, the Study delivers a potential after tax internal rate of return of approximately 24.2% with an initial CAPEX of $415 million. The Project has advanced through the environmental assessment process with a positive decision from the federal government received December 5, 2017. The Project is now in the final regulatory and licensing phase. In addition to Back River, Sabina also owns a significant silver royalty on Glencore's Hackett River Project. The silver royalty on Hackett River's silver production is comprised of 22.5% of the first 190 million ounces produced and 12.5% of all the silver produced thereafter. The Company had cash and equivalents of C$38.5m at September 30, 2017. For further information please contact: Nicole Hoeller, Vice-President, Communications: 1 888 648-4218 nhoeller@sabinagoldsilver.com Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (the "forward-looking statements"), including our belief as to the extent, results of permitting and environmental assessment outcomes, and access to project funding. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. While we have based these forward-looking statements on our expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, the effects of general economic conditions, commodity prices, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government and regulatory authorities and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking statements. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include risks associated with exploration and project development; the need for additional financing; the calculation of mineral resources and reserves; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; government regulation; obtaining and renewing necessary licenses and permits; environmental liability and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain of our officers or directors; the absence of dividends; currency fluctuations; labour disputes; competition; dilution; the volatility of the our common share price and volume; future sales of shares by existing shareholders; and other risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Back River Project and general risks associated with the mineral exploration and development industry described in our Annual Information Form, financial statements and MD&A for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2016 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. This news release is authorized by the undersigned on behalf of Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. Bruce McLeod, President & CEO Suite 1800 - Two Bentall Centre 555 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V7X 1M9 Tel 604 998-4175 Fax 604 998-1051 http://www.sabinagoldsilver.com Shanghai (Gasgoo)-Today, WM Motor held its brand releasing ceremony and unveiled its first mass-produced model. At the ceremony, the company also revealed that its cumulative financing sum has been up to RMB 12 billion. The new model, named EX5, is a battery electric and intelligent SUV, with a starting price of about RMB 200,000 (about 30,226 dollars). The vehicle boasts a maximum range of 600 kilometers. Featuring rich intelligent functions, the model is expected to be put into production at the beginning of next year in the companys intelligent factory in Wenzhou and will go on sale in the second or the third quarter in 2018. From 2018 on, the company will introduce at least one new model each year. The first model is equipped with car-window intelligent interaction solution to bring out-vehicle interaction experience for the young generation who grow up under digital background. The feature can tell the identity of drivers and give access to the owner, the owners family and friends, and other authorized users. Every WM user will have a Super ID account, which will provide personalized service fur users. Recently, WM released its development path which will integrate Artificial Intelligence, hardware, software and service. Based on its prognosis on AI technology, the company will implement the strategy in four phases. First, WM vehicles will be fully internet-connected and offer real-time online intelligent services. Then, the vehicle will have the capacity to sensing the changes and purposes of users and the surroundings to offer interaction experience and personalized service. At the following stage, vehicles can connect and create synergy with other intelligent ecosystems to provide comprehensive travelling services. Finally, the vehicle will make driving decisions, thus to give drivers more freedom and improve travelling efficiency. According to the company, the first two stages will be realized in the first mass-produced model next year. The last two stages will be its mid-long-term goal. Mitsubishi Corporation Tel: +81-3-3210-2171 Fax: +81-3-5252-7705 TOKYO, Dec 11, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation is pleased to announce that its 100% subsidiary, Marunouchi Infrastructure Inc. (MII), has launched Japan's first diversified infrastructure fund. The fund will invest in a portfolio of assets across all major infrastructure sectors.MII has established a limited partnership with commitments from institutional investors in Japan reaching more than JPY 30 billion on its first closing, and expects additional commitments to bring the Fund to its targeted JPY 50 billion in total in the first half of the next year. The Fund has a hard-cap of JPY 100 billion.The value of infrastructure assets held by the public sector in Japan, including the central and local governments, reaches several hundred trillion yen. The private sector also holds a large volume of infrastructure assets. Many of Japan's infrastructure assets, particularly those developed during the period of rapid economic growth between 1954 and 1973, will need to be refurbished and replaced in the coming decades.In addition, a large number of new infrastructure projects, including those related to the rapidly expanding renewable energy space, are now being developed. With governments trying to ease their fiscal burden and with companies aiming to concentrate on their core businesses, MC sees infrastructure funds playing a greater role in developing and maintaining Japan's infrastructure.MC and its subsidiaries have been the front runners among Japanese companies in managing investor capital and in executing investments in infrastructure assets overseas since 2012. Those investments have included electricity distribution networks, toll road related business and seaports, particularly in Europe and the U.S. With that proven track record, we are in a good position to leverage our investment management capabilities to successfully launch this Fund to invest in infrastructure in Japan.While most other infrastructure funds in Japan invest exclusively in renewable energy, the Fund is targeting all major infrastructure sectors, namely energy, transportation and utilities, making it the country's first diversified infrastructure fund. Through this initiative, MC is seeking an opportunity in developing and maintaining infrastructure in Japan, while at the same time simultaneously generating economic value, environmental value, and societal value through this Fund.About Mitsubishi CorporationMitsubishi Corporation (MC; TSE: 8058) is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, foods, and environmental business. MC's current activities are expanding far beyond its traditional trading operations as its diverse business ranges from natural resources development to investment in retail business, infrastructure, financial products and manufacturing of industrial goods. With over 200 bases of operations in approximately 80 countries worldwide and a network of over 500 group companies, MC employs a multinational workforce of nearly 60,000 people. For more information, please visit www.mitsubishicorp.com.Source: Mitsubishi CorporationContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ), a solar power company, announced Monday that its Board of Directors has received a preliminary, non-binding 'Going Private' proposal letter from its Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu. As per the letter, dated December 9, Qu has offered that all the shares of the company not already beneficially owned by Qu and his wife, Hanbing Zhang, would be acquired in a 'going-private' transaction for cash consideration of $18.47 per common share. This price represents a premium of approximately 7.1% to the Company's closing price on December 8, and a premium of approximately 10% to the average closing price during the last 90 trading days, the letter noted. The Chairman and his wife currently beneficially own approximately 23.5% of the stock. The Board has formed a special committee of independent and disinterested directors to consider the proposed transaction. The company expects that the Special Committee will retain independent advisors, including independent legal and financial advisors, to assist it in this process. The Board cautioned the shareholders and others considering trading in the Company's securities that it has just received the Proposal Letter and that it is yet to review the proposal. 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. LOS ANGELES, December 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group - In the rush to advance the electric vehicle revolution, it appears China is taking an early lead in both adoption of EVs and securing the resources of lithium to power them. Lithium producers and near term producers looking to immediately increase global lithium supplies include A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX-V: AIS) (OTC: AISSF), Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), and Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF). Several major Chinese auto manufacturers are planning to increase their electric vehicle (EV) quotas dramatically in the next two years based on early success by EV makers there and the Chinese Government's demands to abandon petrol fuel engines. Combined with greater use of lithium in power grid storage, the demand is creating kind of "arms" race style competition for global lithium. So far China is ahead. A new lithium junior player that could benefit directly from the Chinese appetite for lithium is A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX-V: AIS) (OTCQB: AISSF), which could answer the call to add new supplies from its South American lithium brine Guayatayoc project as early as 2019. Other lithium companies that are poised to take-up the shortfall being fed by China's consumption include Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), and Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX.V) (OTCQX: LIXXF), all of which are in the process of expanding of their respective lithium resources to accommodate the major demand increase. CHINA STEPPING ON THE PEDAL China is already a leader in the adoption of electric vehicles, with more than 500,000 units being sold in the country in 2016. Indeed, Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd is planning a US$1.97 billion IPO to drive its expansion and meet soaring demand for electric car batteries. And BYD, the Chinese electric car and bus company part-owned by Warrant Buffett, has talked extensively with South American lithium producers to secure supplies of the key battery material. China, the world's most active polluter has suffered for long due to toxic effluents and greenhouse emissions, hence is one of the countries at the forefront of adopting the Paris Agreement. But this process is lithium-intensive due to the millions of batteries required to power various processes particularly electric transportation. China does not have substantial lithium mines within its own boundaries. Lithium resources tend to be located far away from the centers of industrial muscle in North America, Europe and Asia that utilize it in large quantities. The main sources are brine pools in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, as well as rocks in Australia. Chinese companies have been rushing to acquire concessions in these countries, aided by the diplomatic power and financial muscle of the Chinese government. Companies such as Ganfeng Lithium and Tianqi Lithium have seen massive growth, with their turnovers more than doubling in 2016. Ganfeng Lithium strengthened their position by purchasing 2 million equity shares from International Lithium, increasing its shareholding in the company to 18%. MORE AND MORE LITHIUM NEEDED Although there are enough verified lithium resources to sustain a fully EV dependent world for hundreds of years, slow establishment of mining operations has meant that actual supply has lagged behind demand. And now that the Tesla-led EV revolution has hit full gear, pressure on existing resources has grown by a considerable factor. Entities that control these resources have gold (even that maybe an understatement) on their hands as the price of lithium keeps surging. China has been moving to do exactly that through government-sanctioned acquisition of supplies across the world. If, as lithium consultant Sam Jaffe of Cairn ERA predicts, lithium-ion battery demand rises from 80 GWh this year to 750 GWh in 2026, it's likely that the world is going to need every bit of lithium production that can be brought online. In total, the projected increase would account for a massive 10-fold leap in demand within 10 years. JUNIORS SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY Not to be left out of the competition, junior resource companies have grasped the seriousness of the demand for lithium and are moving to bring on supplies. A.I.S. Resources Limited is one of these early movers with excellent prospects in South America's productive regions. Argentina is a major global lithium producer with significant additional potential, and a respected mining-industry history. The country has become well known for its many mineralized salars or salt fields, which include the Hombre Muerto and Salar Olaroz properties each producing significant lithium. This is where A.I.S. Resources has staked its three main lithium projects, all of which are strategically located in the Argentina's Puna Region. In all, A.I.S. Resources has about 7,725 hectares and its flagship Guayatayoc property is well advanced with a mining permit in hand and drilling permits imminent. Guayatayoc was sampled and returned Li ranging from 270-900 ppm in ponds that had aquifer flow, as well as 100-190ppm for brines sitting in the top layers. That's considered very high grade and suitable for li-ion battery production. The Guayatayoc is on its way to becoming a near term producer. The project will be fast-tracked, as chemistry and process work is already complete. The company expects that it can be in production as early as 2019. And that comes from a highly skilled team of lithium mining veterans who have completed other recent lithium projects into production. THE GAUNTLET IS THROWN DOWN The race for lithium resources could leave EV companies such as Tesla short of the commodity if China manages to monopolize available sources, in a similar way as they have achieved with cobalt. Already, Chinese companies control nearly all of Lithium Hydroxide reserves, which Panasonic uses to make lithium batteries for Tesla. In what could be spell a gloomy outlook for Tesla, there are undertones about Chinese companies looking to build multiple super factories to rival Tesla's recently opened Nevada gigafactory. And while Tesla's gigafactory is expected to produce 35 gigawatt hours of battery power annually, global production should rise from a little over 100 million gigawatt-hours to more than 273 gigawatt-hours by 2021. As much as 65% of this growth could be produced in China. However, Tesla is not resting on its laurels either, with plans to build up to 4 factories reportedly in the pipeline. An arms race can scarcely suffice to describe the competition between China and outsiders like Tesla. Regardless if China moves ahead, lithium prices don't appear to be abating any time soon so new lithium resources like A.I.S. Resources' Guayatayoc project in South America are likely to bring tremendous value and aid in the move to electrify the auto market. POTENTIAL COMPARABLES Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF) Galaxy Resources Limited is a lithium-focused resources company, with assets spanning Australia, Canada and Argentina. Galaxy is currently advancing plans to develop the Sal de Vida Lithium and Potash Brine Project ("Sal de Vida") in Argentina, which is situated in the Lithium Triangle, a region where Chile, Argentina and Bolivia meet. Sal de Vida is a proven high quality resource has excellent promise as a future low cost production facility. Galaxy also owns the Mt Cattlin Spodumene Mine near Ravensthorpe in Western Australia and the James Bay Lithium Pegmatite Project in Quebec, Canada. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A., is a producer of potassium nitrate and iodine. The Company produces specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate and certain industrial chemicals. Its segments include specialty plant nutrients, industrial chemicals, iodine and derivatives, lithium and derivatives, potassium, and other products and services Lithium and its derivatives are used in batteries, greases and frits for production of ceramics. Potassium chloride is a commodity fertilizer that is produced and sold by the Company across the world. Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX.V) (OTCQX: LIXXF) Lithium X Energy Corp. is a lithium exploration and development company with a goal of becoming a low-cost supplier for the burgeoning lithium battery industry. On July 11th, the company announced that further to its news release of June 29th, 2017, the Company has closed the definitive agreement with Aberdeen International Inc. for the purchase of Aberdeen's remaining 50% interest in Potasio y Litio de Argentina S.A., which controls 100% of the Sal de los Angeles Project. The project consists of 8,154 hectares covering 95% of Salar de Diablillos, and has an NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate of 1.037 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the indicated category and 1.007 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the inferred category. For a more in-depth look into AIS you can view the in-depth report at USA News Group: http://usanewsgroup.com/2017/06/14/lithium-juniors-seeing-massive-demand/ Article Source: USANews Group http://usanewsgroup.com info@usanewsgroup.com Legal Disclaimer/Disclosure:This piece is an advertorial and has been paid for. This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. No information in this Report should be construed as individualized investment advice. A licensed financial advisor should be consulted prior to making any investment decision. We make no guarantee, representation or warranty and accept no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those ofUSANews Group only and are subject to change without notice.USANews Group assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, we assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information, provided within this Report. DISCLAIMER:USANews Group is Source of all content listed above. FN Media Group, LLC (FNM), is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner withUSANews Group or any company mentioned herein.The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release byUSANews Group are solely those ofUSANews Group and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM.FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers.FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Media Contact Information: FN Media Group, LLC e-mail:editor@financialnewsmedia.com U.S. Phone: +1-(954)-345-0611 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - It was a nightmare weekend for British Airways passengers after the airlines cancelled over 140 short-haul flights and 26 long-haul flights yesterday after serious snowfall in the U.K. The airline has also cancelled additional 70 short-haul round trips and nine long-haul flights for Monday. Passengers on a British Airways flight from Berlin to Heathrow were the worst affected. The flight was due to depart from Berlin at 1.50 pm but took off five hours late on Sunday. However, it turned around when it was within an hour of London Heathrow airport and returned to Berlin leaving around 180 passengers stranded. One passenger posted a photo on Twitter of an on-board TV screen showing the flight path, with the caption: 'Nightmare.' 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. PRESS RELEASE NAGRA CONNECT SECURES EUSKALTEL'S 4K ANDROID TV SET-TOP BOX DEPLOYMENT IN SPAIN New 4K Android TV set-top box seamlessly integrates with NAGRA CONNECT and OpenTV Platform to deliver a range of new content packages Launch marks the first Android TV Operator Tier deployment for NAGRA Collaboration between Euskaltel, NAGRA and Technicolor enablesa secure Android TV ecosystem CHESEAUX, Switzerland - December 11, 2017 - (NAGRA: https://dtv.nagra.com/), a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and the world's leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, today announced that its (NAGRA CONNECT: https://dtv.nagra.com/secure/casdrm) content protection solution for connected networks was deployed by Spanish cable TV provider (Euskaltel: http://www.euskaltel.com/CanalOnline/particulares/) to secure the operator's new Android TV-based 4K set-top boxes by (Technicolor: http://www.technicolor.com/). This new launch marks the first Android TV Operator Tier deployment for NAGRA. The seamless integration of the NAGRA-secured set-top box with the operator's existing (OpenTV Platform: https://dtv.nagra.com/engaging/opentvsuite) backend gives Euskaltel the ability to bring a range of new content packages to its subscribers. They include premium 4K content with value-added features such as VOD, catch-up and start-over TV, cloud DVR and multiscreen TV secured by NAGRA CONNECT, the converged CAS/DRM solution for connected set-top boxes and televisions, supporting protection for broadcast, IPTV, operator OTT. Additionally, leveraging its forward-thinking investment in DOCSIS and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) IP infrastructure, Euskaltel is now able to progressively transition its installed customer base to the new 4K Ultra HD Android environment. "Consumer demand for high-quality content on multiple screens keeps growing and we're delighted to respond with this new offer for our subscribers," said Leticia Sanchez Berian, Director of Television Operations at Euskaltel. "By working with NAGRA and Technicolor, we were able to introduce a new 4K set-top box that allows us to take advantage of our existing OpenTV backend platform to deliver linear and on-demand premium content while also tapping into a rich Android TV video app ecosystem to deliver even more value to our customers." "We have deployed secured Android multiscreen solutions for several years. By leveraging our expertise, along with our newest content protection technology for connected networks, our OpenTV Platform and secure OpenTV Player, we enable Euskaltel to deliver a complete and feature-rich experience to its consumers, and clearly be at the forefront of technical evolution in pay-TV cable market," said Thierry Legrand, Senior Vice President Sales EMEA at NAGRA. "This launch further demonstrates that, because they are designed for secure IP, cloud and data-centric environments, NAGRA's newest technologies in content protection and user experience can add significant value to an operator choosing the Android TV ecosystem." "As Android TV gains traction with pay-TV operators worldwide, we are delighted to work with a trusted partner like NAGRA to deliver a secure and feature-rich solution to Euskaltel, based on our advanced 4K Ultra HD set-top box designs," stated Gaetan Delcroix, VP, OTT Product Management and Engineering at Technicolor Home Division. "NAGRA elegantly brings together the best of both the broadcast and broadband worlds to offer maximum flexibility in managing content security to operators." About Euskaltel Euskaltel is the leading telecommunications group in convergent offerings in northern Spain. The company has strong territorial ties and a well-founded commitment to the Basque Country, Galicia and Asturias, where it operates via Euskaltel, R and Telecable. The telecommunications group offers its services to a market of 6 million people, serving over 800,000 residential customers and companies. Euskaltel, R and Telecable are leaders in fibre optic (broadband, phones and Pay TV and convergent telecommunications services), with a solid customer base and complementary business models. As a mobile phone operator with its own 4G license in the Basque Country, Galicia and Asturias, it has the largest proprietary fibre optic network in place on the market. About Technicolor Connected Home Division Technicolor's Connected Home Division offers operators around the world a full range of set-top box offerings, along with professional services and a wide variety of software, conditional access and digital right management (DRM) solutions. Technicolor's set-top box portfolio ranges from SD or HD converters for digital and HDTV transition, to powerful premium 4K HDR and Ultra HD Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and Smart Media Gateways. Technicolor's comprehensive portfolio of internet protocol (IP) set-top boxes enables network operators to offer their subscribers a tailored, personal and differentiated video experience by decoding, decrypting and displaying linear and OTT content. About NAGRA NAGRA, a digital TV division of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S), provides security and multiscreen user experience solutions for the monetization of digital media. The company offers content providers and DTV service providers worldwide secure, open and integrated platforms and applications over broadcast, broadband and mobile platforms, enabling compelling and personalized viewing experiences. Please visit (dtv.nagra.com: https://dtv.nagra.com/) for more information and follow us on Twitter at (@nagrakudelski: https://twitter.com/nagrakudelski?lang=en). Contacts: Ivan Schnider Marketing Communications +41 21 732 09 40 (ivan.schnider@nagra.com: mailto:ivan.schnider@nagra.com) Christine Oury Marketing Communications +1 415 962 5433 (christine.oury@nagra.com: mailto:christine.oury@nagra.com) NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 11, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Cheetah Mobile Inc. ("Cheetah" or the "Company") (NYSE: CMCM). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980. The investigation concerns whether Cheetah and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here to join a class action] On October 26, 2017, Prescience Point Research Group published a report asserting, among other things, that: (1) approximately 55% of Cheetah's second quarter 2017 consolidated revenue does not exist; and (2) the Company uses company-controlled or "fake" accounts on the mobile application Live.me to gift other users using Company money. On this news, Cheetah's American depositary receipt price fell $0.37, or 4.39%, to close at $8.05 on October 26, 2017. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP WHITE ROCK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 11, 2017 / Azarga Metals Corp. ("Azarga Metals" or the "Company") has exercised its call option to increase its ownership of the Unkur Copper-Silver Project from the current 60% interest to 100%. The project vendors have also agreed to cancel the remaining US$1.6 million owed to them by the Company in the form of deferred consideration payments associated with the original 60% purchase. Further, the Company has also arranged a bridge loan to complete various strategic initiatives. Commenting on the transactions, Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol, the Company's president and CEO, said, "I'm very happy to have been able to exercise the call option to consolidate Azarga Metals' 100% ownership of Unkur early. I believe there is a great deal more copper and silver mineralization to be found at Unkur and the cleaner ownership structure makes Azarga a lot more attractive." He then went on to say, "The Project Vendors are supportive shareholders including contributions to our capital raisings since the original project acquisition and I believe their agreement to our option exercise and cancellation of deferred cash consideration reflects their alignment with us on the long-term strategy for Unkur." The Unkur Copper-Silver Project in the Zabaikalsky administrative region of eastern Russia is already the Azarga Metals' principal asset. 60% of it was acquired in mid-2016 and the Company completed an initial physical exploration program including 16 diamond core drill holes (4,580 meters), together with trenching and a ground magnetic survey. The initial exploration program was highly successful, resulting in a maiden Mineral Resource estimate (see April 4, 2017 news release), of an Inferred Mineral Resource of 42 million tonnes at 0.52% copper and 38g/t silver, containing 220,000 tonnes (ie, 480 million pounds) of copper and 52 million ounces of silver. This equates to approximately 380,000 tonnes (ie, 840 million pounds) of copper equivalent at 0.90% or approximately 124 million ounces of silver equivalent at 91g/t, assuming a copper price of US$3.00/lb, silver price of US$20/oz and 100% recovery. On December 8, 2017, the Company signed a binding letter agreement (the "Letter Agreement") with the eight holders of the indirect 40% interest (the "Project Vendors") whereby the parties agreed to amend the terms of the shareholders agreement dated May 31, 2016 (the "SH Agreement") among the Company, the Project Vendors and the intermediate holding company Azarga Metals Limited ("Azarga BVI") (collectively the "Parties"). Three of the Sellers are directors of the Company and they declared their conflict and abstained from voting on approval of the Letter Agreement. In addition to agreeing to the exercise of the Company's call option, pursuant to the Letter Agreement the Project Vendors have also agreed to waive and cancel US$1.6 million deferred cash consideration payments associated with the original acquisition of the Unkur Copper-Silver Project (together the "Project Consolidation Transaction"). The Parties have agreed on payment for the Project Consolidation Transaction to be 42,000,000 shares in Azarga Metals. The issue of all shares is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, and which may require disinterested shareholder approval. Azarga Metals has recently been engaged in moving forward a number of initiatives that currently remain incomplete, including: (a) engaging with a number of potential strategic partners at both the Unkur project and parent level; (b) re-interpretation of the results of the 2016-2017 exploration program to refine plans for upcoming physical exploration works; (c) discussions with technical consultants regarding the potential for early preparation of a Preliminary Economic Assessment for Unkur based on the data already acquired; and (d) reviewing potentially attractive acquisitions in the broader Kodar-Udokan geological district within which Unkur is situated. As a result, certain of the directors and other shareholders of the Company have agreed to provide the Company with a bridge loan facility in order to pursue some or all of these initiatives to completion in the near term. The bridge loan facility will be for C$400,000 to be drawn in four equal advances over the next 9 months. Advances will bear interest at the rate of 10% per annum and all advances must be repaid within twelve months of the first advance. The loan is intended to bridge the Company's activities until an equity placement is conducted in the new year. In addition, under certain conditions, the same lenders will make available an additional C$150,000 to the Company on the same terms. The bridge loan is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Qualified Person The Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol, B.Sc. Geo, MA Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the exploration information disclosures contained in this Press Release. AZARGA METALS CORP. "Alex Molyneux" Alexander Molyneux, Chair For further information, please contact: Doris Meyer, at +1 604 536-2711 ext 6, or visit www.azargametals.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement : This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Corporation's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "suggest," "indicate," and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the actual results of current planned exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans to continue to be refined; possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing; and fluctuations in metal prices. There may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. SOURCE: Azarga Metals Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 11, 2017) - Latin American Minerals Inc. (TSXV: LAT) (the "Company") announces, further to its November 13, 2017 press release, an increase to the size of its non-brokered private placement by $500,000 for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering will now be up to 26,666,666 units ("Units") at a price of $0.075 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one common share ("Common Share") of the Company and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share for a period of five (5) years from the closing of the Offering at a price of $0.10 per Common Share. The proceeds of the offering will be used for general working capital purposes. Closing of the Offering is subject to receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the approval of TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. The Company closed the first tranche of the Offering on December 1, 2017 and will be closing additional tranches of the Offering until December 29, 2017. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. About the Company Latin American Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration and gold mining company which holds its core gold projects in Paraguay. The Company is currently expanding its Independencia Mine gold processing plant to encompass vat-leach gold recovery from mineralization extracted in open pit bulk mining activities at its fully permitted mining concession. Management has identified exploration targets at Independencia Mine, and six new gold zones on the Company's adjacent exploration claims, for drill testing. This property package comprises the Company's 15,020 hectare Paso Yobai gold project. For more information, please contact: Mathew Wilson, President & CEO Toronto: (1-416) 643-7630 E-mail: information@latinamericanminerals.com Website: www.latinamericanminerals.com The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedar.com. For further information, please visit our website at www.latinamericanminerals.com or email us at information@latinamericanminerals.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. 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. 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: 11 December 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 27,393 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 1,048 pence 14.00 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 1,045 pence 13.96 USD Average price paid per Share: 1,047.96 pence 14.00 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Date of purchase: 11 December 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 43,551 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 14.09 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 13.95 USD Average price paid per Share: 14.02 USD PSH intends to cancel these Shares. The net asset value per Share related to this Share buyback is USD 17.68 GBP 13.15 which was calculated as of 5 December 2017. After giving effect to the above Share buyback, PSH has outstanding 235,595,930 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/20171211006029/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Maitland James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151 Media-pershingsquareholdings1@maitland.co.uk RAPT ENABLED INTERACTIVE FLAT PANELS TO BE DEMONSTRATED IN THE MICROSOFT BOOTH DUBLIN, Dec. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RAPT Touch, the leader in alternative touchscreen technologies, will demonstrate its latest advancements in Interactive Flat Panel technology designed for the education market at BETT 2018. RAPT and its partner will showcase Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Whiteboard Preview and other classroom applications on its 75" interactive panel, as well as announce a new Interactive Flat Panel program for the Education Market at BETT. RAPT enabled devices, powered by Windows Ink, replicate a pen on paper experience in all applications supporting Microsoft Pen Protocol. With up to 20 simultaneous fine tip stylii operating at 7 milliseconds tracking latency with pressure recognition built-in, every teacher and student has the power to express themselves and collaborate like never before. "We are excited to unveil the work the RAPT team has accomplished in conjunction with Microsoft to provide valuable alternatives to Interactive Flat Panels for the Education Market," said Cathal Phelan RAPT CEO. "Microsoft Whiteboard is an example of a breakthrough application that in use with devices using RAPT technology, school districts will now be able to use all the features at a price point never seen before in advanced touchscreens." "When you combine the power of OneNote and Windows Ink, with interactive flat panels built with RAPT technology, students are greeted with a true pen on paper experience on the largest interactive panels available," said Peter Han, Vice President Partner Devices and Solutions, Microsoft Corp. "This combination of technologies is an amazing tool for teachers to unlock student creativity in a highly collaborative environment." Established in 2008, RAPT's patented FTIR multi-touch technology is the clear alternative to projected capacitive systems. RAPT's technology provides new breakthrough features at a cost which enables OEMs to sell competitively in mass volume. RAPT is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and led by a world-class team of industry veterans with expertise in launching products to be manufactured in the millions of units. RAPT also has offices in Taiwan, Switzerland and Silicon Valley, California. About RAPT (http://www.rapttouch.com) Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/368794/RAPT_Touch___Logo.jpg Shanghai (Gasgoo)- At the opening ceremony of Beijing New Energy Technology Innovation Center held on December 9, Xu Heyi, President of BAIC Group, said that the group will first restrict and finally ban the sales and production of those self-own branded traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles. According to the president, BAIC plans to ban the sales of self-own branded traditional vehicles first in Beijing city in 2020. In 2025, the automaker will finally stop the sales and production of those vehicles across China. In accordance with the governments guidance, BAIC set up the Beijing New Energy Technology Innovation Center, which is a major step for the group to focus on new energy industry and gain technology advantages in the segment. There are a total of 15 initiators for this innovation center, covering automakers, battery producers, internet enterprises, scientific research institutions and industrial investment companies. The center will optimize the allocation of global resources to establish an open and inclusive innovation center. BAIC is the second Chinese automaker which has released the timetable to ban sales of fossil fuel-powered vehicles. On October 19, Changan revealed its Shangri-la Plan and declared to ban sales of traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles in 2025. 200 Degrees, a Nottingham, UK-based specialty coffee roaster with six coffee shops across the UK and a wholesale business, raised 3m in growth funding. Foresight Group made the investment. The investment will support expansion across the UK with a program of shop openings while building the wholesale business and online retail coffee subscription model. Founded in 2012 by Rob Darby and Tom Vincent, 200 Degrees was initially established as a supplier of coffee beans and machines to cafes, delis, bars and restaurants through a small roasting operation, and later (in 2014) evolved in a coffee shop and barista school. The company has grown rapidly and opened five new stores in the last 18 months in Nottingham, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester and Cardiff. As part of the investment plan, Jonathan Hart, former MD of Caffe Nero and CEO of Thorntons, will join the company as Non-Executive Chairman to support its growth. FinSMEs 11/12/2017 Alpin, a Boulder, Colorado-based provider of SaaS monitoring and management tools for IT administrators, raised $1m in funding. The round was led by Rockies Venture Club with participation from Nebraska Angels, Plains Angels, Keiretsu Capital and Techstars and individual angel investors. The company intends to use the funds to expand product features and benefits and increase new customer adoption. Founded by Julien Denaes, Benjamin Soulier and Mark Evans, Alpin provides SaaS-based monitoring and management tools for IT administrators. Its dashboard allows IT admins to discover shadow IT and addresses the demand for automated SaaS management tools for both Google and Microsoft environments. They get access to a comprehensive view of their organizations SaaS ecosystem, discover and capture cost savings, and initiate real governance over the hundreds or thousands of SaaS applications (free or paid, web or mobile) and devices being used. Alpin is a graduate of the Techstars Barclays accelerator, and is based in Boulder, Colorado. FinSMEs 11/12/2017 AuditComply, a Belfast, UK-based enterprise risk management software company, received an investment of undisclosed amount. Backers included First Derivatives, BGF and CoFundNI, managed by Clarendon Fund Managers. The company will use the new funds (and First Derivatives Kx technology) to accelerate its growth. Founded in 2014 by Kevin Donaghy, CEO, and Susan Fitzsimmons, Chief Operating Officer, AuditComply provides enterprise risk management software across the engineering, manufacturing, food and logistics industries. Its customers include Autoliv, UniTrunk and KDD. The company will use First Derivatives Kx technology and expertise to develop new software modules that will provide real-time analytics for supply chain auditing. FinSMEs 11/12/2017 Billie, a Berlin, Germany-based factoring startup, raised 10m in Series A funding. The round was led by Creandum with participation from existing investors Rocket Internet, Speedinvest, Avala Capital and Picus Capital. The company intends to use the funds to continue to develop the platform and expand its business reach. Co-founded by Christian Grobe and Matthias Knecht, Billie provides SMEs with a technology platform to advance payments for their outstanding invoices. The solution leverages big data analytics, digitalized processes and a tech platform to provide small businesses with financing products against their open invoices, with no hidden fees, no paperwork, and no bank branches involved. FinSMEs 11/12/2017 Creditas, a Sao Paulo, Brazil-based digital secured loan platform provider, raised $50m in Series C funding. The round was led by Vostok Emerging Finance (VEF) with participation from existing investors Kaszek Ventures, Quona Capital, QED Investors, International Finance Corporation and Naspers. Post the transaction, VEF holds a minority position and board representation in Creditas. The company intends to use the funds to improve the technology platform and expand its product portfolio. Founded in 2012 by Sergio Furio, Creditas is a digital-first secured lending platform, offering Brazilian consumers consumer loans at affordable rates by using borrower collateral like homes and autos. The company leverages these assets to offer home equity and auto secured loans at more reasonable rates. FinSMEs 11/12/2017 Fuzzy Pet Health, a San Francisco, CA-based subscription-based pet healthcare company, closed a $4.5M seed financing. The round was co-led by Eniac Ventures and Crosscut Ventures, with participation from Precursor Ventures, SV Angel, Accelerator and FJ Labs. The company intends to use the funds to continue expanding its veterinary services and geographic markets. Founded in 2015 and led by Zubin Bhettay, CEO, Fuzzy Pet Health aims to make pet care accessible through in-home vet checkups, and by connecting members with vets at any time online, via the app, and directly mailed medications, supplements, and food. The company has just released the Fuzzy mobile app, through which members get direct access to Fuzzy vets whenever they need it. Members can chat with vets in real-time, ask for diagnoses and prescriptions, and get recommendations for products and services based on their pets lifestyle. The app is available to download for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Fuzzys membership model enables vets to engage pet parents much more frequently and personally when compared to care delivered in a traditional clinic. The companys all-inclusive memberships cover in-home checkups, medications, vaccines and telemedicine (care delivered remotely via email, chat or video). The service is available in the San Francisco Bay Area, with plans to expand to additional cities in the U.S. in 2018. FinSMEs 11/12/2017 Early 2017, the statistics on new car purchases showed that Canadians bought more cars in the month of February 2017 compared to same time in 2016. The numbers showed that there was a 2.7% increase in the number of new vehicles compared to the same time in 2016. It is also important to note that the highest percentage increase in new car purchases was realized in Ontario which was a total of 41%. This shows that they are not only investing in real estate, they are also determined in owning more cars. This could be very great for the automobile industry but not as good for the country`s economy. The following observations were made from this boom in new car purchases. Canadians Bought More Cars Than They Can Afford It was noted that consumers paid more for cars they can afford. This is because of an uptick in the price of the vehicles as a result of opting to secure long-term financing by the buyers. Data by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) shows that the boom in the purchase of cars that the consumer cant afford is as a result of the widespread of longer financing. FCAC observed that the lease period for the new cars has been increased by 2 months every year as from the year 2010. Checking the data on credit period from the Bank of Canada you will notice that the average car loan period was 74 months back in the year 2015. Note that as the period is extended, you will pay lesser monthly amounts, but overall you will have paid more because you enjoyed a long period of credit term. The Upspring of Non-Prime Lending In the Auto Industry 25% of the total borrowers in Canada are categorized as Non-Prime Creditors and a majority of these individuals are people with a FICO score of below 670. These people are faced with Predatory loans that have as high as 25% interest. Therefore this makes them not qualify/harder to qualify for positive equity on car loans. Therefore they have to result to smarter loans in Canada. Looking at the ability of people of Canada to buy new cars, you might see that as a positive indicator that the economy is doing well. However, you will realize that this is not actually true and this is because these people buying new cars are actually depending on credit. Therefore what you are looking at is a credit-driven economic improvement. Therefore you might want to classify this as an economy that is running on smarter bad credit car loans. This is because of the new trend of the Canadians turning to non-prime borrowing which actually top them is Sub-Prime if you like. For these credits, the immediate boost cannot be taken as positive since in the long run, it is more problems created. This is because as the Canadians commit to credit, a greater percentage of their income will go to repaying the loans. If you have any doubt whether the rural economy is still reeling under the twin blow of demonetisation and hasty rollout of GST, biscuit maker Britannia has a definite proof -- the uncertainty continues in the rural economy. The Rs 8,600 crore, Bengaluru-based fast moving consumer goods major believes the rural masses are still not bullish on the economy and are not spending much, according to a report in Times of India. Britannia managing director Varun Berry is not sure as to when the company will be able to clock a double-digit volume growth. Are we out of the woods? I am not sure. It will take more time for heady double-digit volume growth to come back, Berry has been quoted as saying in the ToI report. The company has not seen a jump in rural demand even after six months of roll-out of the goods and services tax and more than one year after demonetisation. The notes recall had affected the farmers incomes as a crippling demand slowdown resulted in a price crash. The cash shortage had also impacted their ability to go ahead with farming operations, thus resulting in deeper distress in rural areas and heightened agitations. In fact, Britannia has not seen double-digit growth for the past five years which is not a good sign for any FMCG player. According to Berry, the impact of GST and demonetisation has bottomed out and the biscuits segment has started to show an uptrend. But the spirit optimism gets overshadowed by some hurdles which at the end of the day slow down the business. True there are indications that uncertainty in the rural economy will most likely to increase over the next few months. The khariff season has not been good for the farmers due to the scanty rainfall. The prospects for rabi crop is also not looking great due to an unusually warm winter and unseasonal rains in some parts of the country. Any impact on the crops will have a severe negative effect on the rural incomes. In the coming months, the country is likely to see heightened farmer agitations. For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had promised to double farm income in the run up to election, this definitely is no good news. The Coconino Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is hosting a Wreaths Across America event Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Northern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Camp Navajo in Bellemont. With the help of many donations and the Wreaths Across America program, there are wreaths for each and every veteran resting at the new cemetery. A brief public ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the cemetery. Boy Scout troop 7031 will be providing a color troop. At the moment a wreath is laid, each individual veteran's name and details will be said aloud. New Delhi: After hiking cooking gas LPG price by Rs 76.5 in 19 installments in 17 months, national oil companies skipped the monthly revision in rates this month ahead of elections in Gujarat. State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) have been since July last year raising price of LPG on 1st of every month with a view to eliminating government subsidies on the fuel by 2018. The oil companies however, skipped the hike this month. "Yes it is true that we have not done a revision in subsidised LPG price this month," said a top executive at one of the three retailers requesting not to be quoted. "I am not in a position to specify what promoted this (decision). It is a routine management decision." Asked if the government had asked the oil companies to skip the monthly revision, the official refused comments. The price of subsidised LPG was last raised by Rs 4.50 per cylinder on 1 November to Rs 495.69, according to a price notification issued by state-owned firms. The government last year had asked state-run oil firms to raise prices every month to eliminate all the subsidies by March 2018. Since the implementation of the policy of monthly increases from July last year, subsidised LPG rates have gone up by Rs 76.51 per cylinder. A 14.2-kg LPG cylinder was priced at Rs 419.18 in June 2016. Every household is entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rates in a year. Any requirement beyond that is to be purchased at market price. Initially, the hike in LPG rate was Rs 2 per month which was raised to Rs 3 from May this year. The November 1 hike in the LPG price was the sixth since the May 30 order of the oil ministry to raise rates by Rs 4 per cylinder every month. According to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the Oil Ministry, there is a subsidy of Rs 251.31 on every 14.2-kg subsidised LPG cylinder. Incidentally, the non-subsidised or market priced LPG rates were raised by Rs 5 per cylinder to Rs 747 a bottle on December 1. Non-subsidised LPG rates have moved in tandem with their cost since December 2013. There are as many as 18.11 crore customers of subsidised LPG in the country. These include over 3 crore poor women who were given free connections during the last one year under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna. There are 2.66 crore users of non-subsidised cooking gas including those who gave up subsidy on call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI ANZ MR New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday the appeal of Unitech Limited challenging the recent order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) directing the central government to take over the management of the embattled real estate firm. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered the submission of the real estate firm that its bank accounts have been frozen and the company and its jailed promoters are finding it difficult to deposit Rs 750 crore as asked by the apex court. The NCLT has recently invoked the provisions of the Companies Act and allowed the central government to take over the Unitech Limited and appoint its nominee directors in the Board of the firm. Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the company said the entire firm has been taken over by the government and its appeal be heard on an urgent basis. The apex court had on 20 November directed Tihar Jail authorities to grant adequate meeting time to their inmate Sanjay Chandra, Managing Director Unitech Ltd, for allowing him to strike deals with prospective buyers as he was asked by the court to deposit Rs 750 crore with it by December end to safeguard the interests of homebuyers. The top court had on October 30 said that the jailed businessman will be granted bail only after the real estate group deposits money with its registry by December end. He sought interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 had rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home buyers of Unitech projects' -- 'Wild Flower Country' and 'Anthea Project' --in Gurugram. The general body meeting of Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) saw a section of members protest against its president Vishal, bringing the meeting to an abrupt end. This was the actors first meeting after being elected president of the producers association, as reported by The Hindu. The opposing members of the Council, led by actor-producer Cheran, have alleged discrepancy in the accounts of the council and blamed Vishal for the corruption to the tune of 7 crore rupees. As reported by The Quint, a protesting member JK Rithesh said, It has been eight months since Vishal promised that he will give the details in the next general body meeting. Vishal has denied the corruption allegations and asked for evidence. If we swindled Rs 7 crore, we cannot carry out such an annual general meeting. Every week they tell the press that there has been corruption. Instead, they should come to the office and speak to us. They need to have proof, only then will we respond to them, said Vishal at a press conference after the interrupted council meeting. While I agree that everyone should be given a chance to speak on stage, this cannot happen when people are hindering the proceedings of the meeting. People keep alleging that there is corruption but why have they not visited the councils office and presented any evidence of the same? reacted Vishal to the unruly behaviour by those opposing him at the meeting as reported by The Hindu. Vishal is also facing heat for his attempts at joining politics, as he saw producers opposing his move to stand for the RK Nagar by-poll election and asking for his resignation. According to the bylaws, anyone who holds an office cannot stand for the elections without resigning their post. He did, so we objected to it and questioned him. But he refused to give a reply, and thats why this problem started, said Rithesh as reported by The Quint. As reported by the Times of India the ruckus in the meeting erupted when the office bearers were questioned on Vishals decision to contest the RK Nagar polls and Vishal had said this question would be addressed later and asked for the meeting to proceed as per the set agenda. Ed Sheeran says he plans to work on a "lo-fi" record inspired by rock star Bruce Springsteen, which he believes would be his "lowest-selling, but most loved" one. The 26-year-old artiste said he heard Springsteen only recently when he listened to the EP of 'Nebraska'. "Im weak-minded at times, and feel very vulnerable and insecure... My plan is a lo-fi album that will be my lowest- selling, but most loved... I only heard Springsteen recently. "I was with Kit (Harington) from Game of Thrones. We had a night out in New York, got back to his hotel to drink more, and he played 'Atlantic City'. Then, when I heard Nebraska," Sheeran told The Times. The 'Shape of You' hitmaker earlier said he would collaborate with rapper Drake on one of his songs. Copenhagen, Denmark: The former husband of Norwegian King Harald's daughter is alleging that actor Kevin Spacey groped him during the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo. Ari Behn, Princess Martha Louise's husband for 14 years, told Norwegian radio that Spacey, who sat next to him, suddenly said 'hey, let's go out and have a cigarette, before he touched me" on the genitals. He said Wednesday that he declined Spacey's approach by saying "maybe later." Behn, 45, married Martha Louise, fourth in line to the Norwegian throne, in 2002. Last year, they decided to split but share custody over their three daughters. Spacey, who was co-hosting the 11 December, 2007 event, has faced numerous sexual misconduct and assault allegations, but he has remained mostly silent. Mumbai: Sonam Kapoor feels people's regressive thinking and ignorance towards menstrual hygiene is baffling. The actor will next be seen in Akshay Kumar's Padman, inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a Tamil Nadu-based social activist who revolutionised the concept of menstrual hygiene in rural India by creating a low-cost sanitary napkin machine. "Menstrual hygiene is an issue, which not many people would think can be a good subject for a film. For city girls it is normal, but when we were shooting in Maheshwar and around, the ignorance I saw was shocking. Even with us, we remember our grandmother asking us not to go to the temple, or in the kitchen or don't go close to the pickles. As city girls we get to hear all of that, so just imagine what girls in smaller villages are going through," said Kapoor in a interview with PTI. The actor said the film focuses on this "backward thinking" and she is excited to be a part of the project which addresses such a major issue in an entertaining way. The 32-year-old actor believes when a star deals with social issues in his/her films, it makes a huge impact on people. "Cinema is the largest medium. It reaches out to a larger audience. Especially, if you have mainstream stars attached to such films, it works. For a film like Munnabhai, PK if they have big names attached to them, and the issues are pertinent, it makes a big difference," said Kapoor. Padman, a comedy-drama directed by R Balki, also features Radhika Apte and megastar Amitabh Bachchan in a special appearance. It will hit the theatres on 26 January. Sonam was talking on the sidelines of the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, where she walked the ramp for designer Tarun Tahiliani. Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the controversy surrounding Hindi film Padmavati was "totally absurd" on 10 December. Participating in an open forum on Freedom of Expression during the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said nobody should have the right to say what should go on in a movie or a book. "The whole controversy against Padmavati is totally absurd. We have reached a critical point where those who claim to be offended manage to get their way," the former Union minister said. "All you need to say is something has hurt your religious sentiment, let it be a book, a movie, an article or even a headline and it doesn't matter even if it is accurate or truthful, but the law is in favour of them," a release quoting Tharoor said. An adaptation of Malik Muhammad Jayasis epic Padmavat, the film's release had to be postponed from 1 December amid protests by various Rajput groups and fringe elements who have threatened physical harm to its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and lead actress Deepika Padukone. Bhansali has been accused of depicting a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Sultan Alauddin Khilji (played by Ranveer Singh), a claim repeatedly denied by the director. Historians are divided on whether Padmavati actually existed. Tharoor, Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, claimed such issues escalate because the British wrote a law in the 1920s which says anything that offends the religious sentiment of a community is punishable by such and such. "Sadly we haven't removed this from the law and it has become the favourite tool of those who have a problem with the freedom of artists," he said. Participating in the discussion, noted filmmaker Aparna Sen said the idea of freedom was non-negotiable, especially for creative artists. Noting that some people ask her why she was "protesting for a movie" when "thousands of farmers commit suicide" every day in the country, she said the protests were "not merely for a movie". "The protest was because the creative freedom and freedom of expression in the country is at stake," she said. "We are living in a time of fear and everyones freedom is challenged. This is how dictatorship begins," she alleged. Sen said everybody has the freedom to protest, write and express but that should not create a law and order situation. "They can't say a movie shouldn't be screened or else its actress' nose will be cut off," she added. Malayalam actor Sajitha Madathil said the idea of freedom of expression has always been related to gender. She mentioned about the social media attack against three Muslim girls recently for participating in a flash mob dance performance in Malappuram, wearing Hijabs, on World Aids Day. People who tried to support them were suppressed and silenced by fundamentalists, she claimed. "All these incidents are creating a fear psychosis among those who usually respond to such things. There have always been violations of freedom", she alleged. Speculations have been running strong about Hollywoods enfante terrible, Quentin Tarantinos ambitious plans for directing the next Star Trek movie. As reported by Deadline, Tarantino has a great idea for a Star Trek movie at Paramount and has got JJ Abrams, the director of two previous Star Trek installments, excited enough to produce the film, who is actively putting together a scripting team. According to a report in Business Insider Tarantino has approached the studio to direct a Tarantino style Star Trek movie complete with blood, gore, violence and curse words. The director has demanded approval for an R-rated movie from the studios who are said to be on board, given the recent blockbuster success of an R-rated Deadpool. However, the film is unlikely to be finished for at least a few years as Tarantino is currently working on Helter Skelter, his next movie on the Manson Family and their murder spree to be released by Sony in 2019. Tarantinos films are known to be auteur-driven and he has been the writer of all his films but is not a complete stranger to the franchise bandwagon as he has worked on ER and CSI early in his career. As reported by Deadline, JJ Abrams who is currently busy directing Star Wars Episode IX, and directed the 2009 Star Trek, followed by 2013s Star Trek: Into the Darkness, has taken the reins of seeing the project through and has assembled a writers room to start putting Tarantinos vision on paper right away. An interesting development has also emerged which might make the fans of Star Trek explode with joy. As reported by Business Insider, Patrick Stewart has expressed interest in returning to the franchise in his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard, if Tarantino is directing it. In an interview to The Hollywood Reporter, the veteran actor said, One of my dreams is to work with Tarantino. I admire his work so much, and to be in a Tarantino film would give me so much satisfaction. So, if he is going to direct something to do with Star Trek and there was the possibility of dear old Jean-Luc showing up again and doing that for Mr. Tarantino, I would embrace it. Mumbai: On thespian Dilip Kumar's 95th birthday, his evergreen wife Saira Banu, 22 years his junior, says her marriage to him has been a "perfect dream". Dilip Kumar is recuperating from a bout of pneumonia. On his special day, a stream of visitors began trickling into their bungalow in Bandra here from early Monday morning. Emotional about the love that her husband continues to receive year after year, the utterly devoted wife said: "Every year, I am asked the same things. What are we doing for Saab's birthday? For those who don't know, it is the day when our residence turns into a gorgeous fairyland. "There are flowers everywhere from everyone who comes to pay Saab a visit on his birthday. It is a day when Saab's brothers, sisters, relatives and come close friends come together." Saira Banu and Dilip Kumar got married in 1966. "Seriously, there is no woman as blessed as I am... I thank my Allah every day for this. It has been my good fortune to be able to do anything for the man I love intensely. For me, it was always Saab, no one else. I was his fan from the time I can remember. While still a teenager, I wanted to be his wife. I am very headstrong and once I made up my mind, there was no stopping me. I knew many beautiful women wanted to marry Saab, but he chose me. It was my dream come true and that's what my marriage has been, a perfect dream." Now she is devoted to taking care of her ailing husband. "Looking after Saab, his life and his home comes naturally to me. All Indian wives look after their husbands. In my family, I've seen women being devoted to their husbands. I grew up watching that." Lincoln City's Holidays and Frivolities: December Highlights for Central Oregon Coast Published 12/08/2017 at 6:45 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Lincoln City, Oregon) The land of Glass Float Drops and seven miles of smiles is making plenty of waves for December. Lincoln City, on the central Oregon coast, is providing plenty to partake in when it comes to events, and not just the holidays. There's food happenings, a robust music scene, a special glass float drop around New Year's Eve (on top of the usual weekend drops), whale watch week and some big fun for New Year's celebrations. Here's a hefty lineup of things going on for the month. December 9. Siletz Bay Music Festival presents an afternoon with pianist Cary Lewis and violinist Sarah Kwak. Performance at 3 p.m. and $30 includes light refreshments. Tickets may be purchased at SiletzBayMusic.org or by calling 541-992-1131. Lincoln City, Oregon. December 14. Holiday Dive-In Movie. Bring your favorite air mattress, inner tube or deck chair, then sit back and relax in the pool or on the deck while you watch Frozen on the Jumbotron. That's right: in the pool at the Community Center. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Cost: $5 per person. 541-994-2131. Lincoln City, Oregon. December 15 16. 5th Annual North Pole Express. Take a magical ride on a virtual journey to the North Pole! There will be hot cocoa, cookies, and Santa will be there with a special gift for each child, ages 3 11. On Friday, the North Pole Express departs at 5:45 p.m. and arrives at 8 p.m. On Saturday, it departs at 12:45 p.m. and arrives at 3 p.m. Ticket price $17.95. Chinook Winds Play Palace. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-996-5790. December 16. 5th Annual Jingle Bell 5K Jog/Walk. Open to runners, joggers, walkers, baby strollers and pets. Costumes are recommended but optional, and bells will be provided. 9:30 a.m. To register, visit www.lincolncity.org or call 541-994-2131. Lincoln City Community Center. Lincoln City, Oregon. December 16. Outbound Traveler live. Upbeat campfire music on banjo, guitar, fiddle, flute and bouzouki will keep your feet moving along with vocal harmonies that will melt your heart. $15 in advance. 7 p.m. Lincoln City Cultural Center. Highway 101. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-994-9994. Website. December 16. Hands-On Tamales. Come and learn how to make delicious tamales right at home. $75 per person includes meal and beverage. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Lincoln City Culinary Center. Highway 101. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-557-1125 Website. December 21. Lincoln Pops Big Band. Dance or just listen to the sounds of the 40s, 50s and 60s. Adults $6 and Students $3, children under 6 are free. 7:30 p.m. Gleneden Beach Community Club, 110 Azalea Street, Gleneden Beach, Oregon (just south of Lincoln City). 541-563-5067. Website. December 21. Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Demo. Learn the secrets to authentic Chicago-style pizza. 6 p.m. Lincoln City Culinary Center. Highway 101. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-557-1125 Website. December 22 23. 5th Annual North Pole Express. Take a magical ride on a virtual journey to the North Pole! There will be hot cocoa, cookies, and Santa will be there with a special gift for each child, ages 3 11. On Friday, the North Pole Express departs at 5:45 p.m. and arrives at 8 p.m. On Saturday, it departs at 12:45 p.m. and arrives at 3 p.m. Ticket price $17.95. Chinook Winds Play Palace. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-996-5790. December 24. Christmas Eve Concert with Kids Sing Out (KSO). A free concert of sacred and secular music on Christmas Eve. 7 p.m. Admission is free. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-996-4045. Website. December 27 31. Winter Whale Watch Week on the Oregon Coast. Watch as majestic gray whales migrate south to Baja, Mexico, where they give birth to their calves. In Lincoln City: top floor of Inn at Spanish Head. 541-765-3304 or visit oregonstateparks.org. December 30 January 1. 100 glass art pieces will be hidden along the 7-1/2 miles of public beach in Lincoln City, from the Roads End area to Siletz Bay. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-996-1274 or Website. December 31. New Years Eve Bash with the Lincoln Pops Orchestra. Celebrate in style with the Pops. Tickets include light hors doeuvres and a champagne (or sparkling cider) toast at midnight (beer and wine sold separately). $45 per person/$80 per couple. 8:30 p.m. Lincoln City Cultural Center. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-994-9994. Website. --- Oregon Coast Hotels for these events - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour. More Lincoln City below: More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Popular Telugu comedian Vijay Sai was found dead in his Hyderabad apartment today (11 December) morning. According to a report by News18, the actor's body was found hanging in his apartment, which is located near Yusufguda. As per the same report, his parents were also present in the house at the time of his death. Although it looks like a case of suicide, the investigating team has said that the "exact reason for the suicide is yet to be known". The 38-year-old made his debut in 2001, after which he continued to appeared in a number of hit films like Bommarillu and Ammayilu Abbayilu. However, he was under immense pressure lately due to financial problems. Apart from that, it is being reported that Sai had been living separately from his wife, which had further added to his personal troubles. He had also stopped getting good film offers and was was also believed to be depressed, reports Indian Express. Meanwhile, local news organisations have been terming his faltering career the main reason which forced him to take such an extreme step. The film fraternity had expressed grief and shock over his sudden demise. Tollywood PRO Vamsi Kaka told Indian Express that the high-profile people of the industry should come forward to help find a permanent solution for people like Sai, who face financial trouble. Mumbai: Top Bollywood actors, including Kareena Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Madhuri Dixit, have condemned the alleged molestation of National Award-winning actor Zaira Wasim. The 17-year-old actor, known for her roles in films like Dangal and Secret Superstar, was allegedly molested on a Delhi-Mumbai flight on Saturday night. The actor later narrated her ordeal on Instagram via a live video. Wasim said she was on an Air Vistara flight from Delhi to Mumbai when a co-passenger sitting behind her put up his feet on her armrest. The man was arrested by the police in Mumbai last evening. When asked about the incident, Pednekar said she was shocked to know about the alleged molestation but the actor was happy that Wasim showed courage to speak up about her ordeal. "I am appalled. She is a child. There is a problem in our culture where people think, especially if you are an actor, that you are their property. This is hugely problematic. But I am very happy that she put it out on social media. I am glad she took that step because it needs a lot of courage to speak, to come out and take a stand like that. More power to her," said Pednekar. Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan said women are far superior than men and that females can rise above any difficulty. "I definitely feel women are way more superior than men. We are fighters and whichever situation it is in our life, personal or professional, we all come out as fighters. When we talk about God, we talk about goddess. So, we look from the perspective of a woman. When we talk about the earth, we say Mother Earth. So, whenever we talk about anything, we talk about women. Women are far superior (than men). So, they can fight out of every situation," Khan said. Actor Taapsee Pannu, who has always raised her voice against violence against women, said, "I just hope she gets justice. It is good that at least she has raised her voice. She deserves to get justice." Noted actor Madhuri Dixit said, "This should not happen, neither in India nor in any other part of the world." Television actor Mouni Roy said she was deeply saddened by the incident, which is an act that stems from a poor mentality. "Now, what should I say about this country. On one hand we talk about women empowerment, on the other hand we hear about all these incidents. But I think it is very important not to just stand against it and talk about it, but also to educate people against this," she said. "I genuinely dont know what to say. It deeply saddens me. The kind of life we lead, the kind of education we all are getting, in fact, the levels of education in towns and villages have gone up. This is just really sad. I think this reflects a poor mindset," Roy added. When asked for his opinion on the incident, actor Sushant Singh Rajput said, "We talk a lot (but) I think at the right place and in the right time, we need to take action also. We are intelligent and responsible enough as a country to see to it that these things dont happen." The celebrities were speaking at the red carpet of Lux Golden Rose Awards in Mumbai last night. Actor Zareen Khan said there should be a focus on preventing such incidents rather than attending to "minuscule" things. "I really dont know what to say about it because such incidents keep happening in our country. Rather than focusing on issues like these, I dont know why our country is behind minuscule matters," she said. "The way we talk about women empowerment and safety, I dont think only talking about it is needed. We also need to take some action to stop all of this," Khan added. In the video, which Wasim recorded immediately after deboarding the flight, she broke down several times. "This is not done, I am disturbed... Is this how youre going to take care of girls? This is not the way anybody should be made to feel. This is terrible!" she said. "No one will help us if we dont decide to help ourselves. And this is the worst thing," she added. WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Volkswagen expects cash outflows of 4-5 billion euros ($4.7-5.9 billion) next year in relation to the dieselgate emissions cheating scandal, the carmakers Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter told journalists on Monday. A Volkswagen logo is pictured at the International Auto Show in Mexico City, Mexico November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Henry RomeroI am not at all relaxed with regard to the diesel issue, Witter said. The figure is below the up to 17 billion euros in outflows expected this year. Dieselgate has so far cost the company more than 25 billion euros and contributed to a strategy shift in the sector towards electric vehicles, with most manufacturers having announced far-reaching investment packages. ($1 = 0.8482 euros) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said his government is not against private hospitals, but can't maintain silence on their inhuman criminal negligence. His remarks came in the wake of protest staged on Saturday by the employees of Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh area of north Delhi after the government on Friday cancelled its licence with immediate effect for erroneously declaring a newborn dead. "Delhi government is not against private hospitals and is fully aware of their importance. But Max hospital left us with no option other than to take action. This is not happened first time. Such kind of erronous act was done by the hospital on many occasions in the past too," Kejriwal said at a public gathering in west Delhi's Mundka. "Our conscience would have pricked us. Had we remained silent on such inhuman criminal negligence? Doctors are saviours and we salute the work they do. Their hard work is admirable. But, if any hospital does wrong with people, we will not spare it and maintain silence. We will take action." The chief minister said that he had been informed about the corporate owned private hospitals who exploit their own doctors and do not give their salaries on time. He also slammed Bharatiya Janata Party Delhi state President Manoj Tiwari for supporting Max hospital and opposing Delhi Government's decision to cancel its license. A baby boy was declared dead by Max Hospital on November 30 and handed over to the parents in a plastic bag, along with its still-born sister. However, the baby started moving while being taken for burial. The baby was then admitted in a clinic in Pitampura, but died on Wednesday. India will take a crucial step towards enacting its first anti-human-trafficking law as government sources told Hindustan Times that the Union Cabinet could soon consider and approve the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill. In a first, the bill does not treat a trafficked person as an offender but a victim, says the report. The existing laws do not do take this approach and instead treat both the trafficked person and the trafficker as criminals. The draft bill was released in May 2016 and aimed to create a strong legal, economic and social environment against trafficking of persons and related matters. The bill mandates the constitution of District Anti-Trafficking Committee for every district. This committee will perform functions relating to the prevention, rescue, protection, psychological assistance etc of the victims. There will also be a State Anti-Trafficking Committee to oversee the implementation of the law and advise the state government on matters relating to the prevention of trafficking and protection/rehabilitation of victims. A Central Anti-Trafficking Advisory Board will perform similar functions at the Union level. The bill takes into account various aspects of trafficking and the punishments as defined in Sections 370 to 373 of the Indian Penal Code. It also aims to include other offences which are not dealt with in other laws for the purpose of trafficking, such as punishment for disclosing the identity of the victim, using narcotics/alcohol for the purpose of trafficking etc. The bill provides for mandatory reporting within 24 hours by a police officer, public servant, any officer/employee of protection homes or special homes having custody of the victim to the District Anti-Trafficking Committee or in case of child victim to the Child Welfare Committee. A separate chapter on offences and the penalties is part of the bill. It seeks to establish special courts in each district of the country and special prosecutors to fast-track the trials and increase prosecution. The bill also envisages the creation of a fund for rehabilitation of victims of trafficking. Once the bill is approved by the Cabinet, it will be tabled in Parliament and referred to a select committee before being taken up for debate and passing. Currently, India uses different laws to deal with human-trafficking cases on a case-to-case basis, according to Livemint. For example, the police sometimes uses the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act to raid brothels and rescue the women in it (including those who might not be living in confinement). In other cases, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act might be used for prosecution. The labour laws too are invoked in some cases. Begging and organ trafficking are looked at under yet other provisions. Human trafficking a serious concern in India Over the years, the problem of human trafficking has become a cause for serious concern in the country. According to the UN Office for Drugs and Crime, South Asia, with India at its centre, is the fastest-growing region for human trafficking in the world. The Global Slavery Index 2016, published by the Walk Free Foundation, said that India has the highest number of enslaved people in the world, with about 18 million children and adults being victim of modern slavery. IANS had earlier reported that the annual US Congress-mandated report on human trafficking placed India in the tier-2 category, which includes countries that have failed to effectively combat the problem. India has maintained its position at the tier-2 level since 2011. The report argued that India still did not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. In 2016, the report had noted that India has become "a source, destination, and transit country for men, women and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking". While the bill is a step in the right direction, it has faced certain criticism. The Livemint report points out the absence of definitions of either trafficking and rehabilitation in the bill. Further, there is also ambiguity on where the manpower and resources will come from. It also quotes a lawyer, Kaushik Gupta, who says that the bill is silent on labour trafficking, organ removal and forced marriages. The bill was also opposed by sex workers who said that it has no provision for consensual/voluntary sex work, reported The Telegraph. The offences listed in the bill presuppose that doing sex work always entails trafficking and can never be voluntary. The report quotes Tripti Tandon of Lawyers Collective who said that "The bill's model is to use the coercive power of the state to counter trafficking. It will not lead to prevention of trafficking, but will only deal with victims post trafficking." With inputs from IANS Thiruvananthapuram: The death toll in the Cyclone Ockhi in Kerala rose to 40 on Sunday with the recovery of two more bodies, even as search operations to trace the missing fishermen entered the 10th day. Meanwhile, a total of 250 fishermen, trapped in the high seas following the 30 November cyclone, returned to Kochi. The fishermen had put out to sea from Kerala and Tamil Nadu coast and most of them were trapped in Lakshadweep area. The fishermen, including 189 from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, arrived in Kochi by boats since Saturday night, officials said. Mourning the dead and the missing, the Christian community in the coastal belt near Thiruvananthapuram observed a "prayer day" and sought Central funds for rehabilitation of the affected families. A defence spokesperson said one body was recovered off the coast of Minicoy in Lakshadweep islands and another fished out from near Kochi. This took the death toll to 40 in the cyclone that hit the southern coast of the state. The cyclone had also left several fishermen stranded in the sea. The spokesperson said an Indian Air Force transport aircraft covered 10,880 square nautical miles south of Kanyakumari coast in the Indian Ocean, while an AN-32 aircraft along with local fishermen also took part in the search and rescue operations. The navy said more than four lakh square nautical miles had been searched by Indian naval assets so far over the southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands. Following inputs from fishermen, an aerial search was carried out over Maldives after obtaining clearance through diplomatic channels, but no fishermen were found there. "Nine ships and all available aircraft have continued the search operations. Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I searched over entire Maldives," a defence release said in Kochi on Sunday night. Officials confirmed that Maldivian locals undertook search and have not located any fishermen on the islands, it said. 'INS Subhadra', under routine deployment, transferred 1,500 litres of drinking water to 12 crew members on board two Tamil Nadu registered fishing vessels about 90 nautical miles northwest of Bitra island of Lakshdweep, the release said. The ship also found two capsized fishing vessels and investigation revealed no survivors on board, which had been intimated to the state governments, it said. A sombre atmosphere prevailed in the coastal villages of Poonthura, Vizhinjam, Pozhiyur and Adimalathura near Thiruvananthapuram as men, women and children gathered at the local churches to offer special prayers since 6 am. The family members of 15-year-old Vineesh, the youngest fisher to have gone missing, was among those who offered prayers. Addressing the people, St Thomas Church vicar Justin Jude said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should visit the cyclone affected areas. He also sought formation of a separate fishing ministry. A message read out during the special prayer meetings in the churches, said the cyclone should be declared a national disaster and urged the Centre to provide more funds for rehabilitation of the victims. The community members said they would take out a march to Raj Bhawan on Monday to press for their demands. Black flags were hoisted near the church to mourn the dead. Special prayers were also held at the cemeteries as women and children wailed for the dead. In neighbouring Kanyakumari, hundreds of people, including women, formed a human chain in remembrance of the dead and missing fishermen. A demonstration was held in Tirunelveli district by the fishermen demanding steps to trace and rescue all the missing fishermen. More than 500 fishermen held a brief demonstration in the sea off Muttam village in Kanyakumari district demanding Rs 20 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased. Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan said some fishermen have joined the Indian Coast Guard crew in the search operations. In a tweet, he said, "I am thankful to @DefenceMinIndia Smt @nsitharaman ji for the arrangements (Vaibhav ship) to search missing fishermen in deep sea region. Our Kanyakumari #Chinnathurai 5 #Thoothur 2 fishermen travelling along with our @IndiaCoastGuard crews for this operation." I am thankful to @DefenceMinIndia Smt @nsitharaman ji for the arrangements( Vaibhav ship) to search missing fishermen in deep sea region. Our Kanyakumari #Chinnathurai 5 #Thoothur 2 fishermen travelling along with our @IndiaCoastGuard crews for this operation. pic.twitter.com/xEaWbr0rvb Pon Radhakrishnan (@PonnaarrBJP) December 10, 2017 As per the figures released by the Latin Church, more than 300 fishermen were still missing, while official estimate of the missing men from Kerala is 95. Kerala has demanded a financial assistance of Rs 1,834 crore from the Centre in view of the loss suffered due to the cyclone. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on SAturday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi to apprise them of the situation. In a memorandum submitted to Singh, he urged the Centre to announce a long-term package similar to the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project considering the gravity of the disaster. The cyclone also caused damage to crops in 2,053 hectares of land affecting 15,104 farmers. A total of 207 houses were completely damaged while 2,753 partially suffered damage, the memorandum pointed out. The Kerala government also requested the navy, the coast guard and the Indian Air Force to continue the search operations for the missing fishermen for another 10 days. Chennai: DMK leader MK Stalin on Monday said that he would lead a protest demonstration outside the collectorate in Chennai against the AIADMK state government's "inaction" in rescuing fishermen from Kanyakumari caught on the sea due to Cyclone Ockhi. In a statement issued in Chennai, Stalin, seeking the rescue of fishermen caught on the sea due to Ockhi, carrying out restoration work in Kanyakumari district and providing compensation to those affected by the cyclone, said a demonstration would be held on Tuesday by the party's fishermen wing to press for the demands. The demonstration would be held outside the collectorate in Chennai. Stalin also complained that different authorities are giving different statistics as to the number of missing fishermen. He said Kanyakumari district collector Sajjansingh R Chavan has said 623 fishermen from the district are missing whereas Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan has put their number at 197, while Chief Minister K Palaniswami is saying 260 fishermen are missing. Stalin termed it as a shame on the part of the state government not having a correct number of the missing fishermen even nearly two weeks after Ockhi hit Kanyakumari. The DMK leader also said the government does not have any count of the number of fishermen who were pushed to the shores in other states by the strong winds when the cyclone hit. Hyderabad: CPM politburo member Brinda Karat on Monday said a nationwide ban on alcohol will lead to illegal trade, even as she supported a regulated policy with people's participation to curb the abuse. Bihar chief minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Sunday pitched for a nationwide ban on alcohol and asked party activists to raise awareness among people about the ill-effects of liquor consumption. Karat said that the ban and total prohibition lead to illegal trade while free supply of liquor causes "social havoc". "So, a more regulated policy with people's participation is what we support," she told PTI, when asked about her party's view on Kumar's statement. Karat said her party believes that the present liquor policies of most state governments actually promote its consumption as a revenue spinner. "We fight against such policies and support and build social movements against alcohol abuse," she added. Kumar had on Sunday hit out at the Congress and Left parties, asking why they could not support a ban on liquor and campaign against its consumption. "When Gujarat could implement liquor ban, Bihar could show that it could also be banned in the state, why it cannot be banned in the entire country?" he had said while addressing a party event in New Delhi. Stressing that all religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, criticise liquor consumption, he had said a ban in the entire country would be the biggest sign of communal harmony and respect to all the religions. New Delhi: IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said that though digitisation has brought in exposure to the majority of the people it has also exposed them to cyber threats and vulnerabilities. "As part of its Digital India initiatives, the government has introduced a lot of its services online. Although this has made services very accessible to the citizens, it has also exposed them to the threats and vulnerabilities which are an inherent part of cyberspace," the minister said. He was speaking at the inauguration of the "NIC-CERT", a setup of National Informatics Centre. He mentioned that in the recent past there has been an exponential growth in cyber attacks leading to concerns about data theft which led to the government drafting the Data Protection Act. "As Internet with its ever-expanding canvas of opportunities is touching the life's of people, it necessitates the requirement to upscale the existing security infrastructure," he added. The NIC-CERT has been set up with the objective of creating a comprehensive framework that integrates world-class security components and inbuilt threat intelligence for detection, prevention and incident response. Using the tools the team will correlate events that would help in generating a canvas of the attack surface and identify the vulnerabilities and possible exploits. The gathered intelligence assimilated with the knowledge of the open web would give the CERT the ability prevent and predict attacks, Prasad said. New Delhi: Several former Supreme Court judges believe that the practice of torturing an accused was rampant in the criminal justice system, according to a report released by the Centre on Death Penalty of the National Law University, with one judge even pointing out that hardened criminals would not yield to "mere casual questioning". In the report Matters of Judgment a study on the criminal justice system and death penalty in India, one of the judges said he was in dismay when during an event at the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, he found out that the majority of the participating judges were of the view that the truth behind a crime would not come out unless the police had the power to torture. "Five of 12 former judges, justifying torture, said the police resorted to it because the investigating agencies worked under strenuous conditions, without adequate time and independence to investigate cases," the report said. The study also records the acknowledgement and concern of the former apex court judges about the "crisis" in the country's criminal justice system, on account of the widespread prevalence of torture, fabrication of evidence, the abysmal quality of legal aid and wrongful convictions. Of the 39 former judges, who discussed the prevalence of torture in the criminal justice system, 38 believed it to be rampant, while one former chief justice of India was of the opinion that there was no torture. "Seasoned criminals...they will not yield to mere casual questioning," said a judge, who has served in appellate courts for 22 years. Another former judge said the mindset of the police was affected by how poorly they were treated by VIPs when they were deployed on law-and-order duties. "This, in turn, affects them (police) as when it comes to crimes, they will pick up small men and adopt third-degree methods to elicit a confession and make them accused, whether they have committed the crime or not," he was quoted as saying in the report. The probe agencies either being "lazy" or "not having enough manpower" or "not knowing the methods of scientific investigation" were also cited by some of the judges to explain the prevalence of torture in the criminal justice system. However, 17 of the judges believed that torture undermined the system and said they were inherently opposed to it, irrespective of its utility. They also felt that the use of torture was an unreliable way of getting to the truth and recalled that it had led to undesirable results at times. A former chief justice of India said because of the prevalence of torture in the criminal justice system, he would tend to take the recovery statements (recorded by the probe agencies) "with a pinch of salt". Of 58 judges, 38 were of the view that the investigating agencies abused section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, which dealt with the recovery of evidence. Twelve judges were aware that the provision was used to subliminally increase the use of torture as an investigative technique and therefore, were cautious of such recoveries as torture was often the starting point of an investigation. "We have mentioned the names of the judges but have not disclosed who said what. This is to ensure that the focus stays on the issue and does not shift to the person," Anup Surendranath, the director of the centre, said while releasing the report. The 60 judges interviewed by the study have adjudicated 208 death penalty cases between them, from 1975 to 2016. 11 December 2017 The Michael King Writers Centre launched the sixth issue of Signals, its literary journal for young writers, on Saturday 9 December at the National Library in Parnell. The journal features the work of senior secondary students who took part in this years Young Writers Programme, as well as its alumni. Over 190 pieces were submitted to the editors. This year we are very grateful to have received the support of Penguin Random House. Winners of the $150 Chris Cole Catley Prizes for the year were Maria Ji of Auckland University and Rachel Meadows of Auckland University of Technology. Full results are as follows: Poetry: Judged by Gregory Kan First - T & C by Maria Ji Second - We Are Working on Standing Still by Sophie van Waardenberg Highly Commended - Paradox by Pritha Marks Prose: Judged by Whiti Hereaka First - Tumour by Rachel Meadows Second - When the Wolves Come Out by Joanna Li Highly Commended - Roses for the Grave by Gina Holden and Birdgod Rachel Meadows The 2017 Programme attracted more than 130 senior students, representing schools from all over Auckland. Leading writers contributed to workshops and master classes in collaboration with tutors Ros Ali and Jo Emeney. Guests included Ali Ikram, Toby Morris, Chris Price, Gregory Kan, Whiti Hereaka and Fiona Sussman, Matt Harris and Tina Makareti. Copies of Signals will be distributed to Auckland secondary schools and libraries. The journal will be available from the Michael King Writers Centre and selected bookshops. The Young Writers Programme thanks Creative New Zealand, Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust and Penguin Random House for their support. Michael King Writers Centre PO Box 32-629, Devonport, Auckland 0744 Ph: 09 445 8451 E: administrator@writerscentre.org.nz E: youngwriters@writerscentre.org.nz www.writerscentre. Gujarat Congress farmers cell office-bearer Haresh Moradiya and his wife committed suicide in Rajkot on Monday, media reports have quoted the police as saying. Congress leader Haresh Moradiya and his wife allegedly commit suicide in Rajkot #Gujarat ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 According to TV9 Gujarati, Haresh and his wife Ramila had consumed poison at their house in Maheshwari society at Kothari road of Rajkot. Though the cause of the suicide is unknown, initial probe reveals family disputes may have been the reason. No suicide note has been found yet. Chairman of Gujarat Congress Kisan Cell, Virji Thummar, confirmed that Moradia was the secretary of the Kisan Cell. VK Gadhvi, police inspector of Bhaktinagar, said that the incident came to light after neighbours, not noticing any movement in the Moradia household since morning, broke open the door. "The neighbours found the couple unconscious. The emergency medical team that arrived declared the two dead," said Gadhvi. Police said that while the exact reason is being investigated, marital discord between their son and their daughter-in-law could be a reason. "Moradia's daughter-in-law had recently given an application at the women's police station due to some dispute. This might have led to the suicide of the couple. However investigations are still on to find the exact reason," said Gadhvi. Gadhvi said that Moradia also served as the principal of private school. The deaths have taken place days before the second phase of polling in the Gujarat Assembly election. Gurugram: Two FIRs, including of culpable homicide, have been registered against Gurugram's Fortis hospital management and doctors regarding the death of 7-year-old Adya Singh due to dengue in September, a district official said. The hospital will also face civil action on three counts in the case, a Haryana government official told IANS, adding that Health Minister Anil Vij had already ordered for both criminal and civil action against the Fortis Memorial Research Institute. The FIR against the hospital authorities was filed under Section 304 (2) of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with culpable homicide, at the Sushant Lok police station. The second FIR was under the Epidemic Act and Section 188 of the IPC dealing with disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant since the private hospital failed to inform authorities about a patient suffering from a disease like dengue. A four-member panel that probed the child's death and subsequent billing of her parents to the tune of around Rs 16 lakh had found many alleged irregularities in the hospital functioning. The panel, headed by Additional Director General of Health Rajeev Vadhera, has since submitted its report to the government. While the hospital's blood bank and pharmacy sections have been issued notices over alleged wrongdoing in the case, action will also be initiated over treatment to inadequate number of patients under the Economically Weaker Sections category. The case came to light after bereaved father Jayant Singh's friend posted it on Twitter on 17 November, recounting how the family was billed "Rs 16 lakh, including for 2,700 gloves" but the girl could not be saved. The message was retweeted over 9,000 times in four days, prompting the health minister to assure action. Adya, a Class 2 student, developed high fever on 27 August. Her Dwarka-based family said they rushed her to Rockland Hospital in Dwarka two days later. Tests confirmed she was suffering from dengue. However, since her condition worsened and Rockland suggested that she be transferred to another hospital, she was taken to Fortis where she remained on life support for 10 days. Fortis raised a bill for 1,600 gloves, 660 syringes, high-end antibiotics, and sugar strips, a family member said. "On 14 September, an MRI revealed extensive damage to the brain. We decided to take her to another hospital, but Fortis doctors refused to even facilitate an ambulance," the girl's father said in a statement. Adya died 14-15 September midnight while being shifted to Rockland Hospital without life-support equipment in the ambulance. Three terrorists were gunned down and one civilian was killed during an overnight anti-insurgency operation in a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Handwara town, reports said. Following the encounter, internet services were suspended in Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara and Kupwara, ANI reported. J&K: Internet services suspended in Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara and Kupwara following killing of 3 terrorists in #Handwara's Unisoo. ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 According to ANI, search operations are still underway in Unisoo village in Kupwara district, where the encounter began last night. The identity of the three terrorists and the civilian woman has not yet been ascertained, however, initial reports claimed that the terrorists are most likely Pakistanis and part of Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. An India Today report said that "the gunfight started at 3 am when the troops of 92 CRPF Battalion along with 22 Rashtriya Rifle and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel, acting on intel laid a cordon in the area". According to a tweet by Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid, the security forces managed to successfully neutralise the terrorists despite a bad weather. In unisoo Handwara all the three terrorists apparently Pakistanis have been neutralised by Joint team of J&K Police, RR &CRPF. It has been raining whole night & boys were out there in the cold. Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) December 11, 2017 Vaid reportedly said the slain militants were apparently Pakistanis. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the early hours in Unisoo village of Handwara following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said. The official added that the search operation turned into an encounter as the hiding militants fired upon the forces conducting the searches. Their (militants) bodies along with three weapons have been recovered from the encounter site. Early on Monday morning, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had also tweeted informing that it had launched a cordon and search operation at Unisoo in Handwara, which turned into an encounter. An earlier tweet of ANI had claimed that one terrorist was captured in an injured state. His condition is not known yet, however, India Today claimed that the security forces have captured one terrorist alive while neutralising other three. Heavy snow and rainfall is likely to hit Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in the next week due to Western Disturbances in the weather systems. According to Skymet Weather, light to moderate rainfall and snowing is expected in parts of northern states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The intensity will increase as time progresses. The report also predicted light rainfall in Uttarakhand in the next 24 hours as well. The reason for this is an active Western Disturbance developing over north Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir. Rains in the hilly states is likely to be followed by snowfall which will pick up pace on 12 December, according to the report. Between 11-13 December, moderate to heavy rains and snowfall is expected in both states. According to another report in Skymet, areas such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Kufri, Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur are expected to experience snow. Rainfall and snow activity is likely to increase in high-altitude areas. As per The Times of India, rain and snow has been predicted for Shimla as well. The report, quoting the Shimla meteorological centre, stated, many places in the middle and high hills will receive rain and thundershowers during this period. Rain and snowfall is forecast in few parts of the state on 14 December. Srinagar-Leh highway closed ahead of expected heavy snowfall The Srinagar-Leh highway, connecting the frontier Ladakh region with the rest of the state, was closed for traffic on Sunday for the winter season, ahead of expected heavy snowfall, an official said. The highway, which is the only surface link between Kashmir valley and the Ladakh region, has been closed for traffic following the instructions of the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, said an official of the traffic department. The Met Department has said a fresh Western Disturbance is most likely to affect the state from Monday to 15 December with moisture feeding taking place from the Arabian Sea. Under the influence of this system, moderate to heavy rain or snow is expected at widespread places of Jammu, Kashmir and the Ladakh region," said the Met office. The main activity of this system (moderate to heavy rainfall or snowfall) is likely to occur during 12-13 December and gradual decrease thereafter, the Met office said. It said this would be the first major wet spell during the current season for the state and the weather system may lead to disruption of surface and air transportation. The 434-kilometre highway acts as a major lifeline to the frontier region. The Zojilla Pass, 140 kilometres from Srinagar, is a vital crossing point on the mountainous highway and receives the heaviest snowfall in winter, shutting it down for nearly five months each year. With inputs from PTI India, Russia and China on Monday jointly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations while calling for effective implementation of existing international commitments to counter terrorism. This was after the 15th Russia-India-China Foreign Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi. In a joint statement, the three countries expressed concern over the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) falling into the hands of terrorists. They expressed hope that the UN will ensure a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative, stable, orderly, accessible and equitable information and communication technology environment. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese and Russian counterparts, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov also called for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process at the meeting between the three nations. The three affirmed that outer space should be preserved for peaceful exploration and use by current and future generations. The three nations also expressed deep concern over the the continuing conflict in Yemen and the tension on the Korean peninsula as a result of the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes of North Korea. Following is the full text of the press statement by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the RIC Meeting: Namaskar, Good afternoon Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Lavrov and I had discussions today on global and regional issues of common concern in the 15th RIC Foreign Ministers' Dialogue. The discussions included issues like the challenges of the global economy, increasing terrorism, transnational organized crime, smuggling of drugs, natural and man-made disasters, climate change, and changing political scenario in Middle East and North Africa. This is my third RIC meeting as External Affairs Ministers of India, the last being in Moscow in April 2016. These annual talks give an opportunity to us three countries to exchange our mutual views with each other and identify our contributions to international peace, security and development. Our discussions today were focused on four broad cluster of areas, namely, Economic and Developmental issues; Fight against terrorism; Global / Multilateral issues; and, Regional issues. In the recently released Ease of Doing Business report by World Bank India has improved its position from 142nd in 2014 to 100th place this year. I have invited China and Russia for a more intensive trade and economic partnership so that they can take advantage of the economic opportunities available here. I pointed out that the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) mirror Indias own vision of development. The UN Summit on Sustainable Development held on 25 September 2015 in New York has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets with poverty eradication as its overarching focus. Government of Indias initiatives such as Smart Cities, Make in India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat, Jan Dhan Yojana, Digital India, Skill India, Startup India etc., closely relate to several targets under the SDGs. While discussing terrorism, I put across my view that significant rise in acts of terrorism by terrorist organizations like Taliban, Daesh (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and LeT directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development. India strongly recommends a comprehensive policy for dealing with global terrorism. The policy should include dealing with extremism, countering religious fanaticism, preventing recruitment of terrorists, disrupting terrorist movements, stopping all sources for financing of terrorism, stopping flow of FTFs (Foreign Terrorist Fighters), dismantling terrorist infrastructure, and countering terrorist propaganda through the internet, but we should not limit ourselves to these only. To combat climate change, I argued that we should ensure a fair implementation of the Paris Agreement based on the principles laid down in the Convention (UNFCCC), especially equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibility. We also had detailed discussion on a range of regional issues. First Russia-India-China trilateral discussions were organized in December, 2016. Welcoming these discussions, I proposed that its next meeting to be held in 2018 in New Delhi. I am happy that this proposal has been accepted. I also proposed that the dialogue between RIC young diplomats organized by China in January 2017 should be carried forward. Next year we will welcome young diplomats from China and Russia to India. In addition to our tri-lateral engagement, I had the opportunity to have separate meetings with Foreign Minister Lavrov and with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discuss our bilateral relations in a comprehensive manner. We had a frank and forward-looking exchange on a wide-range of issues. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and I agreed that we should further strengthen our mutual trust to develop a better understanding between the two parties. And it will be better to meet again and without agenda, which will help us to expand our mutual understanding. Foreign Minister Lavrov and I reviewed our bilateral relations and both of us were satisfied that this is the 70th year of establishing diplomatic relations between us and more than 100 programs were organized in the two countries to commemorate the 70th anniversary. It is well-known that relations between India and Russia are very close and friendly. In the end, I would unabashedly say that this trilateral forum RIC, which was established in 2002, is working very effectively. Its meetings are being conducted regularly and it provides us with a platform where the three major countries of the world, Russia, China and India, can openly have discussion on issues among themselves as well as other international and regional issues. Today's meeting also took place in a very cordial atmosphere and was very meaningful. Thank you. The entire text of the press statement has been taken exactly as posted by the official website of the Ministry of External Affairs and has not been edited by Firstpost. With inputs from IANS Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested a French journalist here for making a documentary on pellet victims. "Comiti Paul Edward has been detained for violating visa norms in Srinagar," a senior police officer said. Edward was arrested on Sunday evening from Kothibagh area. He was meeting separatists and pellet victims in the city to shoot his documentary, the officer said. Scores of protesting youths suffered injuries from pellet guns used in 2016 following an unrest in the valley after the 8 July killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Some lost vision totally or partially after their injuries. Edward has a passport and a business visa for India, valid upto 22 December, 2018, the officer said. A business visa does not allow anyone to make a documentary on political or security related issues. An FIR under section 14B of the Passport Act has been registered against the French national, he said. The French Embassy has also been informed about Edward's detention, the officer said. The Maharashtra government on Monday made a budgetary provision of Rs 15,000 crore for the farm loan waiver scheme on the first day of the Winter Session of the state's legislative Assembly in Nagpur. The government made this provision by tabling a proposal of supplementary demand for implementing the loan waiver scheme. The amount of 15,000 crore comes up to more than half of the total supplementary demand proposed, which is Rs 26,402 crore. Of these, a provision of Rs 1,000 crore each has been tabled from the social welfare and tribal development departments, for farmers belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In the Monsoon Session, the state government tabled a similar proposal for Rs 20,000 crore, which was accepted. The proposal which has been tabled on Monday is also likely to be accepted soon, sources say. The farm loan waiver is expected to cost the state exchequer an amount of Rs 34,000 crore. The waivertitled the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojanawas announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 24 June. But although over five months have passed since the announcement, very few farmers in the state have actually received the benefits of the scheme. On 7 December, the state government announced that an amount of Rs 19,537 crore has been disbursed to banks. While on 7 December, the government announced that 41 lakh out of 71.11 applications had been validated, only ten days earlier, the corresponding figure was a mere 69,832 applications. However, the government has increasingly been facing criticism from Opposition parties over the issue. The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have repeatedly demanded that the government put the details of the loan waiver online. In a press conference on Sunday, Fadnavis said the government would do so soon. The NCP organised a Halla Bol march from 1 to 10 December, during which it raised farmers' issues, the loan waiver being prominent among them. New Delhi: Slamming the BJP for "opposing" cancellation of licence of Max Hospital in New Delhi, Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday asked what relationship does it have with the hospital. "The way in which the BJP shamelessly stood behind Max Hospital yesterday, we want to ask this to the people of BJP: Without having any love for the baby's mother, what love did you have for Max Hospital? Why do you love the hospital? What is your relationship with the hospital? What is the deal behind it?" AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai said at a media meet in New Delhi. Rai added that they were not against doctors or private hospitals, but only against hospitals which were looting people. The Delhi government had on Friday cancelled the hospital's licence for erroneously declaring a newborn dead. But on Sunday, Bharatiya Janata Party's Delhi President Manoj Tiwari had questioned the decision. On Sunday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also said that his government was not against private hospitals, but they can't remain silent on inhuman criminal negligence and slammed Tiwari for "supporting" Max Hospital. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) has threatened to go on strike from Thursday, if the decision to cancel the licence is not revoked by the government. A baby boy was declared dead by Max Hospital on 30 November and handed over to the parents in a plastic bag, along with his still-born sister. However, the baby started moving while being taken for burial. He was then admitted in a clinic in Pitampura, but died on Wednesday. Months after the 73-day-long standoff between China and India at Doka La ended, reports have emerged of around 1,600-1,800 People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops establishing a presence in the same area near the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet trijunction. According to The Times of India, the Chinese troops have constructed two helipads, scores of pre-fabricated huts, shelters and stores to withstand the freezing winter in the high-altitude region. A source told the newspaper that earlier, the PLA patrols would come to Doka La between April-May and October-November every year to mark their presence and lay claim to the area before going back but now, after the recent standoff, the Chinese troops have stayed put in what India considers Bhutanese territory for the first time this winter. The report comes in after Army Chief Bipin Rawat cautioned that China is silently taking over territory and testing India's threshold. He had also warned of a two-front war on the western and northern borders. "Salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict...," Rawat said about China. Meanwhile, Beijing maintains that Doka La belongs to China. "Doka La is Chinese territory," Colonel Wu Qian, spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Defence said, when asked about reports that PLA continues to maintain a sizable number of troops close to the standoff site, reported Business Standard. More recently, Beijing accused New Delhi of invading its airspace. Chinese media said that an Indian drone crashed in Doka La and warned of the consequences. 'Indian drone invaded airspace' China's defence ministry claimed on 7 December that an Indian drone "invaded" its airspace and crashed. Beijing voiced strong dissatisfaction and opposition to the "intrusion by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to New Delhi". "The Indian move violated China's territorial sovereignty. We strongly express our dissatisfaction and opposition," deputy director of the army's western theatre combat bureau, Zhang Shuili, said in a statement. While Zhang did not reveal details of where the incident happened, Chinese state media said that the drone crashed in Doka La near the Sikkim boundary, reported Hindustan Times. It also said the consequence of this "intrusion" could be far worse than losing a drone. India, however, rejected Chinese claims and said the drone was on a regular training mission inside the Indian territory when it lost contact with the ground due to some technical problem. Indian officials alerted Chinese authorities over the missing unmanned aerial vehicle. 'Indian and Chinese troops present in Doka La' Government sources had told The Indian Express that around 1,000 Chinese troops were still present on the plateau. The presence of PLA troops had thinned in the area after the disengagement process following the standoff but, one battalion of Chinese troops remained, the report added. Rawat had said that both Indian and Chinese troops were present in Doka La, but were not in an "eyeball-to-eyeball" contact. "The PLA (People's Liberation Army) is still at Doka La, but they are at a reasonable distance from us and we are not in eyeball-to-eyeball contact," the army chief said. A PTI report said that China has gradually been increasing its troop level in Doka La. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa acknowledged this and said, "The two sides are not in a physical faceoff as we speak. However, their forces in Chumbi Valley are still deployed and I expect them to withdraw as their exercise in the area gets over." It further said that Beijing had started widening an existing road at a distance of 12 kilometres from the site of conflict. 'China to continue building roads' After the two nations ended the 73-day Doka La standoff, China remained non-committal on the issue of stopping road construction. "In order to meet the needs of defending the borders, improving the living conditions, China has long engaged in infrastructure development including the road construction," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. A Chinese daily further said that Beijing will continue to build the road in Doka La and New Delhi's strong reaction to the "logical" construction is "eccentric". The state-run Global Times said Doka La belonged to China and "during the Doka La face-off, Beijing intensified efforts to develop infrastructure in the region and road construction there will be a long-term trend". The standoff Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doka La since 16 June after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. Bhutan and India were in touch with each other during the course of the face-off that ended on 28 August. As part of the disengagement, the Chinese troops left the disputed area of Doka La along with bulldozers and removed the tents which they had pitched, according to a top Indian government official. With inputs from agencies Speaking at a rally in Gujarat's Palanpur on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Pakistan of interfering in the ongoing Assembly elections. Moreover, Modi also claimed that retired Pakistani military officers are willing to help senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel become the chief minister of the state. Modi's latest salvo came after a senior BJP leader claimed that suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, along with former vice-president Hamid Ansari and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met with the Pakistan High Commissioner on 6 December. This is what Modi said in the rally: "There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. It was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, Pakistan's former foreign minister, India's former vice-president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. The meeting at Aiyar's house carried on for almost three hours," Modi said. Modi claimed that Pakistan Army's former director-general, Sardar Arshad Rafiq, is interfering in Gujarat's election, alleging that he had appealed to make Patel the next Chief Minister of Gujarat. The Congress was quick to deny any such meeting with the Pakistani officials, calling the allegation "baseless". Nevertheless, unfounded allegations of a "foreign hand" meddling in India's internal affairs have been as old as the Indian State itself. The most popular proponent of the "foreign hand" theory was the late Indira Gandhi, who often accused western powers for trying to destabilise the country. As noted by eminent historian Ramchandra Guha, the "foreign hand" theory was the biggest contribution of Indira to India's political discourse. During the 1970s and 1980s,"foreign hand", most often than not, referred to the US-led western world, as the Soviets were considered to be close to India. That was the Cold War era when the world was sharply divided into the capitalist and socialist camp. There were numerous occasions when Indira blamed the "invisible hand" for creating trouble in India. In January 1975, when the then Union minister Lalit Narayan Mishra was killed in a bomb blast at Samastipur railway station, Indira immediately blamed "foreign elements" for the murder. "Foreign hand" became a frequent theme of the Indira government in the 20 month-long Emergency period. Just five months into the Emergency, Indira raised the "foreign hand" bogey to discredit the Jayprakash Narayan-led Opposition. "There are many people outside the country, who are not our well-wishers and who do not like to see India being strong and united and carrying forward its economic programmes," Indira told the nation during a radio broadcast on 11 November 1975. At a 1976 public rally in Calcutta, when the Emergency was in full swing, Indira Gandhi warned "foreign critics" to stop interfering in India's internal affairs. As the prime minister I can say the more they try to suppress us or oppose us, the more strong and united we will be. We dont care for their criticism, whether it came from the Socialist International or any other organisation," The Indian Express quoted her as saying on 3 March, 1976. In the rally, she also slammed "foreign powers" for belittling India's achievements like the 1974 Pokhran test and the launch of Aryabhatta satellite. Indira's fear of a foreign hand sabotaging India continued even under her successor and son Rajiv Gandhi. India Today reported in 1985 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had uncovered a Khalistani plot to kill Rajiv in the US. The report added that the prompt action of the FBI helped "snuff out much bally-hooed fear in India that an American 'foreign hand' is out to undermine the integrity and stability of the subcontinent." Rajiv, who famously said that only 15 paise out of one rupee reaches the needy, was also known for repeatedly claiming an "invisible foreign hand" for disrupting India's economic development. A November 1984 profile in The Guardian profile stated: "Rajiv is the one who most frequently talks about the foreign hand - a reference to the CIA and Pakistan - highlighting its alleged role in domestic affairs, particularly Punjab (sic)." As the Cold war came to an end, after the Soviet Union's disintegrated in December 1991, the narrative of a "CIA hand" took a backseat. This may have been possible due to India's ties with the US improving in the post-Cold War era. However, international NGOs like Greenpeace now occupy the position, once held by the CIA. Nevertheless, the US too has made infrequent appearances in conspiracy theories in the 21st Century. While the Anna Hazare-led Jan Lokpal movement took the nation by storm, the Congress party suspected the United States' involvement in funding the stir. "The US never supported any movement in India since its independence. For the first time, the US said that Anna Hazare's movement should be allowed and there should be no obstruction to it. What was the need for the US to give this statement?" Rashid Alvi, a senior Congress had said back then. Moreover, the CBI too made claims of a "foreign hand" maligning soon-to-be Congress president Rahul Gandhi. In September 2012, the apex investigator told the Supreme Court that three foreign websites were behind the charge that Rahul had abducted a girl. The most recently reported instance of an alleged "foreign hand" came in 2012, when the then prime minister Manmohan Singh claimed that foreign-funded NGO were behind derailing the Kudankulam nuclear pwoer plant in Tamil Nadu. "There are NGOs, often funded from the United States and Scandinavian countries, which are not fully appreciative of the development challenges that our country faces," India Today quoted the former prime minister as saying. What Manmohan claimed in 2012 was taken a step further by the Modi government in 2015, when it cancelled the licenses of around 9,000 foreign funded NGOs. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the decision was taken as the NGOs were prejudicially affecting the public interest and economic interest of the state. Greenpeace India was the major target of the government, which believed that the international NGO was working against the country's economic progress. The present NDA government is also a topic of discussion among the conspiracy theorists. After the Congress slumped to its lowest ever tally of 44 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, a senior Congress leader Mohan Prakash claimed that the BJP won a clear majority with the help of Israel's Mossad. He claimed that the RSS had been working in tandem with Mossad since 2009 to defeat the Congress, adding that the Israeli intelligence agency was unhappy over limited bilateral ties under the UPA regime. While conspiracy theories have remained on earth as long as the mankind, political scientist Jyotirmaya Sharma's statement highlighted the possible reason behind the phenomena, "The fear of the foreigner is phoney. It is not real. It has been created as a bogey to justify your capitulation to the outsider. With inputs from PTI Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers. NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indias main opposition Congress party on Monday elevated Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the countrys most fabled political dynasty, as its president, preparing to challenge the dominance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of national polls in 2019. Rahul Gandhi, Vice-President of India's main opposition Congress Party, is garlanded by supporters during an election campaign meeting ahead of the second phase of Gujarat state assembly elections, in Dakor, December 10, 2017. REUTERS/Amit DaveIn a long-awaited move, Gandhi, the great-grandson of Indias founding prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected unopposed to head the party. He will take the reins from his mother Sonia, the partys longest-serving president who was elected in 1998. Calling it a historic occasion, the Congress party said Gandhi would take charge as president on Dec. 16. Television broadcast images of party supporters celebrating and distributing sweets outside Congress offices in the capital, New Delhi, and the financial hub of Mumbai. Gandhis ascent coincides with state polls in Modis western home state of Gujarat that are shaping as a test for the prime minister, who has been facing criticism for softening economic growth and poor implementation of a nationwide sales tax. The Congress hopes a round of state elections offers the party, and Gandhi, a shot at revival ahead of the next national elections, due in 2019. Modis depiction of Gandhi as an undeserving prince has helped sideline Gandhi since the last national election, during which time Congress has suffered some of its worst results in local elections. The Nehru-Gandhi family has ruled the country for most of its 70 years since independence from Britain. Gandhis father and grandmother were both prime ministers, and both assassinated. GANDHI VS MODI FILE PHOTO: Rahul Gandhi, Vice-President of India's main opposition Congress Party, is pictured during an election campaign meeting ahead of the second phase of Gujarat state assembly elections, in Dakor, India, December 10, 2017. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File photoFollowing Congress defeat in the 2014 polls, Gandhi struggled to convince voters, as well as many within his party, of his leadership skills. But senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said Gandhi was now ready for the next challenge. The entire country has lots of expectations from Rahul Gandhi, Azad said. Much before he was elected he has shown his mettle. He knows his responsibility. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly dismissed Gandhis election, saying he had become president only on the basis of dynastic principle. Slideshow (4 Images)The new India is loath to (accept) dynastic principle and the family character of the Congress further diminishes its appeal, BJP spokesman G.V.L. Narasimha Rao told Reuters. Gandhi, until now a vice-president of Congress, is widely seen as a prime ministerial candidate if the party returns to power one day. The 47-year-old has increasingly gone public in slamming Modis governance since the last national polls, as he looks to shed the reticent image that has for years been synonymous with his political dynasty. But he has also faced political backlash. In 2015, for example, he took nearly two months of leave, prompting Modis party to accuse him of holidaying while parliament was in session. Modi still trumps Gandhi in popularity rankings, however. Nearly nine of 10 Indians have a favourable opinion of him and more than two-thirds are satisfied with the direction in which he is taking the country, a Pew survey found in November. Modis favourable rating was 30 points more than Gandhis, it showed. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Jaipur: Representatives of the Akhil Rajasthan Rajya Karamchari Sankyukt Sangarsh Samiti started a 48-hour hunger strike from Monday at district headquarters across Rajasthan to press the demands of state employees, which include implementing the recommendation of the Seventh Pay Commission from 1 January, 2016. Initially, the employees staged dharna. Later, under the leadership of committee coordinator, Aayu Daan Singh Kaviya, 11 representatives from the committee started a hunger strike amid rains and chilly breeze. On the occasion, Gajendra Singh Rathore, convener of Akhil Rajasthan Rajya Karamchari Sankyukt Sangarsh Samiti, accused the government of ignoring the core issues of employees. The state government employees are aggrieved owing to the "indifferent attitude" of the government, he added. He warned the government of serious consequences if the demands of employees remain unmet. On 12 December, the entire state government machinery will stage a protest in the name of pen down and tool down where no employee will contribute to any kind of work. The state secretariat will also extend its cooperation in this protest and boycott work. On 13 Decembe 13, massive protests will be staged across the state in respective headquarters and then a memorandum in the name of the chief minister will be submitted to respective district collectors. Chandigarh: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's counsel has deposited Rs 30 lakh as fine with the special CBI court in Panchkula which had imposed the fine on the sect head convicted in two rape cases. "A sum of Rs 30 lakh has been deposited with the special CBI court on Saturday," Dera chief's counsel, Vishal Garg Narwana, told PTI over the phone on Monday. The fine was paid in the shape of a demand draft, he said. In October, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had admitted the plea filed by the Dera chief challenging his 20-year sentence in two rape cases. The HC had directed Ram Rahim's counsel to deposit Rs 30 lakh as fine, which was imposed by the special CBI court on Ram Rahim, within two months. The jailed Dera chief had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 25 September, challenging the order of the special CBI Court of Panchkula which had sentenced him to 20-year-imprisonment for raping two disciples. Ram Rahim was convicted by the special CBI court on 25 August, after which violence and arson erupted in Panchkula and Sirsa districts which left 41 people dead and scores injured. Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak district. Patna: The main opposition party in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), hit the streets in Patna on Monday against the sand mining policy of the Nitish Kumar government in the state, throwing vehicular traffic out of gear. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also announced a statewide bandh on 18 December against the "anti-poor" attitude of the NDA dispensation in the state. The protest march, which was led by RJD national vice presidents Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Shivanand Tiwary and state president Ramchandra Purve, started from the party office at the Birchand Patel Marg and concluded at the Kargil Chowk, a few kilometres away. The JD(U)-BJP coalition government, after coming to power in the state in July, had come up with a new policy, in a bid to put an end to illegal sand mining and regulate its trade. Lalu Prasad Yadav's party has been critical of the policy. Road traffic was badly affected along the route of the march at the heart of the town with vehicles, including school buses and ambulances, seen stranded for hours. Reacting to the RJD stir, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters, "They are not agitating for any hardship caused to the common man. They are desperately trying to protect the sand mafia, which has been funding their party." Told about the deputy chief minister's remark, Tiwary angrily retorted, "The state government is neck deep in corruption which has been proved by scams such as Srijan. It has no moral right to speak about the mafia funding any party." Singh, who is also a former Union minister, said, "Construction activities have come to a standstill in the state since July, when the impractical sand mining policy came into being. Thousands of workers have been rendered jobless and compelled to migrate to other states in search of a livelihood." Tejashwi said, "The JD(U)-BJP government is anti-poor, anti-worker and anti-Dalit. Even the directions of the Patna High Court seem to have fallen on deaf ears. "Left with no other choice, we will now be staging a Bihar bandh on 18 December. The bandh will get support from every section of the society as the state is reeling under rampant corruption, deteriorating law-and-order and anti-people policies of the government, which seems indifferent to the plight of the common man." A plea seeking cancellation of the Ryan International School trustees' anticipatory bail filed by the father of seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur, who was found dead in the washroom of the school in Gurugram, was dismissed by the Supreme Court on Monday. Plea filed by Pradyuman's father Varun Thakur seeking cancellation of interim bail granted to Pinto family dismissed by Supreme Court. #PradyumanMurderCase pic.twitter.com/vbAiV5S66T ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 The apex court upheld the pre-arrest bail for the school's CEO Ryan Pinto, and trustees Augustine and Grace Pinto. The Pintos Augustine F Pinto, his wife Grace and their son Ryan were granted anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 21 November. On 6 December, the court had reserved its verdict on the plea of Pradyuman's father Barun Chandra Thakur. In his appeal, Thakur has claimed that the CBI probe into the case was underway and granting anticipatory bail at this stage would frustrate the criminal justice delivery system. "The manner in which the conspiracy has been hatched to kill him and the manner in which the entire scene of crime has been destroyed, decorated and ornamented, it clearly appears that the directions may have come from some high-ups to the school authorities and the possibility of the involvement of Pinto family at this stage cannot be ruled out in any manner whatsoever and howsoever," said the plea, filed through advocate Sushil Tekriwal. It also referred to an affidavit filed before the apex court by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and alleged that the board had categorically said the school had failed to discharge its responsibility to file an FIR and inform the district education officer. "Holding the school squarely responsible for the tragedy the CBSE has also said that the entire sequence of events, it clearly appears that the school was guilty in failing to ensure the safety and security of students," the plea claimed. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, while granting the anticipatory bail, had asked the Pintos to join investigations in the case. The court had barred them from leaving the country without permission. Pradyuman 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. He was recently granted bail by a lower court. The case was then transferred to the CBI and the agency had apprehended a class 11 student in connection with the killing. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday held talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on key bilateral issues. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/FHntQZw2ez ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 According to sources, all issues of mutual interest were discussed between the two leaders. This is the first high-level visit from China after the Doka La standoff this summer. Wang is in New Delhi to attend the Russia-India-China trilateral, He will also attending an India-China cultural event on Monday evening. The foreign ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) are in New Delhi to deliberate on a range of pressing regional and global issues, including ways to tackle the threat of terrorism and extremism, at the key meeting of the grouping. A 27-year-old woman from Telangana killed her husband and disfigured her lover's face with acid to pass him off as her husband after taking inspiration from Telugu movie Yevadu. The incident took place on 26 November in Nagarkurnool district, according to reports. The New Indian Express reported that the crime started unfolding when the deceased's family members got suspicious over the behaviour of their 'son' who was replaced by the woman's lover. Swathi was married to Sudhakar Reddy and had recently, got into an illicit relationship with Rajesh. Swathi and Rajesh decided to kill Sudhakar so they can live together and take possession of the husband's assets. They killed Sudhakar by hitting him on his head and dumped his body in a forest. The police told The Times of India that the woman called up her relatives and said that a group of four persons attacked her "husband" at their house and poured petrol on his face and set him on fire. She then shifted Rajesh to a hospital. Initially convinced with the story, the family spent Rs five lakh on his treatment. During one of their hospital visits, Sudhakar's relatives realised that the man undergoing treatment is someone else and they immediately informed the police. Swathi was arrested and Sudhakar's body was recovered from the forest area, Deccan Chronicle reported. During the investigation, the woman revealed the entire plot and said she killed her husband and then adopted the storyline of Yevadu to live with Rajesh. LGBT Pride in metropolitan India has its own look, its own leitmotif. The rainbow face paint. The trans woman in her gorgeous red-and-gold sari navigating the uneven road in high heels. The hand-drawn Ardhanarishwar posters and the little handmade rainbow brooches. The men pairing colorful pleated dhotis with elaborate nose rings and eyeliner. Face masks. Drums. Bollywood music. Azaadi slogans. The scrum of photographers with high-powered cameras. But this year, Kolkata, home to the oldest Pride parade in India, added a different flavour to the usual Pride celebrationsa Transgender Day of Rage. Transwomen, transmen and allies stood behind a banner showing a red clenched fist with the demand Stop the Transgender Bill 2016. They chanted Aamar deho, aamaar mon, doorey thako rajshashon (My body, my mind, stay away, government.) Not since the fight to overturn Section 377 has there been such a national galvanisation of the LGBT community as the opposition to a Transgender Rights bill the government wants to introduce in the winter session of Parliament. It was not meant to be this way. In a country where homosexual sex between consenting adults still remains criminalised by an antiquated law, transgender rights were one sliver of hope. The 2014 NALSA verdict was a landmark ruling where the Supreme Court unequivocally affirmed that the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution applied to transgender people. It gave them the right to self-identificationman, woman or third gender. In response, the government has come up with its Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights ) bill, but the proposed legislation has sent shockwaves through the community. NALSA liberated many of us as trans persons because it recognized for the first time that we can be who we are without having to prove ourselves to any authority, says Anindya Hajra, founder member of the Pratyay Gender Trust. The proposed bill completely violates that spirit. This new bill wrests that right of self-determination away and hands it to district screening committees which will determine who is an authentic transgender and who is not. Thats sounding alarm bells within the community. Neel, a trans-man, remembers the humiliation of athlete Pinki Pramanik, stripped and poked and prodded as the government tried to determine Pramaniks gender. To stand before a roomful of people to prove whether you are boy or girl or animal! This is inhuman, says Neel. It happened to Pinki and now they want it to happen in every district! And you call a bill that does this Protection of Transgender Rights? Aparna Banerjee, member of the West Bengal Transgender Development Board and the Amitie Trust, is even more blunt. Will we have to strip in front of this screening committee? Then Id rather strip in public. The problem says Banerjee, is that those who drafted the bill seemed to have no understanding of what transgender means. I cannot find myself in this bill, she says. It defines transgender among other things as neither wholly female nor wholly male or a combination of female or male and conflates intersexed with transgender. A transgender person is more than anatomy, retorts Banerjee. If the Supreme Courts NALSA verdict came as a moment of enormous affirmation for the community, this bill from the government has had the opposite effect - opening up angry wounds. There is already the notion of the real hijra and the fake hijra, explains Hajra. It is also kept alive by gatekeepers within the community. Who has undergone gender reassignment surgery and who has not is a topic of much conjecture and a weapon to undermine rivals within the community. This bill could further medicalise the discourse. The whole notion of fakeness vs authenticity is deeply internalized by our community, admits Hajra. When someone calls someone inauthentic, we forget that for many of us, its been, to use a cliche, a journey. Hajra worries this will create so much state scrutiny it will further discrimination when asserting ones own gender identity is already difficult. The government, in its wisdom, has chosen to reinforce that schism. If anyone who drafted that bill had bothered to come to the Rainbow Pride Walk they would have seen the diversity of the community where the trans-man with facial hair, the manicured trans-woman in sleeveless magenta blouse and an exquisite kantha sari stealing a smoke, and the hijra with sindoor in her hair all come under the umbrella of transgender. Instead the bill seems to have only understood transgender to mean hijra. We are not necessarily opposing the government, but this is supposed to be a transgender bill, not a hijra bill, says Ranjita Sinha, executive director of Association of Transgender/Hijra in Bengal. Transgender is an umbrella term. There are so many gender identities. A bill like this has to consider all of that. But it only pays lip service. I see the words intersexed, transman, transwoman used in the bill, says Neel. But I have grave doubts whether those who have written this bill understand what they mean. I fear a certain hijra-fication of the discourse, says Hajra. I am not saying thats not important but thats not the only way gender non-conforming people identify. Therein lies part of the problem. A government bureaucracy is all about conformity and putting people in boxes. Transgender, by definition, is something out of the box. Aparna Banerjee says while the rest of the country is worrying about linking their PAN cards to Aadhar, her community has other problems. PAN cards do not allow anything other than male or female, she says. So what do we link to? When you add talk of reservation and social welfare to the mix, it feeds into the paranoia that this will somehow open, as the Ministry of Home Affairs once put it in the context of Section 377, the floodgates of delinquency. Even the bills understanding of the realities of the lives of hijras, probably the most visible face of the transgender community, is spotty. When a community group met the minister for social welfare, he had, according to reports, been adamant that nuisance practices like begging and demanding money for blessings or badhai had to stop. The bill accordingly says anyone who compels or entices a transgender person to indulge in the act of begging can face imprisonment, but it offers no alternatives, it addresses none of the causes why so many hijras beg and it pays no attention to the history behind practices like badhai and mangti. It also privileges biological family over the adoptive family of gurus and gurukuls. If your family rejects you, it says there are government shelters, says Neel. But it does not say whether there will be special rooms for us there. Today if a transwoman goes to a shelter and is treated as a man, what is going to happen? The government does not have answers as it tries to steamroller over all the complexity in a one-size-fits-all bill. But the fight against it is also gaining steam. Banerjee walks the Kolkata parade carrying a sheet and asking people to donate whatever they can, ten rupees, fifty rupees, hundred rupees. The money, she says, will help bring thousands of transgender folk and their allies to Delhi to protest the bill. Shreya stands watching the protest. A trans-woman, in a gown exploding with multicoloured feathers, red, yellow, green, blue and a train of white paper roses, shes the cynosure of a hundred clicking cameras. She poses for all of them with catwalk poise. Its threatening to rain again and I wonder if shes worried that the outfit that shes worked so hard on will be ruined. If it rains and it goes, it goes, she says unfazed. But thats not going to stop me. I am here now. In its own way that defiant grit captures the spirit of the fight against the Transgender Bill. In front of Shreya, a copy of the bill is on fire. As photographers zoom in on the flames, an activist says with a shrug We know how to fight. We have done it all our lives. Mirzapur: Eight persons were arrested on Monday for allegedly beating up and molesting a woman from Varanasi and leaving a French national injured when he tried to intervene. UP Police maintained that no attack was made on the French national. The woman along with a group of French tourists and her relatives was visiting the Lakhania Dari Waterfall when the incident took place. A police spokesperson said, "No attack was made on any French national, but a French national sustained injuries as he tried to intervene in an altercation between two group of Indians." The French national sustained injuries on his hand, police said. He said the woman, a resident of Varanasi, was molested by some persons and was also beaten up. "The vehicle by which she had come to Mirzapur carried about half a dozen French tourists," he said. The woman later filed a complaint with the police, based on which the eight persons were arrested, the official added. The spokesperson said that on Sunday the woman in her police complaint had alleged that nearly a dozen persons molested her and beat her. She said her relatives too were beaten up by the men. Lucknow: In a shocking incident, a 15-year-old cancer survivor was allegedly raped by two men in Sarojini nagar in Lucknow and was later sexually assaulted by another person whom she asked for help, police said on Sunday. The incident took place last night when the girl had gone out to meet an acquaintance, Additional Superintendent of Police (Lucknow East) Sarvesh Mishra said. The survivor alleged that her acquaintance, Shubham, took her to a secluded place where he and his friend, Sumit, raped her and fled from the spot, the police said, adding when she sought help from a passerby, Virendra, he also raped her. The victim somehow reached home and narrated the ordeal to her parents. Subsequently, her father lodged a complaint, the police said. A case of gang-rape has been registered under relevant section of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), police said, adding Sumit and Virendra have been arrested. A hunt was on to apprehend Shubham, the Additional SP said. In October, a 19-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped by five men and shot at for trying to escape in a village near Lucknow raising concern over the law and order situation in the state. The incident happened when the girl had gone to the fields to relieve herself. She was allegedly assaulted by a group of five men who shot at her when she tried to fight them back, Satish Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Lucknow had said. The girl had reportedly travelled from New Delhi to appear for her Bachelors of Education (B.Ed) entrance exam. With inputs from PTI Ahmedabad: A group of war veterans on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of "betraying" their trust over the issue of the One Rank One Pension (OROP). They claimed that instead of agreeing to their demands for which the ex-servicemen had been agitating for long, the Centre was "insulting" them. The war veterans said the government was doing "injustice" by capping at Rs 10,000 per month the educational assistance it gives to children of martyrs or those disabled in action. "By not implementing OROP, the Modi government has betrayed our trust," said Major General (retired) Satbir Singh, chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement. During a press conference at the state Congress headquarters in Ahmedabad, Singh maintained their movement was "apolitical" and they had requested the opposition party to raise their grievances in Parliament and also before the public. The Modi government "insulted" ex-servicemen and their widows by arresting them and suppressing their protest using police, he alleged. "It has become a hallmark of the Modi government to suppress opposition voice. We would like to ask the BJP government at the Centre as to why it did not accept OROP in the form it was accepted by the then UPA government on 17 February, 2014?" he asked. The UPA government had agreed to the definition of OROP which said that servicemen who worked for the same duration and retired on the same rank will be given an equal pension, irrespective of their date of retirement, he said. "Why the Modi government did not accept OROP in the form accepted by the UPA government based on the theory of equality, thus denying benefits to ex-servicemen?" he asked. "The Modi government denied benefits of OROP to 40 percent of the armed forces personnel and those who retired early, according to a notification issued on 7 November, 2015," the retired officer said. He raised questions over the Modi government putting the condition in the scheme that it will review pensions after five years when experts sought a review after two years. "Why is injustice being meted out to the children of martyrs by limiting their education expenses at Rs 10,000 per month?" Singh asked. He was referring to a Centre's notification dated 13 September, 2017, capping education expenses for the kids of martyrs or those disabled in action at Rs 10,000 a month. In November 2015, the Centre issued a notification, bringing into force the long-pending OROP scheme, which it said, will benefit over 2.5 million veterans and war widows. However, the ex-servicemen had then rejected the notification, saying their main demands have not been accepted. In December 2015, the government appointed a committee to look into the anomalies, if any, arising out of the implementation of the scheme. The panel later submitted its report to the defence ministry. Four women from Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh were charged with sedition for stopping Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's convoy, say media reports. One of these women, Neetu Singh, had been in the news last week for marrying a picture of Adityanath to draw attention to the rights of anganwadi workers. Adityanath was on his way to attend the "Naimishya Shankhanaad" program when the women tried to stop his convoy, according to Jansatta. They were sent to judicial custody for 14 days. The police said that the women were repeatedly stopping the convoy and continued protesting despite being warned multiple times. On the other hand, Neetu said that she was told that the authorities just wanted to talk to her but was instead charged with sedition and sent to jail. Symbolic marriage to Adityanath's picture It had been reported on Wednesday that after their demands had been stonewalled for a long time by the state government, Anganwadi workers in Uttar Pradesh had devised a new way to put pressure on the authorities. Amid chanting of hymns and drum beating, Singh had symbolically "married" a picture of Adityanath. The mock wedding, solemnised in the presence of fellow Aanganwadi workers in Sitapur late on Tuesday, saw a picture of the monk-turned-chief minister being garlanded by the coy bride. Singh, the district president of Mahila Aanganbadi Karmachari Sangh, said that for them this was a novel way of attracting the attention of the state government. "Through this marriage we thought around four lakh sisters will benefit," she had said. "If our demands are still not met, I will go to meet Yogiji on a horse," she had said. The woman who put a picture of Adityanath on her face and acted as the groom said she was happy to be part of the "novel nuptial". The anganwadi workers had given a four-month ultimatum to the new Bharatiya Janata Party government to address the issues raised by them but rue that even after the passage of eight months, the state government has done nothing for them. In fact, an anganwadi leader said that they were cane-charged brutally in the state capital once when then went to protest. With inputs from IANS Contrary to what male chauvinists think and say, no woman goes out of her way to embarrass herself without cause. It is difficult to believe that Dangal actress Zaira Wasim sat on that Vistara flight from Delhi to Mumbai and plotted to indict 39-year-old Vikas Sachdeva for physically harassing her. At first, one is a little doubtful of the accusation, because an aircraft is not exactly a place where you can be easily intimidated. These days, you cannot even recline your backrest by those two awesome inches without someone in the back complaining that you are annoying them. And to be honest, if a woman in todays environment stands up and calls out inappropriate behaviour, half the aircraft would go to her aid. Sitting on a plane does not have the same risk factor as getting into a bus or an auto. One press of the call button and the crew would have appeared. Else, one can just get up and walk to the galley and complain to the stewardess. Passengers do it all the time for much lesser reason. Bad breath, leery men, body odour, irritating habits, even a medical condition. So, why did she suffer this mans nonsense in silence and still have the presence of mind to try and tape him. Ill tell you why. At first, you do not believe this is happening. Two weeks ago it happened to Mark Zuckerberg's sister Randi on an Alaska Airlines flight in first class. The man next to her began to make sexually explicit comments. She wrote on a Facebook page: Feeling furious, disgusted and degraded after an Alaska Airlines flight during which the passenger next to me made repeated lewd, inappropriate, and offensive sexual remarks to me . Such obnoxious sexual conduct is not unusual and happens far more often than we would like to think. The victim (and the person is a victim) is unable to assimilate the first nudges as being sexual in nature. You would think that you are in an air-conditioned slick modern aircraft with 200 people, and this cannot be happening. There is also this ridiculous belief that only educated, decent, and polite people travel by air. That brainwash becomes a deterrent to act. The hand or, in this case, the foot, goes away and returns and since the seats are so cramped, the lady being pestered tries to rationalise and put it to inadvertent movements. She just cannot believe this is happening. Then a pattern emerges and the victim knows this is for real; this is not random, and she is being targeted. There is immediate revulsion and horror and it is well documented that the disgust freezes the mind and the person does not know what to do. The option to create a scene is not one is grabbed automatically. Victims may think of what happens if no one believes them. Indeed, in Wasims case, there are people commenting that she did this as a publicity stunt. For heaven's sake, stop. Ask Dana T whose celebrated case on a United flight last year form Newark to Cologne shocked her when the man next to her began pinching her blouse and telling her to lie in his lap. A total stranger. And that brought to the fore the issue in the USA which we in India also grapple with. The crew are not trained to handle sexual harassment, the women in uniform are often hassled. There is no database of sexual harassment cases on flights. Airlines duck the subject so totally that when something gross happens, they try to wish it away. Sexual harassment is also very difficult to prove. Dana said to the crew; he pinched my nipple when I was sleeping. How do you prove that? Keeping this context in mind, it is possible that Zaira was seething with rage, but was unable to react. She decided to use a mobile phone to record the mans misconduct. When she deplaned, Zaira appeared shattered by her experience in the video. Did this actually happen on a plane? However, Zaira had the courage to speak up about her ordeal in public. Because aviation has not yet come to grips with this ugly reality, many people get away with their physical intimidation. There is this misplaced male concept that single women on a flight are fair game. Airlines must wake up to sexual harassment in the sky and keep a track of incidents like they keep track of their aircraft equipment malfunctions. The crew must be trained to respond to such incidents. Until this happens, there will be a hundred Zairas a day sitting in front of or next to some boorish lout. Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal on Sunday engaged themselves in a prolonged exchange of heated words on Twitter after Akali workers were booked for blocking roads and National Highways. The Akalis were protesting against alleged attacks on party workers and registration of what they say were "false" cases against them. Both Amarinder and Badal took swipe at each other on their respective Twitter handles. And what followed was claims and counter claims. In a series of tweets Amarinder wrote: "Shocked at reaction to registration of cases against Akali Dal dharnas that caused immense inconvenience to people. Does he not know it's against the law to block National Highways? Or does he simply not care for the law?" "Blocking National Highways does not just cause hardships to people, it also cuts off the strategic supply line of our armed forces in Kashmir and other areas, thus undermining our defence strength," he wrote. He alleged that the Akali Dal, "despite their tall claims of being guardians of Sikh religion", don't care that blocking highways would obstruct pilgrims going to Sri Harmandir Sahib. "There's a difference between a road & a National Highway and between a symbolic protest & 24-hour siege. Nobody is denying Akali Dal its right to protest but is it fair to bring normal life of citizens to a standstill and subject them to miseries as you did?"Amarinder wrote. Badal responded to Amarinder's accusation on Twitter. "Your goons forced us to come on roads by beating, shooting and not allowing people to file nominations in municipal polls," Badal said. Reminding Amarinder of the street protests he had organised, Badal said, "And please don't try to be holier than thou. Posting pic of your supporters blocking National Highway by stopping Lahore bus (sic). And here's a pic of you blocking a road. Whom are you trying to fool? SAD will continue to protest for people's rights." Amarinder defended his stand, saying, "Right to protest is indisputable in a democracy. But the way Akali Dal blocked the National Highway was not only illegal but against the interest of the people. Not the sign of a healthy opposition!" But Badal was less than amused. He continued: "Not letting people file nominations is murder of democracy akin to what Congress did in Emergency. SAD will expose you." Amarinder replied: "Stop perpetrating lies. If Akali Dal nominees had been stopped from filing nominations they would have grabbed the extra day given by EC to submit papers. Fact is nobody turned up, clearly exposing your blatant falsehoods." He also equated the Akali Dal with the Aam Aadmi Party. "It seems that Akali Dal has decided to go the Aam Aadmi Party way when it comes to street politics. It seems Badal has learnt no lessons from Arvind Kejriwal and his party's poll routs," Amarinder wrote on Twitter. Ahmedabad: The Congress on Sunday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an impartial probe into the note-ban decision that the opposition party dubbed the "biggest scam ever and the largest money-laundering scheme". "In September 2016 (before demonetisation announced on 8 November, 2016), a whopping Rs 5,88,600 crore was deposited in banks, of which Rs 3 lakh crore was in fixed deposits. Whose money was it and what happened to it?" Congress Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said at a press conference in Ahmedabad . "In October 2016, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar purchased eight properties. In Odisha, it purchased 18 properties, just ahead of demonetisation. Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah tell the people as to how many properties they purchased just before demonetisation? Will they disclose the details of the party's bank accounts of the months preceding demonetisation?" Surjewala said. Modi had announced the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. "Also, Rs 500 crore was deposited in the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank three days before demonetisation. Amit Shah is a director of this bank. Was he questioned by the Income Tax Department or the Enforcement Directorate regarding this money?" he said. The Congress leader said that after demonetisation, Rs 10.1 crore was seized from a Vaidyanath Cooperative Urban Development Bank van, in which BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde has a stake. "It is public knowledge that the cooperative banks were not given any new currency. Then how come this cooperative bank got new currency of Rs 10 crore? Whose money was it? Is there any probe into this case?" Surjewala said. He said at a time when the common people were struggling in bank queues to get a few lakh of rupees in new currency for their daughters' weddings, mining baron G Janardan Reddy splurged Rs 500 crore on his daughter's wedding. "The BJP top brass made a beeline to this function as Reddy is considered very dear to Prime Minister Modi. Why was no investigation launched against Reddy as to where from he got so much money in new currency, when notes were being rationed to the common people?" Surjewala said. "We challenge the prime minister to order an impartial probe into all these cases, and many more such cases, and bring out the facts before the people," he added. The Congress leader called All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi as the "B-team of BJP" and said people should not pay attention to the polarising antics of such people. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he was spreading "falsehoods" to score political points. Singh issued a statement after reports of him attending a meeting where a Pakistan envoy was present. Denying that any discussion about the Gujarat election took place at the meeting at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence, Singh said that Modi is losing ground in Gujarat and his fear of the imminent loss is quite evident. His statement was a reaction to Modi's address at a public rally in Vadodara on Sunday where he had asked Singh why did he not show the courage to order a surgical strike post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, despite the readiness of the army. The prime minister had also raised a question mark on a "secret meeting" between Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and the former Pakistani high commissioner and other leaders from that country. #BREAKING -- Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh takes on Prime Minister Modi over the war for Gujarat. Pak Cong Meeting: Manmohan Singh denies Gujarat poll discussion #CongPakLinked pic.twitter.com/dtqaTWM2mt News18 (@CNNnews18) December 11, 2017 Dr. Manmohan Singh shows the mirror of truth and gives a reality check to Prime Minister Modi, who has been driven by canards & false propaganda in face of imminent defeat in Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/QLQiPQDHxI Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 11, 2017 The former prime minister also said, "Congress needs no sermons on nationalism. My track record of public service over five decades is known to everybody. Prime Minister Modi should apologise to the nation." Earlier too, on 7 December, Singh had said the people of Gujarat have seen though the "lies" propagated by the BJP during its 22-year-rule in the state, and took a dig at the ruling party over the 'Gujarat model' of development, saying it only benefited the top one percent of the society. He also said the "achhe din" promise made by the BJP was "nowhere to be seen". Singh had also attacked Modi over demonetisation and GST rollout, saying, "Modiji has betrayed the trust that the people of Gujarat had reposed in him." The Congress leader had also demanded that the Centre should release the relevant documents and files relating to demonetisation. With inputs from PTI Auto refresh feeds Rahul Gandhi could be declared the Congress party president on Monday, which also happens to be the last date of withdrawal of nomination in the partys organisational elections. Rahul Gandhi will officially take charge of the Congress party on 16 December when his mother and longest-serving president Sonia Gandhi resigns. Congress workers are celebrating the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as party president at the party headquarters in Delhi, reported News18. Congress Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran said that they received 89 nomination papers for one candidate. Since Rahul was unopposed, Ramachandran declared Rahul as the new president of the Congress party. Congress to have a formal event on 16 December at party headquarters in Delhi Ramachandran said that Rahul is a stickler for rules and both he and Sonia Gandhi completely stayed away from the process and allowed the election authority to function autonomously. On the other hand, Rahul as Congress vice-president failed during the Assembly elections, be it allying with the Left in West Bengal or in Uttar Pradesh. Many times, Rahul has been accused of being an absentee politician. Dealing with alliances will be a major challenge. Rahul is expected to face a tough challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, who are known for their connection to the grass roots and drawing up electoral strategies with surgical precision. While former prime minister Manmohan Singh described Rahul Gandhi as the "darling of the Congress", Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said he would make a "good future prime minister". The principal tasks before Rahul Gandhi as Congress president will be to evolve strategies for countering Hindu nationalism without alienating the Hindus and ensuring Other Backward Classes (OBC) politics doesn't stump the party. These two tasks dwarf the challenges most media commentators have identified for Rahul those of forging alliances with regional players and building the party organisation. As Congress president, Rahul Gandhi's challenge will be to win Hindu hearts without becoming poor Hindutva copy Long before Independence, his great-great grandfather, Motilal, headed the party, the first from the family to do so. The Nehru-Gandhi clan was at the helm of affairs of the party after independence for 38 years: Nehru for three years, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi for eight years each, and Sonia Gandhi for a record 19 years. Of the 15 people who led the 132-year-old Congress party post-Independence, four belonged to the Gandhi-Nehru family. When Rahul Gandhi takes over as the president, he will be the fifth. Uttarakhand: Celebration at Congress office in Dehradun after Rahul Gandhi elected as the party President. pic.twitter.com/6fWeG1bGYt Celebrations at our Mumbai Congress office on the the occasion of Shri Rahul Gandhi being elected as the president of Indian National Congress #CongessPresidentRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/R6Uwi78HVU The principal tasks before Rahul Gandhi as Congress president will be to evolve strategies for countering Hindu nationalism without alienating the Hindus and ensuring Other Backward Classes (OBC) politics doesn't stump the party. These two tasks dwarf the challenges most media commentators have identified for Rahul those of forging alliances with regional players and building the party organisation. As Congress president, Rahul Gandhi's challenge will be to win Hindu hearts without becoming poor Hindutva copy This is the worst time in India under present govt. In such time Rahul Gandhi has been elected as party President. In Gujarat, he has proved he is the only candidate who can be relied upon. He is facing Modi confidently: Tarun Gogoi on Rahul Gandhi elected as the party President pic.twitter.com/oFyfdctNYQ Joyous moment for the party as we celebrate the appointment of @OfficeOfRG as the President of @INCIndia . Beginning of a new, energised, positive and progressive era in the party under his leadership. #CongressPresidentRahulGandhi "She will continue to play an effective role even though she is not (Congress) president." The outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi will continue to play an effective role and guide the destiny of the party, senior party leader M Veerappa Moily had said. Long before Independence, his great-great grandfather, Motilal, headed the party, the first from the family to do so. The Nehru-Gandhi clan was at the helm of affairs of the party after independence for 38 years: Nehru for three years, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi for eight years each, and Sonia Gandhi for a record 19 years. Of the 15 people who led the 132-year-old Congress party post-Independence, four belonged to the Gandhi-Nehru family. When Rahul Gandhi takes over as the president, he will be the fifth. Since Independence, Gandhi family has held the reins of the Congress party for 36 years A look at who's headed the Congress over the years TTV Dhinakaran greeted Rahul Gandhi for his elevation as Congress President and wished him a 'sterling' tenure. Rahul Gandhi on Monday is expected to be elected as the president of the Congress party, succeeding his mother Sonia Gandhi. Monday was the last date of withdrawal of nomination in the partys organisational elections. He will however, officially take charge only on 16 December marking a generational shift in the grand old party when his mother and its longest-serving president Sonia Gandhi would formally hand over the baton to him. He has become the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to take charge of the Grand Old Party of India. Senior party leader M Veerappa Moily said outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi will continue to play an effective role and guide the destiny of the party. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) had cleared the decks for Rahul's elevation in a meeting chaired by Sonia and attended by top party leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, and party general secretaries. The 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face monumental challenges as Congress president. As Debobrat Ghose wrote for Firstpost, "Rahul as Congress vice-president failed during the Assembly elections, be it allying with the Left in West Bengal or in Uttar Pradesh. Many times, Rahul has been accused of being an absentee politician. When he takes over, dealing with alliances will be a major challenge." Another challenge would be overhauling the party cadre through internal restructuring, he wrote. The Congress party will also have to mount a strident campaign for state elections in 2018 to begin gathering a momentum that can put it in a better position for the general elections in 2019 Hindustan Times reported. Rahul Gandhi could be declared the Congress party president on Monday which also happens to be the last date of withdrawal of nomination in the partys organisational elections. The Congress Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita will announce that Rahul's was the only nomination for the top job on Monday. A press conference has been scheduled for 3:30pm, News18 reported. Rahul will officially take charge only on 16 December marking a generational shift in the grand old party when his mother and its longest-serving president Sonia Gandhi would formally hand over the baton to him. While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since independence, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have been dwindling in the recent past. Today, the party, which once controlled almost the entire country, has its governments in just five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The announcement of Rahul's elevation, however, is likely to be made on Monday, the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the election of the Congress president which is a one horse race. Altogether 89 nominations received in his favour were found to be valid during scrutiny. Rahul, however, will be handed over the certificate appointing him the party president on 16 December in the presence of Sonia and other senior leaders, Ramachandran said. Sonia will officially hand over the mantle of the 132-year-old party to her son around 11 am after which Rahul will meet leaders from across the country at the Congress's headquarters, party sources said. The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab. Rahul's elevation would come just two days ahead of the counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly election. A sure-footed Rahul powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him. "Delivering in Gujarat will be important as it is the immediate test facing Rahul, who has mounted a strong anti-BJP campaign in the state and led personally from the front. We are looking at victory in Gujarat," said a Congress leader and former chief minister. Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said reorganising the party would be another major task for him. "Every post comes with a challenge. He has to rebuild the party at the grassroots and strengthen the ideological base. His undisputed election as party president is a sign of his strength. He will have to take everyone along from the AICC level right up to the states," she told PTI. Striking a balance between the old guard and the young leaders would be a key to running the organisation which has many seasoned politicians whose wisdom he could use as he steers the party. Rahul in the past had said that he would draw upon a blend of experience of the old and the energy of the young. "Initial signs are encouraging since he put veterans like Ashok Gehlot and Sushil Kumar Shinde in charge of elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh respectively and was willing to bank on them," said a leader. He also got appointed young leaders as secretaries. Clarity on the party's ideological stand on the issue of Hindutva would also be important as he is being seen as projecting the Congress's soft Hindutva with his visit to temples in Gujarat. He has also proclaimed himself a "Shiv bhakt". These visits are also being seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP's accusation against the party of Muslim appeasement. "This is to course-correct after it was felt that an overtly pro-minority image of the Congress undermined its electoral prospects on the eve of 2014 Lok Sabha elections," a party veteran noted, adding cobbling together electoral alliances will also be key to the future growth of the party. Another former union minister said every state had its own set of challenges and Rahul would be expected to make informed decisions in each by taking everyone along. Rahul has already been taking all major decisions in the party even though his formal elevation was delayed due to a long-drawn internal election process. The deadline set by the Election Commission for the conclusion of the organisational elections in the Congress expires on 31 December. Organisational elections in the Congress were due in 2015. The party constitution provides for elections to be held every five years. The last such polls were held in 2010. Rahul, who was initially hesitant about taking over the reins from Sonia, who held the partys top post for 19 years, will be the sixth member and fifth generation leader of the Nehru-Gandhi clan to occupy the post. These include Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi. Some eminent leaders who held the post in the pre-independence era included Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Vallabhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad. Eminent people like Madan Mohan Malviya, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Annie Besant and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, the first party president, also led the party in the pre-independence era. Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 A fascinating contest of narratives is under way in Gujarat. In response to Narendra Modi's charge that Congress is letting Pakistan interfere with India's electoral process, Rahul Gandhi on Monday sought to reset the parameters of the debate. He told voters in a rally that this election is all about Gujarat nothing else and the prime minister's attempt to distract the voters betrays his nervousness. The Congress president-elect has insisted that he "respects" the prime minister's chair (Manmohan Singh might privately disagree), and inspired perhaps by Michelle Obama's Democratic Convention speech the Gandhi dynast claimed he would rather answer the prime minister's 'venomous barbs' with 'love'. Bitten once too often, it seems to have finally dawned on Congress that abusing Modi may be counterproductive. Hence it wants to restrict the debate on local issues, farmers' plight and economic woes: Topics that it believes will resonate with Gujarati voters. This is a prudent approach. The problem with Congress is that its messaging is inconsistent and it remains prone to frequent self-goals. For instance, it wants the voters to believe that a desperate prime minister is trying to "polarise voters" because he knows BJP has 'lost the elections'. This implies Congress is confident of returning to power in Gujarat and sees no reason why it should, unlike the BJP, 'polarise voters'. PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP's loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 If it is Congress' electoral strategy to "stay away" from polarising issues, personal attacks and occupy a moral position in the cut and thrust of electoral politics, what explains its spokesperson's recent demand that Modi should "apologise" for communal riots by visiting the Jama Masjid? At a debate organised by News18 on Sunday evening, Congress leader from Punjab Charan Singh Sapra said Modi should take a leaf out of Sonia Gandhi's book and say 'sorry'. "Neither my party nor do I support the 1984 (anti-Sikh) riots. Sonia visited Golden Temple and apologised in front of the media. Manmohan Singh also apologised in Parliament. In the last 33 years, the BJP has been adding insult to our injury. Can Narendra Modi visit the Jama Masjid and apologise for 1992 riots?" This comment could be the fourth self-goal that Congress has scored since the onset of campaigning in Gujarat. It may rank alongside blunders such as party's claims that Rahul is a 'janeu-dhari' Hindu (one who wears the sacred thread)", Kapil Sibal's submission in Supreme Court on delaying Ayodhya verdict till after 2019 elections and Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'neech' insult against Modi. Expectedly, the BJP wasted no time in flagging the demand as 'outrageous' and framing it within the parameters of 'vote bank politics'. Several BJP leaders condemned the statement, with party president Amit Shah telling journalists on Sunday in Gandhinagar that "entire nation knows the allegations levelled on the prime minister by the Congress backed NGO were all false. Yet for vote bank consolidation, 2002 is being raised in 2017." It is tough to believe that Congress is unaware of the repercussions of raising the issue of communal riots or attacking Modi personally in his home state bang in the middle of elections. It is either Congress' attempt at dog-whistling to corner Muslim votes, or another example of its incoherent electoral strategy: Possibly both. What the grand old party doesn't seem to realise is that any mobilisation of Muslim votes through dog-whistling strategies is a game two can play, and BJP is on a much stronger wicket here because it can counter-mobilise the majority sentiment. This dissonance sends out mixed signals about Congress' intent and confuses voters. It is also becoming a defining feature of the party under the new boss. Early signals indicate Rahul's leadership will be little more than a continuation of Congress' policy of pandering to all impulses be it majoritarian or minoritarian in a 'horses for courses' strategy. While that is hardly a radical departure from the way Sonia handled electoral strategies, Rahul's job is made difficult by the fact that he lacks the finesse to dress rank opportunism as savoir faire. Consequently, the new president-elect swings between extremes: Overcompensating while trying to restore balance in positions. In this respect, Rahul is closer to his father who tried to compensate for his Shah Bano blunder by laying the ground for Babri Masjid demolition. As Shekhar Gupta writes in Print, Rajiv Gandhi "allowed the unlocking of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi site, pretty much endorsed the temples foundation stone laying (Shilanyas) and then launched his 1989 campaign from therewith a promise of ushering in Ram Rajya." In the larger context, Rahul's inconsistent positions risk undermining its larger electoral strategies. It has sought to approach the Pakistan debate once again from a high moral ground by demanding Modi's apology for ostensibly making a "social function" look "sinister" through insinuations that it was a "secret meeting". "The former prime minister and vice-president were merely attending a social function in which high (level) dignitaries were present and it was not a secret meeting (At the event) former chief of army was present, former Indian high commissioners to Pakistan, distinguished diplomats of this country, eminent journalists they were all present and the prime minister gives it a sinister and sensationalist twist?" said Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma. It escaped the Congress that Modi has been building the 'Congress-soft-on-Pakistan' narrative rather diligently for what it's worth, and Congress played into his hands by initially sounding abrasive about the meeting. In response to Modi's allegations of Pakistan's interference in Gujarat election, and his statement at a rally that a meeting at Aiyar's residence involving Pakistan's former high commissioner and former minister of external affairs did take place, Sharma called Modi a 'liar'. On Sunday, the senior Congress leader dismissed the accusation as a "lie being sold by the prime minister", and told ANI "only because he is rattled by the defeat that is staring him and the BJP in the face, he should not say such things. If he had this information, and if it is true, which is not, then it would have been an act of treason and action should have been there under law. Why is he crying there? If there is anything like that, why has he spoken now?" asked Sharma. On Monday, Congress claimed that there was nothing secretive about the meeting. This apparent inconsistency in argument allowed BJP the chance to bring out a discussion into the open about an allegation that addresses the deepest concerns of our collective psyche. The fact that it took place at Aiyar's residence, who had, on an earlier occasion, allegedly told a Pakistan TV channel that Modi must be removed for talks to resume only added to the narrative. In 2015, Aiyar told Pakistan's Duniya TV channel: "Bring us (the Congress) back to power and remove them. There is no other way (to better the relations). We will remove them, but till then you (Pakistan) have to wait." Modi was playing his cards well. The Congress tried turn the table on BJP by suggesting that it was Modi who made an unscheduled stop at Lahore at Nawaz Sharif's invitation, but these attacks don't affect BJP much since it has secured the 'nationalist' space in polity. Meeting Pakistani envoys over dinner surely isn't an exceptional event, but doing so during an Assembly election involving a border state, and being initially abrasive about details, gave Modi just the kind of weapon he was looking for. The Congress made similar blunders during Doka La conflict when Rahul met Chinese envoys reportedly to "seek details": An issue that Modi has kept repeating during Gujarat campaign. To defeat an excellent communicator like Modi at his game, the first requirement is consistency in messaging. It must be based on a coherent strategy. There is no space for self-goals. The new Congress president-elect has his job cut out. Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is set for his stormiest Assembly session of the past three years as a result of a variety of issues which are not restricted to the problems with implementing the farm loan waivers. Since coming to power in 2014, Fadnavis has largely been able to navigate through choppy waters in the Assembly, but the session that kicks off in Nagpur today is certain to be his biggest test yet. Here's a look at the reasons for this: First, the chief minister's pet project the farm loan waivers announced on 24 June has run into a whole host of implementation problems, ranging from online bugs to issues with banks. It's been nearly six months since the project was announced and yet farmers across the state are still deep in debt. "The number of beneficiaries, as reported by the government, has changed so many times that people have lost faith in this government," said senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, adding, "If this government prides itself on its high levels of transparency, why isn't it putting the details of the loan waivers online?" The issue of unwaived loans is likely to take centre stage in Nagpur, particularly after the NCP held its protest march, named Halla Bol, from 1 to 10 December. Over the course of their 140-kilometre march, senior NCP leaders claim they didn't encounter a single farmer whose loans had been waived. Second, the Yavatmal pesticide tragedy has also provided further ammunition to the Opposition that claims that the BT Cotton that was brought in, is also affected by pests. And the parties in the Opposition demand that the government takes responsibility. Third, the latest NCRB data shows that crime rates in Maharashtra particularly, in Nagpur have skyrocketed. Considering the fact that Fadnavis holds the home ministry portfolio in the state, fingers are set to be pointed at him. Fourth, the Opposition is likely to raise the issue of corruption charges against Panjaka Munde, Vinod Tawde, Girish Mahajan, the Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai and others. The fifth reason that is set to contribute to a stormy Winter Session is the mess in the state government's online systems. From farmers to scholarships, the Opposition contends that there's not one area where the online system is functioning satisfactorily. Further, on Tuesday, the Congress and NCP will launch a joint morcha at Nagpur's Vidhan Bhavan, led by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad. On the agenda for the Winter Session are 13 new bills to be tabled and 11 ordinances to be approved. However, whether or not these even receive a cursory hearing remains to be seen. Chennai: Opposition DMK will stage a protest here on Tuesday urging the Centre and state government to expedite rescue of missing Kanyakumari fishermen post Cyclone Ockhi, party working president MK Stalin said on Monday. The DMK leader also said he has sought an appointment with Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit to take up the issue. Speaking to reporters here, he claimed different figures were being given by various officials in the state government and Ministers on the number of fishermen missing since the cyclone hit Kanyakumari recently, especially affecting the fishermen community. Scores of them who had ventured into the sea for fishing prior to the cyclone are yet to return, according to their families and relatives. "The Centre and state governments are ignorant in conducting a survey (of missing fishermen). I have been insisting that only if Kanyakumari is declared as a disaster-affected district can due steps (to address problems) be taken," the DMK leader said. "DMK fishermen's wing will stage a massive agitation on Tuesday pressing the Centre and the state government to expedite rescue of missing fishermen," Stalin said adding he will lead the protest. Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, said he had sought an appointment with the Governor to discuss "fishermen's issues." Since the governor was not in town, an appointment was likely on Wednesday, he added. In a separate statement, Stalin questioned why Chief Minister K Palaniswamy has not visited Kanyakumari so far and met families of missing fishermen. He criticised Palaniswamy for focusing on the RK Nagar bypoll and the birth centenary celebrations of AIADMK founder, the late chief minister, MG Ramachandran. New Delhi: Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Monday questioned prime minister Narendra Modi for spinning "unsubstantiated and unbelievable" stories against political opponents. Sinha's comments came a day after Modi said Congress leaders met the Pakistani high commissioner in New Delhi. Hon'ble Sir! Just to win elections anyhow, and that too at the fag end of the process, is it a must to come up with & endorse new, unsubstantiated & unbelievable stories everyday against political opponents? Now linking them to Pak High Commissioner & Generals?! Incredible!.1>2 Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) December 11, 2017 Modi on Sunday had accused a group of Congress leaders of meeting the Pakistan High Commissioner at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence before the latter called him (Modi) "neech". Addressing an election rally at Sanand, Modi said the meeting at Aiyar's residence was also attended by former Indian vice president Hamid Ansari and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Continuing his attack on the Congress, Modi said, "There was a meeting convened at Aiyar's residence where Pakistan's high commissioner, Pakistan's foreign minister, Ansari and Manmohan Singh were present. The meeting lasted three hours." The next day Mani Shankar said I am a 'neech'," said the prime minister. Aiyar was promptly suspended from the Congress' primary membership. He also apologised for his comment. Sinha also advised the prime minister to stop communalising the atmosphere and return to the promises that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made in the 2014 general elections. Sir! Instead of new twists & turns, stories & cover ups, let's go straight to the promises that we made, regarding housing, development, employment of youth, health, "Vikas model". Lets stop communalising the atmosphere & go back to healthy politics & healthy elections. Jai Hind! Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) December 11, 2017 Sinha, a former union minister has been vocal against the policies of the Modi government, especially demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax. Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's jibe at Congress for "conspiring" with Pakistan for Gujarat election, party leader Anand Sharma on Monday accused him of trying to polarise voters ahead of the second phase of polling on 14 December. PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP's loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 Speaking at a press conference, Sharma said Modi's comments displayed his desperation and that BJP's loss was now guaranteed in the prime minister's home state. On Friday, Modi addressed a public gathering in Gujarat's Bhabhar, where he lashed out at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and alleged that Aiyar had told "people from Pakistan to get Modi out of the way." "Did you go to Pakistan to offer a supari on my head?" Modi asked. Calling Modi's words reprehensible, the Congress said that a former Pakistan foreign minister was in New Delhi to attend a wedding. "Ex-Pakistan foreign minister was here (New Delhi) to attend a wedding. There was a dinner organised for him in which there were former diplomats and the former army chief among other dignitaries. Does the prime minister think they were all conspiring with Pakistan? It is reprehensible," ANI quoted Sharma as saying. On Sunday, he invoked Pakistan once again in a rally in Palanpur, saying Congress leaders held secret meetings with Pakistan officials. "You people must have read the newspapers about the incident at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. It was an issue of hot debate, and the media said that a meeting between former Pakistan high commissioner, former minister of external affairs of Pakistan, former vice-president Hamid Ansari and former prime minister Manmohan Singh was held at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. The meeting had run for three hours and the next day he called me neech," Modi was quoted as saying by The Times of India. Earlier on Monday, the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad slammed Modi for dragging Pakistan into the internal politics of the country. Calling the comments "utterly baseless and irresponsible", Foreign Office spokesperson, Dr Mohammad Faisal took to Twitter to express his displeasure. He said that India should "win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies". India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 11, 2017 Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 In October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the coastal town of Ghogha in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district to inaugurate the roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) ferry service, that connects Saurashtra to south Gujarat. His hour-long speech at the launch of his "dream project" took just about one-fourth the time many of Ghogha's residents lose because of water daily, or rather the lack of it. As part of her daily routine, Shehnaz Sheikh, a Ghogha resident, walks for about an hour to the pond near her village to wash clothes. She needs another hour to wash them and an hour more to walk back. "There is no water in the village," she says, while on her way to fill drinking water. "The common well has water for six months a year, and that too stinks. It is a farce that we use this water to clean utensils and clothes. We cannot use groundwater because it is saline," Shehnaz adds. Through the narrow, sludgy lanes of Ghogha situated on the mid-western bank of the Gulf of Khambhat water storing drums stare at you from every nook and corner. They are filled with drinking water once a month for about one hour, and that too is not clean. Which is why they have to order water tankers frequently. One pot of water costs about five rupees. "I just filled water worth 20 bucks," says Shehnaz. "The costs multiply during summers. They know we have no other option." Most of the residents of Ghogha and the adjacent village of Machchiwada making up for over 13,000 of Bhavnagar's population are small fishermen or labourers. They work around the village or in Bhavnagar city, which is about 20 kilometres away. Sajid Ibrahim, a mechanic, says that he spends Rs 1,200-1,500 every month to procure drinking water. "That is about 20 percent of my monthly income," he says. "In summers, it doubles or triples. How am I supposed to sustain? What exactly are we demanding that is so difficult to provide?" Apart from the three hours she loses to Washing clothes , Shehnaz has to fill water from the common well, if it has any left. If Not, she then has to walk outside the village to fetch it for cleaning and bathing. "I do not remember a time when we did not have water problems," she says. "This is what I have been doing all my life. It is ironic to live on the coast and grapple for water. We have been complaining to the MLA for years, but he has hardly ever turned up in the village." The constituency belongs to Purushottam Solanki, a three-time MLA from the Bhavnagar rural seat. He is a prominent Koli leader, the community that dominates the constituency. But merely eight kilometres from Ghogha, in the village of Koliyak, the anger over Solanki's neglect is replaced by euphoria. Daksha Parmar, a Koliyak resident, says that she gets 24 hours of running water throughout the year. "Purushottambhai has brought vikas (development) to our village," she says. "He has reduced so much of our efforts. We do not have to think of water as we plan our day." A vegetable seller in Koliyak, Kanabhai Bariya, says that Solanki is very accessible. "...smallest of complaints and Solanki will be at your doorstep to find a solution," he says. "He has built hospitals, roads, provided water in our village and the neighbouring villages as well." The village of Ghogha, though, has conspicuously missed the boat of vikas. When Modi arrived to launch the 615 crore RoRo project, villagers desperately expected the prime minister to address their concerns. But he did not. The aim of the ferry service was to appease the Patels in the vicinity, who have their relatives working in textile and diamond industries of Surat. The geography of Gujarat forced people in Bhavnagar to cover the entire arc and go around the sea via a nine-hour bus journey to get to Surat. The ferry service directly takes one to south Gujarat in an hour, as it connects Ghogha to Dahej. In Budhel village, 12 kilometres from Ghogha, Khimjibhai Gorakhiya says that he can now meet his sons living in Surat regularly, who work in the diamond industry. "Modi has brought us closer," he says. "Earlier, we had to plan well ahead of time to meet them. Today, we can go and come back within a day. Our sons can visit us more frequently. It has saved our money, efforts and time." The same ferry service taking off from Ghogha, however, has become a headache for its residents. Most of the small fishermen in the village do not own a boat. They fish near the banks, by going in as far as they can by foot. Munaf Abdul, 45, says that when the ships embark and disembark from the jetty, they rupture the fishing nets placed by the fishermen in the sea. "Nobody compensates us for that loss," he says. "Moreover, the jetty has limited our fishing area. Guards at the jetty do not allow us to fish on the other side of it. It has reduced our income by half." The jetty service has brought a shipping yard with it as well, but Ghogha residents have hardly benefited from it. "We get odd labour jobs at the shipping yard but that is once in a while," adds Sajid. "We need permanent, assured sources of income. But our woes have been selectively ignored." Over 70 percent residents of Ghogha are Muslim, while the villages around it are predominantly Koli. Mohammad Sheikh, a labourer living in Ghogha, says that they do not mind supporting the BJP if the government provides basic facilities. "We do not want anything expansive," he says. "All we ask for is jobs and water. Conditions here are unliveable, while villages around us are in much better shape. There is only one hospital in the neighbourhood, which is only for emergency services. Are we being discriminated against because of our faith?" Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 Ahead of the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Congress has "already lost in the first round" of polling and claimed that its leaders were using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as an excuse. "Congress has lost in the first round and are not even thinking about the second round as they know people here will support BJP. They are now making excuses. They know that south Gujarat supports Modi, so their leaders and cheerleaders are blaming EVMs, including saying they are hacked using Bluetooth," Modi said while addressing a public rally in Patan on Monday. Modi also told the gathering that BJP leaders were the ones who came to their rescue when their villages were submerged in the recent floods in Gujarat. "When this area was flooded, chief minister Vijay Rupani, former chief minister Anandiben Patel and other BJP ministers came and stood with the people. The prime minister reviewed the situation. Tell me where were the Congress workers at that time? The Congress MLAs were enjoying in resorts in Bengaluru," he said, taking a jab at the Opposition party's meeting in Bengaluru to evade "poaching attempts" ahead of the state elections. Modi also criticised soon-to-be Congress president Rahul Gandhi's 'potato to gold' statement, saying he lacked basic knowledge of agriculture. "Our farmers work hard and grow potatoes. If at all Congress comes to power, there will be no need to do that because their leader says we will produce potatoes in factories. Congress' basic knowledge about agriculture is so poor," Modi said at the rally. The prime minister also reacted to Rahul's claims that government policies were implemented only for serving the rich and that he only "worked for five industrialists," saying he worked for the children of the poor. "During peak summer, I would go to the villages of Gujarat and ask parents to educate their children. Whose children were they? Were they Ambani's children? No. They were children of the poor. We are working for poor," Modi said, who also addressed rallies in Nadiad and Ahmedabad on Monday. Taking another swipe at the Congress, he added that the party leaders would never understand what poverty is. "When we went to the farmers, did Krishi Mahotsav, we did not go out helping the rich. We went among the poor. Sadly, Congress leaders born with golden spoons will never understand what poverty is!" Modi said in Patan. The voter turnout in the first phase for 89 seats on Saturday stood at 68 percent. The second, and final phase, for the remaining 93 seats will be held on 14 December, followed by counting, which will be held on 18 December. Watch the complete rally here: With inputs from agencies Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 Requests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress to organise road shows for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat on Tuesday have been turned down by the police due to security concerns, according to media reports. Ahmedabad police commissioner Anup Kumar Singh told ANI that the requests for the rallies were turned down "due to security, law and order reasons, and to avoid public inconvenience." Request by BJP & Congress for conducting PM Modi & Rahul Gandhi's road show tomorrow, turned down by Police due to security, law & order reasons & to avoid public inconvenience : Anup Kumar Singh, Police Commissioner #Ahmedabad to ANI #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/qaNr7lbdYL ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 On Monday, Modi will address three rallies in Gujarat's Patan, Nadiad and Ahmedabad on Monday, where polling is scheduled for the second phase on 14 December. Congress vice-president Rahul will address four rallies in Tharad, Viramgam, Savli and Gandhinagar on the same day, according to officials. BJP president Amit Shah will also address four rallies in Saigam in Banaskantha district, Enclave and Barsad in Anand and Dabhoi in Vadodara on Monday. The first phase of Gujarat assembly elections on Saturday saw a 66.75 percent turnout, according to final figures released by the Election Commission on Sunday. The counting of votes will take place on 18 December. Gujarat has been under the BJP's rule for the last 22 years. With inputs from IANS Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 The BJP and Congress are gearing up for the next phase of elections in Gujarat which is scheduled for 14 December. Keeping up the hectic campaigning, which went on ahead of the first phase of polling held on 9 December, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi have several rallies scheduled in the state on Monday. While Modi is expected to address three rallies in Gujarat, Rahul will take part in four rallies in Banaskantha, Ahmedabad,Vadodara and Gandhinagar. The prime minister is expected to arrive at Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University ground in Patan at 12.30 pm where he will address a rally. Around 2.30 pm, Modi is likely to arrive at the Helipad Ground near the National Express Highway in Nadiad. At 7 pm, Modi is expected to address gathering at the Sabarmati riverfront which is behind the National Institute of Design campus in Ahmedabad. Rahul is scheduled to address at least four public meetings in Banaskantha, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Gandhinagar. Rahul's last rally at the Ramkatha Maidan in Gandhinagar is expected at 5.15 pm. He will start his campaign from the Shivnagar ground in Banaskantha at 12 pm. Political discourse became harsher than usual after Congress' Mani Shankar Aiyar's neech remark, which BJP did not take lightly. Campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat has been hectic and high-octane as the two major parties in the fray are busy levelling charges against each other. Rahul in Kalol Amid this acrimonious political atmosphere, Modi addressed a rally in Vadodara while Rahul addressed a gathering at Kalol on Sunday. Rahul, while attacking the prime minister and his government's various policies, said he would not use even one "galat shabd" (wrong word) against him because he respects the post of the prime minister. Rahul, who began his second day of campaigning for the second phase of poll, said that he has learnt from the history of the Congress and the legacy of party leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that one should "defeat his enemy with love". "Modi ji uses wrong words regarding me, talks senseless things, and did once in today's speech as well. I would like to tell everyone from both BJP and Congress that Rahul Gandhi respects the position of the prime minister." "However offensive words the prime minister uses about me, Rahul Gandhi is not going to say a single wrong word regarding the prime minister," he said. "And in Gujarat, we are going to defeat you with love, Modiji," quipped Rahul, who is set to assume the reins of the Congress in a few days from now. During the day-long campaigning, Rahul offered prayers at Ranchhod Raiji Mandir at Dakor and Shamlaji Mandir at Shamlaji. Exuding confidence that his party would dethrone BJP from power in Gujarat, Rahul said that Congress government would listen to the people instead of delivering Mann ki Baat as "Modi ji, (BJP president) Amit Shahji, or (Chief Minister Vijay) Rupaniji do". Rahul targetted the prime minister over speeches in his rallies claiming Modi frequently changed the election planks and now he was left with nothing to speak about but himself and Congress. Modi in Vadodara Meanwhile, Modi, addressed a public rally in Vadodara on Sunday night and asked his predecessor Manmohan Singh why did he not show the courage to order a surgical strike post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, despite the readiness of the Indian Army. He said that after the Mumbai attacks, the Indian Air Force had approached the then prime minister Singh with a plan for surgical strikes, but the government did not show the courage to order it. "Under whose advice did he (Singh) do so," Modi asked the gathering at the Navlakhi compound in Vadodara. "Someone who served at a high position in the Indian Air Force has said that after 26/11, they went to the then prime minister with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then government did not show the courage to do that," Modi said and cited the example of his government's action in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack in September last year. "My government, in the aftermath of the Uri attack by Pakistan, had launched a surgical strike inside the borders of Pakistan, targeting several terror camps and launchpads. The strikes came as a surprise for the Pakistanis who were caught unaware. While the maximum damage was inflicted on their side, the Indian soldiers came back without any casualties," he added. Election results for the Gujarat Assembly Election will be announced on 18 December Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 The BJP and Congress are gearing up for the second phase of Gujarat elections which is slated for 14 December. While Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi have been regularly hitting out at each other in the course of the poll campaign, both the leaders chose political civility over vociferous acrimony on some occasions in the recent past. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Rahul Gandhi on his election as the Congress president. "I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress president. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure," Modi tweeted from his personal twitter handle @narendramodi. I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress President. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure. @OfficeOfRG Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2017 Modi's congratulatory message came on a day when a row broke out over his insinuation on Sunday that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was colluding with Pakistan to influence the state polls. Singh shot back, saying Modi was setting a "dangerous precedent", and asked him to apologise to the nation. On the other hand, Rahul last month had also instructed Congress workers in Banaskantha to conduct "dignified campaigning" and respect Modi. "I wrote an email to Ashok Gehlot, asking him to instruct all our social media campaigners not to say anything undignified about Modi ji. He is the prime minister of our country and he must be respected. I remember how Manmohan ji was ridiculed when he was the PM. I said we will not do that to Modi ji. We will not go beyond a point," Rahul said, according to India Today. "I would like to tell everyone from both the BJP and the Congress that Rahul Gandhi respects the position of the prime minister," Rahul had also said at a rally in Kalol. However, the BJP and Congress have consistently levelling charges against each other. Recent examples were Mani Shankar Aiyar referring to the prime minister as 'neech' and Modi's claim of Pakistan interfering in the Gujarat polls. With inputs from agencies Vadodara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public rally in Vadodara on Sunday, asked his predecessor Manmohan Singh why did he not show the courage to order a surgical strike post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, despite the readiness of the Army. He said after the Mumbai attacks, the Air Force had approached the then prime minister Singh with a plan for surgical strikes, but the government did not show the courage to order it. "Under whose advice did he (Singh) do so," Modi asked the gathering at the Navlakhi compound here. "Someone who served at a high position in the Air Force has said that after 26/11, they went to the then prime minister with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then government did not show the courage to do that," Modi said and cited the example of his government's action in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack in September last year. "My government, in the aftermath of the Uri attack by Pakistan, had launched a surgical strike inside the borders of Pakistan, targeting several terror camps and launchpads. The strikes came as a surprise for the Pakistanis who were caught unaware. While the maximum damage was inflicted on their side, the Indian soldiers came back without any casualties," he added. Modi also questioned Congress leaders, including its vice president Rahul Gandhi, for raising doubts over the surgical strikes. "Are such secret matters to be discussed in public?" he asked, saying this was the difference between the NDA government and the UPA government. Modi said the reason behind his vacating the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat in 2014 was for blossoming the "lotus" in Uttar Pradesh and replicating the Gujarat model of development in that state. After winning two Lok Sabha seats from Vadodara and Varanasi in the 2014 general election, Modi had retained the Varanasi seat. He thanked the people of Vadodara for allowing him to resign from here. The prime minister also justified demonetisation, saying it was aimed at unearthing black money and preventing the parallel economy. He said the government had since succeeded in unearthing a "hawala" racket in Jammu and Kashmir which led to the arrest of many leaders who were advocating support for terrorism in the state. Congress leaders were not happy with demonetisation as it was a source of their income and even after a year since the note ban, they had kept the issue alive, he said. The prime minister also wondered how a "secret meeting" between Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and the former Pakistani high commissioner and other leaders from that country could take place without the knowledge of the Government of India. Modi said when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, he used to take permission from the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government at the Centre before holding a meeting with a foreign dignitary. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Congress leaders of having a "secret meeting" at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence, alleged that Pakistan was interfering in Gujarat Assembly elections and asked why former prime minister Manmohan Singh did not "show the courage to order a surgical strike post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, despite the readiness of the army", Singh released a statement responding to Modi. Dr. Manmohan Singh shows the mirror of truth and gives a reality check to Prime Minister Modi, who has been driven by canards & false propaganda in face of imminent defeat in Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/QLQiPQDHxI Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 11, 2017 Here is the full text of Singh's statement: I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister, Sh. Narender Modi. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly & regrettably, Sh. Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a Former Prime Minister and Army Chief. The Congress Party needs no sermons on Nationalism from a party and Prime Minister, whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. Let me remind Sh. Narender Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan. My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Sh. Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground. I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar as alleged by Shri Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner. The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations. Names of the distinguished Indian public servants and journalists present at the dinner are enclosed to this statement. None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti-national activities. I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies. Note: The above text has been taken directly from the official Twitter handle of Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and has not been edited for content or style by Firstpost. Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 Taking offence to political comments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoking Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad slammed politicians across the border and said that they should "win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies". Spokesperson of the ministry Dr Mohammad Faisal said on Twitter: India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 11, 2017 On Friday, Modi addressed a public gathering in Gujarat's Bhabhar, where he lashed out at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and alleged that Aiyar had told "people from Pakistan to remove Modi from the way." "Did you go to Pakistan to offer a supari on my head?" Modi asked. On Sunday, he invoked Pakistan once again in a rally in Palanpur, saying Congress leaders held secret meetings with Pakistan officials. "You people must have read the newspapers about the incident at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. It was an issue of hot debate, and the media said that a meeting between former Pakistan high commissioner, former minister of external affairs of Pakistan, former vice-president Hamid Ansari and former prime minister Manmohan Singh was held at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. The meeting had run for three hours and the next day he called me neech," the prime minister was quoted as saying by The Times of India. Calling it an issue "of serious concern", Modi said, "Former director general of Pakistan army Arshad Rafiq has insisted that Ahmed Patel should be made chief minister of Gujarat. Former army director general intervenes in Gujarat election. They held meeting with Pakistanis at Mani Shankar's house... Congress must answer what suspicious activities they are doing. They must answer the country," the report added. Reacting to the prime minister's comments on Monday, Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "For the first time in history, a prime minister has said these kinds of words for the Opposition we condemn it. Former vice-president and former prime minister served the country for decades." Sharma then asked for an apology from the Modi. The birth anniversary of a political leader is generally marked with celebrations, the receipt of bouquets, the distribution of sweets and other such activities. But Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will be celebrating his 77th birthday on Tuesday by heading a rally in Nagpur. Pawar will attend the Halla Bol Aakrosh March along with senior Congress leader Ghulab Nabi Azad. The Congress and NCP will jointly lead the rally and it will be a rare occasion that Pawar takes to an agitation against the state government. The march is aimed at cornering the BJP-Sena government in the state for its unfulfilled election promises. Senior NCP leader and MLC Hemant Takale said, "It is true that Pawar will be agitating against the state government after 32 years. It was in 1985, when Pawar had organised a cycle rally against the then state government of the Samajwadi Congress. It was organised from Jalgaon to Nagpur. While Pawar has participated in marches in Mumbai and Pune since then, from the point of view of a state-related rally, he is doing so for the first time in 32 years." "For the first time, he will be agitating on his birthday in the interest of the people. The way this government is neglecting farmers' issues like Minimum Sales Price (MSP) for agri goods and the disbursement of loan waivers, he has decided to protest against this government and walk on the street," said the NCP supremo's nephew and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Speaking with Firstpost, he said, "Generally, Pawar (Sr) used to stay at home in Pune or Mumbai and have a low-profile event. The only events organised on his birthday were health checkups and blood donation drives for those in need. But to wake up the sleeping BJP-led government, a joint Congress and NCP march will be held on Tuesday. As part of the Halla Bol agitation 1 to 10 December, we walked 140 kilometres and noted that Nagpur and the entire Vidarbha region is in distress about this anti-farmer government." The rally will begin at Lokmat Chowk, where Pawar Sr will address the rally. The combined march against the BJP-led government will be a show of strength with more than a dozen leaders from each party likely to take to the streets. It is believed that Pawar, a senior and respected leader from the state, heading the rally will lend the event some heft. Azad is expected to attend as well, said MP Ashok Chavan. "It's a combined Opposition march in which the Congress, NCP, RPI, Peasants and Workers Party and Samajwadi Party will be participating. The objective is to target the government that has failed miserably on all fronts in the past three years. Right now, our priority is the combined Opposition march and ensuring its success. More than two lakh participants are set to attend the rally," said Chavan. "The BJP-led government just makes grand promises and then fails to implement any of them. The popularity graph of the BJP has quickly dropped and the Opposition is united in exposing the weak government," added the former chief minister. However, senior BJP leader and education minister Vinod Tawde said his party was ready for the morcha. "Whatever issues the Opposition parties have raised are issues created by them. We are with the farmers and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has everything under control. This rally is only a publicity stunt," he said. Nagpur: On his birthday on 12 December, NCP president Sharad Pawar would hit the street against the BJP- led government in Maharashtra. The Maratha strongman and former Union minister, who will turn 77 on 12 December has already completed 50 years of active participation in politics. Pawar will take part in an anti-government rally being organised in Nagpur by the opposition Congress and the NCP, which have accused the BJP-led ruling coalition of "neglecting" issues related to farmers and common people. When the veteran politician hits the street, it will be a rare occasion in his political life, during which he has held a number of key posts in Maharashtra and also at the Centre. The former chief minister will be agitating against an incumbent government after over 30 years. Hemant Takale, senior NCP leader and an MLC, said, "It is true Pawar would be agitating against the state government after over 30 years. It was in 1985 that Pawar had organised a cycle rally against the then state government. The cycle rally started from Jalgaon and ended in Nagpur." "Pawar has mostly been in power," said another senior NCP leader. Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar and a former deputy chief minister, said, "Generally, (on birthdays) Pawarsaheb would stay at his home in Pune or Mumbai and have a low- profile event. The only events used to be organised on his birthdays were health check ups and blood donations. "For the first time, Pawarsaheb will be agitating on his birthday for people's interest. Pawarsaheb has decided to protest against this government to highlight the ways it is neglecting the interests of people," Ajit Pawar said. Senior Congress leader and former union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will also be participating in the rally. Congress, NCP leaders and workers will take out a march which will conclude at Lokmat Chowk where Pawar and others will address the rally. New Delhi: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday condemned the "unwarranted" statement by Pakistan on Gujarat elections, and seemed to suggest that it was aimed at bailing out Congress party. Prasad said Indians were capable of contesting the country's democracy on their own. This came after Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted:"India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible". The tweet came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Palanpur in Gujarat talked about a purported secret meeting held at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's home and attended by the Pakistani High Commissioner, an ex-Pakistani foreign minister, a former Vice-President of India and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This meeting, Modi claimed, happened a day before Aiyar called him "neech". "Today a very curious statement has been released by Pakistan foreign office condemning Pakistan being dragged into India's election and stated that Indians must learn to fight the elections on their own. Yes, I wish to tell Pakistan that Indians are capable of contesting India's democracy on their own as they do... India's Prime Minister is a popularly elected PM and so is the BJP," Prasad told reporters. India, he said, "completely abhors any outside interference in India's electoral affairs." The role of Pakistan in promoting terrorism in India is too well known in the entire world and Pakistan. "Please stop giving us lessons. We are proud of India's democracy," he said. "We are very productive of India's democracy and totally condemn this unwarranted statement from Pakistan," he said. Prasad said it was "curious" that Congress leader Anand Sharma had denied any meeting taking place at the residence of Aiyar. "And in today's newspapers...It is very evident as to who attended the meeting including from Pakistan and even Manmohan Singh went there in the get together," he said. "Why a wrong statement was made by Anand Sharma completely denying that no such meeting took place." "Now it is whose turn to apologise? But what is curious is that this happens and Pakistan comes out with an official statement. In many ways seeking to bail out Congress party. Is it too suspicious? Surely, the country will draw its own conclusion," he added. Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of resorting to "histrionics" and pulling the ongoing poll campaign for the Gujarat elections to "a new low". The critical ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party said that Modi "dug up the graves of the Mughal regime" in his campaign - instead of speaking about "vikas" (development) issues - to target the opposition Congress. "The people of Gujarat had already rejected the Congress for 22 years for this very reason. The prime minister chose to ignore the progress and developmental issues and stooped to mere 'tu-tu, main-main' (rhetoric) in his own home-state," Shiv Sena in a strong edit in the party mouthpieces, "Saamana" and "Dopahar Ka Saamana", said. It pointed out how Modi oscillated between "very emotional" and "highly aggressive" in his public meetings and wondered what prompted the BJP to such bottom-level campaigning tactics, with its party chief Amit Shah, all cabinet ministers, state chief ministers and other leaders swooping on Gujarat to defeat Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. The edit mentioned the "neech" (lowly) reference made by "jobless" Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar which Modi countered by claiming it was "an attack on Gujarati pride" which raked up a controversy that subsided only after Aiyar apologised. "This reference to me is an insult not to the country, but to the people of Gujarat", was Modi's refrain as the Congress attempted a damage control by suspending Aiyar from the party. "By such a statement, Modi made himself small. We always believed he stood for the 'pride' of the people and all the Hindus of the country, but he still remains stuck in the Gujarat rut. "He came across more as a regional leader than a national figure, but when others raise issues of 'regional pride' they are threatened into silence by the sword of 'national pride'," Shiv Sena added sharply. "It has been made clear by the BJP that truths and lies no longer matter in winning elections, as also issues of 'vikas', which is the reason why the party even forgot to publish its manifesto and "nobody raised developmental issues in the campaigns," the edit said. The Gujarat poll campaign was reduced to mere theatrics, making emotional speeches, shedding tears, and doing 'tandav' (Dance of Death), and in the final stages, Modi became very sentimental by referring to "the people of the country are my family". "Does this imply that all past presidents, prime ministers and other top leaders had no relationship with the people? Some like Indira Gandhi sacrificed their life, while many others spent years in jail, for the country. "They sacrificed so much because they considered the people of India as their family," Shiv Sena said sternly. Not only them, it reminded that even the soldiers who were getting killed on the borders are a part of the same family, and urged the ruling dispensation to rein in their highly emotive speeches. PTI On 11 December, China successfully launched Algeria's first communication satellite, the first project in aerospace industry between the North African nation and Beijing. The Alcomsat-1 was launched into a present orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. It will be used by Algeria for broadcast and television, emergency communication, distance education, e-governance, enterprise communication, broadband access and satellite-based navigation, it said. The satellite was launched 40 minutes past midnight by the Chinese Long March-3B carrier rocket, making it the 258th flight mission for the Long March rocket family. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika exchanged congratulatory messages on the successful launch of Alcomsat-1, the report said. tech2 News Staff Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus today announced that it would give out 10,000 complimentary tickets to the screening of the new Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi. The tickets to the movie screening that also gives fans the chance to check out the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition smartphone and even meet up with the rest of the OnePlus community in their respective cities. The free tickets will be available on oneplusstore.in and Paytm in two phases on 13 and 15 December at 10.00 am. OnePlus in a press release said that the complimentary tickets was one of the many unique engagements planned for the OnePlus community, which are a part of the company's three year celebrations in India. Fans will get a chance to experience the upcoming OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition smartphones in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Banglore and Kochi. Commenting on the event, Vikas Agarwal- General Manager at OnePlus India said, The OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition is dedicated to the OnePlus and Star Wars fans in India. We are humbled by the phenomenal response to our smartphones this year that has made OnePlus the best selling smartphone in premium segment and has reinforced the trust that our fans have instilled in us. OnePlus has detailed two simple steps to enjoy the movie and experience the phone at OnePlus popup stores: Step 1: Visit oneplusstore.in and register your OnePlus IMEI number (If you have registered your IMEI previously, you can skip this step). Then choose your city and confirm the movie date and time (tickets are available for 16th and 17th December at select PVR and Cinemax theatres). Click Get It button & your ticket coupon code will be generated (Depending on availability) Step 2: Once the ticket coupon code is generated, follow the link to the Paytm website, to select from the available shows and complete the checkout process Star Wars: The Last Jedi releases in theatres on 15 December, 2017 in India. Asheeta Regidi This article is Part 10 of a multi-part series explaining the recently issued white paper on data protection in India. The responses to the white paper will help in the formulation of Indias future data protection laws. You can read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8 and Part 9. Regulating and enforcing data protection faces two key challenges the wide range of entities, sectors and industries which are subject to it and the rapid pace at which technology is developing. In view of the divergent needs of each, a suitable regulatory model needs to be adopted. Once established, it is essential to support this regulation with suitable enforcement mechanisms. Customising regulation for diverse sectors The diverse needs of various sectors demonstrate the need for customised regulation. For example, in the telecom sector, ensuring adequate encryption and other security requirements, such as for the various networks, is essential to make sure that there is no snooping on peoples communications. For the financial sector, it is crucial to maintain the confidentiality and security of the data in the possession of the financial entities. This will still need to be disclosed, routinely, to the apex financial regulator to ensure the smooth running of the industry. Data in the medical sector is even more sensitive but still needs to be shareable with relatives, other health institutes and for research purposes. This data may even need to be shared without consent to save the life of the individual. For data with social media, protecting peoples personal information like photographs and messages from hackers and the government is one consideration and dealing with the privacy implications of a new technology like live streaming is another. International regulatory models When considering regulating data protection, different countries have adopted different versions of these models. One is the European model, ie, the general data protection regulation (GDPR), an all-inclusive regulation, applicable to all entities, whether private or public. The second is the US model, featuring an encouragement of self-regulation, through numerous state and sectoral level regulations, along with a few federal regulations. Another is the Singapore model, with one data protection regulation and several guidelines issued through a public consultation process, much like that of TRAI. The co-regulatory approach for India These models can be broadly classified into the command and control approach, the self-regulatory approach, and the co-regulatory approach. The White Paper recommends the co-regulatory model for India, an approach that was previously also recommended by the Justice AP Shah Committee. This combines an overarching data protection regulation, along with sector specific self-regulation. The benefit of this approach is that different industries can customise data protection regulations based on the kind of data they handle. Any aspects or industries that are left out will still be protected under the main regulation. Inadequate enforcement mechanisms in India Once a regulatory approach is decided, the next consideration is enforcing it. Prescribing privacy regulations can be effective only when they are backed by adequate enforcement mechanisms. This is, in fact, one of the primary drawbacks in Indias current privacy laws. The IT (Sensitive Persona Data or Information) Rules, for instance, embody most of the privacy principles, such as consent and notice, purpose specification, use limitation, and so on. However, there are next to no enforcement mechanisms. The IT (SPDI) Rules require adequate security practices, require a regular audit of these practices, and require the body corporate to be able to demonstrate at any time that it has adequate security standards. This is, in fact, similar to the approach of the GDPR. There is, however, no system of checks to ensure implementation, nor is there any consequence or penalty for non-adoption. Thus, despite the rules being in place, the lack of enforcement makes their implementation is limited. Accountability under Indian laws The only consequence that will follow will be under Section 43A of the Information Technology Act when the lack of adequate security practices results in a failure to protect the sensitive data, and this leads to a wrongful loss to a person. The tie-up with the lack of security practices, on the one hand, and the need to prove wrongful loss such as financial loss, on the other, further limit the scope of this section. For instance, many a time, the effects of a loss of data, say a hack of a social media site, are felt much later. This can take the form of another cyber attack, say a spearphishing e-mail targeting the head of a business, sent later using details acquired from the social media hack. Ineffectiveness of Section 43A For example, consider the major breach of ATM card details in India in 2016. A person whose debit card was compromised as a result of this hack, would not be entitled to compensation under this provision for the hack itself, for the loss of their data or for any mental agony that results. He will only be entitled to compensation if actual financial loss results to him, such as an actual stealing of funds from his account. The bank itself, will also not be subject to penalties for any negligence under this provision. Since this example considers the highly regulated financial industry, there are penalties under financial laws, such as the Banking Regulation Act. The example nevertheless demonstrates the failure of Section 43A as a privacy law. Who should be held accountable? When considering accountability under the new law, resolving this issue with Section 43A is crucial. A key consideration for this is to define what kind of liability must be established under the new law? Consider a mobile wallet this will involve a number of different parties the app developer, the telecom service provider (TSP) providing communication channels, the m-wallet provider itself, a bank that the m-wallet has tied up with, or the cloud service provider whose services the m-wallet provider is using. The operating system of the phone being used may also be transferring data. For a data breach from the m-wallet app, who should be held responsible the m-wallet company itself, the app developer for a flaw in the app, or the OS manufacturer for any contributory vulnerability? In this case, should liability apply to all the entities (jointly and severally)? Another option is to establish strict liability, where the data controller is liable for any loss of data, regardless of the adoption of security practices. This is recommended by the White Paper for inherently risky businesses. This may be considered, for example, for the central identities data repository (CIDR), which stores crucial biometric data. Yet another option to be considered is the common practice of contracting to establish liability among various parties. The RBI, for instance, allows financial entities to enter into contractual arrangements with outsourcing providers to fix liability, but where the agents of the financial entity are concerned, the financial entity will remain responsible for any violations by them. Determining security standards and codes of practices The IT (SPDI) Rules require the adoption of security practices commensurate with the nature of the business and the data in their possession. An international standard such as the IS/ISO/IEC 27001 has been recommended. This approach has its advantages, in effect, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. Industries are thus also encouraged to self-regulate. Small businesses also, this way, are allowed a lower standard of security. Sector-specific regulations, such as the Information Security Guidelines of the RBI, or its Cybersecurity Framework for Banks, follow a similar format, where an extensive set of security standards have been prescribed, but each organisation is expected to customise these to their specific needs. A bank, thus, will have a different set of security practices from, say, a payment bank or a peer to peer lending platform. This process also has drawbacks to be considered. TRAIs latest consultation paper on data privacy, for instance, appears to be a case of regulatory overreach, unless its scope is restricted to the telecom sector. Another issue that arises is with overlapping obligations from various regulators, as seen for m-wallets, with RBI directions on prepaid payment instruments, and the Meitys IT (SPDI) Rules as well as the proposed Meity rules for prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) specifically, all of which have privacy provisions. Such overlaps can create compliance issues for the governed entities. Privacy by design The drawbacks of the notice and consent system for privacy, particularly in view of the overwhelming amounts of data usage for which consent is required, has led to the privacy by design approach. This imposes an obligation on businesses to implement privacy by design or privacy by default. Through this, a business is obliged to consider data privacy at the initial design stages of a project as well as throughout the life cycle of the relevant data processing. This approach is supported in the GDPR but is again not without issues. For example, OS manufacturers release common APIs based on which apps are developed. A flaw in this can lead to flaws in the whole system. Consider the Apple HomeKit flaw which left smart gadgets developed using the software development kit vulnerable to attacks. Even OSes like Android and Apple have built-in privacy requirements, such as data which an app can and cannot access, raising issues with their conformability to prescribed privacy requirements. Key questions raised in the White Paper In view of these issues, the White Paper has presently sought comments on the following key questions with respect to the regulatory approach and enforcement mechanisms to be adopted: Is the co-regulatory approach appropriate for India? What about other models like self-regulation and command and control? What are your views on the principles of accountability? What organisational measures and standards must be prescribed? Who will determine these standards? Should lack of organisational measures be linked to the harm caused by establishing liability? Should all data controllers be jointly and severally liable for harms caused, or can they have contractual arrangements? Should there be strict liability for specific categories of processing? Should data controllers be required to take out insurance policies to meet liability requirements? What are subject matters for which codes of practice can be developed within a data protection law? What is the process of their preparation? Should stakeholders be mandatorily consulted? Who should issue the codes of practice and how should they be enforced? What are the consequences for violation? Any other views Part I of the series explores the definitions of personal data and sensitive personal data, Part II of the series examines the jurisdiction and territorial scope of data protection laws, Part III of the series explores cross-border data flows and data localisation, Part IV deals with exemptions to data protection law, Part V deals with notice and consent, Part VI deals with the big data challenge to privacy principles, Part VII deals with processing of sensitive personal data, Part VIII deals with ensuring data quality and Part IX deals with new rights against discriminatory AI decisions, marketing, etc. The author is a lawyer and author specialising in technology laws. She is also a certified information privacy professional. NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Bangladeshi man with a homemade bomb strapped to his body set off an explosion at a New York commuter hub during rush hour on Monday morning, wounding himself and three others in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called an attempted terrorist attack. The suspect in the incident in the Times Square subway station near the Port Authority Bus Terminal was Akayed Ullah, 27, the New York Police Department commissioner said. Ullah had burns and lacerations. Three other people, including a police officer, sustained minor injuries. The weapon was a pipe bomb that was attached to the suspect, police said. New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking at a news conference near the explosion site, described the device as amateur-level. Cuomo told CNN the explosive in the pipe ignited, but the pipe itself did not explode. So he wound up hurting himself, several others in the vicinity. He said the attacker obtained information on how to make a bomb from the internet. Fox News reported that the attacker made the device at his job at an electrical company and there were no known co-conspirators. De Blasio told the news conference the incident, which happened at the start of the morning rush around 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT), was an attempted terrorist attack. The White House said the attack underscored the need for U.S. immigration reforms. We must protect out borders. We must ensure that individuals entering our country are not coming to do harm to our people. And we must move to a merit-based system of immigration, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters at a regular news briefing. Several U.S. officials familiar with the investigation told Reuters that at this point there was no information indicating Ullah was previously known to any American spy or law enforcement agency for any connection to militants or terrorism. This did not, however, categorically rule out some such connection could be found, they said. An authoritative U.S. government source confirmed that Ullah arrived in the United States seven years ago on a visa authorizing his entry due to the U.S. presence of family members. New York City was a target, said John Miller, deputy police commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism. He cited the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which killed more than 2,750 people in New York and nearly 3,000 people in all; and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six people. Ullah is from the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong and is a U.S. resident, said the countrys police chief. He had no criminal record there and last visited Bangladesh on Sept. 8, the chief said. Ullah had a black cab/limousine drivers license from 2012 to 2015, the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission said. A pro-Islamic State media group, Maqdisi Media, portrayed the attempted terror attack as a response to U.S. President Donald Trumps recognition on Wednesday of Jerusalem as Israels capital, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. SITE tracks and analyses online activity by extremist groups. Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi man who attempted to detonate a homemade bomb strapped to his body at a New York commuter hub during morning rush hour is seen in this handout photo received December 11, 2017. New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission/Handout via REUTERSHowever, CNN, citing a law enforcement source, reported that Ullah told investigators recent Israeli actions in Gaza were the reason he carried out the attack. The incident occurred less than two months after an Uzbek immigrant killed eight people by speeding down a New York City bike path in a rental truck, in an attack for which Islamic State claimed responsibility. In September 2016, a man injured 31 people when he set off a homemade bomb in New Yorks Chelsea neighbourhood. Mondays incident was captured on security video, police said. Video posted on NYPost.com showed smoke and a man lying in a long tunnel that connects sections of the sprawling Times Square subway station. A photograph showed a man lying facedown, with tattered clothes and burns on his torso. EVERYBODY WAS SCARED Slideshow (18 Images)There was a stampede up the stairs to get out, said one commuter, Diego Fernandez. Everybody was scared and running and shouting. The bus terminal was temporarily closed and a large swath of midtown Manhattan was closed to traffic. Subway travel was disrupted but later returned to normal. In December, New York experiences a surge of visitors who come to see elaborate store window displays, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and Broadway shows. Alicja Wlodkowski, a Pennsylvania resident in New York for the day, was sitting in a restaurant in the bus terminal. Suddenly, I saw a group of people, like six people, running like nuts. A woman fell. No one even went to stop and help her because the panic was so scary. More than 200,000 people use the Times Square station, the citys busiest, each weekday, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Ten train lines stop at the station. The bus terminal is the busiest in the United States, according to the Port Authority. On a typical weekday, about 220,000 passengers arrive or depart on more than 7,000 buses. The bus terminal is adjacent to and above the subway stations western section. A long, narrow underground tunnel connects that part of the station to its eastern section, and is used by thousands of commuters during rush hour. Buskers and other entertainers at entrances to the tunnel often draw crowds. The incident rippled through American financial markets, briefly weakening stock markets as they were starting trading for the week and giving a modest lift to safe-haven assets such as U.S. Treasuries. Technology and energy stocks gained in afternoon trading, helping Wall Street shake off uncertainties following the explosion. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May hailed a new sense of optimism in Brexit talks, telling parliament on Monday an agreement to move negotiations on to future trade ties is progress and will reassure those concerned Britain may leave with no deal. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at a news conference at the EC headquarters in Brussels, Belgium December 8, 2017. REUTERS/Yves HermanMay, weakened after losing her Conservatives majority at a June election, rescued an agreement last week to move the talks to unravel more than 40 years of union on to a second phase after easing the concerns of her Northern Irish allies over the future role of the border with EU member Ireland. But the discussion of Britains trade relationship with the EU after Brexit contains many pitfalls and could widen differences among her top team of ministers, or cabinet, over how Britain should look after it leaves the bloc. In a statement to parliament, May took to task those who doubted that she could move the talks beyond the initial stage of agreeing terms on how much Britain should pay, citizens rights and the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. This is good news for people who voted leave who were worried we were so bogged down in the tortuous negotiations it was never going to happen, she told parliament. It is good news for people who voted remain who were worried were going to crash out without a deal. May will head to Brussels on Thursday for a summit meeting at which she expects the leaders of the other 27 EU states to approve an assessment by negotiators that the sides have made sufficient progress to move on to phase two. TROUBLES AHEAD But she warned that the government will only pay a financial settlement if Britain and the EU secure a future trade deal. The deal to launch further talks looked in jeopardy a week ago when May was forced to abandon a choreographed meeting in Brussels intended to seal the deal after her allies in Northern Ireland expressed fears she was proposing a special status for the region - out of sync with the rest of the United Kingdom. After days of diplomacy, there was a compromise - if no overall Brexit deal is secured, Britain will keep full alignment with those rules of the EUs single market that help cooperation between Irelands north and south. But those words have reverberated in both London and Belfast, with Brexit minister David Davis saying they were more a statement of intent than a legally binding move. On Monday, Davis told LBC radio his words had been taken out of context and denied he was backing away from the commitment, which the EU described as a deal between gentlemen. And it is the clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK government, the European Commissions chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters in Brussels. Davis comments may have been aimed at members of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, which props up Mays Conservative minority government in parliament after the party expressed concerns about how alignment could work without Britain staying in the EUs single market and customs union. Or he may have wanted to ease the fears of some campaigners for Britain to leave the EU, who say the possibility of having to follow the blocs rules would mean that they would have Brexit in name only. But May said the commitments made in the first round of talks -- which includes a payment of 35-39 billion pounds over many years to meet EU obligations -- were necessary to sever ties with the bloc. In doing so we can move on to building the bold new economic and security relationships that can underpin the new deep and special partnership we all want to see, she said. A partnership between the European Union and a sovereign United Kingdom that has taken control of its borders, money and laws once again. (1 British pound = 1.1376 euros) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Reuters) - A raging wildfire pushed toward a string of California coastal cities on Sunday, prompting new evacuations as crews fought to save homes in the face of gusty winds that have fueled blazes across the state for nearly a week. Authorities ordered residents in parts of Carpinteria and Montecito to leave early on Sunday as the Thomas Fire edged closer to Santa Barbara, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Los Angeles on the scenic central California coast. The blaze, the worst of six major fires in Southern California in the last week and already the 10th largest on record in the state since 1932, has blackened 173,000 acres (62,726 hectares), destroyed hundreds of structures and left nearly 90,000 homes and businesses without power. The combination of Santa Ana winds and rugged terrain in the mountains that run through Santa Barbara and Ventura counties have hampered firefighting efforts, and officials said the Thomas Fire was only 15 percent contained on Sunday. The National Weather Service said winds of up to 55 miles (88 km) per hour were expected on Sunday evening, up from gusts of 40 miles per hour on Saturday. The fires burning across Southern California have forced the evacuation of some 200,000 people and destroyed nearly 800 structures. Among them are residents of Montecito, one of the states wealthiest communities and home to such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey. Emmy Leikin, an Emmy-winning songwriter who was ordered to evacuate her Montecito home at 9 a.m. on Sunday, said she fled with only her cell phone, medication, eyeglasses and a few apples. Leikin, 74, said she doesnt know the condition of her home and belongings but none of that means anything when it is your safety. WORST IN A DECADE Firefighters knock down flames as they advance on homes atop Shepherd Mesa Road in Carpinteria, California, U.S. December 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department/Handout via REUTERSThe fires that began last Monday night collectively amounted to one of the worst conflagrations across Southern California in the last decade. They have, however, been far less deadly than the blazes in Northern Californias wine country in October that killed over 40. In the last week, only one death has been reported, a 70-year-old woman who died Wednesday in a car accident as she attempted to flee the flames in Ventura County. Scores of horses have died, including at least 46 at a thoroughbred training facility in San Diego county. Residents and firefighters alike have been alarmed by the speed with which the fires spread, reaching into the heart of cities like Ventura. Slideshow (9 Images)At the Ventura County Fairgrounds, evacuees slept in makeshift beds while rescued horses were sheltered in stables. Peggy Scissons, 78, arrived at the shelter with her dog last Wednesday, after residents of her mobile home park were forced to leave. She has not yet found out whether her home is standing. I dont know whats gonna happen next or whether Ill be able to go home, she said. It would be one thing if I were 40 or 50, but Im 78. What the heck do I do? James Brown, 57, who retired from Washington States forestry service and has lived in Ventura for a year, was forced to leave his house along with his wife last week because both have breathing problems. We knew a fire was coming, but we didnt know it would be this bad, said Brown, who is in a wheelchair. Some of the other fires, in San Diego and Los Angeles counties, have been largely controlled by the thousands of firefighters on the ground this week. Both the Creek and Rye fires in Los Angeles County were 90 percent contained by Sunday morning, officials said, while the Skirball Fire in Los Angeles posh Bel Air neighborhood was 75 percent contained. North of San Diego, the 4,100-acre (1,659 hectare) Lilac Fire was 60 percent contained by Sunday.Governor Jerry Brown, who surveyed the devastation in Ventura on Saturday, said the outbreak of December fires may be the new normal for the state, saying global warming was exacerbating drought conditions. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. BARCELONA (Reuters) - Protesters clashed with police trying to reclaim disputed religious artefacts from a museum in Catalonia on Monday, in the latest display of tension between Catalan separatists and Spains central government ahead of a Dec. 21 election. A monastery in neighbouring Aragon region says over 44 of its artefacts were sold illegally to Catalonia in the 1980s and the issue has become a symbol of broader disagreement between opponents and supporters of Catalan independence. Culture Minister Inigo Mendez de Vigo angered Catalan nationalists in November by using special temporary powers to accept a petition by a judge from Aragon calling for the artefacts to be returned to their previous home, the Monastery of Sijena. The previous month, Madrid took control of Catalonia to quell the crisis over secession and called a snap regional election. Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan regional police officers) scuffle with protestors in front of the Museum of Leida after police entered the museum to carry out an order and return over 40 contested artworks to the Spanish region of Aragon following a protracted legal battle in Lleida, Spain, December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Albert SalameHundreds of demonstrators on Monday massed at the museum of Lleida in western Catalonia where the artefacts were kept and pro-independence groups called supporters to stop the police from removing them. There were minor scuffles, though no injuries were reported and the artefacts were eventually taken away at around noon. Slideshow (2 Images)Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, currently in self-imposed exile in Brussels, criticised the move on Twitter and blamed the three principal unionist parties running in upcoming elections, the ruling Peoples party (PP), the socialist party and Ciudadanos. Carried out at night and using a militarised police force, as always, and taking advantage of a coup detat to plunder Catalonia with complete impunity: This is the model that Ciudadanos, PSC and PP defend, Puigdemont said. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said his government could not oppose court rulings because it would mean stepping outside the rule of law. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Beijing: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has said India and China's strategic interests outweigh "partial frictions" and handling of the Doka La standoff through diplomatic means reflects the importance of bilateral ties. Ahead of his visit to India to attend the Russia-India-China (RIC) foreign ministers' meeting to be held in New Delhi on Monday during which he would also hold talks with top Indian officials, Wang said China always values good neighbourliness and friendship between the two countries as "we are each other's big neighbours and ancient civilisations". He said India-China strategic interests outweigh differences and "partial friction". "We have handled the issue of cross-border incursions by the Indian border troops into China's Doka La area through diplomatic measures," Wang told a symposium Beijing last week, maintaining Beijing's stand. "Through diplomatic means, the Indian side withdrew its equipment and personnel which reflected the value and importance of China-India relations and demonstrated sincerity and responsibility of maintaining regional peace and stability," he said in his speech posted on the website of the foreign ministry. "China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than differences, and far greater needs for cooperation than partial friction," he said. As long as China and India continue to engage in in-depth strategic communication and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of bilateral cooperation will be presented more clearly to the people, there will be a "prospect of the dragon and the elephant dancing together with 1 + 1 = 11 outlook," Wang said. The references to India by Wang were part of a lengthy speech about China's diplomatic achievements in 2017 and its relations this year with various countries including the US, Russia, Japan and countries in the disputed South China Sea region. Wang's visit to New Delhi is the first by a top Chinese official to India after the 73-day Doka La standoff and after the commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping. The over two-month Doka La standoff ended on 28 August after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's 'Chicken Neck' corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. Wang's visit to Delhi is expected to be followed by top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi's trip later this month to attend the 20th round of China-India boundary talks. Yang along National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval are the designated special representatives for the border talks later this month. Both officials are also mandated to discuss the state of entire gamut of bilateral ties. In his address, at the symposium themed on international developments and China's diplomacy in 2017, Wang spoke about China's foreign policy outlook enunciated by the once-in- five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) held in October. The 19th CPC National Congress had charted the course for China's external relations. Wang said China needs to create a more favourable external environment and stronger external impetus to create a moderately prosperous society in all respects. "For China's diplomacy in the new era, we will take a longer and broader perspective and be even more open-minded and resourceful," he said. He reiterated that "war is by no means acceptable" in dealing with the nuclear issue related to North Korea, stressing that the possibility of negotiations remains. On ties with the US, he said "China is willing, on the basis of mutual respect, to live peacefully with the American superpower. The US needs to understand and accept a China that is following its own path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, one suited to its own conditions," official media quoted him as saying. He said the China-Russia relationship has become a major cornerstone for world peace and stability, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. On the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) he said it has become "the most popular international public goods programme". Chinese businesses have invested over USD 50 billion and created nearly 2,00,000 local jobs in countries that are participating, he said. India has objected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). CPEC is a part of the BRI. On Wang's visit to Delhi, Chinese think tanks said RIC foreign ministers' meeting offers Beijing and New Delhi an opportunity for face-to-face communication, which will effectively help both sides step out of the shadow of the Doka La standoff. "Admittedly, the past months have witnessed a downbeat narrative between the neighbours rather than a positive one, but with the meeting, China and India will send a message to the world that they will return to a stable and peaceful track," said Qian Feng, an analyst at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies told state-run Global Times. China and India have disagreements on counter-terrorism especially when it involves Pakistan, and China is unlikely to give up its stance on this issue during this meeting, Wang Dehua, head of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies, told the daily. China has opposed India's moves to get Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Masood Azhar listed as a terrorist by the UN. Wang Dehua also said persistent and honest talks between the two sides may help sort out differences on BRI. China also continues to oppose India's bid to enter the NSG primarily on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Jerusalem: The United States accused the Palestinian Authority on Sunday of "walking away" from a chance to discuss peace in West Asia by snubbing Vice-President Mike Pence on an upcoming visit. "It's unfortunate that the Palestinian Authority is walking away again from an opportunity to discuss the future of the region," Jarrod Agen, Pence's deputy chief of staff, said in a statement. The comments come after the Palestinian Authority said that its president Mahmud Abbas would refuse to meet Pence later in December in protest at the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Brussels: European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the issues of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the chances of reinvigorating negotiations on the peace process. Mogherini has joined many EU leaders in expressing disapproval of the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. She said during a joint media address Monday that "the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states with Jerusalem as the capital of both." Netanyahu insisted that what US president Donald Trump did was "put facts squarely on the table. Peace is based on reality." He said the reality of seeing Jerusalem as Israel's capital "doesn't obviate peace, it makes peace possible." BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took his case to Europe to ask allies to join the United States in recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital, but was met by a firm rebuff from EU foreign ministers who saw the move as a blow against the peace process. Making his first ever visit to EU headquarters in Brussels, Netanyahu said President Donald Trumps move made peace in the Middle East possible because recognising reality is the substance of peace, the foundation of peace. Trump announced last Wednesday that the United States would recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, breaking with decades of U.S. policy and international consensus that the ancient citys status must be decided in Israeli-Palestinian talks. Israel, which annexed East Jerusalem after capturing it in a 1967 war, considers the entire city to be its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. The Trump administration says it remains committed to the peace process and its decision does not affect Jerusalems future borders or status. It says any credible future peace deal will place the Israeli capital in Jerusalem, and ditching old policies is needed to revive a peace process frozen since 2014. But even Israels closest European allies have rejected that logic and say recognising Israels capital unilaterally risks inflaming violence and further wrecking the chance for peace. After a breakfast meeting between Netanyahu and EU foreign ministers, Swedens top diplomat said no European at the closed-door meeting had voiced support for Trumps decision, and no country was likely to follow the United States in announcing plans to move its embassy. I have a hard time seeing that any other country would do that and I dont think any other EU country will do it, Margot Wallstrom told reporters. Several EU foreign ministers arriving at the meeting reiterated the blocs position that lands Israel has occupied since the 1967 war - including East Jerusalem as well as the West Bank and Golan Heights, are not within Israels borders. Israels position does appear to have more support from some EU states than others. Last week, the Czech foreign ministry said it would begin considering moving the Czech Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, while Hungary blocked a planned EU statement condemning the U.S. move. But Prague later said it accepted Israels sovereignty only over West Jerusalem, and Budapest said its long-term position seeking a two-state solution in the Middle East had not changed. On Monday, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said of Trumps decision: Im afraid it cant help us. Im convinced that it is impossible to ease tension with a unilateral solution, Zaoralek said. We are talking about an Israeli state but at the same time we have to speak about a Palestinian state. VIOLENCE SUBSIDES Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini brief the media at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Francois LenoirTrumps announcement triggered days of protests across the Muslim world and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in which scores of Palestinians were wounded and several killed. By Monday morning, violence appeared to have subsided. Netanyahu, who has been angered by the EUs search for closer business ties with Iran, said Europeans should emulate Trumps move and press the Palestinians to do so too. Its time that the Palestinians recognise the Jewish state and also recognise the fact that it has a capital. Its called Jerusalem, he said. In comments filmed later on his plane, he said he had told the Europeans to stop pampering the Palestinians. I think the Palestinians need a reality check. You have to stop cutting them slack. Thats the only way to move forward towards peace. Trumps announcement last week has triggered a war of words between Netanyahu and Turkeys President Tayyip Erdogan, straining ties between the two U.S. allies which were restored only last year after a six year breach that followed the Israeli storming of a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza. Slideshow (3 Images)On Sunday, Erdogan called Israel a terror state. Netanyahu responded by saying he would accept no moral lectures from Erdogan who he accused of bombing Kurdish villages, jailing opponents and supporting terrorists. On Monday Erdogan took aim directly at Washington over Trumps move: The ones who made Jerusalem a dungeon for Muslims and members of other religions will never be able to clean the blood from their hands, he said in a speech in Ankara. With their decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, the United States has become a partner in this bloodshed. The decision to recognise Jerusalem could also strain Washingtons ties with its other main Muslim ally in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, which has sought closer relations with Washington under Trump than under his predecessor Barack Obama. Saudi Arabia shares U.S. and Israeli concerns about the increasing regional influence of Iran, and was seen as a potential broker for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace deal. But Saudis have suggested that unilateral decisions over Jerusalem make any such rapprochement more difficult. Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi ambassador to the United States and veteran ex-security chief, published a strongly-worded open letter to Trump on Monday denouncing the Jerusalem move. Bloodshed and mayhem will definitely follow your opportunistic attempt to make electoral gain, the prince wrote in a letter published in the Saudi newspaper al-Jazeera. Your action has emboldened the most extreme elements in the Israeli society ... because they take your action as a license to evict the Palestinians from their lands and subject them to an apartheid state, he added. Your action has equally emboldened Iran and its terrorist minions to claim that they are the legitimate defenders of Palestinian rights. The Trump administration says it is working on a peace proposal being drawn up by Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt and Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. European leaders say the decision on Israels capital makes the need for a broader peace move more urgent. Weve been waiting already for several months for the American initiative, and if one is not forthcoming then the European Union will have to take the initiative, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. MANILA (Reuters) - As she announced in January 2016 that the Philippines would immunize one million children with a new dengue vaccine, the nations then health secretary Janette Garin boasted it was a world-first and a tribute to her countrys expertise in research. FILE PHOTO: A worker shows used anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia inside a vaccine storage room in Sta. Cruz city, Metro Manila, Philippines December 4, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File PhotoAt the time, it seemed the Philippines could be on the cusp of a breakthrough to combat a potentially lethal tropical virus that had been endemic in large parts of the Southeast Asian nation for decades. Almost two years later, the program lies in tatters and has been suspended after Sanofi Pasteur, a division of French drug firm Sanofi, said at the end of last month the vaccine itself can cause severe dengue in recipients not previously infected by the virus. Documents reviewed by Reuters that have not been disclosed until now, as well as interviews with local experts, show that key recommendations made by a Philippines Department of Health (DOH) advisory body of doctors and pharmacologists were not heeded before the program was rolled out to 830,000 children. After Garins announcement, the Formulary Executive Council (FEC) of advisers urged caution over the vaccine because it said its safety and cost-effectiveness had not been established. After twice meeting in January, the panel approved the states purchase of the vaccine on Feb 1, 2016 but recommended stringent conditions, minutes of all three meetings show. Based on the available scientific evidence presented to the Council, there is still a need to establish long-term safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, the FEC told Garin in a letter on that day. The letter was reviewed by Reuters. The FEC said Dengvaxia should be introduced through small-scale pilot tests and phased implementation rather than across three regions in the country at the same time, and only after a detailed baseline study of the prevalence and strains of dengue in the targeted area, the FEC letter and minutes of the meetings said. The experts also recommended that Dengvaxia be bought in small batches so the price could be negotiated down. An economic evaluation report commissioned by Garins own department had found the proposed cost of 1,000 pesos ($21.29) per dose was not cost-effective from a public payer perspective, the minutes from the meetings reveal. For reasons that Reuters was unable to determine, these recommendations were ignored. VERY ANGRY The DOH purchased 3 million doses of Dengvaxia in one lot, enough for the required three vaccinations for each child in the proposed immunization program and paid 1,000 pesos per dose, a copy of the purchase order reviewed by Reuters shows. It did conduct a limited baseline study in late February and March 2016, but the survey looked at common illnesses rather than the prevalence of dengue, according to guidelines issued by Garins office at the time and reviewed by Reuters. Garin, who was part of the government of former president Benigno Aquino and replaced when President Rodrigo Duterte took power in June, 2016, did not respond to requests for comment on why she ignored the local experts recommendations. A physician, Garin has defended her conduct and a program that she said was implemented in accordance with WHO guidance and recommendations. I understand the concern, she told Philippine TV station ABS-CBN on Friday. Even us, were also very angry when we learned about Sanofis announcement about severe dengue. Im also a mother. My child was also vaccinated. I was also vaccinated. DOH spokesman Lyndon Lee Suy also did not respond to text messages or questions emailed to him. Sanofi Philippines declined comment on the Philippines government decision. However, Dr. Su-Peing Ng, Global Medical Head of Sanofi Pasteur, told Reuters: We communicated all known benefits and risks of the vaccine to the Philippines government. Rontgene Solante, former president of the Philippines Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, said health officials were motivated to end the debilitating impact of dengue on the Philippines, where there are about 200,000 reported cases each year and many more unreported. Over 1,000 people died of the disease in the country last year. FILE PHOTO: Concepcion Yusop, a national immunization program manager, shows an anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia inside a vaccine storage room in Sta. Cruz city, Metro Manila, Philippines December 4, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File PhotoTwo months after the FEC wrote to the health secretary, the DOH began immunizing one million students around the age of 10 in all three target areas in April 2016, in accordance with its original plan but at odds with the FECs recommendations to conduct a slow roll-out of the vaccine. The usual process for the DOH that has protected our children for so many decades was not followed. Thats a fact, said Susan Mercado, a former Philippines health department undersecretary and former senior official at the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO said in April 2016 that the Philippines campaign appeared to meet its criteria for using Dengvaxia because the targeted regions had high levels of dengue exposure; the vaccine would be provided to children 9 years and older; and they would each receive three doses. Now, after Sanofis warnings, WHO has said it agrees with the governments decision to suspend the immunization program. SHOULDNT IGNORE EXPERTISE The current secretary of health in the Duterte administration, Francisco Duque, said he would carry out a thorough analysis of the FECs recommendations and the program before passing judgment. He said the Councils recommendations were not legally enforceable. Slideshow (4 Images)At the end of the day, the final decision is made by (the)secretary of health, he told Reuters. But because of the expertise that the members of the FEC have, it is something that you dont want to ignore. Underpinning the concerns in 2016 about Dengvaxia, since confirmed by Sanofi, were fears that the vaccine would act like a primary infection for those who had never had dengue. If they were bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus after the vaccination, it could be akin to getting dengue a second time, which often leads to far more severe symptoms and potentially death if bad cases are not treated quickly. The concerns were first raised by noted U.S.-based tropical disease expert, Dr. Scott Halstead, who urged both Sanofi and the WHO to proceed with caution. In the Philippines, Dr. Antonio Gans, an epidemiologist from the University of the Philippines, led a delegation of physicians to the DOH in March 2016 where, citing Halsteads research, they pressed for the campaign to be aborted. The data was not definitive but it was clear there were uncertainties and risks. Why not wait for the complete studies to be finished before endangering so many children? Gans told Reuters. In a Senate hearing late last year, Garin said she was aware of Halsteads assessment but dismissed it. This is a theory ... it has not been proven, she said at the time. FEAR AND CONFUSION Two sources involved in the program said no antibody testing was undertaken, as recommended by the FEC. Antibody testing, while not 100 percent accurate, indicates whether an individual has had dengue before. Duque, the current health secretary, is demanding the company refund the 3 billion pesos ($60 million) paid for the vaccinations and has threatened legal action against Sanofi if it is proven to have withheld information. A criminal probe is underway into how a danger to public health came about and two Congressional inquiries have been convened in the Philippines. Duque told Reuters he was concerned that the program was paid from an off-budget allocation, meaning it bypassed Congressional scrutiny. Reuters was unable to confirm this. Until now, one child out of the 830,000 vaccinated, a girl who was hospitalized with severe dengue, has been linked definitively by the DOH to the campaign. But the department of health says it still does not have complete data on those who fell ill after taking Dengvaxia. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. (Reuters) - An explosion on Monday shook the area near New Yorks Port Authority Bus Terminal, one of the citys busiest commuter hubs, and authorities said a suspect, identified as Akayed Ullah, and three other people were injured. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called the explosion an attempted terrorist attack. A police officer stands guard outside the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal after reports of an explosion in New York City, New York, U.S., December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas JacksonThe following are some of the other attacks carried out in New York in recent years: Oct. 31, 2017 - Sayfullo Saipov drove a truck down a lower Manhattan bike lane, killing eight people, including five Argentinians who were in the city to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation. A police officer shot Saipov, 29, and arrested him. The Uzbek immigrant has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder and other counts. March 20, 2017 - James Harris Jackson, a 28-year-old white man, stabbed Timothy Caughman, an African-American, multiple times with a sword. Caughman later died of his injuries and Jackson told police he traveled to the city from Maryland to kill black men. September 2016 - Three bombs exploded in the New York area, two in Manhattans Chelsea neighborhood and one in New Jersey, wounding 31 people. Several unexploded bombs were also found. The suspect, Ahmad Khan Rahimi of New Jersey, was captured after a shootout with police. Rahimi, who was born in Afghanistan, was influenced by anti-American materials believed to be produced by Islamist militant group al Qaeda, prosecutors said. May 2010 - Times Square was evacuated when a car bomb that failed to explode was found in a sport utility vehicle. Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized American and Taliban-trained militant, later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment. March 2008 - An individual detonated a small pipe bomb in front of the U.S. Armed Forces recruiting station in Times Square. No one was injured. December 2004 - A firebomb exploded on a crowded subway train in lower Manhattan, injuring 48 people. Six days earlier, a firebomb went off on a subway in Manhattans Harlem section, injuring two teen-agers. Edward Leary, 50, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, was sentenced to 94 years in prison in the two bombings. The second bomb went off at his feet, leaving him critically burned. Sept. 11, 2001 - Members of al Qaeda flew two passenger planes into the north and south towers of Manhattans World Trade Center. The attacks, which involved a third plane that crashed into the Pentagon just outside Washington and a plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killed 2,996 people and injured over 6,000 others. The death toll included more than 2,700 people who were in the World Trade Center and on the ground. 1997 - Palestinian teacher Ali Hassan Abu Kamal opened fire on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in February, killing one person and wounding six others before shooting himself. 1994 - Lebanese-born immigrant Rashid Baz shot at a van of Orthodox Jewish students on the Brooklyn Bridge, killing one and wounding three others. 1993 - Militants detonated a truck bomb below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in February, killing six people and injuring over a thousand. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. London: The heaviest snowfall to hit Britain in four years caused widespread disruption on Sunday, with roads becoming hazardous and flights grounded following runway closures. Birmingham Airport, serving the country's second biggest city, suspended flights for all of Sunday morning, as staff worked to clear the runway amid heavy snow. A spokeswoman told AFP they expected it to reopen. The airport, which typically handles around 30,000 passengers and 200 flights a day in December, diverted 11 flights elsewhere and expected to cancel more than that, she added. Meanwhile, London Luton Airport closed its runway for two hours before reopening around 1130 GMT to departing aircraft, according to a spokesman. It had opened to incoming flights by early Sunday afternoon. "All flights (are) subject to delay or cancellation," he said. Delayed passengers took to Twitter to complain, with one frustrated traveller describing the airport as "like a war zone". Police forces in worst-hit Wales and central England urged motorists not to travel unless "absolutely necessary" as they dealt with surging calls. A spokesman for the Highways England agency said there had been road incidents "all over the place". The flurries continued to fall into the afternoon, raising the prospect of roads becoming impassable. Swathes of Britain were hit by the snowfall on Sunday, with significant accumulation in central and western regions, according to the Met Office, the country's official weather service. Sennybridge, in Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, topped the records with 30 cm, while Coleshill, close to Birmingham, received 10 cm, it reported. Meanwhile, light snow and sleet fell through the morning in London, leaving Northolt, on the outskirts of the capital, with a covering of two cm, the Met Office said. The Palestinians staged three "days of rage" after US president Donald Trump's dramatic announcement recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, with clashes breaking out in flashpoints across the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, and Gaza militants firing rockets into Israel. Four people in Gaza were killed. In the West Bank, there were dozens of injuries, but no deaths. In Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard, seriously wounding him in the first attack in the volatile city since Trump's pronouncement on Wednesday. There were indications that Sunday's stabbing at the Jerusalem bus station was motivated by Trump's move, although police did not officially confirm it. They said the attacker was a 24-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank city of Nablus. Israeli media identified him as Yassin Abu al-Qarah, who posted on his Facebook page in recent days about Jerusalem, saying "our blood is devoted" to the holy city. Comments on his profile called him a hero for the alleged attack. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the guard sustained a serious wound to his upper body and the attacker was apprehended. Protests in Bethlehem, Beirut Palestinian youths also clashed in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, hurling stones at Israeli soldiers, who fired back with rubber bullets and tear gas. In Beirut, Lebanese security forces broke up the protest outside the US Embassy after demonstrators pelted them with stones. After a rowdy start, the protest drew several hundred people and became more peaceful, with demonstrators chanting and singing. Clashes resumed in the afternoon, with security forces chasing and arresting a handful of protesters and lobbing tear gas. Lebanon is home to 450,000 Palestinian refugees, nearly 10 percent of the population. Demonstrators flood Jakarta's streets About 10,000 people also rallied on Sunday outside the US Embassy in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to denounce Trump's decision. Similar protests, mostly organized by the Islamist Prosperous Justice Party, or PKS, also were held in many other cities in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country. The protests were the third and biggest in Indonesia since Trump's decision on Thursday. In the capital, protesters carried banners reading "US Embassy, Get Out from Al Quds," ''Free Jerusalem and Palestinians" and "We are with the Palestinians." Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem. Wearing traditional Islamic white robes, the protesters also unfurled Indonesian and Palestinian flags. A written statement from PKS described Trump's decision as "a form of humiliation and provocation against Muslims all over the world." It said similar and simultaneous protests also were held Sunday in at least 10 provincial capitals and cities across Indonesia. Earlier in the day, another group, calling itself Indonesia's Volunteers Society, held a similar rally in Jakarta, hundreds of meters (yards) from the embassy. Indonesian president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has strongly condemned Trump's move, which he described as a violation of UN resolutions. Indonesia has long been a strong supporter of Palestinians and has no diplomatic ties with Israel. With inputs from AP New Delhi: India, Russia and China on Monday called for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process following the 15th Foreign Ministerial Meeting between the three countries in New Delhi. "We reiterate our support to the government and the people of Afghanistan in their efforts to achieve an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned national peace and reconciliation and build a peaceful, secure, united, sovereign, democratic, stable, prosperous and pluralistic state," a joint statement issued following the meeting, which was attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese and Russian counterparts, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov, said. "We share the view that a capable and effective Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) should be the key to the stabilisation of Afghanistan," it said. "Noting the significant increase of opium poppy production in Afghanistan and the nexus between narcotics revenue and its financial support for terrorism, we emphasise the need for stepping up result-oriented international efforts aimed at countering the Afghan drug threat." The three countries also stressed on the importance of multilateral region-led interaction on Afghan issues, primarily by those organisations which consist of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries and other regional states, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Moscow format, the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, the Kabul Process and the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan. To achieve peace and stability in West Asia, the three countries reiterated "the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the relevant UN Resolutions, the Arab peace initiative and previous agreements between the parties through negotiations aimed at creating an independent, viable, territorially contiguous Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders". On the crisis in Syria, the three countries reaffirmed that the only lasting solution was "through an inclusive Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political process which safeguards the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria, in pursuance of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254(2015), and promotes the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people". The three sides expressed concern over the continuing conflict in Yemen which has led to the killing of civilians and to the destruction of civilian infrastructure. "We call for urgent measures by the international community to alleviate social and economic situation in the country and to facilitate unhindered access to humanitarian aid to all parts of the Yemen Republic," the statement said. The three countries also expressed deep concern over the ongoing tension on the Korean peninsula as a result of the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes of North Korea. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. District Court judge told President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort on Monday to stop communicating with the media in ways that might affect the outcome of his trial but she agreed to consider a proposal to ease his bail restrictions. Paul Manafort, campaign manager to Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, escapes a mob of reporters asking about the Republican National Convention Committee on Rules in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 14, 2016. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/FilesU.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she would take under advisement Manaforts proposal to have his house arrest lifted in exchange for accepting four of his properties as collateral. She also ordered Manafort, who is under a gag order, to stop communicating with the press in ways that might affect the outcome of his case after he helped ghost write an opinion piece that was published in an Ukrainian newspaper. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Amid global calls to restore peace and stability in Myanmar's northern Rakhine, the Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) charitable wing, the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), has reached out to the Muslim population in the troubled state and has reportedly distributed millions in cash. According to a report in The Indian Express, propaganda material released online by the organisation claimed that FIF volunteers had distributed "millions in cash money and blankets among more than 300 besieged Rohingya Muslims". Shahid Mahmood, FIFs head of foreign operations said in an online statement that the FIF intended to start its relief activities in all areas of Burma where Muslims are besieged". The claim was backed by Bangladesh-based intelligence officials, who told The Indian Express that "the group had been operating in refugee camps near the town of Coxs Bazaar, with the help of local Islamist groups". Rohingya leaders based in Dubai and Pakistan are now enlisting the support of Lashkar-e-Taiba affiliate Jamaat-ud Dawah (JuD) towards the cause of the Rohingya settlers in Pakistan and other countries including India, according to latest intelligence reports, The Times of India said. The report states that Firdous Sheikh, the Dubai-based president of Rohingya Federation of Arakan, had visited Pakistan last month and had attended seminars in support of Rohingya Muslims. During this visit, he met Naveed Qamar, JuD 'amir' based in Karachi, along with Noor Hussain, Pakistan-based leader of Rohingya Solidarity Organisation and president of the Burmese Muslim Welfare Organisation. The FIF claim seems to confirm India's stand, which had stated that it had adequate intelligence to confirm LeT's role in radicalising Rohingyas with its so-called charitable avatar and then through frontmen in the Rakhine state in Myanmar. According to a report in Hindustan Times, India first grew suspicious of LeT involvement in 2012-13 when it got inputs from Bangladesh and suspected that Rohingya radicals and LeT had a hand in the blasts that rocked Bodh Gaya, the report said. LeT founder Hafiz Saeed has also been vocal in accusing India of aiding the Myanmar regime in its persecution of Rohingyas. In an unauthenticated video, he had urged the Rohingya Muslims of fleeing Myanmar to 'join jihad'. According to a DNA report, the video shows LeT and JuD chief calling on the Rohingya to wage a 'holy war' if they are threatened. Responding to Saeed's calls, the Union home ministry had submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court on the deportation of Rohingya immigrants to Myanmar and had called them a "security threat to India". In the affidavit, the government said it had reports from security agencies and other credible sources "indicating linkages of some of the unauthorised Rohingya immigrants with Pakistan-based terror organisations and similar organisations operating in other countries". With inputs from agencies Seoul: South Korean President Moon Jae-In hopes to "normalise" ties with giant neighbour China on his first state visit to the country this week, his office said Monday, after Beijing was infuriated by a US missile system deployment. Seoul and Washington decided to install the powerful US THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system in the South earlier this year to guard against threats from the nuclear-armed North. Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, slapping a string of measures against South Korean businesses and banning group tours to the South, in moves seen as economic retaliation. China is the South's top trading partner and the diplomatic row took a major toll on many South Korean firms, most notably retail giant Lotte Group, which provided the land to host the powerful US missile system. Angry boycott campaigns and regulatory crackdowns by Chinese authorities decimated its business in the world's second-largest economy, and it was forced to put its supermarket unit in China up for sale. But last month the two countries issued identically-worded statements on their mutual desire to improve relations. It did not state any specifics, but Beijing has demanded that Seoul formally promise not to deploy any more THAAD launchers and not to join any regional US missile defence system. Nam Gwan-Pyo, a deputy director of the presidential national security office, did not give reporters details of any concrete steps that could be expected from Moon's four-day trip his first to China since taking power in May. But he said it would be a turning point in relations towards a "more mature" relationship, he said, "by recovering bilateral trust and strengthening friendship between the leaders of the two nations". Ties recently showed some albeit limited signs of thaw as China's state tourism board approved last month Seoul-bound group tours from some parts of China. Moon heads to Beijing on Wednesday and will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping the following day to discuss issues including how to curb the North's nuclear weapons drive, Nam added. China the North's sole diplomatic ally and economic lifeline has stepped up sanctions on the North amid pressure from the US and the international community to play a bigger role in taming its regime. Beijing has backed recent UN sanctions imposed on the North over its nuclear and missile tests, including a ban on coal imports, although it repeatedly pushed for talks to defuse the tensions. It has urged a "double freeze" on both North Korean weapons tests and joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington an idea consistently rejected by the US and South Korea. Kathmandu: A Left alliance between former Maoist rebels and moderate communists was poised to form the next government in Nepal as it headed for a clear majority after winning 91 seats so far in the historic polls many hope will bring political stability to the country. The CPN-UML led by former prime minister KP Oli and the CPN-Maoist led by former premier Prachanda have forged an electoral alliance for both the provincial and parliamentary elections. According to results released by the Election Commission on Sunday, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified MarxistLeninist (CPN-UML) has won 66 seats while its alliance partner CPN Maoist-Centre bagged 25 seats out of the total 165 seats under the first-past-the-post election system. The ruling Nepali Congress (NC), which was the largest party in the last election, managed to win only 14 seats, according to tallies. As the Left alliance headed for a clear majority in the 275-member Parliament, Oli was being projected to succeed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Oli won from the Jhapa-5 constituency by more than 28,000 votes as he defeated Nepali Congress candidate Khagendra Adhikari. He polled 57,139 votes, the highest number of votes so far secured by any candidate in the election. Two Madhesi parties, Federal Socialist Party Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party, have so far secured 11 Parliamentary seats each. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the Naya Shakti Party led by former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai and an independent candidate have secured one seat each. The counting of votes in the proportionate voting system was under progress. The NC is expected to perform better in the proportionate voting, which was evident from the initial counting trends. The final results would be declared after the counting of votes for the proportionate voting system. A Maoist leader, on the condition of anonymity, said that though the Left alliance is tilted towards the northern neighbour (China), the new government needs to strike a balance between the country's two giant neighbours (India and China) while pursuing its foreign policy. The two parties are also considering to merge to form the largest communist party in Nepal. If they merge, the post of party president and the country's president will be shared between Maoist chief Prachanda and top UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, according to party insiders. Nepal has won the parliamentary election from Kathmandu-2 while Prachanda is set to win from Chitawan-3 constituency. There was a tacit understanding among three key leaders of the alliance to share the three top posts, reliable sources have claimed. The house of representatives consists of 275 members, of which 165 would be elected directly under the first-past-the-post system while the remaining 110 will come through the proportional representation system. Voting in two-phased parliamentary and provincial assembly elections were held on 26 November and 7 December. In the first phase, polling was held in 32 districts, mostly situated in the hilly and mountainous region, in which 65 percent of voters had exercised their franchise. In the second phase, 67 percent voter turnout was registered. A total of 1,663 candidates contested polls for parliamentary seats. VENTURA, Calif. (Reuters) - Californias largest wildfire pushed toward prosperous coastal cities on Sunday, prompting a new wave of evacuations as firefighters struggled to curb its destructive power with the gusty winds that have fueled fires for nearly a week. Authorities ordered residents in parts of Carpinteria and Montecito to evacuate early on Sunday as the Thomas Fire edged closer to the city of Santa Barbara, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Los Angeles. The blaze, the worst of six major fires in Southern California in the last week, has already blackened 173,000 acres (62,726 hectares), consumed hundreds of structures and left nearly 90,000 homes and businesses in the area without power. The combination of Santa Ana winds and rugged terrain in the mountains that run through Santa Barbara and Ventura counties have hampered firefighting efforts, and officials said the Thomas Fire was only 15 percent contained on Sunday. The National Weather Service said winds of up to 55 miles (88 km) per hour were expected on Sunday, up from top speeds of 40 miles per hour on Saturday. The fires raging across Southern California have forced the evacuation of some 200,000 people and destroyed nearly 800 structures. Governor Jerry Brown, who surveyed the devastation in Ventura on Saturday, said the ferocious fires in December may be the new normal for the state, with climate change exacerbating the drought conditions that stoke such blazes. At the Ventura County Fairgrounds, evacuees slept in makeshift beds while rescued horses were sheltered in stables. A steady stream of rescue workers streamed in and out of the entrance early on Sunday. Peggy Scissons, 78, arrived at the shelter with her dog last Wednesday, after residents of her mobile home park were forced to leave. She has not yet found out whether her home is standing. Firefighters knock down flames as they advance on homes atop Shepherd Mesa Road in Carpinteria, California, U.S. December 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department/Handout via REUTERSI dont know whats gonna happen next or whether Ill be able to go home, she said. It would be one thing if I were 40 or 50, but Im 78. What the heck do I do? James Brown, 57, who retired from Washington States forestry service and has lived in Ventura for a year, was forced to leave his house along with his wife last week because both have breathing problems. It brought back old memories, fighting forest fires, said Brown, who is in a wheelchair. We knew a fire was coming, but we didnt know it would be this bad. Slideshow (9 Images)Thus far, the fires have been blamed for a single death, after a 70-year-old woman who died Wednesday in a car accident as she attempted to flee the flames in Ventura County. Scores of horses have died, including at least 46 at a thoroughbred training facility. Some of the other fires, in San Diego and Los Angeles counties, have been largely controlled by the thousands of firefighters on the ground this week. Both the Creek and Rye fires in Los Angeles County were 90 percent contained by Sunday morning, officials said, while the Skirball Fire in Los Angeles Bel Air neighborhood was 75 percent contained. North of San Diego, the 4,100-acre (1,659 hectare) Lilac Fire was 60 percent contained by Sunday. Brown issued emergency proclamations last week for Santa Barbara, San Diego, Los Angeles and Ventura counties, freeing up additional resources to fight the infernos. President Donald Trump issued a federal proclamation that enabled agencies to coordinate relief efforts. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. An explosion of unknown origin took place in the New York City subway near the Times Square area of Manhattan on Monday, according to several media reports. A pipe bomb that was strapped to a man went off, injuring the suspect and three others on the platform at the height of the morning rush hour, law enforcement officials. The NYPD is responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, Manhattan. The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time, tweets New York City Police Department ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 One person was taken into custody by New York Police Department while subway lines A, C and E lines were being evacuated, the New York City Police Department tweeted. Police have identified the 27-year-old man who detonated the explosive device as Akayed Ullah and authorities have called the incident an attempted terrorist attack. Law enforcement officials said he was inspired by the Islamic State but had apparently not had any direct contact with the terror group. The person on the platform was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, The Associated Press reported. The explosion, which happened around 7:30 am, triggered a massive emergency response by New York police and fire both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has tweeted that President Trump has been briefed on the explosion. Video from above the "Crossroads of the World" showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. New York Governor Andrew Mark Cuomo called the incident "frightening and disturbing". The incident was frightening and disturbing. It was a low tech device. Situation was handled extraordinarily well. A sweep is being done. The service at the subway is being restored: Andrew Mark Cuomo, New York Governor on New York subway pipe bombing pic.twitter.com/jWaQnv913M ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 Everything around the Port Authority in the 42nd Street area was shut down a surreal scene of still at what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. New Jersey Transit buses headed to the Port Authority were diverting to other locations following the explosion. NJ Transit says buses are taking passengers to Secaucus and Hoboken. From there, they can take trains or PATH into the city. Trains, PATH, light rail and ferries are honouring bus tickets into New York. With inputs from agencies New York: A man with a pipe bomb strapped to his body with Velcro and zip ties set off the crude device in the subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring him and three other people at the height of the morning rush hour. All four were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries in what the mayor and police labeled an attempted terror attack. The explosion happened in a long underground passageway that runs a full city block under 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The 7:20 am blast caused smoke to fill the passageway, which was crowded with Monday morning commuters. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James P O'Neill labeled it an attempted terror attack. "Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals," de Blasio said. The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah. Law enforcement officials said he was inspired by the Islamic State group but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group. The officials said he lives in Brooklyn and may be of Bangladeshi descent. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the blast. Authorities said the bomb was a low-tech explosive device. They were investigating how it was made, and combing through surveillance footage that captured the blast on video. A video posted on social media showed the security footage. In it, a man walks through the crowded pedestrian tunnel and the bomb suddenly going off in a plume of white smoke. Through the smoke, the suspect is then seen sprawled on the ground as bystanders flee. Fire officials said the suspect had burns to his hands and abdomen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in ears and headaches. Police are investigating whether Ullah intended to set off the device in the walkway, or whether he had meant to do it in a busier location. A photo published by the New York Post showed a bearded man crumpled on the ground with his shirt apparently blown off and black soot covering his bare midriff. A police officer is holding the man's hands behind his back. A Brooklyn man has been arrested after allegedly detonating a homemade pipe bomb inside the Port Authority https://t.co/JdHgIez0Fe pic.twitter.com/QuNAxQRGv8 New York Post (@nypost) December 11, 2017 The explosion triggered a massive response by police and firefighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. Elrana Peralta, a customer service worker for Greyhound, said she works in the Port Authority terminal complex near where the blast happened, but didn't hear the explosion. "All we could hear was the chaos," she said. "We could hear people yelling, 'Get out! Get out! Get out!'" John Miles, 28, from Vermont, was waiting for a bus to Massachusetts. He also didn't hear the blast, but saw police react. "I didn't know what was going on. Officers were running around. I was freaking out," he said. There was an announcement that people should take their bags and leave. "They didn't incite panic. It was fairly orderly." New York has seen its share of terror attacks in recent years. On 31 October, a man drove a rented truck onto a bike path near the World Trade Center, killing eight people. Video from above the "Crossroads of the World" showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. Everything around the Port Authority area was shut down for a few hours a surreal scene of still at what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. But by 10 a.m., much of the area had returned to normal. Authorities said by evening rush hour everything would be re-opened. New Jersey Transit buses headed to the Port Authority were diverting to other locations. NJ Transit said buses were taking passengers to Secaucus and Hoboken, where they could take trains into the city. .@POTUS has been briefed on the explosion in New York City Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 11, 2017 White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the explosion. A man inspired by the Islamic State group set off a crude pipe bomb strapped to his body Monday in a crowded subway corridor near Times Square, injuring the man, slightly wounding three others and sending New York commuters fleeing in terror through the smoky passageway. A White House spokeswoman said the pipe bomb explosion in New York City's subway system shows the need for "immigration reform." Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that Congress should work with the president, stressing the need to "protect our borders" and calling for a "merit-based" immigration system. Law enforcement officials say the man came to the U.S. from Bangladesh seven years ago with a type of preferential visa for people with relatives who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Surveillance cameras captured the man walking casually through the crowded passage when the bomb went off at 7:20 a.m. amid a plume of white smoke, which cleared to show the man sprawled on the ground and commuters scattering to get away. Investigators said it was not clear if he set the bomb off intentionally or prematurely. "This was an attempted terrorist attack," Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. "Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals." The suspect, who was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, was being treated at a hospital for burns to his hands and abdomen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in the ears and headaches. Law enforcement officials said Ullah was inspired by the Islamic State group but apparently did not have any direct contact with the group and probably acted alone. Gov. Andrew Cuomo later told the NY1 cable channel that the suspect went online to learn how to make a bomb. "We have no evidence at this time that there were any secondary devices or it was part of a larger plan," Cuomo said. Ullah, who lives in Brooklyn, came to the U.S. from Bangladesh about seven years ago and had been licensed to drive a livery cab between 2012 and 2015, according to law enforcement officials and NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. He was speaking with investigators from his hospital bed, police said. A person briefed on the investigation said Ullah arrived in the United States on an F-4 visa, a preferential visa available for those with family in the U.S. who are citizens, and that he made the bomb in his home. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast. Investigators were searching Ullah's apartment, interviewing witnesses and relatives and looking for surveillance footage that may show his movements in the moments before the attack. Ullah lived with his father, mother and brother in a residential area of Brooklyn with a large Bangladeshi community, neighbors said. The home was just off a shopping strip a red two-story brick building. Alan Butrico owns the house next door and a locksmith business two doors down. "It's very weird," he said. "You never know who your neighbors are." The Bangladesh Embassy in Washington condemned the attack. The deputy chief of mission, Mahbub Hassan Saleh, said the embassy had not received any information from authorities about the suspect's identity. The explosion, which happened in an underground passageway under 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, triggered a massive emergency response by police and firefighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. It's the city's busiest subway station and a major transit hub, with 64 million subway riders passing through every year. In 2016, daily ridership on the subway was 5.7 million, a record high. Everything around Times Square was shut down, halting what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour at the "Crossroads of the World." But streets quickly began returning to normal, and traffic around the area was expected to be operational by the evening rush. Authorities said the bomb was a low-tech explosive device attached to the man with Velcro and plastic ties. They were investigating how it was made. Port Authority police said officers found the man injured on the ground, with wires protruding from his jacket to his pants and the device strapped to his torso under his coat. They said he was reaching for a cellphone and they grabbed his hands. A photo published by the New York Post showed a bearded man crumpled on the ground with his shirt apparently blown off and black soot covering his bare midriff. A police officer was holding the man's hands behind his back. Another photo shown on NY1 showed the bearded suspect, wide-eyed, on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance. Elrana Peralta, a customer-service worker for Greyhound, said she works in the Port Authority terminal near where the blast happened but did not hear the explosion. "All we could hear was the chaos," she said. "We could hear people yelling, 'Get out! Get out! Get out!'" John Miles, who is from Vermont, was waiting for a bus to Massachusetts. He did not hear the blast either, but saw police react. "I didn't know what was going on. Officers were running around. I was freaking out," he said. There was an announcement that people should take their bags and leave. "They didn't incite panic. It was fairly orderly." White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the explosion. Instead of commenting on the suspected terror attack, Trump sent a tweet at 9:17 a.m. criticizing a Sunday story in The New York Times that said he watched cable news television for at least four hours a day. The blast came just weeks after eight people died in New York when another man, also said to be inspired by the Islamic State, drove a rented truck onto a bike path near the World Trade Center. Cuomo said at a news conference following the attack that New Yorkers should be alert but go about their lives. "Let's go back to work," he said. ""We're not going to allow them to disrupt us." Washington: US president Donald Trump's "courageous" decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is going to move the ball forward for the peace process in the West Asia, US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley said on Sunday amid protests in the region against the move. Trump's announcement on Wednesday that the US would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and begin the process of moving its embassy there from Tel Aviv, was met with protests and violence from Palestinians. Jerusalem, the eastern part of which was annexed from Jordan by Israel in 1967, has long been a sticking point in peace negotiations in the region. In a statement the Arab League Sunday said that Trump's Jerusalem decision has "isolated" the US from the peace process. On Friday, 14 of the 15 countries in the UN Security Council opposed Trump's decision. Haley defended Trump's decision and said that such a reaction from the international community was expected. "Trumps decision basically says that the United States acknowledges that the capital of Israel is Jerusalem, and saying also that the embassy is going to be moved to the capital, just like it is in almost every other country," she said. "Jerusalem has the Israeli Parliament, office of the president, prime minister, and it has the Supreme Court. So, why shouldn't we have the embassy there? Haley asked. She said Americans have been demanding this for the past 22 years. "And no president, not (Bill) Clinton, not (George) Bush, not (Barack) Obama, actually had the courage to make that move and listen to the will of the American people. The Senate just overwhelmingly again voted to have the embassy moved. So, the president did the will of the people," she told the CNN in an interview. She said she strongly believed that the move "is going to move the ball forward for the peace process". Trump, Haley said, realised that waiting did not help anyone for 22 years. "Now let's try and move the ball. What I will tell you is, you have to look at the situation, that he just took Jerusalem off the table. He just took it off the table," she said. "So, now they get to come together. They get to decide what the borders will look like. They get to decide the boundaries. They get to talk about how they want to see Jerusalem going forward," she said. Responding to a question on the Arab League, she said the US had a lot more in common with the grouping than they have ever had before. Washington: The US ambassador to the United Nations said Sunday that women who accuse someone of sexual misconduct deserve to be heard, even if it involves President Donald Trump. "I know that he was elected, but women should always feel comfortable coming forward. And we should all be willing to listen to them," Nikki Haley said on CBS' Face the Nation. Trump, a Republican, won the White House in 2016 despite the election season release of a 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which he described grabbing women's private parts, followed by accusations by several women of aggressive sexual misconduct. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has since reiterated the White House's position that the women who accused Trump of sexual harassment are lying. On Sunday, Haley, who was the first female governor of South Carolina, praised the courage of women who have raised complaints of harassment in various industries, including government and Hollywood, saying they will "bring a conscience to the situation." "Women who accuse anyone should be heard. They should be heard and they should be dealt with, and I think we heard them prior to the election," said Haley, a Republican. "I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up." Asked whether Trump's election settled the issue, Haley said it was "for the people to decide." The wave of allegations have brought down powerful figures, including the resignations last week of Representative John Conyers, Senator Al Franken and Representative Trent Franks. CAIRO (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday intensified efforts to rally Middle Eastern countries against U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, setting up talks with Arab leaders beginning in Cairo. FILE PHOTO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/FilesAbbas will meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, which has been a key broker in past peace talks with Israel and between fighting Palestinian factions, before heading for Istanbul to give a speech, his office said. Arab states condemned U.S. President Donald Trumps Jerusalem decision last week, and vowed to press international bodies to take action against it. The Arab Parliament held an emergency meeting on the issue in Cairo on Monday, state news agency MENA reported. Sisi, after a separate meeting with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the U.S. moving its Israel embassy to Jerusalem would have dangerous effects on peace and security in the region. Abbas met the head of the Arab League in Cairo on Monday, local media reported. Arab foreign ministers held an hours-long emergency meeting at the weekend and vowed to seek a U.N. Security Council resolution rejecting the U.S. move, but gave few details on other measures they would take. The Palestinians hope for concrete action. Daring Palestinian and Arab decisions are required in the coming stage, which is very important, Abbass spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah told Palestinian official news agency WAFA. World powers have said the U.S. move will impede peace efforts in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict as anger spreads across the region. The Trump administration says it is still committed to the peace process. Abbas will not meet Mike Pence during the U.S. Vice Presidents visit to the region later this month, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Saturday. Egypts top Muslim and Christian religious leaders also said they would not meet Pence. Abbas is expected to make a statement after his meeting with Sisi, the Palestinian embassy in Cairo said, without giving details. Egypt, along with Jordan a key U.S. ally in the region which has helped broker past peace deals and has good relations with Israel, has said the Jerusalem move undermines efforts to end the conflict. It has also brokered reconciliation deals between Abbass Fatah party and Gaza-based Islamist group Hamas, which called for a new uprising against Israel last week. The planned handover of control of Gaza to the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority under the latest deal hit another delay on Sunday, with a Fatah official blaming obstacles without elaborating. Israel launched fresh air strikes in Gaza on Saturday in response to rocket fire from the enclave, where it fought a war in 2014 which killed more than 2,000 people, most of them civilians. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May hailed a new sense of optimism in Brexit talks, telling parliament on Monday an agreement to move negotiations on to future trade ties is progress and will reassure those concerned Britain may leave with no deal. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May meets the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borissov, at 10 Downing Street in London, December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleMay, weakened after losing her Conservatives majority at a June election, rescued an agreement last week to move the talks to unravel more than 40 years of union on to a second phase after easing the concerns of her Northern Irish allies over the future role of the border with EU member Ireland. But the discussion of Britains trade relationship with the EU after Brexit contains many pitfalls and could widen differences among her top team of ministers, or cabinet, over how Britain should look after it leaves the bloc. In a statement to parliament, May took to task those who doubted that she could move the talks beyond the initial stage of agreeing terms on how much Britain should pay, citizens rights and the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. This is good news for people who voted leave who were worried we were so bogged down in the tortuous negotiations it was never going to happen, she told parliament. It is good news for people who voted remain who were worried were going to crash out without a deal. May will head to Brussels on Thursday for a summit meeting at which she expects the leaders of the other 27 EU states to approve an assessment by negotiators that the sides have made sufficient progress to move on to phase two. TROUBLES AHEAD But she warned that the government will only pay a financial settlement if Britain and the EU secure a future trade deal. FILE PHOTO - Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and European Council President Donald Tusk meet at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, December 8, 2017. REUTERS/Eric VidalThe deal to launch further talks looked in jeopardy a week ago when May was forced to abandon a choreographed meeting in Brussels intended to seal the deal after her allies in Northern Ireland expressed fears she was proposing a special status for the region - out of sync with the rest of the United Kingdom. After days of diplomacy, there was a compromise - if no overall Brexit deal is secured, Britain will keep full alignment with those rules of the EUs single market that help cooperation between Irelands north and south. But those words have reverberated in both London and Belfast, with Brexit minister David Davis saying they were more a statement of intent than a legally binding move. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip leave church, in Sonning, Britain, December 10, 2017. REUTERS/Peter NichollsOn Monday, Davis told LBC radio his words had been taken out of context and denied he was backing away from the commitment, which the EU described as a deal between gentlemen. And it is the clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK government, the European Commissions chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters in Brussels. Davis comments may have been aimed at members of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, which props up Mays Conservative minority government in parliament after the party expressed concerns about how alignment could work without Britain staying in the EUs single market and customs union. Or he may have wanted to ease the fears of some campaigners for Britain to leave the EU, who say the possibility of having to follow the blocs rules would mean that they would have Brexit in name only. But May said the commitments made in the first round of talks -- which includes a payment of 35-39 billion pounds over many years to meet EU obligations -- were necessary to sever ties with the bloc. In doing so we can move on to building the bold new economic and security relationships that can underpin the new deep and special partnership we all want to see, she said. A partnership between the European Union and a sovereign United Kingdom that has taken control of its borders, money and laws once again. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Doha: Qatar signed a multi-billion-dollar deal on Sunday to buy 24 Typhoon fighters from Britain, its second major defence agreement this week, which comes during the worst political crisis in the region for years. The $8-billion deal was signed in Doha by Qatar's defence minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah and his British counterpart, Gavin Williamson. Williamson said it was the biggest order for Typhoons in a decade, and it follows a billion-dollar deal signed by Qatar on 7 December to buy 12 French Dassault Aviation warplanes. "These formidable jets will boost the Qatari military's mission to tackle the challenges we both share in the (West Asia), supporting stability in the region and delivering security at home," said the British minister. The deal also includes an intention for Qatar to buy further military equipment from Britain, namely the purchase of Hawk aircraft. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the two countries for this Typhoon contract in September. Qatar is the ninth country to sign a deal for Typhoon jets, said London. Sunday's deal comes at a politically sensitive time for both countries. There are heightened tensions in the Gulf, where a Saudi-led boycott of Qatar is in its seventh month. Since 5 June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have diplomatically isolated Qatar, accusing the emirate of supporting Islamist extremists and of being too close to Shiite Iran, Riyadh's arch-rival. The four countries also cut off all air and sea links to Qatar. Qatar denies the allegations and has accused the Saudi-led bloc of aiming to incite regime change in Doha. It is the latest agreement in a growing list of defence deals signed by Qatar since the crisis erupted. Istanbul: Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday described Israel as a "terrorist state" and vowed to use "all means to fight" against the US recognition of Jerusalem as the country's capital. "Palestine is an innocent victim... As for Israel, it is a terrorist state, yes, terrorist!" Erdogan said in a speech in the central city of Sivas. "We will not abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a state that kills children." His speech came days after US president Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, angering Palestinians and sparking protests in Muslim and Arab countries. Four Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in violence following the US announcement. Rockets were fired from Gaza and Israeli warplanes carried out raids on the territory. Erdogan earlier described the status of Jerusalem, whose eastern sector Palestinians see as the capital of their future state, as a "red line" for Muslims. He called Trump's declaration "null and void". The Turkish president has used his position as the current chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call a summit of the pan-Islamic group on Wednesday. "We will show that applying the measure will not be as easy as that," he added on Sunday. During his speech, Erdogan held a picture of what he said was a 14-year-old Palestinian boy from Hebron, in the Occupied West Bank, being dragged away by Israeli soldiers. Turkey and Israel normalised their relations in recent years but Erdogan has continued to defend the Palestinian cause and has regularly criticised Israeli policy. Aden: Saudi-led coalition air strikes on a Yemen rebel training camp northwest of the capital on Sunday killed at least 26 Huthi fighters, security sources said. The head of the training camp in Hajjah province, Amar al-Jarab, was among those killed in the strikes, the sources close to the Shiite rebels told AFP. A warehouse where rockets were stocked was also hit, the sources added. The raids come with the war-torn country plunged deeper into turmoil by Monday's killing of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh at the hands of the Huthis after his alliance with the rebels collapsed. Forces of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government retook the Red Sea town of Khokha from the rebels on Thursday after clashes that killed dozens, local officials and medical sources said. On Sunday, Katyusha rockets believed to have been fired by the Iran-backed Huthis hit Khokha, killing a six-year-old girl and wounding five other civilians, residents said. Further east in the town of Hays and north in Tuhayta, rebels clashed with loyalists on Sunday, pro-government forces said. Khokha lies between rebel-held Hodeida and government-controlled Mokha on the Red Sea, and is central to the government expanding its control over the strategic coastline. The port of Hodeida is the main conduit for UN-supervised deliveries of food and medicine to Yemen, where poverty has been compounded by war and a blockade on ports and airports imposed by the Saudi-led coalition. The International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday warned against fighting intensifying along the Red Sea coast near what it called densely populated urban areas. ICRC regional head of operations Robert Mardini called on all sides to protect civilians. More than 8,750 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015, to help the government of Abedrabbo Hadi Mansour fight the Huthis. Seoul: South Korea says it has added several North Korean groups and individuals to its sanctions list as part of efforts to cut off funding for the North weapons programmes. South Korea's government says the sanctions on 20 North Korean groups and 12 individuals took effect from today. Seoul is among the first to respond to North Korea's November 29 missile launch with fresh sanctions. The government says it hopes its move will prompt the international community to do likewise. US President Donald Trump's UN ambassador has been urging the world to cut trade and diplomatic ties with Pyongyang. Separately, South Korea, the United States and Japan started their two-day missile tracking drills today. London: Brexit Secretary David Davis on Sunday said Britain will not honour financial commitments agreed this week with the European Union if they fail to secure a future trade deal, contradicting finance minister Philip Hammond. "No deal means that we won't be paying the money," he told the BBC. "It is conditional on an outcome. It is conditional on getting an implementation period, it is conditional on a trade outcome," he said. Under an initial agreement reached with the EU on Friday, Britain will pay a financial settlement of between 35 billion- 39 billion pound for leaving the bloc in March 2019. The 15-page document, detailing post-Brexit arrangements for citizens' rights and the Irish border, was hammered out after nearly six months of negotiations and now allows the talks to move on to a future trade deal. Davis' stance contradicts comments from Hammond on Wednesday, who said London would pay the bill regardless of their outcome. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed in this negotiation," he told a parliamentary committee. "But I find it inconceivable that we as a nation would be walking away from an obligation that we recognised as an obligation," he said. "That is not a credible scenario. That is not the kind of country we are. Frankly, it would not make us a credible partner for future international agreements." A spokeswoman for the Treasury reached Sunday declined to comment. Davis' interview also sparked reaction in Dublin, after the Brexit minister told the BBC the agreement struck was "a statement of intent" rather than "legally enforceable". Ireland responded that the deal was "binding" and it would hold Britain accountable branding his comments "bizarre". Washington: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Sunday for a renewed push to end the "stupid war" in Yemen, saying he hoped the Trump administration could pressure Saudi Arabia to ease the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. "I believe this is a stupid war. I think this war is against the interests of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates... (and) of the people of Yemen," he said on CNN, employing unusually blunt language for the top UN diplomat. "What we need is a political solution." US president Donald Trump on Wednesday took the rare step of publicly demanding that ally Saudi Arabia immediately allow vital humanitarian supplies to reach Yemen, scene of what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with millions at risk of starvation. Trump, while not asking for an end to Saudi-led bombing of Yemen, said in a statement that his aides would ask the Saudis to "completely allow food, fuel, water and medicine to reach the Yemeni people, who desperately need it." Guterres said conditions in Yemen had improved somewhat, adding, "I hope that President Trump has put a lot of pressure recently... A lot of humanitarian aid is already going in." He said he hoped a Saudi blockade of Yemen's ports, imposed after a Huthi missile was intercepted near Riyadh last month, would be lifted. Saudi Arabia and its allies have launched a campaign to oust Huthi rebels who control the capital Sanaa and who have links to Riyadh's arch-foe Iran. As the war drags on, seven million people are believed to be on the brink of famine and a cholera outbreak has caused more than 2,000 deaths. "This war is causing, in my opinion, terrible suffering to the Yemeni people," while also harming Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, Guterres told CNN. "It's in the interests of everybody to stop this war." Brussels: Israel's leader faces renewed pressure from Europe on Monday to reboot West Asia's moribund peace process following widespread criticism of the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be in Brussels for an informal breakfast with EU foreign ministers who will urge him to "resume meaningful negotiations", according to the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini. The talks come after French president Emmanuel Macron met Netanyahu in Paris on Sunday and called on him to freeze settlement building and to re-engage with Palestinians following widespread protests over the US move. Last week's decision by the administration of US president Donald Trump upended decades of US diplomacy and broke with international consensus. Speaking alongside Netanyahu on Sunday, Macron again condemned the decision as "contrary to international law and dangerous for the peace process". "I urged the prime minister to show courage in his dealings with the Palestinians to get us out of the current dead end," Macron said after talks in Paris with the Israeli leader. "Peace does not depend on the United States alone... it depends on the capacity of the two Israeli and Palestinian leaders to do so," the French leader said. Netanyahu has praised Trump's decision as "historic" and he explained Sunday that Jerusalem "has always been our capital and it has never been the capital of any other people". "It has been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years, it has been the capital of the Jewish state for 70 years. We respect your history and your choices and we know that as friends you respect ours. I think this is also central for peace," he said. "The sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we'll move toward peace." Before leaving Israel, Netanyahu had taken aim at what he called Europe's "hypocrisy", for condemning Trump's statement, but not "the rockets fired at Israel or the terrible incitement against it". Pointedly, Macron began his pre-prepared remarks with a clear condemnation "with the greatest of clarity of all forms of attacks in the last hours and days against Israel". Despite the obvious differences between the 39-year-old French leader and the Israeli hardliner, there were also attempts to show they had developed a good early working relationship and held common views. "Does this mean Emmanuel Macron and me agree on everything? No, not all of it, but we're working it," Netanyahu said at one point, joking later: "The lunch in the Elysee is superb, the conversation is superb too." The two countries are keen to reset ties after often difficult exchanges under ex-president Francois Hollande. EU not unified Most EU members, including the bloc's biggest countries, have expressed alarm over the Trump administration's policy shift. Mogherini has warned the decision on Jerusalem "has the potential to send us backwards to even darker times than the ones we're already living in". Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Friday, she repeated Europe's stance that "the only realistic solution" for peace was two states Israel and Palestine with Jerusalem as the capital of both and the borders returned to their status before the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. "It is in Israel's security interest to find a lasting solution to this decades-long conflict," she added. But the 28-member block is not unified on the issue Hungary, Greece, Lithuania and the Czech Republic in particular favour warmer ties with Israel. Last week Hungary broke ranks to block a joint statement from the EU that was critical of Washington's Jerusalem shift. Trump's announcement on Wednesday has been followed by days of protests and clashes in the Palestinian territories. Four Palestinians were killed either in clashes or from Israeli air strikes in retaliation for rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. Tens of thousands have also protested in Muslim and Arab countries, including Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia. Further protests were held in Lebanon, Indonesia, Egypt and the Palestinian territories on Sunday. Macron was also asked if France would attempt to launch another peace initiative to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following failed efforts in the past. "There's a desire by the Americans to mediate which remains and I don't want to condemn it ab initio (from the beginning)," he said. "We need to wait for the next few weeks, the next months to see what will be proposed. "And I think we have to wait to see whether the interested parties accept it or not." Netanyahu was an outspoken critic of efforts by former French president Hollande to push a West Asia peace process. Moscow: President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria during a surprise visit to the war-torn country. Russia first intervened in the conflict in 2015, staging air strikes in support of its ally Damascus targeting both the Islamic State group and other jihadists as well as rebels fighting government troops. "I order the defence minister and the chief of general staff to start withdrawing the Russian group of troops to their permanent bases," Putin said in a televised speech as he visited Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Syria. "I have taken a decision: a significant part of the Russian troop contingent located in Syria is returning home to Russia." Putin, who was welcomed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said the troops had helped the Syrian army crush the "most battle-ready group of international terrorists," apparently referring to the Islamic State group. "Our homeland thanks you, my friends," Putin said. "Have a safe trip. I thank you for your service." Putin and Assad were pictured smiling and shaking hands. Putin made the stopover at the base in Latakia province, a regime stronghold, on his way to Egypt where he arrived later Monday. Putin said last month that efforts to end the war were entering a "new stage" as the focus shifted from military intervention to political reform. More than 3,40,000 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against Assad's rule that sparked a brutal crackdown. Baghdad: World leaders congratulated Iraq on Sunday following the prime minister's declaration of victory over the Islamic State group. Saudi Arabia says the achievement is a big victory against terrorism in the region and the United Kingdom applauded Iraq's security forces "for their courage and sacrifice." Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory in the more than three year fight against Islamic State in a national address aired on Iraqi state television Saturday evening. Sunday was an official holiday in Iraq. A military parade attended by al-Abadi was held inside Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, a district that houses most of Iraq's government buildings and foreign embassies. In the evening, the capital's skies filled with fireworks. "Daesh no longer hold significant territory in Iraq or Syria," United Kingdom prime minister Theresa May said according to an official statement released by her office. "This signals a new chapter towards a more peaceful, prosperous country." In Saudi Arabia's statement on Sunday, the kingdom reiterated Saudi support for Iraq. Several thousand Saudis are believed to have joined the ranks of Sunni extremist groups to fight in Iraq and Syria. However, the kingdom has also been a target of multiple attacks claimed by Islamic State and carried out by local affiliates. The top US-led coalition commander US Lt Gen Paul E Funk II pledged that coalition forces would continue to support Iraq after the conventional military fight against Islamic State is concluded. "Much work remains, and we will continue to work by, with and through our Iraqi partners to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh and prevent its ability to threaten civilisation, regionally and globally," Funk said in a statement released by the coalition Sunday. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Mario Batalis $250 million plus restaurant empire, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, which includes Eataly and Del Posto, is reeling after the celebrity chef took a leave of absence amid allegations of sexual misconduct. It also leaves his partners, Italian chef Lidia Bastianich and her son, Joe Bastianich, in limbo. Batali announced Monday that he is stepping away from day-to-day operations of his businesses for an unspecified period of time, after allegations by four women who accused Batali of inappropriate touching over a span of two decades. The allegations were first reported by Eater. I apologize to the people I have mistreated and hurt. Although the identities of most of the individuals mentioned in these stories have not been revealed to me, much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted. That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family, Batali told FOX Business. In the report, multiple women accused Batali of groping them or otherwise making them feel uncomfortable at work. The accusations against the restaurateur follow a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against powerful figures in both Hollywood and the media, including Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose and Harvey Weinstein. The Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group owns and operates 30 restaurants throughout the U.S. and Singapore. The croc-wearing Batali is known as much for his food, as well as for his celebrity friends including actress Gwyneth Paltrow. In 2012, Joe Bastianich told The New York Times that B&B Hospitality Group made a reported $250 million in revenue, with its popular Eataly accounting for nearly a third of its annual revenue. Batali is also a co-host of Disneys (NYSE:DIS) ABC daytime show, The Chew. However, Batalis exact net worth is difficult to pin down. In 2015, FOX News reported Batalis net worth was around $30 million, while the website The Richest put it around $25 million. He has also been listed among Forbes' Top Earning Chefs with the likes of Gordon Ramsey and Rachel Ray. A spokesperson for B&B Hospitality Group told FOX Business that they are taking these allegations very seriously and even though the company already has strong policies and practices in place to address sexual harassment, they plan to go a step further to ensure that all their employees feel comfortable. If employees have claims they want to make against any corporate officers or owners specifically, they may now contact the outside corporate investigations firm T&M Protection Resources, LLC, who has discretion to independently investigate complaints and report to outside counsel, B&B Hospitality Group said in a statement. Batali added that while he knows his actions have disappointed many people, the successes I have enjoyed are owned by everyone on my team. The failures are mine alone. To the people who have been at my side during this time my family, my partners, my employees, my friends, my fans I am grateful for your support and hopeful that I can regain your respect and trust. I will spend the next period of time trying to do that. Disgraced former NBC host Matt Lauer could lose out on a multimillion-dollar ranch he purchased in New Zealand after a series of sexual misconduct allegations. Lauer and his wife, Annette Roque, purchased a sprawling 16,000-acre sheep and cattle ranch called Hunter Valley Station last February. The property, which is located on New Zealands South Island, is worth $9.1 million, according to the New Zealand Herald. However, New Zealands Overseas Investment Office, which oversees attempts by foreign investors to purchase property in the country, mandates that individuals involved in such transactions maintain good character. An OIO spokesperson told FOX Business that the agency is aware that allegations have been made in relation to Matt Lauer and has contacted his representative for further information on the situation. For an overseas person to receive consent under the Overseas Investment Act they need to be of good character, Lisa Barrett, the agencys deputy chief of executive policy and overseas Investment, told FOX Business. There is a range of regulatory tools or actions we can take if we believe the Overseas Investment Rules have been broken. The OIO can seek orders, through the Courts, that require people to dispose of property. Hunter Valley Station has a five-bedroom estate, four airstrips, stables and various other amenities, according to local media. Business Insider was first to report on the OIOs investigation. NBC fired Lauer, the longtime host of the Today show, last month amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Subsequent reports by Variety and the New York Times detailed allegations by several women against Lauer, who was accused of exposing to a female employee and giving another colleague a sex toy as a gift, among other alleged transgressions. "Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed," Lauer said in a statement at the time. One day after a major price plunge and following a volatile week, the Cboe Global Markets kicked off the highly-anticipated bitcoin futures trading on Sunday evening on the Cboe Futures Exchange (CFE). After bitcoin futures started trading, the cryptocurrency spiked more than $1,200, while the Cboe website became inaccessible. Due to heavy traffic on our website, visitors to www.cboe.com may find that it is performing slower than usual and may at times be temporarily unavailable. All trading systems are operating normally, a Cboe spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement. With Sundays launch, Cboe beat fellow Chicago exchange and rival CME Group (NASDAQ:CME), which announced plans to start its own bitcoin futures contract on Dec. 18. Cboes bitcoin futures are trading under the ticker symbol XBT, and are based on the auction price from digital asset exchange Gemini, created by the Winklevoss twins in 2015. The first full day of trading will be Monday, and the exchange said trading will be free through the month of December. Though its seen wild swings, bitcoin has been super-hot in recent weeks, currently pricing at $15,400 as of 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the latest data from Coindesk. Earlier in the week, the cryptocurrency reached an all-time high above $17,000 before falling to as low as $13,152 late Saturday night. However, some business leaders and investors are not yet set on the currency itself. Take Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), for example, who called bitcoin a fraud while speaking at an investor conference in New York in September. "The currency isn't going to work. You can't have a business where people can invent a currency out of thin air and think that people who are buying it are really smart," Dimon said, adding that if any of the companys traders were trading bitcoin, he would fire them in a second, for two reasons: It is against our rules and they are stupid, and both are dangerous." BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) CEO Larry Fink also had some harsh words for bitcoin, calling it an index of money laundering, at a conference hosted by the Institute of International Finance. Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, also isnt sold on the cryptocurrency, warning that it could be a bubble thats getting ready to burst. But, some still have faith that bitcoin is the way of the future, including PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, Overstock.com (NASDAQ:OSTK) CEO Patrick Byrne, and of course CME Groups CEO Terry Duffy. Furthermore, in an open letter to Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Christopher Giancarlo on Wednesday, Futures Industry Association CEO Walt Lukken expressed concerns about the way cryptocurrency futures have entered the marketplace. The recent volatility in these markets has underscored the importance of setting these levels and processes appropriately and conservatively we remain apprehensive with the lack of transparency and regulation of the underlying reference products on which these futures contracts are based and whether exchanges have the proper oversight to ensure the reference products are not susceptible to manipulation, fraud, and operational risk, Lukken wrote. Concerns also have grown regarding the security of bitcoin after NiceHash, a mining exchange for the cryptocurrencys customers, announced it had lost more than $78 million-worth of bitcoin after being attacked by hackers. We have not abandoned you guys, NiceHash CEO Marko Kobal said during a Facebook Live video on Thursday, a day after the hack took place. Currently we are cooperating with local and international law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to fully investigate the scope of the breach that happened. But thats not the only hack to hit a digital currency exchange. Last year, more than $60 million worth of bitcoin was stolen from Bitfinex, one of the worlds largest exchanges. The biggest hack occurred when hackers stole about $450 million worth of bitcoin from Mt. Gox, a Tokyo-based exchange, in February 2014. At the time, the now-defunct Mt. Gox handled 70% of bitcoin trades. The cryptocurrency was created in 2009 by an unknown person or people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Transactions are made online and without the involvement of middlemen, or in the case of the currency, banks. Deep learning is a technique of machine learning in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) that is seeing explosive growth. Every major tech company globally is jumping on board, and the segment is booming. While there is agreement that the size of the deep-learning market will be huge, there is no consensus on just how big it could become. According to a report by Persistence Market Research, deep learning will generate an estimated $4.8 billion by the end of 2017, and it will skyrocket to a massive $261 billion by 2027 -- a compound annual growth rate of 49%. Stratistics MRC calculated a market worth of $1.95 billion in 2016, which it expects to grow to $72.10 billion by 2023. A market opportunity of that magnitude has attracted some of the foremost companies in technology, who are acquiring AI start-ups and ramping up R&D spending in order to increase their competitive position in a technology that is still in its infancy. Here's a list of some of the largest players in deep learning: With so many companies to choose from, which ones have the greatest opportunity to capitalize on this nascent trend? Below, I'll tell you why my favorites in the field are Google, Amazon, and NVIDIA. What is deep learning? Before we examine the key players, it might first help to define what this technology is. Deep learning is a specific technique within the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Data scientists build computer models inspired by the structure and function of the human brain, called artificial neural networks. These systems use a combination of sophisticated algorithms and millions of data points in an attempt to reproduce our capacity to learn. The network is fed a multitude of examples and "learns" to distinguish differences and discover relationships and similarities among the examples. In its simplest form, the program learns to recognize patterns and make associations from the massive quantities of data it ingests. It can then make decisions or predictions based on what it has learned. The concept of deep learning has been around for decades, but it was the recent convergence of three trends that finally made it practical. The advent of big data, faster processors, and better algorithms combined to enable the technological advances that are occurring today. This includes such breakthroughs as voice recognition, natural language translation, image recognition, and user profiling. It's still early days in the application of deep learning, but examples of the advances that have occurred abound. Digital assistants, voice-controlled smart speakers, and self-driving cars are all the result of recent developments in deep learning. NVIDIA NVIDIA is best known as the pioneer of the graphics processing unit (GPU) back in 1999. The development of this chip revolutionized gaming, providing players with more lifelike images then were previously possible. In a feat known as parallel processing, the GPU could perform many complex mathematical calculations at the same time by dividing the work among a number or processors and executing it simultaneously. This provided the key to quickly rendering realistic graphics. Several years ago, researchers discovered that the speed and mathematical precision of parallel processing could also accelerate the training of deep-learning systems. Much of NVIDIA's growth over the last several years is the direct result of its success in deep learning. In its 2017 third quarter, NVIDIA posted record revenue of $2.64 billion, which grew 32% year over year. The strongest growth came from its data center segment, where deep-learning sales are reported, which grew to $501 million, up 109% over the prior-year quarter. This is the sixth consecutive quarter of triple-digit year-over-year gains and the ninth consecutive quarter of sequential increases. While there are potential contenders, there is currently no better tool for accelerating the training of deep-learning systems than the GPU, and NVIDIA will likely continue to reap the benefits. Amazon Amazon is primarily known for its gargantuan e-commerce operation, its Prime member loyalty program, and its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing business. The company has been hard at work developing what could potentially be the fourth pillar of its business -- artificial intelligence. For more than four years, Amazon has been using deep learning to enhance various aspects of its core business. The company has been able to improve search results, make better product recommendations, and produce more accurate forecasting for its inventory management. The company made deep-learning capabilities available to its AWS customers about a year ago, providing text-to-speech, image recognition, and the ability to create sophisticated chatbots. Amazon recently doubled down on that strategy, deploying a number of new services based on the science, including a "deep learning-enabled wireless video camera that can run real-time computer vision models." Consumers are becoming increasingly enamored with Amazon's Echo smart speaker, which has evolved from a single device to a full line of products, powered by its AI-infused Alexa digital assistant. During the recent holiday sale that concluded on Cyber Monday, the Echo Dot was the best-selling product worldwide on Amazon's website. The company is tight-lipped about how exactly many have been sold. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimates that Amazon commands a 76% market share, with an installed base of 15 million Echo devices in the U.S. RBC Capital markets estimates that the combination of device sales and voice-activated shopping on its website could generate an additional $10 billion in sales by 2020. That may just be the tip of the iceberg, as Amazon recently expanded Echo's market potential by introducing Alexa for Business. At the company's re:Invent conference, Amazon announced a number tools and capabilities specifically designed to facilitate business uses. Google No discussion of deep learning would be complete without including Google, one of the early pioneers of deep learning and AI research. As far back as 2011, the company began work on a neural network that would eventually be called the Google Brain. Noted deep-learning researcher and Stanford adjunct professor Andrew Ng began collaborating with Google scientists, who had their first major breakthrough in 2012. By connecting 16,000 processors, and feeding the system more than 10 million random images culled from YouTube videos, the system learned to recognize images of cats. This seemingly innocuous bit of image recognition has led to other advances in the areas of language translation, voice recognition, and computer vision. Google acquired deep-learning start-up DeepMind in 2014, and the company has gone on to make headlines. Its AlphaGo computer was able to defeat the world champion at the ancient Chinese game of Go, one of the most difficult and sophisticated games ever played. DeepMind technology was used to arrange Google servers more efficiently and to improve energy efficiency by reducing the power necessary to run them. These efforts resulted in a 15% reduction in power usage, which saved hundreds of millions of dollars. Google generates most of its revenue from advertising, which grew to $27 billion, up 24% year over year in its 2017 third quarter. The company was able to design a deep-learning system to more accurately match advertising with users by better predicting the click-through rate. Due to the scale of its operations, even small, incremental improvements can result in gains of hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue. One of the most game-changing applications of deep learning is in the field of autonomous driving. Google began its research in the field back in 2009, which resulted in its self-driving car unit Waymo. The company is widely regarded as the leader in the field, and Waymo recently removed the drivers from its pilot program shuttling consumers around Phoenix, Arizona, achieving full autonomy. When testing completes and a full deployment begins, the company's lead in the space could be insurmountable. Analysts from Morgan Stanley estimate that the business generated by Waymo could conservatively be worth $70 billion. Final thoughts Because deep learning can be deployed across so many facets of a company's business, it is often difficult to quantify the revenue generated and the savings resulting from its use. There is no denying, though, the transformational nature of the technology. Each company listed above has established an early foothold and will likely benefit from these advances for years to come. This provides investors a good starting point. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet (A shares)When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Alphabet (A shares) 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 December 4, 2017 John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Teresa Kersten is an employee of LinkedIn and is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft. Danny Vena owns shares of Alphabet (A shares), Amazon, Apple, Baidu, and Facebook and has the following options: long January 2018 $25 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A and C shares), Amazon, Apple, Baidu, Facebook, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2020 $150 calls on Apple and short January 2020 $155 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Intel and Salesforce.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Two of the nations foremost nonprofit hospitals are reportedly in talks to merge a deal that would form the biggest owner of hospitals in the U.S. while also potentially exacerbating industry headwinds for the pair. The deal, first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, would combine Ascension and Providence St. Joseph Health, creating a hospital system with more than 190 locations across 27 states. However, the prospect of a massive horizontal merger is puzzling to some experts who wonder how increasing the size of an organization will translate into flexibility and nimbleness, which is mandatory to evolve with a changing health care landscape. Ultimately the challenge for a lot of these institutions is were shifting from hospital-centric [models] to much more decentralized outpatient settings and trying to manage populations in a way that decreases the use of hospital beds, Francois de Brantes, vice president and director of the Center for Value and Health Care at Altarum, told FOX Business. How do you think your odds of success increase by combining two [of the same type of] entities? Youre actually increasing the challenge and the complexity. While de Brantes acknowledged that amassing more hospitals could give Ascension and St. Joseph Health more negotiating power with insurers, he says historically, that hasnt been the case. In fact, consolidation within a certain industry, like hospital care, usually leads to higher prices. The evidence to date, and its pretty strong, is fairly clear that the consolidation leads to higher prices for commercially-insured populations, de Brantes said. The Ascension-St. Joseph Health merger discussions come as consolidation increases in the health care industry, overall. Last week, CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) announced a $69 billion deal to acquire Aetna (NYSE:AET), a vertical merger that will allow for the companies to provide more efficient, accessible and transparent care. Shortly thereafter, UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH) said it would buy DaVita Medical Group, allowing it to also dive further into localized patient care. In each of those cases, the companies are merging in a way that would give them access to new areas of the market more rapidly. However, as de Brantes pointed out, in the case of Ascension and St. Joseph Health, hospital plus hospital just equals more hospital. The weekend launch of a U.S. futures contract for bitcoin reflects widespread acceptance of the virtual currency, especially among investors in Asia, though regulators are wary. Japan and South Korea are among the world's top five markets for bitcoin trading, according to sites that track trading volume by currency. Here's a glance at the digital currency's rise in some of the region's major markets: ___ JAPAN: Japan was home to one of the earliest bitcoin communities, but it was started by expatriate residents and kept a low profile. Until a few years ago, bitcoin and other virtual currencies were left alone by regulators. Following the failure of a bitcoin exchange called Mt. Gox, new laws were enacted to regulate bitcoin and other virtual currencies. Japan is the only major advanced economy with a licensing regime for digital currency intermediaries such as exchanges and payment providers. That has helped make Japan the world's biggest market for speculative virtual currency trading, said Thomas Glucksmann, Hong Kong-based head of marketing for Gatecoin, a virtual currency exchange. "There was very little interest back than at all and now it's a complete 360," said Glucksmann. "It's the biggest market, everybody's talking about it." Big Japanese banks have gotten involved, investing in bitcoin exchanges or letting them open bank accounts while developing their own related services. Some retailers accept payment in bitcoin. Many Japanese are familiar with currency trading since Japan is the world's biggest retail foreign exchange market. "You have people like hairdressers and housewives, people like that investing in crypto, in addition to the bigger players in Japan," said Glucksmann, who used to work at a bitcoin exchange in Japan. "So the regulations have helped to fuel a lot of the legitimacy in the Japanese market." ___ SOUTH KOREA: About a year and half ago, South Korea emerged as a very large market for speculative trading activities thanks to investors' high risk appetite and fears of missing out. Now, just as the government prepares to regulate virtual currencies, big financial institutions are starting to get in on the action. Shinhan Bank is planning to offer virtual currency services like a bitcoin wallet, Worried over risks of speculative trading, in September South Korea banned initial coin offerings, or raising money through bitcoin or other virtual currencies. Senior officials at South Korea's financial watchdog have compared speculative trading in bitcoin to a "Ponzi scheme" and say they are mulling a ban. "We will not let financial institutions handle transactions related to virtual currencies," said Kim Yongbeom, vice chairman at Financial Services Commission, according to a media pool report Monday. "The price of virtual currencies rises because of the expectation that the next person will buy it at the desired price and this is quite like a Ponzi scheme." Chairman Choi Jong-gu said one option is a total ban on virtual currencies, which would require revising existing legislation or enacting new laws. Still, bitcoin sells for a 20-30 percent premium in South Korean compared to other places, and this has spurred offshore trading to take advantage of arbitrage opportunities as South Koreans buy bitcoin overseas and sell them back home. ___ CHINA: For a brief time, China dominated bitcoin trading, at one point reportedly accounting for as much as 90 percent of volume. That dried up after Beijing tightened controls. The lively bitcoin market had been set up by bitcoin miners, who had set up data centers taking advantage of China's cheap electricity and hardware to handle the intensive computing processes needed to "mine" new bitcoin. China started cracked down on such activities last year just as the price of bitcoin began to surge. In September, regulators ordered all exchanges to shut down, banning initial coin offerings. China's bitcoin exchanges have since migrated overseas or shifted to over-the-counter trading where exchanges match buyers and sellers who then connect through chat apps like Telegram. Payment is made in cash or through bank transfers and the exchange collects a fee. Some mainland China exchanges have refocused their efforts on their Hong Kong operations, said Leo Weese, president of the Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong. He estimates there are about 10,000 bitcoin users in the Asian financial hub, including 1,000-2,000 active investors who have significant holdings or work for bitcoin related companies. Weese estimates that bitcoin prices are 5-8 percent higher in mainland China than Hong Kong. Speculators who can get around China's strict capital controls to profit from the price difference are driving some trading activity in the city, Weese said. "For them it's a way to make money," he said. "They can buy the bitcoin in Hong Kong cheaply and they can sell them at a premium in China." ___ SOUTHEAST ASIA: Bitcoin's rising popularity in Indonesia has alarmed the country's central bank, which said last week it would ban it as a payment method next year. Bank Indonesia spokesman Agusman Zainal said more a "assertive rule" on virtual currencies is planned. He said the bank is concerned bitcoin might be used for fraud or other illegal activities like terrorism, money laundering, prostitution, drug trafficking. "In the context of the payment system, bitcoin is not a valid means of payment," Zainal said. "The reason for prohibiting is in order to implement prudential principles, safeguard business competition, risk control and consumer protection." ____ AP Writers Niniek Karmini in Jakarta and Youkyung Lee in Seoul contributed to this report. Enzo Biochem (NYSE: ENZ) Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallDec. 8, 2017 8:30 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator [Audio gap] Q4 2018 operating results Conference Call. I'll now read the company's safe harbor statement. Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this news release may be considered forward-looking looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. Such statements including declaration regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company and its management including those related to cash flow, gross margin, revenues, and expenses are dependent on a number of factors outside of the control of the company including inter alia, the market for the company's products and services, cost of goods and services, other expenses, government regulations, litigations, and general business conditions. Key risk factors in the company's Form 10K for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2017. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could materially affect actual results. The company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of developments occurring after the date of this conference call. During this conference call, the company may record EBITDA or non-GAAP measure. EBITDA is not and should not be considered an alternative to net loss, loss from operations or any other measure for determining operating performance. The company has provided a reconciliation of the difference to GAAP on its website www.Enzo.com and then issued last night. Our speaker today is Barry Weiner, president. At this time, all participants have been placed in a listen-only mode and the floor will be opened for your questions and comments following the presentation. I'll now turn the floor over to your host. Mr. Weiner, the floor is yours. Barry Weiner -- Chief Financial Officer, President and Treasurer Thank you. Good morning and thank you for joining us today. On the call with me is Jim O'Brien, executive vice president of finance. We distributed our first quarter results released yesterday after the market closed and I hope you had a chance to take a look at it. As the results show, we continued to implement our business strategy to enable our unique fully integrated diagnostic structure to meet the evolving challenges of our industry. This past quarter was marred by a number of significant operational accomplishments that validate Enzo's importance in the marketplace at a time when the high cost of production and lower reimbursement is making it more and more difficult for clinical laboratories to operate profitably. We regard our operating and development accomplishments as well as our outlook at Enzo as very favorable and we will share our thoughts with you in that regard shortly. Permit me to once again this quarter underscore the growing success we've had in transitioning Enzo into a fully integrated, hybrid diagnostic company. We have done so by blending our two operating business segments Enzo Clinical Labs and Enzo Life Sciences into what we believe is a unique one of a kind new company that develops products and platforms and also provides services and products that fills an important void in the growing field of molecular diagnostics which has made it possible to see the unusual depth of our expertise and our forward-looking strategy to meet the needs of today's unusual market demands. Over the years of product and technology development, our strength stretches back over four decades and is embodied in our extensive intellectual property estate. The depth, practical knowledge, and experience of our scientists provide us with unique competitive advantage with which to develop new technology that is both medically relevant and importantly cost efficient. This is an important part of makes Enzo so strong. Our innate, deep understanding and ability to develop low-cost, highly effective technology platforms and products for a market in need of affordable solutions. We have within Enzo Life Sciences, broad capabilities for developing critical assays that have demonstrated high sensitivity and in our two manufacturing facilities, one in New York and one in Michigan, we have the capability to manufacture them as they are approved. At the same time, Enzo Clinical Labs and state of the art diagnostic capabilities provide a need for seamlessly working with Life Sciences to assure the quality and effectiveness of our products through their testing services. With our integrated resources, we are able to bring to market platforms and technologies that are fully vetted in a real-world diagnostic facility. As many of you already know, Enzo Clinical Labs uses our own developed technology in performing many testing services that, given Enzo's higher than average industry gross margins, demonstrates the value of affordable technology that clinical laboratories can enjoy either by deploying Enzo solutions in their own laboratories or by referencing testing services to Enzo. Thus, from idea to development to validation to manufacturing, Enzo has enormous in-house strength and what has made this special is that we recognized early on that the nation's independent clinical laboratories which number in the thousands are at an economic disadvantage in today's rapidly changing diagnostics world. The advent and fast growth of molecular diagnostics as a means of early diagnosis and follow-through testing have required sophisticated new techniques and assays that are needed but that is also burdensome and expensive. If you combine this with the high capital cost to expand, operate or maintain laboratory facilities and the ability for labs to extend their and testing menu at affordable pricing and perhaps most importantly, steadily declining reimbursements make it easy to understand the challenges these clinical labs face today. Enzo had to brace into the task of developing affordable solutions that are vitally needed. The effectiveness of this strategy is reflected in the increasing attention that our technology is getting from independent clinical labs starting with our AmpiProbe platform and others that have followed and the cost-efficient highly sensitive assays that we have developed, all of which benefits clinical laboratories, their physicians, and the patients. Our transformation is starting to reflect in our financial performance. Revenues in recent years have been on a steady upward trajectory as seen in the growth in our laboratory testing services that is the result of new products, extending our geographic coverage in the northeast and adding new clients. It is also attributable to our ability to offer not only high quality and industry best service but also innovative the new diagnostics of which our newly approved women's health panel is representative. It is also notable that our revenues have grown despite a conscious effort to pare the low-margin commodity type of research products in Enzo Life Sciences in order to build capacity for turning on new products being developed for clinical markets worldwide. Despite somewhat reduced research product sales, our efforts to streamline our product mix in favor of higher-margin products and increasing efficiencies along with tight cost controls has enabled this segment to remain profitable and cash flow positive during this transformational period. I will have more to say about our business shortly including our product and platforms but I would like to review with you our recent financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2018, which ended on October 31. Revenue ready for the quarter was $27.7 million, an increase of $1.4 million or 5% over the prior year period. Clinical laboratory services were once again the key driver with revenue of $20.3 million, a 10% increase over the prior year. Gross profit increased to $5.2 million, 1% ahead of prior year, gross margins were 44%, down slightly from the prior year given somewhat lower product revenues. Operating expenses were $12.9 million, a decrease of $500,000 or 4% from the prior year. Included in this amount was SG&A that was lower by about $600,000, or 5%. This was offset by higher allowances for bad debts of $100,000. Our bad debt allowance remains constant as a percentage of laboratory services revenues at roughly 4%. The consolidated operating loss improved year over year by approximately $650,000, attesting further to our emphasis on improving profitability. On a GAAP basis, the net loss was improved by $0.02 a share over the prior year. Net loss of $640,000, or $0.03 per share, compared with a net loss of $1.5 million, or $0.03 per share, in the prior year. EBITDA and non-GAAP measure was break-even during the quarter as compared to an EBITDA loss of $600,000 in the prior year, reflecting a significant improvement. In terms of segment performance, Enzo Clinical Laboratory Services continue to increase revenue to $20.2 million, a significant 10% ahead of last year. The gains reflected an increase in testing volume, the result of wider geographic penetration in existing markets but also expansion in parts of New England. Increased business with most major healthcare providers has also been a growing factor, particularly business derived from our being named an in-network provider by the fourth largest national healthcare insurer last April. The lab's gross profit increased 8% to $8.3 million and as a percentage of its revenues remained at 41% for both the current year and year-ago quarter. Enzo Life Sciences revenues were off slightly, to $7.1 million from $7.4 million, a 5% decline. Gross profit was $4 million compared to $4.4 million a year ago. With continued focus on reducing cost and improving efficiency, SG&A declined by 11% and operating expenses fell by 12%. Our financial condition remains solid, providing us with capital to advance both our development and marketing programs, to extend our business throughout the United States and international markets. Our balance sheet remains very strong with cash and cash equivalents of about $67 million. This is $2.7 million higher than the balance as of July 31, 2017. Working capital remains at more than $71 million. During the quarter, cash provided by operations was $2.6 million compared to cash used in operations of $0.3 million a year ago, an improvement of $2.9 million. Our financial position enabled us to invest nearly $500,000 in capital expenditures during the quarter. Along with our solid financial performance, we continued to move rapidly ahead on the product-development and regulatory-approval front. Conditional approval during the quarter by the New York State Department of the remaining five women's health tests has made possible our offering of one of the most complete women's health diagnostics on the market with 13 different analyte targets. This approval was significant in that it now allows a broader test menu to be marketed to clinical laboratories with a potential for savings, either by buying products or services from Enzo, could be material. Our belief is that our diagnostics panel will offer a cost-efficient approach to women's health testing and have a broad and major impact. Enzo Labs is currently expanding its capabilities to incorporate the new tests for a complete panel solution. We expect to shortly offer this service to Enzo Clinical Lab's existing marketing territory in the greater metropolitan New York, New Jersey, and New England area. We are also prepared for a national marketing program with a complete testing menu of affordable products and services that we offer clinical labs around the country with the option of purchasing the Fast One Plus assays that are compatible with their existing systems or sending the results to Enzo on a reference basis for overnight processing and recording on specimens. Our sales and marketing efforts are already receiving positive responses in the market and we expect these efforts to grow over the next several months. Recently, Enzo Sciences delivered a host of presentations at the annual meeting of the Association for Molecular Pathology in Salt Lake City. It involves a report that details research of our women's health panel that uses our AmpiProbe multiple real-time PCR assays for use with Candida, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Trichomonas and bacterial vaginosis. The focus was on the panel sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility, and accuracy in line with the requirements of the New York state's microbiology molecular checklist to validate the assay's diagnostic value. We were pleased to report that the study demonstrated that our technology provides a new proprietary approach to achieving accurate detection and identification of vaginitis associated with microorganisms. The utility of this platform is now being extended to other targeted diseases. At present we have several noteworthy medically related molecular diagnostic testing assays that provide unusual sensitivity and cost savings while being adaptable to open systems existing in many clinical laboratories. These include diagnostics for human papillomavirus infection E6/E7, hepatitis C viral load, cardiac markers, and in-situ hybridization allowing for localizing specific nucleic acid or DNA targets within fixed tissues and cells. Our prolactin in-situ hybridization is otherwise known as the FISH technique used in laboratories to visualize chromosomal abnormalities that outperform all other commercially available products is also being offered. Another platform, POLYVIEW, for reading tissue biopsies and having a high-confidence quotient as a result of demonstrating no false positives, is also being offered. Amino assays, having superior detection capability with higher sensitivity are in various stages of product development and utility. And FLOWSCRIPT, our gene expression platform for assays providing broad applications for detecting genotype and phenotype markers via flow cytometry, which applications include cancer progression and monitoring immune function and inflammation are in various stages of development. To build capacity, as we add new products to the program, we have begun an expansion, an upgrade of our Farmingdale, Long Island manufacturing location that will be ISO-certified and GMP-compliant. It will allow capacity to produce our proprietary molecular assays including PCR based and gene expression assays for immunohistochemistry and in-situ hybridization reagents. I would like to close on a note that while we are active on multiple fronts, our focus is primarily on our basic business that we believe holds growth opportunities. We have previously commented on what we believe to be impending PAMA Medicare reimbursement levels, the first of which is implementation expected shortly after the first of the year. We hold the of further impacting the economic well-being of the nation's independent laboratories which makes our vision of transforming Enzo into a national provider of high quality, affordable and easily adaptable diagnostic products and services of even more timely and important. With that, I would now like to open the call for questions. Questions and Answers: Operator At this time I'd like to inform everyone, if you'd like to ask a question, please press star, then the number 1 on your telephone keypad. If your question has been answered and you wish to remove yourself from the queue, press the pound key. Again, to ask a question or make a comment, please press * 1. Your first question comes from the line of Kevin Ellich of Craig-Hallum. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst Good morning. Thanks for taking questions. Barry, I just wanted to go back to the good cash flow that we're seeing and now you have about $67 million of cash on the balance sheet. What are your plans and how do you guys plan to deploy that or at least the discretionary portion? How would you prioritize that? Barry Weiner -- Chief Financial Officer, President and Treasurer We are embarking on a program to expand our regional business into one that is a national reference service business. The utilization of that cash will be used in a concerted by dedicated fashion to expand our sales presence throughout the national market. We are increasing our sales force. We are doing it in a measured and, I would suggest, focused way but we will be in more human capital in a number of different areas, one being sales, the other is being invested in the employment of personnel to drive our manufacturing capabilities as we seen a need in the future to build volume capacity within our production structure. At the same time, we are always evaluating new opportunities within the market. We are fairly stringent in our evaluation process but certainly, if opportunities do present themselves, they will be considered. So, we are approaching this issue of capital utilization in a measured, conservative and, I hope, responsible fashion, one that we believe will drive revenue, volume and product development within the laboratories and help the expansion of our business model in a more rapid timeframe. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst Great. And, I guess, with the expansion of the national sales force, any rough estimate of how many people you need to add in the field? Barry Weiner -- Chief Financial Officer, President and Treasurer We believe that ultimately we will be adding approximately 10 new individuals in various functions in the marketing and sales organization. Obviously, this is an evolving target as we watch the business and the potential growth that should take place within the business but at this point, we are targeting about 10 individuals. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst Got you. OK. And then as we think about value in the vertical integration of your business, especially, I think, in your prepared comments you made a comment about hybridized diagnostics company, how should we see the revenue segment shift over time and will we see a greater shift to the diagnostics side versus the clinical lab and how long do you think that will take to shape out? Barry Weiner -- Chief Financial Officer, President and Treasurer I think over the next year, you will start to see the emergence of the reference activity within the clinical marketplace as it pertains to Enzo. We are agnostic in terms of whether our customers will buy product or perform reference service and deliver reference services to us. We believe the economics favor the utility of reference testing as an economic need for small to medium-sized clinical laboratories. We see no reason for the need for hundreds of labs in our industry to be performing the same economic tests at an overhead cost structure that can be prohibited for them. When you look at what is taking place within the market today where the approaches for economics are driving the elimination of middlemen in many of the areas of product delivery when look at Amazon and you look at recently just the announced program between Aetna and CVS, you see the utility in the consolidation that is taking place through the utilization of vertical integration and we believe that program methodology should benefit the clinical lab market as well and we hope to be a provider of low-cost testing reference services which, I believe, will drive the laboratory side of the business. At the same time, we do not view it as differentiated in terms of product versus service. We will be pleased to provide the product if parties wish product and we will provide the service. We believe the economics will favor the delivery of the service and allow them to focus on sales and marketing, not on processing and production. So, I believe you will see the growth on the service side. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst Very good. That's helpful. And then just a couple more questions. PAMA, the final rates coming out, have you guys had time to analyze the changes in 2018 and beyond and curious if you have any material changes relative to what you guys said last quarter. I think you said it was going to be less than around $500,000. Jim O'Brien -- Senior Vice President, Finance Hi, Kevin, it's Jim O'Brien. I think that's right. As we look at the final rules and see how this is going to play out, I think that's a good estimate. We'll have to be conscious of what if any changes private payers make as a result of changes to PAMA, which could be anticipated but we don't see that at this time. So, we're keeping an eye out for it and we'll update you if things were to change but that's a good estimate right now. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst And then, Jim, you made a comment about what changes if any private payers would make. Do you have any or many private-payer contracts, commercial contracts, tied to Medicare rates? Jim O'Brien -- Senior Vice President, Finance We do. It's not a significant portion of our business but there are contracts out there that that will review rates with us each year or maybe every other year, and they'll make changes based upon what's happening in the Medicare market. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst OK, understood. And then, I guess, going back to gross margins on the lab side, it came in at about 100 basis points lower than the expected. Is that really due to the prior authorization for genetic testing? How should we think about that going forward? Jim O'Brien -- Senior Vice President, Finance Yeah, I think what we've done in the quarter is to make sure that as insurers take a more proactive view of genetic testing requiring pre-approvals, letters of medical necessity, we want to make sure that we're following the rules and we're compliant. So, in the quarter we made sure that our revenue didn't get out too far in front of us, kept our balance sheet in check. We think we've got it right, in terms of what we think about it and over the next quarter we will continue to assess that but we're very comfortable where we are right now. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst Gotcha. And then last two for me is, with the large national [Inaudible] contract, I think it's the fourth largest, I don't think you ever disclosed who it is, how's that contribution, since you've announced, or signed it, back in April, has it been ramping and is the pie getting bigger for you there and should we see other context as well? Jim O'Brien -- Senior Vice President, Finance It is growing. Certainly being able to expand up into the Northeast and eventually into the Mid-Atlantic, having that contact will help us to extend within our current marketplace today. I would say that our effort to gain more and more and in network contract is ongoing. It's time-consuming. There are a lot of factors that go into it but we're seeing a lot of good projects, we have good dialogues with payers in the marketplace. So, we would expect those contracts to continue to grow and with that the opportunity for revenue expansion. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst Sure. And then lastly, with the conditional approval in New York for 13-analyte women's panel, I guess, how should we think about that contribution as well? Obviously, you didn't have much, if any, impact this quarter. Should we see more in next quarter and any help in terms of how big that could get for you. Jim O'Brien -- Senior Vice President, Finance Yeah, I think we will be using it within our own lab in the next month, certainly within in the quarter and, as we noted in the script, having that expanded test menu and putting together a compendium of tests that we could offer as a reference service or as product sales, those efforts will really kick in the third and fourth fiscal quarter for Enzo. As you mentioned, our pre-marketing activities in the things that we've been doing in the marketplace so far have given us great confidence that the strategy is resonating with clinical labs and we take the opportunities that are out there for us to expand the business, either the reference services or product sales. Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst Sounds good. Thanks, guys. Operator Once again, if you'd like to ask a question or make a comment, please press *, then the No. 1 on your telephone keypad. Barry Weiner -- Chief Financial Officer, President and Treasurer I think no questions. We thank you for your time. We look forward to reporting our second quarter in March. We believe this will be a very extraordinary activity for Enzo. So, we're very excited about where we're going and we hope to speak with you in March. Thank you. Operator Thank you. That concludes the Enzo Biochem Inc.'s first-quarter 2018 operating results conference call. You may now disconnect. Duration: 29 minutes Call Participants: Barry Weiner -- Chief Financial Officer, President and Treasurer Kevin Ellich -- Craig Hallum -- Analyst Jim O'Brien -- Senior Vice President, Finance More ENZ 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 Enzo BiochemWhen 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 Enzo Biochem 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 December 4, 2017 The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. A high-profile proponent of marijuana legalization who was spurned as an applicant for a medical marijuana grower's license announced plans on Monday for a 2018 Ohio ballot issue to legalize the sale and possession of marijuana. The proposal from Green Light Acquisitions would make growing, processing, possessing, selling and using marijuana legal. The measure was announced by Jimmy Gould, CEO of CannAscend, whose grower's proposal was rejected by the Ohio Department of Commerce last month. Gould said the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol amendment will be on the ballot next fall. The amendment also would legalize the growing of hemp. "We will put together the best amendment that we think will pass and does the most good for Ohioans," Gould said. Gould raised and spent millions of dollars as a backer of the unsuccessful 2015 effort to legalize marijuana in Ohio. In recent days he has criticized the Department of Commerce for hiring a consultant with a Pennsylvania drug conviction to help select Ohio's medical marijuana growers. Gould said Monday the selection system was flawed by incompetence and favoritism. He suggested problems with a second consultant involved in the medical marijuana program. He also alleged someone at the Department of Commerce was looking for a job with the applicants for growers' licenses. Commerce spokeswoman Kerry Francis denied those allegations Monday. She said consultants hired by the state to help score growers' applications had limited influence on overall selections and were unaware of the identities of applicants they reviewed. She said applicants denied grower's licenses can appeal. "We have confidence that we had a blind and impartial process," Francis said. Gould's criticism picked up by some lawmakers and several candidates running for governor focuses on the 2005 guilty plea in Pennsylvania by consultant Trevor Bozeman at age 20 to charges of manufacturing, possessing and distributing drugs. A marijuana possession charge was dropped. Bozeman was one of three consultants Ohio selected to help grade the grower applications. The consultants worked with state employees to select the growers. Bozeman has not returned phone and email messages. Also Monday, the lawmaker who helped craft Ohio's medical marijuana law expressed concerns about the application process. State Rep. Kirk Schuring, a Canton Republican, said he's concerned that nearly seven in 10 of all cultivator applications were ruled out of consideration. Schuring said he wants to move quickly because the system must be up and running by September. He plans a Thursday meeting with Commerce Director Jacqueline Williams. Last month, Ohio selected 12 large growers for a total of 24 licenses. The state will use the consultants next to help score applicants for the medical marijuana processors. Ohio's medical marijuana law, passed last year, allows people with medical conditions such as cancer and epilepsy to buy and use marijuana if a doctor recommends it. It doesn't allow smoking. ___ Associated Press Writer Julie Carr Smyth contributed to this report. Andrew Welsh-Huggins can be reached on Twitter at https://twitter.com/awhcolumbus. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission plans to turn over oversight of internet service providers to another federal agency as it plans to vote on Thursday to revoke the landmark 2015 "net neutrality" rules. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai last month unveiled plans to repeal the rules that prohibit internet service providers from impeding consumer access to web content. The 2015 rules bar broadband providers from blocking or slowing access to web content. On Monday, the FCC and Federal Trade Commission said they plan to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate efforts under the new rules. The agencies said the proposal will "return jurisdiction to the FTC to police the conduct of ISPs." Pai said Monday in a statement the agencies "will work together to take targeted action against bad actors." Under Pai's proposal, the FCC would no longer bar any specific internet provider practice but require companies to disclose if they block, throttle or offer paid prioritization of internet traffic. FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, a Democrat, said the agreement "is a confusing, lackluster, reactionary afterthought: an attempt to paper over weaknesses in the chairman's draft proposal repealing the FCC's 2015 net neutrality rules." The FTC will investigate if internet providers fail to make accurate disclosures or if they engage in deceptive or unfair acts or practices. "The FTC is committed to ensuring that Internet service providers live up to the promises they make to consumers," said Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, said "FTC enforcement would happen long after the fact -- many months, if not years, after consumers and businesses have been harmed." Chris Lewis, vice president of advocacy group Public Knowledge, said the FCC is "joining forces with the FTC to say it will only act when a broadband provider is deceiving the public. This gives free reign to broadband providers to block or throttle your broadband service as long as they inform you." Democrats and net neutrality advocates plan a series of protests ahead of Thursday's vote. Pai's proposal has already won the backing of the three Republicans on the five-member commission. The reversal represents a victory for big internet providers such as AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc that opposed the 2015 rules. Pai's proposal is opposed by large internet companies including Alphabet Inc and Facebook Inc. The new rules are expected to take effect in January and draw court challenges. On Monday, Teva Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:TEVA) announced it will launch a generic version of Pfizers (NYSE:PFE) well-known, little blue pill, Viagra, in the United States. Pfizers full patent for Viagra, or sildenafil citrate, doesnt technically expire until 2020. However, Teva negotiated a deal to launch its own generic version of the erectile dysfunction (ED) pill in 2013. Viagra generally costs about $65 per pill, but as competition increases, that price point will decrease substantially. With new rivals imminent, a unit of Pfizer has committed to launch its own generic version of Viagra, which is expected to cost about half of what the brand-name pill is currently priced at. The company is operating under the assumption that some portion of current users will stay loyal to the brand, buying either its less expensive generic pill or sticking with Viagra. A segment of the patient population remains who prefer to use branded medicines instead of their generic equivalents Pfizer will continue to support the brand through a variety of channels to ensure patients and physicians, who may prefer to receive and prescribe branded VIAGRA, can continue to do so, Pfizer said in a statement. The generic medication launched on Monday. According to The Associated Press, the widespread introduction of generic pills could reduce the price of the medicine by as much as 90%. Teva did not immediately respond to FOX Business requests for comments regarding the price of its pending ED medication. Mylan also settled a patent case with Pfizer in 2015, which was expected to allow the company to launch its generic version of sildenafil citrate in December 2017, as well. Mylan did not return calls for comment at the time of publication. Viagra launched in 1998. In 2016 alone, global sales clocked in at $1.6 billion, according to Forbes. More than 23 million people have been prescribed Viagra. Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) released Cialis in 2003, which leads Viagra in market share, according to The Associated Press. President Donald Trump is expected to sign one of his first space directives on Monday, an initiative that will send U.S. astronauts back to the moon, and beyond. The President, today, will sign Space Policy Directive 1 (SPD-1) that directs the NASA Administrator to lead an innovative space exploration program to send American astronauts back to the Moon, and eventually Mars, White House deputy spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement on Monday, adding that since the beginning of his administration, Trump has set out to refocus NASA on its core mission of space exploration. Trumps initiative lands on the 45th anniversary of Apollo 17, last mission to the moon. The crew landed on the celestial body on Dec. 11, 1972. The move is also largely seen as a change of course from the Obama administrations policies in space, which instead put a larger emphasis on the role of private companies. The former president cancelled a proposed program to return humans to the moon by 2020, after it came in over budget. Vice President Mike Pence chairs the National Space Council, which Trump reactivated in June. At the time the president said he was restoring Americas leadership in space and that exploration was essential to the economy and national security. Trump is expected to sign the order at the White House Monday afternoon. McLaren brought back a legendary name Saturday night, one from its pedigree of historic Formula One racing. The new McLaren Senna was unveiled in England, a new hypercar in the automaker's stable complete with 800 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque motivating just 2,641 pounds of mass. The mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive car boasts a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 at its heart, sunk deep into an ultra-lightweight carbon fiber chassis wrapped in more carbon fiber, with an aggressive stance and functional aerodynamics hammering every stretch of pavement it conquers. McLaren didn't specify performance, but with a lighter weight and more power than the 720S, it's reasonable to assume that it will sprint to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds with a top speed well past 200 mph. Distantly related to the McLaren 720S, the Senna follows the P1 in terms of performance and in the automaker's series of "Ultimate" carsbut not in propulsion. The Senna takes its motivation from the 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 alone (no hybrid powertrain) and trims more fat from the 720S, if there was any to be found on that car at all. On top of uprated performance from the V-8, the Senna adds more downforce and more functional aerodynamics to stick it to the ground. A 7-speed dual-clutch automatic handles the furious shifting duties that the V-8 demands, while a double wishbone suspension system with interconnected dampers and constantly monitors the road to stick all four wheels firmly on terra firma. The system uses a kinetic roll system to replace mechanical antiroll bars to independently adjust the dampers for better compression and rebound. Configurable race modes toggle through Comfort, Sport, Track, and Race modes depending on conditions and, of course, the driver's courage. The cockpit is similar to the 720S in terms of two passengers, side-by-side to wail down streets or a track. The interior is stark and spartan: there's no room for interior storage, the start button is above the driver's head like a jet fighter, and exposed struts for the car's dihedral doorssimilar to the F1's doorsopen and close to offer a view of the car's extreme aerodynamic accoutrements. The dash, wheel, doors, and paddle shifters are exposed carbon fiber; the large touchscreen is the only high-tech controller found in the cockpit. The car's extreme aerodynamics take their cues from the 720S, but are shaved of any unnecessary elements to reduce weight. Every bit of the Senna, including headlights and taillights serve as cooling ducts for the engine or to whisk high-pressure airflow away from the car and toward the back of the massive dual-stage carbon fiber wing that's nearly 4 feet above the rear deck. McLaren will produce 500 examples of the Senna and it will cost $1 million for buyers who've already snapped up every example. The McLaren Senna will make its public debut at the 2018 Geneva motor show next March. CNN has accused President Trump of bullying Don Lemon in a tweet that called the polarizing anchor the dumbest man on television. Trump slammed The New York Times on Monday morning over what he called a false story claiming he watches up to eight hours of television a day while taking yet another swipe at CNN and MSNBC. The Times article detailed Trumps hour-by-hour battle for self-preservation, describing how he sometimes hate-watches CNNs Lemon. Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the dumbest man on television! Bad Reporting, Trump tweeted on Monday morning. CNN quickly issued a statement, accusing Trump of bullying the 51-year-old anchor. In a world where bullies torment kids on social media to devastating effect on a regular basis with insults and name calling, it is sad to see our president engaging in the very same behavior himself. Leaders should lead by example, CNN said. Former CNN political analyst Jeff Greenfield isnt a fan of CNNs statement and mocked his old network. Unless Don Lemon is a LOT younger than he appears to be, this is a tone-deaf overreach. From what I've seen, Lemon--unlike bullied kids whose school officials ignore the issue--is more than capable of standing up for himself. This almost infantilizes him, he tweeted. Fox News contributor Stephen Miller joked, CNN just compared themselves to a crying kid in a car and they think that's the high road. President Trump has an ongoing feud with CNN, which has essentially implemented an anti-Trump programming strategy. As a result, the president often refers to CNN as fake news and the network has launched an advertising campaign in an attempt to shake that moniker with a Facts First initiative. CNN had to issue an embarrassing correction on Friday when the Washington Post debunked the network's report claiming the Trump campaign had early, secret access to hacked DNC emails from WikiLeaks. The network on Friday inaccurately trumpeted that Congressional investigators obtained a mysterious 2016 email that was sent to Trump and other top aides, including Donald Trump Jr., which contained information on how to get a sneak peek at hacked information that WikiLeaks had acquired. The email, as CNN reported, offered a decryption key to access the files but the network botched the date on the email, rendering the entire report irrelevant. In addition, CNN on Monday gently backpedaled a report from earlier this year that bashed Attorney General Jeff Sessions for failing to disclose meetings he had with Russian officials when he applied for his security clearance but it turns out he wasnt required to. Corey Feldman shared excerpts of a lost 1993 audio recording he said was made during an interview with California law enforcement in which he divulged the name of a man who sexually abused him as a minor. The audio played on "The Dr. Oz Show" Monday, which Feldman said he only recently discovered in his car, revealed Feldman naming actor Jon Grissom as his sexual molester when he was interviewed by the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office. Feldman was 15 years old at the time of the alleged abuse that he contends lasted for more than a year and a half. Feldman thought the police were investigating Grissom at the time, but realized later they were investigating child molestation claims against his friend, pop superstar Michael Jackson. "They weren't interested in Jon Grissom," Feldman told host Dr. Mehmet Oz. Feldman had previously named Grissom on the same talk show on November 3. Grissom was arrested in 2001 for sexual abuse against a minor. Feldman said if the police had acted after his interview, it could have stopped Grissom from abusing others. Feldman also speculated that the police had more nefarious motives in going after Jackson instead of pursuing Feldman's claims against Grissom. They were trying to frame Michael Jackson and burying the Corey Feldman story," he said. Feldman told the syndicated talk show that he had "spent my entire life fighting this battle. No one was listening then. No one is listening now. [The] LAPD is still not investigating it." The Santa Barbara County Sherrif's office told Fox News in October that the Feldman tapes from the 1993 Michael Jackson investigation did not exist. But last week they sent an email explaining they had recently found the recordings and turned them over to the Los Angeles Police Department. Feldman claimed to Dr. Oz that, by chance, he found his copy of the same recordings in the back of his car the day before he learned that the Santa Barbara police had discovered theirs. Dr. Oz asked Feldman if he felt vindicated. Not yet. Vindication will come when my best friends (Corey Haim) perpetrators are behind bars, my perpetrators are behind bars," said Feldman. Fox News reached out to the LAPD repeatedly about the unearthed audio tape and also asked if an investigation would be launched, but did not receive comment. Embattled NBC News execs are doubling down on their refusal to appoint an outside investigator into sexual misconduct at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, instead announcing a series of internal steps they themselves are overseeing. On Friday, ten days after NBC announced it had fired its biggest star, Matt Lauer, for sexual offenses, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack sent a memo to staffers outlining his efforts to find out why this was able to happen, why it wasnt reported sooner, and what we can do to make employees feel more empowered to report unacceptable behavior. The memo, which was obtained by TVNewser, says that 40 employees have already been interviewed and the process will continue for several more weeks. Lack also announced a culture assessment of NBC News and an assortment of other bureaucratic efforts he's doing to combat sex harassment such as focus groups and mandatory training on workplace behavior and harassment prevention. Lack did not say who was doing the interviews, but it's clear that he and his deputy, Noah Oppenheim, are keeping the investigation under their thumbs. Both executives have been under intense pressure over how they themselves have managed issues of sexual misconduct at NBC News. Cornell University law professior and Legal Insurrection founder William Jacobson said Lack had no business overseeing the investigation. "It's hard to see how an internal investigation that reports to senior executives would be viewed as complete and transparent when the conduct, or lack of conduct, of senior executives, such as Andrew Lack, necessarily should an issue, Jacobson told Fox News. Anything other than an independent outside investigation that reports to the NBC Universal Board of Directors would raise questions as to whether responsibility is being pushed down to lower corporate levels." Legal Insurrection founder William Jacobson Anything other than an independent outside investigation that reports to the NBC Universal Board of Directors would raise questions as to whether responsibility is being pushed down to lower corporate levels." Not only are the executives' ties to Lauer suspect - they are also facing criticism for lack of transparency over why, in the last year, NBC sat on two explosive sex harassment stories that ended up being given to other outlets: the "Access Hollywood" tape of Donald Trump, and Ronan Farrow's investigation into Harvey Weinstein's sexual predations. It is time for all institutions and organizations to examine themselves, accept honest criticism, and change; it is time we all accept responsibility for work places that are safe and respectful for everyone, Webster University School of Communications Dean and media history guru Eric Rothenbuhler told Fox News. Inside NBCs headquarters, several staffers said they were dismayed by a Friday piece on Vanity Fair's website which asserted that Lack and Oppenheim have convinced their colleagues they knew nothing about Lauer's years of alleged transgressions. The dozen or so NBC sources we spoke with for this article agreed the initial speculation about whether the Lauer scandal might metastasize into a situation that could cost Lack or Oppenheim their jobs has since tempered, Vanity Fair's Joe Pompeo wrote. One current NBC News employee told Fox News that many colleagues feel this is simply inaccurate. There is widespread disbelief about the way things have been handled and the defensive duo is losing the newsroom, according to the employee. Another NBC staffer told Fox that Pompeo's assessment was "insulting our intelligence." Numerous media outlets have reported in the last two weeks that "everybody knew" at NBC about Lauer's pervy tendencies. "Everybody" would seem to include Lack and Oppenheim, who both have close ties to Lauer going back years. Lack -- who appointed Lauer co-host of "Today" in 1997 -- is such close friends with Lauer that the two have reportedly even vacationed together. Oppenheim has spent most of his career at NBC, including a stint as a "Today" senior producer, working very closely with Lauer, and also a stint as the executive overseeing "Today" when he was, at least nominally, Lauer's boss. Last week, famed attorney Gloria Allred told Fox News that a review led by NBC News' legal and human resources departments isnt good enough if the network truly wants to find the truth. NBC should hire an outside law firm to investigate what knowledge the network had, or should have had, about Matt Lauers alleged sexual harassment of female employees at NBC," Allred said. "An outside law firm hired to do an independent investigation is more likely than HR to be impartial and not subject to internal pressures and potential conflicts of interest." Celebrity chef Mario Batalis B&B Hospitality Group is the latest high-profile organization to use an independent, outside investigator to determine the severity of sexual misconduct allegations -- which is common when dealing with alleged harassment in the workplace, according to Eater. When news first broke that Lauer had been fired, Lack initially claimed there was only one complaint about Lauer in 20 years--the one that led to his dismissal. But the executives soon backtracked, with NBC clarifying in a statement that only current management was in the dark about "reports" of Lauer's conduct. Oppenheim would go on to tell skeptical staffers at NBC's "Nightly News" that he only knew about Lauer what he saw on the covers of "The National Enquirer" when he went to the supermarket. Oppenheim then insisted that if he found out that anyone at NBC had known about Lauer's conduct and not reported it, that he or she would "be dealt with in the most severe way possible." But observers have recently pondered if NBC executives reluctance to expose other big stars bad behavior -- via the "Access Hollywood' tape or Farrow's investigation -- was linked to a glass houses problem. And in recent days, NBC has been rattled by taunts from the right wing blogger Mike Cernovich, who's been asserting that more sex harassment scandals are brewing inside 30 Rock. Two major NBC figures next in line, one is a household name, Cernovich tweeted on Dec. 6. Cernovich has long been dismissed as a conspiracy theorist, but his predictions are a source of worry within NBC as he was recently a driving force behind reporting that toppled powerful U.S. Rep. John Conyers amid a sexual harassment scandal. The New Yorker has severed ties with star reporter Ryan Lizza in response to behavior the magazine described as improper sexual conduct. Lizza emerged as a household name last summer after he recorded a phone call with then-White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who went off on a profanity-laced tirade. President Trump fired Scaramucci after less than two weeks. The New Yorker recently learned that Ryan Lizza engaged in what we believe was improper sexual conduct. We have reviewed the matter and, as a result, have severed ties with Lizza. Due to a request for privacy, we are not commenting further, the magazine said in a statement. Lizza is also a contributor to CNN and the network put out its own statement shortly after the news broke. We have just learned of the New Yorker's decision. Ryan Lizza will not appear on CNN while we look into this matter, a CNN spokesperson said. I am dismayed that The New Yorker has decided to characterize a respectful relationship with a woman I dated as somehow inappropriate, Lizza said in a statement to the media. I am sorry to my friends, workplace colleagues, and loved ones for any embarrassment this episode may cause. I love The New Yorker... But this decision, which was made hastily and without a full investigation of the relevant facts, was a terrible mistake. In no way did Mr. Lizza's misconduct constitute a 'respectful relationship' as he has now tried to characterize it, the unnamed accuser's attorney, Douglas Wigdor, told a Washington Post reporter. Lizza has not appeared on CNN since November 22, according to the Daily Beast. Perhaps his absence from the network is a result of appearing in the Sh-tty Media Men list, which has floated around the industry for several weeks. The list is filled with powerful men in the media industry who are accused anonymously of misconduct, including sexual harassment and assault. CNN did not respond to a request for comment about whether the network would investigate Lizza or rely on The New Yorker. CNN also did not respond when asked if Lizzas recent absence is a result of being included on the Sh-tty Media Men list. The media industry has seen a significant number of high-profile men lose their jobs after being accused of sexual misconduct in recent months, including Bill OReilly, Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, Mark Halperin and Garrison Keillor. Scaramuccis political career essentially ended after he didnt seem to realize his profane conversation with Lizza was on the record. The Hill media columnist Joe Concha pondered whether Scaramucci knew about Lizzas alleged misconduct, pointing to comments made in a Dec. 4 interview. "This guys obviously a very bad actor. Karmas a b-tch. Itll come back & bite him, Scaramucci said of Lizza, according to Concha. The longtime host of one of NPR's most successful programs has been suspended while the network investigates sexual misconduct allegations. The allegations against "On Point" host Tom Ashbrook include that he engaged in "creepy" sex talks and gave unwanted hugs, neck and back rubs to 11 mostly young women and men who worked on the show. They were contained in a document and confirmed in multiple interviews by WBUR-FM, the Boston station that produces the show. Ashbrook was put on leave last week. In a text to the station, Ashbrook said: "I am sure that once the facts come out that people will see me for who I am flawed but caring and decent in all my dealings with others." "On Point" is carried by more than 290 NPR stations. Ashbrook has hosted for 16 years. NPRs chief editor, Michael Oreskes, also recently resigned in the midst of sexual harassment allegations of his own, along with Chief News Editor David Sweeney. Earlier this month, famed "A Prairie Home Companion" host Garrison Keillor was let go from Minnesota Public Radio for the same reason. Another recent bombshell report to rock the liberal radio network said NPR journalist John Hockenberry had sexually harassed and and bullied colleagues for years before he retired, seemingly out of the blue, in August. The article's author, Suki Kim, said she reported her experiences working with Hockenberry to Walker in February, long before the tidal wave of sexual harassment stories, starting with Harvey Weinstein, began. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Porn star August Ames, who hanged herself last week after she was relentlessly bullied on social media for her comments about working with an actor who worked in gay porn, revealed she suffered sexual abuse and mental health issues before her death. The 23-year-old, who starred in nearly 290 movies, was found dead Tuesday morning in California. In mid-September, she appeared in a podcast where she detailed experiencing a lot of sexual molestation while growing up, adding that the offender was not her father, the Independent reported. It was just awful. Its still recent where I have to keep myself occupied or else I start thinking about all that st and then I fall into a depression, she said, citing the podcast. I try to do therapy. I hate that word. I hate therapy. Ames said therapists would judge her after she revealed she worked in the adult industry. She then detailed her past drug abuse and how she used it to escape her issues. I dont drink alcohol anymore. When I would drink, Id black out every time. I used to smoke a lot of weed too, I used to be a big stoner but Ive cut that out too. I just drink water now, Ames said. She added that she resorted to medication for her bipolar disorder, depression and multiple personality disorder. She recalled the crippling feeling when she wasnt on medication. Ames received major backlash in early December after she tweeted that she declined filming for a movie after she discovered the male actor also worked on gay pornography. She cited health safety reasons and insisted she was not homophobic and just wasnt willing to put her body at risk. Whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow for @EroticaXNews , youre shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can sayDo agents really not care about who theyre representing? #ladirect I do my homework for my body, she tweeted. Despite her insistence, several people accused her of being homophobic. Jaxton Wheeler, an adult film star, also took to Twitter to criticize Ames and said in a now-deleted tweet that Ames should swallow a cyanide pill for her comments. He posted the tweet after her death and soon apologized for his out of context comment. It's unclear if he knew about her death when the tweet was posted. My gay community friends please a life is lost and we gain nothing from anything but showing respect and sympathy, her fans and loved ones are upset, I'm sickened in my out of context comment. As I stated before anyone even made my tweet a thing, Wheeler said. Industry trade magazine Adult Video News (AVN) first reported Ames' death and released a statement from her husband saying: She was the kindest person I ever knew and she meant the world to me. Please leave this as a private family matter in this difficult time. Buddy Valastro, better known as TLCs Cake Boss, has confirmed on Twitter that his popular Carlos Bake Shop location at the corner of NYCs Port Authority Bus Terminal will be closed following Monday mornings attempted terrorist attack. MARIO BATALI ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT BY FOUR WOMEN Hey guys! Everyone at the Times Square location is safe but know that we are shutting down our 42nd & 8th bakery for the day, he tweeted shortly after an explosion went off in a subway passageway near the Port Authority. Im down in Hoboken where well be operating as usual. Valastro also confirmed on Instagram that he was saddened by the incident, but "extremely grateful" for the safety of his employees. He added that he'd keep fans posted of the bakery's status. The New York City location of Carlos bakery is situated at 625 8th Avenue, just a short distance from the subway passageway where the suspected bomber triggered an explosion just before 7:30 a.m. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has since referred to Monday mornings incident as an attempted terrorist attack." However, police say the mans explosive device went off earlier than intended, and that no one other than the suspect himself a 27-year-old Bangladeshi national named Akayed Ullah was seriously injured in the explosion. Three other people reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Carlo's Bake Shop has 22 locations across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, Nevada, Minnesota and California, as well as one location in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A man in Illinois had a case of mistaken identity when police officers approached him after he crashed his car into a ditch. Police officers arrived on scene at 12:49 a.m. Friday after being notified of a man driving erratically in the parking lot, almost hitting a pedestrian and then crashing his car. When police approached the Galesburg, IL, man, he claimed his name was Burger King. BURGER KING MANAGER FILMED SCREAMING AT CUSTOMER FOR TAKING TOO LONG TO ORDER According to reports, the 34-year-old Bradley S. Galloway told officers his name was Burger King, and he smelled like alcohol. Officers noted Galloways eyes were bloodshot and glassy, WGIL reported. Galloway failed to cooperate with officers or medical personnel, and refused medical assitance. During an inspection by the EMTs, Galloway made racial slurs towards the paramedics multiple times. The man then refused to stand up by himself and required police to carry him into the police station. Galloway continued to make several unusual comments, including Donald Trump is coming to beat up the officers, The Register-Mail reported. Eventually, he was transported to the hospital, where he implied that a doctor was coming to give him a million dollars. When he was transferred back to the county jail, Galloway told officers, You all believe in Satan. You all worship Satan. You all driving me to Satans town, WGIL reported. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The man faces charges including driving under the influence, resisting arrest, reckless driving, failing to reduce speed to avoid and accident and operating an uninsured vehicle. Witnesses alleged earlier that they tried to take his keys away from him when Galloway left the Showgirls bar, but were unable to. A man believed to have robbed a New York City fried chicken restaurant in July was arrested on Thursday after returning to the scene of the crime for second helpings, police say. Christopher Schlosser, 21, has been charged with robbery stemming from an incident that took place on July 27, when he allegedly stormed into a Texas Chicken and Burger location in the Bronx to steal fried chicken and biscuits from behind the counter. CALIF. RESTAURANT 'PROUDLY' SERVING POPEYES CHICKEN AS ITS OWN As seen in surveillance footage from inside the restaurant, the suspects face was only partially obscured during the robbery. So upon re-entering the eatery on Thursday, an employee was able to identify Schlosser as the same man from the incident. He thought we didnt know him, said Texas Chicken employee Abdul Mustawu to the New York Daily News. I told my manager, This guy punched me and took my chicken and my biscuits. I know him. Call the police. Police arrived shortly afterward to arrest Schlosser, The New York Post adds. Oddly enough, this very same Texas Chicken and Burger location was the target of a similar robbery on Wednesday night, when a young couple jumped over the counter to physically assault a 22-year-old employee and steal about $15 worth of food, PIX 11 reports. SUSPECTED BURGLAR GETS STUCK IN FRIED CHICKEN RESTAURANT FOR 7 HOURS Police are encouraging anyone with information into the latest robbery to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Mario Batali has been asked to temporarily leave his ABC series "The Chew" and his upcoming Food Network series is said to be "on hold" in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct, Fox News has learned. The celebrity chef, 57, said he will step away from the day-to-day operations of his restaurant empire after four women accused him of inappropriate behavior in the workplace and elsewhere, including grabbing and groping three of his female employees, and even grabbing a fellow chef who approached him at a New Orleans wine auction ten years ago, Eater NY reported on Monday morning. The four women have declined to reveal their names, but the latter accuser claimed that Batali groped her breasts after she spilled wine on her chest, while saying something to the effect of Let me help you with that. The woman also alleges that Batali had been under the influence of alcohol at the time, and that just prior to the incident, he came off as creepy and icky, Eater reports. MARIO BATALI'S $250 MILLION RESTAURANT EMPIRE IN LIMBO AMID SEXUAL ALLEGATIONS The other three accusers were all employed by Batali at one time or another, and shared similar stories of Batalis behavior with Eater. One woman says he approached her from behind and held her against himself; another says she was groped and made to straddle Batali; and the last, who had already stopped working for the chef, says he also grabbed her breasts. Batali, who is married to wife Susi Cahn, has since released a statement apologizing for his actions, in which he takes full responsibility for the inappropriate behavior. I apologize to the people I have mistreated and hurt, said Batali in a statement obtained by Eater. Although the identities of most of the individuals mentioned in these stories have not been revealed to me, much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted. That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family. I have work to do to try to regain the trust of those I have hurt and disappointed. For this reason, I am going to step away from day-to-day operations of my businesses. We built these restaurants so that our guests could have fun and indulge, but I took that too far in my own behavior. I wont make that mistake again. I want any place I am associated with to feel comfortable and safe for the people who work or dine there. "I know my actions have disappointed many people. The successes I have enjoyed are owned by everyone on my team. The failures are mine alone. To the people who have been at my side during this time my family, my partners, my employees, my friends, my fans I am grateful for your support and hopeful that I can regain your respect and trust. I will spend the next period of time trying to do that. BATALI: $15 MINIMUM WAGE IS NO GOOD FOR RESTAURANTS OR CUSTOMERS ABC confirmed to Fox News that they have asked Batali to step down as a co-host of its daytime series The Chew. We have asked Mario Batali to step away from 'The Chew' while we review the allegations that have just recently come to our attention, writes an ABC spokesperson in a statement. ABC takes matters like this very seriously as we are committed to a safe work environment. While we are unaware of any type of inappropriate behavior involving him and anyone affiliated with the show, we will swiftly address any alleged violations of our standards of conduct. Prior to these allegations surfacing on Monday morning, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain suggested that he knew such an expose was coming, though he refrained from revealing Batalis name until after the site published the accusations on Monday morning. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The accusations against Batali follow several other allegations against celebrity chefs in recent months. In November, four former employees of Johnny Iuzzini, a judge on ABCs Great American Baking Show, accused the pastry chef of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior, including one woman who claims Iuzzini tried to stick his tongue in her ear three or four times. And in October, New Orleans chef John Besh stepped down from his restaurant group after more than two dozen of his employees came forward with accusations of harassment and sexual misconduct. Batali and his restaurant group operate dozens of restaurants in the United States and Singapore. Along with Lidia Bastianich and Joe Bastianich, Batali co-owns the Eataly chain of Italian marketplaces. In November, Batali was also reported to be working on a revival of his "Molto Mario" cooking series for Food Network, although a representative for the channel tells Fox News those plans are now "on hold." Food Network takes matters like this very seriously and we are putting relaunch plans for 'Molto Mario' on hold. A representative for Mario Batali or his restaurant group was not immediately available to comment. A 10-year-old boy is hoping to be home in time to celebrate Christmas with his new family after undergoing a multi-organ transplant that was eight years in the making. Victorious Vic Nera, whose home health nurse took legal custody of him in March after the mother who adopted him as a toddler died earlier this year, was born with short bowel syndrome, Fox 8 reported. The condition nearly killed him as an infant, and causes malnutrition, weight loss and dehydration. As a result, Vic has received all of his nutrients through an IV, and has undergone multiple surgeries, but the toll of the recoveries destroyed his liver and pancreas. He was placed on the organ transplant list, with the fateful call finally coming in November. These patients, its like our baby because we are taking care of them day and night, and we see them often so we establish a bond and relationship, Dr. Kareem Abu-Elmagd, Vics doctor at the Cleveland Clinic, told Fox 8. 'ELF ON THE SHELF' UNDERGOES EMERGENCY SURGERY AFTER DOG ATTACK Vics surgery lasted 16 hours and saw him receive a new liver, pancreas and small intestine. Everybody was excited in the operating room when we had the organs in, Abu-Elmagd told Fox 8. They fit in his abdominal cavity and the whole team was so excited that we were able to Vic with the new organs. Annie Lykins, Neras adoptive mother, said she Vic fits in perfectly with her three other children, and described the adoption and subsequent surgery as a domino effect. BOY BATTLING BRAIN TUMOR GETS SPECIAL TOUR OF JOHN DEERE FACTORY It was crazy the way everything kind of fell into place; it was a domino effect, she told Fox 8. He fit perfectly with our family; it was like he was always there. Lykins is hoping to have Vic home in time for Christmas. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family cover any remaining medical expenses. Like a lot of other good things in life, wound-healing is a process. You probably didnt enjoy the events that earned you your cuts and scrapes, but when you do have them, you get to watch your body perform an amazing work. However, time doesnt necessarily heal all wounds. If several weeks have already gone by, you might be left wondering about your open scrapes. Its important for you to find out why your wound wont heal properly and what exactly you can do about it. Reasons Your Wound Wont Heal 1. Infection Your skin is your bodys first line of defense against bacteria. When the skin breaks, bacteria can then move from the outside to inside the body. If the wound area gets infected, you may notice persistent redness, swelling, pain and an off-color or foul-smelling fluid. 2. Nutrition Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? The vitamins in them help your body heal faster, especially vitamins A and C. THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEPING WELL Make sure youre eating foods like oranges, spinach, sweet potatoes and bell peppers to help your body do its job. Youll also need plenty of lean protein along the way. 3. Diabetes Because of elevated blood sugar, diabetics have an increased risk for slow-healing wounds and infection. The high blood sugar can negatively affect your circulation and immune system. It can also damage nerves that signal pain, leading to more wounds simply because the diabetics dont know when something is hurting them. If you notice slow-healing wounds regularly, they could be a sign of this disease, especially recurrent wounds on the legs and feet. 4. Medication Different medications could also identify as your culprit for slow wound-healing. Chemotherapy and radiation drugs have powerful chemicals that hamper your immune system, making the healing process harder. BABY MILK MAKER ORDERS GLOBAL RECALL OVER SALMONELLA FEARS Antibiotics kill off good bacteria, increasing your risk of an infected wound site. In addition, anti-inflammatory drugs might inhibit the inflammatory stage that your body goes through in healing wounds. If you suspect that your medication is causing the problem, discuss your concern with a doctor. 5. Poor circulation When your body is healing a wound, red blood cells are the ones that carry new cells to the site. In turn, they help form the foundation for new skin with collagen. If you have poor circulation, the blood will move to the wound site more slowly, delaying the healing process. You may have poor circulation due to diabetes, obesity, blood clots, arterial build-up or some other underlying condition. 6. Bed Sores Bed sores (technically pressure ulcers) usually occur when a person is bedridden or immobile for long periods. For instance, a bedridden patient will have pressure on certain areas of the body that press up against the bed. That pressure can cause varying levels of sores, eventually leading to a gaping wound and infection if not cared for properly. Mild sores should go away quickly with regular relief and movement from those pressure points, but moderate or severe sores will need medical treatment. 7. Drinking Alcohol This bad habit gets worse when you consider all the health effects on your body, including slow-healing wounds. In one 2014 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, researchers found that binge drinking significantly increases infections while hospitalized. Of these infections are surgical site wounds. According to the study, excessive alcohol decreases important white blood cells in the body that fend off bacteria. 8. Venous Leg Ulcers Venous leg ulcers happen when a wound on your leg is slow to heal. Many times, the ulcers occur because of poor circulation in the veins of the legs. FENDING OFF TOXIC MOLD SYNDROME Since the legs need a good push to get blood circulation back up to the heart, blood might tend to pool in the legs. In turn, the pressure can weaken the surrounding skin, causing problems with wounds and their healing. Venous leg ulcers often happen in bony areas like the ankles. How to Properly Care for a Wound In many cases, you can help the healing process of mild wounds with proper care. These suggestions from the American Academy of Dermatology will help you stave off infection: Gently wash the area with mild soap and water. Keep the wound moist to prevent scabbing, which prolongs healing. The AAD suggests petroleum jelly. Keep the wound bandaged and clean every day. As long as the wound stays clean, you do not need antibacterial ointments. Follow any orders from your doctor, especially if you have stitches. When to Get Help In nearly all of these scenarios, you will want to seek your doctors advice. You should know that normal wound-healing can take up to 3 weeks, but you shouldnt wait much longer than that to see your doctor. If a wound has not healed after a month, its time to seek professional help. Through the amazing process of wound-healing, your body has the ability to close a mild scrape or cut on its own. However, this process can be hampered for a variety of reasons. For instance, a scabbed wound may take longer to heal. In most cases, though, you will need to talk about your situation with your doctor. Protecting your bodys defense system is the best way to stop deeper problems before they get started. This article first appeared on AskDrManny.com. An 11-year-old boy with an inoperable brain tumor was able to take a break from the hospital last week to spend time at the John Deere Harvester Works factory in Illinois. Donning a green and yellow John Deere hat and sweatshirt, Johnny Becker saw never-before-used machines and took a turn on the assembly line with the help of welcoming employees, Fox 59 reported. Becker, who is about to start his eighth round of chemotherapy, has a deep-rooted love for the company, as hes watched his farmer grandfather and uncle work John Deere machines, and his own father use the companys tools in his landscaping business. As a result, the factorys employees rolled out the red carpet for their young fan and his siblings. 'ELF ON THE SHELF' UNDERGOES EMERGENCY SURGERY AFTER DOG ATTACK He chose to visit us, and its truly very humbling, David Thompson, a machine repairman who was on hand for Mondays tour, told Fox 59. Weve got everything from signs to shirts to toys for him. His mother, Marie Becker, told the news outlet that it was great to see her son smile. One of his favorite memories was writing his name using a robotic arm in the paint department. These poor kids, theyve been dealt a bad blow, Randy Parker, a factory employee, told Fox 59. We try to keep in touch with them after they leave, you know, its kind of like we take them into our family. Becker said her son has been responding well to treatments thus far, and is determined to keep up with his brothers. A Florida familys beloved Elf on the Shelf is back to his mischievous ways thanks to the work of surgeons at Orlando Health. Jenn Thelen, the emergency department nurse manager at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, said her 7-year-old daughter Aubrie was devastated to discover the doll, which they named Sam, ripped to shreds by their pet German Shepard, Fox 35 reported. Thelen said she calmed Aubrie down by promising to take the elf to work where surgeons could patch him back together. Video shows the elf being rushed into surgery on a hospital bed, with one staffer describing an amputation of the right arm, a cut on the right arm, an open tib/fib fracture and a cut on the left cheek. BABY MILK MAKER ORDERS GLOBAL RECALL OVER SALMONELLA FEARS Aubrie was concerned about how the surgeons would be able to fix him, since Sam is not allowed to be touched by humans, but Thelen told her that the unidentified surgeon donned special magic gloves that allowed her to touch the elf. Orlando Health told the news outlet that one staffer even sprinkled Christmas magic glitter on the elf when surgery was done to help with his recovery. Sam has since returned home to Aubrie and is back to his usual tricks, Fox 35 reported. Editor's note: The following column first appeared in the Washington Post. The phones of House and Senate leaders are ringing off the hook right now, as CEOs and wealthy donors lobby them furiously to lower the top income tax rate and insert costly carve-outs into the GOP tax bill to protect their business tax preferences. Too bad regular taxpayers dont have a direct line to the conferees hammering out the final bill to plead their cases. Because it seems as though they have been forgotten. Case in point: At the last minute, Senate Republicans changed their version of the tax bill to keep the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) a pernicious parallel tax code which they had promised to scrap that requires corporations and millions of individuals to calculate their taxes twice and pay whichever rate is higher. On hearing the news, corporate lobbyists swung into action, pressing GOP leaders to get rid of the corporate AMT in the final bill. And their efforts seem to be paying off. The corporate AMT has to be eliminated, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Monday. But what about individuals? Who is championing AMT repeal for them? Enter Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who is fighting to get the individual AMT removed from the final tax reform bill as well. Repeal of the individual AMT has been a fundamental element of Republican tax reform campaign promises for years, he told me. By leaving the individual AMT in place, we would be punishing hardworking Americans and doing virtually nothing to simplify the tax code. Burr is right. Congress created the AMT in 1969 after the Treasury Department reported that 155 high-income filers were using tax breaks to avoid paying any income taxes. In 1970, it affected only 20,000 very high-income taxpayers. But today, the number of people impacted has ballooned to 5.2 million. Most of those who currently pay the AMT are not from the highest-income households for which the tax was intended, but the middle and upper-middle class folks who have enough money to be a ripe target of revenue raisers, but not enough to have influence on Capitol Hill. They are mostly two-earner households with mortgages to pay, who give to charity and have children. The AMT also hits the families of our fallen warriors. According to Burr, children who receive an annuity from the Uniformed Services Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) can see the AMT eat up as much as 26 percent of their benefit. No Republican tax bill should punish individuals like these especially not to pay for tax breaks for corporations and the wealthiest among us. Members of the Trump administration know that the AMT is a horrible tax. In 2006, Kevin Hassett now chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers called the AMT an economic abominationand urged Congress to erase it from the tax code completely. Yet instead of erasing it, Republicans are retaining it. Keeping the individual AMT means many Americans will see no tax cut under the GOP bill, Burr says. It defeats the entire purpose of tax reform. GOP leaders promised to make the tax code simpler and fairer. But the AMT increases tax complexity and raises compliance costs for 10 million American taxpayers, who must calculate their taxes using two separate systems every year and then pay whichever rate is the highest. That is not simple or fair. It is obscene. GOP leaders are focused on passing corporate tax cuts to fuel economic growth, which is a good thing. But they seem to have lost sight of the fact that reducing taxes for individuals is important, too. According to the Tax Policy Center, even before the AMT retention, 1 in 4 Americans will not get any tax cut under the Senate bill, and 14 percent of middle-class Americans will get a tax increase of $1,170. That is a problem for the GOP. If Americans see the GOP borrowing $1.5 trillion to pay for tax cuts, and they end up getting either no tax cut or paying more next year, they will punish Republicans at the polls. Instead of more carve-outs for corporations and fat-cat donors, Republicans should give tax relief to more individuals, especially the middle class. Will Burr vote no on final passage if the individual AMT is not repealed? He hopes it wont come to that. I am confident the House and Senate conferees will fix the individual AMT in the final tax reform bill, he says. Lets hope hes right. If Republicans get rid of the AMT for corporations, but not for individuals, that will send a clear message to American voters about where the GOPs interests lie. On Tuesday, the good people of Alabama will decide whether to vote for Roy Moore, the Republican candidate who is accused of multiple accounts of inappropriate sexual contact with underage girls. Beside Moore on the ballot is Doug Jones, a pro-abortion candidate who generally supports the policies associated with his partys secular progressive platform. Should the good Republicans of Alabama vote for Moore, for Jones, or for a write-in candidate? Should conservatives across the nation support Moore or speak out against his candidacy? GOP leaders are divided. Some Republican leaders support Moores candidacy. President Trump, for example, supports Moore because, The future of this country cannot afford to lose a seat in the very, very close United States Senate. Similarly, Alabamas governor Kay Ivey argues that significant policy issues are more important than Moores past. Other Republican leaders argue unequivocally that Alabamans should disown Moore. Cory Gardner, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, declared that Roy Moore will never have the support of the senatorial committee. We will never endorse him. We wont support him. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell says that Moore will immediately face a Senate Ethics Committee probe should he win. Speaker Paul Ryan has repeatedly called for Moore to drop out of the race. What is best for our nation, for vulnerable women, and for the Republican party? But GOP leaders are not the only people who must make up their minds about Moore. The good people of Alabama must cast their votes, and conservatives across the nation must make our voices heard on this matter of national significance. Lets face it: the Roy Moore situation is a sticky wicket. Moore denies all charges, repeatedly declaring that he does not know the women and that the charges are malicious. And although Moore has not undergone trial and been found guilty, Americans do not have the luxury of waiting for a trial before the election is held. We must make a decision now, however tentative our judgment might be. The weight of the evidence is against Moore. The testimony of the women seems generally persuasive. At least nine accusers have given their names and exposed themselves to tough questioning, knowing their testimony would cause them pain and public harassment. At least four of the women are Trump supporters, Republicans, or vocally devout Christians. Additionally, there are at least thirty persons who have corroborated details of the accusations. On the one hand, if we do not support Moore, the nation will be stuck with a pro-abortion Democrat whose votes will line up fairly well with the secular progressive agenda. We will be giving ground to media outlets and personalities who have slighted conservatives and mocked us for decades. We might find ourselves with one less vote during the next Supreme Court Justice confirmation. Adding insult to injury, well have to live with the knowledge that todays left-wing moralists are yesterdays supporters of Harasser-in-Chief Bill Clinton. On the other hand, if we do support Moore, the short-term victory will come at a considerable cost to vulnerable women, our own integrity, and the long-term health of the GOP. The moment Moore is seated, his situation almost assuredly will be investigated by the Ethics Committee and might eventuate in a vote to censure or expel him. During mid-term elections, news media will hang him around the neck of every Republican candidate as Democrats try to drive turnout among women, independents, and younger voters who rightly think that personal character matters for public office. Although a substantive case can be made for supporting Moore, the right thing is to withdraw support for his candidacy and send a resounding message to the nation. In the words of Founding Father Noah Webster, When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility [and] betrays the interest of his country. In the words of Proverbs 14:34, Righteousness exalts a nation. Although a public officials private life does not always bear on his public office, and although public officials should not be held to unreasonable moral standards, the accusations against Moore are serious. If they are true, he preyed on the unprotected, treating them as objects or instruments of sexual gratification. And if so, he has not confessed or repented and thus his morally and legally indefensible acts should be politically devastating also. Now is not the time for the GOP to change its long-standing conviction that personal character matters for public office. Now is not the time to send a message to younger voters, women, and independents that morality no longer matters in the GOP. Now is not the time to forsake all credibility in our rebukes of Kennedy, Clinton, Weinstein, Lauer, Franken, and others. It is possible that Moore is innocent. I have always respected him personally and hope that, against appearances, he is vindicated. And yet, even if he is later shown to be innocent, support for him now would send the wrong signal in light of the overwhelming public perception that he is guilty. What is best for our nation, for vulnerable women, and for the Republican party? To embrace and act on the conviction that personal character matters for public office, that we will not elect to office candidates of whom there are serious questions or allegations concerning their respect for women, and that we are willing to write in a candidate, knowing that we will experience a short-term electoral setback in order to sustain our long-term integrity and viability. A mailer sent by the campaign of Alabama Senate Democratic nominee Doug Jones compares Republican opponent Roy Moore to the former segregationist governor George Wallace just days after the Jones campaign faced a social media backlash over a different racially-charged flyer. Fox News has obtained a copy of the latest mailer, sent to black voters in the state. It shows an infamous 1963 photo of Wallace standing at the schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama to block black students from enrolling. George Wallace fought to protect segregation, the flyer reads. So did Roy Moore. DOUG JONES FACES BACKLASH OVER RACIALLY-CHARGED CAMPAIGN FLYER IN ALABAMA Lying Doug Jones is at it again. This is just another attempt to manipulate African-American voters with lies while covering for his own horrible track record of defending an extremist with KKK ties, Moore spokeswoman Hannah Ford told Fox News. The mail piece speaks for itself, Jones spokesman Sebastian Kitchen said. The attack from the Jones campaign is rooted in how Moore in 2004 opposed efforts to remove segregationist language from Alabamas constitution. Segregation had long been outlawed by then, but the business community argued at the time it would be an important symbolic move for Alabama to take. The measure failed. As recently as 2004 he was fighting to keep racism the law in Alabama, the mailer states. Instead of working to move Alabama forward, Moore led the campaign against removing racist, outdated language from our state constitution that required segregation in Alabama schools. According to AL.com, Moore said he opposed the effort at the time because he said it would lead to higher taxes. In 2004, Moore opposed proposed Amendment 2 to the Alabama Constitution, which would have stricken language mandating that schools be segregated and makes mention of poll taxes, the outlet recently explained. He argued that the real motivation behind the amendment, which narrowly failed, was to increase funding for public schools, and therefore increase taxes, according to an October 2004 Birmingham News story. Moore also pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court already declared segregation unconstitutional, making the amendment moot. The ad also claims Moore has ties to hate groups like the KKK and has repeatedly worked alongside racists and white supremacists who support his agenda. That claim is based on past support for Moore from several groups, though not on any direct activity from Moore himself. A Mississippi KKK group supported Moores refusal to enforce federal law, and Moores legal foundation accepted a thousand dollar contribution from a Neo-Nazi group, the ad says. A disclaimer on the ad said the Doug Jones for Senate Committee paid for it. The flyer came days after the Jones campaign saw a social media backlash to another mailer that showed a young black man with a skeptical look on his face and the message: Think if a black man went after high school girls anyone would try to make him a senator? In a radio interview Friday, Jones was asked about the criticism of the ad and said: You know, maybe we could've used a little bit different language. That flyer was meant as a reference to the multiple women going on record to say Moore pursued romantic relationships with them when he was in his 30s, and when they were teenagers as young as 14. He has denied the accusations. Jones campaign has been actively working to motivate the states black voters ahead of Tuesday election. On Sunday, his campaign brought in a number of high-profile Democratic black lawmakers to Alabama to campaign for him, including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Alabama Rep. Terri Sewell, Georgia Rep. Sanford Bishop and Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Sunday defended President Trumps announcement to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognize the holy city as Israels capital -- arguing the move should fastball the Middle East peace process while warning that the international bashing of Israel is hurting such efforts. We think this is actually going to help us fastball the peace process going forward, Haley told Chris Wallace during Fox News Sunday. The announcement by Trump on Wednesday to move the embassy from Tel Aviv and to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital roiled much of the international community -- including the Palestinians, whose seat of government is in east Jerusalem. The U.S. announcement was also widely criticized by the 14 other members of the U.N. Security Council, during an emergency meeting Friday, which seems in part why Haley on Sunday continued to defend Israel, one of the United States closest and strongest allies. There have been repeated attempts to hit Israel, for no reason whatsoever, Haley said. [The UNs] Israel-bashing sessions, constantly trying to find ways to pick at them. But I want the Security Council and all of the international community to understand, when you bully Israel, you are not helping the peace process. Were not going to put up with it anymore. Trumps announcement is considered by many a major departure from decades of U.S. foreign policy on Jerusalem, which is essentially to stay neutral on the issue. It also fulfills a big Trump campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy to the holy city. And it is a major part of the Trump administrations agenda to bring about Middle East peace. 'We will respect anything that the two parties come together on.' Nikki Haley On Sunday, Alyssa Farah, press secretary to Vice President Pence, announced he would be traveling to the Middle East. "The president has asked Vice President Pence to go to the region to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations. The Vice President very much looks forward to traveling to the region to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President el-Sisi. It's unfortunate that the Palestinian Authority is walking away again from an opportunity to discuss the future of the region, but the administration remains undeterred in its efforts to help achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians and our peace team remains hard at work putting together a plan." Haley on Sunday also insisted that the U.S. will treat the Palestinians and Israelis fairly and will allow the sides to reach their own peaceful solution. We will respect anything that the two parties come together on, she said. California Gov. Jerry Brown said Sunday President Trump's apparent lack of fear "of the wrath of God" explains his denial of climate change. "I don't think President Trump has a fear of the Lord, the fear of the wrath of God, which leads one to more humility," Brown told CBS' "60 Minutes." "And, this is such a reckless disregard for the truth and for the existential consequences that can be unleashed," he continued, referring to climate scientists who believe global warming is due to the burning of fossil fuels. Brown, who is currently battling some of the worst wildfires in his state's history, said nature is not "a political game." The governor, however, called on Trump to re-evaluate his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, which he announced in June. "The truth of the case is that there's too much carbon being emitted, that heat-trapping gasses are building up, the planet is warming and all hell is breaking loose," he said. "So I'd say to Mr. Trump, take a deeper look. Now is not the time to undo what every country in the world is committed to." Click for more from the Washington Examiner. Vice President Mike Pence's office said Sunday it was unfortunate that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas canceled plans to meet with Pence in the West Bank this month because President Trump announced the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. The President has asked Vice President Pence to go to the region to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations. The Vice President very much looks forward to traveling to the region to meet with [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and [Egyptian] President [Abdel Fattah] el-Sisi, Pences press secretary Alyssa Farah told Fox News. Its unfortunate that the Palestinian Authority is walking away again from an opportunity to discuss the future of the region, but the Administration remains undeterred in its efforts to help achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians and our peace team remains hard at work putting together a plan. Abbas diplomatic adviser, Majdi Khaldi, said Saturday that Abbas wouldnt meet Pence because the U.S. has crossed red lines on Jerusalem. President Trump also said last week the U.S. Embassy would ultimately move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel says it wont relinquish any part of the city, while the Palestinians have said they want the Israeli-annexed eastern sector as their future capital. Abbas had viewed close ties with Washington as strategically important because of the U.S. role as Mideast broker. The snub of Pence signaled a sharp deterioration in relations. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Former President Barack Obama and his veep Joe Biden have recorded robo-calls in support of Democratic Alabama Senate candidate Doug Jones, in a final push to get out the vote ahead of Tuesdays special election. A Jones campaign official confirmed the calls to Fox News. They started going out statewide on Monday. The 11th-hour efforts are being undertaken on both sides. President Trump who held a rally Friday just across the Alabama state line in Florida where he touted Republican Roy Moores candidacy has also recorded a pro-Moore robo-call. The national interest reflects the importance to Trump's agenda of keeping the seat in Republican hands. Moore has been dogged by allegations for weeks that he pursued and even molested teenage women when he was a young prosecutor. Moore denies the allegations. These allegations are completely false. I did not date underaged women. I did not molest anyone. And so these allegations are false, Moore said during an interview with The Voice of Alabama Politics, a television news show affiliated with the website The Alabama Political Reporter. "This is an election to tell the whole world what we stand for," Jones told supporters at one stop Sunday, adding that his campaign "is on the right side of history." At an earlier appearance, he declared Alabama is "at a crossroads" and that Moore, an unapologetic evangelical populist, tries only to "create conflict and division." Fox News Peter Doocy and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Gun-rights advocates scored a major win with House passage of legislation making concealed-carry gun permits valid across state lines -- but face a much tougher challenge in the Senate where they'll need support from at least eight Democrats to make the bill law. Supporters of "concealed-carry reciprocity" argue they simply want to clarify a patchwork of laws from local jurisdictions that confuse and sometimes ensnare gun-carrying travelers. And they insist any bill sent to President Trump would not put state laws under a federal umbrella law or ease background checks. This vote marks a watershed moment for Second Amendment rights, said Chris W. Cox of the National Rifle Associations legislative affairs group. The bill passed in the House 231-198 last week, with six House Democrats voting in support. But Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, who is sponsoring the companion Senate measure, will need more than that in his chamber. In 2013, Cornyn got support for a similar bill from 13 Democrats, including seven who are still in the Senate. Five of the seven are seeking reelection next year -- Joe Donnelly in Indiana, Martin Heinrich in New Mexico, Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, Joe Manchin in West Virginia and Jon Tester in Montana. All those states are conservative-leaning except for New Mexico. One source told Fox News it's likely Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would seek to hold back the necessary support for the bill, giving his blessing only for a handful of vulnerable lawmakers to support it. He could have months to organize the opposition. Despite last week's fanfare, any Senate vote on concealed carry is not expected until next spring, sources said Monday. The looming Senate battle pits powerful and deep-pocketed guns-rights advocates like the NRA against gun-control groups like Everytown for Gun Safety -- whose cofounder, ex-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is reportedly putting up $25 million to oppose the reciprocity legislation. Gun-control advocates insist the legislation would allow concealed-carry laws to follow the traveler, arguing somebody from North Dakota, for example, could carry a concealed handgun through Times Square. When I go to New York, I have to follow New Yorks laws, North Carolina GOP Rep. Richard Hudson told Fox News before his bill passed last week. His bill contained an 11th-hour change to help states and agencies enter such data as criminal and domestic-violence convictions into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for gun purchases. It's a provision the NRA has also supported, in the aftermath of the mass shooting last month at a Texas church. The Air Force admitted that it failed to enter into the federal system the shooters domestic violence-related court-martial, which could have prevented him from buying a rifle used in the attack. But Cornyn is not including the "NICS Fix" in his measure. I support the constitutional carry, because I view it kind of like a drivers license, he told several news outlets before the successful House vote. But I think its a mistake to try to combine this with the fix NICS background check. We have good bipartisan support for that. But if we start trying to add other things to it, then I think we risk not doing anything which has sort of been the fate of a lot of the legislation weve tried in the past. So, Id like to do the fix NICS, and then we can move on from there. Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said before the vote that he supports Cornyns strategy and that House Republicans were combining the two because they know the conceal carry is extremely unpopular. But dropping the provision from the Senate version could make it tougher to attract Democrats. Republicans have just a 52-48 Senate majority, while needing 60 votes to pass such a measure. Cornyn appears to have enough bipartisan support and momentum to pass separate NICS Fix legislation, even before years end. Democrat Doug Jones holds a 10-point lead over Republican Roy Moore among likely voters in deep red Alabama. Greater party loyalty plus higher interest in the election among Democrats combined with more enthusiasm among Jones supporters gives him the advantage in the race to fill the U.S. Senate seat previously held by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Thats according to a Fox News Poll of Alabama voters conducted Thursday through Sunday using traditional polling techniques, including a list-based probability sample with both landlines and cellphones. Jones receives 50 percent to Moores 40 percent, with 1-in-10 undecided (8 percent) or supporting another candidate (2 percent) -- which could make a difference Tuesday. Thats even truer with such an unconventional election with unconventional candidates. READ THE FULL POLL RESULTS This races uniqueness is significant. It is impossible to know who will show up to vote in a special election to fill a seat in the middle of a term in an off-year. And its December, a time when people expect to be going to the shopping mall, not the voting booth. On top of that, accusations of sexual misconduct against Moore emerged Nov. 9. Thats just a month before the Dec. 12 election. Since then, he has repeatedly denied the allegations, and after the GOP initially pulled its support, the party ultimately backed Moore. By a 6-point margin, Alabama voters believe the allegations against Moore are true (39-33 percent). They were more evenly divided last month, believing the accusations by just 1 point (38-37 percent). About one quarter, 27 percent, feel it is too soon to say or have no opinion. Among Republicans, 13 percent believe the accusations are true, 60 percent say they arent, and 26 percent are unsure. In November, it was 13-62 percent (26 percent unsure). President Donald Trump, who won the state by 28 points in 2016, held off endorsing Moore until Dec. 4 -- about a week before Election Day. Yet Alabamas senior senator, Republican Richard Shelby, announced Sunday he didnt vote for Moore and instead cast a write-in vote. Joness 10-point edge is outside the polls 3 percentage-point margin of sampling error. Last month, Jones was ahead by 8 points among likely voters and by 9 among the larger group of registered voters (November 13-15, 2017). In the new poll hes up by 6 among registered voters. Among just the 46 percent of Alabama voters who are extremely interested in the race, the Democrats lead widens to 53-40 percent. Joness lead comes mostly from nonwhites, younger voters, and women. Hes the choice of nonwhites by 76 points (83-7 percent), by 31 points among voters under age 45 (59-28), and by 20 among women (54-34). That jumps to 46 points among women under age 45 (67-21 percent). More Democrats (50 percent) than Republicans (45 percent) are extremely interested in the election. And more Democrats plan to vote for Jones (90 percent) than Republicans plan to vote for Moore (81 percent). The small subgroup of independents breaks for Jones by 29 points. Moore is preferred among whites by 20 points (55-35 percent) and whites without a college degree by 33 points (61-28 percent). Support for Moore among white evangelical Christians is down 8 points since last month: it was 73 percent in November and stands at 65 percent now. And his advantage among men has dropped from 12 points last month to just 3 points now. In addition, Republican men (41 percent) are less likely than GOP women (50 percent) or Democratic men (53 percent) to be extremely interested in the race. Moore might prevail if only the people who typically vote in Alabama elections turn out Tuesday, which is often what happens in special elections, says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Republican counterpart Daron Shaw. But this appears to be a special, special election with blacks and young voters animated by a caustic Republican candidate and the chance of winning a statewide election with national implications, and at the same time some Republicans and many moderates are turned off by Moore, too. A subtle but potentially noteworthy finding is Alabama voters who were interviewed on cellphones are +30 for Jones, while the race is roughly even among all others. The fact that traditional, high-quality probability samples, like the Fox News Poll, include both landline and cellphone numbers may be why these polls show Jones doing relatively well compared to automated or blended polls. Its clear Jones is positioned to pull off the upset because his supporters are unified and energized, and Moores are conflicted and diffident, says Shaw. But Jones is depending on many voters who show up only occasionally to cast their ballots. If their rate of follow-through drops from what we expect, the race could turn. The other factor is the race seems volatile, with a new twist or story every day, and because of this it is difficult to know what Republicans will ultimately do. The poll does indeed show enthusiasm is up among Jones supporters and held steady among Moore backers. Fifty-seven percent of those planning to vote for Moore say they strongly support him, which is mostly unchanged from 58 percent in November. Among Jones supporters, 70 percent strongly back him, up from 62 percent. The portion of Moore supporters who are backing him because they dislike Jones is up 4 points since last month and stands at 13 percent. Meanwhile, 29 percent of Moores supporters say they have reservations about their candidate, while just 13 percent of Joness supporters feel that way. By a 15-point margin, strong moral character is more important to Alabama voters than how the candidate will vote in the Senate (48-33 percent). For those who say moral character is more important, Jones tops Moore by 60-30 percent. Moore is preferred among those prioritizing how the candidate will vote in the senate by a narrower 54-38 percent. The Fox News Poll is conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). The poll was conducted December 7-10, 2017, by telephone (landline and cellphone) with live interviewers among a sample of 1,127 voters selected from a statewide voter file in Alabama. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for the full sample of likely voters. For the sample of 1,408 registered voters it is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. Paul Manafort's prison stay was extended Wednesday nearly a week after he was sentenced to 47 months on bank and tax fraud charges in a separate case. The former Trump campaign chairman is now slated to spend a total of 81 months in prison. He was given extra prison time at his second sentencing in connection with his guilty plea related to foreign lobbying and witness tampering. In August, Manafort became the first Trump campaign associate to be found guilty by a jury as part of Special Counsel Robert Muellers long-running probe. He was convicted of eight bank and tax fraud charges at that time. PAUL MANAFORT SENTENCED ON FOREIGN LOBBYING AND WITNESS TAMPERING CHARGES Manafort has been the subject of an investigation over his dealings in Ukraine several years ago he didnt file as a foreign agent until June 2017. But Mueller has incorporated that investigation into his probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Trump associates. Manafort was convicted on multiple counts of financial fraud last year in connection with his Ukranian work, and is in prison. In November, Mueller accused Manafort of lying "on a variety of subject matters" since his plea deal, thus violating that agreement. Read on for a look at Manafort's work with the Trump campaign and how he is connected to the Russia investigation. What kind of foreign work did Manafort do? A GOP operative who worked for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Manafort reportedly began his work in Republican politics in the 1970s. Eventually, Manafort was hired by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a controversial pro-Russia politician who was ousted from power twice. After Yanukovych was elected president in 2010, Manafort reportedly stayed on as an adviser and worked on other projects in Eastern Europe, including the Party of Regions political party. Manafort also worked for Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. In 2005, Manafort allegedly came up with a plan to influence U.S. politics, business dealings and the media in order to greatly benefit the Putin government, according to The Associated Press. Deripaska is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and signed a $10 million annual contract with Manafort in 2006; they maintained a business relationship until at least 2009. Financial records obtained by The New York Times indicated that Manafort was in debt to pro-Russian interests by up to $17 million prior to joining Donald Trumps presidential campaign. He also took more than a dozen trips to Moscow and frequently talked to Putin allies over a period of about 10 years, McClatchy reported. He traveled to Kiev at least 19 times in 20 months after the February 2014 removal of Ukraines pro-Russia leader. How was Manafort involved with Trump's campaign? Manafort joined Trump's presidential campaign in March 2016 to help wrangle delegates ahead of the Republican National Convention in Ohio, something he'd done for former President Gerald Ford. Just two months later, Manafort became Trump's campaign chairman. Manaforts resignation from the campaign was announced on August 19, 2016, after The Times reported that he'd received $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments from Yanukovychs pro-Russian party between 2007 and 2012. Manafort and Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016. She reportedly was said to have damaging information on Trumps campaign rival, Hillary Clinton, which was "part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump." What was Manafort charged with? Along with his former business associate Rick Gates, Manafort was initially indicted in October 2017 on multiple counts that included: conspiracy against the U.S., conspiracy to launder money, false statements and failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Nearly four months later, in February 2018, the pair were hit with additional tax evasion and bank fraud charges. These charges involved much of the same conduct Manafort and Gates were initially accused of, but the amount of money Manafort said to have laundered through offshore accounts increased to $30 million. In June 2018, Mueller's team brought additional charges of obstruction of justice against Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik, an associate. The charges against Manafort and Gates dont relate to allegations of misconduct during Trumps campaign. Mueller also accused Manafort of secretly paying former European politicians to lobby on behalf of Ukraine. Manafort was found guilty of eight counts in August in the first trial victory for Mueller's team. The judge declared a mistrial on 10 other counts after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. In September, Manafort pleaded guilty as part of an agreement with Mueller's team ahead of his second trial. According to Politico, the plea deal includes a 10-year cap for how long Manafort will be in prison. It also includes allowing Manafort to serve his time for both trials concurrently. He received a nearly 4-year prison sentence on March 7 after a federal jury in Virginia convicted him on eight counts of bank and tax fraud last year. A week later, on March 13, he received an additional three and a half years on foreign lobbying and witness tampering charges. Manafort previously maintained his innocence despite all of the charges brought before him but he has since expressed remorse for his actions. "I am sorry for what I have done and all the activities that have gotten us here today," Manafort said in a written statement in March, begging a judge for mercy. Fox News' Ann Schmidt, Jake Gibson, Alex Pappas, Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Republican Rep. Peter King, responding to the rush-hour explosion near New York Citys Port Authority bus terminal, called Monday for more vetting and surveillance to help prevent attacks. We cant afford to be politically correct, the New York congressman told Fox News Americas Newsroom. One person was in custody Monday morning following the blast that prompted mass chaos and halted multiple subway lines, the NYPD said. The person arrested has non-life threatening injuries, The Associated Press reported. Four people suffered minor injuries, the FDNY said, though it's unclear if the attacker was included among them. Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC his sources in the department said the explosion was an "ISIS-inspired attack." Bratton said the suspect was a man from Bangladesh who had been living in the U.S. for about seven years. King, who has long advocated for tough policies when it comes to surveillance in New York City and beyond, said many people could have been killed if the explosive had detonated in a subway car. Were always that close to a disaster, he said. King said authorities will now have to look into whether this was part of a coordinated effort, saying this has all the hallmarks of either being controlled or inspired by ISIS. President Trump has been briefed on the attack. The National Counterterrorism Center, meanwhile, is monitoring the situation in New York City. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders shut down CNNs Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta on Monday when the liberal reporter tried to hijack a press briefing during a conversation about fake news. Acosta told Sanders that journalists make honest mistakes but that doesnt make them fake news before attempting a question. Sanders quickly cut him off. Im not taking another question from you. Sarah Sanders When journalists make honest mistakes, they should own up to them. Sometimes, and a lot of times, you dont, Sanders said as Acosta tried to interrupt. Im sorry, Im not finished, she said. There is a very big difference between making honest mistakes and purposefully misleading the American people... you cannot say its an honest mistake when youre purposely putting out information you know is false. Acosta then asked Sanders to cite a specific story that was intentionally false. Sure. The ABC report by Brian Ross, Sanders said, referring to a recent embarrassing correction ABC News issued after Ross botched a bombshell exclusive about retired general Michael Flynn that resulted in the reporter being suspended. CNNs Acosta should have stopped when he had the chance, as Sanders didnt pick one of his networks recent blunders to use as her example. However, Acosta tried to continue the conversation with repeated attempts to interrupt the press conference. Jim, Im gonna say once and for all that Im moving on, Sanders said. Im not taking another question from you. CNN had to issue its own correction on Friday after The Washington Post debunked the network's report claiming the Trump campaign had early, secret access to hacked DNC emails from WikiLeaks. The network on Friday inaccurately trumpeted that Congressional investigators obtained a mysterious 2016 email that was sent to Trump and other top aides, including Donald Trump Jr., which contained information on how to get a sneak peek at hacked information that WikiLeaks had acquired. The email, as CNN reported, offered a decryption key to access the files but the network botched the date on the email, rendering the entire report irrelevant. On Monday, CNN backtracked a report from earlier this year that faulted Attorney General Jeff Sessions for failing to reveal meetings he had with Russian officials when he applied for his security clearance a disclosure he wasnt required to make. CNN also was widely mocked on Monday morning for a segment on Trumps soda intake amid unfolding breaking news related to the terror attack in New York City. President Trump has pointed directly at Acosta and said, Youre fake news, at past news conferences. Sen. Richard Shelby, R- Ala., came out swinging Sunday, saying his state can do better than elect Senate hopeful Roy Moore and suggested that people should write-in another candidate. Shelby, the states senior senator, said he already cast an absentee ballot for another unspecified Republican. The Republican Party supports Moore, whose campaign has been damaged by accusations of sexual misconduct with underage girls decades ago when he was a county prosecutor. Moore is facing Democrat Doug Jones in the special election on Tuesday to replace Jeff Sessions, who vacated his Senate seat when President Trump appointed him the U.S. attorney general. I couldnt vote for Roy Moore. I didnt vote for Roy Moore. But I wrote in a distinguished Republican name. And I think a lot of people could do that, Shelby said during a television appearance. The accusations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls were a tipping point in disqualifying Moore from becoming a senator, according to the senior politician. The state of Alabama deserves better, he said. Theres a lot of smoke in regard to the accusations against Moore. Got to be some fire somewhere. If Alabamians elect Jones, he would be first Democratic Alabama senator in over two decades. Trump has come out in support of Moore out of fear that a loss in Alabama would narrow the GOPs majority in the Senate. Moore has seen his lead in the polls slip amid the allegations, but Trumps endorsement last week might be the last-minute jolt his campaign needs to put him over the edge. Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet! Trump tweeted last week, following weeks of silence regarding the Alabama race. At a Florida rally Friday night, the president reiterated his support and rallied his supporters to get out and vote for the Republican candidate. "We cannot afford ... to lose a seat in the very, very close United States Senate," he told the crowd. "We need somebody in that Senate seat who will vote for our 'Make America Great Again' agenda So get out and vote for Roy Moore. Do it. Do it." He added: "We cant afford to have a liberal Democrat who is completely controlled by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer His name is Jones and hes their total puppet and everybody knows it." The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump slammed The New York Times on Monday morning over what he called a false story claiming he watches up to eight hours of television a day while taking yet another swipe at CNN and MSNBC. The tweet came as his administration was dealing with the response to the rush-hour explosion Monday morning in New York City. The president was briefed on the incident, now described as an attempted terrorist attack. But he soon turned his attention back to his battle with the media thats been in full swing since last week. Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News. I never watch Don Lemon, who I once called the dumbest man on television! Bad Reporting, Trump tweeted. The New York Times article detailed Trumps hour-by-hour battle for self-preservation, describing his Twitter habits and how he absorbs the 24/7 news much of it critical about his presidency. The article claimed he spends at least four hours a day, and sometimes twice that, watching television eager to fight back. The story said he sometimes hate-watches CNN and especially host Don Lemon. Trump has been on a media-focused tear for days, in the wake of several high-profile errors regarding reports about his administration and associates. On Sunday, he called the Fake News media out of control. Major lies written, then forced to be withdrawn after they are exposed...a stain on America! he tweeted. Trumps comments came after a Washington Post reporter tweeted a misleading photo about the crowd size at Fridays rally in Pensacola, Fla. In a now-deleted tweet, the Posts Dave Weigel posted a photo of a half-empty arena to mock Trump for saying the rally was packed to the rafters. But that photo was not taken while Trump was speaking. Trump tweeted photos showing the arena when it was full. Weigel apologized and deleted the photo. CNN also had to correct a story that suggested the Trump campaign, including Donald Trump Jr., had been tipped off early about hacked DNC emails from WikiLeaks when it later emerged that the alert was about material already publicly available. CNN responded, CNN's initial reporting of the date on an email sent to members of the Trump campaign about Wikileaks documents, which was confirmed by two sources to CNN, was incorrect. We have updated our story to include the correct date, and present the proper context for the timing of email. Fox News Zoe Szathmary and Brian Flood and The Associated Press contributed to this report. EXCLUSIVE: A senior Justice Department official demoted last week for concealing his meetings with the men behind the anti-Trump dossier had even closer ties to Fusion GPS, the firm responsible for the incendiary document, than have been disclosed, Fox News has confirmed: The officials wife worked for Fusion GPS during the 2016 election. Contacted by Fox News, investigators for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) confirmed that Nellie H. Ohr, wife of the demoted official, Bruce G. Ohr, worked for the opposition research firm last year. The precise nature of Mrs. Ohrs duties including whether she worked on the dossier remains unclear but a review of her published works available online reveals Mrs. Ohr has written extensively on Russia-related subjects. HPSCI staff confirmed to Fox News that she was paid by Fusion GPS through the summer and fall of 2016. Fusion GPS has attracted scrutiny because Republican lawmakers have spent the better part of this year investigating whether the dossier, which was funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, served as the basis for the Justice Department and the FBI to obtain FISA surveillance last year on a Trump campaign adviser named Carter Page. The House Intelligence Committee, Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told Fox News in a statement on Monday, is looking into all facets of the connections between the Department of Justice and Fusion GPS, including Mr. Ohr. Until Dec. 6, when Fox News began making inquiries about him, Bruce Ohr held two titles at DOJ. He was, and remains, director of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force; but his other job was far more senior. Mr. Ohr held the rank of associate deputy attorney general, a post that gave him an office four doors down from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The day before Fox News reported that Mr. Ohr held his secret meetings last year with the founder of Fusion GPS, Glenn Simpson, and with Christopher Steele, the former British spy who compiled the dossier, the Justice Department stripped Ohr of his deputy title and ousted him from his fourth floor office at the building that DOJ insiders call Main Justice. The Department of Justice has provided no public explanation for Ohrs demotion. Officials inside the Department have told Fox News his wearing of two hats was unusual, but also confirm Ohr had withheld his contacts with the Fusion GPS men from colleagues at the DOJ. Former FBI Director James Comey has described the dossier as a compendium of salacious and unverified allegations about then-candidate Donald Trump and his associates, including Page, a foreign policy adviser. The dossier was provided to the FBI in July 2016, shortly before then-candidate Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination. As Comey later testified, it was in that same month that the FBI began a counterintelligence probe of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. The disclosure by Fox News that Bruce Ohr met with Simpson and Steele last year expanded the reach of the dossiers creators from the FBI into the top echelons of the Justice Department. Initial investigation suggested that Steele, a longtime FBI informant whose contacts with Mr. Ohr are said to date back a decade, might have played the central role in putting Simpson together with the associate deputy attorney general. Now, the revelation that Mrs. Ohr worked for Simpson calls that account into question. A review of open source materials shows Mrs. Ohr was described as a Russia expert at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank, when she worked there, briefly, a decade ago. The Centers website said her project focused on the experiences of Russian farmers during Stalins collectivization program and following the invasion of Russia by Nazi forces in 1941. She has also reviewed a number of books about twentieth century Russia, including Reconstructing the State: Personal Networks and Elite Identity in Soviet Russia (2000), by Gerald Easter, a political scientist at Boston College, and Bertrand M. Patenaudes The Big Show in Bololand: The American Relief Expedition to Soviet Russia in the Famine of 1921 (2002). Contacted by Fox News late Monday, DOJ officials declined to comment. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee, declined to comment on the original disclosure about Mr. Ohrs secret meetings, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Mrs. Ohr. While Nunes has issued numerous subpoenas to DOJ and FBI relating to the dossier, and has threatened contempt-of-Congress citations against Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray for what congressional Republicans have termed stonewalling by the two agencies, Schiff has mostly objected to the demands for documents and witnesses, casting the entire dossier probe as innately political. I think there's a hope that if they can impeach Christopher Steele, and they can impeach the FBI and DOJ, maybe they can impeach the whole Russia investigation, Schiff told MSNBC in September. NASA has announced it will make an announcement surrounding a new discovery from its Kepler mission, a space telescope used to find exoplanets. The announcement, set for 1 p.m. EST on Dec. 14, will showcase a new discovery using machine learning techniques from Google. "Machine learning is an approach to artificial intelligence, and demonstrates new ways of analyzing Kepler data," NASA said in the press release. SUPER EARTH IS DISCOVERED AND IT HAS PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR ALIENS Experts taking part in the briefing include: Paul Hertz, astrophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington Christopher Shallue, senior software engineer at Google AI in Mountain View, California Andrew Vanderburg, astronomer and NASA Sagan postdoctoral fellow at The University of Texas, Austin and Jessie Dotson, Kepler project scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Californias Silicon Valley The press conference will also be streamed lived on NASA's website. Kepler launched in March 2009 at a time when scientists and NASA researchers did not know how common planets were beyond our solar system. Since the original mission was completed in 2012, Kepler confirmed 2,337 exoplanets and 4,496 potential candidates. In 2014, Kepler started on a new mission, known as K2, to look for exoplanets and introduce "new research opportunities to study young stars, supernovae and other cosmic phenomena." SCORCHING-HOT ALIEN PLANET MAY HAVE EARTH-LIKE ATMOSPHERE In 2015, the Kepler mission discovered Kepler-452b, the first Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone around a sun-like star. Fox News' James Rogers contributed to this report. Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia President Donald Trump wants to see U.S. astronauts return to the Moon as a foundation for future Mars missions. Trump signed a policy directive Monday instructing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to "refocus America's space program on human exploration and discovery." The move, Trump said, "marks an important step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972 for long-time exploration." SUPERMOON 2017 IN PICTURES "This time we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint," he said. "We will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps someday, to many worlds beyond." NASAs goal is to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s. Chris Carberry, executive director of Explore Mars, a non-profit organization that aims to advance the goal of sending humans to Mars within the next two decades, welcomed the policy directive and urged the administration to drive space exploration over the coming years. We are certainly happy that Mars remains a key element of US space policy, to told Fox News, via email. However, we also hope that a plan can [be] devised that will enable humanity to return to the Moon, but not delay Mars missions by decades. NASA TO MAKE MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT THURSDAY, WILL REVEAL NEW KEPLER DISCOVERY Explore Mars, he explained, is a strong proponent of building strong commercial and international partnerships to enable lunar missions, while at the same time, allowing the U.S. to lead missions to Mars in the 2030s. We hope that this signing will help to accelerate our return to deep space exploration. Under the directive, the government is expected to work closely with other nations and private industry. The last time a human set foot on the Moon was during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Only 12 men, all Americans, have set foot on the Moon. EUGENE CERNAN: A LIFE IN PICTURES Vice President Mike Pence also highlighted the economic impact of the policy directive Monday. We will see jobs created that you couldnt even imagine, he said, during the White House signing ceremony. The space policy directive ensures that America will lead in space once again, he added. Trump and Pence were joined at the White House by several current and former astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon, and former U.S. Sen. and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, the next-to-last person on the Moon. EARLY EARTH TOOK A HEAVY BEATING AFTER THE MOON WAS FORMED Monday marks the 45th anniversary of the Moon landing by Schmitt and Eugene Cernan, the Apollo 17 commander. Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon, died earlier this year at the age of 82. Past presidents, including George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, have also proposed returning to the Moon and missions to Mars but budget constraints derailed their plans. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers A Houston woman, her elderly parents and her 2-year-old son were kicked off a Spirit flight at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday morning for non-compliance with crew instructions after being told to stop breastfeeding her son and buckle him in the seat. Mei Rui, a concert pianist and cancer researcher, was on her way to New York City to take part in a recording session for a clinical cancer study, The Washington Post reports. Trouble began when the 6:30 a.m. flight was repeatedly delayed due to an insufficient de-icing solution, Rui wrote in a now-deleted post on Facebook. She began breastfeeding her young son in an attempt to quiet him down and get him to sleep on the three-hour flight. MAN APOLOGIZES TO RACIST WOMAN WHO SHAMED HIM IN AIRPORT Every parent with a young child can [imagine], you dont want to be that parent on the plane, she told the Post. It would be very embarrassing. I was just trying to avoid that. Rui claims a crew member asked her to stop breastfeeding and buckle her son into his seat before takeoff. She wrote that the airplane door was still open and asked the attendant for a few more minutes to finish nursing her son before the doors closed. However, a representative for the airline said reports confirm that the door was already closed at this time. I explained to them both that giving me a couple more minutes to finish nursing him would prevent him from crying and disturbing the other passengers. Seeing that I did not stop breastfeeding him promptly, they went back and at that point must have called the captain. I didnt want to cause any trouble, so I immediately pulled my son off and forced-buckled him into the seat, which set off uncontrollable crying for the next 25 minutes to the great dismay and earache of everyone on the plane, Rui wrote on Facebook. SOUTHWEST PASSENGER THREATENS TO 'KILL EVERYBODY' ON PLANE AFTER BEING CAUGHT SMOKING She and her family were then allegedly asked to leave the plane, where they were met by airline staff and airport security who told her they would not be allowed back on board. Its not like I was resistant, I put him in the seat, she told The Post. If they had shown a little compassion, it wouldnt have happened, they didnt have to let it escalate. Rui recorded the encounter on her cell phone, where she can be heard over her crying son, asking what she had done wrong. I just want to know why we were kicked off the plane. Rui said. Because you were not compliant, a Spirit employee said. Could you tell me which part of the instruction we were not compliant with? I think we deserve to know that. The employee refused to provide any details. If this happened to your family... Rui said. It wouldnt happen to my family, I can assure you, he said. Spirits Director of Communications, Stephen Schuler, told Fox News that Rui was not removed for breastfeeding but instead for failure to comply with crew instructions by not being safely buckled and secured for takeoff after being asked repeatedly to do so. We were forced to remove a passenger from flight 712 after they refused to comply with crew instructions several times while the doors were closed during taxi and safety briefing. To ensure the safety of our guests and crew, FAA regulations and airline policies require all passengers stay seated and buckled during takeoff and landing. We reviewed multiple accounts from the crew and other guests sitting nearby and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue. "As a courtesy, weve issued a full refund to the customer in question, Schuler wrote in an email to Fox News. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS "We're not lawbreakers or trouble seekers," Rui told KHOU. "We're the elderly, a baby and his mother, why did they have to treat us this way? After waiting an hour for their luggage, which was never returned, according to the Post, Rui and her family were on the way home from the airport when her father, who suffers from a heart condition, collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital. Its been an especially tough year for the mom, whose family lost their home to Hurricane Harvey and are still living in temporary housing, the Post reports. Disney officials have revealed new images and details about what you can expect when their new Skyliner transportation system opens in Florida. Unveiled earlier this year, the Skyliner will transport visitors across Disneys parks and resorts in gondolas adorned with popular characters from classic Disney flicks, all while passengers enjoy a birds eye view of the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista. The system will connect Disneys Art of Animation, Pop Century and Caribbean Beach resorts with Disneys Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot, giving visitors a scenic new way to travel between the properties. According to Disney, characters in the mix will include the likes of the Fab Five, while an European-style station complete with glass canopies, murals and steel structures modeled in an Art Nouveau style will arrive at Epcots International Gateway. The Skyliners hub will be located at the station at Disneys Caribbean Beach Resort and will be made to resemble the colorful open air marketplace found in Caribbean villages, with seating for those who want to enjoy the resorts waterfront setting. Besides transporting visitors from one Disney locale to another, the new Skyliner will offer sky-high views of World Showcase, attractions like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and panoramic views of Hourglass Lake, Disneys Pop Century Resort and Disneys Art of Animation Resort. Disney officials have not announced when the Skyliner will officially open yet, though park officials told ABC that their plan is to have the system up and running months before the Star Wars: Galaxys Edge attraction opens in late 2019. A Southwest Airlines pilot was forced to declare an emergency on Saturday after a passenger repeatedly told a flight attendant she would kill everybody" on the plane. The trouble started after the female passenger disabled a smoke detector aboard Southwest Flight 2943 from Portland, Ore., to Sacramento, and proceeded to smoke onboard, Southwest confirmed to Fox News. After she was caught, the woman created a disturbance which was captured on video by a fellow passenger. I have a destination for this, I have a destination for myself, and I need to go there, the woman can be heard saying in footage provided to KOIN 6. "I swear, if you land, I will kill everybody on this [expletive deleted] plane, she shouted. I will kill everybody on this [expletive deleted] plane! A man can then be seen stepping into the frame to confront the irate passenger. INSTANCES OF 'AIR RAGE' ROSE 50 PERCENT IN 2017, STUDY FINDS The woman, who was later identified as 24-year-old Valerie Curbelo of Sandy, Ore., was physically restrained for the remainder of the flight, according to KOVR, although Southwest has not confirmed those details. Our Crew in command of Flight 2943 traveling from Portland on Saturday afternoon safely landed on-time in Sacramento following an inflight disturbance, said Southwest in a statement. Our reports from Flight Attendants indicate a customer violated federal laws by both smoking onboard an aircraft and by tampering with a smoke detector in an aircraft restroom. Our Crew enforced the regulation and that was followed by the passenger outburst. The safety of our Crew and Passengers is our top priority and we take all threats seriously. The pilots declared an emergency to receive priority handling from air traffic controllers, and our crew handled the situation onboard until the plane landed and local authorities stepped in. THIS AIRLINE HAS THE WORST FOOD, STUDY SAYS Curbelo is currently booked in the Sacramento county jail for making criminal threats, KOVR adds. She cited anxiety as the reason she lit up a cigarette aboard the flight. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter intercepted a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel engaged in smuggling more than 3,800 pounds of cocaine, federal officials said Sunday. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on November 13, CBP and Marine Operations (AMO) arrested the crew during operations in international waters, and all three suspects will face charges in the U.S. The drug cartels are relentless and extremely innovative, National Air Security Operations Center Corpus Christi Director Allen Durham said. Interdicting self-propelled semi-submersible vessels requires expertise and the right aircraft. Air and Marine Operations will continue to beat the cartels at their own game to protect our borders. The multi-day operation from surveillance to interception, according to CBP, involved several interagency partners including the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy. AMO operates maritime patrol aircraft from Corpus Christi, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida, to conduct long-range aerial patrols and surveillance missions along the U.S. borders and in drug transit zones in Central and South America, according to CBP. Conservative commentator Lucian Wintrich had charges against him dropped for the chaos that ensued after his notes were stolen midway through his Its OK To Be White speech at the University of Connecticut. Wintrich, 29, a White House correspondent for the right-wing blog Gateway Pundit, was arrested for chasing down a Quinebaug Valley Community College adviser, identified as Catherine Gregory, 33, at UConns Andre Schenker Lecture Hall in late November. Gregory can be seen in the viral video grabbing Wintrichs notes before he retrieved them from her as she attempted to run up the stairs. While Wintrichs breach of peace charges were dropped, Gregory has been arrested and charged by the UConn police with attempted theft and disorderly conduct this past weekend, as first reported by the Hartford Courant. I think its wonderful that finally the system corrected itself, Wintrich said outside the court. We dont want to set a precedent where people can walk up to speeches they find disagreeable and steal them. I mean thats really not what America is about. His lawyer, Norm Pattis, said the state recognized that Wintrich was retrieving notes that were taken from him when the incident occurred. We would like to thank the law enforcement, Pattis said. We disagree with their decision to arrest my client, but understand, that, given the mob mentality obtained at UConn that night there was potential for further violence. He continued: This is the United States, not Nazi Germany. What happened at UConn the other night was shameful, and they will be hearing more from us in the not-too-distant future. Monday was Wintrichs first court appearance at the Rockville Superior Court. Gregory is set to appear in court on Wednesday. Since the College Republicans Its OK To Be White event that attracted more than 100 protesters, UConn has implemented a stricter vetting process for speaking engagements that could pose a safety risk. A plow driver in Massachusetts happened to be at the right place at the right time early Sunday when he spotted a vehicle go off the road and into an ice-covered pond. The Winchendon Fire Department said in a Facebook post they received a call around 4 a.m. from a plow driver who spotted a car that drove onto and crashed through Hunts Pond, located about 65 miles northwest of Boston. "He seen the accident, he seen the car go in the water, and he came down here and called 911 at the same time," Deputy Fire Chief Ricci Ruschioni told Boston 25 News. Ruschioni was one of the first responders to arrive at the scene, and found the car in the water with the driver still inside. "The guy was still in the vehicle and trapped, I live less than a quarter mile away, I arrived on the scene and the kid had just self-ejected and was sitting on the roof," Ruschioni said. "With exposure to water like that, the water's only about 40 degrees, you're talking about 5 minutes with exposure like that, would have been in severe hypothermia." Deputy Winchendon Fire Chief Ricci Ruschioni The vehicle was in about 8 to 10 feet of water, with temperatures below freezing at the time. As authorities were waiting for proper equipment to arrive, the car started to "quickly" sink, and firefighters were able to throw a rope to the man and have him tie it around himself. Officials were then able to pull the driver to shore. Ruschioni said with the help of a few officers, firefighters, and a public works crewman, they were able to pull the man out of the water uninjured. They were also eventually able to remove the car as well. If the plow driver did not notice the crash, first responders said the man wouldn't have stood a chance in the conditions early Sunday. "With exposure to water like that, the water's only about 40 degrees, you're talking about 5 minutes with exposure like that, would have been in severe hypothermia," Ruschioni told Boston 25 News. "Like I said, would have been a lot worse. Southern California's largest and most destructive wildfire exploded in size Sunday and swept into new areas, as the wind-whipped flames forced thousands more residents to flee their homes. The powerful flare-up on the western edge of the Thomas Fire sparked new evacuations as the fire sent up giant plumes of smoke near Montecito and Carpinteria, seaside areas in Santa Barbara County about 75 miles northwest of Los Angeles that had been under fire threat for days and were now choked with smoke. "The winds are kind of squirrely right now," said Mike Eliason, the Santa Barbara County fire spokesman. "Some places the smoke is going straight up in the air, and others it's blowing sideways. Depends on what canyon we're in." Fire crews, with the help of a fleet of water-dropping planes and helicopters, tried to save homes as unpredictable gusts sent the blaze deeper into residential foothill areas and into unoccupied sections of Los Padres National Forest, where the state's fourth-largest fire burned a decade ago. The wind-fanned flames churned through old-growth brush in canyons and along hillsides toward coastal towns. While the winds appeared to lessened slightly on Monday, officials warned they were not sure how it would help out firefighters. The out-of-control blaze grew by more than 50,000 acres on Sunday and scorched 230,000 acres in total, making it the fifth largest wildfire in modern California history, according to The Los Angeles Times. THOMAS FIRE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA JOINS LIST OF DESTRUCTIVE BLAZES IN THE STATE The blaze has split into two forks in an uncontrolled move west into the Santa Barbara foothills, and northwest toward Lake Cachuma, FOX 11 reported. Thousands of homes and businesses in Santa Barbara County were without power. Overall, the fires have destroyed about 800 homes and other buildings, killed dozens of horses and forced more than 200,000 people to flee since Dec. 4. So far, one death, a 70-year-old woman who crashed her car on an evacuation route, is attributed to the fire in Santa Paula, a small city where the fire began. Officials handed out masks to residents who stayed behind in Montecito, the wealthy hillside enclave thats home to celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bridges and Rob Lowe. Our house is under threat of being burned, Ellen DeGeneres tweeted at midday Sunday. We just had to evacuate our pets. Im praying for everyone in our community and thankful to all the incredible firefighters. "Peace be Still, is my prayer tonight," Oprah tweeted Sunday. "For all the fires raging thru my community and beyond. #peacebestill" In Carpinteria, retired school teacher May Osher told the LA Times she didn't plan to leave her neighborhood unless she was ordered to evacuate by police. "I'm staying until it's time to go,"Osher said. A few miles to the west, the Santa Barbara Zoo was closed to the public. Workers there gave shelter to the zoo's 500 animals. Firefighters made significant progress Saturday on other fronts of the enormous fire that started Dec. 4 in neighboring Ventura County. As containment increased on other major blazes in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties, resources from those fires were diverted to the Santa Barbara foothills. Forecasters said Santa Ana winds that whipped fires across the region last week would continue in some areas at least through Monday. A lack of rain has officials on edge statewide because of parched conditions and no end in sight to the typical fire season. This is the new normal, Gov. Jerry Brown warned Saturday after surveying damage from the deadly Ventura fire. Were about ready to have firefighting at Christmas. This is very odd and unusual. SANTA ANA WINDS: WHAT ARE THEY? Late last week, the fire swept through the San Luis Rey Training Facility, where it killed more than 40 elite thoroughbreds and destroyed more than 100 homes most of them in a retirement community. Three people were burned trying to escape the fire that continued to smolder Sunday. Most of last week's fires were in places that burned in the past, including one in the ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air that burned six homes and another in the city's rugged foothills above the community of Sylmar and in Santa Paula. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A North Dakota woman dubbed "womb raider" pleaded guilty Monday to murdering her pregnant neighbor so she and her boyfriend could steal and keep the baby. Brooke Crews, 38, faces life in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder, and lying to law enforcement officers in the death of 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, of Fargo. She is expected to be sentenced on Jan 16, KVRR reported. Crews and her boyfriend, William Hoehn, 32, had previously pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping in the death of Greywind. Investigators haven't said how Greywind was killed, but Fargo Police Chief Dave Todd has said her death was a "cruel and vicious act of depravity." Fargo police have said Greywind died of "homicidal violence." Crews' attorney said Monday she wanted to take responsibility for her actions, but didn't offer details on how Greywind was killed. Defense attorney Steven Mottinger told the INFORUM newspaper the guilty plea goes a long way in terms of us being able to argue for something less than life without parole. Greywind was eight months pregnant when she disappeared on Aug. 19 in Fargo. Her body was found eight days later in the Red River, wrapped in plastic and duct tape. Authorities said after her body was found she may have been the victim of "womb raiders" who forcibly took her baby, the Star-Tribune reported at the time. The baby was later found alive in the apartment where Crews and Hoehn lived, in Greywind's building. Crews initially claimed Greywind gave up her newborn daughter, but later admitted taking advantage of the woman to get the child, according to court documents. Crews told police she arranged to have Greywind come to her apartment and told her how to induce labor. Greywind came back two days later to give her the newborn baby, Crews said. Hoehn told police a different story, according to court documents. He said he came home on Aug. 19 to find Crews cleaning up blood in their bathroom. Hoehn said Crews presented him with an infant girl and said: "This is our baby. This is our family." Hoehn told police he took garbage bags containing bloody shoes and his bloody towels and disposed of them, according to the court documents. Hoehn is scheduled for trial in March. The baby, Haisley Jo, is now in the custody of her biological father, Ashton Matheny, who was Greywind's boyfriend, according to the Star-Tribune. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Students at Oberlin College have long enjoyed pastries, bagels and chocolates from Gibson's Bakery, a century-old, family-owned business near campus. That sweet relationship has turned bitter amid hotly disputed accusations of racism, roiling a school and town long known for their liberal politics. The dispute, which began in November 2016 with the arrest of three black Oberlin students who tried stealing wine from Gibson's, is now a lawsuit in which the exasperated bakery owners accuse the college and a top dean of slandering Gibson's as a "racist establishment" and taking steps to destroy the family's livelihood. The three students arrested at Gibson's pleaded guilty in August to attempted theft and aggravated trespassing and said in statements required by a plea agreement that their actions were wrong and that the store wasn't racist. Even so, students continue to boycott Gibson's over perceived racial profiling, causing business to suffer. Pressed by a reporter to provide evidence or examples of profiling, they said only that when black students enter the store, they feel as though they're being watched. The clash has inspired Oberlin senior Jake Berstein, who said he witnessed the initial altercation, to produce a podcast trying to create a conversation that "isn't being had" between the two sides. "Gibson's has become all that is wrong with America," Berstein said. "It's a classic case of those political bubbles that don't communicate with each other, and don't want to." Caught in the middle are longtime residents of this town of 8,300 people, many of whom identify themselves as liberals but who have patronized Gibson's for decades. Many believe the timing was right for the conflict to boil over; the arrests came the day after Donald Trump won the presidential election, electrifying students who had long heard suspicions of racial profiling at Gibson's. "I can understand why people were looking for some outlet for their frustration, but it's just counterproductive to bend that anger towards a small family business that to my knowledge is not guilty of the sort of racial profiling that people accuse it of," said retired Oberlin professor Roger Copeland. The three students were arrested after punching and kicking the white shopkeeper. The 18- and 19-year-old students said that they were racially profiled and that their only crime was trying to buy alcohol with fake identification; the shopkeeper, Allyn Gibson, said the students attacked him after he caught them trying to steal bottles of wine. The day after the arrests, hundreds of students protested outside the bakery. Members of Oberlin's student senate published a resolution saying Gibson's had "a history of racial profiling and discriminatory treatment." There have been protests in favor of the bakery. In November, a patrons held a rally outside the store in a show of support. We just think it is important to be law-abiding. Thats really important to us, Kirsten Penton Hill, a local business owner, told The Chronicle newspaper in November. She said she is a member of Totally Engaged Americans and the group supports a free market. She spoke out against what she sees as the college attempting to bully a small business. Few colleges put the "liberal" into "liberal arts" more than Oberlin, which in the early 1800s became the first in the country to regularly admit women and minorities. But it also more recently has become, for conservatives, a symbol of political correctness gone awry and entitled youth. News articles in 2015 quoted students decrying the school dining hall's sushi and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches as cultural appropriation. The divisive, voice-of-a-generation actress Lena Dunham, famously a 2008 Oberlin alumna, was quoted in Food & Wine magazine as saying, "The press reported it as, 'How crazy are Oberlin kids?' But to me, it was actually, 'Right on.'" With Oberlin's reputation preceding it and news of the Gibson's protests spreading online, bikers and out-of-town counter-protesters soon converged on the town to jeer students and buy doughnuts from Gibson's. Conservatives derided the students on social media as coddled "snowflakes" with a mob mentality, while students attacked the store as a symbol of systemic racism. "Racism can't always be proven on an Excel sheet," said Kameron Dunbar, an Oberlin junior and vice chair of the student senate. Copeland and other residents say the accusations of racism are unfounded. "I've never seen evidence; it's always hearsay," Copeland said. "When your fellow student is shutting down a conversation because he or she is made uncomfortable, it leads to a hive mentality." On Nov. 7, the Gibsons sued Oberlin and Meredith Raimondo, vice president and dean of students, for slander, accusing faculty members of encouraging demonstrations against the bakery by suspending classes, distributing flyers, and supplying protesters with free food and drink. It says Raimondo took part in the demonstration against Gibson's with a bullhorn and distributed a flyer that said the bakery is a "RACIST establishment with a LONG ACCOUNT of RACIAL PROFILING and DISCRIMINATION." Today, the lawsuit says, college tour guides continue to inform prospective students that Gibson's is racist. Dave Gibson, the bakery's owner, says the lawsuit is about standing up for his right to crack down on shoplifting without being branded as a racist. The suit says Oberlin demanded that he stop pushing criminal charges on first-time shoplifters and call school deans instead. "I have not taken a paycheck since this happened more than a year ago," Gibson said in an email. "Sometimes you have to stand up to a large institution. Powerful institutions including Oberlin College and their members must follow the same laws as the rest of us." Gibson's loses thousands of dollars to theft, the lawsuit said. It rejects any accusations of racial bias, pointing to police figures in the past five years that show only six out of 40 adults arrested for shoplifting at the bakery were black. The school said in a statement after the lawsuit was filed that it and Raimondo deny Gibson's claims and that the college has stopped buying the bakery's goods, ending what had been a decades-long relationship. Raimondo did not respond to an email seeking comment. Attempts by the Oberlin Business Partnership to mediate between the school and bakery ended in failure, said partnership Director Janet Haar, with neither side appearing to be interested. The Associated Press contributed to this report Authorities say an Ohio woman shot her husband multiple times earlier this year and dismembered his body. Forty-nine-year-old Marcia Eubank has been charged with murder in the death of 54-year-old Howard Eubank. Records don't show an attorney for her. The Summit County sheriff's office says in a release that deputies went to the couple's home in Coventry Township in suburban Akron on Saturday when the couple's adult son called about possible remains. The deputies found deteriorating remains tentatively identified as those of Howard Eubank. The release says investigators believe Eubank was killed earlier this year in a "domestic-related incident." Authorities say Marcia Eubank was arrested later Saturday in a store parking lot. A Barberton Municipal Court judge on Monday set bond for her at $1 million. A 27-year-old man inspired by ISIS allegedly set off a small rush-hour explosion in one of New York Citys busiest transportation areas Monday morning. Akayed Ullah, the suspect, is a Bangladeshi national who lived in Brooklyn, police said. The would-be suicide bomber had strapped a pipe bomb to his body with Velcro and zip ties, according to law enforcement officials, although it was unclear if he detonated the explosives or if the device went off prematurely. Four people, not including the suspect, sustained non-life threatening injuries in the explosion. Heres a look at other failed terrorist attacks in the U.S. Fake bomb Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis attempted to detonate what he believed to be a 1,000-pound bomb in front of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City in October 2012. But the bomb didnt detonate for the then-21-year-old because it was a fake supplied to him by undercover FBI agents. Nafis, a Bangladeshi national who purportedly came to the U.S. for school, intended to form a terrorist cell inside the U.S., according to the FBI. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 after he attempted to blow up an international flight with a bomb placed in his underwear. The bomb in Abdulmutallabs underwear failed to properly detonate on the 2009 plane from Amsterdam to Detroit. It did, however, cause a small fire that left Abdulmutallab burned in his groin. He said he wanted to bomb the flight and commit martyrdom for his Islamic faith in response to the mistreatment of Muslims around the world. Abdulmutallab, who is now 30, was born in Nigeria. Shoe bomber Richard Reid, now 44, was arrested after he tried to blow up a trans-Atlantic plane with explosives he had hidden in his shoes. He pled guilty to the planned attack on the nearly 200 people on the 2001 flight from Paris to Miami. Born in England, Reid had converted to Islam and told a federal judge that he was a member of Al Qaeda and pledged his allegiance to Usama bin Laden. Im an enemy of your country, and I dont care, Reid reportedly said in court. Three people sustained non-life threatening injuries after police said a 27-year-old man detonated an explosive device inside a New York City subway station during Monday mornings rush hour. The explosion triggered a massive emergency response by police and fire officials both above and below ground. The suspect was taken into custody by police. Following the explosion, many took to social media to express gratitude for the first responders. N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged New Yorkers to return to their daily routine. "Lets get back to our daily business. We will never allow them to disrupt us. Thats exactly what they want," he tweeted. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio During a press conference, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio called New York the "resilient place on earth." He said, "We are a target because we prove a society of many faiths and many backgrounds can work we show democracy can work." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Grateful to the NYPD for quickly apprehending the suspect at Port Authority. We must remain vigilant and give law enforcement the federal resources to keep us safe, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said. Sen. Chuck Schumer Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praised New York Citys first responders and said, As we learn more about what happened, it is a startling reminder why the see something, say something campaign is so important to keeping our city safe. Rep. Elise Stefanik N.Y. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R, said the first responders courage saved lives in the morning attack. Attorney Gen. Eric Schneiderman Thankful for the courageous and quick response of our first responders in New York today, New York Attorney Gen. Eric Schneiderman said in a tweet. Please stay vigilant and look out for each other. Lin-Manuel Miranda NYPD, FDNY, thank you, today and every day, said Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Hamilton creator and star. Bethenny Frankel Television personality Bethenny Frankel tweeted, So is this the new world? We wake up daily to play: find the explosion? Alyssa Milano Actress Alyssa Milano tweeted a news report about the explosion and said, Please be safe everyone. Rep. Mark Meadows Thinking of and praying for everyone in New York this morning. Thank God for the brave first responders who were there so quickly, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said. Sarah Sanders White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Twitter that President Trump has been briefed on the attack. DC Police Department The Washington, D.C., police department tweeted that it was monitoring the situation. At this time, there are no current threats to the District of Columbia. We ask all residents and visitors to remain vigilant, the department tweeted. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The suspect in a triple murder that occurred inside a Houston home was captured more than 200 miles away in Dallas, officials said Monday. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said Jeffery Noble, 35, was arrested late Sunday by Dallas Police after he fled the Houston area in a red Honda accord on Friday. "Thank you to the community and our law enforcement partners for helping get Noble in custody," the HCSO said. Noble was booked late Sunday into the Dallas County jail and is being held on a charge of capital murder, FOX4 News reported. Authorities had been searching for Noble since Friday after a man and woman were found dead with gunshot wounds to the head in a home in northwest Houston. A third person was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds to the neck and jaw, the Houston Chronicle reported. Authorities have identified the victims as 67-year-old Robert Sciandra, 22-year-old Jessica Sciandra and 25-year-old Jordan Michael Collier. The relationship between Robert and Jessica Sciandra wasnt immediately clear. Another woman was able to escape the home and told a neighbor to call 911. The neighbor, Claire Vincik, told the Houston Chronicle the woman said "somebody is shooting up the house" and to call 911. "It almost looked like she was hiding from someone," Vincik said. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 As Iraq emerges from three years of war with the Islamic State group, the U.S. is looking to roll back the influence of neighboring Iran and help the central government resolve its dispute with the Kurdish region, the American envoy to the country told The Associated Press. U.S. Ambassador Douglas Silliman took up his post in Baghdad in September 2016, just weeks before the start of the operation to retake the northern city of Mosul. With IS now driven out of all the territory it once held and Iraq's declaration that the war against the extremists is over, he says Washington is focused on keeping the peace and rebuilding, and sees Iran's influence as a problem. "Iran simply does not respect the sovereignty of its neighbors," Silliman said. "The Iranians have to some extent assisted the government of Iraq in defeating ISIS," he said, using an alternative acronym for IS. "But frankly I have not seen the Iranians donating money for humanitarian assistance, I have not seen them contributing to the U.N. stabilization program." Iran gained major influence in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein's Sunni-led dictatorship and empowered the country's Shiite majority. When IS swept across northern and central Iraq in the summer of 2014, Iran-backed militias mobilized in the country's defense, providing a bulwark in many areas while the beleaguered armed forces were rebuilt. The now state-sanctioned paramilitaries, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, consist of tens of thousands of mostly Shiite fighters deployed across the country. Victories against IS have made their leaders increasingly powerful. The Trump administration has called for the paramilitary forces to disband after the IS fight is complete. It has also vowed to take a much tougher line on Iran, threatening to pull the U.S. out of the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement and levying sanctions on Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard. Iraq is meanwhile seeking external support for reconstruction after the war, which the government says caused an estimated $100 billion in damage. Some 3 million Iraqis are still displaced, months after major fighting ended. The Trump administration has made clear that the $14.3 billion military campaign against IS will not be replaced with a similarly funded reconstruction effort. International aid organizations are instead looking to wealthy Gulf states. "Iraq is coming out of a difficult period where there had been a lot of economic destruction, lots of social disruption and we think that it is important for Iraq to have good, positive relationships with all of its neighbors, and Iran is included in that," Silliman said. He said the U.S. was encouraged by recent Iraqi efforts to reach out to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, allies that it hopes will play a bigger role in the country going forward. The U.S. is also hoping to help calm tensions between the central government and the northern Kurdish region following a September independence referendum that was rejected by Baghdad. Federal forces clashed with Kurdish fighters in October as Baghdad retook disputed territories that the Kurds had seized from IS. "The relatively modest role we are playing is to help both sides find ways to walk through the door of discussions," Silliman said, explaining that while both sides support "the idea" of discussions, negotiations to end the crisis have not yet begun. An American man who was detained on drug charges in August escaped an Indonesian jail early Monday and a manhunt is underway. Chrishan Beasley, 32, who was arrested in August, was allegedly found at a Bali post office with a package containing 5.7 grams of hashish, a drug made from cannabis. Tonny Nainggolan, head of Kerobokan prison, said Beasley escaped at around 4 a.m. after sawing though a ceiling and jumping over a 20-foot wall behind the prison. Paul Anthony Hoffman, another American, was captured while trying to escape with Beasley. Hoffman, 57, is serving a 20-month sentence for robbing a number of convenience stores at knifepoint, AFP reported. "Paul was immediately recaptured by the locals who saw him trying to escape while Chrishan, who climbed up before him, managed to run away," Nainggolan told the news agency. Nainggolan also said the men may have used a ladder from a construction project at the womens section of the prison to escape, ABC reported. An investigation was underway to find out possible involvement of prison guards in the incident, said Surung Pasaribu of the local Law and Human Rights Ministry. He also said there is a shortage of guards for the prison, which was built to accommodate about 300 people but has nearly 1,600 inmates. It was the second escape from the prison in Bali's capital, Denpasar, since June when four foreign inmates from Australia, Bulgaria, India and Malaysia escaped through a drainage tunnel. Two of them, Bulgarian Dimitar Nikolov Iliev and Indian Sayed Mohammed Said were recaptured in East Timor days later and were returned to Bali. Two others, Shaun Edward Davidson of Australia and Malaysian Tee Koko King bin Tee Kim Sai are still at large. Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where prisons are overcrowded by people convicted of drug crimes as part of the government's anti-drugs crusade. In May, more than 440 prisoners escaped from an overcrowded prison on Sumatra island when they were let out to perform Friday Muslim prayers. In July 2013, about 240 prisoners, including several convicted terrorists, escaped during a deadly riot at a prison in another part of Sumatra. The Associated Press contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Three months ahead of Russia's presidential election, apathy and disappointment pervade incumbent Vladimir Putin's heartland. Alexandra Chekh, a retired kindergarten director, voted for Putin the last time around in 2012. Now she wonders if he has anything to offer. "Change? If he could do it, he would have done it by now," she said. "If nothing gets done, then maybe we will need a new person." A new person is unlikely the 65-year-old Putin is the overwhelming favorite in Russia's March 18 presidential vote. But the dim view taken by former supporters such as Chekh is notable in a city like Novokuznetsk, part of the Kemerovo region in southwestern Siberia where Putin tallied 77 percent of the vote in 2012. The city itself lies 4,500 miles (7,240 kilometers) east of Moscow. Since that last election, anti-corruption campaigner and adamant Putin foe Alexei Navalny has been able to spread his message far beyond the prosperous and educated urban circles of Moscow and St. Petersburg where his support started. But Navalny is saddled by a fraud and embezzlement conviction which his supporters view as politically motivated that will prevent him from running in the presidential race unless he's pardoned or some other dispensation is made. Navalny is pressing on, nonetheless. On Saturday, several hundred people showed up at his rally in Novokuznetsk, a city of nearly 550,000 people that is home to coal mines, metals plants and soot-smelling air. Some at the rally came without hats or gloves despite the minus -15 Celsius (minus -5 Fahrenheit) temperatures. Navalny focused on the grievances he has been highlighting throughout the campaign: low pay for state employees, the concentration of wealth in Moscow and the Kremlin's excessive funding for foreign policy forays. Official statistics show the region's average monthly pay as 31,600 rubles ($532), a little under the Russian average. But Novokuznetsk residents think those figures are inflated by officials. When Navalny asked the crowd how much a nurse makes in Novokuznetsk, they shouted "10,000" or "15,000." If Putin's 18 years in power have induced apathy and a sense of helplessness among Russian voters, that's the big issue in Navalny's view. Putin has made voters in industrial cities like Novokuznetsk his base, touting stability as the key achievement of his rule. But these days, finding a fervent Putin supporter on Novokuznetsk's snow-covered streets can be hard. Of seven residents approached by an AP reporter, only four said they supported Putin. None of them expressed enthusiasm. A survey by the independent polling agency Levada Center suggests that enthusiasm for Putin is in decline countrywide. It found that 51 percent of those questioned said they were tired of waiting for Putin to bring "positive change," 10 percentage points higher than a year ago. Through his canny, energetic use of social media and YouTube, Navalny has done an end-run around Russia's state-controlled news media, which is the main source of information for people outside of the country's main cities. Demonstrations called by Navalny this year rattled the Kremlin, not only because of their large turnouts but due to the fact they were taking place in provincial cities throughout the country. Many of those who showed up at the Novokuznetsk rally say Putin does have support there, but nowhere near as overwhelmingly as the last election figures indicated. The real picture, they say, is distorted by widespread voting fraud. Navalny told The Associated Press after the rally that he is encouraged by the warm reception he is seeing in Russia's regions. He says that proves support for Putin in the places that habitually give him 80 percent of the vote at the polls is "fiction and falsification." Navalny's activists all over Russia have been canvassing all year on the streets and going door-to-door to talk to voters, despite threats and intimidation from authorities. "If we can hold such a big rally here, with all the pressure and intimidation, it means that we enjoy at least significant support here," Navalny said after an hour of posing for photos with rally attendees in Novokuznetsk. Navalny initially laughed off a question about what is going to happen if authorities when the presidential campaign officially starts later this month formally bar him from running. "(The Kremlin) cannot bar me from running if such a big number of people is supporting me," he declared. But he later offered a glimpse into his plans. "If they don't register me, people together with me will not recognize this election and we will boycott this election," he said. A low presidential turnout is something the Kremlin is very wary about. Fighting apathy is one of the most common theories behind the surprise presidential bid of socialite-turned-journalist Ksenia Sobchak. The 36-year-old candidate has been mildly critical of Putin but faces none of the obstacles that Navalny's supporters do. Many Russians think her efforts are designed to boost interest in an otherwise bland presidential campaign a claim that Sobchak absolutely denies. But Navalny probably does not even need to call for a boycott to bring the turnout even lower, because many residents of the Kemerovo region have already given up on the presidential vote. Sergei Maslyukov, 40, watched his daughter slide off a mammoth mound of snow on Novokuznetsk's main square. He did not go to Navalny's rally Saturday and has not heard much about the popular activist. He is also disappointed in Putin but sees no viable alternative to the Russian leader. "The promises he made . he did not make good on them," Maslyukov said. "What promises? Do you think average pay in Russia correlates to the prices? I'm not going to vote for anyone." Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered his country's forces to begin withdrawing from Syria, saying the country's two-year campaign to destroy ISIS is complete. Putin, due in Egypt and Turkey for talks, had previously declared he was planning to pull out most Russian troops. I order the defense minister and the chief of general staff to start withdrawing the Russian group of troops to their permanent bases, Putin said, according to RIA Novosti news agency. Reuters reported, however, the Russian leader left wiggle room, saying if terrorists raise their heads again his country would carry out such strikes on them which they have never seen. However, the Pentagon pushed back on Putin's announcement. "Russian comments about removal of their forces do not often correspond with actual troop reductions," Army Col. Robert Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Monday. The Russian militarys involvement in Syria, which began in September 2015, has not been without controversy. Days after Russian jets and troops arrived, then-President Obama predicted a quagmire for Russian and Iranian forces in Syria. President Trumps national security advisor H.R. McMaster told Fox Newss Bret Baier earlier this month at the Reagan National Defense Forum outside Los Angeles that today 80 percent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces are Iranian supported proxies. What the Iranians have done across the Middle East is fuel and accelerate cycles of violence so that they can take advantage of chaos and weak states to make them dependent on Iran for support, McMaster said. Russia has always said it was targeting ISIS militants, but human rights organizations say civilians have often been killed. TRUMP, MATTIS TURN MILITARY LOOSE ON ISIS, LEAVING TERROR GROUP IN TATTERS The Violations Documentation Center, a Syrian civil monitoring organization, documented one bombing campaign in opposition-held Aleppo in 2016 killed more than 440 civilians -- including more than 90 children. Last month, various groups, including the Syrian government and some opposition representatives, met in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, for talks aimed at implementing a lasting ceasefire agreement. Those talks have not led to any meaningful agreement yet. The task of fighting armed bandits here in Syria, a task that it was essential to solve with the help of extensive use of armed force, has for the most part, been solved and solved spectacularly, Putin said, in remarks broadcast on Russian television, Reuters reported. However, Putin also announced that Hmeimim airbase and Russia's naval facility in Tartus would continue to operate in Syria. The Kremlin strongman thanked Russian troops for helping Syria remain a "sovereign independent state," telling servicemen gathered at the base: I congratulate you!" The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, said in March that about 465,000 people killed and missing in Syrias civil war. The United Nations says that over 13.1 million people are in need of assistance in the war-torn country, which includes 6.1 million who were internally displaced. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. It appears that a woman was indeed buried nearly nine years ago in the median of Interstate 95 in Stafford County, in a then-wooded spot just north of the Telegraph Road overpass. Now the paved express lanes run through the stretch where a man said he buried the remains of his girlfriend, after strangling the 47-year-old woman in her Washington home on Feb. 13, 2009, the day before Valentines Day. Earlier this year, Jose RodgriquezCruz admitted to killing Pamela Butler that night and later burying her remains in the median. In a plea deal, he promised to lead police to the her remains. Police used cadaver dogs to search the grassy area next to the express lanes on Friday, but havent said anything about the results. Butlers brother said Monday morning that police told him the dogs hit on human remains in several areas. That led them to believe Butlers remains were scattered about when earth was moved for work on the express lanes, which opened two years ago. We gave it a hell of a try, said Derrick Butler, who has talked about how important it was to the family to recover his sisters remains. Although they wont get the remains, Butler said he and prosecutors believe RodriguezCruz told the truth about burying her body in the median. The 52-year-old Rodriguez-Cruz was sentenced to 12 years as part of the agreement. Derrick Butler called RodriguezCruz a monster and pointed out that the mans first wife also disappeared, a crime he implored police to solve. According to media reports, Arlington County cold-case detectives uncovered evidence that domestic violence contributed not only to Butlers death but possibly the death of Rodriguez-Cruzs first wife, Marta Cruz. In Butlers case, prosecutors described RodriguezCruz as an extremely violent man. He told prosecutors that the couple argued that night over his job and him holding up his end on finances. He said he punched Butler, then got on top of her and strangled her. RodreiguezCruz said he turned off Butlers home security system and lowered her body out of a first-floor window. He then put her body in his nearby car, drove off and disposed of her remains. Long-standing tension between the Spotsylvania Education Association and a tea party group is simmering as budget season approaches. The education association recently cried foul after the county reserved a portion of this coming Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting for a 15- to 20-minute presentation on teacher pay by the Fredericksburg Virginia Patriots. Residents typically have up to three minutes to speak during the public-comment portion of meetings, prompting some education association members to suggest the tea party is getting preferential treatment. But late Friday afternoon, county officials deleted the tea partys spot on an online agenda, in addition to an attachment of its slideshow presentation. It was on the agenda as a placeholder because a presentation had been received electronically, County Administrator Mark Taylor wrote in an email. Spotsylvania Education Association President Jeanne Bergeron, a teacher at Riverbend High School, said she does not buy that explanation. I think theyve seen the conflict, and they dont want to be in the middle of that or they dont want to appear to be in the middle of that, she said, noting that reserving time for the conservative group outside of public comments would set a precedent. Jennifer Theut of the Virginia Education Association also pointed out Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Greg Bentons Facebook post Thursday replying to criticism of the tea partys placement on the agenda. As far as the Patriots, we felt it better to go ahead and give them the time [than] have to listen to a repeated number of their membership come in and give 3 minute pieces of the presentation, Benton wrote. Michael Smithchairman of the tea partys budget review committeesaid Taylor told him Friday he would need to deliver the speech during the public-comment session. He said hes fine with that, adding that other residents plan to defer their speaking time to him so that he can make the presentation uninterrupted. Smiths presentation offers feedback on a consultants salary study for Spotsylvania Public Schools. I dont know why everybody got all up in arms about a 20-minute presentation, Smith said, adding that most of the report simply summarizes information from the study. Tea partiers in Spotsylvania often speak out against real estate tax increases, and routinely find common ground on the issue with at least three supervisors: Chairman David Ross, Timothy McLaughlin and Paul Trampe. But some teachers say the anti-tax sentiment hurts the school system, which relies on the Board of Supervisors for a significant amount of its funding. Critics of the tea party question why its members scrutinize the School Boards budget so much more than other county spending. During a public hearing in March, some tea party members accused the School Board of lavish spending on chairs and other items. In perhaps the most eye-raising claim, they said the school system spent about $40,000 on two chairs. School Board Chairwoman Erin Grampp disputed the allegation of wasteful spending, writing that the school system actually bought 175 chairs for $40,152, or $229.44 each. Smith asked supervisors last month to allot about 15 minutes for his presentation. Otherwise, he said at the time, tea party members would have to deliver the speech in increments during the public-comment period. Ross said in a text message to a reporter Friday that board members never agreed to put the tea partys presentation on this weeks agenda. He said he thinks the group should deliver its remarks during the public-comment session. I was not aware of any complaints by [the education association], but since you have informed me, I share their concerns of perceived favoritism and believe it has been addressed prior to the meeting, Ross wrote in the text message. Smiths report recommends no budget increase next year for Spotsylvania schools. The School Board, he wrote, should consider increasing employee contributions to benefit packages in order to improve compensation/salary for some employees and examine and execute cost-cutting measures at all departments and schools. His report recommends carrying out the salary studys least expensive option, which would maintain most salaries, but increase pay for some employees at the bottom of their pay scales at a cost of $176,430. Individuals are free to choose their professions with the full understanding of the compensation and benefits available, Smith wrote. Military members used to say, We joined the military not for the pay, but for the benefits and No one ever gets rich in the military. The same can be said for a majority of SCPS employees. The tea party did not weigh in on a separate salary study on behalf of all other county employees, including deputies and firefighters. Supervisors this year approved a wide range of pay raisesfrom 1.3 percent to up to 10.7 percentfor those employees at a cost of $2.1 million. The school systems salary study includes three options for its employees, costing from $176,430 to a little more than $7 million. The study says the school system is paying entry-level teachers near market averages, while teacher salaries at the middle and top of the pay scale are above market. Employee pay increases in SCPS have been good and need to continue in order to retain employees, the report states. But the report acknowledges that a major concern among employees, particularly those nearing retirement, is that their position on the salary scale does not reflect their experience because of a lack of step increases. Spotsylvania teachers, who received a 2 percent pay increase this year, made an average of $53,438 during the 2016-17 school year, or about $1,453 less than the statewide average, according to the Virginia Department of Education. Thats more than the average in Fredericksburg, but nearly $1,000 less than in Stafford County Public Schools. The Spotsylvania school system has already increased health insurance premiums for employees in recent years, said Bergeron, the education association president. She agreed that teaching is a choice, but said she thinks Spotsylvania educators deserve better. I chose to go get my masters degree so I could teach, Bergeron said. But I still have to be able to pay that masters degree off. Every princess must have her court. Mary Pelhams was made up of eight: Teachers from Stafford High School who every day prepare her for life outside it, the Rappahannock Area YMCA staffers who have known her for years, including a youth director named Karla Edwards who enlisted them all. They gathered on a bus with a noisy heater that roared over the Disney music Edwards had picked out. Beyond the clouded windows, an early December snow picked up. A nearby county had canceled its school activities, the libraries had closed, and the forecast was calling for four to six inches, but none of that mattered to Marys loyal subjects. At the front of the bus was a seat covered in white tulle and Cinderella-blue satin, and in a box near the drivers seat was a roll of red plastic, because every princess must have her throne and a red carpet on which to get there. Edwards checked the time. Nearly 10 a.m. The princess would be waiting. She put the bus in gear and headed toward the home of Mary, a 16-year-old with Down syndrome who knew only that she was going to be royalty for the day. Do You Want to Build a Snowman? from Disneys Frozen sounded through the bus speakers, but if anyone noticed how fitting it was, they didnt remark on it. They were thinking about the girl who loved princesses, and who today would get to be one. Francesca Futia, Marys physical education teacher, dabbed the tears that were already slipping from her eyes. DRESSING LIKE A PRINCESS She was waiting on the porch with her dad, bundled against the cold, when her chariot rumbled up to the curb and the court disembarked. Edwards rolled out the red carpet, only to discover it was shorter than she thought. It was no matter; as Mary walked the length of it, Edwards picked it up and moved it farther over the snow-powdered grass until shed walked the length of the lawn. Mary stepped onto the bus, through a curtain of white tulle, and took her special seat. Whats it like being a princess? Bailey Vera, a YMCA child care provider, asked Mary. Are you happy? Yes, Mary said. A little bit happy or a lot happy? A little bit happy, Mary answered, and they all laughed. Every princess must have a pretty dress, and they were headed to find one. Weeks ago, as Edwards, the YMCA youth director, began dreaming up what being a princess for a day might entail, shed gotten in touch with Macys. The department store was providing a $150 gift card for a dress and shoes, and the entourage figured theyd split up to find a few for Mary to try on. But Marys court was as surprised as the princess when a trio of Macys workers at Spotsylvania Towne Centre led them to a vast dressing room decorated with a plush pink rug and silver and white ribbons and strings of light bulbs. A chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, and boxes of shoes sat on a bench and dresses in Marys size and fit for a princess filled a rack. Im going to be your personal elf today, said Nettie Graham, a sales associate who was dressed like one, down to a pair of green shoes, and Mary stuck out her hand and introduced herself as a princess, just as shed practiced while theyd waited. Graham does not drive in the snow, she said, except today she did, because like those who already knew Mary, she wouldnt have missed this for anything. They started with the shoes, pulling pairs of slippers that sparkled--like the glass ones Cinderella had worn--and fitting them onto Marys dainty feet. Mary chose a pair with bows on the toes, and the courtiers agreed those were the best before turning their attention to the dresses, which were already outfitted with bracelets and necklaces and fur wraps. Youre so good, Sharon Reik, a YMCA child care provider, told Graham as all but Marys two teachers filed out of the dressing room theyd squeezed into. It doesnt cost a thing to be kind, Graham said, and in one sentence shed summed up what Mary taught everyone she met, without ever trying. BEAUTIFUL FROM THE INSIDE OUT Mary deserved to be a princess, Edwards said in answer to why shed put all this together. When shed reached out to Macys and to New-U Salon and Family Nail in downtown Fredericksburg where they would end the day, everyone had wanted to help. She is happy every day, said her teacher, Erin Dowd. She looks at the positive. Shes beautiful from the inside out. Dowd paused. Mary reminds us to enjoy the special moments. The little things. Back in the dressing room, she and Futia helped her into her first dress, a blue one. Blue is her favorite color; blue is the hue of Cinderellas dress at the end of the movie, when her fairy tale has finally come true. It had cold-shoulder sleeves and was paired with a stole made of white faux fur, and as Mary stepped out of the dressing room, all anyone could say was how beautiful she looked. There were more dresses: one in Christmas-red with a narrow silver belt, a fitted white one with a keyhole back and gold trim. For me? Mary wanted to know, and Dowd and Futia assured her that they were. Outside the dressing room, amid racks of womens suits and blouses, Graham had a hunch. It might be hard for her to choose, she said knowingly, but I think shes got her mind on the blue. When Mary stepped out for the final time, it was the one she wore. A FINISHING TOUCH There was lunch in the malls food court, with Mary at the head of the table, because where else would a princess sit. There were visits from Spotsylvania Sheriffs Office deputies, who shook her hand and gave her a sticker that looked like a badge and posed for a photo, because who would want to miss a chance to meet a princess. After lunch, the deputies let her sit in one of their vehicles parked inside the mall, and they turned on the lights for her. There was a visit with Santa, where Mary was ushered in through a side gate, because princesses dont have to wait in line. Then it was time to go back to Macys, where a makeup artist asked Mary whether she wanted something natural or glamorous. Cinderella, Mary said, and the woman seemed to know exactly what she meant. She had the same answer for Nidal Samad, a stylist at New-U Salon who turned Marys straight dark hair into ringlets fit for a princess. Mary stood. Were going to put one more thing on your head, Edwards said, and Mary sat down again. Every princess must have a tiara. It rested on a blue satin pillow made especially for it, light catching in the jewels. Samad placed it on her head. All of it had been magical--the shoes and the dress, sitting on the arm of Santas over-sized chair and learning to wave with a flick of the wrist. But for the first time that day, Princess Mary was spellbound. So was everyone else. Mary reminds us to enjoy the special moments. The little things. erin dowd, teacher 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. A blanket ban on a class of pesticides linked to harming bees could make growing sugar beet in the UK unviable, the NFU has warned. Representatives from EU member states are due to meet in Brussels on 12-13 December to discuss the future of three neonicotinoids that are currently banned for use on flowering crops such as oilseed rape and sunflowers. The European Commission Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (Scopaff) will discuss a proposal to further restrict the use of these insecticides by imposing a total ban for use on all outdoor crops. See also: Can sugar beet survive a future without neonicotinoids? Member states may be asked to vote on the commissions proposal for an outright ban. Last month, in a reversal on the governments previous position, Defra secretary Michael Gove said he would support a commission proposal to extend the ban to non-flowering crops. Writing in the Guardian, Mr Gove said the evidence had grown that the risk to bees and other pollinators from neonics was greater than previously understood. Defra reversal However, the NFU said Mr Goves comments are deeply worrying and extending the neonics ban to cover all cereals and sugar beet could seriously damage yields. Emma Hamer, NFU senior plant health adviser, said: In our view, the weight of evidence is not enough to condemn neonics and we cannot understand the U-turn by Michael Gove. Rothamsted Research and the pan-European study on neonics by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology have both concluded the evidence is not strong enough for a total ban. Under a total ban, Ms Hamer said more growers would have to resort to using insecticide sprays, such as pyrethroids, which could be worse for the environment. Its a massive concern, particularly for sugar beet, because there is nothing else available that can control aphids, which spread virus yellows disease in sugar beet, she added. Neonics have done a great job at controlling aphids. Without them, we could see a 30-40% yield depression in sugar beet, which would then not be viable to grow in the UK. No alternatives Better crop breeding technologies and better insecticides could be an alternative to replace neonics. But for now, neither are options, said Ms Hamer. Achim Dobermann, Rothamsted Research director, said a total ban would result in known consequences and unknown consequences. If you have no alternative available, you might be forcing people to use something older that is worse, or forcing them towards something new that might turn out to be worse, said Prof Dobermann. More than 80 European NGOs in the Save The Bees Coalition, which includes Friends of the Earth Europe and Buglife UK, have signed a letter urging EU decision-makers to completely ban outdoor neonicotinoid seed treatments without further delay. Unless you have been living in a bunker for the past few days, you will know that it has been snowing in many parts of the UK, with Wales and the Midlands bearing the brunt. Yesterday (10 November) about 140,000 homes were left without power as heavy snow and strong winds battered Britain, and temperatures dipped to as low as -12C on Sunday night in Northumberland. True to form, our wonderful readers have been busy snapping snowy rural scenes in all their beauty here are some of our absolute favourites. See also: Job profile: Whats it like to be a farm brewer? Yorkshire Dales Julia Chapman sent us this wintry photo of sheep adjusting to the chilly landscape on the Yorkshire Dales. Heavy snow in Wales Young farmer Tom Parry took this photo of Texels in the snow in the Brecon Beacons area. And Matty Thomas took this one on a hill in Llanidloes, Powys, about 1,950ft above sea level. Sledging on the farm Here are Josie and Freddie having a blast sledging in the snow on the farm. Check out their matching sledge and overalls. New workers snow joke Looks like the guys at Hoys Farm are short of workers. We are not sure much ploughing is going to get done with this frosty character in charge, though. Tara Davies sent this one in to us. Snow-covered pig sty Janet Powell sent in this chilly shot of the farms pig sty after the first big dump of the white stuff in mid-Wales. Chilly Charolais Vince and Melita Corbett sent in this photo of one of their heifers in the snow in Powys. This beauty is called Teme Lollypop, an 18-month-old pedigree Charolais enjoying the snow at 1,400ft on the Welsh border. Hairy Highland This inquisitive Highland certainly wont have trouble keeping warm in the snow in Shropshire. Lisa Lupton of Church Stretton send us this one. Snowy silage bales Alexandra from Northern Ireland quite rightly points out that black-wrapped silage bales look like pints of Guinness when it snows. A family of beavers is to be released in an enclosed site in the Forest of Dean early next year, in the hope they will contribute to improving biodiversity and flood control near the village of Lydbrook. But farmer groups have expressed concern that any more widespread release of beavers could have a negative impact on farmland and the landscape, due to their physical activities of felling trees and building dams. See also: NFUS calls for measures to counter beaver damage The Forest of Dean project, proposed by the Forestry Commission and just signed off by Defra secretary Michael Gove, will see two adult beavers and two kits released into a 6.5ha site next spring. The hope is that their dam-building skills will help slow the flow of water through the village and also create new habitats. The beaver has a special place in English heritage and the Forest of Dean proposal is a fantastic opportunity to help bring this iconic species back to the countryside, 400 years after it was driven to extinction, said Mr Gove. The project is an example of the wider approach we are taking to enhance biodiversity. and deliver on our plans for a Green Brexit. The Forest of Dean release could be the first of many such schemes, with Defra publishing new guidance for further trial releases across England. Farmer fears But, even though the Forestry Commission insists that the enclosure for this trial will be totally secure, the NFU has concerns about beavers in the wild and the impacts they could have. The Forest of Dean release into a secure enclosure is a good opportunity to further learn about the consequences of beavers on the landscape, said environment forum chair Mark Pope. However, it is vital that this release is closely monitored to ensure that no beavers are allowed to escape, which could have potentially serious implications on farmland such as land drains being blocked in lowland arable fields. That has been the experience in Scotland, where 19 of the semi-aquatic rodents were introduced in Argyll in 2009. An illegal release also occurred in Tayside, and there are now believed to be several hundred beavers at large. Crop losses NFU Scotland points to problems with agricultural land being flooded and crops lost, either as a result of beaver dams, or due to tunnelling through flood banks. The illegal release of beavers on Tayside some time ago means that the animals are now found on waterways stretching through half a million hectares of land, said SFUS environment committee chairman Angus MacFadyen. The environmental benefits seen in localised areas must be viewed against the considerable damage from beaver activity on productive farmland, drainage systems, long-standing flood banks and established woodland. Discussions on an appropriate management plan are still taking place with stakeholders. News editor's pick centerpiece Island one of few small cities operating its own transit KELSEY WALLING/The Daily News A man walks toward an Island Transit bus at Wal-Mart on Seawall Boulevard on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. The city of Galveston is looking at potentially cutting Island Transit routes. KELSEY WALLING/The Daily News Bobby Wrenn talks to a bus rider while stopped at the Galveston Transit Terminal on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Wrenn thinks less people ride the bus now, because many people found more lucrative jobs north of Galveston after Hurricane Ike. GALVESTON The city of Galveston is one of only a handful of small municipal governments in the state that administers its own public transit system, according to a Texas Department of Transportation database. Because the population of Galveston was less than 50,000 in the last census, Galveston is classified as a rural transit system. Out of dozens of state-recognized rural transit systems, the wide majority of those are operated by specially formed transit districts or third-party companies. If you look around the Houston-Galveston area, most of the others that do have transit components, theyre usually operated by others, Assistant City Manager Rick Beverlin said. Youre finding fewer and fewer communities of this size that are running their own system unless they are a community off to their own, separate from a metropolitan area. Galvestons geography and focus on tourism does lend itself more to a city-operated form of transit, however, said Michael Walk, a research scientist and program manager at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Because it has sort of a tourist orientation and its a small island thats separated from the region as a whole, I dont think its that uncommon for a city like Galveston to want to have a transit system, Walk said. Beverlin and other city officials have frequently cited the fact that Galveston is one of few small cities to operate its own transit system, called Island Transit, in conversations proposing cuts to service. South Padre Island and Del Rio are two rural cities that also operate similar fixed-route services, according to the database. Dozens more rural transit systems are operated through other means and not by cities. The city has proposed eliminating the lifeline route on weekdays, just months after beginning the service. The lifeline is the only nighttime route during the week, and operates from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. It also operates all day on Saturdays and Sundays, but the city has also proposed cutting the service after 7:30 p.m. on weekends. Galveston City Council approved the lifeline route in May as a response to declining ridership and a loss in federal grant funding. The island-wide bus route loops from 81st Street to the citys East End. The city will hold a public meeting 5 p.m. Jan. 4, 2018 about canceling the service, city spokeswoman Jaree Fortin said. HOW DID WE GET HERE? City officials point to losses of funding as the reason for canceling the service. In the 2010 census, Galvestons population declined and made the city ineligible for $750,000 in annual federal transportation funding it had previously received. Since then, the city had recovered most of that amount. But in 2018, the city is set to lose another $500,000 in grant funding from the Houston-Galveston Area Council, Beverlin has said. The city also approved a budget in September that reduced its general fund allocation to Island Transit by $180,000. Added to the problem is a consistent drop in fixed-route ridership over the years, Beverlin said. That has been the case for the lifeline route so far, with two buses combined collecting an average of $40 a day during the week, he said. Each bus on the lifeline route costs $80 an hour to operate, Beverlin said. With two buses running per hour for four hours during the week, that equals $640 in overhead a day. Sometimes, the ridership is so low that buses will go an hour or two without any riders, Beverlin said. If youve got services for an hour or two and youve got no one on it, you need to start looking at that, Beverlin said. No city turns a profit on its transit system, but Galvestons farebox revenues seem on the lower side, Walk said. Declining ridership is most likely attributed to changes in demographics, Beverlin said. Many of the people who use Island Transit are elderly or disabled and qualify for demand-response services, where riders can request a ride to and from a location of their choice, Beverlin said. To not look at it in the vacuum, those users either went from fixed route to a higher income bracket, they relocated, or they got older and are now demand- response candidate patrons, Beverlin said. Then, you probably are losing some to the Uber-type model as well. But cutting service sometimes worsens the problem, Walk said. It becomes a very vicious cycle as a transit system runs out of funds, Walk said. Reducing service makes it less convenient and less convenient service brings in less riders. You have to keep trying to balance the books. Making sure cuts to service dont exclude former riders is tricky business, said Brad Coleman, operations supervisor for the Port Arthur Transit Department, which operates its own bus service. The city of Port Arthur had a population of more than 53,000 in the 2010 census and qualifies as an urban transit system. You have to make adjustments, Coleman said. While were making adjustments, we dont want to leave out people who used to ride. NOW WHAT? Most rural cities in Texas rely on regional transit districts or contractors to operate services, according to the Texas Department of Transportation database. Some of those provide service across counties, and many are demand-response shuttle services. The city of Galveston said it has contemplated moving away from some of its Park and Ride services, Beverlin said. James Hollis, transportation director for Gulf Coast Center, which runs the mainlands Connect Transit, said he has had conversations with the city on taking over some of those services. Were prepared, Hollis said. The city hasnt yet to come up with a full solution on how to get affected riders replacement transportation, Beverlin said. The city has recommended that the city council extends a subsidized taxi program, called Harris County RIDES, before it expires in May 2018. Cutting service isnt the only answer, either, Walk said. Sometimes better marketing can help, such as making transit systems easier to use and understand, he said. Another option would be a campaign to increase community buy-in that transit is important to the economic vitality of Galveston, or even having business communities sponsor transit, Walk said. I think any transit agency thats struggling would want to do whatever it could to keep its doors open, Walk said. Besides cutting service, there are alternatives to try to increase revenue. More Information The city of Galveston runs two buses on the Lifeline bus for four hours in the evening during the week. Here's how much it costs to operate the two buses and how much the city earns in fares. Cost per hour to operate the two buses: $160 Average in fares collected per hour: $10 Cost per day to operate: $640 Average in fares collected per day: $40 Information provided by Assistant City Manager Rick Beverlin LEBANON Joel and Bill Bartman wanted to meet more often and drink beer together. So the brothers, along with the help of nephews Aaron and Brian Franks, formed their own microbrewery. Barsideous Brewing opened in downtown Lebanon in early November. Bills been a microbrewer for quite a while. Gatherings like weddings, festivals, you name it, we always had his beer and it was always really good, Joel Bartman said. We just got to talking, and it was, Why not open a microbrewery? he added. A grand opening for Barsideous Brewing is scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with live music on Friday and Saturday starting at 8 p.m. each night. Due to limited space, patrons may want to arrive early to see the shows. Bill Bartman said theres definitely room for another brewery in Lebanon. Conversion, the towns first microbrewery, or at least the first in modern times, opened in October 2015. So far, the most popular beers at Barsideous have been Kama Citra, a Belgian style India pale ale, and Chocolate Cassanova, a chocolate stout. But there also are seasonal offerings, such as St. Gregory, an oatmeal gingerbread stout, and Saint Misbehavin, which has a strong Scottish ale base and is brewed with 40 pounds of Bing cherries, as well as maple syrup, vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks. Chef Angela Miller also has been a chief draw for customers, the Bartmans said, and she uses Barsideous brews in many recipes. The prime rib for Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, for example, is cooked with stout from the microbrewery. The barbecue burger, jalapeno poppers with berry sauce and macaroni and cheese gouda balls also have been top sellers on the food side. Daily specials have proven popular, as well. On a recent weekday, the special was bacon-wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Joel and Bill Bartman are both graduates of Lebanon Union High School and Oregon State University. While Joel Bartman still works as a software engineer for HP Inc., Bill Bartman is retired. He used to teach band at Oregon City High School. The name of the microbrewery comes from a nickname bestowed on him by his band students, who believed he could Jedi mind trick people to do his bidding. Mix Bartman and Darth Sidious and you get Barsideous. The nickname was initially used as a placeholder on company graphics. But then Bill Bartman couldnt get his nickname off of posters no matter how hard he lobbied. Barsideous Brewing sits in the original location of the Kuhn Cinema. The current Kuhn was built next door after the initial location proved immensely popular for Lebanon residents. The old theater kept operating and was then rechristened the Gem. The Bartmans started renovations a year ago, and as Joel Bartman and his nephews were all working full time, creating a microbrewery was a lengthy process. Aaron Franks owns Franks Construction, and Brian Franks also has skills as a craftsman, so they were able to contribute greatly to shaping the microbrewery space. Bill Bartman said Brian Franks helps with the brewing, as does Miller, who selects food ingredients for beers. Barsideous Brewing, 644 S. Main St., is open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, and 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The microbrewery is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For more information, call 541-570-1789 or go to the business Facebook page. A new voter-created program that makes lottery dollars available to Oregon schools to fund overnight outdoor school programs for students in the fifth or sixth grades has received fundraising requests from schools representing 76 percent of eligible students. Kristopher Elliott, who administers the distribution of these funds for the Oregon State University Extension Service, said the goal of extension service staff was to have a 45 percent participation level this year. Because of the high level of funding requests, Elliott said the program will have to spend more of the $24 million allocated to it for the 2017-19 biennial budget this year than expected. Despite this, he said the program should be able to fund all the requests this year and next. However, he said it could be a challenge next year if schools that requested funds for a three-day outdoor school program this year expand their requests to the full five days for which they are eligible. If that happens, he said the extension would have to adjust their funding formula. The 76 percent participation rate represents over 36,000 students, Elliott said. Elliott, who started in his role as the outdoor school program leader in September, said the extension faculty has been helping in reviewing applications. Though it caused extra work for us, we do it with smiles on our faces. Seeing the overwhelming response from our schools is so exciting, he said. Elliott said the extension has an advisory board working on the program and has seven resource groups working on issues for support that the extension is offering to schools doing outdoor school. The groups are focused on specific topics, like curriculum development or identifying sites for outdoor school programs. Eventually, Elliott said there will be three more people working under his supervision in Corvallis and three more around the state in extension offices. Elliott said extension staff across the state have helped in getting the participation rate so high by communicating with their local school districts about how the funds are available and assisting with crafting funding requests. The ballot measure that created the outdoor school program in 2016 tasked the extension service with administering the outdoor school program, and it allowed the extension service to keep some of the money allocated to the program to cover the costs of administering the program. Elliott said the extension expects 80 percent participation next year, and hes excited so many students are being reached already. Its reassuring weve communicated well and have reached the right people, he said. Brenda Downum, communications coordinator with the Corvallis School District, said the district has applied for funding for all 550 fifth-grade students in the district to be able to attend outdoor school for three days this school year. She said this represents about $150,000 in expected funds. If the district is awarded less than that, it would make up any gaps with its own budget so all kids in the district could participate without schools having to raise funds. In recent years, district outdoor school programs have been funded by parent groups, so not all schools have had equitable access to it, she said. Steve Bell, principal at Philomath Middle School, which has a longstanding tradition of offering outdoor school to sixth-graders, said the school has applied for funding. He said the biggest change is this allows the school to not have to work as hard to raise funds to support the program as it traditionally had. We did host our big event, Turkey Bingo, which has become a fun Philomath Schools tradition," Bell said. "If we receive full funding from the grant, we will be using the funds raised at Turkey Bingo in a different manner. At this point, we are hoping for substantial funds from the grant, but until we are awarded any funding, we are not making any substantial shifts to our practice and planning for outdoor school beyond the reduction in fundraising efforts. What are the historically ignorant snowflakes here in River City, on campus, students, administration, and the leftist liberals that run this city going to do if or when they find out that good old Abe Lincoln, 16th president of these United States, was a true blue racist? How many streets, schools and what not, are named after Honest Abe from Illinois, who wanted to ship the former slaves, after they were freed of course, back to Africa. If not there, somewhere else. Be careful about opening this can of worms by renaming campus buildings, schools, city streets and parks. Of course it may be impossible to get pass the blood-brain barrier of the historically ignorant PC public-schooled and university-educated 21st century American, that many blacks in the American South owned slaves, as did American Indians and even some Mexicans: And some of their slaves were white folks. Fancy that! And by the way, Lincoln's Yankee invasion of the South was not because of slavery. The misnamed Civil War, at the cost of 650,000 lives, was to preserve the Union. Even Lincoln's top general, U.S. Grant, a future president, was a slave owner. (Robert E. Lee, top general for the South did not own any). How many streets and schools are named after Grant? Oh, I almost forgot. Grant and the Yankees get a pass; they won the war and the Yanks and their historians get to write the history. Abe Lincoln is their hero as the New American Bolsheviki go about tearing down the statues of Robert E. Lee and company, ignorant that Lincoln had asked Robert E. Lee to lead the army of the North but was turned down because Lee was a loyal Virginian. Dean Kennedy Corvallis (Dec. 11) 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. Beethoven Competition Bonn : A winner from Genoa Bonn At the final of the seventh Beethoven Competition Bonn in the Telekom-Forum, Alberto Ferro from Italy emerged victorious. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Another Italian! After Filippo Gorini won the International Telekom Beethoven Competition Bonn two years ago, Alberto Ferro from Genoa got off to an early flying start in the nine-day competition. From the beginning, he was not only the audiences number one favourite but was also among the judges favourites and in the end they waved him through to the very top onto the winners podium, where the first prize worth Euro 30,000 was waiting for him. We were always in agreement right to the end, confirmed chairman of the jury Pavel Gililov at the award ceremony. So was the public, who awarded him the new Deutsche Telekom Stream-on-Prize online as well as choosing him as winner of the Beethoven-Haus-Prize by ballot paper in the Telekom head office and finally with 49 per cent of the votes, clearly choosing him as the publics winner during the vote at the finals in the sold-out Telekom Forum at Landgrabenweg. The sole surprise: none of the three finalists received the chamber music prize, which was awarded to the semi-finalist Ashok Gupta from England. But the gap between the winner and the second place in the jury ranking, Tomoki Kitamura (26) from Japan (Euro 20,000) and the third prizewinner from South Korea, Ho Jeong Lee (31) (Euro 10,000) was not as wide as it seemed. All three played to a very high standard on Saturday evening. Things were slightly more difficult for Kitamura than for his two competitors. First, he had to start and secondly, with the piano concerto Nr 2 in B flat major, composed in Bonn, he played a piece that is not as popular in musical life as Beethovens other four piano concertos. Ho Jeong Lee, one of only three women in the 24-string initial rounds, has a completely different temperament to Kitamura and handled the piano concerto Nr 3 in C minor masterfully and with great confidence. The fourth piano concerto in G major, with which Ferro played himself into first place, is thoroughly lyrical. After the lively and very musically impressive final, he received jubilant applause. At the start of the event, wittily presented by Daniel Finkernagel, the head of Telekom, Timotheus Hottges made a promise: there will be another competition in 2019. Hottges said: However, we also want to celebrate Beethovens 250 anniversary in 2020 in a fitting way. We will invite all former prize winners from previous competitions to an extraordinary concert at a summit of the best in Bonn. And Bonns Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan expressed confidence in his speech that the 2019 Beethoven festival and the competition would once again take place in the Beethovenhalle. Weekend snowfalls : Roads in NRW are mostly passable again after wintry weather Bonn/region Snow and icy conditions caused numerous problems and delays in Bonn and the region over the weekend. In many parts of Germany, police attended hundreds of accidents. The situation is now calmer. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken The onset of winter led to chaotic traffic conditions in many parts of Germany until the thaw mostly calmed the situation. In some regions, police were involved in hundreds of operations on Sunday night. After the onset of winter in North Rhine-Westphalia, the roads were open again for the most part at the start of the week. Police control centres were not expecting any major disruptions during work traffic on Monday morning, said a spokesman. On Sunday, snow falls severely restricted traffic and there were numerous accidents. The German Weather Service nevertheless also warned of a risk of ice on Monday in Bonn and the region. It will rain during the day and temperatures in Bonn and the region are expected to climb to up to 7 degrees Celsius. There were bus and train cancellations across the country. On Sunday, Deutsche Bahn halted the ICE train route Cologne-Rhine/Main, which stops in Siegburg. The trains are now running again. Weather conditions in Bonn becoming calmer Police said there were 30 weather related accidents in Bonn on Sunday. They resulted mainly in damage to car bodywork. Four people were injured and received outpatient treatment. The wintry weather also caused at times chaotic road conditions in the Siebengebirge at the weekend. Heavy snowfalls around lunchtime had already made roads slippery on Saturday. While these stopped in the afternoon, they started again on Sunday morning. Snowfall and heavy gusts made things difficult for drivers, not all of whom were apparently driving with suitable tyres. Police said the low volume of traffic on a Sunday meant there were no major accidents. By early evening there had only been two accidents on Sunday in the Konigswinter area. Police said there was damage to car bodywork only and no one was injured. Cancellations at airport Employees at Cologne/Bonn airport also had their hands full because of the snowfall. Snowploughs had to be used several times on the take-off and landing runways causing the service to be interrupted each time. This caused delayed departures and landings and even some complete cancellations. An opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to get lost in a world of food and drink from a hand-selected range of food trucks and breweries from around New Zealand. Danish English Company announcement no. 9/2017 Summary STRATEGIC FOCUS CHANGED, ASSET SALES TO BE ACCELERATED AND PROFIT GUIDANCE LOWERED The Board of Directors has today resolved that TK Development will change its strategic focus. Going forward, focus will be on the Danish and Swedish property development business, while efforts will be made to divest the Groups Polish activities within a period of two years. The Groups previous asset management activities will be divested sooner than originally planned. Due to these strategic measures, impairment losses of a total of DKK 405 million, primarily on the Groups asset management activities, have been recognised. The consolidated result for 2017/18 is expected to be a loss of DKK 355 million before tax, compared with the previous estimate of a profit before tax of DKK 50-60 million. Excluding the above-mentioned impairment losses, the consolidated profit is expected to be about DKK 50 million before tax for 2017/18. For 2018/19, TK Development expects a consolidated pre-tax profit of DKK 80-90 million. The target remains to achieve a return on allocated equity in the property development segment of 15-20% p.a. before tax, but now as from financial year 2018/19. As previously announced, the Group's net proceeds from the divestment of asset management activities will be distributed to its shareholders. As a result of the above, the Polish activities will as from 31 October 2017 be included under asset management for reporting purposes. At the same time, the Groups ownership interest in BROEN Shopping in Esbjerg will be transferred to the asset management business, and previously non-allocated balance sheet items will be allocated to the property development segment. The Board of Directors has allocated equity of DKK 500 million to the property development segment as at 31 October 2017. This is considered an appropriate amount of equity for the Group's future property development activities, and the goal is to achieve an annual return on equity of 15-20% before tax. CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT The Board of Directors wishes to complete a generational change at CEO level and has launched a search for a new group CEO. In that connection, it has been agreed that the current CEO, Frede Clausen, will step down when a new CEO has been found at the latest. Until such time, the Groups activities will be managed by Frede Clausen and Executive Vice President Robert Andersen. Frede Clausen has been a member of the Executive Board since 1992 and has served as CEO since 2002. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN Q1-Q3 2017/18 The result before tax for the first nine months of 2017/18 was a loss of DKK 397.8 million against a profit of DKK 0.2 million in the first nine months of 2016/17. The result after tax was a loss of DKK 395.9 million against a loss of DKK 4.1 million in the same period of 2016/17. Total assets amounted to DKK 2,541.9 million at 31 October 2017 against DKK 2,852.9 million at 31 January 2017. Consolidated equity stood at DKK 902.5 million compared with DKK 1,293.7 million at 31 January 2017, for a solvency ratio of 35.5%. Breakdown by segment: DKKm Property development Asset management Unallocated Profit/loss Profit/loss before tax -33.5 -355.4 -8.9 Balance sheet Development projects 707.3 - - Completed properties - 898.0 - Other projects - 346.3 - Other assets 341.8 248.5 - Total assets 1,049.1 1,492.8 - Tied-up equity 500.0 402.5 - PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT Due to impairment losses totalling DKK 60 million on Polish plots of land which the Group has owned for a number of years, the result before tax for the first nine months of 2017/18 was a loss of DKK 33.5 million. The level of activity in the property development business is generally high, and an additional number of projects were sold or initiated after the balance sheet date, see below. In the first nine months of 2017/18, TK Development handed over a 3,200 sqm retail park in Oskarshamn, Sweden, to the investor, handed over the apartments sold in the Amerika Have project in Copenhagen to the buyers and handed over the initial phase of the Strdet retail project in Kge to the investor. Major development projects: Construction of BROEN Shopping, the new shopping centre in Esbjerg, Denmark, has been completed, and the centre opened in April 2017. The current occupancy rate is 93% (Q2 2017/18: 93%). Construction of Strdet, Kge, Denmark, was affected by the bankruptcy of a contractor in August 2017, which caused a delay of the principal second phase of the project. The second phase has now been completed, and the shops opened at the end of September 2017. The 19,000 sqm retail project is being handed over to the investor in three phases, and handover of the second phase to the Finnish-based investor, Citycon, was agreed after the balance sheet date. Construction of the Amerika Have residential project in Copenhagen, Denmark, was completed in spring 2017, and the apartments sold were handed over to the buyers in Q2 2017/18. A total of 119 of the 121 apartments have been sold (Q2 2017/18: 119). Construction of the third phase of the Bielany residential project in Warsaw, Poland, is progressing according to plan, as is the pre-completion sale. 81% (Q2 2017/18: 68%) of the residential units have been sold. INITIATION OF NEW PROJECTS AFTER THE BALANCE SHEET DATE TK Development has sold and initiated a number of projects after the balance sheet date. In total, construction projects of some 27,000 sqm have been initiated after the balance sheet date. These projects are: MetroBielany, residential project, Bielany, Warsaw, Poland In December 2017, TK Development began construction of the fourth and final phase of the Bielany residential project in Warsaw. The project comprises about 12,500 sqm and will consist of 227 residential units and service facilities. 20% of the units have been reserved in advance. SporbyenScandia, Randers, Denmark TK Development has concluded conditional agreements for the sale of 12,000 sqm of residential building rights to private investors and a conditional agreement for the sale of 5,500 sqm of residential buildings rights to a housing association. BROEN Shopping, Esbjerg, Denmark Plans are afoot to add a cinema to BROEN Shopping, which opened in April 2017, and a lease agreement has been concluded with Nordisk Film Cinemas for the establishment of an eight-screen cinema in connection with the centre. Construction commenced in November 2017 after the building permit for the cinema had been obtained. The cinema is expected to open its doors in spring 2019. Outlet Arena Moravia, Ostrava, Czech Republic As part of the termination of the Groups Czech activities and in order to optimise values, the Board of Directors has, as previously announced, decided to develop and complete the Outlet Arena Moravia development project in Ostrava. In November 2017, TK Development sold the outlet centre under development to CPI Property Group, a major international property group with properties in 11 countries, under a conditional sale agreement. The outlet centre comprises some 17,000 sqm, of which the initial phase accounts for 11,700 sqm. Construction of the initial phase commenced in December 2017, and handover to the investor is scheduled for end-2018. ASSET MANAGEMENT Impacted by impairment losses on the Groups asset management activities totalling DKK 345 million, the result before tax for the first nine months of 2017/18 was a loss of DKK 355.4 million. In spite of favourable developments in a number of areas, the traditional centres are not yet generating satisfactory operating results, and maturing and optimising these centres is taking longer than expected. The economy is expanding, but the effects have failed to filter through to consumer spending in physical shops. This has resulted in cutthroat competition among rival shopping centres, and the competitive landscape is further affected by the growing volume of online purchases. As a consequence, many traditional centres are reporting relatively flat revenue growth, which is putting rent levels under pressure. Previous assumptions regarding the maturing and optimisation of some centres have turned out to be overly optimistic. There is still a maturing potential, but it will likely take longer than previously assumed to realise selling prices in line with original expectations. The Board of Directors has today decided to divest the asset management business as soon as possible in order to free up capital and focus on property development activities in Denmark and Sweden, which are still assessed to generate satisfactory earnings for shareholders. Any questions regarding this interim report may be directed to Peter Thorsen, Chairman, tel. +45 4070 0676. http://prlibrary-eu.nasdaq.com/Resource/Download/c6ffd631-5c52-43ba-ab24-0e99cf49cc34 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Group Ten Metals Inc. (TSX-V:PGE) (OTC:PGEZF) (FSE:5D32) (the Company or Group Ten) is pleased to announce it has completed the requirements for earn-in of the Spy PGE-Ni-Cu property per the agreement announced September 14, 2015. The Company also reports that it acquired an additional 15 claims by direct staking in 2017, adding to past staking efforts which have more than tripled the property from its original size. Spy Property within Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu Project A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd4ac3a5-268c-4fc7-8a8d-f99b3ed18c08 The 100%-owned Spy property consists of 201 claims covering over 41 square kilometers within the Kluane Mafic-Ultramafic Belt; a belt of PGE-Ni-Cu deposits which are part of a sequence of mafic-ultramafic rocks that extends through the Yukon from northern British Columbia to central Alaska1. The Spy property is a key part of Group Tens overall Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu Project which consists of the Spy, Ultra and Catalyst properties, all of which are within 15 km of the Alaska Highway. The Kluane project properties are on trend with, and south of, the Wellgreen deposit, which hosts one of the largest undeveloped PGE-Ni-Cu deposits in North America at 6 Moz of Pt+Pd+Au and 3 Blbs of Ni+Cu in M&I resources and an additional 2 Moz of Pt+Pd+Au and 1 Blbs of Ni+Cu in Inferred resources2. Exploration on the Spy property has demonstrated that PGE-Ni-Cu mineralization occurs as disseminated to massive sulphides associated with mafic to ultramafic intrusions. Massive sulphide mineralization typically occurs near the basal contact and can also occur within the cores of larger ultramafic bodies. The ultramafic Spy Sill is typically 75-100m thick at the surface, with grab samples from the massive sulphide lenses assaying as high as 3.1 g/t Pt, 1.4 g/t Pd, 1.0 g/t Au, 3.1% Ni and 2.8% Cu from the mafic gabbro, and 75.8 g/t Pt, 7.9 g/t Pd, 7.0 g/t Au, 2.6% Ni and 10.45% Cu from the footwall siltstone (Tulk, 2001)3. To date the highest-grade mineralization encountered at the Spy property has been associated with massive to strongly disseminated sulphides in the basal zone and the footwall siltstones, with disseminated mineralization found throughout the sill and into the country rocks. Several showings of massive and disseminated mineralization are exposed intermittently at surface over a strike length of 1.5km between the 99 and Sweet 16 showings with the Solo and South Spy showings indicating that mineralization remains open to the south. Further exploration is planned to test the full extent of mineralization in the area. Michael Rowley, Group Ten Metals President and CEO, stated, We are pleased to have completed the earn-in requirements for 100% of the Spy property, and to have expanded that land position more than threefold to include over 16km of strike length on this highly-prospective system. Based on exploration to date, there are many similarities in the style of mineralization with the multi-million-ounce Wellgreen deposit to the north but Spy has shown significant high-grade potential. Of particular note are the elevated PGE, nickel and copper grades associated with the basal sulphides. There is a scarcity of attractive PGE-nickel sulphide deposits of scale outside of Russia and South Africa and we see excellent potential for both large-scale and attractive grades in the Yukons Kluane belt. Our Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu Project is the largest land position in this emerging PGE-Ni-Cu district and we look forward to continuing to advance their potential as we plan our 2018 activities. 1 Hulbert, L.J., 1997. Geoloy and metallogeny of the Kluane mafic-ultramafic belt, Yukon Territory, Canada: Eastern wrangellia A new Ni-Cu-PGE metallogenic terrane. Geological survey of Canada Bulletin 506. 2 - Based on 2017 Wellgreen Platinum mineral resource estimate as disclosed in a news release dated June 26, 2017 and available under the companys profile on Sedar.com 3 - Tulk, L.A., 2001. Report on geological and geochemical surveys on the Kluane property. Yukon Assessment Report 094164. Quality Control and Quality Assurance Ms. Debbie James, P.Geo., is the qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, and she has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release. About Group Ten Metals Inc. Group Ten Metals Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of high-quality platinum, palladium, nickel, copper and gold exploration assets in North America. The Companys holdings include the Stillwater West PGE-Ni-Cu project adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwaters high-grade Pd-Pt mines in Montana, the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu project adjacent to Wellgreen Platinum in the Yukon Territory, and the Black Lake-Drayton Gold project in the Rainy River district of northwest Ontario. On Behalf of the Board of Directors GROUP TEN METALS INC. Michael Rowley Michael Rowley, President, CEO & Director Email: info@grouptenmetals.com Web: http://grouptenmetals.com Tel: (604) 357 4790 TF: (888) 432 0075 Forward-Looking Statements Forward Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Group Ten 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 the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Group Ten and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.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. Vancouver, December 11, 2017 - Canamex Gold Corp. (the "Company") (TSX-V: CSQ) (OTCBB: CNMXF) (FSE: CX6) announces that further to the News Release dated 6th December 2017, referring to the Terms of Agreement ("TOA") dated 24th November 2017, an Addendum ("Addendum") has been signed between Harmonychain AS ("Harmony") and the Company. Under the Terms of the Addendum, additional domain names have been registered and secured, on the Ethereum Blockchain. The Company now has secured the exclusive rights to a total of 6 (Six) Ethereum Blockchain Smart Contract Token ("Token") domain names, and ticker codes. The six Token domain names, and ticker codes, are as follows: GOLD SECTOR SILVER SECTOR GOLDUSA (ticker GUSA) GOLD United States SILVERUSA (ticker SUSA) SILVER United States GOLD10Y (ticker G10Y) GOLD 10 Years SILVER10Y (ticker S10Y) SILVER 10 Years GOLD30Y (ticker G30Y) GOLD 30 Years SILVER30Y (ticker S30Y) SILVER 30 Years Under the Terms of the Addendum, these six domains are covered by Harmonychain AS patents pending Bether(TM) (Better Asset Backed Ether System) a Commodity Asset Backed Future with Call, based on Blockchain technology. Bether(TM) is a registered trade mark in Norway. The Company has secured the rights to use any of these six exclusive Token domain names, and ticker codes, for any future Token offering, if any of them are completed successfully by December 31, 2018. The Company is not undertaking any current Token or ICO offering now, but has secured the rights to use such Token domains. If, as and when the Company wishes to undertake a Token offering, it will disclose such details at that time. ICO and Token Considerations While the Company is not conducting an offering of any Token now it may decide to do so in the future. If the Company decides to do so, it will determine the terms of such offering and, such Token offering may be deemed to be a security for the purposes of the Securities Act (British Columbia) and therefore require either a prospectus or an exemption from the prospectus requirement to issue the Tokens and affect trades in the Tokens. The Company may utilize the accredited investors exemption, the offering memorandum exemption or such other exemptions from the prospectus requirement that are detailed in National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions. However, in certain instances the issuance of a Token may be determined to be a derivative if the underlying asset of the coin is a commodity which is not an investment contract. Until the Company finalizes any terms of any Token offering it will be unable to definitively determine if the Token is a security or a derivative. Tokens may be tradeable on the Ethereum Platform or other token platforms. If such token is a security then the Company will need to file a prospectus to permit the secondary market trading of the Token or alternatively apply for an exemption from the prospectus requirement for secondary market trading - there is no assurances that such exemptions will be granted. A Token would not give the acquirer any equity or other interest in the Company equivalent to a holder of common shares including, for greater certainty, a right to participate in the profits or the distribution of assets of the Company, nor any voting rights in any meeting of the security holders of the Company. However, a holder of a Token would only be entitled to gold or silver as noted below pursuant to the terms of such Token offering. The Company intends to utilize the expertise of Harmonychain in establishing a possible Token offering pursuant to the TOA and Addendums. As the Company is still in the development phase with its Bruner Gold Project, in Nevada, and in the exploration phase with its Silverton Gold property, in Nevada, and has yet to produce any gold or silver or other resources, a Token offering linked to the production of such mineral resources will be speculative and there is no definitive time horizon in which commercial production of such resources will commence; or could commence, given that there is no definitive feasibility study demonstrating economic production. When and if the Company issues Tokens, the Company will receive cash for such issuances and will have a long-term liability on its financial statements which will require the delivery of gold or silver if commercial production is achieved. Investors of common shares of the Company should be aware that, depending on the terms of a Token issuance, a Token holder will receive gold or silver, if or when commercial production is achieved and after redemptions of gold or silver are satisfied, the Company could sell any remaining resources available. About Harmonychain Harmonychain has several patent applications pending within Ethereum Blockchain technology. These are divided in three categories: 1.Bether(TM) and other commodity physical forwards tailored for resource companies. 2.Physical delivery systems related to Blockchain Contracts. 3.Security systems related to Breach of Blockchain Security. About the Company Canamex Gold Corp. (TSX-V: CSQ) (OTCBB: CNMXF) (FSE: CX6) is engaged in fast-tracking toward development of the Bruner Gold Project in the prolific gold jurisdiction of Nye County, Nevada. The region is home to several producing and past-producing mines along the Walker Lane Trend. Canamex completed a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the Bruner Gold Project in April 2016. Based on additional drilling conducted on the property, the company has commissioned a new PEA and resource estimate, expected to be completed before the end of 2017. The second asset is the Silverton Gold property, which is a gold exploration project, in Nevada, which has geological similarities to the Long Canyon gold deposit (+3 million ozs Au) in Nevada, being mined by Newmont Mining. Canamex has signed Agreements with Harmonychain AS, for Ethereum Blockchain Smart Contract Tokens for Gold and Silver, as an alternative means of raising capital, potentially without equity dilution. The Agreements secure the exclusive rights to 6 (Six) Ethereum Token domain names, ticker codes, and associated smart contracts, for Gold and Silver, if any of them have been successfully completed by 31st December 2018. Greg Hahn (CPG#7122), President & COO of the Company is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved technical disclosures in this release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD David Vincent Chief Executive Officer and Director david.vincent@canamexgold.com Mike Stark Chairman of the Board Contact: (604) 833-4278 mike.stark@canamexgold.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. Copyright (c) 2017 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Chicagos efforts to overhaul its contracts and purchasing processes have come a long way in the past few years. But its biggest challenge making it easier for small, women- and minority-owned businesses to bid on city contracts is yet to come.Chicago is unique among major cities in that it created a Procurement Reform Task Force , a group of 60 government and nonprofit leaders tasked with increasing transparency, reducing administrative burdens and lowering the barriers to entry for the citys small businesses. Since its creation in 2015, the task force has already completed half of the 31 recommendations laid out for it. But many of these like writing new best practices and establishing a quarterly report system were short-term goals.The most difficult portions of the initiative, which includes launching an online platform to connect businesses to Chicagos more than 2,500 contract opportunities each year, is yet to come. Many are hoping that a sleek and user-friendly digital procurement system will entice more small and minority businesses that simply cant afford to navigate the different bureaucracies between the city and related agencies like Chicago Public Schools or the Housing Authority. Chicagos participation this year in City Accelerator , a cohort of cities aiming for comprehensive procurement reform, could give the task force the boost it needs to meet the rest of its more complex goals by the groups end date of 2021.One of the most daunting parts of the process is creating a system that can work with the citys 29 departments and six agencies. That system, says task force co-chair and Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, should also still allow the different agencies the independence they need to focus on their core mandates.Its a real concern for each agency that whatever we do does not hinder their missions and objectives he says. It is the single most important thing to achieve in the next annual cycle.Still, with a unified system, says Chief Procurement Officer and task force co-chair Jamie Rhee, the bidding process will be easier to navigate and attract more minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises. That should increase competition which ultimately benefits taxpayers.Transparency in procurement is key, as access to information levels the playing field for all interested vendors, Rhee adds. The degree to which an agencys procurement process is transparent is dependent not just on what information is made available, but also how easily accessible and user-friendly it is.The citys CIO and Commissioner of the Department of Innovation and Technology is leading a group that will decide if one overarching software should manage the agencies or if a collection of programs should be used to maintain each organizations ability to function with less standardization. It is a balancing act as different agencies have different sources of funding. For example, some departments are primarily funded through local dollars while others, like the Chicago Housing Authority, receive most of their funding from the federal government.Gustavo Giraldo, Chicagos former deputy procurement officer and now the Illinois Tollways chief of diversity and strategic development, says making the citys procurement solicitations more efficient is a big challenge for all businesses let alone smaller firms that cant afford to deal with bureaucracy. A lot of things can happen along the way to cause major delays, he says. Every single city agency has its own organizational culture and its own way of dealing with issues, procurement being one of them. Its the personalities.The slow reputation has dogged the city for decades. In 1985, a article noted the city lagged far behind many other state and local governments in how swiftly it pays contractors, sometimes taking as long as four months to do so. Fast-forward two decades and while the city has made progress with attracting minority and small businesses in general, African-American-owned businesses still lag behind, with just an 8 percent share this year. The reason? Payment issues.They get paid slow, Roderick Sawyer, chairman of the city councils Black Caucus, told the. There are certain restrictions on what they can do. Sometimes, its the contractors unwilling to bid on certain projects because of that.Still, he and others applauded Rhees efforts that have helped result in companies owned by minorities and women representing big shares of the citys contract payments: 43 percent in 2016 and 31 percent during the first nine months of this year. Those figures, which do not include agency spending, far exceed the citys goal.Sterling Johnson of Griffin & Strong, a consulting firm that is working with the City Accelerator program, said Chicagos approach with its procurement task force and its progress thus far puts the city far ahead of its cohorts. Its even drawn international attention as the procurement reforms task force has shared its work with governments in Canada, Kosovo, Ireland and Poland.A lot of what Chicago is doing is seen as best practices in the field, says Johnson.Governing Schenectady County, N.Y., is on track to pay 20 percent less on prescription drugs for its employees this year than in 2003.Flagler County, Fla., expects to save nearly $200,000 in 2017 on brand-name medicines for its 800 workers, its total drug costs having fallen by 10 percent since last year.Kokomo, Ind., has found a way to save so much money buying drugs that it offers employees a 90-day supply of dozens of popular brand-name medicines for free.While the nation grapples with soaring prices of drugs, dozens of cities, counties and school districts across the country have quietly found a solution they say protects their budgets and saves workers money: They are helping their employees buy medicines from pharmacies in Canada and overseas, where prices are up to 80 percent cheaper.We love it its a win-win for us and our employees, said Anita Stoker, benefits and wellness manager for Flagler County, on Floridas northeastern coast, which in 2015 started offering its employees a program to get drugs from pharmacies in Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand.The numbers are growing, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the practice of importing prescription drugs is illegal and is stepping up enforcement, with raids on stores that helped people order overseas, and even visiting some customers homes to collect evidence of illegal purchases.So far, the FDA has made no move to shut down these employee benefit programs a few dating back over a decade, but most far more recent.Asked about its view of the programs, an agency spokeswoman said: The FDA does not comment on its compliance or enforcement strategy regarding specific FDA-regulated products. When non-compliance with FDA regulations is found, the agency may take, and has taken, a variety of advisory, administrative and judicial actions depending on the violations identified.The FDA doesnt prosecute consumers buying medicines from foreign pharmacies for personal use, although if detected such packages are intercepted at the border as contraband and their contents returned or destroyed.But signaling it may be stepping up enforcement at least against middlemen who facilitate the practice the FDA in October raided nine Central Florida storefronts that helped a mostly senior population buy drugs from Canada and other countries. The stores dont stock any medicines but assist consumers in ordering drugs from foreign pharmacies. Criminal investigators warned the stores owners they were operating illegally and could face fines or jail time. They were not shut down.Bill Hepscher, co-owner of Canadian MedStore, which owns six of the nine storefronts visited by the FDA, defends his practice, saying hes only helping consumers do what the FDA says they can do without fear of government prosecution. He said its not fair that his stores get targeted for assisting consumers while municipalities across the country are doing the same thing for their employees. This includes the school district in Pasco County, where Hepscher has one of his stores.Congress has passed legislation legalizing the importation of prescription drugs several times in the past 20 years, but both Democratic and Republican administrations have opted not to implement it. The FDA has said reimporting medicines from outside the United States is dangerous because of the possibility that medications are counterfeit, mislabeled or otherwise unsafe a view vigorously supported by the industry.The pharmaceutical industry applauded the recent FDA raids. We welcome the FDAs action to crack down on drug importation schemes, said Holly Campbell, a spokeswoman for PhRMA.But rising drug prices have given this reimportation idea new life in Congress and in practice.In hearings last week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he would oppose the nomination of Alex Azar, a former drug company CEO, as head of Health and Human Services unless Azar commits to implementing an importation plan. Told by Azar that the problem was guaranteeing safety, Paul replied: Thats b.s. The American people think its b.s. that you cant buy drugs from Europe or from Canada or Mexico or other places.A growing number of city and county officials argue that their employees should have the option to buy less expensive drugs and that helping them do so doesnt violate any laws.In recent years, millions of Americans have driven over the border to Canada and Mexico or used the internet to buy medicines from foreign pharmacies for personal use.A Kaiser Family Foundation poll in 2016 found that 8 percent of respondents said they or someone in their household had imported a drug at some point, a figure that would translate to about 19 million adults in the U.S. based on current Census population estimates.In the early 2000s, several states, including Maine and Illinois, briefly maintained websites to help residents buy drugs from Canada. The programs were discontinued, amid opposition from federal authorities, the pharmaceutical industry and GOP politicians. Now, cities, counties and school districts are stepping in.Consumers need a doctors prescription just as they would to buy medicine from their local pharmacy.Drugs ordered from overseas often come with the same packaging as in the U.S. CanaRx, based in Windsor, Ontario, and ElectRx, based in Detroit, says it vets the pharmacies (generally in Canada, England and Australia) to ensure customers get the real product. Counties, cities and schools as well as a growing number of private companies contract with one of these companies for online service.These companies do not sell to individuals. They sell only a three-month supply of medicine and do not provide drugs that are available as generics in the U.S.The price savings for common medicines outside the U.S. can be huge, since other nations negotiate prices with drug manufacturers or allow cheaper generic equivalents to be sold more rapidly.Take Canadian MedStore, for example. It sells a 90-day supply of Januvia for $83, imported from England. The same supply of the diabetes drug can cost $423 in the U.S. An Advair Diskus, which goes for $417 in the U.S., MedStore gets from New Zealand and sells for $96. Xarelto, a popular blood thinner, costs $89 per month imported from England, versus $485 a month in the U.S.Companies selling drugs from Canada and overseas say the FDAs safety concerns are unjustified. The recent FDA raids on Hepschers Florida storefronts followed a sting operation in which undercover agents purchased medicines from overseas all of which proved in testing to contain the ingredients matching the medicines ordered.But FDA spokeswoman Lyndsay Meyer said: The ones that we found and tested may have been [safe], but that doesnt mean that they all were. We do believe that its unsafe. You never know what youre going to get or how they were stored its a gamble. And importantly, its prohibited under federal law.Cities and counties that facilitate online ordering from overseas often do so on the advice of their insurance brokers. In this day and age, when its common for employers to see a 20 or 30 percent annual increase in drug costs, we are seeing a negative drug trend in Flagler County thats unheard of, said Sherry Bugnet, an account executive with The Bailey Group, an insurance broker in St. Augustine, Fla.Schenectady County, N.Y., has worked with CanaRx for over a decade to allow employees to buy drugs overseas, saving more than $10 million during that period, with no complaints; prescriptions involve no copay if the service is used. The few times drugs were confiscated at an international mail-processing facility by customs officials, CanaRx merely re-sent the shipment.It helps us keep our tax rate down and helps us give cost-of-living increases to employees, said Chris Gardner, a county attorney who helped start the program, through which he has ordered medicines for cholesterol and blood pressure.Since 2012, Kokomo, Ind., has let its employees get brand-name drugs with no copayment if they order from Canada and overseas through ElectRx. Our employees like it, and its very simple and easy to use. Their doctor fills out a prescription, they send it in, and the medication goes right to their home, said Kathy Horton, director of human resources for the city, about 60 miles north of Indianapolis.Encouraged by the successes in other parts of Florida, Patricia Howard, senior manager for benefits and risk at Pasco County Schools, said the county in July started offering the international pharmacy option to its 9,600 employees and dependents to buy brand-name drugs.Employees pay zero for their first 90-day order, then $10 for each 90-day refill. About 75 workers have used the program.Other parts of Florida will soon join in. Both the Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller and the city of Sarasota are set to unveil similar programs in January. I have no questions about the legality, as thats already been vetted, said April Bryan, the citys general manager of human resources.Carmen Catizone, executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, a nonprofit association that promotes safe pharmacy practices, said: If cities and counties have done their due diligence to ensure their employees are getting drugs from reputable sources, then there is nothing wrong with it, he said. If not, they could be playing Russian roulette. Republican venture capitalist John Cox called for an end to one-party domination of state politics and a smaller government as he made his pitch to be California's next governor Thursday at a Public Policy Institute of California speaker series.Cox, 62, faces an uphill battle in a state where 1 in 4 voters is a registered Republican, but the Illinois transplant said he wants to ensure California is on a sustainable path for the next generation, which includes his 12-year-old daughter."I love this state, I have three homes here," Cox said before laughing that such a statement might not go over well with voters. "I can hear my PR guy having a heart attack, but I want people to know I've made an investment here, I love it. I've been successful, I've been lucky, I'm not going to apologize for it. But I'm running for governor to transform this state."The 2018 governor's race to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown also includes four Democrats and one other Republican: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Treasurer John Chiang, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state schools chief Delaine Eastin and Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach (Orange County).Newsom leads the pack at 23 percent, followed by Villaraigosa at 18 percent, according to a PPIC poll released last month. Thirty percent of likely voters said they are undecided. Chiang and Cox were both at 9 percent, Allen at 6 percent and Eastin at 3 percent.In Thursday's conversation with PPIC President Mark Baldassare, Cox leaned into his Republican pitch, saying he supports regulatory changes pushed by President Trump and the GOP tax bills in Congress."I think there are some issues for California and other high-tax states, and that's a problem," Cox said about plans in Congress to scrap state and local tax deductions on federal returns.The answer to that, Cox said, is having California lower state income taxes so the federal tax reforms would not be such a burden."The media talks about this as a gift to the wealthy," Cox said. "I've been in the investment and tax world for 40 years. The reason people make investments is because they get a return, an after-tax return. ... The more after-tax profit, the more risk they are going to take. We want to encourage people to take marginal risks, that's what grows the economy."Asked how he differs from Trump, Cox said it's in their styles: "I'm a policy wonk."Cox repeatedly used the stage to mention the proposed ballot measure he's bankrolling that would create a "neighborhood legislature" by dividing Assembly and Senate districts into smaller pieces. Under the measure, which is awaiting verification of signatures to qualify for the 2018 ballot, each legislator would represent 5,000 to 10,000 constituents. The smaller neighborhood districts then would select a representative to go to Sacramento during the legislative session.The idea is to make campaigns less expensive for candidates so that monied interests would carry less influence."In those little districts, you don't need money," Cox said. "It's an answer to campaign finance reform."He backed a similar measure in 2014 that failed to make the ballot. Cox said special interests have a foothold in the current system, making it difficult for even well-meaning lawmakers to tackle controversial topics, like pension debt. The state's pension debt is one of his top priorities, with Cox saying it's likely to swallow the state."The wage and pension system for state employees is just gold-plated," Cox said. "I applaud them for getting it, but that cost is in the cost of your house, in the cost of your gasoline, in the cost of your clothing and restaurant bill. ... Costs are paid by consumers."Cox, who lives in Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego County), has been a resident of California for eight years. He ran three times for elected office in Illinois and lost all three campaigns, including in 2003 when he dropped out of the U.S. Senate primary in a race that former President Barack Obama went on to win.Cox described his upbringing with a single mother of four who worked as a schoolteacher in Chicago, saying he put himself through college and worked his way up to becoming a successful businessman."I grew up with nothing," he said. "The way I've achieved what I've achieved is the ability to have my own business. It kills me when I hear politicians -- and it's mostly in the other party -- and they talk about this horrible inequality we have, yet they go out and encourage more regulations, more government, more restrictions on competition, more inability to start your own business."Cox said he believes government should provide a safety net, "but I don't want it to be a hammock."He said he wants to reach out to voters who might not normally vote Republican, pledging to make the state the shiny city on a hill that former President Ronald Reagan referenced "where you can make something of yourself.""I want it to be a situation where the government helps the least among us, but also gives us the opportunity to make what we can of ourselves," he said. "So that's the message I would send our Democratic friends, our black and brown friends. Don't give your vote to a party that wants to keep you taking a check from the government." On Friday, in the afternoon, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC received the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland, and invited her to form government. In the evening, at the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Governor and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the opening night performance of Queensland Ballets The Nutcracker. (TNS) - Five years ago, the world was stunned by a crime unprecedented in its horror the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School that took the lives of 20 first-graders and six adults.State legislators reacted to the massacre not only by enacting tougher gun laws but also by earmarking millions to make Connecticut schools safer, including addressing concerns raised after the shooting about access to school buildings, communication failures and multi-agency coordination gaps.But now a Courant investigation has found that those efforts, started when the pain of Sandy Hook was fresh, have largely dwindled.Nearly half the school districts in the state are violating at least some aspect of the law requiring them to submit school security information, a Courant review of state records reveals.For instance, one of the key regulations requires districts to submit what is known as a School Security and Safety Plan, a 30-page document developed by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, each September to that agency. But state records show that nearly 100 school districts havent submitted a plan this year and nearly 60 havent submitted a plan in at least two years.The security plan is not the only requirement schools have failed to follow, records show.District also must submit records of all fire drills or crisis management drills, also known as lockdown drills, to DESPP by July 1. But for the last school year, only 52 school districts, barely 25 percent of the state, submitted the records a two-page sheet detailing when and where drills were held that is signed by a local fire or police official.Its shocking that within a year or two of the worst school tragedy in history that it would all be forgotten, school security expert Thomas Dillon said.Security experts said the numbers of school districts not complying with the law is stunning.Dillon is a former Wethersfield police officer who has started his own school security consulting firm. He has helped Wethersfield, East Hartford, Winsted and now Sherman produce security plans, as well as recommending what measures to install in their schools using the state funding.For example, in Wethersfield, every computer in a police cruiser has the security plan downloaded, giving officers schematic drawings of each school, contact information for school officials and exits and entrances for school buildings.If you had told me in 2013 that nearly half the school districts wouldnt submit plans I wouldnt have believed you, state Rep. Andrew Fleischmann said. He is chairman of the legislatures education committee and was one of the lawmakers involved in passing the new regulations in 2013. What happened at Sandy Hook was so awful and horrific, and parents and educators were made so very aware of risks facing students and educators, that we had a sense of everyone mobilizing. I am trying to figure out what could have possibly prevented districts from doing their due diligence and submitting a plan and we will work to get that number down to zero.Fleischmann said that could mean passing new laws to inflict penalties on school districts that dont follow the law.If we introduce a bill next session for penalties for leaders of school districts or the districts themselves, that would certainly get the attention of everyone who isnt complying with the law, Fleishmann said.DESPP spokesman Scott Devico said the plans also are important for the state police who are likely to respond to any mass emergency. At Sandy Hook, many of the responding troopers couldnt find the school, wasting precious seconds when a gunman is firing at children.School security is one of the most important things that we do and it is our hope that all of the school districts would comply with the state law, Devico said. We have been working very closely with schools to complete the documents, but it is always an ongoing process. They may have a plan, but just arent submitting it to us.Bristol Superintendent Susan Moreau said school officials were unaware that they needed to submit security plans until recently and are gathering information from all of their schools to submit to the state.Moreau didnt know why fire drill information hadnt been submitted to the state. Devico said state officials believe school districts are performing them, but he acknowledged that the scant number of records submitted to the state raises concerns.Vincent Riccio Jr., a former New Haven police officer who formed his own security company focusing on active-shooter training, said he wonders if school districts are doing lockdown drills, which are much more involved than fire drills.Fire drills last maybe 15 minutes and are easy to do, but to do a lockdown drill right could take an hour, and if schools arent submitting their reports, you have to wonder if theyd be committed to that amount of time, Riccio said.Waterburys Interim Chief Financial Officer Robert Brenker said his district has been proactive. It is one of the few districts that has submitted records.We take these drill seriously, as if they are real life, because you never know when it will be real life, Brenker said.Waterbury also is one of the 34 school districts that have asked the state for an extension of their grant funding in order to complete work on their schools.As part of the law that was passed, the state put about $42 million into a security fund, and grants were awarded in 2013 and 2014. The way the grant works is that towns must pay a percentage of the total cost of the project, which is determined by how wealthy a community may be. The law was changed in 2014 to allow private schools access to 10 percent of the grant money.Waterbury received about $2.3 million, and $1.8 million of it will be reimbursed by the state once work is completed.Brenker said his district has used the money to install more security cameras and put in buzzer alarm systems at every school. The city hasnt yet run out of funding for its portion, but it is getting close. It applied for an extension because officials are still working on communications issues and want to add more cameras.Hamden got more than about $2 million, but the town needed to pitch in $742,000 of that. The town also has applied for an extension, according to Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler.The district has used the funding to laminate all first-floor windows, upgraded video security and implement a key card system. Goeler said the district has applied for an extension because more work is needed to improve communications.There was a period of time where we didnt know if we would need additional funds to get two-way radios, Goeler said.Goeler came to Hamden from the Bethlehem/Woodbury school district, where Dawn Hochsprung was a principal before moving onto Sandy Hook Elementary School. Hochsprung was the first person killed by Adam Lanza when she confronted him in the hallway after he had shot his way into the school through the front glass windows.I knew people who were killed that day, as did many people in those two towns, so school security is a priority, Goeler said. I wouldnt know how to put together an emergency plan if I fell over one, so I knew I needed to put together a team right away. We fight about a lot of things when it comes to school budgets but school safety is not one of them.Devico said many schools have installed numerous security features, from window film or bulletproof glass to better intercom systems, more surveillance cameras inside and outside school buildings and new locks.With all of the investments that the state has made in improving school security, theres no question that schools in Connecticut are safer than ever, Devico said. But there are towns that are more than likely struggling to come up with the funds to match the grant because of budget issues.Moreau said the local match is a concern in Bristol. The district also has applied for an extension of its grant funding, although Moreau said she isnt sure who did it.We have yet to find out who requested an extension for those grant funds. The business administrator on staff at that time has left our employ, Moreau said. I believe that we were not able to come up with the $75,000 grant match as we were in a deficit position with our budget. That would have diminished the grant award by an equal percentage.In Bristol, the schools plan on using money from another grant the Alliance District Building Repairs Grant to cover costs. Moreau said that money, when appropriated, will be used to replace older cameras and expand the use of the Rapture System that screens individuals visiting schools.Devico said there are other reasons schools may be behind in finishing the security work for instance,, much of the work must be done in the summer in order to avoid interrupting classes, and schools are fighting over the same contractors to do some of the work.Enfield applied for an extension for its 2014 grant because it was struggling to find contractors, Superintendent of Schools Christopher Drezek said. Enfield installed bulletproof film for windows, more video surveillance equipment and mantrap vestibules in some schools.Contractors approved by the state had booked up schedules as other municipalities across the state were scheduling work for them, Drezek said.There are 16 school districts that have never applied for a state school security grant. Many were smaller districts, like Franklin, which has only one school with 160 students.Franklin Superintendent Lawrence Fenn said that, after the Sandy Hook school shootings, officials there formed a school safety committee that included the towns resident state trooper, and then decided not to apply for a state grant.The committee looked into it and we were kind of discouraged by the process to apply for a grant, Fenn said. It seemed clear as a smaller school we werent a priority district.The district decided to make security upgrades on its own. It was aided by a local licensed electrician who volunteered to install security cameras all through the school and outside in the parking lot.Franklin hasnt submitted a security plan to the state in two years, or its fire drill records.I think if you came down here, youd find that our schools are very secure, Fenn said.One of the larger school districts that hasnt submitted a plan is Clinton.It was really more of a personnel and timing issue, Superintendent Maryanne ODonnell said. We didnt have a tech director or a business manager, so we just didnt apply. The initial hardening of the schools we did right away and just used capital funds to pay for it.ODonnell said she has no doubt that Clinton schools, probably like all schools in Connecticut post-Sandy Hook, are much more secure.I dont think it is possible to walk into a school in Connecticut anymore without some sort of buzzer system, ODonnell said. It (the shooting) made us much more aware of security.(Courant Reporter Mikaela Porter contributed to this story.)2017 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.)Visit The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) at www.courant.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) - Law enforcement officials have identified the Port Authority Terminal pipe-bomb suspect as Akayed Ullah, 27.Ullah was wearing a low-tech, homemade explosive device, affixed to his body with zipties and Velcro when he detonated the bomb at approximately 7:20 a.m. on Monday in an underground subway passageway between 42nd Street and 8th Avenue and 42nd Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan, officials said during a press conference moments ago near the site of the blast.Officials are calling the incident a terrorist attack.Ullah suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, including burns to his hands and abdomen and lacerations, according to FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.He was taken into custody and transported to Bellevue Hospital.Three people in the vicinity of the explosion went to area hospitals with minor injuries that include headaches and ringing of the ears, Nigro said.Miraculously there were no other injuries.Photos purported to be the suspect lying on the ground are circulating on social media.It was not immediately clear if the walkway was Ullah's initial target, authorities said, or if his intention was to find a more heavily-populated area."Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals," Mayor Bill de Blasio said during the press conference.The suspect tried to detonate the device but only part of it went off, according to the New York Daily News.Several Port Authority Police officers stepped in and took him into custody, the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association said.According to published reports, Ullah is a Bangladeshi native living in Brooklyn. Officials did not confirm any details about him beyond his name and age.When asked if the suspect was inspired by ISIS, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said he made statements to authorites, but did not elaborate on the nature of those statements.Some officials, including former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton and Rep. Daniel Donovan said on television or social media he was indeed ISIS inspired."It's very important for my fellow New Yorkers to know there are no additional known incidents at this time, there are no additional known activities," de Blasio said.Still, officials said city residents can expect to see an enhanced NYPD presence across the five boroughs.A law enforcement source said that may indeed be the case on Staten Island."This is NYC, we don't live in fear," O'Neill said. "But if you see something suspicious you have an obligation to come forward and tell us."The Port Authority Bus Terminal has been re-opened.2017 Staten Island Advance, N.Y.Visit Staten Island Advance, N.Y. at www.silive.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. If you want to know how to testify before elected officials, then watch this "master class" performance by Brock Long, FEMA aCredibility is what oozes out of Brock Long. His opening remarks set the tone, and the Congress members recognized it right away. It is likely what differentiates him from other federal staffers who go into these sessions with "shields up" mentality. He came across as open and transparent.He did not promise everything and he said he'd have to get back to them on some questions that he did not have answers for that day. I was wondering if the one Congressman who backed off from trying to trap him on disagreeing with the White House would not have done so, if he had not had such a good fast start out of the blocks.You might disagree with what Long had to say on different topics, but he did a wonderful job in representing himself and his agency. (TNS) City officials aren't the only ones working to beef up their network of crime cameras on the streets of New Orleans.ProjectNOLA, an independent, nonprofit crime camera network, has been seeking and has begun to find financial support for a plan that would place such cameras on more than 100 places of worship throughout crime-plagued neighborhoods such as the 7th Ward, Gert Town and Central City.Additionally, leaders of the initiative expect some worshipers will want crime cameras on their residences, which could give the ProjectNOLA network the potential to expand from 2,200 cameras to roughly 2,900.Relations between ProjectNOLA and City Hall have often been strained, but project founder Bryan Lagarde and city officials seem to be moving toward a closer working relationship.Joe Givens, a veteran civic activist helping to lead the project, said the crime cameras are an up-to-date substitute for neighborhood watch groups that were active when New Orleans saw a drop in killings in the 1990s but have since tailed off."With technology, we can do what we did in the '90s more efficiently," Givens said. "And cameras aren't afraid to testify in court."The so-called Partnership for Peace & Public Safety, which involves the Givens-led Isaiah Institute, a faith-based nonprofit, as well as Lagarde's initiative, also hopes to support programs that connect at-risk youth with recreational opportunities and ex-convicts with employment.It also wants to organize churches, mosques and other communities of faith to become more involved in attacking quality-of-life issues, such as blighted properties, on their own rather than depending on the government to do it, Lagarde and Givens said.But a key component of the partnership's $1 million first phase is a plan to expand the nearly nine-year-old ProjectNOLA camera network, which is separate from a citywide network being developed by Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration.After a couple of meetings with potential business community benefactors, Lagarde and Givens said they hope also to secure the funds that would allow ProjectNOLA to hire staff to monitor its various feeds 24 hours a day at its hub on the University of New Orleans campus.For now, on a roughly $200,000 annual budget including monthly maintenance fees and donations from homeowners and businesses outfitted with ProjectNOLA cameras, Lagarde said he and "one volunteer with a law enforcement background" monitor the feeds, calling in any relevant information they observe to police dispatchers.Lagarde said that during "extended business hours" someone is always stationed at the group's office, which features a dimly lit control center dominated by a dozen computer and television screens displaying the network's feeds.But the rest of the time the group monitors the feeds on an on-call basis, depending on what may be happening on the streets, which they keep tabs on with the help of police radio scanners.As it is, ProjectNOLA's system has proved to be valuable to the New Orleans Police Department, which also uses a separate crime camera network that pipes into the city's newly unveiled Real Time Crime Monitoring Center, staffed 24 hours a day, on the edge of the French Quarter.By Lagarde's reckoning, there have been roughly 30 homicide investigations this year in which ProjectNOLA provided useful surveillance footage to detectives. Often that has produced solid results in the form of arrests or warrants, he said.As long as they've been around, surveillance camera networks around the country have faced questions about whether they are effective at reducing crime and whether they infringe on citizens' right to privacy.But Lagarde counters that helping police solve homicides and other violent crimes is important, and that ProjectNOLA would not have grown to its present size if it used participants' feeds in an intrusive manner."Over the years we've been doing this, we've earned people's trust," he said.While Superintendent Michael Harrison and other NOPD brass at times have been complimentary toward ProjectNOLA's help, at other times Lagarde's relationship with the city has frosted over.One example occurred after a ProjectNOLA crime camera's footage helped identify several men charged with the retaliatory killing of a 21-year-old woman inside her Gert Town home this summer. To Lagarde's irritation, the commander of the police district covering that neighborhood told a news conference that the case illustrated the power of the city's SafeCam NOLA program which is unrelated to ProjectNOLA.SafeCam is a city effort to map all privately owned cameras, but so far the program does not provide real-time feeds to the Police Department or any other entity. Officials said recently they are expanding the program to allow the private camera owners to pipe their feeds into the city's real-time observation center on North Rampart Street.Additionally, Lagarde last year was the subject of a WWL-TV investigation that questioned whether ProjectNOLA was run purely as a public service, given that program participants bought cameras from a for-profit business run by Lagarde under the name CCTV Wholesalers.Lagarde pointed out that ProjectNOLA participants were not required to get their cameras from CCTV Wholesalers to form part of the network. The former policeman with a criminology degree also said he had decided to close his company down in 2015, and finalized that decision the following year, to give his undivided attention to ProjectNOLA."I closed the business I had for 19 years, the one I wanted to hand down to my children, because this ProjectNOLA, the peace initiative is my life," Lagarde said.Over the past several months, Lagarde and Givens' initiative has received support from several notable New Orleanians. Former U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite, National Urban League President and ex-Mayor Marc Morial, Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Police and Justice Foundation founder John Casbon and Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman have all spoken at meetings in support of the plan.Meanwhile, despite their past distance, Lagarde and Landrieu's administration seem to be taking steps to develop a closer working relationship.The two sides recently met to discuss how to make it easier for ProjectNOLA to get footage from its network to the Police Department when appropriate. They said they would keep in touch, comparing notes on projects each side is pursuing and identifying possible collaborations.Landrieu's homeland security director, Aaron Miller, said the dialogue recognized that "many members in the community" are comfortable with the role ProjectNOLA has established for itself in the city."We want to maintain our promise that public safety is our priority ... and we want to make sure we are taking every opportunity to expand our Police Department's toolkit," Miller said. F1 looks set to remain on free-to-air television in Germany. As the 2017 season ended and Niki Lauda retired as a television pundit, a dark cloud hung over the future of German broadcaster RTL's F1 deal. But Bild newspaper now reports that talks between RTL and Liberty Media are now essentially done. It is claimed that the 2018 season opener from Melbourne will definitely be shown free-to-air within Germany. But a RTL spokesman insisted: "I cannot confirm that. There is no contract. We are not ready yet." However, it is also claimed that former F1 drivers Nico Rosberg and Timo Glock will alternate at grands prix to replace the retiring F1 pundit Lauda. (GMM) Williams has denied that Formula 2 star Oliver Rowland is now a late contender to replace Felipe Massa for 2018. With Robert Kubica inching towards the race seat for next year, Rowland threw a spanner in the works by declaring at the weekend: "My team is in talks with Williams. "British car, British driver, it fits well," he is quoted by The Independent newspaper. But when asked if it is true that Rowland is really a contender to race for Williams next year, a team spokesman said: "That's not correct." Canadian newspaper La Journal de Montreal reports that if Kubica does have a genuine challenger for the 2018 role, it is Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin. Citing sources, the report said 22-year-old Renault reserve Sirotkin promises about $15 million in sponsorship, "which Kubica is unable to match". Le Journal de Montreal said Sirotkin was seen at Williams' headquarters last Tuesday, with Kubica visiting Grove a day later. "According to information, Williams could hire Kubica as well as Sirotkin as the third driver. If the Pole does not satisfy the team, the Russian could be called up to take over at any time." The report concluded: "Paul di Resta, Pascal Wehrlein and Daniil Kvyat had also been mentioned to replace Massa, but they are no longer in the picture." (GMM) An official has denied that planning for a F1 race in Las Vegas is obviously racing ahead. With Liberty Media often mentioning the desire for a second annual grand prix in the US, the local Las Vegas Review Journal says the sport has now made a series of trademark applications for Las Vegas GP-related items. "As far as we know, there is nothing new with formula one," the president of Las Vegas events said. However, a F1 spokesman confirmed that Las Vegas is on Liberty's radar. "We have made no secret that we are looking for destination cities, and regarding the US, Las Vegas has been mentioned alongside Miami and New York," said Luca Colajanni. Indeed, the Las Vegas Review Journal said F1 has also made similar trademark applications for New York and Miami. (GMM) Ferrovial Services and Renault have signed an agreement to implement Zity, a car sharing service in Madrid. The project will start up with an initial fleet of 500 ZOE electric vehicles located within the M-30 beltway and in some adjoining areas. Ferrovial is a leading global infrastructure operator and municipal services company, with 97,000 employees in more than 20 countries. Its main business areas are: Toll Roads, Services, Construction and Airports. Zity combines Ferrovial Services capacities in the area of municipal services and environmentally-friendly solutions with Renaults experience as Europes foremost supplier of electric cars and a leading brand in the field of sustainable mobility. ZOE is currently the only mass-market electric car on the market to offer an NEDC range of 400 km (249 miles), equivalent to about 300 km (186 miles) in real-world conditions, thereby extending range and usage time and adressing an even larger number of users. Their approach involves converting radioactive material into short-lived nuclides by absorbing surplus neutrons in the core peripheral portion of a small fast reactor faster than they are generated in the core. The new method, published in an open-access paper in Scientific Reports , could significantly reduce the effective half-life (an indicator of the amount of time it takes to bring radioactive materials down to safe levels) of long-lived fission products (LLFPs) from hundreds of thousands of years to within a hundred years. A team of scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) working in collaboration with Tohoku University, Tokyo City University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency has proposed a novel, more efficient method to reduce radioactive waste. Long-lived fission products (LLFPs) are radioactive materials with long half-lives produced by nuclear fission. The disposal issue concerns what to do with radioactive waste after uranium and plutonium have been recovered from spent nuclear fuel using reprocessing methods such as Plutonium Uranium Redox EXtraction (PUREX). Although burying waste deep underground is widely viewed as the most viable option, a number of strategies are being explored to reduce the stockpile of depleted fuel. One of the most promising is the partitioning and transmutation (P&T) strategy. This involves separating fuel into minor actinides (MAs) and LLFPs followed by the transmutation of MAs and LLFPs into shorter-lived nuclides. Minor actinides are elements synthesized in nuclear fuel other than uranium and plutonium, such as neptunium, americium and curium. Transmutation is a change induced by neutron capture that results in the conversion of LLFPs to short-lived or non-radioactive nuclides. So far, the P&T strategy has been limited by the costly and cumbersome need to separate LLFP isotopes before they can undergo transmutation. Also, some LLFPs, owing to their small neutron capture cross sections, are not able to capture enough neutrons for effective transmutation to occur. The new study led by Satoshi Chiba at Tokyo Tech shows that effective transmutation of LLFPs can be achieved in fast spectrum reactors without the need for isotope separation. By adding a moderator (or slowing-down material) called yttrium deuteride (YD 2 ), the team found that LLFP transmutation efficiency increased in the radial blanket and shield regions of the reactor. The researchers say that this is due to the moderators ability to soften the neutron spectrum leaking from the core. Chiba and his co-workers focused on six LLFPs: selenium-79, zirconium-93, technetium-99, palladium-107, iodine-129 and caesium-135. Calculations showed that the effective half-lives of these LLFPs could be drastically reduced so that total radiotoxicity at long cooling time domain will be efficiently reduced. In experiments of this kind, the support ratio (that is, the ratio of the transmutation rate to the production rate) is an important indicator of transmutation efficiency. The team showed that support ratios of more than 1.0 were achieved for all six LLFPs tested, representing a significant improvement on previous findings. Using their method, the researchers say that the 17,000 tons of LLFPs now in storage in Japan could potentially be disposed of using ten fast spectrum reactors. Their method also has the advantage of contributing to electricity generation and supporting efforts towards nuclear non-proliferation. Resources Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Government under which it will work to expand the use and availability of electric vehicles in Indonesia. This partnership is in support of the Indonesian Governments ambition to encourage the development of electric vehicles as part of its strategy to reduce CO 2 emissions. Measures will include the Government exploring the potential for new policies and incentive programs to encourage drivers and manufacturers to adopt electric vehicles. Both the Indonesian Government and Mitsubishi Motors will also work together to conduct a joint study to examine the efficient usage of electric vehicles in Indonesia. Mitsubishi Motors will make an immediate contribution to the transition of Indonesia to a low carbon economy by providing 10 electric vehicles and four charging units to the Indonesian Ministry of Industry (MOI) and a range of other organisations, including national universities and research institutes. Mitsubishi Motors entered the Indonesian market 46 years ago, and earlier this year opened a new factory in Bekasi Prefecture. The factory plans to provide more than 3,000 jobs and has the capacity to produces 160,000 vehicles a year. With the opening of the Bekasi plant, Indonesia has become a major production hub for MMC and is now at the heart of its work across the entire ASEAN region. Under current rules, the EU sets the legal framework but national authorities are fully responsible for checking car manufacturers compliance. Once a car is certified in one Member State, it can circulate freely throughout the EU. Only the national authority that type approved a car can take remedial action such as ordering a recall and imposing administrative penalties in case of non-compliance. The Commission was already reviewing the EU type-approval framework for motor vehicles prior to the Volkswagen revelations in September 2015. It then concluded on the need for more far-reaching reform to prevent cases of non-compliance from happening again, which it proposed on 27 January 2016. Last week, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission reached a political agreement to raise the quality level and independence of vehicle type-approval and testing; to increase checks of cars that are already on the EU market; and to strengthen the overall system with European oversight. The EU co-legislators reached an agreement on that January 2016 proposal to overhaul fully the EU type-approval framework. With tighter rules which are policed more strictly, the car industry has the chance to regain consumers trust. Just a few weeks after the Commissions clean mobility proposals, todays agreement marks yet another milestone in the EUs wider efforts to reinforce our car industrys global leadership in clean and safe vehicles. Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Dieselgate has revealed the weaknesses of our regulatory and market surveillance system. We know that some car manufacturers were cheating and many others were exploiting loopholes. To put an end to this, we are overhauling the whole system. After almost two years of negotiations, I welcome that the key elements of our proposal have been upheld, including real EU oversight and enforcement powers. In the future, the Commission will be able to carry out checks on cars, trigger EU-wide recalls, and impose fines of up to 30,000 per car when the law is broken. Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska, responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs The main building blocks of the new rules are: Raise the quality level and independence of type-approval and testing before a car is placed on the market. Technical services will be regularly and independently audited, on the basis of stringent performance criteria, to obtain and maintain their designation by a Member State for testing and inspecting new car models. The Commission and other Member States will be able to challenge a designation when something is wrong. National type-approval authorities will be subject to Commission audits to ensure that the relevant rules are implemented and enforced rigorously across the EU. The Commissions proposal to modify the remuneration system to avoid that technical services are paid directly by the manufacturer was not maintained. Increase checks of cars that are already on the EU market. While the current type-approval rules deal mainly with ex ante controls of prototypes taken from the production line, in the future Member States will have to carry out regular spot-checks on vehicles already on their market and such results will be made publicly available. All Member States will now be able to immediately take safeguard measures against non-compliant vehicles on their territory without having to wait for the authority that issued the type-approval to take action, as is currently still the case. European oversight. In the future, the Commission will carry out market checks independently from Member States and will have the possibility to initiate EU-wide recalls. It will have the power to challenge the designation of technical services, and to impose administrative penalties on manufacturers or technical services of up to 30,000 per non-compliant car. The Commission will lead a new enforcement forum to ensure a more uniform interpretation of relevant EU legislation, complete transparency on cases of non-compliance, and better and more coordinated market surveillance activities by Member States. The new Regulation maintains the current ban on defeat devices, which national authorities have a standing obligation to police and enforce, but goes a step further. In the future, car manufacturers will have to provide access to the cars software protocols. This measure goes hand in hand with the Real Driving Emissions package, which will make it very difficult to circumvent emission requirements and includes an obligation for manufacturers to disclose their emissions reduction strategies, as is the case in the US. The preliminary political agreement reached by the European Parliament, Council and Commission in trilogue negotiations is now subject to formal approval by the European Parliament and Council. The Regulation will then be directly applicable in all Member States and will become mandatory on 1 September 2020. Dec. 11, 1972 Apollo 17s lunar module landed on the moon with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt aboard. During three extravehicular activities (EVAs), they became the last two men to date to step onto the lunar surface. Space.com recounts: Apollo 17 marked the end of the program that took 12 people to the surface of the moon. By the time the mission launched on Dec. 7, 1972, public interest had declined, the government had shifted its focus to the Vietnam War and many other factors brought the program to a close, even though three more flights had been planned. ... Apollo 17 was the first mission to include a scientist in its crew. Geologist Harrison Jack Schmitt was one of the first six scientist-astronauts selected in 1965 amid immense pressure to do so from the National Academy of Sciences, who were worried only test pilots would walk on the moon. HIGH POINT Police have a juvenile suspect in custody who they say fired a single shot at High Point Central High School on Monday. Update from High Point Central incident: Juvenile Suspect is in custody! #HPPD HighPoint(NC)Police (@HighPointPolice) December 12, 2017 Authorities said the suspect's name would not be released at this time High Point Central High School and Ferndale Middle School were locked down Monday afternoon after a window at High Point Central was shot out, police said. Police received a call of a shooting at the school around 2:05 p.m. this afternoon. No one was injured in the incident, according to police. After the shooting, police assured parents that there was no active shooter and that the lockdowns were part of safety protocol. Officers remained in the area during school dismissals. WASHINGTON The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Sunday that women who accuse someone of sexual misconduct deserve to be heard, even if it involves President Donald Trump. I know that he was elected, but women should always feel comfortable coming forward. And we should all be willing to listen to them, Nikki Haley said on CBS Face the Nation. Trump, a Republican, won the White House last year despite the election season release of a 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which he described women letting him grab their private parts, followed by accusations by several women of aggressive sexual misconduct. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has since reiterated the White Houses position that the women who accused Trump of sexual harassment are lying. On Sunday, Haley, who was the first female governor of South Carolina, praised the courage of women who have raised complaints of harassment in various industries, including government and Hollywood, saying they will bring a conscience to the situation. Women who accuse anyone should be heard. They should be heard and they should be dealt with, and I think we heard them prior to the election, said Haley, a Republican. I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up. The Associated Press You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Stoneville Fire Chief Tim Brown received unanimous support on Tuesday, Dec. 5 from the town council to have a take-home vehicle. Brown said he spoke with Town Manager Ken Gamble about purchasing a fire chiefs vehicle, to also be used for back-up and to drive to chiefs meetings and training exercises. The McMichael Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to the fire department. Now, Brown wants to apply for a USDA grant for additional money. The only cost to the town is maintaining the vehicle and the gas and insurance, he said. Councilman Jerry Smith immediately made a motion for Brown to proceed with the grant application. New Councilman Johnny Farmer then asked for clarification on the vehicles use. I dont have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, so if it snows, I cant run fire calls, Brown said. Last year I had to borrow somebodys vehicle, so yes, it will be a take-home vehicle. It will be for fire calls and fire business only. Farmer asked if the towns insurance would cover non-city employees who might be passengers in the vehicle, expressing concern over whether Brown would be liable for them in the event of an accident. Yes, they are [covered]. Thats no different than if a police officer arrests somebody theyre going to be covered as a passenger under our liability coverage, answered Ken Gamble, town manager. Weve had fire chief cars before, but they were hand-me-down police cars, Brown said. Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media Vista Equity Partners completed its acquisition of Datto and combination of the company with Autotask, with Datto maintaining its Norwalk headquarters under CEO Austin McChord. Datto provides data backup and security as a managed service for other companies, selling through a network of more than 13,000 managed service providers in 125 countries. In the past year, Datto has opened new offices in New York City and Portland, Ore.; combined with East Greenbush, N.Y.-based Autotask, Datto employs 1,300 people. The head of Priceline subsidiary Kayak.com is seeking approval from the city of Norwalk to build a new home on Bell Island, on property he acquired earlier this year after selling a mansion on Wilson Point across the water. Kayak CEO Steve Hafner has filed for a coastal site plan review of the Yarmouth Road property with the goal of a new residence designed by Norwalk-based Beinfield Architecture. A modest bungalow currently fronts a small beach on Wilson Cove; in July, Hafner sought approval for a small dock extending nearly 40 feet from the water line at high tide. Bob Luckey / Hearst CT Media GREENWICH Although the Byram Shubert Librarys Proust Book Club just finished its book, there are other clubs reading about other topics at the western Greenwich library. From 5 to 7 p.m. this Tuesday the International Book Club will meet to discuss its latest work, The Lover by Marguerite Duras. The Byram Book Club will be meeting at 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 9 to discuss The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See and the Proust Book Group is starting up again at 5 p.m. on Jan. 18 to read In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust, again, a journey that took the last group seven years to finish. In some ways, it's been a rough year at Laurel High School, where two students are battling cancer. "It runs in my family, so I'm used to that, but not friend-wise," said junior Kaitlyn Kelley. In other ways, it's been uplifting. Kelley and other students at Laurel raised about $1,400 to support the students and their families as they get treatment in other states. Students already knew that Junior Casey Burrows was battling her second round of cancer this fall. Then, shortly before Thanksgiving, news spread that sophomore Tysen Baeskens was also fighting the disease. "I think it hit a lot of people," said junior Hannah Kopp. "They're part of our schools, part of our community." Kopp and Kelley are both part of the Laurel High student council. The group started organizing a fundraiser Nov. 20. "They didn't hesitate at all," said Lori Hodges, Laurel's librarian and student council adviser. Student council members manned a desk near the school entrance, collecting donations, and a round of collections went out during a class period. "We're just trying to help out by collecting whatever we can," Kopp said. The school even had a few checks delivered from community members without kids attending school. Burrows has been getting medical care in Denver, while Baeskens has been in Salt Lake City. Hodges handed over the money to families Dec. 1. The student council has also helped organize another fundraiser with the Vue and Brew movie theater in Laurel. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York told CNN on Monday that President Donald Trump should resign over allegations of sexual misconduct. "President Trump should resign," Gillibrand told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview. "These allegations are credible; they are numerous. I've heard these women's testimony, and many of them are heartbreaking." If he does not "immediately resign," she said, Congress "should have appropriate investigations of his behavior and hold him accountable." Responding to UN Ambassador Nikki Haley saying that Trump's accusers "should be heard," Gillibrand said: "Not only should women be heard, but they should be believed." "All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management." President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, August 16, 1937 by Andrew Walden Has HGEA signed on to a suicide pact? HGEA is on course to destroy the $37M overhaul of the States tottering manual payroll system. HGEA is sabotaging the States $60M overhaul of DoTax collection system. And yet, HEGAs alleged Executive Director, Randy Perreira, asks rhetorically , Who the hell wants the payroll system to fail? Perreira claims HGEAs campaign to defund and disrupt the two tech overhauls are, all about making sure that, at the end of the day, we can collect taxes and that the payroll system is going to pay them. At the end of the day, neither will happen. The seeming political power play is actually a sign of Perreiras weakness. HGEA has not yet endorsed a candidate in the upcoming Democratic Gubernatorial primaries. Perreira tells Civil Beat December 1, 2017 : What motivates his members to vote in a governors race, he said, is whether they like the people the incumbent appointed to be their bosses. In other words, HGEA leaders are unable to provide strategic leadership to its membersleadership that would say: we need to stop obstructing these tech upgrades in order to ensure that we process our own payroll and collect the taxes necessary to fund our bloated contracts. An October, 2017 report from AdvanTech, LLC, posted December 6, 2017 on the Hawaii Office of Enterprise Technology Services webpage , describes how HGEA is killing off the DoTax upgrade: The political component has now been further exacerbated by the filing of grievances with the union by a number of DoTAX employees claiming issues with the new Tax System Management (TSM) management (effective July 2017), and intervention by the union with the legislature, governors office, and the press. The overall impact of this politicization of the program is to create an image of failure, which could end up being self-fulfilling. (p 11) What drives HGEA members dissatisfaction? a negative attitude by some users because the new system does not do things the in exactly the same manner as the old. (p 12) Because the legacy systems and previous failed projects were custom built systems, some DoTAX staff have had the expectation that GenTax could be configured either exactly as it is done in legacy, or otherwise customized to follow a preconceived notion of how a process should be done. (p 18) Can Iges contractor can create an old-tech style interface so that HGEA members can use the new tech without discerning the slightest change? Anything short of that and mafia candidate Colleen Hanabusa will be selected. HGEA instructed its Legislature to deny funding for the DoTax upgrade in 2017. AdvanTech explains how HGEA will finish the job: A similar denial of funding in the next session will almost certainly ensure that the program will not reach full completion, and could possibly interrupt R4 in mid-stream. This would require DoTAX to work in multiple systems (the legacy system and the new GenTax system), prevent DoTAX from realizing fully the anticipated benefits of TSM, and leave significant exposure to the failure of the remaining legacy systems. (p 20) This is not the first time HGEA has sabotaged tech upgrades. In his December 10, 2017 column , David Shapiro explains, (the $60M tax collection) project is to replace a previous $87.5 million tax department computer modernization that was declared outdated before it was finished. (And) two years ago, Ige scrapped a useless new financial software system in the Department of Transportation and sued the now-bankrupt contractor in a likely doomed attempt to recover nearly $14 million the state paid. Both projects died from HGEA malfeasance. Using the same tactics, HGEA also killed off a 2008 DoTax initiative employing a private contractor to collect taxes, as explained in Audit fuels clinically psychotic HGEA effort to strangle tax collection : The HGEA was outraged when (contractor) CGI in January, 2008 landed a $25M contract to increase Hawaii Tax collectionsdoing a job supposedly performed by HGEA members. DOTax reported September 22, 2010 that CGI had raked in over $100M in tax revenues. DOTax projected CGI would collect tax revenue of $120M by the end of CGIs contract June 30, 2011. But the HGEA was not mollified by CGIs ability to rake in the bucks that its members need in salaries in order to pay their dues and contribute to the reelection of union-owned politicians. Instead union operatives worked diligently to sabotage CGIs tax collection efforts. A CGI memo quoted in a 2010 State Auditors report described the HGEA members who were controlling the unions agenda: Clinically psychotic; Smart yet can be very air headed; Weak leader and easily manipulated; EXTREMELY ODD [PERSON]; and Not respected by his peers within the state. These are the people Randy Perreira answers to. They will choose your next Governor. New South Wales Attorney General, Mark Speakman, has announced a legal exemption that entitles employers to refuse to hire pregnant women will be removed next year.The amendment will also stop employers from dismissing women who do not disclose they are pregnant when they are hired.In the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977, Sections 25 (1A) and 25 (2A) protect employers who refuse to hire pregnant women, or dismiss women who were pregnant at the time of hiring.The NSW Government has now agreed to remove these two discriminatory sections from the law.Its unacceptable and out of step with modern standards for a woman to be overlooked for a role because shes pregnant, or dismissed from a new position once it becomes apparent shes carrying a child, said Speakman.We understand the need for employers to plan and be prepared for staff who need to take maternity leave, but an agile workplace that accommodates family commitments is likely to attract and retain the brightest talent.Greens MP and spokesperson for the Status of Women, Dr. Mehreen Faruqi, gave notice of a bill to remove pregnancy discrimination exemptions from NSW Anti-Discrimination Law in September 2017, and then met with Speakman to get the Government on side.We know pregnancy discrimination at work is still a huge problem in Australia and many women suffer in silence, said Dr Faruqi.We still live in a society where too many people think pregnancy and motherhood are incompatible with work, but having these laws that protect employers who discriminate against pregnant women only compound the problem.Dr Faruqi added that the fact that NSW has these exceptions means that pregnant women are turned away from the NSW Anti-Discrimination Commission which is unacceptable.We urgently need to change this law to protect pregnant women from discrimination. Im glad the NSW Government is moving to remove these discriminatory laws, said Dr Faruqi.NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian added that the changes would make sure pregnant woman were not discriminated against."This is a great win for women in the workforce, it's a great win for families," she said.The change brings NSW into line with other states and territories and Commonwealth law. A total of 25,500 randomly selected first- and second-generation immigrants and members of ethnic minorities were interviewed for what was the second the European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II). Immigrants, their descendants and ethnic minorities continue to face widespread discrimination across the European Union, finds a survey conducted by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). The respondents were asked not only about their experiences of discrimination, harassment, police stops and rights awareness but also about their sense of belonging and trust in public institutions in their country of residence. The results of the union-wide survey were published on 6 December, 2017. Almost a decade ago we warned about the presence of large-scale ethnic discrimination and hatred. Today, these new results show that our laws and policies are inadequately protecting the people they are meant to serve, says Michael OFlaherty, the director of FRA. FRA highlights in a press release that discrimination remains a union-wide problem in all areas of life especially, in job-seeking in spite of the introduction of anti-discrimination laws at the turn of the millennium. For many, it adds, discrimination is a recurring experience. The failure to eradicate discrimination, intolerance and hatred, meanwhile, is threatening to marginalise and alienate members of minority groups who otherwise tend to be attached to their country of residence and have a higher level of trust in its institutions than the general population. With every act of discrimination and hate, we erode social cohesion and create inequalities that blight generations fuelling the alienation that may ultimately have devastating consequences, says OFlaherty. The survey found that people of immigrant and ethnic minority background are more likely to experience discrimination in Finland than almost anywhere else in the European Union. Discrimination against people of Sub-Saharan African descent is particularly common in Finland: almost a half (45%) of the respondents reported that they have experienced discrimination over the past year and well over a half (60%) that they have experienced discrimination over the past five years. Their experiences were most commonly related to the use of public and private services, such as employment, health care and hospitality services. The only member state to yield a higher 12-month rate of discrimination against people of Sub-Saharan African descent was Luxembourg (50%). High 12-month rates of discrimination were reported also by North African respondents in the Netherlands (49%) and Roma respondents in Greece (48%) and Portugal (47%). The results are a clear confirmation that theres a lot of racism in Finland, Kirsi Pimia, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman of Finland, stated to Helsingin Sanomat on Sunday. The researchers said they were shocked by the high ranking of Finland. They found it difficult to believe that there can be so much racism in a welfare state such as Finland. A total of 500 people of immigrant and ethnic minority group backgrounds were interviewed for the survey in the capital region, according to Helsingin Sanomat. FRA believes the survey results place greater emphasis on the need to introduce specific and more resolute measures to provide legal protection against discrimination, as well as effective sanctions for those guilty of discrimination. The fact that most incidents of ethnic discrimination (88%), hate-motivated harassment (90%) and hate-motivated violence (72%) were not reported also indicates that member states must step up their efforts to reach out to victims and encourage them to report. Law enforcement and anti-discrimination officials, similarly, need new tools to respond to such reports effectively, according to FRA. The willingness and ability of respondents to report discrimination, however, appears to vary substantially between member states. For example, nearly a third (30%) of respondents of Sub-Saharan African descent in Finland said they reported or filed a complaint about the latest incident of discrimination; in Austria, Italy and Portugal, fewer than a tenth of respondents of similar background said they did so. This indicates that rights consciousness including the knowledge and means to complain varies not only between individual respondents and/or target groups. It also points to varying degrees of effectiveness of existing laws and policies that aim to counteract discrimination and ensure equality for all in the member states, concludes FRA. The average reporting rate across the union was 12 per cent. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto Lehtikuva The National Coalition is pleased with the decisions made in the government programme. Its important that [its implementation] continues. I doubt Finns would appreciate it if the government was brought down for reasons related to political power, he stated in an interview on YLE TV1 on Saturday . Petteri Orpo (NCP), the Minister of Finance, has dismissed suggestions that the National Coalition is planning on dissolving the government. As long as the government is functional and capable of making decisions, the National Coalition will remain part of the government, he assured. Orpo pointed out that the economic situation has improved notably in Finland. The State Treasury, he added, has consequently estimated that the government may only have to contract three billion euros in net debt this year, 1.5 billion euros less than projected as recently as a couple of months ago. We may get below the three billion mark next year, if we make the right decisions, estimated Orpo. He also underlined that the country should resist the temptation to increase public spending in spite of the strong economic growth. Were currently at the top of the economic cycle, with the economy growing at a rate well above three per cent. Economic growth will slow down to the two per cent range next year, he said to the public broadcasting company. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Vesa Moilanen Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi THE winner of this years Henley Standard Christmas turkey competition says she only entered on a whim. Julie OConnor, of Drays Lane, Rotherfield Peppard, was one of dozens of people to enter the competition to win the 75 bird from Gabriel Machin butchers in Market Place, Henley. She answered correctly that Christmas turkey is traditionally served with all the trimmings and her name was drawn out of a hat. Mrs OConnor said: I entered the competition really just on a whim so it was lovely to hear that Id won it was smashing. I buy the Standard each week and thought it would be a bit of fun to enter without thinking Id win. Ive bought a few things from the butchers before but never a big turkey so this is lovely. Mrs OConnor will feast on the 10lb bird on Christmas Day with her partner Vince Jay, with whom she runs a tool hire business near Heathrow airport, his sister Denise Jay, mother-in-law Joan Jay, daughter Sophie OConnor and her partner Ben Woodgate. They will be at Mr Jays mothers house in Eastcote, Middlesex. Mrs OConnor said: I imagine the turkey will be coming with us on the passenger seat Ill make sure I put a seatbelt around it! With the hours that we work we usually fall to a frozen bird so to have a fresh one from a local business will be very enjoyable. Last year we had roast beef so itll be a nice change and its traditional, isnt it? The turkey was supplied by Starveall Farm in Aylesbury. Dont miss your chance to win a Tesco Christmas hamper in next weeks Henley Standard. One week ago, President Trump unleashed an assault on two national monuments in Utah. He signed a proclamation slashing the size of Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent, from 1.35 million to 201,397 acres, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by half, from nearly 1.9 million to 997,490 acres. Apparently, he isnt done. He will be signing more proclamations stripping protection from some of our most outstanding public lands. These actions taken against our national monuments will go down in American history as perhaps the single biggest attack on our public lands ever conducted by the federal government. As the president admits, they serve to aid those who have actively been trying to sell off our public lands, most notably Utah Rep. Rob Bishop. Containing one of the greatest concentrations of archaeological sites in the world, Bears Ears was designated a national monument in response to a national groundswell led by five sovereign Indian nations in the Four Corners region, people who consider this area sacred. Those tribes, along with a host of conservation groups, have already brought a legal challenge to this proclamation, as they should. At least 121 law professors agree that this proclamation wont stand up in court, primarily because the Antiquities Act, which was used to create these monuments, contains no language allowing presidents to shrink or eliminate national monuments. But the presidents proclamation could be enacted with the help of Rep. Greg Gianforte. Earlier this year, Gianforte voted for a bill written by Bishop. The dishonestly-named National Monument Creation and Protection Act (H.R. 3990) would enable presidents to shrink and eliminate national monuments that previous presidents have created. If this bill passes, it would basically codify Trumps anti-national monument proclamations and open all national monuments created by the Antiquities Act including Montanas Upper Missouri River Breaks and Pompeys Pillar to the same fate as Bears Ear and Grand-Staircase. It would render national monument protection virtually meaningless, prone to the whims of future presidents. In voting for this bill, Gianforte blatantly ignored 2.7 million Americans, including 24,000 Montanans, who submitted comments to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke urging him to maintain all existing national monuments. Zinke recommended shrinking several national monuments, but kept his hands off Upper Missouri River Breaks after facing a backlash in his home state. Gianforte put the Upper Missouri River Breaks right back on the chopping block when he voted for Bishops bill in the House Natural Resources Committee. If it passes Congress, Gianforte will be guilty of dismantling the central pillar of Theodore Roosevelts conservation legacy and destroying the most effective tool we have for safeguarding public lands with significant natural, cultural, historical and scientific value. Over the past 110 years, 16 presidents eight Democrats and eight Republicans have used the Antiquities Act to designate 157 national monuments. I grew up in Crow Agency just outside one of Montanas national monuments, the Little Bighorn Battlefield. This is a sacred site for numerous Plains Indian tribes, including my own. Its status as a national monument has enabled the descendants of those who fought in this battle to gather, tell stories, and begin healing from a traumatic history that includes this battle. That status would be put in jeopardy with Bishops bill. The Antiquities Act is one of the best tools we have for preserving, protecting, and perpetuating the heritage we share as Montanans and Americans. Call Gianfortes office at 202-225-3211 and tell him to respect that heritage by withdrawing his support of H.R. 3990. Congress is in a brief period when it must act on significant legislation, so the possibility of action on good, long-awaited changes is higher. Its time to remind Montanas delegation of a straight-forward Wild and Scenic River designation that has had bipartisan support for years. Its time to finally place East Rosebud Creek under protection of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The East Rosebud is a clear, cold ribbon of water that tumbles out of the Beartooth Mountains in south central Montana. It travels through the Custer National Forest in a valley filled with pine trees, deer, elk, moose and bears. Proposals to permit hydro dams on the creek spurred ranch neighbors and area cabin owners to action several years ago. Neither the proposed dams nor the extensive infrastructure required was built, but the creek is still vulnerable to future development unless Congress designates it as wild and scenic. Montana lawmakers introduced legislation to protect the East Rosebud, starting in 2014. In 2015, Democrat Jon Tester and Republican Steve Daines introduced a Senate bill to protect the creek. Their bill unanimously passed Senate committee last year, but didnt make it to the Senate floor. At the same time, Ryan Zinke, then Montanas U.S. representative, introduced a House bill. Again this spring, Daines and Tester introduced a Senate bill (S. 501) to permanently protect the East Rosebud under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Senate bill would only apply to federal public land, not to private land. The Forest Service already manages these public lands as if they were wild and scenic, so there wouldnt be a change in management. The congressional designation would ensure that these public creek sections would always be wild and scenic. Rep. Greg Gianforte hasnt yet introduced the House companion bill needed to move the East Rosebud protection forward. Gianforte, who took office in June, visited Carbon County last summer and heard from Friends of the East Rosebud. According to the Aug. 3 Carbon County News, Gianforte told East Rosebud supporters: My goal today is to hear from the residents. Ive been here before and down the beaten path and I know how precious the public lands are and the desire of the community here to preserve this. Whats impressed me is the work Frank (Annighofer) has done (and) there is such unanimity in the support of the landowners. Annighofer is vice president of the Friends of the East Rosebud. The Gazette contacted Gianfortes office Thursday and asked for his position. A spokesman replied: Greg supports designating East Rosebud Creek a federal wild and scenic waterway, recognizes what a priority it is for the community, and will introduce companion legislation in the House soon. His window of opportunity is closing fast. If this popular, noncontroversial East Rosebud protection is to be attached to a must-pass bill this year, theres barely two weeks to get the job done. With all House members and a third of the Senate up for re-election in 2018, legislative productivity is expected to slow further. Gianforte and Tester are among the lawmakers who are campaigning for re-election. Montanans who live, work, vacation, hike and fish along East Rosebud Creek have been striving for years to maintain this natural treasure. Montanas lone congressman should do what his constituents ask: Bring forward a short, simple, clean House bill to designate East Rosebud Creek wild and scenic forever. Both of the Senate and House tax reform bills are an assault on the American middle class and small businesses. Reviewing the analysis of a variety of sources, I see that my personal federal taxes will go up, and there will be no tax benefit to the small business that I am buying into. Instead, this business is already seeing higher costs. We have selected our businesss health care plan for next year, and our costs will go up 15 percent, thanks to efforts from the Trump administration to undercut the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare). CLAREMONT Dec. 4 marked the last Claremont City Council meeting where Tim Lowrance sat on the dais among fellow council members. Lowrance was recognized during the meeting for his 48 years of service with the city, and 33 consecutive years of serving as a city council member. During those years, Lowrance also served as mayor pro tempore, representative to the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, co-chair of Parks and Recreation Committee, Recreation Committee member, planning board member, a volunteer firefighter, a member of Claremont Jaycees and a lifelong member of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church. N.C. Rep. Mitchell Setzer presented Lowrance with the state flag, which was flown in his honor over the state legislative building, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award is among the most prestigious awards conferred by the governor of North Carolina, and is awarded to people for exemplary service to the state and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty, according to the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Society website. Following Setzers presentation of awards, Claremont Mayor Shawn Brown presented Lowrance with a resolution from the North Carolina League of Municipalities along with a resolution from the city acknowledging his service. Brown said he has spent a lot of time with Lowrance, from attending school with his children to serving as co-chairs on the Recreation Committee. I have learned a lot from (Tim) and have accomplished a lot with (him) by my side, Brown said. I have appreciated all of the time that we have been able to spend together, and I know that is the sentiment from the council as a whole. Lowrances service to Claremont began at the fire department, where he served as a volunteer firefighter. In the following years, Lowrance had the idea to run for town council, but was hesitant. I asked my grandfathers, the late Fred Hope and the late Bud Watts, what they thought, Lowrance said. Bud was pretty short with all of his answers, but he said, Go for it, try it and if you dont get elected then you can try again. Lowrance was elected to the town board in May 1972, but was quickly faced with another barrier to cross. The very next year municipal elections were changed to the odd years, Lowrance said. I had to run again, but that wasnt any problem, because I got re-elected. At that time, Lowrance said he was the youngest person to be elected into office in Catawba County. Since Lowrance had been heavily involved with the Claremont Fire Department, he was chosen to serve as the fire commissioner. When people would come looking for the fire commissioner, well here I was as this 21-year-old guy and people would be looking for present-day me and not 21-year-old me, Lowrance said. Although Lowrance started his public service young, he was able to stand his own in the face of adversity until 1977. I took off at the end of 1977 My daughter, Karen, was 2 years old and I decided that I needed to stay home more, Lowrance said. In 1979 a friend of Lowrance persuaded him to run for Claremont mayor, and his opponent was Carol Glenn Sigmon. Lowrance said he lost the mayoral race by 10 votes. I did not press the issue of recounting the votes, because Carol Glenn and I were good friends and I congratulated him and everything was fine, Lowrance said. This bump in the road of Lowrances public service did not stop him from serving Claremont. It was in 1989 when this adventure started. From 1989 until now, I have been re-elected (for council) each time, Lowrance said. I have had the honor to work with seven mayors, seven city managers, six clerks, eight fire chiefs and four police chiefs. During his second time serving on council, Lowrance was involved with the building of the public works building, the building of a fire station that was completed in 1999, and city hall renovations that were completed in 2000. The fire station and city hall renovations were two projects that I was really interested in while they were being completed, Lowrance said. Lowrance was also involved with numerous police department renovations, the construction of two spec buildings and most recently a new medical office that is scheduled to open soon. The dedication and devotion Lowrance has displayed during his time as a council member have been unwavering, even during trying times. Even when I was out a couple years ago from surgery, they Skyped me into the meeting, so that I wouldnt miss it, Lowrance said. Although Lowrance has retired from city council, he does not plan on slowing down his public service. I am taking a position on the planning board now, and I will also be working on the Claremont Fire Protection Association, Lowrance said. The Claremont Fire Protection Association nonprofit organization is a new addition to the city, one that Lowrance has had a big part in developing. I would like to thank the council members for their support for the establishment of a nonprofit organization for the fire department to raise funds and receive grants, Lowrance said. It will serve as a way to provide necessary equipment to Claremont Fire Department without needing funding from the city. We did all of this. It was not done by me alone. Lowrance is also employed by Catawba County Schools at Oxford Elementary as the director of custodial affairs. As my slogan from the Jaycees Creed goes, Service to humanity is the best work of life, and that is what I have always enjoyed doing, Lowrance said. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh sought an apology to the nation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for insinuating that he, and other members of the Congress party, may have colluded with Pakistan; Indias neighbour called Modis allegations baseless and irresponsible; and BJP leaders saw Pakistans response as suspicious and asked why the Congress had taken 48 hours to admit to a meeting between Congress leaders and Pakistani officials including the high commissioner. The back and forth over Pakistan started as a sideshow of the ongoing campaign ahead of the second phase of the elections to the Gujarat assembly on December 14, but soon grabbed centre stage. On Sunday, Modi referred to a Facebook post by a former director general of the Pakistani army, Sardar Arshad Rafiq, saying Congress leader Ahmed Patel should be the next chief minister of the state, and to a meeting in Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars residence attended by Singh, the former vice president of India, Pakistans former foreign minister, and the countrys high commissioner to India. The prime minister said the meeting happened last week, a day before Aiyar called him neech (lowly). Aiyar has since apologised and also been suspended from the primary membership of the Congress. On Monday, Singh, 85, said Modis claim was an ill-thought transgression and rejected his charge as innuendos and falsehoods . Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma accused the prime minister of dragging political discourse to an unacceptable low by making statements that harmed the dignity of the prime ministers post. In his statement, Singh added that the meeting on December 6 at Aiyars house was restricted to discussions about Indias relations with Pakistan and that the Gujarat polls didnt figure in the conversation. My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground, Singh said. Pakistan too, refuted charges of a secret meeting. India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal tweeted. Hours later, the BJP hit back; law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed Pakistan for giving lessons. What is curious is that this happens and Pakistan comes out with an official statement... in many ways seeking to bail out Congress party. Is it too suspicious? Surely, the country will draw its own conclusion, he added. Singh also pointed out that Modi went to Pakistan uninvited after the terror attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan, he said. Meanwhile, the BJP questioned why it took the Congress 48 hours to admit to the meeting at Aiyars residence. Why was this a hush hush meeting? Why was the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) India not in the loop? Why do Congress leaders meet China and Pakistan envoys secretly? party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao asked on Twitter. The Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi, too, stepped into the debate. The Prime Minister talks sometimes about Pakistan and sometimes about China and Japan. Modiji, this is the election for the future of Gujarat. Talk something about Gujarat too, he said at a rally in the states Banaskantha district. But Modi pressed on with his Pakistan references. At Nadiad, he said in a rally that money that was being routed from Pakistan to fund terrorists in India had stopped after last Novembers demonetisation. The BJP has governed Gujarat for 22 years but the Congress is hoping to unseat it by tapping anger over the agrarian crisis and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, and on the strength of a partnership with Patidars, some backward classes, and Dalits. The BJP is counting on its record in the state and the Modi magic to see it through. A rare row between a sitting and a former premier broke out today after Narendra Modi insinuated that Manmohan Singh colluded with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls with the Congress leader accusing his successor of setting a dangerous precedent and asking his apology. Launching a sharp counteroffensive, Singh tore into Modi over what he called the prime ministers ill-thought transgression and rejected his charge as innuendos and falsehoods. In uncharacteristically strong words, a usually reticent Singh crossed swords with his successor to say that the Gujarat polls was never raised by anyone present at a dinner hosted by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for a visiting Pakistani leader at his house on December 6 and that the discussion was confined to India-Pakistan ties. Heres the full text of Manmohan Singhs statement: I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister, Sh. Narender Modi. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly & regrettably, Sh. Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a Former Prime Minister and Army Chief. The Congress Party needs no sermons on Nationalism from a party and Prime Minister, whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. Let me remind Sh. Narender Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan. My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Sh. Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground. I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar as alleged by Shri Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner. The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations. Names of the distinguished Indian public servants and journalists present at the dinner are enclosed to this statement. None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti-national activities. I sincerely hope that Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies. On its part, Pakistan also rebuffed the allegations of a secret meeting between Congress leaders and its High Commissioner, saying India should stop dragging Islamabad into its electoral debate and termed Modis remarks as baseless and irresponsible. (With agency inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed three rallies in election-bound Gujarats Patan, Nadiad and Ahmedabad, where polling is scheduled for the second phase on December 14, while Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi spoke in rallies at Tharad, Viramgam, Savli and Gandhinagar. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah also addressed four rallies in Saigam in Banaskantha district, Enclave and Barsad in Anand and Dabhoi in Vadodara. On Sunday, addressing a rally in northern Gujarats Palanpur, Modi alleged that Pakistan was meddling in the elections to the state assembly. He also questioned some senior Congress leaders recent meeting with Pakistan officials, including the countrys high commissioner to India. The Congress denied the charges and asked Modis government to repatriate Pakistans top diplomat in the country if he was indeed meddling in an Indian election. Here are the updates on Monday: 6pm: Modi rally ends. 5.15pm: Congress has lost in the first round and are not even thinking about the second round as they know people here will support BJP. They have now taken to excuses. Their leaders and cheerleaders are blaming EVMs, including saying they are hacked using Bluetooth, says Modi in Patan rally. 4.55pm: If PM Modi honestly believes then he must immediately take action. He must direct NIA to arrest them (Congress) because if he believes that Pakistan is interfering then tell NIA. Why doesnt he use Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or NSA, asks Asaduddin Owaisi. 4.26pm: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh says deeply pained after Modis remarks on Congress leaders meeting with Pakistani diplomats. Singh says Modis statement is setting a dangerous precedent. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issues a statement after reports of him attending a meeting where a Pakistan envoy was also present. pic.twitter.com/ngAyC7MW08 ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 4:08pm: When we went to the farmers, did Krishi Mahotsav, we did not go out helping the rich. We went among the poor. Sadly, Congress leaders born with golden spoons will never understand what poverty is, says PM 4:05pm: During peak summer, I would go to the villages of Gujarat and ask parents to educate their children. Whose children were they? Were they Ambanis children? No. They were children of the poor. We are working for poor, says PM 3:55pm: Our farmers work hard and grow potato. If at all the Congress comes to power, there will be no need to do that because their leader says we will produce potatoes in factories! Congress basic knowledge about agriculture is so poor, says PM 3:46pm: When this area was flooded the chief minister, former chief minister, ministers came and stood with people here. The Prime Minister reviewed the situation. All this while, Congress MLAs were enjoying in resorts: PM Modi 3:40pm: Congress has lost in the first round and are not even thinking about the second round as they know people here will support BJP. They have now taken to excuses. Their leaders are blaming EVMs, including saying they are hacked using bluetooth: PM Modi 3:30pm: PM Narendra Modi begins rally in Gujarats Patan 3:17pm: Modi doesnt talk about unemployment, education, farmers or corruption in his rallies, says Rahul Gandhi 3:14pm: Rahul Gandhi again takes a dig at PM Modi demonetisation and GST, says its the common man who was affected after note ban, but not Amit Shahs son Jay Shah. Gandhi says in 3 months Jay Shah converted Rs 50,000 company into Rs 8 lakh crore. 3:10pm: Only a few people are happy in Gujarat right now- one of them are industrialists and the other one is Amit Shah. 3:09pm: In the next 10 days, govt of industrialists will be removed from Gujarat 3:02pm: This election is about the future of the people of Gujarat 2:46pm: Rahul Gandhi addresses his next rally in Viramgam 2:29pm: The BJPs campaign in Gujarat in the last few days, especially yesterday, has gone beyond bizarre. Should a political party go to any length to win an election? tweets Congress leader P Chidambaram. 1:14pm: Narendra Modi is scared of Amit Shah, says Rahul Gandhi. 1:12pm: After demonetisation, Modiji introduced GST- Gabbar Singh Tax. 1:10pm: After demonetisation, Modi said he will add Rs 15 lakh in everyones bank account. People did not even get 15 paise. 1:08pm: During demonetisation, all of you had to stand in endless queues - did you see anyone in suit and boot standing in a queue? 1:05pm: Modji will invest Rs 33,000 cr in Tata Nano plant but not on your education, says Rahul Gandhi. 1:00pm: BJPs vikas yatra has flopped, says Rahul Gandhi. 12:59pm: Rahul Gandhi says elections are in Gujarat and Modiji is talking about Japan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 12:55pm: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addresses a rally in Banaskantha. 12.49pm: Why did (Congress) Anand Sharma make a wrong statement denying that the meeting took place? Now who should apologise? 12.48pm: Completely abhor outside interference in Indias internal affairs. Pakistans promotion of terrorism in India is well known but Pakistan must stop giving us lessons, we are proud of our democracy. Condemn this unwarranted statement, says Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. 12:40pm: The Congress party is fighting this election on issues of development that concern Gujarat. And in round one, our party has already won. This has scared Modi into spewing lies and ill-thought accusations against the former prime minister: Sharma. 12:39pm: We will win somewhere between 45-50 seats in the first phase, says Congress leader Sharma. 12:35pm: Ex-Pakistan foreign minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organised for him in which there were former diplomats and former army chief among other dignitaries. Does the PM think they were all conspiring with Pakistan? It is reprehensible.Modi must apologise, says Anand Sharma. 12:32pm: The PM should restore the dignity of political discourse, withdraw what he said and apologise to the former prime minister. It is clear that he said this to mislead the people during the time of elections: Sharma. 12:31pm: Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha questions Modi for spinning unsubstantiated and unbelievable stories against political opponents. 12:30pm: It is the prime minister who is doing grave injustice to this nation by ignoring developmental issues, says Congress leader Sharma. 12:29pm: Congress leader Anand Sharma asks, Why isnt the PM speaking of economy, employment and the farmer crisis? What is the BJPs agenda in Gujarat? 12:28pm: Modi has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.It is outrageous and just an attempt to polarise ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows Modis desperation and that BJPs loss is now guaranteed, says Congress leader Anand Sharma. 12:26pm: The PM chose to ignore the progress and developmental issues and stooped to mere tu-tu, main-main (rhetoric) in his own home-state, the Shiv Sena says. 12:25pm: The Shiv Sena accuses Modi of resorting to histrionics and pulling the ongoing poll campaign for the Gujarat elections to a new low. 12:05pm: I am getting a very good response from the people and I am very confident, Hardik Patel tells ANI during Ahmedabad motorcycle rally. 11:45am: Pakistan says Indias politicians should not drag the country into its domestic politics during campaigning for the Gujarat assembly polls. 11:38am: Hardik Patel supporters take out a motorcycle rally in Ahmedabad: ANI. 11:25am: Will address rallies in Patan, Nadiad and Ahmedabad today. @BJP4Gujarat Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2017 11:15am: BJP leader S Prakash, in Bengaluru, says instead of focusing their attention on development, the Congress is trying to evoke Gujarat riots to win over the Muslim votes: ANI. 11:05am: This is a shameful statement by the Congress. They apologised for their deeds in 1984 anti-sikh riots and now they are creating a baseless controversy. The truth is only those people who have committed mistakes apologise, but those who have not done anything wrong why they will serve an apology, BJP leader Bizay Sonkar Shastri tells ANI. 11:00am: Hitting out at Congress for asking Modi to apologise in Jama Masjid for the 2002 riots, the BJP says those who commit mistakes only they serve an apology. 10:00am: Request by BJP and Congress for Modi and Rahul Gandhis roadshows, respectively, on Tuesday turned down by police due to security, law and order reasons and to avoid public inconvenience, police commissioner Anup Kumar Singh tells ANI. *The first phase of the Gujarat elections ended on Saturday; 89 seats went to the polls. The second phase, for 93 seats is on December 14 and campaigning ends on December 12. *The BJP has governed Gujarat for 22 years. The Congress is hoping to unset the BJP by tapping angst over the agrarian crisis and the implementation of the goods and services tax, and on the strength of a coalition it has built with Patidars, some other backward classes, and Dalits. *Analysts expect it to be a close fight, although the BJP has maintained that it is confident of bettering its tally of 119 seats in the 182-member assembly in 2012. (With agency inputs) The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were embroiled in a war of words over crony capitalism invoking top industrialists such as Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, a day before the 49-day long campaign for the Gujarat polls comes to an end. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi accused each other of promoting the rich, spreading canards and degrading the political discourse in seven rallies they addressed in north and central Gujarat, where voting for 93 assembly seats will be held on December 14. Reacting for the first time to the Congress leaders charge that the Modi governments policies were oriented towards rich industrialists while ignoring the poor, the PM said: I went with a begging bowl to every nook and corner of Gujarat asking people to send their girls to school. Was I asking about the education of daughters of the Ambanis? Was I asking about daughters of Adanis? I went from village to village in 45-degree heat to promote education of the girl child. On Gandhis repeated accusation, he accused the Congress leader of spreading lies everywhere and thinking others are fools. Gandhi has been alleging throughout his campaign that the Modi model of development was all about taking away resources of the poor and farmers and handing them over to a handful of corporates including the Tatas and Adanis for a song. He reiterated the allegation on Monday describing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government as a suit-boot ki sarkar. Gandhi also asked the PM why he was silent on the meteoric rise in the turnover of BJP president Amit Shahs son Jay Shahs company and wondered why the PM was scared of the saffron partys chief? He added that elections were being held in Gujarat and Modi was speaking about Japan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, without referring to the PMs allegation of Pakistans interference in the state polls. Modi hit back at Gandhi saying that those born with a silver spoon know about the pain of the poor. Our footwear got worn out. We have walked barefoot under the sun. They (Gandhi) may not have been pricked even once by a thorn in the foot, Modi said, while asking audience in Patan whether they remembered it. Both leaders also claimed that they will be available for the cause of Gujarat at a short notice. (With agency inputs) Local politicians and activists in Madhya Pradeshs Sagar district have accused Christian campaigners of promising education and jobs to poor and illiterate villagers to lure them to convert, an allegation dismissed by the church and the district administration. Since laws governing conversion are cumbersome and require prior notification, it is said that many villagers are unofficially embracing Christianity without bothering to inform the administration. Sagar district Congress president, Heera Singh Rajput, said instances of conversions could be found in more than 50 villages. There was no conversion when Congress was in power in the state. But the situation in Bundelkhand has worsened because of misrule by BJP, Rajput alleged. He said that desperate villagers, deprived of proper education and employment, were proving to be easy prey for Christian proselytisers. Even the local BJP MLA, Pradeep Laria, feels the same. An organised racket is behind this. People dont submit applications before undergoing conversions officially as it suits them and also benefits those behind it as the administration will not have any ground to take action against them, Laria explained. We came to know about unofficial conversions recently and are trying to become the voice of poor people to stop such activities, said activist, Kapil Rajesh Rai. Bhopal, India - Nov. 25, 2017: Saurabh Rajak who has recently atarted practicing christianity at his hut that contains signs of both hindu and christian in village Bandri in Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, India, on Saturday, November 25, 2017. (Photo by Mujeeb Faruqui/Hindustan Times) (Mujeeb Faruqui/HT Photo) Both the district administration and the church say the allegations are baseless. Minority community institutions have been operating in the area for the past 140 years and are providing employment, quality education and health facilities to people. This might be a reason why a section of the people is attracted towards them, but I dont see any conversion, insisted Alok Kumar Singh, the district collector. As per the Madhya Pradesh religious conversion law, one has to take permission from the district collector to change his or her religion. But Singh said no such application has been received. Father Leo Cornelio, the archbishop of Bhopal, accused local politicians of orchestrating a campaign against them. Our God taught us to help others, so we are helping people. But there are some who are out to malign us, he said. Amid the claims and counter-claims, some members of the Christian community, including the bishop in Sagar, have sought police protection. Father Alex of the church in Shampura said his community was being wrongly targeted. The government has failed to provide even a road to our village. Now there are people who are questioning our social work to misguide people, he said. Notwithstanding the heat the issue has generated, some families in villages such as Khajuria, Bandri, Shayampura and Badlo close to national highway 26 admit to observing Christian rituals, despite not officially converting. Draupadi Ahiwar of Bandri said she never dared to dream of educating her children with her meagre income as a beedi worker. But a church member told me my life will change if I start praying to Prabhu. I have started it for the past few months. I am happy now as from the next year, my children will go to a convent school, Ahiwar said. Ashish Yadav of Khajuria put things in a perspective. We Hindus at times go to the mazhar and the dargah to pray. Does it mean we have converted to Islam? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An attempt by the ruling BJPs youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), to further the saffron agenda through an international quiz competition in schools and colleges across Madhya Pradesh has met with criticism from the opposition Congress and educationists. Titled Mere Deendayal after Deendayal Upadhyay, founder of BJPs progenitor Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the quiz seeks to raise awareness about him (50%) and the schemes of the BJP-helmed state government (30%) and Centre (20%). While the competition is not compulsory, BJYM is pushing to get 30 lakh students to participate, and has asked government teachers and professors to extend support. Congress and educationists have raised their voice against it, citing politicisation of education although the organisers said it would help students learn about Upadhyay and the governments schemes, whereas the government said it was a motivational move. We are not providing any aid to them. The quiz competition is a motivational thing for students and there is nothing wrong in informing students about beneficial schemes, minister of state for school education and technical education Deepak Joshi said. Noting that till now, the government was using students for increasing crowd in their programmes, Kunal Chaudhary, president of MP Youth Congress, said now, they have started misguiding students by asking them to learn about BJP and its leaders. Educationist Zamiruddin questioned why they were mixing politics and education, and reasoned that it could be because they want to change the students mindset. It is very dangerous for the future of students. Are they afraid of their failure of providing good education and infrastructure to students? he asked. However, BJYM state president Abhilash Pandey said the quiz would help students learn about a leader whose thoughts are relevant in the 21st century and about schemes of the state and the Centre that are beneficial to them. BJP has done so many good things. So we can ask the students about it, but Congress never did anything remarkable except criticising others work. So it is obvious that they would raise questions, he said. The organisers are charging Rs 10 per participant. Government teachers and professors have been asked to motivate students to take part in good numbers and get registered themselves. Interestingly, they will also provide booklets to the participants in a few days and ask them to prepare in 20 days for the competition, that is being organised on January 23, the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Sources said the booklet, which is in the final stages of preparation, contains information glorifying Jana Sangh heroes and the various beneficial schemes of the state and central governments. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Top Bollywood actors, including Kareena Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Madhuri Dixit, have condemned the alleged molestation of a Bollywood actor inside a Delhi-mumbai flight. The 17-year-old actor was allegedly molested on an Air Vistara flight on Saturday night. The actor later narrated her ordeal on Instagram via a live video. She said she was on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai when a co-passenger sitting behind her put up his feet on her armrest. The man was arrested by police in Mumbai Sunday evening. Noted actor Madhuri Dixit said, This should not happen, neither in India nor in any other part of the world. Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan said women are far superior than men and the females can rise above any difficulty. I definitely feel women are way more superior than men. We are fighters and whichever situation it is in our life, personal or professional, we all come out as fighters. When we talk about God, we talk about goddess. So, we look from the perspective of a woman. When we talk about the earth, we say Mother Earth. So, whenever we talk about anything, we talk about women. Women are far superior (than men). So, they can fight out of every situation, Khan said. When asked about the incident, Pednekar said she was shocked to know about the alleged molestation but the actor was happy that Wasim showed courage to speak up about her ordeal. I am appalled. She is a child. There is a problem in our culture where people think, especially if you are an actor, that you are their property. This is hugely problematic. But I am very happy that she put it out on social media. I am glad she took that step because it needs a lot of courage to speak, to come out and take a stand like that. More power to her, Pednekar said. Actor Taapsee Pannu, who has always raised her voice against violence against women, said, I just hope she gets justice. It is good that at least she has raised her voice. She deserves to get justice. Television actor Mouni Roy said she was deeply saddened by the incident, which is an act that stems from a poor mentality. Now, what should I say about this country. On one hand we talk about women empowerment, on the other hand we hear about all these incidents. But I think it is very important not to just stand against it and talk about it, but also to educate people against this, she said. A girl was molested on an airline and the people are busy discussing nationality and religion. It amazes me what our mindset is becoming Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 10, 2017 I genuinely dont know what to say. It deeply saddens me. The kind of life we lead, the kind of education we all are getting, in fact, the levels of education in towns and villages have gone up. This is just really sad. I think this reflects a poor mindset, she added. When asked for his opinion on the incident, actor Sushant Singh Rajput said, We talk a lot (but) I think at the right place and in the right time, we need to take action also. We are intelligent and responsible enough as a country to see to it that these things dont happen. The celebrities were speaking at the red carpet of Lux Golden Rose Awards. Actor Zareen Khan said there should be a focus on preventing such incidents rather than attending to minuscule things. I really dont know what to say about it because such incidents keep happening in our country. Rather than focusing on issues like these, I dont know why our country is behind minuscule matters. The way we talk about women empowerment and safety, I dont think only talking about it is needed. We also need to take some action to stop all of this, she said. In the video, which the victim recorded immediately after deboarding the flight, she broke down several times. This is not done, I am disturbed... Is this how youre going to take care of girls? This is not the way anybody should be made to feel. This is terrible! she said. No one will help us if we dont decide to help ourselves. And this is the worst thing, she added. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Shabana Azmi says, Culture cannot be kept under lock and key. Best remembered for her performances in classics such as Ankur (1974) and Arth (1982), Azmi was in Delhi to speak at Jashn-e-Rekhta the annual three-day festival celebrating Urdus cultural heritage and history. In a tete-a-tete with HT City, she waxes eloquent about her love for Urdu, recollects fond memories of her growing up in a culturally-rich atmosphere, and stresses on the importance of going back to ones roots to be able to reach ones full potential. We were fortunate that we had literary giants such as Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Josh Malihabadi, and Begum Akhtar as house guests. I would be very fascinated when I would see these evenings from behind the curtains the tinkling, and laughter Shabana Azmi Azmi, who comes from a family of poets and artists, shares she feels blessed to have grown up in an atmosphere full of cultural influences. In my growing years, it was almost by a process of osmosis, that I inherited a love for acting and theatre from my mother [Shaukat Kaifi] and father [Kaifi Azmi]. We were fortunate that we had literary giants Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Josh Malihabadi, and Begum Akhtar as house guests. I would be very fascinated when I saw these evenings from behind the curtains, the tinkling, and laughter. My father would always encourage me to come and sit with those people, but provided that this did not become an excuse for me to bunk school the next day. At that time, I couldnt even understand the language, but it was like music filling my ears. About her role in attempts to revive the Urdu language, she says, Urdu celebrates our Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (a cultural and linguistic phenomenon in North India, that celebrates cultural and linguistic syncretism between the Hindu and Muslim communities). Urdu is actually Hindustani with a couple of words that are different. To celebrate our composite culture, in what language can we do it? Urdu seems to be a very good receptacle in which that can happen. I find it heartening that there are so many young people who not only come to the festival, but are actually learning the alphabet. There is a definite interest in the language. And the computer has made things much easier. In a country like India, we should give an impetus to all our regional languages, whether its Tamil, Hindi,Telugu, Gujarati, or Marathi. Since our languages are our strength, we will have to give them real support, so that learning a language, and becoming true to them becomes an asset, rather than a liability, she adds. The actor urges people to go back to their roots, as it gives one strength and depth. In todays day, where expression, language is getting compressed, where messages no longer respect spellings, grammar, all that is easily accepted as cool. What it is doing is [that] its taking away our roots completely. I think first you need to be very deeply rooted. Only then can you spiral upwards and spread your branches. But if you have weak roots, in the spreading of the branches, you will uproot the tree. Humari joh tehzeeb hai, culture hai, zabaan hain, woh humare andar jar pakadegi, tabhi jaake, hum phir international zabaan bhi bol sakenge (Only after our roots are composed of our own language and culture, will we be able to embrace foreign languages and cultures). Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A law expert appearing on behalf of controversial businessman Vijay Mallya on Monday expressed doubts about the Indian Supreme Courts handling of the case, and alleged that it gave preferential treatment to banks. Martin Lau, professor of law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, deposed on Mallyas behalf on the fourth day of his extradition case at the Westminster magistrates court, claiming that the Supreme Court had shown unusual speed in dealing with Mallyas case. The defence says the former liquor baron will not get a fair trial if extradited to India. Lawyer Mark Summers, who appeared on Indias behalf, said the issue before the court was not to decide on trial issues but whether there was a prima facie case that Mallya has to answer in India. The defence says the prosecution has zero evidence against him. Commenting on the various aspects of the law and judicial system in India, Lau said courts in India tend to be influenced by media trials. When asked by Summers if the legal chronology of Mallyas cases in India supports his contention on the apex court, Lau said: By giving banks preferential treatment, it has allowed doubts to be cast on judicial independence. The professor of law said the Supreme Courts decisions reflect a certain pattern where judges, especially those nearing retirement, rule in favour of the government allegedly to secure post-retirement jobs and postings in the administration. I have the highest respect for the Supreme Court, but it is not disrespectful to voice doubts about some of its aspects. It is not a corrupt institution. It is heavily burdened, Lau said, agreeing with Mallyas lawyer Clare Montgomery on various legal aspects related to him. Lau said media trials were an issue due to the proliferation of television channels, but agreed with Summers that Mallya could raise the issue during his trial in India. According to the legal expert, Indias case that Mallya gave misrepresentations to IDBI Bank while securing loans, failed to honour obligations, and used loan funds for unintended purposes does not amount to cheating. Wilful default is not an offence in Indian law, he claimed. Montgomery cited the rapid pace at which Mallyas case progressed from the Karnataka high court to the Supreme Court, despite the latter having a large number of cases on its plate. She also referred to another study that found several allegedly undesirable aspects including fabrication and planting of evidence; torture; death penalty; and abuse of the legal process in India to support the defences claim that Mallya may not face a fair trial if extradited. Besides this, Montgomery cited a press report to allege that CBI special director Rakesh Asthana threatened bank officials in the Mallya case. Lau agreed with her that a statement under Section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code cannot be used to secure a conviction in court. Margaret Sweeney, chief financial officer of the Force India F1 team, deposed to say that all transactions with Kingfisher Airlines were audited and made under existing contracts. She denied Indias allegation that some of the payments made since 2008 were shrouded in secrecy. Academic Lawrence Saez will speak on Indian politics when he deposes on Mallyas behalf on Tuesday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Light rain that lashed parts of Punjab on Monday brought a sigh of relief for farmers. With the first irrigation of the recently-sown wheat crop ahead, these showers will serve that purpose to some extent, say experts. Agriculture officer Gurmail Singh at Patiala said the prevailing weather conditions are apt for the development of wheat and other rabi crops, which are presently in their vegetative growth. These conditions will help increase yield potential, he said. Dr Jagdish Sharma, associate director at Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), said that it has been a good sign for farmers who have sown the crop up to the third week of November. He said rainwater contains natural ingredients beneficial for the crop. However, heavy rainfall will cause worry for the farmers who had sown wheat crop in last 3-4 days, he said. Gursharan Singh, assistant professor (horticulture), PAU centre, Faridkot, said that light rain is beneficial overall for the horticultural crops, especially citrus and potatoes. Moreover, the agricultural experts have told farmers not to apply urea blindly due to fear of any effect on the crop. They have also instructed farmers to keep a tab on day-to-day effect of weather conditions. The farmers have been directed to inform agriculture officials or field staff in case of any damage to crop. Meanwhile, director of the meteorological department, Surender Paul, said there will be heavy rainfall in the districts close to foothills in the coming days. Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Gurdaspur and Faridkot were among the places which received rain on Monday. In Amritsar and surroundings, drizzling began just after midnight and lasted until 3.30 am. After another four hours, the rain restarted. Till filing of this report, it was drizzling with gaps, owing to which the people have got rid of dry weather and air pollution. Adampur in Jalandhar witnessed a minimum of 4 degrees Celsius on Monday as cold weather persisted at most places. In Jalandhar city, rain caused a problem for commuters. It was a very chilly day and the rain made me reach my office late in the morning due to jams, said Sandeep Sharma, an employee of the district administration. In Delhi, where a majority of constructions violate building norms or are outright illegal, the words sealing and demolition throw up a scary imagery. The national capital got a reality check in 2006 when simultaneously the Supreme Court ordered sealing of commercial units that ran illegally from residential spaces and the high court directed demolition of unauthorised constructions. As the court-appointed monitors went about locking up properties after properties and bulldozers landed up at peoples homes, Delhi opened a can of worms. It was not just a local grocery store or a homestead extension at fault. Even government offices, malls run by top designers and high-street fashion outlets were found operating in neighbourhoods not meant for them. Also, illegal construction turned out to be a problem not restricted to working-class neighbourhoods. Even in the plushest of postal codes, there was hardly a home that did not make an illegal extension an extra room here, a covered balcony there. Some encroachments brazenly ate into pavements while basements carved out space under public thoroughfares. Soon, the government stepped in to introduce laws to protect the violators and Delhis Master Plan was subsequently amended. In 2012, the Supreme Court withdrew its monitoring committee. This, it said, was done with the hope and expectation that the authorities would carry out their statutory duties and act against unauthorised usage. Five years on, the Apex court feels let down. Observing how the hope, expectation and trust reposed in the concerned officers seem to have been completely belied, the Supreme Court warned last week that it might revive its monitoring committee which had sealed thousands of illegal commercial establishments in Delhi a decade ago. Ten years was long enough for Delhi to have set its house in order. But as the national capital waited for some proactive measures, unchecked commercialisation paralysed the city. Streets are crammed with traffic. Sewers overflow from excessive load. Pavements have no space for pedestrians. Today, every third resident lives in a poorly provisioned, illegal settlement and house collapses kill more people than any other disaster in normal times. For any conscientious government, the 2006 sealing and demolition drives should have been a wake-up call. But successive governments have turned a blind eye, as if waiting for the illegalities to gain a critical mass at which they have to be regularised. Granting legal titles in the name of regularisation is an oft-repeated poll promise in Delhi since the 1970s. Even the list of construction violations is routinely modified to exempt more and more constructions. While the Central laws granted immunity to unlawful structures and land use violations between 2006 and 2014 to buy time to make norms and strengthen the enforcement mechanism, the municipalities have used it as an excuse to not take action against even the more recent contraventions. Just two months ago, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation proposed a partial amnesty to illegal constructions that came up until a year ago, while admitting that 90% of properties in its jurisdiction had some unauthorised components. Yet, nobody has invested in strengthening the enforcement mechanism. While the municipalities remain the biggest offender in this civic mess, the government planners and builders were also at fault. In Delhi, initial urban planning discouraged mixed zones where commercial and residential spaces coexist. But rules were violated and illegal, haphazard commercialisation continued unabated and mixed land use became synonymous with chaos, congestion, corruption and poor quality of life. Shortage of land also incentivised illegal construction. Much of the blame goes to the Delhi Development Authority, the citys primary landowner and developer, which failed in its basic duty of providing affordable housing. The agencys policy of locking up huge tracts of land held up the housing supply. Those in need turned to the illegal market where plots and even ready-to-move flats were available on more flexible terms. Given the scale of mounting irregularities, mass demolition was not an option. The regularisation drive is also backed as a step towards recognising the rights of the citizenry to housing and workspace. But no matter how many justifications we have for the mess, they do not absolve the authorities, which failed to plan, build, enforce and regulate for six long decades. That is where a city still aspiring to be world-class must draw the line. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A newly elected Nepalese MP from CPN (UML), a part of Left alliance that is poised for election landslide in Nepal, on Monday backed the bi-national 5,040 megawatts Pancheshwar Dam project on Mahakali river with rider. The project was accelerated during the rule of Nepali Congress but there was apprehension over the fate of the project if the Left parties Maoists and CPN (UML) formed government in the neighbouring nation. Damodar Bhandari, CPN (UML) leader who won Baitari seat in the federal parliamentary poll, said the project was fine but some conditions need to be reviewed. Reports from Nepal suggest that the Left alliance has won majority seats in the elections held in the two phases November 28 and December 7. The provisions made for rehabilitation of the affected people in the detailed project report (DPR) will have to be reviewed, Bhandari told HT over phone from Nepal on Monday. He, however, rubbished fears that Left parties in Nepal were lenient towards China and could derail the project. It was our Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who had sanctioned budget for the project in 2016, said Bhandari, a former minister of state for finance. Left parties earlier opposed terms of reference of the Pancheswar project on the question of origin of river Mahakali mentioned in the DPR released by India in 2003 by saying that the origin of river Mahakali from Kalapani glacier in not acceptable to them. Mahendra Gurung, chief executive officer of Pancheswar Development Authority (PDA), said parties in Nepal have become mature. All questions raised by Nepalese intellectuals have been answered in joint DPR of the project. Now, there should be no opposition of the project, Gurung said. Two agencies Pancheswar Development Authority (PDA) and WAPCOS (a union water resources ministry) consultancy firm handling the initial works of the project. As per DPR of the project, the main Panchesawr dam will produce 4,800 MW while Rupali Gad Re-regulating Dam which is about 25 km downstream from Pancheshwar High Dam will produce 240 MW. At 315 meters, Pancheswar Dam will be the biggest in India. It will also be the first joint hydro power project that will serve the purpose of both the nations. Besides producing hydro power, the project will provide irrigation power to both the countries. But this will come at a price. Thousands of people on both the sides will be displaced. As per officials, 2.7 lakh hectares land on the Indian side and 1.70 lakh hectares land on the Nepalese side will be submerged in the Mahakali waters. Total 35 villages, including 24 in Indian border districts -- Pithoragarh and Champawat in Uttarakhand -- will be directly affected. On Uttarakhands part, it will get 12% of electricity as its share. The Khanpur MLA alleged a Rs 50-crore scam in the distribution of panchayat shops in Haridwar district and demanded a CBI probe into the irregularities. Haridwar zila panchayat chairperson Savita Chaudhary was suspended last week after district magistrate (DM) Deepak Rawat submitted to the government a report that highlighted anomalies in the distribution of shops. The MLA, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, and his wife Rani Devyani said the scam was reported during the previous Congress government, hinting at involvement of former chief minister Harish Rawat. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Champion alleged that irregularities were reported at more than six places, and the scam money went to Chaudharys husband Rajender Chaudhary and relatives. District panchayat shops are constructed, auctioned and distributed to local people so that they could do business. But Savita Chaudhary auctioned the shops at minimal value to her relatives leaving a big hole in the state treasury, Champion told media persons. Devyani has been nominated as the chairperson of the committee that dug up documents and detected the multi-crore scam. Former BJP MLA Shehzaad alleged that the shops were constructed at high costs with panchayat funds in Bhagwanpur, Jwalapur and a dozen other places, but they were auctioned at minimum rates to Chaudharys family and relatives. At Roshnabad, Rs 53 lakh was given to the contractor for constructing only one-metre boundary wall. Imagine the level of corruption if for only one-metre boundary wall, Rs 53 lakh was given to the contractor. And the contractor is her family member, Shehzaad alleged. This couldnt have been possible without the support of the then government, Shehzaad said, hinting at the role of Harish Rawat. Champion demanded for a comprehensive investigation into the scam, saying the BJP-ruled Uttarakhand government has zero tolerance on corruption. Reacting to the allegations, Savita Chaudhary said, I havent seen or read what Devyani or legislator Kunwar Pranav have alleged. Such allegations are baseless and politically motivated. For past one and a half years nothing was said about the irregularities. She had earlier claimed that the irregularities were reported before she took charge of the district panchayat. (With inputs from Sandeep Rawat in Haridwar) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The air quality in Delhi remained on the higher side of very poor on Monday morning. However, there are chances that it might improve on Tuesday as the Meteorological department has predicted rain on Monday night. Delhis average Air Quality Index a measure of pollutants in the air on a scale of 0-500 was at 377 on Sunday. At 9am on Monday, it was at 375 which falls in the very poor category. However, pollution levels in some areas such as Anand Vihar and Punjabi Bagh breached the severe category on Monday shooting beyond 400. At Anand Vihar, the AQI was at 454 and at Punjabi Bagh was at 413 at 9am. The levels of particulate matter in the air have been on the rise since Sunday. Both Particulate Matter (PM) 10 and PM 2.5 have been four times above the safe standard since Sunday night. If the levels shoot up beyond five times, emergency measures such as shutting down of schools, rolling out of odd-even road rationing scheme and ban on construction activity will be introduced. On Sunday, Indias official pollution forecasting system SAFAR had forecast that the capitals air quality will dip further, however, the weather department had predicted light rain on Monday night and Tuesday which might wash out pollutants. We are expecting some light rain starting from Monday night. It is likely to continue till Tuesday, said Kuldeep Srivastava, a senior scientist with the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC). This would be the first December rain in Delhi since 2014. Delhi didnt receive any rain in December in 2015 and 2016. A strong Western Disturbance is approaching. It has already triggered a cyclonic circulation over Rajasthan. These two systems together will trigger some rain, he added. As loads of moisture has gushed in, because of this western disturbance, Delhi experienced a morning mist on Sunday. The sky is likely to turn cloudy from Monday. The cloud cover and the high moisture levels would push up the night temperature. The maximum temperature is likely to drop. The night temperature that had dropped to around 7.6 in the last week of November is expected to shoot up to around 10 degrees by Tuesday. The day temperature, which was hovering above 27 degrees Celsius on Sunday, is likely to drop to around 23 degrees Celsius, he added. Shallow fog and mist are expected to continue for at least two days after the rains cease, as moisture levels would be high. Delhi could expect a sharp drop in mercury levels once the cold and dry north-westerly winds start blowing. As soon as the moisture levels drops and the winds pick up speed the mist will also disappear. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government may be planning to make Delhi open-defecation free by March 2018, but the situation on the ground suggests that the administration may not be able to meet its deadline. An internal report of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), compiled in October this year, states that out of around 15 lakh slum dwellers of the city only a little more than 3 lakh use community toilets. The calculation reveals that only 25% of the target users are using the facility. DUSIB has installed 19,168 toilet seats at 641 toilet complexes till November 2017, out of which 18,281 toilet seats are functional while the remaining are under repair and renovation. DUSIB plans to build 2,500 more toilets and the municipal corporations will build an equal number by the end of December. The government has set a target to build a total of 27,000 toilet seats in the city to be able to make the city free of open defecation by next year. This leaves the authorities with the big challenge of building 3,000 toilets in the first three months of 2018 to meet the deadline. Though DUSIB says it is on course with the construction, it is the under-utilisation of toilets which is making the challenge bigger. Delhi to miss toilet goal The state govt will need to build at least 3,000 toilets in the first three months of 2018 to meet its deadline 19,168 Number of toilet seats till November 2017 (functional 18,281, non-functional - 887) 641 Total number of toilet complex 2,500 Total number of toilet complexes 3,70,386 Slum dwellers using community toilets 27,000 Number of toilet seats proposed by March 2018 30,000 Toilet seats required if 1 seat is used by 30 people (Swachh Bharat rules) The state govt will need to build at least 3,000 toilets in the first three months of 2018 to meet its deadlineNumber of toilet seats till November 2017 (functional non-functional -Total number of toilet complexTotal number of toilet complexesSlum dwellers using community toiletsNumber of toilet seats proposed by March 2018Toilet seats required if 1 seat is used by 30 people (Swachh Bharat rules) Status report of inspection says toilets condition was average DUSIB officials say there are more than three lakh families who live in slums of Delhi, if they assume that a family has five members on an average. This brings the number of slum dwellers in the city to about 15 lakh. As per Swachh Bharat Abhiyan guidelines there should be one toilet seat for 30 people. According to DUSIB officials, the under-utilisation of toilets could be the result of the Rs 1 per person charged from users. Bipin Rai, member DUSIB, told HT that slum dwellers practically had to pay Rs 2 per person for using the facility managed by NGOs. Complaints are often received in this connection and action taken against such NGOs. Explaining the reason behind under-utilisation of toilets, Rai said that if there were six members in a family and they relieved themselves twice or thrice daily then the family ends up spending around Rs 1000 on toilets only. This is a considerable amount for most of the families residing in slums. Witnessing this problem, the board members have proposed to waive the user charge which was unanimously accepted. This will boost the usage of toilets in JJ clusters, Rai said. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in October this year had announced that no user charges would be levied in toilets from January 1, 2018. He termed the move as a New Years gift for toilet users in slum clusters. Thousands of families, who live in slums, have built toilets in their houses. They no more use the community toilets. This is also a reason behind under-utilisation of toilets in JJ clusters, Rai said adding that the rehabilitation of around 35,000 slum families is also in the pipeline where people will have their own toilets. According to DUSIB officials behavioural issues of people and untidy toilets are also major contributors. The responsibility of maintaining toilets has been given to various NGOs. As per norms a toilet should be cleaned thrice a day, but this practice seldom takes place. The small NGOs, who are operating the DUSIB toilet complexes at JJ clusters, do not work properly and toilets remain dirty. So now we are in talks with some big NGOs, who have specialty in this field, to manage toilets properly, said DUSIB member AK Gupta. Sunil Kumar Aledia, executive director, Centre for Holistic Development says that it was not possible to make Delhi open defecation free by having 27,000 toilets only. Making Delhi open-defecation free by March 2018 is not possible. These are false claims by the government. Delhi needs around 50,000 toilets to become OD free which will require around five years, Aledia said. Two men, described by police as budding criminals, were arrested on Saturday for plotting to kill a rival in police custody. For both the criminals, it was more personal than business. Their target, Farman alias Nanhe, a notorious gangster from northeast Delhi, had allegedly sexually assaulted one of them and threatened and humiliated the other. Last week, they decided to shoot Nanhe on Saturday, when he was to be taken to a city hospital for medical examination by the police. But police arrested them minutes before they could execute their plan. Officers of the Special Cell said Farman is a member of Nasir gang, which controls extortion, betting and illegal liquor operations in northeast Delhi. Farman, who was recently arrested for murder and extortion by the Uttar Pradesh police, was brought to the city on Saturday on a transit remand. The two men along with their gang members had planned to shoot Farman at close range. Those in police custody have to be taken for a medical examination at least once in 24 hours. DCP special cell Pramod Kushwah said police received a tip-off on Saturday that a group of gangsters would meet in Welcome area of northeast Delhi. Their rendezvous point was the East Delhi Municipal Corporations zonal office in Shahdara, located less than 2 kilometres from Welcome police station, where Farman was lodged. At about 5.45pm Danish,21, and his 24-year-old associate (who was sexually assaulted by Farman) reached the spot on a scooter, which did not have a number plate. After some time, two others reached there, said DCP Kushwah. A police team which was waiting for them at the spot told the gangsters to surrender. Kushwah said the criminals fired at the police team. While others managed to escape, Danish and his friend were arrested. Police also recovered a pistol from them. During interrogation, the two confessed that Farman bullied them. Recently, he had held the 24-year-old at gunpoint and assaulted him sexually. The man was sexually assaulted for refusing to give Farman protection money. He had also filed a police case at the Welcome police station against Farman under sections of unnatural sex. Farman was threatening him to withdraw the case, a senior special cell official said. The two told the police that they knew Farman since childhood. Farman, who had joined the Nasir gang, had started extorting from local traders. He had also fired outside Danishs house in the area and threatened his father to give in to their demands. Police said they are looking for others. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Locals and experts are upbeat over a comprehensive revamp and decongestion plan for Jama Masjid, proposed by the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC). They expect that the plan will be implemented this time, unlike several others which had been proposed but remained in papers only. The SRDC a special body constituted to plan and execute redevelopment of Old Delhi has submitted two plans to the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) for review. We hope to get a response from SPA soon, said a Delhi government official. Rampant encroachments and unbridled illegal constructions around the 360-year-old monument have been on the radar of the authorities for a long time. In the last six months, Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal has visited Red Fort, Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid twice latest on Saturday, and directed that the makeover of the heritage zone must be taken up on priority. 1 MAIN ENTRY from Netaji Subhash Marg (About 15 metres high) 2 PASSAGE for the Shahi Gate (14 mtrs wide) 3 Remains of the AKBARABADI MASJID 4 GREEN PATCHES 5 Concrete space for worshippers 6 Dargah Sheikh Kalimullah 7 JAMA MASJID 8 Mazar of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad 1 ENTRY/EXIT for community facilities 2 AUDITORIUM (PIE.htc); /* remove if you dont care about IE8 */ width:22px; height:22px; padding:1px 1px 1px 1px; background-color:#005199; color:#FFF; text-align: center; "> 3 ART GALLERY Delhi is hosting ASEAN summit in January and the Centre has asked all agencies to restore monuments and spruce up prominent tourist attractions and markets across Delhi by mid-January. The official said the Centres directions will also ensure that the revamp plan is expedited. Haji Miyan Fayazuddin, who runs a guest house opposite the mosque, said efforts to give the area a facelift were long pending as even local lawmakers and councillors have ignored the area. Roads are full of potholes along Chawri Bazaar. The historic Urdu Bazar has been turned into a food street. Illegal constructions overrun roads leading to the mosque, not to mention the encroachments by hawkers and illegal parking lots. There is not even space to breathe.. Good that someone is at least thinking to do something now, he said. Rana Safvi, author and historian who conducts history walks in the area, said the area desperately needed attention. The filth and chaos belies the significance the imposing structure carries. It is getting from bad to worse. We hope the plan takes off this time, she said. The two plans sent to the SPA are prepared by Pradeep Sachdeva, appointed by the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to draft the plan that proposes relocation of Meena Bazaar and SRDCs consultant (tourism project) Vijay Singh. As per Singhs plan, the market should be moved underground (see graphic). The degradation of the monument and the areas around it was first raised in 2004 through a public interest litigation (PIL) based on which the Delhi High Court asked the authorities to redevelop Jama Masjid and its precinct, spreading over 23 acres. A plan was prepared and approved by the court two years later. However, it could not move beyond papers and meetings. A case regarding the PIL is listed on December 29. Once the SPA approves and we get a nod from the court, a committee will decide the further action plan, the official said. Attorneys for Red Fawn Fallis, an anti-pipeline protester accused of shooting a handgun at arresting officers, sought to suppress evidence and her statements made at the time of her arrest during a hearing that lasted all day Friday and through Monday morning. Fallis' attorneys allege her arrest violated free speech rights during a protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline on Oct. 27, 2016, along State Highway 1806. Six officers had testified Friday to various aspects of her arrest when District of North Dakota Chief Judge Daniel Hovland agreed to reconvene at 8:30 a.m. Monday. At that time, North Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Bennett Bitz resumed his testimony before the defense, followed by state parole officer Daniel Heidbreder, who processed Fallis after her arrest, and Oceti Sakowin camp peacekeeper Dennis Martinez Jr. Heidbreder said he processed six items of evidence removed from Fallis, including 12 rounds of .38-caliber ammunition, three bags of marijuana, rolling papers, a bandanna and a braid of sweet grass. Martinez said he "held the line" between law enforcement and protesters throughout the demonstrations near the pipeline route in southern Morton County. He said he never had to push Fallis back but she was angry in the moments before her arrest. Pennington County (S.D.) Sheriff's Deputy Thadius Schmit testified Friday that Fallis' "aggressive stance, her having to be pushed away from (another officer)" contributed to her arrest. Her arrest took place as officers with tactical vehicles paused while moving protesters south on the highway as they received reports of gunshots ahead. Martinez said Monday that a horse and rider had been shot with less lethal ammunition. Drone footage showed Fallis arriving at the scene within five minutes of her arrest. Other footage showed her cursing at least once and jabbing in midair as Martinez stood between her and officers. Officers from Friday in court testified that after her arrest, Fallis said statements to the effect of, "If I wanted to kill you, I would have shot you in the head" and "All pigs deserve to die," while laughing or giggling. Monday's hearing concluded about 11:30 a.m. Attorneys agreed to file post-hearing briefs by Dec. 18. "It is our position there is a substantial amount of outstanding discovery," defense attorney Molly Armour said, referring to discussion at the outset Friday when Fallis' legal team said potential camera and witness evidence has not yet been produced. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hagler reiterated his response that "everything we have has been turned over." Hovland previously ordered the prosecution to file formal responses by Friday to each of the 17 discovery disputes Fallis' attorneys have raised. He also ordered prosecutors to undertake their best faith efforts to "disclose anything and everything they have by the end of this week." Armour also said the defense will file a motion to compel discovery. Prosecutors will respond within a week of receipt. In other proceedings, Hovland said questionnaires will go out this week to 150 potential jurors to be returned by Dec. 22. Attorneys said they hope to quickly strike any potential jurors with obvious bias. Fallis' trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 29 in Fargo. She is charged with civil disorder, discharging a firearm in relation to a felony crime of violence and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Parents of differently abled children will get a breather in nursery admissions in private schools this year as the Delhi government is planning to relax the norms for applicants with physical and mental challenges. This year, the upper age limit for differently abled applicants for entry level classes may get revised. The admission process is likely to be same as last year. For Class nursery, the upper age limit has been fixed at 4 years. But, for differently abled children with physical challenges, the upper age limit will be 5 years as on March 31 of the admission year. For differently abled children with mental challenges, the upper age limit is 5 years as on March 31 of the admission year, though the school principal can give further relaxation of one year on submission of required documents, an official from the Directorate of Education (DOE) said. The only change this year is the imposition of an upper age limit. Kids of age between 3-4 years will be eligible for Nursery, between 4-5 years for KG, and 5-6 years for Class 1, the official said. The official added that same age relaxations will be applicable for differently abled students applying to KG and Class 1. The DOE is yet to make an official announcement about the relaxation. Nursery admission in over 1,700 private unaided recognised schools is expected to begin from January 1, 2018. The government is likely to bring out the admission notification by December 15. Admission for Class nursery usually starts in the first week of January and the last date for submission of application forms is by January end. The DOE had in December 2015 imposed an upper age limit for entry level admissions but it was stayed by the high court after which admissions last year happened without an upper age limit.But the court in October upheld our decision to implement the age limit, the official said. The government is not likely to make any changes to the criteria for nursery admissions, allowing private unaided schools to decide the guidelines on their own. For admission, the applicant scores out of 100 points, divided in the various criteria. In most schools, the distance criterion carries the maximum points. The radius of the distance differs from school to school. Other criteria include girl child, sibling in the same school, children of alumni and students with a single parent. Delhi has 1,700 private schools that offer approximately 1.25 lakh seats in nursery. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Many of Indias best-known universities and colleges, including Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Panjab University, most of the top Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and a number of state universities have joined the race to be named institutes of eminence. Several people familiar with the matter said that, till Monday evening, the human resources development (HRD) ministry had received 73 applications from institutions wishing to be named institutes of eminence, which will come with significant financial and academic autonomy, and, for government institutions, financial support. Among those who have applied are the seven IITs at Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Guwahati and Roorkee, as well as Jadavpur University, Goa University and Mangalore University. From the private sector, OP Jindal Global University, Ashoka University, Manipal University and Amity University have applied. The deadline is December 12, and ministry officials expect close to a hundred applications. So far, they added, six private institutions have also applied to be named institutes of eminence. The private institutes will not be eligible for government funding if they get the tag. The ministry is expected to start on the process of shortlisting institutes soon. The response has been overwhelming and we are hoping to get more applications by tomorrow, which is the last day. Central and state universities, and IITs have also applied , said a senior University Grants Commission (UGC) official on condition of anonymity. In 2016, the government announced plans to create 20 world class universities in India -- 10 each from the private and public space. Existing as well as upcoming institutions can bid for the tag. Since then, the name has changed from world class university to institutes of eminence. The UGC has already notified the UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2017, for private institutions and UGC (Declaration of Government Educational Institutions as Institutions of Eminence) Guidelines, 2017, for public ones. Unlike other institutions, the 20 institutes with the status of eminence will get greater autonomy to start new courses, set fees, admit foreign students, hire foreign faculty, and collaborate with foreign educational institutions without seeking government approval. The government will invest Rs10,000 crore over the next few years in the 10 public higher education institutions short-listed. The objective is to provide for greater academic, financial, administrative and other regulatory autonomy to 10 public and 10 private higher educational institutions to emerge as world-class teaching and research institutions. They will have an emphasis on multi-disciplinary initiatives, high-quality research, global best practices and international collaborations, said a senior HRD ministry official, who asked not to be identified. The institutions will be evaluated by a panel of experts and the names of the selected institutes of eminence are expected by March 2018. Government institutions which are ranked among the top 50 by the HRD ministry in their respective categories such as engineering, general universities or management are eligible to apply for the status. The institutions were all asked to present a report on how they plan to achieve excellence over the next 15 years. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nearly 20 Indian-origin youths from Singapore, who arrived in India on Saturday night, started renovation work on Government Primary School, Rattoke, on Sunday morning. The boys and girls, aged between 18 and 21 and from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, were interacting with women, farmers and labourers of the village, one of the most backward areas of the state. Interestingly, some of them who know a little Punjabi tried to communicate with the villagers. Some of them with their roots in Tamil Nadu got help from their Punjabi-origin friends in translation to English. The young girls also tried hands in Punjabi cooking. We want to understand Punjab, its culture and history. Though I visited Amritsar a few years ago as my grandparents belong to Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts, it is a new experience for me. Punjab people love us and they are cooperative. I have met students, women and farmers. I learned a lot in a single day, said Rajveen Kaur (23). They are part of the project 'Khwahish', an initiative of the Young Sikh Association (YSA), a non-profit organisation founded by Satwant Singh in Singapore. The team will spend three-week vacation in the village till December 26. The NGO is going to spend around 10 lakh to renovate the school building in which they will build an office, a library and toilets. NRIs often come to Punjab with religious feelings and reach the Golden Temple but we have brought these youngsters to a village to introduce them to the real Punjab and its socio-economic conditions. I think when they return to Singapore, they will tell their parents about their experiences, said Satwant Singh, 53. People from across the district prefer enrolling their wards to Government Primary School Rattoke even if they have to wait for a year or two for this. The school, however, faces shortage of infrastructure. I watched a video about the school and its achievements. I liked it. We have purchased 3,000 books, including a collection on world fiction and history, for the library, Satwant said. The Rattoke village panchayat has made all the arrangements for its guests and are serving Punjabi dishes to them. While nicotine may not be completely safe for a pregnant mothers foetus, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is safer than smoking for women who are not able to quit on their own, says a new study. Researchers suggest that the study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, should give doctors the confidence about the safety of NRT, a medically approved way to ingest nicotine to help quit smoking. The therapy includes the adhesive patch, chewing gum, lozenges, nose spray, or inhaler. Smoking during pregnancy is the most significant, preventable risk factor for poor maternal and infant health outcomes, according to Yael Bar-Zeev, Head of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) Centre for Smoking Cessation and Prevention in Israel. Clinicians worldwide, including in the United States, report that they prescribe NRT at low levels due to lack of confidence and safety concerns. However, behavioural counselling combined with medication is the most effective smoking cessation strategy, Bar-Zeev said. Predominant guidelines worldwide recommend NRT for pregnant women who have been unable to quit smoking without medication. However, prescription instructions such as only if women are motivated, only dispense a two weeks supply or under close supervision send mixed messages. The researchers noted that while using NRT during pregnancy improves smoking cessation rates, they may not adequately account for higher nicotine metabolism during pregnancy, and therefore may not adequately treat withdrawal symptoms. The most important guidance for NRT in pregnancy is to use the lowest possible dose that is effective, said Bar-Zeev. However, to be effective, women should use as much as needed to deal with cravings, Bar-Zeev added. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more People who live in cold regions may be at an increased risk of developing cancer, a study has found. According to the study, populations living in very low temperatures, like in Denmark and Norway, had among the highest incidences of cancer in the world. In the study published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, researchers suggest that there is an evolutionary relationship between adaptation at extreme environmental conditions - like cold and high altitude - and increased cancer risk in humans. The findings of this study provide evidence that genetic variants found to be beneficial in extreme environments, can also predispose for cancer, said Konstantinos Voskarides, from the University of Cyprus. Cell resistance at low temperatures and at high altitude probably increases the probability for malignancy. This effect hardly could be filtered out by natural selection since most cancers appear later on in age after most people have their children, said Voskarides. Researchers focused on the effect of low temperatures, either within Arctic/Scandinavian climates or high altitudes. Their analyses focused on the relationship between cancer risk and local average annual temperatures. They concluded that the extremely cold environment contributed to the cancer risk. For the study, they carefully examined the data of worldwide cancer incidence. They probed the available literature bibliographic cancer incidence and genetic data for human populations living at extreme cold and extreme high-altitudes. A striking pattern began to emerge, with the highest incidence of certain cancers linked to those populations living in the coldest environments. Additionally, analysis of 186 human populations showed a great linearity of high cancer incidence with the lower the environmental temperature. The data shows that these populations exhibit extremely high cancer incidence, especially for lung, breast and colorectal cancer, said Voskarides. This is the first study that provides evidence that high cancer risk may be a result of evolutionary adaptation in certain environmental conditions, he said. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Researchers, led by one of Indian-origin, have developed a groundbreaking cancer treatment that genetically engineers a patients immune system to attack cancer cells. The novel treatment involves the recently approved CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for patients with aggressive large B-cell lymphoma -- blood cancers -- who had failed prior chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. To fight cancer, T-cells collected from the patient are sent to a lab, where they are genetically modified to include a gene that instructs the T-cells to target and kill cancer cells. Millions of such genetically modified t-cells are then infused back into the patient. With the US Food and Drug Administrations recent approval of this therapy, we believe this is a major advance in the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma and is likely to save or prolong lives of many patients, said Sattva Neelapu, professor at The University of Texas. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that 42 % of patients with aggressive large B-cell lymphoma remained in remission at 15 months following treatment with axi-cel marketed as Yescarta. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that out of the 111 patients with aggressive large B-cell lymphoma from 22 centres across US, 42 per cent of patients remained in remission at 15 months following treatment with axi-cel marketed as Yescarta. After being infused back into patients bodies, these newly built hunter cells both multiply and attack, targeting cells that express a protein called CD19. These hunter cells can grow to more than 10,000 new cells for each single engineered cell patients receive, producing high remission rates while surviving in the body for years. This study demonstrated that axi-cel provides remarkable improvement in outcomes over existing therapies for these patients who have no curative options, Neelapu added. However, while the therapy could potentially cure patients who have run out of other options, it also can cause severe side effects, cautioned Patrick Stiff, Director at Loyola University in Chicago. Hence doctors need to carefully inform patients of the pros and cons of this new therapy if it is presented as an option. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has said that it will not acquire any land for carving out additional lanes for the benefit of commuters at the Kherki Daula toll plaza, as the process of shifting the toll point to Sehrawan near Panchgaon is already under way. In a meeting between officials of the NHAI and the state industries department held more than a week ago, Sudhir Rajpal, principal secretary, industry, had proposed that the road authority acquire land from private owners to make four additional lanes at Kherki Daula in compliance with a directive from the Delhi High Court. Rajpal had mooted a similar proposal to the NHAI in June as well. It was said that the four additional lanes would provide Manesar commuters a smooth passage to Gurgaon. However, with the move to shift the toll already in process, the NHAI said there is no need to acquire any land at Kherki Daula. I had proposed four additional lanes in a bid to ease the movement of traffic at the Kherki toll. However, the NHAI has to take a call on it, Rajpal said. However, a senior NHAI official said the proposal isnt being considered. Since the process of shifting the Kherki toll plaza is already under way, the NHAI has deferred the acquisition of land from individual owners. Rather, we wish that the Haryana government would officially hand over the land at Sehrawan at the earliest for the NHAI to set up the new toll plaza, Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI, Gurgaon, said. Three years ago, the NHAI had initiated the process to acquire land at Kherki Daula before the landowners moved a petition in the Delhi High Court. However, the court advised both parties to go for an out-of-court settlement and resolve the issue by way of a lease agreement. In May, the NHAI opened three lanes at Kherki to facilitate the movement of traffic from Manesar to Gurgaon. However, industry owners at Manesar call it a piecemeal move and urged a permanent solution to perennial traffic problem at the toll. We want a permanent solution to the perennial traffic problem, Manmohan Gaind, president, Manesar Industry Welfare Association (MIWA), said. According to officials, around 1.1 lakh vehicles cross the Kherki toll everyday, fetching an average revenue of around of 40 lakh per day to the tolls keeperss. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The upscale Wellington Estate in DLF 5 has commissioned a 200 kWp Solar Power Plant that will supplement the already installed 1800 KW grid supply connection from Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitaran Nigam (DHBVN). With the installation of the solar plant, the society will save more than 20 lakh per annum on common area electricity expenditure, at least for the next 25 years. The society had already switched all its common area lighting to LEDs, much before this installation, said a RWA member. The implementation will be more beneficial during peak summer, as the citys electricity demand averages around 1300 MW per day and there is shortage of 350 MW, as per DHBVN officials. It took four months to get the plant installed, We had been working towards it for a long time. We wanted to invest in a project which would give us maximum output for longer period, Vineet Bagga, president, RWA, said. The project has been funded by internal savings and accumulated reserves, without any additional contributions from residents or funding from any financial institution. The project has been approved for government subsidy by Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA), the state nodal agency to implement MNRE-sponsored renewable energy initiatives. Now the entire common area is connected to solar plant. Earlier, our monthly electricity bill used to be approximately around 4 lakh a month, but now it will be reduce to 25-30%. The plant will be help us save money, Ajay Jain, secretary, RWA, Wellington Estate, said. Recently, the Wellington RWA had installed a uniquely designed rain water harvesting system with a capacity to store 40,000 liters of rainwater for charging groundwater. The rainwater received is diverted to water harvesting wells and helps replenish the groundwater levels. The RWA intends to add more wells, if needed, in the future to utilise 100% rainwater during the monsoon. The RWA plans to make Wellington Estate zero waste society by installing a composting plant in-house to process 100% of the biodegradable waste generated in the complex. Wellington Estate was established in year 2002. There are seven towers with 555 apartments spread across 6 acres. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Guillermo del Toros Cold War-era fairytale The Shape of Water swam away with a leading seven nominations from the Golden Globes, while the HBO drama Big Little Lies led the television nominees with six nods. In whats been seen as a wide-open Oscar race so far, several films followed closely behind The Shape of Water, including Steven Spielbergs Pentagon Papers drama The Post, with six nominations, including best actress for Meryl Streep and best actor for Tom Hanks. Martin McDonaghs revenge drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri also got a major boost in the nominations announced Monday in Beverly Hills, California, with six nods, including best actress for Frances McDormand and supporting actor for Sam Rockwell. The awards ceremony, traditionally seen as a more populist answer to the Oscars, will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2018. Eyes were also on how the Hollywood Foreign Press Association would tackle the ongoing sexual harassment scandal - which was spurred on after a series of allegations were made against producer Harvey Weinstein in October. In the months that followed, several other members of the industry such actor Kevin Spacey, director Brett Ratner and others have been accused of sexual misconduct. Many were excited to see how the likes of Transparent and All the Money in the World would perform. A rough cut of the latter was reportedly screened for the HFPA shortly after Scott finished reshooting the film with Christopher Plummer stepping in for Spacey. This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows James D'Arcy, left, and Kenneth Branagh in a scene from Dunkirk. (AP) Ahead of the announcements, the favourites at the Globes this year were Steven Spielbergs Pentagon Papers drama The Post and Christopher Nolans World War II tale Dunkirk. In the television categories, Hulus The Handmaids Tale and HBOs Big Little Lies. Meanwhile the HFPA had a wide choice of scandal-free nominees from diverse backgrounds like filmmakers Jordan Peele (Get Out), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) and Dee Rees (Mudbound). Get Out -- a satire on racism and middle class white guilt -- made perhaps the biggest and most unexpected impact of any movie this year. Martin McDonaghs Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, starring Frances McDormand as a mother seeking to avenge the rape and murder of her daughter, also took the influential audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Steven Spielbergs The Post, a defence of the free press widely seen as a rebuke to President Donald Trump, was the favourite for many experts to take best film drama. Coco was the comfortable frontrunner for best animated film -- but was marred by Pixar co-founder John Lassaters recent admission of inappropriate behaviour towards employees. The Golden Globes, televised by NBC, will take place at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 7. The show will be hosted by Seth Meyers. Here is the full list of nominations: Best Picture Drama Call Me by Your Name Dunkirk The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Picture Comedy or Musical The Disaster Artist Get Out The Greatest Showman I, Tonya Lady Bird Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Timothee Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name Daniel Day Lewis, Phantom Thread Tom Hanks, The Post Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq. Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Jessica Chastain, Mollys Game Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Meryl Streep, The Post Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Steve Carrell, Battle of the Sexes Ansel Elgort, Baby Driver James Franco, The Disaster Artist Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Judi Dench, Victoria & Abdul Margot Robbie, I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes Helen Mirren, The Leisure Seeker Best Supporting Actor Willem DaFoe, Florida Project Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water Christopher Plummer, All The Money in the World Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Mary J. Blige, Mudbound Hong Chau, Downsizing Alison Janney, I, Tonya Laurie Metcalfe, Lady Bird Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water Best Director Motion Picture Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk Ridley Scott, All the Money in the World Steven Spielberg, The Post Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Robert Deniro, The Wizard of Lies Jude Law, Young Pope Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks Ewan McGregor, Fargo Geoffrey Rush, Genius Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Anthony Anderson, Blackish Aziz Ansari, Master of None Kevin Bacon, I Love Dick William H. Macy, Shameless Eric McCormack, Will and Grace Best Screenplay Motion Picture Guillermo Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, The Post Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri Aaron Sorkin, Mollys Game Best Picture Foreign Language A Fantastic Woman (Chile) First They Killed My Father (Cambodia) In the Fade (Germany/France) Loveless (Russia) The Square (Sweden, Germany, France) Best Original Score Motion Picture Carter Burwell, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water Jonny Greenwood, Phantom Thread John Williams, The Post Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Big Little Lies Fargo FX Feud: Betty and Joan FX The Sinner, USA Top of the Lake: China Girl, Sundance TV With agency inputs Follow @htshowbiz for more A group of 20 Afghanistan women serving in combat role are in Chennai for a military training programme, the first such exercise which has enthused their peers in India who too are keen to serve on the frontline. The 20-day training programme began on December 4 at Officers Training Academy in Chennai, the sole centre training for gentlemen and lady cadets in India. Two Indian Army women officers, who are coordinating the training, favoured allowing women in combat role. Yes, I (will) definitely give a big yes...we should be given a fair opportunity in combat...all of us feel we could be in the forefront, Major Sanjana J R told PTI. ... if Afghan lady officers are serving their nation in combat, then why not the Indian Army, one of the largest armies in the world, she said. Major Sanjana, the instructor for the training programme for Afghan officers, was asked if the Indian army too should allow women officers in combat role. She said though women army officers were presently engaged in key support roles, they were actually not in the thick of combat. Hopefully, we will be part of combat (in future), said Captain Samriti, who is acting as an interpreter (of Pashto-official language of Afghanistan) and coordinator for the programme. It has been the wish of women officers to engage in combat to serve the nation, she added. The training will end on December 23 and the Afghan officers will leave the next day, Samriti said. Though training sessions have been held in the past to enhance the skills of officers in other areas, this is the first time Afghanistan women officers are here for military training, she said. Major Sanjana said the training programme is a capsule which encompasses major features of one year training. The Afghanistan women officers of various ranks are being trained in several areas including weaponry, firing, communication, tactics, administration and logistics. In addition to this, they are being trained to use hand grenades, AK-47s, INSAS (Assault rifle), among others. On Monday, media personnel were allowed to witness the women officers getting trained in handling the AK-47, in the OTA shooting range here at St Thomas Mount. They also handled ambush situations in mountainous terrain in class room simulation exercises. The women also underwent training in computer proficiency. Decades before Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park became the attraction it is today, a young Harold Brady and his friends explored the ruins of an old military campground that housed Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry troops. Brady, 98, who died in November, loved to explore and collect. "He collected stuff his whole life," said his daughter, Pat Hager, as she looked at a photo of her father wearing his favorite 7th Cavalry replica hat given to him by Fort Abraham Lincoln staff. "Truly one of the most interesting guys you would ever meet," Hager said. Born in Minnesota, Brady came to Mandan as a small child with his family after his father took a job with the railroad. In 2008, Brady loaned more than 7,000 artifacts he found as a child at or near the Fort Abraham Lincoln site to the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation as a way to share with the public what he found as a boy. In 2011, Brady gave the collection to the foundation and now some of the items are on display at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. "This is the tangible history," said Fort Lincoln park manager Dan Schelske about the case displaying some of Brady's artifacts. The case, which can be found in the commissary storehouse, holds evidence of 19th century life including buttons, doll faces, toy guns, bullet casings, horseshoes and metal kitchen utensils. "He always had stories about running around out here and collecting stuff and we're just fortunate we're able to get that and display it and show people," Schelske said. "The history of the area he thought, even when he was a kid, was so important. His interests went beyond history because he was an amateur geologist and interested in fossils and paleontology. All of those things to him were important, " Hager said. He opened Brady's Used Auto Parts in 1942 in downtown Mandan and the business stayed open until 2008. Hager said her father, who had an eighth-grade education, loved to collect various items and always made good use of what he had. "He was the original recycler," said Hager, adding he would buy cars, strip them for parts and then resell the parts and would fix old lawnmowers to resell as well. In 1966, Brady went before the state Legislature to urge the governing body to declare Teredo petrified wood the state fossil. He, along with others, were successful in their endeavor. Thoughout his life, Brady was recognized for his explorations, and, in 1987, he and his wife, Emma, were named honorary lieutenants of the foundation. He also was instrumental in the re-creation of the Custer home and additional buildings at the park. He was a charter member of the foundation. Brady also was a founding member of the Central Dakota Gem and Mineral Society. Police in Rajasthans Alwar shot at a truck being allegedly used to smuggle cows early on Monday, officials said, claiming people in the vehicle were the first ones to open fire. This is the second such case in days. Last week, a man was killed when police in Alwar similarly opened fire to stop a truck. Officials said Mondays shootout did not lead to any fatalities and one person was arrested. They were smuggling seven cows and six calves from somewhere near Narnaul to their village Palla in Nuh through Alwar. When they saw the police barricading at Gadpur, they fired at the police parties before taking a turn into a locality, said Bhiwadi circle officer (CO) Siddhant Sharma. Sharma said 3-4 shots were fired first at the police team, which returned 4-5 shots. The vehicle eventually got struck in a narrow street and the men fled on foot before one of the suspects, identified as 35-year-old Umar, was caught since he hurt his leg, according to police. The others were named as Tahir, Haroon and Zubair. Alwar is close to Mewat that straddles Haryana and Punjab. The region has a prominent settlement of Muslims, many of whom are from impoverished backgrounds and trade in cattle for a living. People often buy cattle from the several weekly markets and take them to their village, often passing by Alwar. It was in Alwar that dairy farmer Pehlu Khan was lynched by cow-protection vigilantes who accused him of smuggling the animal. Khan had bought the cow legally. In Mondays case, the police also accused the cattle transporters of smuggling. The CO said the bovines were bought for Rs 10,000 and were being taken for slaughter. It was not clear on what basis the claim was made. A case against the four has been registered under the bovine act, sections of arms act, and for attempt to murder and assault on public servant. Cows are considered sacred by Hindus and the animals preservation has become a prominent, often provocative issue since the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Vigilante groups with members who belong to right-wing groups have attacked and killed people found carrying cows or over suspicions that they ate beef. The targets have overwhelmingly been Muslims. With the Ganga drifting northwards and the emergence of a huge sand bar right in the middle of the stream, river navigation has been affected as also the water supply to the Silk City from its Barai Water Works. Officials here say that immediate dredging operations are needed over 1,700m to provide water depth for bigger ships to sail under the Vikramshila Bridge, but operations have been slow. The Bhagalpur stretch of the Ganga is a vital cog in the stretch declared National Waterway no. 1 massive work, worth 5,000 crore and with the assistance of the World Bank, is already underway to facilitate navigation along the 1,620km of the river stretch. The work includes development of three multi-modal hubs at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Haldia in West Bengal, and Sahebganj in Jharkhand, the last project being just 60km east of Bhagalpur, under a plan unveiled by Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for transport. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the shipping ministry, is also facilitating cruise operations on NW-1 from Kolkata to Varanasi in collaboration with private cruise operators. IWAI officials here said the river has abandoned its original course and in certain areas huge sand bars have formed and are proving to be impediments in navigation. A large island has formed in the river, following sharp reduction in water, and the shallow areas present difficulties in the way of dredging. The Gangetic mainstream, earlier flowing close to the south bank along Bhagalpur, located 240km east of Patna, has now shifted course in a northward loop to flow along Naugachhia near Khagaria district. This has reduced water in ship pathways on the southern side. In order to ensure sufficient flow of water in the channel, the IWAI now aims to dig a pilot channel by undertaking dredging work. Prashant Kumar, deputy director, IWAI sub-office at Sahebganj in Jharkhand, said though it is now nearly a month since work was initiated, only about 700m could be cleared. Kumar said that due to insufficient horizontal and vertical clearance below the northern arches of the bridge, linking north to south Bihar, and the increasing water level, it is often risky for bigger tourist and cargo vessels to navigate through the northern arches. The shift of the river has also hit water supply to different localities of the city from the Barari Water Works, making it necessary that the dredging bring back the water channel closer to town through a pilot channel for water harvesting purposes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The wife of a Mumbai-based businessman who was arrested late Sunday for allegedly molesting a teenage Bollywood actor said her husband had no intention to molest and the incident was the result of a misunderstanding. My husband is innocent, he had no intention to molest. There was a young death in family, which is where he went. He hadnt slept for 24 hours. He asked the crew not to disturb him. His foot was on the arm rest but not with the intention to harass, the woman is quoted as saying by news agency ANI. On Sunday, the 17-year-old actor, a National Award winner, posted a social media video narrating how she was touched inappropriately during a Delhi-Mumbai Vistara flight the night before. There was no immediate reaction by her. I dont know why she levelled these allegations, maybe there was a misunderstanding. He is a family man and can never do such a thing. We want justice, the businessmans wife told ANI. The suspect, who is 39 years old, was identified with the help of the airline and description provided by the girl, whose name is being withheld due to legal protocols that protect the identity of victims in sexual crimes. He will be produced in a magistrate court on Monday. In her Instagram video, the actor shows a man sitting behind her repeatedly putting his feet on her back and neck. This is not the way, this is not (how) a girl should be made to feel because this is terrible. Is this how they are doing to take care of girls? she said in the video made shortly after landing late Saturday. According to the Sahar police, a FIR was lodged based on her oral complaint under section 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of Indian Penal code (IPC) and section 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the unknown passenger. The Election Commission on Monday told the Supreme Court that a candidate should not contest from two constituencies as the court sought the assistance of the Attorney General in the matter. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud sought the assistance of KK Venugopal as it directed petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay to serve a copy of the petition to the Attorney General. Upadhyay has challenged Section 33(7) of the Representation of People Act that allows a person to contest elections for parliament and the state assemblies from two constituencies. He has sought prohibition on contesting elections from two constituencies at all levels -- parliament and the state assemblies. Rahul Gandhi will officially be declared Congress president on Monday, the last day of withdrawal of nomination papers for the top post in the grand old party. He takes over the reins from his mother Sonia Gandhi who remained at the partys helm for 19 consecutive years since 1998. Rahul had filed his nominations papers on December 4. The announcement will come in Rahuls absence, who is busy campaigning in Gujarat. The central election authority (CEA), a party panel overseeing the organisational polls, will hand over a certificate to him at a later date. The 47-year-olds elevation marks a generational shift in the grand old party that is going through a difficult phase due to a series of electoral setbacks. The Congress had barely managed to win 44 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls after being in power for 10 years. Rahuls daunting task will be to revive and rebuild the Congress to make it fighting fit for the 2019 elections. A good show in Gujarat, where he is leading the party campaign from the front, will certainly give a good start to his new innings. As many as 89 sets of nomination papers for Rahul with proposers, including Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Congress Working Committee members, had been received by the partys election authority. Before filing his papers at the Congress headquarters, Rahul had visited the residences of Pranab Mukherjee, former president and veteran party leader, and Singh besides his mother to seek their blessings. Rahulji has been the darling of the Congress...He will carry on the great traditions of the Congress party, Singh said. Rahul, who was anointed as the Congress vice president in January 2013, will be the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to occupy the top post in the 131-year-old party. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress on Monday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to former vice-president Hamid Ansari and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for insinuating that they were colluding with Pakistan to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Gujarat elections. Perceiving a clear defeat in Gujarat, the Prime Minister was frustrated and using foul language to rouse sympathy for himself, Congress leader Anand Sharma said in New Delhi, a day after Modi accused the party and elements in Pakistan of working together to defeat the BJP. The Congress was reacting to Modis charge in a public meeting on Sunday in Gujarat that Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars neech remark came after a dinner at his house the previous day attended by former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri, its current High Commissioner in India besides Ansari and Singh, among others. Today Prime Minister, in his frustration and perceiving a clear defeat, wants to divert the attention of people. PM should take his words back and to maintain the dignity of his post, should apologise. If he has any such information, then its a very serious matter... The country will not accept wrong means being employed by the ruling party to win the elections. We have full faith that the Gujarat electorate is intelligent and mature enough to understand the tactics behind yesterdays address (by Modi) and will answer them in the second phase, Sharma told the media. He said nothing could be more absurd than what the Prime Minister had said on Sunday. It is expected of the Prime Minister to be dignified in his discourse, to always remember that he holds a high office and he should not level accusations, cast aspersions on those who have held high constitutional offices and have served India with dedication and commitment. Sharma said Modis insinuations against the former Vice President of India and former Prime Minister of doing something improper is highly irresponsible, improper and condemnable. The Prime Minister, he said, must remember that mere attending a social function in which high dignitaries were present... It was not a secret meeting, in which former Chief of the Indian Army, India former High Commissioner to Pakistan, eminent journalists, they all were present. The Prime Minister is giving it a sinister and sensational twist. The Prime Minister should restore the dignity of political discourse, and apologise to the former Vice President and former PM. It is clear that he has done so with the intent to confuse and mislead the people of Gujarat ... to whip up emotions and to polarise. There cannot be any other explanation and there cannot be anything more reprehensible than what he has done. Referring to Modis charge that Congress leaders were colluding with Pakistan, Sharma said, It is outrageous. He should know that Congress led the freedom struggle in which the ancestors of the party that Modi belongs to had opposed the Indian freedom struggle. They had sided with the British and had opposed Mahatma Gandhis Quit India Movement ... He is heir of such a group. Sharma said that Modi has time and again brought down the political discourse to such a low, which is anything but dignified. Why doesnt he talk about progress, the countrys economy. He is the Prime Minister, is given to making tall claims, why doesnt he talk about farmers today? Why doesnt he talk about employment, the future of youth? What is their agenda, on what basis are they fighting the polls? he asked. His own speeches, their partys foul language.. The PM is trying to rouse sympathy for himself by trying to show to the people that he has been wronged. It is he who has wronged the people. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the controversy surrounding Hindi film Padmavati was totally absurd. Participating in an open forum on Freedom of Expression during the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) here, Tharoor said nobody should have the right to say what should go on in a movie or a book. The whole controversy against Padmavati is totally absurd. We have reached a critical point where those who claim to be offended manage to get their way, the former Union minister said. All you need to say is something has hurt your religious sentiment, let it be a book, a movie, an article or even a headline and it doesnt matter even if it is accurate or truthful, but the law is in favour of them, a release quoting Tharoor said. An adaptation of Malik Muhammad Jayasis epic Padmavat, the films release had to be postponed from December 1 amid protests by various Rajput groups and fringe elements who have threatened physical harm to its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and lead actress Deepika Padukone. Bhansali has been accused of depicting a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Sultan Alauddin Khilji (played by Ranveer Singh), a claim repeatedly denied by the director. Historians are divided on whether Padmavati actually existed. Tharoor, Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, claimed such issues escalate because the British wrote a law in the 1920s which says anything that offends the religious sentiment of a community is punishable by such and such. Sadly we havent removed this from the law and it has become the favourite tools of those who have a problem with the freedom of artists, he said. Participating in the discussion, noted filmmaker Aparna Sen said the idea of freedom was non-negotiable, especially for creative artists. Noted that some people ask her why she was protesting for a movie when thousands of farmers commit suicide every day in the country, she said the protests for not merely for a movie. The protest was because the creative freedom and freedom of expression in the country is at stake, she said. We are living in a time of fear and everyones freedom is challenged. This is how dictatorship begins, she alleged. Sen said everybody has the freedom to protest, write and express but that should not create a law and order situation. They cant say a movie shouldnt be screened or else its actresss nose will be cut off, she added. Malayalam actor Sajitha Madathil said the idea of freedom of expression has always been related to gender. She mentioned about the social media attack against three Muslim girls recently for participating in a flash mob dance performance in Malappuram, wearing Hijabs, on World Aids Day. People who tried to support them were suppressed and silenced by fundamentalists, she claimed. All these incidents were creating a fear psychosis among those who usually respond to such things. There has always been violations of freedom, she alleged. Eminent scientist and Father of DNA finger printing in India, Lalji Singh, has passed away following a massive heart attack while he was on his way to Delhi. Singh, 70, died late Sunday night. He complained of chest pain when he reached the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport to board a flight for Delhi. He was taken to the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Trauma Centre from there but he could not be saved, OP Upadhyaya, chief medical superintendent of the Sunder Lal hospital in the BHU, said. Singh, the 25th vice-chancellor of BHU, hailed from neighbouring Jaunpur districts Kalvari village. He was also an alumnus of the BHU and completed his BSc, MSc and PhD degrees from there. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath condoled Singhs death. Lalji Singh was the father of DNA finger printing. The country has lost a great educationist and scientist after his death, he said. Singh was also the recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri award. He joined the BHU in 1962 after completing his intermediate from a school in his native district. Singh, the founder of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), also served as its director. He was the officer-on-special-duty (OSD) at the Centre for DNA Finger Printing and Diagnostics (CDFD) in Hyderabad between 1995-1999. Singh also found various institutes and laboratories that included laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), Genome Foundation, that aims to diagnose and treat genetic disorders affecting the underprivileged people, especially in rural India. India, China and Russia on Monday called for stronger partnerships and concerted actions by the world community to counter all forms of terrorism and to disrupt terror financing, supply of arms and spread of terrorist ideology. A joint communique issued after the 15th meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia-India-China (RIC) also called for those committing, organising, inciting or supporting terrorist acts to be held accountable and brought to justice under international law, including the principle of extradite or prosecute. Though India flagged its concerns about Pakistan-based terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, they were not named in the communique, which also did not single out any country for backing terror activities. I put across my view that significant rise in acts of terrorism by terrorist organisations like Taliban, Daesh (Islamic State), al-Qaeda, and Lashkar-e-Taiba directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said at a joint press interaction with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi Swaraj also called for a comprehensive policy for dealing with global terrorism that includes dealing with extremism, countering religious fanaticism, preventing recruitment, disrupting terrorist movements, stopping terror financing and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, and countering terrorist propaganda through the internet. The communique said the three countries were committed to step up cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism, radicalisation, terrorist ideology and terror financing. It said they would work together at multilateral forums such as the Financial Action Task force to choke funding for terrorists. We agree to strengthen cooperation to take decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities. We condemn all forms of terrorism and all terrorists, terror entities and organisations listed by the UN Security Council, it added. The communique made it clear the trilateral cooperation was not directed against any other country. Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, the three countries backed an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned national peace and reconciliation and the building of a peaceful, united, democratic, stable and pluralistic state. They said the key to stabilising Afghanistan is capable and effective Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. They also called for result-oriented global efforts to counter the Afghan drug threat because of a significant increase of opium poppy production and the nexus between narcotics revenue and terror financing. The communique said a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of UN Resolutions, the Arab peace initiative and previous agreements aimed at creating an independent and territorially contiguous Palestinian state living side by side with Israel is needed to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East. Prime Minister Narendra Modis allegation that Pakistan was trying to influence the Gujarat elections, citing a meeting between Congress leaders and Pakistans High Commissioner at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars residence in New Delhi, has drawn sharp reactions. Here is what is being said as the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attack each other in the Gujarat elections. Manmohan Singh, Congress I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than ... Modi, said the former prime minister. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of the Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Rahul Gandhi, Congress The Prime Minister talks sometimes about Pakistan and sometimes about China and Japan. Modi ji, this is the election for the future of Gujarat. Talk something about Gujarat too, says Congress leader at an election rally in Tharad assembly constituency of Banaskantha district. During his entire speech half of the time he talks about Congress. You (Modi) claim that the country has been Congress-free then why are you giving so much prominence to the Congress in your speeches? P Chidambaram, Congress Is winning an election so important that such allegations can be made against a former Prime Minister and a former Vice President, says the former finance minister in a tweet. The BJPs campaign in Gujarat in the last few days, especially yesterday, has gone beyond bizarre. Should a political party go to any length to win an election? Anand Sharma, Congress Today Prime Minister, in his frustration and perceiving a clear defeat, wants to divert the attention of people. PM should take his words back and to maintain the dignity of his post, should apologise, says former commerce minister in Delhi. It is expected of the Prime Minister to be dignified in his discourse. Shiv Sena The BJP ally criticises Modi for being stuck in the Gujarat rut and for his election speeches. The PM chose to ignore the progress and developmental issues and stooped to mere tu-tu, main-main (rhetoric) in his own home-state, the Sena said in an editorial in its newspapers, Saamana and Dopahar Ka Saamana. The edit criticised Modi for his response to Aiyars neech (lowly) comment about him. Modi had said Aiyars comment was an attack on Gujarati pride. By such a statement, Modi made himself small... We always believed he stood for the pride of the people and all the Hindus of the country, but he still remains stuck in the Gujarat rut. Shatrughan Sinha, BJP MP Sinha, a dissident BJP leader, called Modis statement incredible. Sir! Just to win elections anyhow, and that too at the fag end of the process, is it a must to come up with and endorse new, unsubstantiated and unbelievable stories everyday against political opponents? Now linking them to Pakistan High Commissioner and Generals?! Incredible! Sinha said in a tweet. Mohammad Faisal, Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson Pakistan called Modis allegation utterly baseless and irresponsible. Faisal tweeted: India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. Ravi Shankar Prasad, law minister and senior BJP leader Prasad rejected Pakistans statement and said Faisal was trying to bail out the Congress party. Now it is whose turn to apologise? But what is curious is that this happens and Pakistan comes out with an official statement. In many ways seeking to bail out Congress party. Is it too suspicious? Surely, the country will draw its own conclusion. Mandan police received a report of a shooting about 4 p.m. Friday in the 1000 block of First Street Northwest, according to a news release from Mandan Deputy Police Chief Lori Flaten. Friday's shooting comes about a week after a Dec. 2 shooting incident in Mandan in the 800 block of Poplar Street that sent a 22-year-old man to the hospital injuries that were not life-threatening. Mandan police have released few details about that case, describing it as complex. Prime Minister Narendra Modis allegations that Pakistan was trying to influence the outcome of the assembly elections in Gujarat was utterly baseless and irresponsible, the neighbouring country has said. India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible, spokesperson of Pakistans ministry of foreign affairs Mohammad Faisal tweeted on Sunday. India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 11, 2017 Modi on Sunday referred to a Facebook post by the former director general of the Pakistan army Sardar Arshad Rafiq, saying that senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel should be the next Gujarat chief minister. The post was covered by a section of the Indian media. The Prime Minister also attacked Congress suspended leader Mani Shankar Aiyar over the latters neech aadmi (low-class man) jibe at him. Modi drew a connection between Aiyars remark and Pakistans interference. There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyars house. It was attended by Pakistans high commissioner, Pakistans former foreign minister, Indias former vice president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Modi said. The next day, Mani Shankar Aiyar said Modi was neech. This is a serious matter, he said adding that they met for almost three hours. The Congress was quick to deny the charges and asked Modis government to repatriate Pakistans top diplomat in the country if he was indeed meddling in an Indian election. Its a foregone conclusion that he has abdicated the politics of development in both action and words. But does it befit the stature of the Prime Minister to rely on canards, rumours & lies just for an election? This is very sad, Patel, Congress president Sonia Gandhis political secretary, tweeted. This was not the first time the BJP has referred to Pakistan in an election campaign. Last year, ahead of the Assam election, which it won, the BJP said if the Congress won, fireworks would go off in celebration in Pakistan. Modi is back to the same old Pakistan bogey. It was Mian Musharraf in 2002 Sir Creek issues in 2012, and now hes talking about Pakistans interference in Gujarat polls. If Modi thinks that Pakistan is meddling in Gujarat polls, why doesnt he expel the Pakistani high commissioner in India? the partys national spokesperson Manish Tewari asked. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, another Congress spokesperson, said Patel himself had dismissed recent rumours that he would be made chief minister if the Congress won. The Congress also came out in defence of Singh and pointed out that as the prime minister he never went to Pakistan in 10 years. Is Modi suggesting Singh and former VP Hamid Ansari are untrustworthy people? Its not Singh but PM Modi who went to Lahore and we got (the) Pathankot terror attack Tewari said. The first phase of the Gujarat elections ended on Saturday; 89 seats went to the polls. The second phase, for 93 seats is on December 14 and campaigning ends on December 12. The BJP has governed Gujarat for 22 years. The Congress is hoping to unseat the BJP by tapping the angst over the agrarian crisis and the implementation of the goods and services tax, and on the strength of a coalition it has built with Patidars, some other backward classes, and Dalits. The BJP is hoping to retain power on the strength of the popularity of Prime Minister Modi, who was chief minister of the state for 13 years, and its record of development and governance. Analysts expect it to be a close fight, although the BJP has maintained that it is confident of bettering its tally of 119 seats in the 182-member assembly in 2012. Opinion polls give the Congress anything between 37 and 85 seats, and the BJP 92-141. China acted firmly but with restraint in resolving the Doklam military standoff, diplomatically ensuring India withdrew its trespassing troops from the area, foreign minister Wang Yi has said. Wangs remarks that Beijings stance reflected its responsibility in maintaining peace in the region came against the backdrop of reports that China had deployed some 1,600 troops near the site of the face-off that lasted more than two months. He said Chinas actions during the standoff were on just grounds and had upheld the countrys territorial integrity. Wang said, We handled the Indian border troops trespass into Chinas Donglang area in our national interest, on just grounds and with restraint. He noted that China is also firm in upholding its sovereign rights and interests and territorial integrity. He added, Through diplomatic means, we engaged with the Indian side and it withdrew its equipment and personnel. This demonstrates not only the value and emphasis we put on relations with India but also our sincerity and sense of responsibility in maintaining regional peace and stability. Wang was speaking at the opening of a symposium on International Developments and Chinas Diplomacy in 2017 over the weekend. The military standoff between Indian and Chinese border troops was resolved at the end of August, when the two countries withdrew troops from Donglang, an area under Chinese control but claimed by Bhutan. Beijing also indicated it had halted work on a road that triggered the row. The standoff aside, Wang said China and India have shared strategic interests and the need to cooperate. Both being big developing countries, China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than concrete differences, and far greater needs for cooperation than partial frictions, he said. Wang added that China always values the good neighbourliness and friendship between the two countries as we are each others big neighbours and ancient civilisations. He mentioned that there is a prospect for the dragon and the elephant to dance together as long as bilateral strategic communication is maintained. We believe that as long as we continue to engage in in-depth strategic communication and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of China-India cooperation will speak for itself, and there will be a prospect of the Dragon and the Elephant dancing together and 1+1=11 effect as expected by our leaders, he said. Turning to regional issues, Wang said Beijing will direct more attention and resources to the issue of Afghanistan and announced that the first meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and China will be held in Beijing this month. Before the end of the year, I will be joined by my Afghan and Pakistani counterparts in Beijing to discuss peace, reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan, improvement of relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and cooperation among our three countries, he said. In the meantime, China will continue its mediation for a proper, phased settlement of the situation in Rakhine state, Myanmar, he added. On the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said China will focus on flagship projects along key routes and at key junctions to reap early harvests for the benefit of the people. Through our work at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China-Laos Economic Corridor, and China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, at the Piraeus port and Kyaukpyu port, at the China-Laos railway and China-Thailand railway in Asia and other railway projects in Africa, Europe and Latin America, we will strengthen new driving forces for and further upgrade Belt and Road cooperation. When Fortis Hospital in Gurgaon billed the family of a seven-year-old girl who died of dengue in September a sum of over Rs 16 lakh, outrage ensued over allegations of overcharging by private hospitals in India. While that is a problem, new data from the National Health Accounts (NHA) published by the Union health ministry reveals that medicines are the biggest financial burden on Indian households. Of more than three lakh crore rupees that households spent on health in 2014-15, around 42% of the total out-of-pocket spending (OOP) went in buying medicines. In private hospitals, households spent around 28% of the OOP spending. OOP spending is the money individuals pay on their own rather than being covered by insurance or health benefits and constitutes 62.6% of the total health spend in India including all government and private sources, latest NHA data shows. This has direct bearings for reducing OOP expenditure. Every public facility should be providing a list of essential medicines and diagnostics for free, as medicines and diagnostics are significant causes of the OOP spending, said Indranil Mukhopadhyay from the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). This also means that the governments push for generic drugs, which are generally cheaper, can help reduce a significant proportion of household spend on health. Households spent four times less in government hospitals (7.5%) as compared to private hospitals. Another 7% was spent on medical and diagnostic laboratories and 6% on patient transportation and emergency rescue services. The estimates for household spending breakup were made through various surveys of NSSO and NFHS. Experts say that high OOP for health brings a financial burden on families and discourages people from seeking timely care. India has one of the highest private OOP expenditures in the world. OOP, when catastrophic, results in seven crore people falling back into poverty line, former Union health secretary CK Mishra said at a conference organised by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) last week. International Comparison Cross-country comparable NHA data from WHOs Global Health Expenditure Database shows that Indias OOP spending as a proportion of total health expenditure is extremely high when compared with BRICS nations, the United States and the United Kingdom. For none of these countries, does OOP share in total health spend exceed 50%. However, this is not the only problem. International experience indicates that low public spending is behind the high OOP share in India. When compared with BRICS, the UK and the US, India has the highest share of private spending on health and the lowest share of government spending. Of the total health spending in India, the government contributes just 29%. In the UK, the governments share is 83%. For others, this figure ranges between 45 and 55%. As a proportion of GDP, Indian government spends just 1.1% on health. The 2017 National Health Policy set a goal of raising this figure to 2.5% of GDP by 2025. There has been little change in government spending over the last decade or so. Governments share in total health spend increased slightly from 22.5% in 2004-05 to 29% in 2014-15. In the same period, OOP share decreased from 70% of the health spend to around 63%indicating that a further rise in public spending may decrease the OOP burden. Unutilised funds Increase in government spending is crucial but accountability and utilisation is equally important. Despite the low budgetary allocation to health, says Yamini Aiyar, President and Chief Executive of Center for Policy Research, the government is unable to spend the relatively little it does have. The system is so deeply broken that even some of the basic things like moving money and spending money become a complicated task, Aiyar said at the NIPFP conference, pointing to the inefficiencies and systemic problems in how public finances are managed in the country. Bihar, for instance, in 2016-17 spent just 54% of its approved budget for the year. Health issues in Bihar require massive expenditure, yet the state is able to spend remarkably little, Aiyar said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India has proposed $1 billion line of credit to promote sea, air and road connectivity projects with ASEAN, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday. Apart from this, India has set up a project development fund of $77 million to develop manufacturing hubs in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, he said. The ASEAN India maritime transport cooperation agreement is being negotiated...An Asian India civil aviation task force has been established to see optimisation of air connectivity. India has proposed to commit a line of credit of $1 billion to promote projects that support physical and digital connectivity, Gadkari said. He was addressing the ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit jointly organised by CII and ASEAN India Centre. The minister said ASEAN and India have also agreed to establish a maritime transport working group among India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to examine the feasibility of shipping networks. Asserting that connectivity is the pathway to shared prosperity, he said better connectivity is the core factor for strengthening ASEAN-India relations. Connectivity projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (TH), extension of TH to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project are being planned and at different stages of implementation, he said. India is already working with Myanmar in the areas of border area development, capacity building, infrastructure development, connectivity projects and institutional development. Stressing on augmentation of international connectivity, the minister said for Bharat Mala project, around 2,000 km with an outlay of Rs 25,000 crore are earmarked to connect Indias major highway corridors to international trade points. This will facilitate export/import trade with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. About BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) Motor Vehicles Agreement, Gadkari said action has been initiated for implementation of BBIN MVA by Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Two bank guards were killed in an alleged militant attack on a cash van in South Kashmirs Shopian district on Monday. Police said the militants were unable to loot any money because the van, belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, was returning empty after disbursing it among local branches in Keller area. Militants intercepted a van and killed two bank guards, but they could not loot any cash, confirmed deputy inspector general of police (South Kashmir) SP Pani. Police said the van driver is out of danger, and a hunt has been launched for the alleged militants. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed her grief over the death of the two guards, and tweeted that the future can be made safe and peaceful only if everybody worked together. The opposition National Conference also strongly condemned the incident. A statement jointly released by party president Farooq Abdullah and his son, working president Omar Abdullah, termed the killing of the two bank guards as an act of barbarism and cowardice. A similar incident had occurred in May, when militants killed five policemen and two bank guards during an attack on a cash van at Phambai in Kulgam district. The Hizbul Mujahideen, which claimed responsibility for the incident, had to clarify its position after it evoked widespread condemnation across the Valley. We didnt attack the vehicle with an intent to loot cash. We have enough money. We condemn the killing of the bank employees, and want to clarify that they were shot dead by security personnel, Burhanuddin, spokesperson of the militant group, said. Nobody has claimed responsibility for Mondays attack so far. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Suspected Lashker-e-Taiba operative Abdul Nayeem Sheikh, who was arrested last month from Lucknow, had spent some time in trouble-torn south Kashmir and filmed some Army installations, officials said. Sheikh, a resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, was on the radar of central intelligence agencies for quite sometime before he was nabbed with the help of Uttar Pradesh police in the last week of November. The case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a central probe agency mandated to investigate all terror modules in the country. The central security agencies, which interrogated Sheikh at length, had told the investigators about his accomplice, Tauseef Ahmed Malik, in Pulwama district of south Kashmir. He was placed under arrest by the NIA on December 9. During interrogation, Sheikh disclosed that he had stayed in Pulwama, moved to various places with the help of Malik and even photographed some Army and para-military camps, the officials claimed. Sheikh, who was wanted in connection with a 2014 terror case and was since on the run, told investigators that some important power projects and railway tracks in the Valley were surveyed, they said. He had also visited some places in Himachal Pradesh, especially Kasol, which is frequented by Israeli nationals visiting India, according to the officials. Security agencies have claimed that Sheikh was roped in for a recce mission similar to that undertaken by David Headley, a Pakistan-American, who is at present serving a prison sentence of 35 years at a US jail for his involvement in terror activities and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008. They said Maliks association with the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba also came to light during Sheikhs interrogation. Malik had shown to probe officials the places where Sheikh had stayed with the terrorists for over three months, they added. The Patna high court on Monday issued showcause notices to all vice chancellors (VCs) and registrars over inordinate delay in clearing retirement benefits to teaching and non-teaching staff of different universities across Bihar. A division bench of chief justice Rajendra Menon and justice Anil Kumar Upadhaya passed the order after the state education department informed the court that university authorities had not been sending complete papers related to retired employees. Taking serious note of the matter, the bench also asked the VCs and registrars to explain in their replies why their salary should not be stopped. The bench, which was hearing a petition filed by Krishna Kant Sinha, secretary of Pensiondhari Samaj of Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, posted the matter for further monitoring on January 4, 2018. The court had on September 8 asked the state government to hold a meeting with university authorities to chalk out a mechanism to ensure payment of all admissible retirement benefits, including pension, provident fund, gratuity and leave encashment, within 30 days of retirement. In his petition, Sinha has pleaded for a court direction to authorities concerned to ensure that all admissible retirement benefits are paid to university staff without knocking the door of the high court. He said many retired university employees were not being paid the monthly pension on the first day of the month. The petitioner alleged that many teaching staff, who retired after January 2010, were yet to receive gratuity amount and the payment against leave encashment. The Bihar education department is already burdened with nearly 4,000 pending court cases, including 1,250 contempt proceedings. Many of these cases are related to promotions, service matters and post-retirement issues. A religious preacher has been arrested for allegedly insulting Bharat Mata by posting a hate speech on social media, police said on Monday. Yalamanchili Vijay Kumar, director of an organisation called Christ Gospel Team, allegedly made a derogatory speech about Bharat Mata--the national personification of India as a mother goddess. The accused, a native of East Godavari district in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, had given the hate speech in August this year and posted it on social media, DCP (South Zone) said in a statement. The complaint was filed against Vijay Kumar, who also goes by alises Vijay Kumar and Br. Vijay, by one T. Kunal Rao, a businessman and a resident of Hussainialam in Hyderabad. According to police, the speech of Vijay Kumar was prejudicial to maintenance of harmony which could disturb the public tranquillity. Vijay Kumars hateful intention to outraging feelings of the citizens of India and his statement is prejudicial to national integration, according to the release. Vijay Kumar was booked under relevant sections of the IPC for hurting communal harmony and religious feelings. The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has said questions about the goods and services tax (GST) as part ancient Indian political-philosopher Kautilyas treatise Arthashastra and that Manu, the legendary author of a Sanskrit law code, was the first to think of globalisation were part of the curriculum taught at the institution. Several postgraduate students of political science at the university were also asked about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities missions in their semester exam on social and political thought of ancient and medieval India last week. The questions triggered a debate as critics alleged that they were a part of a drive by Hindu hardliners to promote ancient philosophies in the contemporary context. Professors are experts of their subjects. As far as the GST is concerned, professors in few departments have started teaching the new tax regime from this session. As far as I know, other topics around which questions were framed would be part of the curriculum. Professors of their respective subjects are experts, they can say it better, the BHUs spokesperson Rajesh Kumar Singh said. Current affairs? Political science (MA semester I) "Write an essay on nature of GST (Goods and Services Tax) in Kautilya Arthashashtra and Manu is the first Indian thinker of globalisation. Discuss it." Write an essay on Bharatiya Janata Party. What is AAP? Political science & History (MA semester III) What is the meaning of smart city? Is urban government a failure in implementing the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Varanasi? Give a critical evaluation of it. 10 marks. Where is Taj Mahal? Discuss about triple talaq and halala as social evils in Islam. What do you mean by Jauhar tradition? Describe Rani Padmavatis Jauhar in the period of Alauddin Khalji. Professor Tabir Kalam, who teaches history at the university, said the Quran and Hadith were part of the syllabus of medieval Indian historiography when asked why second-year students were asked about Islams most holy text and the Taj Mahals location, normally taught at the primary level. In this paper, we teach students about the influence of Arabic and Persian historiography on medieval Indian historiography. Main sources of Arab historiography are the Quran and Hadith, Kalam said. Hadith is the best example of history writing because when the scholars started the compilation of Hadith, they enquired and scrutinised the content and sources and the person responsible for bringing the information to the compilers. And then the Hadith was considered reliable. In history, we also do the same thing, he added. The BHU also asked history students about Alauddin Khilji, Rani Padmavati and jauhar -- a tradition followed by women who jumped into the fire collectively to avoid being captured by invading rulers. Rajiv Srivastava, who teaches society, culture and religion in medieval India, described the questions as very logical. Those raising questions over the question paper have no idea about the syllabus. The Jauhar tradition, Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji were also part of the syllabus. A question was framed on the Taj Mahal as its architecture was great and each student should know about it, Srivastava said. The question on the Taj Mahal was an objective-type one and carried two marks, Srivastava said. He clarified that he did not set the paper but taught these subjects. Political science professor Kaushal Kishore Mishra said there is nothing intentional about the essay on the ruling BJP. A short-answer question about the AAP is also there in the paper, he said. Mishra also defended the question on Kautilyas Arthashastra in the context of modern-day GST and Manus concept of globalisation saying these were part of the curriculum. He said Arthashastra, a Sanskrit treatise on political diplomacy, economy and military strategy, talks of a single-tax system, including 13 slabs. The BHU is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modis parliamentary constituency Varanasi. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress on Monday declared Rahul Gandhi as its president in an elevation that marks a generational shift in the countrys oldest political party that is going through a difficult phase due to a series of electoral setbacks. The 47-year-old leader was elected unopposed and will replace his mother Sonia Gandhi. The change of guard brings down the curtains on more than 19 years of uninterrupted tenure of Sonia, who holds the record of being the longest-serving Congress president after assuming the post on March 14, 1998. Since the withdrawal of date/time is over and as there is only one candidate, as per Article XVII (d) of the Constitution of Indian National Congress, I hereby declare Shri Rahul Gandhi elected as president of the Indian National Congress, returning officer Mullappally Ramachandran said. Ramachandran told reporters Rahul will receive the certificate of election from the partys poll panel during a ceremony at the Congress headquarters in Delhi on December 16. Ramachandran said as many as 89 sets of valid nomination papers proposing Rahuls name for the post were received by the partys central election authority that oversaw the organisational polls. He had filed his papers on December 4. Rahuls elevation comes nearly five years after he was anointed as the Congress vice-president in January 2013. He is the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to occupy the top post in the 131-year-old party. The announcement, which came in the absence of Rahul who is campaigning in Gujarat, was received by Congress supporters by bursting of crackers, waving of party flag and beating of drums. Slogans such as Agla Pradhan Mantri Kaisa Ho, Rahul Gandhi Jaisa Ho. (How should our next Prime Minister be he should be like Rahul Gandhi) and Long Live Rahul Gandhi rented the air outside the party office at 24, Akbar Road. The entire Indian National Congress family would like to convey our best wishes to incoming President Rahul Gandhi, and wish him a successful tenure as he continues to lead from the front, the party said on its official Twitter handle. He will be the face of the party in the 2019 parliamentary elections. His party faced one of its worst ever electoral drubbings in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and barely managing to win 44 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had then led an aggressive campaign to oust the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government after 10 years in power. Rahuls daunting task will be to revive and rebuild the Congress to make it fighting fit for the 2019 elections. A good show in Gujarat, where he is leading the party campaign, will certainly give a good start to his new innings. The entire country has lots of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. He has shown his mettle much before he was elected, senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress has given themselves a little more breathing room to get through their 2017 to-do list, passing a continuing resolution Thursday on a spending bill that gives them two more weeks to get a final budget to the President's desk. Budget negotiations will continue behind the scenes, and although no resolution is expected this week, those involved want a clear outline for the final deal locked in before lawmakers go home for the weekend. Here's what else to keep an eye on this week: Will Roy Moore join the Senate? All eyes will be on Alabama on Tuesday as the state's voters decide between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones for Alabama's Senate seat. Should Jones win, it will shave Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's slim majority even closer, with a 51-49 split in the upper chamber. Should Roy Moore prevail, McConnell has said he believes Moore "would immediately have an issue with the Ethics Committee." Moore's would-be partner from Alabama, Sen. Richard Shelby, said Sunday that though he wants a Republican elected to the chamber, he did not vote for Moore in the special election. "I'd rather see the Republican win, but I'd rather see a Republican write-in," Shelby told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." "I couldn't vote for Roy Moore. I didn't vote for Roy Moore." Tax reform The conference committee is expected to have its first public meeting early in the week. As of now, leadership sources still say the vote on the conference report is expected on either December 18 or 19 in the House, and a day later in the Senate. That could be sped up, though at this point, it's not clear how that could happen. Sexual harassment Resignation watch continues for Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas, with the House Ethics Committee saying it has received information over the last two weeks about his alleged conduct and it is establishing a subcommittee to continue the investigation. Rep. Ruben Kihuen of Nevada faces sexual harassment questions of his own, with both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee calling for his resignation. Kihuen has flatly refused to resign, and is expected to announce this week whether he will run for re-election. Key votes and hearings Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed cloture on three circuit court judges -- Leonard Grasz for the 8th Circuit, Don. R. Willett for the 5th Circuit and James C. Ho for the 5th Circuit Court -- in what has been a rapid-pace filling of judicial slots during the Trump administration. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is scheduled to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday about Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of the Trump campaign. He is expected to face questions over potential bias in the investigation after Peter Strzok, who previously led the FBI's investigation into the Clinton email server, and was removed from Mueller's team after sending text messages that could be interpreted as showing political bias against Trump. On Tuesday, a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee will examine ways to protect North Korean refugees; the House Financial Services committee will clear the decks of their to-do with the markup of fifteen different bills; and the Senate Commerce Subcommittee will hold a hearing to examine artificial intelligence and "what practices should be in place to ensure proper use of this technology." On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear from former administration officials on the strategic, political and legal considerations for the use of force. And on Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee will receive testimony on the US policy and strategy in the Middle East. CNN's Lauren Fox and Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report. Rahul Gandhi was officially declared president of the Congress party on Monday, taking charge of what can be seen as one of the most challenging jobs in Indian politics. Gandhi, 47, will take control of the countrys principal opposition party from his mother Sonia, who served as the Congress chief for a record 19 years. The challenges, which by and large include sweeping changes crucial to take the party out of one of its worst phases, mirror the early days of his mothers term in 1998 when the party was in power in only four states and was torn by divisions within. Following are some of the important decisions and problems he will need to deal with to revive the party: Organisational overhaul Rahuls first task will be a revamp of the party. Leaders suggest he will go for an overhaul, completing a generational shift in the 131-year-old party brought about by his elevation. The important challenge will be to ensure the transition is smooth, a balance is struck between young leaders and the old guard, which in the past had some reservations about his style of functioning. In his nearly five years as the Congress vice-president, he had tried to open the party to end the heirloom politics but didnt make much headway. State affairs The party has to mount a strident campaign for state elections in 2018 to begin gathering a momentum that can put it in a better position for the general elections in 2019. Retaining Karnataka and dethroning the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan will be a daunting task, one that cannot be achieved without addressing problems such as infighting and regional leadership gaps. The party desperately needs to get its house in order in key states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and West Bengal, where it has ceded political space to rivals. Lifting morale With the Congress at its weakest in parliament and arch-rival BJP appearing to gain ground nationally, it is crucial for Gandhi to galvanise an otherwise demoralised Congress. Much of the cadre has been struggling to recover after a series of electoral setbacks. The challenge is difficult but not impossible, since outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi turned the party around in six years after taking charge, winning the 2004 and 2009 general elections. Forging partnerships With around 16 months left for the next Lok Sabha election, Gandhi will have to decide on alliance partners to prevent a division of the opposition vote that could help the BJP. Stitching up alliances perhaps is his second biggest challenge after reviving the party. His mother, who turned 71 on December 9, enjoys a good rapport with other opposition parties. Crediting her with bringing together the United Progressive Alliance, CP-M leader Sitaram Yechury described Sonia as the glue that bound the Congress as well as secular allies. Rahul will have to be the Congress president, the glue and more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Monday said it cannot direct the legislature to legislate but has simply asked the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government to deliberate on issues including whether the majority Muslim community in the state could be regarded as a minority for availing benefits. The Centre informed a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that it was still deliberating on a host of issues including whether Muslims, who are majority in Jammu and Kashmir, can be treated as minority to get benefits which are only available to minorities in the state. We have legal difficulties. We cannot direct the legislature to legislate on a particular issue. We just asked them (Centre and state) to deliberate, the bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said. It considered the statement of Attorney General K K Venugopal that the process of deliberations was on and a decision would be taken, and granted eight weeks to the Centre. The bench had on August 8 granted the last opportunity to the Centre and other stakeholders to take a final decision within three months on issues raised in the petition filed by Ankur Sharma, a Jammu-based lawyer. The Centre had then sought time saying it has been holding consultations with the state government. Prior to this, the top court had issued notice to the Centre, the state government and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on the plea filed by Sharma who alleged that benefits accruing to the minorities were being taken away by the 68%-strong Muslim community in J-K. The court had asked the Centre and the state government to sit together and find a solution to contentious issues including whether the Muslims in the state could be regarded as a minority to avail benefits under that category. The plea has alleged that the rights of religious and linguistic minorities in the state were being siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily due to extension of benefits to unqualified sections of the population. Sharma alleged the provisions of the National Commission for Minorities Act were not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir due to a caveat put by Article 370 of the Constitution. Moreover, crores of rupees are being given to the members of the majority community under various schemes meant for linguistic and religious minorities, he said. The state government was violating Article 29 (protection of interests of minorities) and Article 30 (right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions) under the Constitution, he has alleged. The PIL has also sought setting up of a state minority commission for identification of minorities and extension of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act, 1992 to Jammu and Kashmir. The population of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir according to the 2011 Census is 68.31%. Communities which are eligible to be notified as minorities, are not awarded their due share of scholarship owing to their non-identification as minorities, thereby jeopardising their constitutionally guaranteed rights enshrined under Part III of the Constitution of India, it has said. This clearly reflected the unfairness and discrimination of the state government towards other communities in Jammu and Kashmir which were eligible to be notified as minorities, the petition has alleged. It has pleaded that a committee of experts functioning under the direct supervision of the apex court be appointed and a comprehensive report be submitted identifying communities in the state which qualified as religious and linguistic minorities. The petition has also demanded that a special investigation team (SIT), headed by a retired high court judge working under direct supervision of the top court, be constituted for investigating the illegal and arbitrary disbursement of minority benefits. A special auxiliary police (SAP) constable, deputed as jail guard, was shot dead in north Bihars Vaishali district on Monday morning. Deep Narayan Rai, 50, was killed by unidentified motorcycle-borne criminals near the Hajipur jail, where he was posted, at around 8 am, police said. Rai, who had joined the SAP following his retirement from the Indian Army, was on way to the jail to report for duty when the incident took place. The jail is near the busy national highway (NH)-77 that links Hajipur, headquarters of Vaishali district, 22 km north of state capital Patna, to Sonbarsa near the India-Nepal border. Eyewitnesses said as the criminals opened fire, the guards on duty at the outer gate of the jail took shelter inside the barrack, while passersby ran helter-skelter for safety. Sitamarhi district transport officer Chitranjan Kumar, who was on way to his place of posting from Patna, saw Rai lying along the NH-77 in a pool of blood and took him to a hospital, where doctors declared the SAP constable brought dead. Another person, who was injured in the attack, is unconscious and undergoing treatment at Hajipur sadar hospital. Additional superintendent of police (ASP) Ajoy Kumar, who is holding charge of SP, said that criminals intercepted Rai near the jail gate and shot him on his head. Rai had been assigned duty outside the jail gate. We are trying to find out if Rai had entered into arguments with any visitor to the jail recently, Kumar said. Senior Supreme Court advocate Rajeev Dhavan said he was quitting court practice on Monday and that his decision was prompted by the humiliation he faced during the hearing of a trial related to the turf war between the Centre and Delhi government. Dhavan conveyed his decision in a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dipak Misra, who headed the Constitution bench that heard the case on December 6, when, the senior lawyer says, he was treated badly in open court. After the humiliating end in the Delhi case, I have decided to give up court practice, read his letter to the CJI. I stand by what I have written in the letter. I would never go back to the court, he said when Hindustan Times contacted him for his comments. He refused to say anything more. Chief Justice Misra, too, declined to comment. Dhavan chose to convey his reasons to quit, though he wasnt bound by any rules to do so. His decision follows arguments with the Chief Justice on two consecutive days last week, when he was one of the senior lawyers representing the Delhi government. On December 6, the last day of hearing, CJI Misra asked Dhavan not to repeat arguments already presented by other counsels on his side. The lawyer insisted on making his point, leading to an exchange with the top judge. A day before, during trial in the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute, the lawyer asked the three-judge bench to not to start hearing the case, arguing that it would not end before October 3 next year, when Chief Justice Misra retires. The bench headed by the Chief Justice didnt welcome his argument and one of the judges, Justice Ashok Bhushan, called it unfortunate. Also, the CJI disapproved of the remarks. Without naming any lawyer, he lashed out at senior advocates for making atrocious arguments at a high pitch and warned of severe action if the bar failed to regulate its members. He said such lawyers dont deserve a senior designation. The top court had designated Dhavan as a senior advocate in May 1994. In the letter, Dhavan asked the Chief Justice to take back his designation, but sought to keep the black cloak that came with the job for the memory and services he rendered. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The chief medical officers (CMO) office began an inquiry on Monday into a complaint of medical negligence following the death of a woman, whose relatives alleged that doctors left a scissors in her abdomen during a caesarean operation at a private hospital in Allahabad. Priya Soni, the wife of Ashok Soni of Jamaha village, was admitted to the Mother and Child Hospital in Soraon for the delivery of her child about one-and-a-half months ago. She delivered a baby on October 29 after a caesarean operation and the hospital discharged her after a few days. But even at home, she continued to complain of severe pain in her abdomen. An ultrasound test...showed a scissors in her abdomen, alleged her mother, Mala Soni. Mala said when doctors of the hospital were informed, they admitted Priya to another private facility -- Dwivedi Hospital, where she was again operated upon. However, as her condition deteriorated after the surgery, the doctors referred her to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, also in Allahabad. Even after one-and-a-half months of treatment, Priyas condition failed to improve and she breathed her last on Sunday morning, said Mala, who lodged an FIR against the owners of both Mother and Child Hospital and Dwivedi Hospital. CMO Alok Verma said a committee, led by additional chief medical officer Dr AK Tewari, has been formed to probe this case and that it will submit its report in a week. Its a serious matter. If found guilty, the hospitals could lose their licence, he added. Security issues, including Indias efforts to counter Pakistan-based terror groups and the situation in Afghanistan, and regional trade are expected to top the agenda at a meeting between the foreign ministers of India, China and Russia in New Delhi on Monday. The 15th meeting of the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral comes a month after Indian officials met their counterparts from Australia, Japan and the United States to discuss the revival of the Quad, an alliance focussed on the Indo-Pacific region. It also marks the first visit to New Delhi by a senior Chinese official after a substantially stronger President Xi Jinping was given a second term by the ruling Communist Party. Before the trilateral meeting, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will hold separate meetings with her Russian and Chinese counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi. The trilateral meeting was originally scheduled for April but it could not be held then as China did not confirm its participation, apparently due to its anger over New Delhis decision to allow the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by Beijing. Since then, India-China relations have been strained by Beijings persistent efforts to block the designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar at the UN Security Council and the border stand-off at Doklam that lasted more than two months. Indian officials have indicated that the trilateral meeting will focus on regional security, counter-terror efforts, issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region and coordination at regional and multilateral forums. India is also expected to make a push for named Pakistan-based groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in the communique to be issued after the meeting. Given the commitment of the three nations to fight all forms of terrorism, India is also expected to raise the blocking of Masood Azhars designation by China, apparently at the behest of its all-weather ally Pakistan. The Russian foreign ministry has said the discussions are likely to include the situation in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Korea peninsula. The fight against terrorism and drug trafficking and efforts to facilitate the exchange of information on international security are also likely to figure, Russian officials said. The meeting also comes at a time when China and Russia have been moving closer on a number of global issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, while there is greater convergence between the foreign policies of India and the US. The traditionally close ties between New Delhi and Moscow have also stagnated and been hit by some strain as Russia has moved closer to Pakistan, including the sale of military hardware and holding of annual war games. Russias policies on Afghanistan, which have hewn closer to those of China, have also become a cause of worry for policy planners in New Delhi and Kabul. The nearly two-decade-long tenure of Sonia Gandhi as the Congress president came to an end as she handed over the reins of the party to her son Rahul Gandhi on Monday, leaving behind a legacy full of ups and downs. Chaos and confusion reigned supreme when she assumed the charge of the grand old party in 1998. A fragmented Congress then ruled just four states of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Mizoram and Nagaland and it had 141 members in the Lok Sabha. The partys flagging fortunes forced her to come out of self-imposed political hibernation. And within six years under her leadership, the partys fortunes swung considerably. Sonia Gandhi at an Iftar party at the AICC headquarters in January 1998. (Prakash Singh/HT Archives) Having been the driving force behind the Congress for more than 19 years, the 71-year-old Sonia who underwent a successful surgery abroad in 2011 delegated most of her responsibilities to her son Rahul in the past few years. She has already created history by becoming the longest serving chief of the nearly 131-year-old party. Early turbulence After her husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991, Sonia rejected pleas to join the Congress. However, she finally shed her reluctance and agreed to join politics in 1997 when she became a primary member of the grand old party at its Kolkata plenary. A few months later on March 14, 1998, she was elected as the Congress president. But more than a year later on May 15, 1999, just before the Lok Sabha elections, she resigned from the post after senior leaders Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar opposed her being projected as the partys prime ministerial candidate, ostensibly on the grounds of her foreign origin. Sonia Gandhi at a AICC special session in May 1999. (Manish Swarup/HT Archive) Although born in a foreign land, I chose India as my country and would remain an Indian till my last breath. India is my motherland, dearer to me than my own life, Sonia wrote in her resignation letter to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). The move prompted hunger-strikes and agitation from Congress workers and she agreed to take back her resignation after the party expelled Pawar, Sangma and Anwar on May 20. The CWC was informed of her decision on May 24, 1999. The next day, a special session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) was called to welcome her back as the party president. Mulayam snub After the fall of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government on April 17, 1999, by just one vote, Sonia met the then president KR Narayanan on April 21 to seek time to form the next government. We have 272 and more are coming, she told journalists at the Rashtrapati Bhavan after meeting the president. But in a U-turn, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav announced that his party would not support the Congress, leaving Sonia shell-shocked. She was banking on Yadav and the Left parties to reach the magic figure. Yadav instead floated the name of veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Jyoti Basu for the prime ministers post but Sonia rejected the move. First electoral success In 2004, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee looked invincible and the BJP-led NDA unassailable but Sonia demolished both. Her aam aadmi slogan crushed the BJPs feel good and India shining catchphrases. It was her efforts that saw several parties come together to stitch a coalition that came to be known as United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Sonia Gandhi greets people at a darbar session in May 1999. (Pradeep Singh/HT Archives) Not only was she able to revive the party when it was down and out, Sonia also brought the governments focus back to welfare and secularism. She is often credited with taking the Congress to the left-of-the-centre position. As the chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) set up to monitor the implementation of the coalition governments common minimum programme, she initiated several pro-poor welfare projects such as right to information, rural employment guarantee scheme, right to education and food security act. Biggest political masterstroke Following her inner voice, Sonia stunned the world in 2004 when she declined the prime ministers post after the Congress-led UPA came to power. Power in itself has never attracted me, nor has position been my goal, she then said, taking both supporters and opponents by surprise. Manmohan Singh greets Sonia Gandhi after being sworn in as the Prime Minister at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi in May 2004. Singh became PM after Gandhi declined the position. (SN Sinha/HT Archive) Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj threatened to shave her head, don a white saree and eat groundnuts if Sonia became the prime minister. Sonia had earlier defeated Swaraj from Bellary in Karnataka in the 1999 parliamentary polls. Sonia again gave a shock to her political adversaries on March 23, 2006, when she resigned from the Lok Sabha and the National Advisory Council in the wake of the office-of-profit controversy. However, she was re-elected from Rae Bareli with a huge margin in May same year. While she was named the third most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine in 2004, her name featured in Times list of 100 most influential people in the world in 2007. UPA retains power in 2009 She again played a key role in the UPAs return to power in 2009 general elections. The Congress on its own won 206 seats, till then the highest by any party since 1991. The BJP surpassed it in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections by winning 282 of the 543 seats. At one point during her tenure, the Congress ruled in 15 states. Criticism Though Rahul had virtually taken over the Congress as its de facto head, it was under Sonias leadership that the party registered its worst ever electoral performance bagging just 44 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. She also faced criticism for delaying the process of restructuring of the Congress organisation, a highly centralised leader-driven party, due to her indecisiveness. Best performance in Lok Sabha As leader of the opposition, she moved a no-confidence motion against the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in August 2003. During her speech on August 18, she dismissed the NDAs projected growth rate of 8% as Mungerilal ke Haseen Sapne (Mungerilals Sweet Dreams). Future role As she hands over the baton to the 47-year-old Rahul, Sonia could take the role of the partys chief patron or head the Congress Parliamentary Party. Congress leaders have already indicated that she is unlikely to seek re-election from Rae Bareli in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Sonia Gandhi talks to son Rahul during a memorial ceremony for her husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 20th death anniversary in New Delhi in May 2011. (HT File Photo) A binding force for the Congress and known for her ability to stitch good alliances, she could be a guiding force for the opposition parties. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury recently called Sonia the glue that binds the Congress as well as the opposition. Having said that, Rahuls take over will not bring down the curtains on the long tenure of Sonia but also herald a new era in the grand old party. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday held talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on key bilateral issues. According to sources, all issues of mutual interest were discussed between the two leaders. Wang is here to attend the Russia-India-China trilateral meeting. He will also attend an India-China cultural event in the evening. The foreign ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) are here to deliberate on a range of pressing regional and global issues, including ways to tackle the threat of terrorism and extremism, at the key meeting of the grouping. This is the first high-level visit from China after the Dokalam standoff in the Sikkim sector this summer. The 73-day border standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to Indias chickens neck corridor -- that connects India to its north east states. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. The government has ordered television channels not to air condom advertisements before 10pm and after 6am, a decision prompted by complaints of explicit content in such ads. The information and broadcasting ministry said these ads should be slotted for late night to prevent exposing children to indecent and inappropriate content. The ministry warned that any channel found flouting the order will face action in accordance with provisions in the cable television networks rules. In an advisory issued on Monday to the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, the ministry said its attention has been drawn to channels carrying advertisements of condoms repeatedly, which are alleged to be indecent, especially for children. Poonam Mutreja, executive director of Population Foundation of India, said the move will prove counterproductive for campaigns against unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and the fight against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. There are 13% unwanted pregnancies in India, there are nearly 15 million abortions. This decision is a red flag for me. If the complaints were against the content of a product, then we can review that and make it more culturally sensitive, she said. Read | One in three pregnancies in India ends in abortion: Lancet Hindustan Times reported last week that the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) had asked the ministry to come up with guidelines for television channels on broadcasting advertisements of contraceptives with adult content. The council is a self-regulatory voluntary organisation that keeps tabs on advertisement content. The ministrys order follows the councils representation as well as complaints from the National Commission of Women and consumers forums. The ministry invoked Rule 7(7) of the cable TV rules that says advertisement which endangers the safety of children or create in them any interest in unhealthy practices or shows them begging or in an undignified or indecent manner shall not be carried in the cable service. It also referred to Rule 7(8), which states that indecent, vulgar, suggestive, repulsive or offensive themes or treatment shall be avoided in all advertisements. The councils secretary general, Shweta Purandare, said the complainants objected to such advertisements shown during prime time. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were gunned down by security forces during a nightlong encounter at north Kashmir, police said on Monday morning. A civilian was also killed in the crossfire, they added. Three terrorists, all seemingly from Pakistan, were neutralised by a joint team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Rajasthan Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force in Unisoo, Handwara. It was raining through the night, and our boys had to operate in the cold, tweeted Jammu and Kashmir police chief SP Vaid. Three bodies of armed militants were recovered, an Army spokesperson said. The woman killed in the crossfire was identified only as Mysra. Sourced said local residents took out a protest against security personnel soon after the encounter. Scores of people also braved the rains to attend Mysras funeral. Acting on specific inputs, security personnel launched a cordon-and-search operation at Unisoos Mir Mohalla area in the Handwara police station limits. Terrorists hiding in the house of one Abdul Hamid Mir fired at the joint search party during the course of the operation. A woman was injured in the encounter that followed and, unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries, police said in a statement. Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed grief over Mysras death, besides the murder of two bank guards in a separate incident in Shopian district. The opposition National Conference also lamented Mysras accidental death. The government should probe the circumstances that led to the incident and provide ex-gratia aid to her family, party president Farooq Abdullah and his son, working president Omar Abdullah, said in a joint statement. Security forces recently claimed that they killed over 200 insurgents across the Valley in 2017. The year witnessed a series of counter-insurgency operations that resulted in the death of top militant commanders, including Abu Dujana and Waseem Shah of the Lashkar-e-Taiba; Tallah Rashid and Mehmood Bhai of the Jaish-e-Mohammed; and Sabzar Ahmad Bhat of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Recently, the U.S. Senate took an important step forward in advancing tax relief for middle-class families and our small businesses. After an open floor debate and voting on amendments offered by members of both parties, we passed a tax reform package that lowers rates across the board, makes our nation more competitive and allows our workers to keep more of their paychecks. Thats good for the long-term growth of our economy, meaning more jobs and rising wages. One of the most significant ways we are helping families is by doubling the standard deduction. That means Americans will not be taxed on the first $12,000 of income for individuals, $24,000 for married couples and $18,000 for single parents with dependents. This expanded deduction will likely be used by nine out of 10 taxpayers, significantly simplifying the tax filing process and saving families time and money. On top of this, the bill doubles the Child Tax Credit to $2,000 and lifts the caps on eligibility, meaning more families will benefit. All told, our bill provides a net tax cut of about $2,200 for a median family of four. On the business side, we drop our corporate rate to be more in line with our foreign competitors, which will help give our nation the edge and attract greater investment here at home, rather than overseas. That means more jobs. At the same time, we are providing an easy-to-comply-with deduction for small businesses, the backbone of our economy. These same benefits accrue to our farmers and ranchers. Further, we worked to ensure our agriculture producers and small businesses will not only see lower rates, but will have a greater ability to write off their expenses. Specifically, our bill: Allows full expensing or writing off the cost of new investments for the first five years. This is phased down over an additional four-year period. Expands the Section 179 expensing of equipment on a permanent basis. Doubles the estate tax exemption, while maintaining the step-up in basis for capital gains. Maintains interest deductibility as well as the property tax deduction for small businesses, farmers and ranchers. I worked throughout this process to improve upon the tax bill and ensure it works for North Dakotans. Among other things, we included an increased tax deduction of 23 percent for small businesses with pass-through income; maintained the state and local property tax deduction up to $10,000 for individuals and families; preserved IC-DISC, a deduction on a portion of small- and medium-sized businesses export income; and provided greater flexibility for implement and auto dealers to expense interest on their inventory. As we move forward on tax relief, we are focused on ensuring we can continue investing in our nations priorities. Tax relief, combined with regulatory relief, will empower the economy to grow and increase government revenues. The evidence for this is apparent, as our efforts to roll back burdensome regulations have already helped push economic growth to an annualized rate of more than 3 percent for the past two quarters. Claims that the legislation will increase the deficit do not account for, or underestimate, revenue from a growing economy. History shows us its true, as demonstrated in a bipartisan way by the tax cuts made during the administrations of President John Kennedy and President Ronald Reagan. Passing the Senates tax reform package is a crucial part of our effort to provide much-needed relief to taxpayers and get our economy going and growing. Now, well go to work to resolve the differences between our legislation and the bill passed by the House of Representatives. As we move forward in this process, I continue working to deliver the best possible bill for our small businesses, farmers, ranchers and hardworking Americans. The trial to prove a prima facie case of fraud against fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya resumes here on Monday to determine if he can be extradited to India to face charges over his erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines. The 61-year-old will be back in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court in London for day four of the hearing when his defence led by barrister Clare Montgomery, is set to depose two further witnesses in its attempt to prove that the airlines alleged default of around Rs 9,000 crore worth of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than dishonest and fraudulent activity by its owner. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the businessman is also facing a parallel litigation in the Queens Bench Division of the commercial court in Englands High Court of Justice brought by a consortium of Indian banks to freeze his global assets. The State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank Ltd, IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Mysore, UCO Bank, United Bank of India and JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co Pvt Ltd are listed as applicants of that claim against Mallya and related concerns named as Ladywalk LLP, Rose Capital Ventures Ltd and Orange India Holdings. Lawyers for Mallya have been granted an extension to respond to that case due to his ongoing extradition trial, expected to conclude on Thursday. Margaret Sweeney, from the accounts team of Force India - Mallyas Formula 1 racing team, and legal expert Martin Lau are set to be deposed by his defence team at the extradition hearing today. Judge Emma Arbuthnot will hear the case over some interruptions as Ubers appeal against the cancellation of its operating license in London is expected to open in the same court today. Last week, the defence claimed that a consortium of Indian banks led by State Bank of India (SBI) had rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principle loan amount owed to them. While deposing a banking expert last week, Mallyas counsel Montgomery questioned whether her clients offer to pay back around Rs 4,400 crores of the principle debt amount on April 6, 2016 should have been dismissed out of hand just a day later by the banks. Paul Rex, who was described as a banker by profession who served as an independent expert in the field for over 20 years, said that banks tend to partially provision for loans unpaid over a long period and such an offer would have helped avoid further loss. A commercial bank would assess such an offer against other routes of repayment. If that offer is higher than could be expected from other sources, it would be an attractive option for banks to consider, he said, adding that state- owned banks in particular tend to be more susceptible to political pressure. However, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) arguing on behalf of the Indian government countered that assertion in its cross-examination, indicating that the reason such a repayment offer would have been rejected was that the banks knew Mallya had the means to pay back the entire amount due. There are plenty of reasons why even a state bank may take a view to reject such an offer, such as if it comes from a dishonest person who is known to have plenty of money to repay the entire amount if he wants to, CPS barrister Mark Summers stated during his cross-examination. He also made a reference to the debtor (Mallya) throwing a birthday party costing around 2 million pounds as a factor which could have influenced the banks decision to reject the offer. The cross-examination of Rex was left incomplete at the end of the third day of the trial last Thursday, to be taken up again tomorrow afternoon. In his cross-examination, Summers had highlighted a particular washing machine activity picked up by the government of India that involved sums amounting to around 10 -15 million pounds being funnelled between UB Group companies to wrongly claim obligations of equity infusions into struggling Kingfisher Airlines were being met. Indian government sources have described its case, being presented by the CPS, as very strong. Mallyas legal team had claimed earlier in the trial that the case against him was politically motivated and that it was being used as an opportunity to make political capital by the ruling BJP as well as Congress and Shiv Sena. The prosecutions case rests on three chapters of dishonesty by Mallya misrepresentations to various banks to acquire loans, the misuse of the loans, and his conduct after the banks recalled the loans. Mallya, who has been based in the UK since March 2016, was arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant in April this year and has been out on bail on a bond worth 650,000 pounds. If the judge rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UK home secretary must order Mallyas extradition within two months. However, the case can go through a series of appeals in higher UK courts before arriving at a conclusion. The spiritual head of the Ajmer sufi shrine, Syed Jainul Abedin Ali Khan, Monday termed as a blot on civil society the brutal murder of a Muslim migrant labourer from West Bengal in Rajasthans Rajsamand district. A video of the act had gone viral after the alleged accused, Shambu Lal Regar, uploaded it on the social media. He was arrested within a day of the murder. An incident like this is a blot on the entire society. The way the killer ensured that the video of the killing was uploaded on social media had a glimpse of Talibani terror, the Dargah Diwan said in a statement. Khan, who is also Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hassan Chishtis great grandson, further said that cruel murder would sow the seed of hatred in the country. Such acts, he said, foment religious sentiments. Strongest possible action should be taken against accused to set an example so that such acts are not repeated and theres mutual respect and brotherhood in society, the statement read. Comparing the act of killing the migrant labourer Mohammed Afrazul and filming the whole episode to Talibani terrorism, the Dargah Diwan said, The Talibani terrorists also kill innocent people in this manner and circulate videos on social media to spread terror. He said it was a matter of concern that people of a country, known for the Ganga - Jamuni tehzeeb (culture) were are becoming so violent. Society and political parties need to introspect which direction our country was going in. We are turning into animals, the statement read. In the statement, the spiritual head said the Rajsamand case was heart wrenching and such brutality could not be acceptable to a civil society. The state government should take swift and strict action against the accused because such acts vitiate the atmosphere, he said, adding, Communal elements try to cash in on such sensitive issues to spread hatred. The Dargah Diwan also appealed to all responsible citizens and religious organizations to condemn the heinous act. He also announced an assistance of Rs 51,000 to the next of kin of Afrazul from the Hazrat Khwaja Moinnudin Hassan Chishti Trust. Health minister Kali Charan Saraf on Monday said the government will seek support from all concerned departments to achieve the target of 90% immunisation of children and pregnant women in Rajasthan by December 2018. Saraf said Prime Minister Narendra Modi under Mission Indradhanush (MI) has set a target of 90% immunisation of children and pregnant women in the country by December next year. This target will be achieved in Rajasthan with the support of various departments such as woman and child development (WCD), panchayati raj and local bodies, along with NCC, NSS and Nehru Yuva Kendra, he said. He was addressing a meeting at the health directorate in Jaipur for successful implementation of MI. The meeting was attended by WCD minister Anita Bhadel, Jaipur mayor Ashok Lahoti and Jaipur district collector Siddharth Mahajan among others. According to the annual health survey 2012-13, the immunisation was 74.2% in Rajasthan. Since the launch of MI in December 2014, children up to two years and pregnant women have been vaccinated in four phases of immunisation in Rajasthan, Saraf said. The prime minister intensified MI on October 10, 2017, following which the vaccination is done for seven days a week, he said, adding that the vaccination will continue till January 2018. Rajasthans 11 districts have been identified for the immunisation under MI. The districts are Alwar, Barmer, Bikaner, Dholpur, Jalore, Jodhpur, Karauli, Pali, Pratapgarh, Sawai Madhopur and Udaipur. Along with, urban areas of Jaipur district have also been included in the immunisation process. The areas deprived of vaccination in these districts have been identified and vaccination is being done, Saraf said. WCD minister Bhadel said the department is extending active support to the immunisation mission. Considering the role of Asha Sahayoginis and Anganwari workers in MI, Asha Sahayoginies from nearby areas will be employed at vacant posts in the identified districts. Jaipur mayor Lahoti said that Jaipur Municipal Corporation councillors and local development committee members will be involved in the immunisation process. Councilors will contact parents in their areas who are not getting their children vaccinated and will aware them about the importance of vaccination and will make efforts to get their children vaccinated, he said Principal secretary, health, Veenu Gupta directed officials to take help of panchayati raj, WCD and health department personnel at local level. Strict action will be taken against personnel found careless towards this campaign, she warned. National Health Mission chief Naveen Jain, WCD secretary Roli Singh, reproductive and child health director Dr SM Mittal, project director (immunisation) Dr SK Garg and representatives of other organisations were present. The state health department will incentivise its workers to motivate them in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) in Rajasthan. Under the Union government programme, which aims to eradicate TB from the country by 2025, the state health department is running a campaign in seven districts of Rajasthan from December 4 to 18. The districts where the campaign is being run to curb the disease are Kota, Jaipur 1, Jaipur 2, Banswara, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Sriganganagar. Under Active Case Finding campaign of the health department, a screening team including auxiliary nurse midwives (ANM) and accredited social health activists (ASHA) will be given 500 for finding a TB patient, Dr Ramesh Meena, the district TB officer of Kota, told HT. Explaining the process of rewarding workers, Meena said, The screening team will take sample of the suspected TB patients on the basis of symptoms such as decline in appetite, lowering of weight, fever, chest pain and breathlessness for diagnosis, he said. After confirmation of TB, the patients treatment will start within two days. The screening team, which will have maximum two members, will be given 500 incentive after confirmation of the TB case, he added. There are 400 such teams in Kota district alone. The incentive will be provided to the screening team bringing TB patients through door-to-door screening during the campaign period, he clarified. Around 11% population of the Kota city will be screened under the campaign, Meena said. Around 2.1 lakh people will be screened under the campaign in Kota, which has around 21 lakh population. Meena said that the screening teams will submit daily report to the deparatment for effective action on curbing TB. Around 3,000 to 3,500 TB patients have been registered with the government in Kota district, while a similar number of TB patients take treatment from private doctors. The number of smokers in Rajasthan is more than the national average, but the overall tobacco use by adults has declined in the state over the past more than five years, revealed Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2) 2016-17. The survey covered 74,037 individuals across India, and 1499 males and 1534 females in Rajasthan. The data revealed that India has 10.7% smokers, but Rajasthan has 13.2%. Overall tobacco users in India account for 28.6%, but in Rajasthan it is 24.7%; smokeless tobacco users are 21.4% in India and 14.1% in the state, and dual users (using both smoke and smokeless tobacco) are 3.4% in India and 2.6% in Rajasthan. Health minister Kali Charan Saraf, economic adviser to the ministry of health and family welfare Arun Kumar Jha, principal secretary, health, Veenu Gupta, health secretary and National Health Mission chief Naveen Jain, and World Health Organisations Vineet Munish Gil released the results of the Rajasthan survey on Monday. The survey revealed that the prevalence of overall tobacco use has come down significantly among adults in Rajasthan from 32.3% in 2009-10 (GATS 1) to 24.7% (GATS 2) in 2016-17. Smoking has decreased by 5.6% among adults from 18.8% to 13.2% during the period. Smokeless tobacco use has decreased by 4.8% (from 18.9 to 14.1%). Bidi and gutka are the most commonly used tobacco products in the state -- 11.4% of the adults smoke bidi and 9.0% take gutka, the data showed. The prevalence of tobacco use among people aged 15-17 years has decreased from 10.5% in GATS 1 to 7.1% in GATS 2. The mean age for initiation of tobacco use has increased from 17 years in GATS 1 to 18.4 years in GATS 2. This means that children start tobacco use at a later age than earlier. GATS 2 data revealed that the number of current tobacco users who want to quit is 44.8% smokers and 48.5% chewers in Rajasthan; in GATS-1, this number was more -- 54.6% smokers and 57.4% chewers. Health care providers in the state advised 53% smokers and 37.5% chewers to quit; during the previous survey, the figures were 39.7% and 57.4%. The findings underline the need to increase support and expand cessation services, especially for smokeless tobacco users, which will help them quit tobacco use. Large pack warnings have motivated tobacco users -- especially bidi smokers and smokeless tobacco users -- to consider quitting, the study said. GATS was conducted under the stewardship of the union ministry of health & family welfare (MoH&FW) with technical assistance from WHO, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to offer free e-mail address in Hindi to its residents. The facility name@rajasthan.bharat (in Devanagari script) will lead to millions of new users who are not comfortable with English e-mail ids, officials said. During Digifest Kota in August 2017, chief minister Vasundhara Raje had shown the intent to have a vernacular e-mail service for the residents who are not fluent in English as she felt that language should not be a hindrance for anybody using emails or electronic communication. Hence, the vernacular e-mail, in Hindi, was launched on December 3. Rajasthan is the first, and currently the only state, to have a vernacular e-mail, principal secretary, department of information technology and communications, Akhil Arora, told HT. The first e-mail id that was created was that of the chief minister, Vasundhara@rajasthan.bharat (in Devnagari). All the government personnel in the state will soon have an email id in Hindi too. The project has been implemented by the state IT department with partnership in form of in-sourcing with private IT companies, a senior official said. A dedicated team of 10 experts from the state IT department worked for three months on the project. Apart from people who use Hindi keyboard, the email also works for those who use English keyboard. Even the Japanese who like to work in their own language dont have a linguistic email id, the official said. The initiative will ensure maximum participation of people towards e-governance and also that maximum facilities are available in vernacular language. This e-mail is small part of the bigger picture Rajasthan DigiKit which has an enrollment of more than one crore people, he said. In December 2016, state-run BSNL had launched e-mail address service in eight Indian languages for its broadband users by launching a DataMail service. However, unlike BSNL, the Hindi email offered by Rajasthan government is for all the Internet users. As per TRAI, total Internet subscribers in India are just about 30 per cent of the countrys population. So, about 70 percent of population is not having access to the Internet and most of these belong to rural India. As per official data compiled in 2016, Hindi is spoken by 544 million people in India making it the most spoken language. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Kolkata court on Monday afternoon ordered life imprisonment for three Pakistan nationals and five local criminals found guilty of kidnapping city-based businessman Partha Roy Burman in July 2001. These men comprised the second set of accused to face sentence in this case. The principal accused, Aftab Ansari, who also masterminded the attack on the American Centre in Kolkata in December 2002 and killing of several policemen, was sentenced to life in 2009 along with four of his associates. Ansari was arrested in Dubai. Read: Guard down, Bengal becomes a haven for terror Ansari used to work for the al-Qaeda, the CBI and anti-terrorist units of several states later found. Roy Burman is a partner in the family-owned Khadim Group which is best known for its chain of footwear stores. The sum of Rs 3.75 crore that the family reportedly paid for Roy Burmans release was allegedly transferred to Dubai and used in carrying out terrorism across the globe, including the attack on the World Trade Centre in New Work in September 2001. Those sentenced by the Alipore court on Monday were Mizanur Rahman, Mozammel Sheikh, Nayeem, Noor Mohammed, Dilshad alias Khalid Mehmood, Akhtar, Arshad and Jalal Mollah alias Omar. Read: Kolkata tycoons abduction was planned in Bangladesh Arshad, Dilashad and Nayeem, the three Pakistani nationals, pleaded through their lawyer that the government should deport them to Pakistan since they had already served more than 10 years in judicial custody. The judge however did not listen to their plea and sentenced them along with the others. The Roy Burman kidnapping created a sensation and exposed the Kolkata Police to international terrorism for the first time. Read: Indian Mujahideen: Little- known terror outfit that kept the country on tenterhooks The kidnappers were led by Asif Raza Khan who grew up in Kolkata. He was taken to several states for interrogation and killed by policemen in Rajkot when he tried to escape. He told members of the Special Task Force (STF) that the ransom money was used by the Al Qaida to carry out the 9/11 attacks. Khan also told the police that he knew Jaish-e-Mohammed members and came to know from them about the plan to attack the Indian Parliament. Important dates in the abduction case: July 25, 2001: Partha Roy Burman kidnapped from C N Roy Road in Topsia in the eastern fringe of Kolkata. August 2, 2001: Roy Burman released by kidnappers after his family pays ransom. January 23, 2002: Anfab Ansari arrested in Dubai and deported to India. May 21 2009: Ansari and four associates sentenced to life imprisonment after long trial. Members of the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) community from all over the country will assemble at Parliament Street in New Delhi on December 17 to demand scrapping of the proposed Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016. The announcement was made on Sunday at the annual Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk, Asias oldest walk for LGBT rights. The participants appealed to all opposition parties to resist the bill. Read: Delhis queer pride parade: A short gasp of breath in a choked environment We are hoping to see leaders from opposition parties at the rally in Delhi. I cant take names right now but we have been assured by leaders from the Congress and Left parties. We are also expecting representatives of Trinamool Congress, said Aparna, activist and member of West Bengal Transgender Development Board. Members of the LGBT community walked from Deshapriya park to Park Circus in Kolkata on Sunday. (Samir Jana/HT PHOTO) Souvik, one of the main organisers of Sundays walk, said political consensus was absolutely necessary to scrap the bill. We hope our Delhi rally will be a grand success, he said. Read: Turkey bans all LGBTI events across Ankara province to maintain public order Explaining why the LGBT community was opposed to the bill, Pawan Dhall, former country director of Solidarity and Action Against the HIV Infection in India (SAATHI), said the proposed bill nullifies the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee on social justice and empowerment. Members of the LGBT community also raised slogans against Article 377 at the 16th Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk. (Samir Jana/HT PHOTO) The bill denies one the right to identify his or her own gender. This goes against a Supreme Court order on this issue. The bill says transgender people will be identified on the basis of their anatomical feature, said Dhall. Read: Huge procession marks 10th anniversary of Bengalurus pride march Criminal lawyer and LGBT rights activist Kaushik Gupta said: In October this year, the Indian government decided to vote against a UN resolution that condemned death penalty for LGBT people. Though India itself does not prescribe such a penalty, the governments stand effectively means it supports violation of right to life. The colorful walk on Sunday started with a dance performance. The participants carried placards that condemned Transgender Bill 2016. The programme was attended even by people who are not members of the LGBT community. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday night seized a huge quantity of high grade Malana hasish and drugs such as LSD and Ecstasy during raids in Kolkata. Three people, including the disc jockey of a posh night club, were arrested. The seized drugs, NCB officers learnt from the traffickers, were meant for use at rave parties that are clandestinely organised around Christmas and New Year. Information gathered by NCB officers during investigation indicate that rave parties, though almost unheard of till a decade ago, have become popular in Kolkata in recent years. Read: Narco-tourism in Himachals Kasol: Take action, HC tells state govt DK Srivastava, NCB director (east zone) said about 2.5 kilos of Malana hashish and so-called party drugs including LSD were seized in huge quantities. Malana hasish is popular around the world as Malana Cream and considered the purest of all forms hasish comes in. Nikhil Lakhwani, the arrested DJ, works at a moderately new but popular night club in central Kolkata. The two others have been identified as Henry Lawrence Manna and Roberts Dixon. All of them allegedly supply drugs to high-profile customers, said Srivastava. Read: No straightjacket formula for grant of bail in drug seizure cases: HC Srivastava said seizures were made from Sealdah station as well as the nightclub where Nikhil works. We suspect that the hasish and drugs were brought to Kolkata from Kulu (Himachal Pradesh) by a man who goes by the name Pedro. Raids will continue at different nightclubs during the coming party season, he added. Some prominent people from the glamour world figure among the buyers and they are also part of the supply module. They are reportedly seen at these rave parties, said an NCB officer. Read: Drug seizure: Onus on accused to prove whether he is addict or trafficker, rules HC With rave parties becoming popular in Kolkata, demand for narcotics and banned party drugs has gone up. Since most of these parties are held in houses of high-profile people it often becomes difficult to conduct raids. But Sundays seizure will help us nab all members of this module, the officer added. Accusing the UP government of not doing any work of public interest in its tenure of nine months, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav asserted that people would punish the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Akhilesh made these remarks while addressing a gathering of traders at the Samajwadi Party office, during the conclave of the Uttar Pradesh Udyog Vyapar Sangathan on Sunday. Traders should openly support the SP as the Bharatiya Janata Party had harmed their interests by bringing in demonetisation and the Goods & Services Tax. In contrast, the Samajwadi Party always thinks about the welfare of traders and farmers, and bringing prosperity. The prosperity of traders is possible only when BJP is ousted and SP gains power in the state, he said. Akhilesh, who was also the chief guest at the programme, said, The traders of UP are angry with BJP as its promise of bringing back black money after demonetisation has fallen flat, and its move to implement GST has jeopardised the existence of small and middle class traders. Also, crimes against traders in Mathura, Sitapur, Varanasi and Ghaziabad have created a feeling of insecurity, leading to exodus of traders to other states. Akhilesh also said that the stamp of BJP on traders community must go away as it was the SP that had given the community a large share of tickets during the civic bodies polls. Read more: Candidates fielded by Akhilesh in Gujarat will lose, asserts Mulayam Singh Yadav The former CM also reminded the gathering that the dial 100 service was introduced by the Samajwadi Party. Because of dial 100, police can reach any place quickly, which has added to the safety of traders, he said. He also spoke on how the Lucknow-Agra expressway had benefited both the farmers and the traders. We had planned to connect Ghazipur and Balia with the expressway too, but BJP has stopped that work, he added. Meanwhile, party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and senior leader Mohammed Azam Khan were not present at the conclave. Read more: BJP will see impact of demonetisation in Gujarat elections, says Akhilesh Yadav Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agawal also addressed the gathering. He said that moves like implementing the GST had reduced the vote percentage of BJP in the recent elections (civic polls). Senior SP leader Ramgopal Yadav said, I had warned that the GST would harm the real estate and that is beginning to show. Now, a law is being planned according to which if banks go broke, then the money of the common man would be gone. He added that whatever relaxation was being given in GST was only because of the elections in Gujarat. Hardoi MLA Nitin Agarwal called on the traders to prepare for the 2019 elections. Eight people have been arrested for allegedly attempting to molest a woman and attacking a group accompanying six French tourists to the Lakhania Dari waterfall in Mirzapur, police said on Monday. While three suspects were arrested on Sunday night, a few hours after the incident, five others were taken into custody the following day. Denying that any of the French tourists were attacked, police said the suspects had attempted to molest a member of the group accompanying them. Another person was beaten up when he tried defending the woman, who happened to be his niece. Police identified the French tourists, associated with an international charitable organisation, as Jean Pierre, Bykans Petit Patricia, Venitucci Dominique, Claire Anquetil, Piazza Celia and Marie Bernard. The six French tourists were visiting Lakhania Dari along with a four-member group when they were allegedly attacked by a gang led by one Vivek Kesari. Police said the tourists returned to their guesthouse in Varanasis Shivala area after the incident. I spoke to one of the French tourists over the phone. He said a few drops of blood fell on his hand when he tried to help the man attacked by the gang, but they were otherwise fine. None of the tourists were assaulted. They are safe, Mirzapur superintendent of police Ashish Tiwari told HT. According to the complaint lodged by the victim, Kesari and his accomplices tried to molest her and beat up her sisters and uncles when they forbade them from taking a selfie with the French tourists. Tiwari said a case has been registered against the eight suspects under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with life imprisonment or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code. The other suspects were identified as Imran, Deepak Kumar, Prabhat Gupta, Abhishek Kumar Yadav, Krishna Yadav, Ravi Kumar Bhardwaj and Jaikishan Jaiswal. All of them hail from Varanasi. A group of 13 allegedly attacked a doctor and four employees of the Varanasi-based Anandmayi Hospital when the hospital team was accompanying a group of French tourists in Mirzapur on Sunday evening, police said. The doctor was critically injured when he, along with others, resisted an attempt by assailants to forcibly take selfies with the French tourists at Lakhania Dari waterfall, a tourist spot under Ahraura police station, police said. The attackers also dragged a woman employee of the hospital by her hand and misbehaved with three other hospital employees, police said, adding the doctor was admitted to a government hospital in Mirzapur. A case was registered against 13 people on a complaint by the doctor and four of them were arrested, station officer Praveen Kumar Singh said. The four arrested men were identified as Imran, Deepak, Prabhat and Vivek, he added. The nine others fled, police said. A team has been deployed for their arrest. To a question, Singh said the youths did not attack the foreign tourists. Police said six French nationals, including Bernard, Fremini, Jean Pride and Patricia, were on a visit to Anandmayi Hospital, Varanasi. All of them were associated with a social organisation. A hospital team, including Dr Nitin Kumar Dey, and some employees took the French tourists to Lakhania Dari on Sunday. After parking the vehicle at Lakhania Dari, the tourists walked to the nearby picnic spot Choona Dari, police said, quoting the doctor. When tourists and the hospital employees were on way back to the vehicle, 13 youths, who appeared drunk, stopped the tourists, and started taking selfies with them, police said. While taking selfies, one of the youths dragged a woman employee by her hand and misbehaved with three other hospital employees. When Dr Nitin Kumar resisted, the youths left, lay in wait nearby and then attacked the doctor with bottles and canes, inflicting severe injuries on his head. Later, the victims reached Ahraura police station and informed the police about the incident. In what appears to be a controversial remark, union minister of state for human resource development Satyapal Singh on Sunday said, No boy will be ready to marry a girl who comes to the mandap (wedding stage) in jeans. The minister, who shared the stage with chief minister Yogi Adityanath at a function in Gorakhpur, also said: Similarly, no saint will be revered if he gives up his traditional attire and wears jeans. He made these remarks in the context of appropriateness of attire in Indian culture, especially when and where to go in which dress. He was addressing a gathering of students at the concluding ceremony of the foundation day of Maharana Pratap Siksha Parishad (MPSP), the academic venture of Gorakhnath temple. The minister hailed the MPSP for preserving the values associated with Hindu culture and rendering services in the field of education and health. The Gorakhnath temple also runs hospitals, blood banks and Ayurvedic treatment centres. Satyapal Singh added education should be linked with employment. In addition to helping spread education, institutions should incorporate human values in the new generation, he said. Mutts and temples had always been centres of education and culture, he said, adding that the Gorakshpeeth had been instrumental in taking this tradition forward. Satyapal Singh released two books with Adityanath on the occasion. These were: Bhartiya Sanskriti and Gorakshpeeth : Yoga Evam Sant Parampara. Both volumes have articles of the chief minister. Singh said it was the good fortune of Uttar Pradesh that Yogi Adityanath was given its reins. Addressing the students , Adityanath said human beings were the most wonderful creation of God. There was none who was useless or did not have talent, he said. Recalling the role of his guru Mahant Avaidyanath in giving Gorakshpeeth a grand structure, Adityanath said saints usually preferred moksha (salvation) but Avaidyanath laid down his life for the country and the society. From establishing himself in politics to engaging himself in social life, Avaidyanath did everything for the society and the country, Adityanath said. Over 450 students were given medals, certificates and scholarship on the occasion. Deputy chief minister and public works department minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has announced setting up of an expert committee to markedly improve road connectivity and driving experience in Uttar Pradesh. The announcement has been made two days after union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said the quality of road construction undertaken by his ministry through the National Highways Authority of India in Uttar Pradesh will last three generations. The committee set up by Maurya will suggest ways to improve road construction quality in a state with poor quality of roads even in urban areas. The BJP government, in fact, missed its first test of making all the 1, 21, 034 kilometre roads gaddha mukt or pothole free by June 15, underlining the mammoth task that awaits Maurya and his department. However, Maurya, who got road experts from across the country for a two-day first of its kind conference on introduction of new road relay and repair technology, said he is in touch with experts who have promised 20-year road life against the usual under five year lifetime of bitumen roads that also require frequent repair. The conference concluded on Saturday. The public works department (PWD) maintains the biggest chunk of 23 lakh square kilometre roads in the state. Its on these roads that the PWD ministers kayakalp (transformation) claim would be tested. Maurya is also deputy chief minister. The peeling of surface dressing on usual bitumen roads soon after they are relaid has been a common sight across the state but the PWD officials pointed out that the newer technology that involves a judicious mix of bitumen and cement along with few other chemicals has shown remarkable results. In fact, on select stretches, we have started relaying roads using the cement treated base technology with a recycler imported from Germany. Encouraging results have made us confident. Thats why we say its no joke that 20 year roads will be a reality in the state, Maurya told HT. The PWD officials pointed out that the recycler is already being used on the Lucknow-Hardoi stretch managed by the state highways. We have introduced third party inspection of all construction work being carried out by the department. There are encouraging results in stretches, where we have carried out road relay and full depth reclamation work using the latest technology, he said. Part of Mauryas confidence is due to a BJP government at the centre and proactive road transport minister in Gadkari, something that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party governments that ruled the state in the last 15 years didnt have. In fact, during the BSP rule between 2007 and 2012, the PWD department had put up notice boards on national highway roads, stating that the centre (and not the BSP government) needed to be blamed for the poor quality of those roads. We were directed to put up boards that also stated that if the centre wasnt able to maintain those roads it should transfer the roads to the state which would maintain it. The Congress led UPA government was in power at the centre then. The state and the centre mostly played the blame game on road construction. This isnt the situation now as the BJP has governments both in UP and the centre and naturally the focus on roads would be real this time, a senior official told HT. Maurya said by December 31 his department will have completed work on roads for which tenders have been finalised. I plan to meet contractors separately to make the governments priorities clear. I am not against profit, but I am surely against roads that used to be re-laid and repaired on paper as was the case during the previous SP and BSP regimes, he said. Why talk of just Rs 2 lakh crore? if required we would be able to get Rs 4 lakh crore as well because roads are integral to our commitment on development that we have made to the people of the state, Maurya said. Maurya has also asked the PWD officials to work out a plan for relaying and repair of roads leading to Allahabad that will host the Kumbh mela in early 2019. The Kumbh is going to be an event that we plan to showcase in a grand way. Thats why we will complete the work by 2018 end itself, the deputy chief minister said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After coming to know that many students of the premier Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, (IIT-K) are given to drugs and subsequently identifying 25 of them, the institute has introduced a three-pronged strategy to check the menace. Prof Manindra Agarwal, acting director of the IIT-K, while confirming it said the exact number of drug users was still to be ascertained. It could be still higher than the number assessed so far, he added. Agarwal further said abnormal behaviour of the students in the classroom and in hostels besides reports of the security staff confirmed the growing menace in the institute. As per the strategy, the institute got a new link road completed for the people going to the city. The road will not touch the hostel area and it will not be easy for drug suppliers to contact the students, he said. The district authorities have assured the institute that rural people will be asked to use the new road. Secondly, an awareness programme will be launched on the campus to check students falling prey to dug menace and they will also be counselled. The director confirmed that some girls were also using drugs. He said the situation was alarming and all efforts would be made to protect the premier institute and its students. The fact came to light during a secret survey jointly conducted by IIT-K professors and district officials. During the survey, nearly 25 students were identified as frequent drug users and banned medicines. Drugs were taken mixing with surti (a mixture of tobacco and lime), cigarettes and beer. The girls residing in hostels also revealed that a few girl students were also addicted to drug and demanded regular checking in the girls hostels. District magistrate Surendra Singh, who inspected the IIT-K campus, said the district administration will assist the IIT-K in checking the drug menace. A foolproof strategy has been framed to nab drug suppliers who were supplying drugs to the IIT-K students, he added. Read more: Mumbai dealer supplying drugs to actors caught; Rs12 L-worth LSD, cocaine seized The IIT-K director urged the district magistrate that the alternative road constructed for the rural people should be opened for use. At present, the rural people were using 1.02-kilometre long road for going to the city side. The road passed through the campus and connected the villages with the GT Road and provided easy access to the drug peddlers. Commuters from the villages often got mixed with the students and some of them supplied drugs to the students, the IIT-K authorities told the DM. Read more: Not just marijuana, here are other drugs you should be aware of According to police, some employees of the institute and security guards also supplied drugs to the students for hefty amount. It was only two months back when the police arrested a security guard and recovered two kilogram of ganja (hashish form of cannabis) from his possession. Later, he was removed from the duty, Kalyanpur police sources said. The IIT-K director said passes will be issued to the guardians who came to take their wards from the central school and that the entry of any outsiders to the campus will be banned. The National Crime Record Bureaus (NCRB) recent data suggests that Uttar Pradesh tops the list in crime against minors, with around 15% share of total crime against children in the country. The data analysis also suggests that the second biggest category of crime against children in terms of numbers is rape, amounting to more than 18% of all crimes against kids, while crimes under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences act constitute around 4% of total crimes. The data also reveals that more than 50% crimes against children have been recorded in just five states, namely UP, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi UT and West Bengal. UP is closely followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh (14% and 13% respectively). Similarly, Delhi and West Bengal recorded 8 % and 6 % of crimes respectively. The data also shows that there has been a sharp increase of 11% in crimes against children across the country between 2015 and 2016. Going by absolute numbers, its an increase of 12,786 reported crimes against children across the country. The total number of crimes against children reported in 2016 was 1, 06,958, while 94,172 crimes were recorded in 2015. This, however, does not come as a surprise, as a cumulative analysis by child rights organisation CRY (Child Rights and You) shows a steady upward trend with a significant increase of more than 500% over a period of the past one decade (1,06,958 in 2016 over 18,967 in 2006). Further retrospective comparison within the mentioned time-frame points at a sharper rate of increase in the latter quadrennium (2012 to 2016) than that recorded in the former lustrum (2006 to 2011). Komal Ganotra, director, policy and advocacy in CRY said, The unfortunate truth is that the same trend of increase is witnessed this year again, indicating that we have not been able to address the age-old issue over the years. Its time we ensure a more robust protective environment for children. It also does indicate that children have become increasingly exposed to the risk of becoming victims in recent years, she added. However, to some extent this steep rise in numbers could be attributed to increased awareness among the people and the law enforcing agencies in reporting and recording crimes in recent years. Going by the nature of crimes and categories, kidnapping and abduction clearly top the list with almost half of the total crimes (48.9%, number of crimes 52,253) recorded in 2016. This is clearly indicative of the fact that we are still way short of building a fool-proof safety-net for our children. While ICPS talks about provisions of multilayered protective rings around children, in reality this is still a distant cry, Komal added. Read more: 14-year-old abducted, gangraped at Loni, one arrested The CRY analysis also suggested that the next biggest category of crime against children in terms of numbers was rape, amounting to more than 18% of all crimes against children, while crimes under POCSO Act constituted around 4% of total crimes. Further analysis suggests that UP recorded maximum number of crimes under the categories of Kidnapping & Abduction and POCSO Act; as in both these categories Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh stand in the second and third slot respectively. Read more| Uttar Pradesh: Youth held for sexually harassing 8-yr-old girl Ganotra said the current trend in some states like UP continued to throw up worries about the magnitude of crime against children. She said this called for further thinking in terms of differential strategies for critical states along with ensuring adequate investment. Also, this was a grim reminder of the fact that we, as a country, did not have proper prevention mechanisms in place to address the issue of child protection, nor were we keen on building more empathetic understanding and intervention plans adequately backed up by sustained investment on child security, she added. On tackling increasing crime rate against children, Ganotra said, Child protection in our country cannot be ensured with just legislations and guidelines. We as a country need to commit in cultivating a culture of zero tolerance to violence against children. We should be vigilant and cognizant of the fact that children are at risk. It is non-negotiable for the state and other duty bearers to equip themselves in recognising these risks and put robust systems and processes to assess and eliminate the same. At a time when even the urban rich do not want to give up government subsidies, many poor villagers are showing courage to construct individual toilets with their own resources, refusing to accept the government financial assistance for the cause. While examples are now trickling in from several other districts also, the way was apparently shown by Bijnor, where around two dozen village panchayats recently returned the money they had received for the construction of individual latrines under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Instead, the village pradhans took the initiative to pool in resources to build the toilets. In many other cases, the beneficiaries did it on their own. Around two dozen village panchayats in Bijnor returned an amount of Rs 4.42 crore that had been transferred to their accounts for building 3696 individual toilets, chief development officer, Bijnor, Indramani Tripathi told the HT. Bijnor, over 150 km from Delhi, is among the states around half a dozen districts that have been declared open defecation free (ODF). The story began with the Mubarkpur Kalan village under the Haldaur development block. Kishwar Jhan, village Pradhan, took the initiative to return the cheque of Rs 17.56 lakh to the governments district sanitation committee and decided to build the remaining 178 toilets without the government assistance. We constructed more than 50 toilets through a trust that we run, while in other cases the beneficiaries bore the cost or the community helped them if they were too poor, Shakeel Khan, Kishwar Jhans brother-in-law, told HT. Toilets have something to do with our honour and hence we decided not to depend on the governments assistance to build latrines that we have named Izzat Ghar, he said adding, Government is welcome to spend on roads, water, education etc. Significantly, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had lauded the naming of toilets as izzat ghar by the residents of Mubarakpur Kalan after which the Yogi Adityanath government decided to inscribe the same on latrines being built under the Gramin Swachh Bharat Mission. But this is not the only village of its kind in the district. In fact, Shahalipur Asha, Telipara, Ajpura Rani, Shekhpura, Islampur Lalu, Kajiwala, Barkala, Buggara, Jatpura, Saraya Jivan, Mubarkpur Kala, Chakmahmood Sani, Fulsanda Gangdas, Sabalpur Bitra, Jatpura Bonda, Mehmoodnasho, Alipur alias Jogipura, Azampur Zamnibhan are among two dozen villages that have their own story. Lalita Chauhan, village pradhan of Badgar panchayat, returned Rs 28.32 lakh to the government deciding to construct 236 toilets with community participation. We built 52 toilets with our own money, pradhans husband DP Singh claimed. We also ensured, wherever possible, that the beneficiaries too spend some money so that they have a sense of ownership. Now, not only are people using these toilets but have also constructed bathrooms, he said. All this, however, did not happen overnight. According to additional chief secretary, panchayati raj, Chanchal Kumar Tewari this was achieved through prolonged sessions of counseling. Our teams sat with villagers impressing upon them the importance of sanitation in their life and the financial loss they suffer in the form of expenditures they made on the treatment of diseases caused due to open defecation, he explained. According to rural sanitation mission director, Vijaykiran Anand, reports of villagers not taking the government assistance (Rs 12000 per beneficiary) for toilet construction and doing it on their own or through the community help are now coming in from all the districts. We hope to have 10 lakh individual household latrines built in the state during the current financial year in this manner only without the government spending a penny, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An eight-year-old school girl was allegedly molested by a youth staying in her neighbourhood in a Kakori village on Lucknow outskirts on Sunday. The youth has been arrested after registering an FIR under IPC section 354-A for unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures and section 7/8 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act against him. The accused identified as Chottu was arrested from Chandoiya crossing in Kakori when he was about to board a bus to leave the city. Read more: 14-year-old abducted, gangraped at Loni, one arrested District police spokesman Arun Kumar said the girls father told the police that the youth was familiar to the girls family and frequently visited their home. He said the accused was sexually harassing the girl for past many days but she was unable to explain it to her parents. Read| Rape of Rohingya women by Myanmar armed forces sweeping and methodical: AP investigation He said the parents came to know about the incident when the girls mother interacted with her after she became ill recently. He said the girl shared her trauma to her mother after which her parents approached the police and lodged an FIR against the youth. Even as recent incidents of child abuse have raised concerns over how safe schools are, four out of five parents believe that their childs school is the safest place for them, a recent study by Child Rights and You (CRY), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), found. The survey also found that the proportion of privileged parents who are concerned about the safety of children at home is higher than their underprivileged counterparts. Both groups identified physical and sexual abuse as the biggest risk facing the children. The NGO surveyed 122 parents of three to 14-year-old children in Kurla, Colaba and Kalina slums, and 89 parents from privileged backgrounds from across the city. The study comes close on the heels of three reported crimes against children at the hands of people in their schools. Data compiled by National Crime Record Bureau shows that there has been an increase of 11% in crimes against children across the country between 2015 and 2016. Despite this spike in crime, the study found that parents consider school to be a protected environment. Accidental risks facing children were much more widely acknowledged, compared to non-accidental risks such as abuse, exploitation and abduction. Less than 2% parents from the underprivileged section and less than 20% of parents from privileged backgrounds perceived non-accidental threats at school. Around 41% of underprivileged sections acknowledged the risk at home, while 75% of privileged parents felt there was a risk at home. CRY suggested that parents need to create such a home environment that enables children to express themselves and confide in caregivers more freely.The study also recommended that parks and public spaces be manned, well-lit and guarded. The findings indicate that there needs to be more awareness generated about the larger construct of child protection, which goes beyond physical safety. We also need the government to address parents concerns and play an active role in ensuring that our children are protected and safe from harm of any kind, said Kreeanne Rabadi, regional director, CRY West. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Kalamboli police arrested one more person on Sunday, in connection with the case of woman inspector Ashwini Bidre, who went missing on April 15, 2016. The accused, Rajesh Patil, 44, is the nephew of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Eknath Khadse, police confirmed. Bidre, 37, lived with her family at Roadpali. Her family suspects that she was kidnapped and murdered. After the police failed to trace her, they approached the Bombay high court Patils arrest is the second in the case on Thursday, police arrested Abhay Kurundkar, 52, a senior inspector with the security branch of Thane (rural) police. Police and his family suspect he had an extramarital affair with Bidre. They also found photographs and videos on Bidres laptop, which suggest that she and Kurundkar were close. Kurundkar misled the police, saying Bidre had gone to a Vipasana centre to learn meditation. Police searched Vipasana centres in Mumbai, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, to no avail. . After getting some clues, we arrested Patil from Jalgaon on Sunday. He was produced before the judicial court and remanded in police custody. We will interrogate him to find out more, said Rajendra Mane, deputy commissioner of police (zone II). On the day Bidre went missing, Kurundkar had called Patil several times. Following this, Patil travelled to Mumbai from Jalgaon. Later, the mobile phones of Bidre, Kurundkar and Patil were traced to the same spot near Mumbai, said a senior official, who did not wish to be identified. The police had earlier said that Bidres mobile was last traced to Bhayandar. We had summoned Patil for questioning on Saturday. We arrested him on Sunday evening, the officer said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Despite his work as an apologist and essayist of the highest order, C.S. Lewis most famous work is the Chronicles of Narnia. The Silver Chair, the fourth novel published in the series, provides a good framework to understand the state of the European Union, writes Stephen F. Copp in a new essay for Religion & Liberty Transatlantic: The seductive power of evil and the difficulties of regaining self-determination once lost are well illustrated theologically in C.S. Lewiss The Silver Chair. Rilian, the prince of Narnia, and the children, Eustace and Jill, are all-but-convinced through enchantment and clever argument by the Queen of Underland that the real world, the Overworld, is but a dream and that there was never any world but her own. Puddleglum, a humble Marsh-wiggle, who clears his thoughts with self-inflicted pain, responds with a magnificent speech. Only then is the queens true nature revealed as she is transformed into a great but loathsome serpent, which the prince, Eustace, and Puddleglum put to death. Copp, an associate professor of law at Bournemouth University in the UK, writes that first round of Brexit negotiations have similarly exposed EU negotiators priorities. The EU threatened the return of a hard border between Protestant, British Northern Ireland and the Catholic, independent Republic of Ireland. Irish officials warned this violation of the Good Friday peace agreement may have had the seeds to touch off another round of religious warfare. The dream that the EU promotes peace in Europe is in tatters from the way the question of Northern Ireland has been addressed, risking feeding ancient grievances that were fast being healed, he writes. In a penetrating essay, Copp delineates the ways which he believes the EU transgresses such European governing values as national self-determination, voluntary and mutually beneficial cooperation, and democratic norms all in the quest for the maximum economic concessions from Great Britain. The monetary settlement even took precedence over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, Copp notes. Early in the negotiating process German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected Mays calls for an early settlement and Donald Tusk, European Council president, and Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, subsequently objected to discussing the matter so important for the day to day lives of millions because it was raised in the wrong venue. While phase one of Brexit negotiations tentatively set the divorce bill in the range of 35 to 39 billion ($46 to $52 billion U.S.), the EU may yet increase its demands. Copp concludes: The only good thing to emerge from this unholy mess is that if the UK is prepared to pay such a potentially monstrous sum to enable it to leave the EU, it demonstrates that its people are awakening from the spell they have been under, that many still value freedom very much and can see glimpses of how cold and dark their Underworld prison truly is. Read his full essay here. (Photo credit: GlitterandFrills. This photo has been cropped. CC BY 2.0.) The Opposition led by the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the eve of the winter session of the state legislature, beginning from December 11. Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, and opposition leader in the legislative Council, Dhananjay Munde, described the saffron government as total failure on all the fronts be it loan waiver to farmers, adequate prices to agricultural products or law and order situation. Vikhe-Patil and Munde alleged farmers, farm labourers, tribals, backward classes and minorities are feeling unsafe in the saffron regime. The Opposition also targeted the government for ambiguity in farm loan waiver in the state. The government had announced Rs34,000-crore loan waiver package for needy and distressed farmers. Both the leaders dared the government to come out with a list of beneficiaries of loan waiver scheme in the state. Vikhe-Patil said the loan waiver was announced in June and since then the government has miserably failed to provide any relief to the farmers. He said the government should put the data of farmers and amount of loan waived on the government website, if it is honest. Munde said the government had to shift its principal secretary information and technology (IT) department and later sent him on compulsory leave when facing embarrassment on the issue. The Opposition also questioned the governments style of working as the law and order situation was going from bad to worse. Quoting the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures, Vikhe-Patil said Nagpur which is home town of chief minister Fadanvis, was among top five cities in the country where crime rate was highest. Criminals like Munna Yadav (a trusted lieutenant of chief minister Fadnavis) are absconding while leaders like Yashwant Sinha were arrested by the police under this Raj, he quipped. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that the opposition would take out a massive morcha Halla Bol on December 12 in protest against governments failure on all fronts. The march started from Yavatmal around 10 days ago and would reach Nagpur on Monday evening. During the march we interacted with several farmers and not a single farmer said that he had benefitted from the loan waiving scheme of the government, Munde said. The debate over farm loan waiver and agrarian crisis led to clashes in both houses of the state legislature on the first day of the winter session in Nagpur on Monday. As the session began, leaders of Opposition in both the houses sought a debate on farmers distress, setting aside the business on the agenda. When the government struck down the demand, leader of Opposition in legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil attacked the state, saying the figures of loan waiver were fake. He dared chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to put the number of beneficiaries and waiver amount on a Rs-100 stamp paper and their website. In response, the CM said in the Assembly he could put the numbers down on Rs-1,000 stamp paper too. Dont shed crocodile tears. The UPA government waived loans worth Rs72,000-crore all over the country one decade ago. The loan waiver benefits we gave to Buldhana district alone are more than the entire amount granted for Vidarbha region during the UPA regime, he said. In the upper house, leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde alleged the government was insensitive when farmers were facing challenges such as deaths because of poisonous insecticides, attack of bollworm on cotton and debts. The government countered the allegations, saying it was doing everything possible and the plight of the farmers was the result of 15-year rule of the parties that are now in the Opposition. Opposition members from Congress and NCP, led by Vijay Wadettiwar, Jitendra Ahwad, Sunil Kedar and others, created a ruckus in the House by trooping into the well and shouting slogans against the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pandemonium prevailed in the legislative council over the issue, which witnessed four adjournments. The Opposition alleged the government was not serious about the agrarian crisis, while treasury benches said the opposition was politicising the issue. The uproar finally led to the adjournment for the day. NCP MP Supriya Sule suffers minor injuries in scuffle with police Nationalist Congress Party leader and Rajya Sabha member Supriya Sule suffered a minor injury to her hand during a rasta roko agitation in Nagpur on Monday. The incident took place during the Halla Bol march launched by the NCP. The anti-government protest march started from Yavatmal a few days ago and reached Nagpur on Monday. When police tried to disperse the mob, Sule suffered a minor injury to her hands. She was detained by the police, but later released on bail. The police arrested other NCP leaders, including Anil Deshmukh, Anand Paranjape and Sandeep Bajoria. The march, which was launched by NCP chief Sharad Pawar 10 days ago, will culminate in a massive public rally on Tuesday. Yavatmal was chosen as the spot to launch the march as it is a major cotton-growing region and witnesses a majority of farmer suicides. The government had announced a Rs34,000-crore loan waiver scheme for needy and distressed farmers. However, the actual number of farmers who are expected to benefit from the loan waiver is less than previous estimates of the government, as revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said that at least 10-lakh bank accounts of farmers were fake. The NCP wants every farmer in the state should get the benefit of the scheme. The 39-year-old man arrested for allegedly molesting a 17-year-old National award-winning actress was on Monday produced before a Mumbai sessions court, where a judge remanded him to police custody for two days. The accused -- a Chandivali resident -- was held late Sunday for allegedly harassing the actor on board a Delhi-Mumbai flight operated by Vistara. The incident took place a day before that. The actor posted an Instagram video narrating her experience, triggering an outrage. The wife of the accused has said the incident is the result of a misunderstanding and that her husband is innocent. Arguing before the judge, a public prosecutor said, The accused who was seated on a seat behind the victims seat touched her with his leg on her shoulders and neck. The victim shifted a bit on her seat to get away from his leg but despite this he repeated the act after which she raised an alarm. The act has been done intentionally. The defense lawyer said, The act was not intentional. My client was very tired. He had taken a 7 am flight to Delhi for a condolence meet kept for his maternal uncle who had died four days prior to Saturday. He was returning home that night. He was travelling economy class and wanted a comfortable seat so he switched to business class. He was in agony and so had asked the airhostess not to wake him up. After the actress had a heated argument with him he apologized to her and said it happened due to the turbulence. It could be that the actress did this for cheap publicity. The complaint was not filed at the airport but it was an afterthought and was filed at a private hotel a day later. After listening to both sides, the judged remanded Sachdev to police custody for two days. He will be produced before the court again on December 13. We are being socially shamed: Execs family Vikas Sachdev, the man accused of molesting a teenage actor on a Delhi-Mumbai, hugged his wife Divya as she broke down at the Dindoshi sessions court on Monday. After he was remanded in police custody, his wife Divya told reporters that he was innocent and had been falsely implicated. Vikas works as an executive at a private firm, which distributes equipment such as high-end cameras. He, Divya and their nine-year-old son live in Chandivli. Vikas father is a retired income tax officer who lives in Delhi. His father-in-law is a retired Army official. My family and I are going through a lot of trauma. My husband is completely innocent. He is a family man. We have full trust in the judiciary and know we will get justice. He has been falsely implicated. He had no idea that there was a police complaint against him, Divya told reporters. She said the police came to their house at 12.30 pm on Sunday, while Vikas was out buying groceries. They took him away soon after he returned. Despite our questions, they did not tell us that he was being arrested, she said. Vikas brother-in-law Atul Batra said the actor should realise that their family is suffering. Vikas is innocent. He had apologised to the girl for touching her unintentionally. He is a frequent flier and cannot even think of doing something like that, he said. We come from a well-do-to family and have never faced such a situation. We have been socially shamed as Vikas is being painted as a sexual offender, he added. The Mumbai fire brigade plans to procure 35 telescopic rods to help their officials reach birds stuck on electricity wires, thus reducing fatalities of officials during the rescue operations. The proposal to procure the rods, which can be extended upto 16.5ft, was tabled before the standing committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and its meeting will be held on Wednesday. The telescopic rods will cost Rs77.53lakh and will be distributed across 34 fire stations. A senior fire official said, Earlier, fire officials had to climb up the houses, use bamboo sticks and climb trees to rescue animals or birds. Several fire officials have been injured in the process. These telescopic rods will avoid such accidents. According to data from the fire brigade department, the fire officials have rescued more than 13,000 animals or birds between 2014 and 2016, the highest in the past 30 years. A year ago, a fire official, Rajendra Bhojane, lost his life while rescuing a crow stuck on a hypertension wire. After suffering for 20 days in a hospital, Bhojane succumbed to the infection caused by 50% burns on December 31 last year. There have been several discussions in the past to relieve fire officials from birds and animal rescue, but the administration is yet to take a concrete decision. The sudden deaths of three members of a family known for being down-to-earth has saddened the residents of Sion-Chunabhattis Baba Tower. Yashwant Mane, 55; his wife Sharda, 46; his son Rushikesh , 20 and their car driver Krushna Surve, 65, were killed on the spot after the car in which they were travelling hit a truck on the Pune-Satara Highway near Jambhulwadi around 4 am on Monday. The family went to Satara to drop off their daughter who studies there. The accident occurred as they were returning. The Manes had been living in Sion for long. Dr Yashwant Mane was a helpful man. You could call him in the middle of night and he would be willing to get to work, said Dr Ujwal Rane, who lives in the same building and has known the family for the past two decades. He was a gentleman, he said. The news has come as a shock, said neighbour Vikas Satpute. A 10-minute walk from Dr Manes residence is his Shubhangi pathology lab, which was deserted on Monday. The last time we saw him was Saturday. We cannot imagine how his daughter must be feeling. Her entire family has been wiped out, said A Kapil, who works at a neighbouring medical shop. Residents of Hill Road, where Dr Mane ran the clinic, could talk about little else but the accident. He was a simple man and was well-known here as his lab is the sole one in this area, said a local resident. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations upcoming infrastructure projects are likely to face hurdles in the future owing to a shortage of tenements to house those displaced by the projects. Although there are a few tenements in Chembur, the authority currently needs more than 5000 tenements. The administration is demolishing encroachment structures along the Tanspa pipeline and rehabilitating people to their units for Project Affected People (PAP) at Mahul in Chembur. A senior civic official said the total number of PAP units constructed at Mahul were nearly 16,000, of 12,000 have been given out. There are around 4,500 units left at Mahul village in Chembur. PAP units received from other projects of Slum Rehabilitation Authority under Development Control Regulations (DCR) are not more than 300. We may temporarily face shortage, but that would not delay projects as there are several units that are yet to be handed over, he said. Under DCR 33 (11), developers hand over some tenements to the civic body for free and get additional transfer development rights (TDR) in return. The BMC is also turning to the suburbs to generate more units, but the proposal is in the planning stage. Another senior civic official said the civic body was to get 1,000 PAP tenements from SRA projects, of which they have received a mere 10% so far. He said, The slum authority is unwilling to share the tenements as they have stated they require more houses. They said after the government cleared a bill to regularise pre-2000 slums, the requirement for tenements has increased, as the number of slum dwellers that need to be rehabilitated has gone up. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackerays son Amit, 25, got engaged to fashion designer and long-time girlfriend Mitali Borude in a private ceremony at Tote On The Turf, Mahalaxmi racecourse, on Monday afternoon. The date of the engagement, December 11, was chosen as it is also the wedding anniversary of Thackeray and his wife Sharmila. At the small function attended by close family and friends, notably absent was Thackerays cousin and political rival Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his family. A source close to the MNS chief said that Thackeray did not invite his cousin Uddhav, as he is upset with the Senas recent poaching of MNS corporators in the civic body. Six of the seven MNS corporators broke away from the party and joined the Shiv Sena recently. Sources close to Raj said the MNS chief is bitter about the way Sena poached on his party corporators, even though he was willing to cooperate with the latter in the Brinhamumbai Municipal Corporation, where the Sena is in power with outside support from the BJP. Smita Thackeray, ex-wife of Uddhavs brother Jaidev Thackeray, and their son Rahul attended the engagement. With just 60 to 70 people attending the event, it was a low-key affair, and only political leaders present were those from the MNS--Nitin Sardesai, Bala Nandgaonkar and Rajan Shirodkar. Other guests included prominent photographer Avinash Gowariker, and Rajs relatives Chandrakant Vaidya, and Jaijaiwanti Deshpande. Amit, a commerce graduate from DG Ruparel College, and Mitali, a close friend of his sister Urvashi, have known each other for more than nine years. His fiance has a clothes label called The Rack, which she launched a few years back. Clad in a deep blue kurta and embroidered jacket, Amit said: Mitali has designed and stitched the clothes herself. When asked about their wedding plans, Mitali said: It takes a lot of preparation, so there is some time for that. Thackeray soft-launched Amit into politics during the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly elections, when he held road shows in Mumbai. During the 2017 civic polls, Amit started a Facebook page to interact with voters and woo the youth. The page has more than one lakh followers. It is anticipated that Thackeray will launch Amit into politics soon, in a bid to revive the MNS dwindling popularity. Amit faces competition from his cousin, Aaditya Thackeray, Uddhav Thackerays son and the leader of Yuva Sena, which has gathered following in Mumbai since Aadityas launch in 2010. Despite the polices claim that they have solved the Sanpada bank heist and recovered 52% of the stolen goods, they are yet to arrest four culprits. On November 11, a gang dug a 30-foot-long tunnel from a nearby shop and broke into 30 Bank of Baroda lockers, stealing valuables. Key accused Deepak Mishra, a Nalasopara resident, is still on the run. Mishra and the mastermind, Hajid Ali Mirja Baig, 47, had brought the gang together. Two labourers, who Mishra brought from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai, are also missing. Their task was to dig the tunnel, said police. The two, who stayed at a flat in Ulwe, would dig a little more every evening. Another accused, who coordinated with the gang and arranged for transportation, is yet to be arrested. We recovered four vehicles used in the crime, one of which belongs to this man, said an officer from Sanpada police station. Suraj Padvi, senior inspector, Sanpada police station, said police hope to make arrests soon So far, the police have arrested 11 people, including two women and recovered 5.5 kg gold, Rs12.19 lakh in cash, four vehicles and some foreign currency notes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On his 77th birthday on Tuesday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar will be leading a protest rally of Congress, NCP and other Opposition parties in Nagpur, along with senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. Two separate protest marches of the Congress and NCP will merge and culminate in a rally to protest against the policies of the BJP-led government. Pawar will be leading such a rally after more than three decades. In states political circles, there are speculations that this rally could be a significant step, with the Congress and NCP coming together after parting ways ahead of the Assembly elections in 2014. There are also speculations that the event will be the beginning of the Opposition unity in Maharashtra as smaller parties such as Peasants and Workers Party and Samajwadi Party too will participate. Pawars on-off relation with Congress In his political career of over half-a-decade, Pawar was not always a Congressman, but his style of politics was similar to the grand old party. He left the Congress twice. First time in 1978 to be part of Congress (S) and returned to the party in 1987 during the late Rajiv Gandhis tenure as the Prime Minister. Second time, he floated the NCP in 1999 after he rebelled against Sonia Gandhi over the issue of her foreign origin. Within six months, he was back in an alliance with the Congress after the Assembly elections in Maharashtra. The election threw a fractured mandate and the Congress-NCP came together to form a coalition government. The NCP contested 2004 Lok Sabha elections as part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The next ten years saw the two parties winning two Lok Sabha and two Maharashtra Assembly elections together and Pawar became a significant part of UPA. Even though he had rebelled against her, Sonia Gandhi respected Pawar as an ally of the Congress. On his part, Pawar was least troublesome ally for the Congress in two successive UPA governments at the Centre. Things started turning bad between the two sides in the last couple of years of the UPA-II and when Prithviraj Chavan became the chief minister of Maharashtra. With BJPs landslide victory in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the NCP started drifting from the UPA and ultimately the alliance ended ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls in 2014. BJP and Pawar As the BJP fell short of barely 23 seats to win power on its own, Pawar surprised everyone by extending unconditional support to the BJP government in Maharashtra. Later, Prime Minister Modi went to Baramati and declared Pawar was his guide in politics. That distanced Congress further. At the same time, the NCP seemed to be trying to be in good books of the BJP as its senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal was put behind bars in a corruption case and probe began into the irrigation scam in which Pawars nephew Ajit was under the scanner. The past three years saw the NCP rarely taking a strong line against the ruling BJP governments in the state or at the Centre. However, now there are murmurs in the NCP that Pawar is not very happy with the current situation. The NCP doesnt get along well with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is more inclined towards getting Shiv Sena on his side rather than scam-hit party. . As such, the process of NCP-Congress coming together has begun, say NCP insiders. Current state Congress chief Ashok Chavan, too, is in favour of the two parties coming together to counter the BJP as they share a common voter base. The groundwork was done earlier this year, when Chavan and Ajit Pawar together started a yatra demanding farm loan waiver. Now Pawar and Azad leading a joint protest rally on Tuesday could be the next step forward. The doubts However, there is a sizable section in the Congress that does not trust Pawar. Some of them suspect that Pawar is joining the Congress to deny the party an advantage of occupying the entire Opposition space, which will suit the BJP. Some of them suspect Pawar is doing what he does the best: the balancing act between the BJP and the Congress so he will end up with the winning side post 2019, no matter who wins. Whatever is the truth, the fact remains that the Congress would need the NCP in Maharashtra if it wants to put up a formidable challenge to the BJP. And who knows this better than Pawar? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two unidentified bikers shot the manager of a Palghar firm in the leg so they could snatch his bag in Kudus on Monday afternoon. The men fled with Karan Singh Yadavs bag containing Rs6 lakh in cash, which was to be disbursed to his employees. Yadav was admitted to the Wada primary health centre (PHC), where the bullets were extracted. He is said to be recuperating. Police have not made any arrests yet. As soon as Yadav alighted at the state transport bus stand, the men grabbed his bag. After he resisted, one of the assailants shot him twice, said inspector Ravindra Naik, Wada police station. No passersby came to Yadavs aid. An on-duty policeman took him to the hospital, said Naik. We registered a case under section 394 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Arms Act and are investigating, he said. The CCTV camera footage of the area is hazy. The heist seems to have been pre-planned. We have not ruled out the involvement of an insider, he said. Two years after they launched the e-challan system, the Mumbai traffic police have now decided to deliver penalty notices to violators doorstep via general post office, to collect pending fines. In January this year, the police launched an initiative under which motorists receive messages on their phones about the nature of traffic violation and the penalty amount. With payment of nearly 7.5lakh e-challans pending, the police have realised that not all motorists and bikers have registered their phone number with the regional transport offices (RTOs). Another reason, according to an officer, is that a few motorists mislead the police, saying that they have not received any challan message. The Mumbai traffic police plan to link the e-challan fine system with the postal service. With this, they want to iron out shortcomings in the system. Once a driver receives an e-challan via post, he has to visit the nearest chowky to pay up the fine within a stipulate time. We have found that not every driver has registered his mobile number with the RTO. This means that they dont receive e-challan messages, said Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic). An officer said after exploring several alternatives, they decided to opt for the postal service to collect fines. Before the postal service, the Mumbai traffic police have taken several measures to increase fine collection. First, 500 repeat offenders with more than 2,700 challans were identified. Each violator was issued five of more challans and the penalty had been pending for months. Traffic chowkies were given the list and asked to physically trace the address of these motorists from RTO records and summon them to pay up the fine. Second, the traffic police set a target of 2,700 more motorists each with three or more challans. However, this method failed to bear fruits. The traffic police also realised that at times drivers were unable to pay the fine through their card owing to poor network or malfunctioning of the machine. The general post office (GPO) would now send the e-challan to their residential addresses. The officer said that they had begun stopping drivers, asking to pay their pending fine through debit/credit card or Paytm. If the driver does not have money in his account, he will be asked to call his relatives to the spot. Using this method, the police had managed to collect Rs20 lakh in 10 days. But the police believe that this method could not be continued as it demanded huge manpower. Now, the traffic police had asked the GPO to submit a proposal to link the e-challan system with the postal service, We have received the proposal but we are still thinking over it, said a traffic police officer. The team of child welfare committee (CWC) officials who inspected the Sahibabad-based school, where a class 2 girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by minor students, found serious lapses including the use of girls toilet by boys, lack of women support staff and dysfunctional CCTV cameras. The CWC, after its inspection on December 6, sent a report to senior officials at the Centre and also officials of the state government in this regard. According to the girls parents, the boys allegedly inserted some object into the victims private parts on November 8. Following the FIR, we inspected the school, where we found that the boys washroom was locked and the boys were using the girls toilet. We also found some dysfunctional CCTV cameras and there was no woman staff deputed to look after the children while they moved around toilets, Shalini Singh, member, CWC, said. She said that the report of the school inspection was sent to the higher authorities of the school, ministry of HRD, principal secretary UP and Ghaziabad district magistrate. We have also called upon the parents of the girl for counselling but they have not responded so far. It is only after the counselling sessions will we be able to get more information from the child about the incident, Singh said. Following the alleged incident, the parents of the girl approached the police after a doctor, during treatment, told them that the girl had suffered an injury to her private parts. An FIR under sections of voluntarily causing hurt, rape and sections of Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act was lodged into the incident. During the investigation, the police questioned two boys of class 5 and 6 but they denied any assault and said that they had slapped the girl as she was allegedly misbehaving. The police also got a medical examination conducted but the report ruled out an injury. However, the police had said that they will take the opinion of medical experts as there was a lapse of nearly 25 days between the date of the alleged incident and the filing of an FIR. Earlier, the girl was not going to school and was fearful but we have started sending her to school now. It is more than enough for us as our child is normal now and is paying attention to her studies. Her medical has also ruled out any injury. We will decide if we want her to go in for counselling by CWC. However, I do not want to pursue the case, the girls father said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The 16-year-old boy, who was sent to the observation home in Noida on Saturday after he confessed to have killed his mother and sister, did not talk much about the incident, said the official who counselled him at the juvenile care home. The boy said he did it in a fit of rage, without realising the consequences of his action, the official said quoting the boy. After two days of the incident, he started missing his family and later called up his father. He said he was confused and could not tell his father about his whereabouts, the observation home official said, quoting his conversations with the accused juvenile. The counsellor quoted boy saying, Maine galat kiya lekin tab pata hi nahi chala. Maine socha bhi tha kood jaoon. The counsellor hinted that the boy had developed resentment against his mother at a very young age and shared a closer bond with his grandfather. Police had brought the boy to observation home around 5.30pm, where his father and other relatives were present. Before entering the home, the boy hugged his father and went in without talking to him. An official said that in view of the gravity of the incident, the boy has been put in solitary confinement. He is remorseful, but he is still angry. He will have to be in solitary confinement for four days at least. The boy is not ready to share the details and we do not want to make him uncomfortable by broaching the subject at this stage, the counsellor said. The first counselling session took place at 10pm on Saturday which lasted for one hour. He slept at 11pm and woke up at 7am. At 9am on Sunday, we had the second round of counselling in which he looked a little comfortable. He was given a haircut and later some story books. The observation home is all about changing the mental make up of a juvenile, the counsellor added. The boy followed the directions by the officials.He ate dal, roti, rice, paneer on Saturday night and had milk and aloo-poori on Sunday morning for breakfast. He can meet his parents once a week on Thursday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Patna high court on Monday ordered that all mining activities in Bihar, including sand lifting, would be carried out in accordance with the unamended old rules. A division bench of chief justice Rajendra Menon and justice Anil Kumar Upadhaya also directed officers concerned of the state mining department to submit their replies to charges of overreaching the court order staying operations of the new Bihar Minor Minerals Rules 2017. The court has sought the replies by December 18. The bench was hearing interlocutory applications, alleging that the mining department was issuing various orders overreaching the courts stay. Petitioners Pushpa Singh and others also claimed that the department had closed the website and stopped issuing e-challan, thereby bringing their entire business to a halt. Earlier on November 27, the court, while hearing a bunch of analogous petitions filed by Singh and others, had stayed the execution of the new Bihar Minor Minerals Rules 2017. The petitioners had challenged the validity of the new rules, claiming that these were not in accordance with the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The new rules were introduced by the Nitish Kumar government after the JD(U) and the BJP joined hands on July 27. The impact of the law has been that sand mining has been restrained, resulting in temporary lay off of thousands of people, including labourers, transporters and the realty sector being hit to the extent that both public and private constructions have stopped. In a related development, 50 people were injured when the police and miners engaged in sand mining clashed at Chirand in north Bihars Saran district Chandigarh got air connectivity with Bangkok on Monday, with Air India launching a direct flight to the famous south-east Asian tourist destination from here. The flight of the national carrier, which will be operating thrice a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday - took off from here at 2pm carrying over 120 passengers. The flight will take around five hours to reach the destination in Thailand. The maiden flight from the Thailands capital reached Chandigarh International Airport in the morning before it took off for the return journey in the afternoon. The flight was awaited for close to a year with the national carrier missing several deadlines. The airlines local manager, RK Negi, said response to the flight is very good. The first flight is almost full and there is decent booking in subsequent flights as well, he said. On price variation, Negi said travellers might get cheaper tickets to Bangkok from Delhi but taking off from here will help them save time. The return fare varies between Rs 20,000 and Rs 22,000. Air India has deployed its latest plane A320 Neo on the route. Negi said it has 12 business class seats and 150 in the economy class. The aircraft has more leg space for both the categories, he said. (With PTI inputs) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, from Mandi parliamentary constituency, Ramswaroop Sharma demanded Bharat Ratna for Nobel Peace laureate and Tibetan leader Dalai Lama, on Sunday. Sharma was speaking as a chief guest at the official ceremony, to celebrate 28th anniversary of conferment of Nobel Peace Prize on the Dalai Lama, organised by Tibetan government-in-exile at Tsuglagkhang Temple in McLeodganj. The temporal head of Tibetan people was bestowed with Nobel Peace Prize on this day in 1989. I appeal to the Indian government to confer the Bharat Ratna on his holiness the Dalai Lama, said Sharma, who is also a member of All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, led by Kangra MP and former chief minister Shanta Kumar. Sharma described the Dalai Lama as a beacon of grace and humility in his address and expressed Indias fervent support for the Tibetan freedom movement. He said that forum is also making efforts for inviting Dalai Lama to address a joint session of the Indian Parliament. The celebration included cultural performances by the participants from Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts and Tibetan Childrens Villages. A 12-year-old hearing-impaired boy from Pakistan, lodged at Faridkot childrens home since May this year, became a subject of cross-border speculation following a twitter exchange between a Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. It was on December 2 that Tarar tweeted a Geo News report alleging that a Pakistani boy with hearing and speech disabilities was lodged in Amritsar jail, and asked Swaraj to look onto the matter. She also marked the tweet to the prime minister and the home minister. In reply, Swaraj asked Tarar to send details. Mehar Tarar - Pls send me complete details. I will check it up. https://t.co/6QajgffMsH Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 2, 2017 Two days later, Tarar shared that the boys name was Hammad Hussain and his father was one Ghulam Mustafa, a resident of Pasrur, Punjab. As per the father, Hammad had gone missing from Pasrur near Sialkot in 2013. Thanks Mehr. I will ask for a report from State of Punjab. https://t.co/K3xb5UDlKT Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 6, 2017 In a series of tweets on December 6, Swaraj said India has five Pakistani nationals who are unable to speak and hear. Three of them are in a transit camp in Amritsar but Pakistan has not confirmed their nationality. She further tweeted that they have a 12-year-old juvenile in the Faridkot observation home. He was apprehended by the BSF in May 2017. We are waiting for Pakistan to confirm his nationality as well, she tweeted. She wrote that even though the boy was just 12 and had strayed into the Indian territory in May this year, the Indian government was ready to give the parents a visa. We are prepared to give visa to parents of Hammad if they believe the juvenile we have is their son. They may visit India, meet him and confirm for themselves. The Border Security Force (BSF) had detained the 12-year-old when he crossed over to the Indian side in the Ferozepur sector of Punjab on May 1. He could not speak or hear, and it was only from a currency note in his pocket that they found he was from Pakistan. Two days later, he was sent to childrens observation home. Officials say they sent the boy to Amritsar in the hope that counselors for hearing impaired would be able to find the name of his native place from him, but without any success. Deputy commissioner of Faridkot, Rajiv Prashar, said nobody from Pakistan has so far approached the administration for the boys custody. We will be very happy if he returns home, he said. He said the boy has been under special care at the observation home and is being counseled regularly. He has also made friends with other inmates. Charges galore The police have slapped a slew of serious charges against the juvenile. He has been booked under Sections 3 (punishment of offences committed beyond, but which by law may be tried within India), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), Section 20 of the Indian Passport Act and Section 14 of the Foreign Act at the police station (Sadar) in Ferozepur. The general body meeting of Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council (TFPC) held on Sunday ended abruptly after producer Cheran and other members of the council demanded Vishals resignation, reported Times of India. According to the report, this happened as members were unhappy about Vishals decision to contest elections from RK Nagar as they are expecting flak from the state government. Producers depend on the subsidy provided by the state government and also depend on the government that moderates disputes about satellite rights of the films. Producer Rajan was quoted by TOI as saying, The producers council has never opposed the government. When some questioned the office-bearers over Vishals decision to contest the RK Nagar bypoll, Vishal said the question will be addressed later. Vishal asked for the meeting to proceed as per the agenda. Then there was a ruckus and the meeting came to an end. The meeting was to discuss producer Ashok Kumars death, welfare of small-budget film producers and satellite rights. The meeting saw the presence of 400 producers including SA Chandrasekar, Sundar C, Prakash Raj, SR Prabhu and T Rajendar. T Rajendar told TOI, When a former office-bearer like S Radhakrishnan (who runs Maruthi Films) wanted to pose a question, the organisers refused to give him the microphone, and added, Radhakrishnan wanted to ask Vishal if he was working on recovering the pending dues from TV channel. But he was not allowed. Vishal also faced allegations of corruption over the council funds to which he told the publications, The opposing members are blocking our initiatives. We have submitted the accounts for the money spent by the office-bearers since April. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Telugu actor Vijay Sai was found dead at his residence in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, on Monday morning. While reports claim the actor has committed suicide, the police are yet to confirm this. The incident reportedly occurred between 4 and 5 am. The comedian was well know for his roles in films such as Nuvve Kavali, Bommarillu, Swathi Keertanam and more. Local media reported that the actor took this step as he was not getting work in films anymore. However, the police have not confirmed the same and are investigating the case. For now, the death is being treated as suspicious and the police are also checking if there was a family dispute. It was also reported that the actor was being treated for depression. It is not clear if the actor left behind a note. The police are checking on people who the actor spoke to before his death. More details in the case are awaited. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop An interfaith group from Bahrain is visiting Israel amid turmoil there over US President Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital, angering some in the island nation who support the Palestinians. The groups trip comes after two U.S.-based rabbis have said that Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa thinks that the longtime boycott of Israel by Arab countries should end. While organizers repeatedly described the trip as nonpolitical and unrelated to its governments policies, the timing comes as Bahrain increasingly looks like the test case for other Gulf Arab nations in seeing what could happen if they recognize Israel. A group of 30 people from Bahrain, including Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews and Muslims, flew to Israel for the event. They plan to visit universities and talk to officials there about topics of common interest, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center. The goal here is to multiply the interactions and contacts among people doing similar things in the overall region, the rabbi told The Associated Press on Sunday. Until now, there was absolutely no chance of having contact. King Hamad hosted Cooper and another rabbi in February from Simon Wiesenthal Center. In September, King Hamads son, Prince Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, went to the center to promote a religious tolerance declaration signed by the king. It was at that September event word spread of King Hamads comments about wanting the Arab boycott of Israel to end. That goes against decades of Arab opposition to Israel, which at its heart remains the demand for the creation of a Palestinian state and Israels withdrawal from occupied territory. Only Egypt and Jordan have made a separate peace with Israel. However in recent years, Sunni Arab states have found themselves on the same side as Israel when confronting Shiite power Iran following its nuclear deal with world powers. Bahrain, an island nation off the coast of Saudi Arabia connected by a 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) causeway, long has been known as more liberal than its ultraconservative neighbor. Its bars and nightclubs attract cross-border traffic, as well as sailors based there with the U.S. Navys 5th Fleet. The island also hosts a small Jewish community, whose presence occasionally makes waves. An online video last year from Bahrain during Hanukkah caused a minor stir when it showed yarmulke-wearing Jews dancing with Arabs in traditional robes and kaffiyeh headdresses. Everyone in Bahrain has total religious freedom, said Betsy Mathieson of the This is Bahrain campaign group, which promotes the island. They are free to carry out their religious rites and worship in safety and security. Its not a problem for anyone in Bahrain. However, that belies the findings of an official investigation conducted after Bahrain put down its 2011 Arab Spring protests with the help of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. That investigation found the government demolished 30 Shiite religious structures following the demonstrations, ranging from mosques to meeting halls and shrines. The report noted that while many lacked proper permits, the timing of their destruction would be perceived as a collective punishment. Activists put the number of destroyed Shiite structures even higher. In the time since, activists, Shiite leaders and politicians have found themselves ensnared in a wide-ranging crackdown on all dissent in Bahrain. In August, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the island nation must stop discriminating against the Shiite communities. I believe that the government of Bahrain has failed to follow a just and inclusive policy in its relationship with the majority of its citizens, Sheikh Maytham al-Salman, a Shiite cleric from Bahrain, told the AP. PR campaigns by the government of Bahrain ... have failed to convince the international community that it respects the religious freedom rights of the majority of its citizens. As news of the Bahraini delegation in Israel spread, many took to social media in anger Monday. Already, many had been sending messages of support to Palestinians over Trumps Jerusalem decision. I reject this normalization of relations with the usurping enemys entity, Ebrahim Sharif, a secularist politician who was once a leader of the Waad political party, wrote on Twitter. I consider this visit by the delegation a betrayal of the Palestinian people. Hardline Muslim groups in Indonesia burned photos of U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as U.S. and Israeli flags, on Monday during a protest outside the U.S. embassy against Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Indonesia, home to the worlds largest Muslim population, has joined a global chorus of condemnation of Trumps controversial move on Israel, which they say threatens security and stability in the Middle East and the world. The status of Jerusalem, a city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians, is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. Jerusalems eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state that they seek, while Israel maintains that all of Jerusalem is its capital. Hundreds attended the protest outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta, which was barricaded by barbed wire and dozens of police officers. Let us witness the destruction of Israels hegemony, one protest leader shouted into a megaphone as protesters burned an Israeli flag. We will support Palestine with our blood. Many protesters waved Palestinian flags and carried banners supporting intifada, or an uprising against Israel, and rally leaders also shouted anti-Semitic slogans. The protest was led by the Islamic Defenders Front, an aggressive vigilante group that calls for sharia, or Islamic religious law, to be imposed in Indonesia, a secular country. The demonstration followed a much larger protest at the weekend, where thousands called for diplomatic relations with the United States to be severed and for the U.S. ambassador to be expelled. Indonesia supports a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict. A stash of 1,200-year-old Chinese treasure found under the sea has been returned to Chinas central Hunan province. Experts believe they will provide evidence of Chinas overseas porcelain trade during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The 162 pieces of treasure were part of a huge cargo of ninth-century porcelain traded from China during the Tang Dynasty via an Arab dhow, which wrecked in Indonesias Java sea. In 1998, a German salvage company discovered the shipwreck and named it Batu Hitam. More than 67,000 pieces of treasure were found in the ship, 85 per cent of which came from a kiln in Changsha, now Hunans capital city. Most of the porcelain is now owned by Tilman Walterfang, head of the salvage company. In September, the administration office of the kiln in Changsha signed an agreement with Walterfang to return a collection of 162 pieces to China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today. The treasure sent home includes fine ceramics from several kilns in the provinces of Hunan, Zhejiang, Hebei, Henan and Guangdong. The treasure is expected to be accessible to the public at a museum in Changsha by early 2018. A Bangladeshi-origin man inspired by the Islamic State exploded a low-tech device in an underground station near Times Square in New York City on Monday, injuring himself and four others in an attempted terrorist attack. The attack could have been catastrophic given the crowds of commuters passing through at the time. Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Akayed Ullah, 27, was inspired by the Islamic State but apparently had no direct contact with the terrorist group. Akayed Ullah was an immigrant who came to the United States from Bangladesh seven years ago. He lived in Brooklyn. The suspect was in hospital in a serious condition with burn injuries on his hands and abdomen and lacerations after being detained. Four persons suffered minor injuries, official said. The suspect wore the device, described as based on a pipe bomb, strapped to his body with a combination of velcro and zip ties. He triggered it while walking through an underground tunnel with other commuters, which was captured live by a CCTV camera. The suspect did make a statement before setting off the device, New York Police chief James P ONeill told reporters when asked if he had links to the Islamic State, but refused to divulge more. No other details were given of the suspect. The police have said he acted alone, but investigations will be conducted of his residence and acquaintances as is the drill in such cases to ascertain if he had received help from a network of supporters or the Islamic State, which has not claimed credit for the incident as it had for the Manhattan attack on October 31. When we hear of an attack in the subways, its incredibly unsettling, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters at a news conference. And lets also be clear, this was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the bomb used was an effectively low-tech device. The explosion occurred at 7:20 am in the underground tunnel on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th avenues, near the Times Square subway station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, which is Americas largest bus station handling an estimated 230,000 commuters daily. The incident, which was described by ONeill as terror-related, came just weeks after a man drove his pick-up truck through a busy Manhattan street killing eight in the worst terrorist attack in the city since September 11, 2001, and sent the city into a practiced state of heightened security. When you hear about a bomb in the subway station, it is in many ways one of our worst nightmares, Cuomo said. The reality turns out to be better than the initial expectation and fear. President Donald Trump was briefed about the incident, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said. New York City has been a target of multiple terrorists attacks and attempts starting the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993; the worst of them was the 9/11 attacks. There have been 26 more attempts and plots that were stopped, including several attempts to attack the iconic Times Square. Labour Leader Brendan Howlin has warned that the internal politics of the British Conservative Party could derail the prospects of a soft Brexit with the advantages that would bring for Ireland. This article can only be read with a Premium Account Please Log In or Subscribe to continue reading Netflix have just released their users habits for 2017, including the most binge watched television shows, series that we just couldnt wait for our significant other to come home before watching and some of our more unusual quirks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the day that saw the most users on the popular streaming site was Monday 16th October when the nation came to a standstill during Storm Ophelia. The average Netflix user watched around 60 movies this year which makes it really bizarre that one Irish person managed to watch the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston movie 'Just Go With It' a whopping 308 times. To the 53 people who've watched A Christmas Prince every day for the past 18 days: Who hurt you? Netflix US (@netflix) December 11, 2017 The most binge watched show of this year was the Mexican political drama Ingobernable, and Irish audiences tended to marvel at superhero criminal dramas such as Iron Fist and The Defenders. Advertisement Comedies faired very well on the Emerald Isle this year with You Me Her, a rom com centred around a polyamorous relationship in Portland hitting the right note with Irish audiences. Big Mouth, a hilarious coming of age animated show dealing with the awkwardness of puberty and hormones also tickled our funny bones. On a more contentious note, the shows that we just couldn't wait for our significant other to watch with us were Narcos, the gripping story of the cocaine trade in Columbia and the mystery drama 13 Reasons Why. The series voted best for bringing all the family together was the supernatural nostalgia tinged Stranger Things, which has garnered it's own cultish following among its many viewers. Houston-based Phillips 66 and Canada's Enbridge said Monday they're teaming up to build a large Texas oil pipeline stretching from West Texas' Permian Basin to export and refining hubs near Corpus Christi, Houston and Freeport. The two energy giants said they're beginning to solicit interest this week from customers and will finalize the pipeline plans based on customer feedback and interest. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Montrose craft shop Corazon endured much over the last 20 years, from eight car crashes damaging the walls to multiple hurricanes battering it with wind and rain. But the eclectic store under the rainbow-colored sign, known for hand-selected folk art and trinkets imported from Latin America, could not survive the relentless demand for close-in real estate in Houston. The property at Waugh Drive and Fairview Street was sold to developers earlier this year for $500,000, real estate agent Robert Martinez of Greenberg and Co. said. The metal building will be demolished to make way for townhomes. That will be the end for a building that over the years housed a blacksmith shop, a general store, an antique store, a furniture refinishing store and a glass-blowing studio. As Corazon, it became a local icon and a temptation to curious passersby. The store decorated with creatively cut tissue paper, or papel picado, has been well regarded by its neighbors. "It's a Montrose staple," lamented customer Antonio "Geronimo" Villalobos, owner of Campesino Coffeehouse down the street. "I'm going to miss it." Chris Murphy first opened the shop in 1997 on Montrose Boulevard at the site of the former Gramercy Apartments. A year later, while biking past the Waugh and Fairview corner, a hand-painted cardboard "for rent" sign caught his eye. Friends tried to dissuade Murphy from moving in, calling the corner "the middle of nowhere" and pointing out how the building, already worn with time, was leaning to the side. Murphy disregarded them and took a year's lease for $650 a month. Given months to search for a new location, he said he's been unsuccessful in finding affordable rent inside Loop 610. Jason Baker, principal at commercial real estate firm Baker Katz, said that as more residents look for homes closer to the urban core, commercial land prices continue to grow. "We're seeing land values right now that we've never seen before," Baker said. The consequence is little to no interest in developing single-level retail like Corazon, which Baker said adds character to the city. Customers say Murphy is a character himself. A native Houstonian, Murphy thought he'd never return to Houston after he left for college at the University of Texas. After graduation he joined a traveling circus, tutoring the teenage children of performers and looking after performing poodles. He returned to Houston with a part-time gig at a separate imported artisan craft store, where he picked up the trade. For years Murphy has built up his store's inventory traveling to Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and South American countries where he bought traditional items directly from artisans and collectives. Store shelves and walls display colorful luchador masks, ceramic jaguars, handmade jewelry, woven bags and wooden block letters by renowned Salvadoran artist Fernando Llort. Calling himself a "reluctant merchant" Murphy said he has little interest in promoting consumerism, but he's found that selling crafts allows him to promote cultures he loves. Though sales never boomed, Murphy generated steady revenue over the years through a combination of walk-in and online purchases. In recent years, e-commerce took its toll on his business as well as other retailers big and small. He hopes that by the end of the year he'll be out of inventory after hosting a series of clearance sales. Remaining product, and his best-selling guayaberas, will be sold online through the store's website. On a recent afternoon, friend and longtime customer Ben Hernandez walked in with a worried look on his face and asked Murphy if it was the final day. He hadn't heard of the extended reprieve the landowners had given him. With a sigh of relief, Hernandez asked Murphy about his weekend. The two men carried on their conversation under decorative flags Murphy pinned up from his time visiting members of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Chiapas, Mexico. Otto von Bismarck is famously quoted as saying (though he probably didn't), "Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made." That's certainly the case with the tax bills passed by the U.S. House and the Senate and now set for conference. Sausages and laws do end up containing things that on their own might be fairly unappetizing, but that doesn't mean they should include things that are inedible or rotten. For higher education, there is virtually nothing good in this tax legislation, but that doesn't mean that everything that adversely affects us is wrong or an inappropriate part of a larger bill. But there are at least two distasteful provisions that our representatives and senators should remove before the sausage becomes law. Both the House and Senate bills contain an "excise" tax on certain university endowments, though the threshold for applying the tax differs: $500,000 of assets per student in the Senate bill and $250,000 in the House version. The House bill originally applied to any college or university with more than $100,000 per student, but that was ultimately raised to $250,000. The Senate worked with that number until an amendment that would have exempted only Hillsdale College, which identifies itself as a conservative Christian college, failed, and then the threshold was raised to $500,000 to exempt Hillsdale (and incidentally others) instead. RECKLESS CUTS: GOP tax bill does not live up to early promises The discriminatory nature of the provision reflects its unprincipled quality and could make it legally vulnerable. It doesn't apply to nonprofit institutions other than educational ones even if they are sometimes engaged in the same work. Thus an endowment gift to a university to support medical research would be subject to the tax, but a gift to a hospital would not be. A gift to support music and art at a university would be subject to the tax, but not to a museum or city orchestra. Even though public university endowments have in most cases been accumulated by gifts subject to the same favorable provisions on charitable giving, a public university is exempted, regardless of how it spends its endowment income. And a university that falls just below the $500,000-per-student threshold is completely exempted from tax, whereas a university like Rice must in effect pay tax on earnings from the entire endowment. Up until this bill, discussions about applying taxes to university endowments have focused on how those endowments were being used. Was the university spending enough? Was it spending a sufficient portion on scholarship assistance or other student support? A leading congressman I consulted about those proposals once told me that Rice is the "positive poster child" for endowment use. Our endowment supports 40 percent of operating costs, and we regularly spend more than 5 percent of its recent average value. Nearly half of our endowment expenditures go to direct student support. The rest of our endowment income primarily supports faculty and research. Our endowment also helps keep our annual tuition and costs about $6,000 below most of our peers. Dave Rossman/Freelance All this got chucked out the window in the frantic search for revenue, and by the time the Senate had accommodated the desire to protect Hillsdale, the bill was limited to fewer than 30 colleges. It is doubtful that the bill would raise much more than $180 million per year toward closing the projected $1.5 trillion budget deficit increase. Our Texas congressmembers should be outraged that three of the 30 or so institutions affected are located here, where they contribute to the best in education and research. Equally odious is a provision in the House bill, but not the Senate's, that would tax graduate students on tuition waivers, which are essentially scholarships to support their advanced education. At a private university like Rice, this would mean taxing them on an income of about $70,000 even though their actual income is less than $30,000, multiplying perhaps by five times the taxes they currently pay on their stipend, and requiring them to pay over a quarter of their low income in taxes. SUBSCRIBE: Like Gray Matters? Get our free weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox each Thursday The result will be simply to discourage the very kind of advanced education our country needs to remain competitive and innovative. Many of the greatest ideas that are now fueling our economy or saving lives through medicine came out of universities. The global competition for discovery and innovation is intense, and as we know, it leads to new industries and jobs. Taxing higher education, and in particular taxing those extraordinary students who are receiving advanced education thanks to tuition waivers, will put our nation at a competitive disadvantage and is surely the opposite of making America great. The conference on the tax bill occurring this week and next is a last opportunity to remove these two dubious elements from the sausage. David Leebron is president of Rice University. Bookmark Gray Matters. It's better not to see it being made. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As Lonnie Schooler watched his grandchildren make handprint menorahs at the Children's Museum of Houston on Sunday, this week's holiday of Hanukkah celebrating the perseverance of Jewish faith seemed to particularly resonate. The Schoolers will light their menorah in a rental apartment this year after their beloved four-bedroom house in Meyerland was destroyed by 20 inches of rainfall during Hurricane Harvey. Their synagogue, Beth Yeshurun, flooded. And Meyerland, the epicenter of Houston's Jewish community, is a question mark as to how it will rebuild. The Schoolers don't even know if they will move back. It's been a difficult few months for many in Houston's Jewish community, coming after an already troubling year in which the country saw rising anti-Semitism from bomb threats against Jewish groups to neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville. Hanukkah is a reminder to see the joy. "It takes your mind off feeling that you're displaced," said Schooler, a partner at the downtown law firm Jackson Walker. "Hanukkah talks about religious freedom and observing that even in the face of disaster." The holiday, which starts at sunset on Tuesday, has special meaning this year for Houston's Jewish community, said Rabbi Samantha Safran, an assistant director at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston. The community center was evacuated this spring after a wave of anti-Semitic bomb threats, and it suffered severe flooding during the hurricane. "It's been very difficult," Safran said. "Hanukkah certainly has more relevance this year. It reminds us that out of the dark times comes light." She said the community, which for decades has centered around Meyerland, is facing tough decisions on its future. More than 70 percent of the city's Jewish population of about 64,000 people live in areas that experienced high flooding, according to the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. "There are many of our members who flooded the last three years in a row," Safran said. "We hope people commit enough to the neighborhood to stay and rebuild and keep the community flourishing." Schooler, who is 71, grew up in Houston, one of about a quarter of the city's Jewish adults who were born here, according to the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. "At that time you could throw a stone and hit almost every Jewish person in Houston," he said. "We would hear anti-Semitic comments almost every day." Today, the city's Jewish community is thriving and spread out, though still culturally centered around Meyerland. "It's a typical big Southern city Jewish community," said Beryl Joffre, who watched as his children decorated wooden dreidels at the children's museum Sunday. "Even though it has multiple synagogues, it's really just one small community." The 33-year-old pharmacist and his family moved this summer to Meyerland from Atlanta. He said it was inspiring to see how organizations rallied after Harvey. "Everyone really came together to help," he said. This year's Hanukkah, he said, feels like a Jewish version of Thanksgiving, a time to be grateful for blessings despite hardships that were suffered. "It's good to see everyone try to get on with their lives," Joffre said. "I hope this year people try to find a way to give back." Instead of receiving presents every night of Hanukah, for example, Joffre said his family would donate gifts. The holiday this year also marks a historic move by President Donald Trump, who announced last week that he would follow through on a controversial campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It comes at a time when Trump faces a 77 percent disapproval rating among Jewish voters, according to a survey in September by the American Jewish Committee. The decision, making the U.S. the only country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, set off violent protests across the Middle East this weekend. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their political capital and as a sacred religious site. But for some American Jews like Joffre, it was an early Hanukkah gift. "From a Jewish Zionist perspective," he said, "we saw it as the capital anyway." Other Jewish leaders said the announcement left them worried, fearing it would incite tensions in the region. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest branch of American Judaism, said last week that he is concerned it will damage the resumption of a peace process with Palestinians. "It's complicated,"said Safran. "I think it very much depends on your politics." Houston Catholics attending services Sunday were mulling a proposal from Pope Francis last week to change the Lord's Prayer. Many of the faithful were undecided about a small change that alters Christianity's best-known prayer, which many people memorize in childhood. Francis said on Wednesday the common rendering of one line in the prayer - "lead us not into temptation" - was not a good translation from ancient texts. The pontiff suggested, "Do not let us fall into temptation" as a fix. If change does come to the prayer also known as "Our Lord's," most said they trusted the pope and the process. "People don't like change," said Donald Willams, a 40-year-old lifelong Catholic attending Holy Rosary Church near Midtown. "The religion has been around more than 2,000 years and to make such a drastic change in the prayer - something people like me have been saying since I was 3 years old - it's going to rock the church to the core, I think." He said he expects push back, but agrees with the sentiment behind the change. "Maybe some people do need to be a little more accountable for their temptations and sins," he said. Catholics in France adopted the change this week, and the pope suggested that Italian Catholics might want to join them. "It is I who fall," the pope said in Italian, in an interview with TV2000, an ecclesiastical television station in Rome. "But it is not He who pushes me into temptation." The pope explained that it is not God who tempts. "A father does not push me into temptation, to see how I fell," he said. "A father doesn't do that. He helps you get up right away. What induces into temptation is Satan." Essentially, the pope said, the prayer is asking God: "When Satan leads us into temptation, You please, give me a hand." On Sunday morning, Nina Garcia, a 38-year-old Catholic who was born into the faith and attends the Catholic Charismatic Center near the University of Houston, said the proposed change seems like an improvement. "I like the second wording better, it's more clear," she said. The proposal led to the hashtag #LordsPrayer circulating on Twitter with opponents feverishly taking to keyboards to say Francis was trying to re-write scripture. Those opposed to a change seemed to outnumber supporters Sunday. Traditionalists and conservatives have been wary of Francis since his 2013 election. In his 2016 document, "The Joy of Love," he seemed to open the door to letting divorced and remarried Catholics receive Communion, a position that created division within the Catholic Church and led to different interpretations from one parish to the next. On Sunday in front of the Holy Rosary Church, Jim Eaton, a 78-year-old Spring man who was selling tamales for the Knights of Columbus, said he trusts the pope with any possible changes. "Whatever he says is fine with me. That's why he's the pope," Eaton said. "Growing up, when your dad said something, you just said, 'OK, that's what the family is going to do.'" A few blocks away at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown, John Yoo, 51, agreed. "I'll trust the Vatican to do their due diligence to see what's right for the church," he said. "Once the decision is made, we'll pray about it." This report contains material from wire services. As graduate students from Houston to Austin to College Station protest proposals to tax the value of their "free" tuition, Texas colleges and universities are bracing for changes to higher education proposed by a Republican-led Congress, including an overhaul of the Higher Education Act. Behind-the-scenes fights are brewing over issues ranging from taxing university endowments and graduate student tuition waivers to eliminating interest subsidies on student loans, as congressional leaders work to balance tax-reform proposals and address voter concerns about the value of higher education. The pressure is mounting for universities, experts say. But the colleges also must walk a fine line in the legislative process this year. "They have to be careful about how they speak about individual pieces of legislation, realizing that if you're advocating for (changes), House and Senate writers have to get that revenue from somewhere else," said Robert Kelchen, a higher education professor who has dissected the tax bills offered by the U.S. House and Senate as well as the proposed revision to the Higher Education Act. Kelchen, an assistant professor at Seton Hall University and author of "Higher Education Accountability," said the pressure in Texas is "even more salient" than it is nationally, because state lawmakers are predominantly Republican and likely would support the federal tax bill. More Information By the numbers $5 billion: Approximate amount of Rice University's private endowment, which would be taxed under bill. 40: Percent of university operations Rice says it uses endowment to help fund. 58: Percent of survey respondents who say universities have negative effect on the country. See More Collapse The debates in Washington come as lawmakers in Texas and across the nation are increasingly voicing skepticism about the value of a post-secondary education, questioning whether universities can better train their students for the workforce or minimize the costs of a degree. The House and Senate must reconcile their differing tax bills before presenting the legislation to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign a bill that wins approval from both chambers. Worries in Texas A key concern for Texas' research universities and graduate students is a provision in the House version of the bill that would tax tuition waivers, which universities use to make graduate student tuition more affordable. This would strain the already low stipends that graduate students receive, students and university administrators say. Protests against the legislation in the last few weeks have included University of Houston and Rice University students writing letters and making phone calls to elected officials. Students at the University of Texas at Austin Wednesday walked out from all work-related responsibilities, chanting "overworked, underpaid." Students are anxious and want to know "that someone's fighting for them," said Sydney Gibson, the president of Rice's graduate student association, though she acknowledged that Rice is working quietly on the issues. Both the House and Senate bills also would tax wealthy private university endowments, including Rice's roughly $5 billion fund, as lawmakers argue campuses should spend more from their endowments directly on education. Rice says it uses endowment money to support 40 percent of its operations in addition to financial aid. The tax bills have spurred action from schools. UH, Rice and UT-Austin administrators are meeting with the Texas delegation over concerns with the bills, and trade groups representing Texas campuses are also speaking out. The Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, of which UH and UT-Austin are members, urged House and Senate members of the tax bill conference committee to keep tuition waivers tax-free. The Association of American Universities, which represents Rice, UT-Austin and Texas A&M University, created a video shared on social media as lawmakers considered the tax provisions. A voice-over on the animated video said it's "more important than ever" to support research universities "for a better America tomorrow." Rice's lobbyists are also involved as the tax bill is shaped, said Nathan Cook, the university's head of government relations. Growing protests These efforts may be moving the needle for lawmakers. A letter from Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) and dozens of other lawmakers to House leadership said taxing graduate tuition waivers would be "unfair" and inhibit economic growth. Still, graduate students are questioning whether university presidents are doing enough, citing a lack of vocal support from their campus leaders. "I understand, from the university perspective, why they're holding their tongues," said Hannah Locke, a president of UH's graduate and professional student association, acknowledging that UH leaders are public employees. "At the same time, however," Locke said, "I think it's really important that graduate students see some level of leadership action on this as a form of reassurance that their work is valued." Historically, UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator has spoken out on issues when her comments would "make a difference," said Jason Smith, UH's vice chancellor for government affairs. In this case, "our position is known with the delegation." Shilpa Bakre, a UT-Austin spokesperson, said in an email that UT-Austin President Gregory Fenves communicated directly with Texas delegation members on the issue. Mark J. T. Smith, the dean of UT-Austin's graduate school, emailed graduate students that the university was taking the proposed tuition tax waiver "very seriously." "(The Graduate School) will do all we can to adjust for any difficult changes ahead to assure your success as a Longhorn," he wrote. Texas Southern University President Austin Lane declined to comment through a spokeswoman, citing the ongoing legislative process. The University of St. Thomas did not respond to requests for comment. The PROSPER Act Meanwhile, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has pledged to re-evaluate how campuses adjudicate sexual misconduct, and Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C, has unveiled a 542-page bill called the PROSPER Act that would overhaul the Higher Education Act. Foxx's bill would force universities to publish salaries by program for students who receive financial aid, and it pares back regulations former President Barack Obama imposed to regulate for-profit colleges. The proposal simplifies portions of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and consolidates grant programs, a proposal that the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Institute for Higher Education Policy has criticized. It also bans "free-speech zones" - the only places on some college campuses where students and outsiders can put up fliers and protest. A Senate version is expected early next year. Rice and UH say they are still examining Foxx's bill. Michelle Asha Cooper, president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, said she sees a connection between eroding support for higher education and the focus on the sector by the Republican-controlled Congress. Fifty-eight percent of Republican and right-leaning respondents to a Pew Research Center survey released this summer said they believe colleges and universities have a negative effect on how things are going in the country. "The public is asking what is this degree worth, and lawmakers desire to be responsive to that," Cooper said. Higher education, she said, needs to better communicate its value in this era. 'A very busy time' The developments could mark a "pivotal moment" for higher education policy, Cooper said. "We have a Congress that wants to make sure that they are seizing opportunities at the beginning of this administration," she said. "(And) we have a need in the field. We have issues related to college affordability that we need to address. There are a number of things that are swirling at this time that make this a really important moment." Smith from UH said he is confident that higher education will be "comfortable" with the enacted tax law. "It looks like there might be a target on higher education's back, but I don't think that's the case," Smith said, noting that revamping the Higher Education Act has been on the table for several years and that many sectors are included in the tax bills. Bakre said UT-Austin is used to tackling multiple legislative challenges at once. Still, she acknowledged in an email that this is a "very busy time" for UT in Washington. Kelchen, the Seton Hall professor, said the focus in the sector may be politically expedient. "Given that graduate students tend to lean more toward the left, and elite universities with large endowments are punching bags on both sides of the aisle," he said, "it makes sense that to minimize push-back from constituency groups conservatives value, they may be willing to go after higher education." Here's a simple question each voter should ask: After 2017, what is the most important issue facing the Houston area? Anybody who was driven from home by rising floodwaters in August knows the answer. And most important, so should any politician who asks for your vote next year. The filing deadline for candidates running in the March primaries is 6 p.m. Monday. As the campaigning begins, Houston area voters need to send one very loud message to every candidate on the ballot: The 2018 Vote is a one-issue election. The issue is flooding. Our political leadership must respond to Hurricane Harvey by better preparing for the inevitable storms that lie in our future. Voters need to hammer each politician with hard questions about what they're going to do to protect our homes and communities from the next catastrophic flood. On the federal level, voters should get downright mad at congressional candidates parroting national partisan rhetoric. Instead, they should demand answers about funding for a third reservoir to protect Harris County, about paying for a coastal barrier system to protect the Houston Ship Channel and the Clear Lake area and about reforming the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Flood Insurance Program. On the state level, any candidate for governor, lieutenant governor or the state legislature who dares talk about potty politics after this disaster needs to get flushed down the drain and replaced by somebody who prioritizes protecting us from floods. We need our state government to help pay for a third reservoir, to establish a regional flood control authority, to find new funding streams for flood mitigation and to work with local officials preparing for future disasters instead of tying their hands with big government mandates imposed out of the state capitol. On the county level, voters need to demand tougher regulation of development in flood prone areas, restructuring budgets to make flood control a bigger priority and specific plans on how counties should pay for new flood control initiatives. Just as important, incumbents who've served in office for years need to answer some tough questions about why they didn't act earlier to address the problems disastrously highlighted by Harvey. Abortion, gun rights and immigration shouldn't be the hot button issues in next year's elections. Our homes are in danger, and our political leadership needs to do something about it. Let 2018 become the year voters demand dramatic action on flood control. The swift passage of tax reform legislation in the U.S. Senate is welcome news for small businesses in Texas. My stepfather owns a small telecommunications firm in Houston, and one of the biggest challenges that he and other small business owners face is complying with an outdated and convoluted federal tax code. That is why it's so important Congress succeeds in passing tax reform this year. The tax reform bills passed by the House and Senate, although not perfect, would give us a simpler, less burdensome tax code that will boost job creation, wages and economic growth across the country. It would also provide much-needed relief to small businesses in Texas, which account for more than 99 percent of Texas firms and employ nearly half the state's workers. Most of these firms are "pass-through" businesses that face tax rates as high as 39.6 percent, even higher than the top corporate income tax rate of 35 percent. That limits their ability to expand their workforce, raise wages or even turn a profit. As hard as it is to succeed under crushing tax rate rates, for many businesses the hassle of preparing their taxes and complying with tax laws is even worse. In fact, according to a 2017 survey by the National Small Business Association, 58 percent of small firms reported that the administrative burden of federal taxes posed a greater challenge than the financial cost of the taxes themselves - an alarming sign of just how complex the tax code has become. There's no better reflection of the tax code's growing complexity than its sheer length. At about 4 million words, the federal tax code is more than four times longer than the complete works of William Shakespeare. Print out each page and you'd have a stack of paper over 3 feet tall. For large corporations that can afford a small army of lawyers and accountants, the tax laws are a nuisance. For small businesses, they are a nightmare. Nationwide, one-third of small businesses reported spending more than 80 hours per year dealing with federal taxes. And most of them - 84 percent - turn to an external tax preparer for help. Small businesses need a simpler tax code. That's why the tax bills, in addition to lowering the maximum rate on pass-through businesses, also eliminate the vast majority of special tax deductions and credits. That will help put businesses big and small on an even playing field. In the aftermath of hurricane Harvey, these reforms cannot come soon enough. Even after three months, many businesses are struggling to finish repairs or to bring back employees whose homes were wiped out by the storm. "Our experience with disasters of this magnitude has shown that 40 percent of small businesses never reopen and the remainder take three to five years to recover," said Al Salgado, executive director for the South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center Network. America has endured eight years of lackluster economic growth and stagnant wages, but today we are on the verge of achieving a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enact the pro-growth tax reform we need to get our economy humming again and deliver lower taxes, better jobs and higher wages. The House and Senate have done their part by passing their versions of tax reform, and we all eagerly await the final product from the conference committee. They must not let politics or special interests stand in the way of a simpler and fairer tax code the 2.6 million small businesses that call Texas home are counting on them. Morris is the Texas deputy state director of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy group founded by billionaire businessman David Koch. The following are excerpts from reports generated by the Texas County Sheriffs Department: A deputy responded at about 3 p.m. Dec. 6 after a 26-year-old man reported that his 26-year-old girlfriend had threatened him and their 9-month-old child at their Stone Ridge Drive residence at Mountain Grove. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with both parties involved and then smelled a strong odor of marijuana. After an investigation the woman Sativa C. Hale was arrested for possession of marijuana. She was taken to the Texas County Jail for a 12-hour hold period. A 35-year-old Success man reported on Dec. 6 that guns, clothing and cash of unreported value had been stolen from his Highway 17 residence. Investigation continues. A woman on Dec. 9 came to the TCSD office with her 14-year-old daughter and a cell phone. The woman told an officer the phone belonged to a classmate of the girl and she had been using it to contact men on Facebook. The officer reported finding nothing of evidentiary value on the phone, and it was returned to its owner. The girl is reportedly already on juvenile probation and meet with her juvenile officer to discuss the behavior. A 33-year-old Mountain Grove man reported on Dec. 3 that his former wife had been following he and his girlfriend around to many places, including church where she allegedly sat right behind them. The man claimed he and the girlfriend felt intimidated and harassed. An officer advised him to look into an ex-parte against his former wife. A deputy was dispatched at about 4:40 p.m. Dec. 8 regarding a suicidal woman at a Highway AW residence at Plato. The officer made contact with the woman, 52, and she denied wanting to hurt herself, but said she was extremely upset about her husband buying a German shepherd a few days earlier and that the dog was a chicken killer. An ambulance crew arrived and checked on her. and the man and woman were advised of the 12-hour no-contact rule. A deputy was dispatched at about 6:45 p.m. Dec. 6 regarding a report of a domestic disturbance at a Ware Road residence at Licking. The officer made contact with a 49-year-old man who lives there who said his stepdaughter was high on drugs and threatened to kill him. The man told the officer the suspect was in a shed on the property. The officer made contact with the stepdaughter, 24, who was angry and yelling at the officer. The officer observed a pie plate with marijuana in it and the woman Maia K. Mannin was arrested for possession of marijuana. She was taken to the Texas County Jail for a 12-hour hold period. A 51-year-old Houston woman reported on Dec. 4 that she had been raped by her 54-year-old brother in either last April or May. The woman told an investigating officer her brother lives in Illinois but was at the time living with she and her husband at their Raymondville residence. During an interview, the woman told an officer she had gotten out of the hospital and was heavily sedated on medication when her brother came into her room and took advantage of her. An officer noted in a report that the woman had reported being raped on Jan 1, 2015, but a Missouri State Highway Patrol investigation determined the claim was unfounded. Investigation continues. On Nov. 27, a deputy was advised that a male inmate in the Texas County Jail had attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself in his cell. Upon arrival, the officer observed the inmate, 26, of Willow Springs, unresponsive and being loaded onto an ambulance gurney. The inmate was taken to Texas County Memorial Hospital for treatment, and then transferred to Mercy Hospital in Springfield for a brief check-up before being released back into TCSD custody. The deputy reported that the inmate had torn a towel into strips and wrapped it around hand bars near a toilet. He was reportedly found by jailers, who removed the makeshift noose. Several suicide notes written to various people were found in the mans cell. A deputy responded at about 5:15 p.m. Nov. 26 to a report of two men tampering with a vehicle at an apartment complex on U.S. 63 at Licking. The officer made contact with a woman who lives there who said the men were beating on a silver truck parked two apartments down. The officer looked at the truck and observed no damage. The woman told the officer neighbors in the apartment upstairs from the truck had yelled at the men to get them to quit. The officer made contact with the neighbors, who had been in bed asleep and had no idea what was being referred to. The officer reported that the woman appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance, and that she appeared agitated and made many jerky movements. Texas County 911 called at about 4:20 p.m. Nov. 26 and reported that a woman at a Shipp Drive residence at Licking had called and stated she didnt know where she was. An investigating officer made contact with the woman and her husband who said she had taken too much cough medicine and woke up frightened. Texas County Jail admissions Dec. 5 Brett Hall Butler County hold Orval K. Clark 5-years MDOC Bradley C. McKee non-support Tyler R. Barnett traffic violations Kari D. Young drug charges Dec. 6 Lucas L. McGaugh 72-hour commitment Dec. 7 Shane L. Briggs burglary Joshua D. Eisenhauer 3-day commitment Leonard L. Martin possession of controlled substance Dec. 9 Lucas L. McGaugh drug charges Byron K. Dugger possession of controlled substance John A. Clapper possession of controlled substance, tampering with evidence Chance I. Gale 48-hour commitment Jessica S. Kelly Jefferson County hold Dec. 10 Michael J. Gerdes failure to appear Tyler J. Brock stealing Personnel from three Texas County volunteer fire departments responded shortly after 7 a.m. Monday to a fire that burned down a residence near Yukon. Tyrone Fire Department Chief Adam Webb said a total of six trucks from the Tyrone, Raymondville and Summersville departments went to the scene, where a residence consisting of two trailer homes connected by a deck was on fire at 19403 Cockrell Road (south of Highways 137 and 17). Webb said a man who was asleep inside was awakened by the blaze and got out uninjured. The home was a total loss, Webb said, and cause of the fire isnt known. Raymondville and Summersville did a great job with mutual aid for us, Webb said. I love that; if it werent for mutual aid companies, life would be a lot harder. It was that time of day when people are on their way to work or already at work, so that makes the amount of people responding smaller. And 911 did a fabulous job providing directions and doing their job. - EARLIER: Three county fire departments were called to a structure fire near Yukon shortly after 7 a.m. Monday. A trailer was reported ablaze at 19403 Cockrell Road, which is south of the Highways 137 and 17 intersection at Yukon. Tyrone, Raymondville and Summersville departments were called. Linda Sue (Purcell) Buchholz, 65, daughter of Lester Elvin and Ruby Janetta (Sumrall) Purcell, was born Aug. 18, 1952, in Sayre, Okla. She passed away Dec. 10, 2017, at Licking Park Manor in Licking, Mo. Lindas parents made their home in Raymondville when she was very young. She was proud to have lived her entire life just down the road from the land where the Purcell family settled five generations ago. Linda graduated from Houston High School in 1970 and many of her classmates were still close friends. She married James Buchholz on Aug. 6, 1971, at the Cabool First Baptist Church and they celebrated 45 years of marriage together. She was preceded in death by her husband, James; an infant daughter; and her parents. Linda accepted the Lord as her Savior at an early age. Her faith was important. Despite battling illness, she always found a way to make it to church. She is survived by one son, Justin Buchholz and wife, Lacy, of Raymondville; two daughters, Traci Goetz and husband, Tony, of Raymondville and Janda Jenkins and husband, Mike, of Kansas City, Mo.; six grandchildren, Austin Goetz, Keaton Goetz, Bryson Goetz, Robert Jenkins, Eva Jenkins and Alivia Tharp; two brothers, Bill Downey and wife, Shirley, of St. Clair, Mo., and Danny Purcell and wife, Rhonda, of Ray mondville; a half-sister, Gloria Bowen of Pampa, Texas; and eight nieces and nephews. Linda worked at many jobs over the years, but mostly in secretarial positions, and she was competent to do any job that farm life required. She appreciated simple things and was proud to be from the country. She liked to crochet, work puzzles, play cards, make jellies and view wildlife. She loved having visitors and would holler out Come on in, if you can get in! when she heard a knock at the door. Most of the time she could be found at the kitchen table reading a book or sitting in the yard with the grandsons, dogs and chickens. She had an outgoing personality and never met a stranger. She enjoyed a good joke and was always telling stories, some true and some embellished. She was a keeper of traditions and knowledge of older generations. She often recalled fishing trips with her dad on a homemade pontoon boat at Bull Shoals Lake or catching trout on opening day in the freezing cold weather at Montauk. She enjoyed seeing the country with James in his truck and traveling to see Janda and Mike. Linda recently took an extended trip west with Danny and Rhonda, but she was always happiest at home where she could keep an eye on Justin, Traci, Tony and the boys. She was raised to be resourceful and could make-do with very little; she gave others whatever she had. Many times she opened her home to those in need and treated them like family. She did not dwell on negative things and refused to let her illness interfere with what she wanted to do. Above all she enjoyed visiting with friends and spending time with her family. She will be missed but not forgotten. Visitation is 6-8 p.m. Thursday Dec. 14, at Ev ans Funeral Home. Services are 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15, with Dr. Howell Burkhead and Pastor Cody Neugebauer officiating. Burial will be in Allen Cemetery. Pallbearers are Justin Buchholz, Mike Jenkins, Tony Goetz, Danny Purcell, Mickey Westbrook, and Paul Spencer. Honorary pallbearers are Austin Goetz, Keaton Goetz, Bryson Goetz, Robert Jenkins, Eva Jenkins and Alivia Tharp. In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials to Allen Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Evans Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent to www.evansfh.com. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. A 2008 American Economic Review paper which found that US congressmen vote more liberally, especially on issues affecting women, when they have more daughters. A 2015 American Journal of Political Science paper which found that federal judges, primarily Republican, with daughters, consistently vote in a more feminist fashion on gender issues compared to judges with only sons, A working paper by two Harvard University professors shows that parenting more daughters cause decisionmakers in venture capital firms to hire more female partners. ing a child often changes how a person views the world and, according to one recent study, it seems this altered attitude even reaches the workplace.According to a paper published in the December issue of Journal of Financial Economics, CEOs with daughters scored higher in corporate social responsibility and were more likely to make decisions that lead to greater workplace equality.The mere fact of having a daughter opens executives eyes to gender-related issues they might not otherwise be aware of, said co-author Henrik Cronqvist, who is the chairman of the department of finance at the University of Miamis School of Business Administration.The research also revealed that a companys corporate social responsibility rating is 9.1 per cent higher than that of a median firm if the CEO has a daughter.Incredibly, the study also found that when a new CEO who has a daughter comes on board, the company becomes more socially responsible. The opposite happens when a CEO without a daughter joins the company.Sociology professor Barbara Risman told the Wallstreet Journal that having a daughter was not the only factor shaping how CEOs act but it certainly does have an impact.Fathers of daughters want their daughters to have equal opportunities in the world, she told the news outlet. They see the inequities that women face, and that makes them more open to thinking about inequity in general.Other studies that support this are:The study used data from 416 CEOs across S&P 500 companies and provides an update to a previous report published in 2015. North Adams Emergency Services Holiday Fundraiser Yields Big Numbers Donated toys cover the Fire Department's vintage truck at Walmart last month. Fire, police and ambulance personnel collected more than 700 toys for needy children. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Emergency services received more than 700 donated toys this holiday season during their annual Emergency Services Toy Drive. The North Adams Fire Department spent last Monday afternoon wrapping the hundreds of toys they received during the November toy drive outside of Walmart, where shoppers were able to purchase a toy and place it on one of the emergency service vehicles parked outside. "We have doubled the amount of gifts and we have well over 700 gifts," Mary Ann King, who has spearheaded the drive with firefighter Bob Patenaude, said. "We really surpassed our goal." "We are at 150, if not more, kids getting three presents each this year," Patenaude said. King, a police dispatcher, said this year instead of donating to the Toys For Tots program, emergency services worked with local agencies and organizations to find families in need to sponsor. "We teamed up with [Berkshire Community Action Council] and other groups because we needed a to find those children that are in need," she said. "That was our goal to put all of this right back into the community." King said the gifts will be delivered to the families via fire truck, ambulance or police cruiser. Emergency personnel worked with North Adams Rotary and the Northern Berkshire Family YMCA to host a pizza party Sunday at the Y, with pizza donated by Village Pizza. "We have a big Christmas party at the YMCA for them," she said. "We are going to have a movie, there will be arts and crafts, we will hand out hats and mittens and they will open the pool for the families." King said it is important to help families in need and noted it is always a touching day when they deliver gifts to families that truly have nothing. "Its great and you would be amazed at the number of families that register right in our own community," she said. "The families that we take on are really in need." The Board of Health says it can take no action on the former Curtis paper mill property until the town takes control of it. Board Of Health Can Not Yet Inspect Curtis Paper ADAMS, Mass. The Board of Health says it can take no action on the former Curtis paper mill property until the town takes control of it. Chairman Peter Hoyt told the board Wednesday that after talking with then Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco, he has the understanding that the board's hands are tied when it comes to the 115 Howland Ave. property. "We wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page but until the town really takes over the property, which we are in the process of doing, we can't do a whole lot," Hoyt said. "There is no response from the property owner so, therefore, we can't enter the premise." The town began the process of taking the property last year from MJD Real Estate, which owes more than $450,000 in property taxes. Since then, residents have reported activity on the site even though MJD's permits were pulled. Activity included tractor trailers moving on and off the property, some kind of automotive repair operation and the storage of roll-offs. The roll-offs caught the attention of the Board of Health because they were filled with potentially hazardous material. The roll-offs have been removed , however, the board still has concerns about the interior and the grounds of the old mill. "That is a building you don't want to walk around in," Code Enforcement Officer Thomas Romaniak said. In other business, board member David Rhoads said the newly implemented transfer station seems to be a success and more than 450 permits have been sold. Board member Bruce Shepley said the original goal was to sell 200 permits. "There is a lot of positive feedback from those who are using it and there are still negative comments, but I think they are blending in," he said. "I think a year from now it will be accepted, and we will be able to possibly expand services." The board did pass a policy stating that it would not accept propane tanks at the station but would refer patrons to other possible vendors if the situation arises. "There are plenty of resources to get rid of propane tanks in Berkshire County and I think we can make this a permanent policy," Shepley said. "Maybe if the issue comes up we can address it again." The board also put the kibosh on brush removal and brush burning by the Department of Public Works at the transfer station until it can figure out a better and fairer way to remove it. "We need to sit down as a committee and look at alternatives to limit the amount of brush that comes in because we think there is a lot coming in from landscapers," Shepley said. "It is not a showstopper, but we have to figure something else out." Before closing the meeting, the board agreed to seek more information on training from a company called 24Trauma that trains organizations in how to enter a potential biohazardous situation or a crime scene. "They will show us how to safely enter a premise and not damage a crime scene or come in contact with the biohazardous material," Hoyt said. Hoyt said Police Chief Richard Tarsa floated the idea and said the town may be able to host the training. Police Chief Richard Tarsa updates the board on new equipment at the Police Department. Adams Police Receive New Fingerprint Device ADAMS, Mass. Police Chief Richard Tarsa updated the Selectmen last week on some of the improvements and changes in the department, including a live-scan fingerprinting device. Tarsa told the board on Wednesday that because of the way the Adams Police Department conducts sex offender registrations, it was one of four departments in the state to receive the $30,000 device. "We take care of it in Adams in an efficient matter and do so appropriately and properly," Tarsa said. "Because of our impeccable record keeping, they titled us as one of the four recipients." Tarsa said the department has had the scanner and affiliated equipment for some time now and officers have been trained in how to use it. Instead of taking a print on a card and scanning it, the new device can get results much quicker. He said in some cases the scanner gathers results in five minutes. "It is almost instantaneous, and it is a huge benefit," he said. Tarsa said the department will receive another $10,000 enforcement grant for speeding prevention. He said some of this will go towards new radars for the cruisers. "Unfortunately, it is a fast-paced society and we are getting nowhere fast," Tarsa said. "We have been experiencing an increase in speeding complaints and I hate to say it but ... it is not people from out of town, it is the people that live in the problem areas, but we have been stepping it up and this will help." Tarsa added that cameras have been installed in all cruisers and he also expects the new cruiser that town meeting cleared for purchase will be delivered soon. "It is in the final stages of being built and I expect a call any day now in regards to its delivery," he said. Tarsa added that the Adams Police Department also now carries Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of an overdose due to opioids. "We have been carrying that now for a few months and recently deployed it successfully a few days ago," he said. Also, Tarsa said the Adams Police Association is once again holding a toy drive and residents can drop off donations or toys at the station. In other business, the Selectmen voted to allow free holiday parking downtown until Jan. 1. This sparked discussion about the meters themselves and Selectman Joseph Nowak said he heard from residents that the meters are always jammed and unusable. Tarsa said because of the design of the meters, they often get jammed if people do not put coins in the right way. He said every few weeks an officer collects the coins and clears jams. Nowak added that he felt the police did not have enough of a presence downtown so people just dont feed the meter. "I surmised they are not getting filled up because people realized they can get away with it," he said. "Its mostly locals and this has been a point of contention with this board." Tarsa said part of the issue is staffing and even though he plans to hire five reserve officers he has to wait for the state to dissolve the town's affiliation with Civil Service, which town meeting agreed to leave in order to make it easier to hire police officers. "It is currently in the House and has passed the Senate ... it is a formal process and I will be honest with you, this is a time consuming and very frustrating process," he said. "But once I get those five reserve officers you will see more of a presence on the street." Nowak said he felt there were plenty of opportunities for the current officers to get out of their cruisers and walk the beat. "I dont know if that is legitimate in my thinking because I am around town a lot and I see the officers, and they do a great job, but I also see them and think they have time to get out of their cruisers and go up and down the street," Nowak said. "I think they could do it if they really wanted to." Tarsa said he partially agreed and noted he recently sent a memo to his officers that they will spend 15 to 20 minutes walking downtown near their cruisers to increase street presence. He said many communities practice this and if there is an emergency, the officer is not far from their cruiser. Tarsa said an issue arises with call volume and the town has seen an increase of calls during the day and the officers sometimes just dont have time. "I can tell you the numbers are up especially with vehicle citations and arrests during the day," he said. "The day shift numbers have increased dramatically." He added that without dispatchers, sergeants now work the desk, which means the officers have to do all of their own reporting and that can take hours. Tarsa said although there are challenges, community policing is important to Adams and the department is working towards being better at it. "It is community policing 101 and it is something that we have advocated for before I was on the job and we will continue to advocate for it after me," he said. "It is what we do here and it has always worked for Adams and will continue to work for Adams." The Bennington Center for the Arts opened its doors in 1994. Bennington Center for the Arts Donated to Southern Vermont College Bruce Laumeister founded the Bennington Center for the Arts with his wife, Elizabeth Small. BENNINGTON, Vt. Bruce Laumeister said Monday that his family's gift to Southern Vermont College allows for the preservation of his legacy. SVC President David Rees Evans said it will allow SVC to build for the college's future. Laumeister and his wife Elizabeth Small, who founded the Bennington Center for the Arts in 1994, have donated the Route 9 facility to the college, which will name it the Laumeister Art Center at Southern Vermont College in honor of the donor. "It's been a great ride," Laumeister said at a ceremony announcing the gift on Monday afternoon. "But [the BCA] is only ending physically, not mentally. We'll be around. "When you get into your 80s, you start to wonder what's going to happen to things you built and how they're going to stay. I built it for the community, and it will stay in the community. Southern Vermont College couldn't be a better source." Small, who was unable to attend Monday's ceremony, echoed Laumeister's sentiment in a news release from the college. "I am delighted to see the transfer of BCA to SVC for I feel with Dr. Evans at the helm they will be able to continue the mission that we set forth for the center, which was to bring world-class art to the residents and visitors of Southern Vermont," Small said. "With his youth, enthusiasm, commitment to the community, and his love for the arts, including theatrical and the Southwest, I have complete confidence that the center will continue to grow and serve the arts community everywhere." Southern Vermont College President David Rees Evans called the gift the largest by far in the college's history. Evans talked about how the acquisition will help complement programming at the liberal arts college. "We have not been all that much engaged in the arts," Evans said. "In this community, having a foothold in the arts is, of course, immensely important. This creates a giant, instantaneous opportunity to be a player in the arts in Bennington, which is terrific for us." Evans, who sits on the board of the Dorset Theatre Festival, noted that his wife is the costumer at Bennington's Old Castle Theatre, and the college foresees cooperating with a number of the area's cultural entities for programming at the Laumeister Center, starting as early as this summer. "We've got one thing we're looking at for March, which depends on the technological capacity of the theater," he said. "Once we get in there, we'll have a better sense of what we can do. But for sure, there will be as much as we can possibly do during the summer." The new Laumeister Art Center adds 36,000 square feet of performance and programming space. That represents an increase of about 70 percent, if not more, to SVC's academic footprint, Evans said. The center includes a 315-seat theater as well as offices, workshop spaces and a gallery dedicated to the history and culture of covered bridges in Vermont. SVC is no stranger to the BCA. Evans himself was installed in the theater at the center, and the college has used the site for admissions events and student orientations. In the not-too-distant future, those orientations may include information about expanded arts offerings at the school, which offers degree programs in 14 areas ranging from business administration to nursing to liberal arts. "This enables us to think seriously about expanding our academic programs into some more arts areas," Evans said. "We have no interest in competing with Bennington College, so we're looking at things that dovetail with their work, rather than competing with their work, and add vibrancy to the arts in this area. "This morning, we formed a small committee that has a faculty member and administrator and a couple of people from the community to do a quick plan for the summer because we'd like to get it very active in the summer time. In the longer run, we will develop a strategy for academic programming. We're strong already in non-profit management, so we're looking at options in that realm. We're also thinking: Are their applied arts programs we can do. "I think by the end of the spring semester, we'll have a pretty good idea where we're going." Even when the weather outside is frightful, Wild Oats has been delightful for 35 years. Biz Briefs: Wild Oats Celebrates 35 Years As Cooperative in Williamstown 35 and counting Wild Oats is seen in 1982 when it first opened as a retail store in Colonial Shopping Center. Wild Oats Market, a cooperatively owned natural foods grocery store, bakery and cafe, will celebrate 35 years as a cooperative, community-owned business on Saturday, Dec. 16, in conjunction with Owner-Appreciation Day. The main event will be a cake cutting at 3:35 p.m., but the celebration will go on all day with vendor demos throughout the day, including Maplebrook Farm, Hop2o, Heritage Cider and Niman Ranch. The hot bar, salad bar, sandwich bar and soup will be 35 percent off for all shoppers that day and a small coffee will be just 35 cents There will also be specials on beer and wine. Since the event is happening in conjunction with Owner Appreciation Day, member-owners will save 5 percent on all purchases that day. "In an age of intense competition from big box stores, conventional grocers and online retailers, it's no minor feat for a small, local business to be marking 35 years of serving the community," said David Durfee, general manager of Wild Oats. "It's a testament to both the cooperative ownership model and our focus on being a local market in a way that a chain or online store could never be. We source our local products from within 100 miles of the store, and our customers know that when they buy a local apple, local beef or local maple syrup they are benefiting a farmer or producer who is part of the community and supporting the local economy." Beginning as a cooperative buying club in 1975, Wild Oats Market opened its first retail store in 1982 in the Colonial Shopping Center in Williamstown with 100 cooperative owners. Those numbers grew steadily over the years as more and more people became interested in local, organic food and sustainable living. Today, in its present location on Main Street, the co-op boasts more than 1,500 owners. Carr in Top 10 Carr Hardware, announced last month as making it to the quarterfinals of the ational small business movement "Independent We Stand," has been notified they have now made it to the top 10. The winner will be announced later this month. "This year's top ten list represents the independent businesses from across the country who go above and beyond to support their local economies," said Bill Brunelle, co-founder of Independent We Stand. "This award is our way of honoring the contributions they've made to their communities." Carr Hardware is the only hardware store left in the running and the only business chosen from New England. Americans cast votes for 249 nominees during the nominations phase. If Carr Hardware does receive the Indie Award, its owners have committed to donating 100 percent of the cash proceeds ($5,000) toward the "Build the New Splash Park" project in Pittsfield. Better to give Berkshire Bank has launched its sixth "Season of Giving," the company's annual initiative to assist children and families in need during the holiday season. The campaign runs through the end of the holiday season and engages more than 300 company employees from across the country in a variety of community service projects, all of which benefit nonprofit organizations in the footprint where the bank and its subsidiaries conduct business operations. Highlights and regions for the more than 60 activities include collecting and distributing gifts for the Salvation Armys Holiday program in Pittsfield, preparing meals for homebound individuals with the Bennington Eagles in Bennington, Vt., and assembling holiday gift baskets for the Arlington Food Shelf in Manchester, Vt. The old and the new Berkshire Money Management, an independent investment advisory firm, is opening its doors - and its walls and floor space - to artists from the Berkshires and beyond. The firm invites submissions of two and three-dimensional original artwork for a one-night, group exhibit titled "New Art in an Old Building," to be held on Friday, January 19 at the Model Farm on Main Street. The historic, 19th century property has undergone extensive renovation, and is now the new headquarters for the firm. Berkshire Money Management founder and CEO Allen Harris, himself an art collector, sees the 15-room estate as a perfect canvas to showcase art in all mediums. "The renovations for the building were extensive, taking about six months to complete. And while the process and the move was exciting, I am most eager to see new art displayed in our space, Allen said. "Whether it was a new initiative like ArtsWalk, or the Paintbox Project, or supporting long-lasting venues such as Tanglewood and Jacob's Pillow, we have worked hard to be a good cultural neighbor to our community. Now we're hoping to be a good host to the creative work of living artists." The show is open to all artistsvideo installation, sculpture, soundscape, painting--and submissions can be sent digitally by email with the subject line "New Art in an Old Building." Works need to be displayed free standing, on pedestals or easels, and must be ready for display by Jan. 18. Up to six pieces may be submitted by any individual. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 23 at 5 p.m. Artists whose work is selected will be notified by Dec. 31. Celebrating 10 years Greylock Insurance Agency, a subsidiary of Greylock Federal Credit Union, is celebrating its 10th year in Great Barrington. The Great Barrington office opened in 2007 and was Greylock Insurance's sixth location, making it the only truly county-wide insurance network in the Berkshires. The full service insurance agency, operating at 325 Stockbridge Road, offers a full array of auto, homeowners, life and commercial insurance. The office has been managed since its opening by Jessica Havens, a Greylock Insurance Agency account manager who started her career as a teller at Greylock 14 years ago when the Credit Union opened its Great Barrington branch. GIA's five other offices are located in: Adams, 2 Park St.; North Adams, 66 Main St. (moving soon to 131 Ashland St.); Pittsfield locations at 150 West St. and 5 Cheshire Road (Allendale Shopping Center); and 552 Main St., Williamstown. When the Sept. 30th deadline approached for reauthorizing the Childrens Health Insurance Program, no one seriously thought that Congress would let the bipartisan-supported health plan expire. When the deadline passed, there was still little concern: States still had money available in their coffers to pay for the $14 billion program, which serves about 9 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but who cant afford insurance for their children on the open market. (CHIP also covers about 370,000 pregnant women.) But now, more than two months later, the program still has not been funded by Congress, and no funding plan is on the immediate horizon. Supporters hoped that long-term funding for the program might be appended to a short-term bill passed on Dec. 7 to keep the government running, but that didnt happen. Instead, that short-term bill allowed some reserve funds to be used by states whose CHIP funding is running out the soonest. That buys a little more time, but it doesnt help states, which are now wondering whether they should start notifying families that their childs health care program may be going away, or hold off on such notifications in hopes that Congress will come up with the money soon. Some states have decided not to wait. Colorados CHIP funding, which serves about 75,000 children, runs out at the end of January. The state started notifying families at the end of November that they may need to start looking for other options. Everyone agrees it needs to get done, said Elisabeth Wright Burak, a senior fellow at Georgetown Universitys Center for Children and Families. The fact that we cant get across the finish line is kind of mind-boggling. So how did we get here? Burak hypothesizes that the fact that the program is supported on both sides of the aisle may have, ironically, reduced lawmakers sense of urgency. Back in April, a federal advisory panel called the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission estimated that only a few states would run out of CHIP money by the end of the year, giving lawmakers the idea that they had several more months to act. But it doesnt work that way, Burak said: States cant turn on a dime like that. Congresss inability to get this done has already created a lot of uncertainty for states and for families, she said. Faced with the signal that the program might be financially shaky, they start to look for other options, or they just disenroll in the program. And its hard to get them back in the door. Theres not a lot of other options available for CHIP families, said Dr. Charles Pruitt, the president of the Utah chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and an emergency room pediatrician in Salt Lake City. About 20,000 children in the state are covered through the program, Pruitt said, including a child whose uninsured family delayed bringing him to the hospital, only to find out that he had a brain tumor. He also spoke of a teen who was hit by a distracted driver; her family wont be bankrupted by her care because she is enrolled in the CHIP program. These are real people with real problems. These are not people on the dole, these are not the takers. These are people who are playing by the rules and doing the best they can, Pruitt said. Utah may be among the first states to freeze enrollment, Pruitt noted. Thats because the state doesnt have an additional source of funds to tap once federal funding runs out for the state at the end of January. Lives are in the balance while people debate the politics. If they worked with me, I think wed have re-funded CHIP a long time ago, he said. The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers. To unlock this article: Attorney General Xavier Becerra Sues EPA Over Failure to Implement Life-Saving Clean Air Protections Sacramento, California - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, joined by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its failure to designate any areas of the country as having unhealthy levels of smog in excess of federal Clean Air Act requirements. These designations are critical because an area that is designated as not meeting the requirements must take active measures to improve its air quality. EPA was required to make these designations by October 1, but it failed to do so. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Smog causes various health problems, particularly in children, outdoor workers, and asthma sufferers. It is therefore imperative that the EPA implement these smog-reducing standards as mandated by the Clean Air Act, said Attorney General Becerra. The California Department of Justice refuses to let the EPA blatantly violate the Clean Air Act. We will continue doing everything in our power to ensure that the EPA does what it is supposed to do: protect our environment. Lives can be saved if the EPA implements these standards. Public health research shows that smog can make people sick, particularly those most vulnerable, including children, said CARB Executive Officer Richard Corey. Despite reducing emissions from motor vehicles and other sources, improvements become more difficult as the climate warms. While CARB and the Air Districts do their part to protect public health, the federal government needs to do its part. The U.S. EPA has been illegally attempting to avoid its obligations on this critical matter for months, despite having everything it needs to keep making progress. Todays action will help get us back on track. Promulgated by the Obama Administration in 2015, the smog standards are set at a level EPA determines is necessary to protect public health from the harmful effects of ground-level ozone, the primary component of smog. When the standards were adopted, EPA projected that compliance with the standards would create billions of dollars worth of health benefits every year, even after subtracting costs. Attorney General Becerra filed the lawsuit along with the attorneys general of: New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota (by and through its Minnesota Pollution Control Agency), Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. When he assumed office, Attorney General Becerra made protecting the environment a top priority. Among other actions, he has announced a $9.5 million settlement with DIRECTV to resolve allegations that its California facilities unlawfully disposed of large volumes of hazardous waste; has called on the Trump Administration to enforce and keep in place a rule that prevents the dangerous waste of natural gas; and he has filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for illegally delaying a rule that encourages automakers to produce vehicle fleets that meet or exceed federal fuel efficiency standards. By Denisa Superville and Sarah Sparks Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool resigned on Friday, amid allegations that he repeatedly lied to investigators during an ethics probe and tried to cover up an investigation into legal contracts. Claypools resignation, which will become effective on Dec. 31, came a day after the districts Inspector General released a report recommending his termination. Longtime Chicago educator Janice Jackson, who serves as the districts chief education officer, will become interim CEO. The school board will vote on her appointment at its next meeting, Frank Clark, the president of Chicagos mayorally appointed school board, said in a press conference on Friday. Jackson is as homegrown a leader as they come in Chicago: She graduated from Hyde Park High School, got her education degree at Chicago State University, and a masters in administration and a doctorate in education policy studies and urban school leadership from the University of Illinois in Chicago. She worked her way up, first as a history teacher at South Shore High School. Then, then at 27, she was tapped to lead a series of small high schools she helped found, the Al Raby School for Community and Environment and the Westinghouse College Prep High School. She later became leader of Chicagos 26-school Network 9, and from there stepped in as the districts chief academic officer when her predecessor, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, left amid a corruption scandal. With Claypools resignation, the Chicago district is now onto its third CEO in a little more than two years. Claypool came to the district in July 2015, shortly after then-CEO Byrd-Bennett resigned while federal investigators were looking into a $20.5 million no-bid contract that was awarded to a leadership development company. Byrd-Bennett was later charged and convicted in connection with the kickback scheme and is now serving a four and a half-year prison sentence. Both Clark and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who handpicked Claypool to replace Byrd-Bennett, praised the outgoing CEO for steering the district in the right direction since he came on board. They said he brought financial stability to the chronically financially strapped district and pointed to academic progress the district has made under his leadership. Just last month, Stanford researchers Sean Reardon and Rebecca Hinze-Pifer released a report showing that Chicago schools led the nation in academic growth. The New York Times also took note of the districts academic gains. Emanuel said that Claypool should be judged by the entirety of his decades-long public service career and that he had been selfless and courageous in taking on institutional inertia. He has always gone to work with his sleeves rolled up ready to get the job done, and ... he can walk out with his head high because he did a job well, Emanuel said. He did a great job for the children of the city of Chicago, Emanuel said. The probe related to whether the districts chief attorney hired a firm with which he had an existing business relationship to do legal work for the district. After CPS ethics committee ruled that the relationship violated CPSs ethics code, Claypool allegedly tried to cover it up, according to the report by Inspector General Nicholas Schuler. Just Thursday, Claypool released a statement apologizing and saying that he had made a mistake. This is not a case of anyone profiting off of CPS; no one in this story gained a dollar, Claypool said Thursday. This is not a case of anyone taking anything from children; this is a case of fighting to get more resources for children. In fact, the only ones who profited from this pursuit of justice were our students, who have another $450 million of funding from the state due to the efforts our team. On Friday, he apologized again. I regret my actions, and I have apologized for them, he said. Claypool said that when he took the job he knew that it would be the toughest in his career. But he said that he was leaving the district in stronger financial footing. I hope when this chapter...is written people will say that even good men can make stupid mistakes, he said. The Chicago Teachers Union, which was never a fan of Claypool, had called for Emanuel to fire Claypool in the wake of the inspector generals report. Our members are delighted to see Forrest Claypool go, but hes got to take his policies with him. Ninety-nine percent of our members voted no confidence in him last year because his decisions have pushed thousands of students out of Chicago Public Schools, hes cut our schools funding to the bone and hes populated his administration with cronies and political insiders while running roughshod over the voices of parents and teachers, said Jesse Sharkey, the unions vice president. And while Sharkey said he was glad to see a veteran educator chosen for the job, the union also had some concerns about Jackson. Shes got to show that she will take a different approach on revenue, reject her predecessors agenda to close schools and expand charters, and start listening to educators and parents, Sharkey said. From the start, Claypool and the union did not see eye to eyethe union head Karen Lewis urged him not to take the job. The two sides butted heads over a new contract, which came to the brink of a strike, and how best to get more money for the financially beleaguered school district. Despite that, they reached a last-minute agreement on a contract shortly before a strike deadline in October 2016. Claypool, for his part, has been vocally critical of Illinois funding formula, which he says is unfair to the citys students, who are predominantly students of color. He sued the governor and the state board of education over the school funding formula , arguing that the state funding formula creates a separate and unequal system and violates the states Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit, filed in Circuit Court in Cook County, was dismissed in April, but the court gave the district an option to refile the case. The district dropped the lawsuit in October. Image 1: Janice Jackson, Chicago Public Schools Chief Education Officer, will become the districts interim CEO. Photo courtesy Chicago Public Schools. Image 2: Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool tenders his resignation during a press conference at CPS headquarters on Friday, Dec. 8. --Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP Attorney General Becerra Announces Takedown of Stockton Street Gangs Stockton, California - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the arrest of 47 individuals; seizure of 35 firearms, and 10 of them were assault rifles; nearly $44,000 in currency; and the seizure of 34 pounds of marijuana, 2 pounds of methamphetamine, and 2 pounds of cocaine as part of a takedown of gang members in Stockton. This operation, which took place Tuesday, targeted criminal activities by members of the MOB, Flyboys, East Coast Crips, Conway Gangsters, Sierra Vista Project and Glock Team gangs. The alleged criminal activities included conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal weapons possession, and gang enhancements. Families in Stockton can breathe a little easier tonight knowing that gang members, drugs, and deadly weapons are off the streets, said Attorney General Becerra. The MOB and Flyboys have used violence to incite fear and intimidation in the south Stockton community for far too long. I want to thank all of the brave men and women who wear the badge for taking this important step in improving safety in south Stockton. The operation was the product of a joint investigation by the California Department of Justices Bureau of Investigations Special Operations Unit (SOU), Stockton Police Department Gang Suppression Unit, California Highway Patrol, and San Joaquin County District Attorneys Office. The Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that provides statewide enforcement for combating violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers. In 2014, the Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Commissioner worked with the Legislature and Governor Browns administration to secure $9.4 million for California DOJ Bureau of Investigations SOU teams. These unique and essential teams use the latest technology and advanced investigative techniques and work alongside local law enforcement to enhance investigations into violent criminals and organized crime throughout the state. Attorney General Becerra Joins Amicus Brief Calling For CFPBs Independence Sacramento, California - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Friday called on the Trump Administration to respect the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) independence. The CFPB works tirelessly to protect consumers from fraud, abuse, and unfair business practices, and has returned $12 billion to American consumers since being created in the wake of the financial crisis. It was carefully crafted by Congress to be an independent agency. On November 24, 2017, CFPB Director Richard Cordray stepped down and Deputy Director Leandra English became acting director pursuant to the law governing the CFPB, 12 USC s. 5491(b)(2), which states: There is established the position of Deputy Director, who shall - (A) be appointed by the Director; and (B) serve as acting Director in the absence or unavailability of the Director." That same day, President Donald Trump moved to politically appoint a known antagonist of the CFPB, Mick Mulvaney, the Office of Management and Budget Director, as the acting CFPB Director. "Sick, sad joke" are the words Mulvaney has used to describe the agency which protects consumers, veterans and loan borrowers. Under the leadership of Richard Cordray, the CFPB set new standards for protecting mortgage and student borrowers, brought landmark actions against big banks, and proposed critical reforms to payday lending practices, mandatory arbitration, and bank overdraft fees, said Attorney General Becerra. President Donald Trump, however, is attempting a hostile takeover of this independent agency by contravening the Dodd-Frank Act and installing as acting director a man who has repeatedly sided with Wall Street instead of Main Street. It is an absolute insult to hardworking Americans. "In California and the Attorney General's Office, we are committed to moving forward, and we will do everything in our power to defend this critical agency," added Attorney General Becerra. The CFPB must remain independent of Wall Street and politics. Its job is to protect and empower consumers. In the amicus brief filed today, Attorney General Becerra and 17 attorneys general argue that while there is a legal mechanism for President Trump to nominate a new director for the CFPB an appointment subject to the advice and consent of the Senate President Trump has not taken that path here. Undermining the statutory structure of the agency harms the States ability to enforce myriad consumer financial laws that protect their residents. Attorney General Becerra joins the Attorneys General of Washington D.C., Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, And Washington in filing this amicus brief. Since taking office, Attorney General Becerra has supported and worked with the CFPB. Among other actions, he stands with the agency for issuing its Payday Lending Rule, which will prevent the worst harms associated with short-term payday lending, and for launching its Arbitration Rule, which would have allowed people to pursue justice against financial services companies had it not been overturned by Republicans in Congress. In addition, Attorney General Becerra, joined by 12 attorneys general and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, secured a settlement with Aequitas Capital Management Inc., a private equity firm, to provide over $51 million in debt relief to Californians who attended Corinthian Colleges and $183 million nationwide. CBP Takes Interim Measures for Transshipment of Glycine in Ongoing Enforce and Protect Act Investigation Washington, DC - U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a notice of interim measures on Monday to importer, Ceka Nutrition, Inc., in its ongoing Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) investigation concerning the evasion of the antidumping duty order for glycine from The Peoples Republic of China. CBP found a reasonable suspicion that Ceka Nutrition was entering glycine that had been transshipped from China through Cambodia. CBP is committed to aggressively pursuing allegations that we receive of duty evasion with all of the available legal tools we have at our disposal, as we did in this case, said Acting Commissioner Kevin McAleenan. Through partnering with the trade community in combatting evasion, CBP can work to level the playing field for U.S. businesses by facilitating legitimate trade, while penalizing and deterring the violators of U.S. trade laws. To that end, I encourage those with knowledge of evasion of our trade laws to file an allegation with CBP. CBP has taken the following interim measures against Ceka Nutrition: Requiring live entry for all imports of glycine, meaning Ceka Nutrition must submit proper import documentation and duties prior to the release of its merchandise; Implementing rate adjustments for all unliquidated entries of merchandise subject to this investigation to reflect that they are subject to the antidumping duty order; Suspending or extending unliquidated entries of glycine, as appropriate; Rejecting any entry summaries that fall within the entry summary reject period; as well as, Reviewing Ceka Nutritions continuous bond and application of single transaction bonds for it, as appropriate. As a result of implementing EAPA interim measures, CBP halts the potential evasion of several million dollars worth of antidumping duties annually. The antidumping duty rate for goods subject to the China-wide rate for this order is 453 percent ad valorem. GEO Specialty Chemicals, Inc., of Deer Park, Texas, filed an allegation on August 1 claiming that Ceka Nutrition was evading the antidumping duty order on glycine from China. Geo Specialty Chemicals is one of the largest U.S. producers of glycine, and a petitioner for the antidumping duty order on glycine from China. The allegation provided evidence that reasonably suggested that Ceka Nutrition had imported glycine that was transshipped by LG Chemicals Ltd. from China through Cambodia. CBP requested detailed information from Ceka Nutrition regarding its foreign supplier, and conducted an on-site visit of the alleged foreign supplier in Cambodia to assess the validity of the information provided by Ceka Nutrition. At that site visit, CBP learned from employees who operated the suppliers purported factory that the facility only further refined Chinese-origin glycine and did not produce it, thus rendering it subject to the antidumping duty order on glycine from China. Moreover, there was insufficient equipment, product, and employees on hand to support claims that the factory could produce the quantity that had been exported to the United States in the prior year, further supporting CBPs determination that this glycine was transshipped from China through Cambodia. The notice of final determination in this investigation is due on July 2, 2018. This Isnt Our Last Love Letter Dear Don Don, Way back in 92 I walked into the room and knew Never felt this way before I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes And the feeling grew As I took a seat I knew A love that would have my heart Forever I knew Way back in 92 They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true We were the exception to that rule Our love had no where to hide A spark set fire As if this is how the universe started I never doubted our love or what we could do Together we grew Forming a bond everlasting That became our glue My euphoria was YOU Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared For how fortunate we were : to have and to hold through sickness and in health Til death do us part Until we are together again This isnt our last love letter I love you with all my heart and soul Yours forever, Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow) Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus. A True American Hero I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus. I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years. I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years. But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us. In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about. Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle. I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life. I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life. No one will ever do what he did. I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO David Jurist IMUS IN THE MORNING FIRST DAY BACK! 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 }} Sometimes a film delivers its most powerful message wordlessly say, by the clenching of a characters jaw. More often, movie moments are made by the words that are spoken or shouted such as Tommy Wiseau in The Room, wailing, Youre tearing me apart! (That gem of dialogue, by the way, was stolen from Rebel Without a Cause, as we learn in the new film The Disaster Artist, a comedy about the making of Wiseaus so-bad-its-good masterpiece.) Here are 10 other memorable bits of dialogue from this years films some of which are sure to be nominated for screenwriting Oscars, and others that, for reasons that are harder to explain, found their way into this critics heart and notebook. Darkest Hour Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour Screenwriter: Anthony McCarten Joe Wrights film looks at Winston Churchills early days as Prime Minister. Set in 1940, the film culminates with Churchill (a transformed Gary Oldman) delivering his We shall fight on the beaches speech, rousing and reassuring the British government and people on the eve of the Battle of Britain. After listening to the speech, a member of Parliament asks, as though blown away by the words: What just happened? And Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane) replies: He mobilised the English language, and sent it into battle. The Florida Project A girl named Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) who lives with her prostitute mother in Orlando-area motel has a secret hideaway tree (Rex Features) Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch Filmmaker Sean Bakers portrait of the Central Florida underclass focuses on a little girl named Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) who is living with her prostitute mother in a seedy, Orlando-area motel. When Moonee introduces a new friend to her secret hideaway an uprooted, yet still living, tree Moonee describes it in a way that offers a metaphor for her own survival instincts: Do you know why this is my favourite tree? Because it tipped over, and its still growing. The Shape of Water A mute cleaning woman named Elisa (Sally Hawkins) falls in love with an amphibious sea creature (Doug Jones) in The Shape of Water (Rex) (Twentieth Century Fox) Screenwriters: Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor Guillermo Del Toros sci-fi fantasy half horror story, half swooning romance is about a mute cleaning woman named Elisa (Sally Hawkins) who falls in love with an amphibious sea creature (Doug Jones) that is being studied in the government lab where she works. Narrated by Richard Jenkins, as Elisas misfit roommate, Giles, the poetic tale of oddballs seeking to belong ends, fittingly, with a fragment of verse: When I think of her, of Elisa, all that comes to mind is a poem, made of just a few truthful words, whispered by someone in love, hundreds of years ago: Unable to perceive the shape of you, I find you all around me. Your presence fills my eyes with your love. It humbles my heart, for you are everywhere. Mollys Game Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom and Idris Elba as her lawyer in Mollys Game (Rex) Screenwriter: Aaron Sorkin The Oscar-winning writer of The Social Network and the creator of the Emmy-winning The West Wing has sometimes been criticised for writing dialogue that doesnt sound the way people normally talk. Making his directorial debut with an adaptation of Molly Blooms 2014 memoir about running a high-stakes poker game, Aaron Sorkin fills the script with smart (and improbably sassy) zingers, including this put-down, by Blooms lawyer (Idris Elba), of the cover photo chosen by his client (Jessica Chastain) for her book: You look like the cat that ate the canary and then told the canarys parents about it. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Frances McDormand as Mildred, the mother of a murdered teenage girl in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing. Missouri (Twentieth Century Fox) Screenwriter: Martin McDonagh Frances McDormand plays Mildred, the grieving yet scabrously funny mother of a murdered teenage girl who has installed a series of billboards accusing her towns police chief of inaction. When the local priest (Nick Searcy) stops by to ask her to take them down, Mildred lays into him, citing the Los Angeles County penal code which considers gang members to be complicit in crimes committed by other gang members to implicate the padre in paedophilia. [This] got me thinking, Father, that whole type of situation is kinda similar to you church boys, aint it? Youve got your colours. Youve got your clubhouse. Youre, for want of a better word, a gang. And if youre upstairs smoking a pipe and reading a Bible while one of your fellow gang members is downstairs f***ing an altar boy, then, Father, just like the Crips, and just like the Bloods, youre culpable. Cause you joined the gang, man. And I dont care if you never did s*** or never saw s*** or never heard s***. You joined the gang. Youre culpable. And when a person is culpable to altar-boy-f***ing, or any kinda boy-f***ing I know you guys didnt really narrow it down then they kinda forfeit the right to come into my house and say a word about me, or my life, or my daughter, or my billboards. So why dont you just finish your tea there, Father, and get the f*** out of my kitchen? The Big Sick Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kasden in The Big Sick Screenwriters: Emily Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani Married in real life, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon collaborated on a funny-sweet screenplay about their courtship which included Gordon being placed in a medically induced coma after she was taken seriously ill. When stand-up comic Nanjiani, playing himself, meets the parents of his sick girlfriend (Zoe Kasdan), he finds himself in the awkward position of having to simultaneously reassure Mom and Dad (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) while delivering terrible news: Apparently, there are good and bad comas. And the kind that they put her in the medically induced ones are definitely the good kind of coma. Like, you know how there are good and bad carbs? Gremlins those can be good or bad. Wind River Jeremy Renner plays US fish and wildlife officer in Taylor Sheridans thriller Wild River Screenwriter: Taylor Sheridan Taylor Sheridans directorial debut a nouveau Western centring on the investigation of the murder of a Native American girl features Jeremy Renner as a laconic and methodical agent of the US Fish and Wildlife Service who dispenses such folksy nuggets of wisdom as: Being careless wont get you anywhere faster and A gun is always loaded, even when it aint. Logan Hugh Jackman in Logan Screenwriters: James Mangold, Scott Frank, Michael Green Director James Mangolds noirish tale of Marvels X-Men features poignantly broken-down versions of Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who laments the burden of the mutant hero who, seemingly, cant be killed: Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long. The Hero Sam Elliott stars in The Hero Screenwriters: Brett Haley, Marc Basch Ageing cowboy/actor Sam Elliott plays an ageing cowboy/actor struggling to find work in an industry whose enduring appeal part escapism, part voyeurism he sums up, succinctly: Movies are other peoples dreams. Lady Bird Saoirse Ronan stars in Greta Gerwigs Lady Bird (Moviestore/Rex) Screenwriter: Greta Gerwig Actress Greta Gerwigs solo directorial debut centres on Christine Lady Bird McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), a Sacramento high school senior who dismisses her home town as the Midwest of California. But the headmistress of Lady Birds Catholic school, Sister Sarah Joan (Lois Smith), thinks she knows better, telling our protagonist that its obvious, from the way she writes about Sacramento in her college admissions essays, that Lady Bird loves the city. All I do is pay attention, Lady Bird protests, to which the nun replies: Dont you think they are the same thing love and attention? The Washington Post Guillermo del Toro's 'The Shape of Water' 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 }} The nominees for the 75th Golden Globe Awards are being announced today from 5.15AM PT / 1.15PM GMT at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Alfre Woodard (Marvels Luke Cage, Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events), Garrett Hedlund (Mudbound), Kristen Bell (The Good Place) and Sharon Stone (most recently The Disaster Artist) will read out those vying for awards, which - along with being great accolades in and of them themselves - serve as a good prediction for the Academy Awards. The nominations announcement will be live streamed on the Golden Globes Facebook Page and at GoldenGlobes.com - we'll have every category covered in here and provide some context for the nominees. Please allow a moment for the live blog to load: The 25 categories nominations will be announced for: Best Motion Picture Drama Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Best Motion Picture Animated Best Motion Picture Foreign Language Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Best Director Motion Picture Best Screenplay Motion Picture Best Original Score Motion Picture Best Original Song Motion Picture Best Television Series Drama Best Television Series Musical or Comedy Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series Drama Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series Drama Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 7 January with Seth Meyers hosting. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} *Major spoilers follow for The Walking Dead season 8 episode 8 - read our review here* The midseason finale of The Walking Dead revealed that its biggest death yet is imminent following a reveal in the closing moments which undoubtedly dropped jaws the world over. It was discovered that Carl (Chandler Riggs) has suffered a walker bite and will depart the series he's appeared on since 2010 when the show returns from its hiatus in February - news the actor himself confirmed in an interview following the traumatic episode. Yes, Carl is going to die, he told The Hollywood Reporter. There's no way he can get back from that. His story is definitely coming to an end. The 18-year-old actor, a lead star who first appeared on the show as the son of Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes when he was just 11, has revealed his shock at discovering Carl was to be killed off - especially considering his character overtakes his father as leader in the comic book; this is easily the biggest departure from the source material yet. Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes in 'The Walking Dead' (AMC) Describing the news as devastating, Riggs said: I didn't expect for Carl to ever get killed off. But it serves a good purpose in the story. There's still a little more left in Carl's story - in episode nine [the midseason premiere in 2018] and that impacts Rick, Michonne and everyone. He continued: I was planning on going to college until I found out. I found out when I was doing rehearsals for episode six back in June. It was quite the shocker for me, Andy and everyone because I don't think anyone saw it coming. Scott [Gimple, showrunner] wanted to meet in person because it was such a big deal. Speaking about Gimple's justification for Carl's death, Riggs elaborated: Scott was trying to figure out how to bridge the gap between Rick not wanting to kill Negan and Rick also really wanting to kill Negan, which he does right now [in the show's story]. Scott's way to get around that was to make Carl this really humanitarian figure and person who could see the good in people and see that people can change and not everyone out there is bad. That's what Carl's talk to Rick was in this episode: there's no way that they can kill every one of the Saviours and not everyone is a bad person and there has to be some way forward than just killing people. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Show all 10 1 /10 The most shocking Walking Dead moments The most shocking Walking Dead moments Sophie's a walker (season 2, episode 7) Much of season two's opening half is spent looking for Sophia, the missing daughter of Carol (Melissa McBride). Turns out she was locked up in Hershel's barn as a zombie all along. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Shane reanimates without being bitten (season 2, episode 12) When Carl (Chandler Riggs) guns down a deranged Shane (Jon Bernthal) to protect his father, the shock arrives when he manifests into a walker despite not being bitten; turns out everyone's infected with the virus and will turn whichever way they die. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Axel's bullet to the eye (season 3, episode 10) A character introduced in the show's prison arc, Axel is a reformed prisoner who strikes up a friendship with Carol - until he's gunned down mid-sentence. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Carl kills Lori after she gives birth (season 3, episode 4) Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) goes into labour at the very moment a zombie siege breaks out at the prison. Unfortunately, she doesn't make it through the procedure with her son Carl being the one to put a bullet to her head. The most shocking Walking Dead moments The Governor slays Hershel (season 4, episode 8) The Governor makes his dramatic return for a showdown at the prison after he captures Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Hershel (Scott Wilson). Rick reaches out, attempting to reason with him - but The Governor starts a war when he proceeds to decapitate poor old Hershel instead. The most shocking Walking Dead moments "Look at the flowers" (season 4, episode 14) In a standout episode from the show's fourth season, Carol is forced to take drastic measures when young teenager Lizzie murders her sister Mika in the belief that she'll live on as a zombie. Realising Lizzie's depraved mind would endanger those around her, Carol puts a gun to the young girl's head and, telling her to "look at the flowers," pulls the trigger, fighting back the tears. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Carl's bullet to the eye (season 6, episode 9) Season six returned from its mid-season break in typically dramatic fashion when an iconic moment from the graphic novels came to life: Carl takes a bullet to the eye. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Beth is killed (season 5, episode 8) Upon being kidnapped, Beth (Emily Kinney) is taken to Grady Memorial Hospital managed by Atlanta Law Enforcement. Forced to reside there against her will, the group - including Rick and Daryl (Norman Reedus) - eventually find her - only for her to be accidentally shot in the head by her captor. The worst thing? Her sister Maggie (Lauren Cohan) had just arrived outside. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Negan kills Abraham Season seven opened in brutal form as we discovered it was Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) at the opposite end of Negan's baseball bat. "Suck my nuts," the soldier growls as the Saviours' leader brings Lucille raining down on his head until nothing remains but a pulpy mess. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Negan kills Glenn Negan decides to punish the group once more after getting clocked round the face by Daryl. Without expectation, he thwacks Lucille round the head of poor Glenn. With his eyeball popping out of his head, he manages: "I'll find you, Maggie before Negan proceeds to finish the job ending the former pizza delivery boy's life. Since the episode, Rigg's father caused controversy by claiming Gimple "fired" his son having stated they wanted him for "the next three years." The Walking Dead season eight returns in the US on AMC February 2018 with the UK premiere arriving on FOX. It will also return on NOWTV Follow Independent Culture on Facebook 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 }} Leaders from three indigenous Arctic communities have called on the UK Government to meet and exceed its commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement. They have also urged the MPs to only support sustainable development in the far north. In an event attended by cross-party MPs, leaders from the Guichin nation, the Inuit and the Saami people described the impact climate change is having on their communities in the Arctic, and the role the UK must take in helping address the problem. Polar scientists, explorers and conservationists attended the event alongside leaders from industry, shipping, finance and insurance sectors. The Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the global average, meaning the effects of climate change there are particularly pronounced. These effects are felt acutely by the indigenous communities living there. Climate change really directly affects our way of life, Sarah James, from the Guichin nation, told The Independent. I see a lot of erosion, permafrost melting, displacement of animals, we are losing a lot of lakes. All those are our way of life, she said. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke filled with the carbon that is driving climate change drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan Ms James, who was raised undertaking the traditional practices of hunting, fishing and gathering, comes from a community of caribou [reindeer] people who live 110 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska. The Porcupine River caribou herd has been a foundation of the Gwichin culture for 20,000 years, and over her lifetime she has seen their habits change as they are threatened by fossil fuel extraction and climate change. They change their migratory routes, they have got to change their food, and when they are supposed to be fat theyre not fat, she said. Ms James said she wanted to thank the UK Government for its role in the Paris Agreement, but said they need to do more when it comes to committing to combat climate change and providing funding. Sarah James, from the Guichin nation, one of the three indigenous speakers (Pamela A Miller) Its really important that somebody takes the lead, and President Trump took the wrong lead. That made us sad because every day we have got to deal with climate change, she said. The UK Government has recently reaffirmed its commitment to tackling climate change and meeting the commitments agreed by both the Climate Change Act of 2008 and the Paris Agreement through the Clean Growth Strategy and Industrial Strategy. Neither plan, however, has outlined how it specifically will do so or provided the funding necessary. Ms James, together with Josie Okalik Eegeesiak, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, and Jannie Staffansson, who works on environmental issues for the Saami Council, were hosted by MP James Gray. WWF supported the All Party Parliamentary Group in bringing the Arctic Indigenous leaders to the UK. We are the Arctics neighbour, Rod Downie, head of polar programmes for WWF, said to The Independent. Besides proximity to the Arctic, said Mr Downie, the UKs status as an influential member of the G7, and a centre of finance, shipping and other industries that impact the region, make it well placed to help combat climate change and its effects in the north. As well as reinforcing the urgency of the UK Government meeting its commitment for climate change, the meeting also has significance for the upcoming revision of the UK governments Arctic policy. The UKs Arctic policy framework was set out in 2013, and is set to be revised soon. Recommended Arctic Ocean fishing ban welcomed by scientists and environmentalists Mr Downie says it is vital that any revision includes a commitment to sustainable development in the Arctic. WWF would like to ensure any development or exploitation of the Arctic, by the shipping or fishing industries for example, is carried out sustainably. Mr Downie hopes the representatives of Government and industry who were present will be affected by their meeting with these indigenous leaders. They are living on the front line of climate change. The opportunity to hear first-hand about the effects of climate change on their communities is I think a very unique and powerful message, he said. What happens in the Arctic doesnt stay in the Arctic, said Mr Downie. These are global issues. A government spokeswoman said: The UK is a world leader in tackling climate change. We played a vital role in securing the historic Paris Agreement and the UK was one of the first countries to introduce legally binding emission reduction targets." We want to make sure that only responsible development in the Arctic is allowed so we are updating the UK-Arctic Policy framework to ensure this remains the case. We are working with the indigenous peoples towards a safe and secure Arctic. 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 }} Witnessing children in the UK visiting a food bank is truly shocking, but research tells us it is not uncommon. In the last six months The Trussell Trust has given out over half a million food parcels, more than 200,000 of which were given to children, many of school age. But there are also many more food banks, often run informally by religious organisations and community groups. I identified three times more independent food banks than Trussell Trust services in my ongoing research in the North West of England, revealing the true scale of the crisis. I have witnessed food banks become the last line of support for many families, and it is likely that much of the food insecurity in the UK is hidden. An estimated four million children live below the official poverty line in the UK even though a majority live in households where at least one adult is in employment. It has been widely reported how some teachers have been providing food and dinner money for those children who have no food. The issue of food insecurity among children is being highlighted this Christmas by The Independent and Evening Standards Help a Hungry Child campaign to respond to the disproportionate impact food poverty has on children. In every food bank we visited, we observed children accompanying their parents to collect food parcels. The children would just wait quietly. It is difficult to imagine what they were thinking, but it is clear their parents were in desperate need. Often the food bank volunteers would find something to give to the children and the food parcel would be made up specifically to include food for them, such as breakfast cereal. At Christmas time there are usually some donated toys and chocolates to give out. While a comfort, this essential help is of course only a short-term fix. A lack of food can impact on a childs ability to concentrate in school but can also impact on their long-term health in adult life. This begins with nutrition during pregnancy. Around seven per cent of babies born in the UK are low weight (under 2.5kg) and this is thought, in part, to be linked to economic deprivation. Help A Hungry Child: How the Felix Project is tackling food poverty Visiting a food bank is not a particularly joyful experience, especially at Christmas. Our research identified how many parents had put off going because of embarrassment and shame. One mother, aged 34, said: It throws your pride out of the window...I am doing it for my kids, I am not going to make my kids suffer just because of my pride. A father-of-two commented on how uncomfortable he felt: I was nervous coming here, I thought I had done something wrong...having to ask for food your ego takes a battering. Many parents we spoke to did not want to be seen having to rely on a food bank. One mother said she feared if anyone saw her they might report her to social services and she might lose her children if she was seen as not being able to afford to feed them. Many families were facing difficult choices. People on low incomes can face higher costs for everyday essential goods and services and many parents had turned to the food bank as a last resort. In one corner shop close to the food bank, there was a prominent hand written sign on the door, which read Please Do Not!! Ask For Credit Under Any Circumstances! A sign in a corner shop close to a food bank in the northwest (Kingsley Purdam) Another mother commented: We need to keep the house warm and have just had to buy some new school uniform and that meant cutting down on something else. Evidence also suggests that many parents are skipping meals to make sure their children have enough to eat, which can put their own health at risk. One ten-year old child we spoke to highlighted how she was worried about her mother not eating. She said: We say to my mum make sure you eat but she says shes not hungry...shes just making sure we eat first. Financial insecurity can affect childrens well being. Research by Step Change found more than half of children aged between 10 and 17 and living in households with problem debts reported feeling worried about their familys financial situation. Recommended How a bereaved mother found a lifeline with The Felix Project Visiting a food bank is not free, it comes at a cost, it can impact on your self-esteem and pride. At Christmas, many food banks provide extra food parcels to cover the holidays. But food banks can only provide a temporary fix and are no place for children. Given the predicted increase in child poverty, it is likely that we will see more UK children in food banks in the future. Unlike Oliver Twist the children we have encountered in food banks were not asking for more, they just seemed happy to have something. Kingsley Purdam is a social statistics researcher at the University of Manchester 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 }} At first glance, Lauren Santo Domingo may not strike you as an empire builder. A former Vogue editor and glossy-blonde socialite, she is married to the heir of a Colombian beer fortune and has a slew of It girl friends. She could appear easy to dismiss. But this week Moda Operandi, the high-fashion website she and Aslaug Magnusdottir founded in 2011 as the first pre-tailer (a place where customers can pre-order looks immediately after runway shows), announced that it had raised $165m (123.2m) in its latest round of funding. As the death of retail is heralded as the biggest trend of 2017, boutiques shutter and rumours spread of possible department-store bankruptcies driven by changing consumer habits, price wars and the threat of Amazon. High-end e-commerce remains a bright spot in the shopping landscape: flooded with more cash than ever before and with bubble-like, sky-high valuations to boot. What is so exciting about the amount of money we were able to raise is that we have proved ourselves and our model on a global scale. Year-on-year sales are growing at an exponential rate, says the Moda Operandi chief executive, Deborah Nicodemus, who has worked with Santo Domingo since 2013. Their latest investment round was led by Adrian Cheng, whose family controls the jewellery group Chow Tai Fook, and Apax Digital, a fund advised by Apax Partners, a private equity firm that bought a controlling stake in the rival e-commerce outfit matchesfashion.com in September. We feel on top of the world right now, and it is a fantastic place to be, Nicodemus says. Its a world dominated by two behemoth competitors who have spent the last year aggressively expanding their territories and strategically carving up the landscape between them. Napoleons of the virtual boulevards, they are locked in an escalating battle for power and your wallet. You may not know their names, but they are shaping how you shop. Yoox Net-a-Porter, the largest luxury e-tailer by sales, is one of them. It owns the e-tailers Net-a-Porter, the Outnet, Mr Porter and Yoox; it also operates the e-commerce sites for over 30 luxury brands including Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana and Chloe. Farfetch, the other big name, is an online marketplace for 500 independent luxury boutiques and 200 brands as well as the owner of the bricks-and-mortar store Browns in London. The stakes are high. Online luxury sales jumped by 24 percent in 2017, according to a recent study by the consulting firm Bain & Co, with the authors estimating that online sales of personal luxury goods will make up 25 per cent of the market by 2025. Little wonder that during the past year barely a month went by without Yoox Net-a-Porter or Farfetch unveiling a snazzy new strategy or service in a thinly veiled bid to outmanoeuvre the other. In April, for example, Yoox Net-a-Porter introduced You Try, We Wait: a same-day, try-on-and-wait premium delivery service with at-home shopping consultations. Six days later, Farfetch started a store-to-door service in 90 minutes with Gucci in 10 cities worldwide. Then Farfetch revealed a suite of technologies based on responding to consumers in the Store of the Future. Yoox Net-a-Porter promptly responded with Next Era: a partnership with brands, that debuted with Valentino giving customers access to Valentino products wherever they are, and however they want them. We are the leaders in the luxury fashion online space, no question about it, says Federico Marchetti, the CEO of Yoox Net-a-Porter, from a giant television-screen streaming into the glossy Technology Hub in West London that he opened earlier this year. On message in every way, he was doing a virtual interview from Milan. If you want me to describe my territory, then that is how I would describe it, he said. An intense and bespectacled self-made multimillionaire, Marchetti, 48, was a pioneer in Italian luxury fashion, starting Yoox in 2000 as a platform where end-of-season stock could be sold online, before branching out into full-price designer wares. In 2015, in a merger, Yoox combined forces with its British rival Net-a-Porter to become the worlds largest luxury retailer (in a rumour-fueled internal tussle, the Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet left soon after). For the first nine months of 2017 the group reported sales of 1.5 billion euros, up 19 per cent year-on-year, and unveiled ambitious plans to double the size of the business by 2020. In any industry there are always copycats, but what we do here is come up with ideas first and lead from the front, Marchetti says. He points to the groups early foray into mobile commerce (two thirds of sales are on mobile), sales of high-end jewellery online and a fresh focus on EIPs: the extremely important persons who make up 2 per cent of the companys clientele but contribute 40 percent of revenue. While he seems relaxed about the groups plans for growth, Marchetti scoffs at the notion that anyone may be snapping at his heels. Lately, there has been more and more focus on our new competitors, but most of them have been around for some time. Its just one has been sold, the other is trying to go public, Marchetti says, referring to the smaller but much-lauded matchesfashion.com, and Farfetch. So there is this perception there is increased rivalry, but in terms of truly new players, Im not sure I can think of anyone who comes close to us. While there was a braggadocio to his words, any first mover inevitably looks behind at the next generation of names adapting their approach to suit ever-evolving contemporary needs. Enter Jose Neves, 43, who founded Farfetch in 2007. Then a shoe-brand owner from Portugal, Neves chose to create an online marketplace platform helping smaller bricks-and-mortar stores enter the digital world and taking a commission on each purchase, freeing himself from the need to take on the significant inventory risk and working capital requirements of a traditional store (and Yoox Net-a-Porter). What makes us different is that everyone else is operating on a retail model, but we are a platform, not a shop, an enabler not a competitor, and are reaping all the advantages that such a position entails, the suave Neves says in London. (Although the company is based in Britain, he continues to live in Portugal.) With a valuation of $1bn less than a decade after its start, Farfetch has pulled off a string of media coups this year. In February Massenet joined its board, a seeming rebuke to Yoox Net-a-Porter. In June, the Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com invested $397m, the better to boost Farfetch in the worlds third-largest luxury market. And although the company is unprofitable, many industry analysts think it will have an initial public offering next year, something Neves is at pains to downplay. We have a completely full plate right now with all our current plans, from consolidating our position locally in key growth markets like China and Korea, and exploration of how to leverage augmented retail and ideas around the store of the future, particularly in relation to Browns, Neves says. We believe we are the only global luxury platform at scale. Maintaining and building on that is keeping us more than busy. Especially as new players start their own incursions into the market and brands ramp up their independent e-commerce operations. High-profile flops like that of Style.com, the Conde Nast-backed venture that shuttered earlier this year, serve as stark reminders that things can easily go wrong. It isnt surprising, then, that as the big two (and the one that would be three) fight to expand their reach, their focus is on new territories, particularly Asia and the Middle East. Clients from these regions want to make their own decisions on purchases, and love the experience of a trunk show and high sense of luxury, says Nicodemus of Moda Operandi, noting (or gloating) that the average basket value for its shoppers was $1,300, and our nearest rival brings in around $650. There is definitely a heightened sense of rivalry across a narrow band of luxury e-commerce players, but theres also a great deal to play for as it is a growing sector, she says. Still, there is no question that everyone is sizing up where to go next. New York Times Business / Companies by Staff reporter THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has set December 31, 2017, as the deadline for the separation of ZB Financial Holdings Limited (ZBFHL) from Intermarket Holdings Limited (IHL), which will see banker Mr Nicholas Vingirai regaining his assets after a seven-year wait.On Thursday last week, ZBFHL issued its second cautionary to members of the public and shareholders that discussions were presently under way that would likely impact on the institution's share price."Shareholders and members of the public are advised that ZB Financial Holdings (ZBFH or company) is engaged in negotiations concerning a material transaction which, if concluded, may have an effect on the price of the company's shares," said ZBFHL in the latest statement."Accordingly, shareholders and members of the public are advised to exercise caution and consult their professional advisors when dealing in the company's shares until full announcement is made or this cautionary is withdrawn."ZBFHL board chairperson Professor Charity Manyeruke declined to comment and referred our Harare Bureau to the RBZ. So, too, did Mr Nicholas Vingirai, whose investment vehicle Transnational Holdings Limited (THL) owns IHL.But sources privy to the negotiations said last week the parties RBZ, ZBFHL and THL met on December 6 to discuss the finer details of bringing closure to the long-standing issue. It was the second such meeting following discussions on June 23 this year."The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe wants the matter to be resolved by December 31 this year, and the parties are currently negotiating," said a source."There was a meeting on Wednesday, which resolved to come up with a clear roadmap."At the meeting, which was convened at the central bank, ZBFHL was represented by Prof Manyeruke, its legal advisors and transaction advisors, Imara, while THL was represented by Mr Vingirai and his legal team, including financial advisors, Ernest & Young.It is understood that Government, which is worried about the interminable delays surrounding the deal, has taken a keen interest in the matter, especially considering that Cabinet approved the deal in February 2015.There is also belief that separating the two groups can be "straight forward" and "quick" considering that the businesses are separately licensed and have different administrative structures.It is believed that the demerger of the two financial institutions might affect some members of the ZBFHL management, who are accused of receiving over $25 million in alleged irregular payments between 2009 and 2016 from subsidiaries that are under Mr Vingirai's THL. 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 }} Hanukkah, the Jewish festival that commemorates the miracle of a menorah burning for eight full days after the desecration of the Temple of Jerusalem, is upon us once more. Starting on Sunday 28 November, the Jewish Festival of Lights is celebrated by lighting a menorah, or a hanukkiah, for eight days and exchanging gifts with loved ones. Its also observed by eating a gargantuan amount of delicious, mouth-watering food, much to the delight of celebrants around the world. From jam-filled doughnuts to chocolate coins, sumptuous potato latkes and more, the food thats served during Hanukkah is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the jubilant festival. Heres everything you need to know about Hanukkah food. Chag Sameach (Happy holiday)! Latkes (Getty Images (Getty Images) When the Jewish people reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem from the King Antiochus and his troops, as the story of Hanukkah goes, they could only find enough oil in the temple to light the menorah for one day. However, when the menorah (a candelabra) was lit with the oil, it somehow managed to carry on burning for eight full days, hence the eight-day duration of Hanukkah. To commemorate the miracle of the tiny amount of oil transcending expectations to light the holy menorah, during the Festival of Lights Jewish people eat a lot of food thats been fried in oil. One of the most popular foods eaten during Hanukkah are latkes, which are fried potato pancakes. Some Jewish people eat latkes sweet, accompanied with apple sauce, while others prefer them savoury, served with sour cream. Either way, theyre a treat for the taste buds. Sufganiyot (Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto) A sufganiyah, or sufganiyot for plural, is a round, deep-fried doughnut typically filled with strawberry jam thats eaten on Hanukkah. Topped with powdered sugar, these delectable treats are one of the most recognisable foods affiliated with the Jewish festival. In recent years, Jewish people in Israel and around the world have become more experimental with their sufganiyot fillings. You can now choose from an array of flavours, including chocolate cream, vanilla cream, caramel and cappuccino. Many bakeries also offer miniature-sized sufganiyot, so you can tuck into a selection of different flavours without going overboard (although if you do, who can blame you). Gelt (Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto) On Hanukkah, children are often given chocolate money in celebration of the festival. In Yiddish, a language that the Jewish people began using in Europe around 1,000 years ago, the translation of money is gelt. The chocolate coins given out on Hanukkah are wrapped in silver or gold foil and eaten in abundance by children and adults alike. According to Rabbi A. P. Bloch, the custom of giving out gelt on Hanukkah began in 17th Century Poland, when Jewish parents would give their children money to give to their teachers. In time, as children demanded their due, money was also given to children to keep for themselves, he says. Bloch explains that according to 17th Century Rabbi Magen Avraham, poor yeshiva students would visit the homes of Jewish benefactors who would then give them Hanukkah money. The rabbis approved of the custom of giving money on Hanukkah because it publicised the story of the miracle of oil, Rabbi Bloch writes. Beef brisket (Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Beef brisket is a delicacy thats served at many Jewish festivals, including Rosh Hashanah, Passover and Hanukkah. It first became popular in eastern Europe when Jewish living the region werent able to afford more expensive cuts of meat. The often-impoverished Jews of eastern Europe could rarely afford to live high on the cow - to buy the more tender cuts from the rib and chuck, Gil Marks writes in Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events [So] they learned how to make do with the cheaper, less desirable parts. Brisket is taken from the chest of the cow, and is often made the day before its eaten. It can be served with side dishes such as potato latkes or roasted vegetables. 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 }} If youve ever come home from work looking forward to a glass of wine only to be thwarted by the cork breaking as youre trying to open the bottle, it is most likely the way youre storing your wine bottles, and not how the wine was corked. According to Adrian Smith, The Independent's wine expert, while "you may see wine sitting upright in a wine shop and assume that's the correct way to store it at home, for wines with a cork, that couldn't be further from the truth." He said, "If you want to keep wine over time, it should always be in contact with the cork, and thus should be placed on its side." Otherwise, he says, "the cork will be exposed to more oxygen, shrinking it over time and letting more oxygen deep inside the bottle, which will slowly turn the wine to vinegar." In addition, Joanna Simon, a wine critic, told Cosmopolitan storing your wine bottles upright actually results in brittle cork, prone to crumbling or breaking once youre ready for a glass, or two. Even if you do manage to remove the cork successfully from a bottle that has been upright, there is a higher chance bits of cork will be swimming in your wine. Be wary of wine stored upright The correct way to store wine bottles? Horizontally. Wine racks aren't just for show (Getty Images/Vetta) It looks like those fancy wine racks you see in restaurants arent just for decoration. And to further ensure you can enjoy your wine cork-free, Simon suggests using a smooth, rounded corkscrew, rather than one with a sharp, bevelled edge. So while you may not splurge on your wine, you should pay the extra money for a good corkscrew. But if youre like us and dont have room in your apartment for a fancy wine rack, you should stick to screw cap wines, which do not need to be stored horizontally. Also, not keeping a bottle of wine around long enough for storage to be necessary works too... For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A massive vote of confidence in Britains economy? Thats how Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson described BAE Systems 5bn deal to flog 24 Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar. There is, of course, another way to look at the transaction. Its also a massive vote of confidence in the willingness of the British to sell weapons to anyone whose money is good. Qatar is hardly a model of enlightened democracy. But then neither are Oman and Saudi Arabia, which have also bought the aircraft. According to Mr Williamson, these formidable jets will boost the Qatari military in its mission to support stability in the region and deliver security at home. You can understand why his press people whipped the statement up, but quite how they worked that out isnt entirely clear. Qatar has, after all, been isolated by Egypt, Bharain, the United Arab Emirates, and the Saudis, all of which have accused it of sponsoring terrorism something the Qataris vehemently deny as well as being too pally with Iran. It has responded to this by ramping up military spending, with the Americans and the French also contributing their hardware to what looks like a febrile mix. Britain is hardly alone here. We keep being told that the Saudis are expected to pitch a follow-on order to the Typhoons they have already bought. Perhaps all this is intended to serve as a motivational tool? Still, if we buddy up with the Qataris we might at least be able to prevail upon them to knock on Tehrans door for us if Boris Johnson puts his foot in his mouth again when discussing British citizens languishing in the Islamic republics jails. That could come in very handy. Just a thought. Yes, yes, I get the fact that this will be viewed as a wonderful early Christmas present by thousands of workers who make the things, not to mention the people who help to construct all the bits and pieces that go with the order. It wont save 2,000 workers already lined up for the axe by BAE, but there are thousands more people in Lancashire who were facing an uncertain future with production due to end in 2019 in the absence of any new orders. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. It will also keep the wolf from the door at Brough in Yorkshire, where the Hawk Trainer aircraft is made (theres also an order coming for a jet best known for its use by the Red Arrows). The Government, meanwhile, now has some breathing space as it considers how to secure Britains capacity to design and make combat jets when the Typhoon blows itself out, and the certainty that these islands will have something to sell for at least a few years after Brexit. Itd be nice if that something wasnt a technological terror that may be destined to stoke tensions in one of the worlds more dangerous regions, but there you go. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The UK will have lost 10,500 finance jobs to other European cities by day one of Brexit, according to new research. The number of City firms planning to shift jobs to the Continent has doubled since last year, professional services company EY said on Monday. It tracked 222 City firms and found that almost a third of banks, brokers and asset managers had confirmed or said they are considering plans to move staff or open up new offices in centres such as Dublin, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. However, the number of jobs estimated to be moving has dropped by 2,000 from a year ago, EY said. Many of the jobs set to go are front-office jobs rather than support functions. The latest estimate is in line with that of Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods who predicted 10,000 jobs would go by the time Britain officially departs the single market and customs union in March 2019. However a senior figure at the BoE believes around 75,000 jobs could be lost in the longer term because of Brexit, according to sources cited by the BBC. Dublin and Frankfurt are the cities likely to see the largest benefit from Brexit relocations, EY said. A total of 26 firms have announced they will move operations to one of those two financial hubs. The extent of broader strategic restructurings and relocation plans will of course ultimately depend on the specifics of any long-term UK deal with the EU, but a drop in the volume of jobs moving will be welcome news for the City, said Omar Ali, head of EYs UK financial services team. The moves would have a significant impact on smaller hubs on the Continent but would not dent Londons role as Europes primary financial centre, he said. Mr Ali added that Fridays breakthrough announcement of a Brexit agreement between the UK and the EU member states had sent a wave of relief across the City. The two sides agreed to move on to the next phase of the Brexit talks.The agreement could pave the way for agreement on a transitional period as early as next year and the starting point for negotiations on future trade deals, both of which are seen as crucial for the future of the UK financial services industry. UK-based financial institutions have lobbied hard for a transitional period, amid fears that they will not be able to serve their EU clients once Britain leaves the trading bloc. More firms are expected to confirm job moves from the UK if a transitional deal is not confirmed in early 2018. A no-deal Brexit is widely seen as being potentially devastating for the UKs important financial sector, which was worth 124bn to the UK economy in 2016, according to House of Commons figures. The EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier made it clear last month that, when the UK leaves the single market, financial services firms based in Britain will lose their passporting rights. On financial services, UK voices suggest that Brexit does not mean Brexit. Brexit means Brexit, everywhere, Mr Barnier told the Centre for European Reform last month. The passport enables firms to sell their services across the EU. To continue selling to clients within the EU, as they do now, they would have to establish subsidiaries within the EU and apply for a local licence. Alternatively they will have to hope they can rely on regulatory equivalence. This is the notion that if the UK financial regulator adopts the same regulatory standards as the pan-European financial regulator, the European regulator will continue to allow UK-based financial firms to operate as they do now across Europe. 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 }} Britains popularity as a destination for European jobseekers has plummeted since its decision to leave the EU, with many workers now favouring destinations like Germany, Luxembourg and Ireland, new research reveals. Job site Indeed analysed the online search patterns of millions of jobseekers from 15 European countries and found that the share of all cross-border job searches is down 14.7 per cent since 2015. Despite the fall, the UK remains the most popular choice for Europeans searching for a job abroad, attracting 31.8 per cent all interest in the first nine months of the year. Recommended British Chambers of Commerce trims UK growth outlook until 2019 Germany has seen its searches rise by 19.3 per cent, taking it to second place, while Irelands have risen by 33.6 per cent and Luxembourgs by 56 per cent. The data mirrors Government figures published last month which show that EU net migration to the UK fell by 106,000 to 230,000 in the year following the Brexit vote. For much of the past decade, Britains dynamic labour market has made it a poster boy for ambitious Europeans keen to progress their careers, said Mariano Mamertino, economist for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, at Indeed. Last years Brexit vote hasnt stopped that attractiveness in its tracks, but it is clearly giving many European jobseekers pause for thought, he said. So while the UK is still the most popular destination among Europeans looking to work abroad, its lead is shrinking fast. Britains loss could be its rivals gain and Germany, Luxembourg and Ireland are all attracting a greater share of the interest from upwardly mobile EU citizens. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. There has also been a shift in the pattern of Brits hunting for jobs abroad. Traditionally, they have tended to look towards English-speaking countries such as the US, Australia or Canada, but since 2015 there has been a 15.4 per cent increase in those searching for work in the EU, the Indeed figures show. One more surprising aspect of the Brexit effect is the apparent outbreak of itchy feet among British jobseekers, said Mr Mamertino. Britain remains a net importer of talent from the EU, but the surge of interest in European roles among UK-based job seekers suggests the cross-Channel traffic is no longer just a one-way street, he added. 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 major producer of baby milk has ordered a massive recall of a global international product on fears that it might be causing salmonella. A spokesman for French company Lactalis told agency AFP on Sunday that nearly 7,000 tonnes of baby milk may have been contaminated with the bacteria. He was unable to provide information on how much of the product remains on the market, how much has been consumed so far and how much might be in stock. Lactalis is one of the biggest dairy groups in the world. As well as baby milk, it produces cheeses, regular milk, cream and butter, under a slew of different brand names. The recall will affect consumers in countries including China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sudan, as well as the UK, AFP reported. The UK's Food Standards Agency in a statement said that it was aware of the recall and had contacted the relevant authorities to establish whether any of the affected products had been distributed in the UK. "We have not been informed that the UK has received any of the affected products so there has been no recall issued," a spokesperson added. The recall reportedly follows news of 26 cases of children falling sick in France since the start of this month. Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever. According to the NHS, it takes on average 12 to 72 hours for the symptoms of salmonella to develop after swallowing an infectious dose. Symptoms usually last for four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. But if symptoms persist, hospital treatment may become necessary as a result of dehydration. In those cases, salmonella can be life-threatening. Lactalis was not immediately available for further comment when contacted by The Independent. 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 }} Sir Richard Branson has fanned the flames of a long-running feud with the boss of British Airways, calling on Willie Walsh to settle a "very public and painful" 1m bet. The billionaire founder of Virgin Group is claiming victory after pitching the wager to Mr Walsh in 2012 that Virgin Atlantic would still exist in five years' time. However, the chief executive of BA-owner IAG refused to cede defeat, claiming the serial entrepreneur is the loser because he "no longer owns or controls the business" after giving up majority ownership earlier this year. The initial terms of the bet were for the loser to pay 1m bonus to the rival airline's staff, but Mr Walsh wanted to shift them to a "knee in the groin". Writing on his Virgin blog, Sir Richard said it was time for the pair "to settle this matter once and for all". He said: "Five years ago today, BA chief Willie Walsh wagered me a very public and painful bet. He bet that the Virgin Atlantic brand would disappear within five years. I disagreed. "He said that the loser should accept a 'knee in the groin'. "Although people might be amused to see me give Willie a low blow, I ideally have no wish to do so. "So to settle this matter once and for all, and in the spirit of Christmas, I suggest he donates 1m to Virgin Atlantic's team. "If he doesn't agree then we'll just have to agree a time, date and place for the knee in the groin. "Once this is over (one way or the other), lunch or dinner is on me, Willie, and perhaps we can draw a line under the past." Sir Richard claims the public spat harks back to 1993 when BA was forced to apologise and stump up 500,000 to the billionaire - and a further 110,000 to his airline - following a libel battle. However, the Virgin founder devised the bet 19 years later after Mr Walsh told reporters he thought Virgin Atlantic could disappear after Delta snapped up a 49 per cent stake in the airline. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. Since then, Air France-KLM agreed a joint venture with Virgin Group, which currently still owns and controls 51 per cent of Virgin Atlantic. Responding to Sir Richard's latest blog post, Mr Walsh said: "When Richard Branson sold out to Delta five years ago, he said he would never give up control. "As everyone knows, he no longer owns or controls the business, a reality confirmed by the decision to sell more of his shares to Air France. He's lost the bet." 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 will defend its right to operate in London in a court hearing on Monday after the app was deemed unfit to run a taxi service and stripped of its licence in its most important European market. Regulator Transport for London (TfL) shocked the Silicon Valley firm by rejecting its licence renewal bid in September, citing its approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers. Ubers 40,000 drivers, representing around one in three of all private hire vehicles on the capitals roads, can continue to take passengers until the appeals process is exhausted, which could take years. Recommended Uber agrees to settle US lawsuit filed by India rape victim The legal battle pitches one of the worlds richest cities against a tech giant known for its forays into new markets around the world that have prompted bans, restrictions and protests, including by drivers of Londons famous black cabs. Ubers lawyers will begin their appeal at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday, in what is expected to be a largely administrative hearing designed to set a date for a fuller hearing next year. Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi has apologised to Londoners and met TfL commissioner Mike Brown in October for what both sides described as constructive talks. Mr Brown told Reuters in November that there are some discussions going on to make sure they are compliant. Months of legal wrangling are likely unless the Silicon Valley app, valued at around $70bn (52bn) with investors including Goldman Sachs, can come to a new arrangement with the regulator. We continue having constructive discussions with Transport for London in order to resolve this, an Uber spokesman said ahead of the hearing. As our new chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi has said, we are determined to make things right. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. Losing its London licence was just one of many blows to Uber this year as a stream of executives left amid controversies involving allegations of sexual harassment and issues surrounding data privacy and business practices. In the UK, Uber is looking to appoint a new boss after Jo Bertram announced her departure less than two weeks after Londons decision. It also faces potential problems in Sheffield where its licence has been suspended and in Brighton, where local officials extended the firms licence for only six months to give them more time to consider the outcome of the dispute in London. 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 }} Minicab app firm Ubers appeal against Transport for Londons decision not to renew its licence in the city will not be heard until spring 2018. Both sides of the dispute appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Monday, for a case-management hearing. Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said that a hearing as to whether the GMB union and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association could become interested parties in the case would take place on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. A full appeal hearing on the case, though, would not be happen until either May or June next year. An exact date is yet to be set. TfL announced its decision to scrap Ubers operating licence in the capital in September, sparking a fierce battle between the company, unions, politicians, rival services and customers. Recommended Sheffield suspends Uber licence over management questions The transport authority had accused the Silicon Valley giant of lacking corporate responsibility in relation to issues around public safety and security. In October, Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi met with TfL and apologised to Londoners for some of the companys past practices. Both sides described those talks as constructive but details of progress in negotiations have been sparse since. Uber employs around 40,000 drivers in London, servicing an estimated 3.5 million people, which makes the capital one of its most important international markets. However, it has been under severe fire from a growing army of UK critics over the past year. Some have claimed that the privately owned company unfairly skews competition, while other have accused it of not doing enough to crack down on incidents of violence involving drivers. Beyond London, Ubers licence was recently also suspended in Sheffield after the company reportedly failed to respond to official requests about its management. In Brighton its licence was renewed in early November, but only for a period of six months. In London, Uber can continue servicing its London passengers until the appeals process is exhausted, which some experts have said could take several years. In a statement on Monday, a spokesperson for Uber said that the company had filed the appeal so that we can continue serving millions of riders and tens of thousands of drivers in London. The spokesperson added that discussions with TfL around resolving the issue were still constructive. As our new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said, we are determined to make things right. News / Local by Stephen Jakes Mthwakazi Republic Party has said the Tredgold court officials reflected the highest level of unprofesionalism and inefficiency when a warranty of arrest was issued for MRP President in absentia at court number 2.On Friday December 1 2017, the magistrate, Lawyer Maqhawe Mpofu the defense counsel and the Public prosecutor concurred and announced to the packed court that the next court appearance for the MRP leader was to be January 5 2018.Surprisingly, the magistrate on Tuesday the December 5 called Mqondisi's name three times before issuing a warrant of arrest without realising his error.The MRP leader had been summoned to report to Bulawayo central CID law and order section on Thursday as the court through the Public prosecutor had submitted the docket for a warrant of arrest to the central CID law and order.The defense counsel and the MRP President have already appeared before the magistrate and the public prosecutor to rectify the matter. The records in the court reflected and confirmed that the next court appearance is indeed January 5 2018, as per the court announcement of the last appearance."The discrepancy that led to the court appearance yesterday was either due to incompetence or the inefficiency of court staff. We hope that it was not done deliberately for the reasons best known to them, other than administration of justice," said MRP. 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 political scientist Professor Jack Hayward, who has died aged 86, came to prominence in the so-called Oxford insurgency in 1975 which overthrew the old guard of senior professors which had long dominated the executive of the Political Studies Association (PSA) a not-for-profit set up in 1950 with funding from Unesco. At its annual conference at Oxford the retiring executive expected re-election. But tapping into a groundswell of discontent a slate of young academics (most of whom later became prominent members of the profession) offered themselves for election on a reform platform. A contested election was unheard of, leaving some appalled at such divisive conduct. The group, to their surprise, won easily. But they had made no plans and hurriedly chose Hayward, the only professor among them, as chairman. He chastised those who said it was a coup, pointing out that an election was not a coup. Many of the senior figures were scarcely seen again at conferences. A new generation had taken over. The new team inaugurated a series of reforms that transformed the work of the PSA, greatly expanding membership and extending the range of activities and services. At the universities of Hull and Oxford, Hayward was a successful builder of institutions: at the first of politics and the second of European studies. He was also the latest in a long and distinguished group of British students of French history, society and politics. In 1996 the quality of his work on France over some 30 years was recognised by France with a Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur. In 2011 he won the PSAs Isaiah Berlin award. If he had a hero it was the charismatic Sammy Finer, who appointed him to a post at Keele University in 1963. Finer was a solitary scholar and Hayward at the end of his career sometimes wondered if his professions concentration on collaborative research had gone too far and the talents of the individual scholar subsumed in collective projects. (Paradoxically, he was himself an indefatigable member of committees, workshops and research groups). He brought to fruition Finers three-volume History of Government from the Earliest Times (OUP, 1997) covering 5,000 years. Finer had died four years earlier with the work incomplete. It was a remarkably generous act on Haywards part but he regarded it as paying an intellectual debt. Hayward was born in 1931 in the International Concession in Shanghai. His first 14 years were spent as a British boy of Jewish upbringing in China, including three and a half in a Japanese internment camp. In 1946 his family returned to England and he went to the London School of Economics in 1949 to study government. At LSE his tutors included Ralph Miliband, father of David and Ed Miliband, and, crucially, William Pickles who fired his interest in French politics. He remained at LSE to complete his doctorate under Michael Oakeshott who contributed little beyond correcting his punctuation. After completing his PhD and national service in the RAF, Hayward spent four years as a politics lecturer at Sheffield University, before moving to Keele. This was a lively department and a number of colleagues later achieved positions of eminence in the profession. At Keele, he produced his first book, Private Interests and Public Policy (1966) a study of the Economic and Social Council of France. This prompted some wider interest because Harold Wilsons Labour government was interested in French economic planning and cooperation between interest groups and government. Relations between state and industry in France remained an interest for Hayward and he edited or co-authored a number of books on the subject. He complained that the British did not understand how the French system worked and this led to naive institutional borrowings; hence his justification for comparative research. He argued that the weakness of Whitehall vis-a-vis business and the trade unions led to pluralistic stagnation. In 1973 he published The One and Indivisible French Republic; the title was an ironic challenge to the revolutions claim to have established a sense of national unity. In the same year he was appointed a professor of politics at Hull. He recruited and, more significantly, retained a number of outstanding scholars. In the Research Assessment Exercises for Higher Education in the 1990s, the politics department, alone across the university, was rated outstanding. Even when he ceased being head of the department he was still the senior figure, one to whom colleagues looked for personal and professional guidance, academic promotion, and a supportive word on their behalf with the university managers. Having turned 60 he was, like many academics of his age, planning for early retirement. But in January 1993 he moved to Oxford as professor of politics and director of the European Studies Institute. He extended the interests of the institute to take account of developments in Eastern Europe and supervised a number of doctoral students. Although he was a fellow of St Antonys College, his family home remained in Hull which he found a more congenial place for living. Oxford provided the opportunity to work with his friend and fellow don Vincent Wright and they wrote The Core Executive in France (2002), although Wright had died in 1999. Then he and Anand Menon dedicated a festschrift to him entitled Governing Europe in 2003. He wrote regularly on French Presidential elections and edited De Gaulle to Mitterand: Presidential Power in France. His collaborative volume on Industrial Enterprise and European Integration (1995) explored the different ways in which national firms in Britain, France, Germany and Italy adapted to the pressures of globalisation and the European Community. His concern with the EUs unification by stealth and the need to carry the public was covered in his The Crisis of Representation in Europe (1995) and Elitism, Populism and European Politics (1996). Forty years after his childhood internment the British government announced a scheme to compensate those who suffered internment or had been prisoners of war at the hands of the Japanese in the Second World War and Hayward was invited to apply. He was furious when he (among others) was informed that he did not qualify because, in his words, he was considered not British enough. He mounted a campaign and convinced the ombudsman that that the schemes eligibility criteria were inconsistent and discriminatory. Although he received an apology and compensation from the government he remained angry on behalf of those who were denied what he regarded as justice. Hayward wrote easily and well, despatched business quickly and did not agonise over his decisions. As a committee chairman he was good at bringing key issues to the fore and reaching a conclusion. When he edited the journal Political Studies between 1987 and 1993 he maintained its reputation and resisted demands from various lobbies for preferential access. In a famous essay he described British political science as a self-deprecating discipline, at times energised by homeopathic doses of American political science and with the capacity to offer a little insight and almost no foresight. When he left Oxford in 1998 he returned to a position as research professor in the politics department at Hull. By the time of his retirement he had become an elder statesman in the profession, representing it on various national and international bodies. Vice-chancellors sought his views when they were filling chairs in politics. He combined all this activity with numerous visiting professorships in Paris and a steady output of edited books and articles. He was a prime mover and co-editor of the British Academys The British Study of Politics in the 20th Century (2002) to celebrate the academys centenary. He was elected a fellow of the British Academy in 1990 and for some years chaired its politics section. Professor Jack Hayward, political scientist, born 18 August 1931, died 8 December 2017 For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Google is celebrating the work of Max Born, a physicist whose work changed the way we live today. But he also advised people on how to live, too. Much of Born's work was highly complex: dealing with the still mysterious and unknown topic of quantum mechanics. He established many of the foundations of a discipline that still today remains hard to understand even by the scientists who work in it. But he took that same sense of mystery and uncertainty into his thought about life in general, too. And he said that it would help everyone to do the same, since believing yourself to know everything can be incredibly dangerous. The best Google Doodles Show all 50 1 /50 The best Google Doodles The best Google Doodles Mister Rogers Google Doodle celebrating children's TV presenter Mister Rogers Google The best Google Doodles Lucy Wills Google Doodle celebrating haematologist Lucy Wills Google The best Google Doodles Falafel Google Doodle celebrating falafel Google The best Google Doodles St George's Day Google Doodle celebrating St George's Day Google The best Google Doodles James Wong Howe Google Doodle celebrating Hollywood golden age cinematographer James Wong Howe Google The best Google Doodles Seiichi Miyake Google Doodle celebrating Seiichi Miyake, developer of tactile paving Google The best Google Doodles Walter Cronkite Google celebrates US broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite's 100th birthday The best Google Doodles Lantern Festival 2016 Google celebrates the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations with a doodle of the Lantern Festival Google The best Google Doodles Google Doodle celebrating Sergei Diaghilev Google Doodle celebrating art critic Sergei Diaghilev Google The best Google Doodles George Boole Google marks mathematician George Boole's 200th birthday The best Google Doodles Sergei Eisenstein Google Doodle celebrating soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein Google The best Google Doodles 41st anniversary of the discovery of 'Lucy' Google marks the 41st anniversary of the discovery of 'Lucy', the name given to a collection of fossilised bones that once made up the skeleton of a hominid from the Australopithecus afarensis species, who lived in Ethiopia 3.2 million years ago The best Google Doodles Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Google celebrates physician and suffragist Elizabeth Garrett Anderson 180th birthday The best Google Doodles Sir William Henry Perkin Google Doodle celebrating chemist Sir William Henry Perkin Google The best Google Doodles Nelly Sachs Google Doodle celebrating poet and playwright Nelly Sachs Google The best Google Doodles Thanksgiving 2018 Google Doodle celebrating Thanksgiving 2018 Google The best Google Doodles Nigerian Independence Day Google Doodle celebrating Nigerian Independence Day Google The best Google Doodles Mary Prince Google Doodle celebrating abolitionist Mary Prince Google The best Google Doodles Father's Day 2016 Google celebrates Father's Day The best Google Doodles Ebenezer Cobb Morley Google Doodle celebrating "father of football" Ebenezer Cobb Morley Google The best Google Doodles Octavia E Butler Google Doodle celebrating science fiction author Octavia E Butler Google The best Google Doodles Tamara de Lempicka Google Doodle celebrating painter Tamara de Lempicka Google The best Google Doodles Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss Google Doodle celebrating mathematician and physicist Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss Google The best Google Doodles Fanny Blankers-Koen Google Doodle celebrating Dutch Olympic gold medalist Fanny Blankers-Koen Google The best Google Doodles John Harrison Google Doodle celebrating clockmaker John Harrison Google The best Google Doodles Guillermo Haro Google Doodle celebrating astronomer Guillermo Haro Google The best Google Doodles St. David's Day Google Doodle celebrating St. David's Day Google The best Google Doodles Carter G Woodson Google Doodle celebrating Carter G Woodson, a pioneering African-American historian Google The best Google Doodles St Andrew's Day Google Doodle celebrating St Andrew's Day Google The best Google Doodles Gertrude Jekyll Google Doodle celebrating horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll Google The best Google Doodles Children's Day 2017 Google Doodle celebrating Children's Day 2017 Google The best Google Doodles Studio for Electronic Music Google Doodle celebrating the Studio for Electronic Music Google The best Google Doodles Olaudah Equiano Google Doodle celebrating abolitionist Olaudah Equiano Google The best Google Doodles Fridtjof Nansen Google Doodle celebrating Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen Google The best Google Doodles Ladislao Jose Biro Google celebrates Ladislao Jose Biro's 117th birthday The best Google Doodles Amalia Hernandez Google Doodle celebrating ballet choreographer Amalia Hernandez Google The best Google Doodles Dr Samuel Johnson Google Doodle celebrating lexicographer Dr Samuel Johnson Google The best Google Doodles British Sign Language Google Doodle celebrating British Sign Language Google The best Google Doodles Eduard Khil Google Doodle celebrating baritone singer Eduard Khil Google The best Google Doodles Fourth of July Google Doodle celebrating Fourth of July Google The best Google Doodles Victor Hugo Google Doodle celebrating author Victor Hugo Google The best Google Doodles Google Doodle celebrating Giro d'Italia's 100th Anniversary Google Doodle celebrating Giro d'Italia's 100th Anniversary Google The best Google Doodles Google Doodle celebrating St. Patrick's Day Google Doodle celebrating St. Patrick's Day Google The best Google Doodles Google Doodle celebrating St. David's Day Google Doodle celebrating St. David's Day Google The best Google Doodles Steve Biko Today's Google Doodle features anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko Google The best Google Doodles The history of tea in Britain Google celebrates the 385th anniversary of tea in the UK The best Google Doodles Nettie Stevens Google celebrates geneticist Nettie Stevens 155th birthday The best Google Doodles William Morris Google celebrates English polymath William Morris' 182 birthday with a doodle showcasing his most famous designs Google The best Google Doodles Professor Scoville Google marks Professor Scovilles 151st birthday The best Google Doodles Sophie Taeuber-Arp Google marks artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp's 127th birthday Born knew about evil. Along with other scientists like Albert Einstein, he and his family were forced to flee Germany and the Nazis in 1933, fearing for their own safety he would go on to live in many places across the world, including at Cambridge, Edinburgh and Bangalore. He would return to Germany after his retirement. He saw that evil and all evil as being caused by a belief in complete truths and absolutely certainty. It was an approach that was reflected across both his work and his ethical thinking. "I believe that ideas such as absolute certitude, absolute exactness, final truth, etc. are figments of the imagination which should not be admissible in any field of science," Born said. "On the other hand, any assertion of probability is either right or wrong from the standpoint of the theory on which it is based. "This loosening of thinking seems to me to be the greatest blessing which modern science has given to us. For the belief in a single truth and in being the possessor thereof is the root cause of all evil in the world." That same approach could be seen in his work. Perhaps Born's most famous work, and the one commended when he won the Nobel prize, which was given "for his fundamental research in quantum mechanics, especially for his statistical interpretation of the wave function". That work came to be known as the Born Rule. And like his philosophical beliefs, it arose from the recognition that messiness can be both the natural state of the world and a good way to be his research proposed that quantum mechanics shouldn't work by attempting to make exact measurements of wave particles, but rather that it was better to estimate where they would be using highly complex measures of probability. 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 }} Nasa is preparing for a huge announcement from its planet-hunting telescope. It has said only that it will brief the press on Thursday and that the discovery has been made by the Kepler space telescope. It also said that Google has been involved in the breakthrough discovery. But beyond that it said very little. Still, some clues give us a little insight into what the major announcement might be about to actually reveal. What's the Kepler space telescope? The craft was launched into space in 2009, and has been looking for exoplanets ever since. It's been good at it finding huge numbers of the exciting worlds and Nasa has appreciated it work so much that it began another round of investigations in 2014, a year after its work was officially finished. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region When the mission began, scientists didn't know how many exoplanets there were. Now they know they are more common than expected, and it's likely that every star has at least one of them. It works by continuously scanning the sky, watching more than 145,000 stars. Scientists look out for those that occasionally dim when a planet crosses in front of them by then tracking the patterns of that dimming, they can find out how many planets each star has and what they might be like. Now Nasa has said that it has found something new, hosting an event "to announce the latest discovery made by its planet-hunting Kepler space telescope". The telescope finds a lot of things but very few so interesting that they deserve their own event. What do we know? Nasa has given out limited information, but we can make some decent guesses based on what they've said. It also said that four scientists would be leading the press event. Those are: Paul Hertz, Astrophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington Christopher Shallue, senior software engineer at Google AI in Mountain View, California Andrew Vanderburg, astronomer and NASA Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Texas, Austin Jessie Dotson, Kepler project scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Californias Silicon Valley Nasa always picks the most relevant and senior engineers and scientists to speak at such events, to ensure that they can answer the press and the publics' questions in the most detail. So it's possible to infer from who they've picked some details of what might be going on. The inclusion of Jessie Dotson makes clear that Kepler will be at the heart of this discovery, and that therefore the news is going to relate to something it's sent down from space. Much of Ms Dotson's work focuses on asteroids she helped create the Nasa team that tries to calculate how at risk the Earth is of an impact, and works there still though she has worked on a range of different kinds of objects in space. Andrew Vanderburg works primarily on exoplanets and their stars, using data sent down as part of Kepler's K2 mission. His expertise is in detecting and characterising exoplanets. The other two attendees Paul Hertz and Christopher Shallue will presumably be representing their important organisations and the work they've done to find whatever has been discovered. As such, the list suggests that the discovery might have something to do with exoplanets, their stars, and potentially asteroids; though Kepler is being used for more diverse functions than trying to find other Earth-like planets that are orbiting stars and could support life, it's probable this announcement will at least involve at least one such planet in some way. Beyond that, much is a mystery. Why is Google involved? Perhaps the strangest and most mysterious thing about the announcement at least, beyond what the announcement actually is is the fact that Google is involved. "The discovery was made by researchers using machine learning from Google," the otherwise mysterious and not very detailed announcement reads. "Machine learning is an approach to artificial intelligence, and demonstrates new ways of analysing Kepler data." Nasa and Google haven't talked about this focus on machine learning much before, so it's not clear how exactly it's being used and to what purpose. But we can have a decent guess: Google is expert at using artificial intelligence to find patterns and learn like a human, and it's probably using the technology to sort through the data being sent by Kepler to pick out things that are of interest. The Kepler telescope is looking around the sky all the time, searching for things that might be of interest. As it does so, it sends huge amounts of data back down to Earth far too huge for scientists to pick through as it arrives, which is why these major announcements can often take some months to actually come about. As with other applications of machine learning, the Nasa announcement likely puts machine learning to work doing some of that automatically. Nasa is presumably letting the AI see what kinds of planets are of interest to scientists, then looking out for those itself but at great speed researchers can then look through what's of interest and examine them as needed. It's just one of a range of ways that humanity is trying to sort through the sheer amount of data Kepler is sending down from space. Others include the Planet Hunters project, which asks citizen scientists to get involved with flicking through the data and trying to find something that might be of interest. So what's it going to be? It's not clear, just yet. The best bet is that it will be at least one Earth like planet, orbiting around a star. It may have some interesting relationship with asteroids. That's just about all we know for sure, apart from the fact that whatever the announcement is will probably be big. 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 newborn baby has been threatened in a string of violent burglaries seeing victims beaten, held at knife-point and squirted with potentially corrosive substances in their own homes. West Midlands Police are appealing for information on 28 incidents recorded across Birmingham so far, which they believe may have been carried out by several unconnected groups. They have escaped with jewellery worth tens of thousands of pounds after appearing to select homes to target in recent weeks. In one incident in Balsall Heath on 8 November, burglars forced their way in through the front door and took the family into a bedroom. The gang picked up and threatened to harm a newborn baby if they were not told where money was hidden, and knives were held to the throats of women in the house, police said. In another burglary, in Small Heath on 21 November, a gang armed with screwdrivers forcible removed a victims jewellery and squirted his hands with cleaning fluid. It came as household and industrial cleaning products are used in a series of corrosive substance attacks across the UK. Trump links rise in UK crime to 'radical island terror' One victim was struck with a metal bar during a burglary and others have been beaten with fists but police said no one has yet been seriously injured. West Midlands Police believe Asian gold jewellery used for weddings and other family events may be a key target, after launching an investigation into the spate of violent burglaries. Detective Inspector Dave Keen, who is leading the probe, said a dedicated taskforce was working to identify those responsible literally 24 hours a day. Weve got a lot of good lines of inquiry, and in the areas where these offences have happened, theres a commitment to carry out special patrols, he added. Its also very important that residents do as much as possible to protect their property. Asian traditions have always placed a strong emphasis on jewellery it plays an important role in many religious festivals as well as significant family occasions, with many items handed down through generations. These are not just highly valuable possessions; they are also of great sentimental worth and are a huge loss to their owners if such jewellery is taken. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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 Police are issuing a warning to residents owning valuable gold jewellery and issuing advice on how to protect their homes, such as storing items in a bank or safety deposit box and making houses secure. Mr Keen said criminal gangs were scoping areas for potential targets and urged people to report any suspicious behaviour, or call police if they are offered high value gold for sale. Areas where burglars have struck include Balsall Heath, Erdington, Small Heath, Winson Green, Kitts Green, Hall Green, Edgbaston and Alum Rock and Four Oaks. There have also been break-ins in Smethwick, Yardley, Saltley, Washwood Heath, Hall Green, Tyseley, Bordesley Green, Hodge Hill and Ward End and Moseley. A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with a raid on a home in College Road, Moseley, and remains on bail. Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 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 man has been kidnapped, tied up and threatened with a gun in a 50-hour hostage ideal in London. The 24-year-old victim was wearing a 9,000 Rolex watch when he was approached by two acquaintances while walking through Croydon on 4 December. They lured him to a house in nearby Thornton Heath, where a group of men waiting with weapons stripped him naked, tied him up and started a brutal and extended assault. Over the course of the next two days he was subjected to an extended bout of physical abuse and humiliation that included his attackers kicking him in the face, which left him with severe bruising on his lips and a large lump on his forehead, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said. The gang threatened the victim with a gun and knives while forcing him to phone his parents with a demand for a significant sum of money. When they said they could not obtain it, the kidnappers forced their victim to hand over keys to his parents home and burgled it on 6 December. Police would like to speak to this man regarding a kidnapping and burglary in Croydon (Metropolitan Police) CCTV footage shows two suspects who police are appealing to trace - approach the home in Sydenham before cash, designer handbags, sunglasses and further Rolex watches were stolen. As the victims imprisonment approached its third evening, members of the gang forced him into his car to withdraw money from a bank. They stayed in the vehicle, possibly to avoid being caught on CCTV, and the man saw his opportunity to escape. Police said he ran and sought shelter at a nearby church, Croydon Minster, where officers were called. Investigators believe up to 12 people may have been involved with the ordeal and are appealing to trace two men who arrived at the victims parents home wearing high visibility vests. The footage shows one suspect, a black man with dark facial hair wearing a yellow jacket over a parka, walk to the door and spot the camera. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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 He returns with an accomplice wearing an orange jacket to enter the property, with both men covering their faces. This was a vicious and prolonged attack of a nature that thankfully is very rare, said Detective Sergeant Samuel Bennett. It has left the victim utterly distraught and traumatised. He appealed for anyone who has seen a Rolex like that one stolen - a 2007 model with a black face, black bezel, yellow gold body and strap or the suspects caught on CCTV to come forward, adding: These men are dangerous and it is important that we apprehend them before they can target anyone else. Four men have been arrested so far. Two suspects aged 19 and 28 were arrested on suspicion of kidnap on Sunday and have been taken to a police station for questioning. Two men aged 39 and 58 were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping on Friday and have been bailed to a date in early January. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, tweet @MetCC or contact 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 }} Britain contributes less to the common good of humanity than last year due to its "vast weapons exports" and inadequate aid to foreign countries, a new study has found. The country has fallen from number four to number eight out of 163 in the Good Country Index an index which measures their contributions to global culture, health, security and environment, instead of basing the rankings on traditional economic and social factors. The index looks at 35 criteria from the United Nations, the World Bank and other international organisations. Recommended Foreign investment to UK creates fewer jobs as Brexit looms It was established in 2014 and Britain has dropped four places since the last study, partly due to its low ranking in terms of international peace and security. Simon Anholt, the creator of the independent Good Country Index, told The Independent that the UK's continued albeit diminishing involvement in Afghanistan and it weapons exports were largely to blame. "One of the two main reasons why the UK ranks so low in Peace and Security is because of its big weapons exports, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other destinations," he said. The Independent previously reported that UK sales of weapons to Saudi Arabia have risen by 500 per cent since the start of the war in Yemen. "[...] the debate doesnt affect the ranking: no matter how much people criticise the exports, and no matter how fierce the debate, the level of sales remains high and thats what keeps the ranking so low," Mr Anholt added. Last year, the UK ranked first in terms of its contribution to science and technology, while in 2017 it comes in fifth, based on factors such as the number of international students, publications, Nobel Prizes and patents. In 2016, Britain was in fifth place for its contribution to prosperity and equality that place is now number 35. Factors analysed here include the size of cross-border trading, the number of aid workers and volunteers sent abroad and investment in developing countries relative to the size of the economy. "The ones at the top need to think much harder about how they can share their ability to balance their domestic needs with international ones," said Mr Anholt. Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is welcomed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Reuters Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders EU President Jean-Claude Juncker greeting Theresa May at the EU Commission in Brussels PA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May poses for a picture with European Council President Donald Tusk REUTERS Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker walks behind British Prime Minister Theresa May EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker address a press conference at the European Commission in Brussels AFP/Getty Images Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at a press conference with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis (L) and Michel Barnier (2-L), the European Chief Negotiator of the Task Force for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 enter the room by the emergency exit to attend British Prime Minister Theresa May press briefing on Brexit Negotiations in Brussels. EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis (L), Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (2-L), European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (2-R) and European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (R) in a meeting on Friday morning AFP/Getty Images Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders European Council President Donald Tusk addresses a media conference at the Europa building in Brussels AP Britain is still in the top 10 but now stands behind Switzerland, Ireland which ranks first in terms of its contribution to prosperity and equality Germany and Finland. Top of the list is the Netherlands, while Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan were at the bottom. Mr Anholt, an honorary professor at the University of East Anglia, said a successful country was one that contributes to the good of humanity. Of course it must serve the interests of its own people, but never at the expense of other populations or our shared resources: this is the new law of human survival, and it's a balance which is far more easily maintained than many people imagine," he said. Agencies contributed to this report. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A 24-year-old British man faces two years behind bars in Dubai after he tested positive for cannabis. Connor Clements claimed he had been sleeping on the floor of a cell with 25 other people before being released on bail. Mr Clements flew from Liverpool to Dubai to get out of a rut in his life and landed a job as a waiter earlier this year. He underwent a medical test for his new employer but was arrested when the results showed he had traces of cannabis in his system. Mr Clements said he had taken the drug before boarding his flight to the United Arab Emirates. I was in a rut. My sister lives here and I had an opportunity to change my life and it's been nothing but a living nightmare, he told the Liverpool Echo. I haven't committed a crime in the UAE. (Facebook) He told the newspaper his court appearance had lasted less than a minute and was not allowed to explain what had happened in court. Mr Clements described his few weeks in jail as a living nightmare. 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 His hearing will take place before Christmas and his passport has been confiscated. Our staff in the UAE are assisting a British man following his detention in Dubai, a Foreign Office spokesperson told the paper. We have visited him on several occasions, made calls to the prosecutor's office to get updates on his case, and are in regular contact with his family. Authorities in the UAE have a zero tolerance policy towards drugs. Around 200 UK citizens have been detained in the UAE this year alone. A recent case was that of 27-year-old Jamie Harron from Stirling, who was held for three months after being sentenced for public indecency for accidentally touching another mans hip in a busy bar. A non-profit called Detained in Dubai has been established to assist people who have become victims of injustice in the UAE. 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 domestic violence incidents going unattended by police is soaring, with the worst performing forces now missing a quarter of call-outs, damning statistics obtained by The Independent reveal. The proportion of incidents where officers failed to show up more than doubled between 2012 and 2016 from 5 per cent of cases to 11 per cent responses to Freedom of Information requests from police forces across England showed. Last year, at least 39,686 incidents went unattended, while it took police more than 24 hours to get to the scenes of a further 32,007 reported crimes. An ever-smaller proportion of reports are attended within 15 minutes, the figures demonstrate. Police showed up to 47 per cent of cases in this time frame in 2012, but only to 37 per cent last year. Among the forces with the worst records of attending scenes was Devon and Cornwall. The service did not turn up to more than a quarter of reports, or 7,855 of 30,298. Humberside Police, which covers part of east Yorkshire, did not arrive at the scene in 22 per cent of cases. The Independent received responses from 19 of 38 forces across England, which all provided figures for 2016. Three of these forces were not able to provide data as far back as 2012. The Metropolitan Police said it could not give accurate response figures because analysts would have to review three different computer systems, which would be too costly. The revelations about response times follow a report by the police watchdog, which last month found some forces were downgrading the severity of calls to justify slower response times. Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said it was concerned that some forces may be suppressing demand because they have insufficient officer numbers. There can be serious consequences for the victim if the response is delayed, it added. One domestic violence survivor told the police inspectors they waited two days to see the police after reporting their abuse. When I called, the police said that an officer would be with me by 10pm. No one came but they text me, and then arrived two days later, they said. The watchdog also found evidence of police potentially putting victims in danger by inappropriately conducting risk assessments over the telephone, rather than in person. An accurate assessment of risk is impossible without seeing the victim and other individuals within the household, including children, in person, it said. A recent explosion in the number of reported domestic abuse incidents has prompted concerns law enforcement is struggling to cope. The number of crimes recorded by police rocketed 60 per cent in the three years to June 2016, in line with rises in the number of sex crime victims coming forward. Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of Womens Aid, described the new figures as shocking. It takes a lot of strength and resolve for a woman to build up the courage to report domestic abuse to the police. It is therefore vital that she gets an effective response when she calls out for help, she said. This means that police officers must be attending domestic abuse scenes to ensure that survivors are in no immediate danger and that perpetrators are held accountable for the abuse. Some forces are struggling to cope with the increase in reported crimes and are giving dangerous responses when survivors seek protection, such as assessing risk over the phone and downgrading the severity of cases to justify a slower response time. This is unacceptable. Such practices threaten to put more women and childrens lives at risk. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said the data presented a very disturbing picture of the growth in domestic violence and the decline in police response. The growing misery of tens of thousands of victims is a stain on our society, she continued Independent assessment is that the lack of police resources is now a key factor in the declining quality of the response to domestic violence. This lack of resources is one of the terrible consequences of Tory austerity, the effects of which are falling hardest on women. It comes on top cuts for funding to legal aid, and to womens refuges. Any decent government would be trying to improve this situation, and tackle domestic violence across the board. This Government is making things worse. It emerged at the end of October the Government is planning to stop housing benefits being used to pay for supported accommodation. The proposals led rights organisations to warn refuges would close, placing women and children fleeing violence at increased risk. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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 Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe, National Police Chiefs Council lead on domestic abuse, said forces aim to attend every incident of domestic abuse reported to them. At a time when the police service is having to do more with less, we are dealing with over one million incidents of domestic abuse each year and this number continues to rise, she said. All police forces constantly review the way that they handle these cases to ensure we are putting the victim at the heart of investigations and strengthening our coordinated response across the criminal justice system. Detective Chief Inspector Danny Patrick, who leads on domestic abuse for Humberside Police, said domestic abuse was a key priority for the force and they strive to respond to our victims according to their needs. A response can be via one of a number of methods according to circumstances. Where there is any suggested threat to the victim, an immediate police patrol response is appropriate. However, if someone is reporting something retrospectively for example and their immediate safety is not in jeopardy, it may be more appropriate to arrange an appointment at a later date. We have improved the way that we understand and deal with cases of domestic abuse. What it is important to stress is that we understand the importance of getting our response right at the first point of contact. As more people are coming forward to report this complex and often hidden crime type, we are achieving higher levels of prosecutions and arrests overall. DCI Craig McWhinnie, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: Incidents of domestic abuse are both complex and varied and there are often many reasons as to why officers would not attend immediately. This could be to safeguard the victim and protect them if they have called us in confidence. A large number of victims are offered appointments, providing that there is no immediate risk, where they can pick a convenient time to talk to police which doesnt put them in danger. A Home Office spokesperson said: Domestic violence is a life-shattering and abhorrent crime, and tackling it is a key priority for this Government. Independent assessments from HMICFRS have noted improvements in the overall police response to victims since 2014, but we recognise there is still more to do. This is why the Government will publish a landmark draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill to protect and support victims, recognise the life-long impact these crimes have on children, and ensure agencies respond effectively to domestic abuse. Last year the Government committed funding of 80m to stop violence against women and girls and launched a new strategy to stop abuse with a focus early on intervention and prevention. A further 20m for domestic abuse services was announced in the spring budget, and we are committed to working with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to continue to improve their response to these crimes. 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 }} Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Prime Minister of failing Grenfell Tower survivors, most of whom remain homeless six months on from the blaze. Labour rounded on the Government for the slow progress in rehousing displaced families despite early pledges to have everyone out of hotels within three weeks. In a letter to Theresa May, shadow housing minister John Healey sets out five areas where he claims Grenfell survivors and tower residents more widely continue to be let down. Recommended Human Rights Commission to launch inquiry into Grenfell Tower He backed calls made in a petition for the Grenfell Tower public inquiry to be overseen by a diverse panel of experts, rather than just one judge. Safety concerns in other high-rise blocks were still not being properly addressed, he said, after a nationwide audit found hundreds wrapped in flammable cladding. Mrs May, widely criticised for her response in the aftermath of the fire, was also urged to hasten an overhaul of building regulations and properly fund work to make tall buildings safer. Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Show all 10 1 /10 Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Inside a flat at 375 Kensington High Street - Located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The 68 flats are being acquired by the City of London Corporation as part of the response to the tragedy berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The luxury flats are located just a couple of miles from Grenfell Tower berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The families will be offered permanent homes in the building berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Penthouses in the block can go for up to 13m berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street A spokesman for the Berkeley Group confirmed they were finalising plans berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The property boasts a gym, swimming pool and 24-hour concierge service harrodsestates.com Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The families will live in the award winning 2bn development berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Families whose lives were devastated by the fire at Grenfell Tower are to be housed in a luxury development berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street 68 families are to be rehomed in the block berkeleygroup.co.uk Mr Corbyn said in a statement: Six months on from the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Government is failing to learn its lessons and, more importantly, failing the survivors. It is a disgrace that the majority of Grenfell residents have still not been given homes and that tower blocks across our country have still not been made safe. We need answers from the Government and we need action. The party's intervention comes as survivors and bereaved relatives prepare to mark six months since the tragedy, which left 71 dead, on Thursday. Currently only 42 households from the tower have moved into permanent new homes and 118 remain in emergency accommodation, including 103 in hotels. Grenfell: Final death toll put at 70 plus a stillborn baby Mr Healey pointed to the Prime Minister's words on June 17 when she said she had fixed a deadline of three weeks for everybody affected to be found a home nearby. He asked why more families had not been rehoused and how many would be in emergency rooms over Christmas. His letter continued: Why has the Government failed to provide any funding to build new homes, or to acquire existing empty homes to help survivors? Survivor's confidence and willingness to participate in the public inquiry led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick was absolutely vital to its success, the Labour MP said. This meant that a petition launched by around 50 victims' families and the main survivors' group calling for experts from a diverse range of backgrounds to sit alongside him should be considered. The shadow minister also weighed in on a continuing tussle between councils and central Government about funding for the safety installations recommended by fire chiefs. It is essential that cash was set aside to finance the improvements, including 1 billion for the retro-fitting of sprinklers in older tower blocks, the Labour MP said. 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 }} Police have carried out a training exercise to prepare for a chemical attack on the the Israeli embassy in London. The drill, which was the first of its kind to take place in a foreign embassy in the capital, also involved firefighters and paramedics who rehearsed their response to casualties affected by a noxious substance. A section of the embassy was cordoned off on Sunday and decontamination tents were erected at the back of the building, which is near Kensington Palace in central London. Paramedics in bio suits treated casualties, played by members of the Royal Military Police, who were put through decontamination showers. The Met said the scenario provided valuable learning both in terms of the nature of the incident and the challenges brought by the location. Sunday's snowy and icy conditions made the exercise more difficult, the police said. Commander Adrian Usher, who heads the Mets parliamentary and diplomatic protection command said: This was the first time we have been able to carry out a live exercise inside a foreign embassy and the experience and learning gained from this will be invaluable. It also tested our joint response in dealing with a hazardous substance, which is important as it will help officers and staff be better prepared should we ever face this type of challenge for real. It came at a time when Israeli-owned institutions were on high-alert, after Donald Trump announced the US would officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The move is controversial since the city is a holy site for a number of religions and the President has been accused of squandering years of diplomatic effort between Israeli and Palestinian people. But the police denied the exercise was linked to the latest political developments and the drill was not carried out in response to any particular piece of intelligence, the Met said. "I must stress that the exercise, which has been planned over several months, was not designed with any specific threat in mind either in terms of the hazardous material element or the location, Commander Usher added. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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 The Embassy of Israel said it was happy to take part in the exercise and to work together with the Metropolitan Police and emergency services. News / National by Staff reporter PROPHETIC Healing and Deliverance Ministries founder, Prophet Walter Magaya was in Zambia lats week and met with former Presidents, Kenneth Kaunda and Rupiya Banda.The 93-year-old Kaunda led Zambia as the first President from 1964 to 1991 while Banda (80) took charge between 2008 and 2011.With Kaunda, Prophet Magaya conducted a prayer meeting and then discussed issues around the Kenneth Kaunda Foundation, which deals with HIV/Aids in Zambia.With Banda, Prophet Magaya dealt with possible business partnerships they could be in partnership especially in Zambia.The private visit came a week after a visit to Angola where he engaged the leaders there on possible ventures for both his church and business arm.A member of Prophet Magaya's small delegation said the invitation by the two former Zambian Presidents is recognition of the PHD leader's influence in society and also recognition of the work he is doing as a proud Zimbabwean. 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 British public overwhelmingly supports a ban on ivory sales, with a majority urging ministers to allow no exemptions to the proposed prohibition of the trade, according to a new poll. The survey, carried out by Kantar TNS and commissioned by a group of nine NGOs, found that 85 per cent of the public support a ban on the sales. Current UK laws allow the trade of antiques, carved before 1947, but the Government in October bowed to pressure by campaigners to ban the sale of ivory regardless of its age. Recommended WWF releases Christmas advert to highlight illegal ivory trade The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently running a three-month consultation on the ban. The Government proposes a number of exceptions for antique ivory items including musical instruments, items of significant cultural value and those containing only a small amount of ivory which it argues do not contribute to the poaching of elephants. Yet only 27 per cent of survey respondents agreed such exemptions should be put in place, while 57 per cent called for absolute prohibition of ivory sales. Kantar TNS conducted the poll online between 30 November and 4 December, receiving 1,265 responses. Campaigners argue the demand fuelled by the UKs legal ivory market encourages poaching that currently kills 20,000 elephants a year. Charlie Mayhew, chief executive of the conservation organisation Tusk, said: The UK market drives demand for ivory and fuels the illegal slaughter of elephants. The only way to combat this destruction of Africas natural heritage is to shut down ivory markets, and there is overwhelming public support for the Governments proposed ban. It is clear that the public do not want ministers to allow any loopholes that would create a hiding place for the illegal trade, which is why we are opposing the proposed exemption allowing the sale of items of artistic, cultural or historic significance. If a piece is so important, it belongs in a museum not the marketplace. He urged the public to take part in the Governments consultation, which closes on 29 December. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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 Antique traders, meanwhile, argue banning the sale of older ivory will crush their businesses. Announcing the ban proposed ban in October, Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: The decline in the elephant population fuelled by poaching for ivory shames our generation. The need for radical and robust action to protect one of the worlds most iconic and treasured species is beyond dispute. Ivory should never be seen as a commodity for financial gain or a status symbol so we want to ban its sale. These plans will put the UK front and centre of global efforts to end the insidious trade in ivory. Mr Goves announcement came as a surprise, after the Conservative Party 2017 general election manifesto failed to include a ban on ivory sales, which had been a staple of their 2015 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 }} Three children have died and a fourth child is in a critical condition after a house fire in Salford. A 14-year-old girl, named as schoolgirl Demi Pearson, was declared dead at the scene. An 8-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl subsequently died in hospital. A three-year-old girl and the 35-year-old mother of all three children are in critical condition in hospital. The blaze broke out at the terraced house on Jackson Street in the Worsley area at around 5am. The fire is being treated as suspicious and a murder inquiry has been launched. Police are believed to be investigating if a flammable liquid was poured through the letterbox. A Manchester Fire spokesman told the Manchester Evening News: We were called at 4.58am to a fire at a mid-terrace house on Jackson Street. Four crews attended. They used six breathing apparatus, three hose reels and a ventilation fan to put out the fire. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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 Two 16-year-old boys rescued themselves from the fire, one of which is believed to be a family member. Police said they had been in recent contact with the family and had visited the house before the fire broke out. 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 }} Jeremy Corbyn has called for Brexit to be delayed until after March 2019 if it allows the Government to secure a better deal. The Labour leader surprised MPs by giving his personal backing to dropping the unnecessary exit date deadline from the EU Withdrawal Bill, ahead of a crunch vote next week. Speaking in the Commons as Tory MPs praised Theresa May for last weeks Brussels deal to move the exit talks onto trade Mr Corbyn said she had only scraped through. He pointed out that the Government had intended to conclude phase one of the negotiations two months ago and that the agreement reached on Friday was fudged. Has this experience given the Prime Minister reason to consider dropping the unnecessary exit date deadline of the 29 March 2019 from the EU Withdrawal Bill, Mr Corbyn asked. He added: Im sure the whole House, and probably the whole country, would rather get the best possible deal a little bit later if that meant a better deal for peoples jobs and the economy. The comments were seized on by the Prime Minister as fresh evidence that Labour could not be trusted to stand by its commitment to uphold the referendum. She told MPs: Were leaving the European Union on that date. That is what the British people voted for and that is what this Government is going to put in place. The clash comes ahead of a crucial vote next week in which pro-EU Tory MPs will join forces with opposition parties to try to remove the Brexit date and time from the bill. The Prime Minister has made it a show of strength but could yet be forced to back down if more Conservative MPs join the revolt, fearing it will box the Government in. The controversy is closely linked to a vote on Wednesday to give MPs a binding meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal. Both centre on the power of MPs to delay departure, if no satisfactory trade deal has been achieved. Mr Corbyns support is further evidence of Labour softening its stance, after Keir Starmer, the partys Brexit Secretary, said it wanted to stay aligned to the EU single market and customs union. Meanwhile, the statement saw the Prime Minister praised by both pro and anti-EU Conservative MPs, following Fridays agreement to move the Brexit talks onto trade and a transitional deal. The former chancellor and pro-Remain MP Ken Clarke said: I congratulate the Prime Minister on her triumph, while Nicky Morgan, another ex-Cabinet Brexit critic, said thank you on behalf of EU citizens. But most hard-Brexit supporting Conservatives also held their fire, despite No 10 confirming the guarantee of full alignment of regulations, if necessary, to avoid a hard Irish border, would have legal force. Only the Conservative MP Philip Davies spoke out, saying: Why are we paying tens of billions of pounds, that are not legally enforceable, to the EU when she is continuing a policy of austerity at home? The Prime Minister confirmed the size of the divorce bill, telling MPs: The calculations currently say that that would be 35bn to 39bn. But she calmed most backbench unease by insisting the UK would not pay the money unless agreement is also reached on a future partnership covering trade. This offer is on the table in the context of us agreeing the partnership for the future, agreeing the next stage and agreeing the partnership for the future. If we dont agree that partnership, then this offer is off the table, the Prime Minister warned Brussels. This is strongly disputed, with critics pointing to paragraph 96 of last Fridays text, stating the UKs commitment to the agreement even if there is only a framework for a trade deal. But, when this was pointed out, Ms May replied: No, that is not my understanding. The warm welcome for the Prime Minister from her own MPs does not mean that the Conservative Party has ended its Brexit wars, but she has achieved a temporary ceasefire. The battle is likely to resume as soon as next week, when the Cabinet debates its preferred end state whether to remain close to the EUs economic structures, or diverge and seek to deregulate. That could bring some members into conflict with the Prime Ministers concession of full alignment with EU regulations, if necessary to avoid customs checks and posts at the Irish border. Ms May insisted it was only a fallback option of last resort in case a border solution was not found through a free trade agreement with the EU, or through the use of new technology. 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 }} No 10 says it is ready to look at an amendment that could give MPs the power to delay Brexit, ahead of a possible embarrassing defeat on Wednesday. Tory backbenchers are preparing to rebel on the Withdrawal Bill to ensure Parliament has a binding vote on the final Brexit agreement - before the Government can enact Britain's withdrawal. The vote is crucial because, if no new satisfactory trade deal is struck by exit day in March 2019, it would be a weapon to extend the Article 50 negotiations. Recommended Ireland issues warning to David Davis over Brexit agreement If MPs rejected the deal, making their vote binding would allow them to send Theresa May back to Brussels to ask to delay departure and seek better terms. Around 20 Conservatives have signalled a readiness to defy the Prime Minister, in a move led by former Attorney General Dominic Grieve threatening a first defeat on the legislation Now the Prime Ministers spokesman has refused to say the Government will continue to oppose amendment 7, telling journalists: I dont have anything for you on that. He added: We have said from the outset that we will look at the amendments and, where we consider that improvements can be made to the legislation - given its importance to delivering a smooth Brexit - we will look at them and we will respond to them. Strikingly, the comment hinting at a climbdown - came even as No 10 insisted it would fight a separate revolt over placing the exact date and time of Brexit on the face of the Bill. Meanwhile, ministers have also retreated over their likely use of Henry VIII powers to bypass Parliament when forcing through post-Brexit changes to the law. They have accepted an amendment tabled by the cross-party Commons Procedure Committee to introduce a new sifting committee of backbench MPs to over see the process. The committee will decide whether statutory instruments proposed by ministers require a vote in the Commons or can be simply signed through. However, the bigger fight is over amendment 7. On Sunday, one Tory rebel - Antoinette Sandbach urged the Government to give way, to avoid a defeat. I don't want the government to push it to a vote, I would like them to accept that amendment, she told Radio 4s Westminster Hour. Ms Sandbach described it as crucially important, adding: Taking back control was taking back control to Parliament and not to the executive, to government. The Government had been expected to table a compromise motion, but failed to do so by the deadline of 3pm on Friday. At the weekend, Mr Grieve made clear he would not back down, saying: The Government has conceded the principle that there must be a statute approving and implementing the withdrawal agreement before we leave the EU. Amendment 7 guarantees that will happen. The potential climbdown was welcomed by Francis Grove-White, the deputy director of the pro-EU Open Britain group, who said: If the Government are serious about giving Parliament and the public a meaningful role in the Brexit process, they must support amendment 7. There is no halfway house the only acceptable concession they could make would be to vote for it. MPs must have the power to scrutinise, to debate, and if necessary to reject a deal that would leave working people worse off. 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 Secretary David Davis has said he "doesn't have to be very clever" to do his job. Mr Davis told LBC radio that intelligence was not the principal requirement of his position leading the Brexit negotiations. "I do just have to be calm," he said, adding that when the agreement fell apart on Monday he had come close to losing his cool. "What's the requirement of my job? I don't have to be very clever, I don't have to know that much, I do just have to be calm," he said. "And that did test the calmness a bit, a little bit. "But we had to pick another day and we looked at Wednesday but Wednesday wasn't long enough for the DUP to sort themselves out so we made it Thursday, Friday morning." Mr Davis was appearing after his interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday, in which he said the agreement with the EU was not "legally enforceable" and was contingent on a succedsful trade deal. Those provoked a response in Ireland, for whom the agreement represents a guarantee preventing a hard border returning to the island of Ireland. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar called the agreement a "cast-iron" guarantee that was "politically bullet proof." He was also asked about the recent furore in which he was forced to admit that 58 sector-by-sector Brexit impact assessments do not exist. "In the last 18 months I've talked about impact here and there, but an impact statement, this is a thing that the Labour Party have been going on about, an impact statement has got a proper meaning in Whitehall, there's a definition of it and so on, including things like forecasts. "Now I don't actually believe economic forecasts, they have all been proven wrong, I mean look at all the ones about Brexit. "So what we do is we look at what we call a sectoral analysis which is the size of the thing, the size of the industry, employment levels, how much is dependent on Europe, how much is dependent on European regulations, how much opportunity there is in other countries. "When you know those things, you know what you need to know." Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Irish government has issued a warning to David Davis over suggestions the agreement reached with the EU over the Irish border may not be "legally enforceable" and was merely a "statement of intent." Mr Davis told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that the joint agreement between London and Brussels published on Friday might not be enacted if no free trade agreement was reached between the two sides, casting into doubt important reassurances over the border between Northern Ireland and the republic. The Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the deal was "politically bullet-proof" and "cast iron". The Irish government's chief whip, Joe McHugh, branded the Brexit Secretary's comments as "bizarre". He told RTE: "We will as a government, a sovereign government in Ireland, be holding the United Kingdom to account, as will the European Union. "My question to anybody within the British Government would be, why would there be an agreement, a set of principled agreements, in order to get to phase two, if they weren't going to be held up? That just sounds bizarre to me. "This, as far as we're concerned, is a binding agreement, an agreement in principle." The terms of the agreement specified "full alignment" with the EU on regulations on issues relating to "North-South co-operation" on the island of Ireland, which might include energy and agriculture. Responding to criticism of this agreement from Conservative Brexiteers who want to end all alignment with EU regulations, Mr Davis said: "This was a statement of intent more than anything else. "Much more a statement of intent than it was a legally enforceable thing." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson has said he held worthwhile meetings in Tehran over the case of a jailed British-Iranian woman, but warned he did not wish to raise false hope for her release. The Foreign Secretary told MPs he had urged Iran to release jailed dual nationals, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, during his visit to the region at the weekend and he believed his messages had been understood by senior Iranian figures. However, he admitted it was too early to be confident of the outcome, casting doubt over her familys hopes that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe might be released in time for Christmas. Tensions have been ramped up with Iran over the case of Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a mother-of-one who has been incarcerated in Tehran for more than 18 months, after she was arrested during a family holiday to Iran over spying charges. Her future was thrown into further doubt when Mr Johnson mistakenly told MPs that she had been teaching journalists in Iran something her family vehemently denies which Irans state broadcaster seized on as proof of the allegations against her. Speaking in the Commons, the Foreign Secretary said: On bilateral issues, my first priority was the plight of the dual nationals behind bars. I urged their release on humanitarian grounds, where there is cause to do so. These are complex cases involving individuals considered by Iran to be their own citizens, and I do not wish to raise false hopes. But my meetings in Tehran were worthwhile, and while I do not believe it will be in the interests of the individuals concerned or their loved ones to provide a running commentary, the House can be assured that the Government will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to secure their release. It comes as Irans foreign ministry said it would raise the case with the judiciary out of humanitarian concerns after Mr Johnsons meetings with senior figures, including Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the final decision on whether to release Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is serving a five-year sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government something she denies rests with the judiciary. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe is considered an Iranian national and should serve her prison conviction according to the judicial system of Iran, Mr Ghasemi said. Mr Johnson told MPs: In each of those conversations, I repeated, as I have said to the House, the case for release on humanitarian grounds where that is appropriate for the difficult consular cases that we have in Iran. That message was certainly received and understood, though as I say to the House, it is too early to be confident about the outcome. Calls for Mr Johnson to resign over her case appear to have abated for now and his Labour counterpart Emily Thornberry thanked him for his efforts to secure her release. But he refused to answer questions on whether he had met Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe or sought permission for her husband Richard Ratcliffe to visit her in prison, saying he would not give a running commentary on the case. He also defended his erroneous comments about the British women, as he said the Iranians have always been clear ... That none of my remarks in any context had any bearing on any judicial proceedings in relation to any UK consular case. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 November 2022 Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement PA 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 Mr Ratcliffe said there had been positive consequences as a result of the talks, including the postponement of a new court case. Having always been keen to have his wife home for Christmas and for her birthday which follows soon after, he said he was optimistic that this was still achievable. Mr Ratcliffe said: But as Christmas gets closer it gets harder to expect. I wasnt presuming that she would come back on the plane with him. So I think for me, it was always best case scenario that his going would unlock the door and then days later she might be able to come home. 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 }} A majority of Conservative voters want Britain to lead on backing human rights while 45 per cent believe the Government should never provide aid to countries with poor records on human rights, according to a new survey. The polling - mapping how Conservative voters view human rights and discrimination - comes amid concern over the impact of Brexit on future rights and the ongoing row over arms sales to the Middle East. According to the survey by the think-tank Bright Blue, 66 per cent of Tory voters said they wanted a significant role for human rights in British foreign policy while just six per cent said they believed human rights should not be promoted. Significantly, nearly half of respondents, or 45 per cent, said Britain should never give aid to countries that have a poor record on human rights. Nearly 30 per cent of Labour voters agreed, believing that aid should be contingent on the human rights record of the country, and 28 per cent of Liberal Democrat respondents. But of those polled, a majority, or 65 per cent, said the Government should be prepared to do trade deals with countries that have poor human rights depending on the importance of the trade deal and the severity of the human rights violation. Around one in five said the UK should never do trade deals with such countries. In particular a large majority of respondents said the right to a fair trial was the most important human right to them or 68 per cent. Ryan Shorthouse, the director of Bright Blue, said: Britain is the home of human rights. After Brexit, the UK Government should not just be a global leader in free trade, but human rights too. Britain should remain a proud signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights, which originally exported English common law to the rest of the continent. The Government should ensue that trade deals, where possible, include obligations to improve human rights in the partner countries. And human rights should be a priority for British aid. The senior Conservative MP and former attorney general Dominic Grieve said the results of the survey show that far from people being uninterested in human rights in the United Kingdom. Not surprisingly, they identify them in traditional terms, but that is a very good springboard for developing and protecting rights for our future, he added. Human rights are entirely in keeping with the conservative philosophical tradition. A second Tory MP, George Freeman, added: As we begin to craft a new post EU foreign policy, it is vital that we continue our commitment to extending universal rights in the Tory traditional of Shaftesbury, Churchill and One Nation Conservatism. The best way to enshrine our human rights is through supporting free enterprise liberal democracy through our global aid, trade and security work. Championing human rights is the best form of soft power we have. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A global medical company failed to fully inform doctors of the risks of vaginal mesh implants, a BBC Panorama investigation is set to reveal. The programme, which will air on Monday night, documents the conflicts of interest, improper trialling and weak regulatory system behind the vaginal mesh scandal, as reported in The Independent this year. The Panorama investigation reveals that Ethicon, which markets mesh in the UK under brand name Gynecare TVT, did not update doctors with the extent of risks for its leading mesh device. It also discovered that the product was only tested in 31 women and on sheep before being used in patients. It comes just over a week after the death of Chrissy Brajcic, the first woman reported to have died from mesh complications, and the publication of a study on vaginal mesh in BMJ open revealing the failures of the regulatory system and weak evidence used to support device approval. The transvaginal mesh procedure, which involves implanting a polypropylene netted device into the vaginal wall, is performed on at least 10,000 women in the UK every year to treat prolapse and incontinence. However, mounting evidence of higher risks, severe side effects and insufficient trialling, as well as allegations of corruption and whitewashing, have culminated in whats been branded the biggest health scandal since thalidomide. Hundreds of thousands of women in the UK, US and Australia are currently involved in lawsuits against mesh producers; at least 800 in the UK are suing the NHS. Ethicon is a wholly-owned subsidiary of multibillion-dollar Johnson and Johnson, one of the main producers of mesh implants and currently the subject of multiple class-action lawsuits. The company produces Instructions for Use (IFU) leaflets to accompany mesh products, designed to explain to doctors how to insert the implants. They also explain the adverse reactions, or risks, associated with surgery, to help doctors explain these to patients. In 2009, Panorama will reveal, an associate medical director at Ethicon warned, that the statements about side effects in the IFU leaflets were not sufficient, as side effects were described as transitory. However, thousands of women have suffered permanent or chronic complications, sometimes manifesting years after the implant. In an email in January 2009, the associate medical director suggested that the wording be changed for three Ethicon Gynecare TVT mesh implants, explaining: From what I see each day, these patient experiences are not transitory at all. But Ethicon admits it did not update the IFUs at the time. The companys latest IFUs, updated in 2015, do make clear some effects may be permanent, but use incomplete and insufficient risk assessment data to do so. Dr Wael Agur, a consultant urogynaecologist, told Panorama: Its so important for me as a surgeon to understand the full risks of a medical device Im about to implant ... and my first resource would be the IFU. I would expect the manufacturer to have a comprehensive list of the adverse events and the risks within the instructions for use so I fully understand these and communicate them. The investigation also revealed that Ethicons TVT-Secur implant sold worldwide, and designed to be the companys safest mesh product was launched in 2006 after only being tested on 31 women for five weeks, and some sheep. The product was withdrawn from the market in 2012. Ella Ebaugh, from Pennsylvania, was fitted with a TVT-Secur device in May 2007 to help cure mild incontinence. It was one of two mesh implants she had fitted; she later had surgery to try to remove them. She suffered chronic pain that left her needing a walking stick and mobility scooter. She sued Ethicon, and in September 2017 was awarded $57m (42.6m) by the court which Ethicon is currently appealing. Recommended Vaginal mesh study shows how regulatory failings put women at risk In her first UK interview, she told Panorama: If I was told that I would need a wheelchair to get around, if I was told that I was going to live with permanent disabilities for the rest of my life, I wouldnt have had a surgery for a simple stress urinary incontinence problem. She added: The pain that I have I will have to live with for the rest of my life. Theres nothing they can do to help me. Figures compiled for Panorama by NHS Digital and NHS Wales show that the NHS has implanted more than 130,000 mesh devices in the last decade. In that same period (2006-7 to 2016-17), there have been 6,000 procedures to remove or partially remove the implants. However, the real number could be much higher: these figures only relate to the NHS in England and Wales, and do not include women who have paid to have the device removed privately, or who received partial snips to stop the mesh cutting through the vagina. Doreen Day, aged 70, for example, had a TVT implanted in 2007 to treat pelvic organ prolapse. The surgery left her in acute pain, needing morphine and painkillers to function: I was in sheer agony, as if I had a cheese grater inside me. In 2015 she travelled to Los Angeles to have her mesh partially removed at a cost of 22,000, which she paid for out of her personal savings. She is still suffering from pelvic nerve damage. Mesh implants for prolapse have led to higher complication rates than mesh implants for incontinence. A spokesperson for Ethicon said: While we empathise with those who have experienced complications, the vast majority of women with pelvic mesh see an improvement in their day-to-day lives. All surgical pelvic floor procedures with and without mesh come with the risk of developing complications. Dr Linda Cardozo, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, echoed this, telling Panorama: You cannot operate without complications occurring in a small minority of cases. You are never aware of complications that may occur years later, and that doesnt just occur with these tapes and meshes. She has previously described a ban as a retrograde step, arguing: If mesh is banned, there will be no more clinical trials. We will go back to how we were a century ago when we couldnt offer women a range of options. But Kath Sansom, founder of prominent anti-TVM campaign group Sling the Mesh, claims that Dr Cardozo speaks with a heavy bias. She commented to The Independent: It is a shame that Linda Cardozo has spoken out on this issue to Panorama without declaring her ties to industry. Dr Cardozo has previously admitted her ties to Ethicon, and also accepts research monies from Pfizer. Cross-party call to end mesh procedure ends in disappointment In a 2012 study assessing colposuspensions for women with stress incontinence, which she co-authored, the Conflicts of interests section lists Dr Cardazo as a consultant for AdvaMed, Astellas, Ethicon and Pfizer, as well as a speaker honorarium and trial participant for Pfizer. According to Ms Sansom: Dr Cardozo should have made it very clear that she is a consultant to four industry giants, and a consultant to a UK company that promotes pharmaceutical products and medical devices to the NHS. That means she speaks with a heavy bias. The MHRA, the UK medical devices regulator, told Panorama it recognises that some women develop serious complications, but maintains that many women gain benefit from these surgical procedures. It said: We continue to work closely with NHS England, Nice and professional bodies, and we are all committed to helping address the serious concerns raised by women who have experienced complications. Currently, from a regulatory perspective, these devices are acceptably safe when used as intended and as part of an appropriate treatment pathway. In October, a cross-party group took a debate to Parliament calling for a suspension pending full inquiry into the scandal, which the Government refused. Later this month, Englands National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) are expected to recommend banning the mesh devices. BBC Panorama: The Operation That Ruined My Life airs today on BBC One at 7.30pm 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 }} Police have named the suspect in the New York explosion as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah. Four people have been left injured after a bomb exploded on a Manhattan subway platform. The city's police force said the "explosion" was of "unknown origin" and was located near the Port Authority bus terminal on 42nd street and 8th avenue. Asked if Mr Ullah had ties to Isis, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said the alleged attacker had made statements but refused to say what they were. Mr O'Neill said the young man had been taken to Bellevue Hospital with burns and other wounds. Police sources told CBS News the suspected bomber has lived in the US for seven years and was of Bangladeshi origin. Explosion in New York City Show all 14 1 /14 Explosion in New York City Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City FBI and police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal o AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City An armoured police truck occupies the street outside of the New York Port Authority in New York City, U.S. REUTERS Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Investigators are looking into the alleged attacker's residence and personal life at this time. Surveillance video of the incident is being reviewed. New York City police say a man had an explosive device strapped on when it went off while he was in the subway. It was a pipe bomb, attached by velcro and zip ties, but FBI bomb technicians and police officers are looking into it further. The device exploded at the Times Square and Port Authority station on New York's west side - which is one of the city's most hectic commuter centres - at 7.30am in the midst of the morning rush. Port Authority serves more than 65 million passengers a year and is the largest bus terminal in the US. At least four people are said to have suffered non-life threatening injuries such as ringing in ears, headaches, and scrapes, according to police officials. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump "has been briefed on the explosion in New York City". The New York Mayor's Office said Mayor Bill de Blasio had also been briefed, saying police and fire crews were on the scene. The incident took place less than two months after Uzbek immigrant Sayfullo Saipov killed eight people and injured eleven others by driving a rental truck down a New York City bike path close to the World Trade Center memorial before being shot by police. News / National by Stephen Jakes Bulawayo City Councillors have expressed concerns over the mining activities around the city as they discussed an application for a Special Grant To Mine at Wood Lock Mine.(During the full concil meeting the Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo declared an interest and recused himself during consideration of this item.Councillor Gideon Mangena was opposed to the recommendation of the Town Lands and Planning Committee."He said that allowing mining activities in an urban setting was likely to be detrimental to the future expansion of this City," reads council minutes."Concurring the Deputy Mayor Councillor Gift Banda drew attention to the Acting Deputy Director of Engineering Services (Town Planning), comments that made reference to a 1997 mining policy which discouraged the establishment of new mines in the City. He said professional views on such matters should be upheld."Councillor Clayton Zana felt that there was a proliferation of mining activities in and around the City."Relevant authorities (Zimbabwe Republic Police) appeared to be failing to control the situation. To restore order and avoid anarchy, it would only be proper, in this view, to allocate mining grants to substantive applicants on the basis of relevant conditions and guidelines," reads the minutes.Councillor Mlandu Ncube concurred citing Old Nic Mine which had been in existence for many years in Killarney suburb, and also Johannesburg City in South Africa.He said that the reasons proffered against mines in residential areas were not valid. He was convinced that allocating a mining grant to a responsible company/entity would prevent a chaotic "free for all" scenario.Councillor James Sithole was of a similar view.The Town Lands and Planning Committee of which he was a member, had visited the site in question and was persuaded that the application was worthy of Council's support.As stipulated in recommendation 2 of the Committee, the applicant, should as a precondition, demonstrate that the project was of economic value.After further debate it was resolved that the recommendation of the Town Lands and Planning Committee as submitted be adopted. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An estimated 84,000 people in the Canadian province of Quebec are to receive basic income from the start of next year, as part of the government's anti-poverty plan. Quebecs Premier Philippe Couillard made the announcement as part of his administrations $3bn (2.25bn) plans on Sunday, which aims to promote economic inclusion, CBCNews reported. Those who qualify for basic income include those with a limited capacity to work, including people with physical and intellectual disabilities. It means their current financial support will increase by at least $73 (54) per month. Recommended Finnish citizens given universal basic income report lower stress The plan will see the annual income of those covered by the scheme increase from $12,749 (9,538) to $18,029 (13,496) by 2023, which meets the poverty threshold of $18,000, the Montreal Gazette reports. The project, which largely targets single people, intends to bring some 100,000 people out of poverty by 2023, government officials told reporters. Anti-poverty groups criticised the governments plans, claiming they do not go far enough and that the offer of support should be unconditional. Those denouncing the plans say it is divisive and will create two different classes of people who are in poverty; those who are rewarded when they are unable to work, and those who are constantly penalised. Meanwhile, the government in Ontario is introducing basic income for 4,000 people. The programme is being trialled as an experiment to see if it improves the lives of people receiving benefits or on low incomes. People who are unemployed or who earn less than $26,000 (19,450) are eligible to take part in the areas of the province it is being trialled. 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 }} Police in Brazil are facing an angry backlash after posing for selfies with a gang kingpin accused of extortion, drug-trafficking and multiple murders. Rogerio Avelino da Silva, also known as Rogerio 157, was arrested on Wednesday in what should have been a victory for detectives grappling with the bloody criminal violence that plagues the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The 35-year-old is believed to have been partly responsible for a recent wave of deadly crime in Rocinha, Rios largest favela, which saw his men fight street gun battles against gangsters loyal to a rival crime lord. Recommended Brazilian police accidentally shoot Spanish tourist dead in Rio favela However, the capture of one of Brazils most wanted men has now been overshadowed by the emergence of smiling selfies taken by the officers who arrested him. The images, shared on WhatsApp and other social media, show Mr da Silva handcuffed next to officers with beaming smiles. In some photos, Mr da Silva himself is seen smiling, while in others he appears stone-faced as the officers laugh. The selfies dominated the headlines in Brazil over the weekend and have since hit the headlines elsewhere in Latin America. One Brazilian, Tammara Colttro, tweeted: Im looking at the newspaper and seeing the absurdity of these cops getting selfies with a thief as if he were a prize. 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 Another, Zori Mesquita, said: This is a shameful rampage, taking photos with a bandit as if he were a rock star. Come on! Ricardo Capelli, a politician from the Brazilian state of Maranhao, wrote an editorial saying: Brazil already has the third largest prison population on the planet. Its irrational to commemorate yet another arrest when we should be asking ourselves why we have so many. 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 huge wildfire in southern California has scorched an area larger than New York City, making it the fifth largest fire recorded in the state since 1932. Authorities said the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties had burned 230,000 acres by Sunday evening, after growing by more than 50,000 acres in a single day. Evacuation orders were triggered for areas of Carpinteria and Montecito as the fire moved closer to the city of Santa Barbara, around 100 miles west of Los Angeles. Fuelled by the dry, rugged terrain and high winds, authorities said containment had dropped from 15 per cent to 10 per cent as the fire grew. Now is the time to gather your family members, pets, irreplaceable and necessary items including prescriptions and documents in case you are ordered to evacuate, an alert from the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office said. If you are ordered to evacuate, leave immediately. If at any point you feel threatened, dont wait for a mandatory order. Around 200,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and around 800 buildings have been destroyed by the wildfires across southern California. Several firefighters have been injured tackling the blazes and a 70-year-old woman died in a car accident on Wednesday as she attempted to flee the fires in Ventura County. Donald Trump has issued a state of emergency in California after a request by the California Governor, Jerry Brown. 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 Speaking on CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday, Mr Brown cited climate change as a significant contributing factor and criticised the President for removing the US from the Paris climate change agreement. These fires are unprecedented, weve never seen anything like it. Scientists are telling us, this is the kind of stuff that's gonna happen, he said. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} YouTube star Angry Grandpa has died on Sunday at the age of 67. The wildly popular internet personality, who had almost 3.5 million YouTube subscribers, was famed for his cantankerous demeanour and his videos centred round him reacting to his son Michael Greens pranks. His son Green announced the news of his death in a poignant YouTube video in which he becomes overwhelmed with emotion and openly sobs in front of the camera. Today Ive got to make a very unfortunate video. Ive never wanted to make this video. Today we lost angry grandpa, he told viewers in a video which has already amassed over 1.1 million views. Recommended YouTube star apologises for old rape tweet Maybe I should not be filming this right now because it just happened but I respect him too much to hide how I feel from the internet. People are going to make fun of me for crying and thats okay. Ill take it because if hes out there somewhere I hope he can hear me. So earlier in this year grandpa was diagnosed with cancer and he beat it and we were so happy we were like man 2016 is going to be great. In July he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver which we thought was early stage but it turns out it was end stage. Notable deaths in 2017 Show all 28 1 /28 Notable deaths in 2017 Notable deaths in 2017 Hugh Hefner, the creator of Playboy magazine, died 28 September 2017 aged 91 Central Press/Stringer - Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Liz Dawn as Vera Duckworth in Coronation Street, pictured with co-star Bill Tarmey who played her husband Jack. Dawn died 25 September 2017, aged 77 ITV Notable deaths in 2017 Walter Becker, one of the founders of the band Steely Dan, died September 3 aged 67 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 David Tang, one of Hong Kong's most famous businessman, died of liver cancer aged 63 on 29 August AFP/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington died July 20 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Holocaust survivor and stateswoman who fought for abortion rights, Simone Veil, died July 4 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Michael Bond, author and creator of Paddington Bear, died June 28 PA Notable deaths in 2017 TV's Batman, Adam West, died June 12 AFP/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Peter Sallis, who starred in Last of the Summer Wine and voiced Wallace and Gromit, died on June 5 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 John Noakes, The action hero of Blue Peter, died May 29 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Former MotoGP world champion, Nicky Hayden, died age 35, on May 26. He was knocked off his bicycle by a car in Italy. Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Roger Moore died on May 23 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Soundgarden singer, Chris Cornell, who helped define grunge music died May 17 Kevin Winter/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Moors Murderer Ian Brady died May 15 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Powers Boothe, star of Deadwood and Sin City, dies, aged 68 on May 15 Todd Williamson/Invision/AP Notable deaths in 2017 Robert Miles, Trance DJ behind hit track 'Children', died from cancer aged 47 on May 12 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Happy Days child star, Erin Moran, died at the age of 56 on April 24 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Ex-player and Tottenham U23 coach Ugo Ehiogu died after he suffered a cardiac arrest at the training ground, aged 44 on April 21 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 British athlete Germaine Mason, silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics, died following a motorcycle crash, aged 34 on April 21 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Actor Tim Pigott-Smith star of TV, film and theatre died on April 7 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Rupert Cornwell an award-winning foreign correspondent who embodied the spirit of The Independent died on April 1 Notable deaths in 2017 Morse creator Colin Dexter died on March 21 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Rock and roll legend Chuck Berry died on March 18 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Howard Hodgkin, one of Britain's greatest abstract painters of the post-war period died on March 9 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Gerald Kaufman was the oldest of the longest-serving MPs and Father of the House of Commons when he died on February 27 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Joost van der Westhuizen died at the age of 45 on February 6 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 John Hurt died aged 77 on 28 January Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Lord Snowdon, husband to Princess Margaret died on January 13 Getty Green said his father's health had steadily deteriorated since July but he had managed to come home for Thanksgiving but things again went downhill from there. Everything looked like it was going great and he got to come home and that is where he died," he said. Green also announced the news of his fathers death in a statement on Twitter, saying: Heaven just got a whole lost angrier. Dad, Im going to miss you more than I even understand as I write this. He added: I already miss you more than youll ever know. Im so sorry that you couldnt enjoy your fame longer but Im so happy that the last 10 years of your life had a purpose. The YouTuber, whose real name was Charles Marvin Green Jr, carved out a loyal fanbase over the years and found his popularity had longevity. His videos were featured on everywhere from Channel 4's RudeTube to MTV's Pranked and many more. His YouTube channel TheAngryGrandpaShow clocked up almost nine million views and his fanbase was known as Grandpa's Army. He affectionately called them youngins. The vlogger, who was raised in Charleston, South Carolina, credited YouTube with managing to transform him from being an 800 pound alcoholic and distant father to keeping his days busy, giving him purpose and making him be more conscious about his health. He also had his own personal YouTube channel named Grandpa's Corner where he told tales about his life and even made cooking videos. Recommended YouTube star famed for natural hair tutorials dies at 32 In July 2015, the father and son duo made headlines after the latter surprised Angry Grandpa with a house and made him break down in tears. For the past few months, Bridget and I have been planning a huge prank on Angry Grandpa, Michael told the camera. Weve been taking my dad house-hunting with us under the pretence that hes looking for a house for me and Bridget. The only problem is, hes been looking for his own. Dad I got you a house. This is followed by Angry Grandpa strolling around the house in utter awe and remarking on how brilliant it will be for his son and daughter-in-law. After a few minutes of showing his dad the house, his son says: I have something to confess were not searching for a house for us. After Angry Grandpa says, Then what the hell we doing here? he reveals, This is your house, Pop. Tributes to Angry Grandpa have poured in on social media. Actor Roseanne Barr tweeted: God Bless you grandpa we will always love u!. Paul Heyman, a wrestling commentator, wrote on Instagram: It is with profound sadness that I inform you of the passing of Charles Green, better known around the world as The Angry Grandpa. 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 }} Senator Bernie Sanders and two of his Democratic colleagues have suggested that President Trump should consider resigning, after a run of sexual-harassment scandals has driven out some members of Congress. Senator Al Franken felt it proper for him to resign, Sanders said in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday morning, referring to the Democrat from Minnesota. Here you have a president who has been accused by many women of assault, who says on a tape that he assaulted women. He might want to think about doing the same. Sanders's comment, which built on a tweet he sent last week, came after Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley and Cory Booker suggested that the #MeToo moment should prompt another look at the women who accused Trump of sexual harassment during the 2016 presidential campaign. The president should resign because he certainly has a track record with more than 17 women of horrific conduct, Merkley said last week in an interview for the weekday version of Meet the Press. On Saturday, during his campaign swing as part of Alabama's US Senate race, Booker told Vice News that the standard that brought down Franken should be applied to the president. I just watched Senator Al Franken do the honourable thing and resign from his office, Booker said. My question is, why isnt Donald Trump doing the same thing who has more serious allegations against him, with more women who have come forward. The fact pattern on him is far more damning than the fact pattern on Al Franken. 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 Democrats made those comments just days after a largely ceremonial effort to impeach Trump, pushed by Republic Al Green, failed in the House of Representatives. Although polling has found that a large number of voters favour an effort to remove Trump from office, most Democrats have suggested that investigations into the 2016 Trump campaign's Russia connections run their course before any such action. In a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, 70 percent ofrespondents said Congress should investigate the accusations of sexual harassment against President Trump. The Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} New York City police say a man had an explosive device strapped on when it detonated while he was underground in the subway. It was a pipe bomb, attached by velcro and zip ties, but FBI bomb technicians and police officers are investigating further. The device went off in a corridor connecting the Times Square and Port Authority stations on the city's west side, one of the busiest commuter hubs, at 7:30am during the morning rush. At least four people total also suffered non-life threatening injuries such as ringing in ears, headaches, and scrapes according to police officials. US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation, according to Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The bus terminal at Port Authority had been evacuated and closed, but reopened just before 10am. Police sources told CBS News, the suspect is believed to be a man from Bangladesh who has been living in the US for several years. Police officials have confirmed he is 27-year-old Akayed Ullah. Surveillance video of the incident is being reviewed. Police Commissioner Paul O'Neill said the suspect "made statements" regarding terror group Isis but declined to comment further. He had a homemade device that either did not fully detonate or malfunctioned in some way, resulting in burns to his hands and abdomen as well as lacerations. Investigators are looking into the alleged attacker's residence and personal life at this time. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said during a news conference that the "reality turned out better than initial expectation and fear" of a bomb going off on the subway. Explosion in New York City Show all 14 1 /14 Explosion in New York City Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City FBI and police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal o AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City An armoured police truck occupies the street outside of the New York Port Authority in New York City, U.S. REUTERS Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images He commended first responders and said there were "minor" injuries from the "essentially low tech" explosive device. "This is New York, we all stick together. We're a savvy people. That's what 'see something, say something' is all about," said the Governor, adding that New Yorkers should not let this disrupt them because "that's exactly what [attackers] want." New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said "New York is a target for a reason," because of its diversity and representation of "democracy" He also said it was an "attempted terrorist attack" and that there are "no credible and specific threats against New York City at this time." "Let's get back to work," the mayor said. Transportation authorities have said the subway system on the 8th Avenue lines and the cross-town train to Grand Central station, another major commuting hub, should be fully operational by the evening rush hour. The incident occurred less than two months after Uzbek immigrant Sayfullo Saipov killed eight people by speeding a rental truck down a New York City bike path close to the World Trade Center memorial before being shot by police. Isis claimed responsibility for the New Jersey resident's actions. In September 2016, a man injured more than two dozen people when he set off a homemade bomb in New York's Chelsea district. 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 }} Police are searching for the motive behind an attempted terrorist attack on the New York subway, after a man with a home-made bomb strapped to his body set off an explosion during the morning commute. The explosion injured five people including the suspect, named as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah by authorities. Ullah is said to be a Bangladesh national who lived in Brooklyn having arrived in the US in 2011 and become a permanent resident. Officials are looking at all facets of Ullahs life and the time leading up to the attack. Multiple reports said that Ullah had allegedly watched Isis propaganda, and suggested that he told investigators he pledged allegiance to the extremists. However it is believed there is no evidence yet that Ullah may have had direct contact with Isis, while no group has yet taken responsibility for the attack. Recommended The first photo of the New York bombing suspect has been released When asked at a news conference about the potential for a link to Isis, New York Police Commissioner Jim ONeill merely said that the suspect had made statements that were the focus of the investigation. There was said to be no information indicating Ullah was previously known to any US spy or law enforcement agency for any connection to militant groups. He was was arrested and taken to hospital for treatment having suffered burns and lacerations on his hands and stomach. Three others, including a police officer, sustained minor injuries. In a statement, President Donald Trump called it an attempted mass murder attack and called for those convicted of engaging in acts of terror to face the strongest possible penalty, including the death penalty. Explosion in New York City Show all 14 1 /14 Explosion in New York City Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City FBI and police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal o AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City An armoured police truck occupies the street outside of the New York Port Authority in New York City, U.S. REUTERS Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Authorities were quick to point out that things could have been much worse, with the explosion coming in a crowded subway passage near Times Square at about 7.20am (12.20 GMT) during rush hour. This was an attempted terrorist attack, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. CCTV cameras captured a man walking down the crowded passage, before the explosion which caused a plume of white smoke and scattered commuters who rushed to evacuate. There was a stampede up the stairs to get out, said one commuter, Diego Fernandez. Everybody was scared and running and shouting. It is not clear if the bomb was set off intentionally, near 42nd Street and 8th Avenue close to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, or if it went off prematurely. New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking at a news conference near the explosion site, described the device as amateur-level. It had been attached to Ullah by Velcro and zip ties, having collected the materials for the bomb himself. Mr Cuomo told CNN the explosive in the pipe ignited, but the pipe itself did not explode. So he wound up hurting himself. He added the attacker obtained information on how to make a bomb from the internet. This is one of my nightmares, right: a terrorist attack in the subway system, Mr Cuomo, a Democrat, later told TV channel NY1. The good news is: We were on top of it, he said, and the reality was not as bad as the fear. The incident occurred less than two months after an Uzbek immigrant allegedly killed eight people by driving down a New York cycle path in a rental truck. Isis did claim responsibility for that attack. While subway service was restored and the area returned to a level of normalcy in the wake of the latest attack, it left its mark. Its worrying - something is always happening these days, said Ashley Rodriguez, who was waiting outside the bus terminal with her younger brother. Susana Concepcion said that she was waiting for a Greyhound bus to Philadelphia at the time of the attack, and saw three police officers rush past. She said she didnt hear the blast, but was immediately told to leave alongside a number of others. We didnt know what was going on, she said. Investigators have searched a number of properties in Brooklyn said to be connected to Ullah, or his family as they look to piece together what might have led to the attack. One, in the Flatlands neighbourhood, saw police block off the area and about a dozen officers milling about near the residence. Local residents said the street was quiet, with people mostly keeping themselves to themselves. One man, who did not want to be named said that Ullah had lived across the street and that he had seen him pacing around outside his home, talking on the phone and smoking cigarettes. Another neighbour, JC Fouch, said that he had had no interaction with the suspect but that it was kind of freaky that he was living nearby. Ullah was said to have came from the southeastern Bangladeshi district of Chittagong and last visited the country on September Inspector General of Police A K M Shahidul Hoque told Reuters on Monday. He had no criminal record in Bangladesh, Mr Hoque said. Having arrived in the US on an F-4 family immigrant visa in February 2011, from March 2012 through March 2015, he held a license to drive a limousine or black cab as an independent contractor, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission said in a statement. He is also believed to have done some work as an electrician. As investigators piece together his life, Trump officials were quick to jump on the case to suggest it means that the US immigration system must be fixed. Getting tough on immigration has been one Mr Trumps major promises since he was on the campaign trail for the White House. In his statement, Mr Trump called for Congress to act to fix Americas lax immigration system by ending chain migration - where family members are permitted to join relatives who have immigrated. He linked chain migration to how Ullah entered the country. Both Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Attorney General Jeff Sessions called for a merit-based immigration system. Mr Sessions said relatives of US citizens shouldn't get priority ahead of someone who is high-skilled, well educated, has learned English, and is likely to assimilate and flourish here. Close Footage from scene of evacuated Manhattan area following reports of possible explosion Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man with a home-made pipe bomb strapped to his body set off an explosion in a New York subway station during morning rush hour, in what the city's mayor called an "attempted terrorist attack". The suspect - identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah - was one of four people injured by the blast and has been detained. The pipe bomb ignited, but did not fully explode, leaving Ullah with lacerations and burns on his hands and abdomen and three victims being treated for non-life threatening injuries. Police are now searching a number of addresses in Brooklyn connected to Ullah as they try and pin down a motive for the attack. The blast occurred at about 7.20am (12.20pm GMT) in a passageway connecting subway lines near 42nd Street and 8th Avenue close to Times Square. The noise of the blast filled parts of the nearby Port Authority Bus Terminal, which was evacuated along with a number of subway lines. When we hear of an attack in the subways, its incredibly unsettling, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. And lets also be clear, this was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. Please allow the liveblog to load... The suspect Ullah is said to have made statements after the explosion that led officials to believe he could have been inspired by overseas terror groups, most likely Isis. However, when asked about these at a news conference the New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill declined to go into detail, saying they were a focus of the investigation. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Ullah arrived to the US from Bangladesh about seven years ago and had been licensed to drive a for-hire taxi cab between 2012 and 2015, according to law enforcement officials and NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. He is said to be speaking with investigators from his hospital bed, police said. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has told CNN that the suspect in the attack was disgruntled and went to the internet to try and get information about how to make a home-made bomb. The governor earlier told a news conference: The first news this morning was obviously very frightening and disturbing... When you hear about a bomb in the subway station, it is in many ways one of our worst nightmares. The reality turns out to be better than the initial expectation and fear. Mr Cuomo said that New Yorkers should be alert but go about their lives. Let's go back to work, he added. We're not going to allow them to disrupt us. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Authorities investigating an attempted terror attack in New York have said the would-be suicide bomber detonated a homemade bomb attached to his body. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old, Akayed Ullah, was taken to hospital with wounds from the blast and three people nearby were injured. What happened? Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York, described the rush-hour blast as an attempted terror attack, adding: Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. Officials said the explosion was reported at 7.20am (12.20pm GMT) in a below-ground walkway connecting subway lines near Times Square. Emergency services found Ullah at the scene with burns and lacerations to his hands and abdomen. Police believe Ullah detonated the device himself but could not confirm whether the crowded walkway itself was the target, or whether the suspect may have been travelling towards somewhere else. He was arrested and taken to hospital for treatment in the custody of police. Three people standing nearby at the time of the blast presented themselves to two nearby hospitals with minor injuries including ringing in the ears and headaches. Several New York subway lines were evacuated and parts of the network temporarily shut down, before being gradually reopened. Explosion in New York City Show all 14 1 /14 Explosion in New York City Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City FBI and police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal o AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City An armoured police truck occupies the street outside of the New York Port Authority in New York City, U.S. REUTERS Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images What was the device? The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, described the device as effectively low-tech, adding: Anyone can go on the internet and download garbage and vile-ness on how to put together an amateur level explosive device and that is the reality that we live in. John Miller, deputy commissioner of the NYPD, told a press conference the device was based on a pipe bomb. It was affixed to his person with a combination of Velcro and zip ties. Bomb technicians processing crime scene, he told a press conference, adding that experts were analysing the device to confirm what explosive it contained and how it was constructed. Pipe bombs are a type of improvised device that see a sealed section of pipe filled with explosive material, aiming to increase the power of an explosion because of increased pressure and shrapnel. It is unusual for a single pipe bomb, which are normally concealed or used as part of larger devices, to be attached to a person. Suicide vests can be made from several pipe bombs or another combination of explosives packed with ball bearings or shrapnel. (AFP/Getty Images (AFP/Getty Images) Who is responsible? No terrorist group immediately issued a claim of responsibility and officials have not confirmed any links or sympathies by the bomber. Mr De Blasio said only Ullah was believed to be involved and there were no further known threats to New York, adding: At this point in time all we know is one individual who was unsuccessful in his aims. Mr ONeill said that officers were investigating whether the bomber shouted anything before detonating his device. When asked if he was connected to Isis, he replied: He did make statements but were not going to talk about that right now. Is Isis involved? The terrorist group did not immediately claim responsibility for the bombing but statements have been issued hours or even days after incidents in the past. Isis does not always link itself to attack that are unsuccessful or where the suspect has been arrested. A recent anomaly was the Parsons Green attack, which saw a homemade bomb partially explode on the London Underground. A teenage Iraqi refugee was arrested on suspicion of attempting the attack, which saw several people injured by a device concealed inside a Lidl bag and detonated during the morning rush-hour in September. Isis has been intensifying its calls for supporters to carry out terror attacks around the world as it becomes harder for jihadis to travel to its dwindling territories in Iraq and Syria. The group has issued several rounds of detailed guidance on carrying out massacres using cars, lorries, knives and bombs. A signature of Isis bombings has been the powerful and volatile explosive TATP, which was used in attacks including Paris and Brussels, but was not immediately evident in New York. Al-Qaeda has also issued bomb-making instructions to supporters, with one notorious article on making a pipe bomb issued in an English-language propaganda magazine being that has been tied to atrocities including the Boston bombing. Isis claimed responsibility for another failed bomb attack in Parsons Green, London, in September (PA) Have there been other terror attacks in New York recently? Isis claimed responsibility for a terror attack that left eight people dead in Manhattan on 31 October. Investigators confirmed Sayfullo Saipov was inspired by the groups propaganda to launch a rampage using a truck, after he allegedly declared his intentions to officials and asked to hang an Isis flag in his hospital room. The NYPD said he had followed Isis instructions almost to a T but no formal links to the group had been uncovered. In September 2016, three pressure cooker bombs exploded in New York and New Jersey as part of a coordinated plot by an Islamist inspired by both al-Qaeda and Isis. Ahmad Khan Rahimi is alleged to have planted several other bombs that did not detonate. A blood-soaked journal found on the suspect after he was shot and detained by police contained references to Isis late spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, and a speech calling on supporters to attack the kuffar [disbelievers] in their backyard. The journal also expressed admiration for brother Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-Yemeni al-Qaeda recruiter killed in a US drone strike in 2011. It read: I looked for guidance and Alhumdulilah [praise God], guidance came Sheikh Anwar [al-Awlaki], Brother Adnani/Dawla [Isis]. Mr Miller said that around 26 terror plots have been foiled in New York since al-Qaedas 9/11 attacks, including the 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt, which was linked to the Pakistani Taliban. He added: We have prevented a significant number of attacks but this is a fact of life whether youre in New York or London, or Paris. The question is can it happen here? And the answer is it can happen anywhere. A note in Mr Saipov's reportedly says he was acting for Isis (Getty) Are transport networks being targeted? The bombing is the latest incident to target transport networks, which have been a recurring location of terror attacks around the world. Trains and underground networks have been the site of atrocities by groups including Isis, al-Qaeda, other Islamists, the IRA, neo-fascists and Sikh militants. Among the deadliest attack of its kind is the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, which saw seven blasts in 11 minutes kill more than 200 people on the Indian citys suburban railway. The Madrid train bombings in 2004 killed 192 victims in 10 near-simultaneous explosions in the morning rush hour, while the 2008 Mumbai attackers also included a railway station among targets. Bombs were detonated on both the London Underground and a bus in the 2005 London bombings, which killed 52 victims, and were followed two weeks later by four more attempted attacks on public transport. Experts have ranked transport networks and interchanges among other soft targets that will continue to be used by terrorists searching for densely crowded sites with low security. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The explosion at New York City's Port Authority subway terminal was an attempted terrorist attack, authorities have confirmed. Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed that the explosion was a planned attack, but said there were no other credible threats to the city at this time. Four people, including the suspect, were injured in the rush-hour blast in one of New York's major transit centres, authorities said. Three commuters suffered minor injuries, while the alleged attacker's injuries were more severe. Recommended New York terror suspect named as Akayed Ullah The alleged attacker has been identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. Multiple outlets reported that Mr Ullah was a Bangladeshi native who had been living in the US for the last seven years, citing police sources. Asked if Mr Ullah had ties to Isis, Mr O'Neill said the alleged attacker had made statements, but declined to elaborate as to what they were. Mr O'Neill said the suspect had been transported to Bellevue Hospital with burns and other wounds. Explosion in New York City Show all 14 1 /14 Explosion in New York City Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City FBI and police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal o AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City A fire truck arrives after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City An armoured police truck occupies the street outside of the New York Port Authority in New York City, U.S. REUTERS Explosion in New York City Port Authority Police watch as people evacuate after a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Explosion in New York City Police and other first responders respond to a reported explosion at the Port Authority Bus Terminal AFP/Getty Images Mr Ullah allegedly detonated an "improvised, low-tech explosive device" that was strapped to his body with velcro and zip ties, Mr O'Neill said. Police responded to the explosion caused by the device at approximately 7:20 am ET. The terminal resumed service three hours later. The device went off in an underground walkway connecting trains at 42nd St and 8th Avenue. The area is a popular hub for commuters, as well as tourists. Seasonal attractions such as the Rockefeller Christmas tree and festive store displays draw visitors to the area in the winter months. The incident was captured on transit system video, Mr O'Neill said. Authorities were deployed to other transportation hubs in the city as a precautionary measure. Explosion on New York City subway injures four Governor Andrew Cuomo urged New Yorkers to return to work, saying: Were not going to allow them to disrupt us. That is exactly what they want, and that is exactly what theyre not going to get." "This is New York and we all pitch together, and we are a savvy people, and we keep our eyes open," he added. "...We have the best law enforcement on he globe, and were all working together extraordinarily well." The attack occurred less than two months after a man drove a rental truck through a New York City bike path, killing eight. He claimed to have carried out the attack in the name of Isis. In September 2016, dozens of people were injured when a man set off an explosive device near a subway station in New York's Chelsea neighbourhood. Opinion / Columnist OUR past is rich in history; the sacred sacrifices made by the founding fathers of this nation alongside many sons and daughters who perished for our freedom can never be overlooked.From the early days of the Samukange nationalism in the 1930s, moving on to the days of heroes like Benjamin Burombo, Samuel Parirenyatwa, Ndabaningi Sithole, Joshua Nkomo, Herbert Chitepo; all the way to the heroic era of Robert Mugabe; we have a proud national narrative for posterity, a rich history to cherish, and a strong foundation for the future of this country.As a nation we must and we will learn to live above our errors, above our shortcomings, and above our weaknesses. Our strength and unity is in our success story, not in the downside of our journey. We are as proud as the Jewish nation, always cherishing our glory above our gloom.Much as the last days of the presidency of Robert Mugabe were punctuated by dramatised episodes of questionable behaviour by those who surrounded him; the undeniable truth is that the person and character of Robert Mugabe will go down in history as that of an iconic figure of principle, resilience, independent nationalism, and passion for black empowerment across the continent of Africa.In the same vein, the role of people like Ndabaningi Sithole as the founder of Zanu in 1963 cannot be eroded by the differences that saw the man's political downfall.In nation-building the positive will always outweigh the negative. In politics we always hail downfall over successes. Politics is a mere means to an end. The end is nation building. There was always going to be a Mugabe way of leaving, and that way was never going to be the Nujoma way, the Kaunda way, the Mandela way, or the Machel way. We hoped it would be a way in honour of the revolution for which Mugabe stood firm in defence for all his life.The revolution was firmly defended by his younger comrades, and Zanu-PF has been re-united, rejuvenated, and re-energised for the future of our beloved country.It is now easier for ZANU-PF to protect into perpetuity the great name of Mugabe, without having to worry about protecting the legacy and survival of the party itself in the same vein. The Mugabe legacy is safe and sound. Our dramatic internal processes can only strengthen it, and will never weaken it.Professor Jonathan Moyo had hatched a deadly plan that was designed to demise Zanu-PF in the name of protecting the legacy of Mugabe and his family. Never once did Moyo say anything about protecting the revolution itself.He was never a subscriber right from the time of the liberation struggle. Just an intruder. He had managed to rally and frog-march thousands of youths and women within Zanu-PF behind the mantra that said the one and only way to get into the Zanu-PF Kingdom was through a chosen intermediary, whom Jonathan Moyo and his cronies said was none other than Mugabe's wife.Just as much as Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life, Jonathan Moyo through his "Munhu wese kunaAmai" slogan was telling party faithfuls that Grace Mugabe was the only begotten wife of President Mugabe, given and sacrificed as the messianic divine figure to ensure membership to eternity within Zanu-PF.No doubt Jonathan Moyo did not admire the former first lady at all, did not think she was anything more than a pawn in his greater plan of bringing Zanu-PF down. In her, Moyo saw a pliant tool for the ultimate demise of the party he so much loathes.It is hard to understand why Moyo and his cronies like Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwao actually thought they could hand over a Zanu-PF without war veterans and the ZDF to Grace Mugabe, after which they could easily snatch the same party away from the pliant and excited lady.That was never going to be allowed to happen. Moyo and cronies were allowed to get exactly where the real owners of this party wanted them to be, and at the right time the scheme was blasted into smithereens on that fateful night of November 14.The gun has always protected the politics of Zanu-PF, and this case was no different. The transitional set up we have in Zimbabwe now is in defence of the revolution, never in attack of Mugabe, or even the demised G40. I am positive the veteran iconic politician understands that Zanu-PF will now survive bigger and stronger after the fateful events that resulted in the dramatic end of his political career.In reforming Zanu-PF we cannot depart from the ideological foundations of this great liberation movement. Zanu-PF is a nationalist party founded on the need to transform the lives of the masses for the better. It is not driven by a narrow agenda like labour for labour's sake; or liberalism for liberalism's sake. Zanu-PF is a party for the people across the social divides labour, students, business, liberals, democrats, socialists, communists, capitalists and all other social identities that may affect the people of Zimbabwe from time to time.Victor Matemadanda takes over the party's Commissariat department; and he has the daunting task of bringing the control of Zanu-PF back into the hands of the people. The trauma of a few individuals abusing power to run roughshod over all others has to be dealt with as the party rehabilitates its broken structures to once again revive the voice of the people.Jonathan Moyo occupied this artificial place of assumed intelligence where he postured as the custodian of Zanu-PF survival strategy, and gullible people like Kasukuwere rallied around him in zealous ignorant worship. Sadly even the former first lady was bamboozled by the professor's colourful language and pretenses at sophistication. Surely geniuses must see guns coming.The revolution for which Zanu-PF stands remains the same revolution for which our heroic freedom fighters fought for, but the narrative of where we are going has got to change.The revolution cannot be protected outside its service to the people. The revolution has to transform the lives of the people. The reason our young people are now skeptical about the leadership of the older generation is simple. They have not seen or experienced any positive transformation associated with leadership from the people they look up to. This is not a mere generational power struggle where one generation has become impatient in waiting for their turn to lead the nation. This is about a betrayed generation trying to ensure its days on earth are not wasted in the anguish and pain of poverty.Jonathan Moyo saw the opportunity in the disaffection in our youth and was determined to exploit it for the demise of Zanu-PF. He had a measure of temporary success. Now that his grand plan lies in ashes of shame and defeat, it is now incumbent upon Zanu-PF to ensure that never again will the power in the party be a monopoly of one man, never again will the people's power be stored in one center that is only accessed by a chosen few, never again will the collective strategy of the party be stored in the head of one single person.President Emmerson Mnangagwa is surely alive to the detriment of patronage. He has seen more than enough of this scourge over the years. Governance is no feeding trough for the executive; the party is no cash cow for office holders, and Parliament is not a mere pathway to a better livelihood.The Mnangagwa Government must distinguish itself as a government of service to the people of Zimbabwe, as a hard-working and honest facilitator of business opportunity and investment; and as a reliable member of the family of nations.Editor's note Wafawarova returns to this page after engaging the Editorial team on matters of concern.Zanu-PF must be the party through which talented and ambitious young men and women will rise and shine into the leadership of this great nation. It must be a party that identifies and nurtures political potential and talent. It must be a party that rewards merit and merit alone. The days of rising through the political rankings by bootlicking others and backstabbing others must be a thing of the past. Singing and sloganeering in praise of leaders as a way of seeking political office must never again be encouraged or rewarded.The current budget has prioritised education, security and health; which is expected. The Finance Minister has also emphasised the need to live within our means, to save as much money as possible, to exercise maximum austerity. He has said investment laws will be adjusted to attract investors as demanded by international competition for modern day investment.What we need now are visionary implementers of these policies. A visionary budget can only succeed after being implemented by a visionary workforce. We need a development driven executive with workers who understand that national development is the sole reason they are employed. There is need for clearly set tasks that are to be completed in a specified way within a specified period. Appraisals must be effective for every single public service worker, and where failure is evident consequences must be made public.This government must bring back the work ethic that will earn our police force respect, trust and admiration from the public. This government must restore the dignity of the health worker and the integrity of the health profession.This government must restore the nobility of the teaching profession. This government must bring back the good old memories of effective governance by our local councils and authorities. Our mines must once again be destinies of employment, so should be our manufacturing firms, so should be our estates and plantations.This is not going to be easy at all. A massive orientation needs to take place. Laziness, ineptitude, selfishness, ignorance, corruption and insouciant behaviour must be dealt with once and for all if this government is going to revive this country to its deserved glory as the jewel of Africa.We cannot demean the efforts of the impoverished masses as many try to survive and barely earn a living. However, this country will need to accept that open market place and street vending have never been pillars of any modern economy. These are mitigating measures carried out in response to a declined economy. These are economic measures that only expand in a declining economy, and will always dwindle with a growing economy.We cannot have a whole government whose sole focus is to protect and create more street and open market vending. That is not the Zimbabwe that was envisaged by the thousands of young people who died in battles to free this country from colonial rule.At the same time the problem of street vending is not an initiative driven by people who just want to vend for the sake of enjoying the practice. This is a practice caused by huge economic problems. The artificial cleansing of streets by chasing away vendors in and of itself will not help the country economically, or in any other way.The street vendors were driven to the streets by poverty, and they can only be driven away from the same streets by prosperity.Indeed there is need for short-term regulation of street vending so we stop lawlessness and the spread of diseases, but we can only do this in a context that will leave the vendor with an alternative.The electioneering towards the next general election must not distract this government. The best way to win the 2018 election is simply to visibly transform the country's economy for the better. If we can start moving towards the 4.5 percent economic growth rate projected by the Finance Minister in his budget, there will be no need to go around buying votes by promising the electorate all sorts of freebies; as was the plan and habit of people like Patrick Zhuwao and Saviour Kasukuwere.Zimbabwe should never ever have such unscrupulous politicians within it ranks. They are ruinous characters. I believe the chance given to this government by the people of Zimbabwe is a fresh mandate for Zanu-PF, a chance to show that the party has transformed itself, that the party has rediscovered its old successful self.Any repeat of patronage tricks will be met with disdain. Jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs, as the President passionately said on his return from exile. Zimbabwe we are one and together we will overcome. It is homeland or death!Reason Wafawarova is a political writer based in SYDNEY, Australia. 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 }} Noam Chomsky has criticised the anti-fascist movement and argues its tactics are a gift to the far right and US state repression. The renowned academic, widely considered the founder of modern linguistics, says anti-fascists have instigated the use of violence in wholly reprehensible ways. Antifa, shorthand for the anti-fascist movement, refers to a loose decentralised coalition of groups which oppose the far right via grassroots action rather than depending on the police or the state. While the movement dates back to the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1920s, it has gained increasing attention since anti-fascist activists clashed with neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members and alt-right supporters at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville over the summer. Tensions between fascists and counter-protesters made headlines across the world after a 20-year-old man, who officials say had Nazi sympathies, mowed his car into the crowd of peaceful anti-fascist demonstrators and killed a female civil rights activist. The spotlight on the movement intensified again in September after confidential documents obtained by Politico revealed federal authorities had been warning state and local officials since early 2016 that antifa had become increasingly confrontational and dangerous, and the Department of Homeland Security formally classified their activities as domestic terrorist violence. President Donald Trump subsequently berated antifa as bad dudes. One dead as car hits crowd of anti-fascist protesters in Charlottesville Chomsky, a prominent voice on the left, has now voiced his frustrations with antifa, telling The Independent that physically preventing members of far-right groups from expressing their views is counter-productive. Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism. Antifa is very far from a structured organisation. It is largely a collection of people disturbed about the ugly and ominous forces that have broken into the public arena with particular venom since Trump removed the cork from the bottle, the 89-year-old says. Recommended Chomsky says Trump brought Doomsday Clock alarmingly close to midnight Associated with the loose antifa array are fringe groups that have initiated the use of force in ways that are completely unacceptable and are a welcome gift to the far right and the repressive forces of the state, while also providing some justification for the absurd claim that antifa is comparable to the far-right forces. Chomsky argues that violence paves the way for state actions reminiscent of Cointelpro (acronym for Counter Intelligence Programme), which he describes as the most extreme domestic state-terrorist programme in US history. This is a reference to a series of covert and often illegal projects carried out by the FBI aimed at scrutinising, infiltrating and disrupting political organisations. The anti-Vietnam war movement, which Chomsky played a key role in, and the Civil Rights movement were subject to such measures. Chomsky, who recently left his post as Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to become a laureate professor at the University of Arizona, believes such events should be allowed to go ahead but be challenged with non-violent confrontation and educational methods of resistance. Unlike repression of the left, typically tolerated (even approved), repression of the right elicits great concern and sometimes support for the targets as they claim the high moral ground of defending basic civil rights, he says. Thats quite apart from the opportunity cost, the failure to use the opportunity to expose their doctrines and actions, and the threat they pose to civilised existence. Although the media and many Americans only associate the anti-fascist movement with militant direct action, it is worth remembering activists adopt a plethora of tactics. Urging venues to cancel far-right events or shutting down such events through direct action is just one strategy among many others which include union organisation, migrant solidarity, public education programmes and outing neo-Nazis to their neighbours and employers. Protesters from Unite Against Fascism gather near Trafalgar Square to counter EDL protest Chomsky also argues the current manifestation of the anti-fascist movement should not be compared with earlier historical configurations, warning against conflating the current state of the far right in the US with the growth of fascism in Europe in the early twentieth century. The anti-fascist movement has a long history, which dates back to fighting Benito Mussolinis Blackshirts in the 1920s and then Adolf Hitlers Brownshirts in the taverns of Munich. In Britain, activists mobilised against Blackshirts led by Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists, in Cable Street, east London, in the 1930s. Recommended Noam Chomsky to start new professorship at University of Arizona The differences are radical, Chomsky says. In the 1930s, the Nazis ruled Germany, fascism had been established for years in Italy, and there were powerful fascist movements elsewhere. There was a literal death struggle between fascism and labour (and of course much beyond). There are many ominous developments today but nothing remotely like that. In particular, in the US its hardly the case that the working class is confronting the far right. Dr Mark Bray, a leading scholar on antifa, agrees it was important not to assume the distinct historical circumstances were the same, but argues the troubling growth of the far right in America should be treated with the same gravity as that in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. I dont think they are the same. I dont throw away comparisons willy-nilly. I think it is important to understand the differences, the Ivy League lecturer tells The Independent. The argument anti-fascists make, which I agree with, is whether or not it is the same or different, it is important to organise against fascists and far-right groups even if they are small, in case they could be the seeds of a future murderous movement or regime, he continues. In my opinion, it is not the same but it should be treated with the seriousness that it could be the same. Bray, who lectures at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, disputes Chomskys assertion that the violent fringes of antifa played into the hands of the far right itself. I dont agree with the characterisation that anti-fascism is a gift to the far right, he says. I dont know of an example where the efforts of anti-fascists to stop the far right have made them stronger than they would be otherwise whereas I know plenty of examples where their efforts have stopped the far right. Recommended Noam Chomsky says he would vote for Jeremy Corbyn if he were British Bray, who specialises in human rights, terrorism, and political radicalism, is similarly dismissive of the notion antifa somehow benefits the repressive arm of the state. He argues the US government did not need a pretext to enhance its powers and draws attention to the polices response to the Ferguson protests over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, by a white Ferguson police officer back in August 2014. The police brought military armoured vehicles into the area. At the time, police could be seen wearing Kevlar vests, helmets and camouflage, and were armed with pistols, automatic rifles, shotguns and tear gas. It seems to me the repressive forces are going to be increasingly more repressive almost regardless, Bray reflects. He also suggests tendency persists within the media to divide left-wing protesters into a reductive good-guy-versus-bad-guy dichotomy and focus far greater attention on militant outlier groups. He says media coverage tended to be drawn to images of violence and property damage even if this did not accurately capture the diverse nature of protests. This has been true of antifa in recent months, with Fox News voicing alarm about the threat of leftist antifa thugs and an increasing volume of think pieces and columns issuing stern warnings against the groups actions. Bray says the media and much of the American public overlooked the broad scope of antifas activities, explaining that while it was the spectacle which gained the most attention, it constituted a minority of their activities. Nevertheless, he recognises that violence does have a role to play in the movement. It is part of the antifa repertoire to confront these groups and physically if necessary. The historical justification has been made evident in my opinion, he says. Anti-fascists see fascism as a political opponent not a difference of opinion. It is important for it to be understood as a struggle rather than something which can sit within a liberal rights framework. Some members of the movement say no free speech for fascists because historically fascism has invalidated its legitimacy in the public sphere it has shown itself to be violent and genocidal. His remarks are founded on the view that fascism must be shut down as quickly as possible, as allowing such movements to snowball can constitute a grave danger to society. The alt-right movement has gained growing attention since Donald Trumps presidential bid and subsequent election victory. While Mr Trump has sought to distance himself from the movement which has been accused of racism, antisemitism, and misogyny its members have hailed him as their leader. The growing spotlight on the far right has gone hand in hand with mounting attention on antifa. The movement entered mainstream American public consciousness after Richard Spencer, the white supremacist credited with coining the term alt-right, was punched at a protest after Mr Trumps inauguration in January. As well as prompting a torrent of memes and parodies overnight, the incident sparked a massive debate about whether it was ever acceptable to use physical violence against those who hold fascist views. Antifa also dominated headlines at the beginning of February after the University of California, Berkeley was forced to cancel a speech by Milo Yiannopoulos, a former Breitbart editor, after thousands of students assembled in protest and a group of black-clad, anti-fascist activists hurled fireworks at the speech venue. But it was not until the deadly violence which ravaged Charlottesville in the summer that Antifa well and truly found its way into mainstream political debate. Trump prompted fury for responding to the violence by drawing a moral parity between white supremacists and anti-fascists, suggesting counter-protesters were as violent as those involving far-right supporters which he suggested included some very fine people. But while the problem of white supremacy has gained increasing attention since the rise of Trump and in the wake of Charlottesville, it has of course been an ongoing and persistent problem in the states. The murder of Heather Heyer, the 32-year-old civil rights activist who was killed at the Virginia rally, is just one of a spate of killings which have recently raised the spectre of far-right violence. 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 }} With less than 24 hours until the special senate election between Roy Moore and Doug Jones, voices are being raised in support of and opposition to the Republican candidate who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault when they were teenagers. It is an election that has divided the Republican Party, has seen the political comeback of Barack Obama and has shone a national spotlight on the views and attitudes of people towards women who accuse men of abusing them and towards their alleged perpetrators. Polls show the Republican leading by single digits, but experts and pollsters appear to have reached a consensus: that the results of a special election two weeks before Christmas are anyone's guess. Why does the White House support Roy Moore? After weeks of dithering about whether the White House should officially endorse Roy Moore for the Senate following allegations of child molestation, Donald Trump travelled to a rally within 20 miles of the Alabama border and called on crowds to vote for the Republican. The Presidents rallying cry in Pensacola, Florida So get out and vote for Roy Moore marked an end to the analysis of vague comments from the likes of Kellyanne Conway and Mitch McConnell, who argued that Mr Moores opponent was weak on crime and immigration. Ivanka Trump said there was a special place in hell for people who abused children, but as the race to the Senate between Mr Moore and his opponent Doug Jones appeared increasingly tight, all caution was thrown to the wind. Mr Moore has received full financial backing from the Republican National Convention. High-profile support has refuelled Mr Moores campaign. With the media & Washington elite doing everything they can to stop us, we need all hands on deck! tweeted Mr Moore, adding that Mr Trump was the best supporter. Former President Barack Obama most recently called for voters to reject the Republican, without explicitly mentioning his name. This one's serious, he said in a pre-recorded message to target black voters. You can't sit it out. 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 What is at stake in the election? If Doug Jones wins, it would be the first time the state has sent a Democratic senator to Washington DC in almost two decades. A Democrat victory would also stretch the already thin majority of Republicans in the state and make it more difficult for the Conservatives to push through legislation. If Moore wins, it will highlight the success of gradual gerrymandering on the part of the Republican Party and the unwavering loyalty of the Republican National Convention and its base whatever the cost. Who is Roy Moore? The former Alabama Supreme Court judge and district attorney in Etowah County has built up strong support from his conservative base over decades. He is a Christian, and much of his policy appeared to be rooted in his faith, including establishing a Ten Commandments monument at the Alabama courthouse. He has also opposed measures which would advance gay rights. In 2002, he denied a mother custody of her children because she was dating another woman while the father of the children was allegedly abusing them. He declared being gay was an inherent evil and makes for an unfit parent. Jimmy Kimmel roasts Roy Moore for weaponising 'Christian values' despite sexual assault allegations Before the allegations became national news, he had little profile in the US. Most recently it was revealed he advocated scrapping constitutional amendments after the Tenth Amendment to eliminate many problems in the structuring of the US government. What are the allegations against him? The Washington Post recounted allegations from a woman who said Mr Moore asked her for her phone number when she was 14 years old, and took her a few days later to his house in the woods several times, during which he allegedly groped her. There were three other on-the-record allegations against Mr Moore the women said they were teenagers when he pursued them in his 30s. After the story ran, another five women came forward. There are now eight on-the-record allegations. Mr Moore has denied the allegations, saying that he has never engaged in sexual misconduct. As a father of a daughter and a grandfather of five granddaughters, I condemn the actions of any man who engages in sexual misconduct not just against minors but against any woman, he said. What happened in the Republican primary? Mr Moore won the primary against Senator Luther Strange, who had backing from the President. Mr Moore had the support of the Presidents former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. Roy Moore blames his sexual misconduct allegations on LGBT people During a rally in September, Mr Moore was asked by a black member of the audience when he last thought America was great. Mr Moore replied: I think it was great at the time when families were united even though we had slavery they cared for one another. Our families were strong, our country had a direction. Do all Republicans support Mr Moore? No. Many Republican senators and commentators have called Mr Moores accusers credible and some have even discussed expelling Mr Moore should he win. Republican Senator Richard Shelby told CNN: I couldnt vote for Roy Moore. I didnt vote for Roy Moore, adding his state deserves better. Arizona Republican Jeff Flake wrote a check to Doug Jones, and Nebraska RNC committeewoman Joyce Simmons resigned over the committee's support for Mr Moore. Amy Siskind, founder of The New Agenda, tweeted: As bad as the paedophilia allegations are against Roy Moore, can we also not lose sight of his slavery comments, his views on Jews and gays. That this man can be a viable candidate for senate, AND have the backing not only of Trump but the RNC, is a stain on our great country. After Mr Trumps support failed to get Luther Strange through the primary, it remains to be seen how influential his backing of Mr Moore will be. 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 }} Doug Jones, the Democrat looking to defeat Roy Moore and deliver a humiliating rebuke to Donald Trump, is working frantically to persuade African Americans in Alabama - the demographic on which his success most crucially depends - to turn out and vote for him. With polls opening on Tuesday for Alabama residents to select a senator to represent them in Washington, Mr Jones has been holding rallies with high-profile black politicians such as senator Cory Brooker, former former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and congresswoman Terri Sewell. He has also been reminding voters of his role in prosecuting the white supremacists responsible for one of the most notorious crimes of the civil rights era. With an average of polls showing the Democrat trailing Mr Moore by perhaps less than four points, Mr Jones over the weekend attended a rally in the city of Selma, speaking in front of the church where Rev Martin Luther King and other began the 1965 march to Montgomery that helped secure the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Mr Jones has been campaigning with African American politicians (Getty) Im here to try and help some folk get woke, said Mr Booker, from New Jersey. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Meanwhile, Matthew Knowles, the father of Beyonce and an Alabama native told a group of voters at a prayer breakfast: Were not just voting for a person or voting for a party, were voting for the perception of Alabama. On Monday night, the eve of the ballot, Mr Jones will hold a final rally in Birmingham, the city in which he had spent much of his life. It is nothing short of astonishing that it has come to this. The deeply conservative state of Alabama has not elected a Democratic senator since 1986, and that person, Richard Shelby, subsequently defected to the Republicans and still holds the seat. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state was Jimmy Carter in 1976. Republicans appeared to be looking for another easy victory after former judge Mr Moore beat Luther Strange in the Republican primary for the seat in September. While Mr Moore, who has been backed by Steve Bannon and other conservatives, has long been controversial outside of Alabama, inside the state he has a loyal following of conservative evangelicals who literally believe he is doing Gods work. Roy Moore blames his sexual misconduct allegations on LGBT people Then on November 9, the Washington Post started publishing a series of reports that included allegations that Mr Moore - then aged 30 - had harassed and otherwise acted inappropriately with a series of girls and young women, some as young as 14, when he was working as a local prosecutor. Mr Moore has adamantly denied the accusations and accused the media of conspiring with the Democrats. Yet the reports, and the testimony of numerous women, saw his polling numbers fall by a couple of points and those of Mr Jones jump from 42 to 46. Most observers believe Mr Moore will probably pull through. Having initially remained silent, Mr Trump, who is very popular in the state and who originally backed Mr Strange, has endorsed Mr Moore, as has the Republican National Committee. Mr Trump has gone as far as recording a phone message, which is being rolled out by the Moore campaign. The robo-call to potential voters includes Mr Trump's voice telling voters that if they do not support the Republican candidate, progress on his agenda will be stopped cold. Democrats have subsequently released their own calls involving former President barack Obama, and former Vice President Joe Biden. Several issues will likely prove crucial to the election race. The allegations levelled at Mr Moore have disgusted many Republicans and a number have said they will vote for a write in candidate rather than the former judge by writing the name of another Republican on the ballot paper. Mr Shelby is among those who have indicated that is his plan. 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 What remains unclear is whether sufficient Republicans in Alabama, where 49 per cent of adults identity as evangelical Christian, will feel so strongly they would vote for a Democrat and risk reducing the senate majority to 51-49, rather than simply decide not to vote for anyone. Mr Jones is targeting the states so-called black belt, which includes urban areas located in the middle of Alabama and include Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma. Around 25 per cent of voters are African American. He has shared a platform of interests for everyone, said Darryl Lee, 58, a pastor, who was walking through the citys historic district told The Independent. Roy Moore is more in it for himself. Melvin Griffen, who like Mr Lee was African American, said he felt Mr Jones views were closer to his and he said he had shown the courage of prosecuting the church bombers. He also said that voter turnout would likely be the determining factor. Its a hard red state, he said. Right now, its a toss. Mr Jones campaign has been bombarding people with political adverts highlighting his role as a prosecutor who reopened the investigation into the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that killed four young girls - 11-year-old Denise McNair and 14-year-olds Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley. In 1977, the ringleader of the Ku Klux Klan gang that carried out the atrocity, Robert Dynamite Bob Chambliss, was convicted. Then the pursuit of the other people involved went quiet. Two decades later, when Mr Jones was the US attorney for Alabama, he reopened the case and brought charges against against two more Klan members, Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr, and Bobby Frank Cherry. Blanton was convicted in 2001 and Cherry was convicted the following year. Cherry died in prison in 2004, while Blanton, 79, remains behind bars. In the summer of 2016, a parole board refused to grant him an early release. Despite all of this, it remains unclear whether Mr Jones will be able to get out the vote in big enough numbers to overcome Mr Moore support, which is particularly strong in rural areas. Thats the $64,000 question, Danny Ransom, the vice chair of the Civil Rights Activist Committee, told NBC News. There doesn't appear to be a lot of enthusiasm. Larry Powell, a professor of communication studies at the University of Alabama, told the Birmingham Times that Mr Jones cannot win without the black vote. Yet he added that the race is denitely winnable [for Jones]. This is a candidate black voters should be able to back, said Mr Powell. He has a commendable track record worthy of their support. Outside of a Doug Jones campaign office on 4th Ave, Judi King, a volunteer, was preparing to hit the streets and bang on doors in the citys Bessemer neighbourhood. This is our chance to show that not everyone in the state is hateful, she said. I really do feel this election is a chance to show the world. 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 }} As part of a last-ditch effort by Democrats to win Alabamas US Senate seat, former President Barack Obama is imploring Alabama voters to reject Roy Moore, the Republican candidate dogged by sexual misconduct allegations. Along with Mr Obama, several other Democrats are also putting their weight behind Democratic candidate Doug Jones, while President Donald Trump encourages Alabamians to vote for Mr Moore. With polls due to open on Tuesday morning, the Moore campaign has also rolled out a last-minute robo-call with Mr Trumps voice telling voters that if they do not support the Republican candidate, progress on the Presidents legislative agenda will be stopped cold. The high-profile nature of the late appeals with former Vice President Joe Biden also recording a message for Mr Jones highlight the unpredictable nature of the race. A number of polls released on Monday all showed wildly different results. An automated poll from Emerson College showed Mr Moore with a nine-point advantage, while a poll from Fox News showed Mr Jones with a 10-point advantage. A Monmouth University Poll showed the race about even. The sexual misconduct allegations against Mr Moore have given Democrats a rare opportunity in a deeply conservative state, which has sent Republicans to the Senate for the last 20 years. The race has also exposed rifts within the Republican party, with claims by several women that Mr Moore sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with them. One allegation claims he molested a 14-year-old when he was a prosecutor in his 30s. Mr Moore has vehemently denied all the allegations. Mr Obama recorded a phone message in which he urges Alabamians to head to the polls on Tuesday. This ones serious. You cant sit it out, he says, according to CNN. Doug Jones is a fighter for equality, for progress, Mr Obama says in the call. Doug will be our champion for justice. So get out and vote, Alabama. Mr Moore has not made a public appearance in almost a week. Meanwhile, Mr Jones has covered thousands of miles across the state on the campaign trail, appearing with multiple prominent black politicians, including New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. Part of the Democrats strategy is to win over African American voters a tougher challenge without Mr Obamas name on the ballot. As for Mr Jones, in a morning stop at a diner in Birmingham, he accused Mr Moore of disappearing during the campaigns closing days and claimed the Republican wasnt even in Alabama over the weekend. Were making sure our message is getting across while Roy Moore hides behind whoever hes hiding behind, Mr Jones said. Meanwhile, Mr Moore told a conservative talk radio show in Montgomery that he lamented the tone of the campaign and that he had been the recipient of vicious and unfounded attacks. 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 Also on Monday, an official quit the Republican National Committee (RNC) over its support for Mr Moore. Joyce Simmons, the GOP national committeewoman from Nebraska, emailed the 168-member governing body to inform them that she had tendered her resignation. I strongly disagree with the recent RNC financial support directed to the Alabama Republican Party for use in the Roy Moore race, she wrote. Ms Simmons adds that she wishes she could have continued her service to the national Republican Party that I used to know well. The RNC had pulled support from Mr Moore after the allegations surfaced against him last month. But the organisation reversed that position once Mr Trump endorsed Mr Moore, citing the need for a Republican in the seat. On Friday, Mr Trump told a cheering crowd in Pensacola, Florida about 25 miles from the Alabama border to get out and vote for Roy Moore. We cannot afford this country, the future of this country cannot afford to lose a seat in the very very close United States Senate, he said. But not all Republicans have been pushing for Alabamians to vote for the controversial candidate. The state of Alabama deserves better, said Alabama Senator Richard Shelby in an interview with CNN. Mr Shelby was the last Democrat elected to the Senate in Alabama, before he switched to the Republican party in 1994. He has has been a prominent face in the states politics for 40 years. Theres a time, we call it a tipping point, and I think so many accusations, so many cuts, so many drip, drip, drip, when it got to the 14-year-old story, that was enough for me. I said, I cant vote for Roy Moore, Mr Shelby said. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said that a victory for Mr Moore would be a gift that keeps on giving for Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections. It will define the 2018 election, at least 2018, Mr Graham told CNN. And to think you can elect Roy Moore without getting the baggage of Roy Moore is pretty naive. I wish he wouldve stepped aside. 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 }} Doug Jones, the man who made his name prosecuting two former Ku Klux Klan members who bombed a black church, has won a stunning victory in the senate race in Alabama - the first Democrat to win such a seat in the state for 25 years. In doing so, the 63-year prosecutor, who just weeks ago was trailing Republican Roy Moore by double digits in the polls, also delivered a humiliating blow to Donald Trump, who had mocked Mr Jones and endorsed his opponent. It also reduces the Republican majority in the Senate to 51-49, complicating Mr trump's efforts to push his legislative agenda. Mr Joness fortunes increased sharply after Mr Moores campaign was rocked by allegations that he sexually assaulted and abused young girls and women when he was was aged in 30s and working as a local prosecutor. Follow the latest live updates on the special election below Mr Moore denied the allegations and dismissed them as an attempt to undermine his campaign, but they appeared sufficient to either lead some Republicans to vote for Mr Jones or else to enable the Democrat to persuade a sufficient number of his potential supporters to actually go out and cast their ballots for him. On Tuesday night, as news of Mr Jones stunning upset sank in, not just among the political class but across the country. Mr Trump offered measured congratulations. "Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends," he said. However Mr Moore and his campaign told supporters that the race is "not over" as the Republican refused to concede defeat, holding out hope of a recount in a tight race. However, that appeared unlikely, with results putting Mr Jones ahead by 1.5 per cent. If the result was a huge embarrassment for the President it was a similar blow for his former strategist, Steve Bannon, who had become one of Mr Moores most outspoken supporters and who was hoping to use what he believed would be a victory in Alabama, to drive the momentum for similar so-called insurgent campaigns in 2018. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The President of Venezuela has said the country's main opposition parties are banned from taking part in next year's presidential election. Nicolas Maduro said only parties which took part in this weekend's mayoral vote would be able to participate. The Justice First, Popular Will and Democratic Action parties refused to take part in the poll, saying the electoral system was unfair. "They won't participate, they will disappear from the political map," Mr Maduro said after casting his vote in Caracas. Some small parties in the Democratic Unity coalition dissented, however, and ran candidates on Sunday. That confused opposition supporters already disillusioned at the failure to weaken Mr Maduro in months of protests that took 125 lives earlier this year. Under his rule since 2013, Venezuela has endured one of the worst economic meltdowns in Latin American history. "If we're going to change the government, we need to do it democratically," said 81-year-old retiree Raul Ocana. "It was a huge mistake (by opposition parties) not to participate." After the Socialists notched surprise wins in October gubernatorial elections, they were confident of repeating the feat on Sunday to increase the party's current share of roughly 70 percent of mayorships. State agencies have pressured voters to participate in elections this year, particularly in the July 30 vote for the all-powerful Constituent Assembly, which the opposition also boycotted. Some government employees said on Sunday they were being flooded with text messages urging them to show they had voted by posting their ID numbers to state-run websites and to upload pictures of voting centres to social networks. "They won't leave us alone," said a government ministry employee who requested anonymity. Opposition activists said the government abused state resources, including bribing people to vote with handouts of food vouchers worth 500,000 bolivars - more than a monthly minimum wage or about $5 at the black market rate. Voting lines observed by Reuters reporters around Venezuela, appeared much thinner, however, than at past elections. "What happened today wasn't an election and no one will see it as such," said the hardline opposition party Popular Will, which boycotted the vote. "Venezuelans want to vote in free and fair conditions." The Socialists were also hoping to win a rerun of the October gubernatorial election in western Zulia state. Opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa won that governorship in October, but the election was annulled and he was barred from holding office after he refused to swear allegiance to the pro-Maduro legislative superbody. Former Zulia Governor Manuel Rosales ran on the opposition ticket, but Guanipa supporters and other sectors of the opposition boycotting Sunday's vote have called him a "traitor." Yon Goicoechea, an opposition activist running for mayor in the wealthy Caracas suburb of El Hatillo, said it was self-destructive for larger anti-Maduro parties to abstain and hand political victories to the Socialist Party. "There's reticence to participate because the national election board doesn't offer guarantees or impartiality," Mr Goicoechea, who is just out of jail for alleged coup-plotting, told Reuters. "But the solution cannot be giving up the right to vote. ... The abstentionists will regret it within two weeks." Maduro's approval ratings have fallen by half since he was elected in 2013 following the death of Socialist leader Hugo Chavez. Despite the nation's economic problems and the accusations of squashing democracy, Mr Maduro is enjoying a political upturn after the October gubernatorial vote. He is expected to be the Socialists' candidate in the 2018 presidential election and maintains support among party loyalists like retiree Jose Flores, 71. "It's a way of showing other countries that there's no dictatorship here," Flores said outside a voting centre on the poor west side of Caracas. "On the contrary, what we have is peace and democracy." 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 }} Hardline Muslim groups in Indonesia burned photos of US President Donald Trump, as well as US and Israeli flags, on Monday during a protest outside the US embassy against Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, has joined a global chorus of condemnation of Trumps controversial move on Israel, which they say threatens security and stability in the Middle East and the world. The status of Jerusalem, a city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians, is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. Jerusalem's eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state that they seek, while Israel maintains that all of Jerusalem is its capital. Hundreds attended the protest outside the US embassy in Jakarta, which was barricaded by barbed wire and dozens of police officers. "Let us witness the destruction of Israel's hegemony," one protest leader shouted into a megaphone as protesters burned an Israeli flag. "We will support Palestine with our blood." Many protesters waved Palestinian flags and carried banners supporting "intifada", or an uprising against Israel, and rally leaders also shouted anti-Semitic slogans. The protest was led by the Islamic Defenders Front, an aggressive vigilante group that calls for sharia, or Islamic religious law, to be imposed in Indonesia, a secular country. Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Show all 18 1 /18 Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Israeli forces scuffle with Palestinians at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City AFP/Getty Images Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' A Palestinian protester hurls stones as tear gas is fired by Israeli troops Reuters Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' A Palestinian protester runs during clashes with Israeli troops REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Israeli forces scuffle with Palestinians at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City AFP/Getty Images Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Palestinian protesters run during clashes REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Israeli border policemen and a Palestinian protesters clash REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Palestinian protesters react to tear gas REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Israeli border policemen hold on to a Palestinian protester REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Palestinian protesters react to tear gas fired by Israeli troops REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Israeli border policemen and Palestinians scuffle after Friday prayers in Jerusalem's Old City REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' A Palestinian protester moves a burning tire during clashes with Israeli troops REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Worshippers chant as they hold Palestinian flags after Friday prayers Reuters Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' A Palestinian protester hurls back a tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' A wounded Palestinian protester is evacuated during clashes with Israeli troops REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Israeli border policemen and a Palestinian youth scuffle REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Israeli border policemen detain a Palestinian man REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' A Palestinian protester uses a sling to hurl stones towards Israeli troops REUTERS Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during 'Day of Rage' Journalists react to tear gas fired by Israeli troops REUTERS The demonstration followed a much larger protest at the weekend, where thousands called for diplomatic relations with the United States to be severed and for the US ambassador to be expelled. Indonesia supports a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict. 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 }} Police are investigating the sexual assault and murder of a six-year-old girl in the northern Indian state of Haryana. The child was allegedly snatched from her home on Friday, before her body was discovered nearby on Sunday. The crime and the extent of the girls injuries have sent shockwaves through the country, with reports the child was violated with a stick. No arrests have been made so far, but a special investigative team has been set up to look into the childs death and detain those responsible, AFP reports. The girls family reportedly want the federal police to investigate their daughters death because they say they do not trust the local police. Her parents have reportedly given the police until 11am on Wednesday to make an arrest in the case, and threatened to escalate the protest if they have not. The victims parents have three other children, two sons and a daughter. The news comes just a week short of the fifth anniversary of the 2012 Delhi bus rape case, which sparked widespread protests across India. A 23-year-old physiotherapy student, Jyoti Singh, was beaten, gang raped and tortured on a moving bus and died of her injuries days later. 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 incident sparked demonstrations and shone a light on Indias pervasive problem of sexual violence against women, after which the government introduced tougher punishments for rape, including the death penalty. Nearly 35,000 cases of rape were reported across India in 2015, according to the countrys National Crime Records Bureau, but human rights experts have warned many attacks still go unreported. 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 }} Jetsun Pema, 27, is the world's youngest living queen. She took the throne at the age of 21 in 2011, when she married King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, now 37. The couple who have a 1-year-old son, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck have both studied in England, share a love of art, and were once dubbed the Will and Kate of The Himalayas. Speaking about his wife, the king once told local reporters: "I have been waiting for quite some time to get married. But it doesn't matter when you get married as long as it is to the right person. I am certain I am married to the right person." Meet Jetsun Pema, the youngest queen on the planet. Jetsun Pema became queen of the kingdom of Bhutan in October 2011, at just 21, when she married 31-year-old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, also known as the Dragon King. Pema and her partner married in 2011 Getty Images Before taking the throne, the queen attended Regent's College in London, where she studied international relations, psychology, and art history. The couple apparently share a love of art. A student offers a painting of Their Majesties and The Gyalsey #KingJigmeKhesar #QueenJetsunPema #Gyalsey #Bhutan #Blessed #Punakha #Painting A post shared by Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema (@her_majesty_queen_of_bhutan) on Apr 18, 2016 at 10:05am PDT The popular king, also a young monarch, studied at Oxford University. The queen had an extravagant wedding which included framing a giant portrait of her and her husband Getty Images More than 50,000 Bhutanese citizens attended the final day of wedding celebrations at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu. The wedding was attended by many Getty Images Their union has been described as a love marriage, with Pema portrayed as a "commoner by the secretariat. The Washington Post reported that "in one version of events, the two met at a picnic when she was 7 and he was 17; she reportedly came up to him and gave him a hug." This wonderful image of Their Majesties, celebrating the Royal Wedding Anniversary which falls this month, features on the free desktop and smartphone wallpaper available on www.yellow.bt. This image is from 14 October 2011, as Their Majesties met hundreds of thousands of people along the highway while returning from Punakha after the Royal Wedding Ceremony to Thimphu. A post shared by Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema (@her_majesty_queen_of_bhutan) on Oct 2, 2015 at 4:22am PDT However, her family apparently has long-term links with the royals. She is the daughter of a pilot, but her paternal great-grandfather was lord of the eastern province of Tashigang, and her maternal grandfather was the half-brother of the wife of Bhutan's second king, according to The Post. She's known for her charity work for organisations like the Bhutan Red Cross Society, Ability Bhutan Society, and Bhutan Kidney Association. Despite her royal duties, she appears to be a hands-on mother. She gave birth to the royal couple's first child, a son named Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, in February 2016. 4 March 2016: Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen with Her Majesty The Royal Grandmother and His Royal Highness The Gyalsey. His Royal Highness The Gyalsey is one-month-old on 5th March. #QueenJetsunPema #Gyalsey #March #RoyalGrandmother #Beautiful #Blessed #Bhutan A post shared by Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema (@her_majesty_queen_of_bhutan) on Mar 4, 2016 at 9:14am PST The king, who also appears to be an involved father, once told reporters: "I have been waiting for quite some time to get married. But it doesn't matter when you get married as long as it is to the right person. I am certain I am married to the right person." "She is a wonderful human being, intelligent," he told reporters. "She and I share one big thing in common: a love and passion for art." Bringing to mind the serene joys of sunshine and spring blossoms, the newest edition of the monthly desktop calendar features this radiant photograph of Their Majesties with His Royal Highness The Gyalsey, infront of the splendid cherry tree at the Tashichhodzong. http://yellow.bt/calendar-april-2016/ #KingJigmeKhesar #QueenJetsunPema #TheGyalsey #Tashichhodzong #Bhutan #Love #Spring #Blossoms #Beautiful A post shared by Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema (@her_majesty_queen_of_bhutan) on Mar 31, 2016 at 6:55am PDT In April 2016, the king and queen welcomed the duke and duchess of Cambridge on a royal visit. The Bhutanese royals were once nicknamed the Will and Kate of the Himalayas. They most recently visited New Delhi, India, in October, where their 1-year-old son reportedly melted hearts and it's not hard to see why. The secret code cabin crew use to point out attractive passengers The 17 cities where the world's richest people want to live A 2018 ranking of universities worldwide Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2017. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. 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 survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and the leader of the group that won this year's Nobel Peace Prize have urged the United States and North Korea to tone down their rhetoric and negotiate together to avoid a nuclear strike. Tensions have risen markedly in recent months over North Korea's development, in defiance of repeated rounds of UN sanctions, of nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the United States. A missile test last week prompted a US warning that North Korea's leadership would be utterly destroyed if war were to break out. The Pentagon has mounted repeated shows of force after North Korean tests. Recommended North Korea says UN officials willing to ease tensions The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize by a Nobel committee that cited the spread of nuclear weapons by countries like North Korea and the growing risk of an atomic war. Setsuko Thurlow, an 85-year-old survivor of the Hiroshima bombing on 6 August 1945, and Beatrice Fihn, ICAN's executive director, will receive the prize together on Sunday at Oslo City Hall in front of King Harald and Queen Sonja. No human being should suffer what we suffered, Thurlow, who was 13 at the time of the attack and is now an ICAN campaigner, told reporters on Saturday. I deeply and strongly urge the leaders of North Korea and the US never to use nuclear weapons... Negotiate. A diplomatic solution is the only solution. ICAN's Fihn said that the risk of a nuclear war had increased over the past year. There is an urgent threat right now, she told reporters. I would very strongly urge the leaders (of North Korea and the US) to back down from their very dangerous rhetoric. Stop threatening to use weapons of mass destruction. Engage in a diplomatic solution. We are facing a clear choice right now: The end of nuclear weapons or the end of us, she said. An impulsive tantrum, a calculated military escalation, a terrorist or cyber attack or a complete accident - we will see the use of nuclear weapons unless they are eliminated." ICAN is a coalition of grassroots non-governmental groups in more than 100 nations that began in Australia. It has campaigned for a UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted by 122 nations in July. It needs to be ratified by 50 states to come into force. So far only three have done so: the Holy See, Thailand and Guyana. North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Show all 13 1 /13 North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents react after the news of the successful launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un signing an order to test-fire the newly developed inter-continental ballistic missile KRT via AP Video North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch A news broadcast displays Kim Jong Un's signed document AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch People cheer as they watch the news broadcast announcing Kim Jong Un's order to test-fire the new inter-continental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Residents react after the document signing AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents celebrate Kim Jong Un's announcement AFP/Getty North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Cheering Pyongyang residents react AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch To counter North Korea's missile test, South Korea fired missiles into the East Sea The Defence Ministry/Yonhap via REUTERS North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The Hyunmu-2 missiles firing during the drill South Korean Defense Ministry vi North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The exercise was carried out in an attempt to counter Kim Jong Un's order South Korea Defense Ministry via AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The South Korean army continue to carry out military exercises AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Where K-9 self-propelled howitzers were taking part in a drill Rex Features North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch US soldiers are also present in the border city of Paju AFP/Getty Images The treaty is not signed by - and would not apply to - any of the states that already have nuclear arms, which include the US, Russia, China, Britain and France, as well as India, Pakistan and North Korea. Israel is also widely assumed to have nuclear weapons, although it neither confirms nor denies it. The US, Britain and France are sending second-rank diplomats to the award ceremony, which Fihn said was some kind of protest. Reuters Opinion / Columnist If Zimbabwe's military regime thought that a few sensible gestures would be enough to present a more attractive face to the world they were misreading the hopes of the thousands who joyfully took to the streets to celebrate Mugabe's downfall.The new cabinet with recycled old frauds and hucksters was the first shock. Next came Thursday's threadbare budget. It's difficult to believe that resurrected Finance Minister Chinamasa really thinks that a few token reforms will bring in a flood of new investors. Some of the most obvious Zanu-PF lunacies such as indigenisation have been largely dumped but the budget figures were unconvincing and will not turn round the economy. The forced retirement of civil servants at 65 must have been a painful decision for the geriatric cabinet but it will not rebalance a budget still heavily overburdened by government salaries even if the Green Bombers are detonated.As for the promised cost-cutting closure of some of Zimbabwe's useless diplomatic missions, how about the London Embassy? The Vigil will run it for nothing and it will be nice to get out of the cold. Zimbabweans in South Africa would do the same, overjoyed by the recall of the current Ambassador Isaac Moyo, more suitably redeployed to the CIO cesspit.He will fit in happily with the Congolese three: Mnangagwa, Foreign Minister Major General Sibusiso Moyo and Lands Minister Air Marshall Perence Shiri, who were named in the famous UN report about the plundering of minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo.A presidential reprieve for a dispossessed white farmer and the departure of serial election rigger Rita Makarau from the Electoral Commission were welcome news but reports of heavy-handed unconstitutional action by soldiers on the streets gives us little confidence in the new regime. And the tough action against street vendors promises to further stir unrest.Misheck Chizema, 48, was depressed on Tuesday during the Harare cleaup: 'They took away my pushcart with all my bananas and apples that I had just ordered and they were fresh. We marched two weeks ago to support Ngwenya but now he has already forgotten about us, and he is now devouring us, so why did we waste our time demonstrating for him?'.The ugly new face of the Zanu-PF regime? 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 soldiers arrived, as they often did, long after sunset. It was June, and the newlyweds were asleep in their home, surrounded by the fields of wheat they farmed in western Burma. Without warning, seven soldiers burst into the house and charged into their bedroom. The woman, a Rohingya Muslim who agreed to be identified by her first initial, F, knew enough to be terrified. She knew the military had been attacking Rohingya villages, as part of what the United Nations (UN) has called ethnic cleansing in the mostly Buddhist nation. She heard just days before that soldiers had killed her parents, and that her brother was missing. This time, F says, the soldiers had come for her. The men bound her husband with rope. They ripped the scarf from her head and tied it around his mouth. They yanked off her jewellery and tore off her clothes. They threw her to the floor. And then the first soldier began to rape her. She struggled against him, but four men held her down and beat her with sticks. She stared in panic at her husband, who stared back helplessly. He finally wriggled the gag out of his mouth and screamed. And then she watched as a soldier fired a bullet into the chest of the man she had married only one month before. Another soldier slit his throat. Her mind grew fuzzy. When the soldiers were finished, they dragged her naked body outside and set her bamboo house ablaze. It would be two months before she realised her misery was far from over: She was pregnant. The rape of Rohingya women by Burma's security forces has been sweeping and methodical, the Associated Press found in interviews with 29 women and girls who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. These sexual assault survivors from several refugee camps were interviewed separately and extensively. They ranged in age from 13 to 35, came from a wide swath of villages in Burma's Rakhine state and described assaults between October 2016 and mid-September. Foreign journalists are banned from the Rohingya region of Rakhine, making it nearly impossible to independently verify each womans report. Yet there was a sickening sameness to their stories, with distinct patterns in their accounts, their assailants uniforms and the details of the rapes themselves. The testimonies bolster the UNs contention that Burma's armed forces are systematically employing rape as a calculated tool of terror aimed at exterminating the Rohingya people. The Burma armed forces did not respond to multiple requests from the AP for comment, but an internal military investigation last month concluded that none of the assaults ever took place. And when journalists asked about rape allegations during a government-organised trip to Rakhine in September, Rakhines minister for border affairs, Phone Tint, replied: These women were claiming they were raped, but look at their appearances do you think they are that attractive to be raped? Doctors and aid workers, however, say that they are stunned at the sheer volume of rapes, and suspect only a fraction of women have come forward. Medecins Sans Frontieres doctors have treated 113 sexual violence survivors since August, a third of them under 18. The youngest was nine. The UN. has called the Rohingya the most persecuted minority on earth, with Burma denying them citizenship and basic rights. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees now live in sweltering tents in Bangladesh, where the stifling air smells of excrement from a lack of latrines and of smoke from wood fires to cook what little food there is. The women and girls in this story gave the AP their names but agreed to be publicly identified only by their first initial, citing fears they or their families would be killed by Burma's military. Each described attacks that involved groups of men from Burma's security forces, often coupled with other forms of extreme violence. Every woman except one said the assailants wore military-style uniforms, generally dark green or camouflage. The lone woman who described her attackers as wearing plain clothes said her neighbours recognised them from the local military outpost. Many women said the uniforms bore various patches featuring stars or, in a couple cases, arrows. Such patches represent the different units of Burma's army. The most common attack described went much like Fs. In several other cases, women said, security forces surrounded a village, separated men from women, then took the women to a second location to gang rape them. The women spoke of seeing their children slaughtered in front of them, their husbands beaten and shot. They spoke of burying their loved ones in the darkness and leaving the bodies of their babies behind. They spoke of the searing pain of rapes that felt as if they would never end, and of days-long journeys on foot to Bangladesh while still bleeding and hobbled. F, 22, clutches her hands around her pregnant belly. They spoke and they spoke, the words erupting from many of them in frantic, tortured bursts. N, who says she survived a rape but lost her husband, her country and her peace, speaks because there is little else she can do and because she hopes that somebody will listen. I have nothing left, she says. All I have left are my words. Two months after the men came quietly in the night for F, they came boldly in the daytime for K. It was late August, she says, just days after Rohingya insurgents had attacked several Burma police posts in northern Rakhine. Security forces responded with swift ferocity that human rights groups say left hundreds dead and scores of Rohingya villages burned to the ground. Inside their house, K and her family were settling down to breakfast. They had only just swallowed their first mouthfuls of rice when the screams of other villagers rang out: The military was coming. Her husband and three oldest children bolted out the door, fleeing for the nearby hills. But K was nearly nine months pregnant, with swollen feet and two terrified toddlers whose tiny legs could never outpace the soldiers strides. She had no place to hide, no time to think. K, 25, right, cries as she recounts being gang raped by members of Burma's armed forces. The door banged open. And the men charged in. There were four of them, she thinks, maybe five, all in camouflage uniforms. Her young son and daughter began to wail and then, mercifully, scampered out the front door. There was no mercy for her. The men grabbed her and threw her on the bed. They yanked off her earrings, nose ring and necklace. They found the money she had hidden in her blouse from the recent sale of her familys cow. They ripped off her clothes, and tied down her hands and legs with rope. When she resisted, they choked her. And then, she says, they began to rape her. She was too terrified to move. One man held a knife to her eyeball, one more a gun to her chest. Another forced himself inside her. When the first man finished, they switched places and the torture began again. And when the second man finished, a third man raped her. In the midst of her agony, she thought of nothing but the baby inside her womb, just weeks away from emerging into a world that would not want him, because he was a Rohingya. She began to bleed. She blacked out. As she awoke, her great aunt was there, tearfully untying her. The elder woman bathed her, clothed her and gave her a hot compress for her aching thighs. When Ks husband returned home, he was furious: not just at the men who had raped her, but at her. Why, he demanded, had she not run away? She was pregnant and in no condition to run, she shot back. Still, he blamed her for the assault and threatened to abandon her, because, he told her, a non-Muslim had raped her. Fearful the men would return, she and her family fled to her fathers house in the hills above the village. When they saw soldiers setting fire to the houses below, they knew they had to leave for Bangladesh. K was too crippled by pain to walk. Her husband and brother placed her inside a sling they fashioned out of a blanket and a stick, and carried her for days. Inside her cocoon, she wept for the baby she feared was dead. A few days after the men burst into Ks house, 10 soldiers arrived at Rs. She was just 13 years old, but R had already learned to fear the military men. Her parents had warned her to steer clear of them, yet it was her father who first fell prey to their wrath. One day last year, R says, soldiers stabbed him in the head with a knife, killing him. Yet Rs family had nowhere else to go. And so they stayed in the village. R busied herself by learning Arabic, doting on her chicken and its hatchlings and caring for her two younger brothers. And then one day in late August, R says, the soldiers barged into her house. They snatched up her little brothers, tied them to a tree outside and began to beat them. R tried to run out the front door, but the men caught her. R, 13, covers her face with her headscarf while being photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. Her body is barely pubescent, her limbs still gangly like a childs. But her youth could not protect her. R fought back against the men, but they dragged her out of the house. The skin tore away from her knees as her legs scraped along the ground. The men tethered her arms to two trees. They ripped off her earrings and bracelets, stripped off her clothes. R screamed at them to stop. They spit at her. And then the first man began to rape her. F, 22, who says she was raped by members of Burma's armed forces in June and again in September, clutches her hands around her pregnant belly as she is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh (Wong Maye-E/AP) She froze. She was a virgin. The pain was excruciating. The attack lasted for hours. She remembers all ten men forcing themselves on her before she passed out. One of her older brothers later found her on the ground, bleeding. Rs two little brothers were missing, but their mother had no time to search for them. She knew she had to get her daughter over the border and to a doctor quickly to get medicine in time to prevent a pregnancy. R was barely conscious. So her two older brothers carried her across the hills and fields towards Bangladesh. Rs mother hurried alongside them, terrified for her daughter, terrified that time was running out. R, 13, shows the scars on her knees and right shin from injuries obtained when members of Burma armed forces dragged her out of her house before gang raping her. That Rs family sought treatment for her at all is an anomaly. Despite still suffering pain, bleeding and infections months after the attacks, only a handful of the women interviewed by the AP had seen a doctor. The others had no idea free services were available, or were too ashamed to tell a doctor they were raped. In a health centre overflowing with women and wailing babies, Dr. Misbah Uddin Ahmed, a government health officer, sits at his desk looking weary. He pulls out a stack of patient histories for those treated at his clinics and begins to flick through them, reading the case summaries out loud: Sept. 5, a patient 7 months pregnant says three soldiers burst into her home 11 days ago and raped her. Also Sept. 5, a patient says she was asleep at home when the military broke in 20 days ago and three soldiers raped her. Sept. 10, a patient says the military came to her house one month ago and beat her husband before two soldiers raped her. Ahmed says the women who manage to overcome their fear and make it to his clinics are usually the ones in the deepest trouble. So many others, he adds, are suffering in silence. Though the scale of these attacks is new, the use of sexual violence by Burma's security forces is not. Before she became Burma's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi herself condemned the militarys abuses. Rape is rife. It is used as a weapon by armed forces to intimidate the ethnic nationalities and to divide our country, she said in a 2011 videotaped statement to the Nobel Womens Initiative. And yet Suu Kyis government has not only failed to condemn the recent accounts of rape, it has dismissed the accounts as lies. In December 2016, the government issued a press release disputing Rohingya womens reports of sexual assaults, accompanied by an image that said Fake Rape. Ahmed seems bewildered that anyone would ever doubt these women. Look at what I have just shown you, he says, gesturing towards his stack of files chronicling one atrocity after another. Gynecologist Arjina Akhter has witnessed the results of those atrocities. Since August, so many women began showing up at her two clinics, she stopped asking them to fill out patient history forms so she could treat them faster. Among other women, she estimates between 20 to 30 rape survivors visited her clinics in September and October. She ticks off the injuries: Two women with lacerations to their cervixes they said were caused by guns shoved inside their bodies. One woman with horrific tearing she said was caused by a nail driven into her vagina. Several women with severe vaginal bleeding. More recently, she says, women who were raped months ago have been coming to her in a panic, asking for abortions. She has to explain to them that they are too far along, but reassures them that officials will take the babies if they cannot care for them. Still, for some Rohingya women, giving up the babies they never asked for was not an option. Which is how it was for F. More than three months had passed since the men burst into Fs home, and her despair had only deepened. Neighbours had taken her in and cared for her. But her house was gone, her husband was dead. And the timing of the attack left little doubt that the baby growing inside her belonged to one of the men who had caused all her grief. She could only pray that things would not get worse. And then, one night in mid-September, they did. F was asleep along with the neighbours a couple and their five-year-old son when the men broke down the door, jolting everyone awake. There were five of them this time, she remembers. They quickly grabbed the boy and slashed his throat, and killed the man. Then they turned to the mans wife, and to F. And her nightmare began again. They stripped off the womens clothes. Two of the men noticed the swell of Fs stomach and grabbed it, squeezing hard. They threw the women to the floor. Fs friend fought back, and the men beat her with their guns so viciously the skin on her thighs began to peel away. But the fight had gone out of F. She felt her body go soft, felt the blood run between her legs as the first man forced himself on her, and then the second. Next to her, three men were savaging her friend. When it was finally over and the men had gone, the two women lay immobile on the floor. K, 30, mother of six who's three-year-old daughter was killed, who says she was raped by members of Burma's armed forces in late August, carries her baby born two months premature (Wong Maye-E/AP) They lay there for days, so crippled by pain and catatonic from the trauma that they could not even lift themselves to use the toilet. F could smell the blood around them. As the house baked under the punishing sun, the stench from the decaying bodies of her friends husband and son finally overwhelmed her. F, 22, pregnant, prays in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. She would not die here. And neither would her baby. She reached out for her friends hand and clasped it. Then F hauled herself to her feet, pulling her friend up with her. Hand in hand, the women stumbled to the next village. They spent five days recovering there and then, alongside a group of other villagers, began the 10-day journey to Bangladesh. The monsoon season had begun, but there was nowhere to shelter. So F kept walking through the downpours. She was starving, and her battered body ached with each step. Generous strangers offered her sips of their water, and one man gave her a few sweet rolls. One day, she came across a nine-year-old boy lying along the side of a road, wounded and alone. He had lost his parents, he told her, and the soldiers had tortured him. She took him with her. Together, the two made it to the shores of the Naf River and boarded a boat to Bangladesh. Which is where they live now, in a tiny bamboo shelter between two filthy latrines. And it is here that F prays her baby will be a boy because this world is no place for a girl. For now, the women are left to wonder how long they will live in the bleak limbo of Bangladesh, and if they will ever return to their homeland. R, the teen, is not pregnant. Her mother sold all her jewellery and got her to the hospital in time. But R cant stop thinking about her little brothers, and her sleep is plagued by nightmares. Since the rape, she has struggled to eat, and her once-curvy frame has shrunk. Before the rape, she says softly, she was pretty. K, who feared the baby inside her had died, gave birth to a boy on the floor of her tent in a dizzying rush of relief. She had kept her son alive through it all. But her trauma persists. The thrum of a helicopter hovering over the camp sends her into a panic and she recites the Muslim prayer for the moments before death. She is convinced the aircraft is Burma's military, coming to kill them all. When told she is strong, she looks up with tears in her eyes. How can you say that? she asks. My husband says he is ashamed of me. How am I strong? Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Show all 10 1 /10 Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Rohingya refugee Mohamed Jabair, 21, reveals the burns on his bod, which he said he sustained when his house was set on fire in Myanmar REUTERS/Jorge Silva Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Refugee Momtaz Begum, 30, at Balukhali refugee camp. Begum told how soldiers came to her village demanding valuables.After beating her, they locked her inside her house and set the roof on fire. She escaped to find her three sons dead and her daughter beaten and bleeding REUTERS/Jorge Silva Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Imam Hossain, 42, sleeps at Kutupalang refugee camp, near Cox's Bazar. Hossain said he was returning home after teaching at a madrassa in his village when three men attacked him with knives REUTERS/Jorge Silva Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Rohingya refugee Setara Begum, 12, at Nayapara refugee camp. The home of Begum and her siblings was hit by a rocket. The young girl received no treatment for the severe burns to her feet. Her feet healed but she has no toes. Her mother said: 'She has been mute from that day, and doesn't speak to anyone. She only cries silently' REUTERS/Jorge Silva Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Mohamed Heron, 6, and his brother Mohamed Akter, 4, show the burns on their bodies at Kutupalong refugee camp. The boys' uncle said the burns resulted from Myanmar's armed forces firing rockets at their village Reuters Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Kalabarow, 50, at Leda refugee camp, in Bangladesh. Kalabarow said her husband, daughter and son were killed when soldiers fired on her village in Maungdaw. She was hit and lay on the floor pretending to be dead for several hours before a grandson found her. During their journey to Bangladesh, a village doctor amputated her REUTERS/Jorge Silva Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Ansar Allah, 11, at Leda refugee camp in Bangladesh. Allah showed a large scar the result of a gunshot wound. His mother Samara said: 'They sprayed us with bullets, as our house was burning' REUTERS/Jorge Silva Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Anwara Begum, 36, at Kutupalang refugee camp, near Cox's Bazar. Begum said she woke to find her home in Maungdaw township in flames REUTERS/Jorge Silva Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Abdu Rahaman, 73, at Leda refugee camp in Bangladesh. Rahaman, a merchant from Maungdaw, was ambushed while walking on a mountain path with other refugees. A machete thrown at his feet severed three toes REUTERS/Jorge Silva Bullets and burns: injured Rohingya refugees Nur Kamal, 17, described how soldiers assaulted him after they found him hiding in his home in Maungdaw. His uncle found him unconscious in a pool of blood. It took them two weeks to get to Bangladesh. Kamal said: 'We want the international community to help us obtain justice' REUTERS F, whose body is starting to ache under the strain of her pregnancy, finds her mind often drifts towards how she will care for the child in the future. She believes God has kept them both alive for a reason. Her parents, her brother, her husband are gone now. This baby will be the only family she has left. For her, the most haunting reminder of the agony she endured also, somehow, represents her last chance at happiness. Everybody has died, she says. I dont have anyone to care for me. If I give this baby away, what will I have left? There will be nothing to live for. 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 }} Rohingya women have come forward with stories of sexual assault, beatings and torture at the hands of Burmese security forces. More than 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled into Bangladesh to escape an offensive by the Burmese military described as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing by the United Nations. Sunuara, 25, who only gave her first name, fled to neighbouring Bangladesh after her village was attacked on 25 August. Before she left, she had a good life and owned cows, cars and rice paddy fields, she said. One day the military arrived and soldiers came to her home, while her husband was staying in another village with relatives and her other children were with her parents. In front of her eyes, her son was shot in the stomach. The soldiers then decapitated him, she said. Sunuara fled to Bangladesh after the 25 August attack from Boulibazar village (Getty Images/Allison Joyce) (Getty Images) Sunuara, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was tied to a bed and raped by nine men for six hours, according to testimony provided to reporters with the Getty picture agency. She lost consciousness and when she awoke, her husband and brother had found her. They carried her to the border of Bangladesh where she give birth at a hospital, but the baby died a day later. Roshida Begum, 22, escaped from Tula Toli village in Burma at the end of August. The military is accused of petrol-bombing her village and setting houses on fire, shooting anyone they saw on the spot. Roshida lost 17 members of her family when he village was attacked (Getty Images/Allison Joyce) (Getty Images) Roshida tried to hide on a riverbank with others, but the military found her. Her husband swam across and escaped. The soldiers shot the young boys and threw babies and children in the river, she said, adding that they took jewellery off the women and made them kneel up to their necks in a pond. Roshida recalls a helicopter circling overhead at the time. The military then took groups of four or five women into houses and raped them, including Roshida. She said her baby, who was 25 days old, was thrown to the ground and killed. Roshida shows scars left by the attack (Getty Images/Allison Joyce) (Getty Images) After the men were done, she said they slit the womens necks with machetes and set the house on fire. Roshida survived and escaped, hiding in a paddy field until she came across another woman - and together they crossed into Bangladesh. Roshidas husband found her in an MSF clinic and they were moved to a camp. In the attack, she claims to have lost 17 members of her family, including her mother, father and brother. In Bangladesh, sometimes I'm happy, but then I'll see an old man and miss my father, or I'll see a woman with a baby, and I'll miss my son, she said. Soldiers cut Roshida's neck with a machete (Getty Images/Allison Joyce) (Getty Images) I can't help but cry. I want justice from the world, why did they kill my mother and father and sisters? I hope the world will give me justice. They killed my parents and relatives for no reason. Mumtaz Begum, 30, also fled Tula Toli village. She ran and hid but her husband was shot. As he lay dying, she told him: I have lived many years with you, if I made any mistakes, please forgive me. Mumtaz escaped a burning house set on fire by the military (Getty Images/Allison Joyce) Fatally injured, he asked the soldiers for water, and they shot him again, she said. Mumtaz was then taken to a house with some of their children and raped. When the children screamed, they hit them with machetes. The soldiers then lit the house on fire. She managed to escape the flames but suffered severe burns, and hid in a forest until a group of people found her and carried her to the border. I want justice and I want to tell the world all the things the military did, she said. They raped and killed us. We want justice. 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 }} French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to award a number of US based climate scientists, multi-year, all-expenses-paid grants to relocate to France. The "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants are part of Mr Macron's efforts to counter US President Donald Trump on the climate change front. The French leader announced a competition for the projects in June, hours after Mr Trump declared he would withdraw the US from the 2015 global accord reached in Paris to reduce climate-damaging emissions. Recommended Attenborough gives stark warning against climate change in Blue Planet Mr Macron is unveiling the first winners at a start-up incubator in Paris called Station F, where Microsoft and smaller tech companies are announcing projects to finance activities aimed at reducing emissions. They are aimed at giving new impetus to the Paris accord and finding new funding to help governments and businesses meet its goals. More than 50 world leaders are expected in Paris for the One Planet Summit, co-hosted by the United Nations and the World Bank. Mr Trump was not invited. Initially aimed at American researchers, the research grants were expanded to other non-French climate scientists, according to organisers. Candidates need to be known for working on climate issues, have completed a thesis and propose a project that would take between three to five years. The time frame would cover Mr Trump's current presidential term. Lisa Murray's climate change photography Show all 12 1 /12 Lisa Murray's climate change photography Lisa Murray's climate change photography Dinka cattle herders starting their migration in South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography A Dinka woman fetches water in South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Veronica in South Sudan preparing tea outside her home, recently ravaged by heavy flooding Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Children playing in Vietnam. When it floods, transport to and from school is a major challenge Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Sugeng, a fish and crab farmer from Indonesia who suffers financially every time the area floods Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Tan, a vegetable farmer, learning new methods through Oxfam in Vietnam Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Maluk, a 19-year-old from Tonj South, South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Normally this farmer in South Sudan would be harvesting sorghum, but rains are late so the hunger season continues Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Herders bringing home their cattle in Afar, Ethiopia Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Farmers harvesting chilli in Ethiopia Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography A woman in Tigray, Ethiopia, scares birds away from her crops with a slingshot Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Irula tribe woman in Tamil Nadu Lisa Murray The applicant list was whittled down to 90 finalists in September, the majority of them Americans or based in the US, according to French national research agency CNRS. About 50 projects will be chosen overall, and funded with 60 million euros (53 million) from the state and French research institutes. However, some French researchers have complained that Macron is showering money on foreign scientists at a time when they have been pleading for more support for domestic higher education. 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 }} Mikheil Saakashvilis wife has asked Western powers for help as her husband appeared at a court in Kiev accused of being involved in an alleged Russian plot to overthrow Ukraines President, Petro Poroshenko. The appeal came as a Ukrainian judge turned down the prosecutors request to place Mr Saakashvili under house arrest, paving the way for his release from detention. The prosecutors petition ... is dismissed, Judge Larysa Tsokol told the court. Mr Saakashvili, the former President of Georgia, had been a friend and supporter of Mr Poroshenko until the two men fell out spectacularly amid bitter public acrimony, followed by weeks of stand-off leading to his arrest. Recommended Former Georgian President says he is trying to save Ukraine Mr Saakashvili was the leader of Georgia during the countrys war with Russia nine years ago and has since been a vocal campaigner against the supposed expansionist policies of Vladimir Putin. Mr Poroshenko, whose country has itself been engaged in a conflict against Russian backed separatists, had given Mr Saakashvili, who is accused of embezzlement and abuse in Georgia, Ukrainian citizenship and made him governor of Odessa before the allies became adversaries. Sandra Roelofs, Mr Saakashvilis wife, told The Independent: To accuse someone like my husband of working with Moscow is simply ridiculous: one only has to look at his experience with Russia to see that. It would be quite amusing if the matter was not so serious. He had, as people know, spent a long time warning Ukraine and the West about Russia. There was a lot of international criticism by the way his passport was taken away from him and we would like the West, the international community to ensure that the Ukrainian government behaves in a correct way in this. The atmosphere is now quite toxic, we are concerned that this may be the first stage of an attempt to deport him to Georgia. The charges against him in Georgia are politically motivated and this looks like an attempt to shut him up. Recommended Former Georgian president threatens to jump off roof after raid Thousands of Mr Saakashvilis supporters had marched in Kiev at the weekend calling for his release and for Mr Poroshenko to be indicted and there were scuffles outside the Pechersky District Court in Kiev between several hundred of them and the police when he appeared at his first hearing. The former Georgian President told the courts: I consider myself a prisoner of Ukrainian oligarchs. He asked his followers to remain calm adding we dont want a confrontation. Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister who had appeared in court to show solidarity with Mr Saakashvili, accused President Poroshenko of behaving like a dictator and suppressing dissent. Dutch born Ms Roelofs, who has remained in Georgia after her husband went into exile, said: He is on hunger strike at the moment. One can see from the photographs that he was brutally treated during the arrest, there are marks which are plain to view. He has got some medicine but he was not allowed to see a lawyer for the whole of Sunday and we need to make sure that he gets all the necessary help. Recommended Beleaguered Ukraine faces the Saakashvili Invasion President Poroshenko gave Mr Saakashvili the governorship of Odessa with the remit to clean up a city which had become notorious for corruption and organised crime. Mikheil Saakashvili is my friend from our student years. I remember him as a strong and decisive person, and I have reason to trust him, Ukraines president tweeted at the time Mr Saakashvili claimed repeatedly, and publicly, that instead of backing his reforms, Mr Poroshenko was deliberately hindering them. Mr Poroshenko revoked Mr Saakashvilis Ukrainian citizenship while he was on a visit to the US. The former Georgian leader still feels deeply aggrieved. I was sabotaged in Odessa. At first the local mafia feared me, but then they began talking to their corrupt friends in Kiev and realised they had nothing to fear because all my efforts would be undermined, he told The Independent days before his arrest. He declared in the interview: Much of this is about the President and accumulation of scandals. In normal countries there can be an impeachment process. As we saw with Mugabe, this can happen even in places like Zimbabwe. But there is no law allowing impeachment in Ukraine: so people are saying they are not happy with the President, he must be investigated, they are marching, holding rallies to say it. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Saakashvili claimed his supporters are being illegally deported to Georgia. They arrest people from my team in the street and deport them to Georgia, journalists, people who have fought as volunteers for Ukraine. They have been taken out on special trains, military helicopters. They are trying to send me a menacing message, he said. Ms Roelofs, an academic, said: My father asked about my husband why couldnt he be satisfied with being governor of Odessa and be happy with a quiet life? But I have been married to Misha for 24 years and the thing that I have learned is that he is someone who will never accept a job being half-finished. Mr Poroshenko probably thought it was good PR to give that job to Misha. He is very thorough, he is a perfectionist. He was not going to accept the situation there and he wanted to carry on his campaign across Ukraine. The fat that he was gathering support obviously counted against him. People who had things to hide became very worried. 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 }} Three people have been arrested after attacking a synagogue with Molotov cocktails in Sweden. Police in the southern city of Gothenburg said they arrested three 20-year-old men on suspicion of attempted arson following the incident shortly after 10pm on Saturday. The synagogue was open for a youth event at the time of the incident and around 20 to 30 people, including children, were believed to be inside. One mother whose child was at the event said the group was forced to flee to the basement to escape when 20 masked men reportedly started throwing burning objects. She said: They ordered the young people to run down to the basement. My daughter says that it smells of gasoline. It is very unpleasant. Weve been worried that something like this could happen. I received an SMS from her 20-30 minutes ago. She wrote Mum, Im starting to get scared, and that 20 masked men were throwing burning objects. There were no reported injuries during the attack and guards had been hired to protect the event. Dvir Maoz, a youth leader at the local Jewish Assembly, who was at the synagogue told the Expressen newspaper: I was there to say hello to everyone when I suddenly saw a fireball come flying in the corner of the eye. I immediately realised that it was an attack. He said he alerted a guard who helped him take the children to the basement where he tried to keep them calm. 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 They were afraid, none of them have experienced an attack before. We were there until about 11:30pm - when the police told us it was safe for us to leave, he added. A spokesperson for the Jewish Community in Gothenburg said: There was a strong fire in the yard, but then it rained and the flames went out quickly. Although the motive for the attack has not been confirmed it follows other antisemitic incidents in Malmo and Stockholm. In Malmo, on the Danish border, antisemitic chants were heard at a rally to protest against Donald Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital while protesters set fire to the Israeli flag at a similar demo in Stockholm. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The United Nations migration agency is calling on social media giants to do more to crack down on people smugglers using their platforms to lure West African migrants to Libya. International Organisation for Migration (IOM) spokesman Leonard Doyle said smugglers often use Facebook to make illicit deals to take would-be migrants to Libya, where they face the possibility of detention, torture and slavery. He said young West Africans are especially vulnerable to being lured by smugglers, who often attract them with false promises of jobs in Europe. We think its time for some grown-up responsibility by the social media companies writ-large for their platforms, which are clearly having a very detrimental role on young vulnerable populations across West Africa, Mr Doyle said. We ... ask social media companies to step up and behave in a responsible way when people are being lured to deaths, to their torture. It comes as the UN appealed on Monday to countries worldwide to take in 1,300 mainly African refugees stranded in Libya. Many, it said, have suffered mistreatment, while being kept in appalling conditions in detention. Hundreds of thousands of migrants have attempted to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe since 2014, with as many as 3,091 dying en route. Many of those died after passing through Libya. A recent investigation by CNN revealed images appearing to show migrants being auctioned off as slaves by Libyan traffickers. The broadcaster was told of auctions at nine locations across Libya, but many more are believed to take place each month. Libya has long struggled to cope with the major influx of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The UN estimates there are between 700,000 and one million migrants in the country. Europols Migrant Smuggling Centre estimates that 90 per cent of migrants arriving in EU countries have had their journey facilitated by a criminal organisation while the IOM says people smuggling now represents the third-largest business for international criminals. It estimates that people smugglers make a total of roughly $35bn (27bn) a year worldwide. The IOM has been in ongoing talks with social media providers about its concerns over their role in the people smuggling market, but Mr Doyle said so far the talks have been to very little effect. What they say is, please tell us the pages and we will shut them down ... It is not our job to police Facebooks pages. Facebook should police its own pages, Mr Doyle said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty A spokesperson from Facebook told The Independent they could not offer an immediate comment on the IOMs statements. They said people smuggling is illegal and that posts, pages or groups that coordinate such activity are not allowed on Facebook. The social media giant also said it continues to urge Facebook users to use its reporting tools to flag any content that they suspect may be illegal or violate the sites Community Standards. The company recently announced that it would be hiring an additional 3,000 people as part of its Community Operations team to help strengthen the social media sites ability to quickly review and remove reported content in violation of its standards. Mr Doyle said WhatsApp is also used by some people smugglers and that in cases where migrants are tortured, video is sometimes sent back to the victims families over WhatsApp as a means of extortion. WhatsApp, which was developed by Facebook, uses encryption to prohibit third parties from snooping on conversations. Facebook recently said it would be hiring 3,000 people to strengthen its ability to quickly review and remove material in violation of its Community Standards (Reuters) (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic) However, the IOM says that feature also makes the messaging app ideal for illicit activities like people smuggling. WhatsApp did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The IOM spokesman called on social media firms to adopt a more civic-minded approach, noting how Google uses pop-up windows to warn users of potential danger or criminality whenever they look at pornography online. Dr Paolo Campana, an expert in criminal networks at Cambridge says the people smuggling market is very competitive, so smugglers must go out of their way to attract would-be migrants. They use social media sites like Facebook to share information and even post pictures of themselves, of successful crossings, of their boats as a way to build trust and credibility. But Mr Campana maintains that while social media sites are an effective tool for people smugglers, making deals through word-of-mouth is far more common. The IOM has helped 13,000 migrants return voluntarily to Nigeria, Guinea and other countries from Libya this year, covering their transport and pocket money fees. Mr Doyle said the organisation is also in the process of repatriating 4,000 migrants to Niger. 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 }} Israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been rebuffed in meetings in Brussels after urging European foreign ministers to follow the USs lead in recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. During his first ever visit to the European Councils headquarters on Monday, the Israeli leader told officials US President Donald Trumps move made peace in the Middle East possible because recognising reality is the substance of peace, the foundation of peace. Palestinians should also move to recognise the Jewish state and also recognise the fact that it has a capital. Its called Jerusalem. Stephen Colbert ridicules Trump's Jerusalem announcement Europe must stop pampering the Palestinians, the Israeli Prime Minister said. I think the Palestinians need a reality check. You have to stop cutting them slack. Thats the only way to move forward towards peace. Mr Netanyahus overtures appear to have been comprehensively rejected by European officials, however. Immediately after a closed-door breakfast meeting, Swedens Foreign Minister, Margot Wallstrom, told reporters: I have a hard time seeing that any other country would [recognise Jerusalem as Israeli] and I dont think any other EU country will do it. Her comments echo those made by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini last week, both of whom have called for the EU to take the lead on the now urgent need to restart the peace process. The US President shocked even his closest allies with last Wednesdays declaration that the country would break with decades of established foreign policy and international law by recognising the holy city as the Israeli capital, moving its embassy there from Tel Aviv. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day war, a move regarded as illegal by the international community. Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Show all 22 1 /22 Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of Difa-e-Pakistan Council a coalition of right wing Islamic parties, burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump, during a protest in Quetta, Pakistan EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli police scuffle with a Palestinian protester outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn pictures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu following Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces disperse Palestinian protesters outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on 7 December 2017 AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organization, chant slogans as they burn Israeli and US flags during a protest against Donald Trump in Peshawar REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinians paint an 'X' over the face of a picture of US president Donald J. Trump which was painted on the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors burn the Israeli flag and a poster of US President Donald Trump in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party rally against Donald Trump in Lahore AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A poster depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is burnt during a protest against Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces detain a Palestinian protester during clashes that followed protests against US President Donald Trump recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters shout slogans against Donald Trump EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A Palestinian protester wears a Guy Fawkes mask used by the anonymous movement during clashes with Israeli troops in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops during protests AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party chant anti-American slogans during a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistanis burn a representation of the U.S. flag during a protest rally in Hyderabad AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Young Palestinian women look on as smoke billows from burning tyres as fellow Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops AFP/Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protesters burn a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump at a protest in Islamabad REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protestors shouts slogans against US President Donald Trump as they hold Palestinian and Turkish flags during a protest near the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors put their feet over a picture of US president Donald Trump during a protest in the West Bank City of Nablus EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistani protesters burn tires at an anti-Donald Trump rally in Multan AP Both Israelis and Palestinians claim the holy city as their undivided capital. Under the 1993 Oslo peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is to be decided at an advanced level of peace talks. While welcomed by Mr Netanyahu, many other world leaders, including US allies such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, have expressed concern that the controversial move could spark renewed violence in the region and wider Muslim world. Protests have been held across the globe and four Palestinians have been killed in violent clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank and Gaza. An Israeli soldier was seriously wounded in a stabbing attack carried out by a Palestinian on Sunday. On Monday, Hezbollah the Lebanese militant group which has sworn Israels destruction held a rally in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh attended by tens of thousands of people. Protesters chanted slogans such as Death to America and Israel and waved Hezbollah and Palestinian flags. More than 6,000 people also gathered in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta for a fifth day of solidarity protests against the USs decision. Theresa May says she will talk to Donald Trump about Jerusalem In the Palestinian territories and Jerusalem itself, however, demonstrations appear to be winding down. The US has been seeking to resurrect talks between Israel and the Palestinians since Mr Trump took office; the President has previously described brokering an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict the ultimate deal. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, says the USs symbolic move on Jerusalem is as good as a withdrawal from the peace process. Hamas, the militant organisation that rules the Gaza Strip, has called for a third intifada as a result of the USs decision. Recommended Trump risks uniting the entire Arab world against the US US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last week it would still be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to hammer out all other issues surrounding the city in future talks and that a reality check was needed to revitalise peace talks. European officials, however, have been sceptical. On Monday, many reiterated to reporters throughout the day that their official position still holds that East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and the occupied West Bank are not Israeli territory. The right wing governments of Hungary and the Czech Republic have shown more support for the Trump administrations move, but both countries said on Monday that their long-term goal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was still a two-state 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 }} Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the US a "partner in bloodshed" over President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel . "With their decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the United States has become a partner in this bloodshed," Mr Erdogan said at an event in Ankara on Monday. "The statement by President Trump does not bind us, nor does it bind Jerusalem." Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Jerusalem decision not a sign that US is pulling out of peace process Mr Trump declared that the US would break with decades of established foreign policy and international law last week by recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and relocating its embassy there from Tel Aviv. While welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, many other world leaders, including US allies such as Turkey, have expressed concern that the controversial move could spark renewed violence in the region and wider Muslim world. Protests have been held across the globe and four Palestinians killed in violent clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967 in a move that has never been recognised internationally. Both Israeli and the Palestinians claim it as their capital. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday it would still be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to hammer out all other issues surrounding the city in future talks. Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Show all 22 1 /22 Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of Difa-e-Pakistan Council a coalition of right wing Islamic parties, burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump, during a protest in Quetta, Pakistan EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli police scuffle with a Palestinian protester outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn pictures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu following Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces disperse Palestinian protesters outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on 7 December 2017 AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organization, chant slogans as they burn Israeli and US flags during a protest against Donald Trump in Peshawar REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinians paint an 'X' over the face of a picture of US president Donald J. Trump which was painted on the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors burn the Israeli flag and a poster of US President Donald Trump in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party rally against Donald Trump in Lahore AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A poster depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is burnt during a protest against Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces detain a Palestinian protester during clashes that followed protests against US President Donald Trump recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters shout slogans against Donald Trump EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A Palestinian protester wears a Guy Fawkes mask used by the anonymous movement during clashes with Israeli troops in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops during protests AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party chant anti-American slogans during a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistanis burn a representation of the U.S. flag during a protest rally in Hyderabad AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Young Palestinian women look on as smoke billows from burning tyres as fellow Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops AFP/Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protesters burn a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump at a protest in Islamabad REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protestors shouts slogans against US President Donald Trump as they hold Palestinian and Turkish flags during a protest near the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors put their feet over a picture of US president Donald Trump during a protest in the West Bank City of Nablus EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistani protesters burn tires at an anti-Donald Trump rally in Multan AP A meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) later this week should prove a "turning point" in the crisis, Mr Erdogan added. The firebrand Turkish leader has been critical of both the US and Israel since last week's announcement. During a rally in the Turkish city of Sivas on Sunday he called Israel a "child-murderer state". "We will not abandon [Jerusalem] to an occupier state," he added. Mr Netanyahu responded that he would not be lectured on morality by a man who "bombs Kurdish villagers in his native Turkey, who jails journalists, who helps Iran go around international sanctions, and who helps terrorists, including in Gaza, kill innocent people". The Israeli leader is currently in Brussels for talks with EU foreign leaders. He is urging EU member states to follow the US' lead in recognising Jerusalem as Israeli. On his arrival on Monday he told reporters that Mr Trump's move made peace in the Middle East possible "because recognising reality is the substance of peace, the foundation of peace". Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to arrive in Turkey later on Monday for talks on cooperation and the increasing tensions in the Middle East. He met with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo - another key US ally - earlier in the day. 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 }} Here are a few things you need to know about Chongqing in south-west China. First, its the largest city on earth. Some 37 million people live in its urban area, and thats growing by a couple of per cent every year. Second, the city looks like the future. Built around the meeting point of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, Chongqing has 105 buildings over 150m tall (with 27 more in construction its the fastest growing city in China). For context, London has just 17 of them. Looking back at the skyline from the Yangtze River Cableway, Chongqing looks a bit like New York. Honestly. Third, this city is also one of the worlds hottest. During summer, its rightfully known as the oven of China (I visited in August and can vouch that Chongqing deserves most of its superlatives). The nickname also extends to its cuisine. This little-known megalopolis is the birthplace and spiritual home of the fieriest Sichuan mala hotpot (huo guo in Mandarin) in the world. According to some estimates, there are more than 50,000 hotpot restaurants in Chinas aptly named Hotpot City. Walk around Chongqings downtown Jiefangbei business district and youll notice every other shopfront has a neon flame on it and a sack of chillis by the door. Chongqing takes its hotpot seriously; its built into the very fabric of what this city is. Hotpot is an institution, Jordan Porter, from Chengdu Food Tours, tells me. Where to eat it? Look for a restaurant with a big atmosphere. Its good advice in a city with thousands of choices, its almost impossible to rank one over the other. Which is how I find myself at very local hotpot restaurant Lin Jiang Men in downtown Chongqing, facing down a menu entirely in Chinese and without a single English speaker in the restaurant. With hotpot, the first step is to choose the base: a clear broth, spicy chilli oil broth, or half and half. I choose the nine-section spicy red oil soup, which comes bubbling with beef lard, industrial quantities of Sichuan peppercorns and every other kind of spice the restaurant can get their hands on (usually cardamom, MSG, fennel and star anise). Ever wondered why your tongue fizzes and goes numb after eating Sichuan peppercorns? Thats thanks to small amounts of a molecule called hydroxy alpha sanshool, which produces an effect much like a mild electric current, according to food author Harold McGee. The nine-section hotpot is one of the most popular (Cathy Adams) Next into the hotpot goes pretty much anything. Local specialities include duck intestine and Chinese sausage, bright red with pigs blood, though there are also more prosaic options like fried tofu, crunchy lotus root and strips of rare beef. The process is simple: throw them in and wait for them to cook. When theyre ready (they float to the top of the broth when done), yank them out and dip into a saucer of sesame oil, coriander and ginger to cool off. As Chongqing forges into the future, hotpot remains much the same as it was hundreds of years ago when the dish migrated south from Mongolia. The nine-section format still the most popular soup, judging from my neighbours in Lin Jiang Men is a hangover from the origins of the dish. Villagers would sit around outside and throw things into the broth, and the more sections there were, the more people could join for dinner. The community aspect of hotpot hasnt changed today. In Chongqing, hotpot isnt just a meal; its both a noun and a verb. Its a time for interaction: doing business, celebrating a birthday or anniversary, or just an excuse to sit down and talk as a family. In Lin Jiang Men, Im surrounded by families and groups of friends, all laughing and haggling over whatever innards theyre pulling out of the steamy broth. Nobodys in a hurry and nobodys Instagramming their dinner the hotpot is the social platform itself. Hotpot is the party, says Porter. Its the main event. Or, at least, it is for tonight. Tomorrow, my insides currently humming with 100,000 Scoville heat units might think differently. Chongqing looks a little like New York (Cathy Adams) How to hotpot Hotpot is a celebration. Find a busy restaurant where the locals are chugging plenty of Chongqing Beer and laughing at some reality show on a big-screen TV. Youll be asked a series of questions when you walk into a hotpot joint: the type of broth, the level of heat and what kind of oil you want. If you cant speak Chinese, walk around the restaurant and point to what other people are eating. Avoid eating in the touristy areas of Chongqing like Hong Ya Dong (home to the Hongya caves). The quality isnt going to match a reliable local spot. Ask your hotel for recommendations. Order lots and lots of weak beer (Snow or Chongqings own brand) to cool off. In Sichuan, its usually drunk out of mini glasses or flat ceramic bowls. Wear clothes that you dont mind getting dirty. For hotpot beginners, its impossible to avoid being spattered with red-hot oil. Even better, wear an apron. Take your time. This is a slow food experience. Want more spice? If your guts can handle it, try Chongqings signature noodle dish, xiaomian, which is spicier than its widely known Chengdu counterpart dandanmian. You can find a cheap bowl, swimming in chilli oil, spring onion and coriander, down most city backstreets. Travel essentials Getting there Tianjin Airlines flies direct from London Gatwick to Chongqing twice a week, from around 420 return. Staying there The Regent Chongqing, which opened last year, is a well-located hotel with killer views over the Jialing River and the downtown skyscrapers. Doubles from RMB 1,385 (160), B&B. More information Chengdu Food Tours offer foodie tours of Chendgu from 400RMB (45), and can arrange bespoke Chongqing tours (price on request). Youll find Lin Jiang Men on Ba Yi Lu Road. Hot pot costs about 8-10 per person. Click here to find hotels in Chongqing 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 }} At 9pm on Sunday night, around 300 passengers waiting at Heathrow for British Airways flight 245 to Buenos Aires discovered they would be not be waking up in an Argentinian midsummer. Instead, they faced the prospect of having to sort out their own hotel rooms many miles away, or sleeping on the floor of Terminal 5. Like 50,000 other BA passengers, they will start Monday far from where they planned to be, after the airline's operation juddered almost to a halt at Heathrow. More than 140 outbound short-haul flights, and 26 long-haul departures, were cancelled on Sunday. BA has cancelled a further 70 short-haul round trips on Monday, plus nine long-haul flights including departures to Rio, Tokyo and Los Angeles. An additional 15,000 people will be affected by these latest cancellations. Departures from Europes busiest airport began to go wrong before dawn on Sunday. Torrential overnight rain meant that de-icing could not begin until the first wave of planes were ready to go. Delays quickly built up: the 7am to Geneva left four hours late. And as queues developed while sleet and snow fell, aircraft that had already been de-iced needed to be treated again as ice began to build up on their wings while they waited for clearance to depart. BA operate an ambitious schedule, which most of the time works remarkably well. But not on Sunday. At 10am, a sweep of around 20 proactive cancellations was made by British Airways operations staff, to create firebreaks in the schedule in a bid to avoid further cancellations. Within an hour, that number had doubled. And quickly the first seriously wintry day at Heathrow became a bonfire of the schedules. Other airlines were mildly affected, with Austrian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa and Swiss cancelling flights to and from their hubs, but for BA which has a majority of the slots at Heathrow the unravelling was of an entirely different order of magnitude. Initially passengers on long-haul flights waiting to leave Terminal 5, or at European airports heading for Heathrow, faced irritating delays exacerbated by hunger. From Athens, Frank Durrell tweeted: Come on @British_Airways. 1 hour delayed boarding. 1.5 hours stuck in this plane waiting to leave. And now told we will be 4 hours late landing. Would have just gone back to hotel if Id known at the start. And now no snacks available at all. No complimentary food, must buy M&S food and it cant be given away. Pilot tried to get more snacks locally and couldnt. Pilot wants to get us vouchers on arrival but doesnt think he can. Terrible service. Gradually, the scale of the problem became clear. With aircraft blocking stands, British Airways planes that did make it to Heathrow had to wait sometimes for hours to be unloaded. When space on the ground ran out, the diversions began. Passengers from Newcastle got no further than Leeds-Bradford, where they were joined by confused travellers from Kiev and Warsaw. Back on Tyneside, Newcastle airport welcomed divertees from Paris, Reykjavik, Helsinki, Frankfurt and Athens; Frank Durrell tweeted once more: You suck. Diverted us to Newcastle. Why didnt you just let us stay in Athens and fly us back tomorrow? Passengers from Zurich, Zagreb, Vienna, Gibraltar, Nice and Madrid are mingling in Cardiff. Milan, Prague and Berlin passengers had an unexpected visit to Bournemouth, while along the road BA travellers from Geneva and Krakow congregated in Southampton. The late-night passengers from Istanbul flew around in circles over the Home Counties for a while, hopeful of landing, before diverting to Liverpool. BA film plane landing from cockpit in Johannesburg Long-haul inbound flights from Dubai, Mumbai and New York landed at Paris, Frankfurt and Dublin respectively. At times of disruption British Airways does everything it can to protect the long-haul schedule. Slots for smaller planes flying shorter distances are sacrificed to enable big aircraft to take large numbers of people across oceans. But at Heathrow on Sunday, even that principle had to be abandoned. One by one, crews went out of hours, when it became no longer possible for them to fly the mission within legal limits. Three New York services were cancelled as well as two each to Dubai and Toronto, with many Asian flights also grounded including the key departures to Hong Kong and Singapore. For each cancelled outbound departure, there is an equal number of inbound flights that have been grounded. While the passengers in Buenos Aires and other far-flung locations have plenty of warning of the cancellation, those closer to home do not enjoy the luxury of time or, often, information. Sarah Griffiths tweeted: Parents stuck in Pisa airport for 6hrs and British_Airways has made 1 announcement & ignored all consumer rights. Reps done a runner?! Theyre tired & freezing. Rubbish. The Independent has calculated 27,000 BA passengers are stranded in London, a further 20,000 stuck in European airports, and another 3,000 at airports elsewhere in the UK and neighbouring countries after their flights to Heathrow were diverted. With so many planes and crews out of position, even if Mondays conditions at Heathrow were perfect, it would take several days to get everyone where they needed to be. But sub-zero temperatures are forecast for the airport, and the flow rate is to be reduced hampering BAs efforts to get back on schedule and possibly leaving even more passengers out of position. The airline is offering passengers booked to fly on Monday the option to re-book on alternative flights up to Monday December 18, free of charge. Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures A snowplough clears a closed road on the A470 from Merthyr Tydfil to Brecon PA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Pedestrians walk over the Millennium Bridge with St Paul's Cathedral pictured in the background as snow falls AFP/Getty Images Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Snow in Wood Green Rex Features Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures People walk through the snow in a park in north London EPA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Two girls make a snowman on Primrose Hill PA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures People wake up to a blanket of overnight snowfall in Stoke On Trent Getty Images Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Harlequins win a line-out in heavy snow during the European Rugby Champions Cup match against Ulster Rugby at Twickenham Stoop Getty Images for Harlequins Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures A train travels along snow covered tracks in High Wycombe EPA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Families take to the hills with sledges near Edale in Derbyshire AFP/Getty Images Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures People push a car up a snowy hill in north London EPA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures A crashed lorry on the A50 is tended to by police as the snow falls near Uttoxeter REUTERS Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures People go sledding on Primrose Hill PA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Motorists brave the snow in Worcester PA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures An abandoned car on the roadside on the Snake Pass in the Peak District PA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Heavy snow falls on sheep in the hills near Sennybridge, Wales REUTERS Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Snow falling on Westminster Bridge Rex Features Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Walkers on The Long Walk at Windsor PA Heavy snowfall across Britain: in pictures Motorist braves snowy conditions on the M2 motorway near Gillingham PA British Airways is telling passengers: Heathrow has experienced unpredicted severe adverse weather conditions and that is expected to continue into Monday. Temperatures have remained low, and safety is our number one priority, there is a requirement to de-ice every individual aircraft before it departs. We are sorry for the difficulties caused by the poor weather and will do all we can to minimise the effect it has on our operations. We apologise for the inconvenience, and we would like to assure customers that we are doing everything we can to get as many people away on their flights as possible. As a result of the forecast we have agreed with Heathrow Airport, National Air Traffic Services (NATS) and other airlines to reduce our flight schedule from Heathrow on Monday December 11. Please do not travel to the airport if your flight has been cancelled. A Heathrow spokesperson said: Heathrow airport remains open however we regret that weather across the UK is resulting in some passengers experiencing disruption to their travel arrangements. Airlines are responsible for ensuring their flights are fully de-iced before they are operated and this is resulting in some delays and cancellations. Why do planes need to be de-iced? A build-up of ice on an aircraft wings adds weight, increases drag and, crucially, changes their shape in a way that significantly reduces lift. It is thought to have been a factor in the 2009 crash of a Colgan Air flight from New York to Buffalo in which 49 people died; shortly before they lost control, the crew discussed a build-up of ice. In flight, it is dealt with by heating the critical surfaces, notably the leading edge of the wings. But before take-off any build up of ice must be removed from the outside, by spraying on a hot mix of propylene glycol and water. The procedure is time-limited, and in extreme conditions while de-icers work on one side of a plane the ice builds up on the other, just cleaned side. At some airports prone to frosty conditions, a de-icing truck waits near the holding point for aircraft, close to the runway, so that the aircraft can be de-iced just before departure. But at Heathrow, BA along with other airlines de-ices at the stand. That practice may change after this latest extremely expensive and frustrating episode. Click here to compare flight options with Skyscanner Opinion / Columnist A child of the revolution, nurtured on the perennial run, from childhood to the present age of 75. Multiple narrow escapes!Emmerson Munangagwa's multiple escapes remain too extra-ordinary to be of Man-making! This is of the anointing of God! The longest and most challenging, brutish and nasty of its kind. I hold no fear for Zimbabwean President Emmerson Munangagwa as a person and as Head of State! I would rather fear for the mafia that still remains in his cabinet. The world is looking at a complete man! A Robert Gabriel Mugabe University Graduate!I have always argued with Garwe staunch critics that both intensive and extensive learning never stops no matter how adverse the situation or conditions could be in a respective institution. Far be it from me to expect a most seasoned 75 year-old to sink so low as to act like a 37 year-old delinquent war-monger tribalist youth just retired from the war-zone!If God could humble Saul the mass-murderer, and out of him mould Paul the greatest Apostle of all The Apostles what would stop Him doing the same with The Garwe? It is also an undisputable fact that Emmerson Munangagwa has never ruled Zimbabwe! This remains as the greatest oppirtunity for him to show Zimbabwe that which he was capable of! For many years Munangagwa has assisted the previous Chief Executive Officer to drive his own vision and mission! Which he later openly contradicted and got the ugly boot. Living 37 years ago, would it be going forward or retrogression? Surely Zimbabwe has to be a progressive nation that teams-up to make corrections upon former President Mugabe's national biblical Gehena with The President.Give President Munangagwa wings to fly on the job! It should surely be more about healing the old wounds than either making fresh-bleeding new-ones or opening the old wounds. The same strategy! National Rainbow Team Spirit upon Mugabe! The new political dispensation would heal the wounds! It is all about engagement and re-engagement with a constructive intent!Zimbabwe would not afford to waste another single minute to destroy the gains of independence and the new political dispensation of survival and picking crumbs and stitching together the remnants of The Mugabe nemesis. When I look at this Garwe I see an aggressive-reformist-transformational leader who has shocked not only the Zimbabwean nation but the entire world! Broke both the ruling ZANU-PF both Centeal Committee and Politburo respectively hate, hurt, malice and undue vengeance also prone to succumbing to negative incitement of no wisdom! President Mnangagwa levels of pragmatism, starting with his inaugural speech about a fort night ago was much unZANU-PF! It remains as clear that it was this suppressed level of pragmatism and extra-ordinary high quality common-sense that courted so much hate, hurt and undue vengeance upon him among all presidential aspirants!A visible and humiliating clean electoral walk-over! None in The ruling ZANU-PF had expected such effects of The Munangagwa reformatory and transformational whirl-wind! Both The ZANU-PF Central Committee and Politburo least expected anyone from within their ranks to rise against the party's well entrenched culture of national plunder and externalisation of the loot with a 90 day deadline to repatriate all such! Or face ptosecution in the courts. What, in ordinary SADC and African Union culture of political primitivism could have been firing squad material, as in Joseph Kabila' s Democratic Republic of Congo, The Central Africa Republic and Somalia below the nose of these guardian institutions, President Munangagwa has protected! All those either incited and hired to hurl insults upon him and champion his unholy demise with televised road shows, none of them was, so far, either missing or harrassed.The national team spirit worked on Mugabe's many years of difficult and costly retirement and ushered-in a new pragmatic era with Emmerson Munangagwa's rise from the grave! Make it work furthermore beyond Mugabe. President Munangagwa was a well-seasoned multi-graduate from Africa and the world's various extra-ordinary hands-on schools of thought that range from that of oppression and suppression! The revolution and the war of indepence! Persecution and narrowly escaped execution at the former colonial gallows for childhood ever-brave political activism which led to The Munangagwa bombardment of The Fort Victoria (Masvingo) Railway Line during colonial rule! The Generation 40 Grace Mugabe school of Hate, Hurt and Grave Malice! Vengeance! The Grace Mugabe School of Isolation! Denigration! And Undue Ridicule! The Robert Gabriel Mugabe School of Appointment and whimsical Disappointment, Promotion! Demotion and Expulsion! Robert Gabriel Mugabe School of Escape and Survival of The Fittest! The Generation 40 Shool of Poisoning and Cruelity and Scaling-Out of Grave Walls! The Job of Uz School of Tolerance and Forgiveness! Restoration and Prosperity! The School of Governance! The Grace Mugabe School of Resentment and Rejection! The School of Humility, Loyalty, Credibility, Intergrity, Obedience, Courage, Determination and Godly Wisdom of Response in Persecution! Open-theatre Schools for extra-ordinary men and women! That a few would dare escape nor survive! As such could only go by the relevant anointing of God. For men/women made of the stuff that great men's/women's mothers/fathers were.All those who have never been dishonoured know of no true value of honour! All those who have never been in poor health, accordingly, would lack sufficient wisdom to manage or preserve good health! Accordingly, all the people who have never been in poverty would lack sufficient wisdom to manage or retain and multiply God's multiple blessings to reach all! Those who have never been caught-up in spiritual poverty would be surely bound to misappropriate spiritual affluence! Anyone who misses this Open University remains as incomplete and hollow. Which of the above schools could have president Emmerson Munangagwa missed? Of course, the answer is none of the above in the presence of Jesus Christ! Amen.President Emmerson Munangagwa belongs to the new stable of Heads of State! The new stable of pedigree Heads of State that started with the late former Zambian President, Levi Mwanawasa. On taking-over the leadership of Zambia's then ruling party, The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) and government, Mwanawasa went on a quick audit of his predecessor, Frederick Chiluba's uspicious governance with an urgent transformational and reformatory agenda! And the security agents took Chiluba-in for questioning severally. And various corruptly externalised and other acts of corruption by the former president were exposed. Tanzania's sitting president John Magalufi caused lots of constructive administrative trouble on assuming office as if he had been a political new comer from Planet Mars! Shook the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi hardened strongholds who had been long and turing in the gravy train.First female Malawian president, Dr. Joyce Banda triggered brave patriachic resentment and rejection with her anti-corruption drive that saw her being packaged out of power after disposing of the presidential jet pleading unbearable national poverty. She chanelled the proceeds from the sale to national water and sanitation and went for a 30 percent salary cut. All these men and one woman have confirmed the true and real need for new blood in all institutions! New blood marks organisational new tenure of life! Creativity and growth! And how most organisations that have, for a long time beat the drums of democracy and good governance and yet they remain as highly undemocratic, primitive and non-functional or paralysed. Charity truely begins at home! The new school has well-exposed as to how much grand talent remains both oppressed and suppressed within such respective institutions. Under-utilised! Or untapped.These wise men have acted like total strangers on getting into power! There-by confirming a great learning process even in the most adverse conditions that they could have lived and worked under! Or, spiritually, never having been part of the institutional prevailing ideology. When the new school of thought manifested with these wisemen, a lot of people within the respective political institutions that had thrived on liberation credentials to insulate corruption had to take-cover from the inspirational and the art of real public service! In Africa, business magnets abandon business to go into government for both free-for-all financial and material wind-falls! Land and mineral scandals! While in the modern world governments have struggled to attract technocrats and other such highly seasoned professionals out of the private sector. With The Levy Mwanawasa drive, Zambia would have never been the same again. And Mugabe would have got neither sympathy nor support in the way that he got from sitting Zambian President, Edgar Lungu.When extra-ordinary men are born the battle begins long before conception! The child is at war before s/he is both conceived and born respectively! Abraham, the divine appointed Father of All Nations battled to get his only child, Isaac, whom he eventually got twenty years later at age 95, after the divine promise because the devil was opposed to it. (Gen 17:5, 18:9-10). The first sign that Abraham and his aged wife Sarah were carrying an extra-ordinary anointed seed. Isaac, got his twins, Esau and Jacob twenty years later after marriage to his cousin, Rebecca because he carried Israel (Jacob) within his scrotum. (Gen. 25:20-21, 26). And, therefore, the devil had brilliant cause to contest this anointed birth.Rachel was first denied by her fatjer in marriage and was exchanged for her elder sister Leah. After Jacob had agreed to go into servitude for her and eventually married her, she remained barren for many-many years before she could conceive the anointed Joseph, the divine dreamer, sold into slave-labour by his own kin! (Gen. 30:1-3, 22-24). Joseph found favour both in the eyes of God and in the eyes of Men in slavery, in prison, in Portiphar's house and in the house of Pharoah against the will of his detractors. God found reason to favour Joseph with an illustrious track-record of escape because he (Joseph) carried the anointing of both personal and national survival! The breath that saved The Israeli Nation inclusive of his blood brothers who had traded him-off into slavery in a fit of jelousy. He was too visible. Joseph miraculously found devine favour and skipped numerous death traps with the hand of God on his way to The Egyptian Premiership in enemy territory! That had motivated the devil to oppose Joseph's anointed birth and fruit of labour to exterminate God's favoured Israeli nation. The devil was in opposition! So did he with these multiple most identical Emmerson Munangagwa cases.Hannah, Elkanah's wife, faced resentmet and rejection from Peninah, her husband's second wife, and the public for her barrenness! Barren because of her divine appointment with God! 1Samuel 1:2, 5-20). Appointment to carry a great prophet Samuel who both made and unmade Kings! The Devil was in opposition to this divine appointment. The same went for Manoah's wife! The mother of The Great Samson! Because she was carrying a saviour and hero of Israel out of Philistine humiliation. (Judges 13:2-4). And, again the Devil was in opposition. The biblical Moses had to be hidden in the river to escape the murderous hand of The Devil so that he would, 40 years later, lead The Israelites out of servitude to the promised land of Canaan. (Exodus 2:1-10). Jesus'parents had to flee to Egypt to save The Messiah from Satanic opposition that threatened the divine birth despite the fact that 33 years later He had to face the destined violent death in the hands of The Devil! (Luke 1:26-33, Matt. 1:12-15). John The Baptist faced Satanic opposition! A delayed birth to an aged barren Elizabeth and Zacharia! (Luke 1: 7-15) Like Jesus, he also died a violent death because The Devil was in opposition.Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Munangagwa has lived a life of a most brave track-record of death traps! From village witches in the then Shabani prior to conception to an embryo in his mother's womb! Condemned to The Gallows at a tender age for effective political activistism! To gunfire at the battlefront and captivity respectively! To Prison and banishment to Zambia. To scaling ready-made customised grave walls-out at The National Heroes Acre with that Grace Mugabe and former Co-Vice President Phelekezela Report Mphoko and cabal Gushungo Dairies manufactured customised poisonous Ice Cream! That Ice Cream Movement! To The Grace Mugabe Generation 40 Israeli Mosad sniper terrorist hit squad! Cornered by civilian political novices in The Generation 40 with borrowed and failed militancy! Surely only God can do that! Only The almighty God carries sufficient authority to fail every Satanic manoeuvre under all circumstaces. Like Joseph, all of President Munangagwa's enemies found themselves both miraculously exposed and ashamed beyond measure before celebratory dawn.Emmerson Munangagwa remains as no ordinary man! He has kept The Devil on panick mode as an embryo in his mother's womb to the present! The Devil's radar never misses people of substance! Grace Mugabe and her Generation 40 passed a death sentence upon Munangagwa because they had realised that it was only death that could stop the unstoppable God's anointed man and obvious presidential material from ascending to power after Mugabe! Poisoning is not for ordiinary targets! Surely Dr Grace Mugabe, also known as Dr. Stop It, would not waste her poison on ordinary and ineffective personalities! When Grace and Mphoko Generation 40 looked at The Garwe they saw an unstoppable president in the quick-making! And they fevered! They suffered stomach aches with neither toilet paper nor running water! Grace went bersek with her desire to rule! She took a most hurried short-cut and started misruling above her senile 94 year old husband, former President Robert Gabriel Mugabe! To safe-guard her dream-rise to power Munangagwa had to either die or be forced into permanent exile.I betrayed President Munangagwa when Grace Mugabe went bersek with her venomous attacks upon the then Vice President after the poisonous Ice Cream saga and Professor Jonathan Moyo's malicious presentations upon Munangagwa. The miscalculated malice, hate, hurt and undue vengeance snd humiliation that made a new president and ushered-in a new dispensation in Zimbabwe. I am on record as having put it straight too early that Munangagwa carried high potential to govern better than Mugabe and that he could well be in command of superior following than Mugabe! And that, of all the presidential aspirants after Mugabe, within ZANU-PF and all opposition, Munangagwa had no equal as he remained as the would be most equipped to make any meaningful impact in the respective race! Even if he were to stand against Mugabe himself in 2018! And possibly Munangagwa commanded of superior access to arms of repression than Mugabe! My prophetic soul! Only if The Generation 40 had paid attention to this most accurate prediction. Generation 40 was most keen to up-grade the most primitive strong man power approach into a strong woman power approach as against a strong ethics driven corruption-free institution approach! Strong parliament!The strong judiciary, the strong police, the strong military, the strong clergy and strong human rights institutions. Like Joseph who fed and settled his most weired brothers, many of Garwe adversaries have remained as front-runner-beneficiaries of Munangagwa's new political dispensation! Unlike Joseph, Multiple self-confessed Mugabe true-sons still surround President Emmerson Munangagwa as senior ministers! Joseph was in similar authority. Despite having forgiven his blood brothers and fed them who had sold him into slavery and reported him to their father Jacob as having been attacked by a hyna and as dead. He did not appoint them into influential positions. Loved them but never trusted them! Neither did they trust Joseph too as symbolised in their apology and need for solid assurance of security after the death of their father Israel (Jacob), because they knew their foot-prints. Joseph assured his brothers of sufficient food and security but not governance roles! There would be surely zero wisdom for Garwe to seek to govern with Robert Mugabe self-confessed sons and daughters. The Gushungo Matibiri Mugabes! They would surely need to go and lick their most true father's wounds rather than taking opportunities for possible sabotage of the revolution.Only traitors of the worst order would fore-go both their biological and political DNA! The Gushungo Matibiri Mugabe must surely act decent enough to keep their word and loyalties. George Charamba, The Permanent Secretary in The Ministry of Information and Honourable Obed Moses Mpofu Gushungo Matibiri Mugabe, among others, stand to compromise the new Emmerson Munangagwa political dispensation at all costs.Reginald Thabani GolaE-mail:regtgola@gmail.comCell. 00263 775 184 749. 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 }} After having travelled half the globe and headed numerous German cultural institutions around the world, a retired, dignified German lady sits in her austere dining room, her grey hair lifted in an impeccable bun, and tells me in a disillusioned tone how Germans are usually dry, and how she found in Lebanon a certain quality of life that she missed in Germany. Taken aback by her honesty, I find myself trying to temper her judgment by telling her about some instances where I was treated gently by her fellow citizens. It is no obvious task. Very few Germans are likely to be that lucid about their own culture, though. In fact, the impression one gets when frequenting Germans is that most of them consider their way of life to be inherently superior and their culture to be an absolute reference. This became clear to me after working for two years in German government institutions, where I and other Lebanese colleagues were treated in such a colonialist and inhuman way that would have made Michael Hanekes film Das weie Band pale in comparison. Many of the more than one million refugees who have entered Germany know what I mean. After Chancellor Angela Merkel adopted an open-door policy towards the refugee wave in 2015, and after the attack on the Berlin Christmas Market last December, anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise in Germany. Pilots stop 222 asylum seekers being deported from Germany by refusing to fly At the last national elections on 24 Sept, Merkels conservative party paid the price of such openness, and its score dropped significantly (32.9 per cent down from 41.5 per cent), while the anti-immigrant party AfD came in third place, making it the first far-right party to enter the German parliament since the 1960s. With such a low score, Angela Merkel is still struggling to this day to form a ruling coalition. To justify her generosity, Merkel evoked a national duty, and soon the stern accountant-like daughter of a Lutheran pastor became Mama Merkel to thousands of refugees. According to some analysts, she is more likely to have been under pressure, from her Nato allies as well as the German heavy industry, which was hoping to benefit from minimal-cost labour. In effect, Germany is in desperate need for skilled workers and for compensating one of the lowest birthrates in the world. Whatever the questionable circumstances which surrounded the entry of more than one million refugees to Germany within two years, the situation cannot be changed, and German society will have to adapt to it. If Germans persist in their anti-immigrant stance, things are bound to deteriorate. In a slightly brighter scenario, things would continue as they were before the crisis: immigrants living in their own districts, minding their own business, mostly ignored by native Germans. But this attitude will not work any longer, in the face of such a massive influx of newcomers. First, Germans need to abandon the idea of their innate superiority, however fast their Audis and BWMs are. Other cultures are valuable too, and Germans can learn a lot from them, if they show a genuine and humble interest. Curious about his Persian-sounding name and dark features, I once gently asked the director of a German cultural institution in Beirut about his eastern origins. He refused to answer, wryly justifying: This is a very German question. Besides the very German answer, would he have been as avoidant, had his name sounded Swedish or Austrian? This arrogance needs to go, if Germany wants to attract skilled workers. A Lebanese researcher friend who has patented several vaccines in the USA and France told me once how she avoided working with Germans because they are too square and lack the joys of life. What Germans desperately need, apart from filling their factories with cheap workers, is to re-discover notions such as poetry, romance, humour, affection, spontaneity, conversation, sensuality, subtlety, nowadays only to be found in their museums and 18th century literature. But most of all, they need to re-discover the value of human contact. How many times did I try striking up a conversation with a German stranger or offering a small box of chocolates to a German colleague, only to be gratified with a What do you need from me? Well, just the joy of human presence. They could learn a lot from the Syrians, Ethiopians and Afghans living next door, eager to talk and offer their neighbours a culinary specialty from their country. No need to relinquish ones own culture, or become embittered like the grey-haired lady in her dining room, on this journey of discovery. Being a Christian Lebanese who has learned the hard lesson of the Lebanese war, I have more Muslim friends than Christian ones, and I know more about Islam than some of them. Which doesnt prevent me from staying myself. Such are the joys of dynamic exchange and mixing Germans are in dire need of. The N.C. Metropolitan Mayors Coalition honored Sen. Paul Newton (RCabarrus) with their 2017 legislative award Thursday, Dec. 7. The award comes following Newtons work on legislation addressing public water and sewer system development fees. The legislation affirms local governments authority to collect water- and sewer-growth related fees for community and economic development, which was a priority for cities and towns. Newton accepted the award and addressed North Carolina mayors and city managers at the ceremony. In his brief remarks, Newton thanked the members for the award. A strong North Carolina requires strong cities and counties, he said. The N.C. Metropolitan Mayors Coalition was founded in 2001 and is comprised of the mayors of the states larger cities. The coalition is a non-partisan, mayor-driven organization that focuses on issues of special interest to larger cities. They work with state and federal elected officials to promote job creation, protect local revenues, invest in public infrastructure and keep cities safe. CONCORD- No injuries were reported in a house fire in Concord over the weekend. The Concord Fire Department responded to a reported house on fire located on the 500 block of Viking Drive SW at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9. Fire crews arrived on scene within 4 minutes of being dispatched and found smoke visible from the attic area. The incident was brought under control and the fire was extinguished quickly. A total of four engines, one ladder, one rescue, two battalion chiefs and the fire chief responded with a total of 24 firefighters. There were no injuries reported. Concord Fire Department was assisted by Concord Police, Harrisburg Fire Department and Cabarrus County EMS. The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time. CONCORD- Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Concord and a gingerbread train has popped up in the storefront of Chocolatier Barrucand on Union Street. The train is a replica of the one in the childrens book The Gingerbread Train- Santas Secret Gift, writeen by Ann Tarpley Francesco. As a customer of Chocolatier Barrucand, Francesco approached owners Ann Marie and Jean Luc Barrucand to create a replica of The Gingerbread Train as it appears in the pages of her book, for use in a display during her book tour in the Carolinas and Virginia. "They did such a beautiful job bringing the Gingerbread Train to life. Their attention to detail with the candy decorations and three-dimensional artistry of the train's construction is remarkable," Francesco said. "Sitting atop the fireplace mantel in our show display, the replica has been a real attention-getter throughout the book tour." The Barrucand's were so inspired by The Gingerbread Train story and the creative challenge of producing the replica, they made a second replica to place in their storefront, which has been on display since mid November. Francesco will be at Chocolatier Barrucand on Thursday, Dec. 14 for a book signing from 5-7 p.m. About the Book The Gingerbread Train Santa's Secret Gift is a 48-page hardbound children's book written for kindergarten through 5th grade reading level, and illustrated by Rebecca Solow, who also illustrates for well-known publishers including Highlights for Children, Penguin Random House and Spider Magazine. The book's main characters share the same names as her children, Matthew and Courtney. The book's story centers around the lead character, Matthew, seeing a gingerbread train that no-one else sees, sparking wonder and anticipation for the reader. About the Gift Set The Gingerbread Train Baking Gift Set includes a custom Made-in-the-USA metal cookie cutter, its shape inspired by the engine featured in The Gingerbread Train. The set also includes a personal recipe by Francesco, BRAVO Gingerbread Cookies, with a special ingredient inspired by her focus on healthy, tasty alternatives in baking. The gift set is packaged in a festive green or red organza drawstring bag for value-added reuse. About the author Francesco attended Radford University in Radford, Virginia, where she earned her teaching certification for early childhood and middle education. Francesco also earned a B.A. in business administration at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Two lesson plans she developed were included in teacher resource books entitled, Sweet Numbers (Learn Every Day About Numbers, Gryphon House Books) and Yummy Colors (Learn Every Day About Colors, Gryphon House Books). Francesco's love of education later evolved into work as a college admissions counselor for Lynchburg College in Virginia, a 5th grade teacher in the Stafford County, Virginia and then an admissions representative for King's College. Her work as a personal chef inspired a passion for healthy, yet tasty food choices and options. She lives in Concord. Package theft in her Chicago apartment building is so rampant, Sara Costello says, that she has begun rerouting all of her online orders to work: potting soil, knitting kits, glittered wigs and the occasional bottle of sage-scented spray. Its secure and practical, the actor and comedian says at least until it comes time to lug her things home on the train. Sometimes Im just sitting on the red line with a wig in my hand, or potting soil in my backpack, thinking, This is so weird, Costello said. I thought Amazon was supposed to make my life easier? Online shopping has been heralded as the ultimate modern-day convenience, but in at least one respect, it can be anything but. Packages get stolen, boxes pile up in the rain and many residential buildings particularly those built back when people actually had to go to a store to shop are running out of room for the never-ending barrage of deliveries. The challenge has given rise to an entire industry that is racing to come up with technology that would make deliveries easier and more secure. Retail giants are also getting involved: Jet.com recently installed smart-lock technology in 1,000 apartment buildings in New York to allow delivery workers access to buildings when residents arent home. Amazon.com which accounts for more than 40 percent of online sales offers a similar service to Prime members. The company is also installing locker systems in apartment buildings across the country. (Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, owns The Washington Post.) People have this overwhelming sense of fear that their stuff wont be there, said David Echegoyen, vice president of marketing for Jet.com, which is owned by Walmart. Thats been the big question for us: How can we remove friction from the e-commerce experience, and in particular, with deliveries? This holiday season is expected to be a particularly busy one for the nations carriers. The U.S. Postal Service says its expects to deliver 850 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, a 10 percent increase from last year. (That comes out to an average of more than 20 million packages a day.) UPS expects its holiday load to rise 5 percent, to 750 million packages, this holiday season, while FedEx says its planning for up to 400 million parcels. The number of parcels shipped worldwide has increased 48 percent in the past two years, as shoppers look to the Internet as a replacement for routine trips to the store, according to data from technology firm Pitney Bowes. People are buying products as varied as single tubes of toothpaste and grand pianos online, creating new problems for apartment and condominium buildings especially in dense, urban areas. This is one of the biggest puzzles in the apartment industry, said Rick Haughey, a vice president at the National Multifamily Housing Council, a Washington nonprofit group. How do you manage hundreds of packages every day? Some building managers are installing package lockers, smart-lock technology and front-door cameras, while others have converted janitorial closets, basements and even gyms into makeshift package rooms. In extreme cases, apartment companies are banning packages altogether. The Cairo, a 169-unit apartment building in Northwest Washington, has two full-time porters who deliver packages to residents. A few miles away, managers at the Meridian at Mt. Vernon Triangle have outfitted the buildings gym with dozens of package lockers, where residents can punch in special-access codes to pick up deliveries around the clock. Other properties around the country now rely on a service called Fetch, which collects packages and delivers them to residents once theyre home. People are buying everything online even furniture, which means our offices end up looking like West Elm warehouses, said Luanne McNulty, vice president of ZRS Management, an Orlando, Florida-based property-management company. Sorting all of that out is easily a full-time job. * * * There are days when Hillary Greenwald can barely make it to her desk. The apartment-leasing office where she works is stacked high with other peoples boxes: TVs, packages from Kohls and Madewell, and dozens of Amazon deliveries. They come in by the truckful and sometimes sit for days until residents come for them. Some days Im crawling over packages theyll be all around my desk, on the tables, on the shelves, said Greenwald, the manager of Gelmarc Towers, a 1950s building that has 166 units. It can feel like an obstacle course. The building, in Washingtons Kalorama neighborhood, is renovating the leasing office to add shelving and storage space for residents deliveries. But there is only so much they can do, she says: The lobby is small, and there are no extra closets or parking spaces to convert into mailrooms. Two years ago, Camden Property Trust made waves when it announced that it would no longer accept packages at its 169 properties across the country. The company said it was a financial decision meant to free its workers from hours of sorting, managing and retrieving deliveries every day. Package volume, the company said, was increasing 50 percent year over year. Ultimately, this was going to eat our lunch, Keith Oden, president of Camden, told the Wall Street Journal. A spokesperson for Camden declined to comment for this story. (The policy does not appear to have deterred residents: Occupancy rates at Camden properties continue to hover around 96 percent.) The popularity of Amazon Prime which offers two-day shipping on most items means people will place online orders for a single bar of soap or ballpoint pen, said Georgianna Oliver, who founded Package Concierge five years ago. She spent a year researching the delivery industry before creating a line of package lockers for residential buildings. The lockers which come equipped with built-in cameras and digital touch screens notify residents when they have a package and give them a one-time pin code to access it. Todays customer wants self-service, she said. They dont want to have to talk to somebody to get a package, especially if theyre getting something in the mail multiple times a week. Package Concierge processes 30,000 packages a day. Larger apartment buildings have as many as 500 lockers, while a student housing building at the University of Southern California has more than 700 lockers in one location. Over the past few years, its gone from maybe this locker is a good idea to we have to do this, Oliver said. But lockers can be costly and at times impractical. The units, apartment managers said, typically cost at least $30,000 and require ample space, as well as wireless Internet access and electricity. And, well, this is a fast-growing problem. You can retrofit a building, but by the time you install 100 lockers, youll end up needing 150, McNulty of ZRS Management said. * * * On Sunday, Ali Pressgrove returned from a three-day work trip to find that someone had rummaged through her online deliveries. The latest item to be stolen from her San Francisco apartment building: a lint roller from Amazon. I am at my wits end, said Pressman, 26, who works for a hotel booking company. I rely on delivery as I dont have large amounts of time or energy to run every single errand, especially here when it takes ages to get from A to B. Sometimes, she says, she has valuable items sent a nearby vintage shop, where employees sign for her deliveries. Other times, she obsessively tracks her packages online to make sure shes waiting at the door when they arrive. I have a really nice handmade pair of boots coming soon, she said. I really dont want to have to panic until theyre here, but I definitely will. Roughly 35 percent of Americans say they have packages sent to an address other than their home to prevent theft, according to a survey by Shorr Packaging. FedEx now allows customers to reroute their packages to nearby pharmacies and groceries store, while UPS offers similar pickup services at neighborhood shops, delis and dry-cleaning establishments, which often stay open late and on evenings for easy access. More and more customers want alternatives to residential deliveries, said Randy Scarborough, vice president of retail marketing for FedEx. Maybe its package theft concerns, or not wanting everyone to see what theyre buying. For whatever reason, preferences are changing. Opinion / Columnist A house divided cannot stand the test of time. A nation divided cannot thrive. Zimbabwe is a nation tiring apart because we have become a divided nation of the filthy rich ruling elite few, on the one hand, and on the other the desperately poor majority. The rich few live in massive mansions such as General Chiwenga's C&M mansion and Mugabe's Blue Roof palace, they have farms and many businesses. The rich are sending their children out of the country for their education and they go oversea for all their health needs.Contrast this with the majority who have nothing. 90% of our people are unemployed. We can afford to build multi-million dollar mansions whilst even the nation's big hospitals like Mpilo and Harare are so poorly funded they regularly run out of such basic requirements as clean running water and pain killers. 72.3% of our people now live on US$1.00 or less a day. This is not right!Zimbabwe is not a poor country, we would not afford the megastar lifestyles for the ruling elite if we were a poor country. And yet the poverty of the overwhelming majority has swallowed up the opulence of the few so that, collectively, we are now the poorest nation in Africa.There is a moral imperative, urge, to find out what went wrong and to put it right!The root cause of our economic meltdown is simple enough to see, it is the 37 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corrupt. We inherited a robust economy in 1980, when the country attained her independence, but most of it has rotted and decay because of decades of underinvestment and neglect.Two years ago, Mugabe admitted the nation was "swindled of US$ 15 billions of diamond revenue". No one has ever been arrested. Not one cent has ever been recovered. We know the swindling has continued unabated to this day because, a year ago, Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, told parliament he was receiving 1/6 of the revenue he expected from diamonds.There is documentary evidence to prove that Joice Mujuru and her late husband tried to sell diamonds worth US$ 15.8 billions. The two were not the only swindlers. Mugabe himself pocketed as much as $2 billions in 2012 alone, according to an Africa Canada report. The ruling elite have bought their posh cars, build their mansions and afforded their lifestyles of unparalleled luxury on the back of the wholesale looting of the nation's wealth.Zimbabwe has been losing as much as US$ 15 billion a year from the rampant corruption alone. No nation can afford that level of economic haemorrhage much less a nation whose GPD is a mere US$10 billion like Zimbabwe.Of course, the people of Zimbabwe have known for years that Mugabe and his Zanu PF government were incompetent and corrupt and were dragging the whole nation to economic ruins. However, for 37 years and counting, they have failed to do anything about it because the regime has rigged elections to remain in power frustrating the people's democratic wish for meaningful political change.We have the absurd situation where 72.3% of the population live on $1.00 or less a day whilst a tiny minority live 25 bed-room mansions with a luxurious lifestyle to march because for the last 37 years the majority have never had the political voice to cry. The essence of our struggle today is to make sure the majority of Zimbabweans have a political voice and that it is heard, loud and clear.At the heart of our national economic meltdown and the growing schism between the filthy rich few and the desperately poor majority is the systematic denial of the majority of a meaningful say in the governance of the country."Mwana asingachemi anofira mumbereko!" (The baby that does not cry will die on the mother's back!) so, goes the Shona saying.Last month's military coup saw the forced removal of Robert Mugabe and a handful of his senior associates in the G40 faction of Zanu PF. Many people have welcomed the change and some have argued that we should allow the new President Mnangagwa government the space and time to see if it will be any better than the Mugabe regime of the last 37 years. By all means, let us!Given the real economic mess the country is in, there is no doubt that there are many things that President Mnangagwa can do reduce the mismanagement and corruption, even if these changes are significant what we must not lose sight of is the need for political change designed to restore our political voice.We must not forget we are in this mess because we had lost our political voice. We need the political changes to restore our political voice otherwise the country will once again slip back into the same economic mess we are in. There is absolutely nothing that would lead one to believe that President Mnangagwa is doing anything to restore the common man's democratic freedoms and human rights include the right to free, fair and credible elections. Nothing!Indeed, if anything, President Mnangagwa is doing everything to consolidate his own iron grip on power. He has retained Mugabe's de facto one-party dictatorship and has dismissed all calls to implement democratic reforms with total contempt."Zanu PF ichatonga! Igotonga! Imi muchigohukura!" (Zanu PF will rule! And rule! Whilst you continue barking (about reforms)!) He boasted on his return from exile last month!President Mnangagwa has plans to improve the economy, whether or not any of them will add up to much, is doubtful.Some people have said Zimbabwe could have become the South Korea of Africa. Sadly, that was not to be, we have become the North Korea of Africa in every respect Police State with a belligerent and ruthless authoritarian regime. Considering how far this nation has sunk in this economic hell hole under this Zanu PF dictatorship and the over 30 000 innocent lives murder in cold blood for no other reason than they dared to seek for a more just society; the very least we can do is to demand the democratic reforms and dare not drop the ball.The country's economic meltdown has hit the ordinary people hard but it was not spare the Zanu PF ruling elite either. The shrinking nation cake and the ballooning greed of the ruling elite has forced the number of those at the feeding trough to be reduced again and again. Zanu PF member have been fighting amongst themselves for feeding access like hyenas. The recent firing of then VP Mnangagwa followed soon after by the coup that forced Mugabe to resign was the collimation of the factional war that has torn Zanu PF asunder.The Zanu PF dictatorship is weaker now than it has ever been in all its 37 years in power. Zanu PF imploding has presented the nations with the next best opportunity, after the one wasted by MDC during the GNU, to push through the demands for democratic reforms.If all this nation ever get from the Zanu PF implosion was the replacement of one dictator, Mugabe, with another, Mnangagwa, leaving the dictatorship itself untouched; then we have dropped the ball for democratic change. All the misery brought on by the dictatorship and the lives lost along the way would have been all for nothing! Nothing would have changed; we started with a divided nation of a few filthy rich and with a veto vs the filthy poor with no political vote. Mugabe's going has brought no change, none, although the opportunity for change was and is still there if only people would open their eyes. The All Progressives Congress (APC ) has called on PDP members to join the ruling party, if they can pass the integrity test to join it. This was said following the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Partys national convention that held in Abuja on Saturday, APC likened the opposition party to the leopard, which, it says, cannot change its spots. It was the APCs first official reaction to the national convention of the opposition party which has vowed to defeat it in the next general election. APCs National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi said: With rrevelations of how money-for-votes and systematic rigging was brazenly perpetuated during the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress is mindful of the popular axiom, A leopard cannot change its spot. The APC said the abnormalities that trailed the PDP National Convention have further exposed the PDP as a party that is not ready or willing to change. Indeed, the PDP has, once again, displayed itself to the generality of Nigerians that it is a party with corruption deeply rooted in its DNA. Again, it is tragic that the PDP which used to pride itself as the biggest political party in Africa has now been reduced to a regional party. By frustrating (its) South West chairmanship candidates, it is unfortunate that the PDP has decided to punish the South West for not voting for the party in 2015. We urge members of the PDP that can pass the integrity test to join the APC so that we can, together, bring about the much-needed change the country deserves. Source : (NAN) At least six Nigerian soldiers have been brutally killed after they were attacked by Boko Haram terrorists. At least six soldiers died in two separate Boko Haram ambushes in Borno State, military and civilian militia sources said on Monday, according to a report by AFP. It was gathered that four troops were killed and 12 injured on Sunday when their convoy was attacked near Damboa, 90 kilometres (56 miles) from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. Two soldiers were killed in the same area on Saturday, the sources told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to talk to the media. Revealing how the tragic incident happened, a military officer in Maiduguri said Sundays ambush happened when troops were on patrol between the villages of Nyeneri and Falawani. The terrorists came in huge numbers and attacked the convoy using IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and gun trucks, he added. A member of the civilian self-defence force gave a similar account and death toll, and said the jihadists made off with weapons before reinforcements arrived. He added: Two soldiers died on Saturday when the six vehicles they travelling in came under heavy attack from Boko Haram near Bulaburin (village), said the militia source. The attacks came days after the military replaced the officer leading troops fighting Boko Haram following a surge in attacks, including against military outposts. The incident has left many people in the area displaced and agitated. Doctors have issued a stern warning to people who have undergone breast surgery to avoid doing this particular thing that could force their n*pples to fall off. Smoking just one month before or after a breast surgery can lead to your n*pples turning black and falling off, according to a top plastic surgeon. Even if you have never been a smoker, the toxins in a cigarette can cause blood supply to the healing breasts to be cut off ultimately making the nipples fall off. But doctors can save the decaying nipples with a treatment that sounds just as bizarre as the prognosis blood sucking medical-grade leeches. Michigan plastic surgeon Dr Anthony Youn described his experience treating a patient who almost lost her nipples from smoking. Surgeons advised to refrain from smoking during the time of any surgery. Dr Youn told Daily Mail Online that it is especially dangerous to smoke when having a surgery where the blood supply is significantly altered such as tummy tucks, face lifts and boob jobs. The nicotine and the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke constricts blood vessels and you need that blood to heal and for your body to be alive, he said. If the blood flow to a particular body part is greatly reduced or completely cut off, that body part dies. When you smoke before you after surgery, the cigarette carbons act as a virtual tourniquet causing the nipple to die, a process called necrosis. Dr Youn said that the area will first turn purple or blue, which is a precursor to black, signifying that not enough blood is getting to the area. Patients wont feel much pain, but instead the area will be numb and gradually get worse. It could take several weeks before the nipple falls off on its own, but typically a doctor would surgically remove it and reconstruct the nipple and areola If you do make it to a doctor in time, they may be able to perform an unorthodox but timely treatment to save the nipple instead of cutting them off. We use leeches to literally suck out the excess venous blood from the body part, acting as an attachable vein, Dr Youn wrote in a blog post describing the time he performed this on a patient. He placed leeches on top of the decaying nipple until the body part grew new blood vessels. The leeches then drained the old blood, causing it to turn from unhealthy purple back to healthy pink, typically taking several days. Dr Youn has successfully performed the treatment twice on nipples and once on a finger. Leech therapy or hirudotherapy has been used in medicine for 2,500 years. The river-dwelling creatures provide a natural local anesthetic to reduce pain, a local vasodilator to widen blood vessels and hirudin which prevents further clogging. While it may be a rare treatment, Dr Youn said that most big hospitals have medical leeches that can be accessed within hours. He also said the more you smoke the higher your chances are of this occurring. I tell patients to stop smoke three to four weeks before surgery and three to four weeks after, during the initial healing phase, he said. It doesnt matter the quality of the doctor if you dont adhere to their guidelines. Even if you had the best doctor, if you smoke around any type of surgery, it can happen to anyone, he added. He adds that boob jobs arent the only plastic surgeries this can happen in . If you smoke and have a face lift, skin on the face can die and show exposed fat, or if you have a tummy tuck a hole in your stomach can form, he said. President Muhammadu Buhari will today travel to France alongside three governors for the One Planet Summit. President Muhammadu Buhari will leave for Paris today to participate alongside over 50 world leaders in the One Planet Summit. The summit opens tomorrow. The Nigerian leader, who is accompanied by three governors and two ministers will return home on Thursday. The summit, jointly organised by the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and the French Government in partnership with non-governmental organisations concerned about reversing the negative effects of climate change, like Bloomberg Philanthropies, holds at the eco-friendly La Seine Musicale, situated on the picturesque Seguin Island in western Paris. The main focus of the summit, with the theme, Climate Change Financing, according to the organisers, will be to innovatively pool public and private finance to support and accelerate our common efforts to fight climate change. While recognising that all countries are affected by the effects of climate change under One Planet but some are more vulnerable, the summit seeks for tangible collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Before heading for the Summit venue, the Nigerian leader will attend a lunch hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France for Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace. President Buhari and other world leaders and participants will make presentations under four sub-themes namely: Scaling-up Finance for Climate Action; Greening Finance for Sustainable Business; Accelerating Local and Regional Climate Action; and Strengthening Policies for Ecological and Inclusive Transition. While signing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the sidelines of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2016, President Buhari had said it demonstrated Nigerias commitment to global efforts to reverse the effects of the negative trend. He followed that significant step by signing the Instrument of Ratification of the Paris Agreement on March 28, 2017 at the State House, Abuja, making Nigeria the 146th party to the Paris Treaty. It became binding on the country effective June 15, 2017, one month after the submission of the Ratification instrument to the United Nations on May 16, 2017 by Nigerias Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande. The participation of Nigerias delegation at the One Planet Summit will reinforce the countrys commitment to realising the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The President, who will depart for Paris on Monday, accompanied by the governors of Adamawa, Kano and Ondo States, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Environment, will return to Abuja on Thursday. # EndSARS Last week, the Nigerian social media space went agog with the # EndSARS protest. According to them, they are tired of the injustice, brutality, intimidation, extortion and killings of innocent citizens by the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS ) and called for its immediate scrapping. Some Nigerians even shared stories of torture, a lack of respect for the rule of law, extortion, extrajudicial murder and the disappearance of hundreds of people. As a follow up to the online protest, some Nigerians this morning took to the streets to actually see that SARS no longer exists. However, there was a protest by another set of Nigerians to counter the #EndSARS protest but reports have it that those protesters were allegedly paid by Nigerian police. Nigerian Police authorities allegedly rented protesters to counter # EndSARS rally in Abuja today According to photos shared by Sahara Reporters, some of t Tithe: Between Daddy freeze and Pastor Adeboye According to the RCCG, General Overseer, Pastor Adeboyes son, Leke Adeboye, controversial OAP, Daddy Freeze, has contributed in the increase in their church and for that, he thanks Freeze. Some Nigerians today, protested against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police after stories of abuse went viral on social media forcing the Inspector-General of police to call for a reform of the unit. Nigerians have trooped out to protest the brutality, intimidation, extortion and killings of innocent citizens by the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS ) and called for its immediate scrapping. According to SaharaReporters, speaking at the rally, the convener #EndSARS #ReformPoliceNG , Segun Awosanya said that Nigerians have spent the last one week highlighting the travails many Nigerians suffer in the hands of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS). He said that the stories that have been recounted on social media include stories of torture, a lack of respect for the rule of law, extortion, extrajudicial murder and the disappearance of hundreds of people. Awosanya noted that the police unit has outlived its usefulness and now constitutes a clear and present threat to the safety, well-being and welfare of most Nigerians. The group has given the authorities 21 days within which to meet these demands failing which they will be compelled to resort to other measures to embarrass them into taking action. They listed their demands as follows during the lead rally at the Unity Fountain Abuja: 1. We demand for an outright scrapping of the entire SARS unit across the country. Its members have become engrossed in crime, murder, brutality, extortion and disrespect for the rule of law in a manner that makes any attempt at reform a waste of time. 2. We demand the constitution of a panel by the Police Services Commission to reform the Nigerian Police in its entirety. The agenda must include provisions for better training of police officers; provision of better equipment and firearms; better welfare including housing, insurance, prompt payment of salaries and pensions etc; establishment of a code of conduct and strict compliance thereto as well as strong disciplinary measures for any officer who violates the code of conduct. 3. We also demand a public hearing at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to enable Nigerians to table their grievances before our elected representatives as well as the submission of memoranda on reforms of the Nigerian Police including recommendations on the amendment of laws to ensure a more efficient police force. 4. We demand thorough investigations into complaints filed against SARS officers. We demand that such officers be identified and immediately brought to justice. In some cases, we will provide video and pictorial evidence against officers who have been seen to be involved in such acts of brutality and extortion Femi Falana (SAN) a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, reveals that the source of the Boko Haram arms and ammunition are looted from the armoury in Libya. Not without blaming the slave trade in Libya to the fallout from the removal and brutal killing of President Muammar Gaddafi by armed gangs. In a statement released on Sunday in Lagos, Why Nigerian victims of slavery cannot sue Libya Falana says; Today, not less than five armed gangs are laying claim to the leadership of the country. It has been confirmed that the arms and ammunition looted from the armoury in Libya were sold to the dreaded Boko Haram sect. It is also true that the shameful slave trade which Nigeria is battling with is part of the fallout from the removal and brutal killing of President Muammar Gaddafi by armed gangs supported by the allied forces of imperialism led by the United States under President Barrack Obama. Opinion / Columnist Contacts Cases of women raping men after drugging them have been on the increase in some parts of Southern Africa especially Zimbabwe and South Africa.Sometime fours years ago a Zimbabwean man fell victim to three ladies who offered him a lift at Westgate in Harare. It is alleged that the three ladies pulled off the road their Toyota Sedan and stopped at the bus stop where a number of people usually wait for transport to ferry them to Banket , Chinhoyi, Karoi and Chirundu. He got into the car and the accused persons drove some few kilometers and stopped gave the man some liquid to drink which was suspected to be a drug and he fell unconscious and they took turns to rape him. He was later found nak*d by passerbys and he later reported the case to the police.A similar incident has occurred yesterday Sunday in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. The police are currently looking for two middle aged women who sexually assaulted a 25-year-old man after offering him a lift to Tzaneen early yesterday morning.It is alleged that the two women, who were travelling in a sedan from Polokwane to Tzaneen, gave the victim a lift at Polokwane hiking spot. They drove into the bushes in Makgoebaskloof, at gunpoint and forced him to drink a certain substance and subsequently exchanged in raping him, said Police Spokesperson, Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe.After the ordeal it is alleged that they drove further with the victim and dropped him off in a secluded area near Tzaneen Central Business Centre, where he proceeded to the Tzaneen Police Station and reported the matter the matter explained Ngoepe.Preliminary information revealed that the suspects were travelling in a Toyota Tazz with registration numbers 0616L, confirmed Ngoepe.It is believed that these kind of women who have been on the rampages of raping men are sort of infected with sexual transmitted diseases and are believed to be of high sexual drive because very few men are after them or they could have been divorced. Some alleged that it has something to do with rituals where they would be targeting sperms of men which they will use to boost their businesses. Men are encouraged not to hitch hike cars where there are three or more female occupants or they risk being raped.Facebook - Leonard KoniTwitter - @leokoniWhatsapp - +27747402042Email - konileonard606@gmail.com A Nigerian man took proposals to a new level after he bent the knee and asked the girlfriend to marry him 30,000 feet above sea level. A Nigerian man has melted hearts and shown the way for many others to follow after he upped his game by proposing to his girlfriend on board a plane to Dubai. The man identified as Tayo Adesokan proposed to his girlfriend, Tolu Sanya 30,000 ft above sea level, on a Medview Flight to Dubai. Without wasting time on board, Tayo bent the knee in front of many stunned people to pop the question. His bride to be, Tolu didnt waste anytime to say yes. It was indeed a beautiful moment as people cheered the couple. A human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has said that Nigerian victims of slavery can not sue the Libya government, for the violation of their rights. This was said in a statement by Mr. Falana, on Sunday he said, that the victims would have been able to approach the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights sitting in Arusha, Tanzania, but had been deprived access to the only international court due to the Nigerian governments failure to make a declaration accepting the courts jurisdiction. He stated that the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, which Nigeria had accepted its jurisdiction was only limited to West African states. He stated, Since the jurisdiction of the community court is limited to the West African sub-region, Nigerians whose rights are breached in other African countries would have been able to seek redress in the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights sitting in Arusha, Tanzania. But that is not possible as the Federal Government has refused to make a declaration accepting the jurisdiction of the Court in line with Article 34(6) of the Protocol establishing the African Court which provides that At the time of the ratification of this Protocol or any time thereafter the State shall make a declaration accepting the competence of the court to receive petitions under Article 5(3) of this Protocol. The court shall not receive any petition under Article 5(3) involving a state party which has not made such a declaration. He said although, Libya too had not accepted the jurisdictional competence of the African Court, the victims of the illegal slave trade in that country could have submitted a petition to the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and thereafter apply that the communication be referred to the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights for judicial determination. He added, But since Nigeria has not facilitated access to the African Court, the victims of the slave trade in Libya have been left without any legal remedy whatsoever. In other words, the infringement of the human rights of the victims to dignity and freedom from discrimination guaranteed by articles 2 and 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights cannot be challenged in the African Court. He demanded that the Federal Government compensated the victims and accepted the African Courts jurisdiction before December 31, 2017 otherwise he would sue the FG. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has also lamented on the loss incurred by the Nigerian Army in trying to fight the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria, he said the Nigerian army has also suffered tragic human loss. Buratai said this on Sunday in his remarks to mark the International Human Rights Day, noting that the insurgency jeopardised the peace and security of a number of states, the rights to life and the liberty of the people. The army chief stated that the military believed that human rights were essential components of the combat operations, adding that the army affirmed its commitment to the protection and advancement of human rights and fundamental freedom. Buratai said, Terrorism has a very real and direct impact on human rights with devastating consequences on the enjoyment of the right to life, liberty and physical integrity of victims. These acts of terrorism jeopardised peace and security in a number of states. It also threatened social and economic development. All of these also have a real impact on the enjoyment of human rights. The human and economic costs of the acts of terrorism and insurgency have been felt in virtually every nook and cranny of Nigeria. The army has itself suffered tragic human loss as a result of violent terrorists acts. The army chief added, Our rules of engagement and code of conduct affirm human rights as core values. We are committed to adopting measures that ensure respect for human rights as the basis of our civil-military relationship. We have developed strong partnerships with the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Committee of the Red Cross as well as the Nigerian Bar Association. The need for the establishment of a human rights office came with the increasing interest of human rights organisations in the armys ongoing military operations. The army embraces the idea and we will continue to do our part to spread awareness and support for human rights. The United Nations commemorates the Human Rights Day on December 10 since 1948, when the UN General Assembly adopted the universal declaration of human rights. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) A Proud Nigerian mother, Mrs. U.O. Nwadiogu, and her son Mr. B.A. Nwadiogu, will both be called to bar this week, as Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The ceremony will take place on the 12th and 13th of December respectively at the International Conference Centre Abuja. Her son, Arthur took to Facebook to share the good news, he wrote; Wow Its here, The moment weve all been waiting for. Our Journey of Six years has finally brought about so much joy and fulfillment in our hearts.Im actually very overjoyed. Celebrate with us as my Mother Mrs U.O. Nwadiogu and I Mr B.A. Nwadiogu are called to the Bar as Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the 12th and 13th of December respectively at the International Conference Centre Abuja . It could have only been God,and were grateful. See more pictures below; Days after more Nigerians were rescued back home from Libya, the victims have been sharing their sad experiences in the North Africa. One of them, who gave his name as Lucky Akoluche, said the traffickers used migrants, including Nigerians, to test the efficacy of their firearms. Akoluche, a 28-year-old man from Ikah North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, told Southern City News that the armed traffickers did not value the lives of their victims. The Libyans killed people the way they liked. When they bought new guns, they used human beings to test the guns. They call us black monkeys, the returnee stated. Akoluche, who claimed to be a student of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, said he made up his mind to drop out of school in search of better means of livelihood in Europe when he could no longer afford his school fees. He also said he was repatriated with an injury in his right hand, which he sustained during a fight with a Gambian migrant. I left Nigeria for Europe on April 25, 2016. I wanted to go to Germany, but I had to go through Libya. I left Nigeria because of the suffering that my family and I were facing. I was in the second semester of my first year in Ozoro Polytechnic. But I could not continue because of lack of money to pay my fees, he explained. Akoluche added, So, my sister assisted me with some money, which I used to travel. My friends also advised me to go. I spent about N2m. I regret abandoning my studies for a trip abroad. Libya is not good; I did not know that it was like that. I should have searched for something to do here in Nigeria. Akoluche advised those nursing the idea of travelling from Nigeria to Europe by land to have a rethink. It is better to stay in Nigeria because many people are dying in Libya. There was no water and food for days. People die at sea. About 10 persons died in my presence due to lack of water and food for up to a month. Some decomposing bodies were seen in the desert as we were travelling. I thank the government for bringing me back. But I appeal to the government to help me with my treatment. I am also willing to work, the returnee added. Meanwhile, a new batch of returnees is expected to be received by the Edo State Government on Wednesday. The Secretary of the state Task force on Anti-human Trafficking, Mrs. Oyemwense Abieyuwa, who disclosed this shortly after the arrival of 98 male returnees in Benin, said the state government would do its best to rehabilitate the returnees. Immediately we received them, we interviewed them. So, we have all their details; we are going to do a follow-up. Some of them went home. But that does not mean that we have lost touch. We get in touch with them at every point, Abieyuwa added. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) Luck has ran out on two notorious armed robbers after they were caught by men of the Nigeria police in Ogun state. The Ogun state police command has arrested two men who specialised in car snatching across Ogun state. The two, Damilola Omolegbe and Saidi Asirikoko were arrested at oko ape area of igbogila on Friday 8th of December 2017. One of the suspects, Damilola Omolegbe contacted one Abimbola Olaore, a driver of Toyota Camry with registration number KJA 164 EX in order to hire his vehicle from Alimoso in Lagos to Igbogila on an agreed fee. On getting to oko ape area, he asked the driver to stop for him to ease himself only for two other men to emerge from the bush with dangerous weapons and tied him with rope after beaten him severely and dispossessed him of his car. Unfortunately for the suspects, while escaping with the car, they ran into a ditch and the vehicle was unable to move further. They jumped down and ran into a nearby bush. Distress call was made to the police, consequence of which the Area Commander Ilaro, ACP Titus Musa detailed police patrol team to the scene. The bush was thoroughly combed by the policemen in collaboration with the members of the community and the two suspects were eventually arrested while the remaining one escaped. The car has been recovered to the station. Meanwhile the commissioner of police CP Ahmed iliyasu has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to FSARS for discreet investigation. ASP ABIMBOLA OYEYEMI, PPRO OGUN STATE. Still on the issue of tithes in churches, son of the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has come out to thank Daddy Freeze on Twitter. Identified as Leke Adeboye, the last born of the Pastor adeboye on Monday, December 11, took to his Twitter account to show love to the controversial radio presenter. He thanked him for making more people realise why they must pay their tithes. He also thanked Daddy Freeze because the viewership of the churchs event increased in a short time. His post reads: Thank you my brother. There has been a 33% increase in the number of people viewing RCCG events, increase in the amount of people paying their correct tithes, increase in the number of persons visiting the personal website of EAADEBOYE.COM and sending him emails and the amount of persons watching all messages from start to finish on any Pentecostal live events has increased. So I personally want to say thank you to @daddyfreeze. source: Twitter Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar paid a visit to former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida in his home in Minna, Niger State. Atiku had reportedly gone to seek for Babangidas endorsement for his candidacy for president in 2019. According to Premium Times, Babangida had a very useful political discussion with the former vice president, his spokesperson Kassim Afegbuan saying: They had a very useful political discussion. IBB also has a good relationship with Atiku. A photo showing the former vice-president squatting to address Babangida has since circulated on social media. While some have termed it a show of respect due to a Northern elder, others have described it as a show of desperation to get elected. See some reactions The Nigerian Police have arrested 28 suspected kidnappers, armed robbers and car snatchers terrorising the Abuja-Jere-Kaduna highways. The suspects were said to have been apprehended by the IGP Special Tactical Squad which raided some identified kidnappers den, camps, black spots and hideouts in the forests located in the Federal Capital Territory, Niger and Kaduna states. Parading the suspects on Friday, the police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said many of them were caught in the act of collecting ransom from families of kidnapped victims. According to Moshood, all the suspects confessed to the crimes. He said they would be arraigned in court after full investigation. He said, All the suspects arrested confessed to the various roles they played in the commission of the crimes and some of them have been identified by their victims. Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police has directed Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police in the zones and state commands across the country to beef up security in their area of responsibility. The police spokesman stated that the police would continue to raid black spots and flashpoints to nip in the bud all forms of crimes nationwide during the Yuletide period and beyond. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) A student of Delta State Polytechnic, Sofia Ogogo, and a civil servant, Victor Emeagwai, were both shot dead by a policeman attached to the Igbuzo Police Division, identified as Sergeant Abuja, at a checkpoint in the community. The victims were in a Toyota Corolla, driven by an estate agent, Jerry Akinlabi, when the incident happened. Ogogo and Emeagwai are Akinlabis girlfriend and friend respectively. PUNCH Metro learnt that a team of five policemen, including Abua, had flagged down Ogogo at a checkpoint along Igbuzo Market. One of the policemen, identified as Nwokolo, was said to have demanded money from Akinlabi and the driver told him that he did not have N200 to give him. Nwokolo reportedly said he would take one of the N1,000 notes Jerry had on him. As Akinlabi drove off from the checkpoint, Abua reportedly shot at the car and bullets pierced the back of the vehicle, hitting Ogogo, who sat at the back seat. The bullet also grazed the back of Emeagwai, who was at the passengers seat. Akinlabi told our correspondent that four cops, including the team leader, one ASP Akhabue, were detained by the police, while Abua evaded arrest. He said, On Sunday, November 17, 2017, I was driving to the Igbuzor Market and on getting to a checkpoint, I met the policemen. We knew one another some months ago when I had an issue concerning a property at the station. I sounded the horn to greet them, but they did not respond. One of them used his gun to hit the boot and I reversed. He said I wanted to beat the checkpoint. I told him that I assumed that they knew me very well and apologised. He demanded money. I wanted to give him N100 or N200, but it was N1,000 notes I had on me and I explained to him. He said, Am I too small to collect N1,000? When I declined to give him N1,000, he asked me to pull over, which I did. As the argument over N1,000 got heated, I entered my car and drove off. What I heard next was three gunshots aimed at my car. A bullet pierced into the car, hit my girlfriends body, came out and hit my friend in the back. The 22-year-old indigene of Oyo State said he took the victims to a general hospital in Igbuzo, from where Ogogo was referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba. He said he called a senior police officer at Asaba who notified the state Commissioner of Police of the incident. He said, The CP and the DPO of the Igbozo Police Station came to the FMC and deposited N100,000, but I have spent much more than that. Meanwhile, the policeman who shot at us had gone to drop the gun at the station and fled. The other four policemen were detained at the command headquarters. My friend and I wrote our statements there. Akinlabi explained that a police officer asked him to drop his car key to aid investigation. He added that he handed over the car key, but activated the steering lock because he suspected foul play. He said he met with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5, Benin, Edo State, who assigned a policeman to take his statement, adding that the policeman came down to the police command, Asaba, the following day. As I was returning from Zone 5 on Monday, I received a call from the Investigating Police Officer at the police headquarters in Asaba and he asked for the steering key. The IPO and a policeman came down to the hospital and I told them I would have to look for the key when I got home. The policeman sent from Zone 5 invited my friend to the police headquarters in Asaba to write his statement too. When he got there, he saw some policemen moving the car. He called to ask me if I gave them the key to unlock the steering and I said no. When I called the IPO, he confirmed what my friend said and he told me that there was no cause for alarm. He said the command returned his car washed, with the bullet holes on the vehicle covered and painted, lamenting that he had not heard from the command and zone 5. Akinlabis girlfriend, Ogogo, who spoke to PUNCH Metro from the hospital, said she was on the telephone when the bullet hit her. That was the last thing I remembered until I found myself at the hospital, she added. Emeagwai urged the police authorities not to sweep the case under the carpet, saying the policemen must be punished. He said, I dont see any reason for the shooting. I have been going to the FMC to treat the gunshot injury for about three weeks now. The policemen should not go scot-free. Harrison Gwamnishu, the Coordinator of Behind Bars, a rights group, which Akinlabi contacted on the matter, said the group would institute a legal action against the police. He said, We want to charge the case to court as a civil matter. It is barbaric. Why did the police wash the bloodstains in the car and covered the bullet holes without the consent of the owner? The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, said the policemen would be brought to book if found culpable after investigation. He said, The case is being investigated. However, our utmost concern is that the injured victim gets proper treatment. The Area Commander and the DPO of the division in question are involved in the matter. The case is being investigated by Zone 5. Where somebody is absent from duty for 21 days without any reason, we declare such a person a deserter. So, there is no anxiety that the policeman is on the run. Rest assured that the right thing will be done. Source : ( Punch Newspaper ) Miller & Martin chairman James Haley IV photo by John Shearer Sign in lobby of Miller & Martin photo by John Shearer Vintage plaque on outside of Volunteer Building photo by John Shearer Firms commemorative water bottle photo by John Shearer Back side of water bottle photo by John Shearer Previous Next From one of the Miller & Martin law firms meeting rooms atop the 12th floor of the Volunteer Building, a stunning view of downtown Chattanooga and beyond is offered.It could be symbolic of the reach that the firm has had on the community as well, as many of the visible places have been impacted by the firms services over the years.And that reach brings satisfaction to chairman James Haley IV and others, as the firm is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.Weve spent the last year looking back with justifiable pride, said Mr.Haley, who possessed an easily approachable manner during a recent interview and gave little hint that he heads Chattanoogas largest and oldest law firm. Its been fun to recognize what the people who came before us have done and the brand they created.In recent weeks, the firm has hosted events for clients and employees at such places as the Hunter Museum of Art and the Chattanooga Theatre Center. A book, Substance Matters: The History of Miller, has also been written by former Miller & Martin attorney and current McCallie School administrator Thomas E. Hayes.And U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, who owns the Volunteer Building where the firms offices are, recently offered some words of congratulations to them in person after flying back from Washington, D.C. Sen. Corker in a foreword in the book said that he has used the services of Miller & Martin and that Mr. Haley is his primary relationship attorney.The firm has also done some volunteer work at United Way agencies as part of the anniversary celebration to focus as well on its belief in community service and being good civic stewards.According to the Substance Matters book, the firm traces its roots on the Miller side to T.M. Burkett. The son of a Methodist minister, the uncle of White Burkett Miller, and the great-uncle of well-known mid-20th century attorney Burkett Miller, he was a Confederate Civil War veteran who had passed the state of Tennessee bar in 1867 and began practicing in Athens, Tenn.The Martin side traces its roots to Maj. William Stanhope Marshall, a veteran of the Union Army who was captured at the Battle of Missionary Ridge. He had resumed his law practice after the war and had become a citizen of Chattanooga in 1867. Later partners of his firm included George White and Francis Martin, the father of longtime firm partner H. Linton Martin.After the firm of White and Martin faced off against Col. Burkett and W.B. Miller in 1905 in a case involving disagreements between the two Methodist-founded colleges in East Tennessee named after former President U.S. Grant, they merged firms.One of the combined firms early cases of note was one in which the infant U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided to go after Coca-Cola over the fact that caffeine was in the drink and the agency considered it very unhealthy.Representing the Coca-Cola interests in the trial, which did result in Coca-Cola agreeing in a later settlement to reduce the amount of caffeine in its drink to half, W.B. Miller came into contact with various urbane, civil and progressive individuals. As a result, that trial gave him his own boost of natural energy to change Chattanooga.His new outlook was also influenced by his view of the rugged frontier that still existed to some extent in the Appalachian South and that he saw played out about the same time with the tragic murder of his father on his McMinn County farm. That incident had occurred after a tenant of the farm, George Rose, had coerced White B. Millers brother, Bascom Miller, who had special mental needs, to ambush his father and hold him down while Mr. Rose struck the father with an axe.As a result, White B. Miller wanted Chattanooga to be a more civilized town. To accomplish that, he sent his McCallie School-educated son, Burkett Miller, to the University of the South at Sewanee for undergraduate work and the University of Virginia Law School. Meanwhile, Burketts brother, Vaughn, who also went to McCallie, attended Yale for undergraduate studies and then Harvard Law School.Vaughn Miller also became well acquainted with the famous as well as the finest. At Yale, he was best friends with (composer and song-writer) Cole Porter, said Mr. Haley. Cole Porter came to Chattanooga some to visit him. And Vaughn clerked for (Supreme Court Justice) Oliver Wendell Holmes.He enjoyed a successful career with the firm until his death in 1964.Mr. Haley added that Burkett Miller before his death in 1977 also became quite successful in business and became philanthropic through the Tonya Foundation. Tonya was a mysterious name that he had named his yachts while enjoying a vacation home in South Florida and becoming acquainted with such people as tobacco baron R.J. Reynolds.The Tonya Foundation went on to help a number of downtown and riverfront development projects, including Miller Park and Plaza, the Willie Miller Eye Center, the Tennessee Riverwalk, the Tivoli Theatre restoration and Coolidge Park.Mr. Miller was also involved in the development of Miller Park in part through his own visionary plans.Burkett Miller had also been involved in the creation of the now-well-known Miller Center, a non-partisan center affiliated with the University of Virginia that specializes in presidential scholarship, public policy and political history. Mr. Haley said the center is a repository for oval office voice recordings, and also does a study on the first year of a presidency, as it is currently doing with Donald Trump.Mr. Haley said he first worked for the Miller & Martin firm as a clerk in the summer of 1974 while attending the University of Tennessee College of Law, and said he remembers seeing from his small office two distinguished-looking gentlemen being ushered back to Burkett Millers office. He later learned they were the U.Va. president and the governor of Virginia, Mills Godwin, and they were there to talk to Mr. Miller about his idea for starting the center.He (Mr. Miller) thought there was a lot of rancor (among politicians), said Mr. Haley regarding Burkett Millers motivation for the founding of the center. Were real proud of that legacy.Mr. Haley remembered that Mr. Miller was a slightly unique person, but one who was certainly easily approachable.At that point in the late 1970s, he wore suits off white and they looked like they had been put under the pillow the night before, he recalled with a laugh. He was a rumpled looking guy, but very direct. He knew what he wanted to do. And he was certainly polite to me.During those early years working for the firm fulltime beginning in 1975, Mr. Haley a Baylor graduate and former Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina -- said he also became acquainted with another person working in the Volunteer Building. He said the firms offices at that time were only on the 10th floor of the Volunteer Building, and he would park in the garage and ride up to his office via a man-operated elevator.Regularly he would see an unassuming-looking man get out of his Pontiac automobile and head up to his office. And often they would enjoy some light conversation.Only after a few conversations did Mr. Haley learn that his elevator mate was Cartter Lupton, who, despite his low-key demeanor, was one of the richest people in the South with his Coca-Cola bottling interests later headed by his son, Jack Lupton.He was totally non-descript and a gentleman, Mr. Haley recalled.During that time when Mr. Haley was just getting started with the firm, Miller & Martin was involved in another high-profile case. It involved the FDIC takeover of the financially straddled Hamilton National Bank in 1976 as the institution became part of First Tennessee Bank.Through the years, the firm has continued being involved in large and small cases in its primary work of serving as a business law firm. Mr. Haley said it works primarily in the areas of corporate law, litigation, and commercial law, including real estate and bankruptcy.Besides those who have distinguished themselves in various ways with the firm, its alumni also include former district federal Judge R. Allan Edgar and former District Attorney Gary Gerbitz.Miller & Martin has also tried to be a good civic partner in Chattanooga and beyond, Mr. Haley said.But the firm with about 80 attorneys in Chattanooga and another 45 in Nashville, Atlanta and Charlotte -- also has its eyes on the future. Mr. Haley said he knows the profession of law is changing in this age of increased technology, and artificial intelligence will be able to quickly provide information for lawyers that sometimes formerly took hours of research.But even with a nearby computer, he hopes the people aspect for his large firm remains as important as it was for the founders working with only a pen, paper and a lamplight nearby.A lot of it will be focusing on relationships and understanding of clients and businesses, Mr. Haley said. Our goal will be to add value to the client.Jcshearer2@comcast.net Some police officers who arrested a Lagos hotelier have found themselves in serious problem after their action came into light. It has been revealed that the team of policemen that allegedly handcuffed and bundled a Lagos hotelier into the boot of their vehicle from Apapa to their base in Ikorodu area of the state, have been arrested. According to Vanguard, the policemen attached to the Zonal Intervention Unit, Ikorodu, stormed Formula 2 Hotel and Suites in Apapa area of Lagos recently, to effect the arrest of its owner, Mr. Obimdi Ocho, over claims that his guards were found with guns. In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, lawyer to the victim, Dan Okoro, alleged that the policemen placed a gun on the victims hand, took a shot of him and, thereafter, demanded for N1 million. According to the lawyer, the officer told the hotelier that if he doesnt come up with the amount, the pictures will be released to journalists. The petition, entitled Complaint Against Supol Salawu of Zonal Intervention Unit, Ikorodu, for Professional Misconduct, Misuse of Police Power, Extortion and Incivility to Members of the Public, further stated that the policemen threatened to brandish the victim as a robber if he failed to part with the demanded sum. The petition read: Our client has briefed us that on November 24, some policemen bashed into his hotel complex in a commando style and when our client came out to meet them, they told him that they had information that his private security men in the hotel were armed. Our client told them that the arm he had has a licence and it was shown to the policemen. However, our client was informed by the policemen that the Pump Action gun does not have a licence, but our client informed them that when the gun was bought, he took it to Ikeja, where the said gun was issued a licence in the year 2015. When our client was questioned about using a gun in the hotel, he told them that cultists were always disturbing his customers and members of the public, dispossessing them of their belongings. He said cult boys usually come to the hotel to engage the guards in fights, injuring them in the process. One of the cases was reported at Trinity Police Station, where the cultists were arrested and handed over to Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS, from where they were charged to court. One of the security men, Cyril Nwachukwu, was also arrested and taken to their office without dropping their address or phone number. Our client quickly ran to Trinity Police Station to inform them of the situation. But he was told that the policemen were from the Zonal Intervention Squad, Ladegboye, Ikorodu. Vanguard gathered that the IGP forwarded the petition to Zone 2 Command, Onikan, with a directive to fish out the policemen involved and investigate their culpability. As at Friday, Police sources at Zone 2 Command told Vanguard that four policemen, who were involved, had been apprehended. When contacted, the Zonal Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus, confirmed the arrest and disclosed that the policemen involved were being investigated at the X Squad section of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, Lagos. A six-woman-child-trafficking team, have been arrested by the Imo State Police Command for allegedly specialised in stealing children from churches and selling them to buyers. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Andrew Enwerem, a Superintendent of Police, said the prime suspect, Nnenna Njoku (32), allegedly used her 10-year-old daughter, Chinecherem Onyejiaka, to lure children from churches and homes to her mother. The police spokesperson, who identified the other suspects as Ijeoma Eboka, Irene Ogbuehi, Chinyere Mark, Perpetua Dike, Lilian Asoluka, Grace Ogueri and Edith Ejiaga, said investigation revealed that the number of children missing in the prime suspects area of operation was nine. Enwerem said, After a thorough investigation, the prime suspect, Nnenna Njoku, a resident of Umuagwo in Imo State, was arrested. She was detained and later released on bail to help the police to track down other suspects she sold the children to. The prime suspect confessed to stealing three children. The other suspects were arrested and they made confessional statements, which led to the recovery of three children Ezinne Nwosu (4), Chimjindum Felix (3),and Rejoice Ezirim (3). The police spokesman said the rescued children had been released to their biological parents. It is worthy of note that one Chimaobi Duru (4),was earlier recovered from the prime suspect, Nnenna Njoku, and has been released to his biological parents, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Duru from Anambra State. Effort is on to recover the remaining stolen children, Enwerem added. The police spokesperson said the state Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, had ordered that the suspects be charged to court to answer for their crime at the conclusion of investigations. The prime suspect, a divorcee and mother of five children, told our correspondent that she made N380,000 from the sale of the three children to Eboka, an indigene of Delta state. She said while she stole the children from different churches in Imo State, she took them to Eboka at different meeting points in Anambra State, who sold them to waiting buyers. The second buyer, Ogbueri (45) from Orlu in Imo State,confessed that she bought two children from Eboka for N600,000 each, while she sold them at N750,000 to Dike (60), and another buyer who was at large. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), inaugurated a new state-of-the-art Rice Mill factory located at Amarawa Village, in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State. The mill is owned and operated by Amarava Agro Processors Limited, a subsidiary of Fullmark Group, the new factory is the first made in Nigeria Rice Mill with all fabrications and installations of the factory made in Kano with almost 100 percent local content. President Buhari Inaugurates First Made in Nigeria Rice Mill in Kano Speaking during the inauguration of the factory, President Muhammadu Buhari commended the management of Fullmark Group for its effort, which he noted is in line with the agricultural revolution of his government to reduce importation of rice by encouraging local farmers and investors. President Muhammadu Buhari noted that investment in Rice Mills would encourage and boost the confidence of the local rice farmers and a right step in the right direction in moving Nigeria closer to complete independent from importation of rice and improve food security across the country. He explained that, Nigerias continued dependence on rice importation has put a strain on the economy as well as the nations food flow as a substantial amount of our foreign exchange goes into rice importation yearly. With this mill in operation, Nigeria would continue to progress towards food self-sufficiency. President Buhari Inaugurates First Made in Nigeria Rice Mill in Kano Also speaking at the inauguration of the factory, the chairman of Fullmark Group Mr. Sriram Venkateswaran revealed that the entire idea of the project was conceived, designed, manufactured, executed from start-to-finish in Kano, Nigeria. Explaining the production capacity of the factory, Mr. Sriram disclosed that Amarava Agro Processors Limited has the capacity to produce up to 288 metric tonnes of top quality per-boiled rice per day when operating in full capacity but its currently producing 250 metric tonnes per day. While commenting on the quality of the Rice produced from the mill, Sriram said, Our rice is best in class in terms of quality which is comparable to the best available anywhere in the world and is often compared to Thai Rice. President Buhari Inaugurates First Made in Nigeria Rice Mill in Kano He further revealed that beyond being the first made in Nigeria Rice Mill facility, the Amarava Agro Processors Limited Rice Mill is the first to be fully equipped with the capacity to convert waste to energy. We use the steam from the mill to drive steam turbines which generates about 500 KVA of electricity which is used in powering the factory and this is why we say that at Amarava, we believe in producing more and conserving more he added. Mr. Sriram then commended President Buharis led Government for its sustained efforts in empowering farmers and enriching the nation through well thought-out agricultural developmental policies. He assured the President that the company would continue to support the effort of the government to enhance and stabilize food production in the country. In his own remarks at the occasion the Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje also expressed delight over the new Rice Mill, applauding the management of the company for locating and selecting Kano for such a strategic agriculture project. It is very laudable for Amarava Agro Processors Limited to have picked the Amarawa Village, in Gezawa Local Government Area for this project. This shows that the company places high importance on social development as well as industrial growth. Source: ( Linda Ikeji ) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared Ugochukwu Sandra Alexandra Nneka from Nnewi area in Anambra state wanted for conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence. The anti-graft agency has asked anybody with useful information to contact the commission. Also writing, a Nigerian banker and activist, Safiya Stephanie Musa who claimed to know Nneka accused her of almost duping her. She wrote on Facebook: and my old Classmate who almost duped me is finally wanted by the EFCC. Nneka Ugochukwu was one of the very brilliant ones we had in my set. How she became a crook with her God given brain still beats me wallahi. She was even a Prefect fa. When I raised alarm on Facebook 2013, many of my classmates came to beg me privately to let her be. Now that you know shes indeed a Criminal, hope you all feel bad knowing how your plea and disbelief made it possible for her to swindle more people. If we had taken up her case then, gaskiya she for no see chance swindle people again fa. This one EFCC is sharing black and white photo..Ive shared a clearer colored Photo. EFCC needs to search beyond Nigeria. Check Ghana where she claims she has hotels, hospitals etc and Dubai which was her last abode. She use to move around with 2 of her daughters (they look like her younger Sisters though), so the EFCC should be on the lookout for 3 Ladies. Na those her daughters she use tell me sob story wey make me part with my money wallahi. she blocked me everywhere and thought she had escaped with my money. She no know say na my hard earned money I give her, so I ready to look for her inside snake hole or bee hive. She eventually gave a friend my money when she saw I wasnt relenting. I had already reported her to the Nigerian Ambassador and an Emirati friend who works with Immigration. In one month, the Edo State Government has received 1,100 indigenes who were deported from Libya. They left the state for Europe through Libya in search of greener pasture. Many of them died on the way, many others were sold as slaves, while many who were held in Libyan prisons were severely tortured. Some of the returnees in Benin spoke to Daily Trust on Sunday about their harrowing experiences. I was sold for N300,000 Harrison Okotie (35) A friend of mine sold the idea of travelling to Europe to me and my sister, who we travelled together with, assisted me with some money. We paid the traffickers N600, 000 each to take us to Libya. When we got to Libya, we were arrested and sold to Arabs at N300,000 each. I never knew I was being sold because they would tell you that, they were taking you to cross over to Italy. It is only when you reach their destination that you would know that you were sold as slave. From that moment, you would be under his rules and regulations until you are able to pay double the amount he claimed to have paid for your freedom. I was tortured daily, they even stabbed me on my back for not being able to pay a ransom. They will tell you to control your family at home to bring money, but if the money was not forthcoming you would face severe torture. A Nigerian was shot in the presence of our ambassador for attempting to join the queue to register for deportation. Four people died in my presence due to torture. Our suffering in the hands of the Arab increased when we started telling the United Nations that we wanted to go home. The Arabs would always ask us to tell the UN that we needed food and clothes but we would tell them that we wanted to go home due to the way and manner we were being tortured. By the time the UN personnel leave, it would be 24 hours torture and we would be denied the loaf of bread we were given each. Even if I am given the opportunity again, I will never go to any Arab country. I left my wife and two children here in search of a greener pasture only to face torture. I was shot for attempting to register for deportation Amos Oghogho (25) I left Benin on June 24 this year and within a week I was in Libya. While there, I was working in a car wash in Saba city. My suffering started when I had to leave for Subuata town because of too many kidnappings and slavery. As soon as I got to Subuata, war broke out between militants. As I was going to work, the police arrested me and took me to prison. Nigerians at the prison were more than 1,000, and because of the number, we were moved to a prison in the desert. There they used to drug our food because as soon as you eat that food, you go to sleep immediately. For the three months I stayed in prison I never had a bath. They were using us to trade because as soon as they release you after paying ransom, another group would arrest you and the torture continued. All the months I spent in prison, it was only macaroni they fed us and it was once a day. I was shot while trying to register to be deported back to Nigeria. When I wanted to join the queue, the police asked me to go back, but as I was explaining to him my intention, another one shot me on the hand. They later took me to a hospital where they performed surgery on the hand. I can never advise anybody to go to Libya. I saw my twin brother shot dead for not being able to pay ransom Abel Osifo Christopher (36) My destination was Italy and not Libya but I was not able to cross before we were bundled into prison. The journey cost me N680,000. I sold my car to raise the money and move on June 13, this year. My experience in Libya was disastrous and painful: life there was full of agony and sorrow and to worsen it, I lost my twin brother there. They shot him because we could not pay the ransom on time. When they kidnapped us, they asked us to pay 5000 dinar (N500, 000). However, before we could raise the money from Nigeria, they shot and killed him. Many Nigerians died in Libya. I regretted going to Libya and cant even advise anybody to go. I regret going to Libya Abieyuwe Igue (24) I left Nigeria last year not knowing that I was pregnant. I spent one year four months and my baby is 10 months old now. My intention was to go to Europe through Libya but I was not able to cross before we were caught. I paid N400,000 to get to Libya. I was a stylist here but decided to go to Europe for a greener pasture. I was beaten severally for no just cause, but never sexually assaulted. I will never go to Libya again because it is too risky and I regret going there. Im happy to be home Josphine Ajagbor (33) I left with my son of three years to Libya in June this year. When they arrested us they took us to prison and we were living on macaroni and bread daily. The food was cooked without salt and pepper and we only ate twice a day. My son had to get used to the suffering too. I was a caterer before I left Nigeria. *** Culled from Daily Trust The All Progressives Congress, (APC) accused the Peoples Democratic Party, at its Saturdays convention, that it decided to punish the South-West candidates for voting against the PDP in the 2015 elections. The APC made this allegation in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi. It said the failure of the South-West to get the PDP chairmanship was a punishment meted out to the zone by the former ruling party. The ruling party further said the national convention of the PDP had once again showed Nigerians that corruption was deeply rooted in the PDPs genes. The APC explained that the outcome of the PDP national convention did not only reduce the opposition party to a regional party, it also exposed it as a party unwilling to change for the better. He said, With revelations of how money-for-votes and systematic rigging were brazenly perpetuated during the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress is mindful of the popular axiom: a leopard cannot change its spots. The abnormalities that trailed the PDP National Convention have further exposed the PDP as a party not ready and willing to change. Indeed, the PDP has once again displayed itself to the generality of Nigerians that it is a party with corruption deeply rooted in its DNA. Again, it is tragic that the PDP, which used to pride itself as the biggest political party in Africa, has now been reduced to a regional party. By frustrating the South-Wests chairmanship candidates, it is unfortunate that the PDP has decided to punish the South-West for not voting for the party in 2015. At the convention, Prince Uche Secondus from Rivers State emerged as the chairman of the PDP in the early hours of Sunday. The APC also urged members of the PDP, who could pass the integrity test, to join the APC in order to bring about the much-needed change the country deserves. Source: ( Punch Newspaper) The founder of The Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo who is one of the classiest and richest Christian clerics in Nigeria has reminisced on his days of humble beginning. Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of Coza Ministry recounts how he started his ministry with one trouser and holes in his wifes shoes. He revealed this on his Instagram page while announcing a prestigious award given to him by the Methodist Church in Nigeria for their evangelistic works. The handsome pastor based in Abuja showered encomium on his wife for standing by him during the period of financial drought. Mr. Fatoyinbo today is reportedly worth over $7 million. Here is what he wrote on his IG page. Babe, we walked the streets of Ilorin together looking for people to preach the gospel to. We didnt have no car, I had just one trouser, we didnt have technology or finance to increase our reach, there were holes in your shoes. We had to do it one person per time. Im fully aware that God will reward us for our labour, but I am also thankful to the Methodist Church in Nigeria for presenting us with this Honorific Award for Evangelism! We havent lost that same passion and we never will! We are ever committed to winning souls for Christ! Thank yoy Modele for always standing with me and running with me and running with the vision! Im blessed to have you! If you run a business or plan to start one, you should mark this date on your calendar: Saturday, February 3, 2018. Its the day on which Connect Nigerias eBusiness fair, the largest event for small and medium scale businesses in Africa, will be taking place. Thought leaders and top executives from the countrys biggest brands will be there as well, to lend their voices to conversations about tech and business. Growth hacks and cutting edge enterprise solutions will be revealed; businesses will showcase and sell your favourite products at great discounts; youll make new, forward-driving connections; and those business questions youve always asked will be answered by the experts. Here are ten other reasons why you should join thousands of SMEs and business professionals at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos for this event. 1. Get huge business growth scoops from World-Class CEOs and Techpreneurs If youve never been to the eBusiness fair, youre missing out on a lot of enterprise transforming information. And heres why this matters: the people who will be giving these tips and growth strategies are accomplished leaders in the world of business. Previous speakers at this event include Lola Masha, Country Manager, OLX; Angel Fadahunsi, Deputy Director, FIRS; Ebi Atawodi, Head, global digital payments, Uber; Mark Essien, CEO, Hotels.ng; Nikki Summers, Director of SageOne, East and West Africa; Ayotunde Coker, CEO, Rack Centre; Paul Ayim, Executive, Phillips Consulting; and several others. Over the past eight years, they have let participants in on their preferred strategies for business growth, and uncovered new areas of opportunity for entrepreneurs in Nigeria. You can benefit from their wealth of knowledge too, for free. 2. Exhibit your products and services to thousands of people With a booth at the exhibition section, youll be able to showcase and sell your products and services to over 5,000 attendees. Its an opportunity to make great sales and win more loyal customers. Heres what Adaolisa Anekwe, CEO of the online clothing store, Zimafashion, has to say about what the fair did for her business: I had an amazing time at last years business fair. I was able to meet with people. There was a lot of networking. I had a lot of clients, and I made a lot of money, which is the most important thing. 3. Meet business experts and influencers one on one One great thing about the eBusiness fair is the calibre of people who will be in attendance. Theres always a chance that youll bump into industry leaders and opinion shapers, business executives or pioneering startup founders. Such meetings could give your business the lift it needs- anything from exceptional advice to big-fish leads, and maybe even investment for your venture. And if youre looking for a mentor or senior partner who knows his (or her) onions, this could be the place to find one. 4. Learn tech-driven marketing Theres a huge market for your business online that youre likely missing out on. The world displayed on screens of mobile devices and computers is the new frontier for businesses seeking to reach a wider range of people than they can in the offline world. At the Connect Nigeria eBusiness fair, social media marketing kingpins will spill the secrets and present the latest trends in modern online brand campaigns, content marketing and more. 5. Network and exchange ideas with other business people Theres always new information concerning your line of business, or an opportunity you can take advantage of. The best sources for this are usually business people. When they converge upon a single location in their thousands, its likely that you will get hold of great leads and fantastic business insights. The stories entrepreneurs tell of their travails and strategies could contain brilliant nuggets of wisdom and creativity that you can try out on your business. Ebi Atawodi, the product manager for global payments growth at Uber, says this about the energy and connections made at a previous edition of the eBusiness fair: Its really interesting how passionate people are, and how pumped up people are about the possibilities that are out there. I think platforms like this are.also about connecting with other people. You never know where the next idea is going to come from. 6. Get discounts from your favourite brands Products on display at the eBusiness fair will come at greatly discounted rates. If you love bargain hunting, youll like the offers at the fair. Given the type of services showcased, the percentages shaved off the prices will be worth it. It could mean that you dont have to pay as much as you usually would for, say, software that could help improve your business processes, gadgets that make everyday routines easier, or high-quality fashion accessories. 7. Have your business questions answered by the experts How about putting those nagging business questions you have, to real business professionals and wiseheads, the top bosses in the corporate world and even government policymakers? At the last fair, we had Angel Fadahunsi, Deputy Director at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) tackle questions about governments business tax policies; Ahmad Mukoshy, CEO of web hosting company Gigalayer, answered questions about opportunities that businesses can take advantage of by setting up their own websites; and Nikki Summers, Manager of Accounting software solutions company SageOne (East and West Africa), dealt with matters related to accounting for small businesses. Whatever uncertainties about your business bug you, they can be settled at the eBusiness fair. 8. Surmount the peculiar challenges of Nigerias business environment Experienced entrepreneurs who have mastered the peculiarities of Nigerias business environment will be giving the audience their choice strategies for succeeding in it. 9. Get a glimpse of the future of business in Nigeria Nigerias biggest brands will be unveiling their products for the future. Industry analysts will deconstruct and demystify the path to tomorrows economies and the business-supporting technological advances that will power them. You will have a rich insight into where the whole world of business is headed for, enabling you to swoop on the new opportunities theyll create. 10. Its free to attend! A free pass to attend Africas largest SME event! Register, make sponsorship placements and book an exhibition booth for your business at www.connectnigeria.com/bizfair, or call 0700 800 5000. A Law graduate of Imo State University , Barrister Roseline Udoh has sadly passed away. The brilliant lawyer and registered member of Due Process Advocate,DPA, collapsed at her Abuja home in the early hours of Saturday December 9, and was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after. The Mystery in this whole incident is that barely four days ago, she wrote on how life is too short. She wrote ; Life is too short Dont put off anything you really want to do till tomorrow cos you are not guaranteed tomorrow. The sooner you realise this, the less you will worry about living your life to please people. Its all you. YOU are all that matters. You owe only YOU the responsibility to be happy. Touching tributes have poured out on her page as her close friends and associates are still finding it hard to stomach the fact that their beloved Barrister is no more ; May her soul rest in peace. A young Nigerian lady named Sampou Bridget Oyindoubra was burnt beyond recognition in a house fire on Sunday, at Agoloma Town, near Bomadi, Delta State, shortly after she returned from church service. A Facebook user identified as Agoinzoh Nkemluv, has taken to the social networking platform to share some heartbreaking and very graphic photos of a young lady named Bridget who was burnt to ashes in her room, shortly after returning from church in Delta State. Nkemluv posted the photos and wrote; To day something very bad happened in Agoloma Town. We lost one of our Sister. Esampou Daughter. Pepe younger sister. Just burnt to Ashes live in are House. Pls I dont know what else to write again. He shared another photos and wrote; ONLY GOD KNOWS WHY IT HAPPED SO, RIP BRIDGET WE MISS You. Just burnt to Ashes in are house after cuming back from Church. Fire incident. Journey well. Below are more photos of the deceased (Very graphic content); More photos below -Gistreel The public is invited to the Family Justice Center Monday to commemorate the 69th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a celebration of local human rights organizations and leaders. There will be a reception from 6-7 p.m. featuring exhibitions from human rights organizations and art exhibitions from SPLASH and Flying Brushes. There will also be music by Rick Rushing III. The program from 7-8 p.m. will include performances by Christian J. Collier and Rick Rushing III (Healing Blues). There will also be a panel moderated by WTVC NewsChannel 9's Greg Funderburg with speakers Marina Peshterianu (BRIDGE), Kristen McCallie (Children's Advocacy Center), Kate Sheets (SEIU) and Rev. Cathy Harrington (UUCC). This is a free event, but seating is limited at the Center, so is a ticketed event. Celebration organizers this year include the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Family Justice Center, Second Life Chattanooga, city of Chattanooga's Multicultural Affairs Office and Unity Group of Chattanooga. The Family Justice Center is at 5705 Uptain Road. For more information visit tn.gov/humanrights. Industry experts say that artificial intelligence (AI) can help improve cybersecurity measures, as hackers employ more sophisticated attacks on systems.AI can utilize machine learning to scan large volumes of data and detect patterns of abnormal behaviour that could signify a data breach. This approach, experts say, is far more efficient than manually combing through the data and discovering the hack months or even years after the attack has been carried out.University of Montreal assistant professor of criminology David Decary-Hetu told CBC News that AI could help cover for the shortcomings of most cybersecurity measures."The main issue is that if you're defending a system you have to be good 100% of the time, but when you're attacking the system you only have to be successful once to get in, Decary-Hetu said.David Masson, Canadian manager for UK-based Darktrace, added that AI will help to keep up with threats by immediately identifying and preventing attacks by picking up on subtle indicators that identify bad behaviour.Masson explained that his companys systems map a customers network to distinguish any deviations. He said that AI is required to keep up with threats by automating responses to mounting machine-on-machine attacks conducted by hackers."You're kind of looking at a cyber arms race," he told CBC. "If you want to keep up with this threat and put the advantage back in the hands of the defenders you're going to have to use AI."According to reports, cybercrime costs the Canadian economy between $3 billion and $5 billion a year, including ransom paid to foreign hackers. Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) has turned down an Aviva Canada cash prize after winning the insurers charity competition.The non-profit initiative said theres a direct contradiction between its mission and Avivas financial relationship with oil and gas projects.Shortly after winning the Aviva Canada Community Legacy Award through the insurers Community Fund competition, ICA received information that Avivas parent company (Aviva plc) held major passive investments in corporations including Teck Resource, Encana, Exxon, Imperial, Suncor, Chevron, Cenovus, Kinder Morgan, Trans Canada, and Enbridge - which operate in Albertas tar sands.ICA said that these investments are in direct contradiction with its organizational mandate, according to a Rainforest Action Network report.We cannot in good conscience accept an award from a corporation that is financially associated with fossil fuel energy projects that violate the rights of Indigenous peoples and contribute to global climate change, said ICA executive director Eriel Deranger in a statement.Our organization is working to support Indigenous rights and address the climate crisis while Aviva is investing in corporations proposing or operating tar sands projects that threaten water, land, the climate and Indigenous rights.Aviva Canada and Aviva plc have responded to ICAs rejection with an open mind, and has offered to begin discussion on divestment and how to move away from its tar sands investments.There are other insurance companies who are taking the climate risk seriously, such as Swiss Re who recently have limited their underwriting of shale gas, tar sands and Arctic drilling projects, commented UK Tar Sands Network director Suzanne Dhaliwal.We want to see a major commitment from Aviva to climate action alongside their community fund and scientific research and a broader commitment to finding the mechanisms to divest from tar sands pipelines and projects. We need Aviva to look seriously into their investment in projects that are violating the rights of Indigenous Peoples, furthering the expansion of the Alberta tar sands infrastructure and pipelines which pose a major threat to the stability of the global climate. In my last post, I wrote about the many times the word all appears in the Scriptures nearly 6,000. The term offers great encouragement, assurance of Gods presence and personal involvement in every circumstance, good and bad, that we confront in this journey called life. But not every use of all is as uplifting. Romans 3:23 declares, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The same chapter also says, There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:10-12). That sounds harsh and all-encompassing. Why is this important? All we need to do is watch the evening news, or read a newspaper, for the answer. Of late weve heard report after report about prominent individuals entertainers, politicians, news media celebrities, athletes and others accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct. Reactions by employers and their industries have been swift and severe. And sadly, as some observers suggest, this may be merely the tip of a proverbial iceberg of similar accusations yet to come. Some of these persons reveled in the misdeeds of others; now the weight of guilt has fallen on their own shoulders. How can this be? Its because, as the Bible asserts without wavering, we all have sinned and fallen far short of Gods glory and His perfect standards. These recent episodes focus on one specific form of sin, but they teach a broader lesson. How can such wrongdoing be so pervasive? Why have so many stumbled, people who should have known better? Sociologists and psychologists might offer different explanations, but I believe the reason is very simple. In our enlightened, progressive, amoral culture, weve rejected the clear warnings of the Scriptures. The ancient book of Job, describing the travails he endured and the debate between himself and his so-called friends, recounts his bold statement, I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl (Job 31:1). He knew even a desiring stare could lead to serious consequences. In the book of Proverbs, chapters 4-9 speak about the snares of sexual temptation and the devastating results when those temptations are acted upon and turned to sin. Heres a sampling: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword (Proverbs 5:3-4). a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself (Proverbs 6:32). All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a nooselittle knowing it will cost him his life (Proverbs 7:22-23). Jesus addressed this in His sermon on the mount. He warned, You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Not everyone is guilty of sexual sin, although a wise man once told me that we all have broken every one of the Ten Commandments in thought, word or deed. But without question, we all fit the description of Romans 3:23. We all have sinned and fallen desperately short of God righteous standard. Whats to be done about this? It has already been done. Romans 5:8 declares, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. A bit later it also states, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Our part is uncomplicated: Recognize our sin, repent, and receive Gods gracious and unconditional gift. Now thats what we can call good news and its available to all of us. ---- Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written hundreds of magazine articles, and authored, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly re-published, Business At Its Best, Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. He edits a weekly business meditation, Monday Manna, which is translated into more than 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. To read more of Bob Tamasys writings, you can visit his blog, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com, or his website (now being completed), www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com. He can be emailed at btamasy@comcast.net. The US healthcare system is on the brink of a massive shake-up following the announcement that retail pharmacy company CVS Health is buying one of the largest health insurers in the country.CVS Health revealed on Sunday (December 03) that it will buy Aetna in a $69 billion acquisition ($77 billion including debt), subject to approval by antitrust regulators. CVS CEO Larry Merlo said the deal would allow CVS to expand the services offered in its MinuteClinic walk-in health clinics.What does this monumental deal mean for US health care in terms of costs, insurance and the future of the industry? Insurance Business spoke to Eric Wilson, principal of health care insurance company Wilson Associates, about the possible impacts of the acquisition.This deal could help to drive health care costs down in the US, he said. Generally, if you go and see someone at a CVS quick clinic, or a similar type of health clinic, it will cost less than a trip to your doctor . If people start migrating towards those clinics, that could bring the cost of health care claims down.These days, we tend to see a lot of people opting for urgent care or emergency care services because it can take days to set up an appointment with a doctor. A quick clinic, like those run by CVS Health, is open most of the time, so we might see a migration towards quick clinic service rather than the emergency room. This would also bring claims costs down.CVS Health is not the first company to go down this road. Kaiser Permanente has a similar system that requires its health insurance policyholders to visit a specified Kaiser center for medical care. UnitedHealthcare also tried a similar move with Harken Health, where they built specified Harken Health centers.The difference is, whereas those examples had to build the infrastructure and hire people, CVS Health already has everything necessary in place. Approximately 70% of Americans live within three miles of a CVS pharmacy or quick clinic. The deal simplifies peoples access to health care, Wilson explained.There has been discussion around whether the CVS and Aetna acquisition could lead to cheaper drug prices in the US. Wilson described that as a question mark at the moment.In theory, Aetna could start to charge less for drugs because this partnership will eliminate the need for a third-party administer, or middle-man, to administer drug costs. CVS will now administer their drug plan, so that could bring drug costs down, he said. However, the drug companies in the US can be quite aggressive, so its tough to tell.Others have said this acquisition could be to the detriment of large hospital operators. Wilson disagreed with this, telling Insurance Business: If anything, it could stabilize things. One problem our hospitals have is the amount of free or uncompensated care theyre giving to people without insurance or to people who are using the emergency room as their primary care center. This deal could lead to a migration towards CVS Health clinics, which could reduce some pressure on the hospitals. Small businesses lack professional resources for response and recovery in the event of a cyber incident Californias Department of Insurance has served an accusation against Wells Fargo Bank and its insurance business, with the intent to suspend or revoke the banks licenses for alleged abusive insurance sales practices."Consumers should not be treated like chattel by corporations who take advantage of and abuse the consumers' trust," insurance commissioner Dave Jones said in a release. "Companies licensed to transact insurance have an obligation to act with integrity, to obtain consumer consent before placing insurance, to disclose relevant and material information, and to comply with all state insurance laws."A release said that the accusation is a result of an investigation opened at the request of the commissioner. The investigation found that from 2008 to 2016, Wells Fargo customers were issued about 1,500 insurance policies without their knowledge or permission.In several cases, the banks employees told customers to enter their personal information on a policy application merely to receive a quote. However, these applications would be later sent to the insurer to purchase the policy without the consumers consent, the investigation found.Reuters attempted to contact Wells Fargo for a comment on the accusation, but the bank was not immediately available for a statement. A new wildfire ignited this morning in San Diego County, which is already battling a fire that has consumed at least 85 buildings.The new fire is near Alpine, Calif., a mountain town about 30 miles east of San Diego, according to a San Diego Tribune report. The fire was still small as of this morning, but officials told the Tribune that they were marshalling numerous resources to fight it.The larger fire, about 50 miles north of San Diego, ignited Thursday and was driven by fierce winds. More than 1,000 firefighters are battling the blaze, one of several that have broken out in Southern California this week. The firefighters are being aided by seven air tankers and 15 helicopters, the Tribune reported.Authorities said that 10,000 people have been evacuated. Nine hundred are in shelters. GLOBALLY, WERE becoming increasingly connected to the internet in our homes, in our vehicles, in our pockets and purses, and in factories, hospitals, and construction sites.Internet-connect devices or, collectively, the Internet of Things [IoT] can make life more convenient and efficient. But the technology comes with risks.As the recent WannaCry and Petya global cyberattacks on corporate computer systems demonstrated, anything connected to the web poses a potential risk. And the Internet of Things could become the next hacker threat, says Adam Cottini, managing director of Arthur J. Gallagher s US cyber liability practice.The rise in connected technology has led to a growing cyber threat relating to the Internet of Things, Cottini says.This includes [cyber threats to] internetconnected devices in the home, potentially in a vehicle in medical devices, in wearable devices and in critical infrastructure.Nowhere is categorically safe from hackers, including those things you take for granted on a day-to-day basis.When you look at the home, Cottini says, some items that are important to focus on some of the most common [potential threats] are thermostats, so your heating and air-conditioning.Imagine being held ransom in your home, in either boiling hot or freezing cold temperatures, having to pay a criminal to release the controls back to you. Or, Cottini says, a homeowner away for an extended period who loses control of their home thermostat in humid conditions could return to a mold-infested house.Crooks taking over commercial refrigeration could also cause major harm, he says.And then theres the possibility which has already been witnessed that home security systems, cameras and microphones can be used to surveil and extort high-networth individuals, who often have highly connected homes.Weve seen invasion-of-privacy events even with some of the toymakers, Cottini says. People have taken over the cameras in a toy, and you can listen and eavesdrop into a conversation. And can you get a ransom out of that? Thats a possibility. That actually takes the conversation way further than just a shutdown of a system in the way of the WannaCry or Petya viruses. This can go much further.According to Nick Graf, consulting director of information security for CNA s risk control unit, modern internet-connected cars are also a dangling, shiny bauble for hackers to try to grab.Where do we see these types of [ransomware] attacks going next? Graf says. Where we see the big area [of concern] is in the Internet of Things. In a few short years, youre going to see thing like your Nest home thermostat gets hacked.There have already been examples of car hacking thats gone on, he adds. As you get automated cars, software always has vulnerabilities. I can totally imagine bad guys putting ransomware in your car, and now youve got to pay me $200 or your car is not going to start up. We think those things are likely to happen.Ransomware, which was used in the recent WannaCry and Petya attacks, is likely to be an easy tactic used by hackers in the near future. Locking a persons access to their thermostat or car could easily entice them to pay up to regain control. Though the best defense is cybersecurity, many people do actually pay. A small fee like $300 may seem cheap to get your belongings back, but thats what keeps the criminals in business.We see that, if you make the payments, they will decrypt your data, for the most part, Graff says. They just want your money. They are making millions of dollars off these schemes every year. If word got out that they werent unlocking the data, then no one would pay them after a while. Again, they want your money. They dont care about your data.In some cases, the crooks will even go to the trouble of setting a type of help desk to walk people through how to set up a bitcoin account to transfer the money, Graf adds.Theres a theory of honor among thieves, Cottini says. Recently there was an example where one of the hackers had taken the bitcoin and didnt actually give the encryption key to the victim. Then [other hackers] went after them, because the people who are involved in this expect a certain level of behavior. Top News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Announces Funding to Close on ELMS Assets BREA, Calif. - November 17, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) ("Mullen" or the "Company"), an emerging electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, announces today receipt of $150 million on Nov. 16, 2022, which will be used in part to close on ELMS assets. 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 Average retail gasoline prices in Chattanooga have fallen 4.4 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.10 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 gas outlets in Chattanooga. This compares with the national average that has fallen 2.5 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.45 per gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com. Including the change in gas prices in Chattanooga during the past week, prices on Sunday were 11.7 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 10.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on Dec. 11 in Chattanooga have ranged widely over the last five years: $1.98 per gallon in 2016, $1.71 in 2015, $2.36 in 2014, $3.13 in 2013 and $3.10 in 2012. Areas near Chattanooga and their current gas price climate: Knoxville- $2.19, down 5.4 cents per gallon from last week's $2.24. State of Tennessee- $2.22, down 3.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.26. Huntsville- $2.21, down 0.4 cents per gallon from last week's $2.21. "With the exception of some Great Lakes states where prices tend to be volatile, average gas prices moved lower in nearly the entire country in the last week," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "Thank a large build in gasoline inventories and gasoline demand numbers that have finally seen a reprieve from levels that were more consistent with summer months than autumn. With OPEC extending its oil production cuts, there is solid evidence that U.S. oil producers will fill in at least some of the void with rig counts remaining strong. As the focus continues to broaden beyond the rest of the year, motorists who found this year's gas prices high may want to begin setting aside some additional funds for next year as all signs continue to point to higher prices than this year." According to the Thai mass media, the first phase of the Sino-Thai railway Thailands first High Speed Railway (HSR) line connecting Bangkok with Nakhon Ratchasima (approximately 253 km with a top speed of 250 km/h) would begin construction in late 2017. This was announced by Deputy Transport Minister Pichit Akrathit on September 25, 2017. The projected date of completion is 2022, in sync with the Sino-Laotian railway line. This rail line will be a part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) pan-Asian railway project, a master-plan to link Thailand, China, Laos, and other East Asian states. The first phase of this project will be crucial to gauge the success of upcoming later phases, such as projected initiatives for lengthening the track from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai (355 km). Given that it is placed under the BRI, the Sino-Thai railway projects progress, successes, and challenges will be scrutinized by all stakeholders as well as the partners in other BRI projects, not just for the Sino-Thai railway but for the overall pan-Asian railway project. The construction of the initial 3.5 km railway track involves the Department of Highways (Transport Ministry) in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The following 11 km (Thailand hopes to fund this 2nd phase), 119.5 km and 119 km tracks will follow suit sequentially. The leadership meeting on this project took place between Thai Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith and Wang Xiaotao, the Vice Chairperson of Chinas National Development and Reform Commission in Tianjin. Thailand will be leading this project as its authorities (both national and local) are able to advise on bureaucratic procedures and the intricacies of raising USD 5.4 billion for the project. Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha permitted financing for the initial duration of the project in July 2017, having deployed the use of Article 44 of the countrys current transitional constitution. This extraordinary power allows the Thai PM to carry out and implement administrative commends without legal restraints. The Thais plan to issue bonds and/or take loans from banks and financial institutions, including options from a China-based bank. Meanwhile, China will take care of the technical and engineering responsibilities and also the purchasing of railway track mechanisms, as it has accumulated skills and knowledge in constructing, managing, running and maintaining railway systems, especially since China has the worlds longest HSR railway. 400 Chinese technicians and engineers have taken courses on Thai legislation and Thai code of ethics with a mandatory qualifying grade of 60%. This is part of acclimatizing Chinese workers and engineers to local conditions. The courses also introduce Chinese personnel to local culture as well as other sensitivities, as they help Chinese workers understand the local concepts of ethical behavior and corporate social responsibility. Eventually, according to the Chinese state media, the technologies and know-how will be transferred to the Thais through training institutions, including the manufacture of spare parts. This is important for a turnkey project as it would benefit both parties eventually. The Thais can acquire technical skills and the Chinese can move on to high-value added activities in partnership with Thailand in the future. The Thai government has invested in the Eastern Economic Corridor and thus railway and other infrastructure developments are a boost to such plans. In fact, this was a basis for the so-called East Asian miracle coined by the World Bank when technology and management know-how was passed from Japan and the Four Tiger Economies (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan) to developing economies (the newly emerging tigers) like Thailand and the Philippines as well as the mostly former socialist countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Thailand became Southeast Asias Detroit of the East through such exchanges. Its formidable car industry which supplies Japanese cars to most of Southeast Asia today is built up based on such turnkey projects as well as foreign direct investment. China plays this crucial role in the field of infrastructure development today. The Sino-Thai railway project is significant for Sino-Thai relations which has been enjoying good relations of late. It will contribute to friendship, confidence building measures in economic relations, as well as to people-to-peoples diplomacy when the railway is completed and starts ferrying passengers. Of course, there will be challenges too. The Sino-Thai railway will have to meet environmental needs. Thailand is a major agricultural country and is one of the worlds largest, if not the largest, rice exporters. Therefore, preserving environmental integrity will be important. The project must also be sensitive to local conditions and cultures. Therefore, emphasis has been given to training in local knowledge, bureaucratic procedures, and laws. These are crucial in developing this understanding and sensitivities. Otherwise, delays may result when procedures are not complied or cultures are not respected. Like all large projects, the Sino-Thai railway is subject to national interests, domestic political developments, and technical solutions. Right now, Thailand is hoping to be the logistic hub of Southeast Asia and this railway may have the potential to contribute to this desire. The project is perceived as being good for Thailands economic development with infrastructure-spurring business investments. The Thai government has invested in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and thus railway and other infrastructure developments are a boost to such plans. The EEC will draw Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to the region. China may also be able to build production networks with Thailand if connectivity becomes stronger through such railway projects. The railways connection between Thailand and Laos may also be able to spur economic exchanges between the two countries. Land-locked Laos wants to have access to coastal ports such as Laem Chabang within the proximity of Thailands capital city, Bangkok. This would enable Laos to export products through the global maritime trading system. Some Chinese scholars have suggested the possibility of constructing industrial parks along the railway tracks. Potentially, population centers near the railway system are possible centers of consumers and manufacturing. Such developments may then spur development in underdeveloped regions along or near the railway system. China is also keen to connect with Thailands markets, consumers and labour pools and the railway system may make this possible. Some Chinese companies, including infrastructure and construction companies, are aligned with this line of thinking. Besides them, cutting-edge companies like ecommerce giant Alibaba.com have also expressed interest in constructing logistical hubs and facilities in the vicinity of the railway system. By Gordon Deegan An Bord Pleanala has given the go-ahead for a new 40m luxury hotel for Dublins St Stephens Green despite security fears being raised by staff at the adjoining offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Dublin City Council originally backed the plan to convert Loreto Hall the site of a former womens hostel, at Number 77 St Stephens Green into a luxury hotel back in April; only for it to be blocked by an appeal by the Department. Brown Table Solutions has now been granted final approval to convert the building into an 87-bedroom hotel in spite of appeals. However, An Bord Pleanala has responded to concerns by ordering the omission of a planned penthouse suite level and one floor from the planned hotel. The planning board said the proposal would not adversely affect the character or architectural significance of the historic buildings on site or in the vicinity of the site. It also said the plan would not seriously injure the amenities of properties in the vicinity and would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience. The approval comes against the backdrop of An Taisce shouting stop to the number of hotels planned for the capital. An Taisce has also said the level of new hotel plans has reached the point of unsustainability in the context of city centre planning. However, Failte Ireland has warned there is a major threat to additional tourism in Dublin because of the acute shortage of hotel bedrooms in the city centre. Regarding the Loreto Hall plan, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it represented a gross over-development of the site and pointed out that Iveagh House regularly hosts heads of State, national and foreign dignitaries and political leaders for sensitive meetings and negotiations. The security and privacy of the Iveagh House premises is of paramount importance. The proposal to construct a bank of hotel rooms with windows facing directly into the Iveagh House offices and ballroom its main meeting room with inadequate separation distances, is of great concern, it said in its appeal. Loreto Hall went on the market last year with a guide price of 5.75m. A decade ago, tweeting was recognised by only a few hardcore social media users now it is a medium of communication favoured by a sitting US president. For Dublin money messenger app Plynk, the ultimate ambition is for the firms name to become a verb. If plynking becomes a word as recognisable as tweeting, then the financial technology (fintech) firm will have realised its ambition of having millions of users worldwide. Founded in 2015, Plynk is Europes first money messaging app offering instant person-to-person payments. Headquartered in Dublin, Plynk was co-founded by Charles Dowd and Clive Foley to remove the complexities of money transfers amongst family and friends. Think of WhatsApp with the ability to transfer money into another persons account instantaneously, and you get a pretty good idea of what Plynk is. Linked to users social networks, Plynk users can send money as a message to a single contact or in group chats instantly and with no fees. Once an account is created, users receive a payment account with a dedicated IBAN and virtual Mastercard for online payments. Mr Dowd has worked for some of the worlds largest and most impactful technology firms, including IBM, Microsoft, and Facebook, holding senior management roles in the US and Ireland over the past 25 years. He left Facebook in 2015 to establish and develop Plynk with Mr Foley. Plynk is the sound that money makes when you drop it in a jar. Were building a social network built around money, where people are paying people. We want to change the way people interact with money together. We want to be a verb, essentially, Mr Dowd said. The concept was a head-turner among investment funds and venture capitalists, who saw high potential. In May this year, Plynk raised 25m in its Series A raise from a European investment trust fund. Series A is the name typically given to a companys first significant round of venture capital financing. Considering Twitter received around 5m in investor funding at the beginning of its development in 2007, the investment into Plynk is an indication of where investors believe it can go. Following its success, KPMG referenced Plynks historic milestone in its Pulse of Fintech 2017 report. Plynk announced 40 new jobs based in its Dublin headquarters in June adding that it plans to hire across numerous departments over the next year. Mr Dowd said a drive was now on to make young people aware of how Plynk could revolutionise how they treat money and exchanging funds. Growing the brand in Europe is the next phase of the business, he added. Portugal has so far followed Ireland. We have more than 12,500 people using the service and we launched in Portugal some weeks ago. Were doing a similar approach in Portugal as we do in Ireland, which is on campuses with campus ambassadors. We have a 30-odd campus ambassador scheme based in Portugal and they are essentially recruiting in Lisbon and Porto campuses, in a similar way to how it is done in Ireland, said Mr Dowd. Here we have ambassadors pretty much on campuses all over Ireland and they have been working since the beginning of the school term essentially. Its about getting the brand out there, making sure they know who we are, recruiting users. We want this to become part of peoples lifestyle, so its not just about getting people to install Plynk, but getting people to use it. We want it to become part of peoples lives and to change the way we act around money, he said. With 25m in investment, Mr Dowd said the company would not blow itself up with unrealistic targets. The business plan you commit to with your investors should be meaningful and achievable. They want the business to be successful and are not here to say you must grow to five million people or anything like that, he said. Where we think the business can grow, and what is achievable to move on to the next phase, its always a combination of a conversation between everyone, and that the goals are appropriate for the investment you can build. Currently we have a three-year plan, thats the way we look at the world. Its hard to predict much further out, so right now we are focused on the next 12-18 months. Having Plynk available across Europe is achievable, he added. Then the sights will be set on global expansion. Right now we are a pan-European application building a consumer brand, so it does require a significant amount of cash to actually make the brand actually work. Were looking at around 11 countries across Europe, 10 in the eurozone and the UK. We, therefore, need to be in different languages and currencies, and need to appeal to a wide audience of people. Its an interesting challenge but one we definitely think is worthwhile. We want to be number one in Europe but we understand this is a global product. We want Plynk to be in every language in the world. By Ann O'Loughlin A campaigner for victims of the Troubles has launched a High Court challenge seeking clarity over the State policy on the holding of a border poll in Northern Ireland. The result of such a vote would determine if Northern Ireland unites with the Republic or remains part of the UK. The action has been brought by Raymond McCord, from Newtownabbey in Belfast whos says it is "an absolute imperative in the interests of transparency" the Irish State as well as the British Government "publish policies setting out in adequate detail the conditions and criteria for the holding of border polls on the Island of Ireland." Today, his counsel Ronan Lavery QC told Mr Justice Seamus Noonan at the High Court that looking at the demographics the "time will come" when the issue of a border poll "will have to be looked at, and looked at in an objective way". Counsel said it is not clear from the 1998 Northern Ireland Act Good Friday Agreement or Article 3.1 of the Irish Constitution if a majority in favour of a united Ireland is required in both jurisdictions on the Island of Ireland or if a combined majority of the people of Ireland is all that is required. Counsel said his client does not know if the Irish State has a policy in relation to a border poll, or if it does, what is the policy. Counsel said McIvor Farrells Solicitors for Mr McCord had written to the Irish government highlighting his concerns and requested details about the Irish government's policies on a border poll. The solicitors had not received any substantial reply from the State, counsel said. Due to this uncertainty "clarity is required" as there appeared to be "no clear policy", counsel said. As an example counsel said if there was a poll in the Republic on the question of a united Ireland it is not known who could vote. Would only people ordinarily resident in the Republic or would it be open to citizens who live elsewhere or people who have resided here for a certain period. Counsel said Mr McCord has brought similar proceedings before the Belfast High Court against the Northern Ireland Secretary of State over the lack of clarity or criteria in which a border poll can be called. Mr McCord, a unionist who holds both Irish and British citizenship, says he is a strong advocate of the Good Friday Agreement which he hoped would bring about a peaceful and democratic era for all the people on the Island of Ireland. He said he has recently become concerned about the undermining of the Good Friday Agreement, particularly the "damaging effect the UK's withdrawal from the EU," will have on the "ongoing relative stability and peace process." Mr McCord has also expressed his concerns about the current political arrangement between the DUP and British Government and how that could impede the holding of a border poll. In his action against An Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Government of Ireland, the Attorney General and Ireland, Mr McCord seeks various declarations including that the State's failure to have policy on a border poll is a breach of the Good Friday Agreement and is unlawful. He also seeks a declaration that a failure by the Irish State to confirm that a simple majority of the people of Northern Ireland voting in favour of a united Ireland is the only precedent required for the purpose of the unification of Ireland is a breach of the Good Friday Agreement. In the alternative he seeks a declaration that where a simple majority of the people of Northern Ireland vote in favour of a united Ireland in a Border Poll the Irish State must hold a border poll in the Republic immediately after a border vote in the North. The action has been brought on grounds including that as co-custodians of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement the Irish Government have allegedly failed to disclose or publish policies on central elements of the agreement relating to the holding and calling of a border poll. Mr McCord also argues failure to have or provide the policies if they exist is unreasonable or irrational. Permission to bring the action against the Irish State was granted on an ex-parte basis by Mr Justice Noonan. It will come back before the court in February. Mr McCord is a long-time campaigner for justice for his son and other victims of the Troubles. In 1997 his eldest son, Raymond McCord Jnr, was murdered by the UVF. In 2007, the NI Police Ombudsman concluded in a report that there was collusion between the RUC and the UVF in respect of his son's and other murders. Despite US attitudes, this weeks gathering in France will attempt to finance real measures to slow the process of climate change, writes Laurence Tubiana Nearly two years have passed since Frances then-foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, struck his gavel and declared: The Paris agreement for the climate is accepted. This week, President Emmanuel Macron and the French government will host world leaders and non-state actors for the One Planet Summit. The purpose of this gathering is to celebrate climate gains made since 2015, and to boost political and economic support for meeting the goals and targets of the Paris agreement. The Paris climate agreement, a historic feat of diplomacy that ushered in a new era of international climate collaboration, was facilitated by a number of political and social forces. One of the most influential of these was a group of more than 100 countries known as the high-ambition coalition, which helped finalise the deal in the waning days of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21). This diverse coalition of leaders from the richest countries to the most vulnerable Pacific island states broke a political deadlock that had impeded climate progress for years, if not decades. As we reflect on that success, one thing is abundantly clear: the need for ambitious coalitions has returned. Strong global leadership on climate change scored a diplomatic victory two years ago, and today, new economic and political alliances are needed to turn those commitments into action. The diplomatic success of the Paris accord is worthy of praise in its own right; it was a remarkable leap forward in the fight against climate change. But we must not rest on our laurels. With the US, the worlds largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, dismissive of the accord, the rest of the global community must reaffirm its commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Dramatic, meaningful, immediate steps must be taken. The best available science estimates that the world has only three years to begin a permanent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions if there is to be any hope of achieving the Paris accords goal of keeping warming to well below 2C relative to pre-industrial levels. And, whatever urgency science cannot convey is being communicated by the planet itself through a ferocious display of hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and deadly droughts. Given the immediacy of the challenge, what can and should be done to avert crisis? Solutions start with money, and a main objective of the One Planet Summit is to mobilise public and private financing to fund projects that can reduce climate-changing pollution today. During the summits Climate Finance Day, companies, banks, investors, and countries will announce new initiatives to help fund the costly transition to a carbon-free future. Hollow promises will have no place at this gathering; only real commitments of real money for tangible projects will be discussed. As a result, we hope to see hundreds of millions of dollars committed by governments to fund solutions across all fronts of the climate-change battle. Plenty will go to renewable-energy projects, but money will also be committed to clean transportation, agriculture, infrastructure, and urban systems. Funding will also be earmarked for projects that help protect communities that are most vulnerable to the impact of global warming. The One Planet Summit will be an occasion for countries, companies, and private institutions to forge concrete strategies to shift away from fossil fuels. At the UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, last month, 20 countries, led by Canada and the UK, announced plans to phase out coal from electricity generation. The gathering in Paris will provide an opportunity for other countries to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance, which aims to formalize a deliberate transition from coal, and to help companies achieve net-zero emissions. Ultimately, this weeks summit should be a place where governments, businesses, investors, and other key stakeholders collaborate and share ideas, showcase successful projects, and coordinate goals. This event should not stand alone, but rather serve as a springboard for international meetings that will take place over the next few years. After all, it is during this short timeframe that the fate of the Paris accords temperature targets will be determined. Two years after the adoption of a groundbreaking climate agreement, global leaders are set to reconvene in the City of Light. When they arrive, their collective ambition will be needed once more. This time, however, the goal must be to ensure that past agreements amount to more than just words on a page. Laurence Tubiana, a former French ambassador to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, is CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a professor at Sciences Po, Paris Greeces former finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, says bourgeois liberal bleatings have long overlooked the attacks on the living conditions of working-class people. The Anglospheres political atmosphere is thick with bourgeois outrage. In the US, the so-called liberal establishment is convinced it was robbed by an insurgency of deplorables weaponised by Russian president Vladimir Putins hackers and Facebooks sinister inner workings. In Britain, too, an incensed bourgeoisie are pinching themselves that support for leaving the EU in favour of an inglorious isolation remains undented, despite a process that can only be described as a dogs Brexit. The range of analysis is staggering. The rise of militant parochialism on both sides of the Atlantic is being investigated from every angle imaginable: Psychoanalytically, culturally, anthropologically, aesthetically, and, of course, in terms of identity politics. The only angle that is left largely unexplored is the one that holds the key to understanding what is going on: The unceasing class war unleashed upon the poor since the late 1970s. In 2016, the year of both Brexit and Trump, two pieces of data, dutifully neglected by the shrewdest of establishment analysts, told the story. In the US, more than half of American families did not qualify, according to Federal Reserve data, to take out a loan that would allow them to buy the cheapest car for sale (the Nissan Versa sedan, priced at $12,825). Meanwhile, in the UK, over 40% of families relied on either credit or food banks to feed themselves and cover basic needs. William of Ockham, the 14th century British philosopher, famously postulated that, when bamboozled in the face of competing explanations, we ought to opt for the one with the fewest assumptions and the greatest simplicity. For all the deftness of establishment commentators in the US and Britain, they seem to have neglected this principle. Loath to recognise the intensified class war, they bang on interminably with conspiracy theories about Russian influence, spontaneous bursts of misogyny, the tide of migrants, the rise of the machines, and so on. While all of these fears are highly correlated with the militant parochialism fueling Trump and Brexit, they are only tangential to the deeper cause class war against the poor alluded to by the car affordability data in the US and the credit-dependence of much of Britains population. True, some relatively affluent middle-class voters also supported Trump and Brexit. But much of that support rode on the coattails of the fear caused by observing the classes just below theirs plunge into despair and loathing, while their own childrens prospects dimmed. Twenty years ago, the same liberal commentators were cultivating the impossible dream that globalising financialised capitalism would deliver prosperity for most. At a time when capital was becoming more concentrated on a global scale, and more militant against non-owners of assets, they were declaring the class war over. As the working class was growing in size worldwide, even though its jobs and employment prospects were shrinking in the Anglosphere, these elites behaved as if class were passe. The 2008 financial collapse and the subsequent Great Recession buried that dream. Still, liberals ignored the undeniable fact that the gigantic losses incurred by the quasi-criminal financial sector were cynically transferred onto the shoulders of a working class they thought no longer mattered. For all their self-image as progressives, the elites readiness to ignore widening class divisions, and to replace it with class-blind identity politics, was the greatest gift to toxic populism. In Britain, the Labour Party (under Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and Edward Miliband) was too coy even to mention the post-2008 intensification of the class war against the majority, leading to the rise across the Labour heartland of the UK Independence Party (Ukip), with its Brexit parochialism. Polite society seemed not to give a damn that it had become easier to get into Harvard or Cambridge if you were black than if you were poor. They deliberately ignored that identity politics can be as divisive as apartheid if allowed to act as a lever for overlooking class conflict. Trump had no compunction to speak clearly about class, and to embrace however deceitfully those too poor to buy a car, let alone send their children to Harvard. Brexiteers, too, embraced the great unwashed, reflected in images of Ukip leader Nigel Farage drinking in pubs with average blokes. And when large swaths of the working class turned against the establishments favorite sons and daughters (the Clintons, the Bushes, the Blairs, and the Camerons), endorsing militant parochialism, the commentariat blamed the riffraffs illusions about capitalism. But it was not illusions about capitalism that led to the discontent that fueled Trump and Brexit. Rather, it is the disillusion with middle-of-the-road politics of the kind that intensified the class war against them. Predictably, the embrace of the working class by Trump and the Brexiteers was always going to arm them with electoral power that, sooner or later, would be deployed against working-class interests and, of course, minorities always the penchant of populism in power, from the 1930s to today. Trump has used his working-class support to attempt scandalous tax reforms, whose naked ambition is to help the plutocracy while millions of Americans face reduced health coverage and, as the federal budget deficit balloons, higher long-term tax bills. Similarly, Britains Tory government, which has espoused Brexits populist aims, has recently announced another multi-billion-pound reduction in social security, education, and tax credits for the working poor. Those cuts are matched exactly by reductions in corporate and inheritance tax cuts. Today, establishment opinion-makers, who scornfully rejected the pertinence of social class, have contributed to a political environment in which class politics was never more pertinent, toxic, and less discussed. Speaking on behalf of a ruling class comprising financial experts, bankers, corporate representatives, media owners, and big industry functionaries, they act exactly as if their goal were to deliver the working classes into the grubby hands of the populists and their empty promise of making America and Britain great again. The only prospect for civilising society and detoxifying politics is a new political movement that harnesses on behalf of a new humanism the burning injustice that class war manufactures. Judging by its callous treatment of US Senator Bernie Sanders and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the liberal establishment seems to fear such a movement more than it does Trump and Brexit. Yanis Varoufakis, a former finance minister of Greece, is Professor of Economics at the University of Athens The leader of an Italian party that hopes to capitalise on growing resentment of migrants and asylum-seekers told supporters it would be "splendid" if he wins national elections and his government can issue one-way tickets home to undeserving refugees. Matteo Salvini wants to propel his anti-migrant Northern League, which was founded in 1991 as a regional party in Italy's affluent north, to its first premiership in the national election set for early 2018. To do so, Mr Salvini needs to build support in the south, an underdeveloped area of Italy the League has long denigrated as living off government aid. Many of the thousands of people who turned out for his Rome rally today did come from southern Italy. One of them was Adriana Domeniconi, who travelled by bus from Matera in the "instep" of the boot-shaped Italian peninsula. "We're no longer about north vs. south, but against those invading our country," she said. Ms Domeniconi was referring to the hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers and economic migrants that have received shelter in Italy after being rescued at sea from traffickers' boats setting out from the Libyan coast. Opinion surveys have found that many Italians blame the newcomers for crime. "The Salvini government will have the (nation's) doors wide open for women and children who are fleeing war, but not for those bringing war to our home," Mr Salvini told the rally. For the latter, "we need one-way tickets to send them back". The advertised goal of the rally was to oppose a proposed citizenship law that the centre-left, Democrat-led government of premier Paolo Gentiloni is supporting in Parliament before the legislature's term expires in March. AP French baby-milk maker Lactalis has ordered a global recall of millions of products over fears of salmonella bacteria contamination. The company, one of the largest dairy products groups in the world, said it has been warned by health authorities in France that 26 infants have become sick since December 1. Spokesman Michel Nalet told The Associated Press today that the "precautionary" recall both in France and abroad affected "several million" products made since mid-February. The company said a possible source of the outbreak has been identified in a tower used to dry out the milk at a production site. Lactalis employs 75,000 people in 85 countries, with a turnover of 17bn. The symptoms of salmonella infection include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and fever. - AP Cumberland Caverns, together with RCS Productions, announce Cumberland Caverns Live, a new concert series taking place in the historic Cumberland Caverns Volcano Room. The series will kick off on Feb. 3 with Front Country and John Stickley Trio followed by Chris Knight and Travis Meadows on Feb. 25, Mothers Finest on March 10, Shawn Mullins on March 17, Secret Sisters and Lilly Hiatt on April 14, and High Valley on May 12. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday via CumberlandCaverns.com. Additional artists and performance dates will be announced in the coming weeks. For over 55 years Cumberland Caverns Historic Volcano Room has hosted a wide array of musicians. This room 333 below the surface, has caught the attention of the music industry for its near-perfect acoustics presented with a backdrop of formations and beauty, said officials. Forbes, Time, and Jetsetter have included music at Cumberland Caverns on some of their most prestigious lists of places you dont want to miss. Youre not just coming for a concert at a cave when you visit Cumberland Caverns Live, said General Manager Robby Black. you are embarking on a memory-making journey with friends and family. When we say, our musical roots run deep, at 333 underground, were not kidding. In addition to a new concert series, Cumberland Caverns and RCS Productions are focused on bringing an elevated experience to concert attendees when they are welcomed back in 2018. Officials said changes include: Smoother Check-In Experience New directional signage, early entry options, a more guest friendly check-in process and paperless ticketing will equate to a better event for guests from start to finish Improved Seating Options Existing seating is being replaced with expanded and more comfortable options in all areas of the room Updated Menu Items In addition to Cave Chili, the Volcano Room will now offer an expanded list of healthy options such as soups, salads, and wraps Concert announcements and updates will be available at CumberlandCaverns.com and the Cumberland Caverns Live Facebook page. The German government has condemned anti-Semitic incidents that took place during protests in recent days. The demonstrations were called in response to President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital and the announced move of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. That is not to say that back at global headquarters in San Francisco, Google is not anxiously watching the final twists and turns on Capitol Hill as the two houses of the US parliament struggle to finalise the most comprehensive overhaul of the tax system in decades. Of particular concern is the move by a growing group of senators to cut sharply the value of business tax credits associated with R&D, intellectual property and capital expenditure. There is a growing group in the Senate who are not happy with how US corporations are using these credits to effectively bring current corporate tax rates well below the current headline rate of 35%. If the new tax legislation is passed, maximum headline rates will fall to 20%, but with the tax credits applied, the effective rates will fall well below this level. Googles 2016 financial accounts show that on its global sales of $90.3bn, it paid $4.7bn in corporation tax an effective rate of 19%, despite the low level paid in Ireland. If the new US tax legislation is passed without any changes to the tax credits regime, the effective US corporation tax rate would be slashed to 4% for Google, which spent just under $14bn last year on R&D. For many companies, particularly those in the technology, pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors, this is a game changer. Martin Shanahan and his colleagues at IDA Ireland will be worried at this turn of events as it is likely to take the gloss off Ireland as an inward investment location. Mr Shanahan sees Google as one of the jewels in the crown of inward investment, with employment continuing to expand over the past year to now stand at 7,000 people here. The number of permanent staff grew by 300 to 3,500 over the past 12 months, with the balance of the increase coming from contract staff. Although its tax position raises eyebrows in many quarters, the company has been a hugely positive presence in Ireland. The issue is, of course, of wider concern, as the vast majority of our corporation taxes, our exports sales, and half of our employment in businesses, comes from US multinationals based in Ireland. The implementation of the new US tax legislation could see a stagnation of growth here, as US corporations seeing no tax advantage here may start to cut back on overseas investment in favour of America first delivering on Donald Trumps key campaign promise. However, lobbying continues in full swing by all the major US companies and we can expect further twists in the legislation before it is sent to the White House for sign off. House and Senate lawmakers also have to grapple with other potential sticking points, including President Trumps recent tweet of his preference for a 22% rate and his likely entering into the outstanding issue of tax on repatriation of foreign earnings. Regardless of which way the US legislators sign off on the new tax bill, the European Union still has major concerns with the level of tax being paid in Europe by digital giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon and continue to push for them to pay their fair share of tax. The EU finance ministers last week requested the European Commission to tackle the issue by considering an equalisation tax on services provided by the non-resident hard to tax digital sector. This is backed by bigger countries such as France and Germany, but opposed by Ireland and others, who want to wait for co-ordinated action at a global level with the OECD. John Whelan is an expert in global trade We are currently losing the battle to curb the growth in CO2 emissions. We continue to run up a huge import bill, around 6bn annually, while exposing ourselves to heavy fines for breaches of limits set at EU level. Over the past two years, Irelands total emissions have increased by 7%. We are now back to levels last seen in 2009. This is simply not good enough. Last week, the Climate Change Advisory Council issued a call to arms report which included a recommendation that carbon taxes be increased substantially. The council, which is chaired by John FitzGerald, also called for a rebalancing in transport expenditure away from roads and towards public transport. Presenting the report, Mr FitzGerald singled out for attention the large subsidies just over 120m a year handed over to the peat industry. Of the 318m levied in 2015 on consumers of electricity, 121m was allocated to supporting peat production which is highly damaging from an environmental perspective. At the same time, the country has been far too slow to diversify away from oil and gas when it comes to the heating of homes. Carbon sources heat up almost 40% of our homes. Coincidentally, or otherwise, the Climate Action Minister, Denis Naughten announced, last week, that a nationwide ban on the sale of smoky coal would take effect in 2019. It is 30 years since Mary Harney pushed through a prohibition on the use of smoky coal in urban areas, a move which was made in the face of considerable opposition from business and political interests, but whose implementation led to a big reduction in the prevalence of respiratory diseases. Change comes slowly in Ireland. Mr Naughten has shown courage. His own rural and small town Roscommon constituency will be affected by the changes. The opposition to change is strong. Michael Healy-Rae TD has warned against attempts to push through pro-environment policies. You can only shove people so much they will push back, he told TV3 viewers days ago, echoing the protest politics that has such impact across the Western world. The Healy-Raes, in particular, know a thing or two about the business of harvesting votes by reaping the fruits of discontent. Peat growers have proved themselves to be particularly stubborn adversaries, witness the success west of the Shannon of the Ming Flanagan dynasty. Mainstream politicians are still scalded after the water saga. It would be a pleasant surprise, indeed, if the climate change groups proposals were to be implemented any time soon yet unthinking, unblinking resistance to change carries a huge, largely hidden price tag attached to it. One analyst, Joseph Curtin, of the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) has calculated that we could face fines of between 3.7bn and 5.5bn cumulatively by 2030 if no further action is taken to reduce emissions. In some areas, progress is being made. Mr FitzGerald has insisted that the increased reliance on wind energy is acting to reduce the price of electricity to customers. Here, he is in disagreement with UCD economist and commentator, Colm McCarthy. Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, points out that the real culprit behind our high utility bills is our uniquely disbursed patterns of settlement. We are paying for all these wires and not just the power they carry, he said. But the road ahead to a reduced carbon future could be bumpy. The switch to electric cars could prove transformative on several fronts, but some experts estimate that it will lead to a one quarter increase in electricity consumption. A big positive is that technology is playing a major part in reducing the cost of renewable energy, with the emergence of new carbon storage technologies. Farming-related Co2 emissions are a particular issue for Ireland which has been pressing ahead with a policy of output expansion that threatens to clash with its climate action commitments. Food Wise 2025 projects Irish agri- exports to grow to 19bn a year by 2025. This represents a rise of 85% on the current three year average. Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has warned against a produce at all cost approach. Recent growth in Irish milk production is the opposite of heeding market signals, he has said. He has also pointed out that in the recently published Climate Change performance indicator, Ireland had fallen to 49th place out of 56 countries. Ireland was, according to Mr Hogan, sleepwalking towards further EU fines by our lack of investment in the energy grid. And farmers will face a changed, greener CAP regime. The agricultural sector needs to urgently step up to the plate, Mr Hogan, who has shifted towards a pro-environment position, perhaps influenced by continental European colleagues, said. According to Alan Matthews, economist and member of the Climate Change Commission, a carbon tax signal should be sent to farmers in the form of a tax on excessive emissions and/or subsidies to farmers who sequester, or store, carbon on their land. The key here is that carrots should be on offer as well as sticks. Mr Matthews also proposes incentives for producers who improve efficiency through better grassland management, feed efficiency and the greater use of cover crops. Teagasc is already carrying out extensive research examining the potential of carbon sinks, such as forests. They believe that there is potential to cut net emissions by 25% to 35% using carbon sinks. However, there is plenty of resistance, not least amongst farmers, who consider afforestation to be an admission of failure. In truth, we need more younger farmers and this will require not simply more incentives but an alteration in the balance of power between suppliers and large retailers, something which Mr Hogan, for one, has identified as a priority. The country is beginning to wake up to the challenge of providing an environmentally sustainable future. However, events on both the weather and the EU financial front are moving with rapidity. Can the people be persuaded of the need to step up the pace of adaptation before the really large bills fall due? Already accepted in mainstream education as a pre-eminent source of future employment and careers, the penny has also dropped amongst adults as to its gathering consequence for the generation of tomorrow. Research carried out for Science Foundation Irelands Tech Week, earlier this year, showed the vast majority of Irish adults, over 89%, now believe that getting an education in STEM- related subjects is important in offering wider career opportunities in the future. As we forge ahead into an imminent world of robotics, drones, self-driving cars and virtual reality, almost three-quarters surveyed welcomed this new age built upon STEM innovations. Just over a decade ago, we didnt imagine many of the jobs that now exist today through technology, according to Jim Friars, chief executive of the Irish Computer Society. The message we want to communicate is that STEM-related studies will help you to improve and shape students future job prospects. He added that it is essential to ensure that an awareness of the myriad of opportunities that exist for females in technology-related disciplines is promoted. This should serve as a method of narrowing the gender gap and opening up new talent to employers while contributing to overall skills availability. In their central role at the coalface of providing graduate opportunities, third level institutions are witnessing, first-hand, the significant increase in demand for suitably qualified candidates. The demand for STEM graduates is booming, according to Michael Loftus, head of faculty of engineering and science at the Cork Institute of Technology. Such is the level of requirement from industry, the major challenge currently facing the institute is how to produce more STEM graduates. STEM graduates feature at the top of the earnings list, with many of them securing employment long before completing their final examinations. Over 91% of CIT graduates find paid employment or enter further study within nine months of graduating. I WISH is an initiative encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEM, supported by Science Foundation Ireland and which harnesses the combined power of industry, academia and the public sector. The world is facing incredible challenges in the next decade over population, food shortages, urbanisation, climate change, ageing populations and we know that the answer to all of these problems lies in STEM, said I WISH co-founder Gillian Keating. Donal Sullivan, site manager and vice president at Cork-headquartered Johnson Controls, believes the rate of gender change needs to swiftly increase to benefit future needs. We know that innovation spikes where there is balance across our male and female workforce, and we see the positive outcomes of that every day in our R&D, tech comms and IT organisations as well as in our wider business functions. Brian MacCraith of DCU, and chairperson of the STEM Education Review Group, underlines the need for greater engagement to meet the necessary global standard currently established. The overall levels of performance in STEM subjects are not good enough if we aim to provide the best for our nations children, and to sustain our economic ambitions for the future. A step-change in STEM outcomes is required throughout the educational system if we are to move to optimum levels of performance, he said. Ireland needs to take an early and more rounded approach to fostering an interest among male and female students in STEM to remain competitive over the next decade, according to Mari Cahalane, head of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. We have long campaigned that STEM subjects are for everyone, and that it is not necessary to be an A student to have a career in STEM. Ireland has an enormous opportunity as we are already seen as leading the way in innovative developments but we need to foster an earlier interest in it amongst students. Figures from the Department of Social Protection show 39,500 was spent housing just one Cork family under its exceptional needs payment scheme. The scale of the payments has prompted fresh calls for money to instead be spent on keeping vulnerable families in their rental accommodation. Highlighting the growth of the homelessness crisis outside of Dublin, the department revealed that the amount it has paid out under exceptional needs payments to people in hotels, hostels, and B&Bs nationally to the middle of October this year is already more than double the figure last year up from 1.5m to over 3.1m. While the bill for families living in hotels and other forms of emergency accommodation in the capital is co-ordinated through the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, in co-operation with the four local authorities, different systems operate elsewhere. Thanks to historical arrangements with the Community Welfare Services, the money paid to house homeless families in some other parts of the country is covered by exceptional needs payments, with the issue most acute in Cork. Looking at aggregate payments to house people and families in emergency accommodation, eight of the 10 highest payments so far relate to families in Cork, equating to 248,000 in total up to October 20. The other two payments were for 34,000 to house a family in Clare and 29,500 spent so far this year to house a family in Limerick. The corresponding amount spent on all 10 families last year was 30,500, indicating that most of the families only became the subject of exceptional needs payments late last year or early this year. Focus Irelands service manager for Cork and Limerick, Ger Spillane, said the amount of money spent on housing homeless people and families had nothing to do with the individuals involved and instead reflected the madness of the current system. Not all of the families, but a good portion of them, would have lost their tenancy because the rent went up, said Mr Spillane. Its actually cheaper to pay the extra rent than put them in a hostel or B&B. He said Focus Ireland operates a social rental model in Limerick designed to keep people in their tenancies and avoiding becoming homeless, topping up other payments to meet market rents. Mr Spillane said there seemed to be a view that the Government could not be seen to allow landlords to profit from the housing crisis by making similar top-up payments, but he said the contradiction was that hotels were benefiting from the same situation. The payments covered in the Freedom of Information request cover both Cork city and county areas, although most relate to city placements. A spreadsheet showed the monthly payments made with regard to various placements and also highlights the variety of costs on offer, from one cent for a week-long stay in November/ December last year to 4,420 to cover a two-week stay at the start of June this year. More payments, and a greater number of larger payments, are visible in recent months. The Homeless Persons Unit provides a central placement system for those presenting as homeless in Cork City on behalf of and funded by Cork City Council. The exceptional needs payments are made by the department, but on a monthly basis a summary of accommodation costs are submitted to the city council for reimbursement. Historical arrangements are in place in Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, where community welfare officers work in conjunction with the local authorities homeless units. The department said that these arrangements with the local authorities are currently under review. His comments came after reports that some hardline Brexiteers in the UK had been assured by the British government that the term full alignment was meaningless. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Davis moved to calm fears of hardline leavers who were alarmed by a section of the agreement with Brussels which said Britain would have full alignment with the EU on regulations and standards that impacted on Northern Ireland. Mr Davis insisted that the phrase had been changed from non-divergence which would have meant cutting and pasting rules from Brussels. He said full alignment meant reaching similar outcomes, stating: We want to protect the peace process and we also want to protect Ireland from the impact of Brexit for them. This was a statement of intent more than anything else. Much more a statement of intent than it was a legally enforceable thing. Mr Daviss stance is likely to raise eyebrows Ireland after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described Britains commitments to ensure no return to a hard border as politically bullet-proof and cast-iron. Mr Davis insisted the UK would keep a frictionless border with the Republic even if there is no trade deal. He told the BBC that the chances of Britain leaving the EU without a trade deal have dropped dramatically. The odds, as it were, against a WTO, or no deal outcome, have dropped dramatically, he said. Mr Davis also insisted Britain will not pay a 39bn (44bn) exit bill to Brussels unless there is a trade deal. The comments appeared to contradict those of chancellor Philip Hammond who has said it would be inconceivable the UK would fail to honour its international obligations. Pressed on Mr Hammonds remarks, Mr Davis said: No. It is conditional on an outcome. I am afraid that wasnt quite right. It is conditional. It is conditional on getting an implementation period. Conditional on a trade outcome. No deal means that we wont be paying the money. When asked at a Commons treasury committee meeting last week whether Britains divorce bill was contingent on a trade deal, Mr Hammond said: Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed in this negotiation. But I find it inconceivable that we as a nation would be walking away from an obligation that we recognised as an obligation. That is not a credible scenario. That is not the kind of country we are. Frankly, it would not make us a credible partner for future international agreements. Mr Davis said a trade deal was not that complicated. Meanwhile, former chancellor Ken Clarke said British prime minister Theresa May needs to face down the hard-right extremist Brexiteers in Conservative ranks. He told the BBC: I cant see how we are going to get to a sensible conclusion without, eventually, facing down the ones that wont compromise. The ones that just keep reciting nonsense. James Brokenshire said a new customs partnership could be established or a highly streamlined approach to customs could be taken post-Brexit. We set out two proposals in relation to how we would deal with the issue of tariffs, how we would deal with those sorts of elements in relation to customs, whether that be a new customs partnership where we would effectively apply a similar or the same tariff that the EU currently applies to goods coming into the EU, or a highly streamlined approach with effectively exemptions that would apply for small business, Mr Brokenshire told Sky News. It comes after the Government came out strongly to claim Ireland and the EU would be holding the UK to the agreement reached over the border. Reacting to comments made by Brexit secretary David Davis, who said Fridays deal was a statement of intent rather than a legally binding agreement, a number of ministers maintained that the progress document had ensured that there will be no hard border. Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee said that, as far as the Government was concerned, Fridays agreement is what will happen. Its very, very clear, in the absence of UK being able to negotiate this free-standing, close personal relationship and trade arrangement with the rest of the EU, there will be a fall-safe in that areas that pertain to the single market and the customs union that are linked not just to the Good Friday agreement, but also the area of co-operation North and South, not just now but into the future, would be aligned, she said. Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said: We set out our stall very early on in the context of these negotiations on what we wanted from phase one. That was accepted by the negotiating team as a critical foundation into the future. We have achieved everything that we set out. We negotiated in good faith, we had a hierarchy of objectives, the critical one from our point of view was that there would be no hard border. Government chief whip Joe McHugh said Ireland has the solid support of other EU states over the border. Kathleen OToole said the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland (Patten Commission) had pressed for this measure and that its creation was key to setting up the PSNI. Ms Toole sat on the Patten Commission and said she and the rest of the members of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland were determined their report would not just gather dust. Speaking before the commissions first major public consultation in Cork tomorrow evening, Ms OToole said: An oversight body was established after Patten to ensure that everything is implemented. Certainly, we will make a recommendation on the need for such a body to implement our report. We do not want this report to sit on a shelf and gather dust. The commission is conducting a major review of policing, including recruitment and training, its structures and function, technology, leadership and the entire issue of accountability and oversight. It is due to complete its report by September 2018. The public consultation in Boole 1 lecture theatre in UCC at 7pm on Tuesday is to be moderated by criminal justice expert Professor Caroline Fennell. It is the first of eight such meetings around the country between now and January, with the second in Athlone this Thursday. It is part of a wider consultation, including written submissions, with the deadline for receipt of all such entries being the end of January. People should be the ones who set the agenda, said Ms OToole. We want to listen to ordinary people. I am a strong advocate of that. It was the same with the Patten Commission, where we also had extensive public consulation. She said the commission had been conducting research and compiling data since it started work and was examining best practice in other countries. I t had set up five subcommittees: Governance, oversight, and accountability. Recruitment, training, and professional development. The role of policing examining civil policing, immigration, and security. Technology and digital innovation. Leadership and structures. From February, it would conduct analysis of the consultation process and sometime after spring, start writing its report and deliberating on its recommendations. She said she hoped the external review of the Department of Justice ordered recently by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar would feed into the work of the commission. The commission is examining the relationship between the department and the gardai (as well as the Policing Authority and the Garda Inspectorate). We will examine, are the stuctures effective, who is playing what role and how are they operating? she said. She said the Taoiseachs external review was reporting by Christmas and also had a much wider remit than the commission. We will follow very closely the review and will keep strong lines of communication open with them, Ms OToole said. She pointed out that she sat on the Toland Review, which examined the department in 2014. Brexit minister David Davis described the phase one Brexit agreement, signed on Friday, which promised to prevent a hard border with the North, as a statement of intent rather than a legally-binding deal. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the agreement as politically bulletproof, claiming it ensures there will be no return to a hard border and last night a spokesman said the EU would be holding the UK to this commitment, Chattanoogas newest data center, DC BLOX, held its first IT business connection event last week. This event launched the first of several planned events designed to bring area IT professionals together with major technology companies. In collaboration with Comcast and Ciena, DC BLOX hosted regional IT professionals at their site. The company provided tours of their new data center as well as the Ciena demonstration truck. Both Comcast and DC BLOX presented their capabilities via presentations to more than 35 local Chattanooga IT professionals. Since we opened our new data center here, more and more large data-focused companies have shown their interested in utilizing our network and Chattanoogas robust fiber infrastructure, said Benny Middleton, Tennessee director of business development for DC BLOX. We are bringing technology businesses together in the ideal location. The more connections that are built with national carriers, the greater the chances are for major content providers like Netflix and Hulu to see this area as prime real estate. This would not only mean faster services in the home but regional economic development. Connections with companies like Comcast and Ciena vastly improve an areas technological capabilities and offer easily-accessible data services to businesses. These types of partnerships tie to our company strategy of edge connected data centers bringing technology advantages to mid-tier cities across the Southeast. DC BLOX creates and operates edge data centers providing customers with the ability to securely backup, transfer and restore information while syncing in real-time. The company is able to move data in hours or minutes instead of days by utilizing cloud-based services. In the event of a crisis or emergency situation, their clients sensitive information is warehoused outside of an impact zone resulting in safe storage, said officials. The Atlanta-based company expanded into Chattanooga earlier this year and held a ribbon-cutting in September. To find out more about DC BLOX, call (877) 590-1684, visit www.dcBLOX.com or follow DC BLOX on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Julie Shynkarenka, a former language teacher, journalist, and entrepreneur who first volunteered with the charity, lived for many years in one of the most highly radioactive contaminated regions of Belarus. She says her family had no idea of the seriousness of the Chernobyl disaster as it was kept totally hidden from them and remained surrounded in secrecy for many years afterwards; however, all of them have suffered from the consequences of the catastrophic explosion. Julie grew up in Gomel, a city of 520,000 residents, the second largest city in Belarus, which was directly in the path of the deadly fall-out from the Chernobyl nuclear accident of April 26, 1986. Gomel, just 130km from Chernobyl, suffered serious contamination from the explosion, with an alarming rise in illnesses linked to high levels of radiation exposure. Today, Gomel is a leading centre of radiation medicine, where efforts continue to cope with the catastrophic consequences of Chernobyl. Julie and her family were among the thousands of victims of the disaster. Chernobyl is located just across the border in Ukraine but those of us who lived in the path of the radioactive cloud that came with the wind into our country have lived with the consequences of that terrible disaster all of our lives, she says. The full scale of the Chernobyl accident only emerged years later, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Ireland, led by Chernobyl Children International, became one of the first countries to offer emergency relief to the victims and survivors of the nuclear accident. In 1993, Julie was sent to Italy for a month-long recuperation programme by a local relief organisation based in Gomel. She was suffering from serious eyes defect and had almost lost her sight. Her sister, Anna, had problems with her thyroid glands and bones. She recalls: The awful truth is that when Chernobyl happened, people in Belarus knew nothing about its impact or seriousness. All information about it was hidden and kept secret. Every spring and summer we would go to live with our grandparents in the village of Rechytsa, which is even nearer Chernobyl and grow our own vegetables, unaware that we were sowing them in contaminated ground. I remember the first weekend after the explosion we were working on our grandparents farm, sowing potatoes. We knew nothing about the disaster which had taken place so near us. We had no idea that it was going to cause us so much tragedy. We were completely failed by the state. What happened in her country makes Julie both very sad and very angry. The fallout from Chernobyl caused huge economic, social, environmental, and health problems. There was huge disruption and dislocation with thousands of people becoming environmental refugees as they were forced to move out of the most contaminated areas. Julie graduated from Gomel State University in 2001 and worked for a time as a language teacher. She went to Dublin to study tourism management and marketing in 2002, afterwards working with the investment firm Oyster Capital Partners. She later became a presenter and journalist with the first Russian internet TV station in Dublin 2Dublin.tv. She was immediately impressed by the work that Irish people had been doing for children in Belarus affected by the Chernobyl disaster. I almost couldnt believe it, she says. I became aware of what Irish volunteers with Adi Roches Chernobyl Children International were doing all over Belarus, even in my own hometown of Gomel, and I offered to help in any way I could. Julie began to work as a volunteer with the charity, making several trips back to Belarus in recent years in the company of Ms Roche, board member Ali Hewson, and teams of Irish volunteers working to improve the lives of vulnerable children. It is an unending struggle to find the resources to support the programmes which CCI has established and is providing in my country, says Julie. And it is a great honour to be appointed to the board of directors. Irish people have played an extraordinary role in helping the child victims of Chernobyl, many of whom were abandoned in grim orphanages, suffer from the most serious illnesses and have to cope with severe disabilities. It is inspiring to witness what has and is being done to improve their lives in even the remotest villages in my country. Commenting on the appointment, Ms Roche said: Being a native of Belarus, Julie has an added understanding that will hugely benefit the organisation in terms of local negotiations and relationship building. However, most importantly, Julie has lived through the fallout from Chernobyl and is an inspiration for so many like her who continue to live in its dark shadow. Let Me Tell You is a new bespoke podcast series from Hosts Daniel McConnell and Paul Hosford take a look back at some of the most dramatic moments in recent Irish political history from the unique perspective of one of the key players involved. Her family said they were touched by the gesture from HeliOperations a leading search and rescue (SAR) helicopter training and crew supply firm based in Britain to name the ex-Royal Navy aircraft, which is getting a new lease of life as a SAR training aircraft. Her sister, Niamh Fitzpatrick, said Dara would have been very proud to be associated with such a remarkable aircraft. From the first day she flew a helicopter, Dara utterly loved it. This is a lovely gesture in tribute to her, she said. Its a mark too of the respect and affection in which she was held in the SAR community. Anyone who ever heard Dara talk about her role would hear the joy in her words. She spoke with such love about her job and about the helicopters she flew. She was just so proud, and to be associated with a Sea King shed get such a kick out of that. We as a family have drawn huge comfort from this. The Sea King Mk5 aircraft, ZA166, is one of two former Royal Navy SAR helicopters, formerly of the 771 Naval Air Squadron, which were based in Cornwall until their retirement in April 2016. However, they are now re-entering service to train the German Navy in SAR operations. They will be retained as UK military aircraft but will be leased to HeliOperations, which owns a massive training base in Portland, Dorset. HeliOperations CEO Capt Steve Gladston, who knew and flew with Capt Fitzpatrick, said everyone supported his suggestion to name ZA166 after Dara. She was a beautiful woman, a fabulous human being, and a brilliant pilot and we thought maybe this was the right thing to do, and everyone endorsed the idea, and her family was hugely supportive, he said. Daras name will appear in Gaelic script below the pilots door window, with the words, Queen of the Skies, written in Irish below. She died when the Rescue 116 aircraft she was flying crashed into the sea off Mayo in the early hours of March 14. Her body was recovered from the water a short time later. The body of her co-pilot Mark Duffy, was recovered from the sunken wreckage just over a week later. Despite extensive searches, the bodies of winchmen Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby have not been found. Capt Gladston said he would also like to see the establishment of a training scholarship in Capt Fitzpatricks memory to encourage more women into aviation. He hopes to work with her family, with the Irish Aviation Authority and major aviation companies in Ireland to get the annual scholarship idea off the ground. Dara's sister Niamh said: Dara often gave of her time to help people coming up behind her wanting to get into aviation and I suppose that being a woman she attracted many requests from females. She would be just thrilled with this scholarship - to think that in her name another pilot will benefit, that would mean so much to Dara and therefore to us. Property website Daft.ie has found that commuters living on the Dublin coastline pay the most for a home, with houses close to the Sandymount Dart averaging 784,000. Among the most expensive Dart stations to live beside include Lansdowne Road (737,000), Sydney Parade (706,000), and Dalkey (699,000). On the Luas, homes close to Beechwood on the green line have the highest average asking prices, at 727,000. However, those living in the city centre pay the most for properties on the Luas red line, with properties near the Spencer Dock averaging 597,000. Asking prices for each stop on the new Luas Cross City line, which opened on Saturday, put properties close to the new Dawson, Trinity, and Westmoreland stops at the top, with average asking prices of 519,000. Economist Ronan Lyons said it was well known that transport infrastructure could have a significant impact on property values. Ireland has added a lot of new infrastructure over the last 20 years, including motorways and the Dart. Mr Lyons said how the investments paid for themselves was another issue but an option increasingly being considered elsewhere was value capture. In other words, where the taxpayer brings about an increase in wealth by paying for new infrastructure, he said. Mr Lyons said the opening of the Luas Cross City had obviously added value in the areas newly served by light rail. Three-bedroom homes near the new Luas stations increased by 15% in value over the last year, compared to a 6% increase for similar dwellings near other rail stations. Whether the taxpayer gets some payback, however, is down to the Government, said Mr Lyons. Commenting on the data, Martin Clancy from Daft.ie said convenience and affordability were two critical concerns for almost everyone living and working in Dublin. Mr Clancy said the property website had created its 2017 Dart and Luas stop-by-stop house price maps, sponsored by KBC. This map gives a great overview of property prices across the capital and is a fantastic visual reference for anyone who is considering buying or selling close to the Luas or Dart, he said. An analysis by MyHome.ie found Luas Cross City caused property prices to increase by over 20% in parts of Dublin 1 and 2. Cabra, Stoneybatter, and Phibsboro are among the most popular areas. Prices in the Dominick St area where a new Luas stop is located, are around 356,000, a 22% increase. Kathleen OToole made a dramatic intervention last September, publicly warning Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan that it would be a serious mistake to proceed with the appointment before the expert group issued its report in September 2018. It followed the shock retirement of Noirin OSullivan and the start of discussions between the Department of Justice, the Policing Authority, and the Public Appointments Service about starting a new appointment process. Ms OToole told the Irish Examiner that while they would prefer, in a perfect world, for the Government to wait until it reported, she was now satisfied, from talking to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Policing Authority, that a proper procedure would be taken. She was speaking ahead of the commissions first major public consultation in relation to its review, which is being held in Cork tomorrow evening . We were very concerned at the time that the Government would go out immediately and hire someone within a few months, said Ms OToole, who is due to finish soon as police chief in Seattle. I had very good discussions with the Taoiseach in Seattle [ early last month]. I expressed the fear that an impulsive decision would be irresponsible. I did not want to see the Government paying more for the same result and that it was really important that this would be a thoughtful process. Im not particularly concerned now and Im very optimistic it will be a thoughtful process and that the right person will be selected. Ms OToole said she did think it would attract credible candidates and that she saw a much bigger pool of applicants, including from abroad, this time. She said Mr Varadkar talked about the issue on RTEs Marian Finucane show at the start of this month and said that, from his remarks, he had listened carefully to what she had said. The Government is expected to set the appointment process in motion this month and the Policing Authority and the Public Appointments Service have indicated to Mr Flanagan that the process could take up to six months. Tomorrows meeting is on in Boole 1 lecture theatre in UCC at 7pm Mary Harris was born in Cork in 1837 and survived the famine before emigrating to Canada with her family. She went on to become one of the most renowned union leaders in the US. Harris campaigned fiercely against child labour and was a passionate defender of miners and the rights of workers. She later became widely known as Mother Jones. A new memorial, in the form of a large road sign detailing the story and achievements of Harris, is to be unveiled just off Route 66 near the I-55 Southbound Coalfield Roadway in the state of Illinois. It is a rest stop which caters for more than 1m travellers every year. The large marker, which has been placed with the cooperation of the Illinois Department of Transportation, will be unveiled today by Brian OBrien, Irelands consulate general in Chicago. The marker is located about 30km north of Mount Oval Cemetery where Mother Jones is buried. I know of nobody else from Cork who has had a sign that has been specially erected in their honour so close to one of the most famous highways in America, said Ger OMahony, of Cork Mother Jones Committee. It shows the increasing interest in the story of Mother Jones on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr OMahony is currently making preparations for the 2018 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival. An annual event in the heart of Cork City, it is due to take place in Shandon next August. James Nolan, also part of the Cork Mother Jones Committee, said: We are delighted to congratulate the Mother Jones Heritage Project committee in Illinois for their enormous work to ensure that Mary Harris/Mother Jones is never forgotten. We especially wish to thank Professor Rosemary Feurer who has brought this project to fruition in Illinois. She has supported and inspired the Spirit of Mother Jones festival in Cork over the past six years and has spoken at it twice. In addition to the Irish Consulate, representatives from the Illinois AFL-CIO, Illinois Labour History Society, the United Mine Workers of America, the Irish American Heritage Centre, the Route 66 Association, and many others will attend the historic unveiling of the Mother Jones Marker. The Coalfield rest area where the marker is placed receives more than 1m visitors each year. The new marker is the brainchild of the Mother Jones Heritage Project which established a museum near Mount Olive where she is buried. The marker will highlight the importance of union coal miners in Illinois and US history, as well as the remarkable historical figure Mother Jones. Mary Jones Harris was born in Cork and baptised at the North Cathedral, on August 1, 1837, by Fr John OMahony. Her parents were Ellen Cotter, a native of Inchigeelagh, and Richard Harris. Ellen Cotter, born in 1816, was aged 18 when she married. In what has been described as an extraordinary step, the head of Transport Infrastructure Irelands (TII) network operations has written to chief executives of each local authority saying he found it necessary to warn them of the scale of the cutbacks they will have to implement in their 2018 budgets, and the challenge they will face in maintaining the national roads network in their region. Most local authorities have at this stage prepared and adopted their 2018 budgets, anticipating the same level of funding as 2017 from the TII for ordinary maintenance. The recent annual budget meeting in Tralee had heard how the grants were already insufficient to properly maintain the national primary and the national secondary roads networks in Kerry, which includes some of the busiest tourist routes in the country. Maintenance grants for the national roads had been drastically cut each year and were less than half what they were in 2008, the meeting was told. John Brassil, a Fianna Fail TD in Kerry, said the public would be shocked at the cuts. He has called on Transport Minister Shane Ross to rethink them, saying roads are already in a terrible state. In the letter to local authorities, TII head of network operations Kevin ORourke states: You will appreciate that areas of expenditure such as winter maintenance and route lighting have limited scope for reduction in expenditure. In addition, TII has contractual commitments with regard to motorway and bridge maintenance contracts and salt purchase. Taking all factors into consideration, the necessity for significant cuts in the national road ordinary maintenance allocations to local authorities is inevitable. At this point, it is envisaged that the 2018 ordinary maintenance allocations to local authorities will be reduced by approx 30% from 2017 levels. Even with the possibility of mitigation by drawing down extra funding streams, the cuts would be significant, said Mr ORourke. Combined management of the situation at both national and local level will be critical, he said. A spokesman for TII this weekend said safety maintenance had been prioritised and the impact would be on grass cutting and verge maintenance, patching, and such. Resurfacing would not be affected. It would be up to each local authority to identify areas most in need along the national routes in their counties. Mr Brassil said local authorities and the public will be shocked to learn of the cuts, on top of 10 years of reduced funding. The good work which had been done a decade ago has now almost completely eroded and it was an extraordinary step this year that TII had to write to local authorities, he said. Roads are already in a severe state of disrepair. Road users can expect to see more potholes and increased damage to their cars and higher repair costs in 2018, said Mr Brassil. Minister Ross needs to review this issue as a matter of urgency. Where exactly is the additional money he secured in Budget 2018 actually going towards? Its perfectly clear from the TII that it is not going towards roads maintenance budgets. TWH Architects Eric Huffstetler has earned his architect license. After 18 months, Mr. Huffstetler passed the Architecture Registration Examination consisting of five total exams all of which he passed on first attempt to receive his Architect Registration for the State of Tennessee. Originally from Knoxville, Mr. Huffstetler attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he earned his Bachelor in Architecture. From there, he accepted a position with a sole proprietor in Knoxville where he worked on projects in which he was involved first-hand in both the design and construction process. It was during that time in 2009, when Mr. Huffstetler began logging his professional experience in preparation to become licensed. In 2014, Mr. Huffstetler was hired as an intern by Michael Brady Inc. as they began to grow their Chattanooga office. Rated one of the top design firms in the Southeast, TWH merged with MBIs Chattanooga office in September 2016 to form TWH Architects, a michael brady inc. company. Combined, the company forms one of the largest design firms in East Tennessee. Working for a large firm like TWH has exposed me to larger projects, as well as different aspects of the industry that I formerly had little experience in, said Mr. Huffstetler. I gladly attribute my ARE success to the experiences gained through the very different environments I have been able to work in. The ARE is a multi-division exam used to assess ones knowledge and skills regarding the practice of architecture. The ARE is designed to assess aspects of architectural practice that affect the integrity, soundness, and health impact of a building. The exam also assesses an architects responsibilities within firms, such as managing projects and coordinating the work of other professionals. The biggest challenge for me was balancing work, studying and adult life while remaining diligent in my goal to obtain my license within 18 months of beginning testing, said Mr. Huffstetler. I had to overcome the learning curve of two separate testing formats but was fortunate enough to have the support of American Institute of Architects Chattanooga with financial reimbursement, as well as access to study materials throughout the process. Prior to graduating, Mr. Huffstetlers first professional experience was a summer construction job in Chattanooga in 2007. Working on a collaboration between UTK College of Architecture (UTK CoA+D), Howard High School and HGH Construction and other organizations, Mr. Huffstetler was one of two UTK CoA+D student team leaders for a group of Howard drafting students interested in a career in architecture/construction. Together they built two houses from the ground up on Carr Street in eight weeks, both of which were designed by the Howard students. This introduction into construction gave him a practical understanding of what it takes to bring a design to life. The Signal Mountain Genealogical Society will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 at 1 p.m. at the Signal Mountain Library. Jim Dodson, President of the Society, will present a program entitled, "Using DNA Techniques in Your Genealogical Research." As always guests will be welcome. The Ringgold Playhouse will host open auditions for its first production of its 2018 season, John Cariani's romantic comedy "Almost, Maine," Dec. 11-12. Auditions are open to actors ages 16 and up, and will be held at the historic Ringgold Depot, 155 Depot St., each evening beginning at 7 p.m. Actors do not need to have a monologue prepared, as the audition will consist of cold readings from the script. The show's director, TRP veteran Renee Lierow, says the play will provide a heartfelt story for audiences around Valentine's Day, and create a great storytelling opportunity for actors. "I am so excited to be directing my first show at TRP," Ms. Lierow said. "We are looking for people who want to have fun with this quirky romantic comedy about relationships in this small town of Almost, Maine." The show will include seven performances over a two-weekend period. Production dates are Feb. 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24. Anyone seeking additional information can email TheRinggoldPlayhouse@gmail.com. "We're looking for actors of all ages, shapes, and sizes to come play with us," Ms. Lierow said. It's going to be a great way to kick off the 2018 season." Play synopsis On a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend almost in this delightful midwinter night's dream. Character/scene breakdown "Prologue" PETE (M) and GINETTE (F) The two have been dating for a little while. Due to how shy and awkward they both, the two are unable to communicate their love for one another. That is, until one of them decides to go the distance. "Her Heart" EAST (M) A repairman. Calm, collected, and sincere. GLORY (F) A hiker. She is vulnerable, nervous, and the point. Glory is hiking through Maine to find the perfect spot to see the northern lights and get over her late husband. East finds her setting up camp in his front yard. "Sad & Glad" JIMMY (M) A well-intended heating and cooling guy. His broken heart keeps him from articulating his thoughts well. SANDRINE (F) His ex-girlfriend who left him abruptly. She is very sensitive and put together. WAITRESS (F) A waitress. Very excited and dedicated to her job. Jimmy is already having a sad night at the local bar when Sandrine shows up. "This Hurts" MARVALYN (F) A woman, going through a rough patch in her current relationship. STEVE (M) An innocent and confused man who has a disorder that stops him from feeling pain. After meeting in the laundry room of Ma Dudleys Boarding House, Marvalyn gives Steven some ideas for his new books Things That Can Hurt You and Things to Be Afraid Of. "Getting it Back" GAYLE (F) An impatient, passionate, and very flustered woman. LENDALL (M) An understanding and collected man. Gayle shows up at Lendalls door in the middle of the night and demands that he return all the love she gave him. "Interlogue" PETE from the "prologue" "They Fell" RANDY (M) A down-to-earth "country boy," and CHAD (M) Another down-to-earth "county boy" As these two boys talk through the horrors of their most recent dates, they make an honest discovery - theyre in love with each other. "Where it Went" PHIL (M) A working man, and MARCI (F) His hardworking wife. Phils workload has been overwhelming lately, and on a hard-to-come-by, much needed night out, Marci draws his attention to all the things hes missed. "Story of Hope" HOPE (F) She has traveled the world. MAN (M) He has not. After leaving abruptly many years ago, Hope shows up at her ex-boyfriends door expecting to get back together. Unfortunately, A lot has changed since she left Almost. "Seeing the Thing" RHONDA (F) A tough woman. Hesitant to commit. DAVE (M) The not-so-tough man who loves her. Rhonda and Dave have been "hanging out" a lot. One night, after a non-date of snowmobiling, Dave ends up giving Rhonda a present, which would be nice if she could actually figure out what it is. "Epilogue" PETE (M) From the prologue and interlogue, and GINETTE (F) From the prologue. The casting of this show is wide open, because it can be staged with as few as 4 actors, or as many as 19, which means some actors could appear in multiple vignettes if the director sees fit. Actors need only to attend one night of auditions, and call backs will be up to the director if deemed necessary. The Occupational Therapy Assistants program made available at Chattanooga State Community College through a partnership with Roane State Community College is composed of three semesters of academic readiness followed by one semester of full-time experience in the field. Every OTA student that is admitted will use distance education technologies to engage with the instructor, course content and peers. Every student is required to travel weekly to the Oak Ridge Branch Campus of Roane State for face-to-face labs. "Occupational therapy assistants use intentional activities to help a person retain or reestablish their independence at the highest degree possible in pursuits that are personally worthwhile to them. Occupational therapy assistants are employed in a multitude of areas such as hospitals, outpatient centers, school systems, skilled nursing facilities, community programs, home health agencies, and mental health agencies," officials said. Students seeking admission through the East Tennessee Alliance must be a current or former student at Chattanooga State who have completed a minimum of least 12 hours at CSCC before applying to the OTA program. Each year, up to 10 adept applicants will be granted admission to the program. All applications must be submitted by no later than March 31, 2018. For further inquiries and information about the programs admissions policies, visit Chattanooga State Nursing and Allied Health OTA webpage at https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/occupational-therapy-assistant or contact Jerri Kiser, Distance Education Academic Fieldwork coordinator, OTA East Alliance Program at jerri.kiser@chattanoogastate.edu. The next available OTA Information Session will be held Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018 at 5 p.m. in the Health Science Center in HSC-2088. No reservations needed. The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. A U.S. investigator confirmed Sunday that the bodies of a local flight instructor and two Chinese trainees had been recovered after a plane crashed into a lake in the southern U.S. state of Florida Friday. A Beechcraft King Air C-90 twin-engine plane crashed into Lake Harney, east just of Sanford, at about 11:15 a.m. Friday, said Joshua Cawthra, a senior aviation investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), at a press briefing Sunday afternoon. Two Chinese trainees are missing after a training flight crashed into Lake Harney in Florida on Friday. [Photo: CGTN] Cawthra said all of the bodies of the victims aboard the plane had been recovered Saturday. Investigators are in the process of recovering the wreckage of the crashed plane, which remains about 10 feet underwater, but the environment is not favorable. "It's a fairly complex situation right now due to the underwater visibility," Cawthra said. "The divers that have been going under the water were reporting anywhere from five to eight inches of visibility." "So with limited visibility, it hampers the ability to figure out where the rest of the airplane is," he said. Search crews found the sunken plane Saturday, while using sonars to locate the rest of it. Cawthra said it's still unsure how to extract the plane, but suggesting using airbags. The aircraft, if recovered, will be delivered to a secure facility in Jacksonville, over 200 km north of Lake Harney, said the investigator. The pilot was identified as Kamalesh Naik, 56, of Sanford. His LinkedIn account lists his occupations as flight instructor and airline pilot. The two trainees were both identified as Chinese nationals in their 20s. They were students at an airline academy in Sanford. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft was on its way to Orlando-Sanford International Airport before it crashed. Cawthra said the investigation hasn't found any evidence to support that "there was any distress calls or any mayday radio." The NTSB investigators are expected to work with the FAA, as well as manufacturers of the plane and its engine. Cawthra revealed that a preliminary report on the crash will be released on the NTSB website in five business days. In the wake of the accident, the flying academy that owned the plane extended their condolences in a statement to the family and friends of the victims of the tragedy, promising to "cooperate fully with the FAA and the NTSB in the ongoing investigation." The Chinese Consulate General in Houston told Xinhua that it reached out to the academy as soon as they heard about the incident. Officials from the consulate said the academy has suspended all on-flight training lessons and provided psychological counseling to other Chinese trainees. It also sent a team to Sanford to meet NTSB investigators Sunday over the crash. The local supply of Christmas trees should be adequate for most of December, despite a projected national shortage of the evergreens during the holiday season. Heather Overton, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said that supplies of Christmas trees are limited in the state. The supplies are tighter than usual, Overton said. People may pay more for Christmas trees. In some areas in North Carolina and throughout the country, consumers looking for Christmas trees may find them in short supply, and possibly 10 percent more expensive than last year. The Great Recession of 2008 forced some tree growers to plant fewer Christmas trees while many consumers didnt spend as much money and decided to forego buying the festive evergreens during that period, according to a recent report by the New York Times. It takes eight to 10 years for Christmas trees to grow big enough to be cut and sold for the holidays. Therefore, there are fewer trees available for the market. This year Americans are spending, and Christmas trees are in demand again. The latest available statistics show that 4.29 million Christmas trees in 2012 were harvested in North Carolina, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on its website. There are about 1,500 Christmas tree growers in the state, according to the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. In 2014, those growers generated $89.3 million in tree sales, Overton said. Christmas tree production is a difficult business, said Leslie Peck, an agent with the Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Service. It does take several years to grow a sizable tree, and there is a very limited window in which those trees are desirable to consumers, said Peck who specializes in commercial and consumer horticulture. So, it is often difficult for producers to stay in business. During the past two weekends, state and local residents flocked to farms and to roadside merchants, said Overton and Bill Glenn of Asheville, a marketing specialist for the state Agriculture Department. However, tree growers have adequate supplies of trees for this weekend and possibly the rest of the month, Glenn said. Many tree lots are owned by growers from Ashe and Watauga counties, and they can provide enough evergreens for these businesses, he said. The supplies will be good, especially in Winston-Salem, Glenn said. But our supply of inventory hasnt been as strong as in previous years. Laura Foster of Newland, who works at the Christmas tree lot at The Childrens Home on Reynolda Road, said that her lot has enough trees to meet the demand. Her family grows evergreens in Avery county. At that lot, the trees range in price from $30 to $100 each. Ken Van Hoy, the co-owner of Rail Fence Farm in the Belews Creek community, also said he was aware of a nationwide shortage, but his farm has enough trees for its customers. His prices range from $20 to $40 per tree, Van Hoy said. About 1,000 trees are planted yearly on his farm. We will have trees available for this week, he said. After this weekend, we will pretty much be sold out. Jarrett Joyce of Winston-Salem is selling Fraser firs in the parking lot of West Salem Shopping Center on Peters Creek Parkway. The prices for the trees there ranged from $20 to $65. His lot has a good supply, Joyce said. The tree shortage is affecting wholesalers, he said. His uncle, Sanford Fischel, a Winston-Salem native, grows evergreens in Ashe County. We knew it was coming, Joyce said of the shortage. It had to come with everyone growing fewer trees. President Donald Trump on Saturday evening issued a call for a reporter with The Washington Post to be fired because of a quickly deleted tweet that presented a misleading impression of Trump's rally crowd in Florida. The Post reporter, David Weigel, had earlier tweeted a photo of the crowd gathered at Pensacola Bay Center for Trump's speech there Friday evening, showing numerous empty seats. He removed the tweet after being told by others that the photo was taken before the venue filled up and apologized in a later Twitter exchange with the president. Trump's public response: ".@daveweigel of the Washington Post just admitted that his picture was a FAKE (fraud?) showing an almost empty arena last night for my speech in Pensacola when, in fact, he knew the arena was packed (as shown also on T.V.). FAKE NEWS, he should be fired." On Saturday night, The Washington Post released a statement. "Dave Weigel relied on an inaccurate image in tweeting about President Trump's rally in Pensacola," the paper's vice president of communications, Kristine Coratti Kelly, said. "When others pointed out the mistake to Weigel, he quickly deleted the tweet. And when he was later addressed by the president on Twitter, he promptly apologized for it." Trump has frequently lashed out at media figures in very personal terms. It was not the first time the White House had called for a journalist's firing: In September, after ESPN commentator Jemele Hill called the president a "white supremacist" in a tweet, his press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said in a White House press briefing that it was a "fireable offense." Earlier Saturday, Trump similarly lashed out at two other media organizations, ABC and CNN, that had issued corrections on stories about Trump in recent days. "Fake News CNN made a vicious and purposeful mistake yesterday. They were caught red handed, just like lonely Brian Ross at ABC News (who should be immediately fired for his 'mistake'). Watch to see if @CNN fires those responsible, or was it just gross incompetence?" he tweeted. Early Saturday morning, Trump tweeted about the "GREAT EVENING last night" at his rally in Pensacola, Florida, where he told the audience, among other things, to "get out and vote for Roy Moore," Alabama's Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, who has been accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls. "Arena was packed to the rafters, the crowd was loud, loving and really smart," Trump wrote. A short time later, Weigel quoted Trump's tweet and wrote "Packed to the rafters," attaching a photo that showed hundreds of available seats in the lower and upper levels. He deleted it about 20 minutes later. Around 5 p.m., Trump addressed Weigel's tweet with his own: ".@DaveWeigel @WashingtonPost put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before I arrived @ the venue, w/ thousands of people outside, on their way in. Real photos now shown as I spoke. Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo!" the president wrote, including pictures of the venue's seats filled as he was onstage. Weigel tweeted back almost immediately. "Sure thing: I apologize. I deleted the photo after @dmartosko told me I'd gotten it wrong," Weigel wrote, referring to David Martosko, U.S. political editor of the Daily Mail's website. "Was confused by the image of you walking in the bottom right corner." In a later tweet, Weigel wrote: "It was a bad tweet on my personal account, not a story for Washington Post. . . . Very fair to call me out." Among Trump's grievances with the media, he is notably sensitive about crowd size at his events. After images circulated on social media in January that showed fewer people at his inauguration than former president Barack Obama's, then-press secretary Sean Spicer was dispatched to tell the press, "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration - period - both in person and around the globe." trump-reporter Washington Post News Service (DC) 12/9/2017 9:51:10 PM Central Standard Time Sometimes you have to acknowledge what you are and embrace it, even if part of you doesnt like it. I might wish I were tall and famous and a candidate for People Magazines Sexiest Man Alive. You might wish you had invented Google and appeared on the cover of Forbes. But that doesnt change the fact that were regular schmoes from Wisconsin whose appeal has, to date, gone unrecognized by national periodicals. What are we to do, attempt to pass ourselves as something were not in hopes of getting attention? I could spend my days strutting about in pantaloons, munching on baguettes and humming La Marseillaise, but that wouldnt make me the king of France. Alas, some in Wisconsin want our state to deny its nature and create a new identity in hopes of impressing others. They want to discontinue the states slogan Americas Dairyland and replace it with something that isnt quite so, well, cheesy. This fall the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce business group pushed to remove the slogan from license plates. Business leaders want the world to know theres more to Wisconsin than cheese wedges. On this point, the organization is right: Theres also sausage, beer, Harley-Davidsons and the Green Bay Packers. But those are just the kind of traditional they might call them tired images business leaders want Wisconsin to shed. They want to promote exciting things happening in the states economy outside the agriculture sector. They point to the Taiwanese company Foxconns plan to build a massive high-tech manufacturing campus near Racine with help from a $3 billion state subsidy. Perhaps our license plates should read, Wisconsin: Taiwans Sugar Daddy. I can understand the states chamber of commerce wanting Wisconsin to be known for more than its dairy air. No one wants to be perceived as one-dimensional. But the reputation of the states cheese across the nation and around the world is a commodity to be treasured, not trashed. Any rebranding effort must take care not to throw out the cheese wedge with the whey. Imagine Las Vegas suffering a crisis of conscience and deciding it would prefer to be known not for gambling, but for something more wholesome such as, say, crocheting. Try though it might to rebrand itself as the Crocheting Capital of the World What Frays in Vegas Stays in Vegas it wouldnt change public perception of Sin City. Wisconsin should count itself lucky that it has a well-established identity. Tell me what you know about Delaware. Im waiting. Ask people in Dover what they know about Wisconsin, and theyll mention cheese, beer, bikes and the Pack. Business leaders dont like that Wisconsins poster child is a shirtless guy holding a beer and wearing a cheese wedge on his head at Lambeau Field. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation wants to spend nearly $7 million on marketing efforts to recruit skilled young workers, forsaking our agricultural slogan because millennials prefer to live in cities. They want to draw millennials by showing Wisconsin has more to offer than farms and bars. Good luck drawing a generation of vegans with gluten allergies to the land of cheese and beer. Everyone here wants Wisconsins economy to thrive, of course, and its important to attract and retain bright young minds. Our state has been a hub of innovation since its inception, giving the world the typewriter, stem cell research and the ice cream sundae. This last example proves innovation and dairy products arent mutually exclusive. And it shows Wisconsin shouldnt hide from its heritage. I could try to masquerade as the Sexiest Man Alive or the king of France or the Wizard of Oz, but in the end the world would learn the man behind the curtain is a Wisconsin newspaper columnist. And theres nothing wrong with that, just like theres nothing wrong with Wisconsin being known being known for its dairy products. I ask, when it comes to slogans, whats in a name? Limburger by any other name would smell like feet. WASHINGTON -- There's no doubt, in the case of Al Franken, that Democrats are better off with the Minnesota senator gone. There's more doubt about whether justice was done. The political calculus is simple: Franken had to go. With the grotesque picture of him groping, or pretending to grope, the breasts of a fellow USO performer, he would have been a nonstop distraction, muddling Democrats' case against alleged groper President Trump and alleged child molester Roy Moore. Franken paid not only for their sins but also for the alleged behavior of Bill Clinton two decades ago. Democrats underreacted then and consequently were impelled to overreact now. Or, at least, act quickly. I don't know where I would ultimately come down on the propriety of Franken's continued service in the Senate because I don't have a full grasp of the facts. Do you? Did his colleagues? Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who deserves praise for her work on issues of sexual assault and harassment and who opened the floodgates against Franken on Wednesday, said she had enough facts to conclude that Franken should resign. "Enough is enough," Gillibrand said. "When we start having to talk about the differences between sexual assault and sexual harassment and unwanted groping, we are having the wrong conversation. We need to draw a line in the sand and say none of it is OK, none of it is acceptable." I agree: None of it is acceptable. What gives me pause is both the rush to judgment and the one-size-fits-all nature of the punishment, given, as Gillibrand acknowledged, the significant difference in seriousness between the Franken allegations and those against Trump and Moore. And against Michigan Rep. John Conyers Jr., for that matter -- proving, I hope, that my position is not driven by partisanship but by concerns about due process. Public service is a privilege, not a right. The presumption of innocence and the need for proof beyond a reasonable doubt, essential in the criminal context, need not blind us in the real world to credible allegations of improper behavior. So, any reasonable person assessing the evidence against Trump, Moore or Conyers would conclude there is more than enough reason to disbelieve their denials and more than enough reason, given the seriousness of the allegations, to conclude they are not fit to hold office. In Conyers's case, he used $27,000 in taxpayer money to settle a lawsuit by a staffer who said she was fired after refusing his sexual advances. Other former staffers came forward with similar claims. Franken presents a more difficult case both because of the quality of the evidence against him and the nature of the alleged transgressions. Much of the alleged behavior took place before he joined the Senate, which doesn't make it acceptable but does make it different. Some of the Senate-era behavior is offensive but less serious; a hand on the butt during a photo op is different from a tongue down the throat. And some is anonymous, albeit corroborated by other witnesses, which should give all of us pause. The final, and perhaps last-straw, allegation involved an unnamed former Democratic political aide who claimed Franken, while a radio host, attempted to forcibly kiss her, announcing, "It's my right as an entertainer." Franken said the story was "categorically not true." Consider: One of Franken's colleagues, New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez, is under federal indictment for allegedly taking bribes in the form of lavish gifts and using the power of his office to help a campaign donor/friend in dealings with the federal government. Menendez's trial ended with a hung jury last month, after which the Ethics Committee announced it would resume its inquiry into his conduct. If senators have the patience to let the ethics process proceed in the Menendez case, why not with Franken? What about weighing whether some lesser punishment than what was essentially forced resignation would better fit Franken's circumstances? The right policy is zero tolerance. That does not answer the question about what is the right punishment, or what proof there should be before it is meted out. The Washington Post The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official site] on Monday announced [press release] that it will refer the Kingdom of Jordan to the United Nations Security Council [official site] over its failure to arrest Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir [official website]. The referral comes after the ICC decided issued two arrest warrants [text, PDF; second warrant, PDF] for Al-Bashir for the alleged genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity [JURIST report] committed in Darfur. However, because Sudan is not a part of the ICC, it is up to member nations [JURIST report] to effect an arrest if the suspected individual is in their jurisdiction. The ICC is referring Jordan because they granted him immunity as a head of state and refused to arrest him when he visited in March for a summit. Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court found that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a State Party to the ICC Rome Statute since 2002, failed to comply with its obligations under the Statute by not executing the Courts request for the arrest of Omar Al-Bashir and his surrender to the Court while he was on Jordanian territory attending the League of Arab States Summit on 29 March 2017. The Chamber decided to refer the matter of Jordans non-compliance to the Assembly of States Parties of the Rome Statute (ASP) and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The pre-trial chamber held on Monday that Jordan had not complied [decision, PDF] with its obligations under Article 87 [text] of the Rome Statute by not arresting him during a March 2017 visit, thereby preventing the Court from exercising its functions and powers under the Statute in connection with the criminal proceedings instituted against Omar Al-Bashir. It is the ICCs position that there is no immunity afforded to heads of state when there in an arrest warrant and international law mandates an arrest. According to the ICC, Bashir [ICC backgrounder] is the first sitting president of a country to be charged with the crime of genocide. The court has previously found South Africa committed [JURIST report] of the same noncompliance, but chose not to issue a referral [press release]. The US Supreme Court [official website] on Friday granted certiorari [orders list, PDF] in seven cases. In Benisek v. Lamone [docket], the Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to Marylands 2011 electoral map. The petitioners allege [SCOTUSblog materials] that their district was re-drawn to favor Democrats as retaliation against them for their support of Republican candidates. A three-judge panel of the US District Court for Maryland [official website] had previously refused [opinion, PDF] the voters preliminary injunction request, and the voters appealed to the Supreme Court. The voters assert that the District Court erred in requiring them to show that the gerrymandered district will dictate the outcome of every election, that it applied burden shifting improperly, and that the record allows a finding that the purportedly retaliatory redistricting was the cause of Democratic victories in the district in the last three congressional elections. The parties had originally filed pleadings arguing whether the Supreme Court currently had jurisdiction to hear the appeal. On Friday, the Supreme Court postponed consideration of the jurisdictional question until the case was heard on the merits. In Upper Skagit Indian Tribe v. Lundgren [docket], the Supreme Court is asked to decide [SCOTUSblog materials] whether a court may exercise jurisdiction over property owned by a tribal government despite a generally applicable sovereign immunity to suit. Here, the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and the Lundgrens owned adjacent properties. A Washington state trial court denied the tribes motion to dismiss a quiet title action filed by the Lundgrens based upon an application of tribal sovereign immunity. The Supreme Court of Washington [official website] upheld the denial [opinion, PDF] in a 5-4 decision, finding that the Lundgrens acquisition of the property by adverse possession decades before the Tribe acquired record title in 2013 would have been uncovered in a pre-purchase title search, and thus that the tribe had wielded sovereign immunity as a sword in disguise. Both Hughes v. United States and Koons v. United States [dockets] ask the Court to decide whether retroactive adjustments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines [official materials] can be applied to defendants who were sentenced under earlier versions of the Guidelines. The Hughes case asks whether such a retroactive reduction applies to defendant who enters into a plea deal with prosecutors, as has been previously approved of by a 4-1-4 plurality in Freeman v. United States [opinion]. The defendants in Koons seek to ascertain the applicability of Freeman to defendants who provide substantial assistance to prosecutors in other cases. In China Agritech, Inc., v. Resh [docket], the Court must determine [SCOTUSblog materials] whether a series of cases beginning with 1974s American Pipe & Construction Co. v. Utah [opinion] justified the tolling of the statute of limitations in a class action suit. Resh is seeking to keep a class action suit against China Agritech alive, despite filing his suit after the applicable statute of limitations, based on the American Pipe courts determination that the filing of a defective class action suit stops the clock. Here, two prior defective suits of which Resh was not a member were filed within the statute of limitations period. The Ninth Circuit allowed the suit to continue [opinion, PDF] despite the expiration of the limitations period based on the reasoning in American Pipe. United States v. Sanchez-Gomez [docket] asks whether the Ninth Circuit erred in ruling that it could hear a challenge [opinion, PDF] to the use of pre-trial physical restraints prior to a final order being issued. The government asserts that this challenge was interlocutory and beyond the appeal courts scope of review while the trial below was pending. The case also challenges the Ninth Circuits decision to hear the interlocutory challenge despite what the government says is the defendants acknowledgement that the challenge was moot. In Sveen v. Melin [docket], the Court is asked to determine [SCOTUSblog materials] whether a2002 Minnesota law automatically revoking [Minn. Stat. 524.4-804 text] the designation of a former spouse as beneficiary of an insurance policy, retirement plan or other instrument when a couple divorces violates the Contracts Clause [text] of the federal Constitution. An Economical Solution for Swahili Language Bibles has Arrived Notoriously expensive and hard to acquire Swahili language Bibles now have an economy New Testament version designed for outreach Contact: Blair Radney, 410-857-2910 BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 11, 2017 / Swahili Bible translations exist, mostly as digital or downloadable e-books. However, this option is not viable in areas with low smartphone use and spotty internet availability. "After meeting with Pastors in Kenya, the need they had the most were Bibles," stated Blair Radney, who after spending time in Kenya could not shake this thought of a lack of Bibles. "We would go into the villages to share Jesus Christ but visually absent were Bible for distribution." So while working and attending the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Swahili Bible Project was formed. The Swahili Bible Project was to designed and create an affordable Swahili Bible intended for outreach evangelism and missions. The result was a New Testament complete with evangelistic helps available for a fraction of other print Bibles. "We at Second Adam Publishing believe that by making the Swahili New Testament affordable to Swahili speakers, we will open the doors to the knowledge of Christ and salvation through faith and repentance." Every aspect of this New Testament Swahili Bible was thought over and examined to make it easy to read, understand, and communicates the gospel clearly to Swahili readers. With input from multiple cultural contributions from Tanzania to Kenya, it works well in every area of East Africa to fill its gospel gaps. Available now at online marketplaces such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For more information visit SWAHILI NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE: OUTREACH EDITION Imprint: Second Adam Publishing On sale: August 1st, 2017 Price: $7.00 Pages: 288 ISBN: 9780692923191 Share Tweet Contact: Blair Radney, 410-857-2910BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 11, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- In the region of East Africa which covers countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and others, there are approximately 150 million who speak and read Swahili; yet Swahili language print translations of the Bible are scarce.Swahili Bible translations exist, mostly as digital or downloadable e-books. However, this option is not viable in areas with low smartphone use and spotty internet availability. "After meeting with Pastors in Kenya, the need they had the most were Bibles," stated Blair Radney, who after spending time in Kenya could not shake this thought of a lack of Bibles. "We would go into the villages to share Jesus Christ but visually absent were Bible for distribution." So while working and attending the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Swahili Bible Project was formed.The Swahili Bible Project was to designed and create an affordable Swahili Bible intended for outreach evangelism and missions. The result was a New Testament complete with evangelistic helps available for a fraction of other print Bibles."We at Second Adam Publishing believe that by making the Swahili New Testament affordable to Swahili speakers, we will open the doors to the knowledge of Christ and salvation through faith and repentance."Every aspect of this New Testament Swahili Bible was thought over and examined to make it easy to read, understand, and communicates the gospel clearly to Swahili readers. With input from multiple cultural contributions from Tanzania to Kenya, it works well in every area of East Africa to fill its gospel gaps.Available now at online marketplaces such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For more information visit www.secondadampublishing.com/swahili-bible-project/ SWAHILI NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE: OUTREACH EDITIONImprint: Second Adam PublishingOn sale: August 1st, 2017Price: $7.00Pages: 288ISBN: 9780692923191 To what extent does the destruction of an architectural masterpiece constitute a war crime if that masterpiece is also used for military purposes? What, too, if the destruction of such a monument, like the Old Mostar Bridge, causes psychological and physical harm to a civilian population now under siege? How should military objectives, damage to cultural heritage, psychological and physical harm be weighed together? That was the headache posed by the last judgment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The ICTYs last judgment on November 29 will be remembered for the televised live suicide of Slobodan Praljak, one of the six accused, as the sentence was being read out. But another aspect of this judgement, which also concerns Slobodan Praljak directly, caused deep divisions between the ICTY judges of the Trial Chamber and the Appeals Chamber in their analysis. Do the 50 or so shells that fell on the Old Mostar Bridge (Stari Most in Serbo-Croat) constitute a war crime if this destruction is linked to acts of persecution? Let us remember that the Old Bridge dates from the 16th century, is a jewel of Ottoman architecture and even a symbol of multiculturalism in the Balkans. The ICTYs judgment on the destruction of the Old Mostar Bridge has special importance at a time when the Taliban destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas and the destruction by Salafist groups of cultural heritage in Iraq, Syria and Mali have given cultural crimes a new resonance. It also comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2016 sentenced Ahmad Al-Faqi Al-Mahdi, destroyer of the Timbuktu mausoleums, to nine years in jail for a war crime. The destruction of cultural heritage was also a determining factor in former Yugoslavias wars in the 1990s, when hundreds of mosques and churches were deliberately destroyed. Cultural cleansing often went alongside ethnic cleansing, seeking to wipe out the links that unite communities around their culture. More than fifteen ICTY judgments sanction the destroyers of cultural heritage, such as those who ordered bombing causing the fire that destroyed the Sarajevo library, burning 90% of the manuscripts, or the old town of Dubrovnik. Legitimate military target? However, the destruction of the Old Mostar Bridge during the 1993 war is a special case. The war at the time pitted the HVO Croat forces against Bosnian (ABiH) soldiers in the town of Mostar. The bridge allowed the latter to bring arms supplies and to bring food and medicines to besieged Muslim civilians on the west bank. So was the Old Bridge therefore a legitimate military target for the HVO forces? The ICTY Trial Chamber considered in 2013 that it was. In its judgment, it states that the Old Bridge was indeed a military target, but added that its destruction was disproportionate to the military gains achieved. It was therefore an illegal act, a war crime and a crime against humanity, being an underlying act of persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds as a crime against humanity and unlawful infliction of terror on civilians as a violation of the laws and customs of war ). The 2013 judgment (para. 1294-1366) takes the different elements into account in reaching this conclusion. It points to the historic and symbolic value of the bridge, recognizing at the same time that the Old Bridge was essential to the ABiH for the combat activities of its units on the front line, for evacuations and for sending troops, provisions and material and that it was used for this purpose. But the Trial Chamber also recognized that the Old Bridge was also essential for supplies to the inhabitants of the Muslim enclave on the right bank of the Neretva river. In this long judgement of some 2,000 pages covering a spectrum of crimes committed by the six accused, 80 paragraphs (!) are dedicated to the destruction of the Old Mostar Bridge. But we do not know how the judges determined the disproportionate and therefore illegal nature of the HVOs bombing of the bridge. How did the Trial Chamber judges weigh the elements of psychological and physical damage, cultural heritage and military target? The criterion of proportionality is based on the idea that the military gains achieved must be concrete and direct. Was that not the case? Or was the cultural, psychological and physical harm caused to the besieged populations too serious in comparison with the direct, concrete advantages obtained? Nobody knows, but the 2013 judgment concludes that this was a war crime and a crime against humanity, because the destruction of the Old Bridge was accompanied by a will to terrorize the civilians who were now completely under siege. The Appeals Court, in its 29 November 2017 judgment, threw out this conclusion of the 2013 decision, deeming that because the bridge was a military target its destruction was legal, producing a definite military advantage. As a consequence, the Court said, its destruction could not be considered wanton destruction not justified by military necessity. This point of view was vigorously contested in a dissenting opinion by Judge Fausto Pocar. He expressed surprise that his colleagues on the Appeals Court had ignored the 1954 Convention on the protection of cultural property, which stipulates in Article 4, paragraph 2 that there can only be a waiver for destruction of cultural heritage in cases where military necessity imperatively requires such a waiver, with military necessity being defined by the absence of alternative to the destruction. These divergences of analysis between the ICTY judges reflect the current state of debate on the laws of war. How should psychological harm, which the 2013 judgment points to, be measured? Should it even be taken into account? Isnt weakening the morale of the enemy an intrinsic part of war? How can a commander in the thick of battle determine the long-term psychological damage he is inflicting? And how should the cultural value of an object be added to psychological harm and weighed against the proportionality criterion of international humanitarian law? These questions reflect a wider one: how far should the definition of war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide be taken? Since the birth of the ICTY in 1993, these definitions have continued to expand, with a potential longer term risk of undermining the whole judicial edifice. If every crime becomes a potential international crime, then there is the risk that international crimes will become diluted, commonplace and finally lose the power to call to account. This is perhaps what the majority of judges wanted to counterbalance in this last judgment of the ICTY before it closes its doors. Some 2,000 people packed a public memorial in Croatia's capital Zagreb on Monday for Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak, whose final act was to commit suicide in front of UN judges. Public buses ran free of charge to the ceremony for the 72-year-old Bosnian Croat commander, who swallowed potassium cyanide during a hearing broadcast live around the world. The concert hall where his memorial was held was packed with some 2,000 people, while hundreds more crowed into the building's entry and hallways to watch on giant screens. Praljak had private a funeral in Zagreb last week, according to reports. Since Praljak's death, Croats have paid multiple tributes to the late general, laying flowers and lighting candles in town squares in Croatia and Bosnia. Monday's commemoration, organised by the Croatian generals' association, was attended by a government minister in charge of war veterans issues, and top officials of the ruling conservative HDZ party. Before the ceremony the visitors were signing two books of condolences. Praljak, who worked in film and theatre before joining the military, remains a hero to many Croats despite his conviction for war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bosnia's 1990s conflict. The judges confirmed that Praljak and his five Bosnian Croat co-defendants were part of a "joint criminal enterprise" to ethnically cleanse Bosnian Muslims in the war. Their convictions were upheld for crimes including murder, persecution and inhumane treatment. After the commemoration a mass for Praljak is to be held in a Zagreb church later Monday. Israel's defence minister on Monday called Arab MPs "war criminals". a day after he urged a boycott of Israeli Arabs living near the scene of clashes over the US president's Jerusalem declaration. Avigdor Lieberman was speaking in a televised parliamentary debate on a motion of no confidence in the right-wing government filed by the mainly Arab Joint List alliance. Presenting the motion, Joint List lawmaker Hanin Zoabi said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "should be tried at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, because he is a war criminal." "Occupation is always belligerent, violent, illegitimate and a basis for war crimes," she added, referring to Israel's 50-year occupation of the Palestinian territories. "All the Joint List are war criminals, every one of you," Lieberman responded. The alliance has 12 Arab members and one Jew. "You exploit the weaknesses and advantages of a democratic state to destroy us from within, we have no illusions," he told them. "You are here by mistake and the time will come when you will not be here." Arab Israelis are descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land following the creation of Israel in 1948. Today they account for some 17.5 percent of the population. Lieberman has long advocated land-swaps in a future peace deal that would see some Arab areas of Israel handed over to the Palestinians in exchange for Israeli retention of some West Bank Jewish settlements. He has also proposed conditioning the Arabs' continued Israeli citizenship on them taking oaths of loyalty to the Jewish state. Dozens of Arab Israelis on Saturday night blocked the Wadi Ara intersection in northern Israel, police said, throwing stones at vehicles and burning tyres in protest at Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The windows of a bus were smashed and its driver was slightly injured. Police arrested two minors and a man from Arara, an Arab town in the Wadi Ara area. Speaking to Israeli army radio the next day, Lieberman proposed collective punitive sanctions. "Those who demonstrate in Israel holding Hezbollah, Hamas and PLO flags are not part of the state of Israel," Lieberman said. "I therefore call on Israeli citizens to impose an economic boycott on Wadi Ara -- don't shop there, don't eat in the restaurants and don't buy services from them." Jewish Israelis must simply "give them the feeling they're not wanted here," he said, noting instances in which Arabs from the area carried out attacks against Israelis or supported militant activities. Clashes and protests erupted in the Palestinian territories after Trump's declaration last Wednesday, but there has been relatively little unrest within Israel itself. This domain was recently registered at Namecheap.com. Please check back later! I have to tell you about this, even though some of the forecasts are crazy extreme. For several forecast cycles, the models have suggested t... OMAHA -- Three Omaha men died early Sunday when a car being driven the wrong way on Interstate 480 slammed nearly head-on into another car, Omaha Police Sgt. Jason Menning said. Police identified the three as Alvaro Contreras, 32; Homero Guerrero, 33; and Alberto Longino-Maldonado, 36. Contreras had been driving a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze in the wrong direction northbound in the southbound lanes of I-480 and was not using a seat belt, police said. Guerrero was driving a 2000 Chevrolet Impala south in the southbound lane. Longino-Maldonado was Guerreros passenger. The crash was reported at 12:54 a.m. and occurred at the point where I-480 splits to join Interstate 80. All three men were declared dead at the scene by Omaha Fire Department paramedics. Both vehicles were traveling at highway speeds of between about 50 and 60 mph, Menning said. The Nebraska State Patrol and State Department of Roads were on the scene to assist with the road closing. All southbound I-480 traffic was diverted to westbound I-80 until 5:45 a.m. Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to call the police traffic unit at 402-444-5626. The last time three people died in a vehicle collision in Omaha was in June, when two motorcycles collided at 72nd and Cass Streets. World-Herald staff writer Kevin Cole contributed to this report. LINCOLN An FBI spokesman said Friday that speculation about sex trafficking or other motives that might have led to Sydney Loofes death is just that. Ive heard a lot of things going around, but its all speculative at this point, said FBI spokesman Huston Pullen. Loofe, 24, of Lincoln disappeared after going on a date with Bailey Boswell on Nov. 15. The two women met on Tinder, and the dating site said its fully cooperating with the FBI. Boswell, 23, and Aubrey Trail, 51, are in custody as persons of interest in the case. In one homemade video, Trail said Boswell had a separate phone to access Tinder. Authorities in sex trafficking say that having multiple cellphones or disposable phones is not uncommon for those involved in that activity, and that using a separate phone for such dates makes it harder to trace. However, authorities have not announced any connection to sex trafficking in the Loofe case. Meanwhile, Pullen said law enforcement teams were out Friday combing ditches for evidence west of Wilber, where Trail and Boswell last lived in a basement apartment. Small evidence flags were visible along Highway 41 west of Wilber on Saturday. Similar flags that had lined a gravel road where a body believed to be Loofes was found north of the village of Edgar had been removed by Saturday. Dozens of law enforcement officers, including some from the FBI, combed the two areas beginning Nov. 27 and had planted the flags, presumably as evidence markers. Janet Haney of rural Edgar said some evidence was recovered from a marsh on her farm. The more I hear about (the case), the more scared I get, Haney said Saturday. Pullen said that some details are not being revealed to maintain the integrity of the investigation. Compared to many states and the federal government, Nebraska has relatively few laws regarding conflicts of interest, reporting of interactions between elected officials and lobbyists, and rules regulating the influence of special interest on lawmakers. During my three years in the Legislature a number of ethical issues have emerged with no guidance for resolution. These include concerns of conflicts of interest, senators registering to lobby while in office, personal use of state resources, and expectations of residency within a district, among others. Outside of issues of campaign finance under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Committee, there are no ethics rules for members of the Nebraska Legislature. Consequently, there is no process for addressing ethical concerns unless it is illegal activity defined by statute via the courts. Nebraska voters have the expectation that their interests are being represented by their elected officials, not those of paid special interests and lobbyists, and free of quid pro quo arrangements. Statutes and rules that reflect that intention are conspicuously absent. Additionally, the public assumes there are rules and a procedures in place for ethical conduct, even though none exist. Public confidence in the legislative process necessitates greater transparency in the ethical expectations of state senators. Among the ethical issues unaddressed in current Nebraska law is the revolving door. This is the practice of elected officials and senior staff becoming paid lobbyists directly after leaving office. Immediately leveraging the influence and insider knowledge gained in public service is prohibited by 34 states and the federal government. Nebraska has seen two high profile examples of the revolving door as former state Sen. Heath Mello has been hired as chief lobbyist for the University of Nebraska, and former director of the Department of Economic Development, Courtney Dentlinger, has been hired as the chief lobbyist for the Nebraska Public Power District. In keeping with my firm belief that the lawmaking process in Nebraska should be transparent, responsive, and devoid of undue influence by special interest groups, I have introduced legislation to close the revolving door. My legislation would prohibit elected officials from taking a job as a paid lobbyist for two years after leaving office. The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, secretary of state, auditor of public accounts, and members of the legislature, Public Service Commission, State Board of Education, and NU Board of Regents would be required to have a two-year cooling off period before being paid to lobby. Their staffs would be prohibited for one year. The language of my bills mirror the federal statute passed in 2007. In Washington, D.C., varying revolving door statutes have dated back to as early as 1872. In addition, 34 other states have enacted cooling off periods, yet Nebraska has none. For a body that prides itself on transparency, we are failing when it comes to public expectation in this regard. The chairman of the Government Committee, Sen. John Murante of Gretna, has failed to bring the bill to vote in committee. I am not the first senator to introduce a bill requiring a cooling off period. In 2008, Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln introduced similar legislation which did not advance from the Government Committee. Four of the members of that committee later went on to lobby after their time as senator. Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell represents District 38 in the Nebraska Legislature. The district encompasses southwest Buffalo County and all of Clay, Franklin, Kearney, Nuckolls, Phelps and Webster counties. Its absolutely no surprise that President Trump has heartily endorsed Roy Moore as the next senator from Alabama. They are soul mates BFFs bringing their own bromance, The Roy and Donald Show, to a TV or smartphone near you. Moore faces a close race with Democrat Doug Jones in a special election next week. Some Republicans find him so reprehensible that theyve threatened to expel him from the Senate if he manages to win. And yet Trump has given Moore a full-throated endorsement. The president says a lot of things that are inaccurate and insincere. But when he said, Go get em, Roy, he was revealing his true character. It was a pure Trumpian moment. He could have been looking in the mirror and cheering himself on. Start with their shared attitudes toward women. Hit on as many as possible. Grab and grope. Some may give in. And if youre accused of assault later, deny everything. Trump made his philosophy completely clear in the infamous Access Hollywood tape. I just start kissing them, he bragged. Its like a magnet. Just kiss. I dont even wait. And when youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Thats a cogent summary of Trumps philosophy: When youre a star, you can do anything. And he said it even before he was elected president, his biggest starring role ever. Moore is not in Trumps league; the mall in Gadsden, Ala., is not exactly a penthouse in Manhattan or Hollywood. But the pattern is similar. Moore was so creepy in his pursuit of young girls that he was reportedly banned from the mall and the YMCA, as well. Theres more. Faced with numerous accusations of sexual misdeeds during last years campaign, Trump told a New Hampshire radio station, These are stories that are made up, these are total fiction. Moore used almost identical language, telling a campaign rally, These allegations are completely false, theyre malicious ... I do not know any of these women. He was lying. Two of Moores accusers have produced notes to them in his handwriting. But Trump was happy to take his best bro at his word. He totally denies it, the president explained, dismissing the charges against Moore. The soul mates have another trait in common: They both believe theyre bulletproof, that the conventional rules dont apply to them. Moore was twice ousted from his post as chief judge of Alabama for defying court orders. The first time, in 2003, he refused to remove a statue of the Ten Commandments from the lobby of the state judicial building. After being re-elected in 2012, he was deposed again for telling state judges to defy the Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. Throughout his career, Moore has justified his actions by appealing to a higher authority than made-man statutes. God is the only source of our law, liberty and government, he said during a debate in September. And of course Roy Moore is, conveniently, Gods messenger, so he doesnt have to abide by earthly limitations. Trump makes no claims to divine guidance; in fact, he seldom mentions religion. His sole source of authority is, well, himself. If he says something is true, then thats that, damn the facts. Moore invokes God to defy judges who have ruled against him. Trump doesnt need that excuse. He has denounced numerous so-called judges who object to his policies without appealing to a higher power. And now his lawyers have adopted the same mentality. In a truly astounding statement of true Trumpism, the presidents attorney, John Dowd, told the website Axios the president cannot obstruct justice because hes the chief law enforcement officer under the Constitution, and has every right to express his view of any case. Yes, the president has the right to express his view on an issue like Russias role in the 2016 election. But speech and action are not the same thing. Trump has no right to undermine the ongoing investigation into that role. The articles of impeachment drafted against both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton included obstruction charges, and it is a fundamental principle of American democracy that no president is above the law. Let alone a judge in Alabama. There is no question that Abel Hidalgo has committed some awful crimes. As a gang member in Arizona, he accepted $1,000 in 2001 to murder auto repair shop owner Michael Cordova and also killed another man, Jose Rojas, who showed up at the shop at the wrong time. Hidalgo is just the kind of person from whom society needs to be protected, and he should be locked away. Few would disagree about that. A more complicated question even for those who support capital punishment is whether an Arizona jury was right to sentence him to death. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that states must design their capital punishment statutes so that only truly egregious crimes are punished by death. But Hidalgo argues that Arizona has added so many aggravating circumstances factors that turn a run-of-the-mill killing into a capital crime that pretty much any murder in Arizona can now qualify for the death penalty. The Times opposes the death penalty under all circumstances. We take a Green Eggs and Ham approach we dont like it here, there or anywhere. But if states are going to engage in such a barbaric practice, they must at least follow the Constitution, and we hope the Supreme Court accepts the Hidalgo case and, at the very least, strikes down such broad definitions of death-eligible crimes. But Hidalgo raises another, even more challenging issue and could conceivably lead to an even more radical decision. The death penalty, Hidalgo argues, is inherently unconstitutional because the nation has been unable to use it without descending into an unreliable system in which the poor and minorities are disproportionately affected. Los Angeles Times We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Tammy Conforti never expected her efforts to build Kenoshas first fully accessible playground would lead her to Hawaii. Conforti, who spent years working to get the Dream Playground funded and built, also dreamed of visiting Hawaii. Playground volunteers made her dream a reality this fall. I didnt know about it until the playground ribbon cutting, and they presented me with a certificate that said, Theres a fund set up in your honor for your dedication to the community, Conforti said. The funds were used at LaMacchia Travel. Approximately 33 families and some anonymous donors donated to this whisper fund, and when I found out about it, I was in front of a crowd of a thousand people. They presented me with flowers and a certificate. I was so incredibly surprised and moved by the fact that my team would go through that effort to raise money to send me to Hawaii, she said. Conforti said she was a little uncomfortable at first because I didnt spend the years working on the project to gain anything. They took it upon themselves to do this. I was flattered, but kind of uncomfortable because I didnt want there to be a perception that that was the reason I worked on the project for five years, she said. Conforti said LaMacchia Travel helped organize the trip for her, which made it stress-free. They booked everything for me. They handled everything, she said. Located inside Petzke Park, 2820 14th Ave., the Dream Playground was built with the help of thousands of volunteers. During her trip to Hawaii, Conforti helped build a similar playground in Waimea. A woman who had the same vision as me raised $500,000 to build a playground there, Conforti said. I was the shortest volunteer from the furthest away. It was an indescribable experience. Volunteering at community builds is nothing new to Conforti, and she often wears T-shirts representing Kenosha. I did one in Franklin, one in Janesville, New Berlin, Boston and Hawaii, she said. As soon as I find out about a community build, I find out where it is, how far away it is and the dates of it, and if I can go, I sign up and volunteer. I love community builds. Transition Year and fifth year students from Duiske College in Graignamanagh recently attended a community awareness talk as part of the nationwide Dementia: Understand Together initiative, led by the HSE, working with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Genio. The talk was presented by nurses Mary Hickey and Joan McDonald who are working with people living with dementia at the Kilkenny Memory Clinic, based in St Columbas Community Hospital in Thomastown. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and understanding of dementia within the community and to reduce stigma around the condition, to help people with dementia to live well, to inform the community how they can support friends and neighbours. Pictured are: Riley Smith (Co-ordinator) Joan McDonald, Erin Hore and Casey Maher. Katie Staunton, Gemma Butler, Kat Healy teacher, Elise Holden, Chloe Boland and Michelle Boland. Photos: Mary Browne Its estimated that there are 55,000 people living with dementia in Ireland, and this number is expected to more than double to 113,000 by 2036. Information evenings for the wider community will be held in early 2018 in Thomastown and Graignamanagh, and further details of these events will be provided in due course. For more information, including details of county supports and services available, visit www.understandtogether.ie or Freefone 1800-341 341. Santa Claus himself will provide a special sleigh-ride escort to Dublin Airport from the Chernobyl-affected regions of Belarus for a group of children with special needs who will on Wednesday begin a two-week long Christmas 'Rest and Recuperation' stay in counties across Ireland. The Kilkenny Outreach Group will welcome vulnerable children and young adults to Ireland for the programme. Children as young as 13 will join Vasilli Lyskavets, who will be returning to his loving 'Irish family', the Morrisseys, who are a volunteer host family with the Kilkenny Outreach Group. The Morrissey family have hosted Vassili for over 10 years, during which time he has become one of the family, attending family weddings and special occasions. Vasilli has lived in Vesnova Children Institution as long as he can remember. Abandoned to Vesnova with his brother at a young age, their lives appeared to be lost and separation seemed a certainty but through CCIs intervention we have managed to keep the boys together. Vasili and his brother Alexei live together in our Independent Living Home. This historic programme pioneered by CCI and established in 2009 enabled Vasilli and his brother to move from Vesnova into an independent living house and escape a future of adult institutions offering them a bright future. The Kilkenny Outreach Group fundraise tirelessly throughout the year in order to give these children and adults a much needed break. Activities such as their hugely successful annual 2017 Mary Slattery Chernobyl Cycle as well as a Fashion Show and American Tea Party funds the life-prolonging programme for so many. The success of CCIs oldest programme is due to the commitment, dedication and kindness of thousands of host families from Kilkenny and all over Ireland. Host families from nine counties will welcome the children for the start of their life-prolonging respite holiday, during which time radiation levels in the children drop by nearly 50% and up to two years is added to their life expectancy. The trip, code named 'Operation Sleigh Ride' has been organised by the Adi Roches Chernobyl Children International (CCI) charity which has brought more than 25,500 children to Ireland to stay with host families since 1991. For many of these children, nothing as magical as this will ever have happened in their lives," says Chernobyl Children International Voluntary CEO Adi Roche. "This is the true meaning of Christmas its about family and sharing. Some of the host families at Dublin airport will have hosted children of Chernobyl many times before, and they will be the first to tell you how these children truly become part of the family and an integral part of Christmas traditions. The positive impact these stays have on the children is a testament to three generations of truly remarkable Irish volunteers. Since 1991, over 25,500 children from Belarus and Western Russia have come to Ireland through Adi Roches charity on this Rest and Recuperation programme. Results of the National Patient Experience Survey released today provided mixed feedback for local hospitals as Kilcreene Orthopeadic Hospital in Kilkenny performed best of all and recorded an 80% very good satisfaction rating, compared to the national average of 54%. In comparison, St Luke's General Hospital recorded 43%, University Hospital Waterford 42% and South Tipperary General hospital in Clonmel 46%. The survey, which took place during the month of May, gave almost 27,000 patients discharged from a public acute hospital across Ireland the opportunity to describe their experiences in hospital. It is the largest single survey of the healthcare system in Ireland and received an exceptional 51% response rate. 90% of cases were admitted to St Luke's in an emergency, and 60% of patients waited for over 6 hours. 87% of patients felt they were treated with respect and dignity. In the case of Kilcreene Orthopaedic Hospital, 98% of patients were pleased with the way they were informed of what to do after they left the hospital. 20% described the food in the hospital as poor. Average age of patients was the highest of hospitals in the region, at 68. In University Hospital Waterford, 76% of admissions were as an emergency and 75% of patients waited for more than six hours before admission. In South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel, 46% found it very good and 81% entered on an emergency basis while 50% said they did not receive an explanation about their condition that they could fully understand. Award for quicker data transmission: Christian Koos, Manfred Kohl, and Sascha Muhlbrandt of KIT. (Photo: Gips-Schule Foundation, Thomas Niedermuller) Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) demonstrated a novel plasmonic photodetector that is a hundred times smaller and much quicker than conventional detectors. For this, scientists Sascha Muhlbrandt, Christian Koos, and Manfred Kohl of KIT were granted this years Gips-Schule Research Award in the amount of EUR 50,000 by the Gips-Schule Foundation. Large numbers of these small components can be integrated on large-area silicon wafers, together with other optical and electronic components. In this way, capacity of future communication systems can be increased considerably. High-performance data networks are the backbone of digital society and the basis of megatrends, such as autonomous driving and Industry 4.0, says the President of KIT, Professor Holger Hanselka. Based on a long research tradition in this field, we want to develop smart technologies for the information society. Global challenges in many areas can only be mastered by rapid progress in information technology, Hanselka continues. We are very happy about the Gips-Schule Research Award for our team of researchers. The light signals transporting the data in glass-fiber cables have to be converted into electrical signals for them to be understood by a computer. With this component, we overcome the bottleneck of optoelectronic data transmission and can transmit the contents of a complete DVD in less than one second, physicist Sascha Muhlbrandt of KIT explains. He carried out the work at the Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT) and the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Electronics (IPQ) of KIT. Interdisciplinary cooperation of several groups from nanotechnology, material sciences, and nanophotonics was decisive for the success of the work. The high performance of the detector results from a novel component concept. Light waves are converted into much smaller electron light excitations, so-called plasmonic waves, Manfred Kohl of IMT says. For the implementation of the concept, a special metal-semiconductor-metal transition of mushroom-like profile was developed. Its manufacture turned out to be a big technological challenge. It is a special advantage of the new technical concept that the components can be integrated on large-area and low-cost silicon wafers together with other optical or electronic components. The speed of the components can be further increased in the future, Christian Koos, IPQ, is convinced. We think that plasmonic components can also be used in wireless high-speed communication for seamless connection of radio antennas to glass-fiber networks. The award of the jury under its spokesperson and the Foundations supervisory board member Peter Frankenberg was handed over in Stuttgart on November 28, 2017. About the Gips-Schule Foundation The Gips-Schule Foundation supports research, young scientists, and academic education in Baden-Wurttemberg. The focus lies on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects as well as on interdisciplinary projects. In Baden-Wurttemberg, the Foundation based in Stuttgart cooperates closely with universities and research institutions and funds promising research projects through endowed professorships, scholarships, support of studies ambassadors encouraging secondary school graduates to study STEM subjects, and projects for the basic and advanced education of teachers. Every two years, the Foundation grants its research awards in the total amount of EUR 65,000. The Gips-Schule Young Scientist Award in the amount of EUR 17,500 is granted annually. www.gips-schuele-stiftung.de (in German only) Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence. HANOI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Following is a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates as of 0404 GMT. December 11 USD/VND mid-point 22,454 USD/VND interbank 22,710/22,711 USD/VND unofficial 22,805/22,820 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.25/36.47 Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.9-1.3 1 week 0.9-1.6 1 month 2.2-2.7 3 months 4.5-5.0 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 Biju Dwarakanath) * Fitch cites 'strong and consistent' macroeconomic performance * Fitch says no evidence that drug war hit investor confidence * Fitch sees Philippines' GDP growth at 6.8 pct in 2018, 2019 (Adds more comments, background) MANILA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Fitch Ratings on Monday upgraded Philippines' credit rating to 'BBB' from 'BBB-', citing the nation's "strong and consistent" macroeconomic performance and sound policies supporting high and sustainable growth rates. Fitch, the first credit rating agency to raise the Philippines' credit rating to investment grade in 2013, said investor sentiment also remained strong, as indicated by solid domestic demand and inflows of foreign direct investment. "As such, there is no evidence so far that incidents of violence associated with the administration's campaign against the illegal drug trade have undermined investor confidence," it said in a statement. Although the Southeast Asian nation is among the fastest growing economies in Asia, some analysts had flagged risks President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs could pose to investment. The Philippines has drawn international criticism for the killing of about 3,900 people in police anti-drugs operations since Duterte took power in June last year. But the police deny allegations by human rights advocates that many of the killings were executions. Fitch forecast real gross domestic product growth of 6.8 percent for the Philippines in 2018 and 2019 and said it would maintain its place among the fastest-growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Fitch said it expects higher infrastructure spending under the government's public investment programme to support continued robust growth over the medium term. Duterte has pledged to modernise the country's airports, roads, railways and ports through a six-year $180-billion, "Build, Build, Build" initiative to attract much-needed foreign direct investment and lift economic growth. Fitch upgraded the Philippines by one notch to 'BBB-' in 2013, with the agency citing Manila's efforts to achieve fiscal sustainability, curb corruption and increase infrastructure spending. The move was followed by Standard & Poor's less than two months later. Moody's Investors Service in 2013 was the last of the three major agencies to lift the Philippines to investment grade status. (Reporting by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru and Enrico dela Cruz in Manila; Editing by Paul Tait and Sam Holmes) ABU DHABI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi Financial Group (ADFG), a privately owned investment company which has $6.5 billion of assets under management, expects to raise $200 million from the stock market listing of Etihad REIT next year, its chief executive said on Monday. Etihad REIT, a sharia-compliant real estate investment trust, will be listed in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai, Jassim al-Seddiqi told Reuters at a conference in Abu Dhabi. Shuaa Capital is advising on the listing, he said. (Reporting by Stanley Carvalho, writing by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Andrew Torchia) Dec 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's total exports to China for outward processing rose 4.0 percent to HK$147.3 billion ($18.87 billion), in terms of value in the third quarter of 2017, the Census and Statistics Department said on Monday. Outward processing trade involves the shipment of raw materials to mainland China for manufacturing. Finished products are then shipped back to Hong Kong for re-export. (Rounded figures in billions of Hong Kong dollars and year-on-year percentage change in brackets): 3rd qtr 2017 2nd qtr 2017 Total exports to China 147.29 (4.0) 140.43 (3.7) Domestic exports to China 0.584 (-4.5) 0.413 (-7.2) Re-exports to China 146.70 (4.0) 140.02 (3.7) Imports from China 197.92 (1.8) 204.42 (3.8) ($1 = 7.8078 Hong Kong dollars) (Reporting by Twinnie Siu in HONG KONG; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) LIMA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Peru will likely post a $5.9 billion trade surplus in all of 2017 instead of $5.1 billion as previously expected thanks to higher copper and gold prices, the central bank said in a presentation on Monday. In the first 10 months of this year, Peru registered a $4.6 billion trade surplus, according to the latest trade data available in the central bank. (Reporting By Teresa Cespedes Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) 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. MANILA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The Philippines' Bureau of the Treasury rejected all bids for T-bills at an auction on Monday amid weak demand. Tenders totalled 7.576 billion pesos ($150.6 million) against the government's offer of 20 billion pesos worth of 91-day, 182-day and 364-day T-bills, the bureau said. It also rejected all bids at the Nov. 27 T-bill auction, while raising 255.4 billion pesos from its latest retail treasury bond offering. For previous auction results, click on ($1 = 50.3000 Philippine pesos) (Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Sunil Nair) 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. (Repeating to add additional Ratings.) Dec 8 (Reuters) - Below are the ratings awarded by Investment Information Credit Rating Agency Ltd. (ICRA) for local debt instruments as of December 7, 2017. COMPANY INSTRUMENT RATING AMOUNT MOVEMENT (RS.MLN) ------ ---------- ------ ----- --------- SHORT TERM RATINGS: ------------------- Adcock Ingram Ltd ST FBL ICRA A1+ 400 Reaffirmed Adcock Ingram Ltd ST Non-FBL ICRA A1+ 150 Reaffirmed Amber Exports (India) FB Packing Credit ICRA A2+ ** Reaffirmed **Short-term, fund-based facility is a sub-limit of long-term, fund-based facility, with total utilisation not exceeding Rs. 15.00 crore Anthony Garments Pvt Ltd Fund based facility ICRA A4 200 Reaffirmed Anthony Garments Pvt Ltd Non-fund based ICRA A4 15.3 Reaffirmed facility Aov Exports Pvt Ltd ST FB ICRA A3+ 954.1 Revised from ICRA A2+ Aov Exports Pvt Ltd ST Non-fund Based ICRA A3+ 12.5 Revised from ICRA A2+ Atlas Exports (India) FB Packing Credit ICRA A2+ * Reaffirmed **Short-term, fund-based facility is a sub-limit of long-term, fund-based facility, with total utilisation not exceeding Rs. 10.00 crore Biba Apparels Pvt Ltd CP (CP) ICRA A1+ 250 Reaffirmed Darshita Exim Pvt Ltd Non FB Fac ICRA A3+ 500 Reaffirmed Darshita Exim Pvt Ltd Unallocated ICRA A3+ 200 Reaffirmed Indus Vegpro Pvt Ltd ST - FB Fac ICRA A4 50 Reaffirmed Kerala Nut Food Company ST non-FB Fac - sub ICRA A3+ - Upgraded limit^ from ICRA A3 ^ Letter of credit as a sub-limit of Fund Based Limits Kerala Nut Food Company ST non FB Fac - ICRA A3+ 12 Upgraded Proposed Fac from ICRA A3 Kerala Nut Food Company ST FB Fac* ICRA A3+ 396 Upgraded from ICRA A3 * 100% interchangeability between fund based working capital limits Kerala Nut Food Company ST FB Fac - sub limit*ICRA A3+ - Upgraded from ICRA A3 Manisha Construction Co Non fund basedBG ICRA A4 155 - Issuer not cooperating Metco Roof Pvt Ltd ST - Non Fund Based ICRA A3 260 Assigned / Outstanding Shankar Mahadev And Company Non-fund Based BG ICRA A4 30 Reaffirmed Somnath Agro Industries Fund based - Export ICRA A4 4.2 Reaffirmed Packing Credit* *sub-limit of cash credit Svarn Telecom Ltd ST Non FB ICRA A4 35 Reaffirmed Svarn Tex Prints Pvt Ltd ST Non FB ICRA A4 70 Reaffirmed Tanfac Industries Ltd Non-fund Based ICRA A3 550 Upgraded Working Capital Fac from ICRA A4+ Vijeta Broking India Pvt Ltd ST non- fund based Bk ICRA A4 210 Reaffirmed lines LONG TERM RATINGS: ------------------- Adcock Ingram Ltd LT FBL# ICRA A+ Reaffirmed # Sub-limit of short-term fund based limit Adcock Ingram Ltd LT Non-FBL## ICRA A+ Reaffirmed ## Inter-changeable with short-term non-fund based limits Alsthom Industries Ltd TL Provisional 500 Assigned ICRA AA Alsthom Industries Ltd FB facility Provisional 100 Assigned ICRA AA Amber Exports (India) FB Foreign Bill ICRA BBB 150 Reaffirmed Purchase Anthony Garments Pvt Ltd TL ICRA BB- 37.5 Reaffirmed Aov Exports Pvt Ltd LT FB - TL ICRA BBB 33.4 Revised from ICRA BBB+ Asir Automobiles Pvt Ltd FB Fac ICRA BB- 50 Review process is underway Asir Automobiles Pvt Ltd Proposed Fac ICRA BB- 70 Review process is underway Atlas Exports (India) FB Foreign Bill ICRA BBB+ 100 Reaffirmed Purchase Bharatiyam Foods And Beverages LT Fund based - TL ICRA BB 500 Upgraded Pvt Ltd from ICRA BB- Bharatiyam Foods And Beverages LT Fund based - CC ICRA BB 40 Upgraded Pvt Ltd from ICRA BB- Biba Apparels Pvt Ltd LT working capital ICRA A+ 690 Reaffirmed fund based Bk Fac Biba Apparels Pvt Ltd Fund based-TL ICRA A+ 200 Reaffirmed Biba Apparels Pvt Ltd Unallocated/ Proposed ICRA A+ / 810 Reaffirmed Bk Fac A1+ Embassy Inn Pvt Ltd NCD ICRA D 750 Downgraded from ICRA BB- G R Gupta & Brothers FB - CC ICRA BB 150 Reaffirmed G R Gupta & Brothers FB - Channel FinancingICRA BB 250 Reaffirmed Iced Desserts & Food Parlours Bk Loan Rating ICRA D 150 (India) Pvt Ltd Issuer delayed in giving information Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 150 Assigned -Aye Finance Pvt Ltd ICRA BBB+ Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 100 Assigned Akme Fintrade (India) Ltd ICRA BBB+ Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 50 Assigned Aris Capital Pvt Ltd ICRA BBB+ Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 125 Assigned Essel Finance Business Loan Ltd ICRA BBB+ Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 140 Assigned Fino Finance Pvt Ltd ICRA BBB+ Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 100 Assigned Pahal Financial Services Pvt ICRA BBB+ Ltd Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 80 Assigned Samunnati Financial ICRA BBB+ Intermediation & Services Pvt Ltd Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 50 Assigned Satya Microcapital Ltd ICRA BBB+ Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 70 Assigned Shri Ram Finance Corporation ICRA BBB+ Pvt Ltd Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 50 Assigned Merittrac Services Pvt Ltd Fund based- CC ICRA BBB+ 150 Reaffirmed Merittrac Services Pvt Ltd Non-fund basedBG ICRA BBB+ Reaffirmed (sub-limit) Merittrac Services Pvt Ltd Non-fund basedLOC ICRA BBB+ Reaffirmed (sub-limit) /ICRA A2+ Svasti Microfinance Pvt Ltd ICRA BBB+ Ifmr Capital Finance Pvt Ltd - Provisional 150 Assigned Visage Holdings And Finance ICRA BBB+ Pvt Ltd Indus Vegpro Pvt Ltd LT - TL ICRA BB- 5 Upgraded from ICRA B+ Japfa Comfeed India Pvt Ltd Bk Loan Rating ICRA BBB+ 1196 /A2 Review process is underway Kamsri Printing And Packaging LT FB CC ICRA B 88 Withdrawn Pvt Ltd Kerala Nut Food Company LT FB Fac - sub limit*ICRA BBB - Upgraded from ICRA BBB- * 100% interchangeability between fund based working capital limits Krushna Godavari Khate, Fund based- Working ICRA BB- 70 Reaffirmed Bi-Biyane Utpadan Va Vikri Capital Fac Sahakari Sanstha Ltd. Manisha Construction Co Fund based-CC ICRA B+ 30 - Issuer not cooperating Manisha Construction Co Unallocated limit ICRA B+ 15 - Issuer not cooperating Metco Roof Pvt Ltd LT - Fund Based/ CC ICRA BBB- 70 Outstanding Metco Roof Pvt Ltd LT - TL ICRA BBB- 34 Assigned Metco Roof Pvt Ltd LT/ ST Unallocated ICRA BBB- 101 Assigned Limits Mi Industries (India) Pvt Ltd LT - Fund Based/ CC ICRA BB- 280 Issuer not cooperating Mi Industries (India) Pvt Ltd LT - Fund Based TL ICRA BB- 777.5 Issuer not cooperating Mi Industries (India) Pvt Ltd LT / ST - Non Fund ICRA BB- 62.5 Based /A4 Issuer not cooperating Paramount Steels Ltd FB Limits ICRA B 100 Reaffirmed Ramapriya Solar Energy Pvt Ltd Fund based-TL ProposedICRA B 105 - Issuer not cooperating S. J. Logistics (India) Ltd FB - CC ICRA B+ 170 Outstanding S. J. Logistics (India) Ltd FB - Foreign Currency ICRA B+ - Outstanding Demand Loans (Sublimit of CC) (Reduced from 16.00) S. J. Logistics (India) Ltd FB - Working Capital ICRA B+ 10 Assigned Demand Loan S. J. Logistics (India) Ltd FB - Foreign Currency ICRA B+ 68 Assigned / TL Outstanding (Enhanced from 5.00) S. J. Logistics (India) Ltd Unallocated ICRA B+ 2 Assigned Shankar Mahadev And Company FB CC ICRA BB- 30 Reaffirmed Siti Networks Ltd LT, Non-fund Based ICRA A- 750 Assigned Facility Siti Networks Ltd Long-TL ICRA A- 1250 Outstanding Siti Networks Ltd LT, FB Facility ICRA A- 250 Outstanding Siti Networks Ltd Long-TL ICRA AA 500 Outstanding Somnath Agro Industries Fund based - CC ICRA B 50 Reaffirmed Somnath Agro Industries Unallocated ICRA B 54.2 Reaffirmed Somnath Agro Industries Fund based - TL Svarn Telecom Ltd LT FB - CC ICRA BB- 50 Reaffirmed Svarn Telecom Ltd LT FB - TL ICRA BB- 9.4 Reaffirmed Svarn Telecom Ltd LT Unallocated ICRA BB- 155.6 Reaffirmed Svarn Tex Prints Pvt Ltd LT FB - CC ICRA B+ 82.5 Reaffirmed Svarn Tex Prints Pvt Ltd LT FB - TL ICRA B+ 20 Reaffirmed Svarn Tex Prints Pvt Ltd LT Unallocated ICRA B+ 77.5 Reaffirmed Tanfac Industries Ltd FB ICRA BBB- 250 Upgraded from ICRA BB+ Vehlna Steels & Alloys Pvt Ltd CC ICRA B+ 60 Reaffirmed Vehlna Steels & Alloys Pvt Ltd Unallocated ICRA B+ 17.8 Reaffirmed Vijeta Broking India Pvt Ltd LT fund based Bk linesICRA BB- 40 Reaffirmed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $: Rating watch with positive implication #: Rating Watch with Developing implications @: Rating Watch with Negative Implications %: Rating under Credit Watch wd -Rating Stands Withdrawn sp -Rating Suspended pp -Principal Protected pn -Principal Not Protected ICRA may apply + or - signs for ratings to reflect a comparative standing within the category. BG-Bank Guarantee; CC-Cash Credit; CCPS-Cumulative Convertible Preference Share; CD-Certificate of Deposit; CLO-Collateralized Loan Obligation; CPA-Claims Paying Ability; CP-Commercial Paper; CPS-convertible preference shares; CRPS- Cumulative Redeemable Convertible Preference shares; DDB-Deep Discount Bond; EPBI-Exchange premium bond; FBL-Fund Based Limits; FRB/FRN -Floating Rate Bond/Note; ICD -Inter Corporate Deposit; ITD-Immediate Term Debt; LOC-Letter of Credit; LT -Long Term; LTB -Long Term Borrowing; LTD -Long Term Debt; MOCD-multiple option convertible debenture; MTD -Medium term Debenture; MTN-medium term notes; NCD(SO) - Non-Convertible Debenture-(Structured Obligation); NCD-Non-convertible Debentures; NCRB-Non Convertible Redeemable Bonds; NM-Not Meaningful; OCD-optionally convertible debenture; OD-Over Draft; OFCD-Optionally Fully Convertible Debenture; PCD-Partially Convertible Debenture; PCN-partly convertible notes; PCPS-Partly Convertible Preference Share; POCD-partly optional; PP-privately placed; PSPC-Post Shipment & Packing Credit; PS-Preference Shares; PTC-Pass Through Certificates; RPS-Redeemable Preference Shares; SCPN-secured convertible preference notes; SDO-Structured Debt Obligation; SLR-Statutory Liquidity Ratio; SO-Structured Obligation; SPCD - Secured Partly Convertible Debentures; SPN-secured premium notes; STB-Short Term Bond; STD-Short Term Debentures; ST-Short Term; Sub. Bonds-Subordinate Bonds; TB-Taxable Bond; TFB-Tax Free Bond; TL-Term Loan; TOCD-triple option convertible debentures. (Mumbai Rate Reporting Unit + 91 22 6180 7222 / 3317 7222 , E-mail at rru.data@thomsonreuters.com) Keywords: INDIA RATINGS/ STOCKHOLM, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Swedes turned negative on prospects for the housing market in December, spying lower prices a year ahead, banking group SEB's Housing Price Indicator, showed on Monday. The indicator, showing the balance between households forecasting rising or falling prices, dropped to -5 in December, from +11 in November. It was the first time Swedes have forecast a fall in prices since February 2012. According to SEB, 36 percent of households expect prices to rise over the coming year, down from 43 percent the previous month. The number expecting prices to decline increased to 41 percent from 32 percent. (Reporting by Johan Sennero; Editing by Simon Johnson) ISTANBUL, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Turkey's 2017 economic growth is expected to be greater than 5.5 percent, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Monday, after data showed the economy expanded at 11.1 percent in the third quarter, its fastest pace in six years. Simsek, who was speaking to broadcaster TRT Haber, is the government minister with oversight of the economy. Development Minister Lutfi Elvan earlier said full-year growth was expected to be between 6 and 7 percent. (Reporting by Birsen Altayli; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Daren Butler) Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. By Yoon Ja-young A Korean version of Silicon Valley in the U.S. will be built in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, to nurture start-ups as the country's new growth engines. It aims at enabling anyone with innovative ideas to start their own business by providing one-stop full-support service. The government unveiled the blueprint for Pangyo Techno Valley II at an economy-related ministers' meeting held at Pangyo, southeastern Seoul, Monday. Innovative growth is one of the two main pillars of the Moon administration's economic policy along with income-led growth. "As seen in Silicon Valley in the U.S. and China's Zhongguancun, it is crucial to set up an innovation center to form an ecosystem for start-ups and venture companies," Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said. "For job creation and growth, innovation is needed in all businesses, both economically and socially," he added. Pangyo Techno Valley II will be built on 430,000 square meters of land by 2022. Pangyo already harbors many IT companies. It is home to over 1,300 businesses as of the end of the last year, with their total sales surpassing 77 trillion won and employing 75,000 people. The previous Park Geun-hye administration had announced a master plan to develop Pangyo into a "creative economy valley" back in 2015, but it was mostly about real estate development. There is criticism that it lacks software to support start-ups or facilitate communication between entrepreneurs According to the government plan, Pangyo Techno Valley II will be developed to have a competitive edge against start-up incubators overseas. Pangyo will be the place where anyone can start their own business as long as they have an innovative idea. It will provide work space for around 1,400 start-ups so that entrepreneurs can concentrate on realizing their innovative ideas without having to worry about high rent. Those with innovative ideas will receive one-stop services, ranging from protection and realization of their technology, financial consulting, to advancing into overseas markets. They will be able to test their new innovations in new industries such as IoT, drones, self-driving cars, and healthcare. Pangyo's infrastructure will be improved for young entrepreneurs, with more roads built to link the techno valley with other key areas and rental homes and short-term residences provided so that young workers can enjoy stabilized housing near their work. The government also plans to nurture Pangyo Valley as a leading smart city. It will adopt all smart city technologies, such as smart transportation including car sharing and smart parking, a new system enhancing electrical energy efficiency, and technology for smart work environment Pangyo Techno Valley II will be Korea's incubator for self-driving technology and research. There will be the first self-driving shuttle bus to operate in the residential area, running between Pangyo Station and the techno valley. It will be equipped with a self-driving monitoring system and facilities to run simulation tests based on big data. At the ministers' meeting, the government also announced plans to overhaul its procurement system in a move to open doors wider for start-ups, SMEs and social enterprises. The government plans to pull up the ratio of start-ups and venture companies in procurement to 70 percent from 50 percent. Social enterprises will also get extra points when they bid for government orders. South Korea is considering banning all kinds of cryptocurrency transactions in the country as a way to cool down the worldwide craze for digital currencies, the top financial regulator said Monday. "I don't see bitcoin transactions as financial deals," Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Choi Jong-ku said in a luncheon meeting with reporters. "They are not institutionalized transactions. So the authorities never allow futures trading of such currencies." He said the FSC is mapping out measures to restrict the transactions to some extent, including an all-out ban, adding that the restriction is aimed at minimizing side effects of Bitcoin transactions and reducing speculative investment. Cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and ethereum, have rapidly gained popularity in recent years, and South Korea is home to one of the world's largest bitcoin exchanges, with about 1 million people estimated to have the best-known digital currency. Despite a boom in transactions of digital currencies, such exchanges are largely unregulated, as they are not recognized as financial products. Also there are no rules protecting people who invest in digital money. BonAngels CEO offers advice to new companies By Nam Hyun-woo BonAngels CEO Kang Seok-heun / Courtesy of BonAngels Insurer, lender win top honors as women-friendly firms By Kang Seung-woo AXA General Insurance and Busan Bank won the grand prizes as the most women-friendly financial outfits in Korea in an annual awards ceremony hosted by the Korean Women in Finance (KNWF). The KNWF also recognized Park Jeong-rim, vice president of KB Financial Group and KB Kookmin Bank, for her contributions to bring more gender equality to the country's conservative financial industry. "Thus far, men have dominated foreign exchange and loan departments of domestic banks. But Busan Bank has opened the areas to women of late," KNWF Chairwoman Kim Sang-kyung said. "In addition, it appointed a female executive vice president for the first time among Korean regional banks." Early this year, the Busan-based lender tapped Kwon Mi-hee as its executive vice president to take charge of compliance and consumer offices. With regard to AXA General Insurance the KNWF praised the Seoul-based non-life insurer that it's an exemplary firm as far as gender equality is concerned. "AXA has maintained the proportion of females at around 30 percent, which is significantly high compared to other financial companies," Kim said. The proportion of female executives is a mere 2.4 percent in Korea according to the KNWF, the lowest among member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. "KB Vice President Park has worked in the financial sector since 1986. Over the past three decades, she has put forth great efforts for the advancement of women in the industry. We highly recognize it," Kim said. Busan Bank Executive Vice President Kwon said that her company has more female workers than males, while promising to keep trying to help crack the glass ceiling for senior employees and executives. AXA CEO Gilles Fromageot also pledged to play a bigger role in the initiative. "AXA is known for its female-friendly corporate culture and women development programs," he said. He noted that women's leadership styles promote communication, energy and innovative mindsets. KB Vice President Park said it is a high time for the government to take more proactive measures to shatter the glass ceiling. "For women to catch up to male competitors, they have to work harder because of the male-centric culture. This should be changed and the government must gear up to spearhead the transformation," Park said. The KNWF was first set up in 2003 to strengthen the networking capacity of women in the financial industry. The organization started with less than 30 members but now has hundreds. Kim is a founding chairwoman. She is also CEO of the Korea International Finance Institute. By Park Hyong-ki SC Bank Korea CEO Park Jong-bok / Yonhap Park Yu-ha, a professor at Sejong University and the author of "Comfort Women of the Empire," answers questions from reporters in front of the Seoul High Court in eastern Seoul after the court ruled against her in this Oct. 27 file photo. / Korea Times file Intellectuals say freedom of expression in danger By Kang Hyun-kyung Korean, American and Japanese academics and artists voiced concern about a court's ruling that Park Yu-ha, the author of "Comfort Women of the Empire," defamed victims of wartime sexual slavery. They claimed the Seoul High Court's ruling has put freedom of expression in danger. In the book released in 2013, Park, also a professor at Sejong University in Seoul, claimed some Korean women who were taken to comfort stations overseas during World War II were volunteers, not victims who were forced to provide sexual services for Japanese soldiers against their will. In October, the court ruled against Park and said her book defamed wartime sex slaves. It said Park's views of them were not consistent with historical facts upheld by the Korean government and the international community that comfort women were the victims of the Japanese military's systematic sex slavery and thus could mislead its readers. The higher court reversed a lower court ruling _ which had found her not guilty _ and fined Park 10 million won. The court ruling, meanwhile, ignited academics and artists. Ninety-eight writers, artists and academics, including linguist Noam Chomsky, took collective action to help Park in her legal fight. They held a news conference at the Press Center in downtown Seoul, Dec. 7. They claimed academics such as Park can present their own opinions about certain historical or political events, even if they are different from widely accepted existing views. In a free democracy, they said different opinions must be respected and protected because people are given freedom of expression. "Scholars are not supposed to be treated as criminals just because they present different views," they said. "Comfort Women of the Empire" has been the center of a controversy since it was first released in 2013, two years after she worked on the book in Japan during a sabbatical. In the book, Park challenged several established points about Japan's wartime sex slavery. Park denied the Japanese military's involvement in the recruitment of Korean girls and said human traffickers were responsible for war rape. During World War II, as many as 200,000 women from Korea, China, the Philippines and the Netherlands were taken to comfort stations which were set up all across the Asia-Pacific region. About 80 percent of them were believed to be Koreans. Several comfort women survivors testified that they were duped by recruiters and believed they would work as manufacturing workers. Park said prostitution was in place in Japan before World War II and women involved in the industry there were called comfort women. Those women were from poor families and they were there to earn money to support their families by providing sexual services for the Japanese military. Park went on to say the opening of comfort stations across the Asia-Pacific region starting in 1932 was the result of the systematic expansion of such facilities ahead of the war, not as something that suddenly came up as an organized effort by the Japanese government as some Korean scholars and activists believed. She also defended her use of prostitution for what those Korean comfort women did during the war. She said what they had gone through was "prostitution based on rape," or "prostitution almost identical to rape." As her description irritated Koreans, Park said she used such expressions to indicate what those Korean women underwent was the result of the systematic rape and her focus was put on rape, rather than prostitution. Park said criticism against her was too harsh and she believed to some degree critics' misunderstanding of her intentions caused her to face such undeserved approbation. She said her initial intention was to raise the issue in order to hold Japan accountable for wartime rape accordingly. "The issue has long been treated as a wartime crime, which I think is incorrect," she said. Park said the nature of Korean comfort women was different from that of Chinese or Dutch wartime sex slaves. Korea was a colonial state of Japan and thus Koreans at that time were considered Japanese citizens, whereas Chinese and Dutch women were considered foreigners, according to the author. In June 2014, about a year after the publication of her book, 11 surviving "comfort women" filed a lawsuit against Park for defaming them. The court sided with the victims and ordered Park to redact content in 34 sections that it ruled defamed those victims. In November 2011, the prosecution indicted the author without detention for defamation in a separate lawsuit. It drew the ire of some artists, historians and filmmakers at that time. One hundred ninety people signed a petition denouncing the prosecution's indictment of Park. By Jun Ji-hye President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, visited South Korean troops stationed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Monday, encouraging the nation's soldiers stationed there in their efforts to boost bilateral military cooperation with the Middle East country. Im left for the UAE Saturday as Moon's special envoy. The itinerary for his four-day trip also includes Lebanon. While meeting with the soldiers of the Akh Unit, Im presented the unit a wall clock with President Moon's signature printed in it, Cheong Wa Dae said. The Akh Unit, composed of 130 soldiers, has carried out the duty of helping train the UAE's special forces and protect South Korean residents there in case of an emergency since January 2011. "Akh" is an Arabic word meaning "brother." Before visiting the unit, Im paid a visit to Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and held 40-minute talks. "The two had a candid conversation based on mutual trust and respect," Cheong Wa Dae said. "They agreed to develop the two nations' mutual strategic cooperative relations further." Later in the day, Im traveled to Lebanon and visited the Dongmyeong unit stationed as part of the U.N. peacekeeping operations there. Seoul has dispatched the unit, consisting of 330 soldiers, since July 2007. Im also paid a courtesy call to Lebanese President Michel Aoun and discussed bilateral diplomatic issues. Given that Lebanon still maintains diplomatic relations with North Korea, some vernacular reports speculated that Im's visit to the country may have also been aimed at secretly contacting North Korean officials amid strained inter-Korean relations due to Pyongyang's repeated military provocations. Cheong Wa Dae denied this, saying there was no plan for Im to meet other figures beyond his official schedule. He will return home Tuesday. By Kim Rahn President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a summit in Beijing Thursday during Moon's state visit to China, according to Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. However, the leaders will not issue a joint statement or hold a press conference afterward, reflecting their different views on South Korea's deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery. After arriving in Beijing Wednesday, Moon will attend an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday afternoon. He and Xi will then have bilateral talks, the third of their kind following previous ones in July and November. "The two leaders will review the past 25 years of diplomatic relations and discuss ways to boost political and economic cooperation and cultural and human exchanges, for a more matured and future-oriented strategic partnership," said Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy head of the National Security Office. They will talk about resolving issues surrounding North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and linking Xi's "One Belt, One Road" initiative and Moon's "New Northern Policy" and "New Southern Policy," all of which seek to expand economic cooperation. The two governments, however, decided not to issue a joint statement. Firefighters inspect a basement room crammed with Bitcoin servers after putting out a minor fire on Friday. / Courtesy of Gangwon Fire Headquarters By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-soo A Bitcoin "mine" in South Korea suffered minor damage on Friday when a fire started in a room crammed with Bitcoin servers, police said Monday. The fire happened in a basement room of a motel in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, at 12:30 p.m. The fire was extinguished in 10 minutes after burning several servers worth 50,000 won ($46) each. The room was crammed with hundreds of Bitcoin servers operating with around 300 graphic cards, according to police. An investigation is under way to find what caused the fire. An overloaded socket is among possible causes. "The overloaded use of multi-outlet sockets seemed to have caused the fire," an investigator said. By Kim Bo-eun Twenty-six Korean sex slaves were used by Japanese soldiers on Chuuk Island in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul National University (SNU) Human Rights Center on Monday. Records obtained by the city government and the SNU center's research team from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration are the first on sex slaves on Chuuk Island. Up until now there had only been testimony offered by one victim. Chuuk Island, also known as Truk, is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia. It was a key base for the Japanese navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Records include battle documents drawn up by the U.S. military, a passenger list of the vessel which took the sex slaves back to Korea, photos of when they returned to Korea and a New York Times (NYT) article on their return. From the records, the research team identified the late sex slave Lee Bok-soon, who testified she had been taken to Chuuk Island. She is the only one among 239 government-recognized victims to claim to have served as a sex slave there. The team also identified another late victim Ha Bok-hyang, who passed away before she could be registered on the government's list of sex slaves. The late Ha was forced into sexual servitude in Manila, the Philippines. She kept silent for decades until she finally spoke out about her past in February 2001. However, she passed away days after she spoke out, which prevented her from being registered with the government as a victim. "Like Ha, it is presumed that there are many victims who have not spoken out, and therefore there could be many more," the team said, stating it would analyze records to discover them. Records show the Korean sex slaves boarded the escort vessel Ikino, January 17, 1946, at Dublon, an island in the Chuuk Lagoon, and returned to Korea via Japan. The NYT article titled "Japanese on Truk are not prisoners" published March 2, 1946, mentions the return of Korean and Japanese from the island to their home countries. "Koreans were sent home by the Truk commander, Marine Brig. Gen. Robert Blake of Berkeley, Calif., and with them went 27 Korean comfort girls. The girls, said General Blake, wanted to stay and work for the Americans. They feared the Koreans would throw them overboard for having served Japanese but General Blake packed them off and has not heard whether any were thrown overboard," the article said. The research team said the article stated there were 27 sex slaves because it appears one of three children was counted as a sex slave. The Ikino's passenger list shows 249 Koreans had boarded, among which there were 26 women and three children _ whose names, jobs and addresses are recorded. The occupation of the women was recorded as "laborer" but a comparison with other documents confirms this indicated they were sex slaves. Many of the names that appear to be Japanese were those of Korean sex slaves. During Japan's occupation of Korea, many Koreans were forced to change their names to Japanese ones. Their addresses show that they came from Korea. By Yi Whan-woo Victor Cha By Lee Kyung-min Officials at CJ Logistics, POSCO Engineering & Construction (E&C), Kumho Industrial and SK Engineering & Construction (E&C) were convicted Monday of accepting money from subcontractors in return for giving them construction work. The Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced officials from CJ Logistics and POSCO E&C to two years in prison, and handed down a year-and-a-half term an official of Kumho. The CJ official was indicted for receiving up to 490 million won until April from a construction supervision service provider in return for helping the construction arm of CJ win a contract in building a new terminal in February 2013. Officials of POSCO E&C and Kumho were indicted for receiving 410 million won and 300 million won, respectively, from the same service provider in return for their respective roles in inking contracts to earn money for their services. The court said the three deserved harsh punishment as they led the service provider to prioritize efforts in lobbying and offering bribes to officials that had influence over coming up with a competent plan to complete the construction. The amount they received was large, it added. The Seoul Southern District Court sentenced an SK official to two years in prison, ordering him to forfeit 183 million won in illicit gains. The man surnamed Park was indicted for receiving the money from a subcontractor in return for granting various favors it sought at a construction site. Park was also charged with embezzling 130 million won in company funds. He did so by asking the company to pay subcontractors up to 30 million won more in payment on numerous occasions and repeatedly pocketing the difference. The court said his repeated offense gravely undermined the credibility of landing contracts and carrying out construction. Public trust in the sector, it added, would subsequently be eroded. The rulings come amid a widening prosecution investigation into many builders here over similar bribery allegations. The prosecution and police recently raided the headquarters of SK E&C and Lotte E&C, repspectively, over allegations that officials there received money in return for handing out construction contracts. By Yi Whan-woo President Moon Jae-in's scheduled visit to China this week will serve a "milestone" in fully restoring bilateral ties, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Monday. Speaking at an international conference hosted by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security in Seoul, Kang also called for opening an effective channel between North Korea and the outside world, saying "It will be critical to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table." "Our President's visit to China is expected to become a significant milestone in recovering mutual trust between South Korea and China and helping put normal relations back on track," Kang said in her keynote speech. Moon will make a state visit to China from Wednesday to Saturday. It comes after the two neighbors agreed in October to restore their ties frayed by deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea and Beijing's economic sanctions against Seoul. "Our government was able to come up with momentum to normalize the South Korea-China relations in October following its countless efforts to overcome difficulties and recover mutual trust," Kang said. By Duncan Harrison In the workplace, employee wellbeing is important for business success and it requires an investment in energy and resources. These days, wellness programs are recognized as a vital part of an organization's offerings, and studies have indicated that not having one is costlier than employing one after factoring in absenteeism and general morale and energy levels of employees. An effective wellness program taking into consideration employees' needs and expectations is imperative. It's not only about the employer providing a job and compensation, but also about the employee's happiness and mental state and encouraging increased physical activity, improved eating habits and reduced stress. In Korea, which is well known for its long working hours, hustle and bustle and stressful lifestyle conditions to get ahead in life, the working environment for employees is improving but has not yet reached its full potential. According to a just released OECD report titled "How's Life in Korea?" job strain among employees is among the highest in the OECD, while earnings and the employment rate are below the OECD average. Overall, the report cites Korea's performance as mixed. While income and wealth are below the OECD average, the long-term unemployment rate is the lowest in the OECD and labour market insecurity is low. In terms of what matters most to Koreans, a survey of 890 website visitors in the report indicated life satisfaction, safety and health as the three most important topics, highlighting the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace. Understanding attitudes toward employee health and wellbeing and finding practical solutions employers can implement is an important initiative at Robert Walters as we aim to provide long-term value to both the employer and employee. As such, we conducted a survey of over 1,000 hiring managers and more than 2,400 professionals on the prevalence and value of workplace wellness programs. We found that 92% of professionals said it was very important or somewhat important for them to work in a firm which offers a wellness program. To do it right, an organization must ensure its wellness program is sustainable and fully operational all the time and always maintain an attitude of "doing more" for its employees. A company must also understand the costs involved of mismanaging employee wellbeing issues and keep a focus on workers, monitor their needs and seek feedback through one-on-one contact. To ensure a positive wellness program and eliminate barriers to implementation, a solid business case should be positioned internally to gain support from senior management and facilitate an active role outside of the HR department. Finally, all wellbeing initiatives should be promoted among existing employees and utilized effectively during the recruitment process to attract top talent. Through our research, employee health and wellbeing is a predominant topic these days that is vital to business performance and one which can offer significant productivity gains. Ultimately, companies who invest time and resources into their health and wellbeing programs will be better positioned for future success. Duncan Harrison is the Country Manager of Robert Walters Korea, one of the world's leading specialist professional recruitment consultancies and outsourcing firms. Reach him at Duncan.harrison@robertwalters.co.kr By John Burton "We had to destroy the village in order to save it," is a famous quote from the Vietnam War. It referred to the bombing of a village by the Americans in the Mekong Delta during the 1968 Tet Offensive that called into question U.S. war aims. I am reminded of that quote as the White House publicly debates whether to launch a preventive war against North Korea. The idea has gained traction in Washington in recent months that Pyongyang can no longer be deterred from completing its nuclear and missile program and must be stopped with military action or else it will reunify the Korean peninsula on its terms. But there is a strong likelihood that South Korea could also be destroyed in the process. H.R McMaster, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser and ironically known for his critical book on the Vietnam War, is a strong proponent of the view that North Korea is not seeking a nuclear-capable ICBM system to secure regime survival by deterrence but rather it represents the first step to conquer South Korea by coercion and force that could trigger a wider war threatening U.S. cities if Washington intervenes. McMaster recently warned that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants to use its nuclear weapons to "drive the [United] States and our allies away from this peninsula that he would then try to dominate. And if you want to know what life looks like under a North Korea regime, you just have to look north of the 38th parallel." It is an argument based on the premise that Kim is irrational and morally evil and that North Korea cannot be contained as the Soviet Union and China were after they obtained nuclear weapons, although they too had abysmal human rights records. McMaster added that North Korea is also likely to sell nuclear weapons to others, while Pyongyang's possession of nuclear weapons is likely to force South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam to acquire their own as well. "So, this would be the most destabilizing development, I think, in the post-World War II period, and it is something that places us at direct risk, but places the world at risk." That talk is scaring some in Washington. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth from Illinois told Vox, the internet website, "I'm extremely worried ? not just based on what I'm hearing out of the White House but also what I'm hearing out of the defense community. We are far closer to actual conflict over North Korea than the American people realize." She added: "Everything we're doing shows a military that, in my personal opinion, has turned the corner from we need to try to prevent this from happening' to a military that's saying the president is likely to make this decision [to attack] and we need to be ready." She noted that Trump "frankly seems eager to launch a first strike." McMaster and other hawks don't seem to acknowledge that a preventive attack by the U.S. on North Korea would also amount to a "destabilizing development" that could plunge the world into its worst crisis since World War II. Start with the fact that it would likely trigger the most destructive war since 1945, with casualties amounting to more than 1 million people on the Korean peninsula. Casualties would further mount if the war expanded to Japan and China. There is also the danger that a U.S. attack on North Korea would lead to a clash with China since Beijing would view such an event as a U.S. challenge to its own power in the region. There is surprisingly little discussion in Washington about this scenario. Even if the U.S. decided to avoid a full-scale military attack on North Korea and instead opted for a limited decapitation strike to remove Kim from power, it would create its own problems. The North Korean military would likely go ahead and automatically execute war plans, which would likely include the shelling of Seoul, missile attacks on U.S. bases in South Korea and Japan, and the use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Even though the U.S. and South Korea would ultimately prevail, allied forces might continue to face an insurgency in North Korea while thousands of refugees could flood into China. This would likely force China to send its troops into North Korea to help restore order, but it would also send back efforts for reunification under Seoul's leadership. Finally, the cost of reconstructing a war-ravaged North Korea would be astronomical for South Korea, particularly if it had suffered extensive economic damage resulting from a war. Given the unthinkable consequences of a preventive war, many in Washington take comfort in the fact that hawkish talk is just that talk that is meant to spook China into applying stiffer sanctions against North Korea while intimidating Pyongyang into stopping its nuclear and missile. But is such complacency fully justified? John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is now a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant. By Park Si-soo The chairman of South Korea's medium-sized conglomerate Booyoung Group has been banned from overseas travel in a widening investigation of alleged tax evasion. The Ministry of Justice recently slapped an overseas travel ban on Chairman Lee Joong-keun after reviewing documents from the state tax agency and the fair trade regulator. In April last year, the National Tax Service (NTS) accused Lee, 76, of evading massive tax using what the NTS called "ghost" companies registered in family members' names. He is also suspected of being involved in an offshore tax evasion linked to the company's construction project in Cambodia. Booyoung is the first South Korean conglomerate to be embroiled in a corruption scandal since President Moon Jae-in took office in May. The chairman was accused in June of providing inaccurate information about Booyoung's business structure to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). Booyoung was prosecuted in October on suspicion of misleading the public with fake cost data and faulty construction of apartments in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office is leading the investigation into Booyoung and Lee. Lee was sentenced to three years' jail in 2004 for bribing politicians. But the sentence was suspended for five years and he returned to work after then President Lee Myung-bak pardoned him in 2008. Seen is a Louis Vuitton men's store on the sixth floor of Shinsegae Department Store's main branch in Seoul. / Courtesy of Louis Vuitton Luxury brands separate men's stores from women's By Park Jae-hyuk Louis Vuitton has recently begun separating its men's stores from women's at major department stores in Korea. According to the French luxury brand, Monday, a Louis Vuitton store specializing in men's fashion items was opened on the sixth floor of Shinsegae Department Store's main branch in Seoul last week. The department store will accommodate a renovated store featuring women's collections as well on the ground floor next week. The international fashion house will also open a brand new store focusing on men's collections at Galleria Department Store's East Wing and a renewed women's store in the store's West Wing this month. Its Korean subsidiary said it divided the stores to offer clients a unique and personalized shopping experience. According to the company, separated Louis Vuitton stores can only be found at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, Harrods in London, and Shin Kong Place in Beijing, as well as Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch having stores for women's collections on its second floor, women's shoes collections on the fourth floor and men's collections on the sixth floor. A Louis Vuitton women's store that will be opened on the ground floor of Shinsegae Department Store's main branch in Seoul. / Courtesy of Louis Vuitton Chairman Kim comes under fire By Yoon Sung-won Harim Chairman Kim Hong-kuk SPECIAL REPORT'I was falsely accused of theft': foreign entertainer recalls painful memories of bullying by Korean agency The seaside city of Liverpool, England (yes, home of the Beatles), was one of Englands major shipping hubs in the not-so-distant past. Magnificent ocean liners like the RMS Titanic, Lusitania, and Queen Mary were all registered there. The city is also infamous for its part in the triangle trade, where rum, sugar, finished goods, and enslaved humans crisscrossed the Atlantic between the Old World, Africa, and the New World, with Liverpool as a northern Hub. Hugging Liverpools dozens of remaining docks are gigantic brick warehouses, built in the 1800s as the city rose to prominence. One such warehouse holds a rummy treasure trove belonging to the Main Rum Company. Liverpool Arrival On a blustery October day, I find myself inside one such warehouse, descending to the basement in a rickety freight elevator, although suspended metal cage might be a more apt description. Im doing my best to contain my excitement at what lies in wait once the doors open. For among my journeys to the epicenters of rum, this particular warehouse has become a singular obsession. The doors open into a cold, dimly lit room. Its my first glimpse into a virtually unheard of yet fascinating corner of the rum world. Even the most extreme, hardcore rum aficionados dont know of the treasures held here. For within these walls lies a magnificent, unparalleled collection of rums from all over the world, slumbering away in casks. Liverpool cathedral Just an hour earlier, having left Mrs. Wonk to her Beatles tour (a must-do, she says, for any music fan who sets foot in the city), I made my way from the citys Lime Street train station to Canning Street, in the shadow of Liverpools enormous hilltop sandstone cathedral. After locating the correct door in an extremely long brick building, Im buzzed in and greeted by Ian Smith, managing director of The Main Rum Company, a friendly chap in his early forties. Up a flight of stairs on the second floor is the hub of the companys operations a surprisingly compact, square room, with a row of windows along one wall overlooking Canning Street. Theres just enough space for four desks. Here, I meet Eric Strahan and Christine Southern, as well as Ian Hoyles, the latest addition to the operation. What might appear like a small insurance agency to the untrained eye is actually the nerve center for one of the most important enterprises in the rum world. Only the many miniature rum sample bottles belie what happens here. The Main Rum Company building, Liverpool The Main Rum Company building, Liverpool I have my trusty SLR camera with me, but no pictures are allowed. The Main Rum Companys operations require the utmost discretion. You see, they do not sell any rum directly to consumers, but rather, they are rum merchants. They purchase stocks of rum to age in a nearby Liverpool warehouse, and sell it to their customers. Main Rum wants to stay below the radar; Im extremely fortunate to have been granted access. After a bit of chit-chat about the rum industry, the two Ians and I hop in a car for the short drive to the warehouse. As we drive, Ian Smith outlines a brief history of how The Main Rum Company came to be. Liverpool Docks Demerara rum from Guyana has long been a staple of the UK rum market by itself and in navy style blends such as Pussers. For many decades, Demerara rum from Guyana was shipped to the UK via tanker ships docking at Liverpools Nelson Dock. The rum was offloaded from the ships via an elevated pipeline running along the side of a brick warehouse before depositing into giant tanks. You can still see this warehouse today, although it has a new life as the Titanic Hotel. An on-site rum bar honors the sites rum history. Nelson Dock, Liverpool Titanic Hotel, Liverpool Circa 1984, Benjamin J. (Ben) Cross de Chavannes was assisting Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) in Liverpool. Ben had the idea to purchase batches of rum and mature them in casks in a nearby warehouse. Thus, The Main Rum Company was born A company offering a diverse collection of cask-aged rum to other purveyors of rum. In time, DDL moved their shipping operations away from Liverpool, and The Main Rum Company took over DDLs office space on Canning Street the same office The Main Rum Company operates out of today. Enter E&A Scheer In 2001 and prior to his planned retirement, Ben decided to merge his company with E&A Scheer, the Dutch company that also buys, blends, and sells rum to many well-known brands, and with whom Ben had long been associated. Teaming up with E&A Scheer couldnt have been a better match. Ive written extensively about E&A Scheer, including here and here. If you dont know their story, stop now and go read up. There are critical differences between Main Rum and Scheer that make for a great symbiotic relationship. Scheers volume of bulk rum sold annually makes them one of the worlds largest rum companies. They do no aging of rums, only blending, and deal in units of shipping containers, not casks. Using this container method, they need to make sure that their products are secure and safe during transit, so they may look into cargo accessories to help keep everything in line and ready for delivery. In contrast, The Main Rum Company sells high-quality rum in casks for a very limited-edition release. Both E&A Scheer and The Main Rum Company, the entire gamut of rum, in provenance, age, and volume is covered. Into the Menagerie As we arrive at the warehouse, its easy to note by the architecture and faded red brick exterior that its quite old. The six visible levels of windows (all gated and closed with metal doors) indicates at least six levels within, plus whatever lurks below ground level. Wording painted on the brick announces that this was once a bonded tea warehouse; tea was once held in government bond, just like liquor. (Hence all that revolutionary action in Boston Harbor.) If you were to imagine an 1800s British dockside warehouse, youd probably picture something very similar to this. Once inside, I notice the vaulted ceilings, painted white. Every so often throughout the space are thick support pillars, painted green. The building, built in 1836, is so large that despite all the rum casks within, other companies also lease space here. The Main Rum Company warehouse, Liverpool Photo Credit: Dan Szor Cotswolds Distillery Walls separate the expansive floor area into manageable rooms of varying sizes, connected by open archways. Entering the first of many rooms, I find what Im here for: Casks of rum laying horizontally, bunghole pointing upward. In some spots, the casks are stacked two or three levels high; in others, casks are lined up in a single row. On the barrelheads, written in chalk, are a series of numbers and words. Some of the words are known as marques, which are basically names for different rums made at the same distillery. Each distillery defines its own marques, and theyre usually quite cryptic, like Hampden Estate DOK, for instance. The Main Rum Company uses its own set of marques, which are completely distinct from the distillery marques. Thus, even if youre familiar with, say, DDLs or Hampdens marques, that wont help you in this warehouse. However, in time, Im partially able to decode whats in a barrel from the labeling If you know the key distilleries that sell in bulk, its not particularly hard to guess. As were on this bottommost level of the warehouse and hence below ground level, its not surprising that the air is quite moist. Adding to the challenge the available light is quite dim in spots. The two Ians and I spend much of our time navigating the warehouse via cellphone flash lighting. With at least dozens of casks in any given room, the effect of the angels share is easily noticeable. Walls and pillars are thickly coated with distillers mold, the harmless fungus that feeds on evaporating alcohol. As you might guess, the smell of rum is strong, but heavily interlaced with dank fungus smells. Youd be forgiven for thinking the lower level of the warehouse resembles a nineteenth century dungeona maze of dark, damp rooms. So strong is this impressions provided by these rooms that they appeared (without much set dressing) in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. The Main Rum Company warehouse, Liverpool Photo Credit: Dan Szor Cotswolds Distillery Eventually, the shock and awe of the range of casks wears off (slightly), and I ask about cask management. Its predominantly ex-bourbon, but youll also find French oak, Cognac, Armagnac, and Sherry casks scattered about. Everything here eventually ends up in a cask, regardless of whether it arrived in a cask or a shipping container. After all, the goal here is maturation not mere storage. A Rum Distillery, Revealed Passing one particular cask, my eyes pop out. The distillery is easy enough to guess from the marque, and is quite a surprise. A few days earlier at Londons UK RumFest, Id seen and tasted a bottle of Compagnie des Indes rum (a French independent bottler), which was labeled 2005 Vintage New Yarmouth. (New Yarmouth is the much lesser known sister distillery to Appleton Estate.) This Compagnie des Indes bottling was the first New Yarmouth bottling Id ever seen. I had to wonder A few days later, I asked Florent Beuchet, owner of Compagnie des Indes, if he purchases casks from The Main Rum Company. He replied that he has always been very transparent about where I source my rums from, and for sure I do source some of them from Main Rum. However, Florent also stressed that he sources his rums from elsewhere as well, including directly from distilleries where possible. In my conversations with several other premium rum purveyors, they have echoed Florents words. Bung flogger, The Main Rum Company warehouse, Liverpool Photo Credit: Dan Szor Cotswolds Distillery Seeing my enthusiasm over this particular cask, Hoyles fetches what looks like an elongated wooden croquet mallet (a bung flogger), a siphon pump, and-oh, yestasting glasses. Cautioning me to stand back, he swings the mallet in a long, overhead arc, bringing it down squarely on the wooden bung. A violently loud bang echoes throughout the warehouse. A second well-placed strike and the bung pops out. In goes the siphon, and soon were nosing off-the-charts funky rum, quite similar in flavor profile to an aged Hampden Estate rum. But not from Hampden! A bit later and elsewhere in the warehouse, the same mallet swings again to open a cask of blended rums from different distilleries. While most casks here are single estate, single vintage rum, there are times when Main Rum decides the best choice for a rum is blending with other rums. As we depart the warehouse, I spot a large collection of small rum-filled sample bottles. Looking as if theyre waiting to be discarded, I ask what happens to them. From time to time, Smith says, each is emptied into a cask for future blending. I couldnt help but think about how some spirits enthusiasts have been making infinity barrels at home, combining the last drops of nearly empty bottles into a small cask and let them marry. All those samples at The Main Rum Company would surely make an amazing infinity barrel! Musical Connection Rounding the warehouse on the drive back to the office, Smith stops and points to a particular set of steps inset into the side of the building. It seems theres a famous 1966 black-and-white photo of Bob Dylan sitting on a set of steps surrounded by young children, taken by photographer Barry Feinstein. Those very steps are part of the warehouse we just walked through. Hows that for a cool historical connection? Dylan in Liverpool, 1966 Barry Feinstein To the Flagons! Back in the office, we tour through many of the old rum bottles Main Rum has acquired over the years. A British armed forces rum flagon from the 1950s appears, and soon Im enjoying a wee nip of real rum history! (See: Black Tot). Being in the presence of people who worked in the rum industry for many decades, I naturally sought their stories from rums not-too-distant past. Eric shows me photos from his travels to Caribbean distilleries in the 1980s, and my jaw is agape as I flip through them. He graciously lets me take a few photos of his pictures of spirit industry executives stirring the famed Hampden muck pit. 1950s British armed forces rum flagon, The Main Rum Company The Main Rum Company office and the people who inhabit it are an absolute treasure trove of information about the rum world, working in it long before we enthusiasts and our blogs and Facebook groups appeared. Hopefully the history contained within will be preserved for future generations of rum enthusiasts. I was extraordinarily fortunate to be granted access to The Main Rum Companys operations. Despite (intentionally) being virtually unknown, they and E&A Scheer, have an enormous impact on todays global rum trade. From the most inexpensive supermarket rums to the most rare, independently bottled jewels, youll find evidence of their handiwork if you know where to look. As rum enthusiasts and experts seek to understand rum from cane to glass, understanding the role of these global rum merchants is essential. My most sincere thanks to The Main Rum Company staff and Carsten Vlierboom for allowing me to look inside this fascinating corner of the rum world. Note: The warehouse interior images were graciously provided to me by Cotswolds Distillery, who also ages product in the same location. COLUMBUS Tara Vasicek doesnt like the term blighted and substandard. She prefers to view the areas as ripe for development and there are plenty of them in Columbus. Since taking over as city administrator in February, Vasicek has been approached by a number of developers interested in local projects, from hotels and apartment complexes to restaurants and retail businesses. There are good commercial projects that are sitting out there and are excited about Columbus, but they need an incentive, an investment to get their projects to where those developers are wanting to build the projects, said Vasicek. Thats where tax-increment financing (TIF) and that blighted and substandard designation come in. TIF is a funding mechanism that provides capital for developers and property owners to help get projects off the ground. The funding, which comes from the city, is then repaid over a period of up to 15 years using the increased tax revenue on the improved property. Locally, its been used for projects such as Hobby Lobby, Slumberland, Ramada-Columbus, Hy-Vee and the Village Centre strip mall. Vasicek said many of the developers currently looking at Columbus are requesting TIF assistance, which is why city officials and other key stakeholders in the community recently worked with Omaha-based RDG Planning and Design on a study that updates the areas labeled blighted and substandard. State law requires projects to be located in blighted and substandard areas in order to receive TIF funding. Several factors are considered before the label is applied, including population trends, income, unemployment rates, the age and condition of buildings, percentage of undeveloped land, infrastructure layout and number of property owners within the area. The study, which cost $2,600, focuses on nine areas in Columbus, including the 23rd Street and 33rd Avenue corridors, downtown business district, an industrial area near Platte County Agricultural Park and three locations Vasicek believes would support residential development. Vasicek said the study targets a mix of projects ranging from large industry expansions to commercial businesses to single- and multifamily housing. In the downtown district, for instance, theres the potential for both commercial development and the addition of more apartment buildings and second-story living spaces above businesses. Im excited about this area and hopefully we can get some good projects in this area, Vasicek said. The city administrator believes TIF is part of the solution to the communitys current housing shortage. To make a dent in the housing problem, we really have to do some high-density projects, and theyre very expensive to do, said Vasicek, who noted that a market-rate apartment complex with more than eight units hasnt been constructed in Columbus in nearly 30 years. Thats obviously a huge contributing factor for why were having a housing issue right now, she said. Three areas between 48th and 33rd avenues just north of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, east of 18th Avenue near Columbus Municipal Airport and east of East 14th Avenue near the new Frontier Park and Armed Forces Readiness Center in northeast Columbus are included in the study specifically for residential development. Some of those areas, Vasicek said, wont be developed without a financial incentive because of the high infrastructure costs. Thats where TIF comes in. As part of the funding request, developers must prove the project wouldnt happen without this financial support. There are critics of TIF who argue it takes revenue away from counties, cities, school districts and other entities that collect property taxes while the funding is repaid, but Vasicek isnt one of them. It is economic development, she said, adding that TIF-backed projects grow the local property tax base for decades and decades beyond the payback period. Vasicek believes Columbus needs to offer this incentive to remain competitive with other Nebraska cities. If a developer is coming to me with a project, theyre also going to Fremont and Grand Island and Norfolk and theyre asking them the same questions, she said. If approved, the study would designate about 25 percent of Columbus as blighted and substandard. State statute allows a city to go up to 35 percent, so Vasicek said theres leeway to accommodate projects that pop up outside the nine highlighted areas. The study is expected to head to the city council next week for approval. A lot of projects hopefully will happen after we get this done, Vasicek said. PRESS RELEASE Top Chinese Military Moscow Visit Boosts China, Russia Military Coordination Dec. 9, 2017 (EIRNS)Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Military Commission, met in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and other top Russian military officials on Dec. 7, for discussions on deepening the China-Russia strategic partnership through improving military-technical cooperation. All involved placed this cooperation in the framework of the relationship Presidents Putin and Xi Jinping have developed between their countries. According to Chinas Xinhua, Putin told Zhang at their meeting that "military cooperation plays an important role in Russia-China relations and the two countries should continue to strengthen their partnership in joint military drills, army games and personnel training." The Kremlin reported that in greeting Zhang, Putin reiterated "that the strategic partnership with China remains a key foreign policy priority of Russia. We highly value our current relations. They have developed largely thanks to the Chinese leadership and personally to the President of China, whom we consider a friend." Zhang spoke of Putin in the highest terms, in greeting the President, calling it an honor to meet him again: "You enjoy the respect and support of the Russian people and the Armed Forces. You are a national hero. You are leading the Russian people and moving toward prosperity and wealth, and have achieved great success. You have made an important contribution to resolving a number of major complicated issues. In this way, you have demonstrated political resolve and outstanding leadership ability." TASS played up Defense Minister Shoigus statements of intent "to further develop relations between our defense ministries in all areas," adding that "for his part, the Chinese official also noted development of Russian-Chinese cooperation and expressed hope that good personal, working and friendly relations will be established in the future." These Moscow meetings, taking place at the same time as the Cooperation-2017 joint exercises of special forces troops from both countries in northwest China, sent Western media such as Breibart and the U.K.s Daily Express into geopolitical outer orbit. And no wonder: Breibart cited a Russian military press release stating that exercises would "help Russian Special Forces adapt to a dry climate without precipitationsand to the meals represented by a variety of both traditional spicy and sour-sweet Chinese and European dishes." Evidently a cultural threat! Walt Disney Co.s planned acquisition of much of Rupert Murdochs 21st Century Fox media company a deal that is expected to be completed as early as this week could prompt a brain drain of high-level Fox executives in the coming months. Among the prominent executives who eventually could exit Fox is 20th Century Fox Chairman Stacey Snider as well as Fox Television Group Chairman Dana Walden. Amazon.com has had individual discussions with the two executives to gauge their interest in becoming chief executive of Amazon Studios in Santa Monica, according to four knowledgeable people who were not authorized to discuss the situation. Advertisement Snider and Walden are two of Hollywoods most high-powered and successful female studio chiefs, which makes them highly marketable at a time when more than a dozen men in Hollywood have fallen following sexual harassment allegations. The talks with Amazon, which occurred during the last month, are said to be preliminary. Both women remain under contract at Fox. Amid worries of an executive exodus, Fox Chief Executive James Murdoch last week began reaching out to several key business leaders in an effort to extend their employment at Fox so they would serve through any transition to Disneys ownership, according to two people familiar with the situation. One of Amazons top executives is leading the search and has talked to several veteran Hollywood executives as the company begins the process of finding a new creative chief to replace Roy Price, who left Amazon in October following a sexual harassment allegation. Amazon, according to one of the sources, is not in any hurry to fill the position, in part because several of the top prospects are under contract at other companies. In addition, Amazon Studios has leadership in place. Albert Cheng, a prominent media executive who previously oversaw many of ABCs digital efforts, has been interim chief since Prices departure. An Amazon spokesman declined to comment. Fox representatives declined to comment. Disney and Fox appear to be putting the finishing touches on their proposed merger, according to two knowledgeable insiders who were not authorized to discuss the situation. Philadelphia cable company Comcast Corp. said Monday that it was no longer pursuing a deal with Murdoch. Speculation over the future of Snider, who took charge of the 20th Century Fox film studio last year, has intensified because some people think its unlikely that she would move over to Disney. The Burbank studio has its own film team in place, including the highly respected chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Alan Horn. Snider has been credited with reinvigorating Foxs studio but she had a mixed track record when she worked as co-chief executive of Steven Spielbergs DreamWorks Studios, which had a distribution deal with Disney. Before her association with DreamWorks, Snider helped manage Universal Pictures during a period that produced several blockbusters for that studio, now owned by Comcast Corp. Several Fox insiders speculated that Disney might be more interested in bringing over Emma Watts, Foxs president of production. Earlier this year, Watts was elevated to vice chairman of Foxs film studio. The Amazon Studios position might not be the only coveted Hollywood position up for grabs. AT&T is trying to buy Time Warner Inc., which could lead to open positions at the Warner Bros. studio if the telecommunications giant decides to install its own leadership. Apple also is in the market for a top film executive as the technology giant expands its foray into Hollywood. Fox Television Group Chair Dana Walden, who has worked at the company more than 20 years. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times ) Walden is one of the most successful executives in Hollywood. She has worked at Fox more than two decades and has strong relationships with key television producers, including Ryan Murphy. She and fellow Fox Television Group Chair Gary Newman are credited with building 20th Century Fox Television into a powerhouse, churning out such hits as This is Us, Empire, Modern Family, Homeland and Family Guy. Disney is highly interested in Foxs television studio, which a recent report by Bernstein & Co. analyst Todd Juenger called the crown jewel of 21st Century Fox. For the last three years, Walden and Newman also have been running the Fox broadcast network, which will likely remain within the Murdoch familys portfolio following the proposed merger. Anxiety has spread beyond the executive ranks. Producers who make shows for the broadcast network are uncertain how their businesses will be affected. No one really knows whats going to happen, one producer said Monday. Brain drains are common in high-level mergers. Anytime a merger like this happens, people start dusting off their resumes, said James R. Bailey, a professor of leadership development at George Washington University School of Business. You are going to see a talent drain at Fox, he predicted. This is exactly the time for top talent to move on. Murdoch and his sons Lachlan and James Murdoch sent a note to employees late last week, acknowledging the angst caused by a potential sale to Disney. While we cant comment on market speculation, we do want to address the impact we know this is having on all of you, the Murdochs said in an email late Thursday. Uncertainty always breeds unease. In every way, our focus is on our businesses and on the welfare of all our colleagues. James Murdoch has been trying to reassure executives, people familiar with the matter said. All of you have worked hard to build and nurture a remarkable company through your hard work, loyalty and creativity, the Murdochs said. For this we are truly grateful. Times staff writer Ryan Faughnder contributed to this report. meg.james@latimes.com Twitter: @MegJamesLAT UPDATES: 5:05 p.m.: This story was updated to include information about Comcast abandoning its pursuit of Fox. 12:40 p.m.: This story was updated with additional information about Snider. This article was originally published at 11:45 a.m. Betsy Stover was 17 when her mother asked her to help fax strangers, hawking a service that had the markings of a pyramid scheme. I always felt like a creep sending unsolicited faxes, said Stover, who hated the chore, but knew the work required cold calls to succeed. For the record: A previous version of this story included the wrong first name for Robert FitzPatrick, president of Pyramid Scheme Alert. Stover, now a 38-year-old comedian based in Los Angeles, had largely forgotten about the experience until about three years ago. Thats when her Facebook feed started filling up with new direct sales posts touting cosmetics, jewelry and leggings. Advertisement Unbeknownst to her, friends Stover hadnt seen in years had added her to private Facebook groups promoting body oils and makeup. She had little interest. It felt too similar to her mothers get-rich-quick schemes, which had more to do with recruiting new distributors than selling actual products. It was super awkward, said Stover, who discreetly left the groups. With these people, there was always a looming sales pitch in the background. Unsolicited calls and face-to-face pitches once defined multilevel marketing a $35-billion industry that recruits an ever expanding network of independent distributors to sell their products rather than rely on bricks-and-mortar stores. Instead, todays generation of multilevel marketing brands including Rodan + Fields, Stella & Dot and LipSense are often discovered on social media platforms such as Facebook, which gives distributors instant access to a vast network of potential customers and recruits with the swipe of a finger. Rather than suffer the humiliation of cold calling, adherents can blast sales pitches and promote their brands online with little effort, attracting increasingly distant acquaintances who would have been previously unreachable. Its why many women such as Stover have seen their news feeds transformed from a place to keep up with friends and family into a clutter of livestreamed sales events, invitations to trunk shows and incessant promotional threads about moisturizers and lipsticks. This is what multilevel marketing has always done, said Robert FitzPatrick, president of watchdog group Pyramid Scheme Alert. It is the only business that ignores the boundaries of private life and professional life. It simply follows where people are gathered, and now that people communicate on digital forums like Facebook, it has invaded social networks. No recent company exemplifies the industrys shift more fittingly and controversially than LuLaRoe, a Corona multilevel marketing brand that through Facebook developed a cult-like following for its patterned leggings and is now the target of five class-action lawsuits. One of those suits, filed in October, seeks $1 billion in damages and alleges LuLaRoe operated a pyramid scheme, enriching itself by primarily selling inventory to its distributors, or sales consultants, rather than its customers. The plaintiffs say the company did this by using social media to lure a sales force mostly made up of stay-at-home mothers into paying thousands of dollars to become consultants with dim hopes of turning a profit. Defendants achieved such rapid growth by enticing consultants with social media posts boasting large bonus checks and other lavish material possessions, the suit says. Those rewards were celebrated with the hashtag #becauseofLLR. Another popular social media slogan, Part-time work for full time pay, has been chided by critics as mostly untrue except for those lucky enough to get in on the business early. LuLaRoe, which was founded in 2012 and surpassed $2 billion in annual sales this year, called the lawsuits baseless. The company said it has given thousands of consultants the opportunity to earn income. And it rejected allegations it was a pyramid scheme, explaining it does not reward consultants for simply signing up new sellers, but instead offers bonuses based on a cut of retail sales achieved by a consultants recruits. Only 27% of LuLaRoes consultants received such bonus payments last year, which means about a quarter of the companys consultants were involved in recruiting and maintaining a sales team the multilevel part of multilevel marketing. LuLaRoe has grown exponentially over the last four years. Our success has made us the target of orchestrated competitive attacks and predatory litigation. We take all litigation regardless of its lack of merit seriously, the company said in a statement. In addition to the pyramid scheme claims, LuLaRoe has been saddled with complaints about shoddy merchandise, an unfair return policy and unsympathetic leadership (consultants say the company pressured mothers to sell their breast milk to pay for more inventory). It was an endless chain. They always wanted you to buy more, said Pamela Winkelman, a Minnesota consultant who was introduced to LuLaRoe over Facebook and is a member of the $1-billion class action. Before the lawsuits, LuLaRoe had built an ultra-loyal following thanks to its buttery soft leggings. The companys embrace of all body types positioned it as something of an anti-Lululemon, the maker of pricey yoga pants whose former chief executive once suggested its clothes werent appropriate for bigger women. By 2015, LuLaRoe had become a social media sensation. Its clothes couldnt be found at stores or e-commerce sites. Instead, women had to join private Facebook groups run by the companys consultants. Once in, they had to hope the seller had their size and pattern not an easy task because consultants had no say over what pieces LuLaRoe would give them to sell. Those restrictions on supply sparked a frenzy. Women joined multiple Facebook groups scavenging for rare leggings known as unicorns with playful prints such as purple dragons or the solar system. Eventually, unicorns would show-up on EBay for double or triple their typical $25 sticker price. The clamor for leggings also boosted the ranks of consultants, who were charged a minimum of $5,000 for their initial batch of inventory. LuLaRoe had about 30,000 consultants by the middle of 2016. Since then, the number has grown to more than 80,000. I never would have heard of LuLaRoe if it wasnt for Facebook, said a 31-year-old consultant in Southern California who didnt want to use her name for fear of reprisal from the company. (She is not a member of any of the lawsuits directed at LuLaRoe). I saw how these women were buying these crazy prints left and right. I figured there was a lot of money to be made, she added. The mother of two signed-up as a LuLaRoe consultant in 2015 and initially made a tidy profit. But within months, her suburban neighborhood was saturated with rival consultants who cut her earnings by two-thirds. Now Im sitting on $22,000 of inventory in my spare bedroom that I cant move, she said. Consultants say new recruits were being minted each day, in no small part because of LuLaRoes pervasiveness on Facebook. They say the company drove up engagement on the platform by encouraging consultants to post and comment as much as possible. It also urged consultants to launch Facebook business pages from which they could place ads. LuLaRoe says it was its consultants who pioneered the companys Facebook strategy. The brand adopted the strategy because it allowed consultants to interact more intimately with customers in a manner similar to salespeople in bricks-and-mortar stores. [W]e want to help get you to a place where you are a Facebook diva and your Facebook group isnt just helping your business its practically running it for you, the company says in a Facebook strategy tutorial posted on its website. The Facebook groups, which routinely had hundreds of members, had a culture of their own. Negative comments about the brand were frowned upon. Acronyms such as FSOT (for sale or trade) and DISO (desperately in search of) abounded. Roe became a blanket verb, said Jill Robbins, a San Antonio blogger who wrote about her observations as a member of several LuLaRoe Facebook groups. I found a lot of people who drank the Kool-Aid, Robbins said. LuLaRoe rose as the number of people involved in all manner of direct selling in the U.S. grew to a record 20.5 million in 2016, up from 15.9 million in 2012, according to the Direct Selling Assn. Experts say economic insecurity born out of the Great Recession has pushed more Americans to multilevel marketing not unlike the way people have seized on the gig economy working for companies such as Uber. With her background in direct sales, LuLaRoe co-founder DeAnne Brady has said she started the company envisioning a sales force of mothers who could earn income while raising children. Jessica Wernz, a writer focused on family issues, says direct selling appeals to women in several ways: It offers a path to entrepreneurship and a promise of sisterhood to stay-at-home moms who otherwise struggle to find time for socializing. And it gives mothers in the workforce an alternative source of income that allows them to spend more time with their children. What troubles Wernz is that it perpetuates the idea that mothers are best suited at home, not in an office. I love the idea of empowering women, but this is the exact opposite, she said. These companies are selling them on the idea that theyll miss their kids childhoods if they have to go into an office. Facebook has taken a hands-off approach to multilevel marketing, saying it has no reason to limit the industrys presence on the social network. A Facebook spokesman declined to share any data about LuLaRoe. The deluge of posts about direct sales can easily be removed by selected hide post next to any unwanted content, the spokesman added. Otherwise, posts about LuLaRoe and other multilevel marketing brands are subject to the whims of Facebooks algorithm like most other topics. The rules are different for paid ads. Facebook requires multilevel marketing brands to fully describe the associated product or business model and never to promote business models offering quick compensation for little investment. However, LuLaRoe consultants interviewed for this story who placed ads on Facebook say they never disclosed such information. Facebook also prohibits ads and landing pages from containing deceptive, false, or misleading content, including deceptive claims, offers, or methods. Even if Facebook decided to banish pyramid schemes from its networks, it would have a hard time determining which companies to target. Pyramid scheme isnt a legal term, and the nations laws are notoriously vague about what it means. Most experts and industry officials, including those at the Direct Sales Assn, say the bar for a scam is when the majority of revenue is derived from recruiting new consultants rather than sales. But others say thats not enough. They argue the majority of multilevel marketing is predatory because its founded on the false promise of quick returns, when in reality, the overwhelming majority of consultants lose money. Ive never once met a single person who earned income in multilevel marketing sustainably from retailing, said FitzPartick of Pyramid Scheme Alert. The model is impossible. FitzPatrick said legal ambiguity and powerful lobbying has protected multilevel marketing, an industry with close ties to the Trump administration. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is married to former Amway CEO Dick DeVos, the son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos. President Trump was once a paid promoter of direct sales firm ACN Inc. Some of the biggest names in the industry, including Amway, Avon and Mary Kay have survived scrutiny for decades. Other stalwarts such as Herbalife and Nu Skin have paid millions in settlements, while upstarts such as beverage distributor Vemma Nutrition were effectively shuttered by the Federal Trade Commission. LuLaRoe needs to take its consultants concerns more seriously if it hopes to continue growing, said Terri Villasenor. The Whittier resident signed up with the brand in August 2016 and believes it expanded too fast. The first three months were OK, but then it plateaued because they were saturating the market, said Villasenor, 55, who gave her middle and maiden names because she worried LuLaRoe would retaliate. Shes now stuck with 200 pieces of clothing no one wants to buy. She has no intention of purchasing any more inventory. Though not a member of any of the lawsuits against LuLaRoe, Villasenor is encouraged that disgruntled consultants are fighting back. Dissenters are even exchanging ideas through private Facebook groups much like the ones they started to lure recruits and customers. The forums can feel liberating to consultants such as Villasenor, who were wary of questioning LuLaRoes business until they saw others come forward. I felt like I was stuck in a cult, she said. david.pierson@latimes.com Follow me @dhpierson on Twitter Here are the 2018 SAG Awards nominees reactions to their nods The on-camera talent recognized during the 24th Screen Actors Guild Award nominations on Wednesday shared their excitement and gratitude for the special honor bestowed upon them by the acting community. The SAG Awards serve up laurels for actors and ensemble casts working in television and film as voted by their peers. The awards show, hosted by The Good Place star Kristen Bell, will take place on Jan. 21. LIST: The 2018 SAG Award nominees In statements to the Los Angeles Times, several nominees repeatedly thanked their drama families, particularly the casts and crews of their respective projects. Heres what some of them had to say about the recognition: Alison Brie. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Alison Brie, GLOW It is such a great honor to be recognized by my fellow actors with this nomination. I am so proud to be part of a show that celebrates the craft of acting, with all its pitfalls and glories, and to be able to work with such a diverse group of insanely talented women. GLOW has meant the world to me and Im deeply thankful for this recognition for me and the cast. Thank you SAG-AFTRA!! Millie Bobby Brown. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things Screen Actors Guild! Thank you SO much for recognizing me and our cast for the second year in a row! This means the world coming from you, our peers. I am so lucky and honored to have the privilege of playing Eleven a strong, powerful, badass, strange, wonderful character! Cant wait to celebrate with my Stranger Things family! Timothee Chalamet. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name What an incredible morning! This nomination is very close to my heart because its from the actor. When we made Call Me By Your Name, we had no idea what it would turn into. The experience in making the film with Armie [Hammer] was so special, and yet, we just didnt know. Simply put, Ive been blown away by the response this film has received. And, to be included in ensemble along with my Lady Bird family (congrats, Saoirse [Ronan]!) makes this recognition that much more special. David Harbour. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) David Harbour, Stranger Things If it isnt wildly apparent by now, Ill say it directly I love actors! To be recognized by my peers in such distinguished company gives me a special joy. And Millie [Bobby Brown] and the show! Beyond. When I act, when I create, I feel alive, full to bursting, and I feel of service to the mysterious goodness that firmly exists in this world. I have been rewarded with a life that indulges in the primacy of self, but at its core and at its purest and its best, it is a life of service. A service to audiences. To prod and poke when necessary, to comfort and entertain when times seem dark, to ever expand the human experience, to offer a reason to live, to celebrate to the gods the great gift and scourge that is consciousness. Sometimes it means expressing iron intellect and rigorous truth that bonds us all in the achingly profound wisdom of no escape. Sometimes it means revealing the intimate moments of endurance, of unexpected kindness, unasked for love. And sometimes it simply means making a fierce and joyful noise, to spin, to twirl, to throw your hands up with the relentless dips and climb aboard this roller coaster of life. Ya know, to dance. *insert Hopper dancing gif* Thank you for recognizing me, as it might mean itll be easier to get more jobs doing it. Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water I am beyond thrilled to have received the honor of this nomination. And to receive it from fellow colleagues is huge to me. Guillermo [del Toro], this film and the entire cast and crew hold a very special place in my heart and always will. Each and every one of them made me better. I am truly delighted more than I can really express in words but my heart is fit to burst with pride for us all. Thank you dearest SAG members. Thank you for your embrace. Sean Hayes. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Sean Hayes, Will & Grace I am so honored to be recognized in this category with these extraordinary actors. I love acting because I love actors. I also like to bake sometimes. Richard Jenkins. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water I am thrilled and humbled to be nominated by my peers for a SAG Award. This union is very close to my heart. Well, the SAG card is in my wallet, so its a little further south. Zoe Kazan. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Zoe Kazan, The Big Sick Thank you to SAG for honoring The Big Sick ensemble with a nomination. It means so much to us, especially from our acting peers. I am deeply proud to be a part of this film and to have brought Kumail [Nanjiani] and Emily [V. Gordon]s story into the world, especially at this time. We are particularly moved to have been recognized as an ensemble, as this was such an extraordinary collaborative experience Im excited to be reunited once more with my movie family, and to share this with Kumail, Holly [Hunter], Ray [Romano], Zenobia [Shroff], Anupam [Kher], and Adeel [Akhtar] and everyone else who helped bring The Big Sick to life. Nicole Kidman. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies What an amazing morning! Thank you to SAG-AFTRA for recognizing Big Little Lies in such a significant way. Ive been acting since I was 14 and have dedicated an enormous amount of my life to my craft so to be acknowledged by my acting family is the most incredible honor. Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Laura Linney, Ozark I am so proud to be included in a list of such wonderful actresses who have raised the bar so high. What an amazing year for women in television. And I am especially proud to be representing Ozark with my TV spouse, the ever deserving Jason Bateman! Thank you SAG-AFTRA! Marc Maron. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) Marc Maron, GLOW I am stunned and excited to be recognized by other actors in this way. I really never thought this was possible in my life. It helps to be surrounded by amazing actors and to have such a defined and well written character as Sam Sylvia and to be on a show as unique as GLOW. I am just a small part. So, thanks SAG for recognizing me and the mind-blowing ensemble that is GLOW. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick We are so lucky to have been graced with the enormous talents of every single member of our cast. They each put a piece of themselves into our story and we are thrilled at being recognized. Thank you. And a special shout out to Holly Hunters individual nomination! Now we have to go tell our real parents that they arent actually nominated. Bob Odenkirk. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul I am thrilled to get this nomination from my fellow actors! At Better Call Saul I am surrounded by an ensemble of excellence Michael McKean, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, everybody raises my game. Thank you to SAG-AFTRA. Gary Oldman. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour No actor could ever deny the special satisfaction that comes from being recognized by your fellow artists we all share the same challenges, insecurities, and uncertainties, chief among them, the question am I any good? this nomination, and in the wonderful company of the other nominees, is so very satisfying. Margot Robbie. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Margot Robbie, I, Tonya Im so incredibly moved and excited to be nominated by my fellow actors. I feel very fortunate to be able to have had the opportunity to bring Tonyas story to the big screen. Thank you to Steven [Rogers] for his brilliant and unique script, to Allison [Janney] and Sebastian [Stan] for being such incredible screen partners and to Craig [Gillespie] for his amazing direction and perfectly capturing the tone and essence of the film. Im so honored to be recognized among the truly powerful and wonderful women in the category. I cant wait to celebrate with everyone. Sam Rockwell. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri It is such an honor to be nominated by your fellow actors, I have been a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild for as long as I can remember. To share it with this wonderful ensemble whom I have had the pleasure to work with over the years and others I got to collaborate with for the first time is truly special. I want to thank Martin McDonagh, our director and writer, for crafting these characters, as well as Woody [Harrelson], Fran [McDormand] and the rest of the cast who brought the town of Ebbing to life on screen. I am thrilled. Ray Romano. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) Ray Romano, The Big Sick This is awesome but I wont believe it till the recount. Rachel Brosnahan on her Golden Globes nod, and the vats of coffee required for the rapidfire dialogue of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Rachel Brosnahan, star of the new Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, woke up to learning she was among the nominees for this years Golden Globes. Below, she talks about series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, the importance of womens voices on TV, and her fear of freaking out Issa Rae of Insecure on awards night. Hows your morning? Im in New York, Im currently walking my dog and tying my shoe. How did you find out? I was asleep. I think I might still be asleep. My dog woke me up. My dog made a noise and I habitually picked up my phone and had lots of well wishes, which was very exciting. The show just came out, were you surprised to be embraced so quickly? Im thrilled and surprised and so honored that the shows gotten this recognition so fast. Were in incredible company and I couldnt be more grateful. Is there anyone youre excited to be in a room with? You should see my face right now. Issa Rae is a hero of mine and Im going to try not to completely creep her out. I love Insecure. Its one of my favorite shows on right now and I love how smart and capable specifically the two main characters are but, as any woman in their 20s can relate to, theyre struggling to get it together despite how amazing they are. I love the friendship between Issa and Molly so much. You dont often see true depictions of a female friendship on TV that way, and I need to see Season 3 already. Your show is about a friendship of sorts. Its a blossoming friendship. Theyre still in denial about it -- or at least Susie [Alex Borstein] is. Im not sure they have much in common and I think thats whats exciting about it. Im used to one-dimensional female friendships. Its become a kind of trope. Thats whats so exciting to me about it. They feel completely different from one another. Susie and Midges [relationship] is at completely different time but the friendship between Issa and Molly is one that I totally recognize. One where you can cuss each other out and tell each other that you hate each other and show up at their door the next day and drink wine and move through it. Its complicated and its flawed and its beautiful. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is about this very specific scene and very specific time period in New York. Why do you think modern viewers are embracing it? First of all its a fun show, and the world is on fire and its nice to escape for a little bit. But additionally I dont think there are many women like Midge on TV, and there should be more. I think a lot of the women in this category represent that -- different kinds of women and different kinds of stories, and there are still so many more that need to be told. I hope that the success of this show and shows like Insecure and SMILF encourage people to make more content like this and tell more womens stories. And its about women in comedy, which is something were still having conversations about in 2017. I would argue that our show hasnt quite reached the conversation on a deeper level about women in comedy. At this point its still about this woman whose life has fallen apart, struggling to reinvent herself and find her voice. As we move forward well get more into the conversation about what it means to be a woman in comedy. Theres this repeated idea that people ask if Susie and Midge can sing because youre not valuable unless you have other skills, because women cant just be funny. Jane Lynchs character [Sophie] says to her, you want them to laugh at you, not want to ... you. You need to be a character, or you need to have a [penis]. I think thats also frustrating for Midge. Thats been Sophies experience of the world up to that point. Midge defying that is valid, but Sophies feeling that is also in response to her own experience. Amy Sherman-Palladinos dialogue is known for being really fast. Were there any lines that gave you particular trouble or kept you up at night? Yes, there were quite a few I think I still remember. The one that I had a lot of trouble with, I think its in Episode 2 where she says, I could be a cool chick with a doorman and a Kelvinator Foodarama refrigerator, cant I? Also theres one later on where Midge and Imogene are packing goodie bags for her sons birthday and she says something like, Youre putting the tiny Tina baby carriages in the boys bag. I could not get that one out of my mouth. There is so much B-roll of my saying the Tina Turner baby carriages. I also yelled at Amy at one point for naming my children Ethan and Esther. Trying saying Ethan and Esther five times fast. So how do you prepare for that? Do you just say rubber baby buggy bumpers over and over? I actually do. I do a full Shakespearean mouth warm-up and just vats of coffee. Its really all of that, all those tongue-twisters -- red leather yellow leather, unique New York unique New York. Or just saying the lines on repeat. The reason I can say them is because I spent so much time rehearsing them. [Really, really fast] Youre putting the tiny Tina carriages in the boys bag. Youre putting the tiny Tina carriages in the boys bag. Just to try to get it out of my face. So when do you go back to work? We have a Season 2. I dont know exactly when well start, but Ive been hearing rumors of sometime in the spring. What are you up to until then? Currently Im at the dog park. Holidays coming up, so I am going to go see some family. I have a project or two swirling I may be able to squeeze in before we start again. But its up in the air in a lovely way. Have you seen any of the nominated movies or shows? No, Im so behind. I dont have a TV and Ive been trying, Im excited to see all of these projects, all of these movies, now that Im back and all of the screeners are coming. Ive been trying to put the technology down a little bit. Lady Bird is top of my list. I cant wait to see I, Tonya. It looks amazing. I saw The Big Sick, that was one of my favorite movies this year. So before Midge, did people recognize you as Rachel from House of Cards, and do you feel like Midge is erasing that? Thats probably the one I get recognized from the most. But its only when I look like death and Im leaving the gym or have gone to the dog park with pink zit cream on my face. I dont know what that says. I think one of the things I enjoy about acting is the transformation and part of that is certainly the physical transformation. If people are confused forever, wondering where they have seen me before, that feels like exactly where I want to live. It feels like somethings working. How does it feel going into an awards season at a time when the industry is going through a serious reckoning about the treatment of women? As somebody whos never really previously been involved in the awards scene generally, Im curious what that will feel like in person. Im hoping it feels like were on the cusp of a major shift in this industry. I think shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are one part of a very multifaceted solution to this problem. This is a show that is written, produced, directed, created by an extraordinary woman, and produced by an extraordinary man [Daniel Palladino] who loves extraordinary women, about an extraordinary woman at a time when women werent encouraged to be extraordinary. This is a show that lifts women up, that highlights some of our battles and employs us behind and in front of the camera. Amazon gave and continues to give the money to make this production great, and so I hope that the success of shows like this is part of this new frontier in Hollywood. There are so many other womens stories out there that need to be told and I hope we recognize that as the way to move forward. Just three days before nomination ballots for the Golden Globes were due, Sony Pictures screened a rough cut of All the Money In the World for the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. One week later, the kidnapping thriller earned three nominations: Ridley Scott for best director, Michelle Williams for actress in a drama film and Christopher Plummer for supporting actor. The latter nod was particularly surprising, given that the 87-year-old was only cast in the film in November. Thats right Plummer was cast in, shot and earned a nomination for All the Money In the World basically in the span of a month. Advertisement The whirlwind began on Oct. 29, when Kevin Spacey who had already wrapped his role in Scotts movie as oil tycoon J. Paul Getty was first accused of sexual harassment by actor Anthony Rapp. Spacey apologized for the behavior and entered treatment, but more than a half dozen others then came forward with their own misconduct allegations against the actor. He was fired from his Netflix show, House of Cards which, in 2015, brought Spacey his only Golden Globe victory to date and on Nov. 8, Scott announced he was taking unprecedented action with his film: The director said he would cut Spacey from the movie and replace him with Plummer. Reshoots, the filmmaker said, would begin immediately, and he intended to make his initial release date of Dec. 22. There are over 800 other actors, writers, artists, craftspeople and crew who worked tirelessly and ethically on this film, some for years, including one of cinemas master directors, the films U.S. distributor, Sony, said at the time. It would be a gross injustice to punish all of them for the wrongdoings of one supporting actor in the film. For the most part, Scott has remained true to his word. After completing reshoots on Nov. 30 and editing on-the-fly the movie is still on target to be released at the end of the month, shifting a mere three days to Dec. 25. Kevin Spacey, Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg in the trailer for Ridley Scotts All the Money in the World. Despite the unexpected challenges we encountered after shooting was completed, we were determined that audiences around the world would be able to see our film, Scott said in a statement following Mondays nominations. So the fact that we have received these wonderful acknowledgments this morning is especially gratifying. The film, based on the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III a grandson of Plummers character will screen for the press later this week. How it will fare during the rest of award season remains to be seen, but dont expect to see it on the list when SAG Award nominations are announced this Wednesday the film did not screen in time for that guilds voting deadline. The Spacey-Plummer casting drama is the most high-profile example of how the numerous sexual harassment revelations that have rocked Hollywood this fall are impacting awards season. Transparent, the critically-beloved Amazon show starring Jeffrey Tambor as a transgender parent, was not recognized by the HFPA in any category for the first time since it debuted in 2014. Tambor, who won a Golden Globe for his role in 2015, was last month accused of inappropriate behavior by his former assistant. Though he denied the allegations, the actor said he didnt see how [he could] return to Transparent given the politicized atmosphere on set. Dustin Hoffman, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by three women over the last few months, also did not receive a nomination Monday. The actor, who had earned early praise for his turn in Noah Baumbachs The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), was grilled about the allegations by HBO host John Oliver in New York during a public Q&A last week. Full coverage: Golden Globes 2018 Also missing from the Globes crop? Wind River, a murder-mystery set on a Native American reservation. The film, which stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, was beloved by many critics but was initially released by the Weinstein Co. in August. After the controversy involving the companys then-chief executive broke, TWCs name and logo were removed from the film and an awards campaign funded by some of the films producers was launched to emphasize a separation of any link with Weinstein. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Rush who appears as Albert Einstein in National Geographics limited series Genius scored a nomination after being accused of inappropriate behavior during an Australian stage production King Lear. Rush is suing Australias The Daily Telegraph over the allegations, though he did resign as president of Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. This is good news for Albert Einstein. I believe in science, Rush said in a statement Monday. I also believe in the complexity of humankind. I am honoured to be in the company of fellow nominees who, with their artistry, have strived to define the multiplicity of dimensions in the male experience. amy.kaufman@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @AmyKinLA Tales of women in conflict, including Big Little Lies, The Handmaids Tale and Feud: Bette and Joan dominated the TV nominations for the 75th annual Golden Globes on Monday. True to form, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., which hands out the Golden Globes, honored an eclectic mix of new and returning series from cable networks, streaming services and broadcast networks, with perennial awards favorites HBO, Netflix and FX once again leading the TV pack. FULL COVERAGE: 2018 Golden Globe nominations Advertisement But at a moment when the mistreatment of women in Hollywood and in the halls of government is front-page news, the association recognized a number of projects dealing head-on with physical abuse, sexual exploitation and industry sexism. Leading the network tally was HBO with 12 nominations, with half of those going to the limited series Big Little Lies -- the most-nominated show of the year. The all-star tale of a group of privileged California women caught up in a murder mystery will compete with Feud: Bette and Joan and Fargo (both FX), The Sinner (USA) and Top of the Lake: China Girl (SundanceTV) for limited series or TV movie. As it did at the Emmys, Big Little Lies scored nominations for its leads, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman. Supporting performers Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern were also recognized in their respective categories. HBOs biopic about convicted financier Bernie Madoff, The Wizard of Lies, picked up two nominations in the limited series or movie made for TV category for stars Robert De Niro (actor) and Michelle Pfeiffer (supporting actress). Big Little Lies is closely followed by Feud: Bette and Joan, which scored a total of four nominations. The limited series, from prolific producer-writer Ryan Murphy, explores the infamous rivalry between screen legends Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Jessica Lange, who played Crawford, and Susan Sarandon, who played Davis, were both nominated for actress in a limited series or TV movie, and will face off against Kidman and Witherspoon. Jessica Biel is a surprise entrant in the category, nominated for her portrayal of a young mother accused of murder in USAs The Sinner. Hulus Emmy-winning The Handmaids Tale, based on the novel by Margaret Atwood and set in a dystopian future where women are forced to become reproductive slaves, scored three nominations, including one for drama series. It was the only freshman nominee in a category otherwise dominated by returning series. Rounding out the category are Netflixs retro-supernatural tale Stranger Things, its lavish royal drama The Crown and NBCs popular family weepie This Is Us. Game of Thrones, which was on hiatus last year, also returned to the category. The HFPA, known for favoring the new and shiny, was particularly keen on comedies centered on females, recognizing The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a snappy period piece about a housewife turned stand-up comic that debuted last month on Amazon, and SMILF, Showtimes black comedy about a single mom and sexual abuse survivor, for comedy or musical series. Master of None, Aziz Ansaris semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy, also landed a series nomination for the first time. In the old-but-new department is NBCs revival of Will & Grace. Rounding out the category is ABCs black-ish, also nominated last year. Notably, four out of five nominees for actress in a comedy or musical were first-time honorees for their particular roles. Competing are Rachel Brosnahan, who plays the title character in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Issa Rae of HBOs Insecure, Pamela Adlon of FXs Better Things, Frankie Shaw for SMILF and Alison Brie of Netflixs GLOW. Previous winners and nominees including Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) and Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) were shut out. The category for lead actress in a drama series included nearly as many fresh faces. 1 / 16 Actress in a limited series or motion picture made for television (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 16 Actress in a television series, musical or comedy (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 16 Actress in a television series, drama (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 16 Actress in a limited series or motion picture made for television (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 16 Actor in a limited series or motion picture made for television (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times) 6 / 16 Actor in a television series, musical or comedy (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 16 Actress in a television series, drama (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 16 Actor in a television series, drama (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 16 Actress in a television series, drama (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 10 / 16 Actress in a television series, musical or comedy (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 16 Actor in a television series, musical or comedy (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 16 Actress in a television series, drama (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 16 Actress in a television series, drama (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 16 Actor in a television series, drama (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 16 Actor in a television series, drama (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 16 Actress in a television series, musical or comedy (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Elisabeth Moss, the Emmy-winning lead of The Handmaids Tale, was nominated alongside newcomers Katherine Langford, the star of Netflixs teen suicide mystery 13 Reasons Why and Maggie Gyllenhaal of HBOs gritty 70s porn drama The Deuce. Returning to the category is Caitriona Balfe of Starzs time-traveling romance Outlander, and last years winner, Claire Foy, who stars as a young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown. In the actor in a drama series category, first-timers Jason Bateman of Netflixs Ozark, Sterling K. Brown of This Is Us and Freddie Highmore of The Good Doctor will face off against returning nominees Liev Schreiber (Showtimes Ray Donovan ) and Bob Odenkirk (AMCs Better Call Saul) . In the comedy or musical actor category, Kevin Bacon earned his first nomination for the Amazon series I Love Dick. He will compete with actors who are returning to the category in roles theyve played before, including Ansari, Anthony Anderson (black-ish) Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) and William H. Macy (Showtimes Shameless). Notably absent from the running was three-time nominee and 2014 winner Jeffrey Tambor, who stars as a transgender woman in Amazons Transparent. Showtimes revival of Twin Peaks was overlooked in the limited series or TV movie category, but star Kyle MacLachlan, who (sort of) reprised his role as Special Agent Dale Cooper, was nominated for actor in a limited series or TV movie, where he will compete with De Niro, Jude Law (The Young Pope,) Ewan McGregor (Fargo) and Geoffrey Rush (Genius, National Geographic). See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards Where: NBC When: 5 p.m. Jan. 7 meredith.blake@latimes.com Follow me @MeredithBlake Thomas fire victim loses her home but saves the most important thing -- her children Gabriela Gutierrez was at home in Santa Paula watching a childrens program and snuggling with her 18-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son Monday evening when she took a call from her babysitter Adriana. Hey, Gaby. Have they knocked on your door? Theres a fire. They are going to start evacuating. Get your important stuff and clothes, the babysitter told her. What fire? Gutierrez thought to herself. It was 9:01 p.m. The 32-year-old ran outside her mobile home on Wheeler Canyon Road into a wall of gray smoke. She panicked. Minutes later, a law enforcement official knocked on her door. He told her she had a few minutes to pack up and evacuate. Frantically, she packed diapers for 18-month-old Genesis, a pair of shoes for 3-year-old Osiel. She grabbed clothes for all of them, medical cards, her U.S. citizenship naturalization certificate. Gabriela Gutierrez, 32, and daughter Genesis take refuge from the Thomas fire after her home burned. (Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times) Her husband, Alex, froze, unwilling to accept that the fire was heading toward them. Dont worry. The wind is blowing in another direction, he told her. Still, she threw her belongings and blankets into the car. Thats when she saw flames approaching. She buckled in her two children in one car. Her husband jumped into another vehicle. They headed to Gutierrezs mothers home. On Tuesday morning, she returned to a steel shell of what appeared to be her mobile home. Everything was gone. The only way she could tell her two-bedroom home apart from the others that had burned were a pair of tire rims her husband planned to sell. Alex refused to believe their home was gone. Instead he headed to work as usual at a nearby ranch, where he irrigates strawberry fields. He finally accepted the news when Gutierrez texted him photos of their charred home. On Tuesday afternoon, Gutierrez wrangled her tots as she attempted to eat a tamale at the Santa Paula Senior Center, which served as an evacuation center for fire refugees. Her sister, Maricela Martinez, a landscaper, kept her company and helped her care for the kids. Oh, no, she said suddenly. Martinez had just gotten a text message from one of her clients. Hello, our house burned down today so we will not be needing yard service in the near future. I prepaid you through January, we can work it out later, the text message said. Martinez shook her head. So many people have lost their homes, she told her sister. Gutierrez, who was recently laid off from her job picking strawberries after the company went out of business, worried about finding a new home and paying upcoming bills. She doesnt have rental insurance. The $700 in cash shed saved up for Christmas presents and stored on a shelf in her home was gone. Framed pictures of her sons baptism and daughters birth were destroyed. Her eyes welled with tears as she thought of the photos. Still, she said shes thankful for her health and what she was able to salvage from her home. I saved the most important thing, she said. My kids. Gutierrez said she was thankful she didnt have to stay overnight at the evacuation center. She could stay with family, she said. Others werent as lucky. Just outside the center, homeowners in a neighborhood across the street hosed down their roofs. They watched as white and gray smoke billowed up as helicopters carrying fire retardant and water flew past. From just half a mile north, the Thomas fire headed their way. OMAHA At one time, Bob Felthousen and Grace Felthousen stored 300 tiny buildings in their Plattsmouth home. They occasionally took them out of cartons to display on the main floor and in the basement family room, with 700 accessory pieces such as cars, trees and sleighs. The structures are a minuscule fraction of full size. But the amazing Christmas villages they create are huge indeed. The Felthousens are among thousands of folks who collect porcelain Department 56 figurines. The company, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, makes Christmas decorations that become tiny towns when grouped together. The items are among the hottest holiday collectibles. Pieces grow in value after the company quits making them and they get hard to find. Department 56 collector clubs help fans find rare pieces and even have conventions. As of June 2017, 85 clubs were registered with a national umbrella organization. The Felthousens got their first figurine in 1986. Now, more than $18,000 and 1,000 pieces later, they have a new home at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum near Ashland, just in time for the Santa Goes to Space event. Coincidentally, the museum that specializes in space was offered the vast collection in part because it had enough room. The couple wanted to keep the village intact and had trouble finding an area museum large enough to accommodate and store it. "We never even considered separating it wouldn't be important to anybody that way," Bob Felthousen said. "It's perfect here. They have the place to display it. They set it up right by the door." The museum's mission is to educate the public about air and space history, with more than 300,000 square feet of exhibits. Its traditional focus is on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, but in 2015 it expanded to add art to its educational focus. "STEM" enables the museum to include a variety of exhibits such as the Department 56 display, said marketing manager Deb Hermann. "We hope to do a lot of different art exhibits," she said. "It enhances the visitors' whole experience." Department 56 makes items for several collectible series, including a Dickens Village, an Alpine Village and a New England Village. The Felthousen collection includes pieces from two series: the Original Snow Village, with items such as a mountain lodge and chalets, and Christmas in the City, featuring 1930s- and 1940s-style buildings such as a movie theater and a Chinese restaurant. The buildings come with lights and movable features, such as rotating signs. Because of that, and its sheer size, the Felthousen display takes several days to set up. "It took 12 people four hours just to get it out of boxes when we set it up last year," Bob Felthousen said. It then took two weeks to make it display-ready. It took about four days to assemble it at the museum two full days with about 18 volunteers, and another two days for facilities manager Mark Hamilton to complete "the piddly stuff," Bob Felthousen said. Hermann said about 130 volunteer hours went into the assembly, including help from the Felthousens. The Felthousens have collected things throughout their nearly 60-year marriage. They met at Omaha Technical High School, where they were part of a group of five girls and five guys who became lifelong friends. "She was a cheerleader," he said with a smiling nod toward Grace Felthousen. "All of the couples stayed married," though the group now has some widowed members. Bob Felthousen, 82, said some lean years as children led the couple to become collectors as adults. They had several ventures in Plattsmouth, including a restaurant. His wife was an obstetrics nurse. "Neither of us had anything when we were kids, and we just worked hard," he said. They were unfamiliar with Department 56 when their son gave them a figurine for Christmas. "We never could have imagined this when we got that gift," Grace Felthousen said of their first piece. In true collector fashion, they researched the pieces, joined a collector club and slowly built a village empire. They even traveled to Minneapolis to get one of their most prized pieces, a rare church. None of their three kids wanted the huge collection. "In a way, they're glad it's gone, because they don't have to mess with it when we're gone," he said. "I'm sure they'll miss it, too." As will people in Plattsmouth and the surrounding area. Last year more than 350 people saw the display at the Felthousen home. Far more people will be able to see it at the museum, however. Hermann said she expects 2,000 people or more to attend Santa Goes to Space, and many more to see the display during museum hours until it's dismantled for the year after Jan. 5. That's gratifying for the Felthousens. "We couldn't have asked for a nicer place," Bob Felthousen said of the museum. "We're glad they got it." For decades, the Weingart Center has been a fixture on Los Angeles skid row, one among the many places of refuge where homeless men and women come for shelter, food and support. Now the social services agency is expanding its mission into permanent housing and plans to do it with a flourish by reshaping the skyline of L.A.s most depressed neighborhood. For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Mike Alvidrez as head of SRO Housing Corp. Alvidrez is chief executive of Skid Row Housing Trust. The article also said SRO Housing has more than 30 permanent supportive housing buildings in downtown Los Angeles. SRO has 27 such buildings; Skid Row Housing has 24. Weingart has filed applications with the city to build three high-rise residences on the two blocks it shares with the homeless services providers Lamp Community, Union Rescue Mission, Volunteers of America and the Midnight Mission. Advertisement Weingart filed the plans for all three buildings early this year to have them on record before the vote on Measure S, the city initiative that would have imposed new restrictions on building apartment towers, shops and offices in Los Angeles. After the measures failure in March, the agency is now pressing ahead first with an 18-story tower next to Weingarts existing facility at San Pedro and 6th streets. It could be completed as early as 2021, President and Chief Executive Kevin Murray said. Plans for the other two buildings are still in flux. Murray said the sleek metal-and-glass design by Joseph Wong Design Associates of San Diego would improve the neighborhood through architecture. One of the things we asked the architect is we dont want it to look like a housing project, said Murray, a former state senator. We want it to look like one of these other first-class downtown apartments. The $138-million project would provide 278 new units of affordable housing, most of them for the chronically homeless, and would dominate the block. Weingarts existing facility, in the 11-story former El Rey Hotel, is already more than twice as tall as any other building around it. The projects large scale would achieve the highest and best use of what is currently a surface parking lot, but it also is intended to make a statement, Murray said. Weingart Center Chief Operating Officer Tonja Boykin, left, and Chief Executive Kevin Murray show a rendering of an 18-story residential tower planned next to the agencys skid row shelter. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times ) Like other homeless advocates, Murray is concerned that the citys goal of producing 1,000 new units of housing for the chronically homeless each year will be difficult to reach even with the additional funds from a $1.2-billion bond voters approved last year. Typically, projects that tap government funds to build homeless housing have fewer than 100 units each and often only 49, the maximum allowed without costly design and environmental reviews. Projects can also be slowed or forced to scale down by local opposition. If youre trying to build 1,000 units a year, its much harder to build them 30 and 40 and 50 at a clip, Murray said. Weingart, whose developer Chelsea is currently preparing its environmental impact report, has been showing renderings of the project to downtown groups. It has met some opposition over both the scale and its goal of permanently housing homeless people on skid row. When will skid row stop being the default answer for the regions inability to adequately provide adequate housing for persons who need it? asked Estela Lopez, executive director of the Central City East Assn. The association has not yet taken taken a position on the project, but Lopez said she is hearing concerns from members over the concentration of homeless housing. About 1 in 3 of the citys permanent supportive housing units is in downtown, most in the small area bounded by Main, Alameda, 4th and 7th streets, a Times analysis of Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority housing data shows. About 2,600 formerly homeless people live in those units. It is the most difficult environment for anyone who is fighting mental illness or addiction to restore normalcy, Lopez said. The concentration of homeless people also hurts downtown businesses, Lopez said. Their insurance costs are going up, their security costs are going up, Lopez said. Its attributed to a cause they cannot abate. Murray contends the Weingarts high-rise will help to change that by enhancing the security, including 24-hour video surveillance, that he said keeps the sidewalks around the Weingart Center relatively free of overnight camping. You dont have to be overwhelming, Murray said. I think if you create an environment where they know theres going to be somebody patrolling, they know theres going to be somebody to contact them, they know theyre on camera, youre probably not going to pitch your tent there. Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents downtown, has given preliminary support. Huizar voted for the transfer of a parcel of city land that was needed to move the project forward, spokesman Rick Coca said. Well wait until they are further along in the process to weigh in on any specific design elements, but we support it, Coca said. The prospect of denser housing on skid row is also fine with Mike Alvidrez, chief executive of Skid Row Housing Trust, owner of 24 permanent supportive housing buildings downtown. Alvidrez once planned to partner with Weingart on the tower project. He backed out for undisclosed reasons but still has no disagreement with adding more homeless housing. When we think what downtown might look like in 20 years, its going to be a much denser place, Alvidrez said. With that density, you could easily think of how to add more supportive housing that blends in. There needs to be housing where there are homeless folks, Alvidrez said. doug.smith@latimes.com Twitter: @LATDoug On Friday, an army of firefighters in Ventura County hoped it was finally beginning to turn the tide on the Thomas fire. After burning hundreds of homes, the fire was slowing as Santa Ana winds calmed down. But over the weekend, the fire reemerged with a vengeance, pushing into Santa Barbara County and destroying more homes. Heres a look at the fire that has refused to die. A map of the Thomas fire. (Los Angeles Times) It was wind, but also a landscape filled with fuel So how did the Thomas fire become such a monster? Heavy winds are one factor. But another is the thick brush that has not burned in decades, providing fuel. The fuels in there are thick and they're dead, so they're very receptive to fire, said Steve Swindle, spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department. The fuel can spread the fire even when winds die down. Since its so dry out there, it doesnt take much in the way of winds to create those critical fire weather conditions, said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Well see wind gusts in that ... area between 20 and 35 mph, maybe a few mountain sites might see up to about 40, but thats the most were expecting right now. When the fire shifted toward the coast Sunday morning, Monroe said winds were not necessarily the driver. Wind was probably not the biggest factor last night to this morning its probably more the complex terrain, very dry and possibly widespread fuels for the fire and the fact that its a pretty large and ongoing fire, he said. The light offshore winds are certainly a factor, but not as important as theyve been, say, earlier in the week when we saw much stronger winds over the fire. The last time some of the slopes and canyons burned in the mountains east of Santa Barbara was in the 1970s, when four firefighters operating bulldozers died in a rollover accident. In such difficult terrain, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on Monday that they have essentially no way to get boots and hoses on the ground to attack the western front of the Thomas fire directly. Instead, fire crews caravanned out of the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Monday and headed to the residential streets in the south-facing foothills of Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County. Thats where they set up defensive positions and waited just in case the fire moved downhill. "The terrain ... makes it super difficult for us to position with normal tactics," said Kalin Ramirez, a fire information officer. During a news conference at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Gov. Jerry Brown said climate change may exacerbate the weather conditions that caused the wildfires to explode. He expressed sympathy for residents who had lost their homes and animals, saying the fires were horrific and a terrible tragedy for so many people. This could be something that happens every year or every few years, he said. Were about to have a firefighting Christmas. Image of fire direction Dec. 10 (National Interagency Fire Center) Example of wind gusts Dec. 10 (NWS) Among Californias 5 worst modern fires In the last week, the fire has moved in various directions, west into Ventura, then north into Ojai, then west again toward the coast of southern Santa Barbara County. This is a complex fire, Rich Macklin, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, said over the weekend. There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of men and women with packs on their backs, squirting the hills, putting the wet stuff on the red stuff. On Sunday morning, as the blaze spread westward into the mountains, it grew to at least 230,000 acres, putting it in the top five of Californias largest modern fires and creating new challenges for the exhausted crews in their sixth full day of battling it. With the northern and eastern fronts of the fire moving mainly into uninhabited areas of Los Padres National Forest, fire officials concentrated Sunday on protecting the beach communities of Carpinteria and Montecito, the wealthy enclave to its west. Throughout the day, the fire moved down the mountains north of Carpinteria into foothills several miles from its downtown. The flames chewed rapidly through hillsides thick with vegetation. So where does the fire stand now in history? The Cedar fire burned 273,246 acres in San Diego County in 2003. More than 2,800 structures were destroyed and 15 people died. The Rush fire, caused by lightning, burned 271,911 acres in California and another 43,666 acres in Nevada in 2012. The Rim fire in Tuolumne County in 2013 burned 257,314 acres and consumed 112 structures. The Zaca fire in Santa Barbara County in 2007 charred 240,207 acres and destroyed one structure. The Thomas fire surpassed the Matilija fire which scorched 220,000 acres in Ventura County in 1932 as the fifth largest wildfire. While other large fires raged in California prior to 1932, those records are less reliable, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The list also does not take into account this years wine country firestorm, the most destructive in history, because it was several different fires. Together, that complex of fires destroyed more than 10,000 structures and killed more than 40 people in October. The Thomas fire makes its way down a ridge, threatening homes in Montecito on Monday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Trail of destruction The Thomas fire has destroyed 524 structures and damaged 135 in the city of Ventura. In the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, 266 structures have been destroyed, while 56 were damaged. The fire consumed six structures on Sunday in Carpinteria, authorities said. Wind speeds are expected to be on the lower end of whats been seen over the last week, forecasters say. Over Sunday night and into Monday morning, there were wind gusts of around 20 mph across the lower mountains and foothills in the region of southeastern Santa Barbara County into southwestern Ventura County. Officials said it could take weeks or months to finally contain the fire. ALSO Battle against Thomas fire enters second week Live updates: Track key details of all the major fires in Southern California Thomas fire leaves behind barren 'moonscape' as it threatens Montecito, Carpinteria Here are maps showing all the major fires in Southern California UPDATES: 12:30 p.m.: This article was updated with fire maps for Dec. 10 Reinvigorated by Santa Ana gusts and canyons of bone-dry vegetation, the Thomas fire surged into the Santa Barbara County foothills Sunday, forcing evacuations in the coastal communities of Carpinteria and Montecito. As the blaze spread westward into the mountains, it grew the blaze to at least 230,000 acres, putting it in the top five of Californias largest modern fires and creating new challenges for the exhausted crews in their sixth full day of battling it. With the northern and eastern fronts of the fire moving mainly into uninhabited areas of the Los Padres National Forest, fire officials concentrated Sunday on protecting the beach city of Carpinteria and Montecito, the wealthy enclave to its west. Advertisement Throughout the day, the fire moved down the mountains north of Carpinteria into foothills several miles from its downtown. The flames chewed rapidly through hillsides thick with vegetation. The fuels in there are thick and theyre dead so theyre very receptive to fire, said Steve Swindle, spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department. A helicopter makes a water drop as flames burn toward the Shepard Mesa area of Carpinteria on Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) The blaze, which had already destroyed more than 750 buildings, leveled six more in Carpinteria, said Ray Navarro, chief of the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire District. As of Sunday evening, the blaze was about four miles from Montecito. As the fire moved, people in the foothills near Carpinteria and Montecito were ordered to leave immediately and fire officials urged all residents to begin preparing to evacuate. Retired LAUSD teacher May Osher, 66, packed photo albums and pet supplies into her car Sunday afternoon, but said she didnt plan to leave her Carpinteria neighborhood unless ordered to by police. Im staying until its time to go,Osher said. Fire officials identified dry creek beds as a particular hazard. If the blaze moved into the arroyos, officials warned, it could create a chimney-like effect that would send flames exploding down the creek path and into undefended terrain. Winds that had gusted to 50 mph overnight weakened Sunday afternoon, allowing helicopters to drop water on fires in the foothills. Lower down, bulldozers sliced fire breaks in the heavy brush. Contingency strike teams were dispatched throughout Carpinteria in case the blaze manages to cross fire lines, said Newport Beach firefighter Jude Olivas, a spokesman for the Thomas fire response. Arna Crittenden, 61, who lives near downtown, said the extensive efforts by the fire crews reassured her to an extent. Watch huge smoke plume from the Thomas fire Sunday morning. (Video by Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) When the winds are calm, I feel very confident, but once the winds pick up, I start to worry, she said. Even with the fire miles away, there was no escaping its effect. Plumes of putty-colored smoke churned over the coastline and people in Carpinteria donned face masks to run errands. Concerned residents walked through ash to get to a Sunday evening meeting at nearby San Marcos High School. The crowd in the the packed auditorium clapped for the firefighters. Nathan Underwood, 26, who lives in a rural area north of Highway 192, moved his horse, Velvet, to the Earl Warren Showgrounds. He is among the thousands who have been warned they might have to evacuate, but he said that he isnt too worried and that firefighters had done a good job of preparing. We are waiting to hear updates about Velvet, but otherwise we have stuff ready to go in a tote bag, he said. The Santa Barbara Zoo was closed to the public Sunday and its 500 animals confined to their night quarters. The zoo was outside the evacuation area and not in immediate danger, but there was smoke and ash on the 30-acre property. We drill for and are prepared for emergencies, zoo director Nancy McToldridge said in a Facebook post. We are taking all precautions to ensure the safety of our animals and our staff. The animal care staff was providing enrichment, including toys, treats and puzzles, to prevent the zoo residents from becoming bored inside, said director of marketing Dean Noble. The gorillas like music, Noble said. As many as 85,000 customers in Santa Barbara County were without power, according to Southern California Edison. Officials expected weaker winds Monday, but anticipated the fire would continue its westward march toward Montecito, where Oprah Winfrey, Al Gore and other celebrities have homes and some chaparral-covered hillsides vulnerable to fire are dotted with luxury estates. Peace be Still, is my prayer tonight. For all the fires raging thru my community and beyond. #peacebestill Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) December 11, 2017 Since it erupted near Thomas Aquinas College on Dec. 4, the Thomas fire has forced 88,000 people to flee their homes. Official estimates have put the cost of combating the blaze at $25 million. By Sunday evening, the fire was 10% contained. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. ruben.vives@latimes.com melissa.etehad@latimes.com harriet.ryan@latimes.com For more Southern California news, follow us on Twitter: @LATvives, @melissaetehad and @latimesharriet ALSO Track the key details on Southern Californias fires Residents return to rubble as fire crews make progress on San Diego and Los Angeles wildfires An unprecedented loss of life: The grim toll of Southland fires on animals born to run Ashley Mendez arrived in Orlando before sunrise Thursday, her eyes red from crying, a single duffel bag holding all her worldly possessions. The 20-year-old already ached for her mother, left behind in Puerto Rico. She made her way through a special welcome center at Orlando International Airport set up by the state, proceeding stoically until she traded in her Puerto Rican identification card for a Florida ID, and a worker snipped the old one in half a symbolic death to her former, familiar life. Then, the blood seemed to drain from her face. What if I want to go back? she said. Raquel McCormick of the Heart of Florida United Way wrapped her arms around the young woman and held her as she began to sob. This is not forever, McCormick said. Its only forever if you want it to be. Advertisement It was a scene that has played out in varying forms since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in late September, prompting tens of thousands to leave the island for Florida either temporarily or permanently. More than two months later, a wave of suffering, desperation and hope continues to wash through this corner of the Orlando airport, one of two state-operated welcome centers in Florida. It is tucked beyond a large black curtain near the first-floor rental cars and staffed at one point by 27 government agencies and charities. Here, the newest Central Florida residents can get help with housing, health needs, school enrollment, employment, drivers licenses and federal aid. In the beginning, it was seven days a week, 9 in the morning to 7 at night, and we were full every day, with people lined up down the hall, said McCormick, operations director for the local United Way. If families got in late at night, they would sleep on the benches here and be waiting for us to open in the morning. There was never a dull moment. Some came with no idea where they would live or how they would make a living. They knew only that they couldnt stay in Puerto Rico. We lost everything, said Ana Soler, 47, who flew to Orlando with her husband Oct. 10 and was back at the airport Wednesday to greet her two grown children and their children as they arrived from the island. We lost our home, our furniture, our jobs. I tell my husband, We have to go [to Orlando]. Now, seven of them are in a single hotel room, but Soler and her husband have already found jobs and are saving for a house. Once a regional sales manager, she is now a food court cashier at a turnpike rest stop. Her husband, a warehouse supervisor, is working construction on Interstate 4, putting in 10 hours a day, six days a week. I cry a lot, Soler said. But I work more than I cry. You have to put all your effort into it. At the welcome center, she and more than 800 others have found help with temporary housing while evacuees await approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. At first, the process took a couple of weeks. Now, it is about 48 hours. Most importantly for us, we wanted to make sure people had a place to sleep, McCormick said. We didnt want them to be homeless. The center also had paramedics on standby as passengers arrived needing insulin, oxygen even surgery. At recently as last week, the medically fragile continued to arrive at the center, though paramedics are no longer stationed there. Flights from the island to Orlando are booked through January. The numbers flooding into the welcome center have dropped since the first weeks when more than 1,000 a day were seeking help and the hours have been scaled back. But there is still a steady stream of arrivals. One day last week, 323 people came in, some for the first time, others returning for more answers. Within our culture, no matter what the circumstances are, were going to stay together to celebrate the holidays, said McCormick, whose family is from Puerto Rico. So we think were going to see another influx in January. We are preparing for Phase 2. By then, Mendez hopes to be enrolled in college. Her father, Gilbert Mendez, who has lived in nearby Melbourne since Ashley was a toddler, has found a two-bedroom apartment there where they will live. To prepare for her arrival, he bought her a bedroom set, a TV and girlish curtains he thought would comfort her. Gilbert Mendez looked at his daughter crying and began to cry himself. I know she misses her mother, he said. Once, we were like a chain and all of a sudden the chain has broken. ksantich@orlandosentinel.com Santich writes for the Orlando Sentinel. To the editor: Perhaps nothing is more despicable about this president than his unabashed endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama. (In Alabama Senate race, Republicans fear they may lose even if Roy Moore wins, Dec. 9) This is a slap in the face to women across this country. As an alleged perpetrator of sexual harassment himself, President Trump sees little wrong with what Moore is accused of doing. He is not the only one. Anyone who would vote for Moore is sending the same message. The irony of it all is this is the message both Trump and Moore make about returning to American values while disregarding women as anything more than sex objects. American values have always stood for inclusiveness, generosity of spirit and tolerance. Advertisement The blatant disregard for basic human dignity is becoming a theme in this presidency and unfortunately much of America. Paula Petrotta, Rancho Palos Verdes .. To the editor: If the two candidates running for senator from Alabama ran as independents with no party identification, would voters choose the man accused of molesting young girls, or the one who brought to trial the men who bombed a church in Birmingham that killed four young girls? Seems like a no-brainer to me. Mary Anne Vincent, Corona .. To the editor: Weighing in as Trump has for Moore should come as no surprise to anyone who paid even passing attention to Trump before he formally entered the political arena. As fellow travelers through life without a moral compass to guide them, Trump and Moore have taken what they wanted, without concern for who or what they leave in their wake. We as Americans, regardless of political affiliation, deserve better or do we? Stuart Kern, Palos Verdes Estates Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Petition drive to repeal California gas tax increase temporarily slows down By Patrick McGreevy A motorist prepares to gas up her vehicle in San Rafael, Calif., in 2015. ( (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)) Paid signature-gatherers for a ballot measure that would repeal gas tax increases may be hard to find on the streets of California this week. Organizers say its not a money issue, adding that they needed to briefly halt paid signature-gathering to catch up on collecting petitions from volunteers. The petition drive has so far collected more than 327,800 verified signatures of the 587,407 needed to qualify the measure for the November ballot, according to Dave Gilliard, the political strategist behind the drive. We knew it was popular but the incredible pace is even faster than we expected so we outran the capacity of our verification operation over the Christmas holiday and told our crew managers to slow down so we could catch up, Gilliard said. We will be back up to speed by the end of this week. The gas tax and vehicle fee increases signed by Gov. Jerry Brown are expected to raise $5.2 billion annually for road and bridge repairs and expanded mass transit. The gas tax jumped from 18 cents to 30 cents per gallon on Nov. 1, and vehicle fees of at least $25 kicked in Jan. 1. The gas tax repeal petition is breaking records for both paid and volunteer signatures and were using the next two weeks to catch up on validation of signatures already received, said Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Councilman and conservative radio talk-show host. As a grass-roots-funded effort we are also continuously raising funds and volunteer support. We are highly confident well qualify this Initiative for the November 2018 ballot. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State pot bureau ready to enforce Californias new marijuana laws as license applications flood in By Patrick McGreevy The state has issued 104 licenses for retail stores to sell marijuana for recreational use in California and 239 other applications for those permits are pending, officials said Tuesday. An official with the state Bureau of Cannabis Control added that the agency is prepared to begin taking enforcement action against pot shops that are not properly licensed. The bureaus enforcement team is ready to respond to any complaints it receives and start doing compliance checks and site visits at any time, said Alex Traverso, a spokesman for the bureau. Selling marijuana without a license is a crime punishable by up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $500. Those convicted of engaging in any marijuana business activity without a license will also be subject to a civil penalty of up to three times the amount of the license fee for each violation. A new report issued Tuesday indicated the bureau has issued 478 temporary licenses to firms to test, distribute and sell medical and recreational marijuana, which began Jan. 1 after voters approved a legalization initiative, Proposition 64, in 2016. Businesses have received 153 licenses to sell marijuana for medical use. Another 1,458 firms have applied for licenses that are still being processed. The state Department of Food and Agriculture has separately issued 207 licenses to marijuana growers. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Two possible instances of discrimination reported after California issues drivers licenses to immigrants here illegally By Jazmine Ulloa The California Research Bureau on Tuesday released its first report on incidents of discrimination under a 2015 state law that has provided drivers licenses for hundreds of thousands of immigrants here illegally. Researchers found no complaints have been made against government agencies tasked with enforcing anti-discrimination laws. But two possible instances of discrimination were reported in focus group interviews conducted by Drive California, a coalition of advocates studying the impact of the new law. In one case, a woman in Fresno was told her license was not a valid form of identification at a retail store, though it was unclear whether the incident reflected intentional discrimination or simple ignorance of the license marking, the report states. A MoneyGram clerk in another case denied a license holder the ability to cash a check. The same person was later rejected again at a bank. The state Department of Motor Vehicles has issued 960,000 AB 60 drivers licenses as of Nov. 30. The state research bureau produced the report for the Legislature as part of the new law, which declares discrimination against an AB 60 license holder a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California lawmaker proposes requiring panic buttons for hotel workers in response to widespread sexual harassment By Patrick McGreevy More than half of hotel workers surveyed report being sexually harassed at some point. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) Alarmed by a survey indicating sexual harassment of hotel housekeepers is widespread, a California state lawmaker on Tuesday proposed requiring employers to provide panic button devices to their employees so they can summon help if abused by a guest. The bill to be introduced Wednesday by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) would also require individual hotels to impose a three-year ban on guests who engage in harassment on the property. We want to protect our most vulnerable women workers, hotel maids who are going into rooms alone, from sexual harassment, said Muratsuchi, who co-authored the bill with Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward). The legislation signals that concerns over sexual harassment that dominated the state Legislature last year will continue to be an issue for lawmakers as they begin the new legislative year Wednesday. Harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, comedian Louis C.K. and other high-profile men have involved sexual misconduct in hotel rooms. A survey in July by Unite Here Local 1 found that 49% of female hotel workers in Chicago had experienced a guest answering the door naked or exposing himself. The report titled Hands Off, Pants On, found 58% of hotel workers said they had been sexually harassed by a guest. Californias Unite Here Local 11 has been calling for the action proposed in the legislation. It is the intent of this measure to protect hotel employees from violent assault, including sexual assault, and sexual harassment, and to enable those employees to speak out when they experience harassment on the job, said the introduction to the legislation introduced by Muratsuchi. In addition to requiring hotels to provide panic buttons to employees who work alone in rooms, the bill requires hotels to take written complaints from employees and keep them for five years. Any complaint backed by evidence including a statement given under penalty of perjury would result in a guest being banned from a hotel for three years. Hotels would also be required to post a notice on the inside of hotel room doors warning guests about the consequences of sexual harassment. Updated at 4:10 pm to include comment from Assemblyman Muratsuchi. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Money, Republican malaise and Tom Steyer: These are the things to watch for in Californias 2018 statewide elections By Seema Mehta Get ready, California. What had been a behind-the-scenes dash for cash closely watched by few other than political observers is about to burst into public view. Voters this year will decide who will succeed Democrat Jerry Brown as the next governor and whether they will send Sen. Dianne Feinstein back to Washington. Before the June 5 primary, candidates will ramp up their campaigns with messages on television and stuffed into mailboxes. Heres a primer on the states two marquee races. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fickle L.A. County is pivotal in the race for California governor By Phil Willon Home to a quarter of Californias 5.2 million registered voters, Los Angeles County is the biggest prize in Californias 2018 race for governor. For two hometown Democratic candidates especially former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang of Torrance doing well in L.A. County is essential if they hope to best the front-runner, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Yet this overwhelmingly Democratic stronghold continually bedevils even the most adept campaigns. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A renewed brawl over single-payer healthcare in California is on deck for 2018 By Melanie Mason Carolyn Angela Chen, a registered nurse, gives a free hepatitis A vaccination to Glenn Gardner, 52, at Joshua House Clinic (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) California officials are bracing for healthcare battles in Washington to have a major impact on the states budget and programs. Activists and politicians are planning a showdown over whether or not to establish a single-payer healthcare system in the state. And prescription drug manufacturers are the target of a number of bills meant to target the rising costs of medication. Sound familiar? Turns out the brewing healthcare battles in California in 2018 arent all that different from those from 2017. Heres a primer on the upcoming healthcare agenda in California: Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print How California lawmakers plan to protect the online privacy of consumers in 2018 By Jazmine Ulloa (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) With federal regulation rollbacks and a rise in data breaches, California lawmakers this year are looking for ways to protect consumers and their personal information. Some legislation under consideration could give people more notice and control over what data is collected, without having to pay for privacy or better services. Other bills could provide free credit freezes for consumers and require new privacy features for products that connect to the internet. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 2018 will see California motorists pay more to the state to repair roads and bridges By Patrick McGreevy The new year brings with it new vehicle fees in California ranging from $25 to $175 depending on the value of your car, but Republican lawmakers are hoping to qualify a ballot measure in November to repeal the higher charges. The fees and a 12-cent increase in Californias gas tax last year are part of a plan by Democrats to raise more than $5.2 billion annually to deal with a backlog of road and bridge repairs. Petitions to qualify a repeal initiative are circulating now. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A rent control battle tops the list of California housing issues to watch in 2018 By Liam Dillon A new-home community in Anaheim in 2016 (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers arent wasting any time in tackling one of the most contentious issues in state housing politics this year. On Jan. 11, the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee is set to hold a hearing on legislation that could lead to a dramatic expansion of rent control policies across the state. The debate over rent control could spill over onto the 2018 ballot, where Californians also could see proposals to expand or curtail the property tax restrictions ushered in 40 years ago by Proposition 13. Lawmakers will have to wrestle with how to follow up a package of housing bills that passed last year. The measures provided new funding and regulations designed to encourage homebuilding, but are unlikely to make an appreciable difference in housing costs. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas is resigning By John Myers Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas abruptly announced his resignation from the California Legislature on Wednesday, citing health reasons. Ridley-Thomas, a Democrat from Los Angeles, informed Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) Tuesday night. The reason for this difficult decision is that I am facing persistent health issues, Ridley-Thomas, 30, said in a written statement on Wednesday. On December 18th, I underwent surgery for the fifth time this year. Although I expect a full recovery, my physicians advise that I will need an extended period of time to recuperate. Earlier this year, Ridley-Thomas was absent from work for more than two weeks. Staff members initially said the absence was a personal leave, then said the time off was due to unspecified medical reasons. His resignation letter on Wednesday offered no additional details. When I resume public life, I intend to remain active in civic affairs, where my passion lies, he said in the statement released by his office. Ridley-Thomas was first elected to the Assembly in a 2013 special election. He is the son of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. Before winning elected office at age 26, the younger Ridley-Thomas worked as an aide for Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price and managed a 2012 Assembly campaign in San Bernardino County. In a statement about his sons decision, Mark Ridley-Thomas said he and his wife more than anyone, have seen him struggle with health challenges this year, and we fully support his decision to step down from the state Legislature so that he can recuperate with complete rest, in accordance with his doctors orders. His solidly Democratic district includes the west Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westwood, Culver City, Crenshaw and Baldwin Hills. He is chairman of the influential Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee, which oversees all tax-related legislation. Ridley-Thomas is a proponent of changes in the operation of the state Board of Equalization, though his plan would have allowed the agency to ultimately retain many of its duties. A more substantial shake-up was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in June. Ridley-Thomas was the author of a bill signed into law in October giving the Los Angeles Unified School District the power to preserve some of its existing single-gender schools. He was unsuccessful, though, in an effort to stop local governments from imposing taxes on streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu. Ridley-Thomas departure will require a special election in 2018. He is the fourth Southern California legislator to leave office this year. The election of Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) to Congress also required a special election. The other two lawmakers Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) and Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills) stepped down in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct, which both men have denied. A special election to fill Bocanegras seat will be held on April 3, with a potential runoff on June 5. A special election date has not yet been set for Dababnehs seat. My colleagues and I wish Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas all the best going forward as he deals with his health challenges, Rendon said in a statement. The Assembly will continue to assist the residents of the 54th Assembly District until a new assemblymember is seated. This post was updated with comment from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, as well as more information about special elections. It was originally published at 11:10 a.m. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California Senate Democrats are considering some ideas to counter the GOP tax plan By Liam Dillon Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Democrats in the California Senate are planning to write legislation to lessen the effects of the elimination of popular tax breaks in the GOPs overhaul of the federal tax system. To finance broad-based corporate tax cuts and reductions in individual tax rates, the GOP plan caps the deductibility of state and local income and property taxes a benefit used often in suburban areas of California. The Republican tax scam disproportionately harms California taxpayers, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said in a statement. Our hard-earned tax dollars should not be subject to double-taxation, especially not to line the pockets of the Trump family, hedge fund managers and private jet owners. De Leon, who also is running for U.S. Senate, said the state Senate is working with law professors at UCLA, UC Davis and the University of Chicago to develop the legislation. Ideas being considered, according to a de Leon spokesman, include: Reducing state personal income taxes through a tax credit program and offsetting that amount through payroll taxes. Allowing individuals to make voluntary gifts to the state of California, which would be deductible as a charitable donation under federal law. The deduction for the donated amount would replace the state and local tax deduction. Lawmakers return to Sacramento in January. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti admits considering a 2020 bid: I am thinking about this By Seema Mehta Eric Garcetti (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Its no secret Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is interested in running for president. When reporters ask about his intentions, he has used all sorts of ways to deflect, typically by saying hes focused on his day job for the moment. But speaking in Spanish to a Univision reporter this week, Garcetti edged ever closer to the telltale admission hes actually considering it. I am thinking about this, said Garcetti, who is partly of Mexican heritage but learned Spanish attending private school. The majority of time goes to my work as mayor of Los Angeles, but every [citizen] should think about what our role is in these difficult times, in these dangerous times. Garcetti added that he expects many mayors to run for president, and noted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently visited Iowa, which holds the first presidential nominating contest. Garcetti has long been rumored to be flirting with a White House bid, and he has fueled such speculation by traveling out of state to places such as the early presidential primary state of New Hampshire to campaign for a mayoral candidate. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Brown makes judicial appointments, including attorney who helps train Legislature on anti-sexual-harassment policies .@JerryBrownGov makes two court of appeal and 33 superior court appointments including Lauri Damrell in Sacramento. Damrell, an attorney at Orrick, testified at the Assemblys recent hearing on sexual harassment, outlining the assemblys current prevention efforts. Liam Dillon (@dillonliam) December 22, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Californias former top cop forms marijuana distribution firm in new age of legalization By Patrick McGreevy Former California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer is going from enforcing laws against marijuana to legally distributing the drug under the states new rules that allow the sale and possession of pot for recreational use. With state-licensed sales of marijuana starting Jan. 1, Lockyer has co-founded a firm, C4 Distro, that will distribute packaged marijuana concentrates and edibles to stores in Los Angeles. He says Californias new regulated system has a chance to be a model for the rest of the country. For me as somebody who was on the law enforcement side for so many years, I saw the inadequacies of the effort to regulate something just by calling it illegal, Lockyer said. I think legalizing will help stabilize and help legitimize this industry and result in better consumer protection and other public benefits. Lockyer, a Democrat who served in the state Assembly and was leader of the state Senate, has co-founded the firm with Eric Spitz, who was chairman and president of the former parent company of the Orange County Register. The businessmen aim to get their products to pot shops in L.A. in late January or early February, Spitz said. Asked if he uses marijuana himself, Lockyer, 76, said, Not in any recent times, but there were college years. He said he sees his involvement in the marijuana industry as a mixture of helping to pay for his kids college tuition and public service to help the new regulations work. This whole industry has to come from the dark side to the light, he said. By focusing on delivery to as many as 700 stores that might open in Los Angeles, C4 Distro hopes to capture a targeted market while other firms distribute statewide. The business has a warehouse in southeast Los Angeles County and is close to applying for a distributors license from the state, Lockyer said. Lockyer served a quarter century in the state Legislature before he was elected as state attorney general in 1999. He left that office in 2007 when he was elected as state treasurer, serving until his retirement from politics in 2015. Before co-leading a group that bought the Register newspaper in 2012, Spitz served as chief financial officer at Narragansett Brewing Company. Spitz left the Registers Freedom Communications in 2016. 2 p.m.: An earlier version of this article mistakenly said Spitz left Freedom Communications in 2015. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print House passes disaster aid bill with wildfire funding, 18 Californians vote no By Sarah D. Wire (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Eighteen of Californias 53 House members voted no on an $81-billion disaster aid package Thursday, which includes funds for Californias recent wildfires. The 17 Democrats and one Republican voted no on the bill, which passed the House by a 251 to 169 vote. The Senate is not expected to take up the bill until January, when Congress returns from its holiday break. The entire California delegation had recently signed onto a letter asking for the disaster aid. In a speech on the House floor before the vote, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) pleaded with colleagues not to take a political stance on a disaster aid bill. Dont play politics on a vote to give aid to the people of Texas, to the people of Puerto Rico and to the Virgin Islands, to the people of Florida, and to the people of California that are still fighting the fires. Dont play politics on a bill where you hope to maybe stop another. That would be the worst of any politics Ive seen played here, McCarthy said. Here and now, right before Christmas, dont vote against aid for Americans who just lost everything. Several of the Democrats who voted no also voted against the spending bill Thursday, and said that they felt they could not support either because the bills did not include Democratic priorities for the end of the year, including protections for people brought to the country illegally as children. Others said the aid bill doesnt provide enough money for California and doesnt treat Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands fairly in terms of competing for the funds. The 18 representatives voting no were: Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro) Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles) Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) Anna Eshoo (D-Menlo Park) Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey) Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier) Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) Norma Torres (D-Pomona) Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Three California House members cross party lines on spending bill to keep government open By Sarah D. Wire Three California House members crossed party lines Thursday on a vote to pass a spending bill that will keep the government open until mid-January. Democratic Reps. Jim Costa of Fresno and Raul Ruiz of Palm Desert joined the majority of Republicans to vote for the bill. Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine joined Democrats to vote against it. The bill, which funds the government through Jan. 19, passed the House 231 to 188, right before representatives left for the holidays. Costa said in a statement that he voted yes because keeping the government open is Congress job, but he called the vote a continuation of the dysfunction in Washington. It further illustrates the damage that results from partisan politics and irresponsible leadership. It is unacceptable that we have to resort to funding the government for weeks at a time because we cannot sit down together Democrats and Republicans and negotiate a real budget bill, Costa said. Hunters staff said the congressman was concerned that military spending in the bill was extended for only a short period. He had wanted the spending to be extended until September. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Poll points to all-Democrat runoffs in California races for governor and senator By Seema Mehta Californians could see two Democrat-on-Democrat contests in the states premier races in 2018, according to a new poll released Thursday. In the gubernatorial race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom remains the front-runner with the support of 26% of likely voters in a Berkeley IGS poll. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa came in second with the backing of 17%. The poll found notable demographic differences in the two mens bases of support. Newsom had strong leads in the Bay Area, where he once served as the mayor of San Francisco, as well as among white voters, liberals and the wealthy. Villaraigosa saw strong backing in Los Angeles County, among Latino voters and among those who earned less than $40,000. Republicans splintered in the race, placing businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen in a tie for third place with 9% each. Two other Democrats, state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, each won the support of 5% of likely voters. If Republicans fail to consolidate behind a candidate in the June primary, voters will for the first time see no GOP candidate on the November ballot for governor. Its a repeat of what occurred in the 2016 U.S. Senate race, and what is likely to occur again in the 2018 U.S. Senate race if the field does not grow. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has the support of 41% of likely voters in her reelection bid, but her rival, fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon, won the support of 27%, according to the poll. There is no GOP candidate in the race. Feinstein, who has served in the Senate for a quarter-century, has enormous advantages in fundraising, name recognition and support among powerful political groups. However, the poll found that nearly one-third of likely voters said they are undecided or would like to support another candidate. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California legislator wants to curb sexual harassment in Hollywood and eating disorders for models By Melanie Mason Fashion models show off the BCBG MAX AZRIA Spring 2016 collection during New York Fashion Week. (Richard Drew / AP) A new proposal by a California assemblyman is taking aim at two of the more criticized phenomena in the entertainment industry: sexual harassment and unhealthy body standards for fashion models. The legislation, by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), would require the states Occupational Safety and Health Standards to adopt guidelines for fashion models in an attempt to combat the prevalence of eating disorders and excessive thinness in the industry. This is the second time Levine has tried to take on the fashion industry. His similar bill to impose standards on models sputtered in 2016. This time, Levine also is trying to address the prevalence of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry by requiring that talent agencies which represent actors, performers and other artists provide training on sexual harassment and how to identify and prevent inappropriate behavior. I believed women who told me their stories of abuse when I introduced legislation to provide workplace protections in the fashion industry in 2016 just like I believe them now, Levine said in a statement. Its time that law reflects societys rejection of sexual harassment in all workplaces, including Hollywood. My bill aims to address the problem before it starts, but also empowers survivors with the tools to report these cases. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Local Indivisible group picks Democrat to endorse against Rep. Duncan Hunter By Christine Mai-Duc Ammar Campa-Najjar, 28, is running against Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine). (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) With an already crowded field of contenders hoping to unseat Rep. Duncan Hunter and months to go before the candidate filing deadline, one local activist group has made an early endorsement in the race. Indivisible CA50, made up of activists mostly in San Diego County, announced Thursday that its endorsing Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Democrat and public affairs consultant whos challenging Hunter. The endorsement comes as liberal activists and interest groups all over the state are grappling with whether and how to winnow down the dozens of candidates vying for 10 GOP-held seats in California. The group held more than half a dozen endorsement meetings to allow members throughout Hunters district to vote on their preferred candidate. One of the candidates, Pierre Beauregard, dropped out of the race recently and endorsed Campa-Najjar. In a statement Campa-Najjar said in a statement that the nod represents the enthusiasm of hundreds of progressive grassroots activists. Indivisibles national political director Maria Urbina said the endorsement was the first made by any California chapter in the 2018 midterms. Aside from Campa-Najjar, two other Democrats are running for Hunters seat: Josh Butner, a school board trustee and former Navy SEAL, and realtor Patrick Malloy, who ran last year and lost to Hunter by nearly 27 percentage points. Hunter will also face at least two GOP challengers: Shamus Sayed and Andrew Zelt. Hunter is not considered to be particularly vulnerable in next years election, but an investigation into his alleged misuse of campaign funds has caused at least one election handicapper to move his race from solid Republican to the likely Republican column. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print San Francisco is getting a new mayor and creating a political star. Who will it be? By Mark Z. Barabak San Francisco is the city everyone loves, even if they hate it. The stately Victorians, like a gingerbread dream come to life. The majestic Golden Gate Bridge, standing like heavens portal above the fog. The plucky cable cars, scrabbling up its impossible hillsides. It can almost make you forget the bands of ravaged homeless, the paralyzing traffic, the scent of human waste wafting from sidewalks outside the citys posh eateries and palatial tech headquarters. San Francisco is getting a new mayor, owing to the sudden death of incumbent Ed Lee. All of the grandeur, and all of the grit, accompany the position. To say the race is wide open Lee having died just about a week ago is an understatement. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Sen. Dianne Feinstein is under pressure over a fix for Dreamers By Sarah D. Wire California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is under pressure from activists and fellow Democrats to withhold support for a spending bill that would avert a government shutdown in exchange for protections for people brought to the country illegally as children. Feinstein said in October that protections for so-called Dreamers are the most important thing we can get done, but the senator known for her moderate bent said this week that she wont try to block the end-of-the-year spending bill over it, and has not offered an explanation. Dreamers this week flooded Feinsteins five California offices and her office on Capitol Hill. Two UCLA students refused to leave her Capitol Hill office after three hours Tuesday and were briefly detained by police. On Wednesday, about a dozen students and parents returned and were asked to leave after about 30 minutes of shouting in her office lobby. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print The GOP tax plan passed. Now Democrats have another big issue to use in the midterms By Sarah D. Wire As GOP leaders in Congress met behind closed doors to hash out the details of their massive tax overhaul, a group of UC Irvine graduate students met in Rep. Mimi Walters district, fretting about how the plan could cost them money. About 20 miles north, dozens of activists in top hats stood outside Rep. Ed Royces Brea office as they chanted, Shame on you! And up in the Central Valley, protesters gathered outside Rep. Jeff Denhams Modesto office to sing Protest ye dreary congressman Remember that he voted to take healthcare away. To save himself from taxes now, so you will have to pay. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Kevin de Leon to Feinstein: Dont come back to California without forcing a government shutdown over Dream Act By Jazmine Ulloa State Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), left, and Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), right. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) Taking direct criticism to the woman he is attempting to unseat in next years U.S. Senate race, California Senate leader Kevin de Leon on Wednesday urged Democrats to block a year-end spending bill as leverage to pass a Dream Act clean of GOP demands for increased border security. At a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, De Leon commended Sen. Kamala Harris for pledging to block the measure, saying he could not understand why her colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein had failed to take a similar stance in pushing for legislation to protect the so-called Dreamers, immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Dreamers make up hundreds of thousands of Sen. Feinsteins constituents, and while talking a good game on Dreamers, when it comes to standing up and supporting them, she is AWOL, said De Leon (D-Los Angeles), who has attempted to position himself to Feinsteins left as he campaigns for her seat. His statements follow days of demonstrations by young protesters at legislators offices in Washington and California. The coalitions of activists have been calling on Democrats to hold up the spending bill, a move that could force a government shutdown. They want to pass Dream Act legislation that would provide protections and a path to citizenship to young people without legal residency in the U.S. At least two young protesters were arrested Tuesday outside of Feinsteins Capitol Hill office, and more demonstrations took place at her offices in Washington and San Francisco on Wednesday. Feinstein, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have sponsored Dream Act legislation but have not pledged to hold up the spending deal. A separate bipartisan group of senators is advocating punting the issue to January. President Trump has asked Congress to come up with a solution by March. Standing next to De Leon and immigrant rights advocates on Wednesday, state Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) said advocates had to double down the shame on any Democrat who thinks its time to wait on the issue. De Leon said they had made that message clear to Schumer, saying, It is time to find your spine, sir. To Pelosi and Feinstein, he said: Dont come back to California if you havent demonstrated your leadership and your courage to stand up for these young men and women. I can tell you this, De Leon said. If the Republicans were on the other side, they wouldnt hesitate for a nanosecond to shut down the government to move forward what they believe in. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 12 California Republicans vote to support tax overhaul for a second time; Rohrabacher and Issa say no By Sarah D. Wire The House gave final approval for the GOP tax bill Wednesday, with 12 Republicans in the state delegation again voting in favor of the bill. Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Darrell Issa of Vista voted no. The House and Senate both passed the bill Tuesday, but, because Democrats raised procedural objections that forced the bill to be changed in the Senate, the House had to vote on the bill again Wednesday before sending it to President Trump for his signature. Though many California taxpayers are expected to see an initial income tax cut under the plan, a significant number probably will have higher taxes because of the lost deductions. Analysts also expect the biggest cuts to flow to corporations and the states wealthiest residents. Republicans are expected to head to the White House later Wednesday for a celebration with Trump. No House Democrats, including the 39 from California, supported the bill. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk) was not present for the second vote, but she voted no on Tuesday. See the Republican votes here: Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias Democratic senators vote no on GOP tax bill Californias @SenKamalaHarris and @SenFeinstein join rest of Democrats in the Senate in voting no on the GOP tax bill, which passed 51-48 along party lines. Sanders, who is an Independent, voted with Democrats. Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 "At a time when wages have stagnated and working Americans are trying to do more with less, this tax plan pulls the rug out from the middle class to give billions to those who already have so much. This is an attack on our values, and Americans deserve better," Harris said. Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 "Californians will be hit especially hard by the cap on the state and local tax deduction, making it more difficult for communities to pay for services that our families rely on, Its no wonder a bill that primarily benefits the wealthy is so unpopular..." Feinstein said Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print GOP tax overhaul passes House with help from a dozen California Republicans By Sarah D. Wire Despite weeks of consternation from some California House Republicans, a dozen of them joined their colleagues to pass an overhaul of the U.S. tax code Tuesday. Two Reps. Darrell Issa and Dana Rohrabacher voted against the plan. In the weeks before the vote, Republican Reps. Mimi Walters of Irvine and Steve Knight of Palmdale cited new caps on popular deductions as reasons they were uncertain about whether to vote for the bill. Both worked behind the scenes on changes and ultimately supported the bill, which passed the House on a near party line vote 227-203. Knight said hes satisfied the changes are enough to to turn what would have been a tax increase into a tax cut for his constituents. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement More than half of Californians oppose GOP tax bill, according to new poll By Sarah D. Wire House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) arrives for a news conference about the tax plan. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) More than half of Californians oppose the GOP tax bill expected to be approved by Congress today, and just 20% believe it will have a positive affect on their families, according to a poll released Monday. Just over half of California voters, 51%, oppose the tax bill, and 30% support it, according to the newest IGS Poll, a survey by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. And the belief falls largely along party lines, with Democrats opposing the bill by a more than 4-to-1 (67% to 15%) margin and Republicans supporting it 3 to 1 (60% to 21%). The House and Senate are expected to vote on the tax bill Tuesday. Californias Republican members of Congress largely support the bill despite some concerns about how cuts to the state and local tax deduction and mortgage interest deduction might affect Californians. Democrats in the delegation oppose it and have said they will use the vote against vulnerable Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections. When asked about the impact they think the bill will have on themselves and their families, just 20% of the polls respondents said they think it will benefit them directly, while 40% foresee a negative impact. About 27% do not expect much of an impact, and 13% said they dont know if theyll be affected. The poll of a random sample of 1,000 registered voters was completed by telephone in English and Spanish from Dec. 7 to 16. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print A quick look at some of the biggest tax changes for Californians By Sarah D. Wire (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) Congressional Republicans are framing their tax cut bill as a Christmas gift that will give Americans an average tax cut of $2,059. For Californians, especially in the wealthier areas along the coast, the situation isnt as clear-cut. When the measure comes up for a vote in the House on Tuesday morning, its expected to pass along party lines. At least two Republicans say they will join Democrats in the California delegation to oppose the plan because they fear it will hurt their constituents bottom line. Take a quick look at what some of the biggest changes in the tax bill might mean for average Californians. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Lawmakers, pot growers say Californias marijuana cultivation rules favor big corporate farms By Patrick McGreevy Californias new rules allowing marijuana cultivation favor large corporate farms despite a promise in Proposition 64 that small growers would be protected, according to a group of state lawmakers and marijuana industry leaders who called Monday for the policy to be changed. The California Department of Food and Agriculture issued emergency rules last month that allow for small and medium-sized farms of up to a quarter acre and one acre, respectively, to get licenses for the first five years. That five-year head start for small farms was promised in Proposition 64, the initiative approved last year by voters that legalized growing and selling marijuana for recreational use. Individuals and businesses can get only one license for a medium-sized farm, but the new rules do not set a limit on how many small-farm licenses can be obtained by one person or business. That could allow a corporation to assemble a 20-acre farm by obtaining 80 licenses for a quarter-acre each, opponents worry. Democratic state Sens. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) and the California Growers Assn. asked for swift action by the state agricultural department to change the rule. This is clearly a broken promise, McGuire said. For two years, every discussion has included a cap on cannabis grows and the Department of Food and Agriculture needs to fix this massive loophole they have created. This last-minute revision rolls out the red carpet for large corporations to crush the livelihood of small family farmers. With cultivation licenses set to take effect next month, the lawmakers also promised legislative hearings on why the rules were drafted to disadvantage small, mom-and-pop farms. California only has one chance to get this right, and it is already on the wrong path with this last-minute change that flies in the face of what the backers of Prop. 64 promised, said Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Assn. This single decision will hand over the California marketplace to multinational corporations and a wealthy few at the expense of thousands of growers who are ready to play by the rules and provide economic opportunity in communities that until recently were criminalized or at the very least marginalized. The industry estimates there are about 3,500 independent growers on track to get a state license in the first half of 2018. Allens group estimates that number could grow to as many as 10,000 or 15,000 by the end of 2020, but not if large corporate farms are allowed in early. The agricultural agency issued a response later: A one-acre canopy limit has not been in proposed regulations at any point and was not included in the emergency regulations due to the fact that Proposition 64, the law guiding the process, did not provide authority to include it. However, local jurisdictions may impose that limitation on their own if it meets the needs of their constituents. Updated at 5:10 pm to include comment from agricultural agency. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Final tax bill dramatically softens blow to mortgage interest deductions in California By Christine Mai-Duc Last-minute changes to the Republican-led tax overhaul seem to be tailor-made to entice support from California GOP lawmakers, several of whom voted against a previous version passed in the House last month. The House version, passed with the support of all but three California Republicans, had proposed capping the mortgage interest deduction at loans of $500,000 or less. Republicans in high-tax, expensive states had voiced concerns the bill would have major effects in their districts. But the final version of the bill dramatically slashed the percentage of new mortgages that would be affected if the package becomes law. *New mortgages over $500,000 include data through Sept. 2017. New mortgages over $750,000 include data through Oct. 2017. Source: Times analysis of data provided by CoreLogic The particulars of the mortgage interest provision and other popular deductions were major sticking points as House and Senate negotiators hammered out a compromise between the two versions. A previous Times analysis showed that more than half of new mortgages this year in Rep. Dana Rohrabachers coastal Orange County district exceeded the $500,000 cap laid out in the House version. Text of the new bill released Friday outlined a cap of $750,000, which would apply to just under a quarter of new mortgages there through October 2017. Rohrabacher was one of three California Republicans, along with Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) who previously voted against the measure. Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) said she supported the House version after receiving assurances from leaders that the bill would be changed to account for the loss of deductions, The percentage of new mortgages over the cap dropped from 48% to 14%. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), whose district had 1% of mortgages exceeding the $500,000 cap proposed previously, saw that share drop almost to zero; 27 of 7,515 mortgages in his congressional district this year have been for more than $750,000. The House is expected to vote on the final tax bill Tuesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print A major change to Proposition 13 takes its first step toward the 2018 ballot By Liam Dillon A commercial property in San Bernardino County that could face higher property taxes under a proposed ballot measure (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) Proponents of making a dramatic change to Californias landmark Proposition 13 property tax restrictions took their first step to getting a measure on the November 2018 statewide ballot Friday. The change would allow the state to receive more tax dollars from commercial and industrial properties by assessing them at their current market value, an effort known as split roll because existing tax protections on homes would remain in place. Advocates of the measure, including the League of Women Voters of California and community organizing nonprofits California Calls and PICO Network said the change could raise billions of dollars that could be spent on public schools and community colleges. I think the cumulative effects of the unfair tax system have gotten to the point where its created crippling economic impacts on the state, said Melissa Breach, executive director of the League of Women Voters of California. Backers filed their proposed initiative Friday. The attorney generals office will prepare an official title and summary for the measure and it will receive a financial analysis. From there, advocates will decide if they will collect signatures to put the measure on the ballot. Proposition 13 passed in 1978 amid concerns that rising property taxes could force people out of their homes. The ballot measure limited property taxes to 1% of a propertys value at the time of purchase and ensures that the assessed value on which taxes are based can only increase by a maximum of 2% a year no matter how much a propertys market value goes up. Split-roll measures have been long debated in state politics, but business groups and anti-tax groups have expressed substantial opposition to the idea, arguing that it would cause major harm to the states business climate. Breach said she expected an avalanche of big money against the measure should it go forward, but said that her organization wouldnt get involved without believing it could raise sufficient funding.S For the record 1 p.m., Dec. 18: An earlier version of this post said the split roll ballot measure would allow California to charge higher tax rates on commercial and industrial properties. It would allow the state to assess those properties at current market value, not charge higher rates. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Three more women accuse California assemblyman of sexual misconduct By Melanie Mason Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills) (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) A Los Angeles woman has filed a police report alleging Democratic Assemblyman Matt Dababneh had sex with her without consent four years ago, adding new allegations of sexual misconduct to those that led the politician to announce his resignation last week. He says her claims are false. Nancy Miret, 26, told The Times that when she was 22 and a recent college graduate, she spent time with Dababneh over two months in late 2013, primarily at his Encino apartment. At the time, Dababneh was running for Assembly to represent the western San Fernando Valley. They had consensual sex on one occasion, but after that, Miret said she had multiple nonconsensual sexual encounters with Dababneh that left her traumatized. Miret, who now works in commercial real estate, is one of three women interviewed by The Times who have made new allegations concerning Dababnehs behavior. These allegations are false and Im confident that when all the facts are in, it will clearly show that these claims are not true, Dababneh told The Times. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print San Diego business is first in California to be issued license to sell marijuana for recreational use By Patrick McGreevy A San Diego medical marijuana business is the first firm to be issued a license by the state of California to sell marijuana for recreational use, officials said Thursday. Torrey Holistics received two of the first 20 licenses granted by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control this week to sell or distribute marijuana, although the licenses do not take effect until Jan. 1, according to bureau chief Lori Ajax. An additional 180 firms have applied for licenses but they are being processed. Last week, we officially launched our online licensing system, and today were pleased to issue the first group of temporary licenses to cannabis businesses that fall under the Bureaus jurisdiction, Ajax said in a statement. We plan to issue many more before January 1. The bureau is issuing temporary, four-month licenses to firms initially, but will eventually require firms to undergo background checks and pay a $1,000 application fee for yearlong permits. Tony Hall left a chemical distribution business two years ago to start Torrey Holistics with a friend and classmate at San Diego State. He said he was ecstatic to have the first recreational permit in California. He also obtained a new license to continue selling marijuana for medical uses. We feel fricking great about it, he said Thursday. Its just exciting. This is a once in a multi-generational event, he added, likening it to the end of prohibition. Added Ruthie Edelson, the firms marketing director, We will be open at 7 a.m. on Jan. 1. Last year, voters approved Proposition 64, which makes California one of eight states that allow the growing and sale of marijuana for recreational uses. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Conservative activist group files a lawsuit over Los Angeles County inactive voter list By John Myers A Washington-based conservative-leaning activist group filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging Los Angeles County officials are refusing to cancel the registrations of voters who are ineligible to cast a ballot. The legal action by Judicial Watch comes four months after the organization first accused elections officials across the state of maintaining registration lists that are larger than their voting-age population. The lawsuit also names Secretary of State Alex Padilla as a defendant and alleges the voter lists violate the National Voter Registration Act, or NVRA. They dont care about removing ineligible registration, said Robert Popper of Judicial Watch. I think we have a very strong lawsuit. The lawsuit names four Los Angeles County voters as co-plaintiffs and asserts that a countys two lists of voters the file of active voters and those whose registration has been placed on inactive status should be combined into a single total. The inactive list includes people who havent cast ballots in recent elections and havent responded to inquiries from elections officials. Though the names on that list are considered voters, they are not counted in official registration reports and are not mailed election material. Popper led an effort earlier this year to estimate the size of each countys voting-age population using the Census Bureaus American Community Survey. He said the surveys five-year average of county populations was then adjusted by focusing just on the estimate of those over the age of 18, and then comparing that with the combined active and inactive voter lists. Popper dismissed any concern that the resulting number might be skewed by the different standards used by counties for the inactive list, which could include names of voters who moved or died and thus be an imperfect guide. I believe that a court is going to accept our numbers, he said. Dean Logan, the registrar of voters in Los Angeles County, said his staffs practices are consistent with federal law. This lawsuit appears to fundamentally interpret the requirements of the NVRA in a manner inconsistent with ensuring voter enfranchisement and appropriate list maintenance, he said. The lawsuit also alleges that Los Angeles elections officials failed to provide Judicial Watch with requested data about the size of the inactive list, and accuses Padilla of failing to address the groups concerns about California not following NVRA rules. In a statement on Thursday, Padilla said county inactive-voter files are not out of compliance with the law. He criticized Judicial Watch for its baseless assertions, bad math, and flawed methodology. Local elections officials have said very few inactive voters show up on election day, and that any who do would be asked to cast a provisional ballot one that isnt counted unless the voters eligibility is confirmed through additional review. Popper insisted that if the list is never used, theres no reason to keep it. Judicial Watch, which sued for access to Hillary Clintons emails in 2016, alleged that its calculations show 11 California counties with questionable voter registration totals. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Voters in California GOP districts may get calls asking them to thank their member of Congress for tax plan By Sarah D. Wire Voters in four key Republican-held congressional districts could get a robocall starting Friday urging them to call and thank their member of Congress for supporting the tax bill. Its a last minute effort by American Action Network, a politically active nonprofit connected with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) that has spent millions to shore up Republican support for the bill. The robocalls include the members office number. The four California members being targeted are Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock, David Valadao of Hanford, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Mimi Walters of Irvine. All four represent districts that backed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and are Democratic targets in 2018. Knight and Walters had been particularly vocal about their concerns with the plan, saying it might raise taxes for their constituents. The final text of the bill is set to be released Friday, with a vote expected early next week. In total, American Action Network plans to place 1 million robocalls in 29 districts nationwide. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Merry Christmas Republicans in Congress: Funny or Die video goes after California lawmakers over DACA By Christine Mai-Duc As members of Congress try to pass a controversial tax bill and a measure to keep the federal government funded, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is hitting Republicans hard over another unresolved issue: the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children who could face deportation if lawmakers dont act. Amid negotiations over a long-term spending bill, Democratic leaders have been pushing their GOP colleagues to include a fix for those who were granted temporary protection under President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA. President Trump announced an end to the program earlier this year and gave Congress a March deadline to address it. Funny or Die and BOLD PAC released a video Friday featuring comedians skewering GOP members, including two in California, for their inaction. In the video, Oscar Nunez, best known for his role on The Office, calls out Reps. Steve Knight (Palmdale), Ed Royce (Fullerton), Carlos Curbelo (Florida) and John Culberson (Texas), who get to go ahead and celebrate as thousands of Dreamers are banished from the only country theyve ever called home. How many broken promises can fit in a stocking? Nunez asks later. Im asking for a congressman. The political action committee says its spending six figures on the weeklong buy, which will go out nationwide across Funny Or Dies social media channels. They are known for blasting out irreverent, often viral parodies that play to young audiences. The video will also be targeted to constituents in each of the four congressional districts. A separate video released by the ACLU last week also urged members of Congress to strike a deal on DACA. Many California Republicans have remained mum on the issue, particularly those facing tough races in 2018. So far, only Reps. David Valadao (Hanford), Jeff Denham (Turlock) and Mimi Walters (Irvine) have pressured fellow Republicans to come up with a solution before Congress breaks for Christmas. Following Trumps decision, Knight said the issue should receive attention by Congress. Royce, who has taken hard-line stances on immigration in the past, urged his colleagues to provide a permanent, legislative solution that gives certainty to these kids. Neither elaborated on what that solution should be. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For a prominent California consumer group and savvy political consultants, documents reveal a close financial relationship By John Myers If theres a clear mantra for Consumer Watchdog, one of Californias most visible and vocal advocacy groups, its that hidden financial relationships shouldnt shape politics and public policy. The Santa Monica-based nonprofit has spent more than three decades reprimanding politicians and interest groups for doing the bidding of those who give them money. Its official motto is expose, confront, change. We are loud, and we speak more of a populist truth than the way people usually talk to each other in Sacramento, said Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdogs president. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Regional director resigns from California Democratic Party amid sexual misconduct claims By Jazmine Ulloa A regional director with the California Democratic Party submitted his resignation on Thursday, nearly two weeks after a 23-year-old woman reported that he sexually assaulted her last year, spurring party leaders to seek his ouster. Craig Cheslog served as Region 2 director spanning the East Bay, Napa, Sonoma and the Clearlake areas. In a statement, his lawyer, Mary P. Carey, said she and her client were confident that a full and fair exploration of this matter, undertaken in an appropriate, fact-governed venue, would exonerate Mr. Cheslog. We are prepared, if necessary, to put forward the facts of this matter in just such a venue, she said. Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman and other officials initially called for Cheslogs removal in a Nov. 29 letter to state party secretary Jenny Bach. They said he was seen acting in an inappropriate and sexually aggressive manner toward a member of the party in a public area of the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel, following a Nov. 18 executive board meeting. The level to which this activity advanced made a number of those in attendance uncomfortable, the letter stated. It added that another member reported that Mr. Cheslog raped her at a CDP executive board meeting the previous year. Party officers said the incident occurred during a weekend where the prevention of sexual harassment of women in politics was a dominant theme in the wake of the #metoo movement. Before the meetings conclusion on Sunday, the California Womens Caucus approved a resolution making clear that sexual harassment, bullying and other forms of abuse are grounds to lose endorsements and be stripped of party membership. Maddy Dean, who was not named in the letter, spoke at the meeting about her experiences of sexual harassment in the movie industry, and told the Times that she reported Cheslog. She said she could not provide further details about her allegation as she explores possible legal paths moving forward. This was about protecting other women and in particular other young women, she said of reporting the assault. In his own letter to Bach on Thursday, Cheslog did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. He said he was stepping down to prevent any personal misconduct allegations from creating a distraction with the party at a critical moment in national and state politics. I am confident of the results that would be forthcoming in a fair, fact-based exploration of this matter, he said. Since the report, Cheslog has been fired from his job at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that helps families navigate media and technology. He also has stepped down from his position on the Acalanes Union High School District Board of Trustees. The conduct represented a serious violation of both company policy and the way in which our employees are expected to conduct themselves in the community at large, Common Sense spokeswoman Corbie Kiernan said in a statement. We immediately suspended Mr. Cheslog and conducted an investigation. As a result of the investigation, Mr. Cheslogs employment with Common Sense was terminated. 4:05 p.m.: This post was updated with Cheslogs resignation from the school board. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Bob Hertzberg will cooperate with investigation into unwanted hugs By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Bob Hertzberg works at his Senate Chambers desk. He faces an investigation into unwanted hugging (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) said Thursday he will cooperate with a state investigation into complaints from a former legislator that she was uncomfortable with his repeated hugs after she asked him not to touch her. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said Thursday that a team of outside attorneys will investigate a complaint by former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that Hertzberg has made her uncomfortable with hugs that were too close and lasted too long. Hertzberg, well-known for hugging other lawmakers, said he supports having any allegations investigated by the two outside law firms. I just learned of the investigation, and will fully cooperate, he said. The use of an independent third party investigator is essential to improving transparency and trust in the system. Halderman said Thursday she was encouraged that her concerns will be investigated, but said it was disturbing that attorneys for one of the law firms selected, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, contributed more than $90,000 in campaign funds to sitting legislators including Hertzberg. Halderman, a surgeon, served in the state Assembly from 2010 through 2012 and said Hertzberg hugged her multiple times even after she asked him to stop because she was uncomfortable. The last incident occurred in a hallway of the Capitol, she claimed. I told him I dont care to be hugged. Dont touch me, Halderman recalled. He then grabbed me and pinned my arms to my side and used his hands to press my lower back into his groin and he essentially pinned me so I couldnt push off of him to get away the way I ended previous hugs. It was certainly so over the line, she added. Halderman said a current female senator and assemblywoman also have complained about inappropriate hugs from Hertzberg. However, Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) defended Hertzberg, saying she has known him for many years and he has always acted as a gentleman. I have never felt uncomfortable with him, and have always felt his hugs were a display of affection - which I appreciate, she said. I consider him a dear friend. Updated at 5:30 pm to include comment from Sen. Galgiani. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Rep. Maxine Waters asks Justice Department to investigate fake letter tweeted by Republican opponent By Sarah D. Wire (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Rep. Maxine Waters is asking the Justice Department to look into a fake letter posted to Twitter by her Republican challenger that falsely indicated the congresswoman wants to resettle tens of thousand of refugees in her Los Angeles district. The GOP candidate, Omar Navarro, posted the letter on what looks like official House of Representatives letterhead to Twitter on Monday. The letter, which purports to be from the congresswoman, says the congresswoman wants to bring refugees to her congressional district after the 2018 election and perhaps even once I have secured the Speaker of the House position. Navarro accompanied the tweeted letter with a message: According to this document, Maxine Waters wants more terrorists, like the one who bombed NYC, in Californias 43rd District. As Congressman of CAs 43rd District, I will oppose such policies. Its been retweeted more than 680 times. But the letter is a forgery and a fake, her chief of staff, Twaun Samuel, said in a news release. The letter, dated June of this year, also contains several inaccuracies. It references multiple committees and subcommittees Waters does not serve on, and lists an address for a district office that has been closed for nearly a decade. Waters filed a complaint about the tweeted letter with the House general counsel, who forwarded the complaint to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and the fraud section of the Criminal Division for the United States Department of Justice. The complaint states that Waters has not communicated with the letters purported addressee Teri Williams, who is president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles-based OneUnited Bank, about any refugee resettlement program. Impersonating a federal official and misusing a federal seal are federal crimes. Navarro, who is backed by big name far-right conservatives, said Thursday that the letter was sent to his campaign through Facebook by a person he didnt know. He said neither the Justice Department or Waters staff has asked him about the letter. I dont know if its real or not, so I put it out there, Navarro said, adding that he believed his followers would help him determine if it is real. It doesnt say that I know. Its according to this document what, am I supposed to send it to her and get an email back from Maxine? According to this document, Maxine Waters wants more terrorists, like the one who bombed NYC, in Californias 43rd District. As Congressman of CAs 43rd District, I will oppose such policies. #VoteNavarro2018https://t.co/vO8YUsyPp3 pic.twitter.com/k7ef0H20if Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) December 11, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Tony Mendoza refuses to take a leave of absence amid harassment probe By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), left, talks earlier this year about a pending bill with Sen. Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado Hills). (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Defying pressure from legislative leadership, state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) refused Thursday to take a leave of absence until an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him is concluded early next year. Mendoza has denied allegations by former employees that he treated three female aides inappropriately, inviting them to hotel stays and asking one to visit his home to work on her resume. I am very disappointed that certain Senate Rules Committee members are apparently asking me to take a leave of absence or resign before any investigation has even begun and without giving me an opportunity to defend myself, Mendoza said in a statement. This is contrary to the very concept of due process, which is a pillar of our American system of fairness and judicial prudence. These actions bypass any process in a rush to judgment. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) earlier Thursday called on Mendoza to take a leave of absence. Mendoza had previously been stripped of his leadership positions, including chairmanship of the Senates committee on banking and insurance. Mendoza questioned statements urging him to step down, saying they leave him concerned about the fairness of the investigation. He also said he has been disappointed that he has been told he cannot publicly address allegations. I was not appointed to the position I hold, but was elected by the voters in my district, he said. I am grateful to the voters in my district and thank them for their trust and their continued support. The Senate owes them an opportunity to hear the truth. I assure them that I will vigorously defend myself to clear my name. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State Senate leader asks Sen. Tony Mendoza to take leave of absence amid sexual harassment investigation By Patrick McGreevy (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State Senate leader Kevin de Leon said Thursday he has strongly suggested that Sen. Tony Mendoza take a leave of absence until the completion of an investigation by outside attorneys into allegations that Mendoza sexually harassed three former aides. Given the severity of the allegations against Senator Mendoza I do not believe he can perform the duties in Sacramento right now while the investigation is being conducted, De Leon told a packed news conference in his Capitol office. I believe Its the right thing to do, its the fair thing to do, to take a leave, he said. The Senate leader also said the outside attorneys have been asked to investigate complaints by former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) inappropriately hugged her on multiple occasions in a way that made her uncomfortable, even after she asked him to stop. De Leon also announced the hiring of two law firms to handle the Mendoza and Hertzberg investigations, and all future probes of harassment and abuse involving Senate employees. Mendoza, a Democrat from Artesia, did not immediately respond to the request to step aside. De Leon, a Democrat from Los Angeles who had been Mendozas roommate before the allegations were made public, said he made the suggestion to Mendoza in a meeting Thursday morning. If Mendoza refuses to take a leave, the Senate has the power to suspend him without pay, but De Leon said that is not currently under discussion. There is an effort underway to force his expulsion in January when the Legislature returns to Sacramento. Former Mendoza employees have claimed that he gave inappropriate attention to a female fellow and intern, inviting one to his home and hotel and giving the other alcohol in a hotel even though she was underage. Another former female aide told the Sacramento Bee that Mendoza invited her to one-on-one dinners and a weekend at Pebble Beach. Mendoza has denied the allegations. The Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher and Van Dermyden Maddux law firms have been retained for two years, according to Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), who participated in their selection. Have you experienced sexual harassment in government or politics? Tell us your story In addition, the state is contracting with Weave, a Sacramento crisis-intervention organization for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, to provide counseling and to establish a hotline for Senate employees who are victims of sexual assault. The hotline number is 1-800-729-1443. America is finally reckoning with entrenched inequities in our personal and professional relationships and in workplaces of every type, De Leon said. Nowhere is this reckoning more important than in the halls of power our political institutions. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Watch live: California Senate leader addresses sexual misconduct at state Capitol Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California state senator pledges to bring back net neutrality rules just as FCC votes to repeal them By Jazmine Ulloa Demonstrators rally in support of net neutrality outside a Verizon store in New York on Dec. 7. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Moments after the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to roll back net neutrality regulations, a state senator pledged to introduce legislation that would preserve open internet protections for consumers in California. Net neutrality is essential to our 21st century democracy, and we need to be sure that people can access websites and information freely and fairly, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said in a statement. If the FCC is going to destroy net neutrality and create a system that favors certain websites just because they can pay more money, California must step in and ensure open internet access. The announcement of the proposal came shortly after the FCC voted to repeal net neutrality in an expected 3-2 party-line vote, with Republicans calling for an end to the utility-like oversight of internet service providers. The Obama-era rules put in February 2015 barred broadband and wireless companies, such at AT&T Inc., Charter Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. from selling faster delivery of certain data, slowing speeds for certain video streams and other content, and discriminating against legal material online. Before the vote, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argued loosening the regulations would allow the online economy to flourish. FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, one of the the two Democrats on the commission, said the rollback would inhibit the openness that has made the U.S. internet the envy of the world. Supporters of net neutrality are expected to file suit to try to halt the repeal plan. Weiners attempt to institute net neutrality rules in California could have challenges. The FCC order states that allowing state and local governments to adopt their own separate requirements, which could impose a heavier burden on companies, could disrupt the balance between state and federal regulations. The preemption of state and local net neutrality measures is something that could be challenged in court. Amid such legal battles state legislation could face heavy lobbying efforts from internet providers arguing against uneven regulations. A bill by Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) was shelved last legislative session over similar disputes. It would have enshrined in state law other FCC regulations that were rolled back this year by President Trump and Congress. The Internet privacy rules limited what broadband providers can do with their customers data. The bills defeat capped a behind-the-scenes battle that pitted telecom companies against state internet service providers and brought other bills to a halt in the state Senate as negotiations unfolded over legislation that would have had national significance. UPDATES 7:57 a.m.: This post was updated with additional information about the potential legal case. LA Times reporter Jim Puzzanghera contributed to this report. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. County sheriffs office failed to follow policy for issuing concealed weapon permits, audit says By Patrick McGreevy Handguns are displayed at the Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas in 2016. ( (John Locher / Associated Press)) The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has repeatedly failed to follow its own rules for issuing concealed weapon permits, the state auditor concluded in a report released Thursday. L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell disputed some of the key findings of the audit, saying state officials misinterpreted the policy. The department policy requires applicants to provide convincing evidence of a clear and present danger to life or of great bodily harm to get a license, but the audit found the department issued 24 licenses during the last few years without sufficient evidence. Most of the 197 active licenses in L.A. County as of August went to current or former law enforcement officers, judges and prosecutors, the audit found. The lieutenant in charge of reviewing applications told auditors that people in law enforcement satisfy the departments requirements by the nature of their jobs. However, making that decision based solely on the applicants profession both directly contradicts Los Angeless written policy which specifically states that no position or job classification in itself shall constitute good cause for issuance and has led the department to treat applicants inequitably based on their occupations, the audit says. McDonnell said the audit identified some legitimate issues, and the department has added a checklist to the application process in order to show requirements have been met. But he disagreed on the reports sweeping conclusion that the department consistently failed to follow its own policies. The LASD policy simply requires that the applicant provide convincing evidence that his or her life or physical safety is threatened, the sheriff said. He said the policy does not require additional documentation of that evidence if sufficient information is provided in the application. Auditors also concluded that Sacramento County issued some licenses without proper documentation and that San Diego Countys renewal process led it to inappropriately renew some licenses. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Anti-Issa effort discloses donors: Leo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Ted Danson and more By Joshua Stewart A political group that has brought professional political organizers into the campaign against Rep. Darrell Issa has received its most significant contributions to date from actress Jane Fonda and other celebrities. Fonda gave $100,000 to Flip the 49th! Neighbors in Action, which recently registered as a political committee to get Issa, R-Vista, out of office. Comedian Bill Maher gave $15,000 to the group, a rebuke of a politician who has twice appeared on his talk show. Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer gave $2,500, as did Academy Award recipient Leonardo DiCaprio. Actor Ted Danson gave $1,500. Flip the 49th gave the The San Diego Union-Tribune a list of donors more than a month before its required to disclose them to the Federal Election Commission. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Senate GOP leader: Release Capitol whistleblowers from non-disclosure agreements By Melanie Mason California Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates is wading into the sexual harassment debate that has swept up the Capitol and is calling on her Democratic colleagues to allow whistleblowers to speak out by releasing them from non-disclosure agreements. Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) wrote in a letter to the Democratic legislative leaders Senate Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) that Senate Republicans are calling for the Legislature to allow victims or witnesses who may have signed such agreements to share their experiences publicly. This release from NDAs would empower victims of sexual harassment, create a new atmosphere for resolving sexual harassment or discrimination concerns, increase public awareness and transparency, and ensure that both the Senate and the Assembly fulfill their obligations to the public and their employees for providing a safe and welcoming workplace environment, Bates wrote in the letter, dated Dec. 12. The Republican senator also laid out suggestions to improve the Legislatures handling of sexual harassment complaints, such as jointly convening both houses rules committees which act as the chambers human resources departments to have a comprehensive, bicameral and bipartisan review. Bates wrote that the Joint Rules Committee should consider the assigning of an outside entity for assuming responsibility for all issues regarding sexual harassment. She said the California Highway Patrol or an inspector general could serve that function. Bates is currently serving on a panel designated by the Senate Rules Committee to select an outside law firm to investigate sexual harassment complaints. De Leon, in a statement, said he agreed with Bates that sexual harassment is a bipartisan, bicameral problem that requires bipartisan, bicameral solutions. Many of these recommendations we are already pursuing and evaluating in some form and we look forward to working in collaboration with Senator Bates as we did with the independent selection panel on additional reforms in the weeks to come, De Leon said. With regard to non-disclosure agreements, De Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland said the Senate is discussing with attorneys and anti-harassment experts about what options are available without violating the privacy rights of past victims. John Casey, a spokesman for Rendon, said the Assembly does not ask for NDAs in settlement agreements. The Speaker agrees with both the Legislative Womens Caucus and the Rules Committee chair that any sexual harassment policy should be both bicameral and bipartisan, Casey said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California plans to send out licenses for pot sales this month but they wont be effective until Jan. 1 By Patrick McGreevy Patrons shop at Bud and Bloom, a Santa Ana marijuana dispensary, last year. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) California officials said Wednesday they plan to use email before the new year to send out some licenses to sell marijuana to speed up the transition to a regulated market. The licenses will not go into effect until Jan. 1. Proposition 64, which legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational use, required the state to begin issuing licenses by Jan. 1. Because that date is a state holiday, the bureau originally planned to begin sending them out on Jan. 2. That has changed. Much of the date discussion Jan. 1 versus Jan. 2 was based on whether or not wed be able to be open on a state holiday, said Alex Traverso, a bureau spokesman. The solution to that issue was to issue licenses with an effective date of Jan. 1 since licenses will be issued electronically. That eliminates the need to have the office open on Jan. 1. He said that, as of Wednesday, the bureau has not yet sent out any emails with licenses approved to begin operating Jan. 1. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias budget director makes last ditch effort to urge GOP members to vote against tax plan By Sarah D. Wire House Republicans hold a news conference after the House passed the GOP tax bill. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) As closed-door negotiations over the final tax bill come to an end, the head of the California Department of Finance is making a last-ditch effort to convince Republicans in the states congressional delegation to vote against the plan. In a letter to the entire delegation Wednesday, Finance Department Director Michael Cohen detailed 10 issues in the current tax proposals about which the state is worried. Some of Cohens concerns may be addressed in the deal that House and Senate leaders said they reached Wednesday morning. Details of the agreement are not yet public. Cohens concerns range from potentially billions less in federal funding available to California to offset the $1.4 trillion the plan is expected to add to the federal deficit, to the environmental effect of ending green energy tax credits. Californias 39 Democratic representatives are expected to oppose the final tax bill, which could come before both chambers of Congress by early next week. Three California Republicans Reps. Darrell Issa of Vista, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Tom McClintock of Elk Grove voted against the original House version, and several other California Republicans have indicated they might be willing to vote against the final plan. Cohen specifically pointed to issues that have been raised by the uncertain House members, including the proposal to lower the cap on the mortgage interest deduction, the plan to limit state and local tax deductions and the elimination of a deduction for uninsured personal property damaged in natural disasters such as fires. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California lawmakers have fought sexual misconduct on military bases, farms and college campuses. Will they police their own house? By Jazmine Ulloa Over the past decade, California lawmakers have worked to help curb sexual violence in the workplace and other spheres of public life. They have pushed college campuses to keep better track of incident reports, created whistleblower protections for military officers who file claims and established sexual harassment training for farmworkers and janitors. Now, as more than 140 women have come forward in an open letter to denounce a pervasive culture of sexual harassment in the California Legislature, activists and employment lawyers say lawmakers have not held colleagues and staffers to the same standards demanded of those in other fields. Members [of the state Assembly and Senate] are quick at pointing the finger at other folks, said Fiona Ma, a former Democratic assemblywoman from San Francisco who is now running for state treasurer. But they dont want to look inside and fix their own house, air their own dark, dirty laundry. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias cap-and-trade climate program could generate more than $8 billion by 2027, report says By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown signs an extension of Californias cap-and-trade program in July. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) Although Californias cap-and-trade program was designed to combat climate change, a new analysis predicts it could also provide significant cash as much as $8 billion in a decades time for state and regional programs. The report issued Tuesday by the independent Legislative Analysts Office projects a wide range of revenue generated by the sale of permits for companies to emit greenhouse gases beyond a state-ordered emissions cap. The most recent auction of those emission permits brought in more than $800 million. The analysis warns that annual cap-and-trade revenue beyond 2020 is highly uncertain, and offers a possible range from $2 billion in 2018 to almost $7 billion in 2030 the final year of the program under legislation Gov. Jerry Brown signed in July. The estimate of $8.3 billion in 2027 is the high-water mark for any year in the report. Researchers cite a number of factors that make a specific prediction impossible, including future technology that allows industries to cut greenhouse gas emissions easily and thus pass on purchasing emission allowances. While it is clear that there will be additional revenues to the state beyond 2020, the amount that will be generated annually is highly uncertain, the report reads. Money collected from the sale of pollution permits is required to be spent on programs combating climate change. A portion of the money also is earmarked for the states high-speed rail program. The report urges lawmakers to provide oversight for future decisions made by the California Air Resources Board, the agency that has taken the lead on climate change efforts. In particular, the analysts warn that allowing businesses to stockpile too many permits ones bought at current low prices could lead to excessive greenhouse gas emissions in future years, potentially even causing the state to miss its annual benchmark as soon as 2024. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Vice President Pence meets with California lawmakers about massive fires By Sarah D. Wire Briefed bipartisan group of California reps on the fed response to #CAwildfires. @POTUS approved an emergency declaration last Friday & @forestservice is providing air & ground assets including 1,000 personnel. Together, we will help the people of CA restore, rebuild & recover. pic.twitter.com/zn7QdbCZOQ Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) December 12, 2017 A handful of California representatives discussed the federal response to their states wildfires Tuesday with Vice President Mike Pence. Attending the West Wing meeting were House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), Darrell Issa (R-Vista), Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village), Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) and Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara). It was a very bipartisan-spirited meeting. He clearly understood the significance of the fires and the impacts, Brownley said after the meeting. She said Pence offered federal assistance and recognized that recovery was going to be very important and that we want to work together to make sure that we can get the resources needed. President Trump signed an emergency declaration for the Southern California fires last week. Pence visited California this fall to view fire damage in Northern California. He stayed engaged and specifically wanted to make sure that FEMA and the other organizations were continuing to meet or exceed all expectations, Issa said after the meeting. We mostly thanked him for the fact that hes taken a personal interest and his team has been at the heart of the domestic coordination. There was no discussion about reinstating a federal tax deduction for uninsured damage repairs that would end up in the House and Senate tax bills, Brownley said. If you cant deduct uninsured property loss, its devastating. It would be devastating, Brownley said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement We must talk about the health aspects of climate change, Schwarzenegger says in Paris By Kim Willsher (Thibault Camus / Associated Press) He showed up at Paris City Hall on Monday on a green bicycle and wearing a green tie to talk climate change with the mayor. But Arnold Schwarzenegger almost didnt make the trip from Los Angeles. One of the wildfires scorching Southern California was threatening his home. Luckily we have extraordinary firefighters, he told a group of officials and journalists. The actor and former governor of California was speaking in Paris as the founder of R20, a nonprofit based in Geneva that aims to help regional, state and local governments reduce their carbon emissions by developing clean energy sources. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print A special recall election for state Sen. Josh Newman would cost a lot more than waiting for the June primary, state says By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) faces a recall campaign (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) State finance officials said Monday it would cost about $2.67 million for a special election on the recall of state Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), but only $931,000 to put his potential recall on the regular June primary ballot, which will also feature races for governor and congressional seats. The savings and the time it took to complete the financial assessment could give ammunition to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown to put the recall measure on the primary ballot, possibly improving Newmans chance of staying in office. The higher turnout expected in the primary might benefit Newman as he tries to fend off the Republican recall drive. The financial analysis was a new requirement of a law approved this year by the Democrat-controlled Legislature that has slowed the Newman recall. Brown and legislators now have 30 days to review the election cost report. The deadline for calling a special election was last week, 180 days before the June 5 primary, although state officials have been known to extend such deadlines. In this case, that is unlikely. Carl Demaio, a former San Diego City councilman who is leading the Republican-funded recall, denounced the lengthy new process Monday, but said it will not save Newmans political career. This is about a shameful tactic by Sacramento politicians to keep politicians who break public trust and engage in misconduct in office for as long as possible, he said. Republicans launched the recall after Newman voted with the majority of le Two minutes into Sundays invocation, after blessing the sunshine and recent snowfall and its swift melting, the pastor turned to the political contest that has riveted the nations attention on the Deep South. He asked the Lord to lift up the country, from the White House to City Hall, and asked for deliverance of a new U.S. senator for Alabama who will suit us best and is the one that will meet our needs. The minister, the Rev. Arthur Price Jr., didnt say who he had in mind. But speaking to a predominantly black congregation in the basement of Birminghams historic 16th Street Baptist Church, he didnt have to. Advertisement Doug Jones, the Democratic candidate in Tuesdays special election, is sure to carry the African American vote in a landslide. To have any shot at winning, however, he needs a robust black turnout to help offset the strong support Republican Roy Moore can expect from Alabamas mostly conservative white electorate. Charges of sexual misconduct by Moore have turned what should have been a GOP romp into a fiercely competitive race and the campaign into a gothic narrative of lust and recrimination. In the final hours, though, it was the practical matter of getting voters to the polls that mainly consumed both candidates. Moore, who has largely gone into hiding since being accused of molesting two teenagers and romantically pursuing other young girls as an adult, relied on a robocall from President Trump and surrogates attacking Jones as a pawn of liberal Democrats in Washington. Jeremiah Chapman prays during a 16th Street Baptist Church service Sunday in Birmingham, Ala. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press ) In an interview broadcast Sunday, he again denied the allegations. Jones focused on motivating African American voters, the bedrock of the Democratic Party in the South and more than a quarter of Alabamas population. Here, as elsewhere, they have shown less inclination to vote when Barack Obama is not on the ballot. But there are reasons, Democrats hope, for greater enthusiasm Tuesday: deep animosity toward the president, and the personal histories of the two candidates. Moore has a long trail of racially provocative words and deeds, and for some African Americans, already inclined to vote Democratic, that offers all the more incentive to turn out. He only cares about people like himself, said churchgoer Joyce Holloway, 65, who has tried to impress upon her nieces, nephews and black co-workers the importance of Tuesdays vote. He doesnt have any concern for people of different nationalities or different races. Over the weekend, Jones blitzed through black churches and neighborhoods with an entourage of African American leaders. On Saturday, it was Selma, where marchers led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. were brutalized in 1965 as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in a bid to secure black voting rights. Im here to try to get some folks woke, said New Jerseys African American senator, Cory Booker, who campaigned along with Massachusetts black former governor, Deval Patrick. On Sunday, Booker joined Jones for a second day, addressing workers at a crowded campaign office in downtown Birmingham and calling Tuesdays vote, with no shortage of drama, One of the most consequential races in this nation in my lifetime. In a further boost, former President Obama and his vice president, Joe Biden, recorded robocalls on the Democrats behalf. This ones serious. You cant sit it out, Obama said in the call, first reported Monday by CNN. Doug Jones is a fighter for equality, for progress. Doug will be our champion for justice. So get out and vote, Alabama. Jones, 63, and Moore, 70, are vying to fill the seat vacated by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and held, for now, by Republican Luther Strange, who lost to Moore in Septembers GOP primary. Jones is greatly esteemed in the African American community. As a U.S. attorney, he successfully prosecuted two Ku Klux Klansmen decades after the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street church, which killed four girls in one of the most infamous attacks of the civil rights movement. He is celebrated in a display across the street at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Democratic senatorial candidate Doug Jones, left, campaigns with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in Birmingham. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images ) But the odd timing of the election and the atrophy of Alabamas Democratic Party which hasnt won a major statewide race in over a decade has some fretting Jones jury-rigged get-out-the-vote drive, a combination of campaign and volunteer efforts, may be too little too late. They complain Jones has stinted on issue-oriented advertising aimed at black voters, focusing too much on potential crossover Republicans who may be put off by Moores alleged misconduct and feud with the GOP establishment. Faya Toure is a longtime Selma voting rights activist and coordinator of Vote or Die, an independent group working on Jones behalf. Its not enough to say he prosecuted Klansmen, Toure said. Thats a very honorable and courageous thing he did, but that was 30-some years ago. People want to know what are you going to do for me now? Jones also drew criticism for a recent mailer picturing a young African American with eyebrow cocked and text reading, Think if a black man went after high school girls anyone would make him a senator? The unstated, though obvious, reference to Moore struck some as offensive and off-key. Maybe we couldve used a little bit different language, Jones said in a SiriusXM interview, but he stuck by the mailers essence. I think it speaks for itself. Another factor that could determine black turnout is, inevitably, Trump. Democratic participation has surged in races across the country this year even in elections they lost and Jones is counting on the pattern holding true again Tuesday. Fred Hutchinson suggested Trump was the reason he sat Sunday morning on a metal folding chair in the 16th Street church basement, a temporary sanctuary while renovations were underway upstairs. Hutchinson works in the public schools outside Washington and knows Diane Braddock, a former principal, whose 14-year-old sister, Carole Robertson, died in the 1963 bombing. Over the last couple of years politics in this country has taken a decided turn for the worse, said Hutchinson, 63, who flew down to Birmingham for the weekend with two friends to telephone prospective Jones voters and urge them to the polls. That requires people to put in a little more effort than they mightve before, if were going to put the brakes on things. At the lectern, Price invoked the civil rights movement, the churchs tragic history, the lives lost, the tears and sweat and blood shed to secure a voice for black people at the ballot box. We dare not stay home, he said. We must make sure we get out the vote on Tuesday, he said. Amen? Amen, the worshipers responded. Barabak reported from Birmingham, Ala., and Finnegan from Los Angeles. mark.barabak@latimes.com Twitter: @markzbarabak michael.finnegan@latimes.com Twitter: @finneganLAT ALSO In Alabama Senate race, Republicans fear losing even if Roy Moore wins Roy Moore dismisses sexual misconduct allegations as ritual defamation Spread the swamp? Trump wants some offices moved out of Washington UPDATES: 10:55 a.m. This article was updated with former Vice President Joe Biden recording a robocall for Jones. Dec. 11, 7:10 a.m. This article was updated with former President Obama recording a robocall for Democrat Doug Jones. This article was originally published Dec. 10 at 6:50 p.m. The ghost of Justice Antonin Scalia often hangs over the Supreme Court, perhaps never more so than as the justices struggle with the case of the Christian baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage. Scalia often spoke of his strong Catholic faith. But he also believed the courts should not grant religious exemptions to the laws that everyone must follow. A persons right to religious freedom does not excuse him from compliance with an otherwise valid law, Scalia wrote in 1990 for a 5-4 majority that included then-new Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. The political process, not courts, should decide such questions, he said. Although some religious claims may fail, he wrote, that unavoidable consequence of democratic government must be preferred to a system in which each conscience is a law unto itself. Advertisement Scalias words and views are revered, especially on the right, but his 1990 opinion looms uncomfortably over the court these days as conservative Christians seek a religious exemption from anti-discrimination laws adopted in liberal states. Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop near Denver, went to court seeking an exemption from a Colorado civil rights law that requires public businesses to serve all customers. The federal Civil Rights Act forbids discrimination based on race, gender, religion and nationality but not sexual orientation. Only 20 states have joined Colorado in extending anti-discrimination protection to gays and lesbians. No state in the South has adopted such a law. Phillips says he believes that the Bible restricts marriage to a man and a woman and that it would be sinful for him to help celebrate the marriage of two men by making them a custom wedding cake. But in his long legal battle, his lawyers have been obliged to argue his case as mostly about the freedom of speech and expressive conduct. They described him as a cake artist, rather like a painter or a sculptor. This would be so even if he were making a plain white cake with no words or symbols, they argued. During Tuesdays argument, the liberal justices said that claim sounds both farfetched and without limits. If a cake maker is engaged in expressive conduct, why not a dress designer, a hairstylist, a chef, an architect or a makeup artist? they asked. The examples were endless. We would cause chaos and undermine every civil rights law if the court buys that argument, Justice Stephen G. Breyer said. When the states lawyer rose to defend the law, the argument shifted abruptly, and the courts conservatives, led by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., focused on religion. Roberts asked about the Catholic Legal Services: If it offers free legal help, could it be required to help arrange a same-sex marriage? Alito wondered whether Colorado could compel a religious college to provide married student housing for a married same-sex couple. By their questions and comments, the courts conservatives made clear they believe it is wrong for the government to force a believer to violate his religious conscience. Before Scalias 1990 opinion, the high court often granted religious exemptions based on the 1st Amendment protection for the free exercise of religion. The justices had long said the government can and must accommodate believers when possible. Most cases involved minority sects. For example, the court said the Amish may not be forced to send their children to high school, and a Seventh-day Adventist may not be penalized for refusing to work on Saturday. In the most famous case, the court during World War II said the children of Jehovahs Witnesses may not be forced to salute and pledge their allegiance to the American flag. If the court rules for the Colorado baker, its opinion will probably rely on that case, West Virginia vs. Barnette, because it involved both freedom of expression and freedom of religion. Since the 1990s, however, when Scalia was skeptical of religious exemptions, the ideological sides have shifted. Then, the courts three staunch liberals Justices William Brennan, Thurgood Marshall and Harry Blackmun dissented from the ruling in Employment Division vs. Smith, calling Scalias opinion a wholesale overturning of settled law for protecting religious freedom. The case before the court arose when two Native Americans were fired for having used peyote during a religious ceremony. State officials said peyote was classified as an illegal drug, and the liberal justices said it could be viewed like communal wine in church. These days, by contrast, conservatives including President Trump see religious liberty as being under constant threat, and they have called for more legal protection for Christians who object to government policies. The administration joined in support of the Colorado baker. And now, it is the liberals who worry whether people can invoke their personal religious beliefs as grounds for voiding a civil rights law that regulates a public business. Despite the shift in political thinking, Scalias opinion stills stands, and it has shaped the law on religious freedom. Congress tried to overturn the ruling in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1993. Adopted on a nearly unanimous vote, it said the government shall not substantially burden a persons exercise of religion. But the court, with Kennedy and Scalia again in the lead, struck back in 1997 and ruled the religious freedom law may not be enforced against states and cities. In a case called City of Boerne vs. Flores, they said Congress did not have the power to expand the free exercise of religion and apply it to the states. The federal law remained on the books, however, and resurfaced when conservatives sued to challenge the Obama administrations Affordable Care Act rule requiring employers to provide a full range of contraceptives as part of their health coverage. In Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby Stores, the court ruled in 2014 the owners of the chain of crafts stores were entitled to a religious freedom exemption from the contraceptive rule based on the 1993 federal law. The 5-4 vote found Kennedy and Scalia in the majority. In recent years, as same-sex marriages became legal, lawyers for the Alliance Defending Freedom went to court seeking exemptions for some Christian conservatives. They sued on behalf of a wedding photographer in New Mexico, a florist in Washington and the baker in Colorado. But they could not simply argue for a religious exemption under the 1st Amendment or under federal law because they were blocked by the pair of Scalias rulings from the 1990s. The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the wedding photographer in 2014. But in June, two months after Justice Neil M. Gorsuch filled the seat left vacant by Scalia, the court agreed to hear the bakers case. Kennedy sounded torn on what to do now. At first, he said it would be an affront to the gay community and could encourage businesses to boycott gay marriages if the court rules for the Colorado baker. But 30 minutes later, Kennedy seemed open to doing just that. He said some Colorado officials displayed hostility to religion. And accommodation is quite possible, he said. There were other good bakery shops that were available to the gay couple seeking a wedding cake, he said. When Kennedy pressed on, a lawyer for American Civil Liberties Union answered with a surprising twist. What if the Christian baker had to attend that wedding and help cut the cake? Kennedy asked. Thats not at issue here, said the ACLUs David Cole. However, in a future case that involved physical participation in a religious ceremony that an individual deeply opposed, the court might create a new doctrine not governed by Smith, he said, referring to Scalias 1990 opinion. The court may want to say that compelling somebody to engage in a religious ceremony violates their rights to the free exercise of religion, he said. The chief justice quickly intervened. Is that a modification of Smith? he asked. It sounds like an overruling of Smith. The exchange suggested the justices are not ready to reconsider their precedents on religion and instead will split 5-4 on the odd question of whether making a wedding cake involves protected free speech. david.savage@latimes.com On Twitter: DavidGSavage Lets not beat around the bush: No matter where you live, the election of a new United States senator from Alabama on Tuesday will mark a significant moment for the politics of the nation. And thats saying something in a year in which there have been so many notable markers, almost too many to count. Lets begin with what it might mean for the Republican brand. Advertisement THE REPUBLICAN DILEMMA Mark Z. Barabak sums it up nicely in his latest dispatch from Birmingham: Either voters will elect a Democratic U.S. senator from one of the most deeply conservative states in the country, slicing the GOPs slender majority to a bare 51 to 49; or the Republican Party will seat Roy Moore, an accused sexual predator with a history of outlandish statements who, if Democrats have their way, will effectively serve as running mate for every Republican seeking office in 2018. Democrat Doug Jones would be an afterthought in the deep red state were it not for a months worth of troubling stories about Moores personal past. Even Alabamas senior senator offered a viewpoint that could scarcely be imagined when talking about his partys nominee. I think the Republican Party can do better, Sen. Richard Shelby said on Sunday. Moore, who ended last week by calling one of his accusers a liar over the inscription in her high school yearbook, called all of the allegations made against him a ritual defamation during an Alabama interview on Sunday. Then there were new questions about September comments on when families were united even though we had slavery. And President Trumps role in the outcome be it a boast or an excuse will also be worth watching, after his Friday rally in support of Moore in nearby Pensacola, Fla. Keep an eye on our Essential Washington news feed for the latest, and for updates once returns come in on Tuesday night. LIGHTNING ROUND: NATIONAL POLITICS -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Sunday that Trumps decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel was courageous. -- That wasnt how the nations European allies saw the decision, and they gave Secretary of State Rex Tillerson an earful about it. -- The weekend was quieter than it could have been under a government shutdown, after Republicans in both houses passed a stopgap funding measure. -- And with that crisis averted for the time being, Trump went back to demanding a wall on the Mexico border. -- The president took to Twitter over the weekend to bash an error made by CNN on Friday, when the network wrongly reported that Donald Trump Jr. may have been notified about hacked emails obtained by Wikileaks before they were publicly released. -- President Trump was in Mississippi on Saturday to attend the opening of a new civil rights museum as his presence sparked a boycott by lawmakers, civil rights icons and protesters who questioned his commitment to racial equality. DABABNEH TO RESIGN AFTER ACCUSATIONS Four days after a Sacramento lobbyist said Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills) was the lawmaker in a shocking allegation she made this fall about sexual misconduct, he announced that he will resign at the end of the month. Dababneh maintained the accusations are false. As we battle for change, we must remember that due process exists for a reason, he wrote in his resignation letter. We should never fight injustice with injustice. Meanwhile, the attorney for the lobbyist who made the accusation wants the Assembly to detail how the investigation into her clients sexual misconduct claim will be conducted. POLITICAL ROAD MAP: WHATS IN A TITLE? In my Political Road Map column, we take a closer look at one of the more hotly debated elements of any campaign one thats only three words long. The ballot description a candidate uses can be the last (and in local races, the only) thing voters know about the person running for an office. Two hopefuls in the race for governor held powerful jobs in the past, but they cant use those titles. And some incumbents do everything they can not to be viewed as, gasp, a politician. TODAYS ESSENTIALS -- The planet is warming and all hell is breaking loose, said Gov. Jerry Brown in a Sunday national TV interview before flying to Paris for a climate change event. -- George Skelton takes the pulse of Californias two marquee contests for 2018, the races for governor and U.S. Senate, and finds five conclusions he sees as simple truths. -- On this weeks California Politics Podcast, we discuss the selection of state Sen. Toni Atkins as the next leader of the Senate and dive deeper into the latest Sacramento news when it comes to the reckoning over sexual misconduct. -- Just weeks before California begins issuing licenses to businesses to sell marijuana for recreational and medical use, the state on Friday began accepting applications electronically through an online system. -- Californias landmark law to require new disclosure of prescription drug prices was challenged in federal court Friday, with the pharmaceutical industry accusing state officials of trying to dictate national healthcare policy. -- GOP members in California got a lot of feedback from constituents and activists last week over the Republican tax proposal. Graduate students at UC Irvine met with Dave Min, a Democrat challenging Rep. Mimi Walters, to talk about how changes to deductions could affect them. Outside Rep. Ed Royces district office in Brea, protesters wore top hats and sported monocles to criticize the bill as a giveaway to the rich. -- As California burns, Congress is planning to limit taxpayers ability to write off losses from future wildfires and other disasters. The disaster write-off is one of the many little-known deductions set to be mostly wiped out in the GOP tax plan, but its getting fresh attention because of the fires that have devastated parts of Southern California over the last week. -- Treasurer John Chiang says if hes elected governor, hell tackle the states housing affordability crisis by spending billions more on low-income development and offering greater financial incentives to cities that permit new building. -- A liberal political group has waded into the 2018 primary early, endorsing challengers in four Republican-held congressional districts. LOGISTICS Essential Politics is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Miss Wednesdays newsletter? Here you go. Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox. john.myers@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter at @johnmyers and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast Its still early in the 2018 races for California governor and U.S. Senate, but already we know five things: In this stormy, polarized political climate, Republicans arent likely to vote for a Democrat even if there isnt a strong GOP candidate on the ballot. So the original theory behind Democratic state Treasurer John Chiangs candidacy for governor that he could attract business-minded Republicans just isnt working out. Advertisement Democratic state Senate leader Kevin de Leons challenge of centrist U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is drawing some GOP support, but that cant last if Republicans ever learn about the tenacious liberal. Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom always has been the front-runner for governor and still is, but former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is inching up and making the race competitive. Feinstein is running far ahead in her bid for a fifth full term as the relatively unknown, underfunded De Leons attempt to attract Berniecrats falls flat. The June 5 primary election will select the top two vote getters in each race, regardless of party, and advance them to a Nov. 6 runoff. What we know now comes from public opinion polls. The most recent one was released Nov. 30 by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. It showed that among likely voters, Newsom led the gubernatorial contest with 23%, followed by Villaraigosa at 18%. Then came Chiang and Republican businessman John Cox, both at 9%. After that was Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach, 6%, and Democratic former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, 3%. Nearly a third of the likely voters hadnt decided. In the Senate race, Feinstein was outrunning fellow Democrat De Leon by 45% to 21%. A third were undecided. A month earlier, a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found Newsom leading Villaraigosa by 10 percentage points. Chiangs camp disputes the PPIC findings, saying its own private poll in October used a narrower, more realistic definition of a likely voter. And in that survey, Chiang trailed Villaraigosa by only 2 points. But Newsom had an even larger lead, 14 points. The public polls are neutral and accessible, so I go with them. What stood out in the PPIC survey was Villaraigosa creeping up on Newsom. Villaraigosa, 64, is also a former Assembly speaker and Newsom, 50, made his political name as San Francisco mayor. Villaraigosas hopes largely depend on whether Latinos finally turn out to vote in decent numbers. Theyve been under-voting in California for decades. But President Trumps determination to build a border wall and escalate the deportation of immigrants without documentation affects relatives and friends of many unnerved Latino citizens. And they just might be motivated to vote next year. Therell also be Latinos running in most other statewide races. Villaraigosa would be the first Latino in history to be elected California governor. One Latino, Romualdo Pacheco, served for a few months in 1875 after ascending from lieutenant governor when the governor, Newton Booth, was elected to the U.S. Senate. In the PPIC poll, Latinos favored Villaraigosa over Newsom by 42% to 11%. Latinos werent helping De Leon much in the Senate race, however. They backed Feinstein 48% to 26%. Nearly half of Latino voters drew a blank on De Leon. The challenge for De Leon is the fact that although he has held a very powerful position in Sacramento, voters say theyve never heard of him, says Mark Baldassare, the PPIC president and pollster. How do you get known in this climate? With money. And De Leon doesnt have much. Feinstein can raise tons. But De Leon is getting a boost from Republicans no doubt because his name isnt Feinstein, a decades-long GOP nemesis. And there arent any GOP candidates running for the Senate. Republicans favored De Leon over Feinstein in the poll by 25% to 18%. But Democrats supported the incumbent senator by 66% to 16%. Republicans presumably will flee De Leon once they realize he pushed through sanctuary state legislation and has promoted other liberal bills such as tough gun control and state single-payer health insurance. Those leftist efforts, however, arent attracting Berniecrats. Liberals favored Feinstein 57% to 20%. In the gubernatorial race, Chiang selling himself as a good money manager was supported by only 2% of Republicans. Nearly half of Republicans backed the obscure GOP candidates. And more than a third were undecided. It could be that the soft-spoken Chiang, 55, lacks the oratorical flair sought by todays agitated voters who are attracted to firebrands. But in this era, Republicans really dislike most Democrats. And vice versa. The PPIC poll showed that 91% of Republicans have an unfavorable impression of the Democratic Party. And 92% of Democrats feel that way about the GOP. Baldassare found little public interest in the gubernatorial race, compared with the last time the office was being vacated in 2010. Only 25% of likely voters were paying attention to who might succeed Gov. Jerry Brown. But 43% were following the race when Brown ran for his third term. Their attention has been diverted to Washington, the pollster says. He also wonders whether voters will be turned off from voting by all the sexual harassment scandals in politics. I dont know about that. But I do think it will be even tougher than usual for little-known candidates to be heard over all the roaring from Washington and accusations of sexual misbehavior. More from George Skelton Coverage of California politics george.skelton@latimes.com Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter ALSO Why you should believe women in politics who speak out about sexual misconduct Wheres your money really going when you donate to charity? Do your research Its time to unmask abusers in the Legislature and hit them where it hurts their pocketbooks and careers Wait did the president really say, Mission Accomplished? By Marc Olson Some are recalling the last time a president declared Mission accomplished, in May 2003 when George W. Bush was talking about Iraq. (Stephen Jaffe / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump on Saturday morning thanked his allies in a tweet that declared the airstrikes on Syria perfectly executed, but he might have wished hed stopped there. Instead, he ended his message with the phrase, Mission Accomplished! Thats a line that might have a previous president shaking his head. On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq under a Mission Accomplished banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. That war, which began in March 2003, grew into a prolonged conflict that didnt end until 2011. In 2008, the White House said it had paid a price for the backdrop. A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Auditor says Pentagon is censoring key data on the war in Afghanistan By Shashank Bengali The Pentagon is blocking the release of data showing how much of Afghanistans territory lies outside government control, censoring a key metric used to gauge progress in the 16-year war, a watchdog agency said Tuesday. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, an auditing agency established by Congress, said in its latest report that the Pentagon instructed it not to release unclassified data on how many districts and people are controlled or influenced by insurgent groups. This is the first time SIGAR has been specifically instructed not to release information marked unclassified to the American taxpayer, the head of the agency, John F. Sopko, wrote in a letter. Sopko also said the U.S.-led military coalition, for the first time since 2009, classified information about the size and attrition rates of the Afghan security forces, important indicators of progress in building up army and police forces on which the U.S. already has spent $70 billion since 2002. The decision to withhold more information from congressional oversight and the public comes amid growing violence in Afghanistan and an intensifying combat mission involving a greater number of American troops. Following a series of bombings in Kabul that left at least 136 people dead in 10 days, President Trump signaled on Monday that he was focused on trying to win the conflict militarily, saying, We dont want to talk with the Taliban. But data released by SIGAR since 2015 have shown how the insurgents have gained ground against Afghan security forces. In its previous quarterly report, the watchdog said that only 57% of Afghanistans 407 districts were under Afghan government control or influence as of August 2017, the lowest level of control since it began tracking the statistic in December 2015. The steady decline in government control should cause even more concern about its disappearance from public disclosure and discussion, Sopko wrote. The watchdog also accused the Pentagon of overstating the impact of its efforts to combat drug cultivation and trafficking, among the Talibans main sources of revenue. The Pentagon touted airstrikes that destroyed 25 drug labs in November and December, saying it eliminated nearly $100 million of Taliban revenue. The labs being destroyed are cheap and easy to replace, SIGAR said. According to some estimates, they only take three or four days to replace. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Women journalists shunted to rear for Pences visit to Western Wall By Noga Tarnopolsky The view from the womens section. (Noga Tarnopolsky / Los Angeles Times) Vice-President Mike Pences 48-hour visit to Israel stumbled into a public storm Tuesday when female reporters covering his final stop at Jerusalems Western Wall were penned behind four rows of their male colleagues. White House officials told stunned journalists that the arrangement emanated from a request made by the Western Wall rabbi, Shmuel Rabinowitz, and followed Western Wall rules. Some women journalists said they could not recall such treatment in the past. In a statement to Israels Channel 10 news, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said it was exactly as it was during the visit of the U.S. president to the Western Wall last May. Later in the day, in a statement to the newspaper Haaretz, the foundation blamed the United States embassy in Tel Aviv and Israeli security officials for the segregation, and announced they would reexamine the way they handle such events. Women who covered previous VIP visits said the Pence arrangements were significantly more onerous than previous visits, when male and female journalists were separated but not offered substantially different work conditions. LIVE coverage of our male colleagues granted access to cover VP at Western Wall as we are penned into #PenceFence pic.twitter.com/k3svkxfQsa Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) January 23, 2018 The arrangement reflected procedures at the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest site, where on regular days, men have access to two thirds of the area available for prayer. Tal Schneider, the diplomatic analyst for Globes, a financial newspaper, protested that the separation of men and women may be valid for the requirements of Orthodox prayer, but no one is praying here. We are here to work. I dont appreciate being restricted in my ability to work because I am a woman, she said. The discriminatory attitude towards women is infuriating and is unbefitting of a modern country. Yael Freidson, the Jerusalem affairs correspondent for Yediot Ahronot, Israels widest circulation newspaper, said she worried that her editors could choose male colleagues for the next assignment, knowing they would have better access. Before Pence arrived, journalists were herded onto a specially constructed platform in the middle of the Western Walls esplanade, with women guided to the right behind a white fence, and men, many carrying cameras, directed to the left, where they had more than double the space. Towards the end of the vice presidents 10-minute visit, male journalists were permitted into the VIP tent where he received a gift from Rabinowitz, while the women remained in their enclosure. None of the men publicly protested the treatment of their female colleagues. Israels Association of Women Journalists filed a formal complaint with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, herself a woman. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, after his pardon from Trump, says hell run for Senate in Arizona By Kurtis Lee (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who last year was pardoned by President Trump in a case stemming from his enforcement tactics aimed at immigrants, announced Tuesday he will run for the open Senate seat in his home state. I am running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Arizona, for one unwavering reason: to support the agenda and policies of President Donald Trump in his mission to Make America Great Again, Arpaio, 85, said on Twitter. Hell enter a Republican primary for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake. Last summer, Trump pardoned Arpaio, who was convicted in July of criminal contempt for violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos. It was Arpaios roughly quarter-century as sheriff that gave him a national reputation for his tough treatment of people suspected of being in the country illegally. Repeated court rulings against his office for civil rights violations cost local taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. In the early 1990s, Arpaio directed construction of a tent city for immigration detainees, a measure he said was intended both to alleviate overcrowding and to underscore his aggressive enforcement measures. But it was open to the burning Arizona sun, and drew widespread criticism. After Trump entered the presidential race in July 2015, Arpaio invited him to Phoenix to talk about a crackdown on illegal immigration. He endorsed Trump just before the first votes in the Iowa caucuses in 2016 and frequently spoke out on behalf of Trumps campaign. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement President Trump ends controversial voter fraud commission By Kurtis Lee President Trump signed an executive order late Wednesday ending the voter fraud commission he launched last year as the panel faces a flurry of lawsuits and criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Trump signed the order disbanding the commission rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, created by executive order in May with the stated goal of restoring confidence and integrity in the electoral process, has faced a barrage of lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns, as the commission sought personal data on voters across the country. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Congress returns to work with slimmer GOP majority to accomplish Trumps agenda By Lisa Mascaro Congress returns to work this week with unfinished business on spending, immigration and other crucial issues, but with an even narrower GOP majority that will make it tougher to move on President Trumps agenda. The House and Senate will convene Wednesday, swearing in the newly elected Democratic senator from Alabama, Doug Jones, and Minnesotas Tina Smith to replace a fellow Democrat, Sen. Al Franken, who is resigning as the latest high-profile public figure sidelined by allegations of sexual misconduct. The change gives Republicans only a one-seat margin in the Senate. Trump, fresh off passage of the GOP tax cuts bill, is pushing lawmakers to pivot quickly on his new year priorities of infrastructure investment and immigration, as well as his foreign policy agenda. But another legislative victory seems far off. Republicans have struggled to hold their majority together and Congress first must tackle critical stalled agenda items that leaders punted to 2018. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump threatens to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump on Tuesday angrily threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians as punishment for what he called their failure to show appreciation or respect to the United States. Writing on Twitter, the president compared the Palestinians to Pakistan, a nuclear-armed ally that abruptly drew his ire this week and a similar threat to drastically curtail aid. He accused the Palestinians of recalcitrance in what he described as their refusal to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. Palestinian officials have said they can no longer use Washington as a broker to restart peace talks with Israel following Trumps Dec. 6 decision to overturn decades of U.S. policy and recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and ultimately to move the U.S. Embassy there. The Palestinians also claim part of Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual independent state. Until now, the United States and most of the world agreed the citys political status was a matter to settle in final peace talks. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned any effort to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, and the Palestinian leadership said it would not meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who had planned a trip to the region. That trip is on hold. [W]e pay the Palestinians HUNDRED [sic] OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect, Trump wrote on Twitter. [W]ith the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them? In response to Trumps tweet, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, issued a statement saying: Palestinian rights are not for sale. By recognizing Occupied Jerusalem as Israels capital Donald Trump has not only violated international law, but he has also singlehandedly destroyed the very foundations of peace and condoned Israels illegal annexation of the city. We will not be blackmailed, she said. President Trump has sabotaged our search for peace, freedom and justice. Now he dares to blame the Palestinians for the consequences of his own irresponsible actions! The United States does not pay large amounts of money directly to the Palestinian Authority, the government that rules over parts of the Palestinian West Bank. Instead, most money goes to the U.N., refugee or aid agencies and even Israel to pay for roads, welfare, schools, security and other Palestinian projects. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said Tuesday that the administration was planning to cut off one of those organizations, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, until the Palestinians return to the negotiating table. UNRWA, which receives around $300 million annually from the U.S., for years has been the lifeline to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It was not clear if Haley was threatening to cut all U.S. support for the agency. Special correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print The White House stops short of calling for government overthrow in Iran By Brian Bennett President Trump wants Iran to give its citizens basic human rights and stop being a state sponsor of terror, his top spokeswoman said, but the White House stopped short of calling for a change of government in Tehran. If they want to do that through current leadership, if thats possible, OK, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. Sanders praised the organic popular uprising, which she said the widespread protests in Iran represented. The protests grew out of years of years of mismanagement, corruption, and foreign adventurism have eroded the Iranian peoples trust in their leaders, she said. Earlier Tuesday, Trump called Irans government brutal and corrupt and wrote in a tweet: The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching! Trump also blamed President Obama for foolishly giving Iran money that he said went to fund terrorism. The money he referred to were funds belonging to Iran that had been frozen by the U.S. and were released as part of the deal in 2015, which blocked Irans development of nuclear weapons. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Retirement of Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch clears the way for a Mitt Romney revival By David Lauter The retirement of Utahs senior senator, Orrin G. Hatch, opens the way for a widely expected Senate bid by Mitt Romney, the Republicans 2012 presidential nominee and a frequent critic of President Trump. Although Romney previously served for two terms as governor of Massachusetts (and was raised in Michigan, where his father was governor and his mother ran for the Senate), he comes from a prominent Mormon family with strong ties to Utah. He also served as chief executive of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Hes viewed as a strong candidate for the Senate seat. Romneys criticisms of Trump, however, could prompt a challenge in a Republican primary. Trump was widely reported to have tried to convince Hatch to run for a seventh term, in part to head off a Romney candidacy. Last month, Romney and Trump were on opposite sides of one of the biggest political fights of the fall the battle over the Senate seat from Alabama. The president strongly supported Roy Moore, the Republican candidate who had been accused of sexual misconduct by several women. Romney called Moore a stain on the GOP. Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. Leigh Corfman and other victims are courageous heroes. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity. Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 4, 2017 On Tuesday, Romney tweeted praise for Hatch, but did not immediately reveal his own plans. I join the people of Utah in thanking my friend, Senator Orrin Hatch for his more than forty years of service to our great state and nation. Read my full statement: https://t.co/YwjUpjez5y Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 2, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print U.S. calls on Iran to unblock social media sites amid protests By The Associated Press The Trump administration is calling on Irans government to stop blocking Instagram and other popular social media sites as Iranians are demonstrating in the streets. Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein says the U.S. wants Iran to open these sites. He says Instagram, Telegram and other platforms are legitimate avenues for communication. The United States is encouraging Iranians to use virtual private networks, known as VPNs. Those services create encrypted links between computers and can be used to access blocked websites. Goldstein says the U.S. is still communicating with Iranians in Persian through State Department accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. He says the U.S. wants to encourage the protesters to continue to fight for whats right. Goldstein says the U.S. has an obligation not to stand by. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump blasts Democrats in advance of immigration meeting By Brian Bennett The day before a meeting of administration officials and congressional leaders on outstanding legislative business, President Trump accused Democrats of doing nothing to hammer out an immigration deal to protect from deportation people brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA just interested in politics, Trump wrote in a Tweet on Tuesday morning, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by its acronym. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer along with the Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are scheduled to meet on Wednesday at the Capitol with Trumps legislative director, Marc Short, and budget director, Mick Mulvaney. The White House on Tuesday said the meeting is to discuss separate spending caps on military and domestic programs. Yet the Democrats insist the discussion also must include a variety of legislative issues that Trump and Congress punted into the new year on immigration, the budget, healthcare and more. That stance reflects Democrats leverage: Republicans need Democratic votes to pass a government-funding bill and avert a federal shutdown when the current funding expires Jan. 19. Democrats especially want separate legislation replacing the Obama-era DACA program; Trump in September ordered a phase-out of the program, beginning March 6, and called on Congress to act before then on an alternative way to address the plight of the group. However, Trump has demanded that any alternative must be part of a package including both money for a border wall and immigration limits. Democrats are opposed. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Pakistan hits back after Trump accuses its leaders of lies and deceit By Aoun Sahi Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies and deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump again cheers on Iran protests By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size --- were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 The presidents earlier hailing of the protests drew condemnation from Irans government. A Foreign Ministry spokesman called his comments deceitful and opportunistic. Following an overnight report of the first two fatalities stemming from the protests, Trump raised some eyebrows by expressing concern over human rights violations as authorities move to crack down on the demonstrations. During his first year in office, the president has shown scant inclination to press foreign governments to respect the fundamental rights of their citizens. The USA is watching closely for human rights violations! Trump said in his tweet Sunday. Some domestic critics have pointed to the presidents inclusion of Iranian nationals in his travel ban, suggesting he was more interested in bashing the Tehran government than in supporting freedom of speech in Iran. Even some of the presidents allies said that supporting the protesters on social media did not amount to making policy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he had urged Trump to give a national address laying out his Iran strategy. President Trump is tweeting very sympathetically to the Iranian people, Graham said on CBS Face the Nation. But you just cant tweet here. You have to lay out a plan. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Australian diplomats tip a factor in FBIs Russia inquiry By Associated Press Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer. (Alastair Grant / Associated Press) An Australian diplomats tip appears to have helped persuade the FBI to investigate Russian meddling in the U.S. election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign, the New York Times reported Saturday. Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos told the diplomat, Alexander Downer, during a meeting in London in May 2016 that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, the report said. Downer, a former foreign minister, is Australias top diplomat in Britain. Australia passed the information on to the FBI after the Democratic emails were leaked, according to the Times, which cited four current and former U.S. and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians role. The hacking and the revelation that a member of the Trump campaign may have had inside information about it were driving factors that led the FBI to open an investigation in July 2016, the newspaper said. White House lawyer Ty Cobb declined to comment, saying in a statement that the administration is continuing to cooperate with the investigation now led by special counsel Robert Mueller to help complete their inquiry expeditiously. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is a cooperating witness. Court documents unsealed two months ago show he met in April 2016 with Joseph Mifsud, a professor in London who told him about Russias cache of emails. This was before the Democratic National Committee became aware of the scope of the intrusion into its email systems by hackers later linked to the Russian government. The Times said Papadopoulos shared this information with Downer, but it was unclear whether he also shared it with anyone in the Trump campaign. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump offers fresh support for protesters in Iran as demonstrations continue By Lisa Mascaro Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! pic.twitter.com/kvv1uAqcZ9 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017 President Trump again offered support Saturday for anti-government protesters in Iran, where a third day of demonstrations, the largest in years, spilled across the country amid fears of a crackdown. Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump took a break from playing golf near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to tweet clips from his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September when he called for Iranian democratic reforms. Iranian authorities warned of potential violence as the street demonstrations, which began over economic conditions, swelled into frustrations with the theocratic rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump has maintained a hawkish stance toward Iran, sharply criticizing the landmark nuclear disarmament accord that Tehran reached with then-President Obama and five other nations in 2015. In October, Trump declined to certify the accord to Congress although the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran is complying with it. Several conservative GOP senators signaled their support for Trumps position and backed the protesters in Iran. Others in Congress did not immediately respond, however, amid conflicting reports over who had organized the demonstrations. Even after the billions in sanctions relief they secured through the nuclear deal, the ayatollahs still cant provide for the basic needs of their own people, said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a Trump ally and opponent of the nuclear deal. We should support the Iranian people who are willing to risk their lives to speak out against it, he added. Trump initially tweeted his support on Friday night. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement at that time as protests spread. There are many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with the regimes corruption and its squandering of the nations wealth to fund terrorism abroad, Sanders said. The Iranian government should respect their peoples rights, including their right to express themselves. The world is watching. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement When it comes to U.S.-Russia relations, it takes two to tango, Kremlin says By Sabra Ayres The deteriorating relationship between the United States and Russia is one of the biggest disappointments of 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman told reporters today. Russia would like to rebuild relations between the two adversaries, but it takes two to tango, Dmitry Peskov said today during a conference call with the press. We want and are looking for good mutually beneficial relations based on mutual respect, mutual trust with all countries, primarily with European ones, including the United States, but it is necessary to dance tango, as they say. Peskov blamed the ongoing anti-Russian Russophobia in Washington for playing a major role in blocking the two countries from moving forward in their relationship. U.S. investigations into the Trump presidential campaigns alleged collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 U.S. election and accusations that the Kremlin tried to interfere with the electoral process continue to cast a dark shadow over the relationship, he said. Peskov told reporters that Moscow was perplexed by the investigations. The Kremlin has continued to deny having any involvement with the Trump campaign or doing anything to interfere with the American election. This is definitely a U.S. domestic affair, but in this case it naturally hurts our bilateral relations, which is regrettable, Peskov said. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have been categorized as the worst theyve been since the end of the Cold War. This year, Washington and Moscow have engaged in a diplomatic tit-for-tat in which both sides have been forced to reduce diplomatic staff, embassy properties have been repossessed by the hosting countries and visa services have been interrupted. The U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia shrank from 1,200 personnel, including some Russian local staff, to just over 450 across all its three consulates and embassy in Moscow. In the U.S., Russia was forced to vacate its San Francisco consulate. Moscow has also blamed anti-Russian sentiments on the recent decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian teams from wearing their tricolor uniforms or flags during the upcoming games in South Korea. The international body accused some of the Russian national teams of doping. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print U.S. and Turkey resume reciprocal issuing of visas but frictions remain By Tracy Wilkinson The United States and Turkey began issuing reciprocal visas again on Thursday, more than two months after normal visa service was suspended in a dispute over the arrest of two U.S. diplomatic staffers in Istanbul the latest friction between the two nominal allies. The State Department said it was lifting the visa restrictions after it was assured by the Turkish government that U.S. Embassy employees would not be arrested when performing their official duties. But the Turkish Embassy in Washington denied assurances were offered concerning the ongoing judicial processes, and suggested that the arrests were legal and justified. It is inappropriate to misinform the Turkish and American public that such assurances were provided, the embassy said in a statement. The dispute has aggravated the already tense relationship between the United States and Turkey, which is a member of the NATO military alliance. The two countries have clashed over U.S. support for Kurdish rebels in Syria and over Turkeys demands that the U.S. extradite a Turkish cleric who lives in rural Pennsylvania. After a failed coup attempt killed more than 250 people in July 2016, Turkeys autocratic president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, launched a harsh crackdown on his political opponents, arresting or firing tens of thousands of teachers, police, journalists, military officers and others. Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic educator and former political ally, of orchestrating the coup. Gulen, who has lived in a compound in the Pocono Mountains, has denied any involvement. The Justice Department has so far denied Turkeys repeated demands to extradite Gulen. Erdogan raised the issue again at the White House in May, but his visit ended in a public relations disaster when his security guards brutally beat peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassadors residence. Two Turkish employees of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul were arrested this fall for alleged ties to the 2016 coup attempt. The U.S. responded by suspending most visa services at its missions in Turkey in October. The Turkish government reciprocated in November. State Department officials said they have repeatedly demanded more information about any formal charges against the two employees. They reiterated on Thursday that serious concerns about the allegations remained. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump: China caught RED HANDED allowing oil to reach North Korea By Brian Bennett (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) President Trump isnt taking a holiday vacation from Twitter. In one of three tweets early on Thursday from his West Palm Beach golf club, he charged that China was caught RED HANDED allowing oil shipments to reach North Korean ports. Pronouncing himself very disappointed, Trump in effect was acknowledging the failure of his months-long effort to convince China to clamp down further on energy shipments going to the isolated country, which relies heavily on Beijing, as a way to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 Trumps tweet came after a South Korean newspaper published what it said were U.S. spy satellite images of Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean ships. The United Nations Security Council, which includes China, has voted repeatedly to restrict fuel shipments to North Korea. Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping in November to cut off North Koreas oil supply entirely, the American ambassador to the U.N., Nikki R. Haley, said at the time. It is unclear if Trumps admonishment of China was based on news reports or classified information he received from U.S. intelligence officials. There was no daily intelligence briefing on Trumps public schedule Thursday. He is expected to return to Washington next week after spending the Christmas holiday and New Years Eve at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print President Trump again falsely claims hes signed more bills than any president By Brian Bennett President Trump visits a firehouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP) After another morning at his Florida golf club, President Trump visited firefighters and paramedics at a West Palm Beach firehouse and praised his own performance as president, including with a false boast. Trump touted his administrations work to roll back government regulations and cut taxes and claimed credit for the stock market hitting record highs. He also said hes signed more bills into law than any other president, which isnt true. We have signed more legislation than anybody, Trump said, standing in front of a rescue vehicle inside the fire station. We have more legislation passed, including the record was Harry Truman a long time ago, and we broke that record, so we got a lot done, Trump said. An analysis by GovTrack, a website that tracks bills in Congress, shows that Trump has signed the fewest bills into law at this point than any president in more than 60 years, back to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump administration urges Russia to reinstate monitors in Ukraine, lower violence By Tracy Wilkinson Sergei Lavrov (AFP/Getty Images) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Russia on Wednesday to reinstate its military personnel at a monitoring station in eastern Ukraine intended to quell escalating bloodshed. In a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Tillerson also urged Russia to lower the level of violence and underscored the Trump administrations concern over increased fighting in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement. Russia last week withdrew its monitors from the Joint Center on Coordination and Control, which is tasked with verifying a much-violated ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists. Moscow cited what it called restrictions and provocations from Ukrainian authorities that made it impossible for the observers to do their jobs. Washington has accused the pro-Russia forces of being responsible for many of the truce violations. Late last week, the State Department also announced plans to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, a decision that angered Moscow. The State Department statement did not say whether the weapons deal came up in Tillersons conversation with Lavrov. The two also discussed North Korea, its destabilizing nuclear program and the need for a diplomatic solution to achieve a denuclearized Korean peninsula, the statement said. Russia has offered to serve as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang, but direct talks do not seem likely at this point. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print U.S. sanctions two more North Korean officials for ballistic missile program By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration announced sanctions Tuesday against two more North Korean officials for their alleged role in Pyongyangs expanding ballistic missiles program. The Treasury Department is targeting leaders of North Koreas ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate [North Korea] and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. The nuclear-armed country tested an intercontinental ballistic missile last month that U.S. officials said appeared capable of reaching New York or Washington, a significant milestone in the countrys growing arsenal. The Treasury Department identified the two North Korean officials as Kim Jong Sik, who reportedly is a key figure in the ballistic missile program and led efforts to switch missiles from liquid to solid fuel (which makes them easier to hide before launch), and Ri Pyong Chol, who was reported to be a key official in the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The sanctions block banks, companies and individuals from doing any business with the targeted officials. It also allows the U.S. government to freeze any American assets owned by the officials. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to add more sanctions on North Korea, its third round this year. The new measures order North Koreans working abroad to return home within two years, and ban nearly 90% of refined petroleum exports to the country. In a statement published Sunday by North Koreas state-run KCNA news agency, the foreign ministry denounced the new U.N. sanctions as an act of war. We define this sanctions resolution rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the region and categorically reject the resolution, it said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Salt Lake Tribune calls on Sen. Orrin Hatch to not seek reelection in scathing editorial Perhaps the most significant move of Hatchs career is the one that should, if there is any justice, end it. The last time the senator was up for reelection, in 2012, he promised that it would be his last campaign. That was enough for many likely successors, of both parties, to stand down, to let the elder statesman have his victory tour and to prepare to run for an open seat in 2018. Clearly, it was a lie. Read the editorial>> Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Christmas Eve, Trump on Twitter: New attacks on FBI official, decrying Fake News By Laura King President Trump launched a Christmas Eve attack on FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whom he accuses of favoritism toward his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, and also returned to a longtime favored theme, excoriating the news media for failing to sufficiently extol his accomplishments. .@FoxNews-FBIs Andrew McCabe, in addition to his wife getting all of this money from M (Clinton Puppet), he was using, allegedly, his FBI Official Email Account to promote her campaign. You obviously cannot do this. These were the people who were investigating Hillary Clinton. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Thank you President TRUMP!! pic.twitter.com/LKdkT0FL99 oregon4TRUMP (@shawgerald4) December 23, 2017 The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is. They show Fake Polls just like they report Fake News. Despite only negative reporting, we are doing well - nobody is going to beat us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Trump, who is spending the holidays at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, also sent Christmas greetings to deployed military personnel, praising them for success in the fight against terrorism. The early-morning swipe at McCabe followed a flurry of tweets attacking the deputy FBI chief on Saturday. McCabe, who has been a lightning rod for Republican attacks on the FBI, is expected to retire early in the new year. How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wifes campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 Critics say the president and his allies are in the midst of a systematic campaign to denigrate the FBI and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is looking into potential collusion by the Trump campaign in Russias attempts to sway the 2016 presidential election. In a pair of statements on Twitter, Trump again expressed scorn regarding news coverage of his administration. For months, the president has been particularly critical of reports regarding the Russia investigation and more recently has repeatedly complained he does not receive enough credit for a booming stock market. In his video conference message to troops overseas, the president made apparent reference to the fight against the militants of Islamic State, who over the last year have lost most of the territory they previously controlled in Iraq and Syria, including former strongholds in Mosul and Raqqah. Were winning, Trump told military personnel deployed in Qatar, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay and aboard the guided missile destroyer Sampson. Reporters traveling with the president heard his address, but were ushered from the room before he took questions from the troops. The president often breaks with longtime custom and makes politically charged statements at events in which he addresses military personnel. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trumps Wells Fargo tweet cited in court hearing as reason to remove Mulvaney as CFPB acting chief By Jim Puzzanghera A recent tweet by President Trump about possible penalties against Wells Fargo & Co. was cited during a court hearing Friday as a reason for removing White House official Mick Mulvaney as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The attorney for Leandra English the bureaus deputy director who has said she is the rightful acting head said Trumps tweet showed he was trying to exercise improper influence over the independent consumer watchdog. I think that [tweet] shows you this isnt just some hypothetical concern, the attorney, Deepak Gupta, told Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia during a nearly two-hour hearing. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump administration recognizes Honduran presidents reelection By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration on Friday formally recognized the incumbent president of Honduras, conservative Juan Orlando Hernandez, as the winner of a bitterly contested presidential election held last month. In a statement, the State Department congratulated Hernandez while also acknowledging widespread irregularities in the Nov. 26 vote and calling for a robust national dialogue to overcome political discord in the Central American country, a close ally of the administration. The Organization of American States, which monitored the election, said it was so flawed that only a new round of voting could establish a fair and transparent outcome. But the U.S. rejected that determination. Uproar over the contest led to demonstrations in Honduras that left numerous civilians dead after state security forces opened fire on the protests. Activists and others voiced criticism Friday of the administrations decision. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), a leading Democratic voice on Central American issues, said he was angry and deeply disturbed by the State Department decision. The recent elections in Honduras were deeply flawed, chaotic and marred by numerous irregularities, McGovern said. U.S.-Honduran cooperation on matters such as drug-trafficking, violence and immigration requires a credible, legitimate government that has the support of its people, in Honduras, McGovern said. Hernandezs victory also was controversial because it was the first time a sitting president was allowed to run for re-election, barred until now by the Honduran Constitution. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Senate Leader Mitch McConnell says fixing DACA is no emergency until March By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday hes committed to allowing a vote on a bill for so-called Dreamers in January, but sees no rush to resolve the deportation threat posed by President Trumps decision to end a program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. There isnt that much of an emergency there, he said. There is no emergency until March. Well keep talking about it. Trump called for phasing out by March the Obama-era program that allows the young immigrants, many of them longtime residents, to get two-year deferrals of any deportation threat so they can legally attend school or work. Beneficiaries must be vetted for security purposes. Trump told Congress to come up with a legislative alternative for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Obama created by executive order, to protect those currently eligible. A bipartisan Senate group has been working with the White House, but talks stalled this week amid administration demands for curbs on legal immigration flows in exchange for protecting the DACA recipients. Meanwhile, Dreamers and immigrant advocates stormed the Capitol in recent days pressing for the help promised by Trump and Democratic congressional leaders that failed to materialize in the years final legislation. Advocacy groups say more than 120 immigrants each day are falling out of compliance without DACA renewals, putting them at risk of deportation. The number that is projected to swell to more than 1,000 a day in March. Weve been gridlocked on this issue for years, McConnell said. We want to have a signature. We dont just want to spin our wheels and have nothing to show for it. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print President Trump signs tax bill By Noah Bierman (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump on Friday morning signed a sweeping tax-cut measure his first major legislative achievement before heading off for a Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Fla. The president also privately signed a short-term spending bill to fund government operations through Jan. 19. Congress approved it Thursday, after Republican leaders were unable to bridge differences in their own party as well as with Democrats to get agreement on funding for the full fiscal year. The stopgap bill punts fights on immigration and other issues to January. The tax bill, approved earlier this week in Congress in largely party-line votes, slashes corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% and also includes a host of other provisions for individuals, all intended to boost the economy. Critics point to nonpartisan analyses showing that the package, including changes greatly reducing the number of estates subject to taxes, steers the bulk of tax benefits to top earners and the wealthy, including Trump, despite his repeated claims that hell take a hit. Trump signed the bill quietly Friday, but held a public ceremony with Republican lawmakers on Wednesday after the bills passage; he also tweeted about the measure extensively. He is expected to hold another public ceremony after the New Years holiday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Pelosi urges Ryan to prevent Republicans from curtailing Houses Russia probe By Chris Megerian House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin greets House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Friday urging him to ensure the Houses investigation into Russian interference with last years presidential campaign is not cut short. The American people deserve a comprehensive and fair investigation into Russias attacks, wrote Pelosi, of San Francisco, in her letter. Political haste must not cut short valid investigatory threads. The House Intelligence Committee has been probing the issue since March 1, and Democrats have repeatedly warned that Republicans are trying to wrap up its work prematurely. Pelosi said Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, should take urgent action to ensure this investigation can continue. AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, said Pelosi simply wants to see this investigation go on forever in order to suit her political agenda. Whether it concludes next month, next year, or in three years, she will say it is too soon, Strong said in a statement. She added, The investigation will conclude when the committee has reached a conclusion. The committees work is led by Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas). His spokeswoman, Emily Hytha, said he remains committed to conducting this investigation as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible. With more interviews scheduled, the investigation shows signs of extending into next year, Bloomberg reported Friday. BREAKING: Steve Bannon and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski have been sent letters requesting they testify to House Intel panel in early January, per @HouseInSession Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) December 22, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Congress votes to avert government shutdown, but Senate fails to pass disaster aid package By Lisa Mascaro ( (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)) Congress approved a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown, but failed to complete work on an $81-billion disaster aid package to help California, Gulf Coast states and Puerto Rico recover from wildfires and hurricanes, as lawmakers scrambled Thursday to wrap up business before a Christmas break. The stopgap measure continues federal operations for a few more weeks, setting up another deadline for Jan. 19. But it left undone a long list of priorities that members of both parties had hoped to finish this year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Wells Fargo says raises were not linked to tax bill passage then backtracks By James Rufus Koren Wells Fargo & Co.s move to raise its minimum pay to $15 an hour was part of a long-term plan and not related to the passage of the Republican tax overhaul as the company implied, said a bank spokesman, who later backtracked and stated the hikes were a result of the bills approval. The bank was among several large corporations to publicly announce pay raises or new investments immediately following the final House vote in an apparent public relations offensive to boost the popularity of the tax bill The San Francisco bank had implied the direct linkage to the tax legislation in a news release Wednesday, shortly after Congress passed the tax overhaul, which slashes the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35% starting Jan. 1. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Obamacare signups beat expectations, despite Trump administrations opposition By Noam N. Levey President Trump with Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Despite Trump administration efforts to discourage people from signing up, the number of people enrolling for Affordable Care Act coverage nearly hit last years level, the government revealed Thursday. Exchange open enrollment for 2018 coverage ended w/ approx 8.8M people enrolling in coverage. Great job to the @CMSGov team for the work you did to make this the smoothest experience for consumers to date. We take pride in providing great customer service. Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) December 21, 2017 The 8.8 million people who enrolled in the 36 states that use the federal governments healthcare.gov system significantly exceeded most forecasts. The Trump administration stopped most outreach and other efforts this year aimed at getting people to sign up. The president also repeatedly said publicly that Obamacare was dead. Open enrollment continues in California and several other states that run their own healthcare marketplaces. The figures from the federal government indicate that when those states wrap up for the year, the number of people covered by Obamacare will be nearly the same as in 2017. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly condemns U.S. policy change on Jerusalem despite Trumps threats By Tracy Wilkinson The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Thursday to condemn President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite Trumps threats to punish countries that voted against the U.S. position. The resolution passed in an emergency session at U.N. headquarters in New York with 128 in favor, nine opposed and 35 abstentions. The nonbinding resolution demands that Washington rescind its declaration, which included a plan to transfer the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in coming years. The resolution value is mostly symbolic, showing how isolated the U.S. is in the move. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., warned this week that she would be taking names of countries that opposed the U.S., and Trump on Wednesday suggested he might cut U.S. aid to governments that voted in favor of the resolution. Let them vote against us, Trump said. Well save a lot. We dont care. The U.S. recognition of Jerusalem reversed decades of international consensus on the political status of the divided city. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital in a future independent state. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the U.N. was facing an unprecedented test and that history would remember those who stand by what is right. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrats defend Robert Mueller, saying Russia investigation must be allowed to continue By Chris Megerian Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) speaking during a committee hearing earlier this year. (Molly Riley / Associated Press) House Democrats said they will fight Republican attempts to discredit and undermine the work of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating whether President Trumps associates helped Russian meddling in last years election. There is an organized effort by Republicans, in concert with Fox News, to spin a false narrative and conjure up outrageous scenarios to accuse special counsel Mueller of being biased, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said. Trump has said he has no plan to fire Mueller, but Democrats are alarmed by escalating criticism of the special counsels work. Why is the president afraid of the facts and the truth? Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said. He added, No matter what the facts are, were satisfied if the investigation is complete. A letter of support signed by 171 Democratic members of Congress will be sent to Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, a former FBI director, and oversees his investigation. Rosenstein has defended Mueller in the face of Republican criticisms. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print U.S. blacklists Myanmar army general who it says oversaw atrocities against Rohingya Muslims By Shashank Bengali The Trump administration on Thursday blacklisted a Myanmar army general who it said oversaw human rights abuses committed by security forces against Rohingya Muslims. Imposing economic sanctions against the general, Maung Maung Soe, was the toughest action the United States has taken in response to a brutal army offensive that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has described as ethnic cleansing. In a statement, the Treasury Department said it had examined credible evidence of Maung Maung Soes activities, including allegations against Burmese security forces of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages. The Rohingya are an ethnic and religious minority of about 1 million people in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, also known as Burma. The United Nations says that more than 640,000 Rohingya have fled the country since August, after the army launched clearance operations in response to attacks carried out by a Rohingya insurgent group against security forces. Rohingya refugees in crowded camps in neighboring Bangladesh have described horrific violence by Myanmar forces, including mass rapes, summary executions and children being burned alive. The aid group Doctors Without Borders estimates that 6,700 people were killed in the first month of the operation. Myanmar authorities deny committing atrocities and say that only a few hundred fighters were killed. Maung Maung Soe was chief of the armys Western Command, which carried out the offensive. He was transferred from his position last month, according to news reports. He was one of 13 individuals worldwide who were blacklisted Thursday under a new U.S. law that gives the Treasury Department authority to target officials for human rights abuses and corruption. Others included former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh; Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the late Uzbekistan dictator Islam Karimov; and Artem Chaika, son of Russias prosecutor-general. Today, the United States is taking a strong stand against human rights abuse and corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the U.S. financial system, said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. The sanctions freeze any assets Maung Maung Soe holds in the United States and bars Americans from doing business with him. It is also a sign of how quickly U.S. relations with Myanmar have soured. Under the Obama administration, the United States forged closer ties with the former military dictatorship and eased economic and political sanctions as the country began implementing democratic reforms. But Myanmar, which does not regard the Rohingya as citizens, has lashed out at the international community over the current crisis. It has jailed journalists, blocked access to affected areas in the western state of Rakhine and this week barred a U.N. human rights investigator from entering the country. Rohingya activists said the U.S. action would not have much effect on a country that survived under economic sanctions for years. It is the whole military institution that has a policy to persecute these people, said Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist and blogger in Germany. According to the U.S.s own definition, the army is carrying out ethnic cleansing. They have a responsibility to protect these people. Sanctions on one person are really not enough. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Dreamers will have to wait until next year for Congress long-promised protections By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)) A promised year-end deal to protect the young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation collapsed Wednesday as Republicans in Congress fresh off passage of their tax plan prepared to punt nearly all remaining must-do agenda items into the new year. Congressional leaders still hope that before leaving town this week they can pass an $81-billion disaster relief package with recovery funds for California wildfires and Gulf Coast states hit during the devastating hurricane season. But passage even of that relatively popular measure remained in doubt as conservatives balked at the price tag. Rather than finish the year wrapping up the legislative agenda, the GOP majorities in the House and Senate struggled over their next steps. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Chants of protest drown out any caroling this holiday season at the Capitol By Lisa Mascaro U.S. Capitol Police arrest a man wearing a Santa Claus hat during a protest against the Republican tax bill. (Alex Edelman / AFP/Getty Image) Outside the U.S. Capitol, the lights on a towering Christmas tree are flipped on each evening, giving the Engelmann spruce a festive twinkle; inside the marble halls, wreaths and garlands decorate doorways and alcoves ahead of the holidays. But the spirit of the season has been punctuated by other sights: a Jumbotron parked across from the Capitol reflecting pool broadcasts images of young immigrants who face deportation; Little Lobbyists, children with complex medical needs, were featured in a recent news conference; protesters filed into the visitor galleries to shout against the Republican tax plan. While its beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Capitol, its also shaping up to be a holiday season of protest. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Tax bill simplifies filing for some but complicates it for others and dont count on that postcard By Jim Puzzanghera A priority of the Republicans tax overhaul was simplification, and they drove home the point this fall with an omnipresent prop: a red-white-and-blue postcard. Were making things so simple that you can do your taxes on a form the size of a postcard, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said last month, pulling one from his jacket pocket as he and Republican leaders unveiled their bill. They gave a couple of the cards to President Trump at a White House meeting a few hours later and flashed them often during news conferences and TV interviews in the coming days. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Top U.N. human rights official reportedly wont seek reelection The top United Nations official for human rights, who has frequently criticized the Trump administration, has reportedly decided not to seek a second term, saying his work had become untenable. Zeid Raad Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, notified his staff in an email that was obtained by several news outlets, including Agence France-Presse. Staying when his four-year term is up for renewal at the end of August might involve bending a knee in supplication, AFP quoted Husseins email as saying. Hussein is a Jordanian prince who has criticized, among other things, President Trumps attempts to ban visitors or refugees from six predominantly Muslim countries. The news comes a day before the U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote on a nonbinding resolution condemning the Trump administrations formal declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that went against international consensus. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has warned she will be taking names of those who vote against the United States on Thursday. Trump echoed that sentiment Wednesday, voiced support for Haley and implying to reporters that he would consider cutting off U.S. aid to countries that vote against the U.S. Well, were watching those votes, Trump said. Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care. On Monday, the United States lost a Security Council vote 14-1 on a binding resolution that would have required Washington to rescind its declaration. Haley then vetoed the resolution. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Top Democrat warns Trump not to fire Mueller or interfere with his investigation By Chris Megerian Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, one of the top Democrats involved in the congressional inquiries into Russian interference in last years election, said Wednesday that any attempt by President Trump to interfere with the separate criminal investigation would be a gross abuse of power. Warner, who is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered his warning from the Senate floor as Republicans escalate their criticism of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team of prosecutors and FBI agents. Some Democrats believe Trump is laying the groundwork to fire Mueller even though the president has publicly denied it. Mueller was appointed in May after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey. In the United States of America, no one, no one is above the law, not even the president, Warner said. Congress must make clear to the president that firing the special counsel or interfering with his investigation by issuing pardons of essential witnesses is unacceptable and would have immediate and significant consequences. Some Democrats say the White House may try to in effect short-circuit the Mueller investigation by replacing Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who is the only official empowered to fire Mueller. Rosenstein recently told Congress that the special counsel is acting appropriately and that he would not dismiss Mueller without just cause. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump says after tax bill passes By Brian Bennett President Trump at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday at the White House. (Chris Kleponis / Getty Images) President Trump is celebrating Republicans passage of the tax overhaul bill as a two-fer: On Wednesday, in addition to tax cuts, he checked off his promise to repeal Obamacare, pointing to a provision in the bill to end the penalty on Americans who dont get health insurance. We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. Other provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act are still in place, and Trump and congressional Republicans failed completely on the replace half of their vow to repeal and replace the program. In Trumps view, however, stripping away the laws individual mandate to get insurance or else pay a tax penalty amounts to repeal of the whole law. Congressional analysts have said that millions of people would lose insurance as a result, either by choice or because they cannot afford it without subsidies, and that premiums would increase for others as younger, healthy people drop coverage. We will come up with something much better, Trump said, adding that block grants to states could be one approach. By his comments, Trump tacitly acknowledged that repeal of the mandate is likely the best he can do following Republicans failure this year to agree on a repeal-and-replace bill. Looking back on his first year, Trump also boasted of his administrations efforts against the Islamic State and increased immigration enforcement. He said he had not given up on funding a border wall or tightening immigration law to limit citizens ability to resettle foreign relatives in the country. He said he would very shortly visit the border with Mexico near San Diego to see wall prototypes that have been built. He didnt answer a reporters shouted question about how he would personally benefit from the tax bill. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print House gives final OK to GOP tax plan, sending it to Trump By Lisa Mascaro Congress gave final approval to the GOP tax plan Wednesday, 224-201, after the House took an unusual do-over vote to clear up differences with the Senate-passed bill. The $1.5-trillion package now heads to President Trump, who plans to sign it into law. The House had approved the tax bill on Tuesday but was forced to take another vote Wednesday because a couple of provisions in the version it approved were found to be in violation of Senate procedures. Those provisions were dropped before the Senate gave its approval early Wednesday. Critics complained the Republicans rushed to pass the sweeping tax plan to deliver Trump a year-end legislative victory, but supporters shrugged off the problems as minor. The tax plan dramatically cuts corporate rates and provides some individual rate reductions, overhauling the tax code for the first time in 30 years. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump administration effort to block immigrant from having an abortion fails By David Savage Scott Lloyd is director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) President Trumps lawyers rushed to the Supreme Court and U.S. appeals court in Washington on Monday evening to file emergency appeals seeking to prevent an immigrant in detention, dubbed Jane Roe in court, from having an abortion. That set the stage for a legal showdown on whether the administration can block pregnant minors in custody from choosing to have an abortion. But the legal clash, which the administration has seemed eager to have, fizzled out Tuesday when the governments lawyers admitted the 17-year-old unaccompanied minor in their custody was actually 19. They said they had obtained her birth certificate and realized she was not a minor after all. As a result, Roe, who is 10 weeks pregnant, will no longer be held in a detention center for immigrant minors, and will not be subject to an administration policy that tries to prevent minors in immigration detention from having abortions. Administration lawyers told appeals court judges Tuesday night that Roe was being sent to a facility for adults and likely would be released until her immigration status can be resolved. In a brief order, the D.C. Circuit Court agreed to put the case on hold, but told government attorneys to confirm that she will be permitted to obtain an abortion. The administration had earlier tried to delay another young woman, referred to in court as Jane Poe, from having an abortion, but officials relented on Monday because she was 22 weeks pregnant and nearing the time limit for a legal abortion. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Senate panel rejects Trumps pick to lead Export-Import Bank, a leader in the effort to shut it down By Jim Puzzanghera A Senate committee on Tuesday rejected President Trumps nominee to lead the Export-Import Bank, extending the chaos at the embattled agency whose job is to help U.S. companies sell their goods abroad. Two Republicans joined all Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee in voting against former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) to be the banks president. Garrett had been a vocal critic of the Ex-Im Bank and a leader of a conservative effort that shut the bank down for five months in 2015 by blocking its congressional authorization. He and other bank opponents branded the banks aid as crony capitalism. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Congress proposes $81-billion disaster aid package, including funds for California wildfires By Lisa Mascaro Congress is set to consider an $81-billion disaster aid package that includes wildfire recovery money for California and other Western states as well as hurricane relief with a price tag reflecting a year of record-setting natural calamities. The legislation, the text of which was released late Monday, would provide almost twice as much as the $44 billion the White House sought last month to cover relief efforts along the Gulf Coast and in the Caribbean. Republican congressional leaders added more money after California lawmakers objected that the administration had failed to include help for areas damaged by wildfires and Democrats protested that the overall amount President Trump asked for was insufficient. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House blames North Korea for worldwide WannaCry cyber attack By Noah Bierman The Royal London Hospital, a victim of the unprecedented global cyberattack in May. (Niklas Hallen / AFP/Getty Images) The White House officially blamed North Korea on Tuesday for the cyberattack in May known as WannaCry that infected hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries, affecting healthcare, financial services and vital infrastructure. Thomas P. Bossert, assistant to the president for homeland security and counter-terrorism, noted in a briefing with reporters that the consequences were beyond economic. He warned that North Koreas malicious behavior is growing more egregious. Bossert did not specify what evidence American officials have to blame North Korea, citing security issues, but he cited the countrys prior attacks as revealing hallmarks of how Pyongyang and its network of hackers operates. He said other allied countries had joined the United States in making the determination. The administration did not announce any penalties on the regime, which is already subject to severe sanctions over its nuclear program. They want to hold the entire world at risk, Bossert said of North Koreas rulers, referring to the nations nuclear and missile provocations as well as its alleged cyberattack. Given its isolation and international sanctions, North Korea is desperate for funds. Bossert said the country did not appear to make much money on the ransom attack, as word spread that paying a ransom did not result in getting computers unlocked. Its primary goal, he said, was spreading chaos. Bossert and Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary of homeland security for cybersecurity and communication, said the United States, through a combination of preparation and luck, escaped the worst of the attack, as a patch to the malware was found before U.S. companies and other interests were severely crippled. However, Manfra said, We cannot be complacent. Bossert added, Next time were not going to get so lucky. Manfra praised Microsoft and Facebook for their efforts to combat WannaCry and to block more recent attempts to hack U.S. systems. She and Bossert urged more cooperation and information-sharing from American and multinational companies, arguing a united front is vital to protecting against bad actors who do not differentiate between government and business. Bossert rejected criticism that the the Trump administration has more aggressively called out North Korean cyberattacks than it has Russias meddling in the 2016 election. He said the administration has continued the national emergency initiated by President Obama. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print GOP lures some mountain bike groups in its push to roll back protections for public land By Evan Halper When their vision of creating a scenic cycling trail through a protected alpine backcountry hit a snag, San Diego area mountain bikers turned to an unlikely ally: congressional Republicans aiming to dilute conservation laws. The frustrations of the San Diego cycling group and a handful of similar organizations are providing tailwind to the GOP movement to lift restrictions on the countrys most ecologically fragile and pristine landscapes, officially designated wilderness. Resentment of these cyclists over the longstanding ban on mechanized transportation in that fraction of the nations public lands presents a political opportunity for Republicans eager to drill fissures in the broad coalition of conservation-minded groups united against the GOP environmental agenda. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Vice president postpones Israel trip a second time in case his vote is needed to pass tax cut bill By Noah Bierman (Ethan Miller / Getty Images) Vice President Mike Pence is delaying his trip to Egypt and Israel for a second time in case he is needed to break a tie in the Senate for the tax bill that is expected to pass narrowly this week. Two White House officials confirmed the changed schedule, which they say is unrelated to to protests in the region over the administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. Pence had initially been scheduled to leave last Saturday. Late last week, the White House moved the trip back a few days to Tuesday night, in case Pence was needed to break a Senate tie. But Monday, they decided to postpone the trip further, to January, given the possibility of a late Senate vote and the coming holidays. He wants to see it through the finish line, said a White House official, referring to the tax measure that is a centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda. We dont want to leave anything to chance. The mid-January dates will allow Pence more breathing room to merge schedules with embassies and hotels, the official said. Trump still plans to address the Israeli Knesset, a high-profile venue to discuss the Jerusalem decision where it is most popular. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump judicial pick who drew ridicule at hearing withdraws By Associated Press A White House official says the Trump judicial nominee whose qualifications were questioned by a Republican senator has withdrawn his nomination. Matthew Petersen, who was nominated by President Trump to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has been the subject of widespread ridicule since he was unable to define basic legal terms during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. A White House official says Petersen has withdrawn his nomination and that Trump has accepted the withdrawal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the development publicly. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy pressed Petersen, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, who testified he had never tried a case, on his qualifications to the bench. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump says McCain will return to Washington if needed for tax vote By Laura King President Trump said Sunday that Sen. John McCain, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, was returning home to Arizona for the holidays but would come back to Washington if needed to cast a vote on the Republicans tax overhaul bill. The Arizona Republicans office announced last week that McCain was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington for complications from his cancer treatment. McCains daughter Meghan tweeted earlier Sunday that her 81-year-old father would be spending Christmas in Arizona. The Senate is expected to vote early this week on the tax cut legislation, but the GOP appeared to have secured sufficient support without McCains vote. John will come back if we need his vote, Trump told reporters as he returned from a weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Hes going through a very tough time. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Putin calls Trump to thank him for U.S. help foiling terrorist strike By Laura King Vladimir Putin phoned President Trump to thank him for what the Russian president said was CIA help in foiling a terrorist attack, the Kremlin said on Sunday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the two leaders conversation to reporters. It was the second time that the two leaders had talked in four days; Trump called Putin on Thursday to thank the Russian leader for lauding the U.S. economy. Putin, in his annual year-end news conference, had praised Trump for a strong performance by the U.S. stock market. Perhaps ironically, given his credit to the CIAs recent help, Putin at that news event dismissed as hysteria the consensus among American intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign. In reporting Putins call to Trump on Sunday, the official Russian news agency Tass said Putin thanked his American counterpart for information shared by the US Central Intelligence Agency that had helped break up a plot to set off explosives in St. Petersburgs landmark Kazan Cathedral and elsewhere in the city, which is Russias second-largest. Russian authorities last week had credited their countrys counter-intelligence service, the FSB, for foiling the attacks. They reported that seven people affiliated with Islamic State had been detained in St. Petersburg in connection with the plot. The FSB, the successor organization to the KGB, announced Friday that the group had planned to carry out the attacks on Saturday, and that one of those in custody had confessed to the cathedral bomb plot. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Mnuchin: Government shutdown unlikely but could happen By Laura King Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said on Sunday that a government shutdown this week was unlikely but possible. A two-week stopgap spending bill passed by Congress earlier this month provided enough funding to keep the government running through Friday. A deadlock on another temporary funding measure would open the door to a possible shutdown. I cant rule it out, but I cant imagine it occurring, Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday, suggesting everyone had an interest in avoiding the government grinding to a halt and federal workers going unpaid, especially in the holiday season. I would expect that both the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, understand if they cant agree on this, they need to have another short-term extension to move this to January, the Treasury secretary said. We cant have a government shutdown in front of Christmas. In May, irate over concessions made to Democrats in hammering out a spending measure, President Trump tweeted that a good shutdown might help matters. While both parties agree that a government shutdown involves a degree of disruption that is not beneficial to either side, shutdowns in 1995-96 and in 2013 mainly caused a backlash against Republicans. The latest funding measure is to be taken up after a vote on a massive GOP tax overhaul, expected by midweek. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump transition team says sensitive emails should not have been shared with Robert Mueller By Chris Megerian (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) President Trumps transition team is crying foul over how special counsel Robert S. Mueller III obtained emails for his investigation into Russian meddling in last years campaign and possible Trump campaign complicity. Kory Langhofer, a lawyer for the transition team, sent a letter to Congress on Saturday saying there was an unauthorized disclosure of emails. While the Trump transition is long over, the transition team remains a nonprofit organization. Its emails were hosted by the General Services Administration, a federal agency. Mueller reportedly obtained the emails directly from the agency. There are attorney-client communications, Langhofer said in an interview. There are executive-privileged communications. He added, What were asking Congress to do is to take some legislative action to make sure this never happens again. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsels office, defended the process for obtaining emails. When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owners consent or appropriate criminal process, he said. The letter was first reported by Fox News. A request for comment from the General Services Administration was not immediately answered. This story has been updated with a comment from the special counsels office. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Virginia house arrest is ending for Paul Manafort By Chris Megerian (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) A federal judge agreed Friday to end Paul Manaforts house arrest in Virginia, allowing President Trumps former campaign manager to return to Florida while awaiting trial. The decision followed a dispute between Manaforts legal team and prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who accused Manafort of violating a court order restricting public statements about the case. Under the terms of the judges order, Manafort will be allowed to live at his home in Florida as long as he stays within Palm Beach and Broward counties and obeys a curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. If he misses a court appearance, he would forfeit four properties valued at $10 million total. The deal, which includes GPS monitoring, is not as permissive as Manafort originally sought. He had asked to be able to travel freely among Florida, New York, Virginia and Washington. Manafort faces criminal charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print GOP negotiators enhance child tax credit to win over Sen. Rubio By Lisa Mascaro Republican negotiators slightly increased the refundable portion of the expanded child tax credit in their tax plan, raising it to $1,400 in hopes of winning back Sen. Marco Rubios (R-Fla.) support ahead of next weeks vote. Rubio announced Thursday he was withholding support after negotiators ignored his push to make the expanded tax credit, which increases from the current $1,000 to $2,000 in the proposed bill, fully refundable for lower- and moderate-income filers. The refundable portion in the original bill was $1,100. The Florida senator argued that was not enough to help working-class Americans, many of whom already view the GOP plan as tilted toward the wealthy. Rubios office was waiting to see the final text before commenting on whether the change was enough to win him over. We have not seen the bill text, and until we see if the percentage of the refundable credit is significantly higher, then our position remains the same, Rubios spokeswoman said. Negotiators meeting Friday before unveiling the bill said they thought they had the support they needed from Rubio and other holdouts. Im confident both chambers will pass it next week, said Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Sen. Marco Rubio opposes GOP tax bill, depriving leaders of crucial support By Lisa Mascaro 20.94% Corp. rate to pay for tax cut for working family making $40k was anti-growth but 21% to cut tax for couples making $1million is fine? Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 12, 2017 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says he is currently opposed to the GOP tax plan because it fails to include his proposed enhancements to the child tax credit, leaving leaders without crucial support ahead of next weeks expected vote. Republicans can only lose two GOP senators from their slim 52-48 majority as they push the plan forward under special budget rules to prevent a Democratic filibuster. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday altered his planned Israel trip so he could be on hand, if needed, to cast a tie-breaking vote. Rubio, and GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, have fought to increase the child tax credit, doubling it to $2,000 in the GOP plan, but they also want to increase its refundability. They argue it will lower taxes on middle-income families at a time when the tax plan is being criticized as tilted to the wealthy. Sen. Rubio has consistently communicated to the Senate tax negotiators that his vote on final passage would depend on whether the refundability of the Child Tax Credit was increased in a meaningful way, Rubios spokeswoman said. Lee stopped short of opposing the bill, but his spokesman said Wednesday he is undecided. GOP leaders, though, have said they believe they have the support for passage. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House gives Roy Moore a unsubtle shove: Time to concede By David Lauter (Alex Wong / Getty Images) The White House sent a clear signal Thursday to the defeated Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama: Its time to concede. Roy Moore refused to concede the race on Tuesday night when Doug Jones, the Democrat, was declared the winner. Election night results show Jones winning by about 1.5 percentage points, three times more than the states standard for a recount. Although a few absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted, theres no indication they would change the result. On Wednesday, Moore notably did not call to congratulate Jones even as President Trump and other leading Republicans did. Instead, he released a video declaring the battle rages on. Asked at the daily news briefing whether the White House thinks Moore should concede today, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, It probably sounds like it maybe should have already taken place. Sanders also dismissed the idea, pushed by some Moore supporters, that Jones victory was tainted in some fashion. Asked if the Democrat had won fair and square, she said, I think the numbers reflect that. The states Republican senator, Richard Shelby, offered a similar comment in an interview with MSNBC in which he said he was willing to work with Jones. If I was 25,000 votes behind, its not going to change much, Shelby said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print House Speaker Paul Ryan says hes not leaving anytime soon By Lisa Mascaro House Speaker Paul D. Ryan shot down suggestions Thursday that he might soon be retiring. Stories often circulate that party leaders, especially the House speaker, are stepping aside. Ryans tenure has been as rocky as that of his predecessor, Rep. John Boehner, who abruptly resigned in 2015 amid GOP infighting. Asked Thursday if he would be leaving, Ryan answered a simple no, as he left his weekly press conference in the Capitol. Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who reluctantly took over the speakers gavel after Boehners departure, had just finished talking up the GOP tax plan, which leaders hope to pass next week. He also outlined his sweeping agenda for his longtime goal of entitlement reform of welfare benefits next year. Two stories published Thursday suggested Ryan may soon be out. This is pure speculation, said spokeswoman AshLee Strong. As the speaker himself said today, hes not going anywhere anytime soon. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print GOP leaders reach tax deal, cutting corporate rate to 21% and top individual rate to 37% By Lisa Mascaro Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed on a revised plan to cut taxes that would lower the corporate rate from 35% to 21% and drop the top individual rate for the richest Americans to 37%, according to GOP senators and others briefed on the deal. The tentative accord marked a significant step in the Republican push to have a tax bill on President Trumps desk by Christmas. Leaders did not release details of the compromise or the text of a final bill as negotiations continued. Its critically important for Congress to quickly pass these historic tax cuts, Trump said Wednesday, promising that Americans could begin to reap the benefits of the plan as early as February, if passed. Critics, however, said the latest changes particularly the lowering of the top individual rate from the current 39.6% only reaffirmed several independent analyses that show the bulk of the savings from the Republican plan would go to businesses and the wealthy. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Farenthold to retire from House amid harassment accusations By Associated Press Texas Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold wont seek reelection next year, two Republicans said Thursday, adding his name to the list of lawmakers leaving Congress amid sexual harassment allegations that have cost powerful men their jobs in politics, the arts and other fields. The accusations against Farenthold surfaced in 2014, when a former aide sued him alleging sexually suggestive comments and behavior and said shed been fired after she complained. The lawmaker said he engaged in no wrongdoing and the case was settled in 2015. But the House Ethics Committee said last week that it would investigate Farenthold after congressional sources said hed paid an $84,000 settlement using taxpayers money. Though Farenthold said hed reimburse the Treasury Department, such payments have drawn public criticism from people saying lawmakers should use their own money for such settlements. A House official said Farenthold spoke twice Wednesday to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), while another official said the congressman spoke once with Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) who heads the GOPs House campaign committee. Those discussions suggested that Farenthold may have come under pressure from leaders to step aside. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Last week, three lawmakers facing accusations of sexual harassment announced their resignations. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) have already left Congress while Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has said he will step aside soon. Mike Bergsma, Republican county chairman in Farentholds home county of Nueces, Texas, said Fare In July 2015, the defeat of Syrian President Bashar Assad appeared imminent. His troops, overstretched and exhausted, had lost too many men, and a string of humiliating defeats meant the government controlled only a quarter of the country. Two months later, Russian warplanes streaked through Syrias skies, hurling bombs at Assads adversaries and starting a reversal of fortune that, more than two years later, has forced most of those enemies to accede that he will remain. Advertisement That was the backdrop to Russian President Vladimir Putins surprise visit to a Syrian air base on Monday, where he met with Assad and declared that Moscow would begin a drawdown of troops following what the Kremlin said was the defeat of Islamic State. You are returning with victory to your native homes, to your relatives, parents, wives, children, friends, Putin said in an address to Russian troops at the Hemeimeem air base shown on state television. The motherland is waiting for you. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the commander of Russias military forces in Syria, Col. Gen. Sergey Surovikin, were also in attendance at the base southeast of Latakia. The troop withdrawal announcement came a week after the Russian Ministry of Defense said that it had defeated Islamic State and that there were no remaining enclaves left in Syria under the militant groups control. Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses troops at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria on Dec. 11, 2017. (Mikhail Klimentyev / Associated Press ) In his speech at the base on Monday, Putin said Moscow would begin bringing home a significant part of its troops, but left room for Russian troops to strike once more if Islamic State tried to return. If terrorists raise their heads again, we will strike at them with such blows as they have never seen, he said. Assad was effusive in his praise of Russias support. Future generations that will read of this war will not differentiate between the Syrian martyr and the Russian martyr, Assad said. And the sacrifices of the heroes from both sides was a manifestation of the noblest battle in the confrontation of terrorism. Assad added that Russian pilots have been in the air all the time, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. Thanks a million, he added. Mondays visit was Putins first to Syria since Russias decisive intervention more than two years ago. Russia has two bases in Syria, the air base at Hemeimeem and a naval base at Tartus (both will remain operational and in Russias hands), from which Russia has conducted airstrikes against groups opposed to Assads government, including the Syrian National Coalition and Islamic State. Putins announcement Monday was not the first time he has said Russian troops would be leaving Syria. Last month, during a surprise visit by Assad to Russias Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin announced that the Russian military campaign in Syria was over and that its troops would be leaving Syria. During that meeting, Assad thanked Putin for saving his country. Some analysts believe Mondays announcement may be more likely to be followed by actual troop movement than the previous announcements, as the Syrian conflict moves into what Assad in his speech said was the second phase of combating terrorism. Islamic State has largely been defeated in Syria and, thanks to Russian military backing, Assads government troops have prevailed against the other rebel opposition militias, said Leonid Issaev, an associate professor in the department of political science at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. What comes next, he said, will be a political resolution to the Syrian civil war, and Russia wants to make sure it has a clear role of influence in a future Syria. Its very important for Putin to show to the international community that its not Iran who has the most important presence in Syria, but that its Moscow who plays a crucial role in Damascus, Issaev said. So, in that sense, its realistic that weve finished the military campaign in Syria. Assad is the winner, he won this war in Syria with Russian help, he added. It is unclear how many Russian military advisors (the euphemistic catchall for special forces or private contractors) will remain in the country as Damascus continues its campaign to defeat the opposition it cannot neutralize with negotiations. The rebels still control pockets of territory, especially near the countrys borders. That includes Idlib province, held by Assads most implacable foes. Putin added that he hoped Iran and Turkey would be able to restore the peace in the country. There is a domestic advantage as well to Putins announcement. The Russian president said last week that he would seek reelection in March. A Russian military success in Syria bodes well for his prospects more than three months ahead of the election. Putin made the stop in Syria on his way to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi for talks in Cairo. Special correspondent Ayres reported from Moscow and Bulos from Beirut. sabra.ayres@latimes.com Twitter: @sabraayres Ayres is a special correspondent. UPDATES: 12:05 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional quotes, background. This article was originally posted at 8:05 a.m. Page Content The Europe Direct Information Centre Amiens is organizing an event about Employment and posted workers. The region Hauts-de-France is the first region to benefit from EU funds but it is also the most Eurosceptic. Despite its geographical location at the heart of Europe, young people of this region are still far from the European construction. A citizen's dialogue will be the opportunity to get Hauts de France inhabitants closer to Europe. @WildandSassyGal/Twitter(LOS ANGELES) -- Communities along Southern California's coast were still seeing fresh evacuations on Sunday as the seemingly unstoppable Thomas fire, fueled by plentiful brush and shifty Santa Ana winds Several swaths of the city of Carpinteria were placed under mandatory evacuation overnight and into Sunday, fire officials confirmed, as the blaze continues to threaten structures. The Thomas fire, which since Monday has been battled by 4,400 firefighters and has torched 173,000 acres, remains only 15 percent contained. One firefighter suffered an injured leg while battling the Thomas fire, Cal Fire officials confirmed to ABC News. The Thomas fire has also knocked out power lines to thousands. There was also limited refuge for the evacuees as parts of Ventura, Ojai, Casitas Springs, Santa Paula and Fillmore are still being threatened by blazes, fire officials said. The news of the fire's continued devastation in the already scorched region comes a day after firefighters across Southern California made dramatic headway in the week's battle against six major wildfires that have dragged the state's fire season well into December. On Saturday, Gov. Jerry Brown surveyed some of the remains of Thomas Fire, which started in Ventura, fire officials said. The governor said the prolonged fire season is becoming the norm. "[We're] facing a new reality in the state," he said. "It's a horror and a horror we need to recover from." He also noted that the years of drought and climate change have caused experts to conclude that "California is burning up." From here on in California, Brown said, fires are going to be more "intense" and penetrate lives and property. "Individuals need to come together to make our communities livable," he said. The breakdown of the blazes and shift in winds gave firefighters in the region much-needed respite. The newest blazes, the Lilac fire in San Diego County and the Liberty fire in Riverside County, which was 20 percent contained as of Saturday afternoon, are also being fueled by continued Santa Ana winds and low humidity, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. ABC News meteorologist Daniel Manzo said the forecast for those fire-ravaged areas remains serious. Red flag warnings have remained in effect for much of Southern California with peak wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph. Low relative humidity - as low as 5 percent -- is likely through this period, as well, Manzo said. Winds could exceed 50 mph in the mountains east of San Diego, an area that was of particular concern for fire growth on Sunday. Winds gusts in Ventura and Los Angeles counties were expected to diminish Sunday afternoon from 60 mph to 45 mph due to an onshore flow beginning to develop, according to Cal Fire's website. The winds had exceeded 60 mph during the week, causing embers to spread. Gusts were in the 30 to 50 mph range in San Diego County and 25 mph in Santa Barbara where the evacuations were taking place. Low humidity around Southern California has staggered in the teens to single digits. It took 8,500 firefighters to battle the first four large wildfires and then new ones have continued spreading rapidly, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Overall, the six blazes have burned more than 200,000 acres and forced more than 98,000 residents from their homes. A 70-year-old woman was identified Friday as the first victim of the fires. The Skirball fire is small, but its threat to heavily populated areas of Los Angeles, including Bel Air, has drawn widespread attention. All Los Angeles Unified School District schools in the San Fernando Valley and 17 schools on Los Angeles' west side were shuttered last week, citing the poor air quality. At least 265 schools have been closed. UCLA canceled classes during the week because of the Skirball fire. On Friday, the district announced that all schools will reopen Monday. Thomas fire The Thomas fire in Ventura County, the largest of the six blazes, started Monday night as a 50-acre brush fire in foothills east of Santa Paula and grew to 10,000 acres in just four hours, authorities said. The fire had burned 173,000 acres of land by Sunday morning and was holding at just 15 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 98,000 residents were evacuated, and 25,000 structures are threatened by the flames, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Thomas Fire has since spread to Santa Barbara County late Thursday, prompting California Gov. Jerry Brown to issue a state of emergency for the county, the third to be designated. There were 9,000 firefighting personnel on the scene of the massive blaze. Authorities said 834 structures were destroyed in the blaze and more than 100 were damaged. Officials were concerned about part of the Thomas Fire heading northeast and threatening a nursing home in Ojai. The 25 residents and staffers there were evacuated as a precaution, authorities said. It's unclear if the seniors have returned to the nursing home or remain evacuated. Creek fire The Creek fire, in the Kagel Canyon area above Los Angeles' Sylmar neighborhood, has scorched 15,619 acres of land, destroyed at least 105 buildings and damaged another 70. Over 150,000 residents were evacuated and some 2,500 structures are threatened, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze was 90 percent contained as of Sunday morning, and 1,964 personnel are fighting the flames. The Creek fire was responsible for the death of almost 40 horses at Rancho Padilla, according to ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles. The horses were trapped in a barn that burned to the ground as the owners were evacuated with no warning. All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted by Saturday morning. Rye fire The Rye fire has scorched 6,049 acres in Santa Clarita, west of Valencia. The blaze was 90 percent contained as of Sunday morning, though 5,460 structures are still threatened by the flames, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. About 2,000 residents were evacuated, though mandatory evacuation orders in the area have been lifted. There were 652 personnel on scene battling the Rye fire Sunday morning. Skirball fire The Skirball fire has burned more than 400 acres of land so far, but its proximity to Los Angeles and responsibility for briefly shutting down the infamously crowded 405 Freeway has drawn national attention. The fire had posed a threat to the acclaimed Getty Center, a museum in western Los Angeles. Officials managed to keep the flames from jumping the 405 freeway and heading east. The blaze was 75 percent contained as of Sunday morning, and firefighters have managed to keep it from breaching containment lines. Six structures were lost in the fire, with an additional 12 damaged. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the flames, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon because of the Skirball fire in the city's Bel-Air neighborhood. Lilac fire The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Friday that flames from the Lilac fire were growing at a "dangerous rate" in San Diego County, where 4,100 acres of land have been burned thus far. At least 182 structures were destroyed and 23 were damaged by the blaze, while an additional 1,500 are threatened. The fire was 60 percent contained as of Sunday morning. AlertSanDiego, the region's cellphone emergency alert system, had sent out 23,000 evacuation messages as of Friday morning, including for new evacuations in Oceanside. Officials said the Lilac fire began late Thursday morning near Fallbrook and had grown to 50 acres in just an hour. Peak gusts had reached 66 mph Thursday afternoon in Pala, California, near the blaze, contributing to the rapid spread of flames. Four civilians had suffered injuries and were taken to local hospitals, though authorities could not confirm the severity of the injuries. Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency in San Diego County due to the Lilac fire, his office announced late last week. Liberty fire The Liberty fire, located in Riverside County near Murrieta, north of Temecula, has scorched 300 acres of land. It was 100 percent contained as of Sunday night, according to the Murrieta Fire and Rescue. Seven structures were destroyed in the flames, but authorities have lifted all evacuation orders for the area. One woman, Lauren Fuga, said she watched in shock as the Liberty fire burned down part of her home in Murrieta. "I just, I'm at a loss for words," Fuga told KABC-TV through tears. "It's so horrible. You never think that it's going to happen to you, and it can." Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Page Content Armenian leaders at the national and local level on 24 October struck an upbeat note about the decentralisation of power in Armenia, about the country's relations with the European Union, and about the potential of EU initiatives to help local communities, suggesting that a pending agreement between the EU and Armenia has substantial support at lower levels of government. The mayors and national politicians from Armenia were speaking at a conference entitled "Innovation and regional development: Agents for growth in Eastern Partnership countries" at which European local and regional leaders shared their experiences of efforts to stimulate growth progress and to embrace e-governance. The conference which was co-organised by: Armenia's Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development; the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP); and GIZ, the German development agency was a follow-up to a meeting in Yerevan in 2016 at which the EU launched a bottom-up initiative, Mayors of Economic Growth. It was held a month before the planned signing of a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the EU and Armenia on the sidelines of the summit of national leaders of the Eastern Partnership. Emin Yeritsyan, the president of the Union of Communities of Armenia and a member of CORLEAP, said that Armenian municipalities had joined the Mayors for Economic Growth eagerly, accounting for over 40% of the 195 Eastern Partnership mayors in the bottom initiative, which sees the European Commission provide technical support to regional and local administrations that draw up plans for sustainable economic development. He traced the high take-up back to promotional efforts by CORLEAP, a forum created by the European Committee of the Regions in 2011 at which its members can meet counterparts from six Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine. The Mayors for Economic Growth initiative, which has a secretariat in Tbilisi, Georgia, has proven even more popular in Armenia than an older, similar initiative Covenant of Mayors East, a regional branch of the Global Covenant of Mayors in which communities receive technical support from the EU if they pledge to exceed the EU's emissions-reduction targets. Mr Yeritsyan is also a major proponent of climate action, drafting a report for CORLEAP on energy efficiency. The EU's support for regions and cities in Armenia and the other Eastern Partnership countries come in the midst of substantial changes in Armenia's political system, with the gradual amalgamation between 2015 and 2019 of local administrations, reducing their number from 915 to some 400. The mayor of the first community to be consolidated Armen Santrosyan, mayor of Dilijan and member of CORLEAP said at the conference that the process had been popular in his area, with 73% support in a referendum in May 2015. Mr Santrosyan said Dilijan was now stepping up e-governance initiatives, broadcasting council meetings live, running a municipal management information system (MMIS) for documentation, financial and property issues, and providing citizens with a 'one-stop shop'. Karen Nazaryan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, opened the event by suggesting that reforms within Armenia and the planned CEPA with the EU would create more momentum and opportunities for economic growth. Mr Nazaryan and other Armenian speakers stressed that practical benefits at work, at home, and on the move of cooperation with the EU will do much to shape Armenian voters' attitude towards the EU, and that it will therefore be important for national leaders to agree at the Eastern Partnership summit on 24 November on a package of '20 deliverables for 2020'. CORLEAP is pressing for local authorities to be involved in all phases of Eastern Partnership projects, from their conceptualisation to their implementation. The same message was voiced by Europeans at the conference. Piotr Switalski, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, said that local and regional authorities would have a significant role in ensuring the '20 deliverables' projects to strengthen economies, governance, connectivity and society in the six countries are implemented by 2020. Addressing the broader political role of local politicians, Pawe Adamowicz (PL/EPP), the mayor of Gdansk, emphasised the need for local administrations to strengthen grassroots democracy, highlighting initiatives by Gdansk to develop participatory budgeting and encourage social innovation. Mr Adamowicz was the author of a report on strengthening local democracy in the Eastern Partnership, which was adopted by CORLEAP in 2016. Mr Adamowicz also spoke of the need for local administrations to cooperate internationally, mentioning Gdansk's support in setting up a Local Democracy Agency in Mariupol in south-eastern Ukraine. Pavel Branda (CZ/ECR), deputy mayor of the town of Radlo, said that experience from the Czech Republic and other parts of the EU suggested that cross-border cooperation could have a major impact on economic development. The conference devoted a thematic session to e-governance. Jelizaveta Krenjova, an e-democracy expert from the e-Governance Academy in Estonia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union and which is an acknowledged leader in e-governance, called for a "balanced" approach, by coupling electronic services with efforts to promote online engagement in local policymaking. She said that it was very important for local and regional authorities to be involved, as promotion at the local level boosts the general level of e-activism. Case studies came from the Czech Republic, Latvia and Georgia. Petr Osvald (CZ/PES), a former deputy minister for regional development, said that an award-winning initiative from his city, Plzen, enables travel, payments, and cultural services through a contactless chip card and may be extended through connections with similar projects in the Czech Republic. Davit Melua, executive director of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG), said leadership by local politicians is critical, and said that Georgia hopes to have municipal management information systems (MMIS) in place in all municipalities by the end of 2018. Vache Terteryan, Armenia's First Deputy Minister for Territorial Administration and Development and moderator of the event, noted the striking similarities with the problems faced by post-Soviet countries. He made a commitment to reflect together with Mr Yeritsyan and the Union of Communities of Armenia on how Armenia could develop many of the ideas presented, particularly by Andris Jaunsleinis (LV/ALDE), member of Ventspils Municipal Council, and Maris Pukis, senior adviser at the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments. Four men were charged with attempting to lure 14-year-old girls for sex in Bethlehem over a three-day period. A fifth man faces similar charges, although it's unclear how old the victim was in his case. Police charged four men in independent investigations after each one allegedly attempted to lure a 14-year-old girl for sex. In each case, an agent with the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General's Child Predator Section was posing as the girl. The following men were charged: Brandon Lee Souders, 22, of Salisbury Township, allegedly arranged to meet a girl Dec. 9 into Dec. 10 in the first block of West North Street in Bethlehem. He allegedly told police he "really messed up" and had used Craig's List to meet others for sex at least three times prior to being caught. Clifford William Jones, 53, of Bethlehem, allegedly arranged to meet a girl Dec. 8 in the 400 block of Wyandotte Street in Bethlehem. He handed over his cell phone, which had his inappropriate exchanges with the undercover officer, and said "he totally screwed up," police said. Terry M. Hostetter, 51, of Bethlehem, allegedly arranged to meet a girl Dec. 8 in the 400 block of Wyandotte Street in Bethlehem. He allegedly handed over his phone and told police he "made a very bad choice." Robert Andrew Saultz, 55, of Manville, New Jersey, allegedly arranged to meet a girl Dec. 9 into Dec. 10 in the first block of West North Street in Bethlehem. Each of the four men was charged with unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempt at involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and criminal use of a communication facility. Jones was charged with an additional count of unlawful contact with a minor and statutory sexual assault. A fifth man, Victor Cueto, 24, of Allentown, was also charged with unlawful contact with a minor, criminal attempt at involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and criminal use of a communication facility in Bethlehem on Dec. 8, according to online court records. Details of his case weren't immediately available. All five men were sent to Northampton County Prison after failing to post bail. Bail for Souders was $125,000 and for Cueto was $150,000. Bail for each of the remaining three men was $200,000. District Judge Antonia Grifo arraigned each man and set bail in each case. Souders lives in the 1000 block of East Emmaus Avenue in Salisbury Township, records say. Jones lives in the 800 block of Wyandotte Street in Bethlehem. Hostetter lives in the 500 block of East Fourth Street in Bethlehem. Saultz lives in the 100 block of South 17th Avenue in Manville. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Charlie Wacik wasn't able to play the role of Santa on Sunday after his home burned down in Wilson Borough. The 74-year-old believes he lost his home and the children missed out on a five-year tradition due to a fire that could have been prevented. He had been calling the borough codes department about what he said was a dangerous situation. He suspected the home at 1530 Washington St. that was attached to his at 1532 Washington St. could catch fire some day. That's exactly what happened. "My dad called this in months ago," said Wacik's 46-year-old son, who is also named Charlie. "They were running heaters and air compressors late at night. ... The place was condemned. It didn't have running water. He said something was going to happen." Little is left Dec. 11, 2017, after a fire the day before at 1530 Washington St. in Wilson Borough. (Tony Rhodin | For lehighvalleylive.com) "I knew it was going to happen," the elder Wacik added. The father is staying with his son as a result of the fire. The elder Wacik, his wife Marlowe, and their Bichon Zoe weren't hurt in the fire. The borough did intercede but people continued to live in the home as work was being done, neighbors said. Codes director Paul Corriere on Monday declined comment at the scene, saying "everything is being investigated." As the fire burned, "too much fishy stuff was happening," Wacik said. There was "popping" and a whooshing noise that raised Wacik's suspicions. He was waiting for his insurance agent and expected an adjuster later in the day, he said. Decisions about what to do next will have to wait for the numbers, his son said. "It's a difficult day, I guess," the elder Wacik said. The top of 1532 Washington St. in Wilson Borough was burned through early on Dec. 10, 2017. (Tony Rhodin | For lehighvalleylive.com) The community, which the father served for nearly 46 years as a firefighter, has reached out. There are fundraisers underway and several people have offered places to stay, he said. Another slice of his life was left behind in a closet on the back of the second floor. "The other part was being Santa," he said. The suit his wife bought for $360 is still up there, but is likely ruined, he said. Sunday was supposed to be the day when he played Santa on a firetruck, delivering presents to borough children. It would have been the fifth year for that special duty, he said. "It broke my heart," he said, when the event was canceled due to the fire. Blaze Odyssey, 43, who has lived across the street for 11 years, was still angry 24 hours after the fire. He said he "confronted" 1530 Washington's owner Tarek Osman about the property and personal losses in a fire that could have done even more damage. Odyssey, whose SUV was damaged by the heat, said that Osman replied, "Oh, but I lost a lot of money." "I bit my tongue," Odyssey said. "For a man to say something like that." A listed number of Osman on Monday morning in Forks Township was out of service. "Somebody has to be held responsible for these people losing their homes," Odyssey said. He plans on attending the next borough council meeting to request a "more effective ordinance toward (property) investors." The elder Wacik was aghast at Osman's alleged comment. "... The owner had the nerve to stand there and say 'the money I lost.' What about me?" he asked. Fire witness Luis Rodriquez said he came across the fire on his way home from work Sunday morning. The 33-year-old ran inside his home across the street, woke up his wife, called 911 and headed back out to knock on doors and alert neighbors. Amid the mayhem, Rodriguez said he saw a man running down the street. The man wasn't stopping to knock on doors, and Rodriquez "didn't keep track" of where the man went, because "that's when things went crazy" and the fire quickly roared through 1530 Washington. A man with burns on his hands was reported a block away, but authorities have yet to confirm if that person existed, if he was treated at a hospital and if he was living in the home. Police Chief Steven Parkansky said everyone in the area of the fire is accounted for and nothing appeared "criminal or suspicious." A state police fire marshal has joined the probe and it's ongoing, Parkansky said. As for the man with the burned hands, police may have an update later in the day, the police chief said. Even if the Santa suit is ruined, Wacik's Santa days aren't over, both he and his son said. They're just put on hold. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A Berks County man was charged Monday with driving drunk and causing a crash that killed his girlfriend in Upper Macungie Township. Yvonne Rohrbach was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by Shawn Balthaser at 11:23 p.m. July 31, according to a news release from Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin. The release says Balthaser, 49, failed to negotiate a left curve at Route 222 and Mill Creek Road. He drove across two concrete islands, the release says. The release says Rohrbach, 52, fell off the motorcycle after he struck the second island. She was dragged a short distance until she struck a sign post, the release says. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The couple lived at a home in the 400 block of Franklin Street in Hamburg. Balthaser is charged with involuntary manslaughter, homicide by vehicle while DUI, and two counts of driving under the influence. The charge of homicide by vehicle while DUI carries a mandatory three-year prison sentence. He was cited for driving after sunset with a passenger, which is prohibited for drivers with just a learner's permit. He was charged with reckless driving and related traffic citations. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. A pipe bomb attack in a passenger subway corridor beneath the Port Authority Bus Terminal that injured the suspect and three others Monday morning is terror-related, New York City officials said. Akayed Ullah, 27, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is in serious condition at Bellevue hospital while three passers-by brought themselves to city hospitals to be treated for minor injuries, primarily suffering from ringing in the ears. "This was an attempted terrorist attack," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference outside the bus terminal Monday morning. "An attack in the subway is incredibly unsettling. Thank God the terrorist didn't achieve his ultimate goals." Law enforcement officials say he was inspired by the Islamic State, but apparently had no direct contact with the terror group. Ullah detonated a "low-tech" improvised explosive device in an underground passageway connecting two subway lines about 7:20 a.m., police said. He strapped the device to his body using Velcro and zip ties, according to police, who have yet to conclude whether Ullah specifically chose that spot to set off the device. Ullah had burns to his hands and abdomen, police said. "This was frightening and disturbing," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "We're thankful that the reality turns out better than our initial expectations and fear." Ullah was walking east in the corridor between 8th Avenue and 7th Avenue when the device detonated, police commissioner James O'Neill said. Ullah, who lives in Brooklyn, came to the U.S. from Bangladesh about seven years ago and had been licensed to drive a livery cab between 2012 and 2015, according to law enforcement officials and NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. He was speaking with investigators from his hospital bed, police said. A person briefed on the investigation said Ullah arrived in the United States on an F-4 visa, a preferential visa available for those with family in the U.S. who are citizens, and that he made the bomb in his home. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast. Service has since resumed at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. NJ Transit said that PATH discontinued cross honoring bus tickets. NJ Transit rail will stop cross honoring bus tickets at 11:59 a.m. JUST IN: The suspected Port Authority bomber has been identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, an ISIS-inspired Brooklyn man https://t.co/sI8z5juTQO pic.twitter.com/hZxcDfYeP2 New York Post (@nypost) December 11, 2017 NY Waterway ferries will continue to cross honor NJ Transit bus tickets until 8 p.m. and had deployed extra ferries. The MTA said that while subways have resumed service, trains on the Seventh and Eighth Avenue lines will not stop at 42nd Street. There are still significant traffic delays at the Lincoln Tunnel to New York. Gov. Chris Christie said additional security has been stationed at mass transit hubs. "Every law enforcement asset in New Jersey is coordinating with our federal and New York partners regarding this incident," Christie said. "I urge all New Jerseyans to be alert and that if they see something unusual, to report it to law enforcement immediately." Larry Higgs and the Associated Press contributed to this report Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The sentencing of Paul Gill for the serious assault of 58 year-old Naas man, Patsy Bud Kelly, who later died, has been adjourned until next Monday, December 17. At Dublin Circuit Court yesterday, Judge Melanie Greally heard how Mr Gill had assaulted Mr Kelly, who did not fight back. The defendant was found not guilty of the manslaughter of Mr Kelly but he pleaded guilty to assaulting him. Today the judge also heard victim impact statements from the Kelly family on how the death of their brother had affected them, and details of the difficult childhood of Paul Gill, who lost his father at the age of nine and was brought up by a schizophrenic mother. Patsys brother, Brendan said of August 22 2015, the day his brother died. I felt it was a dream. I pretended it did not happen. It was the day my life changed forever. He continued: I thank God mam and dad were not here. My mother had lost a child and Patsy was my mothers special boy, he said. I apologise to him (Patsy) for not being there when he needed me although I know he would say it is ok. I miss him every day. Brendans sister, Carmel was heartbroken by Patsys death. I cant sleep at night. I feel so guilty I could not have helped him. Her sister, Bernadette, on behalf of other family members, said August 22 2015 is etched in our hearts. Patsy was kind, caring and extremely thoughtful. Patsy was never violent. We still put a plate out for him with a candle and a photo at Christmas, she said. His death has left deep scars on the family. She said Naas was no longer the town they grew up in and their trust in people is broken. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands, she said. Det Garda Enda Coleman, who investigated the assault summed up events, stating that Mr Gill (37) could not recall some of the events. Mr Gill was represented by solicitor, Cairbre Finan, and counsel, Karl Hanahoe BL and Seamus Clarke SC, Gda Coleman told prosecuting counsel, Orla Crowe SC, Mr Gill had assaulted Mr Kelly and Mr Kellys friend, Martin Curtis, a neighbour of Mr Gill, (who did not make a victim impact statement to the Court). He agreed Mr Kelly had difficulties in life, including with alcohol and that he was very well known and well liked in Naas. Mark Kelly, a relative of Mr Gill, said he and his wife looked after Mr Gill and his brother, Gerry (who died in a traffic accident when he was 16). Their father died when Mr Gill was 9 years old, and they had a difficult upbringing due to their mothers mental illness. Mr Gill, from the Aran Islands, did a fishing apprenticeship and later worked in construction. His relative, Mr Kelly said he is a hard worker who never relied on the State. He married Laura in 2012 and they have five children, but he had to miss the birth of two of them because he was late getting to hospital on account of his new address. Bail conditions kept him out of Naas and it was difficult for his wife and children. Mr Clarke said Mr Gill would have to live with the consequences of Mr Kellys death. Mr Gill has a previous conviction for a public order offence from June 2003 and another for an assault in March 2000 when he was ordered to pay over 2,000 compensation. The Court was told how there was a background to the incident and the Sarto Road residence of Mr Gill was now empty. Judge Greally declined a request from Mr Clarke to adjourn sentence until after Christmas, opting for next Monday, instead. A YOUNG man has been charged in connection with an incident during which an elderly woman was threatened with a knife. Dale McNamara, aged 27, of Cosgrave Park, Moyross is accused of brandishing a large butcher knife at the 79-year-old after entering Sean OBrien shop, Gerard Street at around 10am on April 19, last. Opposing bail, Detective Garda Donnacha Coakley said it will alleged that having entered the premises, the defendant started shouting at the woman and became agressive as he demanded cash from the register. Judge Marian OLeary was told the defendant was identified as a suspect from CCTV footage and that it will be alleged by the State that he made some admissions when arrested and questioned about the incident. Detective Garda Coakly said he believes the defendant is a Chronic heroin addict and that he would engage in further criminality to fund his habit. He has no lawful income and its my belief that he will commit further offences and that he will not answer his bail (if released) he said. Solicitor Tom Kiely said his client lives with his mother and that he has not come to the attention of gardai since the alleged incident. He rejected the garda asertion that Mr McNamara represents a flight risk and he submitted that the concerns of gardai could be addressed with the imposition of strict bail conditions. Addressing the court, Sergeant Donal Cronin said he believed it was reasonably necessary to refuse bail as gardai had concerns Mr McNamara would frustrate orders of the court. While commenting that the allegations are particularly serious, Judge OLeary said she was willing to grant the defendant bail subject to a number of conditions including the lodging of an independent surety of 5,000 with the court. Once he achieves bail, Mr McNamara must live at his home address in Moyross, sign on at his local garda station three times a week and obey a nightly curfew. The 27-year-old was also ordered to give gardai a mobile phone number and he must not apply for any Passport or travel documents pending the conclusion of the proceedings. Noting that a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Judge OLeary adjourned the matter to December 19, next for directions. ALL of Limericks 142 national schools are to benefit from a government grant, with even the smallest schools in line to get thousands of euro under the Minor Works Scheme. The grants are to be paid to all primary schools throughout the county and the country this week, Limericks Minister of State, Patrick ODonovan said, welcoming the announcement. Each school will receive a flat rate minor works grant of 5,500 plus 18.50 per mainstream pupil and 74 per special needs pupil attending a special school or special class, Minister ODonovan explained. The grant is worth 6,425 for a 50-pupil school, for example, and over 11,000 for a 300-pupil school," he continued. This grant will go a long way towards improving the physical condition of our school buildings to the benefit of both pupils and the teachers who work there. The funds can be used for improvements to school buildings and grounds, improvement or replacement of mechanical and electrical services, the purchase of standard furniture and physical education equipment, the purchase of floor coverings and window blinds or the purchase of IT-related equipment. However, it is expected to be late next year or January 2019 before the next minor works grants can be determined. Rifle deer season opens Saturday In case you haven't noticed all of the extra traffic on local roads this week, the rifle deer season begins Saturday. Hunters are pouri... Veterans Day: Thankful for those who serve! You can celebrate Veterans Day Friday at a service at the Crittenden County High School's Rocket Arena at 9am. The school-wide event is ... Crittenden County Election Results 2022 Live From the Courthouse Audio Will Begin with Results CONTESTED RACE RESULTS: Sheriff : Evan Head defeated Don Young District 6 Magistrate... Election board investigates complaint Crittenden County Board of Elections has investigated a complaint filed this morning against a local candidate, but no infraction was found... THE head of the Limerick garda division says hes concerned that young people are continuing to drink and drive despite numerous appeals and road safety warnings. Briefing members of the Limerick Joint Policing Committee, Chief Superintendent David Sheahan revealed there have been more than 600 detections for either drink driving or drug driving across the Limerick division since the beginning of 2016. Of those apprehended by gardai, almost two thirds (63%) were aged between 20 and 39. The vast majority of detections occurred in the greater city area while more than 80% of the suspected offenders were male. Nearly a third of all incidents involved young men aged between 20 and 29. The prevalence of drink-driving was highlighted as recently as last Thursday night when a man was arrested at a checkpoint on the Dock Road after he failed a roadside breath test. The driver and his female passenger were travelling on the outbound lane when the car was stopped shortly before 9pm. Limerick Traffic: Man arrested for drink driving on the Dock Rd, Limerick last night. Never ever drink and drive pic.twitter.com/YR0MT4Wych An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) December 8, 2017 Chief Supt Sheahan says the statistics show that young people dont seem to be getting the message when it comes to drink driving. There was a perception that millennial's were not engaged in this kind of behaviour and that they have learned but they have not, he said. He said it beggars belief that people are continuing to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and that something has to be done to get the message through. A major campaign focusing on drink-driving over the Christmas and New Year period is now underway. There will be high visibility checkpoints and additional patrols across the city and county. THOUSANDS of Limerick commuters could face another morning of treacherous slippery road conditions and traffic disruptions, as Met Eireann has issued a fresh weather alert for freezing temperatures for Tuesday morning. Cautious motorists and pedestrians endured icy road conditions and delays, as a result of widespread black ice across Limerick on Monday morning. This followed a weekend of plunging temperatures hitting below zero in parts of the county, after Met Eireann issued a nationwide orange weather alert on Sunday morning. Met Eireann has warned that the country faces another cold snap, with temperatures dropping to minus four degrees between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. And despite the freezing conditions, there were no major incidents across the city and county on Monday morning. There were no call-outs to any incidents by Limerick Fire Service crew on Monday morning, though there were a number minor road traffic incidents in Limerick, between 8am and 9.30am. A number of commuters noted lengthy traffic delays in the Castletroy area, particularly near University of Limerick. One driver said that they tried to pull over by the university and ended up skidding. AA Roadwatch said on its website that roads around the city were very icy. Another commuter said that it was like an ice rink driving from Patrickswell to the city centre. Cllr Emmett OBrien stated on social media that there was a minor road traffic incident In Pallaskenry, while Cllr Cathal Crowe reported a stuck truck in Meelick. Emergency services attended the scene of a car crash near the Croom bypass. It is understood that a number of businesses in the city centre were spreading salt on the footpaths, in order to make conditions safer for pedestrians. There will be spells of rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday, with average midday temperatures rising to eight and six degrees, respectively. The next step in the search for a new superintendent could take place behind closed doors on Dec. 21 when Carlisle Area School Board members meet in executive session to discuss personnel issues. The board is going to reach a consensus on what we see as the top four or five priorities for a new superintendent, board president Paula Bussard said Thursday. We will outline the process from there. The search was delayed until after the Nov. 7 general election because the race was competitive and could have resulted in a change in the make-up of the board. Six candidates were vying for four open four-year seats. Incumbent board members Rick Coplen, Brian Guillaume, Anne Lauritzen and Deborah Sweaney were challenged by Kitzi Chappelle and Julie Lesman. The four incumbents won reelection and were officially sworn in Thursday during the boards annual reorganization meeting. Incumbent Fred Baldwin, who ran unopposed for a two-year seat, was also sworn in. Board members Thursday reelected Bussard as president and Linda Manning as vice president. Bussard first became board president in late 2015 after Nancy Fishman resigned to take a job in Washington, D.C. Bussards reelection as president Thursday was unanimous. I appreciate the trust my fellow board members have given in me to continue leadership, she said. We have important facility planning, leadership transition and certainly a desire to continue pressing forward on academic achievement. I look forward to meeting with the board in fulfilling those. The board in September approved an updated job description for superintendent as the first step in the process to find a permanent replacement for John Friend, who stepped down as the districts chief executive this past June. The board has appointed Christina Spielbauer to serve as acting superintendent through the current school year, which ends June 30, 2018. She was the assistant superintendent under Friend. Board members Coplen and Lauritzen reviewed and updated the job duties, qualifications and expectations that had been in effect since the board promoted Friend from assistant superintendent to chief executive in March 2010. We have the job description, Bussard said Thursday. We have to make decisions on how recruitment would proceed. She felt confident the board could meet its stated goal of appointing a new superintendent by July 1, the start of the 2018-19 year. Shah Rukh Khans new show is a retweetand that matters 'TED Talks India Nayi Soch' uses Shah Rukh Khan's celebrity to push discussions that might not have found a wide audience otherwise /how-to-lounge/movies-tv/shah-rukh-khan-s-new-show-is-a-retweet-and-that-matters-111646832615383.html 111646832615383 story The first time I remember using the TED Talks app on my iPad many, many years ago, it tossed up a host of options: the time I had at hand, subjects I was interested in, the mood the talk should have. After I parsed these parameters, the app helpfully presented me with a selection of ideally sized and shaped talks, after which I saved a couple for later and went back to see if the app could handle much odder demands. I dont remember if Id hunted for a talk on thermodynamics weighing in under seven minutes, or a discussion on heteronormative stereotypes in television writing, but the fact remains that the app can deal with whatever you throw at it. There is a TED Talk for everything. This makes TED a remarkable resource, certainly, but it also means it has generated too much content for us to sift. There are fascinating talks well never individually stumble upon, and superlative ones being watched by far too few people. This is why we rely on curators to pick out things and point us in the right direction, and with the new Star Plus show TED Talks India Nayi Soch Sunday evenings at 7pm on Star Plus, streaming on HotstarShah Rukh Khan walks us through a playlist of talks he finds interesting. This ought to be a highly effective approach. As many of us on social media would attest, even a stray comment from a relatively minor celebrity gets favourited and liked and shared several hundred times over, not to mention the love it gets from various real (and very unreal) fan clubs. In a world like this, the fact that Khan is introducing a talk advocating better living conditions to those living in underdeveloped urban settlements makes sure the reach for that particular talk is exponentially amplified. This show is basically Shah Rukh sharing articles he thinks we should read andgoing by the way even a good morning" text from the star receives demonstrative adoration from the massesthese retweets are endorsements. It is great to see Khan, a charming and articulate speaker, step back from the spotlight and give it to thinkers and achievers from other fields. Khan introduces the topic and the speaker, and takes his place in the midst of the audience, letting the TED format crisply do its thing. In the first episode telecast on Sunday, the speakers included Gautam Bhan, an expert on human settlements; Shubhendu Sharma, a former engineer who now makes urban forests; Dr Manu Prakash, a physicist who showed how effective low-cost science experiments can be; Sneha Khanwalkar, a popular music composer; Manju Kapoor, a novelist speaking about the need for Indian men to have better emotional education; and finally Anirudh Sharma, a young scientist whoinspired by Khans Swadescame back to India and has found a way to reduce carbon-dioxide and harvest ink from polluted air. These are all speakers and subjects thaton first glancewe might not have chosen from TEDs unending lineup. Most of them arent buzzy enough to immediately go viral and be shared over and over on Facebook, earning their weight in wow" emojis. This is what makes the selection a good one, a thoughtfully considered one that focusses on making the viewer contemplate and converse about the issues discussed. Bhan, for example, made an immediate impact by appealing to us not to call settlementsthe Hindi word for which is the soothing word basti", which literally means to settle"by the pejorative term slums". With Khan promising the same, I already expect many young Indians to stop using the word. Khan is in fine touch, relaxed and confident without trying too hard. He does occasionally emphasise his exclamation marks somewhat too hardthe opening Lets talk, India" clarion call comes with an over-urgency like hes saying the words for the first time, and later in the show he dramatically says After all, Im an Indian man too" as if this were a revelationbut he does rather well overall, and looks genuinely interested. This is what makes the difference and could make TED Talks India Nayi Soch a success. This is a clearly well-intentioned show, one that has masterfully avoided the Bollywood circus (while hiring one of its top ringmasters) as well as overt emotionality as we saw in Aamir Khans distractingly tear-stained Satyamev Jayate. This show features speakers talking about their passions while Khan and other audience members look on, utterly engrossed by what is being said. Your mileage may vary regarding the speakers and talks themselvesI liked Bhan and Sharmas presentations best, while Khanwalkars was disappointing and Kapoor offered no new insightbut the interested audience" shots function in this narrative like a laugh track does in a sitcom. Here, then, is to that delightful idea: that of intrigue itself being an infectious thing. Raja Sen tweets @rajasen There are pivotal moments in every faith-walk that can change the path of a believer. Tom Kaden had one about 11 years ago while he was stranded in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of West Virginia the night before Christmas Eve. His Jeep Cherokee developed a flat tire around 11:30 p.m., and the New Jersey native faced an awful truth the used vehicle had a spare tire but a broken jack. We had not seen a car for about an hour, recalled Kaden, 36, of Mount Holly Springs. There were no lights. It was so dark. Pitch black, to be precise, with a seasonal mix of precipitation and temperatures in the 30s. Kaden had no choice but to consider his scant options with his wife in the passenger seat. She was three to four months pregnant at the time. He could chance leaving her behind and make for a house off in the distance, or he could try to walk the 15 miles to the next exit hoping to find some help. Kaden stayed put, resigned to the fact that eventually the gas would run out, the heat would go off and the cold would creep in. With no cellphone service, the situation looked bleak. That was when Kaden saw the light. Christmas miracle It was not a flash of insight or a divine calling card, but the emergency lights of a police cruiser pulling up behind his vehicle. Officer Anderson may have been drawn in by the four-way flashers. What followed was a version of the good Samaritan story, but with an air of mystery. There was nobody by the name of Officer Anderson on the police roster when Kaden called the station the day after Christmas to offer up his thanks. Kadens full story can be found in Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Book of Christmas Miracles available for purchase in bookstores and online. The book is an anthology of 101 previously published true stories that showcase examples of divine intervention, holiday angels, answered prayers, forgiveness, gratitude, random acts of kindness, the joy of giving and family reunions. A Book of Christmas Miracles is one of four Chicken Soup titles selected to be fundraisers for charities in 2017. Royalties from the book will go to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, which provides holiday gifts to children who might not otherwise receive any. For Kaden, the story Stranded was the first in his writing career. As the founder and chief executive officer of the Someone to Tell It To ministry in Harrisburg, Kaden has published two books, each with the theme of reaching out to people in times of deepest need and showing them compassion. Ive always kept him in the back of my mind, Kaden said of Officer Anderson. He went way beyond the call of duty driving us out of his jurisdiction and setting us up with a mechanic. Inspiration The example set by the mystery police officer proved an inspiration for Kaden who, in December 2006, was still trying to define his calling during his first year as a graduate student at the Asbury Theological Seminary in Willmore, Kentucky. That June, Kaden had married Sarah Carr of North Middleton Township who he met in 2005 while he was working as a youth minister intern at the Carlisle Evangelical Free Church in South Middleton Township. Kaden graduated from Messiah College in 2004 with a bachelors degree in public relations and a minor in business. His wife earned a nursing degree from Bloomsburg University. They met in an adult Bible study group. The two were on their way from Kentucky to the Carlisle area the night before Christmas Eve 2006 when the Jeep Cherokee broke down in West Virginia on a lonely stretch of Interstate 79. The compassion the officer showed at a time of deepest need stayed with Kaden and influenced him to develop a ministry with his friend and fellow clergyman Michael Gingerich. The heart of our ministry is to reach out with compassion to those who need to be heard and whose stories need to be told, Kaden said. We accompany people who are carrying a heavy burden in life. We want to work to combat this epidemic of loneliness and disconnection. Officer Anderson was not the only person to influence Kaden and the direction of his faith-walk. While a student at Messiah College, Kaden landed a paid internship position with a Wall Street public relations firm during the summer between his sophomore and junior years. He only lasted a couple weeks on the job. While the pay was good, the stress level was high and the hours were long and demanding. But there was something deeper at work, and it took a chance encounter with a female supervisor in an elevator to point it out. She looked me in the eye and asked Why are you here? Kaden said. I answered I dont know. Frustrated and flustered, Kaden broke down in tears but later took comfort in her blunt approach. She saw something in me that I was not seeing in myself, Kaden said. She was a follower of Jesus. Starting his junior year, Kaden put a greater emphasis on taking as many courses as possible in Biblical studies. That prepared him for the next stage in his calling as a minister: graduate work at the Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. PHILADELPHIA Pat Pomroy had just gained custody of two of her young grandchildren and wanted to say prayers with them. But she had no idea how. Robert and Rachael were deaf. In Pomroys struggle to learn enough American Sign Language (ASL) to get through the basics of everyday life with them, expressions of faith would have to wait. Then Pomroy came upon a teacher, one who could show her and her grandchildren that the sign for Jesus Christ is a finger alternately tapping the palm of the opposite hand, in reference to the crucifixion; that a clap followed by hands and fingers spinning in the air is alleluia; that palms together with a twisting motion means peace. Until she met Sister Kathleen Schipani four years ago, I didnt have a way to communicate religion and faith to the children, said Pomroy, of Croydon. My faith has seen me through a lot of things in my life, and I want them to have the same. Schipani, director of the Archdiocese of Philadelphias Deaf Apostolate, has since enlisted Robert and Rachael, now 11 and 8 years old, as stars of an app she has created to teach families with deaf children how to pray, worship and talk about faith in ASL. Religious Signs for Families is one of the first apps to focus solely on religious terminology, giving visual interpretations to concepts such as prayer, blessing, and praise. When parents go to community programs to learn sign, they are not learning religious signing, said Schipani, 62. Religious topics dont come up in these settings. In her new app, seven adults and 13 children sign words including angel and blessing, and simple prayers such as God bless mommy, Holy Spirit, guide me, and Angel of God, watch over me as I sleep. The signs are captioned and voiced in English and Spanish. Schipani introduced the app available on iPhone and Android platforms for $2.99 at an October meeting at the Vatican of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, which included seminars on how to involve people with disabilities in church life. The $20,000-project is being funded by the Deaf Apostolate, several small grants, and proceeds from app sales. Schipani said she hopes it will be the first of several developed by her office, which serves about 900 households in the archdiocese. The app is a marvelous and glorious tool for families, said Roz McKelvey, an ASL interpreter, foster parent to deaf children, and founder and president of Germantown Deaf Ministries Fellowship, a faith-based social services agency. At her own congregation, Grace United Methodist Church in West Oak Lane, she leads a monthly religious sign class that teaches the ABCs and colors, the basics, of religious sign language. Likewise, Schipanis app introduces elementary words and concepts, most of which can be applied across Christian denominations, and even to some other faith traditions, Schipani said. Prayers such as God, thank you for my family and God, keep me safe are ecumenical requests of the almighty. Nonetheless, there are distinctions. Like other languages, ASL has expressions that are specific to region, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender and religion, said Dr. Kirk VanGilder, an associate professor at Gallaudet University, a college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Washington. For instance, the sign for baptism might be based on the sprinkling of water on an infant in one religious tradition, and the full immersion of an adult in another. Religious signing in Judaism has an added complexity, requiring the interpretation of the Hebrew used in services, prayers and rituals, said Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, director of the office of Whole Community Inclusion at Jewish Learning Venture, a Jenkintown nonprofit that advocates Jewish engagement. Thirty years ago, as an eighth-grade teacher, Schipani began learning what she calls a basic form of sign language to better reach students with intellectual disabilities. When a child with deaf parents invited her to a Mass at which the priest and participants used ASL, Schipani joined them to worship and practice her signing. I fell in love with the language, she said. Signing is conceptual. You sign the concept, not the spoken word, Schipani said. For instance, the signs for running as in jogging, or for your nose is running, or for a run in your stocking are all different. That is the case in religious signs. Through the years, she has come to understand the challenges in communicating religious language to children who are deaf. In families for whom faith is important, spirituality is so ingrained in their everyday life that is passed on by incidental learning, Schipani said. Youngsters learn by hearing adults talk to each other about faith. A deaf child (in a hearing family) misses that incidental learning, she said. Sometimes, hearing parents and their deaf children are learning ASL at the same time. Parents face the difficulty of conveying abstract concepts about faith in a language that isnt their first. With the app, Schipani aims to help families adapt. To develop it, she turned to CANCAN Productions, based in Oxford, Chester County. Co-owners Catherine Miller and Ann Calamia had met Schipani about 10 years ago while making Universal Signs, an award-winning film about a troubled young man who is deaf. The three women then collaborated on a video series about deaf children preparing for confirmation, produced for the National Catholic Office for the Deaf. They began working on the app more than two years ago. Schipani put together a focus group made up of deaf parents, some of them literacy specialists, to brainstorm. They carved out categories such as Religious Words and Religious Actions, divided prayers into groups that include blessing, thank you, and peace prayers. The filmmakers used a crew that included deaf people and interpreters, and found programmers to turn their videos into an app. Pomroys grandchildren sign some of the prayers. Before she got custody of Robert and Rachael, Pomroy attended ASL classes at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. The children had been going to public school, but she instead chose a Catholic education for them. When the family met Schipani, they knew few signs associated with religion and faith. Its difficult for parents when they have to learn a new language to meet the needs of their children, said Meghan Dearnley, Racheal and Roberts social worker. Having an app that is so visually accessible makes the process easier. Having it on cool technology makes it even better. President Trump won the election as a populist.He excoriated everyone else in the primaries. His voters loved him for calling out Clinton as Crooked Hillary. His campaign was built upon ridiculing the Washington elitists, including a major political media rightly perceived as fawning over Democrats and liberals until those Democrats or liberals follies were beyond ignoring. The insiders recoiled as millions cheered as Trump laid bare every other candidates weaknesses, including chastising Hillary for aiding and abetting her husbands abuse of women. When Democratic Senator Al Frankens physical abuse of women became photographically undeniable, Trump tweeted to the world, Frankenstein. When House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi circled the Democratic Party wagons around Frankengroper and Democratic Senator John Conyers, Americans including me called her out on her partisan hypocrisy as she cried for her Democrats to rally around due process while convicting Republican Roy Moore as a child molester without any due process. Since then, two horrible actions for the Republican Party occurred. First, Pelosi gave in to public pressure to call for Conyers to resign, as multiple accusers (and a paper trail of a settlement to a former aide) came forth. Then, Trump completely destroyed any moral advantage for the Republicans. While Alabama Republicans were isolated by the rest of the party in defending Moore, Trump put on his designer muck boots and joined the Alabama swamp. He endorsed Moore. Why? Because, like the Democrats, he would sacrifice truth, honor and respect for political office for the expediency of ensuring votes for his agenda. Its the same reason the National Organization for Women and other such groups defended Bill Clinton against charges of rape and abuse; Clinton promised to support their political causes. Trumps hypocrisy is endorsing a man with multiple accusations of predatory behavior, including rolling around in his underwear with a 14 year-old girl while he was in his thirties. Has Moore been prosecuted? No, and were not talking about putting anyone in jail or losing their job due to some presumably jilted lover. Were talking about serving in the U.S. Senate, where perverts and abusers have often prowled and sometimes have been forced out when discovered. Sometimes theyre actually reelected, like Fred Richmond of New York, whom Democrats sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives following his arrest for soliciting a 16-year-old boy. Do voters want ethical representation or do they just want what they want when they want it and they want it now? When it comes to Moore and Republican votes in Congress, there are a lot of Republican voters willing to go tribal and defend Moore. Weve all heard and read Moore defenders saying the charges are 40 years old and why now? and all the women voted for Hillary (They didnt. Two reportedly voted for Trump.) Some seem to truly believe all of these women are paid Democrat party operatives. Sure, Democratic operatives have openly admitted to fomenting violence at Trump rallies, but it seems quite a stretch to presume all of these women are paid operatives, willing to face conviction of false accusations. Heres something else Trump has sacrificed for the expediency of a guaranteed vote for his policies. Should Moore be elected to the Senate, Republicans will have a harder time repairing their brand than Democrats. Historically, Republican voters have been less likely to return alleged and accused sexual offenders to Congress and the Presidency than Democrats. That hasnt hurt Democrats in the long run ... or in the short-term, either. Conyers has already tag-teamed his son to replace him and Minnesotas Democratic Governor will simply appoint another Democrat. And despite Trumps capricious capacity for inventing invectives, I doubt many Congressional Republicans would publicly refer to Al Franken as Frankenstein during the final weeks leading to his presumed resignation. It would be no surprise if gavel-wielding Democrats would grandstand for the press in meetings, sessions and hearings acknowledging Roy Moore in the most Pelosi-inspired way, saying, The Chair recognizes the child molester from Alabama. Rick Jensen is an award-winning Delaware talk show host and national columnist. Email Rick@DBCMedia.com. JERUSALEM (AP) Breaking with decades of U.S. policy, President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital last week, a declaration that set off a wave of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces and drew sharp criticism from U.S. allies in the Middle East and beyond. Here's a look at why the U.S. recognition of the holy city as Israel's capital matters. JERUSALEM'S CURRENT STATUS Israel has considered Jerusalem its capital since the state's establishment in 1948 and sees the city as the ancient capital of the Jewish people. In the 1967 Mideast war, Israel captured the city's eastern sector and later annexed it in a move that is not recognized internationally. Israel's government ministries and institutions are all located in Jerusalem and Israelis across the political spectrum see the city as their capital. Israel is likely the only country in the world whose capital isn't recognized internationally. The Palestinians equally lay claim to Jerusalem and want the eastern part of the city as capital of their future state. Some 200,000 Palestinians live in that part of the city and Palestinians claim a deep cultural, historical and religious connection to the city. The Old City, located in east Jerusalem, is home to sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. These include the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site. It is one of the most explosive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to that end, the United States, along with most other countries, has maintained its embassy in Tel Aviv, saying the status of Jerusalem should be resolved between the sides in negotiations. THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUMP'S DECLARATION The U.S. remains the world's most influential superpower and a key player across the region. For the past quarter of a century, it has played a special role as the lead mediator between Israel and the Palestinians in on-again, off-again peace talks. Although it cannot singlehandedly dictate a solution to the Jerusalem dispute, its opinions carry great weight with both parties and traditionally influence others to follow its lead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been one of Trump's most vocal supporters globally and has been outspoken about his gratitude for Trump's declaration on Jerusalem. But the Palestinians, and much of the international community, view the declaration as a unilateral action that could dash hopes for a negotiated two-state solution. WANING AMERICAN INFLUENCE As with other issues such as climate change and global free trade agreements, Trump finds himself at odds with the international community. American friends and foes alike have almost universally criticized Trump's decision with exceptionally harsh language. The European Union, along with Germany, Britain and France, as well as the pope and key Arab allies, have denounced the move. While the U.S. remains a power in the region, its influence in the Middle East has been on the decline. Some saw U.S. weakness in the Obama administration's handling of the war in Syria and its concessions to Iran for the 2015 nuclear deal. Trump's insistence on putting "America first" seems to presage a further drawdown. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to rally the world against the U.S. decision, reaching out to traditional Arab allies as well as Europeans nations. As a first step, the Palestinians asked the U.N. Security Council to demand that the U.S. decision be rescinded. ANGER AND WEARINESS Trump's announcement has elicited shock, sadness and anger from Arabs across the Middle East. But there have also been feelings of resignation and shrugs from many who have long given up on their leaders standing up to either Israel or the United States. The Palestinians have been worn down by decades of conflict and years of stalled peace efforts, as their cause has been overshadowed by the fighting in Syria and Iraq, and regional concerns about Iran. Many of their Sunni Arab allies are believed to have expanded covert ties with Israel to counter Tehran. Randa Slim, an analyst with the Washington-based Middle East Institute, tweeted on Wednesday: "In times of fear and repression and revolution fatigue I will not be surprised if we don't see the kind of demonstrations people expect. This does not mean people are not angry. How people express their anger is different than in past." Israel and the U.S. may be counting on this crisis to pass, allowing Trump to renew his efforts to clinch what he calls "the ultimate deal," while leaving Israel firmly in control of the holy city. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Hate groups and prominent members of the alt-right movement have been testing the limits of free speech by visiting college campuses over the years. Alt-right is defined as an offshoot of conservatism which mixes racism, white nationalism, anti-Semitism and populism, or, more simply, a white nationalist movement. High-profile figures like Richard Spencer and Milo Yiannopoulos have caused protests when they visit institutions of higher learning. HAVE YOU SEEN THEM: White supremacist group gives Nazi salutes, posts banners on Southern Methodist University Students accuse Spencer and people with similar views of spreading racist rhetoric that is similar to Nazi beliefs. Spencer, meanwhile, argues that he has a right to free speech and to exercise the First Amendment. Now Playing: FOX 26 News Reporter Natasha Geigel Video: Fox 26 Houston Not all hate groups are so open with their visits, however. The white supremacist group, Texas Vanguard, tweeted photos on Dec. 3 of members giving a Nazi salute in front of a Christmas tree and in front of a banner that read "White men save your people reject the droid beast" on the Southern Methodist University campus after hours while wearing skull masks. Police and university officials are still searching for the people in the photos. Scroll through the slideshow above to see which hate groups that have made their presence known on college campuses. Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter. Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How "The Graduate" Became the Touchstone of a Generation By Beverly Gray Algonquin. 304 pp. $24.95 --- Is 50 the new 20? Does "The Graduate" - a blockbuster movie celebrating its 50th anniversary this year - retain the flush of youth? Beverly Gray argues that it does, and has written "Seduced by Mrs. Robinson" to explore how an obscure novel, a neophyte film director, unlikely casting and a pop music score revolutionized post-studio Hollywood. Gray uses a "making of" approach to examine how this mash-up of a movie made magic. The key figure was director Mike Nichols, who turned to movies after his comedy partnership with Elaine May dissolved. Nichols framed "The Graduate" as a story about young boomers rejecting the mid-century world honed by their parents. Twenty-one-year-old Benjamin Braddock is the touchstone, the prototype for a new generation's "general malaise." As fans of the movie know, Benjamin's parents live in Los Angeles. When he returns from college in the East, he feels trapped in a hometown where now, Gray writes, he "can see and be seen, but remains forever cut off." His parents throw him a graduation party and give him a frogman's outfit. Mr. Braddock forces him to don the scuba suit and jump into the family pool, and Nichols shapes that scene to portray the submerged Benjamin as "some exotic, but glassed-in sea creature, placed on exhibit to dazzle his parents' friends." To the Braddocks, Benjamin is their "trophy son." For the role of Benjamin, Nichols cast against type. Instead of a Southern California hunk, he selected a still-unknown Dustin Hoffman. Nichols said he identified with Hoffman as "a short, dark, Jewish, anomalous presence, which is how I experience myself." Nichols wanted Benjamin to radiate the discomfort of an outsider - to know only that he didn't want to be submerged in the world of his parents. Nichols chose respected actress Anne Bancroft as the seductress, and he framed Mrs. Robinson as a predator. Her wardrobe evoked tiger and leopard motifs, and she wore extravagant furs. "All her clothes are animals," Nichols said. Yet Mrs. Robinson was only a diversion. She is part of an older world, and Nichols told Hoffman to imagine that Benjamin "is still in bed with his parents' generation." Benjamin suddenly finds purpose by falling in love with Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine. She is marrying someone else, but nothing stops Benjamin once he's in command mode. He grabs Elaine from her wedding and whisks her off on a city bus. They both look confused, and the movie ends ambiguously as "The Sound of Silence" plays in the background. Is darkness ahead, or is the bus heading into a sunset? Gray views their future with optimism, suggesting that "whatever age you may be, if the vision that was planted in your brain still flickers, it's a sign you retain a shard of Benjamin Braddock's youthful capacity for hope and wonder." Will the wonder last? Ben's self-discovery is what attracted Gray to write "Seduced by Mrs. Robinson" in the first place. Growing up in the '60s, she embraced "The Graduate" because it made her understand "how badly we wanted to distance ourselves from the world of our parents." Fifty years later, she has adopted the movie as a generational template, and for most of the book she writes smartly and insightfully about how the characters were shaped by a disruptive age. The final section focuses on how "The Graduate" became a transformative force in Hollywood filmmaking, but here Gray's discussion tends to ramble. Despite this weakness, though, the book as a whole offers a fascinating look at how this movie tells a timeless story: that life is always about making choices. --- Henderson is historian emerita of the National Portrait Gallery. She writes frequently on media and culture. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In a 24-hour period, Border Patrol agents rescued over 20 immigrants in Laredo, Hebbronville, Freer and Zapata. The immigrants, who had entered the country illegally, had fallen into distress due to the recent severe cold temperature conditions or after they became lost while walking in the brush. Border Patrol agents, including those assigned to the Laredo Sector Horse Patrol Unit, were deployed to locate the distressed immigrants throughout different locations in the Laredo and surrounding communities. As a result, 25 were rescued in nine different events. Some who were located displayed symptoms of moderate to severe hypothermia; however, after Border Patrol agents certified as emergency medical technicians assisted in evaluating them and providing initial care, they were able to recover their core body temperatures. RELATED: 16-year-old homicide suspect wanted by LPD captured by Border Patrol The immigrants were determined to be from Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras. Border Patrol agents in the Del Rio Sector said they rescued a family of undocumented immigrants, one of whom died, and found 14 others who were lost in the cold. "Crossing the border illegally poses multiple hazards," said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Felix Chavez. "Sadly another human life was lost (Thursday) while attempting to illegally enter the United States." In the morning hours of Dec. 7, Eagle Pass Station agents were relayed a distress call, originating from the local 911 system, from a group of three people lost on a remote ranch. The caller stated they had been separated from a larger group of migrants and that one was suffering in the extreme cold. When agents located the three individuals one had already died. The Mexican Consulate was notified and Maverick County Sheriff's Office responded to the area to take custody of the body. READ MORE: Laredo Border Patrol agents arrest MS-13 gang member At the scene, agents also determined that more immigrants were potentially lost in the surrounding area. After a few hours of searching, agents from the Eagle Pass Station, Eagle Pass South Station, Uvalde Station, and the Del Rio Sector Border Patrol Special Operations Detachment located 14 other undocumented immigrants crossing though the ranch. With frigid temperatures, and the first substantial snowfall in Eagle Pass in for than 30 years, agents potentially saved their lives. The group was transported to the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center for treatment, stemming from exposure to the cold. Upon medical release, they will be transported to the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station for processing as per CBP guidelines. For fiscal year 2017, which ended on Sept. 30, Del Rio Sector documented 17 border deaths. The Del Rio Border Patrol Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. Country Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Despite the launch of ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft in Laredo earlier this year, the number of DWI arrests in the Gateway City is up 17 percent compared to last year. Data provided by the Laredo Police Department shows that 369 DWI arrests were made from Jan. 1, 2016 to Nov. 27, 2016. During that same time period this year, 433 DWI arrests were made. Whether ride-hailing services will curtail drunk driving in a city that averages 200 alcohol-related crashes a year remains to be seen. Some community leaders said there needs to be more awareness about the ride-hailing services, which offer residents an easy, safe ride home at the click of a button on their cellphone. One ride-hailing service driver said he thinks "machismo" may play a factor in some men not taking advantage of Uber or Lyft. Some may be too prideful to request a ride or believe they can drive drunk, the driver said. MORE ON LMTOnline.com: October 2017 DWI arrests in Webb County Several studies have been conducted to try to determine whether ride-hailing services prevent drunk driving. Jessica Lynn Peck, a doctoral candidate at the City University of New York Graduate Center who wrote a study, a working paper that was published in January, told The New York Times, "We need more evidence, but the trend seems to be pointing toward ridesharing reducing drunk driving incidents." "But not all studies have reached the same conclusion," a New York Times article published in April states. "One report, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology last year, looked at 100 densely populated counties across the United States and found no correlation between the rollout of Uber services and the number of traffic fatalities. "But none of these reports has been as unequivocal as the one Uber itself released in 2015. It stated that in several major cities, Uber ridership peaked at times when drunken driving accidents tend to happen." Uber reported that in Seattle, arrests made for driving under the influence decreased 10 percent after the introduction of services. And in places in California, the number of alcohol-related crashes every month decreased by 6.5 percent among young drivers. RELATED: Uber launches in Laredo "Several independent studies have shown Uber's presence in cities can help reduce drunk-driving," an Uber spokeswoman told The New York Times. "We're glad to provide an alternative to drunk driving that helps people make safer, more responsible choices." Uber and Lyft did not respond to requests for comment on this story. Elizabeth Alonzo Villarreal, president and founder of Laredoans Against Drunk Driving, or LADD, said the community needs to become aware of these services. "As you can see, the comparison has increased. However, Lyft and Uber have not been operating in Laredo that long. LADD promotes for these services to be utilized.However, I feel there is not enough educational efforts out there," Alonzo Villarreal said. Serving Children And Adults in Need also suggests people use Uber and Lyft but agrees with Alonzo that the services have not been in Laredo that long. Lyft launched in Laredo in March and Uber in July. "We encourage more people to use Uber and Lyft services if they plan to drink or plan to have a sober friend drive them home. Not a lot of people tend to use Uber and Lyft services in Laredo since they are fairly new to our community," said Veronica Jimenez, program director for the Webb County Community Coalition of SCAN. "The holidays are approaching us and this is an excellent time to raise awareness of these services to hopefully minimize the amounts of DWIs in our community." Avoiding a DWI is simple, Alonzo said. RELATED: Lyft allowed to operate without regulations in Laredo "Just don't drive drunk. Just don't get behind the wheel. It is so easy to eliminate DWIs in Webb County. Just don't drive. Have a plan," she said. "Getting a ticket is the least of worries. Causing a death is more devastating and it can all be avoided if the person just doesn't get behind the wheel." Sometimes people think that if they have one or two alcoholic beverages, it's OK to drive but this is not true, Jimenez said. "If you plan to drink any amount of alcohol, then you should plan ahead and find a way to get home safely," she said. Drinking alcohol affects judgment, depth perception and physical reaction time, Jimenez said. She added that planning ahead is essential if a person plans to drink alcohol because the effects of a split-second decision of drinking and driving can't be reversed once a person is hurt or killed. "About every 20 minutes in Texas, someone is hurt or killed in a vehicle accident that involves alcohol. Driving while intoxicated affects many lives and families. There are many lives lost and affected because people choose to drink and drive," Jimenez said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Zapata County tax assessor-collector allegedly kissed women on their neck and inappropriately touched them while acting as a public servant, according to court documents. An indictment filed Nov. 29 against Luis Lauro Gonzalez states he kissed two women on their neck and touched them on the "legs, or shoulders, or back knowing that the advances or requests or touching or comments was not welcomed by the complainant." RELATED: Man accused of sexually assaulting 16-year-old girl in local park out on bond Gonzalez, 57, allegedly kissed and inappropriately touched two women and inappropriately touched a third, according to court records. Texas Rangers arrested Gonzalez on Nov. 30. He was charged with five counts of official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Gonzalez, who is out on bond, could not be reached for comment. The Department of Public Safety said it initiated an investigation after receiving allegations of "oppression (sexual misconduct)" involving Gonzalez. At least three female county employees and a fourth woman came forward reporting "unwanted touching" by Gonzalez, according to county officials. The Texas Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case. Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell expressed disappointment. READ MORE: Border Patrol agents rescue over 20 immigrants during cold weather snap "It's disappointing and troubling anytime an elected official is indicted on any charges. At this point, we're going to let the legal process take its course," he said. Rathmell previously said that three female employees accused Gonzalez of sexual harassment. A fourth female employed at another location also came forward with an allegation. In May, Rathmell sent a letter to Gonzalez requesting him to work from home. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A lot has happened in the year since Raven Petroleum announced it would be building a $500 million, 50,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery near Laredo. Officials from Webb, Duval and Jim Hogg counties immediately touted the economic boost and hundreds of potential jobs that would come out of this project. A few months later, though, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina withdrew his support, citing Raven's vague details about the refinery. A group of wary Laredo and Bruni residents concerned about the project's environmental impact formed South Texans Against the Refinery, or STAR. They have held several town hall meetings in Bruni, which is only four miles away from the proposed refinery site, and right along its prevailing wind pattern. RELATED: UTEP Professor: South Texas refinery will cost $1.9 billion, four times the previous estimate Most recently in July, Raven's Managing Director Christoper Moore addressed the public about this project, now officially dubbed the South Texas Energy Complex, for the first time. He told LMT he had nine senior managers working on the project, and that he planned to expand to a team of about 45. But also in this year there's a lot that hasn't happened. In November 2016, when Moore first announced Raven's plans, he said they were on schedule to break ground in 2017 with a possibility for the refinery to be in service by 2018. But 2017 is nearing its end, and Raven has yet to file its air permit application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which can take around a year to be approved, according to the commission's website. TCEQ's approval of this application is a required step to begin construction on the refinery. Moore said Thursday that while they would have liked to have broken ground this year, they are still on track to break ground in the near future. RELATED: New refinery on Webb County border will create 300-400 jobs, Raven Petroleum says "We are currently finalizing and negotiating with several customers for product or off-take agreements and suppliers or feedstock agreements. These are some of the final pieces to be completed that give us the values for our permit application," Moore wrote in an email to LMT. "As I said in July and again in August, we are in no rush to file the permit, but are more concentrated on aligning the design engineering and agreements to develop the products that will deliver the greatest value and sustainability in the marketplace. "Our concern for the long-term viability of the project has always come first, and when the market agreements and engineering are aligned, the project will continue to move forward." Tricia Cortez, a member of STAR and the executive director of the Rio Grande International Study Center, has been concerned about the health and safety hazards that tend to come along with refineries. But until Raven files their TCEQ permit, details regarding emissions, for example, remain unknown. She also believes Raven could have done a much better job with community outreach. Typically with a project such as this, project leaders will meet with members of neighboring communities to gather their input before planning begins. People living near the proposed site have been ignored and excluded, Cortez said, and Raven is essentially saying that this project is happening whether they like it or not. READ MORE: Man charged in 2016 Christmas crash on Mines Road that left one dead Even though Raven is behind on their deadlines, and still no permits have been filed, Cortez does not believe the refinery isn't happening. "Until this project is off the table, we're still going to stay on top of it, and we're still going to demand a lot of answers to these questions," she told LMT. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized a significant amount of alleged crystal methamphetamine and heroin with an estimated street value of more than $4 million in one enforcement action. READ MORE: Man charged in 2016 Christmas crash on Mines Road that left one dead "Our CBP officers play a vital role in safeguarding our communities by intercepting these dangerous narcotics and preventing them from entering our country," said (A) Port Director Albert Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. "This seizure was significant and I commend the officers for maintaining their vigilance as they utilized the tools available to them, which have proven to be very effective against the criminal element." The seizure occurred on Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge when a CBP officer referred a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by a 34-year-old-female United States citizen who was traveling with a 25-year-old-female United States citizen and a 23-year-old male United States citizen for a secondary examination. The passengers and driver are all residents of Dallas, Texas. A canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection of the vehicle by CBP officers resulted in the discovery of 24 packages containing 137 pounds of alleged crystal methamphetamine and 6 packages containing 48 pounds of alleged heroin. The narcotics combined have an estimated street value of $4,039,622. RELATED: Man accused of sexually assaulting 16-year-old girl in local park out on bond CBP officers seized the narcotics and the vehicle. The driver and the passengers of the vehicle were arrested and the case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two men who allegedly took part in a shooting that left two people injured outside a north Laredo bar are now facing burglary and drug possession charges, authorities said. Laredo police said Pablo Antonio Gonzalez, 21, and Eduardo Gonzalez, 22, and two other suspects broke into a home to steal 141.2 pounds of marijuana. READ MORE: Man accused of sexually assaulting 16-year-old girl in local park out on bond Each was served with warrants for burglary of a habitation with intent to commit other felony and felony possession of marijuana. They remained behind bars at the Webb County Jail, where they were held for the bar shooting on an aggravated assault with firearm charge. Last month, police arrested and identified the two other suspects as Guadalupe Bedarte, 34, and Juan Manuel Delgado, 31. Bedarte is facing the same charges as the Gonzalez duo while Delgado was charged only with burglary of habitation with intent to commit other felony. Officers responded to a burglary of a habitation report Nov. 7 in the 6400 block of Casa del Sol Boulevard. A man stated that four masked males armed with handguns had assaulted him, according to police. The suspects allegedly fled in a brown or white sport utility vehicle. RELATED: Two men shot, three arrested after fight outside north Laredo bar, police say Officers said they spotted a vehicle matching the description and conducted a traffic stop in the 4300 block of Texas 359. But the occupants allegedly took off running. Officers then discovered the suspect vehicle was loaded with six bundles of marijuana. Police caught up with a male who was identified as Delgado. He was allegedly found with a .40-caliber handgun on his waist, according to police. "Delgado was then taken to the Laredo Police Department where he confessed that he had just robbed marijuana from a stash house with his buddies," police said in a statement. READ MORE: Raid of Laredo stash house led to arrest, cocaine seizure, police say Investigators said they identified the fleeing occupants through video surveillance from a nearby convenience store. They were identified as Pablo Antonio Gonzalez, Eduardo Gonzalez and Bedarte. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Marc Schmidt/A24 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Marc Schmidt/TNS Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Indie drama The Florida Project was the big winner at this years San Francisco Film Critics Circle awards meeting; the story of poverty-stricken families struggling near a Disney resort received best picture of the year. Andy Serkis won the best actor award for his motion capture performance in War for the Planet of the Apes, while Margot Robbie won best actress for her comic/dramatic performance in I, Tonya. Laurie Metcalf won best supporting actress for Lady Bird, and Willem Dafoe won best supporting actor for The Florida Project. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe is planning to open new locations in College Station, Katy and The Woodlands. The new locations will be situated in retail developments with amenities and offerings in sync with the lifestyle brand. Sweet Paris is a restaurant offering a selection of sweet and savory made-from-scratch crepes. The locations represent a strategic planned expansion for the very popular and successful restaurant concept. Opening dates for all are expected to be spring of 2018. Sweet Paris Katy will be the newest addition to La Centerra at Cinco Ranch, a premier retail and restaurant center located on the western edge of Houston. The restaurant will encompass 1,824 square feet of space plus a beautiful patio and seats 80. Sweet Paris College Station will be located in Century Square adjacent to Texas A&M University. The new center is redefining shopping and dining for the bustling Brazos River Valley community. The restaurant will comprise 2,280 square feet plus a generous patio and seats 140. Details on The Woodlands location are being finalized and expected to be announced in the near future. The founders, Allison and Ivan Chavez, have made it their personal mission to "revive the art of eating crepes." They've traveled the world searching for flavors and new ways to bring this popular street food to the market. They feel that a crepe is a canvas, and a perfect delicious crepe is the result of artistic cooking and using the best and freshest high-quality ingredients. The menu has grown to include waffles, salads, paninis, soups, milkshakes and hot drinks. "We are thrilled to bring the Sweet Paris experience to these new markets in 2018," said Allison Chavez, co-founder. "Many fans have been traveling great lengths to visit us in Houston for years, and now they'll be able to more easily treat friends and family to the delicious and beautiful world of Sweet Paris crepes. We look forward to welcoming friends to our gorgeous, new spaces in the new year!" The crepe menu is rounded out by sweet and savory selections. Breakfast crepes are served daily until 3 p.m. There are the signature Nutella crepes with "just" Nutella, or strawberries or bananas can be added. The savory crepes include a Chicken Enchilada and Chicken Carbonara, Ham and Gruyere with smoked ham, aged gruyere, Dijon mustard, fresh oregano and bechamel sauce; Turkey, Grapes & Brie roasted turkey, French brie, red grapes, spring mix, walnuts and Dijon mustard vinaigrette; Truffled Caprese mozzarella, basil-infused cherry tomatoes and truffle oil; and The Vegan portobello mushroom, black bean puree, corn salsa and chipotle sauce. Salads, seasonal soups and paninis are sunny additions to the menu. A fresh Spinach Quinoa is a vegan option, and the Salade de Chevre is a new take on bistro fare made with spring mix, goat cheese, walnuts, almonds, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, parmesan crisps and Dijon vinaigrette. New on the menu is a selection of milkshakes, including the Nutella Graham, Very Berry, Reese's and Toasted Coconut Dulce De Leche. The restaurants will be open daily. In addition to menu items, Nutella Hot Chocolate, coffees, wine, champagne and mimosas, beer and hard cider will be available. Sweet Paris, a Houston-based company, currently operates three locations in Houston Rice Village, Houston CityCentre and Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. For more information, visit online at www.sweetparis.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Citizens of Cleveland gathered at Coats Jewelers on Dec. 5 to celebrate the family-owned business's 85th anniversary. Coats Jewelers is one of Cleveland's oldest, if not the oldest, business in its history. Lawrence Preston Coats founded the business in 1932, which is three years before Cleveland became incorporated as a city. According to current owner and grandson Bobby Coats, Lawrence Coats had an accident, which cost him part of his leg. Lawrence Coats decided to make a career change to suit his new circumstances. "I think he started barbering for a while and then he went into repairing pocket watches," said Bobby Coats. "It just exploded in that direction." The business went from repairing pocket watches to selling jewelry, repairing jewelry, making custom designs, casting, mold making, appraisals and more. "I think there was just a need," said Bobby Coats. Some of those needs include wedding events with customers purchasing wedding bands. "People are always getting married," said Coats. "I think the opportunity just presented itself and he followed it." Lawrence Coats eventually passed the business to his son, Bobby A. Coats, in the early 1960s. Bobby A. Coats is the father of Bobby Coats. "I purchased it from my father about 14 years ago," said Bobby Coats. Coats Jewelers was originally located where Walgreens is today, two doors down from the Anderson Hotel, which was situated on the corner of old US 59 and San Jacinto Street. The owners of the nearby Walker's Dry Goods store retired and Lawrence Coats bought the property. The business has since expanded with one store located in Liberty, Texas and another located in Livingston, Texas. Bobby Coats says the anniversary marks not only a milestone for Coats Jewelers but also for Cleveland, noting that the store would not be where it is today without its customers placing their faith and trust in Coats and his family. "This is a business that requires trust," said Coats. "If a jeweler doesn't have trust he doesn't have anything." Bobby A. Coats expressed his appreciation to the loyal customers that have come to Coats Jewelers for their needs. "Some of them have been with us for many, many years," he said. Bobby A. Coats also thanked his father, Lawrence Coats, for not only starting Coats Jewelers but for also raising him and his siblings. Celebrate the holidays with the Houston Archeological Society, which will feature of a review of 2017 activities at its last meeting of the year. The group will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, in Room 009, Doherty Library at the University of St. Thomas. The meeting will include a special holiday themed snack buffet for members and guests. Bring a holiday snack to share. Meetings are free and open to the public. Linda Gorski, HAS president, will present a review of the projects that the Society has been involved in during 2017 including archeological surveys, excavations and other activities in and around the Houston area. The presentation will include overviews of fieldwork at San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site, HAS participation in International Archeology Day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Public Archeology Dig at Kleb Woods Nature Preserve and its continuing participation with the Texas Department of Transportation and Prewitt and Associates at the Frost Town Project in downtown Houston. She will also report on HAS lab activities, education and public outreach programs, and awards that the Society has received in 2017. Gorski is serving her fifth term as president of the Houston Archeological Society. She is also a Texas Historical Commission Archeological Steward representing Harris County. Gorski is a published co-author of several books with HAS vice president Louis Aulbach including "Camp Logan, Houston, Texas, 1917-1919," which is a detailed account of the activities of the military regiments that trained at Camp Logan during World War I. Their latest publications are entitled "Along the Aurelian Wall" and "Campus Martius and Its Ancient Monuments." These volumes are the first two in a series of self-guided walking tours to archeological sites in Rome, Italy. For a campus map of the University of St. Thomas, go to www.stthom.edu and look for the Interactive Map, Building 22, Doherty Library. Street parking is available as well as paid parking in Moran Center Garage ($5) at the corner of West Alabama and Graustark. Contact Gorski, at lindagorski@cs.com for more information about this program or about the HAS. WASHINGTON - For months, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that the Republican tax plan wouldn't add a penny to the national debt, pledging that more than 100 people in his agency were "working around the clock" to calculate how much additional growth would come from the plan. On Monday, the Treasury Department released the fruit of those efforts: a one-page document asserting that the $1.5 trillion tax plan would generate more than enough to pay for itself. The analysis relies on two big - and controversial - assumptions: that it will generate economic activity well in excess of what independent analysts project, and that the rest of the administration's economic agenda, including regulatory reform, infrastructure spending and an overhaul of the welfare system, will take effect. Treasury's Office of Tax Policy says the U.S. economy will grow 2.9 percent every year for the next 10 years, a large increase from the 1.9 percent per year growth that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is projecting. "One percentage point of higher growth sounds like a little bit, but it's the equivalent of me being one foot taller and able to dunk a basketball," says Mark Mazur, an economist who served as assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury during the Obama administration. Treasury says half of the increased growth would come from the massive cuts to business taxes. The tax plan proposes cutting the corporate rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. The office attributes the rest of the increased growth to multiple factors, including some that have yet to happen and are not part of the tax bill. As the one-page analysis says, "We expect the other half to come from changes to pass-through taxation and individual tax reform, as well as a combination of regulatory reform, infrastructure development and welfare reform as proposed in the [Trump] Administration's Fiscal Year 2018 budget." Treasury estimates that, all told, the tax code changes and other policy efforts would lift economic growth so much that it would generate $1.8 trillion in new revenue over 10 years, as a bigger economy leads to bigger tax bills. It is an analysis far different from other groups. A recent analysis by the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), Congress's nonpartisan scorekeeper, predicted that the Senate tax bill would add about 0.1 percent more a year to growth over the next decade, far less than what Treasury says. JCT took into account the economic effects of the tax cuts to individual and business taxes, but not other policy changes advocated by the administration such as welfare reform. The JCT says the Senate bill's total cost would be $1 trillion after considering growth effects. JCT found almost exactly the same result when it analyzed the House bill and its economic impact: It would boost growth a little, but not nearly enough to cover the entire $1.5 trillion price tag. The House bill would also end up costing $1 trillion, JCT said in a new report out Monday afternoon. Many economists and tax policy experts slammed the Treasury memo as half-baked. There was no supporting documentation with the statement, making it impossible for independent economists to be able to re-create Treasury's work. Independent analysts have forecast that the bill would add $500 billion to nearly $2 trillion to the debt. "Treasury has released a one-page [analysis] which will be used by tax cut advocates to claim that the tax cut pays for itself. It's a joke and no substitute for the career staff running the full macro model they have to analyze effects," New York University tax law professor David Kamin tweeted. Some economists in the Obama administration don't think Treasury ran a model at all. They note that the 2.9 percent growth estimate is what President Trump's budget assumed in the spring. The nation's leading think tanks that analyze tax and budget policies have all released detailed analyses showing that the tax bill would not fully pay for itself. In a new analysis of the Senate GOP tax bill that was also released Monday, the Tax Policy Center found that the bill would still cost $1.5 trillion, even after taking into account economic growth. The Penn-Wharton Budget Model predicts that the tax measure would still add $1.5 trillion to $1.8 trillion to the national debt after factoring in growth. "Even with assumptions favorable to economic growth, the Senate [bill] still increases debt by over $1.5 trillion over the next decade," says economist Kent Smetters, director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model. The Tax Foundation, which supports the GOP tax plan, says it would cost about $500 billion. Treasury is by far the most optimistic of all. Scott Greenberg, a senior analyst at the Tax Foundation, tweeted Monday that what Treasury posted "is not an analysis of the economic effects of the Senate tax bill." Senior administration officials said that different economists could come to different conclusions, but that they wanted to offer some transparency in their perspective. The analysis states, "We acknowledge that some economists predict different growth rates." Kevin Hassett, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, defended the higher growth projections in several TV appearances Monday. "We are going into next year with momentum. It's our view at CEA that all of the capital spending that's going to be drawn back to the U.S. next year is a reason for optimism that we can sustain 3 percent growth for a good, long time," Hassett said on Fox Business. One Republican senator - Tennessee's Sen. Bob Corker - voted against the tax bill because of concerns about how much money it would add to the deficit. The White House has tried to persuade other GOP lawmakers that the Joint Committee on Taxation is wrong and that the bill would not increase the debt. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called the analysis "fake math" that shows Republicans are "grasping at straws." --- The Washington Post's Damian Paletta contributed to this article. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate New York Mayor Bill de Blasio won election in 2013 promising a progressive overhaul of public policy. Robert Anderson Van Wyck won the same office in 1897 with a Tammany Hall-backed campaign featuring the slogan "To Hell with Reform." The two mayors would seem to have little in common, but the genealogy company MyHeritage says it has discovered the mayors are 11th cousins five times removed, sharing an ancestor who was knighted in England in 1487. "To find a genealogical connection between two of the most impactful and significant New Yorkers in the last 120 years is quite extraordinary and unexpected," MyHeritage researcher Nitay Elboym said. Researchers at the company said they were looking for Van Wyck relatives because of the upcoming 120th anniversary of the consolidation of New York's five boroughs into one city, which occurred during his administration. They were surprised to uncover the link to de Blasio, who was born with the name Warren Wilhelm Jr. but dropped it and took his Italian mother's maiden name after his father became estranged from the family. De Blasio did not respond to requests for comment. MyHeritage provided The Associated Press with names from the family trees of de Blasio and Van Wyck going back to Sir Thomas Boteler and his wife, Margaret, who were both born in the 1460s. Sir Thomas and his lady are Van Wyck's 10-times great grandparents and de Blasio's 15-times great grandparents if the research is correct. A titled Englishman may not be the ideal ancestor for de Blasio, a liberal Democrat whose priorities include addressing economic disadvantages in a city he says is often rigged in favor of the rich and powerful. The Van Wyck connection might not be a badge of honor, either. Present-day New Yorkers know Van Wyck for the often-congested expressway to Kennedy Airport that bears his name. Tapped to run by the notoriously corrupt Tammany Hall Democratic machine, Van Wyck presided over the five-borough consolidation and broke ground on New York's first subway tunnels. But his one-term administration was tarnished by the so-called ice trust scandal of 1900. Van Wyck was cleared of wrongdoing in a plan by the American Ice Co. to double the price of ice (a crucial commodity in the age before refrigeration) by Gov. Theodore Roosevelt but lost the 1901 election to Republican reformer Seth Low. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 41-year-old San Francisco plumber who was on a losing streak at local casinos and faced eviction for not paying his rent was found guilty Monday of slaughtering a family of five inside their Ingleside neighborhood home after targeting them for robbery. On its seventh day of deliberations, the San Francisco Superior Court jury found Binh Thai Luc, an undocumented Vietnamese immigrant with a violent criminal past, guilty of five counts of murder in the massacre of the Lei family on March 23, 2012. The victims bludgeoned bodies were found covered in blood and household cleaning products in various rooms of the row house on Howth Street, which had been flooded with water. The damage was so severe and the scene so chaotic that investigators didnt initially know if they were dealing with a quintuple murder or a murder-suicide. Prosecutors said Luc used a hammer to commit one of the worst mass homicides in modern San Francisco history, though the weapon was never found. The defendant was also found guilty of five counts of attempted robbery and two counts of burglary. Because Luc was convicted of murder with special circumstances in this case, lying in wait and committing multiple killings he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. The charges made him eligible for the death penalty, but the district attorneys office did not pursue that punishment. Judge Carol Yaggy will set a sentencing date Tuesday. This was a very gruesome, brutal murder, and were pleased were getting some accountability for the family and for the community, District Attorney George Gascon said. Luc said nothing after the verdict was read. Wearing a light-blue collared shirt and black vest, he leaned in occasionally to whisper to his defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen. He was quite disappointed, Goldrosen said outside the courtroom. He understands that this is the beginning of the process and there are appellate procedures. More for you Trial in gruesome quintuple slayings winds down amid clashing... None of Lucs family members, who occasionally attended the trial, came Monday, nor did relatives of the victims. Police arrested Luc shortly after the killings at a hotel in San Mateo, where investigators found him reading an article in The Chronicle about the crime on his computer, prosecutors said. He was found guilty of killing Hua Shun Lei, 65; his wife, Wan Yi Wu, 62; their daughter, Ying Xue Lei, 37; their son, Vincent Lei, 32; and his wife, Chia Huei Chu, 30. Vincent Leis 12-year-old niece discovered the carnage at 7:45 a.m. and ran out of the home screaming, Mommy, bodies! Bodies! A witness later heard the girls mother, Nicole Lei, on the phone, yelling hysterically, They took the money! The money is gone! prosecutors said. While authorities didnt have an eyewitness place Luc at the scene of the crime, Assistant District Attorney Eric Fleming used numerous pieces of physical evidence to link Luc to the killings. Investigators said Vincent Leis blood was spattered on Lucs jeans, which were discovered at his home. Inside the Lei home, crime scene technicians reported finding Lucs blood on a pack of cigarettes, a receipt and a cabinet drawer. Luc had a cut on his hand when he was arrested shortly after the crime. Police also found a fingerprint on a bottle of window cleaner inside the home that matched Lucs right index finger, prosecutors said. The bodies were covered with bleach and other products, and the killer flooded the home by turning on faucets and detaching pipes under sinks. Goldrosen didnt dispute that Luc was at the scene around the time of the killings. Instead, he argued that someone else attacked the family, suggesting the real killer could have been one of two notorious Chinatown gangsters or possibly a former boyfriend of one of the victims. Goldrosen argued that the prosecution didnt establish a motive for the crimes, which he characterized as gang-style, loan-shark-style slayings. Fleming told the jury that Luc killed the family members while robbing them. He frequented Artichoke Joes Casino in San Bruno and had dumped thousands of dollars gambling in the weeks before the crime. The prosecution even said Luc lost money at a casino on the night of the massacre. The jury was told Luc had been served an eviction notice for not paying his rent, a debt he settled immediately after the killings. When he was arrested, he had $6,518 in cash. Prosecutors said the Lei family kept thousands of dollars in the home, and that Luc knew Vincent Lei from local mah-jongg games. Before the killings, Luc was convicted in 1998 of committing an armed robbery at a Chinese restaurant in San Jose. After he served eight years in San Quentin State Prison, officials handed him over to federal immigration authorities for deportation back to his home country of Vietnam. Vietnamese authorities, however, refused to provide Luc with travel documents, and he was released from custody as required by federal law. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky WASHINGTON - A federal judge Monday is set to home in on a question left open by federal courts since the struggles over detentions of suspected al-Qaida members and other terrorists after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks: how long can the government hold a U.S. citizen captured on the battlefield without letting him challenge his detention? U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the District of Columbia set the 10 a.m. hearing in a petition brought by the ACLU. The organization seeks to represent an unidentified citizen and suspected member of the Islamic State detained as an "enemy combatant" for nearly threemonths without a charge. He was captured in Syria and transferred to the U.S. military. At issue is the U.S. government's assertion that it can secretly hold the man without court review for a to-be-determined "reasonable period" before deciding his disposition. The government is also opposing the ACLU's attempt to be the man's lawyer. The Pentagon disclosed Nov. 30 - at Chutkan's order - that the American had asserted his constitutional rights to a lawyer, halting law enforcement questioning. But the Pentagon stated in filings that it was "not currently aware" whether he wanted to challenge his detention in court. Justice Department lawyers asked Chutkan to toss the ACLU's habeas corpus petition on legal grounds, saying the group could show no relation to the man that would give it standing to sue on his behalf. As a result, the Justice Department argued, the court had no authority to weigh in on wartime detentions by the U.S. military in an overseas conflict zone. Chutkan expressed incredulity at the "circularity" of that claim, saying it was the government that is withholding the man's identity, preventing legal counsel from establishing contact with him or his family. Referring to an assertion of authority to indefinitely detain a citizen without court review, Chutkan said, "That scenario, that kind of unchecked power, is, quite frankly, frightening." ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz in an Oct. 5 filing had called the government's position "Kafkaesque" and "a direct assault" on the authority established by the U.S. Supreme Court during George W. Bush's presidency. "The government's claim that a federal judge does not even have the authority to determine if a U.S. citizen who has been imprisoned for nearly three months wants to challenge his detention is unprecedented, and completely unsupportable," Hafetz said. "It not only strips citizens of a basic constitutional right, but it eliminates the important role of the federal courts as a check on actions by the president." Justice Department civil division attorney Kathryn L. Wyer said the decision of what to do with the detainee is temporary, "still underway, and the government is diligently attempting to reach that determination" but did not know how long it would take. The government has said the man surrendered in Syria to rebel Syrian Democratic Forces, and was turned over to the U.S. military on Sept. 14 and held since in military custody in Iraq. Wyer said the detainee has been visited by the International Committee of the Red Cross and could ask that group to contact his family to seek legal help. The government has said it is complying with the Geneva Conventions in not releasing his name. Wyer warned of "far-reaching consequences whenever U.S. forces detain an individual while engaged in active military operations in a foreign country" if the court ruled any third party could sue on the detainee's behalf in U.S. courts. Some national security law experts have said that there is agreement the executive branch does not have unreviewable discretion to indefinitely detain U.S. citizens captured on a battlefield, but that the military has some leeway to make a decision. The key question is how long is too long, and who decides. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2004 ruled U.S. citizens held as "enemy combatants" under war legislation are entitled to counsel and the right to challenge the evidence against them before a neutral arbiter. But then-Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in a controlling opinion that that right does not attach at the initial capture but instead "only when the determination is made to continue to hold [him]." Chutkan directed both sides to file further arguments on whether the court can directly seek the answer to whether the man wants the ACLU or other private counsel, and whether the government is obligated independently to provide him with an attorney. The Washington Post reported in October that Justice Department officials did not think they had enough evidence to charge the man, who was questioned first by an interagency interrogation team for intelligence purposes and then by an FBI team seeking enough admissible evidence to bring a case against him. The man refused to talk and demanded a lawyer, the officials said. U.S. officials told The Post that the man once had ties to the Pacific Northwest but that most of his family and roots are in the Middle East. Conservative women, shaped by a mixture of party loyalty and a rejection of gender-driven politics, have shown little evidence that they will follow the example of their Democratic sisters and publicly cut ties with men in their political camps who have been accused of sexual misconduct. After female Senate Democrats prompted the resignation of Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., last week, saying they could no longer ignore the growing number of women who alleged he had kissed or groped them against their will, Republican women mostly have responded with shrugs or silence to accusations against men in their party. Few have spoken out against the candidacy of Roy Moore, the Alabama Republican running for the state's open U.S. Senate seat in Tuesday's special election, despite accusations that he pursued or sexually touched teenage girls as young as 14 when he was an assistant district attorney in his 30s. Party loyalty plays a big role in why more Republican women have not demanded that GOP men accused of sexual harassment be held accountable. But a fundamental disagreement about the relevance of sexual harassment as a symptom of gender inequality is also a factor. Ronnee Schreiber, chair of the political science department at San Diego State University, said many conservative women think the current conversation about sexual harassment has been "overblown" by feminists on the left. To them, women's daily lives are less affected by sexual harassment and assault than by the economy and national security. Democratic women, on the other hand, could call for Franken's resignation without appearing to betray their party's fundamental values, Schreiber said. "It's consistent with the ideology of Democrats to be opposed to sexual harassment," Schreiber said. Franken resisted giving up his seat until Wednesday, when Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., publicly called for his resignation. She was quickly joined by several other female senators, followed by several male Democrats. Eventually, more than 30 Democrats urged Franken to step down, which he did in a combative speech, noting that Moore was still on the ballot and President Donald Trump was still in the Oval Office. Americans show a large political divide when asked whether sexual harassment is a serious problem. In a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 92 percent of Democratic women and 86 percent of Democratic men said sexual harassment in the workplace is a problem for women. Among Republican women, 61 percent said sexual harassment of women in the workplace is a problem, as did 56 percent of Republican men. The issue of sexual harassment in the workplace exploded two months ago when several actresses publicly reported that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein had sexually assaulted them. It also has made its way back to the political arena, with three congressmen, including Franken, announcing their resignations last week. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., who had been the longest-serving member of Congress, stepped down after former staffers said he had sexually harassed them. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., resigned Friday amid allegations that he asked female employees to bear children as surrogates, including one woman who said he offered her $5 million. Moore, however, has dismissed calls to end his campaign. Initially, more than a dozen Republican senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Ky., said Moore should step aside. McConnell now says the decision is up to the voters of Alabama. Alabama's senior senator, Richard C. Shelby, has not changed his position; he has said he wrote in the name of another Republican on his absentee ballot. "I think the Republican Party can do better," he said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday morning. But most Republican members of Congress have said Moore should step aside only if the allegations are true. Of the five Republican women in the Senate, only one has emphatically said Moore should drop out of the race. "Because we have this crazy two-party system, to make sure there is Republican dominance in the Senate they're going to overlook it," Schreiber said. "That's why they overlooked Trump." When the Access Hollywood tape of Trump bragging about grabbing women's crotches became public during the 2016 presidential campaign, and several women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct, "conservative women's organizations basically said, 'We don't want him, but we want party dominance,' " Schreiber said, referring to groups like the Independent Women's Forum and Concerned Women for America. Two of Alabama's most prominent Republican women - Gov. Kay Ivey and Terry Lathan, the chair of the state GOP - have consistently supported Moore. Ronna McDaniel, the female chairman of the Republican National Committee, which withdrew its support from Moore shortly after the allegations arose, cited the president's desire to keep the Alabama U.S. Senate seat in the GOP as the party's reasons for reversing itself and resuming to help the embattled candidate. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, are the only Republican congresswomen who have unequivocally said Moore should drop out of the election. "I believe for the sake of this country that Roy Moore should step aside. There are others that can fill that seat," Rodgers said in a local television interview Thursday. "Members of Congress, House and Senate are held to a higher standard. . . . We've got to walk the talk," she said after Franken announced his resignation. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has wavered in her response to the allegations against Moore. In an interview with ABC News soon after The Post published the first accusations, Conway said that the behavior Moore's accusers described "offends me greatly as a woman, as a mother of three young girls," and that it should be "disqualifying, if true." But more recently, she has defended Republicans' continued support for Moore, saying Trump needs his vote in the Senate to pass tax legislation. She has taken to Twitter to jab Democratic women who vacillated in their response to the accusations against Franken, noting that Gillibrand had seemed ambivalent on the question just a day before she called for him to resign. After the release of the Access Hollywood tape last year, she accused some of Trump's detractors of being on a "high horse," suggesting they had in the past engaged in behavior similar to what Trump described. "I would talk to some of the members of Congress out there." Conway said in an MSNBC interview in October 2016. "When I was younger and prettier, them rubbing up against girls, sticking their tongues down women's throats uninvited who didn't like it." In an interview with The Post, Conway said no one listened to her at the time because she was Trump's campaign manager. She argued that the issue of sexual harassment has become too politicized. "We cannot have an honest conversation or full and fair resolution of sexual misconduct in this country unless and until we stop discriminating against those coming forward based on their politics or any other factor," she said. The Independent Women's Forum honored Conway at a gala last month with its "Woman of Valor" award. During her remarks, Conway boasted about how she responded when Anita Hill accused then-Supreme Court justice nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. "I proudly brought this button in that said, 'I believe him,' " she said, describing a pin she wore to classes at George Washington University's law school during the 1991 hearings. The IWF sprang from those hearings, founded by women who thought Thomas was being unfairly maligned because of his conservative beliefs. They chafed at the news media's tendency to go to groups like the National Organization for Women for commentary on women's issues. Carrie Lukas, president of the IWF, said women on both sides of the political divide agree sexual harassment is a problem. "But there is also a sense that we know that the accusation is also a political weapon," she said. "These allegations can be incredibly damaging if you wanted to derail a candidate." Lukas stopped short of saying Moore should drop out of the race. Patrice Onwuka, a senior policy analyst with the IWF, said she saw no cause for women on the right to take a stand against Moore. "Judge Roy Moore has not been elected to the Senate, so his situation is not the same as Senator Al Franken or Rep. John Conyers," she wrote in an email. "If the allegations are proven true then he is not fit to serve as a U.S. senator, but that is for the voters of his state to decide. Victims deserve to have their allegations investigated, but we should not rush to judgment on every allegation without more information." Michelle Bernard, a former president of the IWF, said she is disappointed to see so many conservative women waffling over Moore in the name of preserving a governing majority in the Senate. She was similarly disappointed that women like Conway provided political cover for Trump. "If these people were not so powerful, they would have restraining orders against them and be on some sex [offenders] list, ordered to keep 100 feet away from children," Bernard said. "I have a very difficult time believing that people, deep in their hearts, believe this crap," she continued. "They say it because they also fear they have something to lose - a powerful donor or they will lose the Senate or the White House - so they toe the party line in public, but they go home and shut the door and say, 'My God, that man is sick.' " We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Ateam of optometrists from Specsavers have just returned from a successful trip volunteering for The Hope Foundation in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) bringing sight to over 1,000 people. Having raised over 11,000 for the charity ahead of the trip, the group spent seven days in the Indian city, marking the first mission that Specsavers has embarked on with the charity. Specsavers store owners across the country donated money towards the charity in order to purchase glasses for the team to bring to Kolkata but to also purchase a portable auto-refractor machine, worth 6,500, which was gifted to the Hope Foundation. During the seven days, store director Lisa Walsh, together with opticians Orla Murphy and Jasmine Jose and dispensing optician Edwina McKinney, carried out over 1,000 eye tests on people. They dispensed over 300 pairs of glasses and 600 pairs of the pre-made bifocals to those who were tested. In addition to this, urgent referrals were made for eye disease and trauma-related issues, as well as 100 referrals for cataracts, to The Hope Hospital. For many of the patients, this was their first experience having their eyes tested, highlighting how many people do not have access to basic health services in this part of the world. A number of those tested had reduced vision because of uncorrected refractive error, one of the most common causes of treatable blindness in the developing world. Speaking about the team who travelled, Longford store director Fiona Ferguson said: We are delighted to have supported our colleagues as they proudly represented our brand on their mission in Kolkata. Bringing expert eye care to people is at the core of what we do. "We are thrilled that the team joined the Hope Foundation to bring our expertise and services to those who truly need it so supporting this cause through fundraising locally was an honour. Longford rail commuters are expressing frustration on social media this evening after they had to endure delays owing to a 'points issue'. 16.00 Dublin to Sligo and 16.30 Sligo to Dublin delayed up to 60 mins due to points issue at Longford Iarnrod Eireann (@IrishRail) December 10, 2017 Iarnrod Eireann tweeted that the "16.00 Dublin to Sligo and 16.30 Sligo to Dublin delayed up to 60 mins due to points issue at Longford". And responding, Liam Devaney asked, "Will there be any movement from those stations? Very fed up people at Edgesworthstown Station (no bathrooms,no inside area and no people here to update for people whove been here since 5.45". Will there be any movement from those stations? Very fed up people at Edgesworthstown Station (no bathrooms,no inside area and no people here to update for people whove been here since 5.45 Liam Devaney (@dev7liam) December 10, 2017 @IrishRail could you please explain why the Sligo - Dublin train has gone BACKWARDS from Longford to Dromod?! Intercom not working in all carriages at sufficient volume. Eamon OCeallaigh (@EamonOCeall) December 10, 2017 Iarnrod Eireann has also issued the following reminder to Longford to Dublin customers: 1. Sunday only 18.50hrs Longford to Dublin not operating tonight, resumes on Sun 7th January. Train at 19.17hrs from Longford 2. 05.40hrs Longford to Dublin weekday service moves to new earlier time of 05.35hrs from tomorrow morning Reminder to Longford to Dublin customers: 1. Sunday only 18.50hrs Longford to Dublin not operating tonight, resumes on Sun 7th January. Train at 19.17hrs from Longford 2. 05.40hrs Longford to Dublin weekday service moves to new earlier time of 05.35hrs from tomorrow morning Iarnrod Eireann (@IrishRail) December 10, 2017 You may also be interested in reading: Weather Alert: Met Eireann issues snow and ice warning for Longford as temperatures could plummet to -8 Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > A Long Road Ahead by Prabira Sethy and Rakesh Kumar Introduction India has been pitching for a permanent seat since 24 years in the expanded membership of the United Nations Security Council arguing that the existing body does not truly reflect the contem-porary world realities. Indiaalong with Brazil, Germany and Japanhas formed the Group-4 to press for speedy UNSC reforms and their inclusion in the powerful organ of the world body. Indias demand for a permanent seat in the UNSC with veto rights is a symbol of power, not power itself. It would be an ultimate recognition of our stature. India missed its opportunity at the end of the World War to get a bigger stake in the UNSC when the former United States President, John F. Kennedy, offered to help India in the matter. The UNSC expansion is tied to the sharpening competition for global influence. The powers of the day wield the power of might. And that might is not just the musculature of the state but a genome of manipulated frenzy, which the throne feeds and is fed by. While membership of the UN has increased nearly fourfold since its birth in 1945, the UNSC has been expanded only once in 1965 by increasing the number of non-permanent seats from six to 10. Thus, there is an imperative need to undertake further expansion of this body to reflect the current global dynamics and to give equitable representation to different geographical regions in the world. But the existing permanent members are not interested in their primacy and power getting diluted by the addition of new countries in their group. In this context Indias objective should be to ensure that it gets its rightful and equitable place on the world stage. History of Indias Quest for UNSC Membership Indias own candidature for permanent member-ship was announced by the erstwhile Congress Government (1991-96) as a national policy at the highest political level. This policy was also formed part of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the subsequent United Front Governments. After that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also promised in its election manifesto to launch a vigorous campaign for permanent membership of the UNSC. In the past, Nikolai Bulganin, Prime Minister of the former Soviet Union, proposed for India to become the sixth permanent member of the UNSC. India was among the countries which initiated the proposal for the SCs expansion at the 1993 General Assembly (GA). India had officially announced its candidature for permanent mem-bership of the UNSC during the 49th GA in 1994 and this has been reiterated in subsequent sessions of the UN and at various other fora. But the reform of the Council has been stalled due to disagreements among the United Nations 188 members on how to proceed. The Group-4s own initiative has had only limited success. At the 2005 World Summit, all the heads of state and government unanimously called for UN reforms, even highlighting the fact that changes in the SC were necessary in acordance with the overall plan. It was a significant development but the momentum couldnt be sustained. Again in 2008, the UNs Intergovernmental Negotiations for Comprehensive Reform began but it was not until September 2015, seven years later, that a negotiating text was finalised. On September 14, 2015 the text was adopted by consensus by the UNGA. This was a big step forward. But the reforms process faced stiff opposition from the entrenched powers that benefit from the current system. Even though most of these powers had supported the call for reforms in public, they frequently sought to scuttle the process behind closed doors. For instance, just before the reforms text was being finalised, the UNSCs permanent member China, with the full support of Russia, sought to tweak the text in a manner that would drown it in unnecessary technicalities. India led the fight back and even protested outside UNGA President Sam Kutesas residence and eventually convinced him to remove the problematic insertions. Moreover, at the Group of Four or G-4 summit, which was held in New York in 2015, the leaders called for urgent reforms of the UNSC in a fixed time-frame expressing disappointment that no substantial progress had been made in the past decade on the issue. They also emphasised that they are the legitimate candidates for permanent membership in an expanded and reformed SC and supported one anothers candidature. India has All Necessary Criteria to become a Permanent Member of the UNSC Indias claim for permanent membership of the UN SC emanates from a variety of factors: Major Contributor to Peace-keeping in the World: It is a fact that India is a major contributor to peace-keeping in the world. It is ironical that the major powers initiate the peacekeeping motion and then expect the global South to provide the cannon fodder as they do not want their troops to risk their lives. Indias first and major contribution to the UNs peacekeeping mission was in Korea way back in 1953. To date, India has participated in 43 UN missions over a span of 68 years, contributing over 1,60,000 Indian soldiers besides a large number of police personnel. In 2014 alone, India contributed 7860 personnel with 10 UN peacekeeping missions of which 995 were police personnel including the first female police unit formed under the UN. It was stated that this was done because of the responsibility we have on our shoulders for being one of the founder-members of the UN. India has one of the highest numbers of soldiers in Africa under the UN flag. Defence analysts say that at present, almost 6000 Indian soldiers are deployed as part of the UN peacekeeping force across Africa. Bulk of the soldiers are in Congo (about 3000) and South Sudan (about 2200), while the remaining are in Sudan, Ivory Coast and West Sahara. Our soldiers are very well respected in Africa due to their professionalism and better understanding of these countries than many others. But we have also lost 159 soldiers over the years while fighting the battles in Africa alone because of our obligation in the maintenance of international peace and security. The task of performing as the Custodian Force was indeed a delicate one for which the Indian contingent earned the first of many post-independence accolades in the international military arena. Thereafter, Indian contingents and observers were requisitioned for all major UN missions. Despite the solid support readily provided by India for the UNs peacekeeping missions, it failed to gain the UNSCs permanent membership. Foreign Policy based on Peace, Disarmament, Democracy and Development: Since independence India has articulated its foreign policy on the basis of the components of peace, disarmament, development, democracy and human rights. These components underline the philosophy of the UN as well. PM Narendra Modi has energetically expanded the political, security and economic reach of Indian diplomacy. He has travelled extensively to many countries, taken open positions on issues of strategic significance, offered economic opportunities and easiness of doing business to would-be participants in his several development campaigns, and has wooed Indian communities abroad in an unprecedented manner. The PM has made a unique international impact by having the UN declare June 21 as the International Yoga Day. Besides, the Africa Forum Summit, which was held in October 2015, has boosted India-Africa ties. The Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh is another foreign policy highlight as is Indias membership in the Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Further, Modi dramatically underwrote Indias outreach to Pakistan by halting at Lahore to greet Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on his way back from Afghanistan, with which Indias strategic engagement found fresh breath. India needs to adopt a more positive sum approach, pursuing shared interests and seeking common ground, and showing a greater willingness to make concessions and com-promises. Interestingly, India has long assisted Nigeria in military training and capacity-building for fighting the Boko Haram terrorist group. Meanwhile, India is committed to support the fight against HIV/AIDS in the combined resolve to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 in Africa. In 2015, PM Modi signalled New Delhis renewed interest by hosting the India-Africa Forum Summit securing the attendance of 54 African nations, modestly higher than similar summits hosted by the US, China and Japan. By the time most African nations gained sovereignty, India had also established itself as a strong development partner within the model of South-South cooperation. Presently, India has military-to-military cooperation (mostly training) with more than 30 African nations. Indian defence training teams are deployed in such countries as Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho and Seychelles. Fastest Growing Major Economy in the World: We have an economy which is growing at 7.5 per centone of the few economies growing at that rate. Recently, the World Bank (WB) has anticipated that Indias economy will grow at 7.6 per cent in 2016-17 retaining its position as the fastest growing major economy in the world. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that Indias global growth averaged 3.1 per cent in 2015, declining from 3.4 per cent in 2014. India has made very good progress in its contribution to the global growth of gross domestic product (GDP) in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Indias share has increased from an average of 8.3 per cent during the period 2001 to 2007 to 14.4 per cent in 2014. Indias share in world GDP has increased from an average of 4.8 per cent during 2001-07 to 6.1 per cent during 2008-13 and further to an average of 7.0 per cent in 2015 in current PPP terms. It is against this background that the Indian growth story appears very bright. When the world is slowing down and the world environment is not only unsupportive but at times obstructive, for an economy to grow is most challenging. Another aspect of the Indian economy is its demographic capital. India is house to 1.25 billion people, second only to China. Sixtyfive per cent of this population is below 35 years of age. This will yield rich demographic dividend for India. India benefits from a demographic dividend as an unusually young country in a greying world and it will stay so till 2050, morphing into a consumer market for the world. Its middle class is already larger than the United States population, and expected to swell to 580 million in the next two decades. Largest Diaspora in the World: The Indian diaspora is estimated to be the largest in the world and has a diversified global presence. The diaspora, estimated at over 25 million, is spread across more than 200 countries with a high concentration in regions such as the Middle East, the United States of America, Malaysia, and South Africa. The Indian diaspora has not only increased in numbers but has been gaining universal recognition for the unique contributions to its host countries. PM Modi has reached out to the Indian diaspora and has appealed to the diaspora from 45 countries to use their soft power to spread the message of humanism and Indian values. The world is looking at India with optimism. The Indian diaspora is playing a very important mainstream role while discharging responsibilities in their adopted countries, helping shape the destiny of these states. The President of Singapore, Governor-General of New Zealand and PMs of Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago are all of Indian descent. When people of Indian origin are held in high esteem, respect for and understanding of the country go up. The influential Indian diaspora affects not just the popular attitude, but also government policies in the countries where they live, to the benefit of India. India benefits tremendously through these people in luring large multinational companies and entrepreneurial ventures. Playing a Crucial Role in New Global Order: India has been playing a very crucial role in the new global order. Indias image has improved a lot across the world. In his aggressive worldwide pursuit of external relations PM Narendra Modi has surprised political observers and great politicians across the world. It is very important to note that the Narendra Modi-led Indian Government is closely working with Pakistan along with six other member-countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in raising a common disaster response force on the lines of the UN Peacekeeping Force for specialised response to natural and man-made disasters. Indias initiatives and its capacity building have already been recognised by the UN. By evacuating Indian and foreign nationals from civil war-hit Yemen and trembler-hit Nepal in large numbers, PM Modi has projected Indias speed, scale and skill in handling natural and man-made disasters. For example, under his leadership the first Indian C-17 Globe-master aircraft with skilled National Disaster Response Force teams and medical equipment landed in the mountain nation within five hours of the calamity in Nepal. Besides, New Delhi was involved in the rehabilitation of the Himalayan nation for months. So the facts say that India now has the capacity and capability to project its benign power anywhere in the world. Largest Vibrant Democratic Nation on Earth: India is largest vibrant democratic nation on earth. On secular tolerance, on freedom of speech, on institutional functioning and on other liberal democratic indicators, Indias image has been very remarkable. The progress made by the country in moving towards the developmental goals set by it for itself are substantive. The success of Indian democracy has been possible by the genius of the Indian people in making their efforts to grapple with the serious problems that afflict them and in having sustained the developmental process without having compro-mised on fundamental freedoms and human rights. That they have done this by making the Constitution they gave themselves work and without succumbing to authoritarian and dictatorial models is highly commendable. In addition, the country has been able to make significant shifts in policies without subjecting its people to the traumas and crises with which those in some others have been afflicted. It is the innate strength of Indian democracy that helps when it singles out the judicial arm of the Indian state for special mention in enforcing the rights of the people and when it refers to the good work done by the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the press, they have been allowed the space and freedom to do so. Moreover, the success of the genuine efforts made in India to empower women, such as through reservations in Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs), is in advance of many developed countries. Besides, it is the only land where four of the worlds great religionsHinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhismwere born. It also has the second largest number of Muslims on the planet. Thus, Indias claim is that as the largest democracy in the world, it deserves a permanent seat in a reformed UN SC. History of Service to the World: It is very significant to mention here that the thousands of years of Indian history is testimony to the fact that it has never indulged in aggression ... About 1000 Indian soldiers got martyred while fighting alongside France in World War I. It was not only in France, Indian troops were also deployed in other theatres of war in Europe including the western frontier in Belgium to fight against its invaders in 1914 and 1915. Furthermore, despite political unrest in the country against the British colonialists, Indians extended their total cooperation to Britain during the World War in the fervent hope that they would be subsequently rewarded with at least self-government, if not full independence. But the expectations were belied. As pre-war fears of unrest subsided, Britain took many troops out of India for battle against other troops in other areas. India contributed 15 million men of which 74,187 lost their lives, and 67,000 were wounded. Every sixth man on the battlefield was an Indian. They fought in most theatres of war including Gallipoli and North and East Africa. India spent 250 million and provided significant supplies and animals towards this war effort. Such was the cost of war that Indias economy was pushed to near bankruptcy. Given this backdrop we can proudly say that there is hardly any other country in the world which has such a moral authority as the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautama Buddha. This history of service definitely qualifies India to be a permanent member of the SC of the UN. There was also genuine appreciation for Indias role in the emergence of a post-colonial Africa and its continued support as a development partner. It is well known that Indian and African leaders worked together to fight against foreign rule and brought freedom and prosperity to their people. At its 1928 Annual Session in Calcutta, the Indian National Congress (INC) officially linked the Indian freedom struggle to the global fight against imperialism. Later, a new independent India, under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, continued to lead the global anti-colonial struggle from the front. It promoted the African cause at international forums, placed the anti-colonial movement at the heart of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and also provided active support to African liberation groups. An Appraisal India craves for a permanent seat status in the UNSC because it offers a short-cut to enduring acclaimthe halo of international power even in the absence of true world power. For years, India has used these above mentioned attributes to claim to a permanent seat at the UNSC. It has not been successful. There are several reasons, including lack of unanimity, on which other countries should make it. The idea that the permanent segment of the SC must mirror ethnic and regional diversity is ridiculous. The enlargement of the SCeven a proposal to create a new cadre of permanent members without veto powerhas lost its way when it comes to the who and the how. It has also led to the alternative argument that India shouldnt bother lobbying for a permanent SC seat at all. It should simply build its economy and capacities and wait for the world to inevitably rearrange frameworks to accommodate it. We should pay sufficient care to promoting Indias potential role as a hard power that can contribute to the global order. Therefore, a permanent place in the SC is not the verdict of a popularity contest. It is recognition of the worlds paramount military powers. Conclusion The preceding discussion ensures that Indias bid to become a permanent member in the UNSC is based on strong foundations. India is not only a young Republic but also an ancient civilisation. It is the worlds largest functioning democracy; it is an ancient land, with a culture that is marked by antiquity, diversity, assimilation, continuity and peaks of unparalleled refinement; it is a country which has consciously chosen the path of respect for plurality; it is a nation which believes in religious tolerance; and finally, it is a country that is essentially liberal in its outlook, with space for dissent and debate, and therefore, unrelentingly opposed to the monolithic funda-mentalisms that are sweeping now across large parts of the world. Keeping the above in view and taking into account the 1.27 billion population which is one-fifth of the worlds population, and its growing economic and political influence, its ability to be a successful role model for a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, the largest democracy in the world with the highest tolerance level, impacting directly on South-East, West and Central Asia, India must be suitable as a natural candidate for permanent membership in the Council. India has been an active participant in the UNs peacekeeping operations, whether in the Korean peninsula, Indo-China or Africa. It provided the largest contingent of peacekeepers to the UNs operations in Congo in the early sixties and now has been actively involved with the UN activities in different continents. Besides, India contributed a lot to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNMSL) although it had to decide to withdraw its troops from there later. The world community has always appreciated the role India has played by deploying efficiently its troops to deal with different crisis stretching from Haiti in Latin America to Cambodia in Asia. One exceptional thing to mention here is that the Indian Government makes no money from UN operations. Rather, it spends money and is a net contributor to peacekeeping, much like rich countries and unlike other developing countries. Generally speaking, India has been the largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping missions since the inception of the world body. In the recent past, India has done a commen-dable job in evacuating its citizens and other nationals from conflict-hit countries such as Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen. Indias claim to a permanent SC seat is based on the strength and global reach of our foreign policy, our commitment to the UN processes, our conviction of strength in the democratic functioning of multilateral arrangements. And it has always been found supporting decolonisation, while opposing apartheid and racial discrimination in Africa and Asia or leading the Non-Aligned countries into a full-fledged movement for asserting an alternative voice in the global paradigm. The emergence of India as a major player in the software and information technology (IT)-enabled services sectors has raised Indias economic profile, and it is now being seen as an economic superpower in the making. Indias case gets further strengthened when one considers the fact that it is one of the founding members of the UN, steadfast in a host of initiatives blending the moral with the practical: Gandhian non-violence with a definite touch of pragmatism. As a permanent member of the UNSC, India will be able to play a larger role in pressing international issues. But the latest developments show that the path will not be smooth. Indias deserving and strong candidature for permanent membership in an expanded UNSC hinges on an expansion that is miles away. India should still continue its efforts to build a democratically evolved global consensus on restructuring the SC. The permanent members ought to realise that there are much more serious issues at stake globally than their own so-called prerogatives, and they should be flexible in addressing those issues. Thus, we continue to have the confidence that on any objective ground, criterion and belief in strengthening the work of the Council, it would be concluded that India possesses the necessary attributes for permanent membership of an expanded SC. Endnotes Ganguly, Swagato (June 16, 2016), Hesitations of History, New Delhi: The Times of India, p. 12. Singh, K. Natwar (March 30, 2015), The United Nations Must Hit a Six, New Delhi: The Hindustan Times, p. 12. Suresh, K.G. (April 20, 2016), Indias Right to a Permanent Seat, New Delhi: The Hindustan Times, p. 10. Sibal, Kanwal (December 31, 2015), Many Hits and Some Misses, New Delhi: The Hindustan Times. p. 8. September 28, 2015), Leading from the Front: At G-4 Meet Modi Walks the Talk on UN Reform, New Delhi: The Pioneer, p. 8. Mukherjee, Mayuri, (October 30, 2015), Redefining India-Africa Ties, New Delhi: The Pioneer, p. 9. Prabira Sethy is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Maharaja Agrasen College, Delhi University. Rakesh Kumar is an Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Maharaja Agrasen College, Delhi University. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Mandir and Masjid can Co-exist On December 6, the demolition of the Babri Masjid would be 25 years old. Instead of making amends for what the Congress Government did in 1992 with the connivance of the then Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Government is bent upon building a temple at the site where the Masjid stood once. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has made a statement that only a grand temple would be built in Ayodhya and nothing else. This is unfair to the Muslims or the liberals who support the countrys diversity and had come to agree that both the mosque and the temple could stand side-by-side at the site. However, the demolition remains a blot on Indias secularism. To build only the temple would be tantamount to rubbing salt in the wound that was inflicted. I recall that after the demolition, which initiated countrywide Hindu-Muslim clashes, Prime Minister Rao convened a meeting of senior journalists to explain what had happened. He sought the media cooperation in quenching the fire. He said that the Central Government was helpless because of the determination by hundreds of kar sevaks to demolish the Masjid. But Madhu Limaye, the late Socialist leader, later told me the puja that Rao performed was meant to camouflage the demolition. When an aide whispered into his ears that the Masjid had been demolished, he opened his eyes. Rao could have easily acted before the demolition took place. The proclamation to impose Presidents Rule was ready a fortnight earlier. It was awaiting the Cabinet approval. The Prime Minister did not convene its meeting. When the demolition began, there were frantic calls to the Prime Ministers Office. Even if the Congress were to deny the allegation against Rao, the party has not yet explained how a small temple had come up overnight at the site where the Masjid stood earlier. The Centre was then in full control because UP had been put under Presidents Rule after dismissal of the State Government. In any case, the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute had transcended the State borders and the Centre was following the developments every day. The Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan Commissions silence on Raos behaviour was meant to cover up his complicity and that of the Congress party. Let the temple come up. This was the remark by Atal Behari Vajpayee when I asked for his reaction to the destruction of the Masjid one day after the incident. I was surprised by his comment because I considered him a liberal force in the BJP. In fact, the Liberhan Commission had named Vajpayee as one of the collaborators in pulling down the mosque. How could he have reacted differently when he was a party to the meticulously planned scheme to demolish the mosque? That L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, the other two BJP leaders, were co-conspirators was known on December 6, 1992 itself. The surprising name for me was that of Vajpayee. Vajpayee, when he was the Prime Minister, was a changed person. He had led a bus full of intellectuals and journalists to Lahore to convey the message of peace and conciliation to the neighbours. The indictment has exposed our polity because all the three came to occupy top positions in the country. Vajpayee became the Prime Minister, Advani, the Home Minister, and Joshi, the Human Resources Development Minister. If all the three were collaborators in the demolition of the Babri Masjid, they were dishonest in taking the oath of office which demanded that the oath-taker would work for the countrys unity and uphold the Consti-tution that mentions secularism in the Preamble. The Liberhan Commission has said that they were among the 68 who were culpable in taking the country to the brink of communal discord. Not only that. The three leaders acted against the Supreme Courts order not to disturb the status quo. In other words, they made a mockery of the countrys judiciary and the Constitution to which they swore before assuming power. And they ruled for six years without a tug of conscience. How can the planned demolition be squared up with the holding of office by Vajpayee, Advani and Joshi? The question is not only legal but also moral. This is a matter that the nation should have debated to find an answer. Those who have no clean hands should not be allowed to defile the temple of Parliament. Meanwhile, the Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has been making efforts for mediation among the stakeholders. During his recent visit to Ayodhya, the spiritual guru has said that the problem could be solved through dialogue and mutual respect rather than conceit and accusation. Even UP Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath, whom the guru had met, agreed to provide all necessary support. The spiritual gurus meeting with the UP Chief Minister came in the backdrop of BJP launching its civil poll campaign from Ayodhya with promises of redevelopment. However, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an arm of the RSS, and the Muslim Personal Law Board have rejected Sri Sris offer to mediate on the issue. The feeling within the BJP leadership is that the decision be best left to the Supreme Court, which is slated to hear the case on December 5. Ram temple matter is in the Supreme Court and I think we should let the legal process be complete. Other discussions can be held after that, said Ram Madhav, the BJPs National General Secretary. Similarly, the VHP also voiced its concern over the Art of Living founder trying to resolve the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. This is not for the first time that Sri Sri has taken this initiative. In 2001, he made attempts but failed. The reaction to his efforts was the same as today, the VHP Joint General Secretary, Surendra Jain, had said. The real hitch is the statement by Bhagwat that only the temple would come up in Ayodhya and nothing else. When Muslims have, by and large, come to accept that the temple could be built by the side of the mosque, the RSS chiefs lament is unwarranted. The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Not Sorrow but Atonement The following piece, which was published as Political Notebook in Mainstream (December 12, 1992), is being reproduced on the twentyfifth anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Its significance is heightened due to the ongoing offensive of the Hindutvavadi forces following the seizure of power at the Centre by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah-led BJP in May 2014. Editor The vandalism that brought down the Babri Masjid structure on December 6 will remain a Black Sunday in the annals of independent India. Like the insensate violence of fratricidal communalism of the partition days that culminated in Gandhijis killing fortyfour years ago, the demolition of the Babri Masjid will remain a symbol of shame for the nation, and particularly for the majority community which permitted a bunch of blackguards to pose as its guardian and get recognised as such. While anger and anguish over this ghastly incident have overwhelmed millions in this country, there is no escape for certain elements in public life from being held responsible for this despicable act. The BJP and the RSS leaders who backed the so-called Dharma Sansad issuing the fatwa for the kar seva have to unequivocally own up the guilt for having collected such a huge number of people around the disputed area by whipping up raging frenzy which was beyond control. And the BJP bosses, who had been campaigning in support of the kar seva, were found to have beaten a retreat when the mob was actually demolishing the mosquean ignominious commentary on both their capacity and courage. Those who incite a crowd and lack the guts to face and halt it are unworthy of claiming to be leaders. Their moral posture, which they flaunt as part of their Hindutva, should have the honesty to offer public apology for this shocking abdication of responsibility on their part. The BJP leadership is accountable for the grave misconduct on the part of the Uttar Pradesh Government which the party was running. Chief Minister Kalyan Singh was giving assurances to the Central Government and the Supreme Court which turned out to be thoroughly bogus. If he had any idea about the importance of the commitments he had made to the Supreme Court, he should have anticipated the grave risk he was taking in handling an unmanageably massive crowd, which by its very nature was beyond any discipline. Instead of asking for more Central force, Kalyan Singh was protesting against the despatch of whatever the Union Home Ministry had despatched as a matter of precaution. The point to note is that the BJP Government in UP, like the rest of the BJP-VHP-RSS combine, was trying to run with the hare and hunt with the hound. They were stoking the frenzy for kar seva all over Uttar Pradesh and beyond, while at the same time assuring the judiciary, the Parliament and the public that the disputed areas would not be touched as per the Supreme Court directive. Not only that. In the critical days after the National Integration Council meeting on November 23, the senior BJP-RSS leaders were working out some settlement terms with the Central Government. The terms of these negotiations, which the present writer can vouch for, were, firstly, the Babri Masjid disputed structure complex would be adequately protected until the dispute is settled by dialogue or due process of law, and the UP Government would invite the Centre, if it so desired, to send its force to reinforce the State Governments security arrangements. Secondly, there would be no kar seva in violation of law. Thirdly, the Centre would make a one-point reference to the Supreme Court under Article 143 and the Courts opinion would be accepted as binding by both the Centre and the UP Government as also the BJP-RSS combine. Fourthly, the Centre would express its support for expeditious disposal of the case about the disputed plot now pending before the High Court. As these terms were hammered out, an impression prevailed on the eve of December 6 that perhaps the crisis was on the way of being defused. In fact, the BJP-RSS leaders were expected to persuade the Dharma Sansad not to precipitate the crisis. The question now arises whether the BJP-RSS leaders were diabolically agreeing to these terms while preparing for the demolition of the Babri Masjid; or, were they themselves outstripped by the blitz attack of the mob? The fact that Advani resigned from the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, coupled with the RSS leader Rajendra Singhs statement that the vandalism on December 6 was a grievous setback for the Ram temple cause, might be put up by them in their defence that they were themselves overtaken by the developments. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that before the bar of public opinion in India and abroad, the BJP-RSS combine has no option today but to acknowledge their guilt for the heinous act of violent destruction. It is not just a question of owning up moral responsibility, but substantive responsibility for whipping up frenzy and then giving in to mob-violence and thereby desecrating their commitment before the highest court of law and the supreme tribune, that is, Parliament. The BJP leaders have to bear in mind that the rule of law has to be respected if they do not want to put their party outside the pale of law and the Constitution. More than once during these crisis days, the BJP spokesmen have talked about the majesty of law, and now they themselves connived, if not were actively involved, in the blatant defiance of the Consti-tution. The pulling down of the Babri Masjid structure is not just a matter of religious frenzy, but the blatant assault on the rule of law and civilised conduct of public affairs. Here is the essence of their guilt. In the history of contemporary India, this is how terrorism has crept into politics. Whether it is the Akali Party or the Asom Gana Parishad, one finds the moderate parliamentary leaders using the rowdy terrorist groups as their battering ram against the adversary and in course of time, they themselves become the captive of the militants, as many of the distinguished Akali leaders have become today in Punjab politics. What has happended at Ayodhya looks like the curtain-raiser of the very same type of political adventurism coming over to the BJP. The RSS leaders may have survived the stigma that stuck to them after Gandhijis assassination, but there is grave doubt whether they can come out of the present crisis intact. The more mature among them would soon have to make their choice here and now. Looking at the predicament facing the Congress and its government today, there is little doubt that public opinion has already marked out those in power as being guilty of dereliction of duty. There is no room for passing the buck to the UP Government, since it was as much the Centres solemn charge to protect the Babri Masjid structure. It was all the time given out that the Centre was on the alert even while the talks for a settlement were continuing. When para-military forces were sent, one can very well ask, why were these not sent in adequate strength, at least to guard the disputed structure? Even if a fully equipped Army unit had been posted to guard the disputed structure, it would have acted as a deterrent, and the shame of the Indian state not protecting a place of worship of its citizens would not have come upon our country. This is the simple charge of any government claiming to rule from New Delhi as the guardian of a secular state. The Prime Minister himself had made the solemn commitment on August 15 in his Red Fort speech saying that the mosque would be protected as much as the government would like the proposed temple coming up. In this context, this writer needs to acknow-ledge in all honesty the validity of the criticism voiced by some observers that the Centre dithered in imposing Presidents Rule in UP immediately after the NIC meeting when the kar sevaks were yet to gather. Hindsight makes it clear that such a pre-emptive strike might have averted the tragedy of December 6. At the same time, such an action of dismissing an elected government could have been misconstrued at that stage as a partisan move with poor legitimacy. The exploitation of religious sentiments for political purpose has become the bane of Indian politics over the years. The opening of the lock at the Babri mosque complex and the subsequent permission of shilanyas on the disputed spot were done by the Congress under Rajiv Gandhi to collect Hindu votes. The passing of the Muslim Womens Bill in the wake of the Shah Bano case was done by the Congress to gather Muslim votes. If the Janata Dal took the help of the BJP to form its government at the Centre, the Congress too did not hesitate to vote along with the BJP to oust the same Janata Government at a moment when the Janata Dal fell out with the BJPs clamour over the same Babri Masjid issue. Even the Left in the late sixties did not have any qualms to form coalition governments with the Jana Sangh at the State level. The cumulative effect of this exploiting religious faith for electoral gains today is that the BJP leadership at this moment, instead of being branded as having violated the tenets of the Constitution, is regarded by the large body of Hindus, particularly in North India, as being heroes who have dared to defy the law to uphold the urge for Rams temple. With nobody having a clean hand on the issue of pampering to communalism, the BJP-RSS combine has been able to go so far in initiating a totalitarian communal approach as could be seen from their moves to change names of places and rewrite textbooks apart from the ghastly deed at Ayodhya. This multipronged communal approach can hardly be halted by mere seminars on secularism, but only by launching a nation-wide mas movement for Hindu-Muslim amity, which alone can provide the surest guarantee for genuine secularism in the country. While swift administrative action to halt communal violence is imperative at the moment, the building of communal amity on sound footing can come only through relentless mass cam-paign. All parties will have to unequivocally abjure the slightest communal bias in political life with relentless vigilance. This applies equally to all communities, as is brought out by the ugly demonstrations in the Jamia Millia over the secular stand of a distinguished scholar. Hollow men do not make History, but unmake it. Indian nationalism shall not endure by preaching hatred and deceit and disdain between brother and brother. Out of the ruins of the Babri mosque must rise the shining mansion of communal harmony. We, each one of us, have to pledge ourselves as our brothers keeper. What we need today is not sorrow but atonement. (Mainstream December 12, 1992) Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Sporting Moustache represents the New Format of Dalit Politics by Arun Srivastava In three separate violent incident at least three Dalit youths were recently thrashed in the Gujarat villages by the Rajputs for sporting moustache. Humiliating and thrashing Dalit youths in Gujarat for sporting moustache by upper-caste people is a new element in the long drawnout tactics to assert might through coercive and violent means. An insight into the atrocities of Dalits in the State points to the fact that a serious endeavour is on to make Gujarat a Hindutva laboratory. It is in this backdrop that Dalits with twirled moustaches have become a challenge to their supremacy. The protest by the Dalits also make it explicit that a social revolution of sorts has been fast emerging. In the seventies most of the struggles were economic in nature. The social struggles were mainly confined to the issue of izzat. In the prevalent scenario, instead of raising economic issues, the upper castes are attacking the Dalits on these issues. For the Rajput lords, the social assertion of the Dalits and having a twirling moustache are challenges to their feudal pride. This was also a potent threat to their policy of hegemony and dominance. After assaulting the Dalit youth, Krunal Maheria, a law student, the Rajput goons told Maheria, who was visiting a friend in the village, that he cannot become a Rajput by just sporting a moustache. In yet another incident that took place on September 25, Rajput mercenaries thrashed 24-year-old Piyush Parmar while he was returning home after watching garba at a local temple. The audacity of the Rajputs could be assessed from the fact that on October 3 yet another 17-year Dalit youth was stabbed in the same village where two Dalits had earlier been attacked by the Rajputs. He was also punished by the mercenaries for committing the crime of sporting a moustache. To protest the attacks over a moustache, Dalits near Sanand have adopted a twirled moustache logo as their WhatsApp display picture. It is a twirled black moustache with a crown and a line that reads Mr Dalit. It is their way of telling people that Dalits will sport a moustache and twirl it like a king without caring for the consequences. The upper castes have been oppressing and perpetrating torture on the Dalits and Harijans for a pretty long time. It is not that the Dalits and Harijans did not resent or protest. A number of glorious struggles were fought by them. The historic role of the Communist Parties, especially the Naxalites, in mobilising them against the tyrannies of the landlords has been a known fact. This protest acquired a new dynamics in the late sixties after the emergence of the Naxalbari movement. In those days the struggles began over the issues of minimum wages and protection of prestige (izzat) of the Dalit and Harijan women. These were the issues which witnessed the resurrection of the Naxalite struggle in Bhojpur of Bihar, just after it was announced by the bourgeois media that the movement had fizzled out. The struggle has its glorious past. Even the BSF and other para- military forces at one stage were reluctant to confront the rebellion of Dalits and Harijans. However with the BJP coming to power, the upper-caste goons and mercenaries have become aggressive throughout the country. This time the issues have changed. The old issues of minimum wages and izzat have been replaced by the Hindutva agenda. The Dalits are being killed and tortured for skinning cows. The mercenaries have been attacking them in the garb of the cow vigilantes. With the BJP and Modi Government out to protect their class and caste interest, they are determined to maim the Dalits. For liberal democrats, this may appear to be a case of vigilante attack. But beneath this, there lies a dangerous ideological implication. Basically, this is the reason that the Modi Government or for that matter the BJP govern-ments have not been opposing the actions of the vigilantes. The public pretension of the RSS and Modi to the upper-caste leaders and also to the Dalits to have cordial relations and treat each other at par has been merely a hoax. Beneath the facade of sab ka saath, Modi has been striving to perpetuate the rule of the upper-caste feudal elements. Almost all the States have been witnessing the emergence of a fresh round of attack on the Dalits. The nature of aggressiveness of the upper castes could be understood from their violent actions in UP, Gujarat, Haryana and even Rajasthan. A serious attempt is underway to uproot the Harijans from their homeland. Recently a group of Dalits from Gujarat, who were on their way to Lucknow with a plan to gift a 125-kg soap to Adityanath as a mark of protest, were stopped and sent back from the Jhansi railway station. Those expressing solidarity with them in Lucknow, including a retired senior IPS officer, S. R. Darapuri, were also taken into custody. This underlines the double standards of the BJP and its government towards Dalits. Perpetrating torture on Dalits has acquired a new dimension in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. While the oppression and persecution of Dalits have been a regular phenomenon in Bihar, the Dalits of Gujarat have been facing the worst nature of feudal tyranny. It is really a matter of shame that neither the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, nor his party leaders have been voicing their concern. This has made the government and administration to behave in an ostrich-like manner. The government has been least bothered of the systematic murderous attack on the Dalits. Modi has been resorting to tokenism in castigating and condemning the actions of the mercenaries. Feudal tyranny and totalitarianism have acquired such a ruthless dynamics that barely some days ago more than 300 Dalits embraced Buddhism in Ahmedabad and Vadodara on the occasion of the Ashoka Vijaya Dashami, the day emperor Ashok had pledged non-violence and converted to Buddhism in Vadodara, where Babasaheb had launched his fight against untouchability. Incidentally, on this day Ambedkar had also embraced Buddhism with lakhs of people in Nagpur in 1956. The intensity of increase in feudal tyranny could be understood from the simple fact that a 21-year-old Dalit youth was killed by goons belonging to the upper-caste Patel community, for attending a garba event, in a temple in a village in Anand on September 30. Before the killing, the marauders had warned the Dalits that they do not have any right to watch garba. In a significant development, Gujarat and Maharashtra have been witnessing an increasing radicalisation of Dalit politics. The torture and oppression perpetrated by the feudal lords has forced them to look for a radical youth leader. During the last decade, a significant number of young Dalit leaders like Jignesh Mewani have emerged. This shows a volatile setting of caste resurgence and identity politics. The Dalits have become conscious of their identity. Though Modi has been reiterating his concern for the welfare of the Dalits, the fact is that the attacks on them have increased many fold during his rule. The BJP and the Modi Government have been trying to conceal the fact behind the facade of expressing their anxiety for them. Some months back the RSS constituted a group of Buddhist monks with the avowed aim to reach out to the Dalits in the villages of Chhatish-garh for assuaging their emotions and feelings. But even after spending six months in Dalit villages the monks failed to have significant impact. No doubt in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections the Dalit caste arithmetic paid the dividend and the party could manage a clean sweep. But it would be wrong to say that it managed to build an impregnable support-base amongst them. Like any other sector of voters they too revolted against the ruling dispensation and their leader Mayawati. An insight into Amit Shah dining at the residences of Dalits would reveal that this has not helped the BJP win the hearts and minds of the Dalits. Unlike the upper-caste people the Dalits do not exhibit their arrogance or hatred for the feudal element. Their tolerance index is quite high. Though the BJP and UP Government have been denying, the fact remains that during the rule of Yogi Adityanath as the UP CM the attacks on Dalits have increased considerably in the State. The Yogi Government has been found to be wanting in taking action against these upper-caste marauders. The State Police is reluctant to lay its hands on the killers. Intellectuals and academics owing allegiance to the RSS strongly deny that caste assertion has been the strategy of the BJP. Like another party, the fact remains that at national as well as regional levels, the BJP has been pursuing hard-core caste politics and working out a social engineering agenda. Else, what was the reason that Amit Shah moves around the Dalit ghettos and dines at their houses? What an irony, BJP President Amit Shah and other leaders of the party are now eating food with Dalit families to woo them! These are the same people who used to criticise Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi when he did the same thing. Not only this, even in the matter of functioning of the party, the upper-caste lords are allowed a greater role. The party is assiduously striving to strengthen its upper- caste base but at the same time working to keep the Dalits happy. It is not ready to patronise the Dalits at the cost of alienating the upper-caste and bania supporters. The bond between the banias and Sangh continues to be the same as it was three years back. This was clearly manifest in the Sassahara speech of Mohan Bhagwat who expressed concern at their plight due to note- bandi and also asked Modi to help them. While Modi has been exhorting his party leaders to reach out to the Dalits obviously with an electoral perspective, a report from the USA painted a very grim picture of Modi rule and observed that attacks against Muslims and Dalits grew sharply in India under Modi. The report, titled Constitutional and Legal Challenges Faced by Religious Minorities in India and sponsored by the US Commission on Inter-national Religious Freedom (USCIRF), said the religious minority communities and Dalits face discrimination and persecution in India where hate crimes, social boycotts and forced conversion have escalated dramatically since 2014. The report pointed out that religious tolerance has deteriorated and violations of religions freedom have escalated dramatically since 2014. While hate crimes, social boycotts and forced conversion have escalated, India faces serious challenges to its pluralistic traditions. The report suggested that India must adopt the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The report underlined: Since the BJP assumed power, religious minority communities have been subject to derogatory comments by BJP politicians and numerous violent attacks and forced conversions by affiliated Hindu nationa-list groups such as the RSS, Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad. Not in so many words, but the report also dropped hints for imposing some sort of sanction. It suggested to the US Government to put religious freedom and human rights at the heart of all trade, aid and diplomatic interactions with India. India is a religiously diverse and democratic society with a Constitution that provides legal equality for its citizens irres-pective of their religion and prohibits religion-based discrimination. The USCIRF Chairman Thomas J. Reese observed: The reality is far different. Indias pluralistic tradition faces serious challenges in a number of its States. To reverse this negative trajectory, the Indian and State governments must align their laws with both the countrys constitutional commitments and international human rights standards. The USCIRF further held that the Indian Governmentat both the national and State levelsoften ignores its constitutional commit-ments to protect the rights of religious mino-rities. The statistics supplied by the Home Ministry said that in 2015, India experienced a 17 per cent increase in communal violence, when compared to the previous year. In 2015, there were 751 reported incidents of communal violence, up from 644 in 2014. It also urged the US Government to counsel the Indian Govern-ment to push its States that have adopted anti-conversion laws to repeal or amend them to conform to international norms. The Indian Government must lift its sanctions against non-governmental organisations working for the welfare of the minorities in India, it underscored. The report also urged the foreign funders not to provide any fund to the Hindu fanatic groups. The report underlined: Identify Hindutva groups that raise funds from US citizens and support hate campaigns in India. Such groups should be banned from operating in the United States if they are found to spread hatred against religious minorities in India. The Dalits have always been at the receiving end, had to face the torture and oppression of the feudal lords in the past, yet they nurse the strong view that the governments of yesteryears had unleashed the communal forces against them. In those years the fight was on the issues of wages and izzat. The feudal lords would let loose their private militia who enjoyed the patronage of the government agencies and its police. If cases were filed against these elements, the police would arrest them. Later of course, they were released on bail. But in the present scenario the government has been directly involved in encouraging such goons and criminals. The Centrist and liberal character of the previous governments was a major deterrent for those governments to work nakedly in favour of the landed gentry and upper castes. But now the fascist political formations have been openly patronising and supporting them. Today, the Dalits no longer have the same confidence in the government. The feudal lords have shifted their support and loyalty to the BJP. The party is no longer the party of banias only; instead it represents the aspirations of the upper-caste feudal lords, corporate sector and the urban middle class primarily constituting the upper-caste populace. An insight into the violence perpetrated on the Dalits and Harijans would reveal that in yesteryears it was mainly associated with the agrarian relations and crisis in the States of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, MP and Rajasthan. The worst affected was Bihar. The State witnessed gruesome killings of the Dalits and Harijans during the last fifty years. As per the National Crime Records Bureau statistics, the total number of crimes against SCs in the country in 2010 was 32,643, of which UP accounted for 7522 (23 per cent). The number of crimes increased to 47,064 in 2014, in which UPs share was 8075. But the recent addition to the long list of atrocities and assaults has been the socio-religious oppression. This does not provide the right ambience for the Dalits to unite and launch a sustained struggle against the feudal lords. In the present situation violence against the Dalits needs serious consideration. It is a wrong notion that caste has been the primary factor for perpetration of violence against them. An analysis of the incidents would reveal that behind the facade of caste it is the class that has been the motivating factor. Until about four or five decades ago, the Dalits would meekly surrender to the wishes of the so-called upper castes in social, economic and political matters. But during the last decade a significant change in the style and approach of the Dalits is also being witnessed. The struggles led by the Communist Parties, and especially the Naxalites, have brought about a major change in their attitude. While the Dalit youths were reluctant to accept their lordship, this new class has started to refuse the conven-tional social stigmatisation and subordination by the upper castes. This Dalit assertion has been posing a challenge to the upper-caste hegemony. Jignesh Mewanis mobilisation of Dalits over the flogging of five Dalit youth for skinning a dead cow in Una, Gujarat, and also mobilisation by the young lawyer, Chandrasekhar, and the Bhim Army at Jantar Mantar in the national Capital are examples of Dalit assertion. At the BJPs two-day national executive in Bhubaneswar in April, Amit Shah had cautioned his upper-caste support base: Our mass base is changing rapidly. So change your behaviour, language and tone accordingly. But it is interesting to watch that there has been no taker for his advice. The upper-caste elements continue to indulge in brutal violence against the Dalits. There has been no let up in violent actions. The more the Hindutva protagonists, incidentally the upper caste Hindus and urban middle class, are striving to impose themselves on the Dalits, the more vehemently the Dalit youths have been opposing their mechanism. In recent years a new swing and also trans-formation is being witnessed in Dalit politics. While old ways of doing Dalit politics are still in vogue, asserting their individuality is being added to the new form of politics. However, the character and mode of the new politics is not yet clear. While the urban Dalits, who have joined the ranks of the neo-middle class, are for asserting their identity in the light of the teachings of Babasaheb Ambedkar, those in the rural areas relate it to their economic assertion and accessing their economic rights. Still their work is not evaluated in relation to the capitalist economy and market forces that have been defining the Indian economy. No doubt Dalits are increasingly striving to take charge of affairs in their own hands. But they are not clear of the mechanism with which to accomplish the task. Though caste continues to be the basic index of their assertion, the fact is that they are disillusioned of caste politics. They nurse a strong feeling that their caste leaders have exploited them and used them for their personal gains. In recent times a hot debate is going on about the real intent of BSP chief Mayawati, Udit Raj and even Ram Vilas Paswan and their brand of politics. The various social Dalit organisations feel that they should adopt a broader political spectrum. The 2017 elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly have made it explicit that the Dalits look for a wider canvass. Use of the social media to connect and communicate has proliferated; Left politics and its limitations are under scrutiny. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they have distanced away from the traditional Communist Parties. Naxalites are the only political force which attract them. Incidentally, in the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections while the Grand Alliance of the RJD-JD(U) bulldozed the BJP, the CPI(ML) managed to win three seats having Mahadalit population. It is also significant that a paradigm shift is being witnessed in the attitude of the Dalits and agricultural labourers towards the movements relating to their own problems. During the last two years the Patna High Court exonerated the goons of the landlords involved in at least three genocides, but the Dalits did not protest against the government and its lawyers for preparing and presenting weak cases before the court. They have been pursuing the cases in their own modest way. India is witnessing the emergence of a new Dalit politics which lays emphasis on widening the landscape of struggle rather than merely restricting it to political power or religious conversion. The struggle would have to be multipronged. The slogans that resound in the Dalit movement underline the new trend. The slogans echo: choice of food, right to land, swabhiman and atmabhiman (self-respect), azadi (freedom) and dignity. They denounce the surveillance of the Hindutva brigade on them. A Hindu mob dragging out Mohammad Akhlaq from his house and killing him for allegedly storing beef at his house has become an important issue in Dalit struggles. The new politics has raised the subject of right to food for the first time in a strong manner. Mewani, the prominent face of the new Dalit politics, argued that his movements main demand was that every landless Dalit should be given five acres of land. His movement was pitching for an alternative model of develop-ment, based on land reforms. This will be an attempt to define the character and element of productivity of the Dalits. Little doubt the biggest challenge before Dalit politics is to combine identity politics with a material basis; to fight for social justice as well as economic justice. Though a number of prominent Dalit political faces and leaders have joined the BJP, it would be in the interest of the Dalits that they should counter saffron politics. The objective of land reforms was to make India a more egalitarian society, and uplift the Dalits and the landless. But the rulers pursuing semi-feudal and semi- colonial policies did not implement it seriously. A majority of Indias population still depends on agriculture for survival. Dalits in the changed scenario must strive for an alternative model of development, based on land reforms, where productivity and wealth gains will be crucial elements. So far not only Gujarat but almost all the States have carried out land reforms but only on paper. This was an eye-wash primarily to fool the people, especially the poor. Land pattas were distributed but the Dalits did not have the actual possession. These lands are still under the physical control of the landlords and feudal elements. In most of the States the bureaucrats and administrations have failed to prepare the parcha (land deed) to be distributed amongst the Dalits as they do not have proper records of the government vested lands. In some States the pressure of the landlords on the government to desist from this project has been so acute that the governments preferred to push it beneath the carpet. The present set of Dalit leaders intended that they be turned into political disenchants. For this they felt it necessary to be busy in sloganeering. Dalit politics should have progressed beyond this sloga-neering, but it is bogged down in identity politics. There is thus an imperative need to combine identity politics with material politics to fight for both social justice as well as economic justice. The author is a senior journalist and can be contacted at sriv52[at]gmail.com Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Way to Socialism through Socialist Unity by Prem Singh This comment is about the situation that has arisen after the split in the Janata Dal (United). The comment is made by me as a citizen with a socialist background, and not as a member of the Socialist Party (India). The National Election Commission of India has decided in favour of Nitish Kumars faction on the party symbol dispute. The Sharad faction, however, has gone to petition the High Court in order to challenge the decision of the NECI but is simultaneously engaged in an exercise of forming a new party. It is very likely that soon another Janata outfit will be born from this exercise. After the split in the Janata Party in 1979 most political outfits, formed time to time by various socialist leaders of mainstream politics, retained the word Janata while naming or renaming their parties. This includes Chandra Shekhar (Samajwadi Janata Party Rashtriya) and Surendra Mohan (Socialist Janata Party). The only exception was the Samajwadi Party (SP) formed by Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP in 1992. The Socialist Party was merged into the Janata Party in 1977, and thus lost its original glory and national image. It would be interesting to analyse why and how the word Janata still haunts the socialists! When Surendra Mohan parted ways from the JDS, I had a discussion with him about the name of the new party he was planning to form. I tried to convince him that the word Janata should be avoided and the original name of the Socialist Party of 1977 should be revived and strengthened. That would have certainly helped in regaining the lost glory and national status of the original party in the long run. But he was not convinced with arguments and named his new party with the prefix of Socialist. Recently M.P. Veerendra Kumar, who resigned from the Rajya Sabha a few days back, has given indications of reviving his old outfit namely Socialist Janata (Democratic) Party. In this connection, I would like to forward a suggestion to the Sharad faction, M.P. Veerendra Kumar particularly, and individual socialists in general. Forming another leader-based State-level Janata Party/Dal with a Samajwadi pre-fix or suffix will contribute little in the direction of much needed socialism and socialist unity. It will be more appropriate if they should join the Socialist Party (India) and take up its leadership. The Socialist Party was revived as Socialist Party (India) in 2011 in Hyderabad in a two-day foundation conference by several senior and young socialist groups/leaders after having countrywide meetings/discussions at the initiative of Surendra Mohan and Justice Rajindar Sachar. The foundation conference was attended by around 600 delegates from 19 States. The SPI was formed to creatively carry forward the inheritance of the Indian socialist movement and ideology propagated by its leaders and thinkers such as Acharya Narendra Dev, Jaya Prakash Narayan, Dr Rammanohar Lohia, S.M. Joshi, Yusuf Meherally, Kamala Devi Chattopadhyaya, Kishan Pattnayak and other genuine socialist leaders. The Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha (SYS), the youth wing of the Socialist Party, was also formed simultaneously as Socialist Yuvjan Sabha. The sole aim of the SPI and SYS is to provide an elaborate alternative political ideology to counter and thus replace the nexus of neo-liberal-communal forces. The party, through its varied programmes, is trying to create a space for socialist politics at the national level within its limited resources. This uphill task/responsibility should be shared by all those socialists who really believe in the socialist legacy. If the Sharad faction and M.P. Veerendra Kumar decide to join the Socialist Party (India), several socialist individuals/groups can join. Workers and leaders who feel suffocated in dynasty-based State-level parties can also come forward to join the SPI. The party can be renamed as Indian National Socialist Party (Bharatiya Rashtriya Socialist Party) or Socialist Party of India (Bharatiya Socialist Party). I would further suggest that persons like Dr G.G. Parikh, H. Hanumanthappa, Kuldip Nayar, S.P. Shukla, Michel Fernandez, Dr Sunilam, Subhash Ware, Suresh Khairnar, Dr Raj Kumar Jain, Qurban Ali, Dr D. Sreekumar, Ravikiran Jain, Surendra Kumar, Vijay Pratap, Subhash Bhatnagar and many other concerned socialists should take the initiative in this direction. Friends of small parties, who participated in the unity meeting held at Tara, Mumbai, and later in the SPIs National Executive Committee meeting held at Delhi should also speed up their efforts. They are Prabodh C. Sinha (Socialist Democratic Party), Brajkishore Tripathi (Samata Kranti Dal), Arun Kumar Srivastav (JD-U), Manju Mohan (Socialist Janata Party), representatives of Socialist Party (Lohia) and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party. Incidentally, senior SPI leaders Bhai Vaidya, Pannalal Surana, Justice Rajindar Sachar have already started dialogue with leaders of the Sharad faction and M.P. Veerendra Kumar. Dr Prem Singh, a former Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, is the President, Socialist Party (India). Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > Judges Must Cross Lakshman Rekha IMPRESSIONS Jawaharlal Nehru showed the judiciary its place when he said in the Constituent Assembly in 1949: No Supreme Court can make itself a third chamber. No Supreme Court and no judiciary can stand in judgment over the sovereign will of Parliament. If we go wrong here and there, it can point it out, but in the ultimate analysis, where the future of the [country] is concerned, no judiciary can come in the way. And if it comes in the way, ultimately, the whole Constitution is a creature of Parliament. Ravi Shankar Prasad is no Jawaharlal Nehru. Indeed, his party has deleted Nehru from its memory pad. But the Law Minister was on Nehrus page when he, too, showed the judiciary its place. His phraseology was different because it was meant primarily to please his chief, but the spirit was the same when he told judges at a Law Day meeting: The people of India trust the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister possesses the nuclear button, thats how much the people trust him. Yet the Prime Minister through the Law Minister cannot be trusted to have a fair judge appointed. Why dont you trust the Prime Minister? That is a self-serving approach to electoral democracy. A declamatory answer to the Law Ministers declamatory question would be: The Supreme Court does not trust the government for the same reasons that the government does not trust the Supreme Court. Such mutual mistrust suits the citizen because it will ensure a fair measure of checks and balances. Justice J.S. Khehar gave a pointed answer to the Law Minister when he said: The judiciary is mandated to shield all citizens against discrimination and abuse of state power. The curse of party politics as played in India is that power is abused by all parties. This is evident in the appointment of Governors, in giving undue favours to relatives, in promoting the interests of crony capitalists. A government favourite, Pahlaj Nihalani, was made the film certification board chief; he proved such a liability that he had to be removed. The Pune Film Institute was reduced to a laughing stock by another BJP favourite, Gajendra Chauhan. His replacement, Anupam Kher, has more filmic credentials but his principal credential is that he is a BJP-bhakt. Come to think of it, what about Raghuram Rajans exit from the Reserve Bank? All governments want pliable people in key positions, from the Reserve Bank to the CBI. All governments want a pliable judiciary. Indira Gandhi used crude authoritarianism to achieve her purpose. The present government passed a law that gave the Law Ministry a say in the appointment and transfer of judges. But Justice Khehars five-judge Bench struck it down on the ground that the judiciary must remain insulated and independent from the organs of governancea position Indias citizenry will wholeheartedly support. This does not mean that a Supreme Court collegium is a perfect arrangement. With embarr-assing frequency, collegium-backed appointments have favoured sons and uncles and promoted private interests. Judges have faced impeachment and one is currently in jail. But the solution to a flawed system is not the installation of another flawed system. We had a taste of what would happen if this government were to have its way in appointing judges. The eminent jurist, Gopal Subramanians name was put up by the collegium for appointment to the Supreme Court. When resistance came, he withdrew his name with dignity. It transpired that he was once the amicus curiae on behalf of the Supreme Court in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter killing case, which the BJP has turned into the most politically sensitive case in modern India. The governments resistance to collegium recommendations led, as CJI T.S. Thakur said last year, to 478 High Court positions being vacant and people languishing in jails for 13 years without a hearing. The idealism that propelled Nehru lost its meaning even when his party was in power. The sovereign will of Parliament became a farce when gangsters and money-bags entered the House as elected representatives of the people. The first two chambers Nehru had in mind lost credibility while the third, the judiciary, despite black sheep, remained a saving grace. Thats why Subramanian Swamy was unconvincing when he argued, in the 2G spectrum corruption case, that the courts should remain within the Lakshman Rekha of executive wisdom. Justice Ganguly intervened: It was only when Seeta crossed the Lakshman Rekha that Ravana was killed. May the judiciary continue to cross executive rekhas and help kill the Ravanas roaming around! Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > BJP Routed in UP Urban Local Bodies Elections On December 2, 2017 most newspapers flashed a front-page story that the Bharatiya Janata Party had swept the urban local bodies elections. Pictures of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offering sweets to one of his Deputy CMs or the State BJP President and all of them displaying victory signs also accompanied the report. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The BJP has actullay been routed in these elections having managed to win a mere 18.7 per cent of all seats whereas the Opposition, especially the Independent candidates, have walked away with flying colours. In fact, if Independents were a party they would have got a thumping majority in these elections. The only category in which the BJP has done better is the Mayors positions. Out of 16 Mayoral positions they have captured 14. But that is the end of their success story. And there is nothing unusual about it. Big cities are BJP strongholds for a long time now. It would have been surprising if they would not have won so many seats. In every other category of elected positions, other than Mayors, the combined Opposition has decimated the BJP. The details are revealing. For the position of Corporators in 16 Municipal Corporations, the BJP has won 596 seats with the Opposition taking away 703. The Samajwadi Party has got 202 seats whereas the Bahujan Samaj Party has 147 positions. For the post of Chairperson of the Nagar Palika Parishad, while the BJP has managed 70 positions, the combined Opposition has got 128 positions. The SP has 45 and BSP 29 chairpersons of the NPP. When it comes to members for the Nagar Palika Parishad, the BJP with merely 922 seats stands nowhere close to 3380 Independents. The combined Opposition has got 4338 members. The SP has 477 members and BSP 262. The Aam Admi Party has managed 17 seats in this category. There are more Independent Chairpersons of Nagar Panchayats than belonging to any single party. Their number is 182. Whereas the BJP has managed 100 positions, more than three times, 338 positions are occupied by the Opposition. The SP is not very far behind the BJP with 83 positions and the BSP has about half of that of the BJP at 45. Even the AAP will have two persons chairing the Nagar Panchayats. If we look at the members of Nagar Panchayats, again 3875 Independents clearly represent the peoples mood. The BJP could manage merely 664 seats. The SP with 453 seats closely followed. Thus out of a total of 12,644 positions, non-BJP representatives hold 10,278! If anybody can claim to have swept the elections it is the Independents who have a whopping share of 61 per cent of all seats. So, the question is: why is the media gung-ho about an imagined BJP victory? What are its compulsions? Has it been managed so that the UP urban local bodies election results dont have any adverse impact on the forthcoming Gujarat elections? Except for the Mayors post in big cities, people have very decisively rejected the BJP as a party in spite of it spending many times more money than other parties and fielding the CM to address election meetings. While Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati chose to keep out of campaigning leaving it to local leaders and workers, the BJP did not leave any stone unturned. Quite clearly, the charisma of Narendra Modi or Yogi Adityanath failed to fetch votes contrary to what is being claimed. The common people are quite badly hurt by the decision of the BJP Government to implement demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax. Businesses have suffered greatly. People have lost jobs and income levels have dropped. Whether it is the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan for which everybody has to pay extra cess or the Ujjwala scheme where the connection is free but there is no subsidy for the poor on gas cylinders for cooking, the people are feeling the pinch. With no demonstrable benefits people have a feeling of having been taken for a ride or being treated like culprits with the authorities breathing down their neck. The economy has been badly hit and the mood among the people is that of despair. In such a situation it would have been really surprising had the people handed over a convincing victory to the BJP. The BJP rode to power on the basis of a high- profile media and advertisement campaign in the first place and it continues to use the tool to hoodwink the people. The media has been made to fall in line. This is dangerous for democracy. When the media gives up its role of being an independent agency in democracy serving its role of holding the government accountable and starts toeing the government or worse the ruling partys line, something must be done about it. The media is part of the conspiracy to keep an unpopular anti-people party in power by swaying the public opinion. It is a great disservice to the people. All the people cannot be fooled all the time. The sheen of the government created by the media is now beginning to fade. The government is finding hard to maintain its credibility, nationally and internationally. Contrary to media stories, the international standing of India has gone down under the Modi regime in spite of him having made numerous foreign forays. The relationship with bigger countries like the United States, China, Pakistan has worsened, the smaller neigh-bours like Nepal and Maldives dont trust India. Without having taken any concrete steps to control deaths of children in the Gorakhpur Medical College hospital, CM Yogi Adityanath is seen to be giving more time and importance to religious issues. Ayodhya is back in focus although it is not clear how a grand temple in Ayodhya is going to help the common people overcome their suffering. The politics of symbolism is at the centre and when the government doesnt have anything concrete to offer to the people, it does rely on media blitzkrieg. Noted social activist and Magsaysay awardee Dr Sandeep Pandey is the Vice-President of the Socialist Party (India). He was elected to this post at the founding conference of the party at Hyderabad on May 28-29, 2011. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2017 > After Twentyfive Years EDITORIAL We have observed yesterday the twentyfifth anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, an incident in post-independence India thatlike the assassi-nation of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 and the Gujarat genocide of 2002was not only a blot on our much-cherished secular democracy but actually shook the very basis of our republic. Indeed a day after the demolition of the mosque on December 6, 1992 activists of various persuasions owing allegiance to secularism had marched to the BJP headquarters in the national Capital shouting: sharm se kaho hum Hindu hain (hang your heads in shame to call yourselves Hindus). The idea was to inject a sense of shame in the minds of the majoritarian triumphalists for having tarnished the secular values on which the Indian state was founded. And it must also be recalled that in a TV interview some years ago L.K. Advani, the then number two in the BJP hierarchy, had blandly said that on the evening of December 6, 1992 after the demolition of the Babri mosque he was really saddened by the turn of events at Ayodhya. But the following day when he heard the slogan sharm se kaho hum Hindu hain he said he was highly agitated to retaliate: Why should we be ashamed for what had happened? Thus the BJP leaders double-speak was in full display here. Dont forget, Advani was one of those who had assured that the mosque would remain untouched on December 6, 1992. It also revealed the BJP-RSS diabolic strategy to mislead the public. [It is a different matter that now the same Advani has been upstaged by someone who is much more effective in this specific game of hoodwinking the people.] As N.C., the founder of this journal, wrote in this publications December 19, 1992 issue, To build a temple to mark the birthplace of Ram, a mosque was destroyed by deceit. Following the Babri Masjid demolition many of us were stunned into silence, and soon this writer composed a poem which concluded with the lines: I know not how to atone for my immoral silence / For History shall not forgive me. Those words have haunted me all these years. But to what avail? Meanwhile something far more dangerous is being planned. As eminent human rights crusader Harsh Mander has underlined: If indeed the BJP Govern-ment builds a Ram temple at the site of the demolished mosque, Indias secular Constitution will be shredded to tatters. Let us make no mistakeregardless of which way the Supreme Courts Ayodhya verdict may go, the prospect of such an ominous eventuality as spelt out above is growing with every passing day. And it must also be admitted in all frankness that secularists of all hues are much more isolated now than what they were twentyfive years ago when the Babri mosque was destroyed. This gives us a measure of the regression the nation has suffered in this time-span. That is why we must urgently take the solemn pledge on this occasion to stop the demon on its tracks and defeat it with all our might. Time is running out. December 7 S.C. Friday was one of the most embarrassing days for the U.S. media in quite a long time. The humiliation orgy was kicked off by CNN, with MSNBC and CBS close behind, with countless pundits, commentators and operatives joining the party throughout the day. By the end of the day, it was clear that several of the nations largest and most influential news outlets had spread an explosive but completely false news story to millions of people, while refusing to provide any explanation of how it happened. The spectacle began on Friday morning at 11:00 am EST, when the Most Trusted Name in News spent 12 straight minutes on air flamboyantly hyping an exclusive bombshell report that seemed to prove that WikiLeaks, last September, had secretly offered the Trump campaign, even Donald Trump himself, special access to the DNC emails before they were published on the internet. As CNN sees the world, this would prove collusion between the Trump family and WikiLeaks and, more importantly, between Trump and Russia, since the U.S. intelligence community regards WikiLeaks as an arm of Russian intelligence, and therefore, so does the U.S. media. This entire revelation was based on an email which CNN strongly implied it had exclusively obtained and had in its possession. The email was sent by someone named Michael J. Erickson someone nobody had heard of previously and whom CNN could not identify to Donald Trump, Jr., offering a decryption key and access to DNC emails that WikiLeaks had uploaded. The email was a smoking gun, in CNNs extremely excited mind, because it was dated September 4 ten days before WikiLeaks began promoting access to those emails online and thus proved that the Trump family was being offered special, unique access to the DNC archive: likely by WikiLeaks and the Kremlin. Its impossible to convey with words what a spectacularly devastating scoop CNN believed it had, so its necessary to watch it for yourself to see the tone of excitement, breathlessness and gravity the network conveyed as they clearly believed they were delivering a near-fatal blow to the Trump/Russia collusion story: There was just one small problem with this story: it was fundamentally false, in the most embarrassing way possible. Hours after CNN broadcast its story and then hyped it over and over and over the Washington Post reported that CNN got the key fact of the story wrong. The email was not dated September 4, as CNN claimed, but rather September 14 which means it was sent after WikiLeaks had already published access to the DNC emails online. Thus, rather than offering some sort of special access to Trump, Michael J. Erickson was simply some random person from the public encouraging the Trump family to look at the publicly available DNC emails that WikiLeaks as everyone by then already knew had publicly promoted. In other words, the email was the exact opposite of what CNN presented it as being. How did CNN end up aggressively hyping such a spectacularly false story? They refuse to say. Many hours after their story got exposed as false, the journalist who originally presented it, Congressional reporter Manu Raju, finally posted a tweet noting the correction. CNNs PR Department then claimed that multiple sources had provided CNN with the false date. And Raju went on CNN, in muted tones, to note the correction, explicitly claiming that two sources had each given him the false date on the email, while also making clear that CNN did not ever even see the email, but only had sources describe its purported contents: All of this prompts the glaring, obvious, and critical question one which CNN refuses to address: how did multiple sources all misread the date on this document, in exactly the same way, and toward the same end, and then feed this false information to CNN? ... An article that recently appeared in the South African news publication Daily Maverick, Intellectual property for the 21st century economy, reminds us that, notwithstanding the increasing homogenisation of IP laws, parts of the developing world are yet to be totally convinced that IP is the best way of ensuring innovation and progress. The article was written by renowned economist Joseph Stiglitz. He comes right to the point when he says this: 'Developing countries are increasingly pushing back against the intellectual property regime foisted on them by advanced economies over the last 30 years they are right to do so because what matters is not only the production of knowledge, but also that it is used in ways that put the health and well-being of people ahead of corporate profits.' According to Stiglitz, the pushback is being led by South Africa, India and Brazil, and the focus is medicines. Although South Africa has in the past felt the 'full legal might of the global pharmaceutical industry', it is in the process of finalising an IP policy that expands access to medicines. The South African government 'is right, and other developing and emerging economies should follow in its footsteps.' Stiglitz is critical of IP: it was wrong to impose a 'one-size-fits-all' policy; the standards imposed by the developed world are not designed to maximise progress and innovation, but rather corporate profits; the institutions and laws protecting knowledge are increasingly inadequate to govern global economic activity, and poorly suited to the needs of developing countries; patents may encourage research, but the sheer number of patents now stifles innovation; much of the research that is taking place is aimed at extending protection rather than creating new products. The IP regime has, says Stiglitz, erected barriers to the use of knowledge, and this is not sustainable. Stiglitz says that the 21st century economy will differ from that of the 20th century in two major ways the economic weight of countries like South Africa, Brazil and India will increase, and the economy of ideas, knowledge and information will become increasingly important. Developing countries should be looking at alternatives to patents for financing research, including centralised bodies like national health institutes, tax credits and prizes. IP owners in the developed world, as well as their advisors, would do well to bear these philosophical differences in mind Wayne Meiring Spoor & Fisher Jersey Africa House, Castle Street St Helier, Jersey JE4 9TW Channel Islands Tel: +44 1534 838000 Fax: +44 1534 838001 info@spoor.co.uk www.spoor.com New Delhi : Rahul Gandhi is likely to assume the reins of the Congress on December 16, marking a generational shift in the grand old party when his mother and its longest-serving president would formally hand over the baton to him. While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since independence, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have been dwindling in the recent past. Today, the party, which once controlled almost the entire country, has its governments in just five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The announcement of Rahul Gandhi's elevation, however, is likely to be made tomorrow, the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the election of the Congress president which is a one horse race. Altogether 89 nominations received in his favour were found to be valid during scrutiny. The Congress s Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita will announce that Gandhi's was the only nomination for the top job tomorrow. Rahul Gandhi would, however, be handed over the certificate appointing him the party president on December 16 in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders, Ramachandran said. Sonia Gandhi will officially hand over the mantle of the 132-year-old party to her son around 11 AM after which Rahul Gandhi will meet leaders from across the country at the Congress's headquarters, party sources said. The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab. Rahul Gandhi's elevation would come just two days ahead of the counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll. PTI In 2008, then candidate Barack Obama took serious flak about remarks he made during a campaign stop. He described the bitterness of some small-town folks who cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them. The events weve seen over the last few weeks bare out the truth to his words. The hypocrisy being played out in Alabama is a model for a philosophy that has gone sideways. These are people who evoke the name of Jesus and love thy neighbor while advocating for loosening gun regulations, spewing hate and generally dismissing those in need. In the wake of the mass shooting at the church in Texas, the general response from the surviving members of the congregation seemed to be resignation from those who see the death of innocents as a part of Gods Plan. Solutions offered were consistent with their worship of guns as well as God --- to arm the congregation. Where is the outrage? Where is the anger to do something other than say Well, theyre in a better place with Jesus now? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Fox News that had the Sutherland Springs congregation been armed, there would have been fewer casualties. Are you kidding me? As anyone in the military or law enforcement will tell you, he who shoots first wins. The good guy with the gun is a false narrative the NRA continues to employ. Of course gun nuts made the guy who chased down the killer in Southerland Springs into a savior even though the results were suspect at best. Most evangelicals describe themselves as pro-life. I suggest that no, they are not pro-life, they are pro-birth. They reject a womans right to choose and believe unwanted pregnancies should be carried out to the finish so they can get that kid born, and as soon as he can hold it, put a gun in one hand and a bible in the other. Some of the most strident homophobes like now former congressman Wes Goodman or Trumps Oklahoma campaign chair Ralph Shorty turn out to be sexual predators while standing up for family values. Alabama is Mecca for evangelicals, with over half the population describing themselves as such. They cheer Roy Moores pistol waving Yosemite Sam impersonation and calls for what amounts to a Christian caliphate. In their hypocrisy, they ignore or vilify his accusers of sexual harassment. In order to advance their twisted agenda, theyll look past any tragedy or reprobate. They are galvanized behind a man who co-authored a study course in 2011 saying Women should not be allowed to run for office or work outside the home. And every day leading up to this Tuesday it gets more bizarre. While were all busy watching Trump, Republicans in Washington are working diligently to dismantle the Medicare and Social Security and pilfer the Treasury to hand benefits to the super-rich. In 2011, a poll by the Public Religion Research Institute found that only 30 percent of white evangelicals believed an elected official who commits an immoral act in their personal life can still behave ethically and fulfill their duties in their public and professional life. By 2016, that number had risen to 72 percent. Clearly the majority of evangelicals have moved to a Machiavellian ends-justifies-the means approach to politics that violate their own core beliefs. As former Reagan speech writer Peggy Noonan lamented, when a Washington Post journalist presented as fact in a 1993 news report that evangelical Christians are largely poor, uneducated and easy to command, you know he was thinking of Southern evangelicals. Yes, Peggy, and given what we see in Alabama, Texas, and rest of the evangelical world it must be true. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress are sacrificing Al Franken who apologized for his indiscretions but is required to fall on his sword in the name of moral purity that doesnt remotely exist on the other side. There is a false equivalence out there and the evangelical right is winning in the name of a Jesus that they alone create. I wonder what Jesus would think of this flock thats gone down such a dark path in his name. Andy Parker is a resident of Collinsville Two statements were made on the same day, 21 November. Both declared the end of the war on Islamic State in Syria. The first was made by Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with Bashar al-Assad in Sochi, the second was released by Qassem Suleimani: the Iranian general at the head of the Quds Force (the Islamic Revolutionary Guards). Both, almost simultaneously, stated that terrorism was defeated in the country. A month before, Raqqa the capital city of the Islamic State was taken by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This defeat dealt a decisive blow to the last hopes of Islamic State establishing their Caliphate. In the same period, loyalist forces consisting of Assadist troops and Iranian backed militias with Russian air support took the city of Deir Ezzor along with all the main cities on the bank of the Euphrates river towards the Iraqi border. The western backed Islamist insurgency, from which IS arose, has now been crushed in all important areas. Of the plans of US imperialism - and their traditional allies in the region - of overthrowing the Assad regime and cutting through Iranian influence in the region, nothing remains. The Russian intervention was the final element which tipped the balance against US interests. As a result of the outcome of the war, Russia is now rising as a counterweight to US influence throughout the region. This underlines the limitations of US imperialism. While the US is still by far the strongest single force globally, it is tied up by a series of internal crises which limits its room for maneuver. This in turn is opening up a vacuum for other smaller powers to manoeuvre. In Syria, three forces which have traditionally opposed US imperialism - the Kurdish militia, together with Russia and Iran - have become the key forces on the ground. Unable to intervene directly, the US could only maintain some influence in Syria at the great cost of leaning on the Kurdish militia and thereby jeopardising its relationship with Turkey, a key NATO ally. Turkey and the Kurds Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, initially intervened in Syria along with the US, with ambitions of using Syria as a springboard towards achieving his dreams of a modern day Ottoman Empire. But seeing the coming defeat and the support of the US for the Kurdish militias, he made a deal with Russia and Iran. Embed from Getty Images In return for selling out the CIA-backed Islamic fundamentalist groups, Putin gave Turkey increased room to act against the Kurds. This shouldnt come as a surprise. What concerns Moscow is not the fate or the liberation of the oppressed peoples but the assertion of its role as a regional power. At the same time of course, Islamic fundamentalism has not been uprooted in Syria. Al Qaeda still controls the province of Idlib, but it does so at the mercy of Turkey, which in agreement with Russia and Iran, and much to the dismay of the US and Saudi Arabia, keeps a tight leash on it. Erdogan is supporting the fundamentalists as a backup in the future political game in Syria and to use them as a battering ram against the Kurds. Ankara cannot allow the consolidation of Kurdish autonomy in Syria. Turkey fears the consequences within its borders, where at least 15 million oppressed Kurds live. Erdogan has been very critical of the support provided by the US to the SDF. The US on the other hand, has not had any other reliable force to fight IS in Syria. But now that the civil war is coming to an end, US imperialism is preparing to sell out the future of the Kurds in return for an appeasement with Turkey, which in turn could be used against Iran. On November 27, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders highlighted this by saying that, with IS's territory shrinking, "we're in a position to stop providing military equipment to certain groups, but that doesn't mean stopping all support of those individual groups". Sanders statement echoed Trumps, who told President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call that he had issued instructions that weapons should not be provided to the Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters.The US are now ready to dump the Kurds. As we have stated several times, for US imperialism, the Kurds are only a pawn in a bigger game and if it had to choose between them and Turkey, the choice will always be in favour of the latter. Embed from Getty Images The YPG leaders thought they could use the US for their purposes, but the opposite is occurring. One hundred years after the Balfour Declaration, the petty-bourgeois and bourgeois leaders of the liberation movements in the Middle East have not learned any lessons. There is nothing wrong in a revolutionary movement using the divisions between imperialist powers, but there is, however, a limit to this tactic. In the end Kurdish liberation can only be achieved by revolutionary means, by appealing to the masses in Syria, Iraq, Iran and most importantly in Turkey for a revolutionary overthrow of all these regimes and the establishment of a Socialist Kurdistan as part of a Socialist Federation of the Middle East. It was the revolution in Western Syria which in the first place created the vacuum for the Kurdish movement to rise. But the leaders of the different Kurdish factions have increasingly been leaning on deals with the big powers, rather than developing a revolutionary policy to connect with the struggle of the Iranian, Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi masses. In doing so, they have also given important concessions to the imperialists. In Syria, the Kurdish leaders have not only received arms from the US, they have also allowed the US to build more than a dozen bases throughout Kurdish controlled territory. They have also allowed Russian and Syrian forces into their territory and have, on different occasions, made deals with Iranian proxies and the Iraqi central government. The absurdity of this policy reached a temporary peak during the Qatar-Saudi crisis, when some PYD leaders publicly supported collaboration with Saudi Arabia. These mistakes by the Kurdish leaders are not only weakening the Kurdish liberation movement militarily, but also politically, by repelling the most radical layers who are fiercely opposed to US, Saudi and Russian imperialist meddling. Small nations are just so much small change in the deals reached between the big powers. And when the time for a deal comes, all of these concessions will be used to try rein in the Kurdish movement. Saudi Arabia At the same time, the defeat of the US campaign in Syria, means a consolidation of the position of Iran and its traditional ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah. This is raising new contradictions and represents an untenable situation for the crisis ridden Saudi kingdom. As a response Saudi Arabia embarked on an attack on the Lebanese government, which is strongly influenced by Hezbollah. Seeing Prime Minister Saad Hariris indulgence towards the Shiite movement as a threat, the Saudis essentially kidnapped him and forced him to resign during a visit to Saudi Arabia. The Saudis were hoping to whip up a sectarian conflict within Lebanon and thereby force the hand of Israel to attack Hezbollah. The Arab League, following a Saudi proposal, declared Hezbollah a terrorist organisation and Iran a regional threat. But the move had the opposite effect. Inside Lebanon public opinion turned sharply against Saudi Arabia, in sympathy with Hezbollah. Meanwhile, international pressure forced the Saudis to let Hariri go, after which he retracted his resignation. Embed from Getty Images At the same time the Saudis launched a highly publicised military alliance to rid the world of Islamist terrorism. If lives of innocent men, women and children were not involved, such a statement would be a contender for the best joke of 2017. Saudi Arabia was founded on the principles of Wahhabism: one of the most reactionary ideologies in the world. For decades, the Saudis have funded Islamic terrorism, and still do. The latest result of this was the Islamist terrorist attack, which killed 235 people in a Sufi mosque in Sinai, Egypt. It was carried out by the Islamic State, which had strong links to the Saudi regime itself and which has been strengthened by funds and resources delivered to the Islamists in the Syrian Civil War by Saudi Arabia and other western powers. Of course, they have now escaped the complete control of their former masters. The military alliance set up by the Saudis has nothing to do with fighting terrorism. Along with the rest of Saudi foreign policy, it is aimed at one target only: Iran. Saudi Arabia has emerged as the biggest loser of the Syrian civil war. This outcome has led Riyadh to adopt an attitude that is far from remissive. Indeed, its foreign policy positions have become increasingly aggressive. The rise of Mohammed bin Salman (MBS as he is called), son of the current king, is the expression of this. As a foreign minister, MBS launched in 2015 a military intervention against the Houthi forces which controlled large parts of Yemen. Following the deafening silence of western imperialism (and tacit support, given that the western powers keep selling weapons to the Kingdom), Saudi aggression has left tens of thousands of people dead and created more than three million refugees. According to the United Nations, 80 percent of Yemenis are experiencing a humanitarian emergency. But the war in Yemen is being lost by the Saudis and the war fronts have barely moved for the past year. Only two weeks ago, the Saudis pulled out their last desperate attempt at turning the tables when they convinced the then Houthi ally, Abdullah Saleh, to break with the Houthis. But this proved unsuccessful as Saleh was quickly killed and his troops cleared from Sanaa. This defeat only lays bare the weakness of Saudi Arabia, which in spite of having one of the most expensive armies on the planet, could not force its will on one of the poorest countries in the world. Each defeat in the region is piling on the internal crises of the regime, which in turn continues to raise the stakes like a gambler on a losing streak. In May the kingdom provoked a conflict with Qatar, calling on the Qataris to break relations with Turkey and Iran, as well as shutting down media such as Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera. In response, Qatar did the opposite and strengthened its relations with Iran and Turkey. While Donald Trump initially supported MBS in this endeavour, he was quick to withdraw as he found out that the US has a major military base on the peninsula. Qatar is not a one off case. The crisis of US imperialism is also a crisis of the Saudi regime which has always been dependent on imperialism for its survival. The US did not support Saudi Arabia against Iran in Iraq - in fact the US had to make a deal with Iran to secure its own withdrawal from the country. In Syria, Trump has abandoned Saudi backed proxies and is manoeuvring to cut a deal with Russia. In Yemen, Trump is now openly calling for an end of the war, which is essentially a defeat for Saudi Arabia. Any attempt of the Saudis to take the fight to Lebanon will eventually lead to a similar outcome. But if the Americans will not fight the wars of Saudi Arabia, who will? The fact is that the kingdom does not have any real loyal subjects, which is why it has never dared send its army to fight in a war. Thus, the lack of US support poses an existential danger for the regime. In early November an "anti-corruption" drive was carried out on the orders of MBS. Most of the main opponents of the crown prince within the royal family were arrested. These are the opening shots of the coming conflicts within the kingdom. The world economic crisis and the falling oil prices are straining the networks of patronage which have kept the kingdom together since its inception. For the first time in ten years, Gross Domestic Product declined in the first two quarters of 2017 and the IMF forecasts zero growth this year. In order to cope with the rise in public debt, MBS plans a series of privatisations, including the sale of 5 percent of Aramco, the oil company, whose value is estimated at about $2 trillion. In a country where 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, the government has already cut by 15 percent state employees' wages, along with other subsidies. And all this is happening in the world's largest oil exporter! This is preparing an explosive situation at the bottom. Apart from the Sunni population, the Shia minority in the oil rich north eastern areas have been restive since 2011 and the urban youth have been increasingly calling for more democratic rights. The defeats in foreign policy are magnifying this crisis. The war in Yemen was partially a concession to the Wahabis, but it is becoming a public opinion disaster internally. Meanwhile MBSs new liberal statements are aimed at appealing to the middle class youth. MBS wants to unite these layers behind the monarchy, but these forces are diametrically opposed to each other as well as to the monarchy itself. With the revenues from the sale of Aramco, Riyadh will increase its military spending. Last May it reached a deal for arms and defence systems from the United States for over US$110 billion. On his official visit, Trump provided almost unconditional support for the actions of the Saudis in the Middle East. The regime is trying to divert attention and to forcefully claw back its dominant position in the region, but it is fighting a lost battle. MBS is trying to maintain the initiative by constantly setting the agenda. But he is unable to resolve the crisis and thus, sooner or later events will catch up with him. All the forces of Saudi society are pulling in opposite directions threatening to tear the regime apart. What we are witnessing is thus essentially the beginnings of the decline of Saudi Arabia as we know it. Iran If western imperialism was seeking to curb Iranian influence, they have achieved the exact opposite. Iran has never been more influential in Syria, Iraq or Lebanon. This is a direct result of the breakup of the regional order imposed on the region by the US with the destruction of the Iraqi state after the defeat of Saddam Hussein. In the vacuum Iran is rising to become the key power of the region along with Turkey. On its northern border, Israel thought it had created an equilibrium with Assad and Hezbollah, but with the rise of Iranian backed proxies in Syria that balance is being disrupted radically. Israel has tried not to get sucked into the Syrian civil war, but a few weeks ago it was forced to escalate its involvement by bombing an Iranian military base south of Damascus. The possibility of Iranian military and naval bases along with Iranian arms factories on Israel's border poses a major threat to the Israeli regime. Embed from Getty Images Together with Saudi Arabia and the US, they want to roll back Iran. Saudi Arabia has already made several public overtures to Israel. The two countries, despite not having formal diplomatic relations, have admitted they are in contact through their intelligence services, and Israeli Defence Minister Lieberman has called for the need to start a new "imminent" war front in Lebanon. Together with Trump, these gentlemen are trying to turn back the clock to before the Iraq war, before the capitalist crisis and before the Arab revolution. Trump has been trying to make a 180 degree turn from Obamas policies in the Middle East as if these were merely based on Obamas personal preferences and were not dictated by strategic interests of US imperialism. First he increased support for the Syrian rebels and carried out a pathetic missile attack on an empty government airbase in Syria. But nothing changed. In the end he had to come to an agreement with Russia about Syria. In Yemen as well, he initially supported MBSs brutal, yet hopeless war. But now he has been forced to call for an immediate end to the war. Trump is also trying to scrap the Iran nuclear deal, but it is clear that other world powers will not follow suit. Nevertheless, the Iran deal was not an arbitrary piece of paper, it was the formalisation of a process which had taken place on the ground in the region. It was the formal recognition of Irans growing influence on the ground and the need by US imperialism to come to terms with it. Trump is supporting almost everything said in Riyadh and Jerusalem, but time and time again, like during the Qatar crisis, he soon realises that his position undermines key US interests. Last week he officially recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Of course, this is only the last nail in the coffin of the utopian two state solution and the farce of peace negotiations played out by world powers for 25 years. Nevertheless, it is provoking a backlash against US imperialism throughout the region and thereby undermining Saudi political influence, while building up that of Hezbollah and Iran. The US administration probably thought that, after the defeat of Islamic State, they had a window of opportunity to move against Iran. But the situation in the Middle East is not based on the level of cowardice of of this or that US politician. Trump, despite all his arrogance, has a little problem. In the context of the global economic crisis, the public debt crisis, rising anti-establishment moods in the US, the crisis of the US political system and after the disastrous adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan (where incidentally, they are still bogged down since the 2001 invasion), the US cannot deploy significant amounts of troops in the Middle East. So he has to rely on alliances with regimes and forces riddled by crises and with their own interests which do not necessarily coincide with those of the US all the time. Meanwhile, Iran and its proxies have entrenched their position as the strongest political and military force, with hundreds of thousands of dedicated battle hardened troops holding territory from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, through Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. No other regime in the Middle East can boast of similar influence and therefore, Iran cannot be ignored or merely rolled back. The limitations of US American power left a vacuum in the Middle East that was partially filled by Russia and partially by Iran. However, none of the regional powers has the strength to replace Washington completely, even though they all wish to do so. Seeing the rise of Iran, which is an existential threat to the regime in Riyadh and to an extent also to that in Jerusalem, tensions are likely to increase and the conflict to replicate itself throughout the region. Mohammad Bin Salman, who is desperate to keep the conflict simmering outside of his own borders, has been trying to stir up a clash in Lebanon, a country of 4.3 million people, which has become much more unstable after the arrival of 1.5 million Syrian refugees. The Israeli regime is also preparing for war in Lebanon, but Hezbollah already pushed back the Israeli army in the 2006 war. Eleven years later, Hezbollah is stronger, both militarily and in terms of popularity. Saudi pressures on Lebanon have only had the effect of increasing the popularity of the Shiite movement inside the country. Thus, if the imperialists engage in a new open conflict, they are likely to see similar results as in Syria. Those who will pay the main price are the oppressed peoples, such as the Palestinians and Kurds, used as pawns in this great game. As the crisis of capitalism grinds on, the ruling classes of the region are willing to drown the whole area in a sea of blood to protect their own privileges. So long as the various despotic regimes remain in power, this nightmare scenario for the peoples of the Middle East will continue to get worse. The only way out is for all of these regimes to be overthrown. That task belongs to the workers and poor in all these countries. The 2011 Arab revolution gave us a glimpse of what is possible. Only a solution based on class independence, on the common interests of the oppressed masses, beyond religion, ethnicity, and language, can free the Middle East from the nightmare of reaction and blood in which it is currently entangled. The task of Marxists in the region is to patiently explain this and build a force that will be capable of intervening in the inevitable mass movements of the future. Iran 2009, Egypt 2011, Turkey 2013 showed what immense power the workers in these three key countries have. It is this power, if correctly challenged, that can finally put an end to the living hell the imperialists have created for all the peoples of the Middle East. The Boston Celtics announced they will be without Kyrie Irving and Marcus Morris when they face the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Al Horford was also listed as questionable. The result? An injury report of players who, when healthy, would make up an extremely productive four-man lineup. Full #NEBHInjuryReport for tonight in Chicago: Injury report for tonight: - Al Horford - questionable (right knee contusion) - Kyrie Irving - out (left quad contusion) - Marcus Morris - out (left knee rehab) - Gordon Hayward - out (left ankle fracture) Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 11, 2017 The Bulls have the worst record in the league -- 5-20, half a game below the Atlanta Hawks -- but Chicago has won two games in a row since Nikola Mirotic returned to the lineup. They also still have Robin Lopez, who destroyed Boston in the playoffs last season with his size and aggressive rebounding. Still, Chicago's teardown turned them into a contender for one of the top picks in a loaded draft. With the exception of rookie Lauri Markkanen, the Bulls haven't had much to celebrate this year. The Celtics, meanwhile, are staring in the face of a difficult stretch that includes three back-to-backs in the next 10 days, and the Celtics likely see Monday's contest as a chance to buy their stars a night off. Horford is banged up after he collided knees with Anthony Tolliver on Sunday, and Irving took a knee to the quad as well. Boston does have one notable advantage: Aron Baynes, who would have done wonders for last year's team against Lopez. If the Celtics can limit his damage on the boards and counteract Markkanen's production, they could finish the three-game road trip 2-1 despite a close loss to San Antonio and resting stars. Yanni will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of his famed "Live at the Acropolis" concert with a tour that will stop in Connecticut. "Yanni 25 -Live At The Acropolis 25 Anniversary Tour" will arrive at the Oakdale Theatre on May 11 at 7 p.m. Tickets are priced at $85, $55, and $35 and go on sale Dec, 15 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available through oakdale.com or by calling the Ticketmaster number at (800) 745-3000. Yanni's "Live At the Acropolis" recording is one of the best selling concert videos of all time. A 45-year-old man has been found guilty in the 1992 killing of 21-year-old Lena Bruce after DNA helped investigators find the suspect. A Suffolk Superior Court jury found James Witkowski guilty of murder in the killing. The sentencing is set for Thursday at 2 p.m., but the conviction carries a life sentence without parole. Witkowski, who was 19 at the time of the killing, was indicted in October 2015 on a charge of first-degree murder. Bruce was found dead in her South End home in Boston on July 12, 1992. Prosecutors said he was identified as a suspect through DNA. Witkowski had provided DNA samples to a database after he was convicted of two felonies. The DNA was matched to evidence obtained in Bruce's killing. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said Bruce's roommate came home to their Massachusetts Avenue apartment after a weekend away and found Bruce, a Tufts University graduate, dead. "The roommate discovered Bruce face down on her bed, partially undressed, with her hands tied tightly behind her back with telephone cord," authorities said. "She had been dead for at least 24 hours." Investigators said Bruce was killed by an intruder who entered the apartment through an open window. The window led directly to a fire escape accessible from the alley behind the building. Biological evidence was recovered from Bruce's body. Skin cells were found under her fingernails and semen was recovered, authorities said. The Boston Police Crime Lab tested both samples and found that they shared the same DNA profile. The DNA profile was uploaded to the FBI's Combined DNA Index System known as CODIS. In 2014, Witkowski was charged with a criminal offense in Brockton, violating his probation on a Suffolk County conviction for assault and battery and triggering an 18-month house of correction sentence. Witkowski was ordered to provide DNA after he was convicted on drug and uttering charges. The DNA sample was uploaded to CODIS leading to a match in January 2015 in the Bruce killing, authorities said. "Boston Police detectives re-interviewed witnesses and reviewed the aging case file. Among the evidence they examined was a wallet with no identifying information inside that was found outside the Mass Ave. crime scene," the district attorney's office said. "Inside the wallet was a slip of paper with a fingerprint individualized to Witkowski's left thumb." Detectives again interviewed Witkowski three times. He admitted to hanging out near Bruce's building, but denied recognizing her in a photo and claimed that he drank heavily at the time of the killing and suffered from "blackouts." The Boston Globe reports Bruce's family was in the courtroom was the verdict was read. Bruce was working at an engineering firm at the time of her killing, according to the newspaper. WESTFIELD -- The community will gather Monday morning at Blessed Sacrament Church for the funeral of Montgomery Fire Chief Stephen P. Frye. Frye, 59, died Dec. 5 while fighting a fire on Southampton Road in Montgomery. A member of the Montgomery Volunteer Fire Department since 1993 and chief for 13 years, Frye also worked for the local electrical workers union and was a longtime member of the Blandford Ski Area ski patrol. Fellow Fire Chief Russ Anderson, of the Southwick Fire Department, said the fire community and beyond are mourning his loss. "The outpouring of support shown from the fire, ski patrol, co-workers, friends and family stands as a symbol of his passion and the friendships he had in all he did," said Anderson. Frye's obituary noted his mastery of grilling, sense of humor and wise advice. Frye is survived by his wife, an adult son and adult daughter, all of whom live in Montgomery. His son is also a member of the fire department and had responded to the fire where his father collapsed. The two-alarm fire destroyed the home, but the residents escaped the blaze unharmed. "This is a small, tight-knit community and the fire department is like a second family to its members," State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey at a press conference following the fire. "I offer heartfelt condolences to the Frye family and the Montgomery and area fire departments on this devastating loss." The cause of the blaze was determined to be an accidental chimney fire. The Montgomery Fire Department and State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal's Office and to the Hampden District Attorney investigated. Mutual aid was received from the Easthampton, Huntington, Southampton, Southwick, Westfield, Westhampton, Russell, Barnes Air Force Base, Westover Air Reserve Base and Holyoke fire departments, Hilltown Ambulance, Massachusetts State Police and the Huntington Police Department. According to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, this is the second fire-related firefighter death this year. Watertown firefighter Joseph Toscano died battling a house fire on March 17, 2017. Western Massachusetts has not lost a firefighter in a fire since July 24, 2010 in Otis, and April 8, 1999 in Russell. Parents of young children confess they are feeling pressure to find creative ways to relocate their Elves and many are cursing the Elf on the Shelf tradition on social media. For those without children of Santa age, the story, which came from a book by Carole V. Aebersold and Chandra A. Bell called "The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition." The story says elves appear sometime after Thanksgiving and watch to make sure the children are naughty or nice. The elf leaves every night for the North Pole to make the report to Santa and returns the next morning, but in a different place. It seems parents are constantly searching for new places and scenarios for the elf, who is apparently magical enough to travel 6,636 miles daily (the distance from Springfield to the North Pole and back) but isn't creative enough to come up with his or her own spots to land. Maybe the elf is just too tired. Parents have their elves riding toy dinosaurs, playing with Barbie dolls, making snow angels in a pile of sugar and hanging on wreaths. The tradition seems to be driving some parents to drink - or at least having their elves drink. Several have Tweeted photos of their elves having wild drinking parties or doing shots. One had his elf learning how to brew beer. Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about the Elf on the Shelf. Take heart, there's only 15 days to go before Christmas. LEBANON A convoy of motorcycles paraded from Walgreens to the River Center to transport Christmas toys for low-income families during the Road Maggots motorcycle group's toy run on Sunday afternoon. The 10th annual event was held in honor of Road Maggot member "Milkman" Mike Hamer, who came up with the idea for the toy run, said fellow Road Maggot member Ray Jackman. Hamer died in 2013. The Road Maggots were joined by several other motorcycle groups. Jackman said it is important to continue the toy run to help many community members have Christmas. "There are people in this town who wouldn't have a Christmas otherwise," Jackman said. Another community club, The American Street Masters car club, joined the Road Maggots by driving classic cars in the parade. The parade was followed by truckloads of toys people donated to the River Center for their annual Christmas Toys Program. The Road Maggots and other community members helped unload the Christmas toys inside the center to be later distributed to families in need. There was a large pile of toys accumulating inside the center only 13 minutes after the parade started. "There will be a mountain of toys and food, said Lynn Koehn, River Center community outreach pastor. "There are families and children who are less fortunate than us. We have been given so much. This is a way for us to give that blessing back to the community" River Center Associate Pastor Bob Elliott agreed with that sentiment. Elliott said that it would be near impossible to count the total number of toys, or the exact value of the toys, because there were already so many toys donated (and donations will continue until Christmas) for the River Center's Christmas Toy Program. Compared to last years toy drive, Elliott estimated that the center was at about 50 percent of their total accrued donations. Within the last week, donations had picked up. "It's been delightful to see the compassionate support of the community," Elliott said. "We really value our relationship with the Road Maggots." Those toys will go to local area families who put in an application with the River Center. This year, seven residents from the Oregon Veterans' Home participated in the parade, said Rosemary Turnwall, veterans' home activities director. The home also provided brownies for the public at the River Center. "I just looked back in the bus, and saw tires and motorcycles as far as the eye could see," Turnwall said. For more information about the River Center's Christmas Toy Program, visit http://www.therivercenter.net/christmas. A consortium is trialing a fleet of electric cargo bikes and trailers for quicker, more efficient and nearly carbon neutral deliveries in Central London. As on-demand becomes the norm, and consumers continue to shop around for brands and products that mirror their social priorities. WASHINGTON A year ago, with the election of a U.S. president who had fulminated against the international trade and financial systems, some analysts worried that the engine of global prosperity might soon be sputtering. But that's not what happened. The global economy has surged forward this year, significantly outperforming expectations. As the International Monetary Fund wrote in its latest world economic outlook, published in October: "The current upswing reaches more broadly than any in a decade roughly 75 percent of the world economy ... is sharing in the acceleration." The IMF revised upward its forecast for the global economy, predicting 3.6 percent growth this year and 3.7 percent in 2018, powered by surging activity in Europe, Japan, China and America. The U.S. will grow more slowly, at 2.2 percent this year and 2.3 percent in 2018, but that's better than 2016's anemic 1.5 percent. Goldman Sachs' forecasters are even more bullish. A November report, titled "As Good as It Gets," offered this tonic for investors: "For the first time since 2010, the world economy is outperforming most predictions, and we expect this strength to continue." Goldman projects 3.7 percent global growth this year and 4.0 in 2018. So why, you might ask, does the U.S. need a tax cut amid this global surge? Good question. Many economists warn that by ballooning the deficit and creating an artificial "sugar high" in the U.S. economy, the tax-cut legislation passed by the House and Senate would add little to U.S. long-term growth and could actually make it worse. But let's stick with the mystery that's lurking in the upbeat numbers: Did this year's good economic news happen because of Donald Trump's presidency, or despite it? Trump's daily circus of anti-elitism during 2017 certainly looked like an attack on the global system: He scuttled the Trans-Pacific Partnership, threatened NAFTA and bad-mouthed trading partners Germany, Japan, South Korea and China. Yet global markets rolled forward, as if oblivious to the man in the White House who, figuratively speaking, was wielding a sledgehammer. Trump boosters would argue that he reinforced global economic confidence, despite his political antics. And it's certainly possible that financial markets were steadied, not disrupted, by the self-described billionaire who was ready to make deals to enhance the U.S. position in the global economy. The reality is that financial markets are driven by investor psychology the raw, instinctive confidence that it's time to buy and invest. This was the central insight of economist John Maynard Keynes. In one of the most-quoted passages of his 1936 "General Theory," Keynes argued that positive economic decisions "can only be taken as a result of animal spirits of a spontaneous urge to action rather than inaction." Animal spirits are certainly roaring overseas. China inspires confidence as it shifts to a slightly slower but more sustainable pace. Emerging economies, generally, are thriving: Goldman forecasts that India will grow 8 percent next year, 1.5 points faster than China, and that emerging markets as a group will grow at 5.6 percent. A final reason for optimism is Europe's recovery from its near-death experience of the past decade. The IMF attributes the revival to strong exports, solid domestic demand and "accommodative financial conditions amid diminished political risk and policy uncertainty." In other words, good policy and good luck. A recent blog posting by economist Simon Johnson was headlined: "A European Economic Miracle?" The weak spot is Britain, which appears to be paying a steep price for its post-Brexit retreat from Europe. The IMF said growth will fall this year to 1.7 percent (the IMF was predicting 2 percent back in April) and to 1.5 percent next year. Reading all this good news, there's a nagging sense that "we should not let a good recovery go to waste," as IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde put it in a recent speech at Harvard. "Repair the roof while the sun is shining," she urged. For the U.S., that means removing structural impediments to continued growth. U.S. companies aren't investing in new plants and equipment at the same levels as some Asian and European competitors, and few economists think that's because of high taxes. One telling statistic: The U.S. has been the worst at reducing inequality of all high-income countries, a recent Peterson Institute report noted. The new tax bill could make that problem worse. Boosting U.S. demand by increasing workers' real wages would make this recovery as real and powerful at home as it seems to be abroad. If we're really talking about making America great again, rebuilding middle-class incomes is where to start. Hamilton has been awarded a $450,000 grant from the Montana Department of Commerce for construction of a Ravalli Early Head Start building, play area and drop-off loop. Marjorie Vegoren, early childhood and disabilities manager, said the staff is thrilled to have the funds to build on the same property as Ravalli Head Start. "It will make transitions for kids and families much smoother. It will have an effect on how efficiently we can carry out operations," she said. "We are very excited to be all on one campus." Eight towns, cities, and counties across Montana will receive funds through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), a federally-funded program Commerce administers for Montana. MICHELLE MCCONNAHA [email protected] http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_e8b89757-5b4b-56d1-9b5a-b3bf814a3c88.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1 By recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the U.S. made our Israel bias abundantly clear. Years of pretending to be an "honest broker" of peace is revealed as a lie. No wonder Palestinians still don't have a state! They never will; Israel has confiscated most of the West Bank. For Palestinians, Israel is not a democracy but an apartheid state. Mandelas grandson Mandla told a Nov. 27 press conference, What we experienced in South Africa is a fraction of what Palestinians are experiencing. Israel withholds equal rights: Jahalin Bedouin's Khan al-Ahmar village, expelled three times from land Israel wanted for Jews, is under demolition order yet again. Their solar panels, obtained with European help, were confiscated, keeping them without power since Israel won't provide it. In Christmass "Little Town of Bethlehem," Palestinians' Dheisheh refugee camp youth are being systematically disabled by an Israeli Army commander they call Captain Nidal, who shoots them in the legs ("kneecapping"). Issa al-Mu'ti was only 12 when it happened to him as he searched for his brother. Even though he lay bleeding in the street, a police dog began to attack him. Soldiers dragged him across the street and finally let an ambulance take him to a hospital. There he was chained to the bed, and still lost one leg, even after 20 surgeries. Israel is not a democracy; most West Bank Palestinians don't have basic human rights: those are reserved for their Israeli settler neighbors. Its obvious Trump cares only for those with money and power. June Forsyth Kenagy Albany (Dec. 7) With temperatures gradually rising and leftover snow melting on the sidewalks, weather outlets and emergency services reflect on Winter Storm Benji. The storm, initially reported for Friday evening into Saturday morning with light rain to a potential 1 inch of snow, far exceeded estimates. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued on 5:30 a.m. Friday morning a winter storm warning in southeastern McDowell and central and southern mountains of North Carolina with expectations of 4 to 6 inches of snow, and localized amounts of up to 8 inches for areas exceeding 5,000 feet. According to Foothills Weather Network (FWN)s Chief Meteorologist Chris White, two factors that were instrumental in shifting the forecast from one inch of snow to much higher were low level cooling dynamics that fell into the lower atmosphere and a one degree temperature change. Going from 33 to 32 degrees, everything changes, and in this case, the cooler temperature allowed snow to stay, freeze and gather accumulation earlier than what we anticipated, said White. With the dynamics in atmosphere at play, this was an overachiever. The result was a snow flurry throughout Friday morning into Saturday evening that covered McDowell with as much as nine to 10 inches in areas like Old Fort, Dysartsville and Ashford-North Cove. On Friday morning, McDowell County Schools dismissed elementary schools at 9:30 a.m., followed by secondary schools and McDowell Tech at 10 a.m. On Monday, McDowell County Schools and Early Childhood Enrichment Center opened on a two-hour delay. According to White, McDowells reported inches of snow were much higher than other areas the network typically covers. Road conditions worsened within a few hours on Friday morning, creating limited visibility and slick driving conditions. By 1:45 p.m. that afternoon, more than 30 motor vehicle accidents and collisions were reported, as well as multiple reports of stranded motorists, according to Emergency Services Director William Kehler. Among these incidents were: six stranded vehicles on Harmony Grove Road in Nebo; a stranded school bus on Bethlehem Road; a three-vehicle collision on Stacey Hill Road involving a tractor trailer and a UPS truck; and a vehicle rollover on I-40 westbound at the 72 mile marker. Over the weekend, Duke Energy and REA reported 2,875 combined power outages throughout McDowell. In response, an emergency shelter was opened at First Baptist Church in Marion on Saturday, remaining open until 9 a.m. Sunday. By Sunday, temperatures reached between the high 30s and low 40s during the day and dropped to low 20s overnight, allowing for comparatively dry and sunny weather to melt surrounding snow. According to FWNs seven-day forecast, temperatures grew on Monday to a high of 47 degrees Fahrenheit under mostly sunny conditions, with Tuesday anticipating similar results with a high near 42. Public Survey Underway Audio Article Throughout the month of November, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is conducting an online survey to identify traffic safety concerns and obtain feedback about interactions with the agency. The 2022 Public Survey is anonymous and takes approximately five minutes to complete. The survey is designed to be used as... Purple Heart Placed on Memorial Audio Article At the second stop during the Veterans Parade Saturday, Jack Bonsell, a Purple Heart recipient, places a purple heart-shaped wreath at the memorial dedicated to all men and women wounded in all wars. This memorial sits on Main Street in front of the Riecker Building. Controlling Board Approves Funds for Multiple Projects in 20th Senate District Audio Article State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) announced Monday, Nov. 7, the approval of over $34 million for projects across the 20th Senate District by the states Controlling Board. Ensuring our infrastructure, universities, and parks are updated and well maintained is critical for the health of our area, Schaffer said. Im thankful... Morgan County Veterans Day Parade slated Nov. 11 Audio Article The Morgan County Veterans Day Parade will be held on Friday, Nov. 11. The parade will form at the Commons, in McConnelsville, at 9:30 a.m. and set out at 10 a.m. The American Legion Post 24 will render honors at the monuments at the Commons, Riecker Building, the Square, at... A concert with two purposes Audio Article Wednesday, Nov. 30, a concert with dual purposes is being held at the Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville, Ohio. Its a thank-you to healthcare workers, who can attend for free, and its a benefit for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. In September 2021, Rick Shriver contracted COVID-19. He collapsed... BOE reminder of early voting hours and polling location change Audio Article Remaining early voting hours at the Morgan County Board of Elections are as follows: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov, 2 through Friday, Nov. 4; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5; from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6; and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.... Error 404 Not Found You may have mis-typed the URL. Or the page has been removed. Actually, there is nothing to see here... Click on the links below to do something, Thanks! Take Me our of here $1.8 M Quebec MONTREAL Dec. 11, 2017 Quebec Montreal Canada's $7.5 million $1.8 million Quebec Julie Bruneau Quebec Montreal Canada's Canada Ginette Petitpas Taylor Samuel Weiss Julie Bruneau Federal Action on Opioids Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM) Canada's /CNW/ - The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, met with researchers at theand Maritimes Node of the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM) intoday. This research team is working to advance the Government ofresponse to the ongoing opioid crisis.The Minister recently announcedin funding to support the important work of CRISM. This funding is being divided equally among the four regional nodes. Of this funding, more thanis being provided to theand Maritimes Node, based at the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal.Led by Dr., theand Maritimes node is building research capacity and connecting researchers and Indigenous partners in five provinces. Among other priorities, the network focuses on harm-reduction initiatives, and addressing barriers to intervention and treatment of substance use disorders and mental health issues.The Minister met with the research team and discussed recent clinical discoveries related to effective treatments, such as a community-based naloxone administration training programs for substance users and their peers as well as stigma-reduction efforts."The work being carried out by the CRISM research team here inis representative ofresponse to our most pressing of public health crises. The knowledge and strategies being developed will translate into more effective responses, and will ultimately help save lives all across.""Investments in CRISM will speed up the development and implementation of science-based interventions so that overdose deaths can be prevented, those with opioid dependency receive effective treatments and that we reach those populations most at risk.""We are proud to be working at finding solutions to this most pressing health issue. Our researchers are developing effective treatments and methodologies to address the many challenges associated with harmful substance use."CRISM AnnouncementSOURCE Canadian Institutes of Health Research Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. Advertisement The trial included 27 sites in 10 countries across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. In total, 81 patients were infused with CAR T cells and evaluated for a response. At three months, 26 patients (32 percent) achieved a complete response, while five (6 percent) achieved a partial response. The results will be presented as part of the ASH meeting press program.The research team says the updated results from an earlier study, of patients treated at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center, provides additional evidence that the responses to the new therapy can be highly durable, an important milestone in the fight against a type of cancer which is diagnosed in 56,000 patients per year in the United States.Among 28 patients who received the therapy in the single-site pilot trial after their cancers had come back following standard treatments, 43 percent of DLBCL patients achieved complete remission, as did 71 percent of patients with follicular lymphoma, the second most common form of the disease. All patients who were in remission at six months are still in remission, after a median follow-up of 28.6 months."Taken together, our data from both trials show that most patients who are in remission at three months stay in remission," said Schuster, who is the Robert and Margarita Louis-Dreyfus Professor in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Lymphoma Clinical Care and Research in the Perelman School of Medicine and director of the Lymphoma Program at the Abramson Cancer Center.Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, and director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Penn, is the senior author on the single-site study.Two-thirds of DLBCL cases are successfully treated with frontline chemotherapy. When that fails, a high-dose chemotherapy combined with an autologous stem cell transplant can potentially lead to long-term disease-free survival. But only half of these relapsed/refractory patients are candidates for this approach, and for those who are, the expected three-year event-free survival rate is just 20 percent in the current era of frontline immunochemotherapy.can usually be treated with frontline chemotherapy, although 20 percent of patients relapse within two years. These patients have a five-year overall survival rate of just 50 percent using currently available therapies."About a third of patients who fail all current therapies, even transplant, could now have a form of therapy that may offer them durable remissions," Schuster said. "This therapy has the potential to save lives if approved by the FDA for this indication."Kymriah was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August 2017 for the treatment of patients up to 25 years of age with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is refractory or in second or later relapse. Penn and Novartis formed a global research and development collaboration in 2012, the result of which was the first therapy based on gene transfer approved by the FDA.Results from JULIET served as the basis for a recent application submitted by Novartis to the FDA for approval of CTL019 for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL who are ineligible for or relapse after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). Novartis is also seeking approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for CTL019 in pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL and adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL who are ineligible for ASCT.The treatment modifies patients' own immune T cells, which are collected and reprogrammed to potentially seek and destroy the patients' cancer cells. After being infused back into patients' bodies, these newly built "hunter" cells both multiply and attack, targeting cells that express a protein called CD19. Tests reveal that the army of hunter cells can grow to more than 10,000 new cells for each single engineered cell patients receive, producing high remission rates. They can also survive in the body for years. CTL019 uses the 4-1BB costimulatory domain in its chimeric antigen receptor to enhance cellular expansion and persistence.a toxicity associated with CAR T therapy which includes varying degrees of flu-like symptoms, with high fevers, nausea, and muscle pain, and can require ICU-level care, was reported in 58 percent of the patients in multi-site study. Fifteen of those patients (26 percent) required treatment with tocilizumab, which is the standard therapy for the toxicity.All of those patients recovered from their CRS. Other toxicities included infections (34 percent of patients), cytopenias or low blood count (36 percent), neurologic events (21 percent), febrile neutropenia (13 percent), and a metabolic abnormality called tumor lysis syndrome (one percent). All of the toxicities resolved on their own or with treatment, and there were no treatment-related deaths.In the single-site trial, CRS was reported in five patients. Only one of those patients required treatment with tocilizumab. That patient recovered and achieved a complete response. Eleven patients reported temporary neurologic symptoms, including delirium. Ten of the 11 cases were self-limited and resolved without ICU care. The 11th case resolved after treatment.Both studies were supported by Novartis. The single-site trial was also supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (1R01CA165206), as well as through philanthropic support for the Lymphoma Program at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania from James and Frances Maguire and the Frances Maguire Lymphoma Research Fund, Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, and Sharyn Berman and the Richard Berman Family Funds for CLL and Lymphomas.Source: Eurekalert Advertisement Katherine D. Crew, Jillian L. Capodice, et al. Randomized, Blinded, Sham-Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for the Management of Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Joint Symptoms in Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology (2010) DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2009.23.4708 The top priority of this cancer research is to treat this pain effectively without using opioids or any other drugs.Every year, tens of thousands women are being treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs). These pills halt the production of estrogen and starve hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cells.Few women are advised to take these pills daily for up to 10 years. About 50 percent of women experience joint pain and stiffness. The side effects can also cause pain in the knees, hips, hands, and wrists making it difficult for women to walk or sit or climb stairs, and perform easy tasks like typing or driving.Dr. Dawn Hershman, the lead researcher of this study and a SWOG vice chair, said that some of his patients have the difficulty of getting off a chair.She also said, "As a result, with no good treatment options for their pain and stiffness, many women stop their cancer treatment. This is probably the most commonly cited reason breast cancer patients stop taking AI medication. So we need a solution, one that doesn't include opioids or drugs that can be addictive or have serious side effects. We want women to continue their cancer treatment and have a good quality of life."SWOG research team has been chasing to relieve AI pain for years, which is known as AI-Associated Musculoskeletal Syndrome (AIMSS).Dr. N. Lynn Henry, a SWOG investigator from Huntsman Cancer Institute and co-chair of SWOG's Symptom Control and Quality of Life committee presented his findings last year at San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The results showed that the drug duloxetine, which is used to treat depression and anxiety, can efficiently treat AIMSS as well.Hershman, leader of the Breast Cancer Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia said that many women do not prefer taking pills to relieve the symptoms caused by other pills.In a single-center study at Columbia, acupuncture was found to show potential promise.However, Hershman wanted to test the effects in much larger group and she, and her team included about 226 patients from 11 cancer centers nationwide. They were randomly assigned to one of the three arms, where one group received true acupuncture, the second group received sham acupuncture, and the third group received no treatment at all.Sham acupuncture is superficially inserting needles in different, non-therapeutic locations on the body.Patients were treated twice in a week for six weeks. Later, they were given a weekly maintenance treatment for another six weeks.The research team investigated the patients for their pain before, during, and after treatment by using a variety of methods.The primary indicator of this trial was to check the patient's level of worst pain, measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-WP) at the end of the first six weeks. The research team observed that the patients experienced less pain on the acupuncture arm than those with the sham and treatment-free arms. The patients in this study experienced relief for about 24 weeks. Dr. Katherine Crew, a SWOG executive officer, director of the Clinical Breast Cancer Prevention Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia and a co-investigator on the study team said that this study strongly proves that acupuncture results in better outcomes for women."I expect this work to influence medical practice, as well as insurers' willingness to reimburse for acupuncture during AI treatment," said Dr. Crew.The Symposium was sponsored by the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at UT Health Science Center San Antonio, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and Baylor College of Medicine.Source: Medindia N. KOTZIAS: We talked about two issues at todays meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council here in Brussels. We had a discussion with Mr. Netanyahu, in which we stressed our assessment of the situation as we ' ve already expressed it: that the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem does not contribute towards peace in the region. We also underscored the need for a two-state solution that is, Israel and Palestine that would also safeguard Israels security. We then talked about the Middle East. I underscored the need, first, for timely planning for reconstruction in Syria and for the provision of assistance by experts in the formulation of the new constitutional order. Regarding Iraq, I stressed the need for respect of the rights of autonomy provided for in the countrys constitution, just as we had earlier supported Iraqs unity. We discussed the need for a positive agenda and a new spirit. I talked about the spirit of Rhodes, as the Arabs call it: what it is and why it contributes to the building of a new order in the Eastern Mediterranean; in other words, a new order for security and peace, in the same way the Helsinki Final Act functioned. JOURNALIST: Minister, what is Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahus stance following President Trumps announcement? What position did he express at the breakfast you had today? N. KOTZIAS: The Israeli Prime Minister underscored that his countrys position is that Jerusalem is its capital. He said that, in exactly the same way the Palestinians have a right to their position that eastern Jerusalem (or, for some, all of Jerusalem) is the Palestinian capital these are two different positions Israel has a right to its position. That was his stance. JOURNALIST: Do you see any flexibility from the Israeli side, that they might move ahead to talks? N. KOTZIAS: The Israelis set a condition; that the other side recognize the right for the Jews to have their own state, which might potentially lead toward a two-state solution. Of course articles like the ones we saw last week that the Palestinians would not pursue two states and instead orient themselves towards one state where they would focus more on human rights, within an Israeli state do not appear to have gained ground in the politics of the region. JOURNALIST: Minister, there was criticism regarding Turkish President Erdogans visit to Greece, and many people said... N. KOTZIAS: This was the first time in the history of diplomacy that criticism of a visit began before the visit started. In other words, this isnt political criticism. It is prophecy, divination. JOURNALIST: On the other hand, some people and especially the opposition said it was a visit that you organized and that was not well organized, as it turned out, and a number of people questioned why this visit to Greece took place. N. KOTZIAS: This visit took place because we always have to keep the channels of communication open. In Korea, where I was a week earlier, when I asked my interlocutors what their biggest problem was, they didnt say it was the ballistic missiles. They responded that we have no channels of communication with North Korea, and if some accident or mistake happens, we wont be able to contain the repercussions. The visit also took place so that we could finally impart some momentum; so that we can start implementing the major economic and transport projects we are preparing, the cooperation between universities and research centres, the G2G meeting that will take place in Thessaloniki three months from now, and to look again at how the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs will cooperate. We also talked about the Cyprus issue. Turkey is a neighbour that we have to discuss things with. It is my impression that the opposition was predetermined to consider the visit a failure before it even began. This opposition has a mindset that I call neo-isolationism and inertia. In other words, we just stay home. This may be a convenient attitude when it comes to your neighbour in a block of flats, if you dont want to talk to him. But this doesnt work in inter-state relations. JOURNALIST: So would you call the visit a success, in terms of your expectations? N. KOTZIAS: The visit benefited the country and the way in which Greek-Turkish relations are handled. BEND, Ore. (AP) Dr. Byron Maas surveys a supply of marijuana products for dogs that lines a shelf in his veterinary clinic. They're selling well. "The 'Up and Moving' is for joints and for pain," he explains. "The 'Calm and Quiet' is for real anxious dogs, to take away that anxiety." People anxious to relieve suffering in their pets are increasingly turning to oils and powders that contain CBDs, a non-psychoactive component of marijuana. But there's little data on whether they work, or if they have harmful side effects. That's because Washington has been standing in the way of clinical trials, veterinarians and researchers say. Now, a push is underway to have barriers removed, so both pets and people can benefit. Those barriers have had more than just a chilling effect. When the federal Drug Enforcement Administration announced last year that even marijuana extracts with CBD and little or no THC -- marijuana's intoxicating component -- are an illegal Schedule 1 drug, the University of Pennsylvania halted its clinical trials. Colorado State University is pushing ahead. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned companies that sell marijuana products online and via pet shops and animal hospitals that they're violating laws by offering "unapproved new animal drugs." The FDA threatened legal action. But, seeing potential benefits of CBDs, the American Veterinary Medical Association's policy-making body said last summer it wants the DEA to declassify marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug "to facilitate research opportunities for veterinary and human medical uses." It asked the board of the national veterinarians' organization to investigate working with other stakeholders toward that goal. The board is awaiting a recommendation from two group councils. "The concern our membership has is worry about people extrapolating their own dosages, looking to medicate their pets outside the realm of the medical professional," Board Chairman Michael Whitehair said in a telephone interview. "This is an important reason for us to continue the research." Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, a conservative Republican, became an unlikely champion of this push when he introduced a bill in September that would open the path for more clinical research. While Hatch said he opposes recreational marijuana use, he wants marijuana-based drugs, regulated by the FDA, produced for people with disorders. "We lack the science to support use of medical marijuana products like CBD oils, not because researchers are unwilling to do the work, but because of bureaucratic red tape and over-regulation," Hatch said. Dawn Boothe, of Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine, is waiting for federal approval to begin a study of marijuana's effects on dogs with epilepsy. The classification of marijuana products containing CBD as a Schedule 1 drug, the same category as heroin and LSD, creates a "major, major, major, terrible roadblock" for researchers, Boothe said in a phone interview. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine were studying CBDs' effects on dogs with osteoarthritis and pruritis, or itchiness, until the DEA released its policy statement. "The ambiguity in this process has really brought us to a screeching halt," said Michael DiGregorio, director of the university's clinical trials center. "It is research that needs to be done, because there are a lot of CBD products out there." When it clarified that marijuana CBD extracts are Schedule 1 drugs, the DEA said it was assigning a code number to those substances to better track them and to comply with international drug control treaties. DiGregorio complained that researchers seeking federal approval to study CBD products are told to provide certain data, but that data isn't normally available until the study is done. "If you don't have the data, you can't get the registration to do the work," he said. On a recent morning, Maas took a break from seeing four-legged patients in the Bend Veterinary Clinic. A stethoscope dangling from his neck over green scrubs, Maas said his clients have reported CBDs help relieve pain, arthritis, anxiety, loss of appetite, epilepsy and inflammation in their pets. "Unfortunately there's not a lot of research out there, especially on animals, on CBD compounds," Maas said. "The research is really necessary to help us understand how to actually use these compounds on our pets." Veterinarian Janet Ladyga of the Blue Sky Veterinary Clinic, also in Bend, said she doesn't recommend marijuana products because of the unknowns. "We don't have a lot of evidence right now, so we don't know the toxicity or the safety profile ... and we don't have any good evidence to show either if it's safe or efficacious," she said. The study at Colorado State University aims to provide some data. The roughly two dozen dogs in the arthritis study and the 30 in the epilepsy tests are given either CBD oil or a placebo. For the arthritis study, activity monitors are attached to the animals' collars, to determine if they're more mobile when they're taking CBD. Principal investigator Stephanie McGrath said she hopes the results will be a stepping stone for longer and more diverse studies, and that they provide useful information for human medicine. "Every medication we're taking has been given to a dog first," the University of Pennsylvania's DiGregorio noted. Meanwhile, Boothe said she had everything ready to start her study in January, and was waiting for a green light from federal officials. "I don't know what's taking so long," she said. Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE Ameriabank Launches Google Pay and Google Wallet Support for Card Users in Armenia Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases. UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE Ameriabank Launches Google Pay and Google Wallet Support for Card Users in Armenia Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases. UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS Google Ad Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces Contributed photo MIDDLETOWN Middletown High School earned the top ranking for career and technical education at the Connecticut Career and Technical Education Conference Nov. 30 at the Sheraton Hartford-South Hotel. CTE students from 124 high schools across the state take rigorous tests based on standards and competencies related to a career cluster and based on contextual Common Core Standards in reading and math, David Reynolds, coordinator of Career and Technical Education at the high school, said in a prepared statement. MIDDLETOWN The high schools recent sustainability fair featured 10 exhibits on virtually every aspect of land and resources preservation. As part of each display, a professional employed in the field explained the program to the nearly 200 students who visited the fair at the Middletown High School Agricultural Science Center. The idea grew out of social studies teacher Daniel Lowrys sustainability class at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, according to a press release. Lowry is pursing a second masters degree as part of his program for a PhD. in geography. Middletown is such a center for the sustainability movement, Lowry said in a prepared statement. One if the requirements of the course is a community component, and I thought a fair in which we could bring all such groups together might be a good idea. I found all these organizations that wanted to get involved, he added. Among those in attendance were Mayor Dan Drew and Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner. I was impressed about how this teaches kids a sense of the environment and its connection to social justice, Drew said in the release. They understand that science, public policy and social responsibility are integrated. All of that is imbued very well here at MHS. Connor took over as superintendent in early November. Under the leadership that (Principal Colleen) Weiner has displayed, teachers and students are engaged in a phenomenal activity here today. This is one of the great things happening at Middletown High School, he said in the statement. Among the organizations with exhibits were the Middletown Land Trust, Middletown Clean Energy Task Force, Forest City Farms, Connecticut Forest and Parks Association, Herd Restaurant, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service, Connecticut Coastal Conservation District and others. Students who attended included those in both advanced placement human geography courses taught by Lowry and Trevor Charles. The schools science classes were also invited. Many of the groups, such as Forest City Farms, offer students volunteer positions to help in sustainability efforts. We lease land from the city and work to get the land back to being usable, Colby Russo said about Forest City Farms in the press release. We also keep bees on the property and we end up growing local produce for local people. We run a farmers market and we give local produce to the Amazing Grace Food pantry. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The family of the late war hero, entrepreneur and philanthropist Ralph W. Hauenstein announced a $3.5 million gift to three West Michigan institutions that are dedicated to the "body, mind and soul" of the community. The $3.5 million gift will be divided between Grand Valley State University's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Aquinas College's Grace Hauenstein Library and expansion of the Albertus Magnus Hall of Science, and the Mercy Health Hauenstein Neurosciences Center. "I feel elated that I am able to carry out my dad's wishes regarding the important work these places do," said Ralph D. Hauenstein at a press conference announcing the gifts on Monday, Dec. 11. "My dad believed in the mission of education, health care, and leadership and integrity in all aspects of life. I'm the guy carrying the ball over the finish line, and I'm honored to do so." Hauenstein, who died in January 2016 at age 103, was a Grand Rapids newspaper editor who became chief of the intelligence branch for the U.S. Army's European Theater of Operations, and played a pivotal role in "Project Ultra," which cracked Germany's secret radio codes. After the war, Hauenstein joined a New York company that made food processing equipment. He eventually moved the company, Werner Lehara, to Grand Rapids. Upon his retirement, he translated his business success into philanthropic activities that benefited Grand Valley State University, Aquinas College and Mercy Health Saint Mary's West Michigan. "With Ralph's most recent, generous gift, the center that bears his name is able to reach more students than ever before and transform them from learners into leaders. We are honored to carry on our friend's legacy," said Gleaves Whitney, director of GVSU's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. "Ralph Hauenstein was an American hero, and we honor him in all we do at the Hauenstein Center." Sister Damien Marie Savino, dean of science and sustainability at Aquinas College, said the family gift will be used towards the college's $32 million expansion of its science center. Dr. Philip Gorelick, medical director of Mercy Health Hauenstein Neurosciences, said their benefactor took a personal interest in the development of their program to treat Parksinson's Disease. "He invariably said it was too small," said Gorelick, adding that Hauensteain helped raise $15 million towards the hospital's $60 million Mercy Health Hauenstein Center, which opened in 2009. "Mr. Hauenstein wanted to leave his legacy while he was alive and fully appreciate the impact his thoughtful giving was going to make," said Michelle Rabideau, president of the Saint Mary's Foundation in a statement. "This gift is one that truly keeps giving because the impact on the thousands of patients and their families is significant and one of Mr. Hauenstein's proudest philanthropic moments." ANN ARBOR, MI - Police have arrested two of three individuals wanted in connection with a robbery in a University of Michigan residence hall last week. Brian E. White, 18, of Novi and Deandre R. Jetter, 19, of West Bloomfield were arraigned Sunday, Dec. 10, on four felony counts related to the Dec. 4 robbery, a release from the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security confirmed. Police believe three male suspects were let in to the West Quad hall and went into a resident's room about 9 p.m., police previously said. About 10 p.m., the men assaulted two students while brandishing a handgun and also demanded property from a third student, police said. The three suspects then fled the building. Police believe the suspects and victims were acquaintances. White and Jetter face two counts of armed robbery, one count of home invasion, and one count of larceny in a building, police said. If convicted of the counts, the men face punishment of up to life in prison, 20 years in prison and four years in prison, respectively. Police continue to investigate and seek a third individual in the robbery. University of Michigan police declined to release further information Monday regarding the incident. White and Jetter were given $5,000 bonds, with the option to post 10 percent, court records show. The two are scheduled for probable cause conferences on Dec. 21 and preliminary examinations on Dec. 28. ANN ARBOR, MI - A former Eastern Michigan University student accused of writing racist messages in multiple incidents of vandalism on campus last fall had his first circuit court hearing adjourned Monday, Dec. 11. Eddie Curlin, 29, appeared in the Washtenaw County Trial Court wearing shackles and a blue prisoner's jumpsuit, accompanied by Michigan Department of Corrections officers. He is serving prison time for an unrelated conviction of receiving and concealing stolen property. He was sentenced in that case in August. The earliest he can be released is 2019, according to state prison records. Curlin's court-appointed attorney, Assistant Washtenaw County Public Defender Timothy Niemann, told Judge David Swartz that he needed more time to review Curlin's case and requested the adjournment. The case was postponed until Jan. 29. Curlin, who attended EMU from 2014 to early 2016, was formally charged in the racist vandalism incidents after a 13-month investigation by the university. The charges stem from incidents that took place in September 2016 at King Hall, in which a hate message was found spray painted on an exterior wall; an October 2016 incident in which a racist message was discovered spray painted on an exterior wall of Ford Hall; and a third incident that took place last spring in which a racist message was found in a men's restroom stall in Sherzer Hall. The graffiti targeted Eastern's black community. After Curlin was arraigned in October, EMU Police Chief Robert Heighes said race was not a motivating factor in the vandalism incidents. Curlin is charged with three counts of malicious destruction of property, four counts of identity theft and one count of using computers to commit a crime. The malicious destruction of property charge is a misdemeanor, while the identity theft and using computers to commit a crime counts are felonies. The identity theft and criminal computer charges are unrelated to the graffiti, according to police. ANN ARBOR, MI - Middle Eastern and North African students at the University of Michigan are calling on the university's administration and Board of Regents to recognize their identities on its forms and surveys that collect demographic data on campus. After receiving support from UM's Literature, Science & the Arts Student Government earlier this fall calling on the university's administration to add the Middle Eastern/North African (ME/NA) identity category to its applications, a number of students and faculty members organizing under #WeExist spoke during the meeting on Thursday, Dec. 7, urging the Board of Regents to do the same. UM senior Jad Elharake said ME/NA students have raised the issue to the university for more than a decade, but their concerns were not prioritized or acted upon. With the additional support of a resolution passed by UM's Central Student Government in February, he believes it is time for UM to act. "Not identifying ME/NA students, faculty and staff is problematic for a number of reasons that impact campus climate, including, but not limited to: Student recruitment and retention efforts; identifying trends in the hiring of faculty, staff and administration; and even bias incident reporting," Elharake said. "Given that we live in a state with the largest concentration of ME/NA individuals, outside of the Middle East and North Africa, UM has a unique regional responsibility to implement the ME/NA identity category," he added. "...We are not 'other.'" The #WeExist group - consisting of students from all three UM campuses - circulated an online petition to faculty and staff at UM to garner support for the effort, collecting more than 700 signatures. In the past year, the UM Islamophobia Working Group identified the ME/NA identity box as a central Diversity, Equity and Inclusion concern in its report to the University. In that time, more than 12 student governments at UM have passed a resolution or written a statement of solidarity with the #WeExist movement, the petition states. "ME/NA students, constrained by Census categories, are expected to check the white identity box," the petition states. "However, many people of Middle Eastern and North African descent do not identify with or have the lived experiences of being white in the U.S., especially in a post-9/11 environment of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism. In addition, the lack of an identity box for UM's ME/NA students perpetuates the erasure that many marginalized communities experience." UM doctoral student Yahya Alami Hafez said he was part of a similar effort to have the identity added across the University of California System as an undergraduate. It was implemented by the UC System four years ago. "This is already starting to attract scholars, students and donors for the unique access to data that this is providing," he said. "We have a unique opportunity here to be competitive with the UC System by expanding the demographic data collection beyond undergraduate admissions and financial aid to all demographic data collection." Having to check a box on forms identifying themselves as "white" or "other" is problematic, UM student Sara Alqaragholy said. To be lumped in with people who have different histories and with those "who are viewed in the eyes of American society as more supreme than us," disregards the identities of students, faculty and staff whose families have origins in the League of Arab States, she said, which consists of 22 different nations. The Arab American Institute estimated that nearly 3.7 million Americans trace their roots to an Arab country. According to NPR, after years of advocacy groups pressuring the U.S. Census Bureau to create a separate geographic category for people of Middle Eastern or North African descent, the bureau is recommending that MENA be added to the 2020 census. Alquaragholy said she would like to see UM implement the change sooner than that. "We do not know how well our students are doing financially or socially," Alqaragholy said. "Are we being disproportionately affected by hate crimes? How do we know our special needs? What are our graduation rates? We cannot address these needs if we don't know how many of us there are." After hearing the concerns of students and faculty, Regents Mark Bernstein and Andrea Fischer Newman offered different opinions on whether the university should proceed in implementing the ME/NA identity on its forms and applications. "I don't see any reason why we wouldn't do this," Bernstein said. "I just want you to know, based on the conversations that we've had and with other students, I strongly recommend or at least urge the university to consider this in a very serious way." Newman encouraged the board to look into the request more thoroughly before moving forward. "I do have some concerns, and would like to have that discussion before coming to a conclusion," she said. "I just want to make that clear that there is a difference of opinion, potentially." BEAVER CREEK TOWNSHIP, MI -- A mother in this rural Northern Michigan town wants to bury the cremated remains of her 25-year-old daughter in a historic cemetery, but concerns from the local government, which owns the burial grounds, over shoddy property records and potential vandalism has stalled those efforts. Amber Lynn Skutt, of Roscommon, died in April from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle accident. Drugs or alcohol weren't involved in the crash. Her family's last wish was to see Skutt buried at Pere Cheney Cemetery, a historic property that she often visited. "Amber wasn't a religious person, but she was spiritual," her mother Christine Prosser said. "That place was a spiritual escape." A photo of Amber Skutt at Pere Cheney Cemetery. The cemetery, which has a reputation of being haunted and is popular among ghost-hunting groups, is maintained by the township, but has fallen victim to vandalism over the years. Beaver Creek Township is located in Crawford County. "That place has been vandalized more than any other place in the world," said Kim Van Nuck, the township's supervisor. That's part of the reason why the township is hesitant to allow families to bury loved ones at the cemetery. Van Nuck said no one has been buried there in close to 100 years and Skutt's family is the first she has known about to approach the government about securing a plot. "If someone puts a headstone there and it gets ruined, we're going to be liable for it," she said. Prosser said they would want to either install a headstone or a plaque above her daughter's remains. The township also has concerns over the cemetery's property records. They know people are buried there, but they aren't exactly sure where. Some tombstones remain in place; others have been taken or destroyed over the years, Van Nuck. So, if they were to let Skutt's remains be buried in the cemetery, a company would have to use ground penetrating radar to determine if the plot is vacant or not. Prosser said she understands that concern and would pay for the radar service for her daughter's specific plot, but the township remains hesitant. "I would be more than happy to let them bury her there, but if we let them and they pay for the radar, we'll be paying for the next one," Van Nuck said. The township would prefer to have the entire cemetery mapped out and then work to acquire funds to secure and improve the grounds. It has been in talks with Michigan State University about having students in its forensics program working on the cemetery, but nothing has been finalized. In terms of fundraising, it recently received $500 from the Lions Club of Grayling that's going to go toward new fencing and a gate for the cemetery. Van Nuck also wants to install cameras on the property to deter vandalism. St. Helen Monument is also currently making a new monument to donate for the cemetery that will document the history of Pere Cheney. Prosser said her biggest concern is that the township would decide to close the cemetery and not allow her to bury her daughter there. "All we want right now is an answer," she said. "I don't love having my daughter on my dining room table -- she needs to be in a place where she would be happy. "If they close it, we won't be able to honor her." Amber Lynn Skutt died April 22, after she lost control of her vehicle on a curved road. She was working at a bar that night and offered to take a person home who was intoxicated, her mom said. Skutt wasn't drunk and wasn't texting, police determined. She was less than a mile away from home when the accident happened. "Her passion was helping people -- that's why she was taking that person home that night," her mom said. Skutt had plans to return to school and pursue a career in nursing and pediatrics. Pere Cheney was a small town established by lumberjacks in 1873. In 1893, diphtheria spread through the town of about 1,500 people, wiping out a majority of the population. The disease recurred in 1897, leaving only 18 people in the town. In 1917, with less than 20 people in the town, the land was sold and Pere Cheney essentially became a ghost town. Several ghost stories about Pere Cheney have been told over the years. The cemetery has graves of about 90 people. Van Nuck said she wants to help the family, but wants to make sure everything is done correctly. "If we're going to do this, we need to do it right," she said. "It's just not as easy as saying yes." A limited number of speaking spots still available for the Florida conference which will explore how Smart Cities, Asset Tracking, Agricultural and Industrial IoT are all being effected by LPWAN. Trumbull, CT December 11, 2017 TMC and Crossfire Media today announced the program for LPWAN Expo being held January 22-25, 2018 at Disneys Contemporary Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The four day conference program will take a deep dive into LPWAN technologies as well as narrowband IoT, CAT M1 and cellular. Other topics covered will include Security and application case studies in logistics, smart cities, industrial solutions and more. LPWAN Expo is collocated with IoT Evolution Expo which in its 19th iteration is the leading education and networking forum for the enterprise looking to understand how to develop and implement IoT Solutions. Hundreds of attendees from across industries are joining us in Florida to research the top solutions for their own deployments, said Carl Ford, CEO, Crossfire Media, executive director of content, IoT Evolution. From the farm to the factory floor, the opportunities are endless and the thought leaders speaking at LPWAN Expo will help attendees determine how they can benefit. For full details and to submit a proposal, please visit the call for speaker section of the website. For questions, please contact Carl Ford. Please submit you speaking request for the following sessions: Smart Cities: Making Smart Citizens Efficient - Smart City NB-IoT vs. LPWAN: Whos Leading Who? Advances in LP IoT Security Models IoT and Airport Logistics: Before Take-Off and After Landings LPWAN Market: Network Operators Deploying LPWAN Services From Anywhere in the World Smart Buildings: Keeping People Comfortable with Things Asset Management: Utilizing Solutions Industrial Controls and Factory Floor Agricultural IoT: Managing Earth, Wind and Water Cellular Fights Back Registration for the LPWAN Expo is now open. For more information, contact Scott Kargman. For media registration, contact Jessica Seabrook. Companies interested in exhibiting, sponsorship or advertising packages should contact Dave Rodriguez at 203.852.6800 ext. 146 or Maureen Gambino 203-852-6800 x 109. For the latest LPWAN Expo news, updates and information, follow the event on Twitter at @LPWANExpo About TMC Global buyers rely on TMCs content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. This presents branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities for vendors/sellers. TMCs Marketplaces: Unique, turnkey Online Communities boost search results, establish market validation, elevate brands and thought leadership, while minimizing ad-blocking. Custom Lead Programs uncover sales opportunities and build databases. In-Person and Online Events boost brands, enhance thought leadership and generate leads. Publications, Display Advertising and Newsletters bolster brand reputations. Custom Content provides expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and overall marketing efforts. Comprehensive Event and Road Show Management Services help companies meet potential clients and generate leads face-to-face. For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com. About Crossfire Media Crossfire Media is an integrated marketing company with a core focus on future trends in technology. We service communities of interest with conferences, tradeshows, webinars and newsletters. Crossfire Media has a partnership with Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) to produce events and websites related to disruptive technologies. Crossfire Media is a division of Crossfire Consulting, a full service Information Technology company based in New York. Media and Analyst Contact: Jessica Seabrook Marketing Director 203.852.6800 ext.170 [email protected] Edited by Ken Briodagh As the December 13 deadline for insolvency resolution looms, bankers are working to speed up the restructuring process for 28 accounts that are part of the Reserve Bank of India's second list of defaulters, reports The Economic Times. Accounts that are not restructured until December 13 will have to be referred to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and CNBC-TV18, learns a majority of the 28 cases may end up in the NCLT despite the bankers attempts to recast debt within the deadline. Post the deadline, banks will have to provide for losses of up to 50 percent of the loan value, which will severely dent their earnings. These 28 accounts including names like Jaiprakash Associates, Uttam Galva Steel, and Videocon, account for nearly Rs 2 lakh crore worth of loans. Of the 28 cases, resolution is in final stages for two major accounts. For Jaiprakash Associates, which owns about Rs 26,000 crore, resolution talks are in final stages, senior bank officials said. Negotiations are also on for Videocon Industries, which owns Rs 42,000 crore to banks. In June this year, RBI had identified 12 stressed accounts to be taken under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) on immediate basis. Besides the 12 accounts, the banking regulator instructed banks to finalise a resolution plan for all other accounts within six months. According to a source-based report on CNBC-TV18, RBI had sent the list of defaulters with nearly 40 names to be referred to NCLT in August. The total defaulter list may have 35-40 accounts and State Bank of India alone could have a list of 25-26 accounts, the report said. The government is likely to push RBI to help them in meeting capital requirements. The government will also look to ease provisioning norms for loan accounts identified under the insolvency process. While bankers have approached the banking regulator, the Indian Banks Association (IBA) has also made a representation to the government seeking a breather on the provisioning requirements, which may hit the banks' profitability given the capital constraints and weak credit growth at about 6 percent. Ruchira Papers has had a steady 2017 with a 70 percent gain for the stock so far. The buzz in the industry earlier this year was that China had banned making paper from waste pulp which would benefit Indian paper companies. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, SC Garg, Chairman of the company spoke about the latest happenings in the company. Garg said that due to pollution China has closed the pulp section and there is volatility. Therefore, China has started importing paper. We exported 1,000 tonne of kraft paper to China last month, he added. He further said that we have seen a lot of queries from China with regards to Indian paper. Talking about target, he said FY18 production target is at 124,000 tonne. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Jet Airways (Jet) continues to face turbulence compared to its peers. The company posted a disappointing set of numbers for the second quarter ended September 2017 marred by an increase in fuel and other operating expenses. We have a neutral stance on the company on the back of its underinvestment in the domestic market and tepid capacity expansion despite some benefits coming out of cost optimization and agreement between Jet Airways and Air France-KLM. Quarter in a Snapshot: Fuel cost played spoilsport Revenue from operations witnessed a growth of 4.1 percent (YoY) led by increase in revenue passengers (7.4 percent) which partially got offset by the fall in the yield (3.1 percent). Additionally, the load factor witnessed a dip of 20bps over the same quarter last year. Despite the growth in the top line, the company witnessed a significant decline of 574bps (YoY) in EBITDAR margin. The decline was attributed to the rise in fuel prices (up 254bps as a percentage of operating revenues), aircraft maintenance cost (up 95bps as a percentage of operating revenues) and other expenses (up 343bps as a percentage of operating revenues). The company has, however, been able to manage its employee costs (down 118bps as a percentage of operating revenues). Why is Jet is losing out when the industry dynamics are improving? Jet has underinvested in the domestic business as is evident from the fact that it employs 60 percent of ASKM (Available Seat Kilometres) to international business. Consequently, Jet continues to cede its market share to other players in the domestic market. It has lost significant (900bps) domestic market share over FY12-17.While other players in the industry are expanding their capacities, Jet has lagged behind. It has added only 4 aircraft in its fleet in a year and its capacity as measured by ASK (Available Seat Kilometres) has only increased by 7.7 percent (YoY) in this quarter.The management indicated that the company is also facing infrastructure challenges. It is not able to get additional slots at the Mumbai airport which is the hub for the airline. The proposed new airport at Navi Mumbai would take time to be fully operational. Hence, this would limit the growth for the carrier.The management indicated that the yields in the international market, especially the Gulf region (Jet deploys 20 percent of the international capacity in the Gulf region), continues to be under pressure and would be under pressure, at least in the short-term. Jet is trying to fix the problem to an extent through. The airline continued its focus on operational efficiencies across its entire business thereby reducing costs. The management of Jet in the recent analyst meet indicated that they are working towards cost optimization which is currently highly inefficient when compared to its peers due to higher employee, maintenance and selling cost. In addition, the management indicated that B737-max aircraft which are about to join Jets fleet are 15 percent more fuel-efficient than the current aircraft and the company has also improved its aircraft utilization. These initiatives will help Jet in catching up with its peers but we doubt if it would impart any competitive advantage.The management has indicated that they are focusing on retiring the debt from the cash generated through operations and would take 4-5 years to retire the debt. The leverage in the Balance Sheet that is thwarting its expansion amid positive industry dynamics, increases the likelihood of a stake sale to raise capital in the future.Jet Airways and Air France-KLM signed a landmark Enhanced Cooperation Agreement through which customers will benefit from multiple travel options and seamless service throughout the three partners networks spanning 44 cities in India and 106 destinations across Europe. Additionally, the agreement will complement the Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines transatlantic partnership between Europe and North America, offering access to over 200 destinations in North AmericaAt the current price, the stock is quoting at 3.5 and 3.18 times FY18 and FY19 projected EBITDAR. While the current state of affairs in the company doesnt excite us, we would be carefully monitoring the developments in the company given the favourable industry dynamics. Follow @agrawant For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research Page Lumax Auto Technologies posted a good set of Q2 earnings. In an interview with CNBC-TV18, Anmol Jain, MD of the company discussed the details. Q2 had been a good quarter for the company, he said. Post goods and services tax (GST), the offtake has been quite smooth and in Q3 and Q4, the offtake will be even far better, he added. According to him, aftermarket business essentially is on a higher EBITDA as compared to other businesses. I do anticipate a single digit revenue growth in FY18. Next year we are looking at much more aggressive growth, we should be looking at a double digit growth in the next fiscal, said Jain. Representative image India's government is in favour of banning imports of petroleum coke on environmental grounds, according to a government affidavit filed with the country's top court, which could be a big blow to U.S. refiners who export heavily to the country. The Supreme Court, which in October banned the use of petroleum coke in and around New Delhi in a bid to clean the air in one of the world's most polluted cities, is scheduled to hear a case on its use across the country later on Monday. India is the world's biggest consumer of petroleum coke, better known as petcoke, which is a dark solid carbon material that emits 11 percent more greenhouse gases than coal, according to the CarnegieaTsinghua Center for Global Policy. Burning it also emits several times more sulphur dioxide, which causes lung diseases and acid rain. Local producers include Indian Oil Corp, Reliance Industries and Bharat Petroleum Corp. The oil ministry has also told the Supreme Court that petcoke should only be used as feedstock, like in the cement industry, and not as fuel. A country-wide import ban would require replacing 14 million tonnes of petcoke a year with 24 million to 31 million tonnes of coal, according to industry calculations, most of which has to be imported. Representative image The road ministry government is targetting to close the financial year by awarding 20,000 km of highway projects , and add another 25,000 km in new stretches in 2018-19 as part of a broader strategy to modernise India's infrastructure, create jobs and accelerate growth in the broader economy. I wish to award 20,000 km highways by the end of this year and even take it to 25,000 km by next year, union minister for road, transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari said. He was speaking on the sidelines of ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit, organised by industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) and Ministry of External Affairs. Indias domestic infrastructure is witnessing massive transformation At the time when I took charge of the ministry, the road construction was at 2 km/day Today, it is 28 km/day, he said. He said that India would achieve the ambitious target of constructing 40 km of road length in a day by next financial year. Also read: NHAI revises highway project award target to 10,000 km for FY18 We are now going for express-highways (to enhance road infra) Infrastructure in the country is our highest priority he said. The union minister had earlier expressed his dissatisfaction over slow progress of highway award by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and had set a target of 10,000 km for FY18. He now wishes to double the target by the end of March 2018. NHAI had earlier set an award target of 6,500 km for FY18, while its highway construction target was 3,500 km for the same period. It has now decided to bid out higher number of projects by December 2017. NHAI chairman, Deepak Kumar, had told Moneycontrol that the organisation would be in the position to tender out road projects for 10,000 km by December. The ministry is leveraging on Centres umbrella roads programme, Bharatmala, to achieve the target for award. Under Bharatmala Pariyojana, which was approved by the Cabinet in October, 66,100 km of National Highways will be constructed in two phases of 24,800 km and 30,600 km each. BMP has identified 26,200 km of economic corridors, 15,800 km of feeder roads, 13,100 km of national corridors, 5,200 km of border and international connectivity roads, 3,300 km of coastal roads and 1,800 km of expressways for construction with a total capital outlay of Rs 6.92 lakh crore. The first week of placements at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and phase one at IIT Madras saw a rise in both domestic and international offers for students. At IIT-B, around 795 students received jobs (including PPOs) in various corporates and startups from India and abroad. This include close to 65 international offers. Around 200 companies have given their preference to IIT-B and have already visited the campus for the interviews. Over 50 more are expected to participate in the remaining few days of the phase-1 of placements. In 2016, by the end of the first week of December, close to 180 companies visited IIT-B and 775 students received job offers (including PPOs) from them. Samsung (taking into account all their offices in India and abroad) emerged as the highest recruiter in terms of numbers with 45 offers while Intel (25 offers), Goldman Sachs (24 offers) and Microsoft (17 offers) followed next. Companies like Palantir Technologies, Alvarez & Marsal, UBS, Mercari, Tolaram group, Quadeye Securities were among the first timers on the campus. The top international offers include Microsoft (6 offers) with over 210,000 US dollars annually offered as CTC and Uber (1 offer) with over 150,000 US dollars annually as CTC in the US, Optiver (3 offers) with over 100,000 euros annually as CTC in Amsterdam, and Mercari (5 offers) with over 6,000,000 Japanese yen annually as CTC in Japan. The top domestic offers (in INR) include the Blackstone Group (1 offer) with over Rs 45 lakh annually as CTC and WorldQuant Research (3 offers) with over Rs 39 lakh annually as CTC. "The team also worked on rebuilding their relations with startups but was skeptical about giving them the prime slots in spite of attractive salaries," said IIT Bombay in a statement. IIT Madras saw as many as 763 offers made during phase-I of campus placements, which concluded on Sunday. Around 1,100 students in all had registered for placements. Including pre-placement offers, which stood at 114 this year, a total of 877 students have already been placed till date this year at IIT-M. This compares favourably with the same time last year when 745 students (including 73 PPOs) had been placed. This year saw the total number of international offers go up to 23 by the end of phase-I as compared to 10 for whole of last year. The top international recruiters include American software company Microsoft, transportation technology company Uber, American worldwide job search engine Indeed, American cloud data management firm Rubrik, and Mercari, Softbank and Sekisui Chemical from Japan. Manu Santhanam, Advisor, Training and Placement, IIT Madras, said: The first phase of IIT Madras placements ended on Sunday, with more than 60 percent of students getting placed. The placement of the postgraduate students was significantly better this year compared to the last year. While the total number of students (excluding PPO) placed was not different compared to the same time last year, the actual placed percentage went up from 56 percent last year to 62 percent this year, said Prof. Manu Santhanam. The top five recruiters in phase-I were Citi, Intel India Technology, EXL Servive, Flipkart and HCL Technologies. Infosys live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Even as a whistleblower demands an independent probe into the alleged irregularities in the Rs 17.3-crore severance pay doled out to Rajiv Bansal and the Panaya deal, Infosys board member Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw asserts that there was no wrongdoing in the former CFO's payout case. The re-investigation conducted in the severance pay case has found no wrongdoing, Mazumdar-Shaw said, according to a report in The Business Standard. Eventually, Infosys had paid Bansal Rs 5 crore as severance, holding back Rs 12 crore. Last week, Infosys had submitted a settlement application to SEBI with regard to issues surrounding Bansal's severance package. The company said it want to resolve allegations that the severance pay was decided without seeking prior consent from the audit committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Most saw the settlement as an admission of guilt by Infosys, former board members T V Mohandas Pai and V Balakrishnan also asked the company to apologise founder NR Narayana Murthy, who had first alleged lapses in the Panaya deal, the report said. The matters were reinvestigated (a)n(d) no wrongdoings were found by new chairman. Lets bring this to a closure (a)n(d) move on. It helps no one, Mazumdar-Shaw wrote on Twitter, responding to Mohandas Pai who called the lapse a substantial matter. They have also asked for resignations of two board members, Ravi Venkatesan and Roopa Kudva. The whistleblower, on Saturday, urged the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to deny the company's consent plea and hold management accountable in the case. According to a source-based report in DNA, Infosys may have to pay Bansal the remaining Rs 12 crore to settle the dispute. Bansal had invoked the arbitration clause in his agreement earlier this year to claim the remaining amount. Sources also said that Infosys is keen to close the matter before new CEO Salil Parekh takes office on January 1. According to the report, Parekh has said that he does not want the baggage of the controversy. On the very first day of listing of Bharat 22 ETF which was managed by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, the fund house witnessed redemptions worth Rs 1,256 crore, sources in the industry told Moneycontrol. When Moneycontrol contacted the fund house, the spokesperson confirmed that there were redemptions on the first day of listing but attributed the redemptions to profit-booking. On November 28, the listing day, Bharat 22 ETF was listed at Rs 36.11 per unit, up 0.91 per cent over the issue price of Rs 35.97 on the BSE and closed at Rs 37.32 per unit. The subscription of the fund was open for retail investors from November 15-17. ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund managed Bharat 22 ETFs new fund offer that had an initial issue size of over Rs 8,000 crore. As much as 25 percent of total issue size, or Rs 2,000 crore, was reserved for anchor investors who put in bids worth about Rs 12,000 crore. LIC, Bank of India, SBI Pension Fund, EPFO and HDFC Ergo Insurance are among those who had put in bids. Bharat 22 ETF comprises stocks of 22 blue chip public sector companies, including State Bank of India (SBI), Axis Bank, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), ITC, ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation, PFC, PGCIL, Nalco, BPCL, NTPC and Bank of Baroda. The government raised Rs 14,500 crore through the Bharat-22 which received bids worth Rs 32,000 crore. ETFs trade on the stock exchange platform like a single stock. ETFs follow a constant portfolio strategy and are linked to an established index, which is why these mutual funds have a lower management fee. Also, there is no exit load for units sold through the secondary market on the stock exchanges. However, brokerages charge a fee on transactions done through them. Redemption of ETF units can also be done directly with the fund. From the sidelines of Kotak MidCap Conference, we have Naval Sharma, President, Kwality spoke to CNBC-TV18 on the outlook for business going forward. He said for the next three years they will be growing at rate of 8-10 percent in terms of topline and expect the entire growth to come from business to consumer (B2C) segment. B2C is a strategic business segment for the company, he added. The company will touch Rs 9000 crore in revenues by 2020 with EBITDA margins target of 9-9.5 percent, said Sharma. Talking about debt, he said they are currently at Rs 1605 crore and of that 39 percent is long-term debt. To pare debt they are looking at 3-4 levers one is capital structure optimisation, two, is revision of their rating from stable to positive, which would help them in negotiating better rates with bank. Three, as they change product mix, the overall cash conversion cycle which was is around 93 days will be touching 55-60 days. Moreover, four, as the value added product part of business increase, it will help generate lot of internal cash flows. All this will help the company bring down debt and the cost of debt will also go down. They have a target of bringing debt down to Related stories Naval Sharma President|Kwality The company is among Indias largest private dairy companies and has a milk processing capacity of 3.4 million litres per day. In the first half of FY18, they did margins of 7.1 percent compared to 6.9 percent in H1FY17. The total income was up 7.3 percent at Rs 3,246 crore compared to Rs 3,024 crore. HDFC Securities With the market is touching new highs, the question in everyones mind today is - should they invest at these elevated levels? Other fears stem from the string of events lined up in December. A battery of central bank meetings is coming up, including those of the RBI, the ECB, and the US Federal Reserve. Another important factor is the outcome of the Gujarat elections that will be known on the December 18. Himachal Pradesh is not worrying the markets, though the counting of votes will take place on the same day. In addition to this, two big events rollout of GST and demonetisation are behind us. Though the negative impact of both has been priced in, the positive effects are not yet fully visible in listed companies. It is essential to reiterate the fact that equity markets are very liquid, and investors can book profits, exit and withdraw their money at any point of time. Having said that, there is absolutely no reason for long-term investors to feel acrophobic. Let us take a look back at the year 1986, when the Sensex was first published on January 2 at 549. The base year was 1978-79, with a base value of 100. Had you not bought at 549 thinking it has already multiplied 5.5 times in seven years, you would have missed seeing your money grow to 4546 in 1992, 6151 in 2000 or 21,207 in 2008. This holds good for the scenario in which we are today, as the same Sensex has seen a new high of 33,865 in November. The Sensex has risen at a CAGR of 16.52 percent since inception. Since long-term returns are tax-free, there is absolutely no comparative asset class that gives you such high returns, with the added advantage of being liquid. So you have two options. One is to invest right away, or wait for these events to pass, and then invest. My contention is that you will always end up investing in an uncertain market. These events will be replaced by new ones and also additional risks. This is an unending process. Central Banks meetings happen every six weeks, and results come in every quarter, with annual budgets and the Governments policy changes that dont have a timetable. I expect the markets to do well in the coming days, owing to an unexpected rating upgrade for India. It is unexpected in the sense that the markets were not expecting it, and I had pencilled in to happen in the first quarter of 2018 in an article in a business daily in May this year. Bond yields have fallen from 7.06 percent, a level that prevailed before the rating upgrade, to 6.90 percent at the time of writing. With the FIIs having bought more than 98 percent of their allotted quota, additional buying could take place in the next financial year, which will support the Rupee. A more fundamental reason is that profit growth in the quarterly numbers, elusive for the past many quarters, has come in finally in this quarter. The next two quarters are expected to be fantastic, allowing the Nifty stocks to post a 14 percent growth this fiscal, as compared to a CAGR growth of just 3.5 percent in the past four years. As for the Gujarat results, there is a possibility that the mandate could tilt in the BJPs favor, as the Patels dont vote en block, and the state has seen a cleaner and senior Keshubhai Patel being humbled by the Modi juggernaut in 2012. While we know that the markets will surpass the walls of worries, these are not genuine worries, to begin with. So invest with confidence for better times ahead. : The author is MD & CEO, HDFC Securities. The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. After a flat 2016, bulls clearly dominated D-Street in 2017 as benchmark indices rallied nearly 25 percent in the year. The biggest contributor to the rally were retail investors as more household savings got channelized into equity markets via mutual funds (MFs). Small and midcap stocks rallied, thanks to record inflows from mutual fund throughout the year 2017. As many as 28 stocks in which fund managers raised stake throughout 2017 more than doubled investors wealth which includes names like HEG, Yuken Ltd, V2 Retail, Dilip Buildcon, Minda Industries, SpiceJet, JM Financial, NOCIL, Ramkrishna Forging, Tata Metaliks, Jindal Steel etc. among others. Majority of stocks mentioned in the list belong to the small and midcap space. It looks like mutual fund managers are testing new waters as some of the investment made are for the very first time in the year 2017. Fund managers raised stake from 0.04 percent to 1.6 percent in HEG which has already given a return of over 1000 percent so far in the year 2017. Similarly, Fund managers raised stake in Dilip Buildcon from 2.92 percent in the March quarter to 5.04 percent recorded in the September quarter. A large part of this growth in the midcap and smallcap is because of the liquidity that we have witnessed in India -- domestic liquidity which we think is a structural trend. It is not something that it will vanish, Sanjeev Zarbade, Vice-president PCG Research at Kotak Securities told Moneycontrol. We have just around three-four percent of our retail assets in mutual funds and equity. It is almost 15-20 percent for the developed markets. Provided these midcaps and smallcaps dont mess in terms of going for badly priced acquisitions or taking some steps which are not in the right spirit of the corporate governance, they should be able to do well over the next four-five years, he said. Note: The above list for reference purpose. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Indian markets rallied in one straight line without giving investors any big opportunity to enter. The market bounced back swiftly after 3-4 percent correction; hence, plenty of money is still standing on the sidelines ready to get invested. If there is a big correction in the market, it will be quickly bought into especially by the institution which are sitting on a big cash pile. Retail investors have pumped in Rs 1.26 lakh crore into mutual funds in the month of November, driving industry assets under management to an all-time high of Rs 21.8 lakh crore. With the latest inflow, total infusion in MF schemes reached Rs 3.8 lakh crore in the first eight months (April- November) of the current fiscal, latest data with Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed. Equity and equity-linked schemes attracted over Rs. 20,300 crore. In addition, more than Rs 7,600 crore was invested in balanced funds. Further, over Rs 9,300 crore was put in the debt funds. In contrast, gold ETFs continued to see a net outflow of Rs 89 crore. If we look at the trend for equity schemes, MFs have poured in more than Rs 30,000 crore in the December quarter, according to data collated from Capitaline. The amount of money going into equity schemes more than doubled in the last three years. Fund managers were pouring a little over Rs 14,000 crore in the December quarter, back in the year 2014 which has now reached well above Rs 30,000 crore in the year 2017. Fund managers have already poured in a little over Rs 31,000 crore so far in the December quarter of 2017. Inflows into domestic Mutual Funds continue to remain strong since mid-2014. Domestic flows have contributed significantly to equity investments while foreign investments, on the other hand, remained volatile. Increasing return on equity in the US may shift the flow of funds, BofAML said in a report. Primary issuance in India too has been strong in 1HFY18. Further, equity issuance to the tune of USD 5 billion is expected in the near future. The supply of money will create demand and help in growing infrastructure, it said. Stocks in which MF have a double-digit stake: Many small and midcap stocks in which fund managers have a double-digit stake have managed to outperform Nifty50 returns so far in the year 2017. As many as 30 out of 83 stocks have given negative return while the rest managed to outperform Nifty. Some of the stocks in which fund managers have double-digit stake include names like Equitas Holdings, Max Financial, KNR Construction, Federal Bank, India Terrain, Repco Home Finance, HSIL, Atul, Tata Chemicals, BEML, PNC Infratech, and CG Power etc. among others. The Indian equity market has rebounded post a correction of around 400-points and has been rally for the last few days. Udayan Mukherjee, Consulting Editor, CNBC-TV18 says there is growing conviction that levels of 10000-10100 will act as solid support and market may have formed a higher bottom. December month could tell us if that is true. However, the important test of that level could come on next Monday when the outcome of Gujarat elections are out but it also depends where we are on that day. All in all the price action has been fairly remarkable in favour of bulls. The correction that came in 10-days back because of uncertainty of election outcome in Gujarat and the fact is this uncertainty tells us that there is little bit in the price already that the result may not be that good. If the result is good then there is room for upside and market may make a top above 10500 on Nifty although it depends on where the market is by Friday. However, if the result is of middling kind where the BJP wins but not with huge majority then the correction may not be severe. If BJP gets less than 100 seats, there will be correction in the market but may not break 10,000 on the downside. In the unlikely event of BJP losing, there could be a significant year-end correction and that could take us back to 9600-9700 levels of Nifty but it is not the base case for anyone in the market at this point. Talking about if domestic liquidity is here to stay, he said there has be a scare for the market to correct, otherwise liquidity will gobble up these small corrections. However, one is not sure what could be the trigger for that, it could be Gujarat election, bitcoin crash, North Korea etc., and till then one will have to just stay the course. And till such a trigger or an event plays out, corrections will be modest in the context of the liquidity universe that we are trading at, said Mukherjee. When asked what did he expect from the FOMC meet this week and if it would have an impact on our markets. He said the Fed have been masters of managing expectations. They have always prepared the markets in advance and therefore usually there is no severe volatility post these meets, since markets are well prepared. The markets may take the policy action as an excuse to take profits home after having a good year but dont expect the market to go into a massive correction or sell off after the FOMC meet because the news is out in the open. The US market had a better year than the Indian market. So, it has been a non-event of sorts unless their commentary is very hawkish for 2018, which also seems unlikely, he said. Talking about the Bitcoin frenzy, he said he cannot claim to understand the technicality about that but most people may feel missed out. It looks like makings of a bubble and something that may end badly but at what levels, one does not know, said Mukherjee. He also spoke about Maruti Suzuki, telecom, Bharti Airtel. 'deeply pained' by Modi's allegation of Pakistan collusion # Rahul Gandhi officially named Congress president, to take over on December 16 21:55 New York mayor says explosion at bus terminal was attempted terror attack An ISIS-inspired Bangladeshi- origin man, wearing a homemade device, today triggered a blast at a metro station in New York City during rush hours, injuring four persons and causing chaos in one of the busiest commuter hubs in the metropolis, US media reports said. Akayed Ullah, the 27-year-old suspected bomber, had wires attached to him. He was armed with a pipe bomb and a battery pack, CNN reported, according to which he was taken into custody after the device partially detonated. Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC that the man was inspired by the Islamic State terror group and originally came from Bangladesh. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the device that exploded in the New York City subway was an attempted "terrorist attack". "At this point in time, all we know of is one individual who, thank God, was unsuccessful in his aims," Mayor de Blasio said. 21:45 PIL in SC to restrain persons from contesting from more than 1 seat The Supreme Court on Monday directed that copies of a petition seeking to restrict a candidate from contesting from more than one constituency simultaneously in an election be served on the Attorney General and the Election Commission. The petitioner sought directions to authorities to take appropriate steps to discourage the independent candidates from contesting the Parliament and State Assembly election as suggested by National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) and Election Commission of India. The petition said the question of independent candidates is often connected with the issue of fragmented voting and instability in the electoral system. 21:20 Fukrey makes a welcome box office return, gathers Rs 31.65 crore in opening weekend It was a bolt from the blue for Bollywood this weekend as the Fukrey franchise returned with a bang. Against all odds, Fukrey Returns did a business of Rs 8.10 crore on Friday, which is three times more than the opening day collection of the first instalment. While trade pundits expected the film to garner around Rs 3-4 crore on day one, Fukrey Returns beat all expectations and emerged as a hit. 21:09 Gujarat polls: Rare row between PM and predecessor; Manmohan tears into Narendra Modi A rare row between a sitting and a former premier broke out on Monday after Narendra Modi insinuated that Manmohan Singh colluded with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls with the Congress leader accusing his successor of setting a dangerous precedent and asking his apology. Launching a sharp counteroffensive, Singh tore into Modi over what he called the prime ministers ill-thought transgression and rejected his charge as innuendos and falsehoods. In uncharacteristically strong words, a usually reticent Singh crossed swords with his predecessor to say the Gujarat polls was never raised by anyone present at a dinner hosted by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for a visiting Pakistani leader at his house on December 6 and that the discussion was confined to India-Pakistan ties. 21:02 Vijay Mallyas defence questions impartiality of Indian judicial system Vijay Mallyas extradition trial to face fraud and money laundering charges of Rs 9,000 crore in India resumed today, with his defence fielding a legal expert to question the impartiality of Indias judicial system. The 61-year-old was back in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court in London for day four of the hearing when his barrister, Clare Montgomery, deposed Dr Martin Lau to give his views on the evidence presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Indian Supreme Court rulings. I hold the Supreme Court in the highest respect but it is equally not disrespectful to indicate that some doubts are voiced about particular patterns [in judgments], Dr Lau, an expert on South Asian law, told the court. 20:58 14% of candidates in Gujarat polls have criminal cases against them: Report Fourteen percent of the 1,815 candidates contesting the ongoing Gujarat Assembly polls were facing criminal charges, according to a report. A study of the affidavits submitted by the candidates to the Election Commission showed that of the 253 such nominees, 154 had serious criminal cases such as murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and crime against women against them. The study was carried out by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-governmental organisation which works in the area of electoral and political reforms, and the Gujarat Election Watch. 20:53 Govt considering developing own civilian aircraft: Civil Aviation The government is considering manufacturing civilian aircraft and would like to move ahead with the plan very fast, a civil aviation ministry official said on Monday. The countrys domestic aviation market is one of the fastest growing in the world and has registered high double-digit growth for more than two years. Many airlines are embarking on ambitious expansion plans and authorities are working on developing new airports to cater to the rising demand as well as boosting regional air connectivity. We are considering manufacturing our own civilian aircraft definitely, the concept is there and we are looking for smaller aircraft like a 20-seater which can be used within the country and this also is supported by our policy of Make in India, said Shefali Juneja, Director at the Civil Aviation ministry. 20:49 "The incident was frightening and disturbing. It was a low tech device. Situation was handled extraordinarily well. A sweep is being done. The service at the subway is being restored," Andrew Mark Cuomo, New York Governor said on New York subway pipe bombing, reports ANI. 20:48 PM Narendra Modis Pakistan conspiracy remark worrisome in a democracy: Left As Prime Minister Narendra Modis conspiracy with Pakistan remark against his predecessor Manmohan Singh creates ripples, the Left and JD(U) called the development worrisome and not proper in a democracy. They said the prime minister should take action based on evidence if there was any seriousness in his allegations, and not raise the same in Gujarat poll campaign. He is dragging Pakistan into a domestic pollif he is serious, he should have taken up the issue with the Congress. As the head of the government, he could have taken appropriate action. Instead of that, he is making it a poll issue. I think it is not proper in a democracy, senior CPI leader D Raja said. 20:41 DR Reddy's say that they have received establishment inspection report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for its Bachupally unit, reports CNBC TV-18. 20:36 Farm loan waiver gets thumbs-down from former central bankers With the farm loan waiver pitch getting shriller by the day, former RBI governor Y V Reddy today said the practice is not good for economic or credit culture and insisted that ultimately it is a political decision and cannot be justified in the longer run. Even former RBI governor C Rangarajan took a similar line, saying the alternative is to offer farmers a longer window to pay off. Reddy noted that every political party in India has offered such waiver in some state or the other or at an all- India level. 20:34 BSE launches five new market cap-based indices Asia Index, the equal joint venture between BSE and S&P Dow Jones Indices, on Monday launched five size-based indices to measure the performance of the large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap companies. This would better represent the market capitalisation and help meet the regulatory requirements, according to a statement. 20:31 Meet Modi's mentor, who scripted the first chapter of the 'Chaiwala to PM' story When you first meet Ambalal Koshti, he comes across as just another elderly man who has seen his share of ups and downs in life. Koshti is as unassuming as the next person and certainly conducts himself in a manner befitting that image. And yet, this inconspicuous senior citizen can claim credit for the deeds of the India's most visible man. What Koshti is known for, especially within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is finding a an 18-year-old Narendra Modi at a tea stall and bringing him into the RSS to work and further himself. As fate would have it, the youth that Ambalal had brought into the RSS shakha at Maninagar in Ahmedabad would go on to become a three-time chief minister of Gujarat and an iconic Prime Minister of India. Read the full story here. 20:30 DLF partners Uber to offer subsidised rates for malls visit in NCR Realty major DLF has tied up with Uber to offer subsidised rides to and fro for customers visiting its malls in the national capital region. Till February 15 next year, Uber will charge only Rs 69 for 9 km ride to its shopping malls DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj and DLF The Place, Saket as well as DLF CyberHub, Gurgaon. For DLF Mall of India, Noida, Uber will charge Rs 109 for 15km. This offer will be available from 11 am to 5 pm every day. Kovind Chinese and Russian foreign ministers, who are here to attend a summit, on Monday called on President Ram Nath Kovind and held discussions pertaining to bilateral relations. President Kovind congratulated Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on the successful conclusion of the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China. He added that India looked forward to working with President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership to take the developmental partnership to greater heights. 20:23 CBI questions NTPC Director-Finance, others in graft case The CBI has questioned the Director (finance) of the state-run power utility NTPC Limited for over two days in connection with an alleged bribery case, the agency officials said here on Monday. CBI sources said Kulamani Biswal, Director (finance) NTPC, was questioned at the agency headquarters here along with Umapathi Reddy, the father of another accused Rohit Reddy, Director of BGR Mining and Infra Private Limited. Meanwhile, arrested accused Prabhat Kumar, an alleged confidant of Reddy, has been sent to judicial custody, they said. 20:20 Manhattan explosion update: New York mayor says the explosion at bus terminal was attempted terror attack. According to a Reuters reports, police were not yet identifying the device used. Local television channel WABC cited police sources as saying a possible pipe bomb detonated in a passageway below ground and WPIX cited sources as saying a man with a possible second device has been detained in the subway tunnel. The fire department tweeted there were four injuries, all non-life threatening. One of the injured was a Port Authority police officer. The bus terminal was temporarily closed, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a Twitter statement. 20:07 Trade setup for Tuesday: Top 10 things you should know before Opening Bell The 50-share NSE Nifty, which started on a buoyant note on Monday, reclaimed the 10,300 level in the opening tick but failed to build on the momentum, witnessing wild swings on either side. The Nifty made a bullish candle that looked like a Hanging Man kind of pattern. The index has been making higher highs and higher lows over the last three trading sessions. A Hanging Man is a bearish reversal candlestick pattern, which is usually formed at the end of an uptrend or at the top. In a perfect 'Hanging Man' pattern, there will either be a small upper shadow or no upper shadow at all, a small body and long lower shadow. Read the full story here. 20:00 FM Arun Jaitley attacks Congress, former PM Manmohan Singh Attacking the Congress party and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union ministers Arun Jaitley said, "Former PM Manmohan Singh has issued a statement asking PM Modi to apologise for what he said in an election rally with regard to a meeting involving Pakistani delegations. It is surprising that Congress party expect the Prime Minister of India to apologise for it." "The Congress party and its leadership should come out with facts about what happened in the meeting" and added that the Congress should state "what was the necessity of such the meeting," he added. 19:52 India's fuel demand jumps 6.2% in November as diesel use recovers India's fuel demand went up by 6.2 percent in November as diesel consumption showed signs of recovery. Fuel consumption totalled 17.4 million tonnes (mt) in November against 16.4 mt in the year-ago period, according to the latest data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the oil ministry. This mirrors a recovery from 0.9 percent growth in October but pales before 10.4 percent expansion in November last year. (With PTI inputs) 19:33 Manhattan explosion update: A law enforcement official has reportedly told Associated Press that the suspect had explosive device strapped on when it exploded in New York City subway. New York Police Department have confirmed that one person has been taken into custody but have not issued any confirmation regarding the type of device that was used, according to media reports. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has said that President Donald Trump has been briefed regarding the explosion. 19:13 India, Russia, China resolve to step up counter-terror co-operation India, China and Russia have said that they have resolved to step up cooperation to counter terrorism, including choking terror funding and dismantling terrorist infrastructure, as the Indian side flagged concerns over increasing acts of terrorism by Pakistan-based terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 19:01 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wished Rahul Gandhi on being named President-elect of the party. PM Modi has tweeted, "I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress President. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure." 18:50 Bitcoin futures steal spotlight, momentum keeps pushing stocks up World stocks climbed and equity volatility neared a record low on Monday as investors focused on strong economic growth signs ahead of a slew of interest rate decisions, while the launch of bitcoin futures fed the market's cryptocurrency obsession. European stocks drew strength from a positive Asian session to trade higher in early deals. The rally dissipated after the open but Germany's cyclicals-heavy DAX and the index of leading European companies held onto gains. Strong banks and mining stocks supported benchmarks, and Britain's FTSE climbed 0.7 percent, helped by a weaker pound. Read the full story here. 18:45 Explosion heard in Manhattan, New York: New York Police Dept. The New York Police Department was responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin on Monday morning in midtown Manhattan at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, according to the police department's official Twitter feed. The New York fire department said it was responding to an incident at the Port Authority bus terminal in midtown Manhattan. 18:25 Terrorists attacked a J&K Bank cash vehicle in Shopian's Kralchak. Two security guards were killed and shots were fired in the air, according to news agency ANI. 18:04 'Punjab to save Rs 2,000 crore by rationalisation of expenditure' The Punjab government is hoping to save Rs 2,000 crore by rationalising the expenditure of various departments and plugging revenue leakage as it looks to become a revenue surplus state in the next three years. "We are expecting to save Rs 2,000 crore in the current financial year with the rationalisation of expenditure of government departments. We are asking the departments to plug in loopholes and any revenue leakage to reduce fiscal burden," state Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal said here today. (With PTI inputs) 17:22 Maharashtra tables supplementary demand of Rs 26,402 crore, including that for farm loan waiver The Maharashtra government tabled a supplementary demand of Rs 26,402.32 crore in the Legislative Assembly on the first day of the winter session today. Out of the Rs 26,402.32 crore, Rs 15,000 crore is for its flagship farm loan waiver scheme. This is the second time that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government has placed supplementary demands of such high amount before the House after the last monsoon session. The demand will be discussed subsequently during the session. When grants, authorised by the legislature, fall short of the required expenditure, an estimate is presented before the House for additional funds. (With PTI inputs) 17:09 BCCI lifts Rajasthan Cricket Associations suspension, asks Lalit Modi to stay away The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced that it had lifted suspension of Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). The decision was taken during the Special General Meeting in New Delhi. The suspension on RCA will be lifted on the condition that former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi stays away from its functioning. The RCA had been suspended in 2014 after Lalit Modi won the association's election. BCCI had taken charge of all domestic and age-group competitions in the interim period. 16:55 Sensex rallies 205 pts, Midcap at record close; all eyes on Fed meet, Gujarat polls The market started off the week on a positive note Monday as the Sensex rallied more than 200 points, taking the total three-day gains to 850 points. The rally was driven by positive global cues, taking lead from Wall Street after stronger-than-expected jobs report. All sectoral indices ended in green barring realty. Nifty IT, FMCG, Pharma and PSU Bank gained around 1 percent each; followed by bank, auto, metal that settled trade with mild gains. Read the full report here. 16:44 Ford India to hike prices by up to 4 percent from January 2018 Ford India has said that it will increase prices of its models by up to four percent from January 2018 to partially offset the impact of rising input costs. Vinay Raina, Ford India Executive Director - Marketing, Sales and Service said, "The price increase is necessary due to several external factors, such as frequent fluctuations in commodity prices and rising input and freight costs". The company has tried to minimise the impact on its customers by absorbing a large part of these incremental costs and capping the price hike to 4 percent, Raina added. The company said the price hike would apply to all Ford products, including the recently launched new Ford EcoSport. (With PTI inputs) 16:15 India's economy expected to grow at 7.5 percent in 2018: Nomura Global investment bank Nomura has predicted India's economy to register a growth rate of 7.5 percent in 2018 and has said that it is on the cusp of a cyclical recovery. Nomura has forecast 6.7 percent in the fourth quarter and a full-year growth of 6.2 percent this year before rising to 7.5 percent in 2018. India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth bottomed-out in the second quarter of 2017 at 5.7 percent year-on-year, rising to 6.3 percent in the third quarter, it said. Apple has asked India to defer a planned increase in import taxes on mobile phone parts so it can expand its iPhone manufacturing in the country, but the government is unlikely to accede, sources told Reuters. The US. technology giant has been in talks with Indian officials for months, seeking pre-requisites - government tax breaks and incentives - for expanding its operations in one of the worlds fastest-growing smartphone markets. During those talks, Apple has conveyed it wants India to defer an existing policy that plans to levy taxes on more imported mobile components in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis Make in India drive to boost domestic manufacturing. While Indias government has been keen to get Apple to manufacture in India as a showpiece investment, it has told the US firm there would be no policy exemptions, so there will be no tax breaks on parts imports, sources said. Apple wants duty-free imports of components. India wants indigenisation, sources said. Apple has expressed willingness to increase local value addition over time, but has stuck to its demand for immediate import tax relief to expand its iPhone manufacturing, they added. 15:48 Rahul Ending years of speculation, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi was on Monday officially declared as party President in Delhi. The announcement was made by Congress Central Election Authority (CEA) chairperson Mullapally Ramachandran. The party CEA said that Gandhi will officially take over the duties of the Congress President from December 16, after being given the certificate at the All India Congress Committee office in Delhi. The announcement came after the deadline to withdraw nomination papers ended at 3 pm on Monday. Rahul has now become the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to take over the party's top post after Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Former Union Minister and senior party leader M Veerappa Moily said outgoing Congress President Sonia Gandhi will continue to play an effective role and guide the destiny of the party. 000cr Icra The telecom industry could pare as much as Rs 90,000 crore debt if stake sale deals of mobile tower assets, currently being discussed, materialise, credit rating firm Icra said. It predicted structural and material changes for the telecom tower industry in the medium-term. Icra also anticipated some headwinds in the short-term, as consolidation of telecom operators leads to rationalisation of tenancies, but remained confident about the growth prospects in coming years. This growth would be fuelled by the network expansion of telecom operators, keen to meet the data needs of consumers, it said. "As per Icra estimates, debt to the tune of Rs 80,000-90,000 crore can be pruned from the telecom industry if the stake sale transactions of tower assets currently under discussions materialise," it stated. 15yr 75bn Tata Communications will soon hive its property holdings into a separate company, which will subsequently be listed, capping a 15-year effort by the unit of Indias largest conglomerate, reports Bloomberg. The value of the companys 773 acres of land parcels may be about Rs 263 per share, or about Rs 75 billion, according to ICICI Securities. The spinoff should take less than a few months as there is in-principle agreement among the parties involved, said Tata Communications Chief Executive Officer Vinod Kumar said in an interview. Around the corner is probably a better description, Kumar said. The government is supportive and they are keen to do it. So its really paperwork. The company, which in October reported worse-than-estimated quarterly earnings, has been shedding non-core assets while bolstering its enterprise offerings. Analysts said that hiving off the property holdings should help its stock performance, which has trailed the benchmark gauge since early June and is near the bottom of a sectoral index. Existing shareholders, including the Indian government, which holds 26% in Tata Communications, will get shares in the new listed entity. The new entity will receive land earmarked as surplus when Videsh Sanchar Nigam was divested by the government in 2002 and sold to the Tata group. Any quick resolution in the land monetisation process would be an upside, Bhupendra Tiwary and Sameer Pardikar, analysts with ICICI Securities, wrote in a November 2 note. Tata Communications shares have dropped 11.6% in the past six months, while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex has climbed 6.7%. 14:56 Wonderla Wonderla Holidays' non-ticket business is growing fast and expected to contribute as much as 40% to its total revenues in the next 4-5 years, a top company official told PTI. This business includes food and beverage, resort, ride photos and souvenir, the amusement park operator's Managing Director Arun K Chittilappilly said. Non-ticket revenues of the company, which owns and operates amusement parks in Kochi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, currently contributes 25% of its topline, he said. The company, Chittilappilly said, has just completed acquisition of 60 acres of land in Chennai, where it plans to begin construction of a park early next financial year. The Rs 350-crore plus park is slated to be operational in 2019-2020. Wonderla is working on rolling out information technology initiatives, including introduction of RFID bands, to enhance customer experience, he said. After the Chennai park, Wonderla would "concentrate" on the Western region and is currently exploring options on setting up facilities in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Goa, he said. Wonderla does not have overseas plans, Chittilappilly said, noting that India is still a largely untapped market. 5MT FY19 GAIL India will import about 5 million tonne (MT) of LNG from the US next fiscal, replacing the volumes the state-owned utility buys from the spot market, a senior company official told PTI. GAIL has contracted 5.8MT per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US, some of which it has swapped either by exchanging the gas with someone having it nearer to India or by time-swapping it. "We expect to receive about 5 million tonne of LNG from US next fiscal (2018-19)," the official said. This will be used for replacing the LNG that GAIL currently buys from the spot or current market as well as on short-term contracts. "Out of our LNG buying of about 33 million standard cubic meters per day (8.25MT per annum), only 17-18 mmscmd comes from long-term contract with RasGas of Qatar. The rest is all spot or short term contract volumes, which we hope to replace with US LNG," he said. The official said the company sold a "major chunk" of the US LNG via time swaps, destination swaps and shipping optimisation. Under the time-swap deals, the company will buy LNG from international companies this year and sell equivalent amount of Henry Hub-indexed volumes during 2018-19. Besides, to cut shipping costs, it has entered into deals to take deliveries of gas from a nearer location and in exchange given its US volumes to company closer to the origin. 14:26 Mallya defence The trial to prove a prima facie case of fraud against fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya resumes in London today to determine if he can be extradited to India to face charges over his erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines, reports PTI. The 61-year-old will be back in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London for day four of the hearing when his defence led by barrister Clare Montgomery, is set to depose two further witnesses in its attempt to prove that the airline's alleged default of around Rs 9,000 crore worth of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the businessman is also facing a parallel litigation in the Queen's Bench Division of the commercial court in England's High Court of Justice brought by a consortium of Indian banks to freeze his global assets. The State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank, IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Mysore, UCO Bank, United Bank of India and JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co Pvt are listed as applicants of that claim against Mallya and related concerns named as Ladywalk, Rose Capital Ventures and Orange India Holdings. Lawyers for Mallya have been granted an extension to respond to that case due to his ongoing extradition trial, expected to conclude on Thursday. Margaret Sweeney, from the accounts team of Force India - Mallya's Formula 1 racing team, and legal expert Martin Lau are set to be deposed by his defence team at the extradition hearing today. ( 14:20 Talaipalli NCC Infra major NCC expects to start development and operation of Talaipalli coal block from 2019-20 onwards and contribute about Rs 190 crore to topline during the first year of its commercial operation, reports PTI. The company is also betting big on infrastructure and housing projects from Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh which is under development stage. The Talaipalli coal block is located in Chhattisgarh. "The work (on the project) will start in FY18. Commercial production may start from 2019-20. In the first year of commercial operations, we are aiming at 4 million tonne of coal extraction and supply," YD Murthy, Executive President (Finance), NCC, said. "We are looking at a topline of Rs 380 crore (from the block), in which our share will be Rs 190 crore," he said. On the order book, Murthy said during the last seven months of the current fiscal, NCC got nearly Rs 15,000 crore worth of orders and expects that the total order value to reach around Rs 28,000 crore by the end of FY18. Murthy said the company's building and construction, water pipelines and roads verticals, put together, will constitute 75-80% of the total order book as well as topline of NCC. FY18 FMCG firm Colgate Palmolive India has declared an interim dividend of Rs 4 per equity share for FY18, which will see a total payout of Rs 131 crore, including dividend distribution tax. The company said in a regulatory filing that its board has declared an interim dividend of Rs 4 per equity share, with face value Re 1 each, for the financial year ending March 31, 2018. It will be on the paid up equity share capital of Rs 27.20 crore involving a total payout of Rs 131 crore, including dividend distribution tax, it added. The record date for payment of the dividend is December 19, 2017. favours petcoke The government is in favour of banning imports of petroleum coke on environmental grounds, according to a government affidavit filed with the Supreme Court, which could be a big blow to US refiners who export heavily to the country, reports Reuters. The apex court, which in October banned the use of petroleum coke in and around New Delhi in a bid to clean the air in one of the worlds most polluted cities, is scheduled to hear a case on its use across the country later on Monday. India is the worlds biggest consumer of petroleum coke, better known as petcoke, which is a dark solid carbon material that emits 11% more greenhouse gases than coal, according to the CarnegieTsinghua Center for Global Policy. Burning it also emits several times more sulphur dioxide, which causes lung diseases and acid rain. Local producers include Indian Oil Corporation, Reliance Industries and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. The Oil Ministry has also told the Supreme Court that petcoke should only be used as feedstock, like in the cement industry, and not as fuel. A country-wide import ban would require replacing 14 million tonne of petcoke a year with 24 million to 31 million tonne of coal, according to industry calculations, most of which has to be imported. 000cr Indian companies raised close to Rs 51,000 crore through private placement of corporate bonds in November, a surge of 32% from the year-ago level, for business expansion and propping up working capital needs, reports PTI. With the latest mobilisation, the total fund-raising through private placement of debt securities reached Rs 4.2 lakh crore in the April-November period of FY18, as per the latest data by markets regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi). In FY17, the capital raked in through the route stood at Rs 6.4 lakh crore. In private placement of bonds, firms issue securities or bonds to institutional investors to raise capital. Companies garnered Rs 50,855 crore from debt on a private placement basis last month, much higher than Rs 38,645 crore raised in November 2016. In volume terms, however, just 145 issues were made last month compared with 221 in the year-ago period. The funds have been raised mainly for business expansion, to support working capital requirements and retire their existing debt. YoY 41MT Indias fuel demand rose 6.2% in November compared with the same month last year, reports Reuters. Consumption of fuel, a proxy for oil demand, totalled 17.41 million tonne, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the oil ministry showed. Sales of gasoline, or petrol, were 4.8% higher from a year earlier at 2.12 million tonne. Cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sales increased 6.7% to 2.00 million tonne, while naphtha sales fell 6.1% to 1.01 million tonne. Sales of bitumen, used for making roads, were 16.4% up, while fuel oil use edged unchanged in November. 13:13 Modi Pranab Mukherjee 82nd Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished former President Pranab Mukherjee on his birthday and said he prayed for his long and healthy life, reports PTI. Mukherjee turned 82 today. "Spoke to Pranab Da and wished him on his birthday. His impeccable service endears him to every Indian. I pray for Pranab Da's long and healthy life," the prime minister tweeted. Mukherjee was born this day in 1935 in Mirati, a village in the Bengal Presidency of British India (now in Birbhum district, West Bengal). Meghalaya A moderate intensity quake measuring 4.7 on the Richter Scale shook Meghalaya but there was no report of any casualty, reports PTI. Officials at the Regional Seismological Centre in Shillong said the epicentre was at a depth of 60 km in remote East Garo Hills district. The quake, which lasted for a few seconds, occurred at around 9.05 am. Meghalaya and the seven other north eastern states fall in Zone 5 of the country's earthquake zoning map. According to the zoning map, Zone 5 is associated with the highest level of seismicity. 12:29 Pradeep Kharola CMD Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola took charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India today. Kharola assumed charge from Rajiv Bansal. A 1985-batch Karnataka cadre officer, Kharola would be steering the national carrier at a time when the government has started the process for its strategic disinvestment. He was the Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation since February 2015. Among others, Kharola has worked in various posts in Karnataka, including as the chairman of Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance Corporation. He has also served as principal secretary to the Karnataka chief minister. As part of efforts to revive the fortunes of Air India - which is staying afloat on taxpayers' money - the government has decided on selling stake in the airline. The carrier, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 50,000 crore, managed to eke out operational profit for the first time in a decade in 2015-16. Tata Motors said it will increase prices of its passenger vehicles by up to Rs 25,000 from January to offset the impact of rising input costs, reports PTI. "The changing market conditions, rising input costs and various external economic factors have compelled us to consider the price increase," Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicle Business, Tata Motors said in a statement. The introductory prices of the recently launched compact SUV Nexon will be ending by December 31 and this entire range will also witness a price hike from January 2018 by up to Rs 25,000, the company said. Zaira Wasim Police have filed a sexual assault case against an airline passenger after a 17-year-old Bollywood actress said the male passenger had molested her during a late New Delhi-Mumbai flight, police said on Monday. Zaira Wasim was seen sobbing in a video she posted to her Instagram site after getting off a Vistara flight during which, she has alleged, the passenger sitting on the seat behind her attacked her, reports Reuters. He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck, Wasim said in the post. Is this how we are going to take care of girls?. The video sparked outrage on social media, where fans came out in support of the actress, who shot to fame through her role as a child wrestler in the 2016 blockbuster Bollywood drama Dangal. Police have registered a case against a man identified as Vikas Sachdeva, under Section 354 -- for assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty -- and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, a Mumbai police control room official said. We are investigating fully and will support Zaira in every way required, said Vistara Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer Sanjiv Kapoor. We have zero tolerance for this kind of thing. 12:15 Suven Suven Life Sciences has secured a product patent each from India and the US for treatment of disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases. These patents are valid through 2029 and 2033 respectively, the company said in a BSE filing. "We are pleased by the grant of these patents to Suven for our pipeline of molecules in the CNS (central nervous system) arena, which are being developed for cognitive disorders with high unmet medical need with a huge market potential globally," Suven Life CEO Venkat Jasti said. Suven Life said the granted claims of the patents are being developed as therapeutic agents and useful in treatment of cognitive impairment associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson and Schizophrenia. 12:13 Rhizen USFDA Drug firm Alembic Pharmaceuticals said the US health regulator has granted fast track designation to its associate company Rhizen Pharmaceuticals SA's RP6530 (tenalisib), used in treatment of cancer. "The US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) has granted Fast Track Designation for RP6530 (tenalisib)...for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL)," Alembic Pharmaceuticals said in a BSE filing. Fast track designation is awarded to drugs that treat a serious condition and fill an unmet medical need, it added. 12:11 Unitech NCLT Shares of Unitech surged as much as 20% in trade today after the NCLT authorised the government to appoint its 10 nominees on the board of the realty firm. On December 8, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) suspended all the eight directors of Unitech over allegations of mismanagement and siphoning of funds, while authorising the government to appoint its 10 nominees on the board. Today's rally is the fourth consecutive one for the stock. On December 8, the Unitech scrip had jumped 20%. In a rare move, the government approached the NCLT to take over the management with a view to protecting the interest of nearly 20,000 home buyers. The tribunal's order came after the government filed a petition arguing that Unitech was a fit case for winding up but considering the interest of thousands of home buyers and small depositors, it wanted to take over company management. The company has over Rs 6,000 crore debt with more than 16,000 undelivered units from a total of nearly 70 projects. 12:06 Infosys Sebi Former Infosys Chief Financial Officer V Balakrishnan said it was not a matter of whistleblower's emotions, but of legality for Sebi to decide on denying company's consent plea in connection with former-CFO Rajiv Bansal's severance payment case, reports PTI. "The whistleblower has said whatever he wants to say as per his viewpoint. These are legal issues decided based on merits and not individual's emotions.. What Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) as a regulator thinks and decides is all that matters," Balakrishnan said. Earlier this year, a whistleblower had written to the market regulator over alleged lapses in the Panaya deal and Bansal's severance pay. The letter had stated that the package was decided by the then CEO Vishal Sikka and then general counsel David Kennedy. The whistle-blower had asked why Infosys was reluctant in disclosing answers surrounding the "hush money." The letter has brought allegations of poor corporate governance to the fore again after Infosys filed an application for settlement. This has spurred Balakrishnan and another former CFO TV Mohandas Pai to launch an attack against the company, whose board is now led by co-founder Nandan Nilekani. Balakrishnan has demanded the resignation of board members, Roopa Kudva and Ravi Venkatesan in the matter. On Sunday, board member Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had exchanged barbs with Pai on twitter, saying, "The matters were reinvestigated (a)n(d) no wrong doings were found by new Chairman.. Let's bring this to a closure and move on.. It helps no one." The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea challenging the anticipatory bail granted to three trustees of the Ryan International Group in connection with the killing of a student in the school premises, reports PTI. A bench of Justices RK Agrawal and AM Sapre said the "petition is dismissed." The court had earlier reserved the order on the plea of the father of 7-year-old boy, who was found dead in Ryan International School in Gurgaon, challenging the anticipatory bail granted to the trustees of the group. Pradhuman, a Class II student, was found with his throat slit in the school washroom in Gurgaon on September 8. Domestic passenger vehicle sales rose 14.29% to 2,75,417 units in November from 2,40,983 units in the same month last year. Domestic car sales were up 4.49% to 1,81,395 units as against 1,73,607 units in November last year, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Motorcycle sales last month rose 23.25% to 9,59,122 units as against 7,78,173 units a year earlier. Total two-wheeler sales in November rose 23.49% to 15,35,277 units compared to 12,43,246 units in the year-ago month. Sales of commercial vehicles were up 50.43% to 68,846 units in November, SIAM said. Vehicle sales across categories registered a rise of 24.05% to 19,39,671 units from 15,63,658 units in November 2016, it added. 000cr The Centre has moved the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on the Rs 20,000 crore Vodafone tax arbitration case, reports CNBC-TV18. The apex court will hear the government plea on December 12. The government has told the court that Vodafone cannot be allowed to invoke arbitration in the same case in two forums. As legendary actor Dilip Kumar turns 95 today, his wife Saira Banu plans to treat him to his favourite delicacies - biryani and vanilla ice cream on the occasion, reports PTI. Banu says she is not planning to throw a birthday party this time as Kumar is still recovering from pneumonia. "He loves biryani and that will be made for him but I will give him only little as he is unwell. He is also fond of vanilla ice cream, I will ask the doctors if we can give him a little bit of that too. Then we will have a birthday cake," Banu said in an interview. "We will not have a grand birthday party as he is not keeping well. The immune system is not so good after he was down with pneumonia. I cannot let him exert now," she added. Banu also plans to buy Kumar a new pair of shirt and trousers. "Dilip Sahab is fond of good and simple clothes. He likes cotton shirts and trousers and matching shoes and socks. He has a huge collection of shoes, which he has from world over. Every year I order things of his choice. He is not a materialistic man. He doesn't like expensive gifts. My one consistent gift to him every year is my love, which keeps intensifying," she said. After offloading stakes in insurance companies, cash-strapped public sector banks are gearing up to raise money by diluting their stakes in mutual funds through initial public offerings, reports Hindu Business Line. The government, which announced a Rs 2.11 lakh crore bailout for NPA-hit state-run banks, had instructed them to mop up capital by selling stakes in non-core assets before seeking financial support. The seven public sector bank-sponsored mutual funds include Baroda Pioneer Mutual Fund, BOI Axa Mutual Fund, Canara Robeco Mutual Fund, IDBI Mutual Fund, SBI Mutual Fund, Union Mutual Fund and Principal (Punjab National Bank) Mutual Fund. Some of these mutual funds have already sounded out investment banks to ascertain the market potential and prepare the groundwork for an IPO, sources said. Led by SBI Mutual Fund, the assets under management (AUM) of these seven mutual funds were up 11% in the September quarter at Rs 2.34 lakh crore against Rs 2.10 lakh crore in the June quarter. The average AUM of the mutual fund industry was up 7% at Rs 20.94 lakh crore (Rs 19.51 lakh crore) during the same period. As tax officials chase to meet stiff revenue targets amid sluggish growth, there is a sudden surge in prosecution notices slapped by the Income Tax (I-T) Department, reports The Economic Times. Till now prosecution provision was invoked sparingly and primarily on wilful tax evaders. Now, prosecution proceedings are being initiated for not filing tax returns or for short or even delayed remittance of tax deducted at source (TDS) by business entities. "A list of 8,000-odd non-filers (of tax return) with a past record of earnings has been compiled (by the tax department). Many in that list have been issued prosecution notices. While this may come across as somewhat harsh, notices have also gone to companies which even after deducting TDS (from salaries, rent, or other heads) have failed to submit it to the government," a senior tax official in Mumbai, which accounts for the highest income tax collection, said. Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Handwara area of north Kashmir, police told PTI. Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid said the slain militants were apparently Pakistanis. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the early hours in Unisoo village of Handwara following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter as the hiding militants fired upon the forces conducting the searches. During the gunfight, three militants were killed, the official said. He said their bodies along with three weapons have been recovered from the encounter site. The craze for cryptocurrencies entered a new chapter on Monday as bitcoin futures rocketed by one-fifth of their value at a closely-watched launch, reports Reuters. The most-traded contract on the Chicago-based CBOE Global Markets exchange XBTc1 opened at $15,460 in New York on Sunday evening, before leaping to a high of $18,700 - a gain of 21%. They were last quoted at $17,550 a premium of more than $1,600 to the price on Gemini Exchange. The futures are cash-settled contracts based on the auction price of bitcoin in dollars on the Gemini Exchange, which is owned and operated by virtual currency entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. The cryptocurrency has boasted a gravity-defying 15-fold gain since the start of the year, attracting institutional interest and no small amount of question marks. Essar Axis Bank and Bank of Baroda disposed of a part of their foreign currency loans in Essar Steel, selling the debt at 30-40% discounts with a foreign hedge fund acquiring it, sources told The Economic Times. Essar Steel has Rs 49,000 crore of loans outstanding, including external commercial borrowings of Rs 6,000 crore. The loans that Axis Bank and Bank of Baroda sold were part of the external commercial borrowings (ECBs). The two banks sold the debt to Deutsche Bank, which subsequently transferred it to a hedge fund owned by Davidson Kempner, sources said. The buyer will have a say in the bankruptcy proceedings of the metal maker, they added. Axis Bank was the first to sell, bankers said. It sold $90 million (approximately Rs 580 crore) at a little less than 60 cents to a dollar, they added. State-run Bank of Baroda got a better deal at 71 cents to a dollar, but the amount of loan it sold wasnt immediately known. Lenders, including IDBI Bank and ICICI Bank, are also contemplating to exit Essar Steels foreign currency loans and are evaluating a few proposals, sources said. HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Indian Overseas Bank had sold their domestic loans to Essar Steel to Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction Company. 10:02 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhis roadshows in Ahmedabad have been denied permission by the police, reports NDTV. The police have cited law and order and public inconvenience as reasons for denial of permission. South Korea says it has added several North Korean groups and individuals to its sanctions list as part of efforts to cut off funding for the North weapons programs. South Korea's government says the sanctions on 20 North Korean groups and 12 individuals took effect from today. Seoul is among the first to respond to North Korea's November 29 missile launch with fresh sanctions. 09:15 The Max India stock will be in focus today after the Delhi government on Friday cancelled the licence of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh post market hours. Max India is the holding company for Max Healthcare. The Delhi governments decision came nearly a week after one of the premature twins born on November 30 and declared dead was found alive by the parents while being taken for last rites. India is likely to change rules to allow foreign airlines to bid for Air India as long as they have a local joint venture with an Indian partner as the government seeks to increase the number of suitors for the debt-laden national carrier. Foreign airlines will be allowed to bid as per the current policy thats applicable on all domestic airlines. That much we can confirm, an official told Mint. Existing rules allow foreign airlines to own as much as 49% in an Indian airline, with the exception of Air India. With the change in rules, the government expects to make the sale of Air India, which has drawn interest from companies including the Tata group and InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo), more competitive. The Civil Aviation Ministry has conveyed the proposal to a Group of Ministers looking into Air Indias stake sale in a recent meeting. The panel led by finance minister Arun Jaitley also includes Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu. The government will have to make several changes to existing rules before foreign airlines can bid for the national carrier. First, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotions Press Note No. 6 (2012 Series) has to be amended to remove a clause that bars foreign investment in Air India. Second, international flying rights negotiated between two governments require respective airlines to have local effective control to avail of these rights. A change in control to a foreign airline will invalidate these rights. To ensure Air India does not face any issues, the government will retain a clause that says Air India cannot be 100% foreign-owned (even though foreign entities can own 100% of a private Indian airline, stakes of foreign airlines are capped at 49%). This, the Aviation Ministry believes, will allow effective control to be retained in India as the majority ownership will be with an Indian entity. With time running out for a resolution of the second list of non-performing assets (NPAs) on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) list, lenders and corporate bodies have approached the central bank for extending the December 13 deadline, reports Business Standard. If debt resolution is not finalised by December 13 for the 28 companies on the list, insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) will be initiated. The debt exposure of these companies would be more than Rs 1 lakh crore. No major progress has been made so far in debt resolution for the 28 accounts. Hence, some banks have sought an extension of the deadline, said the head of a public sector bank. If the deadline is not extended, most of the cases will go to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The kind of deadline being put on the table is not acceptable to the banks. So, decision-making is very difficult at this stage, he said. Maruti Suzuki Motor Corporation is trying to insulate its Indian unit from the risks involved in developing electric vehicles even as the outcome of such efforts will benefit Maruti Suzuki India directly, reports Mint. Driven by a policy push in India and a desire to keep its market share intact, Suzuki has formed two crucial partnershipsone where it will produce lithium ion batteries in collaboration with Denso Corporation and Toshiba Corporation; and another with the worlds largest automaker Toyota Motor Corporation to introduce electric vehicles in India by 2020. In both cases, while there is no direct involvement of Maruti in any manner, the fact that the Indian company does not have any equity participation means that it is unlikely to face any risk even if Indias electric vehicle drive fails to take off. The role of Maruti in these partnerships may best be limited to that of a procurer of lithium ion battery packs (from the tripartite joint venture) and of electric vehicle platforms from the Toyota-Suzuki partnership. It will, of course, sell those to Indian customers if the electric vehicle market takes off in the country. The whole tie-up between Suzuki and Toyota is specifically for the Indian market. Hence, it is solely going to benefit Maruti. The Gujarat plant is also operated (and owned) by Suzuki but it has benefitted only Maruti, RC Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki, said. Jammu A medium intensity earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale hit Jammu & Kashmir early on Monday, the IMD said. According to the National Seismology Centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the earthquake occurred at 4:28 am at a depth of 33 km, reports PTI. There were no immediate reports of loss of life or property. Large Japanese manufacturers turned more optimistic about economic conditions in the October-December quarter, a government survey showed on Monday, in another upbeat sign for an economy on a record run of growth. The business survey index (BSI) of sentiment at large manufacturers stood at plus 9.7, up from plus 9.4 in July-September, according to the joint survey by the Ministry of Finance and the Economic and Social Research Institute, an arm of the Cabinet Office. The mood was brightened by a weaker yen and a 12% jump in the Nikkei stock average since the previous survey period, while sales and profits were up led by auto manufacturers and makers of electronic parts for smartphones, reports Reuters. 08:00 FPIs 000cr Foreign investors have pulled out more than Rs 4,000 crore from the country's stock markets this month so far, mainly due to rising crude prices and widening fiscal deficit. The outflow comes following an eight month high inflow of Rs 19,728 crore in November, mainly due to the government's plan to recapitalise PSU banks and surge in India's ranking in the World Bank's ease of doing business. This was the highest net investment by FPIs since March, when they had poured in Rs 30,906 crore in the equity market. According to the depositories data, Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) withdrew a net amount of Rs 4,089 crore ($634 million) from equities till December 8. However, such investors had put in over Rs 2,200 crore in the debt markets during the period under review. "Rising crude prices and widening fiscal deficit prompted FPIs to adopt a cautious stance for now. As per the recently released data, India's fiscal deficit rose to 96.1% of the full-year target by the end of October. The fiscal deficit data, which was released on November 30 overshadowed a resounding GDP growth of 6.3% for September quarter, which was also released on the same day. In addition to that, appreciating rupee and rising domestic markets too provide a good profit booking opportunity to FPIs, especially before Christmas and new year," Morningstar India's senior analyst manager (research) Himanshu Srivastava told PTI. Even if there are net outflows in December, we will end the year with higher net inflows from FPIs compared to the last two years, he added. Overall, FPIs have invested over Rs 53,000 crore in equities so far in 2017 and another Rs 1.5 lakh crore in debt markets. Investors have pumped in Rs 1.26 lakh crore into mutual funds in November, driving industry assets under management to an all-time high of Rs 21.8 lakh crore. With this latest inflow, total infusion in MF schemes reached Rs 3.8 lakh crore in the first eight months (April-November) of the current fiscal, latest data with Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed. According to the data, investors have poured in a net of Rs 1.26 lakh crore in MF schemes last month as compared to an investment of over Rs 51,000 crore in October. The latest inflow has been mainly driven by contributions from equity, equity linked saving schemes and liquid funds. Individually, liquid funds or money market category - investments in cash assets such as Treasury Bills, certificates of deposit and commercial paper for shorter horizon - witnessed an inflow of over 77,000 crore. Besides, equity and equity linked schemes attracted over Rs 20,300 crore. In addition, more than Rs 7,600 crore was invested in balanced funds. Further, over Rs 9,300 crore was put in the debt funds. In contrast, gold ETFs continued to see net outflow of Rs 89 crore. 998cr The combined market valuation of eight of the top 10 valued firms soared by Rs 57,998.58 crore last week, driven by FMCG major Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and the country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India. India's largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and HDFC Bank were the only losers among 10 most valued firms on BSE last week. HUL's m-cap soared by Rs 16,092.90 crore to Rs 2,87,161.37 crore, while that of Maruti Suzuki India's surged by Rs 13,089.13 crore to Rs 2,73,106.05 crore. The valuation of Infosys, India's second-largest IT firm, jumped by Rs 9,888.56 crore to Rs 2,30,055.36 crore and that of diversified ITC rose by Rs 7,800.45 crore to Rs 3,18,965.41 crore. The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) added Rs 7,029.70 crore to its market valuation at Rs 5,83,243.66 crore while HDFC m-cap moved up by Rs 2,874.09 crore to Rs 2,67,809.05 crore. ONGC, the biggest oil and gas producer of India, saw its valuation rising by Rs 705.83 crore to Rs 2,31,383.23 crore and the largest public lender State Bank of India (SBI) by Rs 517.92 crore to Rs 2,70,312.76 crore. On the flip-side, TCS took a hit of Rs 5,656.72 crore as its market capitalisation slumped to Rs 4,97,906.20 crore and the valuation of HDFC Bank dropped by Rs 944.64 crore to Rs 4,76,190.86 crore. In ranking, RIL remained at the top followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, ITC, HUL, Maruti Suzuki India, SBI, HDFC, ONGC and Infosys. CBOE Bitcoin prices jumped on Monday as the CBOE Futures Exchange began trading futures on the cryptocurrency, reports CNBC. The digital currency was at $14,890 right at 4:30am and then surged about $600 to $15,500.13 as of 5:47 am on the Coinbase exchange. The new futures were up 2.6% to $15,860 on the CBOE in very early trading. They also turned negative for a brief moment at about 5:25 am before bouncing back. The exchange launched the futures under the 'XBT' ticker symbol following a huge ramp-up in the digital currency's price this year. Interest was so great in the new product, it appeared to be overloading CBOE's website. "Due to heavy traffic on our website, visitors to http://www.cboe.com may find that it is performing slower than usual and may at times be temporarily unavailable," the exchange said in a statement. "All trading systems are operating normally." The launch lets institutional investors buy into the cryptocurrency space. Until now, bitcoin has been mostly owned and traded by a few entrepreneurs. Reversing last week's bearishness, global stock markets ended on a positive note this week. The European stocks were the biggest gainers after Britain and the European Union announced a breakthrough in Brexit negotiations. The US markets also ended in the positive territory on a stronger than expected pick-up in the US hiring. As per the Labour Department, US employers added 228,000 jobs in November, while the unemployment rate remained at 4.1%. Barring India, majority of the Asian indices ended weak. Although a softer yen and strong economic figures lifted stock sentiments, but the Japanese index ended flat in the week gone by. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.5% in the three months to September. Chinese markets were down 0.8% for the week. Even as world stock markets remain mixed, bitcoin surged by over 50% to a dizzying level of over $16,000 on frenzied speculative buying. However, experts remain divided over the sustainability of the rally. Back home, the Indian markets posted its biggest weekly gain since early November. The rally was fuelled amid hopes that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party would emerge victorious in the Gujarat state elections. FMCG bourses All the stocks ended in green. Telecom stocks were the biggest gainers during the week as the telecom index rose by 4.3%. Stocks in the consumer durable,and oil & gas were among the other gainers on the IPO Restaurant firm Lite Bite Foods, which runs eateries like Punjab Grill and Zambar, is planning to list on the exchanges within a year. "We can probably go public in the next year. We've reached those numbers," Chairman Amit Burman told The Economic Times. He further said that they currently have two options two raise funds one is listing and the other is raising private equity. Burman is optimistic on the future with impacts of highway ban, demonetisation and the Goods & Services Tax (GST) coming to rest. While in countries in Hong Kong and Singapore, people eat out about 28 times a month, in India, the number is hardly 3 or 4. He expects this to change in coming time. The company's revenue rose 30-32 percent over last year. Lite Bite has also recognised certain growth areas including small store at airports, offie premises and schools. The company will continue to maintain its airport brands like Zambar and Asia Seven. For airports, the company works on franchise model and has set up stores for Burger King and KFC. "For institutions, we sweat our commissaries. We're doing close to 9,000 meals a day and expanding the model. The number of customers is guaranteed. It's like the airport business where sales could fluctuate at most a daily 5 percent higher or lower," Burman told ET. Q16. It is one of the oldest traditional sweet shops in India. It has catered to Mughal emperors, Presidents and Prime Ministers of India. It was founded by Lala Sukh Lal Jain, who had arrived in the walled city of Delhi from Amber. The shop is now run by his descendants. There are a couple of theories about how it got its name. According to one, it was so named by Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar himself, who asked his servants to get sweets from the shop below the bell. What is the name of the shop? (Image: Reuters) The five-day general assembly of the global heritage body ICOMOS, hosted in the national capital this year, will begin today, at the end of which a Delhi Declaration is to be passed. International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a prestigious global non-government organisation which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of the architectural and archaeological heritage world over. "This year, the 19th ICOMOS General Assembly and Scientific Symposium is taking place in Delhi on the invitation of ICOMOS India from December 11-15. The theme for the symposium is 'Heritage and Democracy'. "Among other events, the symposium will explore the possibilities for cultural heritage in a world of multiple stakeholders, recognising the challenges of cultural diversity, and resulting contestation amidst local and global communities," a senior official of ICOMOS India said. He said members of the ICOMOS International Board and several other representatives from ICOMOS offices in other parts of the country have already arrived on December 8 and took part in pre-Assembly events. "On Friday they visited the Red Fort and Mehrauli Archaeological Park. Yesterday they toured the Qutub Minar," he added. The events will be spread over three main venues - India International Centre (IIC), India Habitat Centre (IHC) and Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. As part the grand event, an exhibition has also been curated on the subject of 'cultural heritage practice in India: protection, conservation and integration'. The exhibition is supported by the Urban Affairs Ministry, Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India. ICOMOS is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members, among which are architects, historians, archaeologists, art historians, geographers, anthropologists, engineers and town planners. The members of ICOMOS contribute to improving the preservation of heritage, the standards and the techniques for each type of cultural heritage property: buildings, historic cities, cultural landscapes and archaeological sites. Its work is based on the principles enshrined in the 1964 International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (the Venice Charter). "There will be resolutions passed at the end of the event, and there will also be a Delhi Declaration. It is a matter of great pride that India is hosting the General Assembly of this global heritage body," the senior ICOMOS India official said. CNBC-TV18 brings you a brand new week of Bull's Eye. It's the popular game show where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest. Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well. This week, Sumeet Jain, Ashish Kyal and Ruchit Jain battle it out for top honours. Below their top stock picks and analysis: Sumeet Jain of Destimoney Securities Buy Gujarat Ambuja Exports with a stoploss at Rs 184 and target of Rs 221 Buy Future Consumer with a stoploss at Rs 63 and target of Rs 77 Buy Star Paper with a stoploss at Rs 226 and target of Rs 262 Ashish Kyal of Waves Strategy Advisors By SAIL with a stoploss at Rs 79.25 and target of Rs 87.40 Buy Balkrishna Industries with a stoploss at Rs 2343 and target of Rs 2585 Buy IOC with a stoploss at Rs 392.70 and target of Rs 435 Buy West Coast Paper with a stoploss at Rs 278.60 and target of Rs 307.30 Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking Buy Cipla with a stoploss at Rs 588 and target of Rs 623 Buy Piramal Enterprises with a stoploss at Rs 2810 and target of Rs 3060 Buy Godrej Consumer Products with a stoploss at Rs 970 and target of Rs 1051 Sell Jubilant Foodworks with a stoploss at Rs 1710 and target of Rs 1590 Sudarshan Sukhani of s2analytics.com told CNBC-TV18, "I have midcap stocks because the sense is that the Nifty could consolidate or it could inch upward, so largecaps may be part of that consolidation. The deep correction in Ashok Leyland is over. A trading range is now in development and that should break on the upside. That is the assumption. That is a buying opportunity." He further added, "Bharat Financial Inclusion had a dream chart, a long consolidation that has taken a shape of a bullish breakout. It is on the verge of breaking out. It is not just a swing trade, it is a day trade, swing trade as well as a positional buy. You could actually buy the equity and hold on. There is a very attractive impressive bullish chart there." "The declines in Colgate Palmolive is now over. For the last one and a half months it is in a trading range. It had a handsome rally on Friday and that should bring it above the range and see a sustained upmove. FMCG is a favoured sector at this point in any case. So, Colgate is a buy." "Tata Chemicals never corrected, it just went into a consolidation, in a sense that consolidation was a correction. It is now willing to break up and move ahead. Again a momentum buying opportunity. So, primarily the focus is to buy these consolidations and dips." "IRB Infrastructure is the sole short sell. The stock has reacted to news. It is falling day after day. So, probably there is nothing to buy. It is a short sell but keep it intraday." Sudarshan Sukhani of s2analytics.com told CNBC-TV18, "Lot of midcaps are giving buying opportunities, so Engineers India is buy for the day. The stock has already bounced from its minor correction and is looking for better and higher levels." He further added, "Tata Elxsi is a buying opportunity. The stock has been an outperformer in the midcap IT segment. That outperformance continuous, so we are buying into existing momentum." "Voltas which has been a strong outperformer in the consumer, capital good segment wherever it is placed, it has been doing very well. So, these three ideas for short-term buying intraday as well as carrying them forward for a couple of days." "At current levels Escorts remains a long term buy. If you are prepared to hold it for three years which is what long term should mean at least then you are going to get gains in this stock. This has been an outperformer, an outperforming stocks in a bull market continue to outperform." "At current levels ITC is a buying opportunity. After a long time the stock has been a distinct underperformer this is a trading call, so if you are looking for investing I think ITC is best left alone. Dont invest in ITC. If this is a trading idea I would say buy ITC, it is deeply oversold, even a relief rally can give you money in trading. So for a trader yes go and buy it." A worker checks pipes and valves at Amaal oil field in eastern Libya October 7, 2011. Eight months of civil war have left Libya's oil industry in chaos, with fields that once pumped a total of around 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) deserted and export terminals, pumping stations and pipelines damaged by fighting and sabotage. Engineers and other workers who left the field, which is about 1000 km (620 miles) southeast of the capital Tripoli, are returning in what the country's new rulers hope will be the resumption of full oil production as soon as possible. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny (LIBYA - Tags: CONFLICT BUSINESS ENERGY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR2SD29 live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of IL&FS Engineering and Construction has locked at 5 percent upper circuit on Monday as it has received order for pipeline laying works from GAIL. There were pending buy orders of 25,154 shares, with no sellers available. The company has received Fax of Acceptance (FOA) from Gas Authority of India (GAIL India) for 157.8 km long 30' diameter pipeline laying works for Dobhi-Durgapur-Haldia Pipeline Section (Part B) along with 13.28 km long 12' diameter spurline under Jagdishpur Haldia/Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas pipeline (JHBDPL) project in Jharkhand/West Bengal states, as per company release. The total value of the contract is Rs 215.79 crore (excluding GST) and is to be mechanically completed in 15 months from date of FOA and additional 2 month for pre-commissioning and commissioning. Recently, the company also won a pipeline laying contract from GAIL worth Rs 123.05 crore in Kerala/Karnataka. The company is already executing pipeline projects for GAIL worth Rs 335.71 crore in Kerala and Bihar states. At 10:03 hrs IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company was quoting at Rs 53.65, up Rs 2.55, or 4.99 percent. The stock gained 42 percent in the last 3 months. Posted by Rakesh Patil The telecom industry could pare as much as Rs 90,000 crore debt if stake sale deals of mobile tower assets, currently being discussed, materialise, credit rating firm Icra said today. It predicted structural and material changes for the telecom tower industry in the medium term. Icra also anticipated some headwinds in the short term, as consolidation of telecom operators leads to rationalisation of tenancies, but remained confident about the growth prospects in coming years. This growth would be fuelled by the network expansion of telecom operators, keen to meet the data needs of consumers, it said. "As per Icra estimates, debt to the tune of Rs 80,000- 90,000 crores can be pruned from the telecom industry if the stake sale transactions of tower assets currently under discussions materialise," it said. With around 4 lakh towers and 8 lakh tenancies, the telecom tower space is a sizeable one in the world, it added. It said the sector has 10 organised players (besides small tower owners) wherein nearly three-fourths of the portfolio (74 per cent) is controlled either by tower companies promoted by telecom operators, or by telecom operators themselves. "Over the next 1-2 years, there is likely to be a material change in the industry structure with number of players expected to reduce to 4-5," Icra predicted. Summing up the upcoming trends, it said that one of the key developments would be the expected change in ownership from telecom operators to independent players, given ongoing consolidation moves and the interest from institutional investors and independent tower companies. In addition, the industry is also headed for robust growth in the coming years fuelled by the network expansions of telecom operators, it added. Also in the offing is upside in rentals due to improved negotiation power that would follow consolidation as well as from greater independent ownership, Icra said. "At the same time, the consolidation transactions could entail migration of some debt to the tower industry from the telecom industry, where elevated debt levels remain an area of concern," it added. Harsh Jagnani, Sector Head and Vice President Corporate Ratings, Icra said the industry is now on a "solid footing" to expand as the telecom sector pursues network expansion to meet the growing data needs. "The industry generates steady cash flows given its indispensability to the telecom services and benefits from the inherent strengths of the lease agreements...which include long tenure, penalties on exit before a fixed lock-in period, per annum escalations in rentals, and incentivising addition of new tenants," Jagnani added. Significant pressures on cash flows and stretched capital structure of the telecom sector have pushed operators to reduce their debt levels by monetising their tower asset ownership, Icra said and forecast a significant debt reduction once ongoing deals materialise. "Icra estimates that the consolidation transactions in the tower industry would entail some debt migrating from the telecom industry to the tower industry. However comfort is drawn from the tower industrys relatively stronger balance sheet and greater predictability of cash flows," Jagnani said. Wonderla Holidays | ICRA reaffirmed its long term rating outstanding on the line of credit of company at AA-, but outlook on long term rating has been revised to Negative from Stable. (Image: Wikimeida) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Wonderla Holidays Ltd's non- ticket business is growing fast and expected to contribute as much as 40 per cent to its total revenues in the next 4-5 years, said a top company official. This business includes food and beverage, resort, ride photos and souvenir, the amusement park operator's Managing Director Arun K Chittilappilly told PTI. Non-ticket revenues of the company, which owns and operates amusement parks in Kochi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, currently contributes 25 per cent of its topline, he said. The company, Chittilappilly said, has just completed acquisition of 60 acres of land in Chennai, where it plans to begin construction of a park early next financial year. The Rs 350-crore plus park is slated to be operational in 2019-2020. Wonderla is working on rolling out information technology initiatives, including introduction of RFID bands, to enhance customer experience, he said. After the Chennai park, Wonderla would "concentrate" on the Western region and is currently exploring options on setting up facilities in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Goa, he said. Wonderla does not have overseas plans, Chittilappilly said, noting that India is still a largely untapped market. "GST is bad for us because the taxes are at the highest bracket of 28 per cent. In fact, we had to hike the prices by 18 per cent this year because of GST. And because of that we have lost 4-5 per cent footfalls," he said. Demonetisation did not have much of an impact on the company, Chittilappilly added. Fourteen percent of the 1,815 candidates contesting the ongoing Gujarat Assembly polls were facing criminal charges, according to a report. A study of the affidavits submitted by the candidates to the Election Commission showed that of the 253 such nominees, 154 had serious criminal cases such as murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and crime against women against them. The study was carried out by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-governmental organisation which works in the area of electoral and political reforms, and the Gujarat Election Watch. According to the report, 56 Congress candidates contesting the Gujarat polls had criminal cases against them, while the number of BJP nominees in this category was 46. Of the 418 "crorepati" candidates, 147 belonged to the BJP, while 129 were fielded by the Congress. The average worth of assets of the candidates contesting the Gujarat polls was Rs 2.22 crore, the report said, adding that in the 2012 Assembly election in the state, the average worth of assets of the 1,283 candidates was Rs 1.46 crore. The average worth of assets for the 181 BJP candidates in the fray was Rs 9.04 crore, while the figure was pegged at Rs 9.10 crore for the 176 Congress candidates and at Rs 19.84 lakh for the 138 BSP nominees, according to the report. It also stated that there were 35 "red alert" constituencies, having three or more candidates with declared criminal cases, of the 182 Assembly segments in the state. In the 2012 polls, there were 25 of such constituencies in Gujarat. The first phase of the polls was held on December 9 and the second and final phase will take place on December 14. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18. Congress vice President Rahul Gandhi addressing a public meeting at Amreli, Gujarat. (PTI) Cutting across factions, the Bihar Congress today hailed Rahul Gandhi becoming party President and expressed hope that he will "infuse with new energy" the more than 100 years old political organization. Led by BPCC Acting President Kaukab Qadri, party leaders celebrated the news of Rahul Gandhi elevation as President at Sadaqat Ashram, the state headquarters, distributing sweets, smearing each other's faces with "gulaal" and bursting firecrackers". Qadri expressed hope "the Congress will attain new heights under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, starting with a resounding victory in the Gujarat assembly polls. He is a descendant of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who gave up their lives in defence of the country's integrity. He will preserve the country's democratic and socialist tradition". AICC member Prem Chan Mishra, who was also present on the occasion, was asked whether Rahul Gandhi's emphasis on probity in public life could place the party's alliance with the RJD under strain, on account of allegations of corruption against Lalu Prasad and his family. "It is premature to think of those things. IN PICTURES: Stakes are high for Rahul Gandhi 2.0 In any case, whenever the Congress has formed an alliance, it has not done so keeping an individual in mind. The stress has always been on ideology", Mishra said. Former BPCC president Ashok Choudhary, who was conspicuous by his absence at the Sadaqat Ashram, told PTI "it is a welcome development though it should have happened long ago. Even as the vice-president, Rahul Gandhi had been leading from the front and becoming the president was just a formality". "Nevertheless, his elevation raises the hope that it will infuse the party with new energy", Choudhary said. Significantly, following the exit of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from the Grand Alliance, the state unit of the Congress has witnessed a bitter factional feud. One of these factions is headed by Choudhary, who is said to be close to Kumar while the other faction comprises those who are believed to be more comfortable with the RJD. Other party leaders who congratulated Gandhi over his elevation included CLP leader Sadanand Singh, Amita Bhushan, Vijay Shankar Mishra, and Chandan Bagchi. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi mocked at the jubilations over Rahul Gandhi's elevation saying "the Congress can never have a figure like Narendra Modi who rises through the ranks and reaches the top on sheer merit. All Congress presidents not from the Nehru-Gandhi family have been compelled to make disgraceful exits". The Karnataka cabinet today gave its approval to a Rs 5,950 crore project for providing metro rail connectivity to the international airport on the city outskirts. The 29.62 km long Metro project that will connect Nagavara and Kempegowda International airport will have seven stations. The time frame for completing the project is 2021. On completion, 1.2 lakh people were projected to be benefited, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters after the cabinet meeting here. He said the Detailed Project Report had been prepared and Rs 5,950 crore was expected to be invested in the project. It would be financed through Rs 1,000 crore collected by the Bengaluru International Airport Limited as Passenger Service Fee, Rs 1,350 crore from state government, Rs 500 crore from Centre and about Rs 3000 crore as loan. The 42-3 km long first phase of Bengaluru Metro Rail Project, popularly named 'Namma Metro' to the city residents and started in 2008, was opened to public in different phases. The last section of first phase, measuring 11.3 km was opened in June this year. The second phase is already under implementation and would add another 72 kms to the existing network. After the expansion, it was expected to carry more than 15 lakh passengers per day. The cabinet also cleared a proposal for identification of special agriculture production zones for farmers' benefit. Jayachandra said the move was intended to encourage production of food crops, like producing vegetables in urban areas and to support establishment of allied industries nearby, based on the suggestion made by a vision group headed by Prof Swaminathan. Other decisions taken by the cabinet include approval of 'Seva Sindhu', making it mandatory for various department services to offer services through the online portal and delegation of powers to the Bengaluru Smart City Limited- a Special Purpose Vehicle under Smart Cities Mission. Seva Sindhu has been developed with an objective to enable a single window access to information and services being provided by the various government departments. [UNVERIFIED CONTENT] Preparing for the daily border closing ceremony between Pakistan and India. Pakistan on Monday asked India to not drag Islamabad into domestic elections. This comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Congress leaders of holding secret meetings with Pakistan officials. India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 11, 2017 "India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible," Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said on Twitter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed at an election rally that there was an attempt by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls. During a rally in Gujarat, Modi had alleged that Congress held secret three-hour meetings with former and current Pakistan officials at former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. The meeting, Modi said, was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, former foreign minister, former PM Manmohan Singh, and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari. "On one hand, Pakistan Army's former DG is interfering in Gujarat's election, and on the other, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don't you think such events raise doubts?" the prime minister had said while addressing a poll rally in Gujarat. Modi also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq for making senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel chief minister of Gujarat. (With inputs from PTI) The government is considering manufacturing civilian aircraft and would like to move ahead with the plan "very fast", a civil aviation ministry official said on Monday. The country's domestic aviation market is one of the fastest growing in the world and has registered high double-digit growth for more than two years. Many airlines are embarking on ambitious expansion plans and authorities are working on developing new airports to cater to the rising demand as well as boosting regional air connectivity. "We are considering manufacturing our own civilian aircraft... definitely, the concept is there and we are looking for smaller aircraft like a 20-seater which can be used within the country and this also is supported by our policy of Make in India," said Shefali Juneja, Director at the Civil Aviation ministry. Currently, aircraft are imported or taken on lease from overseas lessors. "Developing our own civilian aircraft is something we are considering... and is something which we need to move forward very fast," she said. She was speaking at the 'ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit' here. In efforts to strengthen air connectivity between India and ASEAN nations, a civil aviation task force is being developed to encourage consultations between the countries. Under the ASEAN-India cooperation framework, a joint working group is being set up and it would initially focus on safety and security aspects, besides air navigation services. The first meeting of the joint working group is to be held in January 2018, Juneja said. At present, there are no air services between India and four ASEAN countries -- Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines and Lao-PDR. Listing out the challenges in the India-ASEAN aviation market, Juneja also said there is "only one-sided operation by ASEAN carriers in India-Myanmar, India-Indonesia, India- Vietnam markets". The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has 10 members, including include Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei. The summit was jointly organised by industry body CII and ASEAN India Centre. The row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations of Pakistani interference and Congress collusion in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections boiled over on Monday as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched a scathing attack on his successor and sought an apology. Modi had stirred a hornet's note a day earlier with his remarks at an election rally over a meeting between Congress leaders and a Pakistani delegation. What did the Prime Minister say? At an election rally in Gujarat on Sunday, PM Modi accused Pakistan of interfering in the ongoing elections in his home state. Modi: "There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at [Congress leader] Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. It was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, Pakistan's former foreign minister, India's former vice-president (Hamid Ansari) and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The meeting at Aiyar's house carried on for almost three hours". The prime minister also claimed that Pakistan Army's former director-general, Sardar Arshad Rafiq was interfering in Gujarat's election, alleging that he had appealed to make Congress veteran Ahmed Patel the next Chief Minister of Gujarat in a post on social media. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the veracity of the post. What happened next? The Congress party was quick to call the claims "baseless". The party also said the prime minister made the allegations as he was worried about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s impending defeat in the Gujarat Assembly elections. Pakistan too refuted the claims and asked not to be dragged into India's domestic electoral battles. Islamabad said that PM Modi's allegations of a recent "secret three-hour meeting" attended by Congress and Pakistani officials are "fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible". Did the meeting really happen? Yes. The statement put out by Manmohan Singh clearly lists out guests present at the meeting. There were 18 people present at the meeting including the former prime minister himself, former Vice President Hamid Ansari, former External Affairs minister Natwar Singh, former Chief of Army Staff Gen. Deepak Kapoor, Pakistani High Commission to India Sohail Mahmood and former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. Was there collusion? Ajay Shukla, retired Colonel of Indian Army, who was also present at the meeting, told CNN News18 that India's domestic issues and the election were not discussed. Modi claims that the morning after the dinner, Mani Shankar Aiyar had called him a 'neech aadmi', which led to the senior Congress leader being suspended from his party. For his part, Manmohan Singh said that the Gujarat assembly election was not discussed at the meeting. Statement from Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on the falsehoods being spread to score political points, in a lost cause by PM Modi. pic.twitter.com/X20X3oeeYw Congress (@INCIndia) December 11, 2017 Singh issued a statement saying that he had been "deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than the prime minister." Singh also sought an apology from the prime minister for making the accusations. But Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley came to defence of Modi, saying asking for an apology was "beyond comprehension". "It is surprising that the Congress party expects the Prime Minister of India to apologise for it," Jaitley said. "The Congress should come out with facts of what transpired at the meeting and explain what was the necessity of it...to hold parallel dialogues, underplay Pakistan's role in terrorism." Suspected Lashker-e-Taiba operative Abdul Nayeem Sheikh, who was arrested last month from Lucknow, had spent some time in trouble-torn south Kashmir and filmed some Army installations, officials said. Sheikh, a resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, was on the radar of central intelligence agencies for quite sometime before he was nabbed with the help of Uttar Pradesh police in the last week of November. The case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a central probe agency mandated to investigate all terror modules in the country. The central security agencies, which interrogated Sheikh at length, had told the investigators about his accomplice, Tauseef Ahmed Malik, in Pulwama district of south Kashmir. He was placed under arrest by the NIA on December 9. During interrogation, Sheikh disclosed that he had stayed in Pulwama, moved to various places with the help of Malik and even photographed some Army and para-military camps, the officials claimed. Sheikh, who was wanted in connection with a 2014 terror case and was since on the run, told investigators that some important power projects and railway tracks in the Valley were surveyed, they said. He had also visited some places in Himachal Pradesh, especially Kasol, which is frequented by Israeli nationals visiting India, according to the officials. Security agencies have claimed that Sheikh was roped in for a recce mission similar to that undertaken by David Headley, a Pakistan-American, who is at present serving a prison sentence of 35 years at a US jail for his involvement in terror activities and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008. They said Malik's association with the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba also came to light during Sheikh's interrogation. Malik had shown to probe officials the places where Sheikh had stayed with the terrorists for over three months, they added. Outgoing Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (C) along with India's Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi (2nd R) sit after paying respects at the Rajiv Gandhi memorial on the occasion of the former Indian Prime Minister's 23rd death anniversary in New Delhi May 21, 2014. Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a female suicide bomber during election campaigning on May 21, 1991. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi (INDIA - Tags: POLITICS ANNIVERSARY OBITUARY) - RTR3Q52L Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to the nation for alleging that he was conspiring with Pakistan for BJP's defeat in the Gujarat polls. Rejecting the charge as "innuendos and falsehoods", Singh said he was deeply pained by the prime minister's "ill thought transgression". Addressing an election rally in Palanpur, Gujarat, yesterday, Modi suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly polls in the state. He claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house over dinner on December 6. This was a day before Aiyar's "neech" jibe against Modi. Singh issued a statement today, listing those who attended the dinner, and stressed that the election was not discussed during the meeting. "I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar as alleged by Modi. "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies," Singh said in the statement. Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi today took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talking about Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Japan in the Gujarat elections but avoiding speaking about his home state. Gandhi also questioned Modi's 'silence' on the company promoted by BJP president Amit Shah's son Jay Shah whose turnover was claimed to have shot up manifold after the BJP came to power at the Centre. Gandhi, who was declared elected as Congress president today, said Modi was frequently shifting his campaign plank in Gujarat. IN PICTURES: Stakes are high for Rahul Gandhi 2.0 He said, first it was the Narmada water, but after farmers started saying it has not reached their fields, Modi changed tack and began speaking about OBC issues. When that also did not find favour with people, he went for development issues "but people punctured it", he said. "Now, Modiji speaks about Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and Japan. Modiji, this is the election about the future of Gujarat. Please say something about Gujarat also," he told a well-attended rally here in Banaskantha district. Gandhi was apparently targeting the prime minister over his yesterday's suggestion that Pakistan was trying to influence the Gujarat Assembly polls and that some current and former officials of that country had met Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence a day before Aiyar's 'neech' remark against him. The Congress leader said, in his speeches in the last couple of days, the prime minister devoted half the time to Congress-bashing. "On one hand he is claiming that he has finished the Congress party from India, and on the other, he devotes half of his time to Congress. The other half of his speech is devoted to Narendra Modiji himself," the 47-year-old leader said. "Modiji please devote two-three minutes of your speech to (talking about) the future of Gujarat," he said. He questioned Modi's silence on corruption, as he targeted him over the alleged exponential rise in the turnover of a company owned by Amit Shah's son. "You listen to his entire speech, corruption is totally missing from it. Jay Amit Shah's company converted Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in three months but the chowkidar is silent, not a word is coming out of his mouth." "Narendra Modiji fears Amit Shah, that is the reason he is not saying a word about Jay Shah," he claimed. Gandhi reaffirmed his promise that the Congress if voted to power in Gujarat, will waive farm loans within 10 days. He claimed the NDA government waived Rs 1.30 lakh crore loans of 10 richest people in the country. He said when farmers also ask for a loan waiver, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and the prime minister say it is not their policy. "Why the loans of farmers are not waived," Gandhi asked, and in the next breath gave the reply "as they do not fly in planes, they do not have big cars, and they do not have suit worth Rs 15 lakh." Gandhi again alleged there was corruption in the Nano deal between the Gujarat government and the Tatas. "The Congress allocated Rs 35,000 crore to MNREGA, while the BJP government gave Rs 33,000 crore to the Tata Nano factory. The water from the Narmada went to that factory. The factory gets electricity for 24 hours even when you get it only at night," he alleged. The Congress leader claimed land in villages in and around Mundra were given to the Adani group at the rate of Re 1 per square metre, which the latter sold back to the government at Rs 3,000 for every square metre. Assailing the government over demonetisation and the GST, he said half the money of common people was "looted" by the note ban and the rest by the "Gabbar Singh Tax". Tomorrow is the last day of campaigning for the second and final phase of Gujarat polls which has been high-pitch and vitriolic, with both Modi and Gandhi often making personal attacks against each other. Polling will be held on December 14. Votes would be counted on December 18. CPI-M politburo member Brinda Karat today said a nationwide ban on alcohol will lead to illegal trade, even as she supported a regulated policy with people's participation to curb the abuse. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar yesterday pitched for a nationwide ban on alcohol and asked party activists to raise awareness among people about the ill-effects of liquor consumption. Karat said that the ban and total prohibition lead to illegal trade while free supply of liquor causes "social havoc". "So, a more regulated policy with people's participation is what we support," she told PTI, when asked about her party's view on Kumar's statement. Karat said her party believes that the present liquor policies of most state governments actually promote its consumption as a revenue spinner. "We fight against such policies and support and build social movements against alcohol abuse," she added. Kumar had yesterday hit out at the Congress and Left parties, asking why they could not support a ban on liquor and campaign against its consumption. "When Gujarat could implement liquor ban, Bihar could show that it could also be banned in the state, why it cannot be banned in the entire country?" he had said while addressing a party event in New Delhi. Stressing that all religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, criticise liquor consumption, he had said a ban in the entire country would be the biggest sign of communal harmony and respect to all the religions. Technical education institutions in India, particularly those that offer BE (bachelor of engineering) and B Tech (bachelor of technology) courses, are running at 49 percent capacity, according to a report by the Financial Express. The report also stated that according to data from All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), less than half the students passing out of these courses have found job via campus placements in the last five years. The job placement figure is even worse if you see only the standalone figure for last year, which stood at a paltry 40 percent. After a series of extremely disappointing numbers like these, the apex technical education body of the country the AICTE is now considering asking colleges with less than 70 percent occupancy to wind up and shut shop. This shocking situation also gained prominence after various reports online suggested that the quality of education in the country is worsening. The reasons for such a poor state of affairs are various, including corruption at various levels, poor infrastructure facilities like labs, and lack of skilled teaching faculty. Factors like these are hampering the quality of graduates these colleges are churning out every year. External factors like poor connections with an industry body add insult to injury. However, industry stalwarts have a different take on the story. RC Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki, who is also Chairman of IIT Kanpur, was quoted by Financial Express as saying, Most of the graduates dont know the basics of engineering. The reason these vacancies keep increasing is because graduates cant find jobs. Thats because employers dont think they are worth employing. Most people will tell you that 80 percent of engineering graduates are not employable. Experts also blame market factors for this situation. In the wake of the dotcom bubble during the late 90s and early 2000s, when the IT industry saw a rush of software-related jobs, companies were in dire need of engineers. The situation was so grave that employers even chose to ignore a candidates branch of engineering, if he or she could code. DK Subramaniam, professor at IISc, said that private players have now stepped up in order to keep pace with the booming demand but government institutions have stayed away from the software engineering branch. Although this helped calm things down back then, the situation turned serious when scrupulous institutions started cropping up by the hour. The situation has resulted in a vicious circle in which low quality engineers are forcing the industry to hire less. Reduced demand in turn results in lower number of people choosing to enter the field. Unless and until universities step up their game, courses like BE and B Tech will continue turning more and more unviable by the day. Delhi High Court The Delhi government on Monday told the Delhi High Court that most undertrials, languishing in Tihar Jail despite being granted bail, were accused in sexual offence cases relating to minors and cannot be released without a surety bond. The government's counsel submitted that modifying the bail conditions of these offenders and releasing them without furnishing a surety (guaranteer) bond could hamper trial. The submissions came during the hearing of a PIL claiming that over 300 undertrials were languishing in the Tihar Central Jail here, despite being granted bail. Delhi government's counsel Gautam Narayan placed before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar, a list of 291 prisoners in whose favour conditional bail orders have been passed but due to inability to furnish the surety bond, they were still incarcerated. The court asked the government to modify the list of the prisoners and place before it on December 14, the next date of hearing. The PIL was filed by advocate Ajay Verma alleging that despite judicial bail orders, 326 prisoners have not been released from jail due to inability to furnish surety bond. During the hearing, Verma said the prisoners were unable to furnish surety bond due to their financial problems and some of them were not residents of Delhi. The government's counsel said that court should not pass any blanket order modifying the bail conditions. The court had earlier directed the AAP government to submit a status report on the petition giving details of the prisoners, including names, cases in which they were implicated or convicted, details of orders on bail or sentence and the reasons for not releasing them. It had also appointed former Director General of Tihar Jail Sudhir Yadav as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter. Seeking formulation of guidelines and certain directions, the plea has said a large number of citizens were lodged in jail awaiting trials before the courts and many of them have not been released despite bail orders for several months for not fulfilling the conditions attached with the bail orders due to poverty and ignorance. The plea has said the Supreme Court had also directed that the legal services authorities may take up those cases before the concerned court for relaxation on bail conditions. It claimed that despite various directions of the apex court and the high court, the orders have not been implemented in the correct perspective. It also sought to blame the courts for not exercising the option of personal bond for financially unstable prisoners and said it was a misuse of discretionary powers by the judicial system. Assam government has sent the samples of Brahmaputra river's water to the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad and Indian Institute Technology-Guwahati for testing. It was reported that the water of the river was turning black. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the Director General of Fire Services to collect the samples and sent it to the institutes for examination. AP Rawat, the Director General of Fire Services, collected water samples from 15 locations and sent them to IIT-G and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, according to a report in The Economic Times. The samples will be tested to determines the reasons for water turning dark. Upon finding the responsible causes the report would be submitted to the state government for it to take remedial steps. Following the incident, the state government also brought the incident to the notice of the central government, the Assam government said. Also Read: Concerns raised about Chinese intentions after a river in Arunachal Pradesh turns black Siang river, one of the largest tributaries to the Brahmaputra, has become muddy and black in Arunachal Pradesh. Siang meets the Brahmaputra in Sadiya in Assam state. India had accused Chinese activities on the bank of the river for the blackening of Siang. The river originates in Tibet and flows to Arunachal Pradesh. The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Madras High Court's order for setting up Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government had gone to the apex court saying the state's education system follows a two language policy, where students are taught Tamil and English till 10th standard. JNVs are government-run residential schools that were established to improve the quality of education in rural areas. They follow a three-language policy, wherein their students are taught the regional language, Hindi and English. The setting up of these schools was earlier opposed by the state government as it feared that Sanskrit would eventually replace Tamil, the state's regional language, in the education system. The state government had approached the High Court with this issue. Pleas were also filed, through which the parties stated their concern over Sanskrit or Hindi becoming the primary language instead of Tamil. After discussions between the Centre and the state, the central government had clarified that Hindi will not be imposed on students who take admission in the state's JNVs. The issues arose after the state stuck to its stand of following a two language policy, which featured only Tamil and English, not Hindi. The Centre had said schools will compulsorily teach Tamil to students from 5th to 10th grade and it will be an additional language for students in the 11th and 12th grades. After the clarification, the Madras High Court gave a thumbs up to setting up JNVs and they were set to open in every district of the state. The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear Unitech Limiteds appeal challenging the recent order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) directing the central government to take over the management of the real estate firm that has projects spread across Gurgaon and Noida. NCLT on Friday suspended the Unitech board for alleged mismanagement of funds and barred its directors from selling either personal or company assets. It invoked the provisions of the Companies Act and allowed the Centre to appoint its nominee directors to the Board by December 20. After hearing the embattled companys argument on Friday, NCLTs principal bench had also noted that its order will be subject to compliance with the Supreme Courts directives. Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, who appeared on behalf of the embattled company on Monday, requested that the companys appeal be heard on an urgent basis. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered the submission of the real estate firm that its bank accounts have been frozen and the company and its jailed promoters are finding it difficult to deposit Rs 750 crore as ordered by the apex court. The apex court had on November 20 directed Tihar Jail authorities to grant adequate meeting time to Sanjay Chandra, managing director, Unitech Ltd, for allowing him to strike deals to sell properties with prospective buyers in order to deposit Rs 750 crore with the court by December end. The apex court had earlier said that Chandra will be granted bail only after the company deposits the said amount with the Supreme Courts registry by December end. Chandra had sought interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home buyers of Unitech projects Wild Flower Country and Anthea located in Gurgaon. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today held talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on key bilateral issues. According to sources, all issues of mutual interest were discussed between the two leaders. This is the first high-level visit from China after the Dokalam standoff this summer. Wang is here to attend the Russia-India-China trilateral, He will also attending an India-China cultural event in the evening. The foreign ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) are here to deliberate on a range of pressing regional and global issues, including ways to tackle the threat of terrorism and extremism, at the key meeting of the grouping. Vijay Mallya Vijay Mallya's extradition trial to face fraud and money laundering charges of Rs 9,000 crore in India resumed today, with his defence fielding a legal expert to question the impartiality of India's judicial system. The 61-year-old was back in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London for day four of the hearing when his barrister, Clare Montgomery, deposed Dr Martin Lau to give his views on the evidence presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Indian Supreme Court rulings. "I hold the Supreme Court in the highest respect but it is equally not disrespectful to indicate that some doubts are voiced about particular patterns [in judgments]," Dr Lau, an expert on South Asian law, told the court. Quoting an unnamed study by three academics from Singapore and Hong Kong, Lau raised questions on the neutrality of Supreme Court judges close to retirement. Lau was also made to comment upon some of the evidence produced by the CBI to back up its case against the liquor baron in an attempt to discredit its admissibility in court. Reading from Lau's written testimony, Mallya's counsel quoted from an unnamed media report to claim that there had been "coercion" by Special Director Rakesh Asthana and his team over the banks in India to pursue criminal proceedings against her client. The legal expert, who will continue to give his statement throughout today's hearing, is also being made to elaborate on the application of Indian laws relevant to the case. Lau claims some of the money laundering allegations against Mallya may fall under a "retrospective application" of the Money Laundering Act because the alleged offences occurred before 2013, when the act was amended in India. Earlier today, the defence had deposed Margaret Sweeney the Chief Financial Officer of Force India, Mallyas Formula 1 racing team. She was run through a series of spreadsheets and figures from her written testimony to establish if money had been taken from Kingfisher Airlines for "no good reason" by Force India and used for some other purposes. "Absolutely not," was her response, explaining that all payments she was aware of were in relation to a marketing contract between Kingfisher Airlines and the F1 team. The defence also quoted from an independent media valuation to claim there had been no overpayment by Kingfisher Airlines, as alleged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). "Far from it," said Sweeney, on being asked if Force India was being paid too much. The CPS cross-examination of Sweeney by barrister Mark Summers focused on payments being routed via an HSBC account in London, which was intended only for the operational use of Kingfisher Airlines. The defence's case rests on trying to prove that the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines' alleged default of around Rs 9,000 crore worth of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the businessman is facing a parallel litigation in the Queen's Bench Division of the commercial court in England's High Court of Justice brought by a consortium of Indian banks to freeze his global assets. The SBI, Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank Ltd, IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Mysore, UCO Bank, United Bank of India and JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co. Pvt Ltd are listed as applicants of that claim against Mallya and related concerns named as Ladywalk LLP, Rose Capital Ventures Ltd and Orange India Holdings. Lawyers for Mallya have been granted an extension to respond to that case due to his ongoing extradition trial, expected to conclude on Thursday. Last week, the defence claimed that a consortium of Indian banks led by SBI had rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principle loan amount owed to them. However, the CPS arguing on behalf of the Indian government countered that assertion in its cross- examination, indicating that the reason such a repayment offer would have been rejected was that the banks knew Mallya had the means to pay back the entire amount due. While the CPS stand is that Mallya did not intend to repay the loans he sought because his airlines demise was inevitable, Montgomery is trying to establish that Kingfisher Airlines was suffering from consequences of a wider global financial crisis around 2009-2010 and that its failure was a result of factors beyond the companys control. In his cross-examination, Summers had highlighted a particular "washing machine activity" picked up by the government of India that involved sums amounting to around 10 -15 million pounds being funneled between UB Group companies to wrongly claim obligations of equity infusions into struggling Kingfisher Airlines were being met. Indian government sources have described its case, being presented by the CPS, as "very strong". Mallya's legal team had claimed earlier in the trial that the case against him was "politically motivated". Mallya, who has been based in the UK since March 2016, was arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant in April and has been out on bail on a bond worth 650,000 pounds. If the judge rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UK home secretary must order Mallya's extradition within two months. However, the case can go through a series of appeals in higher UK courts before arriving at a conclusion. Gujarat Elections 2017: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election campaign rally for state assembly election in Jamnagar. (PTI) Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Monday sought to know why Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept quiet when he had information that his suspended party colleague Mani Shankar Aiyar gave "supari" (contract) to get him "removed" from the way to ensure peace between India and Pakistan. Moily, a Lok Sabha member and a former Union minister, wondered what Modi was waiting for when he had all the powers at his disposal to take action against Aiyar. "Why he (Modi) remained silent for such a long period of time to disclose that the attempts were made to remove him? Is he talking responsibly? It is not a question of assassination bid on an individual but the prime minister of country," Moily told reporters. He questioned the prime minister as to what investigation has been carried out to establish his claims. He said Modi had made the baseless allegations only to emotionally blackmail the voters of Gujarat and win the Assembly polls somehow. At an election rally in Gujarat, Modi had said, "...after I became prime minister, this man (Aiyar) went to Pakistan and met some Pakistanis. All this thing is available on the social media." "In that meeting, he is seen discussing with Pakistanis that jab tak Modi ko raste se hataya nahi jata (until Modi is not removed from the way), relationship between India and Pakistan cannot improve," Modi added. "Someone tell me what is the meeting of raste se hatana. You had gone to Pakistan to give my supari, you wanted to give Modi's supari (contract killing)," the PM said. On Karnataka Assembly polls, due early next year, Moily said the manifesto would be released well in time. "Almost 170 promises we made in the previous elections have been fulfilled. This time again the manifesto will be released well in time," said Moily, who heads the manifesto formation committee comprising 34 members. December 11, 2017 / 05:25 PM IST 17:25 That's the end of our live coverage. Stay tuned to our home page for more updates on Rahul Gandhi's coronation. Thank you. 16:53 In case you missed it, watch this video about Rahul Gandhi's journey from reluctant prince to king of the Congress. 16:30 " class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="Rahul" data-scayt-lang="en_US">Rahul Gandhi has been elected during a bad time for India under the current government. In Gujarat, he has proved that he is the only candidate who can be relied upon. He is facing Modi confidently," says Congress leader and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. 16:20 An official statement from the Congress: The entire Indian National Congress family would like to convey our best wishes to incoming President Rahul Gandhi, and wish him a successful tenure as he continues to lead from the front. 16:15 A prominent leader of the Hindu Mahasabha and the Father of the Nation. People of foreign origin, and from all corners of the country. Four women, and three leaders assassinated. The presidents of Indias grand old party have written their own chapters in history. Of the 15 people who led the 132-year-old party post independence, four belonged to the Gandhi-Nehru family. When Gandhi takes over as the president, he will be the fifth. Heres a short history of Congress Presidents. 16:00 Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad weighs in as well. The entire country has a lot of expectations from Rahul Gandhi. Much before he was elected, he has shown his mettle. He knows his responsibility, Azad says. 15:55 What next for Sonia? There is also no clarity yet on what role Sonia Gandhi will play in the party that she has led for 19 years. Senior leader M Veerappa Moily said yesterday that Sonia Gandhi would continue to guide the destiny of the Congress. "She will continue to play an effective role even though she is not (Congress) president. She is always looked upon as mother of the party; not only mother to Rahul Gandhi, but also mother to the party. She will continue to inspire and nurture the Congress," he said. 15:50 No official reaction yet from Rahul Gandhi, who is campaigning in Gujarat in the hope that it will be his first success as Congress President. 15:45 Let's start with the challenges immediately facing Rahul Gandhi and the Congress. His record leading election campaigns is poor and the first order of business will be to try to turn that around. 15:40 So there you have it. It's been in the offing for months but Rahul Gandhi is now officially the Congress president, thus ending the 19-year reign of his mother Sonia. We'll have plenty of reactions and articles, so stay tuned to this blog. 15:38 Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul had never intervened in the function of election, says Congress leader Mullappally Ramachandran. 15:35 Sonia Gandhi will formally hand over the reins of the party to her son on Saturday, December 16 at 11am. 15:33 The press conference has begun. The party spokesperson says the deadline for withdrawing nominations was 3pm today. All 89 nominations papers for Rahul Gandhi have been found valid. As the only candidate, Rahul Gandhi is declared Congress President. "This is a historic moment," says party leader MM Ramachandran. 15:30 "This is a new day and a new beginning for Rahul Gandhi. He will take us away from the fractured path of the Modi and BJP. Today starts another era for the Congress Party," says Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi. 15:25 Ahead of the formal announcement, some praise from an unlikely source: Shiv Sena. There is a 100 percent change in his body language. It was a different Rahul Gandhi in 2014. People used to change channels when they saw him on TV. Now they don't do that. People want to listen to him. Rahul Gandhi has a huge challenge in front of him, says party leader Sanjay Raut. 15:20 Congress workers are currently celebrating outside the party headquarters in New Delhi. Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, is busy campaigning in Gujarat. 15:15 Gandhi, however, may officially take charge on December 16 when his mother and longest-serving party president Sonia Gandhi formally hands over the baton to him, marking a generational shift in the grand old party. The internal election was a one-horse race from the beginning with Gandhi the only one to file nomination, which was supported by 89 signatures. 15:00 Rahul Gandhi is set to be declared as the Congress chief on Monday, the last date of withdrawal of nomination in the partys organisational elections. The Congress Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita will announce that Gandhi's was the only nomination for the top job on Monday. A press conference has been scheduled for 3:30pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the "Gujarat Vikas Rally" in Surat. (PTI) The Shiv Sena today accused ally BJP of "stooping to a low level" in the run up to Gujarat elections, stating that "development issue" was missing from poll speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It said Modi had "belittled" himself by claiming that suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks against him had insulted the pride of Gujarat. "Modi has belittled himself. We consider Modi as pride of the country and Hindus, but he is now chained by the Gujarat asmita (pride)," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. "In Gujarat elections, Modi is less of a national and more of a regional (leader)," it said. The Sena also said it was futile to register complaint on the "EVM scams" with the "BJP-sponsored Election Commission". Notably, during the first phase of polling in Gujarat on Saturday, the opposition leaders had expressed apprehensions over electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering, a charge rejected by the poll body. The Sena said the Gujarat poll campaign should have been focused on the much-touted 'development plank'. "However, that point was missing from the prime minister's speeches in Gujarat," it said. In his home state, the prime minister was sometimes emotional and sometimes aggressive in election speeches, the Sena said. "This is the state which gave us this prime minister and where the BJP has ruled for 22 years. Why should BJP stoop to such a low level during election campaign?" it posed. "As is the tradition, EVM scams have been unearthed in Gujarat. It is futile to register a complaint on these scams with the BJP-sponsored Election Commission," the Sena said. The editorial said the quality of election campaign has "declined" due to the BJP. "When we mentioned Afzal Khan in Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP objected and said we had stooped to a low level in campaigning. However, Modi himself referred to the Mughal regime in the Gujarat poll campaign," it said. In the 2014 Maharashtra poll campaign, the BJP had asked the Shiv Sena to apologise for describing its campaign leaders as "Afzal Khan ki aulaad" who were trying to conquer Maharashtra. The Sena also wondered why top BJP leaders were campaigning in Gujarat against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, when it is "believed that his elevation as party chief has made it easy for the BJP to win the polls". "It is said the BJP's victory in Gujarat has become easy due to Rahul Gandhi's elevation in Congress. If that is the case, why are the prime minister, BJP national president and all Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states campaigning against him?" it asked. "People in the country are puzzled over this," the Sena added. Venkaiah Naidu Making agriculture more viable was the challenge before the nation and politicising suicides of farmers would not help address the issue, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said. Presenting the 'Yerarignar' Award (Icon of farm research) to eminent agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan here, Naidu said agriculture universities and scientists should focus on enhancing farm production and diversification in farming. "We hear of suicides here and there and again people try to make it political (issue)... (pointing to) this or that government," he said, adding "the moment you make it political then the issue is gone (indicating that it cannot be addressed)." Naidu said the entire country, including the political leadership and scientists should introspect on the ways and means to strengthen and sustain agriculture. He said the need of the hour was to go in for diversification like fisheries aquaculture, sericulture, poultry and diary and also food processing. Adding value addition to agriculture should be another focus area and government should think on improving infrastructure,including water, godowns and cold storage chains. He said the Centre's E-nam (e-national agriculture market), initiative which envisages farmers selling produce from their respective places, was now being experimented in 40 mandals and expressed the hope it would spread nationwide. "Only then would exploitation of farmers stop," the Vice President remarked. He also called for an increase in public investment in agriculture. Naidu said Swaminathan has done India proud by his vision, commitment, work and showed the world how research can reach farms and transform farmers' lives. Swaminathan taught us "home grown food security ... today we are not only having food security but we are also exporting," he said. Naidu also hailed him as a "transformative leader" who inspired many scientists by focusing on problems of Indian agriculture. The top scientist's role in agriculture helped usher in the green revolution in India in the early 1960s', he said. Naidu noted that India registered a significant increase in agricultural production in the 1960's, consequent to the adoption of a new agriculture strategy, which involved high yielding seed varieties and use of chemical fertilisers. Promotion of irrigation facilities and use pesticide was also part of such a strategy, he said. Naidu said the governments at the Centre and states should consider Swaminathan's suggestions, which are "practical." Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, state ministers R Duraikannu and K Pandiarajan, Vice-Chancellors of state-run varsities and president of Agricultural Scientific Tamil Society, M Muthamil Selvan were also present at the event. The award was conferred on Swaminathan by Agricultural Scientific Tamil Society, New Delhi, in association with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and Tamil Nadu Fisheries University in recognition of his stellar contribution to agriculture. India's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav speaks during a meeting with his party workers in the eastern Indian city of Patna June 20, 2009. REUTERS/Krishna Murari Kishan (INDIA POLITICS) - RTR24UMC Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, while taking on his foes, said that even if he went to jail in the rail tender scam case his party would remain unaffected and his vote base would likely soar in upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections for 2019 and 2020. As per an India Today report, Lalu while speaking at the book launch of rebel JD-U leader Ali Anwars compilation of speeches in Parliament, I want to say is if I have to go to jail, there will only be an increase in votes for me. The RJD Chief also spared no chance in taking a hit at Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him a desh ka badshah under whose leadership the democracy was being mocked and made fun of. Lalus comment follows Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi's statement that the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI, and the Income Tax department had strong evidence of benami transactions against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his family members. Modi has even gone on to state that they will not only face charge sheet but also be sent to jail and awarded punishment. He also compared the present political situation to that of tanashahi (autocracy). Lalu further added that people are afraid of even being spotted with a cow. Fringe Hindu outfits would come out with swords to teach the person a lesson, the report quoted him as saying. The RJD Chief on Saturday predicted that the Congress was all set to win Gujarat as people have voted heavily in its favour in the first phase of the polls." Earlier, Prasads younger son Tajeashwi Prasad Yadav had accused JDU President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of fielding candidates in Gujarat too eat into Patel votes and benefit the BJP. Tejashwi Yadav, who is Prasad's younger son, had termed the action by the ED as "political vendetta" and questioned why the agencies had failed to file a charge sheet even after five months of lodging of the FIR. (With additional inputs from PTI) When you first meet Ambalal Koshti, he comes across as just another elderly man who has seen his share of ups and downs in life. Koshti is as unassuming as the next person and certainly conducts himself in a manner befitting that image. And yet, this inconspicuous senior citizen can claim credit for the deeds of India's most visible man. What Koshti is known for, especially within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is finding a an 18-year-old Narendra Modi at tea stall and bringing him into the RSS to work and further himself. As fate would have it, the youth that Ambalal had brought into the RSS shakha at Maninagar in Ahmedabad would go on to become a three-time chief minister of Gujarat and an iconic Prime Minister of India. Now 70 years old, Ambalal still works at the state headquarters of the BJP in Ahmedabad. Members of the party know who he is and what he has given them but the man himself is an epitome of modesty, considering the magnitude of his contribution. Having spotted Modi when the dynamic leader was nothing but a teenager from an underprivileged background, he now reminisces about the good old days and recalls how Modi had always been a disciplined and strong-willed man. It was 1968 when Ambalal met Modi for the first time while protesting against an increase in state transport fares. The young boy in front of him seemed an ideal candidate for the Jan Sangh, which was the political arm of the RSS back then. Ambalal was the partys general secretary in charge of the Kankaria ward in the city and it was his job to find young and promising recruits for the Jan Sangh. Modi, who did not have a home in the city and spent his days and nights at the state transport canteen, seemed to be taken with the idea of joining the Jan Sangh, but took his time to actually arrive at the decision of doing so. Once the decision was made, Ambalal took him to the Maninagar shakha of the RSS and he started living and working there from then on. The two spent many a day riding on bicycles and dutifully carrying out the work of the RSS in the city and the state. To keep him interested and motivated, and probably to stop him from being poached by rival parties, Ambalal reportedly handed over the Kankaria ward general secretary post to Modi, who later happened to win his memorable first assembly election from the constituency in 2002. He recalls that Modi the boy, not unlike Modi the man, did not suffer people who displayed a lack of discipline, something that is a hallmark of his governance even today. Speaking about Modis nature, Ambalal said his ward had a terrific memory and that he would never forget the first name of a person he met, a quality that he continues exhibiting to this day. He also said the leader was never one to use foul language and even now, whenever he is forced to retaliate to someone elses jibes, he is very careful about the language he uses. When asked whether he had the slightest intuition back then that Modi would become Prime Minister one day, Ambalal said that to begin with, none of them thought that the Jan Sangh now BJP would be the powerhouse it is today. We never thought Jan Sangh, which later became BJP, will become the largest in India. This happened because of the hard work of party workers, he said. PM Narendra Modi The Congress termed as "baseless" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that its top leaders recently met the Pakistani envoy and an ex- Pakistani minister and said he made the charge as he was worried about the BJP's impending defeat in Gujarat Assembly elections. Modi told an election rally today that suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had called him "neech" (a lowly sort of a person) a day after the alleged meeting of Pakistanis with top Congressmen. "Holding the country's topmost post, Modiji is making baseless allegations. Modiji is worried, dejected, angry. Such a statement has no truth or fact, and is based on lies. Such a behaviour is unbecoming of a prime minister," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters here. Modi alleged that former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Aiyar had met the Pakistani high commissioner in India and an ex-Pakistani foreign minister at the residence of Aiyar recently. "The entire country knows who loves Pakistan and who has been giving protection to the separatists," Surjewala alleged. He asked Modi that if he planned to contest the elections on Pakistan-related issues, then he should also tell the people of Gujarat as to why he "trusted Pakistani spy agency ISI and offered it entry to Pathankot Airforce Base for investigation". Surjewala also questioned Modi's "unplanned" Pakistan visit to attend the wedding of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter, soon after "Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attacks at Gurdaspur and Udhampur". He also alleged that the Modi government failed to arrest Pakistan-based terrorist Dawood Ibrahim's wife, who "managed to reach Mumbai from Pakistan and then fly back to Pakistan". "We would also like to ask him as to why no action was taken against former minister in the BJP government in Maharashtra Eknath Khadse, who was removed after Indian agencies taped his conversation with Dawood Ibrahim," he said. The Congress spokesperson also claimed Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan attended the marriage of Dawood Ibrahim's daughter and asked why 11 BJP leaders, including the head of Madhya Pradesh's IT cell, were arrested for "spying for ISI". Surjewala also sought an apology from the prime minister and the BJP over the release of Pakistan-based terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar by taking him and two others to Kandahar after hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sparred in battleground Gujarat where the former claimed leaders of the opposition party held a secret meeting with current and former Pakistani officials a day ahead of Mani Shankar Aiyar's "neech" jibe against him. Modi claimed there was an attempt by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls. Alleged Muslim appeasement and the Gujarat riots were also back on the table even as BJP chief Amit Shah raked up the issue of funding of Congress-backed Dalit candidate Jignesh Mewani by hardline Muslim outfit PFI. Rahul Gandhi, set to assume the reins of the Congress in a few days from now, amid the acrimony-filled campaign, attacked Modi but promised he would not use even one "galat shabd" (wrong word) against the prime minister, remarks that came in the wake of Aiyar's "neech" barb that may not have gone down well with a section of Gujarati voters. Modi also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq for making senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat. "There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. It was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, Pakistan's former foreign minister, India's former vice president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh," Modi told an election rally at Palanpur. The meeting at Aiyar's house continued for almost three hours, Modi said, adding "the next day, Mani Shankar Aiyar said Modi is "neech" (a vile man). This is a serious matter." "(On one hand) Pakistan Army's former DG is interfering in Gujarat's election, on the other, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don't you think such events raise doubts?" Modi said. Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala, however, rubbished Modi's claim, terming it as "baseless". "Holding the country's topmost post, Modiji is making baseless allegations. Modiji is worried, dejected, angry. Such a statement has no truth or fact, and is based on lies. Such a behaviour is unbecoming of a prime minister," Surjewala told reporters in Ahmedabad. The prime minister, who did not speak much due to sore throat at the Palanpur rally, slammed the Congress for spreading a "false propaganda" that the Modi government worked only for the rich. Modi cited the case of Genabhai Patel, a progressive farmer from Banaskantha district who was recently conferred with 'Padma Shri', to claim his government's pro-poor credentials. Gandhi, who began his second day of campaigning for the second phase of poll scheduled for December 14 after offering prayers at Lord Krishna's Ranchhod Raiji Mandir here, claimed Modi frequently changed the election planks and now he was left with nothing to speak about but himself and the Congress. "You claim you have finished the Congress. If it were so, why would you devote half your speech to Congress and half to yourself?" he asked the prime minister. "I have respect for the post of the prime minister. He can say whatever he wants to, I will not use a single (galat shabd) wrong word against him," Gandhi told an election rally in Kalol. Gandhi, who is all set to become Congress president in a few days from now, said "truth has cornered" the prime minister and that the Congress will "defeat the BJP, not by anger, but with love". He accused the prime minister of making "false promises" to people about employment, depositing Rs 15 lakh in the accounts of each person from black money brought back from abroad, and remunerative prices for farm produce. Gandhi alleged the Modi government gave benefits to the tune of Rs 33,000 crore to the Tatas for the Nano car project. "Over six-and-a-half lakh acres were acquired by the government and thousands of acres given to the Tatas. People did not get water from Narmada, but the Tatas got," he said. Earlier, addressing a rally at Dakor, the Congress leader attacked Modi over demonetisation and GST, saying the note ban helped all "thieves" convert their "black money into white" and the "Gabbar Singh Tax" destroyed small businesses and rendered one lakh people jobless. The issue of 2002 communal riots and Muslim appeasement was back in the electoral discourse, with BJP chief Amit Shah claiming Charan Singh, a Congress spokesman, had asked the prime minister on television to visit the Jama Masjid to seek forgiveness for the 2002 Gujarat riots. "The entire country knows that allegations by Congress-backed NGOs against Modi regarding the 2002 riots were rejected by the Supreme Court. But this Congress leader in 2017, for the sake of vote bank politics, is asking Modi to go to the Jama Masjid to apologise for the 2002 riots," Shah told reporters in Ahmedabad. Speaking about Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, Shah alleged he accepted donations from an outfit linked to the PFI (Popular Front of India). "Mevani's photographs accepting funds from a PFI-linked outfit went viral (on social media). The entire country knows about the anti-national activities of PFI," he said, claiming the organisation was trying to recruit people for terror group ISIS. "The Congress first indulged in caste politics. Now, 2-3 days prior to the first phase of voting, when they could see their defeat, the Congress has gone back to politics of minority appeasement," Shah said. Berkeley: Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi delivering a speech at Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley, California on Monday. PTI Photo(PTI9_12_2017_000038B) Thirteen years after he formally entered politics, Rahul Gandhi has been crowned king of the Congress and will take over from his mother Sonia as the party's president. Here's a look at some of the key milestones of his political career so far: 1991: Rahul's father Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated in Tamil Nadu. Just a fortnight short of his 21st birthday, the political spotlight beckons but his family packs him off to the US for further studies. 2002: After a stint working in London, Rahul Gandhi returns to India. 2004: After much showing much reluctance, he finally takes the political plunge and joins the Congress. Successfully contests the Lok Sabha election from Amethi, a Nehru-Gandhi bastion in Uttar Pradesh. 2006: Now an MP, Rahul and sister Priyanka manage mother Sonia's campaign for the bypoll in Rae Barela. She wins by a comfortable margin. 2007: Rahul Gandhi is appointed General Secretary of the Congress. He takes over the youth and student wings of the party. But his turn as star campaigner in the UP Assembly polls fails to bear fruit as the Congress wins just 22 out of 403 seats. 2009: Rahul addresses 125 rallies during the Lok Sabha elections. Retains Amethi and Congress wins a quarter of Uttar Pradesh's seats as the UPA keeps hold of the Centre. 2011: Gandhi is arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Bhatta Parsaul for joining a farmers' agitation against land acquisition. A motorbike ride with a farmer helped him partially shake off his 'yuvraj' image. 2012: Rahul Gandhi spearheads the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election campaign, holding more than 200 rallies. But the party returns empty-handed. 2013: Congress appoints Rahul Gandhi as Vice-President Later that year, he criticises Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and tears up an ordinance that reversed a Supreme Court order barring convicted politicians from contesting elections. 2014: With Rahul as unofficial PM candidate, the Congress recorded its lowest-ever Lok Sabha tally. 2015-2016: Rahul Gandhi takes over state election campaigns, but the party is steadily wiped off the map suffering a series of heavy defeats. Rahul Gandhi is appointed Congress President just before the high-stakes Gujarat Assembly elections. At the moment, the Congress party is at its lowest-ever point in its century-long political history. With a baggage of multiple lost elections and with Rahul Gandhi assuming the role of party president in the 132-year old party, there are plenty of questions being asked about its future. The party now has but a shadow of its once vast support base in the country and the spotlight is on Gandhi, whose leadership has often been the subject of much ridicule and even some political satire. History has shown that the party is at its stable best when there is a member of the Gandhi family at its helm, and that is what the current crop of Congress leaders is betting on. According to the partys national spokesperson Sanjay Jha, the party is set to develop the alternative blueprint that is best suitable for India 2019 and create a strong political narrative for change under the 47-year-olds leadership. There will certainly be a lot of pressure on him to deliver, considering no one with his last name has ever really seen failure within the party. Let us now take a detailed look at some of the challenges Rahul Gandhi will be up against the moment he takes over from his mother as President of the Indian National Congress. The biggest challenge The biggest challenge staring the new party president in the face is the Gujarat assembly elections, which will see its second phase on Thursday. The results are due on December 18. After having aggressively campaigned in the state, which has been a BJPs holdfast over the last couple of decades, an electoral defeat would hang heavier than usual on Gandhi as it would be the first loss for the party under his leadership. Acknowledging that there was no shortage of effort, AICC spokesperson and Supreme Court Advocate Brijesh Kalappa said that the party had invested a lot of energy into the Gujarat campaign. If we are not able to succeed it is going to be really sad, but we are not going to stop, he said. Kalappa added that said Gandhis key task was to restore the former glory of the Congress party, and the partys performance in the Gujarat assembly polls was going to be crucial for that. Electoral success With Gujarat almost out of the way, a bit of the focus has already shifted toward the Karnataka assembly election, which is slated to take place early next year. Karnataka is the last of the big states that still has a Congress-led government and therefore, the assembly polls go a long way in determining Congress position before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections get underway. While Kalappa, who is from the southern state, said that he was confident Congress will hold sway in Karnataka, BJP has already started making inroads. P Muralidhar Rao, national general secretary and the head of BJP in the state, had earlier said that Karnataka was going to be at the forefront of BJPs expansion campaign in South India. There is tremendous pressure on Rahul to win. He cannot be a mute spectator to Congresss failures anymore, said political commentator Rasheed Kidwai. Highlighting the fact that the Nehru-Gandhi family has largely been politically successful unlike its new president, Kidwai pointed out that Indira Gandhi had also lost an election but came back strongly three years later. Rajiv led the party to victory in 1984. Under Sonia, the party stayed in power from 2004-2014. Rahul at least has to begin delivering some results in terms of victory, Kidwai said. With the BJP and other political parties waiting for the first opportunity to write him off for good as an apple that fell very far from the tree, Gandhi will be looking to get that first major electoral success under his belt as quickly as he can. Organisational restructuring The new party president is expected to change certain things within the party and weed out the arrogance he earlier said had seeped into it. Kalappa pointed out that young Congress leaders have taken charge in several states but maintained that it wasnt going to threaten members of the old guard. He added that what is considered old is tremendous hands on experience on the ground. Recently, senior leader Congress Digvijaya Singh was relieved of his duties as in-charge of the Telangana All India Congress Committee and was replaced by a somewhat younger RC Khuntia. Moreover, Gandhi himself has a young team of close aides like Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Randeep Singh Surjewala and so on. Even if there is a slim chance of an inner-party democracy being formed within the Congress as a reform under Gandhis watch, experts expect the party to nurture state leaderships more from now on. In Punjab, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has led the party to victory, while in Karnataka, CM Siddaramaiah has had a strong grip on state politics. There is leadership vacuum at the certain state levels which Rahul has to fulfil. If they had an Amrindar Singh or Raja Virbhadra Singh like leader in Gujarat they would have almost been a winner by now, said Kidwai. He also underlined that Congress needs to strengthen its grass roots and add more vote-getters to its ranks. The senior political analyst also critiqued Congress for having a Sab chalta hain (everything goes) type attitude and lacking in an accountability mechanism. In 2014 when they lost, nobody was made accountablenot even those ministers who made atrocious remarks, he said. Secularism vs Hindu nationalism Although Rahul Gandhi did lash out at the BJP for playing divisive politics and spreading communalism, he himself went on a temple visiting spree as part of his election campaign in Gujarat. On its part, the BJP did not hold back in rapping the scion of the Gandhi family for this 'temple-run'. Kidwai clearly differs from the popular notion that the success of the Congress hinges on minority appeasement and secularism. He said that barely six months before her assassination, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had sought to assure the majority community that, if there is injustice to them or if they did not get their rights, then it would be dangerous to the integrity of the country." Even under Sonias leadership, that attitude lingered on as what many call 'soft-Hindutva'. Her own working committee had once declared that Hinduism is the sole guarantor of secularism in India. Kidwai reckoned that as long as the Congress is seen as an anti-majority party, it can never gain strength in electoral terms. So it has to flaunt its right-wing traditions as well, keeping in mind it does not hurt any other community, he added. But party spokesperson Jha held that secularism will only get stronger as Rahul Gandhi galvanizes the party from within. He claimed that the Congress is going to foster secularism as it was the need of the 21st century. Political allies After an unfortunate turn of events in Bihar when CM Nitish Kumar broke the Grand Alliance with the Congress and RJD, the party now has one less state under its belt. Moreover, the Congress, which was usually a binding factor between smaller opposition parties, has now lost its vigor to bargain with political allies like it did when Sonia took up the reign of the party some two decades ago. You cant have allies when you are weak. Why should leaders like Mamata Banerjee or Arvind Kejriwal have interest in a loser like Rahul? What is their gain? said Kidwai, as he reiterated the party's need to get out of the rut it finds itself in today. However Kalappa said that the party had confidence in its new leader. We believe that Gandhi provides passion and complete drive that is needed by the party at the moment to step up work to defeat BJP in 2019, he said. Devendra Fadnavis Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis warned the opposition leaders that he had "evidence" against them and could bring it up "at the right time". He was speaking to reporters in Nagpur ahead of the winter session beginning from today. "I have enough evidences against the leaders of the opposition and I will disclose it at the right time," he said. Fadnavis said that he could prove that the government had saved significant funds due to the Aadhaar numbers in its three years of rule when compared to the Congress-NCP's 15 years. He refuted Congress-NCP allegations that the loan waiver was flawed. "We had received applications of 77 lakh farmers out of which 69 lakh applications were accepted after the removal of duplication. A decision to disburse loan waiver has been taken for 41 lakh farmers in the state. The process is still on and if more eligible farmers are found, we will provide the loan waiver benefits to them," Fadnavis said. "We have implemented loan waiver with efficiency. The total outlay so far has been Rs 19,000 crore and if required, we will bring it before the house," he said. The Maharashtra chief minister also pointed out that the construction of the controversial Gosikhurd irrigation dam in Vidarbha, which was suspended for a long time due to lack of permissions from the central government, has finally received necessary approvals. "The Centre has approved 108 irrigation projects in the state along with Rs 18,500 crore cost of the Gosikhurd irrigation project. We will complete it in next three years," Fadnavis said. Fadnavis said that farmers whose crops were getting damaged in pink-worm attacks could get compensation in three ways. "One will come from the seed companies who at the time of licence for distribution of seed had claimed that the crop would not be attacked by any worm. Now, their plants are being attacked by pink-worm and companies will have to give compensation to the farmers," he said. "The farmers who have applied for insurance of the crop will benefit and third would be the financial assistance from National Disaster Relief Fund. A proposal is being sent to Delhi for approval," said the chief minister. Countering allegations from the opposition that the government had failed in disvursing scholarship to students from backward classes, he said that his government was giving even the amount that the earlier government had failed to disburse. Fadnavis said, "Those who are used to corrupt practices for a long time are unable to see the system functioning in a transparent way. Out of Rs 1,100 crore, we have already disbursed Rs 740 crore to students. All we want is linking of Aadhar numbers with students bank accounts," "Wherever it has not happened, we have permitted students to avail the benefits. The opposition should not forget that we have given three years scholarship amount to students which the Congress-NCP government had failed to disburse." he added. Fadnavis refuted NCP leader Ajit Pawar's contention that the state was leading towards bankruptcy. "The loan amount has increased but we have spent it on infrastructure projects. As per Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2003, our capacity to avail loan is going up. The state's finance are still in good condition," he said. Meanwhile, Sachin Sawant, spokesperson of Congress tweeted that Fadnavis should be acting against the evidence he has rather than sitting on it. He said that such acts was a misuse as well as devaluation of the post Fadnavis holds. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi meets with the supporters during a public meeting at Tharad in Banaskantha on Monday. (PTI) Israeli forces run towards Palestinian protesters during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, near the Jewish settlement of Beit El, near the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Reuters) Patidar community leader Hardik Patel during a roadshow for state assembly elections in Ahmedabad on Monday. (PTI) Russian Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov calls on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI) Congress party workers celebrate after Rahul Gandhi was declared elected as the party president, in Mumbai on Monday. (PTI) Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, exchange greetings before a meeting in New Delhi. (PTI) 'Dreamers' hug as they meet with relatives during the 'Keep Our Dream Alive' binational meeting at a new section of the border wall on the US-Mexico border in Sunland Park. (Reuters) A temple under construction is seen engulfed in fire in Mianzhu, Sichuan province, China. (Reuters) Members of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) burn a picture of US President Donald Trump during a protest to condemn Washington's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, outside the US embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Reuters) Russian Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces General Valeriy Gerasimov reviews the honor guard with Japan's Chief of Staff of Joint Staff Katsutoshi Kawano (unseen) at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, Japan. (Reuters) A shepherd herds his sheep amid snow in Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. (Reuters) Supporters at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's election campaign rally in Kalol taluka of Gandhinagar district. (PTI) A snowman and dog on a bench in Worcester, England, Sunday Dec. 10, 2017, as heavy snow falls across parts of Britain. Snow is causing travel disruptions across central England and northern Wales, grounding flights, shutting down roads and causing traffic accidents. (PTI) Ram Nath Kovind, nominated presidential candidate of Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), delivers a speech during a welcoming ceremony as part of his nation-wide tour, in Ahmedabad, India, July 15, 2017. REUTERS/Amit Dave - RTX3BL0Y Chinese and Russian foreign ministers, who are here to attend a summit, today called on President Ram Nath Kovind and held discussions pertaining to bilateral relations. President Kovind congratulated Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on the successful conclusion of the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China. He added that India looked forward to working with President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership to take the developmental partnership to greater heights. "We view India-China ties as important in our foreign policy. Our high-level exchanges and interactions have maintained momentum. Our economic engagement is growing. We are also seeing cooperation on many international issues," Kovind said according to an official statement. The president said that expansion of cooperation bilaterally as well as regionally was in the mutual interest of both the nations. He expressed confidence that "multifaceted" relations between India and China will continue to make progress and acquire even greater salience. During his meeting with foreign minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, and his delegation, the president said that India-Russia bilateral ties were strong and had further intensified this year. He expressed happiness that bilateral trade between India and Russia registered a growth of 22 per cent in the first six months of 2017. Early operationalisation of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) can play a significant role in achieving our bilateral trade targets, he said. The corridor, expected to be completed by January next year, will facilitate movement of freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia. The President said that institutionalisation of the India-Russia Heads of Think Tanks Forum, which held its 2nd session in Delhi on December 4-5, would be most helpful to both countries. "We should continue with our efforts to bring our think tanks and academic communities closer," he said. The two foreign ministers are in India to participate in the 15th RIC (Russia-India-China) trilateral meeting which is being hosted by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. The devastated remains of a fertilizer plant burns after an explosion at the plant in the town of West, near Waco, Texas, U.S. April 17, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Stone An ISIS-inspired Bangladeshi- origin man, wearing a homemade device, today triggered a blast at a metro station in New York City during rush hours, injuring four persons and causing chaos in one of the busiest commuter hubs in the metropolis, US media reports said. Akayed Ullah, the 27-year-old suspected bomber, had wires attached to him. He was armed with a pipe bomb and a battery pack, CNN reported, according to which he was taken into custody after the device partially detonated. Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC that the man was inspired by the Islamic State terror group and originally came from Bangladesh. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the device that exploded in the New York City subway was an attempted "terrorist attack". "At this point in time, all we know of is one individual who, thank God, was unsuccessful in his aims," Mayor de Blasio said. "There are also no credible and specific threats against New York City at this time. But we will give you more information, of course, as the investigation unfolds," de Blasio said. A total of 4 injuries reported at the scene of an explosion at Port Authority, the New York Police Department said, adding that all injuries are non-life-threatening. The suspect suffered burns and other wounds and is currently in the hospital. "Preliminary investigation at the scene indicates that this male was wearing an improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body. He intentionally detonated that device," said Police Commissioner James O'Neil. President Donald Trump was briefed on the New York explosion, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. Earlier, the New York Police Department tweeted that it was responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, Manhattan. The place is New York Port Authority, a busy bus terminal. It also has metro stations. "The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time," the NYPD had said, adding that the information is preliminary. The New York Fire Department received call around 7.19 am. "I was exiting the Port Authority and the National Guard was running towards something shouting 'Go, Go, Go'," commuter Keith Woodfin tweeted, according to New York Daily News. Designer Chelsea LaSalle tweeted that she was "stuck in a running stampede at port authority bus terminal due to bomb scare. cops EVERYWHERE." Security was enhanced in several major American cities after an explosion in the New York City. "We are monitoring the incident that occurred in New York City this morning. At this time, there are no current threats to the District of Columbia. We ask all residents and visitors to remain vigilant," said the Washington DC Police Department. Q11. Skywise which provides a single access point for the sharing of operational and flight data is about making the right information available at the right time. To do so, it leverages the massive amount of data previously locked in company and functional silos across the industry to improve operational performance and business results for aircraft operators. Which company owns Skywise? Eating bits of food meant for passengers cost dearly to a flight attendant. The cabin crew member has been suspended after a video of her act emerged. An air-hostess of low-cost Chinese airline Urumqi Air can be seen sneaking a few bites of rice and meat from food boxes meant for passengers of the flight. The footage, allegedly shot by one of her colleagues, eventually reached the bosses of the airline and the woman was suspended and disciplined. The executives of the carrier confirmed that she worked at Urumqi Air, British tabloid The Sun reported. The company in a statement said that the meal its employee was eating was among leftovers and that they supply their aircrew with adequate onboard meals. The firm said that the air crew member did not follow the usual procedure for dealing with leftover food and instead opened the food boxes without permission. In view of the employees irregularities, the company has started an investigation and disciplinary procedures in accordance with the regulations. The company has arranged a comprehensive internal investigation to ensure that crew follow strictly the implementation of food disposal processes, to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents, the Chinese carrier said. Urumqi Airlines since its inception uphold a responsible attitude to provide services to the general tourists. The company, however, did not provide the details of the incident like when and where the video was shot. The firm tried to explain that each flight that flies are packed with adequate food for passengers and crew members. But, sometimes, passengers do not eat which result in leftover meals. We are deeply sorry about the incident and will never tolerate such acts. Complying with industry standards is a basic requirement for professionals and apologises for the troubles caused by this incident, a spokesperson for the company said. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is seen during the inspection of a potato flour factory in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang. (Reuters) North Korea has certainly made progress in its missile development programme but it is also getting paranoid due to the increasing global isolation, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said today. US President Donald Trump last month declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a move that allows the Trump administration to impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programmes. Late last month, nuclear-armed North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile which travelled about 1,000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's exclusive economic zone. "This is a serious situation. The missile that they launched not too long ago was much stronger than the one we had seen before. They have made progress," Haley told CNN. "But what we have managed to do is, the United States has led and the international community is all with us in isolating North Korea. That's a very important move. They feel it. They are getting paranoid. They are stressed out about it. But we are going to continue keep up the pressure, because we have to," she said on North Korea. The series of international sanctions, she said, has cut off 90 per cent of the North Korean trade, 30 per cent of the oil. "But every ounce of revenue that North Korea receives, they put towards their nuclear programme. So, the fact that the sanctions have completely squeezed them, that is less money they can put towards that nuclear programme now. "So, whether people can't see it, it is helping us tremendously to not have them have the cash that they normally would have had," Haley said. Responding to a question on Russia, Haley said that the State Department has fully implemented the sanctions against it. "From what I have been told, the State Department says they have gone forward with the sanctions on Russia. So I don't know anything about what you're talking about, because the State Department has said they have fully implemented that," she added. In August, North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan in a major escalation of tensions by Pyongyang. Five days later, it carried out a sixth nuclear test, sending tensions soaring over its weapons ambitions and causing global concern. The village of Dorfchemnitz, Germany, September 27, 2017. Picture taken September 27, 2017. REUTERS/Matthias Schumann - RC1C8A05A450 Twelve buildings plus sheds and garages in the east German village of Alwine have been sold to a single bidder for 14,000 Euros (Rs 1.06 crore). Alwine, a splinter settlement in the town of Uebigau-Wahrenbrueck in eastern Germany, went under the hammer on Saturday at an auction in Berlin. The decaying town located 120 kilometers south of Berlin is filled with mostly old people. Alwines aging homes and a resident population of only 20 people reflected the fate of the ex-Communist East Germany areas post the countrys reunification 27 years ago when the Berlin Wall was taken down. As per a report in NY Daily News, the mayor of the town himself found out about the sale through a media report. The anonymous buyer had bid over a telephone and scooped up the community that real estate auctioneers Karhausen had given a starting price of 125,000 Euros (Rs 94.7 lakh). Also Read: This 26-year-old is the youngest self-made billionaire in the world The manager of the auction said the winner was going to do something good with the purchase for the welfare of the people there, according to a report in Deutsche Welle. Despite its previous sell-off to two brothers who owned the property for one symbolic Deutschmark (the pre-Euro German currency) Alwine had been sliding into neglect. Villages in Europe seem to have been facing a population problem. Not a long while ago, a Swedish village was even willing to pay people a whopping sum of Rs 16 lakh if they moved in. Alwine wasn't always like this though, the old village is, in fact, a slice of history. During the World War II, Nazi party's youth wing Hitler Youth trained around Alwine and prisoners of war were incarcerated nearby. This was before the Berlin Wall was put up and it became a part of the Communist East Germany. Till the reunion, most of the property in Alwine was owned by a nearby coal briquette plant which closed in 1991. As per a government report, between 1990 and 2015, the eastern regions population fell by about 15 percent, as per a government report earlier this year. The cause may have been people migrating to a more prosperous western Germany for jobs. (Currency rates are in 1 Euro= Rs 75.83) Education Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu. Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu. Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events: International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu. EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu. Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets June Homecoming: Participant $18 per person; Sustainer $25 per person; Benefactor $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events: SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available for information call 610-275-1960 Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above) SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. computers are available during those hours. Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863. Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376. Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com. The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes: Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020. CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313. The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events: Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30. Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301. For Kids & Families The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443. Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950. Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required. The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950. Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus. Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage. Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun. Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train. Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world! Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class. Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org. Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583. Community Events at the Ambler Y: -YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register. Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org. Health Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot. The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information. Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245. Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net. Spring Aquatic Programs UDHS Pool: -Summer is just around the corner Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required. Shallow Water Aerobics Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR. Adult Swim Instructions Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR -Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21. -Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m. -Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons. -Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates. Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994. SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com. Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org. Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs: FITNESS CLASSES Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month. Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly. SUPPORT GROUPS Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000. Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30 7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047. New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. 12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30 4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931. Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325. Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com. Librarytalk Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744 www.upperdublinlibrary.org APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS: Storytimes: Please register in the library. o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m. o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6. APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS: North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS: NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org. One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register contact info above. Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744. o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register. Meetings: Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m. Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m. Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org. For children and teens at Blue Bell: * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m. * May 14 Despicable Me * June 11 Alpha and Omega * Special Events * April watch for date of spring/Easter events * April 14 at 4:30 p.m. Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children. * April 14 at 7 p.m. Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided. * April 16 at 1 p.m. Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King. * April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes? * April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button. * April 30 through May 3 Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults. * May sign up for Science in the Summer * June sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children * June sign up for Summer Reading, all ages For adults at Blue Bell: * Daytime Book Discussion Group fourth Tuesday, Jan April at 1:30 p.m. * April 26 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Night-time Book Discussion Group third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. o April 19 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked? *Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs * Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class. * Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class. * Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m. * Giant Book Sale, April 29 May 3 o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults! o Held during library hours. o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m. o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join. * Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series o May 11 at 1 p.m. Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society * Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room. * Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read. * Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome. * Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome. *Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older. * Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours * Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours * Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday! Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library. * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * For adults: * Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn. * Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net * Special Events: * April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. * April 19 at 7 p.m. Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m. * April 21 at 7 p.m. Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades. *May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. *May 10 Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *May 12 at 1:30p.m. Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. *May 17 Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *June 13 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. Meetings and Lectures The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833. The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313. Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200. The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/. LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings. Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org. Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org) -Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them. The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter. For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps. Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin. Special Events The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County. The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065. Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members. Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex. The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com. The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348. The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org. Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163. The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu. The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com. The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net. Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages. 13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries. Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family. The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler. JPRN Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike. Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately. Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways. Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table. Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374 Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall: -Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store. Music and Theater The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html. Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free. The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org Religious News The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276. Reunions St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net. Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572. Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779. Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411. Support New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149. PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931. The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296. Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656. Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group every other Wednesday, 7 8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information. CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7 8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich, Thanks to Nigel the Nutcracker from The Warehouse, we are granting wishes across the country! The Valdese Lions Club recently hosted a special guest. Member Larry Courtney told me about Morganton native Derek Lane, who gave a presentation at the clubs October meeting. After graduating from Freedom High School in 2002, Lane earned a bachelors degree in communications with a concentration in radio and TV and an interdisciplinary minor in music from Gardner-Webb University. He became an audio restorative specialist who owns a home-based consulting business, Lanes Audio. The remarkable thing is, Lane was born with no eyes. This rare medical condition is known as anophthalmia. Its usually caused by a genetic mutation or a chromosomal abnormality, according to research I found online. Intrigued by the way he overcame his disability to accomplish so much, I contacted Lane to get more information. He said doctors were never able to determine what caused his condition. We have no idea, Lane said. Mom said it was a normal pregnancy, and I wasnt premature. Teachers and staff at Burke County Public Schools worked intensively to ensure his success as he attended Glen Alpine Elementary School, Table Rock Middle School and Freedom. Since I was the only blind kid in Burke County, they had to be creative, Lane said. At first, computers werent as predominant as they became, so I would either get material in Braille, on tape or read to me. Also, I was privileged to have someone in the classroom who was dedicated to getting my material and helping me fill in the gaps. In 1997, the Morganton Lions Club found out about Lane and gave him a computer with a screen reader and a scanner that read printed material to him. That was a big step forward, he said. As computers became more and more dominant, I was able to take notes and do more with it. The Lions Club International has a particular focus on assisting blind individuals. The tradition goes back to 1925, when Helen Keller, the famous blind-deaf woman featured in the movie, The Miracle Worker, gave a speech at an international Lions convention, in which she issued a challenge to members to get involved with people who have that disability. Lane said he was drawn to the field of audio engineering from a young age. (I enjoyed) figuring out what I could do and how things worked and coming up with ways to do different things with what I had at the time, he said. Companies hired Lane as early as his high school years to beta-test their software. He worked on many recording and editing projects while attending Gardner-Webb. After graduation, he edited podcasts, cleaned up audio recordings for businesses and individuals, operated the sound system for his church and taught online classes on audio engineering, which led him to start his own business and create his own website, www.lanesaudio.com. I got some help with the images, so there would be some visual appeal, he said. Lane lives independently, though his parents live close by. He depends on friends and family to help him get around, but has been able to take several trips related to his job. The creation of companies like Lyft and Uber has made that aspect of life easier for him in recent years where theyre available, along with the development of voice-interactive computer systems, such as Siri and Alexa. I learn a lot and get to travel with it and meet people, Lane said about his career. I learn from teaching, from editing and audio clean-up work, and from going to different conventions and recording different things. After sharing his story with the club, Lane recorded some members speaking about the organization and produced a one-minute commercial for them, which they were able to have played on two local radio stations to attract new members. They made Lane a member of the club as a way to say thanks. He encouraged those who may struggle with the everyday challenges of a disability as they strive to achieve their goals. If I can do this if I can create jobs for myself, its possible for other people to do the same thing, Lane said. If youre unemployed, jobs can be created. You can take what youre interested in and what youre good at and get something out of it. Tammie Gercken is a member of the Morganton Writers Group. 50 Years ago in Burke County Jimmy Rhyne 41 MERCHANTS GIVING TICKETS FOR DRAWING Forty one Morganton Merchants are participating in a two thousand dollar give away and are distributing tickets for the first drawing Dec 8 at 9 pm on Queen Street. There will be five hundred dollars given away on four nights, three before Christmas and one after. Dec 8, Dec 15, and Dec 22 at 9 pm, the last one on Dec 30. There will be 5 one hundred dollar winners at each drawing. The long, long list of merchants are doing this to say Merry Christmas to their customers. WPCC IS CANIDATE FOR ACCREDIATION Western Piedmont Community College is now two steps along the road to accreditation WITH THE Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. At the annual meeting in Dallas TX, the Southern Association unanimously approved the recommendation by the Commission on Colleges that Western Piedmont Community College be recognized as a candidate for accreditation. When the College first opened it applied for correspondence status-the first of three stages in achieving accreditation. This is the second said said President Dr. Gordon Blank of the recognition of the College as a candidate for accreditation. We are not eligible for accreditation until we have graduated our first full term class. IN THE SERVICE OF THE USA Dickie G. Nichols, son of Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Nichols of Route 2, Valdese, is spending 20 days at home with his parents before reporting to Camp Pendleton CA, for six weeks of indoctrination on Southeast Asia. He will then join a Marine Corps unit in South Vietnam. Nichols is a 1967 graduate of Drexel High School. At Parris Island he earned his sharpshooter badge with the M-14 rifle and was also trained in the use of all other infantry weapons used by the Corps. BLIND AND VISUALLY HANDICAPPED FETED Oldest present: Mrs. Lula Price, 95 of Glen Alpine was the oldest person present at the annual Christmas Party given by the Lions Club at the community house last night. Mrs. Jonas Orders accompanied the guest John M. Patton is the President of the Lions Club and G.W. Abernathy is the chairman of the blind committee who was in charge of arrangements. A large gathering of the blind and visually handicapped attended the annual Christmas party sponsored by the Lions Club last night. OAK HILL CAPTURES CONFERENCE VICTORY Oak Hill- Sharpshooter Ralph Taylor pumped in 26 points to spark the Oak Hill Bulldogs to a 58-44 victory over the Polk Central Rebels here Friday night as both teams opened their 1967-1968 seasons. The Polk Central girls defeated the Oak Hill girls 32-20, in the first game of the Skyline conference doubleheader. Behind Taylor in the scoring were Doug Caraway, Frank Gardin and Joe Tolbert with 8 points apiece. AROUND BURKE COUNTY C. Miller Sigmon, vice-president and cashier of Wachovia Bank and Trust Co. will speak to an economics class at Western Piedmont Community College on Wednesday. Presently the economics class is studying the banking system and its functions in the economy. Sigmon will direct his lecture to the functions of the banking system and the role of the Federal Reserve System in the United States. Sigmon recently made similar talks to local high schools and colleges. Western Piedmont is fortunate to be able to call upon the experience of local residents in better serving its students, said John W. Palm, instructor. J. GORDON QUEEN; AMONG US MORGANTONIANS (circa 1963 54 years ago) Around town: We Like the new sign in front of the Modern Barber Shop in South Sterling StreetCome to think of it, when a portion of the city was lowered a little bit, the city did a good job fixing things up in front of the Chamber of Commerce buildingAnd speaking of Collett Street, the big Trailway buses really use that thoroughfare. Much nearer the bus terminal...A nice brick residence is being built on East Concord Street by C&L builders Supply for Mr. and Mrs. Ed Greene, Nice location and a beautiful residence. Thus article is sponsored by the History Museum of Burke County where the archives of the News Herald are stored. Jimmy Rhyne is the researcher of the archives. Index trackers and ETFs now account for nearly 25% of all assets under management, meaning the largest providers are becoming increasingly influential. Often ranking among the largest investors of public companies, they are the ultimate long-term shareholders of listed companies. They have the power to effect change through voting and engagement as well as improving investment performance. Despite this, little research has been done to understand how index managers conduct their stewardship. Unlike active managers, index managers can't sell poorly run companies. But putting up with poor governance is no longer an option as these managers have a fiduciary duty to their investors to push for changes that will increase shareholder value. As large, permanent owners of a wide range of public firms, they have the clout to advance their agendas. Being an active owner is also a means of galvanising managers' reputations as investor advocates. Our survey of the 12 largest providers of index funds and exchange-traded funds covers three regions the United States, Europe, and Asia and includes global asset managers such as BlackRock and Vanguard, and smaller firms that are key passive fund providers in their local markets, such as Schwab and Lyxor. Most of the firms also operate an active fund business that in some cases is much larger than their passive one. Collectively, the firms surveyed have over $20 trillion of assets under management. The growth in index managers stewardship teams is compelling evidence of the increased commitment to active ownership. For example, BlackRock expanded its team from 20 members in 2014 to 33 today; Vanguard's team went from 10 in 2015 to 21; and UBS will employ 11 professionals dedicated to stewardship by the end of 2017, up from four in 2015. These increases will allow the firms to undertake more and better-quality engagements with companies. It is clear that voting and engagement activities vary significantly, according to the size, history and philosophy of the company, its investment style and the region it operates in. Default Position to Vote in Favour Both actively managed and index-tracking strategies apply their voting policies universally to all portfolios, irrespective of investment style. The only exception is Fidelity, which delegates the full management and voting responsibilities of its index funds to subadvisor Geode. Large managers with a global reach, such as BlackRock and Vanguard, typically vote for all portfolio holdings where possible as long as the potential benefit of voting outweighs the cost of exercising the right. Smaller firms and those with fewer resources, such as Deutsche Asset Management and Lyxor, focus more on their home country or region, or on their largest holdings. For example, Deutsche AM works with a watchlist of around 700 companies that typically represent around 50% of its equity fund assets under management. The starting position for all surveyed asset managers is to be supportive of company management and boards, as most votes are routine matters. However, there are significant differences among firms in how they voted, especially with when voting against management. US asset managers, who have been historically more reluctant to challenge the status quo than their European counterparts, are starting to show more dissent in relation to environmental and social issues. An example was BlackRock and Vanguard supporting a shareholder proposal seeking greater disclosure of climate-related risks at ExxonMobil (XOM). For some asset managers, voting against management remains a last-resort option. For example, BlackRock will first try to effect change by engaging management teams and will only cast a negative vote if management is unresponsive or takes too long to address BlackRock's concerns. At the other end of the spectrum, Europe's largest asset manager, Amundi, has a strict voting policy and does not hesitate to swiftly vote against management when a proposed resolution fails to comply with its principles. At BlackRock, Amundi, and UBS, the policy is for active fund managers to vote consistently across all funds, but they retain the authority to vote differently from the house view. This contrasts with the approach adopted at Vanguard and SSgA, where the corporate governance teams have ultimate authority on the final votes. What is Engagement? Index managers are also intensifying their efforts around engagement. Of the 12 surveyed firms, nine reported that they undertake direct engagement activities with companies and expressed a willingness to increase their engagements in the future. Of the three that do not engage, Fidelity's subadvisor Geode and Lyxor have plans to formalise an engagement strategy in the coming months, in line with their commitment to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. These principles require signatories to be "active owners" and incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into their ownership policies. By contrast, Schwab was the only firm to see no compelling reason to set up an engagement programme, citing cost and what it sees as a lack of solid evidence about the benefits of direct engagement. There is no standard definition of what constitutes an engagement, although all reported that they increased and are expected to increase in the coming years. For some, a fact-finding meeting or call with a company is enough to be recorded as an engagement; others apply a more stringent definition, only classifying meaningful interactions aimed at bringing about change through dialogue with companies. Of engagements disclosed in 2016, 37 were made by Deutsche AM, 120 by UBS and 1,480 by BlackRock. BlackRock and Vanguard a reporting the most significant growth. The largest asset managers such as BlackRock, Vanguard, and SSgA have a clear preference for one-to-one engagements, ideally behind closed doors. Others, typically smaller firms, are keener to work with peers and share resources, especially in cases when individual engagements would have a low likelihood of success. Voting Records are Hard to Find Transparency of voting and engagement activities is an important part of an asset manager's stewardship duties but disclosure practices differ significantly between managers and countries. Most surveyed asset managers publish voting records for their funds on their websites in countries where the regulator or a stewardship code requires them to. But too often these records are hard to find, and where disclosure isn't a requirement, they may not exist. Very few explain the rationale behind important votes, that is, votes against management, abstentions, or contentious votes. This is certainly an area for improvement. Indeed, the reasons behind a vote allow stakeholders to assess whether the asset manager has voted in line with its policy and in the best interest of shareholders. Some managers, including BlackRock, Vanguard, and UBS, are averse to disclosing the names of the companies with which they engage. They believe that to build trust and develop constructive long-term dialogues with company management and boards, conversations need to be kept confidential. Some commented that "naming and shaming" can be detrimental. This, however, doesn't seem to be a concern for Amundi, which publishes an annual engagement report detailing nearly every action it had with companies during the year. SSgA also discloses the names of all the companies with which it engages each year, but it only provides full details on a selected number of successful engagements. More Pressure to Disclose Voting In the future, we expect increased disclosure of voting and engagement activities. There is already pressure on asset managers to share more details on voting decisions with the public. Equally, more companies will be publicly named and shamed when engagement has failed. This year, BlackRock started publishing on a very limited basis statements on its engagements and votes in relation to certain proposals. We also expect index managers to become more vocal on ESG topics through public statements on their websites, opinion pieces in major publications, speaking engagements, and interactions with the media. Ultimately, this will also influence their product offerings. As firms ESG-dedicated teams continue expanding, the expenditure will continue to rise. This raises the question of whether these firms will be able to absorb the extra cost without increasing their fees. While large asset managers with economies of scale should be able to absorb the additional costs, it might be more of a challenge for the smaller firms. To remain competitive, these firms will have little choice but to either do the minimum required or go down the outsourcing route. As assets continue to flow into passive strategies and responsible investing becomes increasingly important, one can only expect greater scrutiny of index managers' stewardship activities. Editors Note: Midland ISD has made the Texas Academic Performance Report available. This is another article using information from that report. --- The average age of first use for Midland ISD students using marijuana or alcohol is age 12. That information is part of the districts Safe and Drug-free Schools Survey, which can be found in the districts Annual Performance Report. The district will host a public hearing on its 2016-17 performance report today during the boards regularly scheduled meeting, which is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the auditorium of Bowie Fine Arts Academy, 805 Elk Ave. The drug survey, conducted by Palmer Drug Abuse Program, took into account student use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana.Information included percentage of students using alcohol, tobacco or marijuana in the last 30 days, during the last year and the age of first use. The survey showed 31 percent of students surveyed used alcohol in the last 30 days, 48 percent used alcohol during the past year, and 12 was the average age of first use. Fourteen percent of students surveyed used cigarettes during the past 30 days, 20 percent used cigarettes during the past year, and 13 was the average age of first use. Fewer students were using smokeless tobacco. Nine percent had used smokeless tobacco during the past 30 days, 14 percent used smokeless tobacco during the past year, and 14.8 was the average age of first use. Lastly, the report shows 15.4 percent of students surveyed used marijuana during the past 30 days (second only to alcohol), 18.3 percent used marijuana during the past year, and 12 was the average age of first use. That means the average age of first use for both marijuana and alcohol was lower than either cigarettes or smokeless tobacco. The report also indicates there were nine violent or criminal incidents on secondary campuses. These incidents included one possession of a firearms at Midland High, one possession of an illegal knife at Lee High, three possessions of a prohibited weapon (two at Lee and one at Goddard Junior High), two incidents of indecency with a child (one at Goddard and the other at San Jacinto), one aggravated assault against a non-employee/volunteer (Abell Junior High), one sexual assault against a non-employee/volunteer (Lee Freshman High School) and one aggravated robbery (Lee High). Incident rates, according to the district, were as followed: Lee High School 0.2 percent, Goddard Junior High 0.2 percent, Abell Junior High 0.1 percent, San Jacinto Junior High 0.1 percent, Midland High 0.0 percent, Lee Freshman High School 0.0 percent. There wasnt any information in the report for Midland Freshman High School, Alamo Junior High or any of the elementary schools. Local scientist Steven Schafersman has announced his run for Midland County judge. The candidate, who works for area petroleum and environmental companies as a consulting scientist, said he is concerned about residents future. Schafersman is a long-time advocate for improved science education in Texas public schools. In 2012, he campaigned for the State Board of Educations District 15 seat. When I did run for state board, I got to discuss all the problems involving public education in Texas, and I publicized them, Schafersman said. I can do the same here in Midland. I can use it as an effort to educate people. Schafersman has filed as a Democratic candidate, according to a press release. He said the party had success in 2017 elections and that he was encouraged to enter the county judge race. There is an effort all over the state to get Democrats to run for office, he said. The reason theyre doing that is because we consider 2018 to be a Democratic year. Schafersman said he plans to address water conservation locally as well as chromium groundwater contamination in the southern portion of the county. The candidate, who previously worked as a petroleum geologist and taught science courses, has lived in Midland since 2000. Schafersman was born in Texas and grew up in various states. He earned bachelors and masters degrees from Northern Illinois University and a PhD from Rice University. If elected as county judge, Schafersman said he could work with state lawmakers to make changes, including those related to property tax. The county board doesnt have any power to solve many of these outstanding problems, he said. Theyre state problems. Nevertheless, county judges have influence. Schafersman is seeking the position currently held by Mike Bradford, who announced this year he wouldnt run for a fourth term as county judge. For Schafersman, county leadership has shown fiscal responsibility and integrity while maintaining its infrastructure. The county administration has been doing a good job of that for decades, and thats most of the business right there, he said. I dont see big changes in 99 percent of the county business. Profiles of other county judge candidates were published in previous editions of the Reporter-Telegram. GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. Walt Disney World has announced who will perform during the Disney on Broadway series at next years Epcot International Festival of the Arts. Broadway stars Ashley Brown, Josh Strickland, Kissy Simmons, Kevin Massey and Alton Fitzgerald White all return for the festivals second run. They are joined by festival newcomer Kara Lindsay, who is known for her role as Katherine Plumber in Newsies. All performances will take place Fridays through Mondays at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. The lineup for the festival: Jan. 12-15: Kara Lindsay and Kevin Massey Tarzan, Aladdin, Newsies, Frozen Jan. 26-29, Feb. 2-5: Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White Tarzan, The Lion King, Aida, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid Feb. 9-12, 16-19: Ashley Brown and Josh Strickland Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, Newsies, Frozen The festival debuted earlier this year and featured seminars, workshops, and food studios serving "culinary delights." The Epcot International of the Arts runs Jan. 12 through Feb. 19. CHECK OUT ATTRACTIONS INSIDER: Your all-in-one source for news, pictures and video from Floridas theme parks. Just go to our Attractions Insider page. Sign up to get breaking theme park news alerts and subscribe to our newsletter, Theme Park Roundup, delivered to your inbox or mobile phone. It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Negotiators for Oaklands largest union and the city will head back to the bargaining table Monday, but the strike thats shut down major services for the past week will continue. With the help of a mediator, the two sides are hoping to come to a resolution that will bring workers back to their jobs and reopen the libraries, senior centers and nonemergency services that have been shuttered since the strike began Tuesday. Mayor Libby Schaaf said the walkout is harming our most vulnerable residents. We cannot spend money we do not have, particularly as we know our pension costs are escalating at least 49 percent over the next five years, she said in a statement over the weekend. Oaklanders deserve predictable city services now and into the future. Union leaders say the citys revenue and cost projections are misleading, pointing to the greater-than-expected growth Oakland has seen in recent years. And they say workers who took cuts during the economic downturn were never fully brought up to scale or had their pay adjusted to the rapid cost-of-living increases in the East Bay city. Rob Szykowny, the chief negotiator for Service Employees International Union Local 1021, said the city has been bargaining in bad faith, forcing workers to continue their strike into the second week. He pointed to comments Schaaf made Thursday night, in which she declared that the city would accept nothing less than a yes from the union after her negotiators proposed a final offer. When the union made a counteroffer, the city officially declared an impasse Friday. The union disputes the citys contention that were at impasse, Szykowny said. The city specifically wasnt trying and just delivered an ultimatum. Thats not bargaining in good faith, and if youre not bargaining in good faith, you cant be at impasse. The citys intransigence, he said, compelled the work stoppage, which is now by far the longest strike in anyones living memory in the Oakland chapter. The dispute is focused on the second half of the two-year contract as well as noneconomic provisions, like working conditions and the citys use of temporary part-time employees. The two sides agree on first-year terms, which include giving workers a 4 percent wage increase, retroactive to July 1, when their last contract expired. The citys final offer Thursday was a slight tweak from its earlier one. Previously, the city said it could offer up to a 2 percent raise in the second year of the contract contingent on revenue growth. Its latest proposed deal would guarantee half that and give an additional 1 percent on Jan. 1, 2019, if revenue targets are met. The SEIUs counteroffer outlined a 4 percent increase in the second year of the contract, with wages increasing by 1 percent in each quarter. In her letter announcing the impasse, City Administrator Sabrina Landreth said Oakland could not reasonably afford what the union was proposing. She said some of the unions demands were outside the scope of bargaining, and described the disagreement on wages as a persistent gulf between the parties. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21, which is also deep in negotiations, has been on a solidarity strike. Members of other unions, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245, have been refusing to cross the picket line. IFPTE Local 21s bargaining team was set to meet Sunday to determine whether or not to remain on strike Monday. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov Texas oil giant Exxon Mobil opened its first gas stations in Mexico last week as the nations largest oil company works to become a major Mexican fuel supplier. The first eight Mobil-branded stations opened around Queretaro, a city in central Mexico. Exxon Mobil also made its first fuel shipments to Mexico last week, joining Chevron and other U.S. refiners seeking to supply one of the worlds largest markets, recently opened to foreign companies. Since Mexico deregulated its energy sector, international gas stations have begun popping up this year, ending the monopoly held for decades by state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex. British oil major BP opened the first non-Pemex gas stations in Mexico this spring. Exxon Mobil plans to open about 50 fueling station in central Mexico within the next three months. Exxon Mobil says it is the first company to offer integrated fueling services and products. Most of the fuel that the company exports to Mexico will come from its Texas refineries. Exxon Mobil is shipping the fuel from Texas to Mexico via private rail terminals in San Luis Potosi and San Jose Iturbide. Exxon Mobil said this is just the beginning of its $300 million commitment to take its fuel logistics services and gas stations to Mexico. It is working with retailer Grupo Orsan to open the first eight stations. Carlos Rivas, fuels director for Exxon Mobil in Mexico, called the new service stations a significant milestone for the country and our company made possible by Mexicos new energy policy regime. At the same time, Pemex is expanding outside Mexico, opening its first U.S. fueling station in late 2015 in southeast Houston, with more planned. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Last spring, Swedes got a tantalizing offer: If they subscribed to Swedens biggest telecom provider, Telia Co. AB, they could have unlimited access on their mobile phones to Facebook, Spotify, Instagram and other blockbuster apps. Swedish regulators tried to put a stop to it. They argued that the arrangement violated the net neutrality rules in the European Union, which require internet providers to offer equal access to all web content. Essentially, once a users data cap was reached, Telia would restrict other apps, but not the big ones. The issue is working its way through the courts. As it does, the offer is still available. Such deals may be gaining momentum in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote Thursday to roll back the net neutrality rules in the United States. While the EU has such rules in place, telecom providers have pushed the boundaries at times in Sweden, Germany, Portugal and elsewhere, offering a glimpse at the future U.S. companies and consumers may face if protections are watered down. FCC chairman Ajit Pai is seeking a sweeping repeal of the Barack Obama-era rules, paving the way for internet service companies to charge users more to see certain content or to restrict access to some websites. High-speed internet service providers, or ISPs, could charge companies a fee to deliver their content more quickly. Europe has sought to combat such practices by adopting net neutrality rules aimed at ensuring that ISPs in the blocs 28 member states cant pick the webs winners and losers. The regulations are binding and enforced by each countrys national telecom regulators. For the EUs sprawling market of more than 500 million citizens, the rules have mostly helped prevent bad behavior. There is not a long trail of abuse by telecom operators in net neutrality, said Philippe Defraigne, a director at Cullen International, a Brussels-based consultant that covers telecoms and the digital economy. Thats largely because unlike in the United States, Europeans have plenty of choices for internet access at home and on their mobile phones. France has four major mobile and internet operators and nine low-cost offshoots. Britain has more than 50. And there arent dominant giants born of megamergers, like the ones between Comcast and NBC Universal, and Verizon and AOL. Even so, telecom operators in Europe have tried to take advantage of some of the gray areas in the rules. When Netflix entered the European market in 2012, some national telecom companies forced it to pay tolls to deliver content to customers. Netflix did not name the companies but told a regional regulator in a letter that the dispute showed the importance of strong net neutrality rules. The blocs rules also left open a major regulatory loophole for a practice called zero rating, in which a mobile network does not charge for data used on certain applications or services, giving them a leg up against competitors. The few regulatory disputes that have arisen in Europe have mostly involved big telecom companies that steer users to Facebook and other services. Pai dismantled zero ratings protections in the United States even before he unveiled the plan to undo net neutrality rules entirely. In Europe, the loophole created a confusing patchwork of interpretations in different countries over whether zero rating violates net neutrality. Swedens regulator concluded that the Telia offer didnt treat internet traffic equally and should be halted. Want to stream music from a scrappy Spotify competitor? Telia would throttle, or artificially slow, that service once users reached their data caps, although they could keep listening to Spotify. That doesnt necessarily bother consumers. From a user perspective, I dont think its a problem and I think most consumers dont think its an issue, said Magnus Haglunds, a Stockholm-based independent music producer who uses the Telia service. There are those who may have to change from Apple Music to Spotify. But then they get free surfing on Spotify. Wasnt net neutrality being compromised? Its not Cuba, Haglunds replied. Cuba has a problem. There they dont have any internet at all. But the offer alarmed Swedish media companies, which warned that the deal gave Facebook an advantage over competitors, and Telia an edge over other telecom operators. In February, Indian regulators shut down a separate Facebook zero rating deal with mobile phone carrier Reliance Communications, saying carriers should not be allowed to shape the users internet experience. A Swedish court ultimately overturned the decision on technical grounds after Telia appealed. Telia continues to offer the service in Sweden and other Nordic countries. But Swedens administrative court is expected to issue a broader decision on zero rating rules this year. Critics of the rollback in the United States have cited zero ratings schemes in Europe, or versions of it, as an omen of how the web may be split. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., posted a screen grab on Twitter from Portuguese mobile carrier Meo that went viral. The shot showed basic monthly subscription plans with names like Social, Messaging and Video, each appearing to favor a batch of established apps. Providers are starting to split the net into packages, Khanna wrote. In Germany, a similar case involved a Deutsche Telekom offer called StreamOn, which allows users to access unlimited videos and music from specific partners like Netflix. The countrys telecom regulator approved the deal, drawing criticism from consumer activists. StreamOn sought to address some of the concerns by expanding the offer to include around 50 partners. This a battle for the next century, said Klaus Muller, chairman of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations, a lobbying group. We can either have oligarchical markets with huge players, or a big variety of companies with lots of competition, which would be good for consumers but bad for big business. Many in Europe are watching the FCC ruling with trepidation. Over 200 European companies signed a letter to Pai warning that ending the net neutrality rules will undermine privacy, free speech and competition on the internet. Robert Beens, chief executive of Startpage, a Dutch privacy-based encrypted search engine used by surveillence-wary consumers who dont want their search data recorded, said his company could be put in jeopardy. Half of the 2 billion searches done annually through Startpage are in the United States. If U.S. ISPs start charging companies to be in the internets fast lane, Beens said he would not be able to keep up with deep-pocketed competitors like Google, Bing and Yahoo. People want privacy, but what if we cant pay the amounts of money that ISPs are looking for? he said. In the U.S., people would have a slower connection to our search engine. It could really harm our business model. Perhaps the biggest issue for Europe and other parts of the world is that countries watch what the United States does. The U.S. set good standards for the globe, but now they could go backward, said Maryant Fernandez Perez, a senior policy adviser at European Digital Rights, an association of civil and human rights organizations advocating an open digital environment. The consequences are not very good internationally. WASHINGTON As officials from the 164 countries in the World Trade Organization gather in Buenos Aires this week for their first major meeting in two years, they will be watching to see whether the United States, once the groups biggest advocate, is seeking to subvert it. The World Trade Organization knits together countries around the world by working to reduce trade barriers and resolve disputes among its members, but it has come under criticism not just from globalizations critics. Its supporters have said it has fallen short of its ambitious goals to create trade agreements among scores of countries with different economies, cultures and income levels. But it has never faced such uncertainty as it does now, when its longtime leader and champion, the United States, has turned into a skeptic putting the future of the group and the kind of broad trade agreements it is aimed at forging in doubt. In recent months, the Trump administration has led the United States in stepping back from its traditional role at the head of global institutions like the World Trade Organization, creating a vacuum in leadership and throwing their future into question. The change reflects a philosophy, shared by the president and his top trade advisers, that the current global structure of rules and organizations compromises the United States sovereignty and cheats U.S. workers. In his first year in office, President Donald Trump has criticized international agreements like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, pulled out of the Paris climate change accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and began renegotiating trade deals with Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Like many of the administrations positions, its view of the World Trade Organization represents a historic shift, said Douglas Irwin, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College. The Reagan and Bush administrations wanted to create it, he said. The Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations tried to strengthen it. Now we have an administration that is very skeptical of it, and some would say has tried to undermine it. Trump and his trade advisers criticize the World Trade Organization for failing to police what they describe as Chinas infractions of global trade rules. Chinas entry into the organization in 2001 accelerated the hollowing out of U.S. manufacturing jobs, as imports of cheap Chinese products boomed. But the Trump administration has argued that China never held up its end of the bargain by curtailing the role of its Communist government in the economy. Late last month, the United States said it would join the European Union in an action involving China about that very matter. In discussing that dispute, a senior White House official said that it was unclear whether the World Trade Organization could work when China, the worlds second-largest economy, clearly did not share the goal of moving toward a market-based system. But what the Trump administration intends to do about the organizations perceived shortcomings is less clear. Some of the measures proposed under Trumps America First economic policy appear to make use of the World Trade Organization, while others could violate its rules and undermine its very existence. Most notably, the United States could run afoul of international convention with actions it might take as a result of investigations into imports of cheap solar products and washing machines. In the past, the World Trade Organization has decided that tariffs imposed as a result of these kind of safeguard investigations, which aim to protect domestic industries from a surge of imports, violate its rules. In a separate investigation into Chinas infringement of U.S. intellectual property, administration officials are currently debating whether to use existing global rules (by filing trade cases through the World Trade Organization) or break them (by erecting the kind of across-the-board tariff on Chinese imports that Trump often pledged during the campaign). Some of the tax policies the United States is considering might also run afoul of the organizations guidelines. In a report published Thursday, a group of lawyers and academics argued that a proposal intended to exempt the foreign income of domestic corporations from U.S. taxes might not comply with the World Trade Organization or bilateral tax treaties. The question, trade analysts say, is what the Trump administration would do if the WTO rules against these policies. Several administration officials have suggested that they might respond by ignoring the trade organization or withdrawing from it altogether two options that might weaken the organization enough to serve as a death blow. On China, theres lots that can be done using our current trade laws, said Dan DiMicco, a trade adviser to the Trump administration. We can go to the WTO and file more trade cases. And if they dont work with us, we can leave the WTO. Proponents of the trade group are also concerned by what they describe as the Trump administrations effort to undermine the organizations system for settling trade disputes among its members. Since Trump came into office, the White House has blocked the appointments of new judges to a body that considers appeals, slowing the pace at which the World Trade Organization can process trade cases. As more judges see their terms expire in the coming months, experts fear the dispute settlement system could be paralyzed. In a letter, farm groups said the current actions by this administration to block appointments indefinitely could prevent the resolution of cases that might benefit U.S. agriculture. Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said that the trend may be intentional. Trumps top trade negotiator, U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, has been critical of the appellate body for passing judgments outside the scope of the original WTO agreement akin to what some in the United States term judicial activism. In a speech in Washington in September, Lighthizer said that Americans tended to view the trade group as a contract with clearly defined rights. Others Europeans, but others also tend to think theyre sort of evolving kinds of governance, he said. And theres a very different idea between these two things. The Trump administration has also been slower than its predecessors to bring trade cases against other countries at the World Trade Organization cases that the United States frequently wins, Bown said. That could soon result in a situation where the United States is losing cases, but not winning many a set of circumstances that could fuel opposition to the WTO in the White House, he said. In other matters, however, the Trump administration is making use of the organizations rules. That includes the decision to join the European Union in arguing its case before the World Trade Organization for not labeling China a market economy a distinction that would entitle China to preferential economic treatment that the United States feels it does not deserve. So far, the Trump administrations America First policy does not appear to be greatly dampening international trade. The World Trade Organization is projecting that global trade in goods will grow 3.6 percent this year, more than double the rate last year, as economies around the world continue to strengthen. On Monday, the organization announced that its members introduced fewer measures to restrict trade between October 2016 and October 2017 than they had the previous year. New trade pacts are also moving forward. On Friday, the European Union and Japan announced that they had finalized a deal to create a sweeping new free trade agreement. During Trumps trip to Asia, in which he proclaimed that the United States was no longer entering into multinational trade agreements, the 11 remaining countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership pushed ahead with forming the pact. Few trade experts expect much progress out of the meeting in Buenos Aires, which runs through Wednesday. Its unclear whether the members will reach a consensus on new rules on global fishing. Other recent efforts toward reforming digital trade and services that were formerly pushed by the Obama administration now appear to be bogged down. Every country in the world hates the WTO, they just hate all the other alternatives worse, said Rufus Yerxa, president of the National Foreign Trade Council and the World Trade Organizations former deputy director general. Thats really the lesson that the U.S. has to draw. Its easy to hate some system of rules. The question is, whats the alternative? If youre looking for a surrogate mother to have your baby, please dont approach it the way Rep. Trent Franks did. Virtually everything about how the Arizona Republican broached the sensitive and complicated topic of surrogacy -- both according to his own recounting and the allegations of former aides -- strikes some very strange chords considering the legal standards, biological realities and ethical questions underpinning the process. The eight-term congressman abruptly resigned on Friday, after the House Ethics Committee said it was investigating him for potential sexual harassment concerning his conversations surrounding surrogacy with two female staffers. Frankss own news release, in which he admitted to making the aides uncomfortable but insists he never solicited sex, is one of the stranger resignation announcements weve read when it comes to lawmakers. It gets even weirder when you consider that Franks is one of the most prominent antiabortion members of Congress, sponsor of many bills aimed at restricting abortion, including a 20-week ban the House has passed multiple times. Surrogacy is an issue that makes many abortion opponents uncomfortable because it typically results in the creation and destruction of multiple embryos. Franks and his wife have twins through surrogacy and have sought additional children since. Lets take a look at some of the oddest aspects of how Franks allegedly broached the topic. Surrogacy is technically illegal in Franks home state. A half-dozen states strongly encourage surrogacy by upholding contracts between donor parents and surrogate mothers. Another half-dozen frown upon it either by banning such contracts or prohibiting compensation. The rest fall somewhere in between on a complicated legal smorgasbord of laws and court rulings ascribing varying levels of rights to donor parents and surrogates. Arizona is on the less-friendly end of the spectrum. The state technically outlaws such arrangements, but there is legal precedent allowing two parties to go to court to determine parentage. To have their twins via surrogacy, the Franks would presumably have had to take legal risks within their own state or contract with a surrogate elsewhere. They havent clarified exactly how their twins were born. It could work in Arizona, but it would be a legal nightmare because they dont enforce contracts, said Arthur Caplan, professor of bioethics at New York University. The market rate for paying surrogates is $20,000 to $55,000 (thats in addition to their medical expenses) -- not anywhere close to the $5 million Franks allegedly offered a former aide to bear his child. Yes, Franks is among the richest members of Congress -- his net worth is estimated at nearly $33 million, mostly from oil and gas investments. But that makes it no less odd that Franks would offer such an extravagant figure to a potential surrogate. During my time there, I was asked a few times to look over a contract to carry his child, and if I would conceive his child, I would be given $5 million, one former aide told the Associated Press. That aide -- and another Franks had also approached about surrogacy -- said they werent sure whether he was referring to impregnating them through sexual intercourse or through in vitro fertilization, according to a report by Politico. Experts say the term surrogacy always refers to a medical procedure. This notion that the baby would be conceived via sexual contact is very much out of the norm when it comes to the way surrogacy works in this country, said Valerie Gutmann Koch, director of law and ethics at the University of Chicagos MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. And the question of compensation highlights a serious divide between those who embrace surrogacy and those opposed to it. Theres a real split, Leslie Francis, a philosophy professor and bioethicist at the University of Utah, told me. There are some feminists who are utterly opposed to the practice, thinking of it as commercializing reproduction and exploiting the woman. Others view surrogacy as a charitable act by the woman, even if shes also paid -- or at least as a reasonable financial decision if the woman understands the details of the arrangement in advance and gives her full consent. Its unusual and difficult to create only a limited number of embryos, as Franks claimed to have done with the birth of his twins. In his resignation announcement, Franks said that his twins were conceived through a pro-life approach that did not discard or throw away any embryos. Thats theoretically possible but difficult, experts say. Harvesting eggs from the donor mother is an arduous process that most women dont want to undergo more than once. So doctors typically collect many eggs at once and immediately fertilize them, because frozen embryos are much more stable than frozen eggs. If the goal is to create only as many embryos as can be implanted into a surrogate, a doctor would probably have to harvest eggs multiple times or wait to fertilize them. Few surrogates would probably be willing to have more than a few embryos implanted inside them because of the risk of triplets, quadruplets or even more. Finding a surrogate willing to take more than two or three embryos would be quite a task, Caplan said. And freezing embryos doesnt necessarily solve the ethical problem for those who consider it morally wrong to destroy one of them -- even if they might, in time, be adopted by other people desiring children. Just freezing them doesnt settle the issue -- why are you freezing people? Caplan said. Youre getting up pretty close to what I would consider inconsistent practices and beliefs. Franks allegedly approached two of his staffers directly to request their services as surrogates. Frankss aides said their boss approached them directly to raise the idea of bearing his child. Now, it wouldnt be so strange to directly approach a potential surrogate in whats known as a traditional contract surrogacy -- in which the surrogate mother is genetically related to the fetus. This was the first type of surrogacy generally practiced, with a couple seeking out a family member to be artificially inseminated because the woman cant bear a child for one reason or another. But Franks crossed all kinds of workplace and ethical lines by approaching his staffers. Its unclear whether Franks was referring to a traditional surrogacy or a gestational surrogacy, where his wifes egg would be used. In a gestational surrogacy, prospective parents often engage legal counsel, since their relationship with a surrogate is so nuanced and sensitive. Bottom line: Franks essentially committed some major blunders in the way he went about seeking a surrogate in his apparent quest for more children. How much he was willing to spend, the fact he was unable to clarify whether this was a gestational surrogacy and the fact that these are his subordinates -- those are the big red flags, Koch said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Chris Mattei has a union problem. A state labor organizer has filed an elections complaint against Mattei, a Democrat who last week transitioned from testing the waters for governor to a declared candidate for state attorney general. The thrust of the allegations is that Mattei broke the law by using his exploratory committee for statewide office to solicit campaign contributions to specifically run for governor and failed to register as a candidate. Timothy J. Sullivan, who has been an organizer for the carpenters union, filed the complaint last month with the state Elections Enforcement Commission. Accordingly, the Mattei for CT committee, and candidate Chris Mattei, seem to be campaigning illegally, and have been doing so since late July. I would like SEEC to investigate, Sullivan wrote in the complaint. Mattei raised more than $222,000 through his exploratory committee, which is more than enough to qualify for public campaign financing for attorney general if he is allowed to roll over the money. Were aware that a complaint has been filed and it is without merit, and we are confident that anybody who looks at this will come to the same conclusion, said Julie Edwards, a Mattei campaign spokeswoman. The fact that a complaint was filed and peddled to reporters is politics as usual the kind of politics of usual that people are sick of and that Chris Mattei has been fighting against his whole career. Not long ago, Mattei led the public corruption unit in the U.S. attorneys office in Connecticut, sending disgraced former Gov. John Rowland, a Republican, back to prison for campaign fraud. Matteis role in another high-profile case perhaps sheds light on why a union organizer would have an ax to grind, however. In 2012, Mattei prosecuted a pair political associates of former Connecticut House Speaker Chris Donovan for accepting illegal payments to in a bid to try to kill a proposed tobacco tax. There was no wrongdoing by Donovan, but the case effectively killed the Meriden Democrat and union-favorites congressional prospects. The government informant in the case, Ray Soucy, a union treasurer for the states correction officers, received a six-month sentence at a halfway house. Donovan is now employed as a political action coordinator for the Connecticut Education Association, the largest teachers union in the state. A request for comment was left Monday for Sullivan, who resides in Barkhamsted. Click bait If youre on a candidate or political partys email list, youre probably used to Nostradamus subject lines by now. Then theres Liz Linehan, a freshman state representative from Cheshire who is running for lieutenant governor on the same Democratic ticket as Middletown Mayor Dan Drew. The subject line of a Saturday email from Linehan was The anniversary of my death. If you don't know me well yet, 23 years ago I died, Linehan wrote. Heart failure, kidney failure, rhabdomyolysis. My heart stopped beating on its own for 18 minutes. My last rites were performed three times. All from strep throat. I was in the hospital for a month afterward and spent three months on dialysis. Doctors said it was a once in a lifetime freak illness, but it was the day that changed my life forever. Now that Linehan had everyones attention, she wasnt going to let the opportunity pass. Join our campaign today with a contribution of $23. I believe in Connecticut, and I want you to join us. Know when to hold em The house always wins and for the past dozen years so have Democrats in statewide and congressional races in Connecticut. So Republicans are fittingly heading to Foxwoods to try to change their odds. Just dont roll snake eyes. The state GOP will hold its biennial nominating convention at the tribal-owned casino next May, when 1,200 delegates from all over the state will endorse candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and House, and five other constitutional offices. In 2014, Mohegan Sun hosted the Republican confab, prompting party lawyers to make sure the nominations would hold legal force because the reservation is a sovereign nation. Standard message rates apply American Idol does it. So does Dancing with the Stars. And now Republicans. After its first gubernatorial debate last week in Windsor, the state GOP conducted an unscientific text messaging poll determine the unofficial winner, a distinction that went to former Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst with 28 percent of the vote. Naturally, we wanted to know whether you can vote more than once from the same mobile number. No, said state GOP Chairman J.R. Romano, who estimated that 200 people voted. twitter.com/gettinviggy; nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Saratoga Springs For the last 10 years, Rabbi Linda Motzkin has been doing what no other woman in the Jewish community has done. She has been creating a Torah scroll from scratch. She is a scribe, soferet in Hebrew, and is writing out the 304,805 divine letters of the Torah. But her calligraphy is just part of the effort. Motzkin created her own natural materials in order to write the sacred text. "A lot of people ask me why don't you give a list of what you need to a man who can buy you the supplies," Motzkin said. "I don't because a Torah must be done with integrity. There has to be integrity of process. That's why I source my own materials." The sourcing begins by making parchment from deerskin hides. "I get them from local hunters," Motzkin said as she stands in her Wilton garage where curling deerskins hang on a wall. "I get them through word of mouth. Everyone around here knows a hunter." From there, she scrapes the meat and blood off the hide, then soaks it in lime to loosen the hair, which she then scrapes away. Next she places the hide in her backyard stream for 24 hours to return material to its natural, suppleness. It comes out dirty, so she rinses it in water. The hide is then stretched on a frame to dry. As it does so, it is transformed into parchment that she sands three times for a polished finish. She then cuts out a rectangle from the center and another sheet for her five-book, 80-odd sheet scroll is ready. "It has to be smooth and flat with no blemishes," Motzkin said, showing off a piece of her handmade parchment. "This sheet also has to be large enough for three columns." Before placing ink to parchment, she makes a quill from a turkey feather. The tip must be a certain diameter, snipped at an exact angle and then hollowed out. She also prepares her ink. In her yarmulke and prayer shawl, she will line the parchment and begin the slow, careful work of penning what is considered in Judaism the most holy ritual object. More Information Festival of Lights Hanukkah begins Tuesday at sunset. Hanukkah means "dedication" in Hebrew. The Festival of Lights commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Greek-Syrian armies in the second century B.C.E. and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem when, although there was only enough oil for one night, the Temple lamp, or menorah, miraculously burned for eight. The eight-day holiday is celebrated at home by lighting a menorah, with one candle added each night. See More Collapse Afterwards, three separate teams of proofreaders check her sheet. If there is an error, the ink is scraped away and the letter rewritten. If it's deemed perfect, the new sheet can be stitched, with sinew, to the other sheets. Eventually, it will form one long scroll that will be wrapped around wooden rollers. It's a lot of work. But Motzkin has help. The creation of the scroll, which she expects will take another eight years to complete, is part of the Community Torah Project. Thus far, 2,800 people of all ages have helped in various ways scraping or stretching the hides, looking for turkey feathers, mixing ink and proofreading. For centuries, it was forbidden for women to write the Torah text. But in recent years, more women have learned the ancient skill from other scribes such as the late Rabbi Eric Ray who handed down the tradition to Motzkin. It wasn't until 2007 that the first Torah was written by a woman. Jen Taylor Friedman, whose materials were purchased for her, had the honor and a special celebration took place in New York City. "It was a historic moment," said Motzkin, who attended the ceremony. Traditions are changing rapidly and women are now able to buy some materials from kosher shops. "It's a don't ask, don't tell kind of thing," she said. Still, there is resistance. Marjorie Ingalls, who writes for the online Jewish magazine Tablet, has noted in her articles female scribes are one of the last barriers in Jewish ritual practice. In a 2015 article, she wrote that female scribes were "isolated and without community when they began; they pretty much experienced a calling" and "Finding teachers was a challenge; because most soferim (male scribes) wouldn't take on a female student." While the pool of female scribes grows, Motzkin remains unique as she continues to make, not buy, her materials. And when her Torah scroll is finally complete, she will donate it to a Jewish community in need of one. Motzkin and her husband Jonathan Rubenstein have been the spiritual leaders of Temple Sinai since their ordination in 1986. "We don't need (the new Torah) at Temple Sinai because we already have two," Motzkin said. "Some people ask if we can give away one of those and keep the one we are making. We are human and we become attached. But it's my intention to give it away." wliberatore@timesunion.com 518-454-5445 @wendyliberatore A federal appeals court in San Francisco gave a chilly response Monday to the Trump administrations argument to scuttle a far-reaching lawsuit by 21 young people who say their rights are at risk from the governments inaction on climate change. The youths, aged 10 to 21, sued President Barack Obamas administration in 2015. Their lawyers contended that the governments long-established obligation to protect public resources such as rivers and seashores applies to the atmosphere, and that the youths constitutional right to life and liberty, and to due process of law, is being violated by federal policies on fossil fuels and related issues. Ruling that the youths had made at least a preliminary showing that the governments policies were likely to harm them, a federal judge in Oregon refused to dismiss the suit in November 2016. At a hearing Monday attended by 18 of the young plaintiffs, a Trump administration lawyer called the ruling unprecedented and asked the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn it. The court should decline to fashion a due-process right out of thin air, Justice Department attorney Eric Grant told the three-judge panel. He said the suit was clearly meritless and, if allowed to proceed, would threaten to create a constitutional confrontation between the branches of government, referring to the executive branch and the courts. But Chief Judge Sidney Thomas said the process the administration wants the court to halt the plaintiffs efforts to question federal officials and gather evidence is a routine procedure that courts seldom interrupt. Judge Marsha Berzon said the governments objections appeared to be premature. And the third panel member, Judge Alex Kozinski, said even a case that is ultimately found to be meritless should not be dismissed at this stage. More for you Young peoples climate-change lawsuit takes on Trump There always has to be a first case, Kozinski said. Ten years ago there was no right to same-sex marriage. But Kozinski also expressed doubt that the case would be allowed to go to trial. Questioning a lawyer for the youths, he cited the appeals courts 2013 ruling dismissing a suit by environmental groups against Washington state officials for failing to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by the states five oil refineries. The court said the groups could not show that their members were harmed by the refineries emission, and therefore lacked legal standing to sue. I dont see how this case is different, Kozinski said. The lawyer, Julia Olson, replied that the refineries emitted about 6 percent of Washingtons greenhouse gases, while the United States spews out 16 percent or more of the worlds climate-changing gases. Kozinski also questioned the youths legal standing on another ground that the harm they said they were suffering was the same as everybody else in the country but Olson disagreed. Children are disproportionately suffering harm to their health, she said, and they will live far longer than you, to a devastating era of rising seas. She said the plaintiffs were not asking the courts to take over the fossil fuel industry, but only to order federal agencies to bring their emissions under control. Who runs the country at that point? Kozinski asked. Is it a district judge in Oregon or is it the president? They cant ignore their constitutional obligations, Olson replied. The panel will rule at a future date on whether the suit can proceed. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@egelko The neighborhood around Park Tree and Park Wind in southeast Katy was once considered a "park desert." "That's because there are no local parks where children could go and play," said Sharlu Melville, the assistant principal at Memorial Parkway Elementary School, 21603 Park Tree Lane. But that's no longer the case thanks to the SPARK nonprofit conservation program established in 1983 by former Houston City Council member Eleanor Tinsley. "SPARK" - which stands for school park - uses available land to create green spaces on school properties. More than 140 playgrounds have been created in 15 school districts in the greater Houston area. "With this park, we are benefiting not only the school and its students but also strengthening this community and its families," said Katy ISD board president Ashley Vann. The dramatically revamped playground at the elementary is available for public use on the weekend and during non-school hours. The effort was a collaboration between Katy ISD, parents, staff members, students and the community which raised more than $129,000 for the upgrade. In addition to slides found at any school playground, the community park features a walking trail, an amphitheater and sensory play panels. "I'm looking around to see if there's anything a 50 year old can play on," said State Rep. Mike Schofield, who presented the school a Texas flag that had flown over the state capitol building in Austin at the park's recent dedication. Melville said she was happy to welcome the community to their new park. "We're going to continue to make this park even more beautiful than it is," she said. "Just help us keep it safe and clean." The sunlight came in through the shades, shaking me from my dream. But as a 6-year-old, that just meant Saturday morning cartoons. I sprang up and dashed to the living room. As I turned on the television, there he was - a blue-and-red blur flying across the screen. Soon after, the iconic "S" came into focus: SUPERMAN. By far, my favorite superhero. I liked him for his abilities. Who wouldn't? He was super-strong and able to fly. But my connection was deeper. He was more than a hero, he was an immigrant who left his home and came to the United States. He left everything and adapted to this new place. And, best of all, he used this experience to become stronger and protect others, standing for "TRUTH, JUSTICE and the AMERICAN WAY." Leaping from couch to couch in pajamas, I dreamed of one day being able to protect people, too; I dreamed of growing into someone loved in America. I outgrew my pajamas, but never quite outgrew my hunger for leadership. That is why four years letter my dream was to become President of the United States. One day, in fourth grade, my teacher opened our civics class to talk about the requirements for the presidency. There was no kid more eager. I took out my notebook and prepared to plan my future. She began by writing on the board, "Must be at least 35 years of age." One day I'll be older; check. Next: "Must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years." I will have lived in the country for 31 years by then; check. Finally, "Must be a natural-born citizen of the U.S." With that, my world came crashing down. My whole life I was told you can do anything you set your mind to. And now, over something I had no control over - where I was born, I was being denied my dream. My teacher continued with the unofficial requirements, saying a president should also go to college and asked who among us would do that. Oops. She pulled me aside and asked why I felt it was beyond me, to which I said, "I'm undocumented." Understanding the pain I must have felt, she asked why I wanted to be president?" I said, "I want to make a difference in my community, like Martin Luther King." She smiled and pointed out that he wasn't a past-president. I countered: "Well, like Cesar Chavez." Again, she smiled and corrected me. That's when I realized, my dream was not to become president; my dream is to make a positive impact in my community. I want to interpret the law, not be a victim of it. Thankfully, I did find a way to go to college. when back then it seemed impossible. I had to pay three times the tuition my classmates did, and couldn't apply for most scholarships. I was unable to qualify for loans, and unable to work. Then, a miracle occurred. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was created and brought me out of the shadows. It could work enough to make me feel free of fear of deportation. Thanks to this program, I followed my dream, went to law school, graduated and passed the Arizona Bar exam. The lesson of understanding the law that I learned in fourth grade became the engine that drove me. Nearly 800,000 individuals across the nation have benefited. We have found jobs, reached for higher education and offered help to community resources. While many hoped DACA would remain, I always understood it was merely a Band-Aid; I always understood that true security can only come through Congress. We encourage fellow immigrants to use their voices and tell their stories. It's these stories that help lift the veil of misunderstanding. At times like this, I remember those childhood Saturday mornings, think back to Superman going up against an impeding apocalypse. It wasn't his super strength that saved the day, it was his resolve. It was knowing that he was fighting on the right side. Dreams can be funny. They begin in a land of make-believe, but with perseverance and grit, they can become objects of reality. I may not be wearing an "S" on my shirt and may not be living in the White House, but my love for this country has led me to fight for my community and its dignity. Salvador Macias is a J.D. Graduate 2017 from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. BEIRUT - Thousands of Hezbollah supporters joined a fiery rally in Beirut on Monday as the movement's leader urged Palestinians to rise up after President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Demonstrators packed the streets of Beirut's southern suburbs in a carefully managed march. Crowds chanted "Death to America, death to Israel!" and waved Palestinian and Hezbollah flags. Israel's military, meanwhile, reported that two rockets were fired at its territory from the Gaza Strip on Monday, the third volley since Trump said last week that he would break with decades of U.S. foreign policy to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. That announcement has sparked protests across the Arab world. Hundreds of protesters clashed with Lebanese security forces near the U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Sunday, hurling rocks and bottles toward the compound as the army beat back the crowd using tear gas and water cannons. But so far, more-serious violence has not materialized, and Palestinian concerns about Jerusalem have failed to energize most Arab governments. Many leaders here seem more focused on conflicts in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere that are roiling the region. Addressing the crowd Monday via video link, Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah described Trump's policy change as a "foolish decision" that would mark the "beginning of the end" of the Jewish state. "The most important response will be to announce a third Palestinian intifada on all occupied Palestinian territories," he said, using an Arabic term that evokes earlier uprisings. Lebanon harbors more than 500,000 Palestinian refugees, many of whom fled their homes in what is now Israel and the West Bank during the wars of 1948 and 1967. The Lebanese state has never formally recognized their status as refugees, and Palestinians are barred from dozens of professions. Sitting on the sidewalk during Nasrallah's speech Thursday was Alia Shahata, born in 1948 to parents who she said left Palestinian territories after being expelled from their home. "Trump is humiliating all Arabs with his decision," she said. "My family has no rights here in Lebanon. Our boys all work on coffee stalls inside the refugee camp. Know that we would all go back to Palestinian territories tomorrow if we could." As she spoke, a group of boys no older than 10 posed for photographs in the street, dressed in military fatigues and raising their hands in Hezbollah salutes. Founded in response to Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, Hezbollah, a Shiite militia backed by Iran, has also played a key role in turning the tide of Syria's civil war in favor of President Bashar Assad. Trump's decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has drawn widespread condemnation from allies around the world, many of whom had seen the city's eventual status as a matter to be settled in a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday that the 28-member bloc delivered a "clear and united" message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a visit to Brussels, and that the only "realistic" solution is for two states, with Jerusalem as their shared capital. She rejected Netanyahu's public statement that he expects European nations to follow the U.S. lead and move their embassies as well. "He can keep his expectations for others," she said. In his speech, Netanyahu said Trump had put "facts on the table" with the recognition of Jerusalem, which he said makes peace possible by recognizing reality. But at home in Israel, the fallout continued with the rocket attacks from Gaza. The Israeli military said it was not sure whether the first rocket reached its territory but responded by bombing two Hamas military posts. No casualties were reported in the exchange. Hours later a second rocket was fired, the roar of the launch audible from Gaza City, indicating that it may have had a larger payload. The rocket was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system in the region of Ashkelon. Shortly afterward, bombing could be heard in Gaza. The Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas military posts in northern Gaza. The rocket fire came just hours after Iranian media reported that Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, had reaffirmed support for the Gaza militant groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas during phone calls with their military leaders. He "urged all resistance movements in the region to boost their readiness to defend the al-Aqsa Mosque," Press TV reported, referring to the Jerusalem mosque. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also spoke with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Monday, it said. No one immediately asserted responsibility for the rocket fire, but Israeli officials say they hold Hamas responsible for all such firings from Gaza. Hamas has called for an uprising against Israel in the wake of the Jerusalem announcement. Two of its militants were killed after Israel responded to rocket fire last week, while two protesters who Israel said were rolling burning tires and throwing rocks were also fatally shot near the border. --- The Washington Post's Loveday Morris in Jerusalem and Hazem Balousha in Gaza City contributed to this report. ROCKY HILL A 30-year-old Middletown man was killed early Saturday when the sedan he was a passenger in rear-ended a parked tractor-trailer on Interstate 91 near Exit 24, State Police said. State police said Brian Gorman, 27, of Kensington Street, Manchester, was driving his 2012 Ford Fusion southbound on the highway just after 3 a.m. Saturday when the vehicle veered into the right shoulder and hit the rear of a UPS tractor-trailer operated by Dwayne Henry, 35, of Irvington, N.J. Egypt and Russia signed a $30 billion deal to build North Africa's first nuclear power plant as the Kremlin moves to expand its influence in the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi witnessed the signing ceremony in Cairo on Monday. The project increases Russia's economic presence and political influence in the Middle East, already on the rise since Putin intervened in Syria's war in 2015 and began a more active role in Libya, conflicts where he and el-Sissi see eye to eye. The Cairo visit comes less than two weeks after the countries said they were in talks to use each other's military air bases. El-Sissi praised the closer ties with Russia, saying in a press conference the relationship was based on "strength and continuity" on regional and economic issues. The Egyptian leader said he and Putin agreed to "settle any hurdles confronting the projects we plan to implement." Russia and Egypt agreed three years ago to begin work on a nuclear power project, with Russia's state nuclear monopoly Rosatom Corp. initially expecting the deal to be sealed in early 2016. But progress was delayed after the 2015 bombing of a Russian airliner over Egypt which killed 224 holidaymakers. Russia suspended flights to Egypt after the bombing by a local affiliate of Islamic State, dealing a major blow to tourism as the country sought to revive an economy battered by political upheaval since the 2011 uprising. Putin said Egypt had worked hard to improve airport security. Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said the two countries had agreed on a draft protocol to resume direct Moscow-Cairo flights. Flights will restart a month and a half after the protocol is signed. No decision has yet been taken on the resumption of Russian charter flights to Egypt's Red Sea resorts, he said. On the eve of Putin's visit, banners for Aeroflot passengers could be seen at Cairo airport. Rosatom plans to commission the first unit of the El Dabaa power plant in 2026, the company said in a statement after the signing. It will also supply nuclear fuel to each of the four 1,200MW reactors throughout the plant's entire operational lifetime. The project, which is to be built some 130 kilometers northwest from Cairo, will cost an estimated $30 billion and Russia is expected to provide a $25 billion loan. "We have finalized technical, financial and legal aspects of the deal," Electricity Ministry spokesman Ayman Hamza said by phone. The remaining phases would come online one or two years after the first. Egyptian newspapers hailed the deal as a historic moment for Egypt, the second-largest energy-consumer in Africa after South Africa, currently home to the continent's only nuclear power plant. Egypt was the fastest-growing energy market in the Middle East and Africa last year, according to BP Plc statistical reports. Russia has a history of pursuing large-scale energy projects in Egypt, often as part of a broader effort to challenge U.S. political, military and economic influence. The Soviet Union helped build the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s. Moscow was a major power in the Middle East during the Cold War, arming Arab states against Israel. Its influence waned with the collapse of communism, leaving the U.S. as the pre-eminent force. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With six words penned to his local newspaper, serial killer Todd Kohlhepp gave voice to the fears of investigators and anyone else worried that a missing loved one had become a victim of South Carolina's infamous murderer: "Yes there is more than seven." The sentence was a chilling part of a prison letter Kohlhepp sent to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal last week - more than a year after a woman who had been summoned to Kohlhepp's property to clean was found chained by the neck inside a large storage container. RELATED: South Carolina woman chained in container: Captor bragged about killing The investigation led authorities to identify seven other victims. Three had also been lured to the property under cleaning gig pretenses. Their bodies were buried in shallow graves. Another four were victims of a quadruple murder that hadn't been solved for 13 years. Now Playing: Todd Christopher Kohlhepp has been behind bars for over a year since confessing to killing seven people. Video: WYFF In May, Kohlhepp pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to seven lifetimes in prison, plus 60 years. But he apparently wants people to know - or at least wonder - about other possible victims. "I tried to tell investigators and I did tell FBI, but it was blown off," he continued in his letter to the Herald-Journal. "It's not an addition problem, it's (a) multiplication problem. Leaves the state and leaves the country. Thank you private pilot's license." It's plausible that there could be more murder victims. Some of Kohlhepp's previous murders had been unsolved for more than a decade. He was a gun enthusiast and, as he points out in his letter, an amateur pilot. Authorities told the media they confiscated an "arsenal" of weapons from the Woodruff property where the woman was found and Kohlhepp's home some 10 miles away. Kohlhepp was a well-groomed and tech-savvy real estate agent who gave no outward signs of the murderous secrets he was keeping. But to those privy to his true self, he was rather chatty. Kala Brown - the woman found in the storage container - told the "Dr. Phil" show that Kohlhepp would tell her he was "nearing the triple digits" in killings. RELATED: A year after his first murder, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer moved to San Antonio As The Washington Post's Amy B Wang reported, Kohlhepp recounted in detail - and even seemed to brag - about killing four people at a South Carolina motorcycle shop, which had come to be known as the "Superbike" murders. "All of a sudden, I had three people in front of me. ... Mom was the closest. ... And I shot her two, three times in the chest. Not my best work. ... She fell. The son and the manager, he ... ran for the door, took off. ... At that range, they should have ran to me, not away. " ... That was one big building. I cleared that building in under 30 seconds," Kohlhepp told investigators. "I'm sorry, but you guys would have been proud." More than a decade later, Kohlhepp hired Brown and her boyfriend, Charles "David" Carver, to do some cleaning work at the property he owned in Woodruff. She told "Dr. Phil" that they had previously cleaned houses for Kohlhepp and never thought they were in danger as they drove to Woodruff. But Kohlhepp killed Carver and kidnapped Brown. Investigators tracked them down by tracing their cellphones. RELATED: A look at Texas' most notorious serial killers Dramatic video released by investigators showed them sawing through a lock on the shed where Brown was hidden. Suddenly free, she spewed out details about her captor and the other crimes he'd revealed to her. Carver's body and two others were found on the property. Kohlhepp also confessed to the motorcycle shop murders in Chesnee. As for the most recent claims, Anderson Police Department Capt. Mike Walters told the Herald-Journal he doesn't believe Kohlhepp is connected to any open local cases but that there could be more victims in other states where Kohlhepp has spent time. The FBI told the newspaper the investigation remains open. But the only person who knows for sure is being cryptic. "At this point," Kohlhepp wrote in the letter, "I really don't see reason to give numbers or locations." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Barney Smith, has spent half of his life building San Antonio's Toilet Seat Art Museum, but the fate of it remains unknown. That's why an Austin-based micropublisher is working to create King of the Commode: Barney Smith and His Toilet Seat Art Museum, a book which documents all of his works with 350 color photographs and illustrations. Earlier this year, Smith, 96, and his family decided to part ways with the collection of more than 1,300 seats decorated by the retired master plumber. They wanted to sell it to a person who would keep the collection intact and hopefully display them free to to the public, as Smith himself has since 1992. RELATED: Clorox is helping Barney Smith sell his Toilet Seat Art Museum Months later, a bidder has yet to step up to claim the beloved San Antonio institution. Clorox, the cleaning company, has tried helping by creating a dedicated website and now the publisher, Cattywampus, is lending a hand. The company said since the future of the museum is "unknown," they "felt the need to document this important collection of American outsider art before it quite possibly disappears." "This book will ensure Barney's collection and story are available for generations to come," Cattywampus said in a news release. To fund the book, the publisher is asking for the public to support their Kickstarter campaign. So far, 90 supporters have pledged $7,678 of the $30,000 goal to produce the book. Cattywampus is offering tokens of gratitude for each pledge level, which ranges from $10 to $350 or more. Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for MySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkye All lanes of Interstate 10 are open again after a major crash snarled traffic Monday morning in the area of Callaghan Road and Medical Drive. Four westbound lanes were affected, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Those unable to attend Kenneth M. Copelands funeral, but still wanting to honor the San Marcos police officer slain Dec. 4, are invited to stand along roads and on overpasses for the passage of the funeral procession on Wednesday as it travels down Interstate 35 and across Loop 1604. The hearse is slated to leave Thomason Funeral Home in San Marcos at 8 a.m. Wednesday, proceeding down RR 12 to Wonder World Drive and then heading south on I-35 en route to the Community Bible Church at 2477 Loop 1604 in San Antonio. Tim Duncan asked a federal court Tuesday to properly sentence his former financial adviser, who allegedly defrauded the San Antonio Spurs legend out of millions of dollars. "My biggest fear is that you will give him a sentence that will allow him to go out into the world and tell everyone as he has continued to do since his guilty plea that he did not do anything wrong and he proves by having very little to no jail time," Duncan said of Charles Banks. "I respectfully ask you, do not do that. I promise you, that if he has any excuse to get back into this line of business, he will be out hustling and doing the same to others." Police have released the name of the alleged drunk driver accused of killing a woman and injuring two other people in a wrong-way crash on Sunday. Alejandro Almazan, 25, faces one charge of intoxication manslaughter and two charges of intoxication assault. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $200,000 bond. He is also being held on an ICE detainer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Bexar County Jail Show More Show Less 2 of 3 FILE Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Bexar County deputies arrested a San Antonio man after he allegedly drunkenly drove head-on into a car with five passengers, injuring all of them. Kevin Garcia, 25, was charged with intoxication assault and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $150,000 bond. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Alexandro M. Luna Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Alexandro M. Luna Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The man who was shot and killed Saturday night while sitting in his car at a red light on the Northeast Side has been identified. Deandre Monte Cameron, 26, of San Antonio, was shot around 9:15 p.m. near the 6500 block of Rittiman Road and Farm-to-Market 78. He died a short time later, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The man suspected of firing a shotgun at a 2016 Halloween party while dressed as Freddy Kruguer is now facing another charge in connection with the attack. Robert Contreras, 22, was charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon. He was previously charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. RELATED: Human skeletal remains discovered by hunters in Kerrville, police say Contreras and a group of several other men showed up for a party at a home in the 2900 block of Aspen Meadow about 5 a.m. Oct. 30, 2016, according to an arrest affidavit. Now Playing: San Antonio police investigate a shooting on the Northwest Side that left five people wounded Sunday morning, Oct. 30, 2016. Video: San Antonio Express-News The 25-year-old host of the party didn't recognize the men so he didn't let them in. Three of the men, including Contreras, allegedly pushed their way inside, initiating a shoving match, according to reports. During the fight, one of the uninvited guests reportedly told the host to fight his brother "one on one." They fought, but then the host saw Contreras holding a shotgun, police said. According to the affidavit, Contreras fired the shotgun, striking the host. Reports at the time of the shooting indicate that four other people were also shot during the incident. Contreras has been charged only in connection with the shooting of the host. RELATED: Police: Woman killed in head-on collision with drunk driver Paramedics took three men to University Hospital and another man at Baptist Medical Center in downtown San Antonio; a female victim drove herself to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital but crashed on the way there, according to reports at the time of the incident. Contreras and several other uninvited guests fled the scene after the shooting, authorities said. There were no breaks in the case until the host reportedly identified Contreras in a photo lineup. The affidavit didn't specify how police developed Contreras as a suspect. A second witness identified him as well, police said. A judge then signed a warrant for Contreras' arrest on Aug. 9, which was executed almost one year after the shooting. 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 Police say they are trying to piece together events that led to a shooting Sunday night at a South Side apartment complex that left two men wounded. The two victims were standing outside a first floor unit of the Utopia Place Apartments at 444 Utopia Lane about 7:17 p.m. when they were shot, according to police. It's hard to check the news without seeing yet another student-teacher sex scandal in Texas. Unfortunately, the phenomenon isn't just another media craze, it's an issue that has Texas education officials and legislators concerned. Helen Marie Bowen was a creative person who enjoyed putting flower arrangements together from materials she would find at garage sales and thrift stores. She would also make pillows for the residents at nursing homes and give gifts to her friends and family. Bowen died Dec. 6 from health complications due to a stroke she had a while working in her yard the day before. She was 79. She had a good collection of relatives during her stay at the hospital, said her husband, Warren Bowen. This past Dec. 1, we had our 61st anniversary, he added. Born in Brownsville, Bowens family relocated to San Antonio when she was a girl. The family moved to different parts of the city due to financial hardships, which meant Bowen had to frequently adjust to a new school. Her family kept moving from one location to another. She had a lot of friends from different parts of town because of that, but the moving was a necessity and wasnt pleasant, her husband said. During her senior year at Providence High School, Bowen met her future husband. I was an acquaintance of her brother. He built a pool room in the back of his garage, and I got to know her because I was over all the time, her husband said. She invited me to take her to a high school dance. More Information Helen Marie Bowen Born:Sept. 30, 1938, Brownsville Died: Dec. 6, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Parents Mansel and Florence Elder; son James Vernon Bowen; a brother and a sister Survived by: Husband Warren Bowen; son Larry Bowen; daughters Elizabeth Hernandez and son-in-law Jesse and Brenda Van Shellenbeck and son-in-law Karl; and six grandchildren Services: Celebration of Life at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Shearer Hills Baptist Church, 12615 San Pedro, followed by interment at Bellevue Cemetery, Cheapside See More Collapse The couple wed in December 1956. She didnt start college right away. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years before she started pursuing college, said her daughter Elizabeth Hernandez. She didnt get her masters degree until we were all finally out of the house. She was very active with whatever us kids did. Bowen got both a bachelors and masters degree from the University at Incarnate Word. She had a lot of energy and got a lot of things accomplished. She went to night school and took a subject or two at a time, said her husband said. A big part of Bowens life was taking care of her oldest son, Larry Bowen, who has Down syndrome. My mom was always trying to help my brother be more integrated into the school system, Hernandez said. She wanted him to be fully involved and was his advocate. She started teaching in her 40s, working 12 years at Ridgeview Elementary and then eight at Garner Middle School. She always wanted to be a teacher. That was her lifetime desire, Hernandez said. Bowen was also a writer and composed 250 poems for her self-published book, Pieces of Me from A to Z. Her husband also recalled Bowen creating an all-cursive NIV Bible over a span of 10 years. The church was a source for her stability, strength, and comfort, Hernandez said. She was always trusting in Gods goodness to get her through. Bowen would make a friend and keep in touch with them throughout her life, including her first-grade teacher and numerous ex-students. She was a very loving and open person and loved to meet people and make friends. She stayed in contact with all the friends she made whether it was in town or out of town, her husband said. caleman@express-news.net Health care doesnt stop outside the hospital. At least it did not for Florence Gonzalez, a nurse for 30 years and an advocate for senior citizens health care until she got too sick herself to care for others. Gonzalez died Nov. 30 after a battle with ischemic heart disease. She was 90. The San Antonio native began her career during World War II. She received her education through the Brackenridge Nursing School and the United States Cadet Nurse Corps. As they were being trained, the war died down, daughter Julianna Velez said. It was a good thing that the war ended and the nurses got their education. It really changed their lives. Some of the nurses, like my mom, were able to get an education because of the program. The United States wanted to make sure they had enough nurses stateside as well as overseas. Gonzalez finished her education in 1945 and went to work at a clinic where she was recognized for her abilities beyond the complex work of nursing. Because she was bilingual the hospital doctors knew she was the doctors used her skills, Velez said. The patients were diabetic, and some of them couldnt speak English. When the doctor taps you to do something to help them, that goes a long way, saying they trust you to do things they need. Nothing was automated in nursing when Gonzalez began her work, and she managed to handle a plethora of tasks. More Information Florence Barbara Gonzalez Born: Feb. 20, 1927, San Antonio Died: Nov. 30, 2017, San Antonio Survivors: Husband Julian Gonzalez; daughters Diane G. Sonora and husband Juan, Barbara G. Perez and Julianna G. Velez and husband Alex; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter. Services: A rosary will be recited at 7 tonight at Porter Loring North, 2102 N. Loop 1604 East. Funeral Mass at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Anthony de Padua; interment at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. See More Collapse Youre a nurse off-duty because one of the things my mother taught us was to be compassionate, and this is one of the foundations of nursing, said Velez, who is also a nurse. My mom was trained to observe people. She was trained to educate people their diseases and how to treat them themselves. She was trained to ease and comfort. That is one of the biggest things. After retiring from a career that ranged from in-home care to chief nursing officer to administration in hospitals citywide, Gonzalez and her husband, Julian Gonzalez, dove further into their community. We joined the Senior Citizens Council of Bexar County, said Julian Gonzalez, who became his wifes full-time caregiver when she became ill. They needed a health chairman on the council, so she did it. We went to the legislative sessions in Austin and talked to the representatives. They would ask us questions and have important dialect to get bills pushed through. jpolcyn@express-news.net If you have become numbed to President Donald Trump's constant attacks on the media, if you have lost interest in which networks he currently considers to be "fake news," if you have grown tired of hearing him call journalists "enemies of the people" - well, that's unfortunate, because plenty of others are still paying attention. Around the world, dictators and would-be authoritarians have picked up his attitude and his terminology. From Syria to Venezuela to Burma, authoritarians now dismiss legitimate criticism as "fake news." The Libyan government has denounced a CNN report on human trafficking as "fake news": If the U.S. president disdains the network, why should anybody else listen to them? The president of the Philippines invents stories about his political enemies from whole cloth, just like the president of the United States. And, with Trump at his side, Rodrigo Duterte recently dismissed a gaggle of reporters as "spies." Now the Polish government has been emboldened to take a step in the same direction. On Monday, the national media council slapped an extraordinary fine on TVN24, the largest and most important private television channel in the country. Declaring that the channel had been "promoting illegal activities and encouraging behavior that threatens security," the council demanded 1.5 million zlotys ($420,000). In a very brief statement, the council related the charge to the channel's coverage of anti-government demonstrations a year ago. No details were provided. But the message was perfectly clear: Private media should be very, very careful about broadcasting any opposition to the government. Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Rita Makarau could have resigned due to mounting political pressure over her multiple roles, The Sunday Mail has gathered. Justice Makarau resigned last Thursday without stating reasons after leading Zec since 2013. On top of heading the Commission, she was a Supreme Court judge and Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission. She resigns less than a year before Zimbabwe holds harmonised elections and her deputy, Mr Emmanuel Magade, takes over in acting capacity. Justice Makarau could not be reached for comment on her mobile phone. Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabhiza told The Sunday Mail, She gave no reasons for her resignation. My assumption is that it was because of the pressure that was coming from Parliament where there was a lot of debate around her roles at the Judicial Service Commission, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Supreme Court. The ministry and herself were regularly called upon to justify her roles in these institutions and she may have decided that it was in the best interest that she resigns. The minister has already notified the President of the resignation and, of course, the vacancy. What happens now, in terms of the Constitution, is that the President will appoint a new Chairperson after consulting the Judicial Service Commission and the Parliamentary Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. In the meantime, the Deputy Chair of the Commission is the acting head. Chairperson of Zecs media committee, Commissioner Joyce Kazembe, said: She communicated her resignation to the Commission via email, stating that she was stepping down. She did not give any reasons why she was stepping aside. I cannot speculate on why she decided to leave because that would be misleading. But as a Commission, we were really hurt and devastated by the news because we were doing very good work as a team and with the elections just around the corner, it just makes it very difficult to accept. Another Commissioner, Dr Qhubani Moyo, added: She communicated her decision on Thursday but did not give any reasons why she was stepping down. However, I cannot speculate on why she decided to leave. Try to get hold of her and she will give you her reasons. Commissioners are appointed for a maximum of two six-year terms. None maybe appointed after having been a member for one or more periods, whether continuous or not, amounting to 12 years. The Constitution says the Zec Chair should be a judge or former judge, or a person qualified for appointment as a judge. He/she is appointed in terms of Section 238(1)(a) of the Constitution, which reads: There is a Commission to be known as Zimbabwe Electoral Commission consisting of (a) a chairperson appointed by the President after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission and the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. Breaking News via Email Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede will continue to hold office despite reaching the retirement age of 65 years, since the Civil Service Commission is empowered to engage such persons if their services are still required, Parliament has heard. Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye said it was not prudent to discriminate persons on account of age and Government would soon ratify the African Union Protocol on Older Persons calling on State parties to respect their rights to employment. Minister Kagonye said this in the National Assembly during questions with notice session last week. Harare West MP Ms Jessie Majome (MDC-T) had asked her to inform the House when Mr Mudede was born and why he was not being retired when he was above the retirement age of 65. In direct response to the question from my learned colleague, allow me Mr Speaker, to say that Mr Tobaiwa Mudede was appointed as the Registrar in terms of Section 201 (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as read with Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000 (Public Service Regulations) as amended, said Minister Kagonye. In terms of Section 21 (1) of the Public Service Act, the Commission can engage persons on contract or such conditions as may be fixed from time to time. The Commission is empowered by the Public Service Regulations to engage on annually renewable contracts after they reach retirement age. Such persons will not contribute again towards a pension as they would have already done so, hence their placement on annually renewable contract. Minister Kagonye said the AU was advocating to have the retirement age moved forward due to the rising life expectancy witnessed globally. For example, British Government announced the possibility of raising the retirement age to 67 or 68 to match the trend, she said. Article 8 of the African Union Protocol on Older Persons requires us to respect older persons Right to Employment. It provides that: States Parties shall: 1. Take measures to eliminate discrimination against Older Persons with regard to employment opportunities; 2. Ensure that Older Person enjoy decent working conditions. Resolution 106 African Union bears in mind the rapid rate at which the population of older person is increasing throughout the world and that the most rapid increase is taking place in the developing world, with Africa alone projected to have between 204 and 210 million older person by 2050. This resolution, therefore, calls upon all African Governments to review policies on Older Persons. My ministry is currently initiating ratification of this new Protocol, which Parliament is expected to debate and endorse. It is important for us to consider social trends and keep abreast with global and continental trends. Our laws must remain relevant and devoid of discrimination against age in this particular context, otherwise we perish for want of vision. Minister Kagonye implored legislators not to personalise their enquiries, but rather to interrogate policy issues. Her ministry, she said, had proposed amendments to adjust National Social Security Authority retirement age from 60 to 65 and the suggestion was being considered by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. Breaking News via Email Following the circulation of videos showing Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) soldiers assaulting civilians, activist group Tajamuka/Sesjikile Campaign has given the army up to Wednesday, 13 December to wind up its operations and return to barracks. The activist group said that if the army fails to comply, the peoples movement would step in. In what may turn out to be an ill-advised move, Tajamuka/Sesjikile wrote on their Facebook page saying: Tajamuka notes with grave concern the recent spate of citizen harassment and intimidation by members of the army who continue to man the streets in the country. This has got to stop forthwith. The people of Zimbabwe deserve peace and security for once. Needless attacks on unarmed citizens going about their lawful business will not go unchallenged. We give the army up to Wednesday the 13th of December 2017 to wind up their unwelcome business and disappear from the streets, failure of which the peoples movement will step in. We want to assure the peace-loving citizens (vendors included) our great country that together as citizens we can challenge and defeat this status quo of anarchy and lawlessness. Remember to register and vote in 2018. *Tajamuka/Sesjikile Campaign* Breaking News via Email CONTROVERSIAL businessman Wicknell Chivayo was reportedly arrested yesterday morning. It could not be immediately established where he was being held or interviewed. As such, the charges against him were not yet available as police sources were still checking for details when contacted by H-Metro. But while there was no immediate confirmation from official sources, people in Wicknells inner circle told H-Metro that he had been picked up for questioning. Yes he has been picked but I cannot confirm who arrested him. We are all not sure and it will be bad to make assumptions, said a close source. As of late yesterday afternoon, the associates were still to establish his whereabouts or reasons for being picked up. Speculation was rife that he was in trouble over the energy deals awarded to his company, Intratrek by Zimbabwe Power Company. Intratrek received US$5 million from ZPC to start work on the Gwanda Solar Energy project but nothing has been done amid reports that the site has since been abandoned. Chivayo was awarded three ZPC projects and there has not been progress amid reports that Members of Parliament want the power utility summoned to parly to explain their dealings with Chivayo. The ultimate goal is to get Chivayo repay the US$5 million to ZPC and the project be re-advertised. A campaign to have Chivayo pay back the money was started on social media last week but he did not seem to bother him as he laughed off the calls. Chivayo becomes the latest big fish to be caught in the net following Operation Restore Legacy that saw the arrest of former finance minister Ignatius Chombo. Last week the government said they are leaving no stone unturned on cash barons to return externalised funds. Chivayo, who is also known as Sir Wicknell, is famous for splashing cash on social media and several foreign trips. Speculation over his arrest started soon after the inauguration of Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa as President but Chivayo said the ZPC deal was there to stay despite the public outcry. At that time, Chivayo said calls for his arrest had to be dismissed as mere speculation and conjecture. The ZPC tender which Intratrek Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd has an irrevocable and irreversible signed EPC contract. The company is compliant with the contractual obligations enshrined in its EPC contract for the 100 mw Gwanda project. Intratrek won this tender as lowest bidder to specification under an open tender process above board. Contractually, Intratrek is answerable to the employer ZPC, who are the owners of the project. The two parties are aligned in the progress and execution of this project and work is currently in progress at the power station site and proceeding in good order. The calls for anyones arrest are therefore malicious and unfounded and should be dismissed as mere speculation and conjecture. Asked what progress he had made with regards to the ZESA tender, Chivayo told H-Metro everything was under control. Progress made can be ascertained by talking to the project owner ZPC and visiting the site. Suffice to say pre commencement works are proceeding in good order and fund raising exercise for the actual project commencement are at an advanced stage. He also felt it was unfair for Zimbabweans to keep referring to his criminal past after spending years in prison for fraud. I might have made regrettable youthful misdemeanours in retrospect but that does not make me a criminal in any wide sense. At a time when constitutional matters are at the forefront it is instructive to refer to the constitution, which promotes the integration of ex-convicts into society and treats them equally to other Zimbabweans. So its not correct to call me a criminal. My record as a non-partisan non factional patriot is what people should focus on instead of putting labels on me and casting aspersions on my character, Chivayo told H-Metro in an exclusive interview. Breaking News via Email ALBANY New York convenience store operators are giving the state Labor Department an earful about the negative impacts of predictive scheduling regulations they are threatening to unilaterally impose on employers statewide. Retailers representing hundreds of convenience stores have filed formal comments objecting to the proposed rules, which would add costs and curtail flexibility for employers. The New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) is urging all retailers to file comments before the deadline of January 5, 2018. After that, the Cuomo administration intends to enact the regulations without any vetting by the state legislature. Coming on the heels of minimum wage legislation that is gradually rising to $15 an hour, and a paid family leave mandate that is taking effect January 1, this is the last thing beleaguered New York small businesses need, said NYACS President Jim Calvin. By arbitrarily requiring C-stores to schedule a full two weeks in advance, they are trying to throw a saddle on a wild mustang. Our industry that utterly defies predictability. They must think were mistreating or abusing our employees. Thats far from the case, Calvin continued. Most of our members use a collaborative approach to scheduling that provides as much flexibility as possible to each of the students, working mothers, senior citizens and other individuals who staff their stores. In fact, an October NACS survey found that 70% of convenience store employees appreciated the flexible work schedule their employer offered. Key provisions of the proposed regulations are: Employers would have to post the schedule 14 days in advance. If you call in an employee to work a shift that was not scheduled at least 14 days in advance, they would be entitled to an additional two hours of call-in pay. There are exceptions for new hires, higher-paid full-time employees, and employees who volunteer to substitute for a scheduled co-worker. If you cancel an employee's shift within 72 hours of the start of the shift, they would be entitled to four hours of call-in pay. There are exceptions for higher-paid full-time employees, workers who cancel the shift themselves, and extreme weather or other circumstances beyond the employers control that force the store to close. If you have someone on call for any shift, even if they aren't called in, they would be entitled to at least four hours of call-in pay. There is an exception for higher-paid full-time employees. If an employee is required to check in with you within 72 hours of the start of a shift to confirm whether to report to work, they would be entitled to at least four hours of call-in pay. There is an exception for higher-paid full-time employees. Payments for the above-referenced extra two or four hours of call-in pay "shall be calculated at the basic minimum hourly rate with no allowances. Such payments are not payments for time worked or work performed and need not be included in the regular rate for purposes of calculating overtime pay." The existing provision requiring employers to pay at least four hours' wages to an employee who reports to work would remain in place. However, there would be a new provision addressing shorter work days. If the employee normally works a shift shorter than four hours, you could reduce that minimum to the number of hours in that shift. Written comments may be submitted by mail or email to Mr. Michael Paglialonga, NYS Department of Labor, State Campus, Building 12, Room 509, Albany NY 12240, regulations@labor.ny.gov. Samples of comments submitted by NYACS member retailers to date are attached. See the full text of the proposed regulations. Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including acclaimed documentary series and films Fire of Love, The Rescue, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and We Feed People. Tipperary based Robert A. Merry & Co. Ltd, who make Merrys Irish Cream Liqueur, helped launch the Love Irish Cream Liqueur campaign with the Irish Spirits Association. Ahead of Christmas, which is a very important time for Irish cream liqueur sales, the campaign aims to restart a conversation about the uniqueness of the product category, its importance to Ireland, and the need to protect it against fake products. To coincide with the launch of the new campaign, the Irish Spirits Association has revealed that that Christmas sales period of 2017 is set to be one of the most buoyant for Irish Cream Liqueur in years. According to the ISA, Irish cream liqueur is growing in popularity at home and abroad, after recovering from a lost decade during which growth stagnated. Between 2012 and 2016, sales of Irish Cream Liqueur in Ireland (across both on and off trade) fell by 11.2 per cent, from 108,000 cases to 95,900 cases. This trend has now been halted. Over 90 million bottles of Irish cream liqueur were sold globally in 2016. Preliminary figures from Nielsen show that the value of Irish cream liqueur sales in the important Irish off-trade sector have increased by 3.4 per cent during 2017. The contribution of the Irish cream liqueur industry to the Irish economy is significant. In 2016, Irish cream liqueur producers purchased 316 million litres of fresh cream from Irish farmers, sourced from 46,000 dairy cows. The Love Irish Cream Liqueur campaign aims to highlight the fact that Irish cream liqueur is protected by an EU-recognised Geographic Indication (GI) and to seek enhanced protection of this GI in international markets. A GI means that Irish cream liqueur must be produced on the island of Ireland in accordance with certain standards (EU-approved technical file). The GI protects the integrity and quality of this spirits category and the investment being made in production and employment on the island of Ireland. John Harte, chairman of the Irish Spirits Association stated: Since its origin in 1974, Irish Cream Liqueur has been one of Irelands most successful spirits categories, loved by millions of people around the world. After a lost decade, during which growth in the category stalled, I am delighted to see that Irish Cream Liqueur sales are once again growing in Ireland and globally. In the lead-up to Christmas, we are delighted to launch this campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of Irish cream liqueur and protect the category. We hope this campaign will be accompanied by increased efforts by industry and stakeholders to monitor the markets and crackdown on fake, non-GI produce. Earlier this month, the Irish Spirits Association facilitated a meeting between Irish cream liqueur producers and the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine to progress efforts to tackle fake, non-GI produce. South Tipperary General Hospital patients took part in the first ever National Patient Experience Survey - the results of which were released today (Monday, December 11). Patients attending the Clonmel hospital were a little less happy with their overall experience than patients nationally - while 54% of the all-Ireland results was a score of 9/ 10 (the experience was very good) only 46% of patients at STGH gave their overall experience a very good rating. Areas highlighted for improvement include the discharge process - including giving enough notice to the patient and their family of discharge; and explaining the purpose of medicines they were given to take home with them. Also highlighted was that more than half (52%) of patients said they were not able or only to some extent able to find someone on the hospital staff to talk to about their worries and fears. Waiting times for admission must also be improved. Areas where STGH scored well were patients being offered a replacement meal if they could not eat at mealtimes (80%); information about a procedure before (86%) or after (71%) it took place in a manner they could understand; and 81% said that hospital staff did everything they could to help control pain. STGH had a slightly higher proportion of patients taking part - 52% of those eligible compared with 51% nationally. The average age of participants in STGH was 64 years, evenly divided between male and female patients. 81% entered the hospital on an emergency basis. According to the national results patients who entered hospital on a planned basis were happier with their overall experience than those who were emergency admissions. There were 168 inpatient beds available in the hospital during the survey period of 1 31 May 2017 and 575 eligible discharges were recorded during this time. The full results from South Tipperary General Hospital can be seen in the infographic below. The full report can be read on www.patientexperience.ie which is also where the hospital's point-by-point response (Listening, Responding & Improving) to the survey can be read. National Results For the admission to hospital stage, 79% of patients had a very good or good experience. 96% of respondents said they were always or sometimes treated with respect and dignity in the emergency department. However, long waiting times in the emergency department were highlighted as a problem. Only 30% of people said that they were admitted to a ward within the target waiting time of six hours. 85% of patients had a very good or good experience of care on the ward. Patients were generally positive about the cleanliness and privacy on the ward. However, a large number of people said that they did not have a positive experience of communication while on the ward. Many patients said that they did not have enough time to talk with doctors about their care and treatment. Patients also had difficulty in accessing emotional support, with 48% saying they could not always find any member of hospital staff to talk to about their worries and fears. The discharge or transfer stage of care was the lowest-rated stage, with only 60% saying they had a very good or good experience. Patients did not always receive enough information on how to care for themselves at home, and this was a source of concern for many patients. The first National Patient Experience Survey took place in May 2017. 26,635 patients from 40 hospitals across Ireland were invited to participate. With a response rate of 51%, thats 13,706 participants, it is the largest survey on patients care in Ireland. The survey is a partnership between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health. The survey was developed with the involvement of Patient Focus, a patient advocacy organisation, in order to ensure that patients were central to the design and execution of the survey. The survey consisted of 61 questions about admission to hospital, care on the ward, examinations, diagnosis and treatment, discharge and transfer, and other aspects of care. By Express News Service With the 11th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) beginning in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday, India has reaffirmed its stand that a permanent solution to the public stockholding of food stocks must be found. According to Union commerce minister Suresh Prabhu, the demand for a permanent solution is non-negotiable because it is a matter of the livelihood of millions of people. The minister said the solution should also include future programmes of all developing member countries as well as least developed countries (LDCs). A permanent solution to public stockholding for food security is a must have at WTO MC 11, the minister tweeted after attending a meeting of G33 - a grouping of 47 developing countries having common objectives and similar concerns. He also expressed hope that India will get the support of WTO member countries on food security, Doha Development Agenda and protection to small farmers. Prabhu, who met the representatives of the European Union ahead of the ministerial meeting, strongly pitched for a special safeguard mechanism (SSM) to help developing countries deal with import surges and price erosion of their agriculture produce owing to heavy subsidies offered by developed countries to their agriculture sector. He stressed that the G-33 grouping represents the collective voice of over two-thirds of humanity. The minister said he was trying to meet trade ministers of those countries which have opposite views with a view to convince them about the concerns of the developing nations. Under global trade norms, a WTO member countrys food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-88. India has been seeking amendments in the formula to calculate the food subsidy cap as it fears the full implementation of food security programme might result in breach of the WTO cap. To address this concern, the WTO members at the Bali ministerial meeting in December 2013 had agreed to put in place a temporary mechanism known as peace clause which would be in force till a permanent solution is found. The clause protects developing nations from action in case the cap is breached. With the 11th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) beginning in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday, India has reaffirmed its stand that a permanent solution to the public stockholding of food stocks must be found. According to Union commerce minister Suresh Prabhu, the demand for a permanent solution is non-negotiable because it is a matter of the livelihood of millions of people. The minister said the solution should also include future programmes of all developing member countries as well as least developed countries (LDCs). A permanent solution to public stockholding for food security is a must have at WTO MC 11, the minister tweeted after attending a meeting of G33 - a grouping of 47 developing countries having common objectives and similar concerns. He also expressed hope that India will get the support of WTO member countries on food security, Doha Development Agenda and protection to small farmers. Prabhu, who met the representatives of the European Union ahead of the ministerial meeting, strongly pitched for a special safeguard mechanism (SSM) to help developing countries deal with import surges and price erosion of their agriculture produce owing to heavy subsidies offered by developed countries to their agriculture sector. He stressed that the G-33 grouping represents the collective voice of over two-thirds of humanity. The minister said he was trying to meet trade ministers of those countries which have opposite views with a view to convince them about the concerns of the developing nations. Under global trade norms, a WTO member countrys food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-88. India has been seeking amendments in the formula to calculate the food subsidy cap as it fears the full implementation of food security programme might result in breach of the WTO cap. To address this concern, the WTO members at the Bali ministerial meeting in December 2013 had agreed to put in place a temporary mechanism known as peace clause which would be in force till a permanent solution is found. The clause protects developing nations from action in case the cap is breached. By IANS AHMEDABAD: The Congress on Sunday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an impartial probe into the note-ban decision that the opposition party dubbed the "biggest scam ever and the largest money-laundering scheme". "In September 2016 (before demonetisation announced on November 8, 2016), a whopping Rs 5,88,600 crore was deposited in banks, of which Rs 3 lakh crore was in fixed deposits. Whose money was it and what happened to it?" Congress Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said at a press conference here. "In October 2016, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar purchased eight properties. In Odisha, it purchased 18 properties, just ahead of demonetisation. Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah tell the people as to how many properties they purchased just before demonetisation? Will they disclose the details of the party's bank accounts of the months preceding demonetisation?" Surjewala said. Modi had announced the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. "Also, Rs 500 crore was deposited in the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank three days before demonetisation. Amit Shah is a Director of this bank. Was he questioned by the Income Tax Department or the Enforcement Directorate regarding this money?" he said. The Congress leader said that after demonetisation, Rs 10.1 crore was seized from a Vaidyanath Cooperative Urban Development Bank van, in which BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde has a stake. "It is public knowledge that the cooperative banks were not given any new currency. Then how come this cooperative bank got new currency of Rs 10 crore? Whose money was it? Is there any probe into this case?" Surjewala said. He said at a time when the common people were struggling in bank queues to get a few lakh of rupees in new currency for their daughters' weddings, mining baron G. Janardan Reddy splurged Rs 500 crore on his daughter's wedding. "The BJP top brass made a beeline to this function as Reddy is considered very dear to Prime Minister Modi. Why was no investigation launched against Reddy as to where from he got so much money in new currency, when notes were being rationed to the common people?" Surjewala said. "We challenge the Prime Minister to order an impartial probe into all these cases, and many more such cases, and bring out the facts before the people," he added. The Congress leader called All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi as the "B-team of BJP" and said people should not pay attention to the polarising antics of such people. AHMEDABAD: The Congress on Sunday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an impartial probe into the note-ban decision that the opposition party dubbed the "biggest scam ever and the largest money-laundering scheme". "In September 2016 (before demonetisation announced on November 8, 2016), a whopping Rs 5,88,600 crore was deposited in banks, of which Rs 3 lakh crore was in fixed deposits. Whose money was it and what happened to it?" Congress Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said at a press conference here. "In October 2016, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar purchased eight properties. In Odisha, it purchased 18 properties, just ahead of demonetisation. Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah tell the people as to how many properties they purchased just before demonetisation? Will they disclose the details of the party's bank accounts of the months preceding demonetisation?" Surjewala said. Modi had announced the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. "Also, Rs 500 crore was deposited in the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank three days before demonetisation. Amit Shah is a Director of this bank. Was he questioned by the Income Tax Department or the Enforcement Directorate regarding this money?" he said. The Congress leader said that after demonetisation, Rs 10.1 crore was seized from a Vaidyanath Cooperative Urban Development Bank van, in which BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde has a stake. "It is public knowledge that the cooperative banks were not given any new currency. Then how come this cooperative bank got new currency of Rs 10 crore? Whose money was it? Is there any probe into this case?" Surjewala said. He said at a time when the common people were struggling in bank queues to get a few lakh of rupees in new currency for their daughters' weddings, mining baron G. Janardan Reddy splurged Rs 500 crore on his daughter's wedding. "The BJP top brass made a beeline to this function as Reddy is considered very dear to Prime Minister Modi. Why was no investigation launched against Reddy as to where from he got so much money in new currency, when notes were being rationed to the common people?" Surjewala said. "We challenge the Prime Minister to order an impartial probe into all these cases, and many more such cases, and bring out the facts before the people," he added. The Congress leader called All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi as the "B-team of BJP" and said people should not pay attention to the polarising antics of such people. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: At least six people including two bank guards, a woman and three Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in two militancy incidents in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. A police official said police, army and paramilitary CRPF men on specific information about presence of militants laid siege around Mir Mohalla area of Unisoo in Handwara in border district of Kupwara last night. He said they had information that three militants were hiding in a house. We encircled the house and asked the militants to surrender. However they turned down the surrender offer and fired on the security personnel. The fire was returned by the troops and in the ensuing gunfight, which continued till this morning, three militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed, he said. The official said the slain militants were Pakistani nationals and three AK rifles and other ammunition was recovered from the encounter site. He said a woman identified as Misra Bano, 23, was caught in the cross-fire after she tried to escape from the house where from militants were firing on security forces. She sustained bullet injuries in the cross fire and died on spot, the official said. Later, hundreds of people braving rain and chill attended her funeral prayers amidst chanting of pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. The woman is survived by six-month-old child, husband and elderly parents. ALSO READ: French journalist Comiti Paul Edward detained in Jammu and Kashmir for filming pellet victims Meanwhile, militants ambushed Jammu and Kashmir Bank cash van at Kral Check area of Shopian in south Kashmir this afternoon. Superintendent of Police (SP) Shopian, Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar told New Indian Express that Jammu and Bank bullet proof scorpio vehicle was ambushed by militants between Pohju and Kralcheck area of Shopian at around 3 pm. He said the vehicle was returning after depositing cash at a bank branch when it was attacked by militants. In the militant attack, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it turned turtle. Due to it, the backdoor of the vehicle opened and two private security guards of the bank sustained bullet wounds in the militant firing, Dinkar said. He said both the injured security guards were rushed to District Hospital Pulwama, where doctors declared them brought dead. The deceased guards were identified as Tariq Ahmad R/o Pulwama and Mushtaq Ahmad R/o Anantnag. Three other bank guards had sustained injuries after the vehicle had turned turtle. The security guards were employees of Honest Security Agency, a private security firm. After the attack, police, CRPF and army men launched a joint combing and search operation in the area to track down the militants responsible for the attack. No militant group has owned responsibility of the attack. SP Dinkar said they have launched a manhunt to identify the attackers and track them down. It is the second attack on bank cash van in south Kashmir this year. Earlier, on May 1, militants had attacked J&K Bank cash van in south Kashmirs Kulgam district, killing five policemen including a Station House Officer (SHO) and two bank guards. SRINAGAR: At least six people including two bank guards, a woman and three Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in two militancy incidents in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. A police official said police, army and paramilitary CRPF men on specific information about presence of militants laid siege around Mir Mohalla area of Unisoo in Handwara in border district of Kupwara last night. He said they had information that three militants were hiding in a house. We encircled the house and asked the militants to surrender. However they turned down the surrender offer and fired on the security personnel. The fire was returned by the troops and in the ensuing gunfight, which continued till this morning, three militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed, he said. The official said the slain militants were Pakistani nationals and three AK rifles and other ammunition was recovered from the encounter site. He said a woman identified as Misra Bano, 23, was caught in the cross-fire after she tried to escape from the house where from militants were firing on security forces. She sustained bullet injuries in the cross fire and died on spot, the official said. Later, hundreds of people braving rain and chill attended her funeral prayers amidst chanting of pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. The woman is survived by six-month-old child, husband and elderly parents. ALSO READ: French journalist Comiti Paul Edward detained in Jammu and Kashmir for filming pellet victims Meanwhile, militants ambushed Jammu and Kashmir Bank cash van at Kral Check area of Shopian in south Kashmir this afternoon. Superintendent of Police (SP) Shopian, Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar told New Indian Express that Jammu and Bank bullet proof scorpio vehicle was ambushed by militants between Pohju and Kralcheck area of Shopian at around 3 pm. He said the vehicle was returning after depositing cash at a bank branch when it was attacked by militants. In the militant attack, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it turned turtle. Due to it, the backdoor of the vehicle opened and two private security guards of the bank sustained bullet wounds in the militant firing, Dinkar said. He said both the injured security guards were rushed to District Hospital Pulwama, where doctors declared them brought dead. The deceased guards were identified as Tariq Ahmad R/o Pulwama and Mushtaq Ahmad R/o Anantnag. Three other bank guards had sustained injuries after the vehicle had turned turtle. The security guards were employees of Honest Security Agency, a private security firm. After the attack, police, CRPF and army men launched a joint combing and search operation in the area to track down the militants responsible for the attack. No militant group has owned responsibility of the attack. SP Dinkar said they have launched a manhunt to identify the attackers and track them down. It is the second attack on bank cash van in south Kashmir this year. Earlier, on May 1, militants had attacked J&K Bank cash van in south Kashmirs Kulgam district, killing five policemen including a Station House Officer (SHO) and two bank guards. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: A freelance French journalist and documentary filmmaker, Comiti Paul Edward, has been arrested by police in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, for violating the visa norms and shooting documentary on pellet victims. A police official said French journalist Edward was arrested by police on Sunday from the Pratap Park area of Srinagar. He said Edward was having a business visa for India, which is valid upto December 22, 2018. In violation of his visa norms, he was indulging in journalistic work and shooting a documentary on pellet victims. Besides, he had also met some separatist leaders, the official. He said the French journalist was arrested for violating the terms and conditions of the visa. When French journalist was arrested, he was covering a protest at Pratap Park area, the official said. Police have registered FIR number 87/2017 under section 14 (B) Passport Act against him. The police official said the French journalists passport, camera, other equipments and documents have been seized. After his arrest, the French journalist was presented before a magistrate in Srinagar. He has been sent to police custody till December 16 and lodged in Police Station Kothibagh. ALSO READ: Three militants killed in J& K's Handwara encounter; search operations underway The police official said after Edwards arrest, they informed the French embassy in New Delhi about his arrest. He said an official from the French embassy today arrived in Srinagar and met Edward in Police Station Kothibagh. Sources said the French embassy official also met some police officials to know more details about the case and Edwards arrest. Sources said the French journalist has told the police officials that he had applied for journalism visa for Kashmir but was not granted. They said police has launched investigation to ascertain which places the French journalist had gone in Valley and with whom he had met. Meanwhile, J&K State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) while hearing a petition filed by human rights activist Mohammad Ahsan Untoo today on detention of French journalist directed the Station House Office (SHO) of Police Station Kothibagh, where arrested French national is lodged, to file a status report about the case by December 18. SRINAGAR: A freelance French journalist and documentary filmmaker, Comiti Paul Edward, has been arrested by police in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, for violating the visa norms and shooting documentary on pellet victims. A police official said French journalist Edward was arrested by police on Sunday from the Pratap Park area of Srinagar. He said Edward was having a business visa for India, which is valid upto December 22, 2018. In violation of his visa norms, he was indulging in journalistic work and shooting a documentary on pellet victims. Besides, he had also met some separatist leaders, the official. He said the French journalist was arrested for violating the terms and conditions of the visa. When French journalist was arrested, he was covering a protest at Pratap Park area, the official said. Police have registered FIR number 87/2017 under section 14 (B) Passport Act against him. The police official said the French journalists passport, camera, other equipments and documents have been seized. After his arrest, the French journalist was presented before a magistrate in Srinagar. He has been sent to police custody till December 16 and lodged in Police Station Kothibagh. ALSO READ: Three militants killed in J& K's Handwara encounter; search operations underway The police official said after Edwards arrest, they informed the French embassy in New Delhi about his arrest. He said an official from the French embassy today arrived in Srinagar and met Edward in Police Station Kothibagh. Sources said the French embassy official also met some police officials to know more details about the case and Edwards arrest. Sources said the French journalist has told the police officials that he had applied for journalism visa for Kashmir but was not granted. They said police has launched investigation to ascertain which places the French journalist had gone in Valley and with whom he had met. Meanwhile, J&K State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) while hearing a petition filed by human rights activist Mohammad Ahsan Untoo today on detention of French journalist directed the Station House Office (SHO) of Police Station Kothibagh, where arrested French national is lodged, to file a status report about the case by December 18. By PTI BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said India and China's strategic interests outweigh "partial frictions" and handling of the Dokalam standoff through diplomatic means reflects the importance of bilateral ties. Ahead of his visit to India to attend the Russia-India- China (RIC) foreign ministers' meeting to be held in New Delhi today during which he would also hold talks with top Indian officials, Wang said China always values good neighbourliness and friendship between the two countries as "we are each other's big neighbours and ancient civilisations". He said India-China strategic interests outweigh differences and "partial friction". "We have handled the issue of cross-border incursions by the Indian border troops into China's Donglang (Dokalam) area through diplomatic measures," Wang told a symposium here last week, maintaining Beijing's stand. "Through diplomatic means, the Indian side withdrew its equipment and personnel which reflected the value and importance of China-India relations and demonstrated sincerity and responsibility of maintaining regional peace and stability," he said in his speech in Chinese posted on the website of the foreign ministry. ALSO READ: China hints at maintaining sizable troops' presence near Dokalam in winter "China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than differences, and far greater needs for cooperation than partial friction," he said. As long as China and India continue to engage in in-depth strategic communication and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of bilateral cooperation will be presented more clearly to the people, there will be a "prospect of the dragon and the elephant dancing together with 1 + 1 = 11 outlook," Wang said. The references to India by Wang were part of a lengthy speech about China's diplomatic achievements in 2017 and its relations this year with various countries including the US, Russia, Japan and countries in the disputed South China Sea region. Wang's visit to New Delhi is the first by a top Chinese official to India after the 73-day Dokalam standoff and after the commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping. The over two-month Dokalam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's 'Chicken Neck' corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. ALSO READ: China says Indian drone 'invaded' its airspace, crashed Wang's visit to Delhi is expected to be followed by top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi's trip later this month to attend the 20th round of China-India boundary talks. Yang along National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval are the designated special representatives for the border talks later this month. Both officials are also mandated to discuss the state of entire gamut of bilateral ties. In his address, at the symposium themed on international developments and China's diplomacy in 2017, Wang spoke about China's foreign policy outlook enunciated by the once-in- five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) held in October. The 19th CPC National Congress had charted the course for China's external relations. Wang said China needs to create a more favourable external environment and stronger external impetus to create a moderately prosperous society in all respects. "For China's diplomacy in the new era, we will take a longer and broader perspective and be even more open-minded and resourceful," he said. He reiterated that "war is by no means acceptable" in dealing with the nuclear issue related to North Korea, stressing that the possibility of negotiations remains. On ties with the US, he said "China is willing, on the basis of mutual respect, to live peacefully with the American superpower. The US needs to understand and accept a China that is following its own path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, one suited to its own conditions," official media quoted him as saying. He said the China-Russia relationship has become a major cornerstone for world peace and stability, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. On the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) he said it has become "the most popular international public goods programme". Chinese businesses have invested over USD 50 billion and created nearly 200,000 local jobs in countries that are participating, he said. India has objected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). CPEC is a part of the BRI. On Wang's visit to Delhi, Chinese think tanks said RIC foreign ministers' meeting offers Beijing and New Delhi an opportunity for face-to-face communication, which will effectively help both sides step out of the shadow of the Dokalam standoff. "Admittedly, the past months have witnessed a downbeat narrative between the neighbours rather than a positive one, but with the meeting, China and India will send a message to the world that they will return to a stable and peaceful track," said Qian Feng, an analyst at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies told state-run Global Times. China and India have disagreements on counter-terrorism especially when it involves Pakistan, and China is unlikely to give up its stance on this issue during this meeting, Wang Dehua, head of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies, told the daily. China has opposed India's moves to get Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Masood Azhar listed as a terrorist by the UN. Wang Dehua also said persistent and honest talks between the two sides may help sort out differences on BRI. China also continues to oppose India's bid to enter the NSG primarily on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said India and China's strategic interests outweigh "partial frictions" and handling of the Dokalam standoff through diplomatic means reflects the importance of bilateral ties. Ahead of his visit to India to attend the Russia-India- China (RIC) foreign ministers' meeting to be held in New Delhi today during which he would also hold talks with top Indian officials, Wang said China always values good neighbourliness and friendship between the two countries as "we are each other's big neighbours and ancient civilisations". He said India-China strategic interests outweigh differences and "partial friction". "We have handled the issue of cross-border incursions by the Indian border troops into China's Donglang (Dokalam) area through diplomatic measures," Wang told a symposium here last week, maintaining Beijing's stand. "Through diplomatic means, the Indian side withdrew its equipment and personnel which reflected the value and importance of China-India relations and demonstrated sincerity and responsibility of maintaining regional peace and stability," he said in his speech in Chinese posted on the website of the foreign ministry. ALSO READ: China hints at maintaining sizable troops' presence near Dokalam in winter "China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than differences, and far greater needs for cooperation than partial friction," he said. As long as China and India continue to engage in in-depth strategic communication and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of bilateral cooperation will be presented more clearly to the people, there will be a "prospect of the dragon and the elephant dancing together with 1 + 1 = 11 outlook," Wang said. The references to India by Wang were part of a lengthy speech about China's diplomatic achievements in 2017 and its relations this year with various countries including the US, Russia, Japan and countries in the disputed South China Sea region. Wang's visit to New Delhi is the first by a top Chinese official to India after the 73-day Dokalam standoff and after the commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping. The over two-month Dokalam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's 'Chicken Neck' corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. ALSO READ: China says Indian drone 'invaded' its airspace, crashed Wang's visit to Delhi is expected to be followed by top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi's trip later this month to attend the 20th round of China-India boundary talks. Yang along National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval are the designated special representatives for the border talks later this month. Both officials are also mandated to discuss the state of entire gamut of bilateral ties. In his address, at the symposium themed on international developments and China's diplomacy in 2017, Wang spoke about China's foreign policy outlook enunciated by the once-in- five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) held in October. The 19th CPC National Congress had charted the course for China's external relations. Wang said China needs to create a more favourable external environment and stronger external impetus to create a moderately prosperous society in all respects. "For China's diplomacy in the new era, we will take a longer and broader perspective and be even more open-minded and resourceful," he said. He reiterated that "war is by no means acceptable" in dealing with the nuclear issue related to North Korea, stressing that the possibility of negotiations remains. On ties with the US, he said "China is willing, on the basis of mutual respect, to live peacefully with the American superpower. The US needs to understand and accept a China that is following its own path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, one suited to its own conditions," official media quoted him as saying. He said the China-Russia relationship has become a major cornerstone for world peace and stability, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. On the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) he said it has become "the most popular international public goods programme". Chinese businesses have invested over USD 50 billion and created nearly 200,000 local jobs in countries that are participating, he said. India has objected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). CPEC is a part of the BRI. On Wang's visit to Delhi, Chinese think tanks said RIC foreign ministers' meeting offers Beijing and New Delhi an opportunity for face-to-face communication, which will effectively help both sides step out of the shadow of the Dokalam standoff. "Admittedly, the past months have witnessed a downbeat narrative between the neighbours rather than a positive one, but with the meeting, China and India will send a message to the world that they will return to a stable and peaceful track," said Qian Feng, an analyst at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies told state-run Global Times. China and India have disagreements on counter-terrorism especially when it involves Pakistan, and China is unlikely to give up its stance on this issue during this meeting, Wang Dehua, head of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies, told the daily. China has opposed India's moves to get Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Masood Azhar listed as a terrorist by the UN. Wang Dehua also said persistent and honest talks between the two sides may help sort out differences on BRI. China also continues to oppose India's bid to enter the NSG primarily on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Amit Agnihotri By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi was declared president-elect of the Congress on Monday, marking a smooth change of guard in the 132-year-old party. He will formally take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi, two days before the crucial Gujarat Assembly election results are announced. READ HERE Rahul Gandhi: The rise of a political scion VIEW GALLERY | From mourning son to political heir Sonia became Congress president in 1998 and has been the longest-serving party chief. Rahul was made party vice-president in 2013. There had been major speculation over his elevation since the party lost the 2014 national elections. He faces the immediate challenge to win four Assembly polls in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh next year and prepare the party for the 2019 Lok Sabha poll battle. READ HERE | Sonia Gandhi: The longest-serving Congress president Congress central election authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran said, Eighty-nine nomination papers proposing the name of Rahul Gandhi for Congress president were received. All nomination papers were found valid. Since the withdrawal date and time is over and as there is only one candidate, as per Article XVIII (D) of the Constitution of Indian National Congress, I declare Rahul Gandhi elected as president of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi will be officially handed over the certificate of his election as the party President on 16th December at the AICC headquarters, according to news agency ANI. Though the result was a foregone conclusion right from the day Rahul filed his nomination on December 4 and was the only contestant, Ramachandran termed it a historic day and thanked Sonia for guiding the panel through the poll process.The announcement came on a day when Rahul campaigned in Gujarat. The Chief Election Commissioner will hand over the certificate of election to Rahul on December 16 at the partys national headquarters here. The announcement marked the end of the partys internal elections, which had started in September and saw new office bearers getting elected from booth to the state level. The Congress said Rahul has earned the partys top post, dismissing allegations that the election was a sham. He has shown his mettle in Gujarat. The entire BJP, including the Prime Minister himself and 80 ministers, are sitting there for a month but are still unable to counter him, said senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Conducting the elections was not an easy job, said Ramachandran, adding that 42 provincial returning officers were deployed, supported by 71 assistant PROs and by 583 district ROs. These officials were all from other states to ensure an unbiased and impartial election, he said.Providing details of the party organisation, he said there are 8,86,358 Booth Committees, 9,418 Block Committees and 930 District and City Congress Committees in various states and Union Territories.Elections were held in more than 80 per cent of the booths as Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura would have Assembly elections this year and in 2018, he said. All India Congress Committee's Central Election Authority officially announces Rahul Gandhi as the President of the Indian National Congress. #CongressPresidentRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/XvPFHWAND1 Congress (@INCIndia) December 11, 2017 As soon as the announcement was made, Congress workers erupted in celebrations near the party office in Delhi. Uttarakhand: Celebration at Congress office in Dehradun after Rahul Gandhi elected as the party President. pic.twitter.com/6fWeG1bGYt ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 "This is the worst time in India under present government. In such a time Rahul Gandhi has been elected as party President. In Gujarat, he has proved he is the only candidate who can be relied upon. He is facing Modi confidently," said former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran greeted Rahul Gandhi for his elevation as Congress President, wishing him a 'sterling' tenure in a tweet. Congratulations to @OfficeOfRG on being elected as Congress President unopposed. Wish you a sterling tenure in the footsteps of the illustrious past Presidents of the more than a century-old Congress party. TTV Dhinakaran (@TTVDhinakaran) December 11, 2017 Later in the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to congratulated the newly elevated Congress chief. I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress President. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure. @OfficeOfRG Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2017 (With online desk inputs) NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi was declared president-elect of the Congress on Monday, marking a smooth change of guard in the 132-year-old party. He will formally take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi, two days before the crucial Gujarat Assembly election results are announced. READ HERE Rahul Gandhi: The rise of a political scion VIEW GALLERY | From mourning son to political heir Sonia became Congress president in 1998 and has been the longest-serving party chief. Rahul was made party vice-president in 2013. There had been major speculation over his elevation since the party lost the 2014 national elections. He faces the immediate challenge to win four Assembly polls in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh next year and prepare the party for the 2019 Lok Sabha poll battle. READ HERE | Sonia Gandhi: The longest-serving Congress president Congress central election authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran said, Eighty-nine nomination papers proposing the name of Rahul Gandhi for Congress president were received. All nomination papers were found valid. Since the withdrawal date and time is over and as there is only one candidate, as per Article XVIII (D) of the Constitution of Indian National Congress, I declare Rahul Gandhi elected as president of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi will be officially handed over the certificate of his election as the party President on 16th December at the AICC headquarters, according to news agency ANI. Though the result was a foregone conclusion right from the day Rahul filed his nomination on December 4 and was the only contestant, Ramachandran termed it a historic day and thanked Sonia for guiding the panel through the poll process.The announcement came on a day when Rahul campaigned in Gujarat. The Chief Election Commissioner will hand over the certificate of election to Rahul on December 16 at the partys national headquarters here. The announcement marked the end of the partys internal elections, which had started in September and saw new office bearers getting elected from booth to the state level. The Congress said Rahul has earned the partys top post, dismissing allegations that the election was a sham. He has shown his mettle in Gujarat. The entire BJP, including the Prime Minister himself and 80 ministers, are sitting there for a month but are still unable to counter him, said senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Conducting the elections was not an easy job, said Ramachandran, adding that 42 provincial returning officers were deployed, supported by 71 assistant PROs and by 583 district ROs. These officials were all from other states to ensure an unbiased and impartial election, he said.Providing details of the party organisation, he said there are 8,86,358 Booth Committees, 9,418 Block Committees and 930 District and City Congress Committees in various states and Union Territories.Elections were held in more than 80 per cent of the booths as Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura would have Assembly elections this year and in 2018, he said. All India Congress Committee's Central Election Authority officially announces Rahul Gandhi as the President of the Indian National Congress. #CongressPresidentRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/XvPFHWAND1 Congress (@INCIndia) December 11, 2017 As soon as the announcement was made, Congress workers erupted in celebrations near the party office in Delhi. Uttarakhand: Celebration at Congress office in Dehradun after Rahul Gandhi elected as the party President. pic.twitter.com/6fWeG1bGYt ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 "This is the worst time in India under present government. In such a time Rahul Gandhi has been elected as party President. In Gujarat, he has proved he is the only candidate who can be relied upon. He is facing Modi confidently," said former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran greeted Rahul Gandhi for his elevation as Congress President, wishing him a 'sterling' tenure in a tweet. Congratulations to @OfficeOfRG on being elected as Congress President unopposed. Wish you a sterling tenure in the footsteps of the illustrious past Presidents of the more than a century-old Congress party. TTV Dhinakaran (@TTVDhinakaran) December 11, 2017 Later in the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to congratulated the newly elevated Congress chief. I congratulate Rahul Ji on his election as Congress President. My best wishes for a fruitful tenure. @OfficeOfRG Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2017 (With online desk inputs) By Online Desk Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi today visited some places hit by the Cyclone Ochki in southern Kerala that has claimed 63 lives in the state, most of them fishermen, and pitched for a better warning system to prevent recurrence of such tragedies. Thousands of fishermen and their families in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are continuously holding mass protests, demanding for search operations to continue and for relief to be provided faster. Search and rescue operations to trace the fishermen missing in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi continued for the 12th day today. As many as 433 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and 186 from Kerala are yet to be traced. The cyclone, earlier this week, had finally dissipated over the Arabian Sea, sparing Gujarat from destruction. ALSO READ | No tsunami says IMD as false WhatsApp alerts create panic Here are all the latest updates: The Union Home Ministry is constituting an inter ministerial central committee for the spot assessment of damage and admissibility of claims of the states hit by Cyclone Ockhi. House-to-house verification process is going on and a final figure of the missing fishermen would be known once the process was over, say officials. [READ FULL REPORT] "The farmers have a ministry that looks after their interests and I think it is time that we create a ministry for the fishermen to look after their interests and make sure they are protected," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after visiting fishermen families in affected areas in Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT] TN government hikes compensation for non-fisherman families from Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs. ( READ ) The death toll in the Ockhi cyclone that hit the Kerala coast mounted to 65 with more bodies being recovered. DMK petitions TN governor Banwarilal Purohit to expedite rescue work post-Ockhi. Efforts are on to identify the recovered bodies through DNA test. In a bid to set up a mechanism to ensure the safety of fishermen, Kerala CM Vijayan said a system was being planned in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation. Kerala State control room officials said three bodies were found off the coast of Kozhikode and three from Kochi. [READ FULL REPORT] The financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for families of Kerala fishermen killed in the cyclone would be given in one go. An amount of Rs five lakh would be given to those who are seriously injured and are not able to go to work in future as an "alternative livelihood" initiative. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the Centre has agreed to continue search operations for the missing fishermen in Cyclone Ockhi that hit the state's coast on November 29 and 30. The death toll due to Ockhi cyclone, which hit the Kerala coast, rose to 52 on Tuesday as more bodies were recovered and the search for the missing fishermen in the high seas continued. The Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami on Tuesday announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for the kin of fishermen who died in the cyclone that devastated the coastal areas of the state recently. Pope Francis has enquired about the hardships and sufferings caused to Kerala's fishermen community in the Ockhi cyclone that ravaged the coastal belt on November 30. The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced 'livelihood assistance' ranging from Rs 48,500 to Rs 63,500 per hectare for horticulture farmers of cyclone Ockhi-battered Kanyakumari district. Kerala fishermen protestors took to the street by waving black flags and photos of the dead and missing fishermen walked about two km from Palayam to Raj Bhavan raising slogans, bringing the traffic to a standstill on the busy stretch. The death toll in the Ockhi cyclone in Kerala rose to 40 on Monday with the recovery of two more bodies even as the search operations to trace the missing fishermen entered the 10th day. Search and rescue operations to trace the fishermen missing in the aftermath of Ockhi cyclone continued for 10th day today even as 67 persons caught in the storm, returned to Kochi coast. The Goa government would provide compensation to shacks having legal validity, for the damages suffered during the Cyclone Ockhi last week. [FULL REPORT] The Indian naval ships engaged in search and rescue mission in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi today continued their operations in the high seas, searching area till the Maldives. No stranded boats , fishermen or floating bodies have been found in the sea by the naval search team during the last 72 hours, the official said. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam will contribute a month's salary to the special fund being raised for the victims of cyclone Ockhi. The Kerala government has asked the Indian Armed Forces and the Coast Guard to continue search operations for fishermen missing in high seas post-Cyclone Ockhi for 10 more days. #HADR #CycloneOckhi #OpSahayam #SAR Based on reports by IN Boeing P8 i aircraft, INS Kalpeni was sent to Off Sesostris Bank/Bassas de Pedro (a traditional fishing area off Lakshadweep island).About 17 boats with 180 plus fishermen have been located.@DefenceMinIndia @nsitharaman SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 8, 2017 Fishing vessel as seen from the aircraft. This video captures the essence of what Navy Boeing P-8i is doing - systematic search of every inch of possible/ probable area & providing hope to the stranded till they are rescued by our ships @nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/1sY0VXul42 SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 6, 2017 People receive essential commodities at a relief camp following cyclone Ockhi in the Kanyakumari district on Saturday. (PTI) Given orders to Maharashtra Maritime Board and Collector, Sindhudurg Dist. to make all arrangements for the stranded fishermen. Local authorities are already with them and taking care of all arrangements, tweets Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. In all 68 fishing boats have reached, out of which 66 are from Kerala and 2 from Tamil Nadu with total 952 fisherman on board. All are safe. Maharashtra will completely look after everyone till weather permits them to go back. @nsitharaman @BJP4Keralam Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 2, 2017 A fresh spell of heavy rain is in store in some areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry with a low pressure area forming over south Andaman sea, which is "very likely" to become a depression over Bay of Bengal . It is very likely to become a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 36 hours. It is also very likely to intensify further and move towards north Tamil Nadu south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the next 3-4 days. (IMD) Though many fishermen from Kerala were brought ashore safely and admitted to hospitals, many are yet to recover from the shock of wrestling the lashing waves and seeing death face-to-face. Stephan, a fisherman hailing from nearby Poonthura, said: "It was the first time we were experiencing such huge waves and a rough sea. Luckily, the rescue boat came back and saved us." Most of the rescued fishermen had bruises all over their bodies and were seen shivering and begging for hot water and food when brought ashore. (PTI) Stranded fisherman being brought to Kerala coast by Indain Navy personnel in Kochi on Saturday. (PTI) Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami today requested the Centre to deploy the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for the search and rescue of fishermen who have not returned so far, and that helicopters of Coast Guard and Navy should be deployed for this purpose. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the AIADMK leader that the Centre would provide the assistance required to rescue the fishermen. (PTI) Several roads that connect Kanyakumari with many interior parts have got cut or were fully damaged due to heavy rainfall following the impact of cyclone Ockhi in the district on Saturday. (PTI) A Coast Guard advisory here said the status of weather and sea conditions should be checked on television, radio, newspapers and smartphone applications before venturing out into the sea. The merchant ships should also be alert and avoid the path of Cyclone Ockhi, it said. Fishing boats should remain in groups and during distress all the crew should remain together, it said. DMK working president M K Stalin urged Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in his letter to direct the Coast Guard to search and rescue "thousands of fishermen fighting for their lives in the mid sea, so as to prevent further loss of lives due to the Ockhi cyclone". Steps have been taken to prevent any possible outbreak of epidemic in rain-hit areas of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu Health minister C Vijayabhaskar said today. A relief worker places sand bags on the banks of a beach in Kochi in wake of cyclone Ockhi on Saturday. (PTI) Leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare cyclone Ockhi as a national disaster. He also urged the Kerala government to increase the financial aid for the injured at least up to Rs 50,000 from the present Rs 15,000. Lack of coordination had affected the government's relief and rescue operations, launched post Ockhi, he alleged. (PTI) The Southern Railway announced partial and full cancellation of some trains in the Kaniyakumari-Nagercoil section. One train service was also rescheduled. (PTI Meanwhile, relatives of missing fishermen from Kaniyakumari staged a road blockade demanding the fishermen be rescued at the earliest. Scores of women also staged protest at Chinnathurai in that district. There has been a huge demand for generator sets following the devastation caused by cyclone Ockhi in the Kanyakumari region on Saturday. (PTI) In Kanyakumari, power supply had been restored even as efforts are on to resume power supply in neighbouring areas like Nagercoil and Kuzhithurai. Officials expressed confidence that the power supply would be restored in the entire district by tomorrow. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced Rs 25 crore for expediting relief and restoration work in the district . ( PTI) 261 persons rescued by @IndiaCoastGuard @adgpi and @IAF_MCC in #CycloneOckhi @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/ywhzBQLJnP Kiran_TNIE (@tniekiran1) December 2, 2017 The Coast Guard informed in a press release that on November 30, the Coast Guard District Headquarters in Kerala was informed that around 70-80 fishermen were stranded at sea due to the storm. The Coast Guard immediately sailed as many as nine ships towards Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts. Further, ships based at New Mangalore were also sailed towards Kerala coast to undertake the rescue of stranded fishermen. As the cyclone intensified, coordinated search by Coast Guard ships and aircraft continued in extremely rough weather with wind speed gusting up to 150 kmph. Ships at Mumbai and Goa were also placed on maximum alert to augment efforts as required, the press release read. (PTI) As per the last report, a total of 79 stranded fishermen have been saved by the Coast Guard in coordination with other agencies. Also, the fisheries department has intimated that about 25 boats with 250 personnel are still in distress at sea. A man watches a road that has been cut off due to floods following the heavy rainfall caused by the cyclone Ockhi which left heavy damage in the Kanyakumari district on Saturday. (PTI) 138 fishermen have been rescued from the Lakshadweep islands. (PTI) So far 393 people from Kerala have been rescued, Kerala CM Vijayan said, as the state government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of those who died in the storm, in addition to the financial assistance of Rs four lakh being given by the fisheries department.Of the rescued, 132 fishermen were from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, 66 from Kozhikode, 55 from Kollam, 40 from Thrissur, and 100 from Kanyakumari. (PTI) In Lakshadweep, 31 relief camps have been opened in the10 inhabited islands. So far, 1,047 people have been evacuated to the relief camps, official sources said. No casualties have been reported, with the worst-affected islands being Minicoy and Kalpeni. Seven people have lost their lives in Kerala in rain-related incidents over the past two days, official sources said. (PTI) Cyclone Ockhi has so far claimed 13 lives in Sri Lanka . Power supply, essential services and air traffic was disrupted in the stormy weather that left several buildings damaged and trees uprooted in its wake. READ FULL REPORT HERE #CycloneOckhi update @IndiaCoastGuard ship rescued 15 fishermen at sea off Vizhinjam/Quilon (Kerala) Coast and heading towards shore for safe disembarkation of fisher-folks @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/39gJrfI20Z Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) December 2, 2017 Authorities including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Coast Guard and Navy have rescued about 223 fishermen and evacuated thousands of people from cyclone hit areas, officials said, as they continued their operations on Saturday. While INS Nireekshak, INS Jamuna and INS Sagardhwani are continuing search and rescue operations in their designated areas along the coast off Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, two ships INS Shardul and INS Sharda are heading towards Lakshadweep, a defence spokesman said. (PTI) The naval ships, which left from the Southern Naval Command here yesterday, are likely to reach Lakshadweep this evening. The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Lanba briefed me on the on-going rescue operations #CycloneOchki . More fishermen rescued this morning. Rescue work to continue.Some rescued fishermen waiting in Lakshadweep Isle to get back. Details @indiannavy @DefenceMinIndia @IndiaCoastGuard Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 2, 2017 The Kerala state government has announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the families of the deceased. #Kerala Locals have blocked National Highway for last five hours in Trivandrum's Thumba, demand better relief measures & rescue of 6 fishermen missing from the area #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/rcTY0gyDty ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 Six boats and 73 fishermen that went missing in the sea have been brought back, the Fisheries Minister of Tamil Nadu, D Jayakumar, informed on Saturday. (ANI) Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slammed rumour mongers on Saturday after it came to light that Friday's reports of a Japanese merchant ship rescuing 60 Kerala fishermen caught in the deep seas, was "fake". It was Thiruvananthapuram district Collector S.Vasuki who told the media, on Friday evening, that she wished to thank the Japanese government as one of their ships had rescued 60 fishermen and said they would arrive at the Vizhinjam coast. (IANS.) [READ FULL REPORT] Locals in Thiruvananthapuram's Poonthura came out in protest alleging rescue operations have been inadequate. (ANI) According to Thiruvananthapuram district Collector S Vasuki, 102 fishermen from the city who had gone into the sea have not been able to contact their relatives. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Kerala: Locals evacuated to rehabilitation centre in Kochi's Chellanam. #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/iAwj7Q7g94 Several houses suffered damage, trees got uprooted and communication lines were disrupted as rains accompanied by strong winds lashed the Lakshadweep Islands under the influence of Cyclone Ockhi. [ READ FULL REPORT] INS Nireekshak rescued two fishermen off Alappuzha coast. INS Sagardhwani fished out one cadaver, 30 km off Thiruvananthapuram coast. The ship had earlier found another cadaver. (PTI) PM Modi dialled Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami and enquired about the damage caused by the cyclone, which also battered parts of Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] The Tamil Nadu government has said it will soon seek central funds for the damage caused by Cyclone Ockhi in the southern parts of the state, with Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts being the worst hit. As many as 218 fishermen from various parts of southern Kerala who were missing at sea since Thursday have been rescued and brought back so far, even as Cyclone Ockhi continued its menacing north-westward path along the Arabian Sea. [READ REPORT HERE] A rescued fisherman rushed to the ambulance from the technical area of the Thiruvananthpuram airport on Friday afternoon. Express Photo | Kaviyoor Santhosh According to a CWC advisory, the west-flowing rivers in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam in Kerala are likely to rise over the next 24 hours and then, slowly fall as the rains reduced. Three deaths were reported in Kerala and one in the worst-hit Kannyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, taking the toll to 12, reports UNI. A report from Lakshadweep said a red alert had been sounded as high waves posed a major threat to most of the islands in the region. (UNI) WATCH: Navy rescue fishermen off Thiruvananthapuram coast About 150 fishermen, who put out to sea from various southern districts, were rescued, Thiruvananthapuram District Commissioner K Vasuki said, adding that efforts were on to bring the rest of the stranded fishermen to the shore. The rescued fishermen included those who were saved by a Japanese cargo vessel. Kerala: Rescued fishermen brought to Trivandrim Air Force Station, later admitted to hospital for treatment #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/lB10HNPqsE ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Heavy to extremely heavy rains are likely over Lakshadweep Islands, while light to moderate rains with a few heavy spells are expected over Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to Skymetweather's latest weather update. Two fishing boats Arokia Mary and Hermen Mary from Kanyakumari reported missing due #CycloneOckhi since 30 Nov 2017 with 08 crew each rescued by Coast Guard Ship C-427 off Vizhinjam #Kerala pic.twitter.com/nyLuxkoonk ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Search and rescue effort progressing off Vizhinjam where approximately 40 people were stranded at sea. Indian Navy ships Sharda and Shardul sailed out to augment search effort, in final stages of embarking humanitarian assistance and disaster relief items for assistance at Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands , reports ANI. 130 families from Chellanam, 17 families from Kumbalangi and 18 families from Edavanakad rehabilitated from the coastal areas, reports ANI. [Read Report] Cyclone Ockhi is moving to the Arabian Sea. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan says steps are initiated to rescue fishermen stranded in the rough sea, reports PTI. #WATCH: High tides seen at Lakshadweep coast #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/sxUBC4geku ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 24 people stranded at sea sighted by IN assets. Efforts underway to rescue all 24:- 07 picked up by MV ENERGY ORPHEUS,04 being rescued by INS JAMUNA ,03 rescued by trawler in area,02 rescued by ALH (progressing further rescue of 06 more),02 under Rescue by MV KUN LUN SHAN SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 1, 2017 READ FULL STORY: Navy, Coast Guard save 39 Kerala fishermen ALSO READ | Cyclone Ockhi tales #Kerala: Relatives of missing fishermen mourn in Thiruvananthapuram, say they received no warnings of #CycloneOckhi from the government pic.twitter.com/gewQlJZvPI ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 - One person was killed when a tree fell on his autorickshaw at Kulathupuzha in Kollam - A couple at Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram was electrocuted when power cables fell over them - Trees and hoardings collapsed in the strong wind, which also blew away thatched roofs and roofing sheets of houses - The State Disaster Management Authority has issued alert to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kottayam districts Satellite image of Cyclone Ockhi across South India. (Image Courtesy: skymetweather.com) Southern Naval Command deployed 3 ships & 2 aircraft following request by District Collector, Trivandrum for assistance in search of 6 fishing boats with fisherman & 1 Marine Engineering vessel missing near Vizhinjam, due to cyclonic storm developed in Indian Ocean off Kerala. pic.twitter.com/2fShFmu1NS ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017 SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) November 30, 2017 With a speed of 38 kmph at 8:30 Thursday morning, the cyclone lay centred about 340 km west-northwest of Galle in Sri Lanka, 60 Km south of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and 120 km southwest of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and 480 km eastsoutheast of Minicoy in Lakshadweep. It has moved west-northwestwards towards Lakshadweep Islands in the southeast Arabian Sea. Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 12 atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks lying 200 to 400 km to the West of the South-West coast (Kerala) of India. Cyclone Ockhi is approaching the Lakshadweep archipelago, a top official at the Ministry of Earth Sciences said in Delhi today. Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry, said the archipelago in the southern part of the Arabian Sea will start experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds from tomorrow. "It will hit the islands on December 2," Rajeevan said. (PTI) Earlier today, the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) had put out an alert saying that the system could intensify further to become a severe cyclonic storm. It further said the storm could re-curve towards the Mumbai-Gujarat region on the West Coast, after being influenced by an incoming western disturbance from the opposite direction. Heavy rainfall and storms in Tamil Nadu in the first week of November this year killed at least 12 people and thousands took shelter in relief camps, triggering fears of the 2015 floods repeat. It had killed more than 400 people, displaced lakhs and damaged property worth thousands of crores. What is a tropical depression The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea into seven categories. Low pressure areas with maximum sustained surface wind speeds between 31 and 61 kmph are called tropical depressions. Once the winds around the low pressure area reach at least 62 kmph, it is called a tropical cyclone and is assigned a name. The current system is intensifying rapidly. As per the IMD wind warning, squally winds would reach 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph along and off south Tamil Nadu during the next 48 hours. Another depression kicking-in The trough of low pressure over the Malay Peninsula and neighbourhood is persisting and is likely to develop into a low-pressure area over Malay Peninsula and adjoining south Andaman Sea during the next 24 hours. This system is likely to trigger a wet spell for the north coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, around December 4. (With inputs from Express News Service and agencies) Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi today visited some places hit by the Cyclone Ochki in southern Kerala that has claimed 63 lives in the state, most of them fishermen, and pitched for a better warning system to prevent recurrence of such tragedies. Thousands of fishermen and their families in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are continuously holding mass protests, demanding for search operations to continue and for relief to be provided faster. Search and rescue operations to trace the fishermen missing in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi continued for the 12th day today. As many as 433 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and 186 from Kerala are yet to be traced. The cyclone, earlier this week, had finally dissipated over the Arabian Sea, sparing Gujarat from destruction. ALSO READ | No tsunami says IMD as false WhatsApp alerts create panic Here are all the latest updates: The Union Home Ministry is constituting an inter ministerial central committee for the spot assessment of damage and admissibility of claims of the states hit by Cyclone Ockhi. Today's #OpSahayam #CycloneOckhi Deployment of IN & ICG assets for #SAR of missing fishermen off Kerala & Tamil Nadu coast. @CMOKerala @CMOTamilNadu @OfficeOfOPS @ShashiTharoor @PonnaarrBJP @pibchennai @PIB_India @PIBTvpm @BJP4TamilNadu @BJP4Keralam pic.twitter.com/oTeP5QI2XP Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 14, 2017 House-to-house verification process is going on and a final figure of the missing fishermen would be known once the process was over, say officials. [READ FULL REPORT] "The farmers have a ministry that looks after their interests and I think it is time that we create a ministry for the fishermen to look after their interests and make sure they are protected," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after visiting fishermen families in affected areas in Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT] TN government hikes compensation for non-fisherman families from Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs. (READ) The death toll in the Ockhi cyclone that hit the Kerala coast mounted to 65 with more bodies being recovered. DMK petitions TN governor Banwarilal Purohit to expedite rescue work post-Ockhi. Efforts are on to identify the recovered bodies through DNA test. In a bid to set up a mechanism to ensure the safety of fishermen, Kerala CM Vijayan said a system was being planned in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation. Kerala State control room officials said three bodies were found off the coast of Kozhikode and three from Kochi. [READ FULL REPORT] The financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for families of Kerala fishermen killed in the cyclone would be given in one go. An amount of Rs five lakh would be given to those who are seriously injured and are not able to go to work in future as an "alternative livelihood" initiative. Today's deployment on #SAR #CycloneOckhi .@CMOTamilNadu @CMOKerala @OfficeOfOPS @PonnaarrBJP @ShashiTharoor @PIB_India @pibchennai @PIBTvpm @BJP4Keralam @BJP4TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/LQedhf51eA Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 13, 2017 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the Centre has agreed to continue search operations for the missing fishermen in Cyclone Ockhi that hit the state's coast on November 29 and 30. The death toll due to Ockhi cyclone, which hit the Kerala coast, rose to 52 on Tuesday as more bodies were recovered and the search for the missing fishermen in the high seas continued. The Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami on Tuesday announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for the kin of fishermen who died in the cyclone that devastated the coastal areas of the state recently. Pope Francis has enquired about the hardships and sufferings caused to Kerala's fishermen community in the Ockhi cyclone that ravaged the coastal belt on November 30. The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced 'livelihood assistance' ranging from Rs 48,500 to Rs 63,500 per hectare for horticulture farmers of cyclone Ockhi-battered Kanyakumari district. Kerala fishermen protestors took to the street by waving black flags and photos of the dead and missing fishermen walked about two km from Palayam to Raj Bhavan raising slogans, bringing the traffic to a standstill on the busy stretch. The death toll in the Ockhi cyclone in Kerala rose to 40 on Monday with the recovery of two more bodies even as the search operations to trace the missing fishermen entered the 10th day. Search and rescue operations to trace the fishermen missing in the aftermath of Ockhi cyclone continued for 10th day today even as 67 persons caught in the storm, returned to Kochi coast. The Goa government would provide compensation to shacks having legal validity, for the damages suffered during the Cyclone Ockhi last week. [FULL REPORT] The Indian naval ships engaged in search and rescue mission in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi today continued their operations in the high seas, searching area till the Maldives. No stranded boats, fishermen or floating bodies have been found in the sea by the naval search team during the last 72 hours, the official said. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam will contribute a month's salary to the special fund being raised for the victims of cyclone Ockhi. The Kerala government has asked the Indian Armed Forces and the Coast Guard to continue search operations for fishermen missing in high seas post-Cyclone Ockhi for 10 more days. #HADR #CycloneOckhi #OpSahayam #SAR Based on reports by IN Boeing P8 i aircraft, INS Kalpeni was sent to Off Sesostris Bank/Bassas de Pedro (a traditional fishing area off Lakshadweep island).About 17 boats with 180 plus fishermen have been located.@DefenceMinIndia @nsitharaman SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 8, 2017 A decision in this regard was taken at an all-party meeting in Kerala on Friday to discuss the steps taken by the state for rescue of fishermen stranded at sea and situation in the aftermath of the cyclone that hit the coast on November 29 and 30. READ | Cyclone Ockhi: 200 people from Kerala's fisher community to be recruited to coastal police Sixty-six boats from this district were yet to be traced, while 713 fishermen were still to be rescued, in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi, a top district official said. Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan on Friday said all steps were being taken to trace and rescue missing fishermen in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi. A "false image" is being created against the central and state governments though they were taking up rescue, relief and rehabilitation works, Radhakrishnan told reporters in Kanyakumari. READ FULL STORY HERE | Tension at Adimalathura as Finance Minister meets protesting fishermen Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of fishermen who died in Cyclone Ockhi. Palaniswami also announced setting up of a high-level committee to go into the matter of missing fishermen and submit a report. He also announced Rs five lakh solatium to those fishermen who were affected by the cyclone and unable to pursue their profession. ALSO READ | Fishermen meet CM Edappadi K Palaniswami, seek intensive search operations The Tamil Nadu government said on Thursday (08-12-2017) that nearly 2,000 fishermen who had ventured into deep sea before Cyclone Ockhi crossed the coast of Kanyakumari were rescued and safely accommodated in coastal districts of various states. Principal Secretary (Information Technology) T K Ramachandran said that 1,969 fishermen on 284 boats ventured into the sea just a day before Cyclone Ockhi crossed the coast last week. READ | After Cyclone Ockhi, now its a sea of protest for 2000 fishermen families in Nagercoil Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit today assured the families of missing fishermen in the district that steps would be taken to trace all those missing after cyclone 'Ockhi' hit the state coast. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said prime minister Narendra Modi had called the Tamil Nadu chief minister and enquired about the situation, but did not call the Kerala CM. Three bodies were recovered today off the Kerala coast, taking the death toll due to Cyclone Ockhi to 36, even as defence sources said search and rescue operations will be extended to International waters around Maldives. Family members of 19 fishermen from Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, reported missing in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi, today met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and sought help to trace them. "It was an unprecedented calamity, which claimed several lives and caused a widespread damage to properties. The Centre should declare Cyclone Ockhi a national disaster and announce a special package for the rehabilitation of the victims," Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Tamil Nadu government today said a total of 4,501 houses in cyclone Ockhi-hit Kanyakumari have suffered partial and full damage and relief to the tune of Rs 41 lakh has been provided in this regard so far. [READ REPORT] Nuns take out a candlelight procession for the victims of Cyclone Ockhi at the National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom at Vallarpadam in Kochi on Wednesday night. (Albin Mathew | EPS) The Kerala state cabinet on Wednesday cleared a comprehensive rehabilitation package for the victims of Cyclone Ockhi, which includes Rs 20 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased fishermen and Rs 5 lakh each for fishermen who were grievously injured. [READ FULL REPORT] Boeing P8i of Indian Navy detected a fishing vessel near Kavaratti, close to Mangalore, yesterday evening. While INS Chennai has diverted for rescue, search areas are being expanded due to drift and currents in the area, said Navy spokesperson. Fishing vessel as seen from the aircraft. This video captures the essence of what Navy Boeing P-8i is doing - systematic search of every inch of possible/ probable area & providing hope to the stranded till they are rescued by our ships @nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/1sY0VXul42 SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 6, 2017 The government on Tuesday issued an advisory in view of Cyclone 'Ockhi', warning of a "rapid" rise in the water level of rivers in parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Union Health Minister J P Nadda today spoke to health ministers of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, assuring them of all help from the Centre for dealing with the possible damage caused by Cyclone Ockhi. A Coast Guard ship today located 15 boats off Lakshadweep and provided assistance to 184 fishermen on board, as part of its Cyclone Ockhi relief operations. Local fishermen will join Naval teams with INS Kabra, presently involved in search and rescue operations off Kollam port and their inputs will be taken to carry out the mission. The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide adequate basic amenities to those affected by cyclone Ockhi in Kanyakumari district. The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday said that Cyclone Ockhi was not expected to have high impact in Gujarat which is geared for the worst situation. As many as 39 people have perished and 167 fishermen were still missing after cyclone Ockhi hit Tamil Nadu and Kerala coasts while 809 others were swept away to Maharashtra, the Union Home Ministry said today. Narendra Modi today said he is constantly monitoring the situation in various states arising out of cyclone Ockhi battering parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep islands and now heading towards Gujarat. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE] Light rains were expected at one or two places in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry over the next two days. Rahul Gandhi's rallies in Gujarat's Morbi, Dhrangadhra and Surendranagar cancelled due to bad weather, reports ANI. The Kerala government today said intensified search and rescue operations are on to trace the 92 fishermen missing in high seas after Cyclone Ockhi hit the state's coast on November 29. The National Disaster Management Authority today asked fishermen in both eastern and western coasts not to venture out in the sea for the next three days as heavy rainfall is expected in many areas due to Cyclone Ockhi. The North Goa district has done a preliminary assessment of the damage caused due to Cyclone Ockhi in the coastal state. Cyclone Ockhi today moved closer to the southern coast near Surat in Gujarat and is expected to make a landfall in the state around midnight, said officials. PM Modi and Amit Shah have directed party workers to stop campaigning and instead help people in coastal regions of Gujarat move to safer places. Amit Shahs cancelled rallies were to be held in Rajula, Mahua and Shihor. (TV reports) It's likely to rain today, there will be strong winds. People have been advised not to go out at night. Those living in kachha houses will be given shelter. NDRF is on alert. Municipality & local bodies are working on their level.: Mahendra Patel, Surat DM #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/lUuIpOiauW ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017 Kerala fishermen demand stringent action against erring disaster management officers. [READ FULL STORY HERE] UP CM Yogi Adityanath hands over a cheque worth Rs. 5 Cr to PM Modi from CM Distress Relief Fund towards PM's National Relief Fund, for the cyclone affected people in Lakshadweep and other States #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/vPxxQaE43A ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017 The recent cyclone has brought to the fore the lack of proper mechanism to urgently communicate with fishermen at sea about an impending natural disaster. The situation is set to change once a mechanism to improve the communication with fishermen at sea is put in place by the state government in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). [Kerala government to better offshore communication of fishermen | READ HERE] Rs 600 per hour to use a motor generator to fill water tank? Impossible, you might think. But the power-less Nagercoil is seeing this and more, as desperate residents look at help from all quarters to bring life back to normal. They shell out the extra charges to get drinking water and to charge their already-dead mobile phone batteries. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE] With #CycloneOckhi expected to make a landfall in Gujarat, I appeal to @BJP4Gujarat Karyakartas to focus on helping people across the state. Our Karyakartas should devote themselves to providing all possible assistance and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow citizens. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017 In Mumbai, the Western Railways has deployed extra personnel for crowd management in case of any emergency due to the cyclone. [FULL REPORT] According to the IMD, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held an urgent meeting with senior officials to take stock of the preparedness in the state ahead of the expected landfall of the cyclone today. THE STORM OCKHI OVER ARABIAN SEA MOVED FURTHER NNE WARDS & IS NOW 480 KM SSW OF SURAT LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO MOVE NNE WARDS, WEAKEN GRADUALLY & CROSS S GUJ & N MAHA AS A DEEP DEPRESSION BY TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG WINDS ALREADY STARTED. BE CAREFUL & TAKE PRECAUTIONS. pic.twitter.com/M5YymjDD7W Dr. Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) December 5, 2017 Some parts of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway experienced a hailstorm early today, police said. The traffic on Eastern and Western Express Highways in Mumbai has slowed down. There are traffic curbs in some places in view of the rush of followers of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his death anniversary tomorrow. Five days after #CycloneOchki made landfall @IndiaCoastGuard continues to be at sea off #TamilNadu #Kerala & #Lakshadweep Island for Search & Rescue . Coast Guard Ship rescued 19 fishermen on board 02 stranded vessels 96 Nautical Miles off Bitra (L&M ) Islands @DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/PKFBHiUkjh Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) December 5, 2017 All exams for Mumbai University taking place as scheduled, announced the administration. (TV reports) Mumbai police have been putting up barricades near Dadar chowpatty and Juhu chowpatty to stop people from going near the beaches, say TV reports. Cyclone Ockhi is expected to make landfall in Mumbai and coastal Gujarat on Tuesday midnight with squally winds, which may cause heavy rains in several parts of the state during the next two days. The Maharashtra government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Mumbai and adjoining districts. An official at the Mumbai office of India Meteorological Department said on account of the cyclone, the megapolis has started receiving rainfall due to spread of clouds. The Tamil Nadu government on Monday said a total of 2,604 fishermen out of the 2,864 caught in the cyclone Ockhi have been rescued. Women with all hopes of the return of their dear ones at the St Mary'schurch at Vizhinjam (EPS | Kaviyoor Santhosh) Several dozen shacks have reportedly been affected by Sunday night's swelling of waters along the coastline. The Central government has assured all help to cyclone-battered Lakshadweep, where there was no loss of lives, but extensive property damage in some islands: Lakshadweep Administrator Farooq Khan. Shibi, whose husband went missing Cyclone Ockhi, in all tears inside the St Mary's church at Vizhinjam. ( EPS | Kaviyoor Santhosh) The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday rescued another 19 fishermen from the Arabian Sea, top officials said. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today donated Rs two crore from the CM's relief fund to the PMNRF to provide relief to the victims of Cyclone Ockhi. A well-marked low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to become a depression and move towards Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh by December 6, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said today. The National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, has reviewed rescue and relief operations being carried out in high seas and coastal areas hit by cyclone Ockhi. Women members of the fisher folk community on Monday held a protest in Kanyakumari district demanding that authorities intensify rescue operations to trace fishermen caught in the deep sea in the wake of Cyclone Ockhi. Hundreds of women held protest on the roads in Neerodi village demanding the authorities trace their loved ones who are still missing. [READ FULL STORY] In a thatched house on Poonthura beach in Kerala, 21-year-old Bobby, his 42-year-old mother Jacintha and his 17-year-old sister Nimmy are hopeless about the future. Their sole breadwinner Christy, 51, a fisherman, died in the Ockhi cyclone in high seas when he ventured out into the sea last Wednesday. [READ THE FULL STORY HERE] Four days after Ockhi hit Chellanam in Kerala, Annamma Pouly, 67, is yet to recover from the troubles she went through to shift her 74-year-old immobile husband from their house as sea water gushed in during the middle of the night. [READ HER ACCOUNT HERE] Cyclone Ockhi and the frantic scramble for organising rescue efforts down south have yet again underscored the need for permanently stationing Naval and Coast Guard ships in Thiruvananthapuram. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday sent two crore rupees from the Chief Minister Fund to the Prime Minister Fund for the relief of victims. (ANI) Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with the families of fishermen affected by the cyclone at Vizhinam in Thiruvananthapuram. She pointed out that the boats that had gone out well before the cyclone warning was issued had been found 15 days after their departure with the fishermen alive. ''If boats which went 15 days ago can come back with fishermen alive, we will make every attempt to get everybody back,'' she said. (Express News Service) [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Previously, Cyclone Ockhi had moved north-northwestwards during the past six hours and lay centered over southeast and east-central Arabian Sea , about 390 km west-northwest of Amini Divi island of Lakshadweep. Lakshadweep islands, which was hit by Cyclone Ochki, has suffered a loss of over Rs 500 crore, Lakshadweep MP Mohammad Faizal said today. Nirmala Sitharaman taking stock of Cyclone Ochki affected Kanyakumari and interacting with the locals. Very severe Cyclone Ockhi to recurve towards Gujarat, weaken gradually: Skymet Weather Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said 28 more boats, carrying 321 fishermen, which were caught in rough seas due to Cyclone Ockhi, have safely reached Maharashtra's Ratnagiri coast today. [READ FULL REPORT] A total of 357 fishermen, including 71 from Tamil Nadu, stranded in sea due to Cyclone Ockhi , were rescued this morning, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today. What looked like an aftermath of cyclone Ockhi, three houses were damaged while the compound wall of a private resort collapsed as surging waves lashed the coast of Ullal in Dakshina Kannada in the last two days. According to official sources, damage to the property by huge waves has occurred in most of the coastal areas. KJ Alphons on Sunday also said that Cyclone Ockhi will not be termed a national disaster. [READ HERE] Even as the blame game over the lack of warning before cyclone Ockhi continues, Union Minister of State for Tourism and IT Alphons Kannanthanam said that the state had not received any warning until November 30. However, he later clarified that a warning had been issued on November 28 and 29 about a deep depression in the sea. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Four men three from Thiruvananthapuram and one from Tamil Nadu were rescued by the IAF and admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. They were identified as Zacharias (55), Seva Kurishu (35), and Kristudas (48) of Adimalathura, Thiruvananthapuram; and Anthony Adima (30) of Kollencode, Tamil Nadu. Another fisherman was brought dead to the hospital. A Coastguard vessel carrying 19 rescued fishermen was expected to arrive in Kochi. Moderate rain is expected at a few places in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry during the next 24 hours, according to IMD. [READ FULL REPORT] Indian Coast Guard ship Sarthi rescued a fisherman in rough seas during Cyclone Ockhi off Kerala coast. [WATCH VIDEO] Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari today. She will arrive at the technical area of the IAF at Shangumugham by 3 pm and leave for Kanyakumari. Fishermen community in Thiruvananthapuram have decided to launch their own rescue operations on Sunday as 55 boats ventured into the sea to search for the missing fishermen. (IANS) TN SDMA has also warned that strong winds from North-easterly direction with speeds reaching 40-55 Kmph is likely along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast. The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TN SDMA) has issued a 24-hour warning to fishermen not to go for fishing to the Arabian sea. 68 fishing boats, out of which 66 are from Kerala and two from Tamil Nadu, have reached Maharashtra's Sindhudurg coast with total 952 fishermen on board. All are safe: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. (READ FULL REPORT HERE) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to ask the Centre to declare the Ockhi cyclone as a national calamity. (ANI) Claims of thousand fishermen stranded are false. Correct figures- 97 are yet to be rescued, 71 from Tamil Nadu have been rescued till now. The Coast Guard is at it, with all its strength to rescue the rest. Hoping for good news soon: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. (ANI) People receive essential commodities at a relief camp following cyclone Ockhi in the Kanyakumari district on Saturday. (PTI) Given orders to Maharashtra Maritime Board and Collector, Sindhudurg Dist. to make all arrangements for the stranded fishermen. Local authorities are already with them and taking care of all arrangements, tweets Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. In all 68 fishing boats have reached, out of which 66 are from Kerala and 2 from Tamil Nadu with total 952 fisherman on board. All are safe. Maharashtra will completely look after everyone till weather permits them to go back. @nsitharaman @BJP4Keralam Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 2, 2017 A fresh spell of heavy rain is in store in some areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry with a low pressure area forming over south Andaman sea, which is "very likely" to become a depression over Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to become a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 36 hours. It is also very likely to intensify further and move towards north Tamil Nadu south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the next 3-4 days. (IMD) Though many fishermen from Kerala were brought ashore safely and admitted to hospitals, many are yet to recover from the shock of wrestling the lashing waves and seeing death face-to-face. Stephan, a fisherman hailing from nearby Poonthura, said: "It was the first time we were experiencing such huge waves and a rough sea. Luckily, the rescue boat came back and saved us." Most of the rescued fishermen had bruises all over their bodies and were seen shivering and begging for hot water and food when brought ashore. (PTI) Stranded fisherman being brought to Kerala coast by Indain Navy personnel in Kochi on Saturday. (PTI) Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami today requested the Centre to deploy the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for the search and rescue of fishermen who have not returned so far, and that helicopters of Coast Guard and Navy should be deployed for this purpose. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the AIADMK leader that the Centre would provide the assistance required to rescue the fishermen. (PTI) Several roads that connect Kanyakumari with many interior parts have got cut or were fully damaged due to heavy rainfall following the impact of cyclone Ockhi in the district on Saturday. (PTI) A Coast Guard advisory here said the status of weather and sea conditions should be checked on television, radio, newspapers and smartphone applications before venturing out into the sea. The merchant ships should also be alert and avoid the path of Cyclone Ockhi, it said. Fishing boats should remain in groups and during distress all the crew should remain together, it said. DMK working president M K Stalin urged Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in his letter to direct the Coast Guard to search and rescue "thousands of fishermen fighting for their lives in the mid sea, so as to prevent further loss of lives due to the Ockhi cyclone". Steps have been taken to prevent any possible outbreak of epidemic in rain-hit areas of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu Health minister C Vijayabhaskar said today. A relief worker places sand bags on the banks of a beach in Kochi in wake of cyclone Ockhi on Saturday. (PTI) Leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare cyclone Ockhi as a national disaster. He also urged the Kerala government to increase the financial aid for the injured at least up to Rs 50,000 from the present Rs 15,000. Lack of coordination had affected the government's relief and rescue operations, launched post Ockhi, he alleged. (PTI) The Southern Railway announced partial and full cancellation of some trains in the Kaniyakumari-Nagercoil section. One train service was also rescheduled. (PTI Meanwhile, relatives of missing fishermen from Kaniyakumari staged a road blockade demanding the fishermen be rescued at the earliest. Scores of women also staged protest at Chinnathurai in that district. There has been a huge demand for generator sets following the devastation caused by cyclone Ockhi in the Kanyakumari region on Saturday. (PTI) In Kanyakumari, power supply had been restored even as efforts are on to resume power supply in neighbouring areas like Nagercoil and Kuzhithurai. Officials expressed confidence that the power supply would be restored in the entire district by tomorrow. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced Rs 25 crore for expediting relief and restoration work in the district. (PTI) 261 persons rescued by @IndiaCoastGuard @adgpi and @IAF_MCC in #CycloneOckhi @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/ywhzBQLJnP Kiran_TNIE (@tniekiran1) December 2, 2017 The Coast Guard informed in a press release that on November 30, the Coast Guard District Headquarters in Kerala was informed that around 70-80 fishermen were stranded at sea due to the storm. The Coast Guard immediately sailed as many as nine ships towards Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts. Further, ships based at New Mangalore were also sailed towards Kerala coast to undertake the rescue of stranded fishermen. As the cyclone intensified, coordinated search by Coast Guard ships and aircraft continued in extremely rough weather with wind speed gusting up to 150 kmph. Ships at Mumbai and Goa were also placed on maximum alert to augment efforts as required, the press release read. (PTI) As per the last report, a total of 79 stranded fishermen have been saved by the Coast Guard in coordination with other agencies. Also, the fisheries department has intimated that about 25 boats with 250 personnel are still in distress at sea. A man watches a road that has been cut off due to floods following the heavy rainfall caused by the cyclone Ockhi which left heavy damage in the Kanyakumari district on Saturday. (PTI) 138 fishermen have been rescued from the Lakshadweep islands. (PTI) So far 393 people from Kerala have been rescued, Kerala CM Vijayan said, as the state government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of those who died in the storm, in addition to the financial assistance of Rs four lakh being given by the fisheries department.Of the rescued, 132 fishermen were from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, 66 from Kozhikode, 55 from Kollam, 40 from Thrissur, and 100 from Kanyakumari. (PTI) In Lakshadweep, 31 relief camps have been opened in the10 inhabited islands. So far, 1,047 people have been evacuated to the relief camps, official sources said. No casualties have been reported, with the worst-affected islands being Minicoy and Kalpeni. Seven people have lost their lives in Kerala in rain-related incidents over the past two days, official sources said. (PTI) Cyclone Ockhi has so far claimed 13 lives in Sri Lanka. Power supply, essential services and air traffic was disrupted in the stormy weather that left several buildings damaged and trees uprooted in its wake. READ FULL REPORT HERE #CycloneOckhi update @IndiaCoastGuard ship rescued 15 fishermen at sea off Vizhinjam/Quilon (Kerala) Coast and heading towards shore for safe disembarkation of fisher-folks @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/39gJrfI20Z Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) December 2, 2017 Authorities including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Coast Guard and Navy have rescued about 223 fishermen and evacuated thousands of people from cyclone hit areas, officials said, as they continued their operations on Saturday. While INS Nireekshak, INS Jamuna and INS Sagardhwani are continuing search and rescue operations in their designated areas along the coast off Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, two ships INS Shardul and INS Sharda are heading towards Lakshadweep, a defence spokesman said. (PTI) The naval ships, which left from the Southern Naval Command here yesterday, are likely to reach Lakshadweep this evening. The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Lanba briefed me on the on-going rescue operations #CycloneOchki . More fishermen rescued this morning. Rescue work to continue.Some rescued fishermen waiting in Lakshadweep Isle to get back. Details @indiannavy @DefenceMinIndia @IndiaCoastGuard Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 2, 2017 The Kerala state government has announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the families of the deceased. #Kerala Locals have blocked National Highway for last five hours in Trivandrum's Thumba, demand better relief measures & rescue of 6 fishermen missing from the area #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/rcTY0gyDty ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 Six boats and 73 fishermen that went missing in the sea have been brought back, the Fisheries Minister of Tamil Nadu, D Jayakumar, informed on Saturday. (ANI) Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slammed rumour mongers on Saturday after it came to light that Friday's reports of a Japanese merchant ship rescuing 60 Kerala fishermen caught in the deep seas, was "fake". It was Thiruvananthapuram district Collector S.Vasuki who told the media, on Friday evening, that she wished to thank the Japanese government as one of their ships had rescued 60 fishermen and said they would arrive at the Vizhinjam coast. (IANS.) [READ FULL REPORT] Locals in Thiruvananthapuram's Poonthura came out in protest alleging rescue operations have been inadequate. (ANI) According to Thiruvananthapuram district Collector S Vasuki, 102 fishermen from the city who had gone into the sea have not been able to contact their relatives. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Kerala: Locals evacuated to rehabilitation centre in Kochi's Chellanam. #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/iAwj7Q7g94 ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 Several houses suffered damage, trees got uprooted and communication lines were disrupted as rains accompanied by strong winds lashed the Lakshadweep Islands under the influence of Cyclone Ockhi. [READ FULL REPORT] INS Nireekshak rescued two fishermen off Alappuzha coast. INS Sagardhwani fished out one cadaver, 30 km off Thiruvananthapuram coast. The ship had earlier found another cadaver. (PTI) PM Modi dialled Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami and enquired about the damage caused by the cyclone, which also battered parts of Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] The Tamil Nadu government has said it will soon seek central funds for the damage caused by Cyclone Ockhi in the southern parts of the state, with Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts being the worst hit. As many as 218 fishermen from various parts of southern Kerala who were missing at sea since Thursday have been rescued and brought back so far, even as Cyclone Ockhi continued its menacing north-westward path along the Arabian Sea. [READ REPORT HERE] A rescued fisherman rushed to the ambulance from the technical area of the Thiruvananthpuram airport on Friday afternoon. Express Photo | Kaviyoor Santhosh According to a CWC advisory, the west-flowing rivers in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam in Kerala are likely to rise over the next 24 hours and then, slowly fall as the rains reduced. Three deaths were reported in Kerala and one in the worst-hit Kannyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, taking the toll to 12, reports UNI. A report from Lakshadweep said a red alert had been sounded as high waves posed a major threat to most of the islands in the region. (UNI) WATCH: Navy rescue fishermen off Thiruvananthapuram coast About 150 fishermen, who put out to sea from various southern districts, were rescued, Thiruvananthapuram District Commissioner K Vasuki said, adding that efforts were on to bring the rest of the stranded fishermen to the shore. The rescued fishermen included those who were saved by a Japanese cargo vessel. Kerala: Rescued fishermen brought to Trivandrim Air Force Station, later admitted to hospital for treatment #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/lB10HNPqsE ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Heavy to extremely heavy rains are likely over Lakshadweep Islands, while light to moderate rains with a few heavy spells are expected over Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to Skymetweather's latest weather update. Two fishing boats Arokia Mary and Hermen Mary from Kanyakumari reported missing due #CycloneOckhi since 30 Nov 2017 with 08 crew each rescued by Coast Guard Ship C-427 off Vizhinjam #Kerala pic.twitter.com/nyLuxkoonk ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Search and rescue effort progressing off Vizhinjam where approximately 40 people were stranded at sea. Indian Navy ships Sharda and Shardul sailed out to augment search effort, in final stages of embarking humanitarian assistance and disaster relief items for assistance at Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands , reports ANI. 130 families from Chellanam, 17 families from Kumbalangi and 18 families from Edavanakad rehabilitated from the coastal areas, reports ANI. [Read Report] Cyclone Ockhi is moving to the Arabian Sea. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan says steps are initiated to rescue fishermen stranded in the rough sea, reports PTI. #WATCH: High tides seen at Lakshadweep coast #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/sxUBC4geku ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 24 people stranded at sea sighted by IN assets. Efforts underway to rescue all 24:- 07 picked up by MV ENERGY ORPHEUS,04 being rescued by INS JAMUNA ,03 rescued by trawler in area,02 rescued by ALH (progressing further rescue of 06 more),02 under Rescue by MV KUN LUN SHAN SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 1, 2017 READ FULL STORY: Navy, Coast Guard save 39 Kerala fishermen ALSO READ | Cyclone Ockhi tales #Kerala: Relatives of missing fishermen mourn in Thiruvananthapuram, say they received no warnings of #CycloneOckhi from the government pic.twitter.com/gewQlJZvPI ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 - One person was killed when a tree fell on his autorickshaw at Kulathupuzha in Kollam - A couple at Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram was electrocuted when power cables fell over them - Trees and hoardings collapsed in the strong wind, which also blew away thatched roofs and roofing sheets of houses - The State Disaster Management Authority has issued alert to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kottayam districts Satellite image of Cyclone Ockhi across South India. (Image Courtesy: skymetweather.com) Southern Naval Command deployed 3 ships & 2 aircraft following request by District Collector, Trivandrum for assistance in search of 6 fishing boats with fisherman & 1 Marine Engineering vessel missing near Vizhinjam, due to cyclonic storm developed in Indian Ocean off Kerala. pic.twitter.com/2fShFmu1NS ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017 SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) November 30, 2017 Five people dead, 22 fishermen missing, 62 houses fully damaged, 240 houses partly damaged due to heavy rains, in Kanyakumari district. 16 rehabilitation centres established by government in which 1044 people are being given shelter. (ANI) Ockhi can lead to cloudy weather coupled with light rain for some parts along Maharashtra coast and Mumbai next week, reports said. The IMD has issued warning to all ports. Skymet predicted that there will be light rains in Saurashtra and Kutch region of Gujarat as well. Thiruvananthapuram saw a respite from incessant rains Friday morning. Several trains to and from Thiruvananthapuram were either delayed, cancelled or re-scheduled, say TV reports. #WATCH: Water logging in Sthanumalayan Temple in Kanyakumari's Suchindram #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/nDSjmpfXoz ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami announces Rs 5 lakh compensation to kin of the five deceased in Kanyakumari district due to rain-related incidents. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said there were serious lapses from the side of state disaster management department. The alert from Hyderabad was not sent to the Government on time, reports ANI. [READ FULL REPORT] Indian Navys Advanced Light Helicopter has dropped a life a liferaft for 8 survivors at sea 20nm off Trivandrum and is picking up two critically injured survivors from MV Energy Orpheus. Naval Seaking helicopter being launched shortly to recover 8 survivors & additional SAR. Boeing P8I Aircraft deployed at first light from INS Rajali this morning sights 7 survivors hanging on to a capsized boat ~25 miles West of Tivandrum. A/c drops life raft in the vicinity and reported the exact position. Ships in area are being diverted to render assistance: Indian Navy Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to the DG of NDRF and reviewed the situation in areas affected by Cyclone Ockhi. NDRF teams have already been moved to the affected areas. More teams are on standby to respond to any further emergencies. The Home Affairs ministry is closely monitoring the situation, according to a the HMO, reports ANI. #Kerala: 59 people stranded due to heavy rains rescued by Navy and coastal guards in Trivandrum #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/8YziNQeaeH ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 A cyclone alert has been issued across the coastal regions in north Kerala as MET has predicted cyclone Ockhi will reach this part of the state also. Nearly 200 fishing boats, which left Kochi coast in the last couple of days, are yet to return. Joseph Xavier, general secretary, All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association, said, Usually, we used to receive advance warnings on the weather. But this time, there was no such notification." This is a matter of concern, given there were reports about the arrival of the cyclone at least two days ago, he said. Since most of the boats are co-owned by people belonging to Tamil Nadu and most of the workers are also from that state, it is also possible that the fishermen might have taken the boats to Colachel, Muttom and Thengapattanam, said Xavier. Kerala: Fishermen in Trivandrum go missing. Relatives say they received no warnings of Cyclone Ockhi from the government. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held an emergency meeting of top officials to take stock of the situation and has asked police and revenue officials to be on high alert, reports IANS. Balakrishnan Nair, scientist at INCOIS, said that the storm surge of about one metre above astronomical tides are very likely to inundate low-lying areas of Lakshadweep Islands from Thursday night and 0.5 metre surge will inundate low-lying areas of coastal districts of south Kerala (Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts), and adjoining districts of south Tamil Nadu (Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts). Four people were killed in Kerala on Thursday as heavy rains and strong winds lashed southern part of the state after cyclonic storm Ockhi hit the Kerala coast. (READ MORE) Four people died today in Kanyakumari as heavy rains and strong winds uprooted trees, snapped power lines and damaged settlements close to the sea in Kanyakumari-Nagercoil-Thoothukudi region in south Tamil Nadu. Schools in seven districts of the state including Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Virudhunagar were closed today. [READ MORE] Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams with 60 personnel have been sent to Kanyakumari. Another team of 47 will be on standby in Kochi in Kerala to help out in Lakshadweep if the need arises. [READ: TN CM Palaniswami: Taking precautionary steps for Cyclone Ockhi] Heavy rains have caused chaos and destruction in districts of Kerala since Wednesday. Thiruvananthapuram woke up this morning to a sustained heavy drizzle and heavily overcast skies, which hit rush hour traffic in the state's capital city. One death has been reported in the state so far. An autorickshaw driver on the outskirts of Kollam was killed today after a tree fell on his vehicle. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Severe rainstorm &winds in Thiruvananthapuram. Here I'm struggling with my umbrella at Shankumukham Beach where #Padayorukkam is scheduled to conclude tomorrow w/ mass rally by Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/qxXvugMqHV The Southern Naval Command is also gearing up for any Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief that may be required due to the effects of the storm in the southern part of Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] S Balachandran, Director, Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, said southern districts in Tamil Nadu such as Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar will get heavy to very heavy rainfall till December 1. Cyclone Ockhi is not expected to make a landfall in Tamil Nadu. ALSO READ | High wave warning sounded for south Tamil Nadu For north coastal Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, the skies would be generally cloudy and light to moderate spells of rain can be expected. Chennai received up to 6 cm of rain between 8:30 last night and 8:30 this morning. As far as fishermen are concerned, those in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Rameswaram, have been asked not to venture out into sea till December 1, Thursday as the wind speed will be 65-70 kmph, meaning the sea will be rough along and off south Tamil Nadu, south Kerala coasts and Lakshadweep Islands. #cyclonealert: Check out the progress of the #CycloneOckhi #Cyclone #Ockhi #Weather #cyclone1 #Chennai #Chennairains #Kerala #TamilNadu @tnsdma @kerala_kaumudi @archvivekh @karthickselvaa pic.twitter.com/A0RNw8wJ90 The weather office has also predicted dense fog in places in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. Cyclone 'Ockhi' (meaning: eye) was a name contributed by Bangladesh. With a speed of 38 kmph at 8:30 Thursday morning, the cyclone lay centred about 340 km west-northwest of Galle in Sri Lanka, 60 Km south of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and 120 km southwest of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and 480 km eastsoutheast of Minicoy in Lakshadweep. It has moved west-northwestwards towards Lakshadweep Islands in the southeast Arabian Sea. Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 12 atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks lying 200 to 400 km to the West of the South-West coast (Kerala) of India. Cyclone Ockhi is approaching the Lakshadweep archipelago, a top official at the Ministry of Earth Sciences said in Delhi today. Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry, said the archipelago in the southern part of the Arabian Sea will start experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds from tomorrow. "It will hit the islands on December 2," Rajeevan said. (PTI) Earlier today, the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) had put out an alert saying that the system could intensify further to become a severe cyclonic storm. It further said the storm could re-curve towards the Mumbai-Gujarat region on the West Coast, after being influenced by an incoming western disturbance from the opposite direction. Heavy rainfall and storms in Tamil Nadu in the first week of November this year killed at least 12 people and thousands took shelter in relief camps, triggering fears of the 2015 floods repeat. It had killed more than 400 people, displaced lakhs and damaged property worth thousands of crores. What is a tropical depression The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea into seven categories. Low pressure areas with maximum sustained surface wind speeds between 31 and 61 kmph are called tropical depressions. Once the winds around the low pressure area reach at least 62 kmph, it is called a tropical cyclone and is assigned a name. The current system is intensifying rapidly. As per the IMD wind warning, squally winds would reach 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph along and off south Tamil Nadu during the next 48 hours. Another depression kicking-in The trough of low pressure over the Malay Peninsula and neighbourhood is persisting and is likely to develop into a low-pressure area over Malay Peninsula and adjoining south Andaman Sea during the next 24 hours. This system is likely to trigger a wet spell for the north coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, around December 4. (With inputs from Express News Service and agencies) By Associated Press UKHIA (BANGLADESH): The newlyweds were asleep in their home in western Myanmar in June when seven soldiers charged in. The woman, a Rohingya Muslim who agreed to be identified by her first initial, F, knew enough to be terrified. She knew the military had been attacking Rohingya villages, as part of what the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing in the mostly Buddhist nation. She heard just days before that soldiers had killed her parents and that her brother was missing. Now they had come for her. The men bound her husband with rope, and tied her scarf around his mouth. They yanked off her jewelry and tore off her clothes. They threw her to the floor. And then, she says, the first soldier began to rape her. She struggled against him, but four men held her down and beat her with sticks. Her husband finally wriggled the gag out of his mouth and screamed. And then she watched as a soldier fired a bullet into the chest of the man she had married only one month before. Another soldier slit his throat. Her mind grew fuzzy. When the soldiers were finished, they dragged her outside and set her bamboo house ablaze. It would be two months before she realized her misery was far from over: She was pregnant. The Associated Press reported this story with a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. The rape of Rohingya women by Myanmar's security forces has been sweeping and methodical, the Associated Press found in interviews with 29 women and girls who fled to neighboring Bangladesh. IN PICS | MYANMAR SECURITY FORCES RAPE ROHINGYA WOMEN These sexual assault survivors from several refugee camps were interviewed separately and extensively. The women gave AP their names, but agreed to be publicly identified only by their first initial, citing fears they or their families would be killed by Myanmar's military. They ranged in age from 13 to 35, came from a wide swath of villages in Myanmar's Rakhine state and described assaults between October 2016 and mid-September. Yet there was a sickening sameness to their stories, with distinct patterns in their accounts, their assailants' uniforms and the details of the rapes themselves. The testimonies bolster the U.N.'s contention that Myanmar's armed forces are systematically employing rape as a "calculated tool of terror" aimed at exterminating the Rohingya people. The Myanmar armed forces did not respond to multiple requests from the AP for comment, but an internal military investigation last month concluded that none of the assaults ever took place. When journalists asked about rape allegations during a government-organized trip to Rakhine in September, Rakhine's minister for border affairs, Phone Tint, replied: "These women were claiming they were raped, but look at their appearances do you think they are that attractive to be raped?" Doctors and aid workers, however, say they are stunned at the sheer volume of rapes, and suspect only a fraction of women have come forward. Medecins Sans Frontieres doctors have treated 113 sexual violence survivors since August, a third of them under 18. The youngest was 9. Each woman interviewed by the AP described attacks that involved groups of men, often coupled with other forms of extreme violence. Every woman except one said the assailants wore military-style uniforms, generally dark green or camouflage. The lone woman who described her attackers as wearing plain clothes said her neighbors recognized them from the local military outpost. Many women said the uniforms bore various patches featuring stars or, in a couple cases, arrows. Such patches represent the different units of Myanmar's army. Though the scale of these attacks is new, the use of sexual violence by Myanmar's security forces is not. Before she became Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi herself said Myanmar's armed forces used rape as a weapon to intimidate ethnic nationalities. Yet Suu Kyi's government has not only failed to condemn the recent accounts of rape, it has dismissed the accounts as lies. In Dec. 2016, the government issued a press release disputing Rohingya women's reports of sexual assaults, accompanied by an image that said "Fake Rape." Read the full story here. UKHIA (BANGLADESH): The newlyweds were asleep in their home in western Myanmar in June when seven soldiers charged in. The woman, a Rohingya Muslim who agreed to be identified by her first initial, F, knew enough to be terrified. She knew the military had been attacking Rohingya villages, as part of what the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing in the mostly Buddhist nation. She heard just days before that soldiers had killed her parents and that her brother was missing. Now they had come for her. The men bound her husband with rope, and tied her scarf around his mouth. They yanked off her jewelry and tore off her clothes. They threw her to the floor. And then, she says, the first soldier began to rape her. She struggled against him, but four men held her down and beat her with sticks. Her husband finally wriggled the gag out of his mouth and screamed. And then she watched as a soldier fired a bullet into the chest of the man she had married only one month before. Another soldier slit his throat. Her mind grew fuzzy. When the soldiers were finished, they dragged her outside and set her bamboo house ablaze. It would be two months before she realized her misery was far from over: She was pregnant. The Associated Press reported this story with a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. The rape of Rohingya women by Myanmar's security forces has been sweeping and methodical, the Associated Press found in interviews with 29 women and girls who fled to neighboring Bangladesh. IN PICS | MYANMAR SECURITY FORCES RAPE ROHINGYA WOMEN These sexual assault survivors from several refugee camps were interviewed separately and extensively. The women gave AP their names, but agreed to be publicly identified only by their first initial, citing fears they or their families would be killed by Myanmar's military. They ranged in age from 13 to 35, came from a wide swath of villages in Myanmar's Rakhine state and described assaults between October 2016 and mid-September. Yet there was a sickening sameness to their stories, with distinct patterns in their accounts, their assailants' uniforms and the details of the rapes themselves. The testimonies bolster the U.N.'s contention that Myanmar's armed forces are systematically employing rape as a "calculated tool of terror" aimed at exterminating the Rohingya people. The Myanmar armed forces did not respond to multiple requests from the AP for comment, but an internal military investigation last month concluded that none of the assaults ever took place. When journalists asked about rape allegations during a government-organized trip to Rakhine in September, Rakhine's minister for border affairs, Phone Tint, replied: "These women were claiming they were raped, but look at their appearances do you think they are that attractive to be raped?" Doctors and aid workers, however, say they are stunned at the sheer volume of rapes, and suspect only a fraction of women have come forward. Medecins Sans Frontieres doctors have treated 113 sexual violence survivors since August, a third of them under 18. The youngest was 9. Each woman interviewed by the AP described attacks that involved groups of men, often coupled with other forms of extreme violence. Every woman except one said the assailants wore military-style uniforms, generally dark green or camouflage. The lone woman who described her attackers as wearing plain clothes said her neighbors recognized them from the local military outpost. Many women said the uniforms bore various patches featuring stars or, in a couple cases, arrows. Such patches represent the different units of Myanmar's army. Though the scale of these attacks is new, the use of sexual violence by Myanmar's security forces is not. Before she became Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi herself said Myanmar's armed forces used rape as a weapon to intimidate ethnic nationalities. Yet Suu Kyi's government has not only failed to condemn the recent accounts of rape, it has dismissed the accounts as lies. In Dec. 2016, the government issued a press release disputing Rohingya women's reports of sexual assaults, accompanied by an image that said "Fake Rape." Read the full story here. By AFP AJACCIO: Nationalists on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica cemented gains in regional elections on Sunday, underpinned by their demands for greater autonomy from Paris. The outcome is widely expected to pose a new challenge to President Emmanuel Macron who will have to decide whether to cede some control or maintain France's tradition of highly centralised government. The governing Pe a Corsica (For Corsica) alliance -- made up of the pro-autonomy Femu a Corsica (Let's Make Corsica) and pro-independence Corsica Libera (Free Corsica) -- won 45 percent in a first round of voting a week ago and cemented that showing with 56.5 percent Sunday -- albeit turnout was low at 52.6 percent. The win will give Pe a Corsica a comfortable majority in the island's assembly which will start work early next year. The nationalists will also take the 11 seats up for grabs on the governing executive council, which carries out the equivalent functions of regional council presidents in mainland France. "Paris today has to take stock of what is happening in Corsica," Pe a Corsica's leading candidate, Gilles Simeoni, said after the results came through. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said he had sent "republican congratulations" to the winners, adding he was willing to meet them once the island's assembly is up and running. In response Simeoni told reporters "Beyond the formal politeness, we expect and hope for a genuine dialogue," with the French state. ALSO READ: France's rightwing shifts after President Emmanuel Macron victory The strong result for the autonomists comes amid political crisis in Spain -- with potentially major consequences for the European Union -- following efforts by Catalan nationalists to break away from Madrid. The leaders of Pe a Corsica have stressed throughout that their short-term goal is greater autonomy, rather than independence -- not least because the mountainous island is dependent on state spending. They have formulated three core demands: they want equal recognition for the Corsican language along with French and an amnesty for convicts they consider to be political prisoners. They also want the state to recognise a special Corsican residency status -- which would be used to fight against property speculation fuelled by foreigners snapping up holiday homes. - Economic dependency - Opinion polls show that most of Corsica's 330,000 residents, many of whom live off seasonal tourism or are employed in the public sector, want to remain in France. Even separatist leader Jean-Guy Talamoni -- nicknamed by some "the Corsican Puigdemont" after the Catalan leader -- suggests the island would split from France in 10 or 15 years at the earliest, if a majority supported it. "An economically viable Corsica -- I don't think we'll see it in my lifetime," a Corsica specialist at the University of Bordeaux, Thierry Dominici, told AFP last week. That is not the case for Catalonia, where separatists complain that their wealthy region, representing a fifth of Spain's economic output, pays more than it gets back into national coffers. Corsica, famed for having some of the best beaches in Europe and for being the birthplace of Napoleon, was once a hotbed of violent anti-French militancy. The National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC) waged a four-decade bombing campaign -- mainly targeting state infrastructure -- until 2014. The worst nationalist attack saw France's top official on the island, Claude Erignac, assassinated in 1998. AJACCIO: Nationalists on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica cemented gains in regional elections on Sunday, underpinned by their demands for greater autonomy from Paris. The outcome is widely expected to pose a new challenge to President Emmanuel Macron who will have to decide whether to cede some control or maintain France's tradition of highly centralised government. The governing Pe a Corsica (For Corsica) alliance -- made up of the pro-autonomy Femu a Corsica (Let's Make Corsica) and pro-independence Corsica Libera (Free Corsica) -- won 45 percent in a first round of voting a week ago and cemented that showing with 56.5 percent Sunday -- albeit turnout was low at 52.6 percent. The win will give Pe a Corsica a comfortable majority in the island's assembly which will start work early next year. The nationalists will also take the 11 seats up for grabs on the governing executive council, which carries out the equivalent functions of regional council presidents in mainland France. "Paris today has to take stock of what is happening in Corsica," Pe a Corsica's leading candidate, Gilles Simeoni, said after the results came through. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said he had sent "republican congratulations" to the winners, adding he was willing to meet them once the island's assembly is up and running. In response Simeoni told reporters "Beyond the formal politeness, we expect and hope for a genuine dialogue," with the French state. ALSO READ: France's rightwing shifts after President Emmanuel Macron victory The strong result for the autonomists comes amid political crisis in Spain -- with potentially major consequences for the European Union -- following efforts by Catalan nationalists to break away from Madrid. The leaders of Pe a Corsica have stressed throughout that their short-term goal is greater autonomy, rather than independence -- not least because the mountainous island is dependent on state spending. They have formulated three core demands: they want equal recognition for the Corsican language along with French and an amnesty for convicts they consider to be political prisoners. They also want the state to recognise a special Corsican residency status -- which would be used to fight against property speculation fuelled by foreigners snapping up holiday homes. - Economic dependency - Opinion polls show that most of Corsica's 330,000 residents, many of whom live off seasonal tourism or are employed in the public sector, want to remain in France. Even separatist leader Jean-Guy Talamoni -- nicknamed by some "the Corsican Puigdemont" after the Catalan leader -- suggests the island would split from France in 10 or 15 years at the earliest, if a majority supported it. "An economically viable Corsica -- I don't think we'll see it in my lifetime," a Corsica specialist at the University of Bordeaux, Thierry Dominici, told AFP last week. That is not the case for Catalonia, where separatists complain that their wealthy region, representing a fifth of Spain's economic output, pays more than it gets back into national coffers. Corsica, famed for having some of the best beaches in Europe and for being the birthplace of Napoleon, was once a hotbed of violent anti-French militancy. The National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC) waged a four-decade bombing campaign -- mainly targeting state infrastructure -- until 2014. The worst nationalist attack saw France's top official on the island, Claude Erignac, assassinated in 1998. Ukraine in January-November 2017 supplied 8,174 tonnes of cheese to foreign markets, which is 12.6% more than in the same period of 2016. According to customs statistics, released by the State Fiscal Service, in monetary terms shipments of these products increased 34.8%, to $29.14 million. Cheese imports in January-November amounted to 8,785 tonnes, increasing by 43% compared to the same period last year. The country imported products worth $40.88 million (in January-November 2016 some $25.83 million). Exports of butter from Ukraine in January-November 2017 increased 2.5 times, to 27,299 tonnes. In monetary terms, the figure amounted to $115.11 million against $33.46 million in January-November 2016. Imports of this product fell by 41.2% January-November 2017, from 1,030 tonnes ($3.53 million) to 621 tonnes ($3.63 million). Exports of milk and cream (condensed) in January-November 2017 decreased 10.6%, to 44,455 tonnes. Ukraine supplied condensed milk and cream for a total of $76.23 million, which is 8.4% more than in January-November of 2016. 'The Gilded Age' hires an army of RI locals to bring show to life Hundreds of people from greater Rhode Island help keep the set of HBO's 'The Gilded Age' running during filming. Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has passed amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on the provision of the balance of budget revenues in 2018, foreseeing the increase of the excise duty for tobacco products by 29.7%. According to a bill approved by the parliament on December 7, the excise duty for cigarettes using the specific rate would grow by 29.7%, to UAH 577.98 per 1,000 without the increase in the ad valorem rate (12%). The Rada supported the gradual - until 2025 - increase in the specific rate of the excise duty for tobacco products and the minimum excise duty obligation to pay excise tax on tobacco products, namely: in 2018 - by 29.7%, in subsequent years - by 20%, to a level equivalent to EUR 90 per 1,000 units. In particular, in 2019 the specific excise rate will increase to UAH 693.58 per 1,000 units, in 2020 - up to UAH 832.29, in 2021 - up to UAH 998.75, in 2022 - up to UAH 1,198.5, in 2023 - up to UAH 1,438.2, and in 2024 - up to UAH 1,725.84. The minimum excise duty to pay excise on cigarettes with a filter and without a filter in 2018 will be increased by 29.7%, to UAH 773.20 per 1,000 cigarettes. In 2019, this figure will reach UAH 927.84, in 2020 UAH 1,113.4, in 2021 - UAH 1,336.08, in 2022 - UAH 1,603.3, in 2023 - UAH 1,923.96, and in 2024 UAH 2,308.75. Champaign attorney Matthew Peek recalls the scariest flight he ever took while serving in the Air Force. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Bengaluru: Former Infosys Chief Financial Officer V Balakrishnan on Monday said it was not a matter of whistleblower's emotions, but of legality for SEBI to decide on denying company's consent plea in connection with ex-CFO Rajiv Bansal's severance payment case. "The whistleblower has said whatever he wants to say as per his viewpoint... These are legal issues decided based on merits and not individual's emotions... What Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as a regulator thinks and decides is all that matters," Balakrishnan told PTI in Bengaluru. Earlier this year, a whistleblower had written to the market regulator over alleged lapses in the Panaya deal and Bansal's severance pay. The letter had stated that the package was decided by the then CEO Vishal Sikka and then general counsel David Kennedy. The whistle-blower had asked why Infosys was reluctant in disclosing answers surrounding the "hush money." While it is a norm for companies to settle cases via the backdoor, it should not be allowed this time and SEBI should prosecute both the board and management, he said in the letter. The whistleblower had argued that a settlement was similar to a "backdoor agreement," and if Infosys is allowed to do so, then "no whistleblower in future will take the pain to expose any malpractices in the corporate sector." "The whistle-blower may strongly feel about the issues he had raised... the regulator will follow the due legal process and decide," Balakrishnan reiterated. The letter has brought allegations of poor corporate governance to the fore again after Infosys filed an application for settlement. This has spurred Balakrishnan and another former CFO T V Mohandas Pai to launch an attack against the company, whose board is now led by Co Founder Nandan Nilekani. Balakrishnan has demanded the resignation of board members, Roopa Kudva and Ravi Venkatesan in the matter. on Sunday, board member Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had exchanged barbs with Pai on twitter, saying, "The matters were reinvestigated (a)n(d) no wrong doings were found by new Chairman.. Let's bring this to a closure and move on. It helps no one. Earlier this week, Infosys had submitted a settlement application to Sebi with regard to issues surrounding the severance package of Bansal. The company had said it wanted to resolve allegations that the severance payment was decided without seeking prior consent from the audit committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. on Sunday, Mohandas Pai had disapproved whistleblower's demand asking SEBI to prosecute the IT giant's management and the Board. He had also said Infosys' move to settle with Sebi the alleged disclosure lapses involving a severance pact is "perfectly fine." Infosys had decided to pay Rs 17.38 crore as severance payment to the then CFO Bansal in 2015. However, it only paid Rs 5 crore to him, holding back Rs 12 crore. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday the appeal of Unitech Limited challenging the recent order of the company law tribunal allowing the Centre to take over its management. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), on December 8, had suspended all the eight directors of the realty firm over allegations of mismanagement and siphoning of funds and had authorised the Centre to appoint its 10 nominees on the board. The NCLT order had come after the Centre moved the panel with a view to protect the interest of nearly 20,000 home buyers. "Let this matter be listed for hearing tomorrow. A copy of the SLP (special leave petition) be supplied to the parties," a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said. Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Unitech Ltd and its jailed promoters, referred to the recent NCLT order and said the takeover of the management of the company by the Centre would make it difficult for them to deposit Rs 750 crore as directed by the apex court to safeguard the interests of homebuyers. "How do I comply with the Supreme Court order? My bank accounts have been frozen on November 21," the lawyer said. "The nominated Directors (of the government) shall have to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court," the bench said, adding that for it, the interests of homebuyers were paramount and they cannot be equated with the investors. "We are more concerned for the homebuyers and not for the company and not for the fixed depositors. Homebuyers are not investors or fixed depositors," the bench said. Sanjay Chandra, head of the embattled real estate group, was asked on October 30 by the apex court to deposit Rs 750 crore with it by December end for the sake of the homebuyers. The NCLT, in its order, has said the government must give name of its nominees by December 20 and restrained Unitech's eight suspended directors from selling their personal and company properties. The tribunal's order had come after the government filed a petition arguing that Unitech was a fit case for winding up, but considering the interest of thousands of home buyers and small depositors, it wanted to take over company management. The company has over Rs 6,000 crore debt and over 16,000 undelivered units from a total of nearly 70 projects. In its petition filed under section 241 of the Companies Act, 2013, the government had requested the tribunal to remove the eight directors. The apex court had on October 30 said jailed businessman Chandra will be granted bail only after the real estate group deposited money with its registry by December end. Chandra's lawyer had told the apex court that he has been required to be produced in various courts, consumer forum and commissions on a regular basis which hampered his endeavour to arrange money and hence, the production warrants issued against him by various judicial bodies be stayed for 15 days. He had also said that the accused be allowed to appear in courts through his lawyers. The plea was declined. The apex court had also clarified that its earlier order directing all courts below not to take any coercive action against the accused for the time being would also be made applicable on all forums including state and national consumer commissions. The top court had earlier directed the jail authorities to facilitate Chandra's meeting with his company officials and lawyers so that he could arrange money to refund the home buyers as well as for completing the ongoing housing projects. It had said if any proceedings were pending against Chandra and the company, those may continue and the final order be passed but no coercive steps be taken to execute those orders. Chandra is seeking interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 had rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home buyers of Unitech projects' -- 'Wild Flower Country' and 'Anthea Project' -- situated in Gurugram. Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said India and China's strategic interests outweigh "partial frictions" and handling of the Dokalam standoff through diplomatic means reflects the importance of bilateral ties. Ahead of his visit to India to attend the Russia-India-China (RIC) foreign ministers' meeting to be held in New Delhi on Monday during which he would also hold talks with top Indian officials, Wang said China always values good neighbourliness and friendship between the two countries as "we are each other's big neighbours and ancient civilisations". He said India-China strategic interests outweigh differences and "partial friction". "We have handled the issue of cross-border incursions by the Indian border troops into China's Donglang (Doklam) area through diplomatic measures," Wang told a symposium here last week, maintaining Beijing's stand. "Through diplomatic means, the Indian side withdrew its equipment and personnel which reflected the value and importance of China-India relations and demonstrated sincerity and responsibility of maintaining regional peace and stability," he said in his speech in Chinese posted on the website of the foreign ministry. "China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than differences, and far greater needs for cooperation than partial friction," he said. As long as China and India continue to engage in in-depth strategic communication and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of bilateral cooperation will be presented more clearly to the people, there will be a "prospect of the dragon and the elephant dancing together with 1 + 1 = 11 outlook," Wang said. The references to India by Wang were part of a lengthy speech about China's diplomatic achievements in 2017 and its relations this year with various countries including the US, Russia, Japan and countries in the disputed South China Sea region. Wang's visit to New Delhi is the first by a top Chinese official to India after the 73-day Dokalam standoff and after the commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping. The over two-month Dokalam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's 'Chicken Neck' corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. Wang's visit to Delhi is expected to be followed by top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi's trip later this month to attend the 20th round of China-India boundary talks. Yang along National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval are the designated special representatives for the border talks later this month. Both officials are also mandated to discuss the state of entire gamut of bilateral ties. In his address, at the symposium themed on international developments and China's diplomacy in 2017, Wang spoke about China's foreign policy outlook enunciated by the once-in-five-years Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) held in October. The 19th CPC National Congress had charted the course for China's external relations. Wang said China needs to create a more favourable external environment and stronger external impetus to create a moderately prosperous society in all respects. "For China's diplomacy in the new era, we will take a longer and broader perspective and be even more open-minded and resourceful," he said. He reiterated that "war is by no means acceptable" in dealing with the nuclear issue related to North Korea, stressing that the possibility of negotiations remains. On ties with the US, he said "China is willing, on the basis of mutual respect, to live peacefully with the American superpower. The US needs to understand and accept a China that is following its own path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, one suited to its own conditions," official media quoted him as saying. He said the China-Russia relationship has become a major cornerstone for world peace and stability, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. On the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) he said it has become "the most popular international public goods programme". Chinese businesses have invested over USD 50 billion and created nearly 200,000 local jobs in countries that are participating, he said. India has objected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). CPEC is a part of the BRI. On Wang's visit to Delhi, Chinese think tanks said RIC foreign ministers' meeting offers Beijing and New Delhi an opportunity for face-to-face communication, which will effectively help both sides step out of the shadow of the Dokalam standoff. "Admittedly, the past months have witnessed a downbeat narrative between the neighbours rather than a positive one, but with the meeting, China and India will send a message to the world that they will return to a stable and peaceful track," said Qian Feng, an analyst at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies told state-run Global Times. China and India have disagreements on counter-terrorism especially when it involves Pakistan, and China is unlikely to give up its stance on this issue during this meeting, Wang Dehua, head of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies, told the daily. China has opposed India's moves to get Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Masood Azhar listed as a terrorist by the UN. Wang Dehua also said persistent and honest talks between the two sides may help sort out differences on BRI. China also continues to oppose India's bid to enter the NSG primarily on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Lucknow: French tourists, accompanied by their Indian friends, were roughed up and misbehaved with by locals in Uttar Pradeshs Mirzapur. When they went to file a case, the police tried to shirk responsibility and kept the group waiting for hours. A few boys began to harass the Indian female who was with the French tourists' group, when the foreign nationals intervened, they were roughed up. The boys returned with their friends after the initial ruckus to further attack the group. When the victims reached the Mirzapur police station to lodge a complaint, they were made to wait for more than three hours to get their complaint registered. After initially being in denial about the incident, the police finally claimed that it wasnt the foreigners, rather the Indian woman, who hails from Varanasi, was roughed up and molested. Even the SSP of Mizapur had denied the foreign nationals involvement in the case. Tourism Minister KJ Alphons has called the incident deplorable and called for more sensitivity towards foreign nationals. Speaking to News18, Varanasi ADG, Vishwajeet Mahapatra said, A few Indians were accompanying the tourists. Locals tried to misbehave with an Indian girl and the French nationals tried to intervene. A case has been registered under Section 354 of the IPC and eight people have been arrested. If the police were negligent in their duties, strict action will be taken against them. This attack comes days after a German national and a Swiss couple were attacked in Sonbhadra and Fatehpur Sikri respectively. The incidents had prompted the Centre to seek a report from the Uttar Pradesh government. Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said that UAH 50 million will be allocated in 2018 to finance the Innovation Support Fund and added that the financial management system in science is not perfect. "We are creating the Innovation Support Fund in the budget, which will now amount to UAH 50 million, because we want to support all innovative solutions that Ukrainians currently produce," he said at the National Reform Press Club "Decentralization: Results and Achievements for 2017, Tasks for the Next Year" in Kyiv on Monday. At the same time, Groysman noted that only UAH 8.2 billion is to be spent on science, but the financial management system in science remains imperfect and needs to be improved, and the government plans to work on this in 2018. Lucknow: Mother of suspended pediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan, who was arrested from Gorakhpur in connection with the BRD Medical College tragedy that led to the deaths of scores of children, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during Janta Darbar held in Gorakhpur on Sunday. Demanding justice for Kafeel, Nuzhat Parveen told Yogi Adityanath that her family is going through a bad phase and the CM must help them. The beleaguered mother also told the CM that her son Kafeel has been framed on false charges. "My son was arrested in BRD Medical college incident while he was doing his duty because a conspiracy was hatched against him. I have requested CM Yogi Adityanath and he has assured me to look into the case," said Nuzhat Parveen who was performing Hajj when over 63 children died at the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh on August 10 2017. While many blamed the supplier for cutting off supply of liquid oxygen to the hospital due to lack of payment from the state government, the supplier denied the allegations levelled against him. An official report released by the UP Chief Secretary also denied lack of oxygen as the cause of death of 33 children in BRD Medical College and Hospital. Meanwhile, the Gorakhpur Police have already dropped charges of corruption and ban on private practice against Dr. Kafeel Khan. Dr Khan is one of the nine people arrested after a spate of child deaths at the hospital on August 10 and 11. Dr. Khan, the head of the encephalitis ward and an assistant professor at the Pediatrics department, was removed from the post of the nodal officer at the National Health Mission in the wake of the child deaths. The basic charge levelled against Dr. Khan by the office of DG Medical Education was that he collected oxygen cylinders from his private hospital. He was charged under Sections 120-B, 308 and 409 of the IPC. New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting does not want you to watch condom ads on television. In an order passed on Monday, the ministry said that condom ads can only be telecast between 10pm and 6am and not in the prime time. The rationale? The ministry feels that children get exposed to the indecent and inappropriate content. The decision was taken after the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) sought the ministrys suggestions, reportedly after receiving a number of complaints from viewers. The ASCI received letters saying that the content of the advertisements of condoms was meant for adults and should not be aired during prime time. The root of the problem was reportedly Manforce, a condom brand that has had a history of making suggestive commercials with Sunny Leone as the star. The hoardings of the ad had sparked protests in Gujarat, after a Surat-based group took offence to its message. The message in Gujarati on the hoarding read Aa Navratri a ramo, parantu premthi (This Navratri, play but with love). According to the protestors, it insulted the religious sentiment. It clearly didnt end with the condom brand withdrawing its hoardings. Srinagar: The Muslim Conference (MC), a constituent of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, has split into two factions as the rebels expelled veteran separatist leader and MC president Abdul Gani Bhat for meeting the Centre's special representative for Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma. In a letter to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, the MC said it had appointed a new chairman, Muhammad Sultan Magray, for six months. "As you know, Bhat's secret meeting with Sharma has been a cause of concern for the party and the people of Kashmir. In this backdrop, a meeting of the MC leaders was held, in which it was decided that Magray would be the new president of the outfit for a period of six months," the letter read. The expulsion comes amid reports that Bhat had met Sharma on the latter's second visit to the state. The new MC president, in the letter issued on Saturday, said the Hurriyat should contact him for any future correspondence with the outfit. However, Bhat, on his part, expelled the representative of the MC's Pakistan chapter, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, at whose behest he was expelled from the Hurriyat. In a letter addressed to Manzoor and counter-signed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Bhat said he had expelled him as the representative for Pakistan for indiscipline. New Delhi: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday condemned the "unwarranted" statement by Pakistan on Gujarat elections and seemed to suggest that it was aimed at bailing out Congress party. Prasad said Indians were capable of contesting the country's democracy on their own. This came after Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted: "India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible". The tweet came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Palanpur in Gujarat talked about a purported secret meeting held at suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's home and attended by the Pakistani High Commissioner, an ex-Pakistani foreign minister, a former Vice President of India and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This meeting, Modi claimed, happened a day before Aiyar called him "neech". "Today a very curious statement has been released by Pakistan foreign office condemning Pakistan being dragged into India's election and stated that Indians must learn to fight the elections on their own. "Yes, I wish to tell Pakistan that Indians are capable of contesting India's democracy on their own as they do... India's Prime Minister is a popularly elected PM and so is the BJP," Prasad told reporters here. India, he said, "completely abhors any outside interference in India's electoral affairs." The role of Pakistan in promoting terrorism in India is too well known in the entire world and Pakistan. "Please stop giving us lessons. We are proud of India's democracy," he said. "We are very productive of India's democracy and totally condemn this unwarranted statement from Pakistan," he said. Prasad said it was "curious" that Congress leader Anand Sharma had denied any meeting taking place at the residence of Aiyar. "And in today's newspapers... It is very evident as to who attended the meeting including from Pakistan and even Manmohan Singh went there in the get-together," he said. "Why a wrong statement was made by Anand Sharma completely denying that no such meeting took place." "Now it is whose turn to apologise? But what is curious is that this happens and Pakistan comes out with an official statement. In many ways seeking to bail out Congress party. Is it too suspicious? Surely, the country will draw its own conclusion," he added. Vadodara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a public rally here on Sunday, asked his predecessor Manmohan Singh why did he not show the courage to order a surgical strike post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, despite the readiness of the Army. He said after the Mumbai attacks, the Air Force had approached the then Prime Minister Singh with a plan for surgical strikes, but the government did not show the courage to order it. "Under whose advice did he (Singh) do so," Modi asked the gathering at the Navlakhi compound here. "Someone who served at a high position in the Air Force has said that after 26/11, they went to the then prime minister with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then government did not show the courage to do that," Modi said and cited the example of his government's action in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack in September last year. "My government, in the aftermath of the Uri attack by Pakistan, had launched a surgical strike inside the borders of Pakistan, targeting several terror camps and launchpads. The strikes came as a surprise for the Pakistanis who were caught unaware. While the maximum damage was inflicted on their side, the Indian soldiers came back without any casualties," he added. Modi also questioned Congress leaders, including its vice president Rahul Gandhi, for raising doubts over the surgical strikes. "Are such secret matters to be discussed in public?" he asked, saying this was the difference between the NDA government and the UPA government. Modi said the reason behind his vacating the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat in 2014 was for blossoming the "lotus" in Uttar Pradesh and replicating the Gujarat model of development in that state. After winning two Lok Sabha seats from Vadodara and Varanasi in the 2014 general election, Modi had retained the Varanasi seat. He thanked the people of Vadodara for allowing him to resign from here. The Prime Minister also justified demonetisation, saying it was aimed at unearthing black money and preventing the parallel economy. He said the government had since succeeded in unearthing a "hawala" racket in Jammu and Kashmir which led to the arrest of many leaders who were advocating support for terrorism in the state. Congress leaders were not happy with demonetisation as it was a source of their income and even after a year since the note ban, they had kept the issue alive, he said. The Prime Minister also wondered how a "secret meeting" between Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and the former Pakistani high commissioner and other leaders from that country could take place without the knowledge of the Government of India. Modi said when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he used to take permission from the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government at the Centre before holding a meeting with a foreign dignitary. In case you missed it Zaira Wasim, the 17-year-old star took to social media on Sunday to share the horror of being subjected to sexual harassment on a Mumbai-bound flight. The Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have sought details from Air Vistara. Recording an Instagram video immediately after de-boarding, Zaira said, This is not done, I am disturbed Is this how youre going to take care of girls? Hours later, a 39-year-old Mumbai businessman was arrested. In another horrific incident, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped in Lucknow's Sarojini Nagar on Saturday night by two youths, one of whom was known to her. She was raped again by a passerby, whose help she had sought to reach home. The two incidents have raised those old questions yet agin-- Are women not safe anywhere? Not even in apparent safe spaces? How long do women have to live in fear? In other news, Rahul Gandhi is likely to assume the reins of the Congress on December 16, marking a generational shift in the grand old party when his mother and its longest-serving president would formally hand over the baton to him. After being battered in the Test series, the Sri Lankans produced a stunning display of ruthlessness to first restrict India to 112 and then chase the runs down in 20.4 overs to register a 7-wicket victory in the opening game of the three-match series. For the Lankans who had been the subject of much political discourse ahead of this series, the win was more than just a statement from them as they will now wear a confident look going into the second game. Two brothers were lynched after they fired in the air at a religious programme at Sujapur in West Bengal's Malda district. Police said the angry villagers chased the brothers with sticks and rods. The mob caught hold of them and beat them up severely. Both died on the spot. Their house was also set on fire. Second-year MA History students of Banaras Hindu University, while appearing for an exam, were asked questions relating to Rani Padmini and her Jauhar (sacrifice by self-immolation). Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar wants a nationwide liquor ban. Rajasthan, the land of sun and sand, recently witnessed a spike in crimes targeting minority communities. Whether it is the ruthless hacking of a daily wage migrant labourer or the butchering of a meat seller on suspicion of selling cow meat, Rajasthan has been slowly treading on the path to being the hate crime capital of India. The pattern of violence towards minorities, however, is not recent in Rajasthan and has spanned over several decades. News18.com pieces together the most prominent attacks over minorities in the last two years. In all these cases, there have been no legal convictions till date. Agree or disagree? If pharmacies in India are trained to recognise the symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) they can help control both the spread of the disease and resistance to first-line antibiotics, says a new paper in the Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and other Mycobacterial Diseases. The paper also noted that pharmacies can tilt the management of TB patients for the better or worse through their sheer number -- about 800,000 pan India -- their availability and long open hours and the fact that most medication, including antibiotics, is available over the counter (OTC). Looking at the current political landscape in the country today, one must wonder how people vote. What makes people decide in favour of one political party over the other? Dheeraj Sharma writes about the agenda setting in political campaign management. "According to many, a month ago the possible and plausible heuristics for the Gujarat Assembly elections were youth, employment and GST. However, the new heuristics have emerged now and these are caste, Ram Mandir and religion," writes Sharma. (Get a fresh dose of the news that matters, delivered directly to your inbox, every morning. The perfect way, to get you started and informed, for the day ahead. Subscribe to News18 Daybreak here.) A group of students led by the CPM student body, the SFI, gathered on a Saturday afternoon along the main street of Trivandrum, just outside the University College. The occasion was SFI's challenge to the religious orthodoxies gaining ground in Kerala. It was to protest against the trolling of three Muslim girls who had staged a flash dance during an Aids awareness programme in the northern Kerala city of Kozhikode. Three Muslim girls (clad in scarf but wearing jeans) danced outside the college and outside the venue of the International Film Festival in open defiance of religious diktats that have made the life of Muslim women in a modern society like Kerala increasingly miserable. The flash mob, held with Leftist support, gained huge traction on Facebook where it was live, and turned the focus on the increasing conflict between modernity and religious orthodoxy in Kerala. SFI's slogan for the events was "Humanity is the answer to the fatwa of religious fundamentalists". This dance of protests cannot just be dismissed as a flash in the pan. They are significant for many reasons. 1. Very few such protests against fundamentalism take place across the country 2. Nowhere in the world have Muslim women come out to dance in protest against issues concerning them 3. Kerala is building a modern Muslim resistance against the rising fundamentalist beliefs and practice within the community in Kerala, which is extremely affluent. 4. Kerala is becoming the flash (dance) point in the narrative of modernity vs. fundamentalism "Every individual has his or her freedom. Hijab is only part of one's religious beliefs. It should not be seen as a weapon to suppress Muslim women," Namitha Farzana, one of the University College dancers, told The Indian Express. "There are liberals in the Muslim community also. If Hindus and Christians can dance, why can't Muslims? The three girls of Malappuram had taken part in a flash mob with the noble intention of spreading Aids awareness through art. Their freedom should be respected." Islam in Kerala is affluent, mostly cosmopolitan with universal literacy. Being affluent and educated, the community has been mainstreamed for a long time and has long since moved away from the 'ghetto-ised Muslims' in other parts of the country. The main reason for this is that the Muslim League has been in power for many years. This is a unique achievement no doubt. But at the turn of the century, Wahabism gathered strength in Kerala, due to the rise of some seminaries in north Kerala and also some firebrand mullahs, mostly Sunni, who also have an eye on politics, started plying their trade with vigour with funding from dubious organisations in the Saudi Arabia. The Popular Democratic Front has tried, not with much success, to espouse a hardline form of Islam. It is in this context that the escape of certain young Muslim families from Kerala to join the IS has to be seen. There can be no doubt that such fundamentalists are also interested in converting Christians and Hindus. The rise of the RSS in Kerala can also be traced to the rise of Islam, apart from localised political issues. Like Christian seminaries in an early age, Muslim seminaries in Malabar offer not just a new religion, but opportunities, education, money and jobs. Many Hindus in Kerala find themselves closer to the bottom of the pile and look at the rise of Muslim affluence with envy and a certain degree of fear. Such an educated, affluent community, which has a population of over 80 lakh compared to the Hindu population of more than 1.8 crore and Christians around 60 lakh, also holds many attractions to certain Hindus of the neglected sections who see the community opening doors not only to affluence, but also to a wider Islamic world (Gulf) where opportunities and money is there for the taking. The flash mob dance was against the attempt to keep aspirational girls trapped within the confines of an imposed conservatism. Significantly, the girls in the video can be seen wearing jeans, a clear sign of modernity while making some concessions to orthodoxy by wearing a scarf, a sort of mid-way sartorial position between the hijab and a secular dress. The flash dances are no doubt a small but serious questioning of orthodoxy. That it happened in Kerala a lab for many such political experiments is not a surprise. Apart from improving the artistic and physical fitness of Kerala youth, such public dances are a clear and powerful defiance of imposed orthodoxy which has so far had a clear run. (The author is a senior journalist. Views are personal). New Delhi: Russia on Monday pitched for India joining China's One Belt One Road initiative and hoped that New Delhi will find a way out to benefit from the mega connectivity project without sacrificing its position on the issues flagged by it. In an address at a think tank, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said a sustainable security architecture in the Asia Pacific region cannot be achieved through "bloc arrangement", in a clear signal of Moscow's opposition to the quadrilateral grouping comprising the US, Japan, India and Australia. Talking about regional issues, the Russian Foreign Minister said that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj "suggested" improving not only India-China ties but also India's relations with Pakistan. Lavrov, Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today held the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meeting during which a range of regional and global issues were discussed. On OBOR, Lavrov said Russia feels the concept is very interesting and needed to be explored in the context of building harmonious relationship for deeper regional trade and investment. About India's opposition to the project, he said, "the specific problem in this regard should not make everything else conditional for resolving political differences". India has opposed the OBOR due to its sovereignty concerns over the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). CPEC is part of the OBOR. Lavrov said almost all the central Asian countries have already signed documents with China for cooperation in the OBOR while Russia and other members of the Eurasian Economic Union concluded economic cooperation agreement with it, indicating that the process is irreversible. "I am 100 per cent convinced that India has enough very smart diplomats and politicians to find a way which will allow it to benefit from this process and at the same time not to sacrifice your position," the Russian Foreign Minister said. In a clear reference to the quadrilateral grouping among the US, India, Japan and Australia, he said, "We believe that sustainable security architecture in the Asia Pacific region cannot be achieved through bloc arrangement and is only possible through an open ended collective basis." Officials of the four countries held their first meeting in Manila last month to give shape to the much talked about quadrilateral alliance to keep the Indo-Pacific region "free and open". The formation of the bloc is seen as an effort to contain China's growing assertiveness in the resource-rich area. The Russian Foreign Minister also talked about the need for peaceful settlement of the disputes saying use of force and threatening to use force will not resolve any issue. Calling India a key partner for Russia, he said further strengthening of ties between the two countries can address numerous problems in the Asia Pacific region. On tackling terrorism, he called for a "truly universal coalition" to act against the terror groups without "any double standards and hidden agenda". Sounding critical of the role of the US in Afghanistan, Lavrov said every stakeholder including the Taliban and the war-ravaged country's neighbours should be taken on board for brining lasting peace to it. The Russian Foreign Minister said his country was ready to ensure transfer of technology to manufacture critical military platforms in India in joint venture and co- development projects. New Delhi: In a never-seen-before turn of events at the Supreme Court, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan has written to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, saying he is quitting practice because of humiliation in court. Dhavan, in his letter, complained of a "humiliating end" to the case of allocation of power between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor, compelling him to "give up court practice". Dhavan was one of the senior lawyers appearing in the case on behalf of the Delhi government. The last date of hearing in the case had witnessed some heated arguments before a bench headed by the CJI. While the CJI wanted Dhavan to not argue the points already raised by another counsel from his side and rather give written submissions, Dhavan insisted on making oral arguments. Certain unsavoury comments were also made during the proceedings. A day before as well, Dhavan had told the CJI not to begin final arguments in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case since Justice Misra won't be able to complete it by October 3, 2018, the date on which he retires. Justice Ashok Bhushan, another judge on the bench, had taken strong exception to Dhavan's statement and called it "unfortunate". After two successive days of similar incidents, senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who was also a counsel for the Delhi government, had shown up before the CJI and regretted the episodes. Justice Misra had then lashed out at the conduct of the senior lawyers, calling their demeanour "atrocious". The CJI added he would be constrained to take action if the lawyers' body didnt take notice. Justice Misra went on to state such lawyers don't deserve their designation as senior advocates and the gown. Dhavan has now written to the CJI, asking him to take back the gown since he doesn't intend to practise anymore. Dhavan has chosen to convey the reasons behind his decision to the CJI though it is not required under the Supreme Court rules to inform the CJI or any other judge if a senior counsel opts to quit practice. Srinagar: A woman and three militants were killed during a midnight gunfight with security forces at Younsu area on Sopore-Kupwara highway on Sunday. Officials told News18 that forces cordoned off the Younsu area following information about militants hiding inside a house. Security personnel intensified cordon and search operations while firing several warning shots towards the suspected spot. The militants returned fire, triggering a gunfight, says an officer. "Five members of a family were trapped inside the house, he said, adding that the daughter-in-law tried to escape but sustained serious bullet wounds and subsequently died. The officer added that the woman died in crossfire during the operation. Earlier, three Pakistani militants were killed by security forces in a gunfight in north Kashmir's Handwara. "In unisoo Handwara all the three terrorists apparently Pakistanis have been neutralised by Joint team of J&K Police, RR &CRPF. It has been raining whole night & boys were out there in the cold (sic)," Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir, SP Vaid tweeted. In unisoo Handwara all the three terrorists apparently Pakistanis have been neutralised by Joint team of J&K Police, RR &CRPF. It has been raining whole night & boys were out there in the cold. Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) December 11, 2017 Security forces moved in on Unsoo village after being tipped-off about the presence of militants in the area. As they neared in on the hideout, they were fired upon triggering the encounter. The police chief had initially said that the third militant was caught in an injured condition. Authorities, meanwhile, have snapped internet services in Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara and Kupwara. Rada announces UAH 1.2 bln of revenue in 2018 from use of state-owned gas distribution systems Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has announced UAH 1.2 billion of rental paid for operation of state-owned natural gas distribution systems in the national budget for 2018. The parliament made the decision on December 7 under a proposal of the budget committee. The parliament reduced revenue from privatization of state-owned property and the deficit of the general fund of the national budget by UAH 1.2 billion. Mumbai: The wife of Vikas Sachdev, arrested for allegedly molesting actor Zaira Wasim on board a Delhi-Mumbai flight on December 9, on Monday claimed her husband, before deboarding, had "apologised" to the teenager to which she said it was "okay". She claimed that her husband's leg had accidentally touched the actor. Sachdev, a resident of suburban Chandivli, was arrested last evening after a huge public outcry over the incident prompted the Maharashtra State Commission for Women to seek an inquiry into the "shameful" incident. He was booked for assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty, and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) as the actor is a minor. Sachdev's wife Divya interacted with reporters on the premises of the sessions court at Dindoshi in suburban Goregaon after he was remanded in police custody till December 13. Divya Sachdev claimed her husband had apologised to the actor before deboarding at the Mumbai airport "to which she said it was okay". "My husband is a family man. He is innocent. He was mentally exhausted as he was returning after attending the funeral of his uncle (in Delhi). "He was taking rest and was fast asleep when his leg accidentally touched the girl. Vikas apologised to the actor before getting out of the plane to which she said it was okay," she claimed. The "Dangal" actor, who had narrated her ordeal on the Vistara flight from Delhi to Mumbai on Instagram, had said that a passenger sitting behind her put his feet on her armrest. In the video, which Wasim recorded immediately after deboarding the flight, the 17-year-old actor broke down several times. "So, I was in a flight travelling from Delhi to Mumbai today and right behind me one middle-aged man who made my two-hour journey miserable. I tried to record it on phone to understand it better because the cabin lights were dimmed, I failed to get it..." she said. "The lights were dimmed, so it was even worse. It continued for another five to ten minutes and then I was sure of it. He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck," the Kashmiri teen, who shot to fame for her stellar performance in Aamir Khan's blockbuster "Dangal", said in the video. "This is not done, I am disturbed... Is this how you're going to take care of girls? This is not the way anybody should be made to feel. This is terrible!" she said. "No one will help us if we don't decide to help ourselves. And this is the worst thing," she added. When asked if any official from the airlines got in touch with them, Divya Sachdev said her husband had told the cabin crew not to disturb him for anything during the flight as he wanted to take rest. She also alleged that the police lied about the timing of her husband's arrest. As per the remand copy produced by the police in the court today, Vikas Sachdev was arrested at around 9 pm yesterday. The woman, however, claimed that her husband was actually picked up from their residence (in Chandivali) at around 12:30 pm yesterday and that she can produce the CCTV footage from the building cameras to prove her claim. "We had no clue when police reached our home to arrest him. Till 2:30 pm (yesterday), we were not told why he was brought to the police station. Till 2.30-3 pm, we are not told why he was arrested or why he was brought to the police station. Later, we were told that he was brought to the police station in connection with a molestation case," she claimed. "It was only at 4.30 pm that we came to know that the actor had filed a case against my husband," she said, adding that she had full faith in judiciary and hoped to get justice. Vikas Sachdev currently works as a regional manager at Sun Broadcast here. Air Vistara had said that it had "zero tolerance towards such behaviour" and was looking into the complaint. Terming the incident as "shameful", Maharashtra State Commission for Women's (MSCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had said they would seek a detailed inquiry into it from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Visitors to the tiny Pacific nation of Palau are being made to sign a promise to respect the environment, in an innovative move that authorities hope will curb ecological damage caused by booming numbers of tourists. Claimed to be a world first, the "Palau Pledge" is stamped onto visitors' passports and must be signed upon arrival in the country, which lies in the western Pacific about halfway between Australia and Japan. "I take this pledge as your guest, to protect and preserve your beautiful island home," it reads in part. "I vow to tread lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully." With crystal clear waters, pristine reefs and abundant sea life, Palau is regarded as one of the world's best diving spots and was once a niche tourist destination. But visitor numbers have exploded in recent years, particularly from China, straining both infrastructure and the environment. The symbolic pledge was written with the help of Palau's children and President Tommy Remengesau said it was about preserving the environment for future generations. "Conservation is at the heart of our culture," he said. "We rely on our environment to survive and if our beautiful country is lost to environmental degradation, we will be the last generation to enjoy both its beauty and life-sustaining biodiversity." Palau welcomed almost 150,000 tourists last year, up 70 percent on 2010 figures and the nation of 20,000 has struggled to cope. Some of the new arrivals have caused outrage among locals by capturing turtles so they can take selfies with them, walking on fragile coral and leaving trash on beaches. "The Palau Pledge aims to encourage environmentally sound habits in visitors," the government said in a statement. "If action is not taken now, it will get to the point where it is too late to protect some of the most unique parts of the country." Mumbai: As legendary actor Dilip Kumar turns 95 on Monday, his wife Saira Banu plans to treat him to his favourite delicacies -- biryani and vanilla ice cream -- on the occasion. Banu says she is not planning to throw a birthday party this time as Kumar is still recovering from pneumonia. "He loves biryani and that will be made for him but I will give him only little as he is unwell. He is also fond of vanilla ice cream, I will ask the doctors if we can give him a little bit of that too. Then we will have a birthday cake," Banu says in an interview with PTI. "We will not have a grand birthday party as he is not keeping well. The immune system is not so good after he was down with pneumonia. I cannot let him exert now," she adds. Banu also plans to buy Kumar a new pair of shirt and trousers. "Dilip Sahab is fond of good and simple clothes. He likes cotton shirts and trousers and matching shoes and socks. He has a huge collection of shoes, which he has from world over. "Every year I order things of his choice. He is not a materialistic man. He doesn't like expensive gifts. My one consistent gift to him every year is my love, which keeps intensifying," she says. The yesteryear actor says she feels blessed that so many people send their best wishes and prayers for Kumar's well-being. Mumbai: Media mogul Ekta Kapoor said television has been showing both progressive and regressive content but the small screen cannot afford to project women in a bad light all the time. The 42-year-old producer, known for her saas-bahu soap operas, said she has tried to present stories that show men and women as equals. "TV have had lot of progressive and some regressive shows, but there are some issues that resonate with some part of India... It won't work if it is all regressive, women won't like to see watching themselves (being put) down," Ekta said. She was speaking at the 'We The Women' event, alongside Union Minister Smriti Irani here. The session was moderated by Karan Johar. The producer said scripts of her shows could be "melodramatic" but not regressive. "Scripts could be melodramatic, filmy, (with) high-octane drama but they are not regressive. We have a show called 'Shakti' about the third gender. This is a long-running show about a woman who could not understand what sexuality she belongs to, no films have discussed the third gender." Ekta added she has never had a show where a woman has called her husband 'parmeshwar' (God), or a woman touching her husband's feet and even if the character has tried to do that, the husband has stopped her saying this is wrong. Irani, who has been part of one of the longest-running popular shows, "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi", by the producer, said the toughest part about being an actor is to do shows that are far from reality. "I have been an actor. When we explore scripts, the toughest task is to do things that is unbelievable. It is easier to do things that are closer to real life, the challenge is to get into that melodramatic situation. Like saas-bahu shows are tougher, as (people) don't live life like that. It is the true test for an actor, as to do something that you do not believe in but make it believable for others," she said. "People often used to tell me what 'sanskar' (etiquette) are kids getting from your shows, I used to say, it is not the job of TV to give 'sanskar' to kids, it is a parent's job," Irani added. Popular Tollywood comedian, Vijay Sai, was found dead in his apartment today morning. According to initial reports, Vijay Sai committed suicide in his apartment, by hanging himself, near Yusufguda in Hyderabad. The police who is at the spot investigating the case says, "exact reason for the suicide is yet to be known". At the time of the incident, his parents were present in the house. Vijay Sai acted in many Telugu films, but is most fondly remembered for his performances in Bommarillu and Ammayilu Abbayilu. It is being said that the actor has been struggling to come out of the financial problems and was suffering from depression. "We are investigating all angles. There is also a previous case of 498A against him. So at this point we cannot tell the exact reason for suicide", said an investigating officer. The incident has left the Tollywood industry in deep shock. New Delhi: BJP chief Amit Shah has come down heavily against the Congress after its leader Charan Singh Sapra dared PM Narendra Modi to apologise in Jama Masjid for riots. Congress, Shah said, was raking up riots for vote consolidation in Gujarat. The entire nation knows that the allegations levelled against Modiji by a Congress-backed NGO were all false and he is spotless. Yet for vote bank consolidation, 2002 is being raised in 2017, Shah said. The anti-Sikh riots in 1984 and those in 1992 after the Babri Masjid demolition re-entered the political discourse with Congress Sapra saying Sonia Gandhi had apologised in Golden Temple, but Modi was yet to apologise. Neither my party nor do I support the 1984 riots. Sonia Gandhi visited Golden Temple and apologised in front of the media. Manmohan Singh also apologised in Parliament. In the last 33 years, the BJP has been adding insult to our injury. Can Narendra Modi visit the Jama Masjid and apologise for the 1992 riots? the Congress leader from Punjab said at an event organized by News18 India. Amit Shah retaliated and said that the Congress was raking up the riots to get electoral mileage in Gujarat. Congress had laid the foundation of Gujarat election on casteism. The would-be President of Congress started hopping from temple to temple. Congress has been the creator of polarisation in India, ANI quoted Amit Shah as saying. While the 1984 riots were triggered by the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguard months after Operation Blue Star, the 1992 riots broke out following the demolition of Ayodhyas Babri Masjid by kar sevaks. Sapras comments come amid a heated campaign in Gujarat where the BJP is attempting to retain power for the fifth consecutive term while the Congress is gunning for a revival. Mehsana/Ahmedabad: Ever since the Patidar agitation turned violent two years ago, Hardik Patel has been barred from entering Mehsana district, which is a stronghold of the Kadva Patel community. The 24-year-old Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader, taunting the state government and bureaucracy, hosted a massive rally near Mehsana districts border with Patan. I have been prohibited from entering Mehsana district for the last two years. So I decided to hold a mega rally near the border of Mehsana. Saurashtra and Surat have done their job. Now its turn for North Gujarat and Central Gujarat to do their part, he tweeted on Sunday. Patel and PAAS claim that over a lakh had turned up at the Mehsana border rally, one of his biggest till date. It is this show of strength that makes the PAAS confident. PAAS convener for North Gujarat Narendra Patel, who runs the organization in six districts, told News 18, Hardik Patel has already addressed packed rallies all over Saurashtra and South Gujarat. If you think those were massive, wait till you see how the people of North Gujarat turn up in droves. We will make sure that the BJP is punished. That North Gujarat is where PAAS expects to pull the biggest crowds is no surprise. Hardik Patel belongs to the Kadva Patel community. While the Kadva Patels are small in numbers as compared to the Leuva Patels, but are concentrated in North Gujarat. In the last leg of the Gujarat Assembly elections, PAAS has concentrated all its energies in the north, where they can do the most damage to the ruling BJP. In the six districts of North Gujarat Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar and Aravalli Patels may end up being the decisive vote. Unlike Saurashtra, where Leuva Patels outnumber Kadvas, the Patidar outfit is banking on the Patel vote to remain united. PAASs army of volunteers from all over the state has now moved to the north. In addition to Hardik Patels rallies, PAAS volunteers are also spreading across villages in all of these six key districts. Narendra Patel said, We have 50,000 volunteers in the six districts of North Gujarat. On Sunday, 5,000 volunteers from Saurashtra reached Mehsana. On Monday, another 5,000 will come down. We know that north Gujarat is the key, so we will go all out in the last two days. pic.twitter.com/zbkegCIVu9 Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) December 10, 2017 PAAS has also changed its message from being a Patidar-centric movement to reaching out to OBC communities as well. Patel said, Patels are not the only ones who come to Hardikbhais rallies. We have seen a lot of enthusiastic support from the Kshatriyas as well. In the villages, our people are being welcomed by people from all communities. This is an anti-BJP wave that you are seeing. Harshadbhai Brahmbhatt, political observer and ex-aide to former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela, said, North Gujarat is the key to this election. Whoever wins these six districts will win the election. We saw a heated battle in Saurashtra and South Gujarat. Central Gujarat is likely to see a similar fight. But in North Gujarat, voters are more decisive, but the BJP doesnt look very worried at the time. Despite activist Alpesh Thakor joining Congress, the BJP feels confident of support from North Gujarats Thakors, a powerful OBC community. A BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said, We are aware that Hardiks agitation will cause a dent in our Patidar support base. But we dont think it will be absolute. A lot of the younger lot may support him, but the older voters will stick with the BJP. Besides, most people forget that the largest community in Gujarat is the OBCs and not the Patidars. OBCs are resolutely with the BJP. PAAS is not the only player which sees North Gujarat as a must-win battle. BJP, too, sees its prestige attached to this region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel and former CM Anandiben Patel all hail from these six districts. Three of them, with the exception of Shah, are from Mehsana district alone. And BJPs candidate from Mehsana city is Deputy CM Nitin Patel. A PAAS leader said, Mehsana will see the toughest fight. That is why we are concentrating most of our efforts here. The two seats where BJP is strong are Mehsana city and Kheralu. They have a strong chance in Mehsana because Nitin Patel is contesting from there, although we are determined to see him defeated. Kheralu is a tough seat because Narendra Modis hometown Vadnagar falls within it. If we can breach that, it will be huge. Mehsana district has nearly 4 lakh Patidar voters and Thakors, who form the largest community among the OBCs in Mehsana, have 3.31 lakh voters. Combined with other OBCs, they could help the BJP sail through the election. This, perhaps, explains PAASs outreach to communities other than the Patels. BJP is confident of sailing through in the Prime Ministers home district, as well as other areas of North Gujarat. But PAAS claims they will not let the ruling party off easily. In 1984, when the BJP contested its first ever Lok Sabha election, they won only two seats in the entire country. One of those seats was Mehsana. BJP started its account with Mehsana, we will shut their account with Mehsana, said Narendra Patel. New Delhi: In one of the most scathing political attacks that one has heard or read from him, former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh has accused Narendra Modi of setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of the former Prime Minister and Army Chief. In a written statement, the mild spoken Congress leader sought to clarify his position regarding a speech made by Prime Minister Modi accusing senior Congress leaders of holding a secret meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyars residence, which was attended by a former Pakistani envoy and foreign minister. Demanding an apology from Modi, the former prime minister said he was anguished by the falsehoods being spread to score political points ahead of the Gujarat election. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable, he said, adding that no one, including Modi can question his track record. My track record of public service over five decades is known to everybody. No one, including Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground, the former Prime Minister said. "The Congress party needs no sermons on nationalism from a party and Prime Minister, whose compromised track record on fighting terror is well known," Singh added, reminding Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited in 2015 after the terror attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur and had also invited ISI to the air force station in Pathankot to investigate the attack in 2016. Modi on Sunday had alleged that senior Congress leaders held a meeting with Pakistans former foreign minister and High Commissioner to India at Mani Shankar Aiyars residence a day before he made the neech comment. There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. It was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, Pakistan's former foreign minister, India's former vice president (Hamid Ansari) and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Modi said, claiming that the meeting lasted for around three hours. Manmohan rejected the allegations and said that he did not discuss the Gujarat elections with anyone at the dinner. The discussion was limited to India-Pakistan relations. None of those present can be accused of indulging in any anti-national activities, he said. I sincerely hope that Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points, he added in the statement released on Monday. Here is the full statement of Manmohan Singh: New Delhi: Rival Congress, ally Shiv Sena and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Monday launched separate but scathing attacks on PM Narendra Modi over his charge of Pakistan interfering in Gujarat elections via the Grand Old Party. The PM had claimed at an election rally in Gujarat that Congress leaders held a secret meeting with current and former Pakistani officials following which Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" remark against him. "Pakistan Army's former DG is interfering in Gujarat's election. Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don't you think such events raise doubts?" Modi said. A day after the remark, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the PM, questioning why he was speaking about Pakistan, but not Gujarat. Elections are taking place in Gujarat. But the PM is busy talking about Pakistan. Modiji, speak about Gujarat at least once, Gandhi said at a rally in Banaskantha on Monday. He claims to have wiped out the Congress. But half of his speech is about Congress. The other half is about Modi himself. Refuting Modis charges, former Union minister Anand Sharma demanded that the PM retract the statement. PMs statements show the BJP has lost Phase 1 (of Gujarat elections). For the first time in Indias history, a PM has used such words against the Opposition. We want to ask the PM, since when is it a rule that we have to seek governments permission for a dinner? Sharma said at a press conference. Modi also faced criticism from ally Shiv Sena and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna, the Sena accused PM Modi of resorting to "histrionics" and pulling the ongoing poll campaign for the Gujarat elections to "a new low". The BJP ally said that Modi "dug up the graves of the Mughal regime" during his campaign, instead of speaking about "vikas" (development) to target the Congress. "The people of Gujarat had already rejected the Congress for 22 years for this very reason... The PM chose to ignore the progress and developmental issues and stooped to mere 'tu-tu, main-main (rhetoric)' in his own home-state." Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, meanwhile, took to Twitter and questioned PM Modi on "unsubstantiated and unbelievable" stories against political opponents. "Sir! Just to win elections anyhow, and that too at the fag end of the process, is it a must to come up with and endorse new, unsubstantiated and unbelievable stories every day against political opponents? Now linking them to Pakistan High Commissioner and Generals?! Incredible!" Sinha said in a tweet. Hon'ble Sir! Just to win elections anyhow, and that too at the fag end of the process, is it a must to come up with & endorse new, unsubstantiated & unbelievable stories everyday against political opponents? Now linking them to Pak High Commissioner & Generals?! Incredible!.1>2 Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) December 11, 2017 Sir! Instead of new twists & turns, stories & cover ups, let's go straight to the promises that we made, regarding housing, development, employment of youth, health, "Vikas model". Lets stop communalising the atmosphere & go back to healthy politics & healthy elections. Jai Hind! Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) December 11, 2017 Defending the PM, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the "unwarranted" statement by Pakistan on Gujarat elections and seemed to suggest that it was aimed at bailing out Congress party. "Today a very curious statement has been released by Pakistan foreign office condemning Pakistan being dragged into India's election and stated that Indians must learn to fight the elections on their own. Yes, I wish to tell Pakistan that Indians are capable of contesting India's democracy on their own as they do... India's Prime Minister is a popularly elected PM and so is the BJP, Prasad said. Prasad said it was "curious" that Congress leader Anand Sharma had denied any meeting taking place at the residence of Aiyar. "And in today's newspapers... It is very evident as to who attended the meeting including from Pakistan and even Manmohan Singh went to the get-together," he said. "Why a wrong statement was made by Anand Sharma completely denying that no such meeting took place." Kolkata: In a veiled dig at the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked people in her state to welcome those from other parts of the country. Banerjee made the comments while addressing a public meeting at Kanksa in Paschim Bardhaman district. We will not differentiate (outsiders) on the basis of their religion, states, castes. Bengal is a land of Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam. We respect Ambedkar, Gandhiji, Swami Vivekananda, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. We will not allow divisive politics in Bengal. Those who indulge in divisiveness, people will teach them a lesson politically, she said. Taking a veiled dig at the BJP-led Rajasthan government, she said, Unlike few states, we dont differentiate people based on their place of origin. A lot of people from other states work in Bengal. Embrace them as we consider them our own. Our people will go to other places, people from other States will come to Bengal isnt this normal? We cannot drive others away from Bengal. We love them. A Dalit man was killed in Gujarat because he went to a dandiya festival. They did not allow Padmavati to release. An innocent man was burned alive in Rajasthan. How long can we allow these incidents to continue? she added. She alleged that BJP is trying to cause riots by spreading falsehoods in Bengal. Please dont believe in their false propaganda. They are killing Adivasis and Dalits but feed lies to Adivasis here. Stay alert and dont listen to them. Our aim is to work for everybody. We do not differentiate on the basis of religion, she said. Trinamool does not follow the culture that the BJP speaks of. We do not like that culture. We will fight politically. Let others speak ill, we will not, she added. On December 6, a labourer from Malda district identified as Afrazul Khan (50) was hacked to death with an axe before being set on fire alive by a civil contractor identified as Shambhu Lal in Rajasthans Rajsamand village. Lal recorded the whole incident on camera. In the video released later, he was seen attacking Khan with an axe and the victim was heard screaming for mercy. After repeated attacks, Khan died after which Lal set the body on fire. The incident drew severe criticism from Banerjee who demanded a high level probe in to the matter. She had also raised the matter before Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Antonov Airlines, the division of Antonov State Enterprise (Kyiv), in January-November 2017 increased commercial transportation by 26% compared with entire 2016. The press service of the state-owned enterprise reported that total flight hours were 4,823 hours in January-November 2017, while in 2016 the figure was 3,832 hours. "In the past three months, Antonov flew 2,120 hours, while the Russian Volga-Dnepr airline, which has a larger number of aircraft, flew 1,786. That is, Ukrainian aircraft carried more cargo, received more profits and paid more taxes in the country's budgets of all levels. This was made possible by the termination of cooperation in this area with the Russian company Volga-Dnepr, which since 2006, using the conditions of an "enslaving" contract with Antonov, was a monopolist in the market of air transportation by An-124 Ruslan aircraft," the enterprise said. According to the press service of the State Enterprise Antonov, under this agreement, the Russian Volga-Dnepr carried out all the logistics management, using Antonov planes and independently, at its discretion, distributing profits, the bulk of which remained in the Russian Federation. "But at the end of 2016, Antonov implemented a program to end this cooperation. To this end, Antonov Salis GmbH was involved in the participation of the Ukrainian company in the NATO program - SALIS and Dreamlifts Ltd, to provide logistics support for commercial transportation," the enterprise said in response to the publication of information about the doubtfulness of the above-mentioned companies in media. In addition, taking into account the NATO tender conditions for the conclusion of the contract to transport cargos under the SALIS program, Antonov created Antonov Salis GmbH, which is part of the enterprise. "At the same time, the legal mechanism for the creation of Antonov Salis GmbH to ensure the participation of Antonov State Enterprise in the tender was agreed with the relevant structures of the Alliance. Precisely thanks to the fulfillment of all the tender requirements, a year ago, NATO signed a contract in the interests of Antonov State Enterprise. All payments to the Antonov Salis GmbH account via transit payment are transferred to the Antonov payment account in Ukraine, which are declared as transit payments and they are under the control of the Federal Bank of Germany," Antonov State Enterprise said, adding that in these circumstances Antonov Salis GmbH acts effectively in the status of non-profit enterprises, exempted from paying value added tax in accordance with EU Directives as a service provider for the needs of NATO. "Dreamlifts Ltd, the British company, is an agent company, without which international commercial air transportation around the world is impossible. The attraction of these companies is the usual and long-term practice of the absolute majority of world-class air carriers. The main feature of Dreamlifts Ltd is that its specialists are citizens of the European Union. After the Russian aggression, they no longer wanted to work for Ruslan International - another child of the Russian Volga-Dnepr airline. It was officially announced in the media over a year ago, on November 21, 2016," the enterprise said. The press service said that Antonov will continue to exert maximum efforts in deepening cooperation with NATO, working on the international air transportation market and creating new aircraft in the interests of Ukraine. New Delhi: Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday lashed out at former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and demanded to know the context of his meeting with Pakistani diplomats, hours after he demanded an apology from his successor Narendra Modi for accusing the Congress of colluding with the neighbouring country to fix the Gujarat election. Jailtey ruled out any apology from the PM, and instead, accused Singh and other Congress leaders of violating national policy by holding a parallel dialogue with Pakistan. He asked the necessity of attending a dinner hosted by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar at his home here last week that was attended by Pakistani diplomats, among others. The finance ministers remarks came after a rare row between a sitting and a former premier broke out, with Manmohan Singh accusing his Modi of setting a "dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of the former Prime Minister and Army Chief. Launching a sharp counteroffensive, Singh attacked Modi over what he called the prime minister's "ill-thought transgression" and rejected his charge as "innuendos and falsehoods". In uncharacteristically strong words, the usually mild mannered Singh crossed swords with the BJP and said that the desperation of the PM was evident as he has to latch on to every straw. He clarified that Gujarat polls were never raised by anyone present at the dinner and that the discussion was confined to India-Pakistan ties. Terming the meeting as "political misadventure", Jaitley said the opposition party is expected to follow the national police that terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand. He stated if anyone defies the national line, he should be prepared to answer questions. "It is a political misadventure, it has a political cost," he said. Addressing an election rally in Palanpur in Gujarat on Sunday, Modi had accused Pakistan of trying to influence the assembly polls in the state. He claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Aiyar's house over dinner on December 6. This was a day before Aiyar's "neech" jibe against Modi that led to his suspension from the party. Singh issued a statement on Monday, listing those who attended the dinner hosted in honour of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. He said besides himself and former vice president Hamid Ansari, others present at the dinner were the Pakistan High Commissioner, Natwar Singh, K S Bajpai, Ajai Shukla, Sharad Sabharwal, Gen Deepak Kapoor, TCA Raghavan, Satinder K Lambah, M K Bhadrakumar, CR Gharekhan, Prem Shankar Jha, Salman Haider and Rahul Khushwant Singh. "None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti- national activities," he said. Lambah, a former diplomat, was quoted as having said he does not comment on private dinners. He, however, said there was just a general discussion on Indo-Pak relations. Gharekhan, another former diplomat said, said the invitees were talking about the relations between India and Pakistan. "But nobody, if I recall....I am hundred per cent sure that, not a single person, talked about Gujarat elections or anything about the present situation... Or for that matter, the present situation in Pakistan," he said. "It was only about India-Pakistan relation. We didn't talk about any kind of politics." Gen. Kapoor, a former Army Chief, was quoted as having said that Gujarat elections were never discussed at the dinner meeting. Manmohan Singh said he did not discuss the Gujarat Assembly elections with anyone at the dinner meeting. "I sincerely hope that Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. Singh said he was "deeply pained and anguished" by the "falsehood and canards" being spread to score political points by the prime minister in what he said was a "lost cause" in Gujarat. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly and regrettably, Sh. Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief," he alleged. The Congress Party, Singh said, needs no sermons on "nationalism" from a party and prime minister, whose "compromised" track record on fighting terrorism is well known, while reminding Modi of his "uninvited" visit to Pakistan after terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. "Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan," he said. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Monday was elected unopposed as Congress president. Rahul will collect the certificate formally declaring his ascension to the post on December 16, party's central election authority head Mullappally Ramachandran told reporters. The 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family was the lone candidate in the fray. Rahul succeeds his mother Sonia Gandhi, who remained in the post for 19 years. The CEA received a total of 89 nomination papers proposing Rahul Gandhi's name for the top post. All the nomination papers were found to be valid, Ramachandran said. "Since the withdrawal of date/time is over and as there is only one candidate (Rahul), as per Article XVII (d) of the Constitution of Indian National Congress, I hereby declare Shri Rahul Gandhi elected as president of the Indian National Congress," Ramachandran said. Rahul became the vice-president of the party in January 2013. Following his coronation, the party cadre broke out in celebrations break outside Congress headquarters here. Several Congress leaders congratulated Rahul. Rahul Gandhi is an able leader. I am sure we are going to the Gujarat elections, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told CNN-News18. "This is a new day and a new beginning for Rahul Gandhi. He will take us away from the fractured path of the Modi and BJP. Today starts another era for the Congress Party," party leader Gaurav Gogoi said. Some leaders took to Twitter to Congratulate Rahul over his elevation. Joyous moment for the party as we celebrate the appointment of @OfficeOfRG as the President of @INCIndia . Beginning of a new, energised, positive and progressive era in the party under his leadership. #CongressPresidentRahulGandhi Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) December 11, 2017 Congratulations to #CongressPresidentRahulGandhi on being elected President of the Indian National Congress. India looks to you to provide decent & dedicated leadership that will steer the country on the path of inclusive politics & shared prosperity. Good luck @OfficeOfRG! https://t.co/HBBxFEQ64q Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) December 11, 2017 With Agency inputs Rahul Gandhi has become the Congress President-elect with the deadline to withdraw nomination for internal polls ending at 3pm. Gandhi would officially take charge on December 16 when his mother and longest-serving party president Sonia Gandhi formally hands over the baton to him, marking a generational shift in the grand old party. However, the attention has shifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modis allegations of a secret meeting between Congress leaders and Pakistani officials. At a press conference, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala hit out at Modi for his insinuation. Stay tuned for LIVE updates: Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi may be declared as the Congress chief on Monday, the last date of withdrawal of nomination in the partys organisational elections. The Congress Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita will announce that Gandhi's was the only nomination for the top job on Monday. A press conference has been scheduled for 3:30pm. Gandhi, however, may officially take charge on December 16 when his mother and longest-serving party president Sonia Gandhi formally hands over the baton to him, marking a generational shift in the grand old party. While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since Independence, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have been dwindling in the recent past. Today, the party, which once controlled almost the entire country, has its governments in just five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The internal polls was a one-horse race from the beginning with Gandhi the only one to file nomination, which was supported by 89 signatures. Rahul Gandhi would be handed over the certificate appointing him the party president on December 16 in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders, CEA chairman Ramachandran said. Sonia Gandhi will officially hand over the mantle of the 132-year-old party to her son around 11 am after which Rahul Gandhi will meet leaders from across the country at the Congress headquarters, PTI quoted party sources as saying. The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab. Rahul Gandhi's elevation would come just two days ahead of the counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll. A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him. "Delivering in Gujarat will be important as it is the immediate test facing Rahul Gandhi, who has mounted a strong anti-BJP campaign in the state and led personally from the front. We are looking at victory in Gujarat," said a Congress leader and former chief minister. Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said reorganising the party would be another major task for him. "Every post comes with a challenge. He has to rebuild the party at the grassroots and strengthen the ideological base. His undisputed election as party president is a sign of his strength. He will have to take everyone along from the AICC level right up to the states," she told PTI. Striking a balance between the old guard and the young leaders would be a key to running the organisation which has many seasoned politicians whose wisdom he could use as he steers the party. Gandhi had said in the past that he would draw upon a blend of experience of the old and the energy of the young. "Initial signs are encouraging since he put veterans like Ashok Gehlot and Sushil Kumar Shinde in charge of elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, respectively, and was willing to bank on them," said a leader. He also got appointed young leaders as secretaries. Clarity on the party's ideological stand on the issue of Hindutva would also be important as he is being seen as projecting the Congress's soft Hindutva with his visit to temples in Gujarat. He has also proclaimed himself a "Shiv bhakt". These visits are also being seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP's accusation against the party of Muslim appeasement. "This is to course-correct after it was felt that an overtly pro-minority image of the Congress undermined its electoral prospects on the eve of 2014 Lok Sabha elections," a party veteran noted, adding cobbling together electoral alliances will also be key to the future growth of the party. Another former union minister said every state had its own set of challenges and Gandhi would be expected to take informed decisions in each by taking everyone along. Gandhi has already been taking all major decisions in the party even though his formal elevation was delayed due to a long-drawn internal election process. The deadline set by the Election Commission for conclusion of the organisational elections in the Congress expires on December 31. Organisational elections in the Congress were due in 2015. The party constitution provides for elections to be held every five years. The last such polls were held in 2010. Rahul Gandhi, who was initially hesitant about taking over the reins from Sonia Gandhi, who held the partys top post for 19 years, will be the sixth member and fifth generation leader of the Nehru-Gandhi clan to occupy the post. These include Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi. Some eminent leaders who held the post in the pre-independence era included Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Vallabhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad. Eminent people like Madan Mohan Malviya, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Annie Besant and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, the first party president, also led the party in the pre-independence era. (With PTI inputs) Facebook users will soon be able to send a variety of greetings to interact with their friends in a unique way. Apart from 'Poke', now you can send a wink, a high-five, a hug and a wave. According to a report in The Nation, the options are under trial in Britain, Thailand, Australia, Canada, Columbia and France, and the feature has been released in line with the tenth anniversary of the poke. Under the Hello' button on your friend's profile, the new options can be seen by just holding the button. On a desktop, a simple hover over the 'Hello' button will show the alternatives. These work in a similar way the 'Reactions' on a photo or status work. Facebook introduced the Hello' button in June and placed it at the top of people's profiles. The new greetings also have an undo button for an accidental send. Watch: Tech and Auto Show Awards 2017 A Hong Kong-based activist investor in Toshiba Corp has told the embattled conglomerate that the $18 billion sale of its chip unit to a Bain Capital-led group is no longer necessary after its recent capital injection, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Argyle Street Management Ltd, a hedge fund with $1.2 billion under management, sent the letter to Toshiba's board late on Monday, the fund's chief investment officer, Kin Chan, told Reuters. The fund declined to say how many Toshiba shares it owns. The first activist shareholder to openly voice opposition to the sale, Argyle is inviting the 30-plus overseas investors who participated in Toshiba's recent 600 billion yen ($5.3 billion) new share issue to team up and is already in talks with at least three funds who share the same view, Chan said. Toshiba agreed to sell Toshiba Memory - the world's no. 2 producer of NAND chips - to the Bain consortium to cover billions of dollars in liabilities arising from its now bankrupt U.S. nuclear power unit Westinghouse. In order to ensure its listing status, however, Toshiba also secured a $5.4 billion cash injection from overseas funds this month, which with tax write-offs gives it sufficient funds to cover its liabilities. Argyle believes "there no longer is any urgency to undertake a sale of Toshiba Memory," it said in the letter, which proposed a meeting with Toshiba's board in either December or January. The $18 billion price tag for the chip unit "significantly undervalues the business," the letter said, adding that the board should consider instead an IPO for Toshiba Memory. Representatives for Toshiba and Bain were not immediately available for comment. While the potential for activist funds to hinder or even scupper the deal with the Bain-led consortium will depend on how many join forces in opposition, Argyle's letter underscores some fears that Toshiba had opened a potential can of worms by tapping activist shareholders in its new share issue. Watch: Tech and Auto Show Awards 2017 Islamabad: An anti-corruption court in Islamabad on Monday declared embattled Finance Minister Ishaq Dar an "absconder" after he repeatedly failed to appear before it in a graft case linking to the Panama Papers scandal. The court also ordered Dar, currently seeking medical treatment in London, to submit surety bonds within three days and warned that if he fails to do so, then authorities would freeze his assets. Dar, 67, was indicted in October in a graft case in which he is accused of making assets that were "disproportionate to his known sources of income". The case was filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the light of the Supreme Court order of July 28 that disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister in the Panama Papers scandal. The NAB had registered three cases of corruption and money laundering against Sharif, his family members and one against Finance Minister Dar in the Islamabad Accountability Court, weeks after the Supreme Court order ousted the premier. In its case against Dar, the NAB has alleged that the accused has acquired assets and pecuniary interests/resources in his own name and/or in the name of his dependants of an approximate amount of Rs 831.678 million. Dar is in London since October and has been seeking treatment of an undefined heart complication at a Harley Street hospital. The former minister's counsel submitted Dar's new medical reports in the court and pleaded not to declare his client a proclaimed absconder. NAB special prosecutor Imran Shafique opposed the plea saying that the reports presented before the court differ from each other. Judge Mohammad Bashir, who had reserved the order last week, refused to accept Dar's new report and declared him as an "absconder". The court then adjourned the hearing till December 14. Dar was relieved of his duties last month after he requested leave for three months. Brussels: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took his case to Europe to ask allies to join the United States in recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but was met by a firm rebuff from EU foreign ministers who saw the move as a blow against the peace process. Making his first ever visit to EU headquarters in Brussels, Netanyahu said President Donald Trump's move made peace in the Middle East possible "because recognising reality is the substance of peace, the foundation of peace." Trump announced last Wednesday that the United States would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, breaking with decades of US policy and international consensus that the ancient city's status must be decided in Israeli-Palestinian talks. Israel, which annexed East Jerusalem after capturing it in a 1967 war, considers the entire city to be its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. The Trump administration says it remains committed to the peace process and its decision does not affect Jerusalem's future borders or status. It says any credible future peace deal will place the Israeli capital in Jerusalem, and ditching old policies is needed to revive a peace process frozen since 2014. But even Israel's closest European allies have rejected that logic and say recognising Israel's capital unilaterally risks inflaming violence and further wrecking the chance for peace. After a breakfast meeting between Netanyahu and EU foreign ministers, Sweden's top diplomat said no European at the closed-door meeting had voiced support for Trump's decision, and no country was likely to follow the United States in announcing plans to move its embassy. "I have a hard time seeing that any other country would do that and I don't think any other EU country will do it," Margot Wallstrom told reporters. Several EU foreign ministers arriving at the meeting reiterated the bloc's position that lands Israel has occupied since the 1967 war - including East Jerusalem as well as the West Bank and Golan Heights, are not within Israel's borders. Israel's position does appear to have more support from some EU states than others. Last week, the Czech foreign ministry said it would begin considering moving the Czech Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, while Hungary blocked a planned EU statement condemning the U.S. move. But Prague later said it accepted Israel's sovereignty only over West Jerusalem, and Budapest said its long-term position seeking a two-state solution in the Middle East had not changed. On Monday, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said of Trump's decision: "I'm afraid it can't help us." "I'm convinced that it is impossible to ease tension with a unilateral solution," Zaoralek said. "We are talking about an Israeli state but at the same time we have to speak about a Palestinian state." VIOLENCE SUBSIDES Trump's announcement triggered days of protests across the Muslim world and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in which scores of Palestinians were wounded and several killed. By Monday morning, violence appeared to have subsided. Netanyahu, who has been angered by the EU's search for closer business ties with Iran, said Europeans should emulate Trump's move and press the Palestinians to do so too. "It's time that the Palestinians recognise the Jewish state and also recognise the fact that it has a capital. It's called Jerusalem," he said. In comments filmed later on his plane, he said he had told the Europeans to "stop pampering the Palestinians". "I think the Palestinians need a reality check. You have to stop cutting them slack. That's the only way to move forward towards peace." Trump's announcement last week has triggered a war of words between Netanyahu and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, straining ties between the two U.S. allies which were restored only last year after a six year breach that followed the Israeli storming of a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza. On Sunday, Erdogan called Israel a "terror state". Netanyahu responded by saying he would accept no moral lectures from Erdogan who he accused of bombing Kurdish villages, jailing opponents and supporting terrorists. On Monday Erdogan took aim directly at Washington over Trump's move: "The ones who made Jerusalem a dungeon for Muslims and members of other religions will never be able to clean the blood from their hands," he said in a speech in Ankara. "With their decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the United States has become a partner in this bloodshed." The decision to recognise Jerusalem could also strain Washington's ties with its other main Muslim ally in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, which has sought closer relations with Washington under Trump than under his predecessor Barack Obama. Saudi Arabia shares U.S. and Israeli concerns about the increasing regional influence of Iran, and was seen as a potential broker for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace deal. But Saudis have suggested that unilateral decisions over Jerusalem make any such rapprochement more difficult. Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi ambassador to the United States and veteran ex-security chief, published a strongly-worded open letter to Trump on Monday denouncing the Jerusalem move. "Bloodshed and mayhem will definitely follow your opportunistic attempt to make electoral gain," the prince wrote in a letter published in the Saudi newspaper al-Jazeera. "Your action has emboldened the most extreme elements in the Israeli society ... because they take your action as a license to evict the Palestinians from their lands and subject them to an apartheid state," he added. "Your action has equally emboldened Iran and its terrorist minions to claim that they are the legitimate defenders of Palestinian rights." The Trump administration says it is working on a peace proposal being drawn up by Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt and Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. European leaders say the decision on Israel's capital makes the need for a broader peace move more urgent. "We've been waiting already for several months for the American initiative, and if one is not forthcoming then the European Union will have to take the initiative," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. New York: A man with a homemade bomb strapped to his body set off an explosion at a New York commuter hub during rush hour on Monday, injuring himself and three others in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called an attempted terrorist attack. The suspect in the incident at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a block from Times Square, was identified as Akayed Ullah, the New York Police Department commissioner said. The suspect, said to be inspired by ISIS ideology, had burns and lacerations while three other people, including a police officer, had minor injuries. The weapon was based on a pipe bomb and fixed to the suspect with zip ties and velcro, police said. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking at a news conference near the site, described the device as "amateur level." New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told the same news conference that the incident, which happened at the start of the city's rush hour, was "an attempted terrorist attack." "As New Yorkers our lives revolve around the subways. When we hear of an attack in the subways it is incredibly unsettling," de Blasio said. New York City was a target, said John Miller, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism. Miller cited the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that killed more than 2,750 people in New York and nearly 3,000 people total; and the World Trade Center bombing of February 26, 1993, that killed six people. "In the course of the post 9/11 world, as you are aware, there's also been approximately 26 plots that we can talk about that have been prevented through intelligence, investigation and intervention." The incident was captured on security video, the police said. Video posted on NYPost.com showed smoke and a man lying in the tunnel that connects the Times Square subway station to the bus station. A photograph showed a man lying face down, with tattered clothes and burns on his torso. There was a stampede up the stairs to get out, said Diego Fernandez, one of the commuters. Everybody was scared and running and shouting. Alicja Wlodkowski, a Pennsylvania resident in New York for the day, was sitting in a restaurant in the bus terminal. Suddenly, I saw a group of people, like six people, running like nuts. A woman fell. No one even went to stop and help her because the panic was so scary." The bus terminal was temporarily shut down and a large swath of midtown Manhattan was closed to traffic. Subway train service was returning to normal after earlier disruptions. WABC reported the suspect was in his 20s and that he has been in the United States for seven years and has an address in New York's Brooklyn. The NYPD shut down the entire block and there was heavy police presence outside the home. First reports of the incident began soon after 7 a.m. (1200 GMT). New York in December sees a surge of visitors who come to see elaborate store displays, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and Broadway shows. The incident rippled through U.S. financial markets, briefly weakening equity markets as they were starting trading for the week and giving a modest lift to safe-haven assets such as U.S. Treasuries. S&P 500 index emini futures dipped in the moments after the initial reports of an explosion, but major stock indexes later opened slightly higher. The incident occurred less than two months after an Uzbek immigrant killed eight people by speeding a rental truck down a New York City bike path, in an attack for which Islamic State claimed responsibility. In September 2016, a man injured 31 people when he set off a homemade bomb in New York's Chelsea district. A crown is affixed to a wild goat as it is crowned King Puck and will be held on a platform above the town for three days in Killorglin, Ireland. (Image: Reuters) Only one Russian train runs across Ukraine Train pair No. 66/65 Chisinau-Moscow is today the only Russian train crossing Ukraine, according to information from public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia. Direct trains from Russia to Ukraine formed by Russian railways do not run. However, eight trains formed by Ukrzaliznytsia run between Ukraine and Russia. OJSC RZD (Russian Railways) organized movement of passenger long-haul trains using the new Zhuravka-Millerovo line bypassing Ukraine. "With the launch of a new train schedule for 2017-2018, more than 120 passenger and up to 30 freight trains began to run on the Zhuravka-Millerovo section daily," RZD said. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Republican firebrand E.W. Jackson on Monday publicly accused fellow anti-establishment Republican Corey Stewart of having had "dealings" with the Muslim Brotherhood, an incendiary opening attack in what is shaping up as a raucous GOP primary ahead of Virginia's 2018 U.S. Senate race. Jackson, a Chesapeake minister who was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in 2013, formally announced his run for Senate Monday morning on the conservative John Fredericks Radio Show. Asked to draw a contrast between himself and Stewart - the chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors who has a history of provocative statements of his own - Jackson said he and Stewart may have different views on "the threat of Radical Islam and Sharia law." "My understanding is that Corey has had some dealings with some of the members of the Muslim Brotherhood," Jackson said. "If that proves to be the case, then we're going to clearly draw that distinction." Stewart called Jackson's claim "ridiculous," noting that he is, in fact, not Muslim but Catholic. "It's so over the top I've got to wonder if he's off his medication or something," said Stewart, who is in Alabama this week to campaign for Republican Roy Moore, the embattled U.S. Senate candidate who has pressed forward with his campaign despite allegations he sought sexual relationships with teenage girls while he was in his early 30s. The winner of next year's primary will face off against U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in the former Richmond mayor and Virginia governor's first bid for re-election to the Senate seat he's held since 2013. Jackson offered no evidence for his claim that Stewart - who served as chairman President Donald Trump's campaign in Virginia last year - has ties to the Islamist group that operates mainly in the Middle East and Africa but in some right-wing circles is seen as a lurking domestic threat. Fredericks seemed to interpret the comment as a criticism of Stewart's vote earlier this year to allow the All Dulles Area Muslim Society to build a new mosque in Prince William. Stewart has defended his vote to approve the mosque despite vocal public opposition by saying his county could've been sued for appearing to treat one religious faith differently than others. "It would've resulted in a federal discrimination lawsuit, which we would've lost, and cost the taxpayers millions of dollars," Stewart said. "We'll find out and obviously we'll be debating it and talking about it," Jackson said after Fredericks raised Stewart's argument that the county had no legal option to deny the mosque. "And people will have to make their own determination as to who they believe." Jackson said the U.S. should officially designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. "We'll see whether Corey goes along with that," Jackson said. Stewart and Jackson are expected to compete for the hardcore, anti-establishment voters that hold sway in Republican primaries. Del. Nicholas J. Freitas, R-Culpeper, a libertarian-leaning conservative, officially jumped into the race over the weekend at the Republican Party of Virginia's annual retreat. Jackson suggested Freitas will be "the establishment choice." Ivan Raiklin, a former military diplomat, is also in the GOP primary field. Stewart is entering the Senate primary with an elevated profile after narrowly losing the Republican nomination for governor to Ed Gillespie this year after running on a message of supporting Confederate statues and opposing illegal immigration. But the massive, across-the-board losses Republicans suffered in last month's elections likely means an uphill battle for any Republican trying to unseat Kaine, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2016. Jackson, who lost the 2013 race for lieutenant governor to Democrat Ralph Northam, said he'll try to court evangelicals, despite Jerry Falwell Jr., the politically influential president of Liberty University, endorsing Stewart last week. "The people who've already jumped in on his side, they're my friends," Jackson said. "They just moved a little too early." Jackson acknowledged that Stewart has a head start, but he said that's because Stewart is a "perennial candidate." "He just runs for everything that moves," Jackson said. Stewart responded to Jackson's criticisms with attacks of his own, pointing out that Jackson declared bankruptcy in 1993 and saying Jackson got "demolished" after becoming a statewide GOP candidate in 2013. "He helped take down the entire ticket," Stewart said. Despite the nastiness of the first round in the Jackson vs. Stewart battle, Stewart insisted that he wants to take a friendlier approach to his Republican rivals in 2018. If the gubernatorial primary was all about Gillespie, Stewart said, the Senate primary will be all about Stewart. "My intention this time to try and be a nice guy with my fellow Republicans, Stewart said. "The only chance he has is to attack me." The three University of Virginia football players who were killed are being remembered as funny, sweet and ambitious. Lavel Davis Jr., aspired to be the countrys best wide receiver and to play in the NFL. The 6-foot-7 sports star was known to be ambitious and sought out friendships with students who werent athletes like him. DSean Perry had shifted seamlessly from linebacker to defensive end. He was also an amazing studio artist who loved to cook. Devin Chandler transferred in from Wisconsin, where the wide receiver returned a total of four kicks for 85 yards. He was known for his sense of humor and for lifting people up. Authorities say that all three men were killed Sunday by a fellow student and former football player. Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk signed financial and guarantee agreements on raising sovereign loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) EUR 160 million each on behalf of Ukraine on Monday in the Presidential Administration in the presence of the Ukrainian president. The Finance Ministry said that EBRD Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus Francis Malige and EIB Director for Public Sector in Eastern Neighbourhood Lionel Rapaille represented the banks. Head of Kharkiv Regional Administration Yulia Svitlychna who was present at the signing ceremony said that another EUR 10 million would be provided from the Kharkiv's budget. "The project would allow building two subway stations towards the airport, a new electric depot and buy new rolling stock 85 wagons," she said, thanking for support of the region and trust to its authorities. "Our objective is to support the development of clean, efficient and modern urban transport in Ukraine. The Kharkiv metro project is a perfect fit for this strategy. By promoting sustainable and clean urban transport as an attractive alternative to car travel, we are bringing a range of environmental and economic benefits as well as saving travel time and reducing carbon emissions," Malige said. Svitlychna said that the implementation of the project would start after signing of the relevant agreement with Kharkiv Metropoliten municipal enterprise and the city council. The EBRD told Interfax-Ukraine that the signing of the loan agreement is scheduled for December 18 in Kharkiv. A feasibility study for the project was supported by grant funding provided by the government of Japan. As reported, the project provides for the extension of the "green" metro line in Kharkiv by 3.47 km towards the airport, the construction of two metro stations Derzhavynska and Odeska, the construction of depots and the purchase of 85 rolling stock units. It is assumed that both stations and the section from the existing tunnels to the Derzhavynska station (959 meters) will be built in an "open way," while the tunnels between the new stations (2,514 meters) will be built with the help of a tunneling complex. The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. To date, the bank has made a cumulative commitment of almost EUR 11.6 billion through 383 projects since the start of its operations in the country in 1993. Nashville-based Cooper Steel Fabricators Inc. is opening Cooper Steel of Virginia, the companys newest expansion, in the former Lynchburg Steel plant in Monroe. Cooper Steel of Virginia is the fourth expansion of the steel fabrication and contracting firm, according to a news release issued Monday. The location will remain at 275 Francis Ave. in Monroe, and aesthetic improvements are included in future plans, according to the company. Its a win-win and a very exciting time for us to be in Virginia, Gary Cooper, CEO and chairman of Cooper Steel, said in the release. Cooper Steel has always prided itself on being like family, and today our family is officially getting a little bigger. The company celebrated its grand opening Tuesday at the Monroe plant. Addressing employees at the grand opening, Cooper said the two steel companies are mirror businesses, and he is excited about the firms expansion into Amherst County. Were family, Cooper told employees. You guys are the reason we bought this place. A $1 per-hour raise was effective Tuesday across the board for plant workers, Cooper said. The company has 26 employees in the plant and four non-production workers, with hopes of bringing 24 more employees on board in the next year, according to Cooper. We think well be good partners with Amherst County, he said. Cooper would not comment when asked the purchase price for the former Lynchburg Steel plant. A strong determining factor in Cooper Steels acquisition of the facility was the large fabrication shop with an established and highly skilled workforce, the release states. Founded in Shelbyville, Tennessee, in 1960 by J. Kenneth Cooper, Cooper Steel Fabricators Inc. specializes in the fabrication, estimation, erection and project management of structures all over the country, according to the release. Amherst County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Victoria Hanson said Monday the transition is excellent news because it means the lights never go out at the facility and jobs are retained. Lynchburg Steel announced its closure in late July, citing economic difficulties. Doug Anderson, former president of Lynchburg Steel, said prior to the announcement the company employed about 70 people. Four salaried and 18 hourly employees were dismissed following the announcement. Lynchburg Steel was a fixture of the county for 47 years, Anderson previously said, and the announcement to close operations was the best decision due to increased demands of the structural steel industry. Calvin Kennon, the EDAs chairman, said in a news release Monday while the closing of Lynchburg Steel was devastating due to the time and effort the Anderson family spent operating their business in the county, the EDA is pleased to have Cooper Steel in Amherst County and looks forward to supporting its efforts. Amherst County Supervisor L.J. Jimmy Ayers said he is glad Cooper Steels acquisition of Lynchburg Steel could be worked out. It keeps business in the county, folks in a job and retains a business that has been longstanding in our community, Ayers said. It is a win-win for all. Amherst County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Claudia Tucker said the transition is wonderful news, and the county appreciates work done by both companies. Having a steel company of this caliber has been critical to the economy of Amherst County for decades, Tucker said. We look forward to the next chapter and welcome Cooper Steel to the Amherst County business community with open arms. Anderson said Tuesday the transition between the two companies is bittersweet and a tough but right decision. Im pleased theyre coming in and will be able to continue having jobs [here] and contribute to the community, Anderson said. Anderson said he would like to continue to be involved in the short-term with a number of items Cooper Steel has asked for assistance with. Ill do whatever they need me to do, he said. Government is set to acquire 15 air planes as part of efforts to resuscitate the ailing Air Zimbabwe, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Dr Jorum Gumbo has said. In an interview recently, Dr Gumbo said plans were at an advanced stage for the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe to acquire the planes under a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with investors in the Diaspora. The Civil Aviation Authority is on the verge of acquiring 15 new air planes from Malaysia under a lease agreement, he said. The deal was penned between Government and a private company, DIDG, a consortium of business partners from the Diaspora. Dr Gumbo said Air Zimbabwe was reeling under a huge debt burden, which limited it from applying for credit from the market. Government has managed to rope in partners from the Diaspora, who are interested in the local airline, he said. Under this agreement, which I initially planned to sign with Malaysia Airline, the DIDG (Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group) company will facilitate the acquisition of these planes under a lease agreement, and this would be renewable after five years, said Dr Gumbo. Firstly, I had suggested that we enter into an agreement with the Malaysian airline, but the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwes books were in the red, we could not meet loan requirements. Dr Gumbo said Government had settled for DIDG the same company that is involved in the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) deal which offered to assist in acquiring the planes from Malaysia. The national airline is reeling under a $330 million debt, he said. Its balance sheet is in bad state at the moment, hence, these other interventions. Dr Gumbo said his ministrys mandate was to oversee the rehabilitation of three major sectors aviation, roads and rail transport. Herald Illegal armed groups have attacked the positions of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) forces in Donbas 35 times over the past 24 hours, the press center of the ATO headquarters has reported. "The Russian occupation troops continue to fire at the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, using mortars of various calibers," the headquarters said in a report on its Facebook page early on Monday. In the Luhansk sector, militants were active with the onset of twilight and fired at Ukrainian fortified positions near Triokhizbenka, Krymske, Novotoshkivske, Travneve and Zaitseve. In addition, militants used various types of grenade launchers and light infantry weapons in the vicinity of these settlements, as well as near Lozove, Novooleksandrivka, Svitlodarsk and Luhanske. In the Donetsk sector, the area of Avdiyivka remains the epicenter of the confrontation. "In particular, invaders launched more than 30 82mm mines in the evening at our positions near the Butivka mine. The defenders of Kamianka, Avdiyivka and Krasnohorivka came under grenade launcher and heavy machine gun fire," reads the report. In the Mariupol sector, the enemy attacked Ukrainian positions near Starohnativka. Four Ukrainian servicemen were slightly wounded in the fighting, and one more sustained a combat injury. All the soldiers were taken to military medical institutions and received emergency medical aid. Their lives are not in danger. Government has assured the nation that it is aware of the challenges being faced by farmers in accessing inputs for the 2017/18 summer cropping season and is addressing them. Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Minister Retired Air Marshal Perrance Shiri said this is in Parliament last week, while responding to questions from legislators. The legislators had enquired on the progress in the distribution of inputs under Command Agriculture and selection criteria for beneficiaries of Government inputs programme. Rtd Air Marshal Shiri said Government was working on the distribution of inputs and admitted that there were some challenges that were affecting the process. Everything that is possible is being done for fertiliser and seed to get to farmers, he said. The issue of inputs such as seed and fertiliser is under consideration. When it comes to seed, there are some challenges with regards to long season varieties such as seven and six series. The seed that was produced last year is not enough to meet the demand because most probably it was affected by incessant rains. Varieties like five series going down are available. Our seed companies are looking for funds so that they can buy the six and seven series varieties. Rtd Air Marshal Shiri said fertiliser was being availed, though the quantities were limited. The fertiliser is being manufactured locally and Government is also importing on the other side, he said. The smooth availability of fertiliser is being affected by challenges associated with the availability of nostro facilities. Rtd Air Marshal Shiri said the inputs were in high demand, as many people were into farming. He dismissed notions that Government inputs were being distributed along party lines and said every Zimbabwean was entitled to benefit as long as one met the requirements. Minister Shiri said anyone who met the requirements could benefit from Command Agriculture inputs. As long as they (farmers) meet the criteria, which is wanted they get access to inputs, he said. If it is the Presidential Inputs Scheme, everyone is given. The inputs are not given on partisan basis. There is no law to it. I was involved in Command Agriculture at national level and field officers were never instructed to distribute inputs on partisan basis. The criteria at the moment is based on those who have honoured their obligations for last season. People were given inputs and were supposed to pay back, those who did that are eligible for registration again and for entering into contracts. New applicants must get confirmation from Agritex officers in their various districts based on their competence. Herald The MDC Youth Assembly will escalate its campaign to have reforms realised before we go for the watershed elections in 2018. We are aware of the shenanigans that ZEC is undertaking to scuttle progress with regards to the preparation of the next elections. We reiterate our commitment to waging a peaceful campaign for electoral reforms. In this regard we will continue with our mass peaceful demonstrations to ensure ZEC will deliver a credible and fair election that will see a leadership chosen by the people in the coming elections. We are convinced a credible election will result in President Tsvangirai ascending to the highest office of the land. Idaho Cops: Actually, There Could Be a Threat to the Community Scientists are raising a red flag over the future of endangered right whales after a high number died in 2017. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that there are only about 450 North Atlantic right whales left after 17 were reported dead this year, according to Phys.org. And the news of such high mortality was exacerbated by a low number in births in 2017. Per the Guardian, there are only about 100 breeding female whales active in the species, making the fear of extinction all the more real. "You do have to use the extinction word, because that's where the trend lines say they are," says John Bullard, NOAAs Northeast Regional Administrator. "That's something we can't let happen." Along with the low number of breeding females, a study published in Endangered Species Research suggests that entrapment in fishing lines spikes stress levels in males, reducing their ability to reproduce. Co-author of the study Elizabeth Burgess says her colleagues are seeking solutions with the fishing community. (NOAA temporarily suspended its rescue operations this summer after a right whale struck and killed the rescuer untangling it from fishing lines.) Collisions with ships is another major cause of right whale death, and a study in Nature reports that the whales are seeking food outside protected areas. The problem will likely worsen, it states, as water temperatures continue to rise, forcing movements towards both favorable oceanographic conditions and food sources elsewhere. (Read more whales stories.) Maine's Republican US senator said on Sunday that Alabama politician Roy Moore was unfit to serve in the Senate even before sexual-misconduct allegations against him came to light. Sen. Susan Collins made the comments on CBS' Face the Nation. She called the Republican National Committee's decision to support Moore in the Alabama race "a mistake." Collins said she thought Moore was a poor choice for Senate because of his views on Muslims and gays even before she learned of the misconduct allegations. She also said she's troubled that Moore has been removed from the Alabama Supreme Court twice for failure to "follow lawful judicial orders," the AP reports. Moore is accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls decades ago, when he was a county prosecutor in his 30s. He has largely denied the allegations. Moore faces Democrat Doug Jones in a special election on Tuesday. The election could have major implications for the balance of power in the Senate, where Republicans have a slight edge. Alabama's Christian conservatives see Moore as their champion. He has fought federal judges and castigated liberals, big government, gun control, Muslims, homosexuality, and anything else that doesn't fit the evangelical mold. Moore was dumped from his state's Supreme Court for ignoring a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state's judicial building and for opposing gay marriage after the US Supreme Court effectively legalized it. (Read more Susan Collins stories.) German officials may want to offer some of their LinkedIn contacts endorsements for "espionage" and "subterfuge." Per Reuters, the country's BfV intelligence service has revealed that Chinese intelligence operatives are setting up fake social-media accounts and attempting to connect with senior diplomats and politicians not only from Germany, but from a bunch of European countries. The nine-month probe found that the fraudulent accounts, in which operatives posed as headhunters or academic professionals, reached out to at least 10,000 German citizens on LinkedIn in an attempt to find out about everything from their hobbies to which way they leaned politically. The New York Times reports the Chinese spies would dangle free trips to China and meetings with big-name clients to their newfound online acquaintances to try to get them to spill info. The head of the BfV says this outreach has been a "broad attempt to infiltrate parliaments, ministries, and administrations." The Times notes it's just one way China could try to spy on foreign businesses and governments by culling info on foreign and economic policy that would perhaps give it a leg up in the marketplace. Reuters notes many of the social media profile images were of attractive, stylish young adults, with at least one pic found to be lifted from an online fashion catalog. The BfV says it's sharing this info to warn officials to be careful about posting and sharing too much about themselves on social media. China, however, doesn't agree with the BfV's assessment. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs rep said this news was "complete hearsay and groundless." (Read more China stories.) The crop in question is soybeans, but there's now a big carrot involved. Reuters reports Monsanto is offering what can amount to a more than 50% rebate to farmers who agree to use the herbicide XtendiMax with VaporGrip on their 2018 soybean crop. A rep for Monsanto calls use of the product and the complementary soybeans engineered to withstand it part of the "next level of weed control"; US regulators are less bullish. After concerns that dicamba-based herbicidesXtendiMax is oneare drifting to other crops that haven't been modifiedthe New York Times in September called Monsanto's modified seeds "one of the biggest product releases in the company's history"more states are restricting the application period and requiring farmers who use the product to undergo training, making the product a bit more cumbersome to use. To address the first, Reuters reports Monsanto will give farmers a $6 per acre rebate on the product, which generally costs $11 per acre to apply. Ohio State University reiterated its position on how to minimize issues of dicamba drift: limit its use to early season, when there is "less emerged vegetation," noting "postemergence use of dicamba accounted for most of the off-target problems in 2017." To that end, Reuters outlines some states' in-the-works restrictions for 2018; Arkansas is considering a ban on its use after April 15. Monsanto says it expects Xtend soybeans to cover 40 million acres in 2018, a doubling of 2017's numbers. Agriculture.com reports 89.5 million acres of soybeans were planted in the US in summer 2017, and 3.6 million acres were thought to be harmed by dicamba drift. (Read more Monsanto stories.) The rape of Rohingya women by Myanmar's security forces has been sweeping and methodical, the AP found in interviews with 29 women and girls now in Bangladesh. These assault survivors from several refugee camps range in age from 13 to 35, come from villages in Myanmar's Rakhine state, and describe assaults between October 2016 and mid-September. The testimonies bolster the UN's contention that Myanmar's armed forces are systematically employing rape as a "calculated tool of terror" aimed at killing off the Rohingya. The Myanmar armed forces didn't respond to AP requests for comment, but an internal military probe last month concluded the assaults didn't happen. When journos asked about rape allegations in September, Rakhine's minister for border affairs replied: "Look at [the accusers'] appearancesdo you think they are that attractive to be raped?" Doctors and aid workers, however, say they're stunned at the sheer volume of rapes and suspect only a fraction of women have come forward. Medecins Sans Frontieres doctors have treated 113 sexual violence survivors since August; the youngest was 9. Every woman the AP spoke with except one said the assailants wore military-style uniforms. The most commonly described attack involved soldiers bursting into private homes to carry out the rapes. In other cases, women said, security forces surrounded a village, separated men from women, then took the women to another location to gang-rape them. The women also spoke of seeing their children slaughtered in front of them and their husbands beaten and shot. More on the women's horrific stories, including the injuries and pregnancies that resulted, here. (Read more Rohingya stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Several participants of the March for Impeachment and a rally in support of the former Georgian president and the leader of the Movement of New Forces, Mikheil Saakashvili, held a protest action outside the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office on Sunday, December 10. Over 200 people have proceeded from the site of a picket near the Ukrainian Security Service's (SBU) detention center to Riznytska Street, where the Prosecutor General's Office building is located. They were crying out criticizing slogans against Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, demanding to release from custody Saakashvili and other people, whom they believe to be political prisoners, and to stop the pressure on the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and anti-corruption bodies. Prior to this, a number of protesters have blocked the Roshen sweet shop on Mazepy Street along with its visitors, according to media reports. They allowed visitors to leave the sweet shop some time later and started throwing snowballs at it. Meanwhile, a number of protesters remained near the SBU detention center, where Saakashvili detained on Friday is being held. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy has said that no changes will be made to Article 7 "Language of Instruction" in Ukraine's law on education, the parliament's press service has reported. Parubiy said at a conference dedicated to Local Self-Government Day in Lviv region on Saturday, December 9, that he had a conversation with representatives of the Venice Commission, "and it was agreed that the seventh article of the law on education will not be amended." "It will remain in the wording adopted," he added. He recalled that round table discussions had been held before the adoption of the education law and their participants could not come to a common opinion. Therefore, Parubiy said, when considering the law on education, he created a working group, due to which "we managed to get a compromise wording, which, on the one hand, protects the language of national minorities, and, on the other hand, makes the study of the state language an obligatory condition for all." He said that the issue of national identity and historical memory had become a key task for the Ukrainian parliament of the current convocation, including for him as parliament speaker. As reported, the Ukrainian law on education came into force on September 28. Among other things, the law stipulates that the state language is a language of learning at educational institutions, but one or several subjects in two or more languages, namely, the state language, English and other European Union official languages can be taught in compliance with the educational program. People, who belong to ethnic minorities, are guaranteed the right for learning in the native language along with the Ukrainian language in separate groups of municipal pre-school and primary school institutions. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sent the education law for examination by the Venice Commission. On December 8, the Ukrainian Education and Science Ministry reported that the Venice Commission had not supported Hungary's accusation of narrowing the rights of national minorities in the article on the language of instruction in Ukraine's law on education. The commission noted that the issues of the content and scope of rights are exclusively within the competence of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, and a number of questions concerning the use of languages should be resolved by special laws. New Delhi: Since last few days, News Nation, News State, and UC News are providing important information about the basic rights that are provided to the citizens of the country. However, it is regrettable that even after 70 years of independence, a large part of the population is not aware of their rights. Unfortunately, it is also true that those who are aware of their rights hardly get any justice. Hence it is imperative that we talk about human rights. How did human rights get into existence? The UN General Assembly had recognized Human Rights declaration on 10th December 1948. It was also decided to observe December 10 as Human Rights Day every year. In India though, the safeguard of human rights was already into the picture even before it was discussed at the UN General Assembly. Different Articles of the Constitution bestowed on states of the Republic of India to uphold human rights. The courts were given the power under Articles 32 and 226 of the Constitution to protect the human rights. The Constitution empowered the states to enact laws for safeguarding the Human Rights. It was in 1993 that a law related to Human Rights came into being under which National Human Rights Commission was set up as a free and strong entity. Along with, Human Rights Commissions were set up at state levels. There is no doubt that India has a much better Human Rights record compared to many countries in the world including its neighbours but the existing figures are disappointing. If we take a look at figures from the year 2013 to 2016 then we will observe that more than 3 lakh 30 thousand cases of Human Rights violation were registered. Which means that on an average more than 300 cases were reported every day. On the Human Rights Index Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Bihar fare the worst. There have also been claims of solving 3 lakh 11 thousand cases. Over the past three years, including the months beginning this year, the National Human Rights Commission recommended the financial help of Rs. 28 crore 80 lakh in 1347 cases, disciplinary action in 98 cases while the prosecution was recommended in 6 cases. But this does not justify the number of cases registered against which financial relief, disciplinary action, and prosecution were carried out. The figures are disappointing. What kind of Human Rights? More than three crore cases are pending in the country and millions of Indians await justice. The police which is considered protector are themselves facing a lot many allegations of Human Rights violations. In the past 10 years, 5.5 crore people have spiralled down the poverty line only because of expensive treatments and medicines. Nearly 15 thousand people every day! Things are so bad that every third poor citizen of the world is an Indian. A big section of the population is suffering from poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition and other basic needs. Of course, in the past 70 years, things have improved on many fronts, but still, there is a long way to go. Bengaluru: On Monday evening IG western range of Karnataka Hemant Nimbalakar released the forensic report of the death of 18-year-old Paresh Mesta of Honnavar. The 3-page forensic report gives answers to 19 questions which were asked by the investigation officer of this case. The report says "neither is there any evidence of injuries over the body due to weapons, nor any evidence of hot water or chemical being poured on the body was found. The report further says the tattoo on the arm of Paresh's body was intact and colour of body has changed due to putrefaction". The forensic investigation was done by doctors of Kasturba Medical College Manipal. On December 9, a senior leader of Karnataka BJP and member of parliament Shoba Karandalaje had blamed Popular Front Of India (PFI) for Paresh's death. Shoba said, Colour of Paresh's body has turned black. It looks like boiling oil was put on his face. He had a tattoo on arm, flesh of that part has been ripped off. Those who killed Paresh have connections with PFI and the government is trying to protect them." However, police have not clarified the real cause of death. While talking to News Nation, Hemant Nimbalkar, IG western range said, "We are waiting for the viscera report. With the help of that report, we can ascertain the cause of death. We had to release the forensic report because some people were trying to create law and order situation by circulating fake information and we will take strict action against those who are circulating this fake information." On Monday late evening, police arrested one person by name Timmappa Parameshvar Nayak, aged 43 years, PE teacher in a private school, residing at Hiregutti, Kumta for spreading false rumours through WhatsApp with respect to the death of Paresh Mesta. Paresh Mesta was a fisherman who would also participate in the religious functions in the local temple as a drummer. Meanwhile, BJP leaders will be taking out a protest march on Tuesday in Bengaluru from Vidhan Soudha to Raj Bhawan and submit a memorandum to Governor regarding the death of Paresh. Bengaluru: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palika (BBMP) on Monday launched "Fix My Street" app where citizens can report civil amenity issues and BBMP assures all complaints will be addressed within a specific time frame. While launching this mobile app, Sampat Raj, mayor of Bengaluru said, "Citizens can report about potholes, garbage, and street lights through this app by taking pictures which will be geotagged and all the BBMP officials will receive the complaint." This mobile app will provide an end-to-end process for addressing citizen request. BBMP has set a specific time to address each issue. Streetlight complaints will be addressed within 12 hours, garbage within 24 hours and potholes will be filled within a week of the complaint added Manjunath Prasaad, the BBMP commissioner. Potholes and garbage are the two main issues of Bengaluru and BJP is making them a political issue. Now Karnataka's Congress government is trying to solve these issues before the election campaign starts. Mirzapur/Lucknow (UP): In a tragic incident, 10 people were killed and other four injured including women and children when a tractor was hit by a truck near Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Marihan area of Mirzapur. According to police, five people died on the spot, the rest succumbed to injuries in the district hospital. The deceased were identified as Akhilesh (16), Garia(12), Neha (13), Reena (15), Shushama (18), Hema (17), Anita(29), Manju Devi (30), Shyam Murari (10) and Nure (25). Nure was travelling the truck while the others in the tractor. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of deceased and Rs 25,000 to the injured, an official release said in Lucknow. He also directed the local administration to provide the best treatment to the injured. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Verkhovna Rada First Vice Speaker Iryna Gerashchenko, who represents Ukraine in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group, is leaving for the United States on Monday to hold meetings and discuss security issues in Donbas and the release of hostages. "I'm flying out to the U.S. for a couple of days. A lot of meetings are scheduled. I realize that in addition to the key subjects of security and the humanitarian situations in Donbas and Crimea, the work of the Minsk groups, the situation with hostages (even during these days I will remotely coordinate our joint actions with the SBU and other structures, so that everything is done), there will also be the question of the internal situation, the work of the Verkhovna Rada, and the fight against corruption," she wrote on Facebook on Monday. According to Gerashchenko, there will be an exchange of views with partners on external and internal challenges and threats. "God grant that everything work out and all our efforts for the release of the hostages give a result - this is my biggest responsibility for the coming days and weeks," she said. New Delhi: India, China and Russia on Monday resolved to step up cooperation to counter terrorism, including choking terror funding and dismantling terrorist infrastructure, as the Indian side flagged concerns over increasing acts of terrorism by Pakistan-based terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). During the 15th Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral, the foreign ministers -Sushma Swaraj, Wang Yi (China) and Sergey Lavrov (Russia)- also underlined the primary and leading role and responsibility of states in preventing and countering terrorism and extremism, a joint statement said. They also reiterated that all states should take adequate measures to prevent terrorist activities from their territory, it said. "While discussing terrorism, I put across my view that significant rise in acts of terrorism by terrorist organisations like Taliban, Daesh (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and LeT directly undermine international peace and security and endanger ongoing efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development," Swaraj said. However, the RIC joint statement did not name Pakistan unlike the joint document issued after the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) meet in Xiamen in China in September. Also Read| Russia says goal of defeating IS in Syria 'accomplished' Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including the recent heinous terrorist attacks around the world, the leaders reaffirmed their determination to prevent and counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. "We reaffirm that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable irrespective of their motivations, committed wherever and by whomsoever," the statement of the RIC leaders said. They called for greater unity, stronger international partnership and concerted actions by the international community in addressing the menace of terrorism in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, including the principles of sovereign equality of states and non-interference in their internal affairs. The leaders also emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach to combating terrorism. The statement said in this context, they resolved "to step up cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism and radicalisation, combat the spread of terrorist ideology and propaganda, stop sources of terrorist financing, prevent travelling off and the supply of arms to terrorists, dismantle the terrorist infrastructure." Also Read| Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit New Delhi, hold talks with top Indian officials They also resolved to enhance cooperation to disrupt recruitment and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and prevent misuse of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for terrorist purposes, it said. Swaraj, Wang and Lavrov also stressed that those committing, organising, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with the obligations under international law, including the principle of "extradite or prosecute" as well as the applicable domestic legislation. "We agree to strengthen cooperation to take decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities. We condemn all forms of terrorism and all terrorists, terror entities and organisations listed by the UN Security Council," the statement said. It assumes significance as China has been blocking the international banning of UN-designated terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, the mastermind of Pathankot terror strike. The three countries also agreed to intensify cooperation in multilateral fora including FATF and FATF-style regional bodies (FSRBs) so as to cut the flows of funds, and other financial assets and economic resources to individuals and entities involved in terrorism including those proscribed under the relevant UN sanctions. They stressed on the need for a joint, integrated and balanced approach to deal with drug menace, it's illicit production and trafficking including new psychoactive substances in accordance with the UN Conventions and principles of international law. The grouping also called for an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN to establish the much needed comprehensive international legal framework to address the growing global menace of terrorism. Expressing deep concern about the threat of WMDs falling into the hands of terrorist groups, including the use of chemicals and biological agents for terrorist purposes, they said they would cooperate to prevent a proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by non-state actors, including terrorists. "We need to address the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological terrorism through intensified meaningful work in international fora," they said in the statement and expressed firm determination to explore actively the modalities of elaborating a mandate in this regard. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Srinagar: Two bank guards were killed in an attack by militants in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Monday. Police said, unidentified gunmen indiscriminately opened fire at the bank vehicle of Jammu and Kashmir Bank with automatic and semi-automatic guns. The two guards did not even get time to respond, said a police officer. The officer added two bank officials are also injured in the attack. A senior police officer posted at Shopian district said, A search operation has been launched in the region to corner the attackers. No terrorist organisation has claimed the incident. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his election campaign on Sunday questioned the motive behind the meeting between the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Envoy, the latter on Monday asked his successor to tell the country the reasons for inviting ISI to Pathankot Air Base to investigate terror attack orchestrated by the neighbour itself. PM Modi should also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan, said Singh. The former prime minister in his official statement also reminded PM Modi of his uninvited Pakistan visit soon after terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Singh further said, My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political grounds. Also read| PM Modi: Why does Pak Army ex-DG want Ahmed Patel as Gujarat CM Manmohan Singh further said, Congress does not need sermons on Nationalism from a party and Prime Minister whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. Singh in his official statement denied discussing Gujarat elections with anyone at the dinner hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner, said Singh. He further added, I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread. The official statement by the former Prime Minister also reads, Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, the desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. The senior Congressman also added, PM Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of the former prime minister and army chief. Also read| Don't drag us into your domestic politics: Pakistan to India Singh suggested his successor to show maturity and expected gravitas of the high office and sought an apology from PM Modi to the nation. I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies, read Singhs statement. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Security forces on Monday gunned down three terrorists in an encounter in Bomai of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district. Another terrorist has been captured in an injured state, reported ANI on Monday. The development comes after the security forces launched a search operation in the area. Although the firing has stopped, the search operations are still underway. The state's Director General of Police, SP Vaid took to Twitter saying, "In Unisoo, Handwara all the three terrorists apparently Pakistanis have been neutralized by Joint team of J&K Police, RR & CRPF. It has been raining whole night and boys were out there in the cold." For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Beijing: In a new finding, Researchers have identified around 500 tiny finger and toe bones belonging to primates - some half the size of a mouse - that lived about 45 million years ago in what is now China, offering evidence that early human ancestors came from Asia. Representing nine different taxonomic families of primates and as many as 25 species, the specimens include numerous fossils attributed to Eosimias, the very first anthropoid known to date, and three fossils attributed to a new and much more advanced anthropoid. The anthropoid lineage would later include monkeys, apes and humans. "The fossils are extraordinarily small, but in terms of quantity this is the largest single assemblage of fossil primate finger and toe specimens ever recorded," said Dan Gebo, professor at Northern Illinois University in the US. All of the finger and toe fossils imply tree-dwelling primates with grasping digits in both hands and feet. Many of the smaller fossils are between 1 and 2 millimetres in length, and the animals would have ranged in full body size from 10 to 1,000 grammes. "The new study provides further evidence that early anthropoids were minuscule creatures, the size of a mouse or smaller," Gebo said. "It also adds to the evidence pointing towards Asia as the initial continent for primate evolution. While apes and fossil humans do come from Africa, their ancestors came from Asia," he said. The newly described fossils were originally recovered from a commercial quarry near the village of Shanghuang in the southern Jiangsu Province of China, about 100 miles west of Shanghai. Christopher Beard, a paleontologist at the University of Kansas in the US, said the limestone in the quarry is of Triassic age - from the very beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs some 220 million years ago. Owing to a subsequent phase of erosion, the limestone developed large fissures containing fossil-rich sediments dating to the middle Eocene, after dinosaurs went extinct. In the early 1990s, more than 10 tonnes of fossil-bearing matrix were collected from the fissures and shipped to the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in China and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in the US. There, the matrix was washed and screened, yielding fossil bones and teeth from ancient mammals, many of which remain to be identified. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Google is celebrating 135 th birthday of German physicist and mathematician Max Born with a doodle created by artist Kati Szilagyi. Born is seen holding a pen that resembles the symbol psi, which is a representation of the wave function of Physics. Max Born was born on 11 December 1882 in Breslau, now WrocAaw, Poland to a family of Jewish descent. Known for ground breaking work in quantum mechanics and statistical interpretation of the wave function, Max Born won the Nobel Prize in 1954. In 1918 Max met with Fritz Haver in Berlin in a coincidence that led to the discussion on formation of ionic compound when a metal reacts with halogen. This is known as the Born-Haber cycle. Max Born was inspired by Albert Einsteins research on special relativity and latter began research on special relativity. Born was among the three nominees for Nobel prize in 1928 along with Heisenberg and Jordan by Albert Einstein. In a famous letter written to Born in December 4, 1926, Einstein wrote, Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the 'old one'. I, at any rate, am convinced that He is not playing at dice. This quotation is often paraphrased as 'God does not play dice'. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Telecommunications service provider Bharti Airtel Ltd has signed an agreement with Department of Telecom and the Universal Service Obligation Fund, under which it will set up more than 2,000 mobile towers across villages and national highways in the uncovered villages of North East. The agreement, signed on Saturday, said the company will set up these towers across the villages of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh over the next 18 months. The companys statement said, Bharti Airtel has signed an agreement with DoT and the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) for provision of mobile services in identified uncovered villages and national highways in the North-Eastern states of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Expanding the telecom connectivity will lead to many developments in the North-Eastern states. Airtels Chief Operating Officer (India and South Asia), Ajay Puri, said, Airtel has been leading the expansion of telecom services in the Northeast and as the largest operator in these markets, we have gained deep understanding of the region. This project will provide a massive boost to telecom connectivity in these areas and truly connect them with the rest of India and the world. Customers in these areas can look forward to affordable world-class mobile services very soon. Also Read: Airtel, Intex partner for 4G phone at an effective price For the execution of the project, the company will receive an amount of Rs 1,610 from the Universal Service Obligation Fund, the statement added. Bharti Airtel is Indias largest telecom service provider in terms of revenue and subscriber base. New Delhi: Search engine Google, which has a range of significant apps like Google Maps and Google Play Music, is ready to update its Google Maps service with new features. Just a week ago, Google Maps got the Two-wheeler feature, and now the app is ready for its new feature which will inform the user when to get off a bus or a train while travelling. This feature is really helpful when a user tends to fall asleep and forgets to de-board on their particular stop. This new feature will notify a user as and when they are about to reach their destination. Google Maps will reportedly send live notifications mentioning its time to de-board on the users phone. These notifications do not need the app to be opened. Maps will notify even if the users phone is locked. Google Maps currently shows the real-time updated directions when you travel in a bus or train. The new update might be a small one, but is really essential in a persons journey. Also Read: Google Doodle honours Max Born; German physicist and Nobel laureate known for path-breaking research in Quantum Physics The notifications sent by Google Maps will directly come on your Android lock screen. Google Maps recently introduced the Two-wheeler mode under which bikers get the fastest route to reach their destination. However, this feature is only available for Android users but will soon be available on iOS too. Lahore: Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has unveiled his political ambitions by formally announcing that his Jammat-ud-Dawah will contest the general elections in Pakistan in 2018 under the banner of the Milli Muslim League, which is yet to be registered with the Election Commission. The banned JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed. "The Milli Muslim League (MML) is planning to contest next year's general elections," said Saeed, a terrorist leader designated by both the United Nations and the United States. Talking to a group of columnists at the JuD headquartersin Chauburji on Sundayy, he dedicated 2018 for Kashmiris. The JuD chief, who carries a bounty of USD 10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities, walked free on November 24 after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under detention since January this year. Saeed is also the vice president of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, an umbrella coalition of more than 40 political and religious parties that advocate conservative policies. In September when Saeed was under house arrest in Lahore, the JuD entered in the political arena and contested by-poll from NA-120. That National Assembly had fallen vacant on the disqualification of prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Sharif's wife Kulsoom Nawaz had won that seat. JuD-backed candidate Sheikh Yaqoob, who secured 6,000 votes, had announced that the JuD would contest 2018 elections. Yaqoob was placed in 2012 on a US Treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations. The founder of LeT militant group vowed to continue supporting the Kashmiris fighting the Indian forces. "I want to tell India that I will continue to support Kashmiris no matter what kind of difficulties are there. India wants us to stop raising voice for the Kashmiris. It is building pressure on the Pakistani government. I want to tell Pakistan that back channel diplomacy only caused harm to the Kashmir cause," Saeed alleged. He further said his detention in Pakistan and Hurriyat leaders in India was part of international agenda. "This had been done to harm the Kashmir cause. India is angry over my release from the house detention. I warn India if it does not stop atrocities against Kashmiris then this struggle will rise further and it will face the music," he threatened. The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. India had expressed outrage over Pakistan's decision to release Saeed, calling it an attempt by Islamabad to mainstream proscribed terrorists and a reflection of its continuing support to non-state actors. Saeed has now filed the petition to de-list him from the UN list of designated terrorists. He was also put under house arrest soon after the Mumbai attack, but he was freed by a court in 2009. Nine of the Mumbai attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and executed after a trial. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Three people were injured after a pipe bomb was triggered in an underground subway passage between Times Square and Port Authority Bus Terminal at Manhattan in United States on Monday. US officials are calling it a terrorist attack. New York Police Department (NYPD) officials have arrested a Bangladeshi national in connection to explosion. The arrested has been identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi native. Officials said Ullah was injured while detonating the explosive in the underground subway passage. A New York mayor Bill De Blasio termed the explosion as a terror attack. He said, aThis was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals.a Let's be clear a this was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. Our first responders were there quickly and the only injuries we know of right now are minor. a Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) December 11, 2017 The NYPD on its official twitter handle confirmed the incident and said no injuries have been reported. The Police has requested all commuters to avoid the area. The NYPD added that they have cleared out A,C and E subway lines that sit beneath the building.A According to reports, the US police has taken a man into custody, who they believe was carrying an explosive material that went off. Update regarding explosion at 42nd St and 8th Ave, in subway: One male suspect is in custody. No injuries other than suspect at this time. Avoid the area. Subways bypassing #PortAuthority and Times Square Stations. Info is preliminary. pic.twitter.com/bEAdjq8mYc a NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 11, 2017 Soon after the reported explosion, several blocks of the Eighth Ave. were shut down as emergency responders took their position on the street. According to reports the blast shuttered the 1,2 and 3 subway lined and locked down the area around the bus depot near Eighth and Ninth Aves. One Keith Woodfin soon after the explosion tweeted, aI was exiting the Port Authority and the National Guard was running towards something shouting aGo, Fo., Go.a I was exiting the Port Authority and the National Guard was running towards something shouting aGo, Go, Goa a Keith Woodfin (@hkdallas) December 11, 2017 No terrorist organisation has yet claimed the incident. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Aver Lex lawyer Vitaliy Serdiuk, who represents the interests of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, has brought an application to Kyiv's Obolonsky District Court on his return to the hearing of the high treason case. At a court session on Monday, he read out an application by Yanukovych, in which he asks for Serdiuk's participation in the interrogation of witnesses. "The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine registered a criminal proceeding on the basis of my application on committing a coup in February 2014. During the consideration of this criminal proceeding, the Obolonsky Court of the city of Kyiv determined the list of witnesses on the part of the prosecution, who must be summoned and questioned in court. Some of them are witnesses and suspects in the coup case. In order to ensure my participation and document the testimony of witnesses or potential suspects in the coup case, I attract and authorize the lawyers of the Aver Lex firm to provide me with legal assistance in full," reads Yanukovych's application dated December 8, 2017, which Serdiuk read out. The lawyer noted that the former president insisted on his participation in the interrogation of witnesses summoned to the court in the high treason case and asked the court to provide him with such an opportunity. After a short break the Obolonsky District Court continued the session. Serdiuk and his colleague, Ihor Fedorenko, are already taking part in the process. Yanukovych's public lawyer, Ihor Liashenko, also continues to participate in the process. Presiding Judge Vladyslav Deviatko said that even if there are other lawyers, the public lawyer must fulfill his duties until a respective decision is made by the center for the provision of free legal assistance. In July, Yanukovych withdrew private lawyers from the trial, in which he is accused of high treason. Public lawyers were appointed for him. Batkivshchyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko has drawn parallels between the arrest of the leader of the Movement of New Forces party and former Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, and her arrest, calling on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to release Saakashvili. "I understand that Mikheil Saakashvili was imprisoned not by the prosecutor general, not by the court, not by any other law enforcement agency. It was you who imprisoned him. Therefore, I appeal to you - immediately cancel all your orders. Do not dishonor Ukraine in the eyes of the whole world and your own people. Immediately release Saakashvili!" reads Tymoshenko's appeal to Poroshenko, which was posted on the website of the Batkivschyna Party on Saturday, December 9. She recalled that a similar story had already occurred: "Mr. President, you have lost your memory. You forgot that a situation similar to the arrest of Saakashvili had already occurred." According to Tymoshenko, in his fourth year as president, Poroshenko became simultaneously president, prosecutor, parliament, government, court and general producer of all television channels. "And now you are jailing your opponents - the way Yanukovych did it. Keep in mind how it all ended," the politician said. As reported, Saakashvili was detained late on Friday, December 8. He is charged under Part 2, Article 256 of the Criminal Code (assisting members of criminal organizations and concealing their criminal activity), which foresees from five to ten years of imprisonment. State police are asking for the publics help to find two convicts who allegedly left halfway houses without permission. The men are wanted for first-degree escapethe same statute that punishes people who break out of prison. Zachary Foster, 22, allegedly left his halfway house in September. Police described him as a black, about 130 lbs, and 5 feet 5 inches tall with brown eyes and black hair. Police did not say what had landed foster in a halfway house. A man with the same name and birth year pleaded guilty in 2016 to drug possession and in 2014 to carrying a dangerous weapon, according to court records. Trooper also repeated a request from last week for the publics help to find James Shea, 47, who allegedly left a halfway house in April. He is described as a white, 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing around 250 pounds. Shea is also wanted for outstanding larceny arrest warrants and failure to appear in court, police said. Anyone who thinks they may have any information about the escapees or their whereabouts can call the Connecticut State Police Troop A in Southbury at 203-267-2200. They can also text information to 274637. Police say that all calls and texts will be kept confidential. 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. Nuria Santamaria Wolfe says she grew up feeling like she was living in two worlds. Born in El Salvador, she moved to Los Angeles with her family at age 3. Her childhood home life was filled with Latino culture, and Spanish is her first language, but living in the U.S. immersed her in the American mainstream. She learned how to transition between the two worlds, she says, and proudly grew up with a bicultural identity. Even before graduating high school, Santamaria Wolfe knew that she wanted to pursue a career addressing the ways in which Hispanic people were underserved and underrepresented. She decided to study economics in college at Stanford and minored in Spanish, despite her fluency, to ready herself to use the language in a business context. Eventually, she worked her way up to Twitter, where she headed up multicultural strategy for the social platform, identifying the market opportunities associated with long underrepresented and growing demographics. I got to the point where I realized, sometimes brands understand the opportunity and dont act on it, Santamaria Wolfe says, or want to act on it but dont know how to act on it. Related: How Lyft Goes Beyond Picking Up Drunk People From Bars by Giving Patients Rides to the Doctor's Then, in 2015, she became a mother and saw a massive opportunity for more Latino culture in childrens media. She co-founded Encantos Media Studios with the goal of creating products to the bridge gaps between cultures. The first brand under the Encantos umbrella is Canticos, which publishes Latino nursery rhymes in books, sing-along videos and interactive app formats. We werent going to wait for Disney or another media company to do this, Santamaria Wolfe, who also serves as Encantos CEO, says. We were passionate about doing this not just because it was a business opportunity, but almost because of social good. We felt we had to do it -- for the culture, for the people. Santamaria Wolfe and her team have several goals for their self-funded media startup. They founded it as a public-benefit corporation and prioritize giving -- through in-kind donations, partnerships with charitable organizations, events, educational materials for kids and parenting resources. They also want their products to appeal to more than just Latino families. The long-term plan is to create content for a range of cultures. For instance, Canticos stories, Santamaria Wolfe explains, are meant to make Latinos feel proud to see their culture represented, and give non-Latino parents an opportunity to expose their kids to diverse and bilingual content. But the mass appeal the company had worked to cultivate would be much more powerful as a mass-market scale. Not to mention, financial growth would allow the public-benefit corporation to better fulfill its social mission. As partnership opportunities have arisen with big players such as Target, Nickelodeon and Burts Bees, Encantos has worked to deliver new products quickly by leveraging existing smaller partnerships and in-house talent, when possible. When we think about going from a small, family-owned startup to scaling and playing with the big guys, Santamaria Wolfe says, its about finding that balance of capitalizing on short-term opportunities while not sacrificing the long-term vision that we have. Heres how Encantos has stayed lean despite the demands of new distributors. The fix Target and Encantos began talks due to the retailers hunger for more bilingual childrens books. When Encantos first met with Target, it had four book titles out in market at the time. The problem was, they were not mass-market friendly and featured details such as a slip-cover and accordion-like expansion that made them more suited for boutique book stores. Encantos anticipated Target would want a smaller, pared-down version -- the existing one wouldnt fit on its shelves -- and brought a mock of a simpler version to the meeting. The companies worked together to retain the authenticity of the stories and the interactivity of the products that Encantos has prioritized from the day it was founded. Image Credit: Encantos Media Studios, PBC The challenge, however, was that Target wanted the new version of the books in a matter of three months, while Encantos had slated production for them a year out. Despite the magnitude of this deal, Encantos used its existing resources to handle it. The company called up its printer, a fellow startup, and explained the situation. The printer fast-tracked the process, and Encantos made Targets deadline. Related: Productive Partnerships: How a 'David' Can Partner With 'Goliath' This fall, Encantos has entered into another large partnership, with Nickelodeon. It had already been creating animated content for its own YouTube channel, which has more than 117,000 subscribers -- its singalong videos contain animated versions of the artwork in Canticos nursery rhyme books. Again, the company faced an aggressive timeline: The new content is slated to debut in spring 2018. We had to work on short-form, digital content that needed to live on Nickelodeons platform, Santamaria Wolfe says. We had to up the ante of the quality and quantity. And we were not set up to do that. In this case, Encantos made the decision to call upon new help for aspects such as storyboarding and post-production, hiring an animation studio. Its about understanding where your limitations are going to be, Santamaria Wolfe says of the decision, and when its time to bring in an additional partner. That said, Encantos relies heavily on its diversely talented in-house team. For example, the companys art director for Canticos books also designs the website and will soon work on additional consumer products Encantos and Nickelodeon has in the works, such as childrens bedding. Encantos CTO has a music background and consults on lyrics and translations, but the companys production work happens externally. You have to be self-aware, as an organization, Santamaria Wolfe says. Its great to wear all hats and be a jack-of-all-trades, but you have to know when its not going to be enough and fill those gaps in talent. She also notes that, when possible, companies seeking rapid growth should also look for jacks of all trades when hiring external talent as well, rather than seeking several one-off freelancers to build relationships with. The results Canticos books appeared on shelves of 400 Target stores in October 2017 after the three-month turnaround earlier this year. We remained working with a partner that we respected and appreciated, Santamaria Wolfe says of Encantos relationship with its printer, which has helped release six titles, four of which come in two book formats. Small companies work well with small companies. Encantos sells its books across the U.S. as well as in Europe, Asia and Latin America. It recently added Costco Puerto Rico as a distributor. Image Credit: Erica Rojas The company will grow its digital reach from to 2.6 million when it hits Nickelodeons platforms this spring. The studio that will have made this possible is based in Canada, and Santamaria Wolfe explains that this was a strategic move: Canada offers tax credits for animation work, which is saving Encantos money -- money that it can allocate to public-benefit efforts. I think weve been really smart about the way in which weve used our resources, financial and people wise, Santamaria Wolfe says. We try to move fast, but very thoughtfully, in the way that we do things, and its given us opportunities to start to give back very early on. Another take When trying to decide whether to complete a project internally or with external help, companies should ask themselves what the costs of each option are, says Amy Blitz, a lecturer at Babson College who has led organizational research at IBM, McKinsey and other institutions throughout her career. A company might decide it wants to do something in-house if it decides that type of project is core enough to its strategy going forward that it needs to develop those kinds of capabilities, Blitz says. Related: 9 Ways to Recruit the Best Talent for Your Startup She cites Apples move into retail in the early 2000s as an example. The tech giant determined it would be beneficial to operate its own stores, rather than leave the sales of its products to third parties such as Best Buy. Similarly, Netflix and Amazon have been producing their own TV content, as well as streaming licensed works. Companies should have insights into whether their direct competitors are building vs. buying certain aspects of their business, but know the same strategy may be right applicable for any number of reasons. A company that takes on a new project in-house may have to dial down efforts in another area. Because of this, Blitz says, its important that a company knows where it wants to focus -- and plan ahead. Other costs may involve managing the group that is completing the project, whether it's longstanding employees or a freelancer or agency. Although outsourcing allows more flexibility for companies that dont need certain capabilities on a constant or regular basis, the tradeoff is building rapport and trust. Terms of a partnership such as each partys ownership and responsibilities inevitably come into play. Blitz shares an anecdote of a pair of partners that built a technology solution to keep sensitive information such as intellectual property private. Other organizations may agree upon regular check-ins or surveys to make sure each is holding up its end of the deal, happy with the arrangement and seeking ways to improve it. Another idea is to have internal and external teams report to the same person to force the two groups to see each other as collaborators, rather than competitors, Blitz explains Partnerships of any size have a bearing on a companys branding and its employees, customers and suppliers perceptions of its values, and opening the wrong door can cause others to close. Companies should ask, Who are we? What do we do? How do we do it -- at a profit? Blitz says. And, what dont we do? Related video: Filmmaker Ken Burns Explains How to Build a Team You'd Trust in Battle Related: Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com Ukrainian businessman Serhiy Kurchenko, who is hiding in the Russian Federation, has sued President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. As reported in the Unified State Register of Court Rulings, the lawsuit was registered on October 4 this year under No. 2-4203/17, the essence of the dispute is: "On the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation." LLC TV and Radio Company Studio 1 + 1 is indicted as the third party in the case. According to the register, the case is being examined by Kyiv's Pechersky district court, Viacheslav Podpalov is the judge. A decision was taken on December 2 to set on April 4, 2018, as the day of the trial. As reported, on May 30, 2017, the prosecutor's office in Odesa region sent Kurchenko a notice of suspicion of creating a criminal group and money laundering. The charge against Kurchenko concerns criminal possession of property of state and private organizations (the National Bank of Ukraine, PJSC Ukrnafta, Ukrgazvydobuvannya, PJSC Real Bank, PJSC Brokbusinessbank, etc.) by abuse of powers of officials and official forgery of documents with further laundering of proceeds from crime. In early July, the Prosecutor General's Office reported that losses from the criminal group created by Kurchenko exceeded UAH 14 billion. Last week, Ukrainian Chief Prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko announced the disruption of the Russian Federal Security Service's "Russian Winter" plan in Kyiv, which also included rallies organized by the Movement of New Forces Party led by former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and allegedly financed by Kurchenko. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/ TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - Automotive Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: APR.UN) (the "REIT") today announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase the Mazda des Sources automotive dealership property in suburban Montreal, Quebec (the "Property") for a purchase price of approximately $8.0 million. The addition of the Property is expected to be accretive to the REIT's Adjusted Funds from Operations ("AFFO") on a per unit basis. The Property includes a newly-built 16,700 square-foot, full-service Mazda dealership facility located on approximately 1.7 acres at 2345 Place Transcanadienne (Trans-Canada Highway), a busy commercial area of Dorval, Quebec. Upon closing of the acquisition, Mazda des Sources, owned by the Dilawri Group, will be the operating tenant and will enter into a 19-year, triple-net lease with the REIT. The lease is indemnified by the Dilawri Group. "The addition of this newly constructed facility will further enhance the REIT's portfolio," said Milton Lamb, President and CEO of Automotive Properties REIT. "We continue to execute on opportunities to strengthen the REIT's major market and brand diversification. This represents our fourth property acquisition in the greater Montreal area, further expanding our presence in Canada's second largest urban market." The REIT intends to satisfy the purchase price through draws on its existing credit facilities. The REIT has completed its diligence in connection with this acquisition and closing is expected to occur prior to 2017 year-end, subject to customary closing conditions. About Automotive Properties REIT Automotive Properties REIT is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust focused on owning and acquiring primarily income-producing automotive dealership properties located in Canada. Currently, the REIT's portfolio consists of 38 income producing commercial properties representing approximately 1.4 million square feet of gross leasable area in metropolitan markets across Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec. Automotive Properties REIT is the only public vehicle in Canada focused on consolidating automotive dealership real estate properties. For more information, please visit: www.automotivepropertiesreit.ca. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the REIT's current expectations regarding future events and in some cases can be identified by such terms as "will", "anticipates" and "expected". Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the REIT's control that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risks and Uncertainties" in the REIT's management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") most recently filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and in the REIT's current annual information form which is also available on SEDAR. The REIT does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. This forward-looking information speaks as of the date of this news release. Non-IFRS Financial Measure This news release contains a financial measure which is not defined under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other real estate investment trusts or enterprises. AFFO is a key measure of earnings performance used by real estate businesses. This measure is not defined by IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and therefore should not be construed as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operating activities calculated in accordance with IFRS. The REIT believes that AFFO is an important measure of economic earnings performance and is indicative of the REIT's ability to pay distributions from earnings. The IFRS measurement most directly comparable to AFFO is net income. Please refer to the REIT's MD&A for further discussion of this non-IFRS financial measure. SOURCE Automotive Properties Real Estate Investment Trust For further information: Bruce Wigle, Investor Relations, Bay Street Communications, Tel: 647-496-7856; Milton Lamb, President & CEO, Automotive Properties REIT, Tel: 647-789-2445; Andrew Kalra, CFO & Corporate Secretary, Automotive Properties REIT, 647-789-2446 Related Links www.automotivepropertiesreit.ca "This is a harrowing tale but required learning on our journey towards reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous Peoples," says Ellen Curtis, Director of Can Geo Education. "Our Google Earth Voyager residential school story provides a much needed primer for elementary and secondary school students. " Told through a geographic lens, the Google Earth Voyager residential school story shows students where each school is located on a map of Canada, and often providing an overhead view of the school itself. The story explains why the schools were built, what attending a residential school was like for Indigenous children, the effects of the system on students, and how residential school survivors are working to move forward. The poignant testimonials of residential school survivors, providing detailed accounts of their abuse inside this educational system, will have an indelible impact on readers. These honest accounts of childhood loss and abuse will hopefully help students to break down any learned prejudices and build understanding that will aid in the reconciliation process. "The Google Earth's Voyageur residential school story is an extremely important tool that encourages discussion in a way that compliments the learning styles of today's students," says Ry Moran, Director of the NCTR. "This is exactly what we need for a tough topic like the residential school story, if reconciliation is to begin." This tale about Canada's residential schools is the latest installment in Google Earth's Voyager series. Google has been working with prestigious partners, such as NASA, BBC, and now, Can Geo Education, to bring storytelling functionality to its popular Google Earth mapping service. Over the past four years, Google has also supported the refresh materials to ensure they dovetail with current trends in geography teaching. Just this past summer, Google worked with Can Geo Education to provide professional development training for teachers on the use of popular geographic tools, such as Google Maps, Google Street View and Google Expeditions. Working with Google is just one of the ways Can Geo Education is helping to develop 21st century geographic skills among Canadians to maintain our nation's reputation as a geography powerhouse. SOURCE Royal Canadian Geographical Society For further information: Media information: Deborah Chapman, Communications Manager, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, O (613) 613-745-4629 ext. 160, C (613) 299-8995, Email: [email protected] SAO PAULO, Dec. 11, 2017 /CNW/ -- Created in the online universe in 2000 and expanding to brick-and-mortar retail where customers participate in a single program whenever they make purchases at various establishments, earning the same type of points. Founded by Brazilian businessman Roberto Chade, Dotz formed an international partnership with Loyalty One, the manager of the world's largest coalition loyalty program, Air Miles. As a result of this partnership, since 2009 Loyalty One has held a 37% stake in Dotz, with the Chade family owning the remaining 63%. Seeking to boost earnings and expand the profitability to partnering retailers, at the same time that it allows consumers to use their daily purchases to get more out of life, increasing the purchasing power of Brazilians, Dotz is the fastest growing coalition loyalty program in the country. Dotz currently has more than 23 million clients, more than 300 partners, 8,200 brick-and-mortar partner establishments, physical presence in 690 cities across 12 states, and more than 160 online partners that allow people from all over Brazil to take part in the loyalty program. With this array of partners, customers earn Dotz in their daily purchases and then redeem them for products, plane tickets, supermarket vouchers, or pay their water, electric, or phone bills, and much more. Dotz can be redeemed for more than 50,000 products and experiences. The company registers an average of 900 Dotz distributed every second, and close to 10,000 redemptions every day. Among Dotz's main partners are major brands familiar to every Brazilian, such as Banco do Brasil, Banco Santander, Vivo, Polishop, Ri Happy, the Super Nosso, Big Box, Angeloni, Paulistao, and Prezunic supermarkets, Posto Ale, Atlantica Hotels, Walmart.com, Americanas.com, and Submarino.com. If Dotz were classified as a retailer, considering the unified revenue at the company's 17 partner food retailers, Dotz could be said to be the 4th-largest supermarket group in Brazil. The new Dotz challenge In spite of Brazil's currently tumultuous economic situation, Dotz has set itself the challenge of doubling in size in three years, reaching revenue of R$1 billion. To do this, the company is relying on the following pillars of growth: - Entering new locations: with a physical presence in major Brazilian cities, Dotz now plans to set up shop in strategic cities such as Sao Paulo, Salvador, and Porto Alegre. - New businesses: the company's new fronts of action will be along the markets of Coalition Incentive Campaigns, Utilities with the distribution of Dotz to clients of electric companies such as Elektro , and entry into the Insurance business, where the company will distribute Dotz to holders of insurance plans. - Growing its client base: with more than 23 million clients, Dotz continues to report constant growth in the markets where it has already consolidated its presence, and has forecasts to capture new clients as part of its expansion plan. - Expansion in consolidated markets: in states where Dotz has a strong presence in the capital cities, the company now plans to expand its activities into cities in the interior of those states. - New partners: both in e-commerce and at brick-and-mortar retailers, Dotz is constantly working to capture new partners, and its results have attracted the interest of major Brazilian retailers, who see in the coalition program an opportunity to create even more customer loyalty. - Partnerships with industry: the food and beverage industry has increasingly relied on the program by providing Dotz Extras to customers, making it so that products sold in partner supermarkets offer more benefits to consumers, who end up earning more Dotz in their daily purchases. Contact: 55 11 3736-9585 or 55 11 3736-9581- Natalia SOURCE Dotz /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S./ CALGARY, Dec. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB) (NYSE:ENB) (Enbridge or the Company) today announced that it has closed its previously announced public offering (the Offering) of Cumulative Redeemable Minimum Rate Reset Preference Shares, Series 19 (the Series 19 Preferred Shares) through a syndicate of underwriters led by Scotiabank, BMO Capital Markets, CIBC Capital Markets and National Bank Financial. Enbridge issued 20 million Series 19 Preferred Shares, inclusive of 4 million Series 19 Preferred Shares issued on full exercise of the underwriters' option, for gross proceeds of $500 million. The Series 19 Preferred Shares will begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) today under the symbol ENB.PF.K. Proceeds from the Offering are expected to be used to partially fund capital projects, to reduce existing indebtedness and for other general corporate purposes of the Company and its affiliates. Enbridge Inc. (CNW Group/Enbridge Inc.) This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the preferred shares in any jurisdiction. The preferred shares offered have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Forward Looking Statements Certain information provided in this news release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking information, or forward-looking statements, contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the expected use of proceeds of the Offering and the date on which the Series 19 Preferred Shares will begin trading on the TSX. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast" and similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Although the Company believes that these statements are based on information which is current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Material assumptions, risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following: regulatory approvals not being obtained in the manner or timing anticipated, the state of domestic capital markets, changes in general market conditions and other factors more fully described from time to time in the reports and filings made by the Company with Canadian and United States securities regulators. Due to the interdependencies and correlation of these macroeconomic factors, the impact of any one assumption on a forward-looking statement cannot be determined with certainty. Except to the extent required by applicable law, Enbridge assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made in this news release or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Enbridge or persons acting on the Company's behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. ABOUT ENBRIDGE INC. Enbridge Inc. is North America's premier energy infrastructure company with strategic business platforms that include an extensive network of crude oil, liquids and natural gas pipelines, regulated natural gas distribution utilities and renewable power generation. The Company safely delivers an average of 2.8 million barrels of crude oil each day through its Mainline and Express Pipeline; accounts for approximately 65% of U.S.-bound Canadian crude oil exports; and moves approximately 20% of all natural gas consumed in the U.S., serving key supply basins and demand markets. The Company's regulated utilities serve approximately 3.6 million retail customers in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. Enbridge also has interests in more than 2,500 MW of net renewable generating capacity in North America and Europe. The Company has ranked on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations index for the past eight years; its common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. SOURCE Enbridge Inc. For further information: Enbridge Inc. - Media, Suzanne Wilton, (403) 231-7385 or Toll Free: (888) 992-0997, Email: [email protected]; Enbridge Inc. - Investment Community, Jonathan Gould, (403) 231-3916 or Toll Free: (800) 481-2804, Email: [email protected] Related Links http://www.enbridge.com VANCOUVER, Dec. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX, NYSE American: TMQ) ("Trilogy Metals" or "the Company") announces the appointment of Mr. William ("Willie") Iggiagruk Hensley to the Company's Board of Directors. Willie Hensley was born in Kotzebue, Alaska, attended the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and graduated with a degree in Political Science from George Washington University in Washington, DC. Mr. Hensley significantly contributed to the settlement of Alaska's Native claims with the United States federal government. While attending graduate school in Fairbanks, Willie wrote a seminal research paper for Judge Jay Rabinowitz titled "Alaska Native Land Claims: The Primary Issue", which outlined the historical land rights of Alaska Natives, arguing for a just settlement of the issue. His research paper led to Native self-organization and the establishment of the Northwest Alaska Native Association in 1966 a precursor to Maniilaq Association, a non-profit organization which advocates for all Native issues, including health, housing, and political rights. President Richard Nixon signed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act ("ANCSA") in December 1971 providing for the creation of 12 Alaska Native Regional Corporations which were capitalized with close to $1 billion and peacefully transferred about 44 million acres of land to Alaska Natives through their corporate entities. NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. ("NANA") was created as a result of ANCSA and received title to 2.28 million acres of lands in the Northwest Alaska region now organized into the Northwest Arctic Borough. NANA is a for-profit US corporation with a mission to provide economic opportunities for its more than 14,000 Inupiat shareholders as well as to protect and enhance NANA lands. Mr. Hensley was elected to the House of Representatives after graduation and then served four full terms as Senator and two further terms through an appointment by Governor Steve Cowper. Willie Hensley was a founder of NANA, served for 20 years as a director, became the head of NANA Development Corporation and finally President of NANA Regional Corporation. He was a founder of the Alaska Federation of Natives and served as director, executive director, president and co-chair. Mr. Hensley is currently serving as chair of the First Alaskans Institute and is the Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of Business and Public Policy at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. "We are honored and privileged to have Mr. Hensley serve on the Company's Board of Directors. His experience and insights will be invaluable to the Company as we advance our projects in the Ambler mining district," said Gerry McConnell, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "Willie Hensley was a founding member of NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., and has been a pivotal figure in Alaska," said Wayne Westlake, NANA President and CEO. "He led the movement that solidified Indigenous inclusion in projects on Alaska-Native owned lands, which has defined NANA's model for responsible resource development. Willie will be an invaluable addition to the Trilogy board." About Trilogy Metals Trilogy Metals Inc. is a metals exploration company focused on exploring and developing the Ambler mining district located in northwestern Alaska. It is one of the richest and most-prospective known copper-dominant districts located in one of the safest geopolitical jurisdictions in the world. It hosts world-class polymetallic VMS deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver, and carbonate replacement deposits which have been found to host high grade copper mineralization. Exploration efforts have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler mining district - the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement deposit. Both deposits are located within the Company's land package that spans approximately 143,000 hectares. The Company has an agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., a Regional Alaska Native Corporation that provides a framework for the exploration and potential development of the Ambler mining district in cooperation with local communities. Our vision is to develop the Ambler mining district into a premier North American copper producer. SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc. For further information: Company Contacts: Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, President & Chief Executive Officer; Elaine Sanders, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer; [email protected], 604-638-8088 or 1-855-638-8088 Related Links www.trilogymetals.com ChickAdvisor survey uncovers Canadians' favourite gifts this year, and they aren't what you would expect TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - Today ChickAdvisor Canada's leading reviews and ratings platform announced the results of a survey it conducted to help Canadians find the most desired gifts this year, all hand-picked by real consumers. The survey which was answered by over 5,000 community members asked a variety of questions about the top brands to give and receive this year, brand loyalty during the holidays, and a series of would-you-rather gift options. The key categories covered ranged from top toys, drugstore cosmetics, prestige beauty, and even automotive gifts -- in case someone made the really nice list this year. "Canadians are still likely to buy from brands they know and trust, but increasingly, they are buying products based on reviews and ratings rather than relying solely on their own experiences with a brand or product," said Ali de Bold, co-founder of ChickAdvisor. "In fact, only 56 per cent of surveyed shoppers consider brand loyalty during the holidays. To us, that indicates a key opportunity for companies to make a mark and capture new consumers this season; we're talking about a $13 billion industry in Canada. People are looking to get and give something different from their regular products." These shopping trends were reflected throughout the survey results. While small mom-and-pop shops have gained popularity, big brands still ranked at the top of people's lists. For example, CoverGirl, Maybelline and L'Oreal Paris ranked the most popular drugstore beauty brands, while MAC Cosmetics led the pack for luxury cosmetics. When it came to personal care, Johnson & Johnson (the parent company of Aveeno and Neutrogena) ranked first, followed by L'Oreal Paris (Garnier and Vichy) and Unilever (Dove, St. Ives, Simple). "What really interested us was the technology results," continued de Bold. "With everyone talking about Apple all the time -- especially with the buzz around the iPhone 8 and X this year -- we expected it to be the top-tech brand. However, it was edged out by Samsung and followed by Sony, LG Electronics, and Google." In addition to brand-related questions, the survey also presented a handful of fun "would you rather" options to uncover Canadians' real desires this year: 65 per cent of consumers would rather have their debt paid off than receive an all-expenses paid trip would rather have their debt paid off than receive an all-expenses paid trip 64 per cent of consumers would rather be given a personal assistant over an unlimited Uber account would rather be given a personal assistant over an unlimited Uber account 89 per cent of consumers would rather have free groceries for a year than be given a personal in-house chef "While some of these gifts are hard to give, it's important to note the changing consumer appetite," said Alex de Bold, co-founder of ChickAdvisor. "More than 55 per cent of people surveyed said they'd prefer to give experiences over physical gifts. It makes it increasingly difficult for companies to stand-out in the saturated holiday market. Brands need consumers advocating on their behalf." That said, while Canadians are more exploratory during the holidays, ChickAdvisor is well-aware that a whopping 84.5 per cent actively read reviews as part of their purchasing journey before buying a product. More importantly, 73 per cent people will complete a purchase if the product has positive and authentic reviews. "Reviews are more important than ever, to both brands and consumers," added Mr. de Bold. "Consumers need to read about products, understand what others are saying about them, and make educated purchasing decisions. Regardless of the stats, this is the best way to ensure you're buying a quality product that you know your loved ones will enjoy." To read reviews and ratings from over 156,000 Canadian consumers or to find the full survey results, please visit ChickAdvisor.com. About ChickAdvisor: ChickAdvisor is the first ratings and reviews platform in Canada, designed specifically for female consumers. Founded in 2006 by wife and husband duo Ali and Alex de Bold, ChickAdvisor has over 800,000+ authentic reviews on the platform and has worked with tier A brands including Unilever, and Aveeno, NIVEA. ChickAdvisor's sister sites, XYStuff and FamilyRated, are Canada's premier platforms for male and family-focused product reviews, respectively. SOURCE ChickAdvisor For further information: Media Contact: Madeleine Stoesser, RNMKR, [email protected], 647-624-4904 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Commuters heading into New York City Tuesday morning on Metro-North trains can expect to see more security in light of the Monday morning bombing beneath Times Square including police and military with high-powered weaponry but they should expect to get there on time. Metro-North officials said no delays are expected. A day after a pipe bomb exploded in a crowded subway corridor, sending rattled rush-hour travelers fleeing into the streets, Connecticut commuters will board Metro-North trains into the city as they do most days without giving it a second thought. Unfortunately, its part of life nowadays, said Kenneth Martin, who boarded a Manhattan-bound train Monday at the central Greenwich station shortly after the 7:20 a.m. explosion, which officials are calling a terror attack. We need to be diligent and exercise caution. But at the same time, people around here arent going to change how they act, how they think or how they do things. Travelers at the busy South Norwalk station watched TV news reports about the attack while they waited for their trains, which were running on time into Grand Central Terminal even as two of New Yorks busiest subway stations just blocks away were being evacuated. Its very concerning, but unfortunately this is the world we live in, said Norwalk resident Karen Halloran, who was heading to the city to meet friends. Im still going today. I think security will be tight and I do feel safe. Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group and Hearst Connecticut Media transportation columnist, said it was unlikely Metro-North trains would have been delayed by the explosion. This is like the new normal of our era, he said. We really just have to continue doing what were doing. Its really nothing within our control beyond the constant admonition, If you see something, say something. Commuters are increasingly good at doing that. Authorities identified a suspect in the attack, 27-year-old Brooklyn man Akayed Ullah, who they say was inspired by the Islamic State, but had no direct ties with the terrorist group. The former cab driver and Bangladeshi immigrant, who police say strapped the bomb to his body, was one of four injured in the explosion and was being treated at a New York hospital for burns to his hands and abdomen. Investigators said Monday it was not clear if he set the bomb off intentionally or prematurely. The three others were only slightly wounded. The explosion, which occurred in an underground passageway at 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, triggered a massive emergency response by police and firefighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. Though security was heightened around 42nd Street and at Grand Central Terminal, with delays on subway lines and closures on major roads, commuters at Metro-North stations in Fairfield County seemed undeterred. I thought it would be hectic, but its not that bad. Were going in the opposite direction (of the explosion) once we get there, said Joe Rios, 39, who was heading from the Stamford Transportation Center to his job at the Plaza Hotel on 57th Street. The Stamford man helps manage the hotels annual meet-and-greet with Santa. Ive gotta get into the city, he said. Cant keep Santa waiting. He was about to board the 10:05 a.m. express train with co-worker and fellow Stamford resident Carmary Barrera, 25, who was also determined to get to work. Manhattan is such a big place, the odds are slim to none it would have happened where were going, she said. Pamela Ostertag, 50, a teacher from Darien, was at the Stamford station with her daughter, Madeleine, 18, who was waiting on a delayed Amtrak train to Washington D.C. to get back to Georgetown University. Its 15 minutes delayed, and were wondering if its because of this, Ostertag said. When this first started, you would avoid places, but what can you do? At the Danbury station, Raffy DeRas, a sophomore at Western Connecticut State University, said the bombing just adds to the anxiety many now feel about traveling. Its sad, but thats the way it is these days, he said. You cant just go outside anymore. You have to always look around and be aware of your surroundings. You just never know when something is going to happen. Unfortunately, thats become todays reality. The Associated Press and staff writers Leslie Lake, Dirk Perrefort, Rob Marchant and Cedar Attanasio contributed to this report. BRANFORD Police continue to investigate a Sunday afternoon fatal motor vehicle accident, according to a police spokesman. Gerald Peterson, 54, of Hopson Avenue, Branford, was operating a full-sized pick-up truck and traveling southbound on South Montowese Street when the vehicle veered off the right side of the roadway and hit a large tree, Capt. Geoffrey Morgan said in a press release. Emergency personnel transported Peterson to an area medical facility, where he was later pronounced deceased, the release said. The accident happened at about 4:15 p.m. We know that witnesses, neighbors and other motorist stopped to render aid and assist Mr. Peterson prior to emergency personnel arriving and we are looking to speak those citizens by calling 203-481-4241, said Officer Christopher Romanello in a statement. South Montowese Street was closed in the area for about four hours as Branford police in conjunction with the South Central Connecticut Traffic Unit conducted their investigation, the press release stated. National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy is holding talks with Italy's Snam on partnership in managing the Ukrainian gas transport system (GTS), Naftogaz Chief Commercial Director Yuriy Vitrenko has said on Priamy TV channel. "We are holding talks with Snam. This is an Italian gas transport operator. The approach is simple. If Snam, the Italian company, which earlier was a subsidiary of ENI if they become partners in managing the GTS, then ENI will trust the Ukrainian GTS and there will be more chances that they would buy gas on the Russian-Ukrainian border," he said. Vitrenko said that managers of Naftogaz believe that the attraction of an international partner to the management of the Ukrainian GTS has no alternatives. As reported, early April 2017, Naftogaz, Ukrtransgaz, Snam and Eustream (Slovakia) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at jointly evaluating opportunities for collaboration in the operation and enhancement of the GTS in Ukraine. HAMDEN A private day school announced the departure of its director of college counseling office and its new replacement. Hamden Hall Country Day School announced that after more than three decades in the schools college counseling office, administrator Fred Richter will forgo his full-time status as director of the department, opting instead for a two-year part-time post. Richter will be replaced by math department co-chair Kiki Carlson, who has taught upper-level math courses at the school for 11 years, with her officially transitioning to her new role July 1, 2018, a news release said. I'm very grateful to Bob Izzo, who has given me his full support over the last decade and more, for allowing me to retire gradually. I'm happily looking forward to having time for other interests I value, and equally happy that I'll be able to assist with the transition, said Richter in a statement. Richter has been a faculty member since 1981. Richter transitioned to the college counseling office in 1988 and will now work with Carlson to familiarize her with her new post, the release stated. I'm delighted that Kiki Carlson has agreed to become Hamden Halls next Director of College Counseling. A brilliant educator and a superb writer, Kiki will make friends and influence important people in colleges and universities near and far from the outset. I can't imagine a better candidate for this position, he said in the release. According to the release, for Carlson, working with juniors and seniors is already a staple of her school day as is writing college recommendations. Coming from the Math Department, but more importantly, the faculty, grants me insight into the students' Hamden Hall experience. I am well acquainted with the challenging curriculum and the myriad of extracurriculars that each student takes on, and I continue to be impressed with their achievements, said Carslon in a statement. She said she hopes to continue in the classroom with at least one class in order to maintain my connection with the students. That connection will be key, she says, to helping students navigate the college selection process, which can be onerous for families, the release said. One of the biggest challenges is that there are more and more students vying for the same number of spots at each selective college. Fortunately, Hamden Hall students are exceptionally well-prepared academically, and they all have choices. I look forward to working closely with students, from researching a broad list of schools to narrowing down what they are looking for to writing applications that reflect their passions and strengths to ultimately selecting a school at which they can thrive, said Carlson in the release. Prior to coming to Hamden Hall in 2006, Carlson taught math at St. Georges School in Newport, Rhode Island. She is a graduate of The Spence School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Dartmouth College and a Masters of Arts in mathematics education from Teachers College Columbia University, according to the press release. Izzo, the Head of School, reflected on Richters longevity at Hamden Hall. Freds decision to reduce his work load, but still be available to us on a part-time basis for the next couple of years is just one example of his commitment to the school. Well into his fourth decade at Hamden Hall, Freds contributions to this institution cannot be overstated - he is a Hamden Hall legend, he said in the press release. Moreover, Izzo noted in the release that Hamden Hall students have truly benefited over the years from having three enormously talented college counselors in Richter, Tom Iampietro and Sue Toole. The addition of Kiki to the college office staff will make an already strong college office team even stronger. She is a terrific teacher, possesses outstanding organizational and written communication skills, and is highly respected by both her colleagues and students, Izzo said in the release. NEW HAVEN A city heroin dealer was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Efrain Rolon-Dones, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a heroin-trafficking ring, John H. Durham, U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, said in a release. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NUMAZU, Shizuoka, Japan - Suruga Bay, off Shizuoka Prefecture, is a treasure trove of deep-sea fish. The Heda district in the city of Numazu in the prefecture lies on the coast about an hour's drive from the city center. A large volume of the local catch of deep-sea fish is landed in the district, and the bay's rich bounty can be found served at many restaurants in the area. In late September, Toshiyuki Nakajima, the owner of seafood restaurant Marukichi Shokudo, showed off some of the fresh fish he had bought that day, including two seasonal varieties - Japanese grenadier, also known as toujin, and a type of beardfish called arame ginme. The restaurant gets its seafood directly from local fisherman. The owner served me a plate of sashimi featuring two kinds of deep-sea fish priced at 2,000 yen, plus tax. Japanese grenadier is called "gehou" by local residents. The species is found at depths between 300 meters and 1,000 meters and is characterized by its oddly shaped head and sharp pointed nose. Though the appearance of the fish is slightly strange, the taste of its white flesh was far from peculiar. The contrast of its almost grotesque appearance and the fresh flavor of the sashimi, somehow made the dish even more delicious. Arame ginme is a deep-sea fish species that has become popular in recent years. It is another fish that does not look particularly appetizing, but eaten as sashimi it tasted surprisingly sweet. I imagined it would go quite well with sake. "Ginme contains glycine, which creates the sweet flavor," Toshiyuki Nakajima said. He studied fisheries science at university, and now also serves as the leader of a local project to revitalize the Heda district community by taking advantage of the deep-sea fish caught in the region. Hearing him share his knowledge about the region's fish made me appreciate the meal even more. A deep-sea fish species that some consider a symbol of the Heda district is spider crab, of which the largest have a legspan of three meters. In the district, many restaurants serve fresh spider crabs that they keep alive in tanks. Noichi Shokudo, a restaurant that offers a wide variety of crab dishes, always keeps around 40 to 50 of the creatures in water kept at 12 C. Its menu includes a dish that features a whole spider crab (10,000 yen to 20,000 yen, tax excluded), a set meal (5,250 yen), gratin (1,000 yen) and kaisen-don seafood rice bowl (1,900 yen). "Because our crabs are not frozen, their meat tastes extremely fresh," Noichi Shokudo owner Inakazu Nakajima said. In the Heda district, residents draw faces on empty crab shells and use them as masks to drive away evil spirits as part of a local tradition. During my trip I felt the deep connection that exists between the lives of the locals and the delicious deep-sea creatures from Suruga Bay. According to the Heda tourist association, there are seven restaurants, 17 minshuku guest houses and 10 ryokan inns which serve local seafood from the district. Heda toro hanpen fish cake is a regional specialty. Local cuisine features fish such as Japanese barramundi ("mehikari" in Japanese, locally called "torobotchi") and deep sea smelt ("nigisu" in Japanese, locally called "megisu"). It is a tradition in the district that store and restaurant owners raise "nobori" banner flags at the entrances on days when seasonal fish catches are brought in. An official of the tourist association said: "Local chefs use different ingredients to make the region's specialty dishes. It is interesting to enjoy the variety of options at each of the establishments." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Quinnipiac University president John L. Lahey was the top-earning executive among private colleges in Connecticut, earning $1.46 million in total pay, according to The Chronicle of Higher Educations Private College Executive Compensation Study released Sunday. The earnings place Lahey 24th on the list of highest-paid college executives in the country among private colleges. Laheys base pay of $1.06 million was further supplemented by $17,672 in nontaxable pay and $377,496 in other pay, according to the study. Laheys base pay is the ninth highest among private college presidents. Lahey said this spring he will retire in June 2018. Quinnipiac vice president for public affairs Lynn Bushnell in a statement said the university adheres to standards of corporate governance in establishing executive compensation for all senior-level officers. Compensation levels are set by the personnel committee of the Board of Trustees and are determined after reviewing compensation levels at comparable institutions, Bushnell said in the statement. An independent compensation firm validates the list of appropriate peer institutions. The personnel committee sets salaries with an eye to attracting and retaining highly qualified and highly motivated executives, based on an annual review of agreed upon goals. Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch topped the list with a total pay of $4 million. The Chronicle reported Hatchs salary was boosted by a $2.89 million deferred-compensation arrangement accrued over 10 years paid out in 2015. The study was based on data from the 2015 calendar year and found the average pay for private college presidents who served a full year in 2015 was $569,932, according to a release from The Chronicle. The average was a 9 percent increase from 2014. In New Haven, Yale President Peter Salovey earned $1.16 million in total pay during the 2015 calendar year. Saloveys compensation included $948,084 in base pay, $53,741 in nontaxable pay and $155,663 in other pay. The total pay amount is an increase from the $977,219 he made in 2014. A spokesman for Yale University was not immediately available for comment. Salovey and Lahy were among a group of 58 presidents earning more than $1 million in 2015. The number of presidents earning over $1 million is unusually high in 2015. We attribute that, in part, to a market where presidents are negotiating more deferred compensation and bonus packages before they take the job, database reported Dan Bauman said in The Chronicles release. Saloveys pay placed him fourth among his peers at other Ivy League schools including Lee C. Bollinger at Columbia ($2.5 million) and Drew Gilpin Faust at Harvard ($1.6 million). University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutman ($3.1 million) was the top-earning Ivy League school president. On the public side, University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst made $852,773 in total pay during the 2015-16 school year, good enough to place her 13 among 254 chief executives in public schools, according to the study. Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents President made $413,487 in total pay during the same time span. Elsewhere in the state, Trinity College President Joanne E. Berger-Sweeney made $524,945 in total pay, while University of New Haven President Steven H. Kaplan made $581,312. Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth made $871,182 and University of Hartford President Walter Harrison made $588,390 in total pay. According to The Chronicles release, their study is based on latest available Form 990 tax filings of the 500 private and nonprofit colleges with the largest endowments. Their study included data from 568 presidents serving at 500 institutions during the 2015 calender year. Russia's Krasnodar regional court on Dec 19 will hear arguments for pretrial confinement of Ukrainian citizen Pavlo Hryb, who is currently held in Krasnodar region, his father Ihor has said. "On December 19, 2017 there will be a court hearing about Pavlo's confinement," Ihor Hryb said on his Facebook page on Monday. He added that representatives of European Union countries are expected to attend the hearing. As earlier reported, Ex-Ukrainian State Border Guard Service official Ihor Hryb said on August 28 that Russian special services had abducted his 19-year-old son Pavlo during a visit to Gomel, Belarus, where he went on August 24 to meet a girl whom he had met and talked to only on social-networking sites. It was agreed that Pavlo would return the same day. After he failed to return the next day, Ihor Hryb travelled to Gomel to look for him. He said that in Belarus he had learned that Pavlo was on a Russian list of wanted persons in connection with a terrorist attack, and that a search had been initiated by the Russian Federal Security Service's Directorate for the Krasnodar region in Sochi. It was reported on September 7 that Hryb was in a detention facility in Krasnodar, Russia. On September 15, Pavlo Hryb's sister Olha Hryb said her brother was transferred from jail to hospital. According to her, neither Ukrainian consuls, nor Ukrainian doctors were allowed to visit the detainee. Ukrainian doctors arrived in Russia on October 12 to examine Hryb, who is being held in a pretrial detention center in Krasnodar and does not receive the necessary medical care, but the Russian side didn't allow them to examine the Ukrainian. On October 18, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar (Russia) extended detention term for Ukrainian Pavlo Hryb until January 4, 2018. A hearing on Hryb's detention had been scheduled for December 24, 2017. Full disclosure in the administration of crude sales remains an issue at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) despite current efforts at enthroning transparency in the conduct of government business.An account reconciliation activity for crude oil transactions found gaps in the corporations reporting and remittances to the Federation Account for the month of October 2017.State governments had boycotted the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting on November 23, accusing the NNPC of cutting corners in reporting and remitting of receipts from oil in the period under review. The states insisted on thorough collation and reconciliation through representatives agreed upon by all the parties.The ensuing investigation and reconciliation uncovered the sum of N58.369 billion in unremitted funds and forced the state-owned company to issue fresh payment mandates to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to fund the Federation Account as well as the joint venture production (JVP) Account by the same amount.The Guardian learnt that N30 billion of the N58.369 billion meant for remittance was allegedly withheld, as it could not be traced in the Federation Account.The Federation Account payment mandate directive to the CBN carries the value of N58.369 billion for the October 2017 crude oil receipts, while the payment mandate directive for the JVP cash call funding for October 2017 has a value of N29.985 billion.The October FAAC meeting finally held on Thursday, December 7, 2017, after the revenue figures were reconciled and the NNPC made full remittance into the Federation Account.This additional N30 billion revenue available for distribution to the three tiers of government in the following order: Federal Government, N13.749 billion; states, N6.973 billion; local councils, N5.376 billion and oil mineral producing states, N3.9 billion.According to Mr. Mahmoud Yunusa, who chairs a body of commissioners of finance from the 36 states and Abuja, the new trend (under-reporting of oil revenue by the NNPC) will force states to be actively involved in collation and preparation of NNPC revenue account to prevent a recurrence. Yunusa said the states would engage sit-in consultants who will liaise with the NNPC to collate and reconcile revenue figures on monthly basis.A similar incident had occurred during the administration of the late former president, Umaru Musa YarAduas which led to a forensic audit discovery of N450 billion in under-reporting and non-remittance to the Federation Account. It was agreed at the time that the repayment process, which was only concluded three months ago, should be made on an installment basis.But Mr. Ndu Ughmadu, the Group General Manager of Public Affairs Division (GGM PAD) at the NNPC, would neither confirm nor deny if there were non-remittances, since, according to him, it has to do with financials. He promised to cross- check the facts.The NNPC spokesman said he was not aware that that states boycotted the November 23 FAAC meeting. Instead, he explained that the meeting could not hold because there was a directive by the National Council of State for a reconciliation of the NNPC Account. The directive, he said, was given because there were some contestations from some stakeholders (the states).Ughamadu added: The FAAC was not boycotted. There were issues relating to the interpretation of data presented by the NNPC, and the National Council of State directed that all stakeholders should jointly look into the Account.I cannot comment on the claimed N30 billion additional remittances into the Federation Account because that has to do with financials and there is no way I can verify it right now because today is Sunday; I will have to find out. The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has presented the 2018 budget estimate before the House of Assembly. The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has presented the 2018 budget estimate before the House of Assembly. The projected budget size is One Trillion, Forty-six Billion, One Hundred and Twenty-one Million, One Hundred and Eighty-one Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty Naira (N1,046,121). The budget has a recurrent expenditure of N347bn and a capital expenditure of N699bn. The N1.046 trillion budget is N254 billion less than Cross Rivers 2018 budget. The south-south state estimated N1.3 trillion; the highest by any Nigerian state. The governor was still at the assembly complex in Alausa as of the time of filing this report. The budget is tagged budget of progress and development. Former Governor of the old Kaduna State, and National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party PRP, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa on Mond... Former Governor of the old Kaduna State, and National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party PRP, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa on Monday took a swipe on President Muhammadu Buhari. The former Governor also called out the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, saying that they rode to power on false and empty promises. Musa spoke at the 54th meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of PRP, where he noted that none of the promises made by Buhari and APC before coming to power in 2015 had been fulfilled. He said, As you are all aware, our nation today remains in a very sorry state despite all the lofty promises and flowery speeches made by the ruling government of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the inception of the Administration in 2015. The economy remains comatose, and in some sectors, particularly in industry and commerce, it is even getting worse. Monetary and fiscal management has continued to lack coherence and consistency, or even predictability and strategic planning. Unemployment, particularly amongst the youth, who constitute the bulk of our population, has assumed critical proportions and is now, for all practical purposes, a national emergency. Yet, this APC Administration, which rode to power on the back of false promises to this generation of hapless young men and women, seems to have no answers to this ticking time bomb beyond slogans such as N-Power. In fact, instead of creating jobs, the Administration is busy cutting existing ones in the name of rightsizing or downsizing. This government, both at the centre and in the States that it controls, has proved that it has little or nothing else to provide Nigerians other than further mass impoverishment, frustration and hardships. If we turn to the security front, the same sad picture confronts us. Perhaps, President Muhammadu Buharis greatest appeal for many in 2015 was the belief that he was capable of dealing a death blow to the insurgency, particularly as manifested by Boko Haram. In these almost three years that the APC has been in power, the reality has been otherwise. Yes, the Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa forest may have been wiped out, but the security menace that the group poses continues to manifest, with suicide bombs exploding almost on a weekly basis, particularly in the North Eastern parts of the country. But apart from the Boko Haram insurgency, others have emerged in different parts of the country. Recently, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) unleashed mayhem in the South East. Similarly, the militants in the Niger Delta are yet to sheath their swords. And even more ominous is the threat to public safety and the security of lives and property posed by the marauding gangs of cattle rustlers, killer herdsmen and armed kidnappers. We ask, where is the security promised Nigerians by this APC administration?. In so far as the political environment is concerned, again the story is a sad one. Lacking any internal cohesion within itself, the APC administration has only spawned and promoted institutional political decay in the country. In the name of an anti-corruption campaign, the government has been consistently assaulting due process and the rule of law. Court orders are flagrantly disobeyed by the very institutions that should enforce them. Borussia Dortmund v Atalanta Nice v Lokomotov Moscow Copenhagen v Atletico Madrid Spartak Moscow v Athletic Bilbao AEK Athens v Dynamo Kyiv Celtic v Zenit St Petersburg Napoli v RB Leipzig Red Star Belgrade v CSKA Moscow Lyon v Villarreal Real Sociedad v Salzburg Partizan Belgrade v Viktoria Plzen Steaua Bucharest v Lazio Ludogorets v Milan Astana v Sporting Ostersunds v Arsenal Marseille v Braga Celtic have been drawn against Zenit St Petersburg in the last 32 of the Europa League while Arsenal will face Swedish club Ostersunds.Celtic, who finished third in their Champions League group, will host the Russian club in the first leg on 15 February.Arsenal, who won their Europa League group and were one of the seeded teams, will travel to Sweden first.The second legs will be played on 22 February.Zenit, who beat Rangers in the 2008 final when the tournament was known as the Uefa Cup, are managed by former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini.Following a third-place finish last season, they are currently fourth in Russia's Premier League.Ostersunds are managed by an Englishman, former Southampton defender Graham Potter. They were promoted to Sweden's top flight for the first time in 2016.The Gunners have never lost a European match against Swedish opposition, winning three and drawing one.Meanwhile, 2010 winners Atletico Madrid will play FC Copenhagen, Napoli face RB Leipzig and German club Borussia Dortmund play Italian side Atalanta, who defeated Everton twice in the group stage.The final will take place at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais on 16 May. Former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has reacted to the emergence of Uche Secondus as PDP National Chairman. Former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has reacted to the emergence of Uche Secondus as PDP National Chairman. Fani while congratulating Secondus, praised Atiku on his speech at the convention. The ex-minister also noted that time has come for the All Progressives congress APC to be overthrown. Together, we shall change the change and burn the brooms in 2019. In his tweets, he wrote, Congrats to the newly-elected National Chairman of our great party the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, and to all our other newly-elected party officials. I also commend @atiku on his profound speech at the convention. Together we shall change the change and burn the brooms in 2019. Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, over the weekend raised a fresh alarm over Nigerias rate of population growth. Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, over the weekend raised a fresh alarm over Nigerias rate of population growth. According to him, if the rate was unchecked, the explosion in the nations population would impact negatively on the countrys economy and welfare.. To this end, Adewole called for the use of Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWS) to address the problems of shortage and misdistribution of manpower needed for the provision of access to family planning services in rural communities and other hard to reach areas. He made the call in Abuja while speaking on the topic: The Relevance of Operations Research in Family Planning Programming in Nigeria during the formal presentation of the report of a study by a non-governmental organisation, Marie Stopes Nigeria. The study assessed the provision of implant contraceptives by Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWS) The Minister, represented by the Director, Family Health Department in the ministry, Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi, said: We all know that we cannot continue with the rate at which our population is increasing. It is expedient for us to task-shift the delivery of family planning services in Nigeria to CHEWS. CHEWS are to be regarded as an important cadre of contraceptive implant providers readily available for the expansion of access to family planning services in Nigeria. The queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, persisted on Sunday in Abuja and some states despite the order by the Fede... The queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, persisted on Sunday in Abuja and some states despite the order by the Federal Government to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, to end the scarcity.The Federal Executive Council, at its meeting last Wednesday, directed the minister to ensure that the fuel scarcity being witnessed across the country did not extend beyond last Saturday.But right in front of the corporate headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Abuja were queues of motorists struggling to buy petrol from the two filling stations, Conoil and Total, facing the FMPR and the NNPC.Our correspondent also observed that many filling stations, particularly those operated by independent petroleum marketers, did not dispense petrol, while the few that sold the PMS had queues.After the FEC meeting on Wednesday presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the governments position on the fresh fuel scarcity known to journalists.He had said, The council gave him (Kachikwu) a matching order that this fuel scarcity should not last beyond this weekend and they are going to work very hard to ensure that it is curtailed. He (Kachikwu) assured the council that there was actually no cause for alarm.The NNPC on several occasions had stated that it had enough petroleum products to keep the country wet for the end-of-year movements and other uses.Kachikwu announced on Thursday that supply issues prompted the scarcity, but assured Nigerians that the matter would be resolved as soon as possible.Despite the many assurances from the ministry and the NNPC, the scarcity persisted on Saturday and Sunday in Abuja and neighbouring states as some petrol stations on the Abuja-Keffi road in Nasarawa State sold the PMS for as high as N200 per litre.However, officials at both the FMPR and the NNPC insisted that the two organisations were working hard to clear the queues.Meanwhile, two civil-society organisations, the Campaign for Democracy and the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, have called on the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the biting fuel scarcity.The CD President, Usman Abdul, said, The government needs to sit and address this problem holistically. What we are seeing as citizens of this country is beyond our imagination. The issue of this scarcity is the handiwork of a few elements in the system who want to benefit from our misery.Also, the CACOL Director, Debo Adeniran, said, This scarcity is more like a self-serving venture for some private marketers. It is unfair. If fuel is available for them to lift and supply is unimpeded, why do we have this scarcity? Ukraine should pass a law prohibiting politicians, officials and their families from owning property and doing business in the territory of the aggressor country, in particular, the Russian Federation and the occupied territories, Head of the Socialist Party of Ukraine Illia Kiva has said. "I demand the adoption of a bill banning politicians, officials and members of their families from doing business in the territory of the enemy. If you are an official, if you are a people's deputy or the president and you have business in Russia - put your mandate, resign and leave civil service! Do not weaken the country," Kiva wrote on Facebook. According to him, this idea will unite Ukraine and political forces in it, and also will allow defending the interests of Ukraine against the backdrop of Russian aggression. "I am sure that this idea will unite the country - the right and the left, the red and the white, all those who are ready to defend the interests of Ukraine. My task for 2018 is to clean the rear, and therefore to strengthen the front and win!" Kiva added. He also called on all patriotic citizens to identify the facts of doing business with the aggressor both in the occupied territories and outside Ukraine. "I urge all patriots to make every effort to identify and block the business of Ukrainian officials and their relatives in the Russian Federation and the occupied territories. They earn on trade with the enemy and fill their budget, and the enemy kills our children for this money!" Kiva said. Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) showed on Saturday that, despite the several miracles... Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) showed on Saturday that, despite the several miracles God has used him to perform and the huge success of the just-concluded Holy Ghost Congress of the church, he is human after all. On the last day of the Congress, Professor Aboaba, one of the elders of the church, who introduced Pastor Adeboyes session, had wished the week-long Congress continued for another week. Mr. Aboaba, a professor, is about 85 years old. As he made his wish open, Pastor Adeboye was seen whispering to his wife, Pastor Folu, popularly called Mummy G.O. And later when he mounted the pulpit to minister, he shared what he had whispered to his wife. I told my wife jocularly, I have no objection to his (Aboabas) wish provided he would be the one preaching (during the additional week of the Holy Ghost Congress). I will just sit down and enjoy it. A source close to Pastor Adeboye explained later, that was a joke but of course it shows it takes the grace and empowerment of God for him to do all what he is noted for doing. You must have heard him say often that without Jesus he is nothing. The over 75-year-old pastor noted for his disarming humility and stamina dreads taking Gods credit, a reason he dislikes to be praised. He would rather want Jesus. who empowers him, to be praised, according to what he said during a book launch for him last year at the Redemption Camp which he reluctantly attended. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who was at the book launch, had commented on Pastor Adeboyes humility in the foreword of the book, Stories of Pastor E. A. Adeboye. He stated: The life of Daddy (Pastor Adeboye) in itself is one big miracle! For a man born to financially-challenged parents in the remote village of Ifewara, Osun State, who had no shoes at 18 years old; who was not a born again Christian until the time he was a mathematics teacher at the University of Lagos, becoming the leader of a church with a strong presence in over 192 countries (now 198), and with over 32,000 parishes in Nigeria alone, is indeed, a miracle worth knowing. For this same man to remain infectiously humble, in spite of his enormous power, influence and popularity is also a miracle in itself. Pastor Adeboye himself had heard some people say that he is a spiritual being who does not eat. He has taken time to debunk that claim a couple of times to show he is human. Someone once said that the reason God is using Pastor Adeboye is because of his name Enoch, referring to how God related with Enoch in the Bible. He doesnt eat. Have you ever seen him eat the pounded yam he talks so much about? the person argued. When I heard that, I laughed. You think I dont eat? Well, invite me to your house, prepare some good pounded yam; get a very good combination of okro, make sure there is plenty of bush meat and chicken and fish and turkey. Right there in your dining room, a mountain will become a valley. His whisper to his wife about Professor Aboabas wish, reminded some people in the congregation of his encounter with God, after the first major RCCG Convention at Lekki, which was so massive that it nearly shut Lagos down. According to the account, he was warned not to take Gods credit if he doesnt want to be wiped out. He had said in a testimony: Something happened after Lekki 98; one of the biggest programmes that we ever had. The whole of Lagos was paralysed because of the programme. People walked kilometres to the venue and back. Fortunately, the programme was also transmitted by radio, so those who those who couldnt get there listened to it on their radio. It was a fantastic programme! After the programme, I returned to the Redemption Camp and soon proceeded on a prayer walk to thank God: God I bless Your Holy name, what a wonderful thing, etc. It was between 2a.m. and 3a.m. when He spoke. I heard him say clearly, Son, bend down.I did that quickly because, you know, I was in the jungle. You never can tell; a witch could have been flying past. And then he said, Draw the figure of a man in the sand. I drew the figure of a man: zero for head, one line for the body and two lines for the leg and so on. You know that kind of drawing. God said, Stand up. I did, but by then I was afraid because I knew something serious was happening. He said, Wipe out the figure you have drawn with your leg. I wiped it out. And He said, Son, if you ever forget who your boss is, I will wipe you out and nobody will even remember you came to the world. That was what He told me. So, I smile when I hear people say, Hes a very humble man. How can a man be so successful and be so humble? You think I want to be wiped out? As they say in Nigeria, You think say I dey craze? Me I no dey craze at all o. Former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili at the RCCG Holy Ghost Congress When you allow pride to creep into your life, you know what you are asking for? To be wiped out.' On Saturday, as he lowered the curtains on the Congress, he thanked God for starting with us and ending with us, and preached on the topic Anointing for Victory. He highlighted the three types of external enemies portrayed in a Bible passage on King Davids experience; and the need to overcome them with the anointing of God. He likened the enemies to the lion, the bear and Goliath. The lion, he explained, kills by choking its prey, and that in the case of humans it could be someone in superior position or influence who wants to suppress you, frustrate to death or kill opportunities or people who are to enhance your emergence or growth. He cited the example of Pharaoh, who ordered all male Israeli babies killed because a leader was to emerge among them. But he had a solution for that. There is anointing from God to take care of lions. The bear hugs to kill, (from which we got the term bear hug,) and that he said makes it very dangerous enemy because it comes pretending to be a friend. According to him, the bear therefore represents people who get close to you, smile at you, pretending to love so as to get close enough to destroy you. For those people too, he said there is an anointing to take care of them. He gave a chilling testimony of how one of his three close friends earlier in his ministry hated him so bitterly he didnt want him to be the General Overseer after the death of the founder of the church. It was way back in 1980, when one of the three was getting married. When I got there, the other friend welcomed me warmly and was doing everything to please me with drinks, food and other offers. But God spoke and I heard Him clearly. He is your enemy! I was shocked because I had exposed myself too much to that man. When we met later, I told my friends Gods message but the man denied being an enemy. That was in June, 1980. In December, we met again to discuss the church after the demise of the founder, and there the man bared his teeth: From the day you came to this church I hated you, he confessed. The Goliath is the enemy who has insight into your destiny but vows that you will not get there. He could be a boss, a colleague or even an opponent, Pastor Adeboye said, explaining that what was at stake in the David and Goliath fight was the kingdom of Israel, which David had be anointed rule. He assured that with the right relationship with God and His anointing Goliaths too have no chance to destroy people. Anyone who says you will not reach your goal will fail, in the name of Jesus, he said, singing the song I know my Redeemer liveth, to buttress his point. An altar call was made before the church administered the Holy Communion surprisingly done seamlessly for a congregation of that size. The anointing session of the programme was done with oil Pastor Adeboye had personally blessed. The General Overseer anointed his wife, who anointed the special guests. He also anointed deputy general overseers, and assistant general overseers, who in turn anointed pastors for them to anoint the congregation that was usually eager for such moments. That done, he prayed for the congregation and blessed them to close the congress. As at that Saturday, the churchs medical facility had recorded the birth of 51 babies 25 boys and 26 girls. Earlier in the day there had been prayers and talk sessions on: The sacrifice of praise; Victory over lack; Victorious hope; All will be well; Divine champions; and More than conquerors. There had also been goodwill messages from a delegation from Northern Ireland and Cote d Ivoire. Pastor Paul Keith from the Simple Faith Ministry in Belfast said, This is my first time in Nigeria, and in all my ministry work around countries, I have not seen so much joy and hope. He continued, This has taught me so much; I am totally transformed by the experience. Lionel Mitchell, who led a delegation of 11 pastors from six different churches in Cote d Ivoire, described Pastor Adeboye as the Abraham of our age, whose work and person continue to inspire us. What God is doing through him gives us faith and hope, he added. As usual, there were also testimonies. A South-Africa-based Nigerian lady had been healed from arthritis during the Congress; and another lady who had heart problems, which doctors said could lead to heart failure, was also healed at the Congress. From Oyo State, a lady whose sister had been kidnapped as she left her shop, leaving her baby in her car, got her released unconditionally when she prayed about it at the Congress. And an elderly woman from Ijebu Ode, Ogun State had an encounter with someone in a dream and woke up blind, but after divine intervention, she can now see clearly. A former aide to American member of parliament, Trent Franks, has said the congressman repeatedly pressed her to carry his child, at one... A former aide to American member of parliament, Trent Franks, has said the congressman repeatedly pressed her to carry his child, at one point offering her $5m to act as a surrogate mother.The eight-term lawmaker abruptly resigned Friday, bowing to an ultimatum from House Speaker Paul Ryan.Ryan told Franks that he would refer the allegations to the Ethics Committee and urged him to step aside.The former aide said the congressman, at least four times, asked if she would be willing to act as a surrogate in exchange for money.Franks, in his statement announcing his resignation, said he and his wife, who have struggled with infertility, have twins who were carried through surrogacy.The former aide said the conversations took place in private, sometimes in the congressmans car, and that she repeatedly told him she wasnt interested.She said she never filed a formal complaint because until recently, she didnt know where to go, but that his behavior had made her feel uncomfortable.The aide asked that her name be withheld out of concern for her privacy.During my time there, I was asked a few times to look over a contract to carry his child, and if I would conceive his child, I would be given $5m, she said, adding that she refused to look over the contract and has never seen a copy.The woman said the requests shocked her, and made her feel afraid that if she didnt agree, she would face professional consequences. She said she spoke to another aide in the office, who had also been approached about surrogacy.The aide cited the surrogacy requests as a main reason for leaving the office, adding that she felt retaliated against after turning down the congressman, as she was ignored by Franks and not given many assignments.A spokesman for Franks would not comment on whether the congressman offered aides money in exchange to act as surrogates.Franks, a staunch conservative, said in his statement Thursday that he never physically intimidated, coerced or attempted to have sexual contact with any member of his congressional staff.Franks, 60, said he had become familiar with the surrogacy process in recent years and became insensitive as to how the discussion of such an intensely personal topic might affect others.He said he regrets that his discussion of this option and process in the workplace with two female staffers made them feel uncomfortable.Franks resigned from the Congress with immediate effect on Friday, citing the need to attend to his sick wifes need as reason.(TIME) Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jabi, Abuja, yesterday refused the oral application for bail made on... Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jabi, Abuja, yesterday refused the oral application for bail made on behalf of Maryam Sanda, and ordered her returned to Suleja prison pending her re-arraignment next Thursday.I will not grant her bail; all arguments about her bail shall be taken together at the next adjourned date when other co-defendants will be in court. Therefore, the defendant shall be taken back to prison, he said.At the last adjourned date, the FCT Police Command, in a two-count charge, accused Maryam, daughter of a former Executive Director of Aso Savings and Loans, Hajiya Maimuna Aliyu Sanda, of killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, the son of Alhaji Bello Haliru Muhammad, a former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).The police said Maryam caused Bellos death by stabbing him on the chest with a broken bottle; this you did with the knowledge that your act is likely to cause his death.Upon her arraignment on November 24, the court ordered that she be remanded in prison after she pleaded not guilty to the charges.But yesterday, Police Prosecutor James Idachaba told the court of an amended charge before the court, which added Maryams mother, Maimuna Aliyu, and two others, as defendants.He, however, said efforts to serve Maimuna and others were unsuccessful, urging the court to adjourn till next Thursday to enable the police bring all defendants to court to take their pleas.Maryams new lawyer Chief Joseph Daudu (SAN) urged the court to listen to the bail application filed on her behalf.He also made an oral bail application, pleaded with Justice Halilu to release Maryam on temporary bail, saying the prison condition was unwholesome for Maryams six-month-old baby.It is unfortunate that a life has been lost already, but we should not take more lives, he pleaded.But with another objection by the police prosecutor, Justice Halilu held that he is not disposed to grant the oral application since issues have been joined on the formal application for bail.But Justice Halilu ruled in favour of the prosecutor, saying the bail would be taken after the re-arraignment.The defendant, in the mean time, shall be returned to the prison pending Thursday, December 14, the judge said.He earlier ordered Maryams daughter, who is in the custody of a relative, taken out of court for crying. In a bid to curb the menace of illegal migration which has resulted in modern slavery especially in Libya, the African Union AU, has urged the Nigerian government to develop its own Gods given resources especially in the tourism sector.This call, followed the official unveiling of the African Tourism Card (ATC), an initiative of African Festival of Arts and Culture.Speaking at the unveiling in Abuja Nigerian representative, African Union, Economic, Social and Cultural Council AU ECOSOCC, Dr. Tunde Asaolu identified culture as one of the strong components to integrate Africa by bringing together what polities have separated.Asaolu said, it is high time we promote what we have instead of been indirect slaves to the developed world.The AU Nigerian representative, who threw his weight behind the new initiative said that the ATC is not a cash card but when presented anywhere, could get one instant discount on goods and services.He noted that the card which is first in Nigeria is locally manufactured adding also that it would help aid fast integration of Africans.ATC is not transferable, it is valid for 5 years. African festival for arts and culture is one of our own and it is an instrument that will aid fast integration of Africa and promote culture and tourism.As an African I have been concerned with the unity and development of Africa and I key into any project that is unifying in Africa. It is an initiative that is homemade and locally developed and the first time in this region, he said.Also, the head of Technical and Secretary Governing Board African Festival of Arts and Culture, Dr. Kenechukwu Aloefuna said the initiative was borne out of the need to promote indigenous business.He said; we sat down to look at what it will take for African transaction to grow and African business people to understand and appreciate themselves, then give back to the society by promoting consumerism and we decided to take it from the point of tourism.What we are doing today is launching a tool that will make an hotelier do his business and give back to those who are their customer. What will make flight ticket around Africa to come down affordably by doing this we create a common market and African union system is creating continental free trade zone.This is a tool to get into that platform whatever we do as African there is one thing that brings us together it is unique because our tourism and culture will grow, as we speak now there are 28 representatives of the African Festival of Arts and Culture who will pick from this and promote what we do. With this card you earn points to go on local tourism and to give all the local tourism a new life. Olisa Metuh, a Nigerian Lawyer, Politician and the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party had reacted to the claim that he was kicked out of the PDP convention.According to him, the news is Media Dramas to tarnish the image of the peace-loving party.He said:In the past 24 hours, I have received calls from a lot of people concerning the misleading online media reports which suggested that I was manhandled and barred from sitting in the VIP box at the just concluded PDP National Convention in Abuja.It sure reminds me of series of spurious reports that EFCC arrested me just when I was about to flee to some island; or is it the one about chewing my statements and the rest?The truth is that I have never sat at the VIP box whenever we come for a party event throughout my 17 years in active politics. Our joy has always been to sit amongst the Anambra delegates with all the drama of home invisibility.However, we visit the box at will to liaise with other leaders on issues as they arise and that was the case in the just concluded convention.I was never manhandled nor barred from the VIP box, but yes, on the first visit from the Anambra stand to the box, some security operatives had problem with the size of our delegation, which included some B.O.T members, legislators and other individuals.This was quickly resolved and we accessed the state box and had our first interaction with those sitting inside the box.Do I really have to explain how many times I visited the state box or the fact that I was all the times I visited, warmly received by all our leaders present?The PDP convention was one of the best in terms of planning and execution. Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa indeed is a perfectionist and he together with his team made the entire PDP family proud.My concern has always been with post convention management and this is where we are presently engaged in ensuring that the progress and stability of our party far outweighs individual successes and/or failures.I have served our great party, the PDP faithfully; I love my party and I have full confidence in the competence and capacity of the present National Working Committee.My charge to my able successor, the new National Publicity Secretary of our party is to focus on those issues that Nigerians are concerned about.The online media will always come with its drama, but let the new NWC remain focused on explaining our partys stand on the economy, fight against corruption, national unity and other important issues affecting the nation.Nigerians now look up to the PDP for direction and we cannot afford to be distracted in any way whatsoever. The ruling All Progressives Congress has likened the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the leopard, which cannot change its sp... The ruling All Progressives Congress has likened the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the leopard, which cannot change its spots.It was the APCs first official reaction to the national convention of the opposition party that has vowed to defeat it in the next general election.APC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi said: with revelations of how money-for-votes and systematic rigging was brazenly perpetuated during the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) is mindful of the popular axiom: A leopard cannot change its spot.The APC said the abnormalities that trailed the PDP National Convention have further exposed the PDP as a Party not ready and willing to change.Indeed, the PDP has once again displayed itself to the generality of Nigerians that it is a Party with corruption deeply rooted in its DNA.Again, it is tragic that the PDP which used to pride itself as the biggest political Party in Africa has now been reduced to a regional party.By frustrating South West Chairmanship candidates, it is unfortunate that the PDP has decided to punish the South West for not voting for the Party in 2015.We urge members of the PDP that can pass the integrity test to join the APC so that we can together bring about the much-needed Change the country deserves. President Muhammadu Buhari will leave for Paris, France on Monday to join 50 other world leaders to participate in the One Planet Summit on Tuesday.The President, who will be accompanied by the governors of Adamawa, Kano and Ondo States, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Environment. He will return to Abuja on Thursday.The summit is jointly organised by the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and the French Government in partnership with non-governmental organisations.The summit which concerns reversing the negative effects of climate change will take place at the eco-friendly La Seine Musicale, situated on the picturesque Seguin Island in western Paris.The theme of the summit is Climate Change Financing.According to the organisers, the summit will innovatively pool public and private finance to support and accelerate our common efforts to fight climate change.While recognising that all countries are affected by the effects of climate change under One Planet, but some are more vulnerable, organisers noted.The summit seeks for tangible collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.A statement by Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), said President Buhari will attend a lunch hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France for Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace.President Buhari and other world leaders and participants will make presentations under four sub-themes.They are Scaling-up Finance for Climate Action; Greening Finance for Sustainable Business; Accelerating Local and Regional Climate Action; and Strengthening Policies for Ecological and Inclusive Transition.President Buhari signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the side-lines of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2016.He noted then that the countrys signature demonstrated Nigerias commitment to global efforts to reverse the effects of the negative trend.He followed that significant step by signing the Instrument of Ratification of the Paris Agreement on March 28, 2017 at the State House, Abuja, making Nigeria the 146th party to the Paris Treaty.It became binding on the country effective June 15, 2017, one month after the submission of the Ratification instrument to the United Nations on May 16, 2017 by Nigerias Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande.The participation of Nigerias delegation at the One Planet Summit will reinforce the countrys commitment to realising the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The intense politicking that went into the election of Yakubu Dogara as the speaker of the house of representatives in 2015 has been detail... The intense politicking that went into the election of Yakubu Dogara as the speaker of the house of representatives in 2015 has been detailed in his biography by Ovation publisher, Dele Momodu. In the book, A Reed Made Flint, Dogara narrates how he came against all odds to win the nations No. 4 position, including surmounting a fierce opposition from Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who wanted Femi Gbajabiamila on the seat. The book is due for public presentation on December 26, 2017 to mark the 50th birthday of the speaker. Gbajabiamila had been endorsed by APC for the speakership but Dogara, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014, decided to give it a shot. Dogara recounted: As a matter of fact, Asiwaju (Tinubu) is someone that we respect very much and no one can doubt the sterling role he played in the emergence of APC as a government. Asiwaju had through emissaries sought audience with me and in deference to him I went to see him along with a colleague, then Right Honourable Kawu Sumaila. When we got to the Asiwaju, seasoned politician that he was, he asked us to come to his bedroom. We held this meeting in his bedroom! He appealed to us and said what he only wanted, as a leader, as a political father, was for us to please collapse our campaign into Femis and declare our support for him. Asiwaju maintained that, as a matter of fact, support for Femi was a support for him. He said if we supported Femi by extension we were actually supporting him and reciprocating the work he did to ensure APC won the Presidency. While Dogara did not say an outright no, he also did not give a definite yes to Tinubus request. He said: This has always been my stand, Sir. It was my stand when (Aminu) Tambuwal was running for the Speakership and I ran for the position for Deputy Speaker. Even when my bosom friends had told me clearly what was happening and I knew, as an experienced politician, that we were running into head winds. I had seen clearly the implication that Tambuwal was favoured more than 80% to clinch the Speakership. But I insisted that I was going to run because the party had said they had zoned this position to the North-East and I wanted to make a statement that there were people from the North-East willing to contend for this position in the interest of our own people. Even if I was going to lose the election, let the people from my zone know that yes, they had someone who, when the position was zoned to them, was ready and willing to stand up and be counted. I ran for that position to the end against someone I considered to be a brother and a very good friend on that principle. In this situation, we are already boxed into that corner. The President is not from North-East, the Vice President is not from North-East, the Senate President wasnt going to come from the North-East. If we from the North east now capitulate, we have not had anything serious apart from the position of the Vice President that Atiku once occupied. We have been excluded from this club of leadership in the country. Dogara was quite vehement, insisting that in the interest of his people, it was necessary for someone from the north-east to run for that position even if he would lose. He told Tinubu: Since you have appealed to me as a father figure and I see you as a political father and as a mentor, a person we always ran to for advice really in the seventh assembly, and I still remember so many occasions I had to come here to seek assistance on behalf of others from you, I owe you the responsibility to listen to your appeal. But I need to get back to the members who are supportive of my agenda and then to my constituents back home. We will discuss and at the end of the day I will get back to you with our decision. Dogara, who represents Bogoro/ Tafawa Balewa federal constituency in Bauchi state, went on to defeat Gbajabiamila, who represents Surulere federal constituency, Lagos state, by 182 votes to 174 in a fierce contest. He later made Gbajabiamila house leader. A 56-year-old New Jersey man has been convicted of fatally shooting a 26-year-old father of two at an outlet mall in Atlantic City last year. Luis Maisonet (Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office) Luis Maisonet, 56, of Somers Point, was found guilty of murder, aggravated assault and three weapons offenses, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Maisonet shot Christopher Romero around noon on Sept. 1, 2016 at Zumiez, a store in "The Walk." Authorities have described the shooting as a domestic incident. Romero lived in Absecon. Maisonet fled after gunning down and later shot himself before he was taken into custody. Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner described Maisonet's actions as "selfish and cowardly" and said the gunman showed no remorse during his trial. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK - A Bayonne police officer accused of helping a disgraced cop cover up use of excessive force is expected to testify on his own behalf in court Monday afternoon. Francis Styles, who is charged with falsifying records and misprision, will be the first witness called to the stand after the government rested its case. The government alleges Styles intentionally lied in the reports he filed surrounding the 2013 arrest of Brandon Walsh, omitting any details of former Police Officer Domenico Lillo striking Walsh. On Dec. 27, Bayonne police officers went to Walsh's Avenue C home to arrest him on a warrant out of Sussex County. Officers say Walsh acted "violently" because he was intoxicated and assaulted three cops. Lillo deployed pepper spray inside Walsh's home, sickening many of his family members. Lillo struck Walsh in the head with a flashlight while he was being led to a police car and the assault was captured on video. Lillo has pleaded guilty to using excessive force during the arrest and testified against Styles in return for a possible lighter sentence. The defense is expected to argue that Styles' suffered a head injury during the struggle with Walsh and was directly exposed to the pepper spray Lillo deployed to subdue Walsh. An expert is also expected to testify about the lingering effects pepper spray exposure has on an individual. Bayonne Police Lt. Matthew Dugan testified Monday morning about the procedures followed when officers file arrest reports, criminal complaints, and use of force reports. Dugan had signed off on the reports submitted by Lillo and Styles and said he was never informed Walsh had been struck in the head. The government rested in the case just before noon. Styles attorneys had motioned for acquittal, arguing the government presented weak testimony against Styles. U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty rejected the motion saying there was video evidence and a jury would decide if Styles intentionally lied in his reports. A lawsuit filed by Walsh and his family was settled by the city of Bayonne. The Jersey Journal has taken the city to court to force it to release the terms of the settlement. Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. The European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) considers it possible to amend the article on the language of instruction in Ukraine's law on education in order to remove possible discrimination of languages that do not belong to the languages of the countries of the European Union, according to an opinion of December 8, which was published on December 11. The document says that Article 7 (on the language of instruction) provides for the opportunity to teach one or more disciplines in two or more languages Ukrainian, English, other official languages of the European Union. "The intention of the Ukrainian authorities seems, indeed, to use this provision to also enable the teaching of other subjects in these languages. This could be an acceptable solution for these languages, but only if there are sufficient guarantees in the implementing legislation, specified following adequate consultation of minorities, that the scope of this teaching will be sufficient to enable the students to attain a high level of oral and written proficiency, enabling them also to address complex issues," reads the opinion. At the same time, the Venice Commission believes that the results of the current bilateral talks with minorities' kin-states could provide useful input to the implementation of Article 7 in this respect. "However, paragraph 4 of Article 7 provides no solution for languages which are not official languages of the EU, in particular the Russian language, as the most widely used language apart from the state language. The less favorable treatment of these languages is difficult to justify and therefore raises issues of discrimination," the commission said. It considers it possible to make changes to this article. "Having regard to the above considerations, the appropriate solution would certainly be to amend Article 7 and replace this provision with a more balanced and more clearly worded one. In particular, the issue of discriminatory treatment of other minority languages - which are not official languages of the EU - would have to be addressed in this context," reads the document. The Ukrainian Education and Science Ministry told Interfax-Ukraine that the major point of the opinion is the last final paragraph (No. 126), which contains the recommendations of the commission and based on which the Council of Europe subsequently monitors the country's implementation of the recommendations. "None of the recommendations in this paragraph provides for changes to Article 7 of the education law, while the Education Ministry fully agrees, inter alia, with changes to the transitional provisions of the law on the extension of the transition period, a detailed description of models for the implementation of Article 7 in the law on general secondary education," the ministry said. It also added that special attention would be paid to improving the methods and quality of teaching the Ukrainian language in institutions with the language of instruction for national minorities, which is envisaged in the recommendations. As reported, the Ukrainian law on education came into force on September 28. Among other things, the law stipulates that the state language is a language of learning at educational institutions, but one or several subjects in two or more languages, namely, the state language, English and other European Union official languages can be taught in compliance with the educational program. People, who belong to ethnic minorities, are guaranteed the right for learning in the native language along with the Ukrainian language in separate groups of municipal pre-school and primary school institutions. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sent the education law for examination by the Venice Commission. JERSEY CITY -- The prosecution of six people charged in connection to the fatal shooting of a Jersey City teenager ended today with the final sentences meted out to three men. However, today's court proceedings provided little in the way of solace to the still grieving family members of Ronald Witherspoon Jr., who died days after being shot in the head near Monticello and Belmont avenues on July 22, 2015. "My son will never be on this earth again," the boy's mother, Dawn Witherspoon, said during the sentencing of Tyriek Porch, 27, of Bayonne, who received the most lenient of the six sentences - five years probation for hindering apprehension. "My son will spend the rest of his life in that grave," Dawn Witherspoon added. "(Porch) needs to go to jail." Naji McDuffy, 26, and Justin M. Nesmith, 27, were each sentenced to five years in prison today for second-degree conspiracy charges. They are not charged as the gunmen who pulled the trigger. The prosecution said there were three cars involved in the shooting and the gunmen were in the middle car. The state said there were no intended victims and the plan was to "shoot up" the block. On Friday, Dwayne Powell, 20, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter and Marquis Nicken, 23, was sentenced to 15 years for the same crime. Darius Emanuel, 24, was sentenced to six years in prison for conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. At today's hearing, Porch's attorney said he thought they were just on a run to buy marijuana the night Witherspoon was shot, and that he was influenced by his cousin, Powell. She said Porch has broken all ties with people in his life who are a bad influence, including his co-defendants. That didn't fly with Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Lynne Seborowski or Ronald Witherspoon Sr., who both noted that Porch attended Friday's sentencing. "Three days ago he was here," the Ronald Witherspoon Sr. said at today's hearing. "How did he cut off all ties?" Nesmith and Porch also had big smiles for each other in court today as Nesmith was being led away. Dawn Witherspoon noted that Nesmith has already served a five-year prison term on a gun charge and said he is not going to change. She said she was disgusted by the mentality that leads people to be murdered for being in the wrong neighborhood of for having words with someone. "They get slapped on the wrist and they come out and do the same thing," the mother said today. "It's ridiculous, and until these people get some hard time, it's not going to change." All six defendants pleaded guilty and those sentenced today were among the first to take pleas. Porch, who has 365 days of jail credit, must also serve 200 hours of community service, remain drug free, employed and have no contact with the Witherspoon family or his co-defendants during probation. Of the three defendants sentenced today, only Nesmith spoke at the hearing. He said Witherspoon Jr. did not deserve what happened to him. "I want to send my apologies to the family." JERSEY CITY -- A 39-year-old Weehawken man threatened to kill police officers and injured three officers while being taken into custody last week, police said. Jorge Simonetti, of the 100 block of Parkview Terrace, is charged with making terroristic threats, resisting arrest, obstructing a government function and aggravated assault on the officers, the criminal complaint says. "You guys are dead," Simonetti allegedly yelled at the Weehawken officers. "I'm going to f---ing kill all of you," the complaint says. The officers said that on Dec. 4, Simonetti resisted being handcuffed and during the scuffle he dug his nails into the hand of one of the officers, the complaint says. Another officer suffered a knee injury when his leg was caught between Simonetti and an air conditioner. Finally, the third officer suffered a knee injury when Simonetti kicked backwards while being handcuffed, the complaint alleges. Simonetti made his first appearance on the charges on Tuesday in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. At the hearing, the state moved to detain him through the course of his prosecution. During the hearing, Simonetti told the judge "I was assaulted." The complaint does not say why police initially arrested him. UPDATE: Lakewood man, 51, is ID'd as victim in Route 9 crash A northbound section of Route 9 in Howell was closed for several hours for an accident investigation Sunday night after a pedestrian was fatally struck between the Lakewood border and Alexander Avenue. In statements posted to social media late Sunday evening, police asked drivers to find an alternate route during the closure but did not immediately provide further details about the crash. The highway was reopened around midnight. In a separate incident, a crash earlier this month on another stretch of Route 9 in the township claimed the life of a 53-year-old pedestrian, whose death resulted in charges against the 21-year-old driver. Juanean Perez, of Jackson, was initially charged on suspicion of driving under the influence in the Dec. 2 death of Juan Santiago Lopez, of Freehold Borough, but authorities have said other charges are pending. Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips The former New Jersey police officer who crashed into several vehicles in two Pennsylvania towns while intoxicated last year was sentenced last week to six months probation, authorities said. William McCarthy III William McCarthy III, 46, of Great Meadows, was an officer with the Washington Township Police Department in Morris County on June 16, 2016 when he was involved in motor vehicle crashes in the Pennsylvania towns of Tamaqua and Hazleton following a domestic violence incident in New Jersey. McCarthy was taken into custody by officers after they set up a roadblock for his vehicle in Hazleton, police said. He was suspended from the police department without pay, but following a settlement agreement, the township changed his status to an unpaid medical leave so he could receive a disability retirement. McCarthy, after failing to appear at a September trial date and having a bench warrant issued for his arrest, pleaded guilty last month to DUI and hit-and-run charges in exchange for the dismissal of charges of resisting arrest and reckless driving, according to the Luzerne County Clerk of Courts office. He was sentenced Dec. 5 to between 90 days and nine months in the county jail, but was paroled after five days because he received jail credit for 85 days spent in an in-patient treatment facility, the court clerk's office said. As part of his sentence, his driver's license was suspended for a year and he was ordered to pay restitution to the owners of the vehicles he damaged along with a $1,500 fine, the court clerk's office said. He'll also be required to have an ignition interlock device on his vehicle for a year. The crashes in Hazleton and Tamaqua occurred nearly a year after McCarthy was arrested on a DWI charge in Blairstown. During that incident on June 20, 2015, he was found parked on the shoulder of Route 94 in a daze and with an open bottle of tequila between his legs, according to arrest reports obtained by NJ Advance Media. McCarthy told the officer who stopped to check on his condition that he saw dead people and asked if the officer also saw dead people, police said. McCarthy refused to submit to field sobriety tests and to provide breath samples, police said. Authorities say Washington Township police officer William McCarthy III was involved in a DWI crash in Hazleton, Pa. on June 16, 2016. Pictured, McCarthy's Nissan Armada SUV. According to the arrest report, his wife told Blairstown police there were family issues at home, that he'd been drinking heavily since 2002 and that they tried to get him help before. McCarthy denied having a drinking problem, according to the arrest report. McCarthy's license was suspended for 90 days in August 2016 for a first-time DWI violation in the Blairstown incident. At the time of his arrest in Pennsylvania on June 16, his driver's license was valid. After the Blairstown incident, McCarthy entered into a settlement agreement with the police department in which he agreed to immediate termination for any other alcohol-related incident on or off-duty. McCarthy was hired by the Washington Township Police Department in February 1997, and, at the time he left the department, he was receiving a salary of $99,705. Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A pipe bomb attack in a passenger subway corridor beneath the Port Authority Bus Terminal that injured the suspect and three others Monday morning is terror-related, New York City officials said. Akayed Ullah, 27, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is in serious condition at Bellevue hospital while three passers-by brought themselves to city hospitals to be treated for minor injuries, primarily suffering from ringing in the ears. "This was an attempted terrorist attack," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference outside the bus terminal Monday morning. "An attack in the subway is incredibly unsettling. Thank God the terrorist didn't achieve his ultimate goals." Law enforcement officials say he was inspired by the Islamic State, but apparently had no direct contact with the terror group. Ullah detonated a "low-tech" improvised explosive device in an underground passageway connecting two subway lines about 7:20 a.m., police said. He strapped the device to his body using Velcro and zip ties, according to police, who have yet to conclude whether Ullah specifically chose that spot to set off the device. Ullah had burns to his hands and abdomen, police said. "This was frightening and disturbing," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "We're thankful that the reality turns out better than our initial expectations and fear." Ullah was walking east in the corridor between 8th Avenue and 7th Avenue when the device detonated, police commissioner James O'Neill said. Ullah, who lives in Brooklyn, came to the U.S. from Bangladesh about seven years ago and had been licensed to drive a livery cab between 2012 and 2015, according to law enforcement officials and NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. He was speaking with investigators from his hospital bed, police said. A person briefed on the investigation said Ullah arrived in the United States on an F-4 visa, a preferential visa available for those with family in the U.S. who are citizens, and that he made the bomb in his home. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast. Service has since resumed at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. NJ Transit said that PATH discontinued cross honoring bus tickets. NJ Transit rail will stop cross honoring bus tickets at 11:59 a.m. NY Waterway ferries will continue to cross honor NJ Transit bus tickets until 8 p.m. and had deployed extra ferries. The MTA said that while subways have resumed service, trains on the Seventh and Eighth Avenue lines will not stop at 42nd Street. There are still significant traffic delays at the Lincoln Tunnel to New York. Gov. Chris Christie said additional security has been stationed at mass transit hubs. "Every law enforcement asset in New Jersey is coordinating with our federal and New York partners regarding this incident," Christie said. "I urge all New Jerseyans to be alert and that if they see something unusual, to report it to law enforcement immediately." Larry Higgs and the Associated Press contributed to this report Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. UPDATE: Port Authority Bus Terminal explosion was 'attempted terrorist attack' NYPD responding to incident at Port Authority Police responding to explosion of unknown origin at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, NYPD says Follow breaking details --> http://7ny.tv/2B4pPJi Posted by ABC7NY on Monday, December 11, 2017 A pipe bomb strapped to a man went off in the New York City subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring the suspect and another person at the height of the morning rush hour, law enforcement officials said. The man and the other person were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the incident. Police say the explosion happened in an underground passageway under 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The 7:30 a.m. blast filled the passageway, crowded with throngs of Monday morning commuters, with smoke. The explosion triggered a massive emergency response by police and fire both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. Video from above the "Crossroads of the World" showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. Police activity has temporarily closed the terminal and is affecting NJ Transit buses. Bus service to and from the bus terminal is being diverted to Secaucus and Newark Penn Station, where riders can catch trains. Bus tickets will be accepted on the agency's trains and light rail as well as PATH and ferries. Police respond to a report of an explosion near Times Square on Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Zoeller) An official New York City Twitter account, NotifyNYC said to expect traffic and transit delays on 42nd Street between 8th and 9th Avenue. The A, C and E subway lines are being evacuated, the NYPD said. Other subway lines, including the 1, 2, 3, A, Q, R, W and 7 are bypassing 43nd Street, the MTA said. No cars are allowed to exit the FDR Drive from 59th to 42nd Street, police said. In addition, the area between 40th and 45th streets and 7th to 9th Avenues is closed as of 9 a.m. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has tweeted that President Trump has been briefed on the explosion. The NYPD is responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, #Manhattan. The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time. Info is preliminary, more when available. pic.twitter.com/7vpNT97iLC NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 11, 2017 The Mayor has been briefed on the incident in Midtown. The NYPD, FDNY and first responders are on the scene. NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) December 11, 2017 Bus service to/from Port Authority Bus Terminal may experience delays due to police activity in the building. NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) December 11, 2017 The Associated Press and NJ Advance Media reporter Jeff Goldman contributed to this report. A former governor who is chairman of the board at University Hospital in Newark recommended the hospital hire a friend, made her his personal assistant and signed off on a promotion and a pay raise for what was later deemed a "no-show or low- show" job, NJ Advance Media has learned. Donald DiFrancesco, the former state Senate president who also was governor for most of 2001, made Jill Cooperman his assistant and began assigning her work weeks after she was hired in January 2014, according to a report investigating her tenure at the quasi-public city hospital. Cooperman's salary at University Hospital rose from $94,000 to $125,000, and her title changed from senior staff attorney to assistant general counsel and secretary of the hospital's foundation from January 2014 to April 2016, the report said. A University Hospital whistleblower complained that Cooperman had been given "a low-show or a no-show job," with a vague job description, said Annette Catino, a board member who hired an outside law firm to investigate the accusation. The investigation concluded the complaint was "credible," according to the report by Vito Gagliardi Jr. of the law firm Porzio Bromberg & Newman in Morristown, who presented it to the hospital board in April 2016. "In sum, UH (University Hospital) had a high-level administrator without a clear job title, job description or supervisor," according to the report. "It is was clear that even Ms. Cooperman herself is unclear on to whom she presently reports, her exact title and what her responsibilities are. Often absent from the office, that she often leaves work early or in the middle of the day, and that her whereabouts are often unclear or unknown by her colleagues." Soon after the report was completed, Cooperman and the board reached "a mutual decision" that she would leave with an undisclosed severance package, protected by a non-disclosure agreement, Catino said. The whistleblower in the case also received a severance package from the hospital, according to two sources with knowledge of the agreement. Reached by phone at her job as a real estate agent, Cooperman replied, "I have nothing to say," or "I can't answer that question" when asked to comment on the report and her time at the hospital. The report's findings prompted the hospital to adopt a resolution in May 2016 barring any hospital employees from reporting to board members in the future. "We recommend making clear to both the board and administrative personnel that there should never be a time where board members are directly supervising administrative personnel," the report said. Gagliardi said the board did not ask him to focus on nature of DiFrancesco's and Cooperman's relationship. Catino told NJ Advance Media she had asked DiFrancesco point-blank whether the two had an intimate relationship. "I asked him on two occasions, prior to the investigation starting. I did it face-to-face," Catino said. "He said, 'No, you are misreading it.' He said it was professional." DiFrancesco declined to be interviewed for this article. Through a spokesman, Bob Sommer, he released a statement confirming he had recommended Cooperman fill a position in the general counsel's office. "After Ms. Cooperman was introduced to me by my client, she forwarded me her resume and we met a handful of times prior to my recommending her for an open position at University Hospital," DiFrancesco said in a statement. "She was hired following the process any state employee would and she reported to that department," according to DiFrancesco's statement. "Ms. Cooperman and I were friends but had not had a romantic relationship." DiFrancesco is married. DiFrancesco described Cooperman as "vital in helping support the board," as the hospital was still in the throes of establishing its independence after its operating entity, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, was dissolved by Gov. Chris Christie and the Legislature in 2013. DiFrancesco, who was appointed by Christie to lead the board that year, described the transition as difficult. "Even though I was a volunteer chairman, I was spending two to three days a week at UH helping to build the organization," he said in his statement. "As such, I needed staff support." He credited Cooperman with helping him and creating a foundation to raise funds to support the hospital, which is reliant on state funding and has long operated in the red. "I think to a great degree we achieved these goals, though in the rush to create the organization, more attention should have been paid to establishing reporting mechanisms for staff," DiFrancesco's statement said. "With 20/20 hindsight, I do agree a more formal chain of command would have been helpful but at the time I was focused on helping to build a corporate structure and improve the hospital's operation." Catino, the board member who oversees budgetary and compliance issues, described the allegations as "serious," and the experience "embarrassing" for both Cooperman and DiFrancesco. "Any mishandling of employment is serious, and when we found the problem, we corrected it," Catino, the former president and CEO of QualCare, an insurance provider. She said there was no discussion of penalizing DiFrancesco. The only person who could remove the chairman is the governor, she said. "We made sure the governor's office knew this investigation was taking place," Catino said. Christie spokesman Brian Murray declined to comment for this story. "I don't think he thought he did anything wrong. I don't know if he ever worked in corporate structure," Catino said of DiFrancesco, whose term expires in June. DiFrancesco, a Republican, was Senate president from 1992 to 2002 and served as governor for 11 months after Christie Whitman resigned to head the Enivornmental Protection Agency. He is partner at a law firm in Warren. During his stint as governor, DiFrancesco appointed Gagliardi's father, Vito Gagliardi Sr., to his cabinet as commissioner of Education in 2001. Gagliardi Jr. disclosed his father's appointment when the board approached him to investigate the Cooperman complaint, Catino said Monday. "There was some distance in years since (Vito Gagliardi Sr. and DiFrancesco) had a professional relationship," Catino said, explaining why she felt comfortable hiring Gagliardi Jr.. "We were assured there was no real friendship or social relationship. Also the appointment was not long in tenure, as Don DiFrancesco's tenure was also short lived." Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION MARKS 500th BLUE ACRES DEMOLITION WITH REMOVAL OF HOUSE ALONG DELAWARE BAY (17/P118) TRENTON The Christie Administrations Superstorm Sandy Blue Acres Buyout Program has reached another milestone with its 500th demolition, a house that was taken down in Cumberland Countys Lawrence Township, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. The Blue Acres program is an important part of the Christie Administrations comprehensive strategy to make New Jersey more resilient to storms, using federal and state funds to acquire residential properties in flood-prone areas from willing sellers and then preserve the land as open space to absorb storm surges. The Christie Administration is committed to making New Jersey more resilient to storms such as Superstorm Sandy, Commissioner Martin said. These demolitions will result in moving families out of harms way in a very vulnerable area along Delaware Bay. The Blue Acres Program has proven to be extremely successful by providing homeowners with a viable alternative to living with the constant threat of flooding. The 500th demolition, a house on Paris Road, took place in the Bay Point section of Lawrence Township, an area of Cumberland County that is prone to dangerous flooding. A contractor for the state has been working for the past two weeks removing 20 storm-damaged homes as well as pilings and docks from 14 additional lots. The $1.2 million project is being carried out by Hammonton-based Site Enterprises Inc. To have achieved 500 demolitions in a period of three years is quite an accomplishment, and there is still more work to be done, said Blue Acres Director Fawn Z. McGee. We receive calls on a daily basis from homeowners throughout New Jersey who face living with repeated flooding and paying high flood insurance premium and want Blue Acres to purchase their properties. The program provides a way to move families to safer places without losing the equity theyve invested in their homes. The Blue Acres Program and its acquisition practices have earned national recognition, including awards from FEMA and HUD. To date, the Blue Acres program has acquired 618 properties. The program has made offers to a total of 893 property owners, of which 690 have been accepted so far. Bay Point is about 15 miles southwest of Millville. The properties being taken down are located on an extremely exposed and narrow barrier island flanked by marshlands. Due to the need for demolition work to occur in water and the fact that the area is ecologically sensitive, Blue Acres was required to secure permits through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the DEPs Land Use Regulation program. Consequently, the demolitions are timed to avoid impacts to species of migratory shorebirds, horseshoe crabs and other wildlife in this ecologically sensitive area, which will eventually become part of a state Wildlife Management Area. In 2013, Governor Christie designated Blue Acres to run the states post-Superstorm Sandy effort to purchase homes from willing sellers at pre-Sandy values. The program was subsequently expanded to include acquisitions in communities that may not have been directly impacted by Sandy but are still prone to repetitive flooding from rivers, creeks and other water bodies. The $375 million in funding for Blue Acres buyouts comes from $185 million provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $175 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and $15 million from the Blue Acres and State Land Acquisition funds within the DEPs Green Acres Program. After a Blue Acres purchase, homes are demolished and the land is permanently preserved as open space for recreation and/or conservation. The goal is to purchase clusters of homes to provide areas that will absorb flood waters and better protect municipalities. The Blue Acres Program has been active in 14 municipalities: Sayreville, South River, Woodbridge, Old Bridge and East Brunswick in Middlesex County; Manville in Somerset County; Pompton Lakes in Passaic County; Newark in Essex County; Rahway and Linden in Union County; Lawrence and Downe in Cumberland County; New Milford in Bergen County; and Ocean in Monmouth County. The program is also conducting preliminary work with local officials to initiate programs in several other coastal communities. The Blue Acres Program complements a wide range of storm-resiliency efforts spearheaded by the DEP, including construction of a statewide system of engineered beaches and dunes, development of protective standards for elevating homes in coastal areas, protecting and improving water and wastewater infrastructure, and assisting local governments with flood mitigation projects. The DEP has also launched a comprehensive study with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers into strategies to reduce flooding from back bays and other coastal waterways. Homeowners interested in selling their homes or who have questions about the buyout program may call the DEPs Blue Acres Program at (609) 984-0500. For more information on the Blue Acres Buyout Program, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/greenacres/blue_flood_ac.html DEP PHOTOS/Top: Blue Acres 500th demolition; Bottom: Post demolition scene, Bay Point ### Mario Batali attends the Food Bank For New York City Can-Do Awards Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, April 20, 2016, in New York.(Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) Ukrainians have crossed the EU member states' border near 11mln times since the entry into force of the visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU, which is by 15% more than in the same period in 2016, according to a press release from the EU Delegation to Ukraine, published on Monday. "Visa free travel boosted the benefits of the free trade area between the EU and Ukraine. Moreover it contributed to the increase of exports from Ukraine to the EU by 29% over the first nine months of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016," the document reads. The EU Delegation said, referring to the State Border Service of Ukraine, that more than 2,5 million Ukrainians have entered the EU using biometric passports. In turn, the press service of the State Border Service informs that for half a year of visa-free regime, 355,000 Ukrainians has taken advantage of the simplified system of crossing the border. "At the same time, more than 128,000 Ukrainians used aviation transport for travel, 227,000 of our compatriots traveled by car and by rail, a small number of citizens travelled through sea checkpoints ... Most of Ukrainians travelled across the border with Poland and Romania - almost 90,000 and 65,000 people respectively. As a whole, a common border with the EU was crossed by 64% of visa-free travelers," the report reads. At the same time, the State Border Guard Service noted that recently there has been a decrease in the number of travelers on a visa-free basis, explaining this by the excitement in the first months of the visa-free operation: if earlier border guards issued an average of 80,000 Ukrainians per month, in November this figure was 32,500 people. "At the same time, the total number of trips by Ukrainian citizens to European countries for the three summer months of 2017 increased by 10% compared to the same three months of 2016," the service said. The State Border Guard Service reminded that, in preparation for the visa-free travel, in particular, 157 border checkpoints were equipped with biometric equipment, including 97 with fingerprint control. At present, the biometric monitoring system, established by the border guards, operates in all aviation, international and interstate border checkpoints at the border with the EU countries. Ukrainian citizens were granted visa-free travel to the European Union countries (except for the United Kingdom and Ireland) as well as to four Schengen states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland on June 11, 2017. Former President Donald Trump is preparing to launch his third campaign for the White House with an announcement Tuesday night. Trump is looking to move on from disappointing midterm defeats and defy history amid signs that his grip on the Republican Party may be waning. The former president had hoped to use the GOP's expected gains in last week's elections as a springboard to win his party's nomination by locking in early support and keeping potential challengers at bay. Instead, Trump now finds himself being blamed for backing a series of losing candidates in last week's midterm elections. A strong cold front powering through eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa today was to touch off strong winds and slightly lower temperatures. The National Weather Service office in Valley issued a wind advisory from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. for eastern, northeast and southeast Nebraska and western, southwest and northwest Iowa. Forecasters said northwest winds of 30 to 35 mph and gusts of 40 to 45 mph to near 50 mph in some locations can be expected from midmorning through the afternoon. In addition to today's wind gusts, the Council Bluffs-Omaha area can expect a slight chance of sprinkles and rain and a high temperature around 45 degrees. Tonight, blustery conditions with north-northwest winds gusting as high as 30 mph are likely. A low in the low to mid-20s is expected. Tuesday and Wednesday should be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the low to upper 40s. Overnight lows will slip into the upper 20s to around 30. The weather service said Thursday through the weekend in the Council Bluffs-Omaha area should be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30s on Thursday to the upper 40s to around 50 on Friday through Sunday. Lows will be in the mid-20s to around 30. No major weather systems coming in this week, said Ryan McPike, a KMTV meteorologist. No snow or ice. Ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister and leader of the People's Front part Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said disgraced ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was working with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian officials in early February 2014 when Crimea was annexed. "Russia's president himself confirmed this in an interview in which he said that on February 20, 2014 he gave the order to the Russian military to illegal seize and annex Ukrainian territory. This plan was executed with the participation of then President Viktor Yanukovych," Yatsenyuk said. Yatsenyuk was appearing in Kyiv's Solomiansky District Court on Monday at a hearing against Yanukovych for state treason. Yatsenyuk said a letter addressed from Yanukovych to Putin dated March 1, 2014 was the result of the agreement between Yanukovych and Putin. The letter was meant to legitimize events transpiring in Crimea. Yatsenyuk said he believes Yanukovych was fully dependent on Russia and personally on Putin based on his behavior as Ukrainian president, including Yanukovych's decision to sign the Kharkiv accords, and later by his refusal to sign the Ukraine-European Union Association agreement, which led to protests in Kyiv. The conclusions of the Venice Commission on the language clause of the Ukrainian education law will help Hungary stop blocking the Euro-Atlantic and European integration aspirations of Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has said. "I really wanted to believe that repeated statements by Hungary that Ukraine should take into account the position and proposals of the Venice Commission should now unblock this opposition to Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic and European integration aspirations," she told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. At the same time, she noted that Hungary "now puts the main emphasis on the fact that Ukraine must reach mutual understanding with the Hungarian national minority." "I am convinced that it is possible to do so if this national minority is an independent player," Klympush-Tsintsadze said. As reported, the Ukrainian law on education came into force on September 28. Among other things, the law stipulates that the state language is a language of learning at educational institutions, but one or several subjects in two or more languages, namely, the state language, English and other European Union official languages can be taught in compliance with the educational program. People, who belong to ethnic minorities, are guaranteed the right for learning in the native language along with the Ukrainian language in separate groups of municipal pre-school and primary school institutions. As reported, on October 27 Hungary blocked holding of a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Commission in December 2017. "Hungary cannot support Ukraine's integration aspirations, so it vetoed the holding of the NATO-Ukraine summit in December," the ministry's press service quoted Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto as saying. The minister recalled that after the Verkhovna Rada passed the bill on education, Hungary promised that its diplomacy will use all the tools available to impede Ukraine's European integration. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sent the education law for examination by the Venice Commission. On December 8, the Ukrainian Education and Science Ministry reported that the Venice Commission had not supported Hungary's accusation of narrowing the rights of national minorities in the article on the language of instruction in Ukraine's law on education. The commission noted that the issues of the content and scope of rights are exclusively within the competence of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, and a number of questions concerning the use of languages should be resolved by special laws. JOIN A WINNING TEAM right here in northwest indiana We have been covering Northwest Indiana for over 100 years and were still growing. We are, by far, the main source of news, information and advertising in the Region and are looking for great people to join out team. Whether youre just starting out or looking for a place to step up,TheTimes has opportunities you need to explore. PAGE DESIGNER TheTimes Media Co., located 20 miles from downtown Chicago, is looking for highly motivated, creative page designers who can bring a new dimension to our brand of local newspapers and magazines. As our design center has expanded, so has our drive to find designers with innovative newspaper and magazine design and illustration skills. Our energetic design staff is working hard to change the perception of designers as merely visual people. We work with the belief that good content drives readership, and we push our staff to be content editors. If you possess the heart of a journalist and an innovative mind, we want you to join our close-knit, talented design team. Our ideal candidates will have experience in design at a newspaper or magazine, understand the fast-paced, newsroom environment, have the ability to manage several tasks simultaneously, and are experienced in information and content design. Candidates also must display a strong instinct for problem solving, a sense of urgency, and a passion for news. Experience with InDesign and Photoshop is preferred. In this position you must be willing to work a varied schedule with night hours. TheTimes Media Co. is one of Lee Enterprises 46 daily newspapers. Lee also publishes 300 weekly newspapers, shoppers and classified and specialty publications. In addition, Lee provides a wide variety of associated online services. EOE Call Center Representative (Part-time 30-39 hrs/wk) We have immediate openings for experienced Customer Service Representatives (CSRs), for our call center operations atTheTimes in our Munster & Crown Point, Indiana locations.TheTimes of Northwest Indiana is part of Lee Enterprises which is a leading provider of local newspapers, information and advertising in primarily midsize markets, with 46 daily newspapers and a joint interest in two others, along with rapidly growing digital products and nearly 300 specialty publications in 21 states which includesTheTimes of Northwest Indiana. Our call center agents are the backbone of our business. When customers call us, our CSRs answer the phone, make connections, answer questions, solve problems, and get people happily on their way as quickly as possible. As a Lee Enterprise Call Center Customer Service Representative, youll handle heavy call volumes daily in our fast paced call center, while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. When you join Lee Enterprises, you will enjoy: Instantly becoming part of our family of diverse people focused on making really good customer experiences happen. Ways to earn more every single month through bonus and incentives. A clear path and the tools you need to progress with more responsibilities and promotions Earning paid time off which includes vacation, sick and personal days, along with paid holidays Eligibility for Medical, Dental, Vision, & Life Insurance, along with a 401K Match! Bring it.Youre qualified if you: Love to help people Have experience performing comfortably in a fast paced, deadline oriented environment. Are proficient with MS Excel, Word & Outlook & have the ability to navigate thru various software programs efficiently Above average typing skills (50+wpm) Have sales ability and experience with inbound/ outbound customer service Learn more or apply online at www.nwi.com/timesjobs. EOE Distribution Assistant Temporary/Seasonal TheTimes is currently looking for part-time Distribution Assistants to work in one of our Distribution Centers, working an average of 35 hours per week.These positions are temporary, seasonal positions that may continue through January 2018. Our centers are located in Valparaiso, Merrillville, and Hammond, IN. Work hours are in the early morning and include holidays and weekends. The work consists of: opening and closing the distribution center stacking bundles on tables assisting with the delivery of newspaper routes other duties assigned by the District Manager Candidates must have a valid drivers license and good driving record, as well as a reliable vehicle and proof of auto insurance. Mileage reimbursement is available if asked to use your vehicle for work purposes. Other requirements include basic computer skills and the ability to lift up to 40 pounds. The starting hourly wage for this position is $12.00/hour. This is an excellent entry level position for a company with a history of promoting from within. TheTimes is a drug-free workplace and all candidates offered a position will be asked to complete a pre-employment drug screen. Interested candidates should apply online at www.nwi.com/timesjobs. Equal Opportunity Employer Multi-Media Sales Executive Outside Sales Base Salary PLUS Un-capped Commissions Join a winning team! We reach more consumers than we ever have before through NWI.com and our award winning print products. Consumer in NW Indiana rely onTheTimes and NWI.com for local news and information that no one else can deliver. Over 75% of all adults in NW Indiana connect with us through our on-line and print products on a weekly basis. We deliver 1.6M unique visitors per month with over 12.6M page views and 8.2M mobile sessions per month! We are looking for Multi-Media Sales professionals who possess the drive and passion to help local business owners increase market share through real time solutions and products that deliver superior results! We offer: Competitive base salary Un-capped commissions On-going incentives and spiffs Mobile phone Mileage reimbursement Benefits including: 401K (matching too), medical, dental, vision, paid vacation and personal time, life insurance, flexible spending accounts Laptop and tools to be successful Our Multi-Media Sales professional manage an existing base of wellestablished accounts along with the responsibility and ability to hunt and develop new accounts... we want HUNTERS. Plus work alongside a team of sales professionals in a competitive market serving 6 counties! You Are: Competitive Driven to be the best Results and goals oriented Mentally tough Possess a strong work ethic Tech savvy High character Want to grow a great career Willing to have fun! Ideal candidates possess: 3 + years of sales experience with a demonstrated track record of success Prospecting & cold calling experience in successfully opening new accounts Excellent communication skills Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high transactional sales environment College degree preferred Valid drivers license, good driving record and access to a reliable vehicle Were willing to train the right candidate! If you bring the heart and desire to succeed we will equip you with the tools and knowledge to be successful! Drug Free Workplace Equal Opportunity Employer APPLY AT NWI.COM/TIMESJOBS MERRILLVILLE As important as it is to be in the classroom learning math, English and computer programming, Andrean High School leaders believe it's also important to learn the importance of giving back to the community. To that end, the Catholic school in Merrillville has created monthly Formation Days. The entire school participates in these events, which usually involve faith and service. For example in September, Andrean students partnered with St. Thomas Episcopal School in Houston, Texas, to offer assistance to flood victims of Hurricane Harvey. The Andrean community raised more than $2,000 in monetary donations, gift cards and school supplies. In December, the theme is Giving Thanks, Giving Back, as it combines the message of Thanksgiving and Advent. Andrean freshmen participated in sessions focusing on their goals as Andrean students. Sophomores were at the Salvatorian Fathers in Merrillville. Juniors were at Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Merrillville with facilitation by the Theology Department and student leaders. Seniors took part in service projects in the community with the option of working with Catholic Charities in Gary, decorating cookies with residents at senior living community St. Anthony Village in Crown Point or doing arts and crafts projects with students at St. Mary School in Crown Point. St. Anthony Village enrichment director Edith Jackson, Executive Director Peter Bolt and Barb Mageral, skilled nursing home administrator, welcomed the students warmly, providing background about the agency and its services. "During the holiday, some of our residents don't have a lot of family and when the community can come in and spread joy to the residents, I think that's great," Jackson said. "We're focusing on joyful living here. When people come in and engage with the residents, it brings joy to the residents and a smile on my face." Andrean math teacher Joe O'Neill said working with seniors will help the teens understand a little more about being thankful for the gifts they have and being thankful for getting up in the morning, going to school and having a meal, then pay it forward. Andrean health teacher Susan Marovich said Formation Days are important because it gives teens an opportunity to get out of the classroom and practice what they learn. "Today is about gratitude. Be thankful for what you have and share that with other people," she said Thursday. St. Anthony Village residents were thrilled students spent the day with them decorating cookies, then later having lunch together. Bunty McDonald, 100, said, "I think this is great. I think it's lovely that the kids came over here." McDonald spent the day with Andrean senior Tessa Boby, who said she really appreciates the opportunity the school gave her to participate in this program. Andrean senior Thomas Schutz bonded with St. Anthony Village resident Rita Zahora, 82, when the two exchanged family information. Zahora told Schutz she grew up in Chicago and remembered the days when Chicago streetcars ran through the city. The teen's grandmother also grew up in the city. Schutz said one benefit of Formation Days is participating in activities outside of the classroom. "Formation Days gives us a chance to get out in the community," he said. "Otherwise, I'd be in calculus." Ane Crespo, an Andrean exchange student who is a senior at San Jose Jesuitak School in Durango, Bitkaua, Spain, said she and her classmates in Spain have worked with younger students, but this is the first time she has assisted at a nursing home. St. Anthony Village resident Lorraine Henshaw, 75, told Andrean senior Adam Kielbasa that her forte is entertaining her fellow residents at Christmas. "I sing at the Christmas party," she said. "I'll be playing Santa. I think it's awesome that the kids are taking the time to come and see us. Christmas is a special time of the year. Christmas is about love, and these kids are showing that they love us." CROWN POINT Lake County Councilman Jamal Washington will remain in jail until after Christmas on new domestic violence charges that threaten his career as a public official for the second time in two years. Washington, 44, of Merrillville, also faces the prospect of a longer period of incarceration if a judge finds he violated the terms of his probation for battering his wife in 2015. Merrillville police arrested him and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter charged him Friday with allegedly battering, confining and threatening a 23-year-old female cousin with a sledgehammer Dec. 5 during a dispute in his Merrillville home. Lake Criminal Court Magistrate Natalie Bakota officially advised Washington on Monday of the five felony and three misdemeanor counts he now faces, court records state. She also advised him the court cannot release him on bail before Dec. 26 to give the court's probation department time to investigate whether Washington violated probation. He then could be released on a $50,000 surety or $5,000 cash bond. The Lake Criminal Court probation office filed a request Monday to revoke Washington's probation and the suspension of his one-year sentence, arising from the 2015 battery on his wife. If granted, a judge could order Washington to serve that time behind bars. Washington is next scheduled to appear Dec. 19 before Lake Criminal Court Judge Diane Boswell, who could rule on the Lake County prosecutor's request for appointment of a special prosecutor and special judge to look into the newly filed charges. Carter said Friday he wants special court officials to avoid any appearance of a conflict between local court officials and Washington and other County Council members who approve public appropriations for the prosecutor and the local courts. Washington told The Times last week he didn't harm Kamaria Buckley, a cousin living in his Merrillville house. Buckley told The Times on Friday she made up the complaint she filed with police last week because she was upset with Washington after they got into a verbal dispute and he ordered her out of his house. It is Times policy not to identify victims of ongoing criminal cases, but Buckley agreed to talk publicly to The Times last weekend. Washington has hired three defense attorneys John Cantrell, Darnail Lyles and Mark Gruenhagen to fight the new charges. Cantrell said Friday the criminal investigation was a complete and total witch hunt. Dan Dernulc, chairman of the Lake County Republican Party and one of Washington's fellow county councilmen, asked Washington to consider resigning from the council in the wake of the allegations. He joins Jim Wieser, the Lake County Democratic Party chairman, who on Friday called upon Washington to resign. Wieser said Monday that Buckley's recent recantation of her complaint against Washington "hasn't changed my opinion one iota." Lake County Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, said Monday the council has no power to remove Washington from his 3rd District council seat, and he doesn't know whether fellow council members want to make a joint statement on Washington. Bilski, who also is president of Teamsters Local 142, expressed concern that Buckley told police last week she was initially reluctant to file a report on Washington out of fear of retaliation, given Washington's position as an elected county official and her job as a dispatcher for the county's E-911 Department. "I'm in opposition to any type of abuse, including intimidation by bosses. I would hope that perpetrators in those scenarios do the right and honorable thing," Bilski said. Buckley reported to Merrillville police Wednesday that Washington attacked her between 4 and 7 p.m. the prior night at their home in the 5600 block of Connecticut Street, according to a probable cause affidavit. She said Washington arrived home at 4 p.m. and began yelling at her for being rude during an earlier phone call, the affidavit states. She said the councilman ordered her out of the house, grabbed her by the throat and threw her to the ground, threatened her with a sledgehammer and refused to allow her to leave the home for two hours, court papers state. Name: Northwest Indiana Medal of Honor recipients Hometowns: Michigan City, East Chicago, Westville, Hammond Known for: Valor More than a century and a half ago, Westville Union Army Chaplain John Whitehead ignored a barrage of Confederate bullets to pull wounded troops from the front lines of one of the Civil Wars eighth bloodiest battle in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. While serving with the U.S. Marines in Vietnam in 1970, East Chicago Lance Cpl. Emilio De La Garza Jr. used his body to absorb an enemy grenade in Vietnam. He died in the process of saving fellow platoon members. They are two of five Northwest Indiana residents to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who distinguished themselves by acts of valor. They were inducted into the South Shore Wall of Legends in 2011 and joined by: Marine Pfc. Daniel Bruce, Michigan City. Bruce was killed while serving in Vietnam. He held a live enemy grenade against his body and tried to carry it away from fellow platoon members, dying in the process. Marine Staff Sgt. William Windrich of Hammond. Windrich died of blood loss from field wounds in 1950 during the Korean War. He was shot multiple times but refused to be evacuated until his men were safely away. Lt. Thomas Graham of Westville, Company 6, 15th Indiana Infantry. Graham was cited for meritorious service at the Civil War's Battle of Missionary Ridge in 1863 in Tennessee for rallying troops after a regimental flag bearer fell in battle. He planted it in enemy breastworks and exposed himself to enemy gunfire to rally his troops. MERRILLVILLE There's a new method being used to promote awareness of local water quality, and it's appealing to the eyes. The latest in the South Shore Poster series was unveiled last week at the Merrillville Stormwater Resource Center, and the painting created by artist Mitch Markovitz depicts a waterway traveling through the Region and heading into Lake Michigan. The artwork also shows water puddling on a road following rain, and the waterway being used for recreation. Water is a vital part of our lives, said Matt Lake, executive director of Merrillville's Stormwater Utility. Lake also is part of the Northwest Indiana Stormwater Advisory Group, which came up with the idea for the poster. He said the title of the artwork, Clean and Clear, is perfect because it represents what we want in our waterways. Lake said what people do on land ends up in local waterways before heading into Lake Michigan. NISWAG, a coalition of Stormwater entities from Lake and Porter counties, discussed the possibility of commissioning the artwork for years. They're popular, Lake said of the South Shore Poster series. He is pleased with the outcome of the project, which many view as a unique way to increase awareness of stormwater management. As part of the process of creating the poster, NISWAG members met with Markovitz to discuss the concept for the artwork. Markovitz said he enjoyed working with them on the project. Many of the municipalities that are involved in NISWAG, other local government entities, engineering companies and other groups contributed to funding the $11,000 poster project, Lake said. All involved have the rights to sell reproductions of the paintings. They also can use the artwork on cards, promotional items and for other purposes. This is an educational tool, said Reggie Korthals, of Butler, Fairman & Seufert, an engineering company that participated in the poster project. Korthals said stormwater directors from local municipalities can take reproductions of the painting to schools to help teach students about water quality and quantity issues. VALPARAISO Anyone interested in filling the seat of Valparaiso City Councilman John Bowker has until 4:30 p.m. today to file paperwork. Bowker announced earlier this month he intends to resign from his 5th District seat on the City Council at the end of the year, citing work responsibilities, and the addition of a grandchild, as preventing him from fulling committing to the council. Bowker has served 13 years on the council. Michael Simpson, chairman of the Porter County Republican Party, said as of Friday afternoon, one person, lifelong Valparaiso resident George Douglas, has completed the necessary paperwork to be considered to be Bowker's replacement. A caucus of precinct committee people from the 5th District will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Porter County Administration Center, 155 Indiana Ave. Simpson said a couple of other people have picked up paperwork, but have not turned it back in. Anyone interested must pick up the paperwork and return it by 4:30 p.m. today at the Porter County Voter's Registration office in the county administration building. Michigan City's ongoing efforts to require carbon monoxide detectors in residential properties was met with opposition early last month from the Indiana Apartment Association. The group objected to the city's attempts to go it alone with its requirements for detectors in multifamily buildings, such as apartments and nursing homes. "IAA and its members continues to believe it is best to have statewide codes, especially when thinking that every local community could instead review and adopt their own codes which would create inconsistency throughout the state," the group said in a Nov. 2 letter to the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission. The commission signs off on local carbon monoxide ordinances. IAA President Lynne Petersen said Friday that reference to carbon monoxide detectors was intentionally removed from the commercial building code during the last statewide update in 2014. The multifamily reference has since been removed from Michigan City's ordinance as well, but final approval of the proposal continues to be held up by the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission. The commission unanimously voted Tuesday to reject the city's proposed ordinance, after having tabled it earlier. A proposal from Chesterton had been rejected Oct. 3. Others seeking approval are Porter and St. Joseph counties. All of the proposals would require carbon monoxide detectors in new home construction, with St. Joseph County adding existing rentals, nursing homes and hotels/motels. LaPorte is the only community in the state to win approval thus far, yet had to make three attempts, according to Dot Kesling, founder of the Lindsey O'Brien Kesling Wishing Tree Foundation that advocates for carbon monoxide poisoning awareness. Indiana is one of just four states without a statewide requirement for carbon monoxide detectors, she has said. Petersen said she would have to see a statewide proposal for carbon monoxide detectors before she was able to say what stand her organization would take. There are several variables that need to be considered, she said, such as the required locations, number and decibels of the detectors. Her group argued last month that the Michigan City proposal lacked the protections for property owners found in the requirements for smoke detectors. Renters need to sign off that smoke detectors are working when they move in, and it is up to them to maintain the equipment. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas emitted from furnaces, gas water heaters, stoves, fireplaces and exhaust from automobiles, generators and other gasoline-powered engines, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Michigan City Fire Marshal Kyle Kazmierczak last week said he was extremely frustrated by the commission, which he described as "inept" since it primarily is made up of building and construction industry representatives and includes only two firefighters. "Until there's parity there these ordinances will never be enacted," Kazmierczak said. "What they're doing, in my opinion, is trying to draw it out as long as possible so we just go away." The goal is to make sure our first responders have the resources and training necessary to be prepared to respond to calls and come to our assistance on, what would likely be, one of our worst days, said Celina Weatherwax, president of The McMillan Family Foundation Inc. Through a combination of classroom and practical, hands-on application, the MAAC Training campus will provide advanced levels of critical thinking and functioning in response to an emergency. Yatsenyuk says in Feb 2014 he twice spoke over phone with Medvedev upon initiative of Russian side Ex-premier of Ukraine, leader of the People's Front party, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, has said that in February 2014 he had two talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on the initiative of the Russian side; in his opinion, these conversations indicate that Russia then recognized the legitimacy of the change of power in Ukraine and the new government. "I had two talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, during which I told him that Russia should return its troops to the places of permanent deployment, stop violating international law, and if there are any questions about our bilateral relations, we are ready to discuss," he said, giving testimony in the Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv on the case of the former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. Yatsenyuk said that these conversations were held on the initiative of the Russian side, while calling these phone calls "strange", because Medvedev wanted to discuss issues relating to economic relations between the two countries, although already at that time, as the former Ukrainian PM noted, Russia carried out aggression in Crimea. He believes that by these calls Russia leveled its statements about the unconstitutional change of power in Ukraine in February 2014, and recognized the new Ukrainian government, which was headed by Yatsenyuk then. Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted the week of Nov. 24 to 30. Look for this roll call report by Targeted News Service (with a week delay) regularly in Sunday Forum. HOUSE VOTES: MINNESOTA LAND EXCHANGE: The House has passed the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act (H.R. 3115), sponsored by Rep. Richard M. Nolan, D-Minn. The bill would exchange about 6,550 acres of the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota for a slightly larger amount of nearby land held by PolyMet Mining, with the exchanged land to be used to open a sulfide-ore copper and nickel mine. The vote, on Nov. 28, was 309 yeas to 99 nays. YEAS: Rokita R-4th, Walorski R-2nd, Visclosky D-1st MINNESOTA MINING LEASES: The House has passed the Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act (H.R. 3905), sponsored by Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn. The bill would authorize the issuance and renewal of leases to mine mineral deposits in federal forest lands. Emmer said the bill, by reversing a January Obama administration move to withdraw mining leases on the forest lands, would reopen the lands for supplying "strategically important metals and minerals which are used by Americans every day." An opponent, Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., said automatically granting the leases would deprive Minnesota's national forests of the environmental protections that forests in every other state have. The vote, on Nov. 30, was 216 yeas to 204 nays. YEAS: Rokita R-4th, Walorski R-2nd NAYS: Visclosky D-1st FEDERAL EMPLOYEE STATUS: The House has passed the Ensuring a Qualified Civil Service Act (H.R. 4182), sponsored by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. The bill would change the probationary period for new employees in the federal government's Civil Service from one year to two years. Comer said the longer wait for new employees to achieve full, permanent employment status would give supervisors "ample time to evaluate new hires." A bill opponent, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said a two-year period would discourage people from joining the Civil Service and weaken the rights of new federal employees. The vote, on Nov. 30, was 213 yeas to 204 nays. YEAS: Rokita R-4th, Walorski R-2nd NAYS: Visclosky D-1st BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT: The House has passed the Brownfields Enhancement, Economic Redevelopment, and Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3017), sponsored by Rep. David B. McKinley, R-W.Va. The bill would reauthorize through 2021 and modify the Environmental Protection Agency's grants program for rehabilitating and redeveloping brownfield industrial sites. The vote, on Nov. 30, was 409 yeas to 8 nays. YEAS: Rokita R-4th, Walorski R-2nd, Visclosky D-1st The House also passed the 21st Century Respect Act (H.R. 995), to direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to amend regulations for racial appropriateness; and a bill (H. Res. 630), requiring each member, officer, and employee of the House of Representatives to complete a program of training in workplace rights and responsibilities each session of each Congress. SENATE VOTES: D.C. DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Dabney Langhorne Friedrich to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., cited Friedrich as having a commitment to the law, shown by her "wealth of experience" as an assistant U.S. attorney in Virginia and California, and as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. The vote, on Nov. 27, was 97 yeas to 3 nays. YEAS: Young R-IN, Donnelly D-IN APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Gregory G. Katsas to serve as a judge on the U.S. Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Katsas had extensive experience with appeals litigation, both as a private practice lawyer and as a Justice Department official, and substantial praise from his colleagues. An opponent, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Katsas's service in the Trump administration and work on some of its most legally dubious executive orders cast doubt on his independence if he were to serve on the appeals court. The vote, on Nov. 28, was 50 yeas to 48 nays. YEAS: Young R-IN NAYS: Donnelly D-IN JOBS TAX CREDIT: The Senate has rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, that would have recommitted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions for the committee to add language to provide a tax credit for companies that create domestic jobs that meet standards for pay and benefits. Brown said the tax code should reward companies that manufacture goods domestically rather than in foreign countries. The vote, on Nov. 30, was 48 yeas to 52 nays. NAYS: Young R-IN YEAS: Donnelly D-IN CORPORATE TAX RATE: The Senate has rejected a motion sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., that would have recommitted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions for the committee to add language to re-establish a 35 percent corporate tax rate in 2020 if real average household wages have not increased by at least $4,000 from current levels. Stabenow said the motion "simply makes sure the American people get the raise the Trump administration is promising them" by passing a tax reform bill. An opponent, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said making a corporate tax rate cut permanent was needed to spur corporations to repatriate money now held in countries with lower tax rates and use that money to grow a stronger domestic economy. The vote, on Nov. 30, was 45 yeas to 55 nays. NAYS: Young R-IN, Donnelly D-IN Along with roll call votes this week, the Senate also passed the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Consolidation Act (H.R. 228), to facilitate the ability of Indian tribes to integrate the employment, training, and related services from diverse federal sources; the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act (S. 254), to provide flexibility and reauthorization to ensure the survival and continuing vitality of Native American languages; the John P. Smith Act (S. 302), to enhance tribal road safety; and the RESPECT Act (S. 343), to repeal certain obsolete laws relating to Indians. Have you participated yet in the 2017 Northwest Indiana CPR training challenge? If not, theres still time. The challenge seeks to provide 5,000 Northwest Indiana residents with knowledge to save lives. The great news is were closing in on 5,000, with just a few hundred to go. And you can be part of this by watching an American Heart Association-produced video that offers instructional training tips that you need. That video is attached to this column at nwi.com; its also being shared on all of The Times Media Co.s social media channels. Chances are youll see it posted, and we hope you take time to view it. This training challenge began as a partnership between the American Heart Association and The Times. It was announced Jan. 1, and weve been encouraging readers to attend free training sessions all year. To date, 4,300 Region residents have received training. With the holidays upon us, there are no more sessions this year. But the video offers a way to pick up and practice the skills and join this important challenge. Why start this challenge in the first place? Its simple and critical. Only 7 percent of the general public knows how to perform CPR, according to the Heart Association. "Under 10 percent of cardiac arrest victims survive, and bystander CPR can more than double one's chance of survival, said Diane Kemp, executive director of Northwest Indianas branch of the American Heart Association. We can make the Region a safer place to live and work by increasing knowledge of the lifesaving steps of CPR." In addition to holding public training sessions, Kemp can arrange workplace training sessions. This year she worked with Lisa Vosburg, human resources generalist at The Times, to offer training for our employees in our Munster, Crown Point and Valparaiso offices. "If an emergency occurs during the workday, our employees are our first responders. Employees trained to respond to a medical emergency can make all the difference in saving lives, Vosburg said. In the past few months, our employees here at The Times Media Co. took the time to learn lifesaving steps of CPR. We are prepared to save the precious lives of our co-workers." To learn more about workplace training programs, simply contact Kemp at dianekemp@heart.org using corporate training in the subject line or call 219-966-4958. Legends South Shore Legends are a gem of the Region, and today youll read about the two newest Legends and all of the rest. Dean White and Quentin Smith will be inducted at the annual Legends ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond. Read about them and other Legends throughout the paper today. This marks the first time The Times has featured all of the Legends in a #RegionProud presentation. Shortly after I moved to the Region, I attended a Legends ceremony. I marveled that night and continue to marvel at the talent and achievement of this group. South Shore Legends has been in existence since 2004, and its clearly still going strong. When at the Welcome Center, look over closely at the impressive Wall of Legends. Thanks for reading us. Please contact me with any questions about The Times or our many publications. The NYCEDC report, released with NYU Steinhardt and StartEd Inc, provides the most recent insights on the multi-billion dollar education technology sector. Among other findings, the analysis found that edtech companies based in NYC offer increasingly high pay, have the most job opportunities, and were the subject of more business acquisitions than any other location including Silicon Valley, Boston, Los Angeles, and DC since 2000. New York City-based EdTech firms have also received $1 billion in venture capital investment between 2008 and 2017, making up 12.5 percent of venture capital investment in EdTech across the country. According to the analysis: Wages in Edtech continue to rise. Average wages in corporate training and computer training, two subsectors of EdTech, are $94,898. Total wages paid across these two sectors rose 63 percent since 2012. New York City has the most EdTech job demand of any major city in the U.S., with 105 positions open since the beginning of this year. Forty-seven New York City EdTech companies have been acquired since 2000, the most of any city in the country. San Francisco/Silicon Valley had the second-most acquisitions in that time with 29. Boston had 20, Los Angeles six. New York City-based firms received $1 billion in venture capital funding between 2008 and 2017. EdTech companies nationwide received $8.1 billion in investment during the same time period. New York City is an increasingly visible and ideal location for education innovation because the city and its neighbors are home to the most significant learning infrastructure in the world including 55 public and private colleges and universities, 2,666 K-12 schools and nearly two million students, in additional to major publishers and growing general technology and venture capital sectors. Another important part of the City's role as an EdTech leader is NY EDTECH WEEK the industrys global meeting point focusing on how entrepreneurship and edtech drive advancements in education and learning. New York City is the leading edtech innovation ecosystem because there is unprecedented support, investment and resources here, said Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, who will be presenting during NY EDTECH WEEK. We are delighted to continue to have NY EDTECH WEEK as an important partner in growing the edtech sector here and around the world because of the attention it brings to the businesses, ideas and our community. The 2017 NY EDTECH WEEK festival will expand on past successful events and bring together hundreds of technology innovators, early-stage investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, media representatives, researchers, and educators to foster new partnerships and exchange best practices for the tech-powered future of education. Were developing a highly-skilled, highly-motivated army of edtech entrepreneurs in New York, the national center of education innovation, said Jonathan D. Harber of StartEd. Its the perfect place to bring people, organizations and resources together to improve the opportunities and outcomes in the global education community -- thats what NY EDTECH WEEK is all about. Highlights of 2017 NY Edtech Week include presentations on education and talent technology from K-12 to higher education, the future of work, global education trends as well as: StartEd Talks including: Alicia Glen, Deputy Mayor of New York City Deputy Mayor of New York City Eva Moskowitz, CEO and Founder of Success Academy CEO and Founder of Success Academy David Coleman , President and CEO of College Board , President and CEO of College Board Jeff Rosen, President & CEO of National Constitution Center President & CEO of National Constitution Center Johnny C. Taylor Jr , President & CEO of Society for Human Resource Management , President & CEO of Society for Human Resource Management Olga and Michael Block , Co-founders of Basis Curriculum Schools , Co-founders of Basis Curriculum Schools Eric Gertler, Co-Chairman & CEO of U.S. News & World Report and Ulysses Ventures Co-Chairman & CEO of U.S. News & World Report and Ulysses Ventures Think Tanks in early learning, K12, higher ed and corporate learning with industry thought-leaders including esteemed members of the media, entrepreneurs, policy makers, researchers faculty and educators. in early learning, K12, higher ed and corporate learning with industry thought-leaders including esteemed members of the media, entrepreneurs, policy makers, researchers faculty and educators. Shark Tank style pitches from the hottest global startups representing the most exciting innovations today style pitches from the hottest global startups representing the most exciting innovations today Master Classes led by faculty and PD accredited led by faculty and PD accredited Open Lab intimate and interacitve visits to iconic and innovative New York education and cultural institutions intimate and interacitve visits to iconic and innovative New York education and cultural institutions Gallery of Innovation showcase and 1:1 networking with the hottest edtech startups from around the globe showcase and 1:1 networking with the hottest edtech startups from around the globe Broadway performances, and more! In addition to its role as an innovation festival, NY EDTECH WEEK is also the culminating event for the NYU Steinhardt Edtech Accelerator powered by StartEd, an intensive three-month, mentor-led bootcamp program dedicated to education entrepreneurship and designed to help edtech entrepreneurs grow their companies. During the conference, participating startups from NYU-StartEd will be joined by other startups from around the world to present in front of a network of angel and venture capital education investors. "We're excited to host NY EDTECH WEEK again this year and bring together some of the worlds best technology and education thought leaders working to improve and re-think how students learn and how we educate them," said Dominic Brewer, the Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of NYU Steinhardt. NYU Steinhardt is at the intersection of education, technology, and entrepreneurship and we will continue to support the growing edtech industry in our home of New York City. NY Edtech Week is sponsored and presented in collaboration with Rethink Education, East Wind Advisors, Strada, Wiley and other sponsors. For more information about NY EDTECH WEEK, or to attend, please visit: www.nyedtechweek.com. For more information about the NYCEDC EdTech analysis that will be released during NY EDTECH WEEK, please contact, Alicia Powers, SVP of Reaserch of the NYCEDC at apowers@edc.nyc. About StartEd Companies: By galvanizing an eco-system of education innovation in New York City, StartEd aims to develop edtech entrepreneurs to tackle the world's greatest education problems. StartEd runs edtech accelerators, 3-month intensive bootcamps for early stage edtech companies, co-working communities for the edtech community, courses on edtech entrepreneurship and the NY EDTECH WEEK festival. For more information on StartEd Accelerator, please visit: http://www.startedaccelerator.com or follow us on Twitter @startedaccel About the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development: Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, NYUs Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development prepares students for careers in the arts, education, health, media, and psychology. Since its founding in 1890, the Steinhardt School's mission has been to expand human capacity through public service, global collaboration, research, scholarship, and practice. To learn more about NYU Steinhardt, visit steinhardt.nyu.edu. On the surface, One Bike Coffee might look like any other coffee shop. Located at Hamilton Place on Moores Mill Road, it's filled with students on their laptops or poring over textbooks. Baristas churn out espresso drinks and deliver hot paninis and baked goods to customers. A basket of reading material sits in a nook with a coffee table and couch. But beneath the coffee shop scene, One Bike owners Jack and Amy Fisher are doing so much more than running a business. Our mission is very simple. Its to provide a great product in a welcoming environment, Jack Fisher said. But our purpose is greater than that. Our purpose is to give back to the community and support people with MS. The Fishers designate the greater of 50 percent of the shops profits, or 2 percent of sales, each month for their One Bike Foundation. The ultimate goal of the 501c(3) is to provide bicycles for Alabamians who have multiple sclerosis. We wont just buy somebody a bike, Amy Fisher said. Well get them shoes and a helmet, so that they have everything they need. We want them to have a good bike, because we want it to last and be something they enjoy. The cost for providing a bicycle and equipment for each person will average between $1,500 and $2,000, she added. Danny and Amanda James at James Bros. Bikes agreed last week to partner with the Fishers in providing the bicycles to applicants. James Bros. has locations in Opelika and Auburn. 100 percent Its not just two-wheeled bikes, said Jack Fisher, who competes in Iron Man races and was diagnosed with MS three years ago. For some people with MS, balance is an issue. If they have to get a recumbent bike or a three-wheeled bike, thats what well do. One Bikes goal is to first provide a bike for every Lee County resident with MS, then to expand that service throughout the state. While half of the business profits are earmarked for the One Bike Foundation, the other 50 percent of profits goes to a different local ministry or nonprofit each month. We want to give 100 percent of our profit back to the community, Jack Fisher said. After meeting a group of friends in Texas who give bicycles to people with MS in the Lone Star State, the Fishers wanted to do something similar in Alabama, but didnt know how to start. We were just trying to figure out how to do this, Amy Fisher said. We had kind of talked about, Should we do a barbecue like they do? What can we do? The heart of the county This past summer, a door opened - a coffee shop door. We know the couple who owned the coffee shop that was here before, Toomers, Jack Fisher said. They go to church with us. We knew they were in the process of opening Ross House Coffee, so we had a conversation and I said, What would it look like if we were to buy it from you? So we talked about it and talked to the kids, and decided we wanted to take this plunge as a family. Three of the Fishers five children are baristas at the coffee shop. I think because of the heart of the community here, everybodys very friendly and want to help other people, Amy Fisher said. We had one man who just walked in, gave us $20, and said, Put this in the bike fund. Its encouraging for us. We know to do the mission well is what will drive the funding for what were trying to do, as well as the heart of the people in the Lee County area who say, Thats something I would like to be a part of or give to.' The 2018 Golden Globe nominations were dominated by expected names like HBO's "Big Little Lies," FX's "Feud: Bette and Joan" and Guillermo del Toro's film "The Shape of Water." But like every year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has thrown some curveballs our way. These are the biggest snubs and surprises: Film snubs "Get Out" was left out of both the best screenplay and best director categories, though it did land a nod for best comedy film. Jordan Peele's buzzed-about directorial debut had already generated some Golden Globe controversy after it was announced the satirical horror film would compete as a comedy. Given the film's incisive commentary on racism, many felt the film was worthy of recognition beyond that (or perhaps any existing) genre. "'Get Out' is a documentary," the director declared in a wry tweet last month. The film is still a strong contender for best screenplay at the Academy Awards, which offer ten nominations slots (across two categories, adapted and original) instead of five. Greta Gerwig was also left off the best director list, though her acclaimed dramedy "Lady Bird" did make the cut for best comedy film and her screenplay. Gerwig and Peele would have added some excitement to the best director category, which has historically been dominated by white men. Barbra Streisand is the only woman to have won best director at the ceremony, which celebrates its 75th anniversary next year. No black director has ever taken home the honor, though Ava DuVernay ("Selma") and Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") have been nominated in recent years. Kumail Nanjiani's well-reviewed romantic comedy "The Big Sick" earned zero nominations. "Netflix's "Mudbound," which topped Post critic Ann Hornaday's best movies of 2017 list, was shut out of the best picture category, though Mary J. Blige did land a best supporting actress nod. Perhaps the HFPA isn't quite ready to recognize films produced by streaming networks? If you loved this summer's box-office smash "Girl's Trip," you'll probably agree that breakout star Tiffany Haddish was snubbed from the best supporting actress category, though the list heavily favors dramas. Film surprises Ridley Scott's "All the Money in the World" earned three nominations, including one for best director. The drama, about the 1973 kidnapping of 16-year-old J. Paul Getty III, originally starred Kevin Spacey as billionaire oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. Last month, Spacey was removed from the project following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Veteran actor Christopher Plummer took on the elder Getty role and, despite having reshot scenes in the span of a month, landed a best supporting actor nomination. "The Boss Baby," which featured Alec Baldwin voicing a petulant, infant businessman, was a surprise nomination in the best animated feature film category, which overlooked one of this year's critical darlings, "The Lego Batman Movie." TV snubs Amazon's "Transparent" and HBO's "Veep" were noticeably absent from the top categories this year. "Transparent" accolades certainly would have been tricky to navigate in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against actor Jeffrey Tambor. The actor appeared to announce his departure from the show last month, but the New York Times reported last week that Tambor may return to the dramedy after all. "Veep" has long been a HFPA favorite, but was edged out this year by two surprising newcomers ... . TV surprises "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" earned a nod for best TV comedy, as well as a best actress nomination for Rachel Brosnahan. Amazon's delightful new comedy - about a housewife-turned-aspiring comedian in 1950's New York - has been getting favorable reviews, but it's still surprising to see it here since the show has been streaming for less than two weeks. Showtime's "SMILF" also landed in the best TV comedy category, with creator-writer-director Frankie Shaw earning a best actress nod. Jessica Biel, who led USA's suspenseful limited series "The Sinner," earned a best actress nod, putting her up against "Big Little Lies" stars Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, as well as "Feud's" Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange. The show also got a best limited series nod. It's also pretty shocking to see newcomer Katherine Langford, the star of Netflix's "13 Reasons Why," in the best actress category alongside prestigious drama stars including Elisabeth Moss ("The Handmaid's Tale") and "The Crown's" Claire Foy. "13 Reasons Why" certainly got people talking earlier this year, but the drama was controversial because of its graphic depiction of suicide. It seems that these days people will go to any lengths for some attention on social media. Take YouTube, for example: it abounds in clips that will certainly make you go Wow! but also question the sanity of the uploaders. One guy enjoying his 15 minutes of fame right now is 22-year-old Jay Swingler from the UK, who made headlines for cementing his head inside a microwave oven for some YouTube views. In hindsight, it looks funny and Jay certainly got the attention he craves. However, it may have gone horribly wrong: his friends couldnt free him for an hour and a half, and emergency services had to be called. As relieved as Jay was to be rescued, he is absolutely unrepentant, saying the whole thing is hilarious and he is thrilled with the attention his video has garnered. Photo: YouTube screengrab The project was carried out in a garage in Wolverhampton and filmed for TGFBro the YouTube channel where Jay uploads his prankster videos. He wrapped his head in a plastic bag and stuck it in the microwave oven, while the friends assisting him filled it up with seven bags of Polyfilla, a spackling paste used to fill cracks. The microwave was supposed to serve as a mold but things got hairy and Jays friends spent 90 minutes in attempts to free him. The celebrity prankster was able to breathe through an air tube his pals managed to insert into the microwave, but the expanding Polyfilla made it increasingly harder for the air to get through. The ambulance crew they called was unable to free Jay and they summoned the fire brigade. When the firefighters arrived, it took another hour before Jay was finally freed. Watch Commander Shaun Dakin, who runs the West Midlands Fire Service crew dispatched to the scene, said that the prank could have ended in suffocation or serious injury. It turned out to be quite a tricky rescue operation. Photo: YouTube screengrab As funny as this sounds, this young man could quite easily have suffocated or have been seriously injured. Taking the microwave apart was tricky, because a lot of it was welded. We video-called our technical rescue colleagues for advice and eventually managed to get him unstuckIt took us nearly an hour to free him, Dakin said. Jay was criticized for wasting the time of the emergency services and possibly preventing them from responding to the call of somebody whose life was in genuine danger. However, the prankster doesnt think he owes any apologies. I dont care, what about people who drink and drive? What about people who start fights on the street of the night? Is that not wasting police time as well? And in fact I wasnt wasting their time, they saved my life, he said. Photo: YouTube screengrab Despite lambasting his critics, Jay did express gratitude to the people who rescued him. I appreciate every effort you went to to free me from that thing, you dont know how grateful I am. I was so scared, you comforted me, you made me feel so much less stressed. You guys are awesome at your job, and so were the paramedics. I appreciate you guys a lot. Jay is absolutely thrilled with the attention hes been getting and doesnt think he should be apologizing to anyone. I couldnt give a f-, I dont care about defending myself. I think this s**ts hilarious, man. This s**t is jokes, like. I had a damn microwave stuck to my head. Do you know how many people are going to remember that in comparison to that news article that said man stole toy from a shop, gets a fine? Im pretty sure this storys more interesting than your everyday read on another website, which is why youre all clicking it and reacting so much, because its so f**king bizarre. Literally every news publication has covered this, like your mum covers her acne with concealer, the YouTuber said in the first video released since the prank. Alls well that ends well and things have wrapped up neatly for Jay, who wont have to cover the cost of his rescue. The hour spent on extracting his head from the microwave cost 650 pounds ($870), but the fire brigade wont be sending him the bill because his life was at risk. If you still have any doubts that mobile devices have taken over our lives, this should make you a firm believer: smartphones and QR codes have become tools of the trade for Chinese beggars. If youre feeling generous, you can simply whip out your phone, scan a a printed QR code and transfer some money to the beggars account. Local media have spread news of mobile-savvy beggars in the city of Jinan, in Chinas Shandong province. They gather in areas popular with tourists, holding begging bowls that contain a QR code printout. Anyone with Alipay, WeChat Wallet, or some other mobile payment app can scan the code and make a donation. Wait, beggars in China have mobile phones? Well, according to state media outlets, thats not actually a rare thing. One of the beggars who caught the medias attention was reportedly a man with mental problems and the QR code he had was made by his family to help him. However, it appears that QR code begging serves other purposes besides generating income for people down on their luck. According to digital marketing company China Channel, many beggars in Beijing receive payment from local businesses for every QR code scanned by passers-by. The enterprises use these scans to collect peoples data from WeChat profiles, then sell the IDs for quite a pretty penny to small businesses. The latter use the information to bombard the users with unsolicited in-app advertisements. Since passers-by dont actually have to give any money, they are not all that difficult to persuade. However, the beggars get paid for their efforts: each QR code scan pays between 0.7 and 1.5 yuan ($0.10 to $0.22). A 45-hour working week nets a monthly average of 4,536 yuan ($685), which is quite decent given what Chinese workers in minimum wage jobs get. Photo: Twitter The whole thing may sound weird to foreigners, but it must be noted that China is perhaps the country closest to a cashless economy and QR codes are the reason for that. The black-and-white, two-dimensional barcodes are used in all sorts of ways: from payment in shops to tips in restaurants and cash gifts at weddings. In fact, mobile payments in China exceed 50 times the volume for the US, where the 2016 tally was $112 billion. According to consumer behavior researcher Chen Yiwen, China is on the verge of acodeconomy. China has started the transition to a cash-free economy faster than anyone could have imagined, largely because of the viral spread of two-dimensional barcode. It creates a new economy based on scannable codes. Interestingly, Western beggars are not that far behind their Chinese peers, when it comes to mobile payments. A few years ago, professional beggar Damien Preston-Booth made headlines for using a mobile card reader and accepting donations via credit card. Fraser Seitel Harvey Weinstein, although apparently beloved by his dear departed mommy, is nonetheless a pathetic, pitiless pig likely headed to the slammer. So, too, Matt Lauer has always been a holier-than thou phony baloney and John Conyers a race-baiting reprobate. And all the other sleaze balls swept up in the nations sexual-harassment tidal wave Kevin Spacey, Mark Halperin, Harold Ford, Glenn Thrush, Al Franken, Bill OReilly, Roger Ailes, et al are similarly lost causes. Even poor, old Charlie Rose for goddsakes! The fact is, no amount of public relations assistance can help any of them. Their reputations not to mention their job prospects are toast, bludgeoned by a guilty until proven innocent phenomenon that continues to take down high-flying swells at warp speed. And any public relations counselor tempted to take the money and work for one of these lowlifes are you listening Michael Sitrick? risks ruining his own reputation in the process. That, in fact, is exactly what happened when Gloria Allreds daughter Lisa Bloom, erstwhile defender of the sexually harassed, suddenly reversed field and signed up to work for Weinstein. (It didnt end well.) But what about Garrison Keillor? What if the homespun NPR "A Prairie Home Companion" creator is telling the truth? Why cant public relations help him recover his good name? The Keillor case seems different and more suspect than any of the others. Directly on the heels of the loutish Lauer revelations, Minnesota Public Radio sheepishly announced that it was cutting ties with its most prominent not to mention, only superstar due to allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior by someone who worked with Keillor. MPR further announced without a trace of irony that in addition to firing Mr. Keillor, it had also hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegations. How reassuring. Unlike the panoply of perverts to which his name was instantly added, Mr. Keillor didnt hide from the embarrassing news but rather responded immediately, lamenting to the Associated Press that the real story was more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard. And then, eschewing the standard crisis communications advice to keep ones mouth shut, he elaborated to the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the firing stemmed from his once touching a co-workers bare skin. I meant to pat her back after she told me about her unhappiness and her shirt was open and my hand went up it about six inches, he said. She recoiled. I apologized. I sent her an email of apology later, and she replied that she had forgiven me and not to think about it. We were friends. We continued to be friendly right up until her lawyer called. And that, according to Mr. Keillor, was the rest of the story. All of it. How quaint. An accused and therefore, summarily fired sexual harasser refusing to hide behind handlers or silence and instead speaking out, simply and matter-of-factly in his own defense. In response to its former stars explanation, an obviously uncomfortable MPR cryptically told the AP that it had received a formal complaint from an individual that includes multiple allegations related to Garrisons behavior. And there the matter rests, with Garrison Keillor, rightly or wrongly, lumped in by a lazy media with all the degenerates picked off in the sexual harassment rush to judgment. So, what can the beloved, down-home humorist do to escape the stigma of sexual harasser? Heres what Id tell him. First and most important, you have to be telling the truth that there was one incident with one co-worker. If thats not the whole truth, then just as Judge Moores accuser faked the year book inscription, youll be found out and your case will be lost. Second, write an op-ed for The New York Times that lays out the whole story and discusses the fundamental unfairness of what has become at least in your case a mad dash to find celebrity fall guys to fit a salacious narrative. Ironically, Mr. Keillor wrote an op-ed in defense of Franken for the Washington Post Syndicate (from which he was also fired) just a few days before his own downfall. Third (even though youll hate it), follow the Times op-ed with a sit down TV interview that allows you to explore what happened in an objective and fair-minded context. That means choosing an old-school interviewer, more interested in getting to what really happened than imposing his own brilliance on the viewers; somebody like Shepard Smith at Fox News. This simple public relations action plan might be all Garrison Keillor needs to right his reputational ship. Will he take this path? Probably not. Mr. Keillor, as he demonstrated weekly for nearly five decades on the radio, is, at base, a stoic Norwegian, resigned to accepting whatever fate befalls him without putting up much of a fuss. As he wistfully told a reporter for the Berkshire Eagle, "Ive worked extremely hard on a show that I love for almost 50 years, and somebody else can torch it in one morning, and so its all gone." Maybe not, if hes willing to try a little strategic PR to help people see the light. *** Fraser P. Seitel has been a communications consultant, author and teacher for 40 years. He may be reached directly at [email protected]. He is the author of the Prentice-Hall text The Practice of Public Relations, now in its eleventh edition, and co-author of Rethinking Reputation and Idea Wise. Feargal Purcell Feargal Purcell, who worked six years as press secretary for Irelands former taoiseach Edna Kenny, has joined Edelman as public affairs director. In that capacity, he coordinated and managed all government communications and was the top PA advisor to Kenny. Purcell agreed in June to work for new prime minister Leo Varadkar through a transition period that ran through Oct. 31. Prior to joining Kenny, Purcell spent two years as deputy director of communications for the Fine Gael political party and then head of its press office. He also served as an officer in the Ireland Defense Forces for 18 years, and played leadership roles with peacekeeping units in Lebanon and Bosnia. Joe Carmody, managing director of Edleman Ireland, praised Purcell as a respected political and communications strategist, who has experience operating at the highest level of Irelands government. Presidential Conference Introductory Remarks by Angel Gurria OECD Secretary-General Paris, France, 11 December 2017 (As prepared for delivery) Dear President, Minister Videgaray, Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Ambassadors, Directors, dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a great pleasure to welcome the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, to the OECD. We are so proud to see him joining the rest of the leaders, who along with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, are clearly committed to deliver on our 2015 Climate Agreement. Mexico has been a leader in the fight against climate change since the COP16 in Cancun, and they put words into action. Just this week, they will announce that they will join the OECD Paris Collaborative on Green Budgeting, one of the deliverables that the OECD will present to the world. Thank you Mister President. Adding your voice makes a great difference. President Pena Nieto has shown a great resolve to change Mexico and has put together the most ambitious reform package that any OECD country has built in recent times; he forged the necessary political consensus to do so through an unprecedented Pacto por Mexico, and then promoted passage of those reforms in Congress and started implementing them. The reform package addressed policy areas that had been waiting for changes for decades. These efforts faced strong headwinds, as vested interests defended the status quo. But he persevered. I want to thank him for having reached out to the OECD to help break such status quo. He put to very good use our evidence, our analysis, and our commitment and passion for the well-being of the Mexican people to advance these meaningful changes. The reforms have borne fruit. Even in a challenging international environment, you can be proud of your legacy Mr. President, as these reforms have already produced and will continue to produce positive results. The education reform has led to the first systematic evaluation of teachers; career development based on performance; school evaluations focused on equity and quality; a new education model based on global competencies. The telecoms reform boosted competition; the prices of broadband mobile packages decreased by up to 75% and the number of mobile broadband subscriptions increased by 50 million. The energy reform opened the energy sector to private investment and competition, securing investments of close to $80 billion dollars. The tax reform increased tax collection and reduced informality. Labour, competition, state-owned enterprises, transparency and integrity, anti-corruption, are some of the other areas involved in the reform package. I would like to acknowledge the now Minister of Foreign Affairs, but at the time Minister of Finance, as the one who coordinated the work with the OECD, Luis Videgaray, and the head AMEXCID, Ambassador Garcia-Lopez, who happened to be the Mexican Ambassador to the OECD at the time and who is also with us today. My Chief of Staff and Sherpa Gabriela Ramos and my Advisor Mario Lopez-Roldan coordinated the work that involved many directorates. Of course Mexico is still converging with OECD standards. It is still facing important challenges: fighting poverty, inequalities, and informality; addressing the low levels of productivity; large education gaps and disparities; mismatches in the supply and demand of skills; strengthening the rule of law, especially at state and municipal levels; and combating crime and insecurity. This is why it is fundamental to give continuity to this battery of reforms. It is crucial to strengthen their implementation and monitor their compliance. It is important not to backtrack! The OECD stands ready to keep helping Mexico address these challenges. We are currently working with and for the Mexican Government, with a very dynamic Ambassador Monica Aspe and her team, in key areas, from higher education and skills, to social policy and combating poverty, productivity, competition, regulatory improvement, integrity, e-procurement, the new airport, disaster protection and reaction policies, to mention only a few. Senor Presidente, As Mexico approaches the next Presidential and Legislative election on 1 July 2018, we will keep working to support the implementation of reforms in Mexico. We also plan to do what we have done already in the two last administrations to prepare a Getting it Right study with an OECD assessment of achievements and challenges in Mexico, and organize a Public Policy Forum in Mexico City in the context of the presidential campaigns, to spark a debate among presidential candidates. Thank you for your visit and your confidence! Mr President the floor is yours. See also OECD work with Mexico Delegates from a wide range of backgrounds - including from the educational sector, such as the Athlone Institute of Technology, the Public Sector and from the Midlands engineering and manufacturing industry, congregated in Tullamore last week to network and listen to different perspectives and case studies on Innovation Management by some of the leading experts on the topic. Ron Immink, entrepreneur-in-residence for Sustainable Nation and founder of Bookbuzz and Smallbusinesscan (now business-achievers.com), spoke about the increasing need to include the environmental costs as part of the bottom line. He underlined that the increasing resource scarcity and need for sustainability must be central to any innovation strategy and spoke about the need to appreciate major technological disruption of the industry 4.0 and beyond. Damian Costello, Managing Partner at Decode Innovation (part of the Synecco Group), delivered some innovation management lessons derived from high-impact innovation and strategy experience in the Medtech Sector. He in particular emphasised the opportunities that complacency in industry can bring. Eoin Kennedy, a serial entrepreneur with extensive background in digital platforms and communication, spoke about some of the highlights of this years CongRegation tech festival, where deep discussion and dialogue took place on the topic of Innovation. One of the major findings of these discussions was that nobody has all the answers or pieces of the puzzle, and that continued dialogue and collective learning leads to better understanding of innovation. Dr Hugh Henry, the Director of Innovation at Bord na Mona, delivered insights on the companys philosophy on innovation management and highlighted some of the cutting-edge projects the company is currently involved. He stressed the importance of collaboration and open innovation as means of achieving high-impact results. Finally, Paul Killeen of the National Standards Authority Irelands (NSAI) spoke about the vital role standards can play in innovation, but also as part of a competitive strategy. Involvement in the standard development process was highlighted as an opportunity to be part of the process and stay ahead of the curve by becoming aware of upcoming trends before they hit the market. The event was the 2nd in the series of Midlands Engineering Network events organised on behalf of Local Enterprise Offices in Westmeath, Longford, Laois and Offaly. The Network and the events form part of the Engenuity Programme, delivered by WestBIC and Almir Biz, which is an integral part of effort to promote market-led innovation, stakeholder collaboration, best practice transfer and product and trade development among the Midlands Engineering Cluster. This was identified as a priority in the Action Plan for Jobs and is funded by the Competitive LEO Fund managed by Enterprise Ireland. One of the stand out segments, and by far the most creative item on this year's Late Late Toy Show, Santa's Magical Fireplace, is fast becoming a global success. And it all started out and is produced right here in Offaly. The idea was the brainchild of Avril Nolan and it is a truly brilliant solution for Santa to get into a home that doesn't have a fireplace. Avril, a budding entrepreneur and mother of three, brought her idea to fruition in 2016 on what she describes herself as 'a very tight budget'. Since then it's growing from strength to strength, and all involved come from Offaly. Santa's Magical Fireplacetells the tale of how the elves went about making the fireplace and the magical dust so Santa doesn't have to squeeze through the half inch keyholes or under the door!! The story and instructions for Christmas Eve weave a tapestry of wonder for your child's imagination on the most magical day of the year. Avril commented, "As soon as I came up with the idea for Santa's Magical Fireplace, I just knew it was going to be a huge success. Every classic tale talks about Santa coming down the fireplace. Its common knowledge that even the tiniest tot knows and believes in with every fibre of his being. Yet, somewhere along the line, when we began living on our devices and parting with traditions, we let go of our fireplaces too. Avril added, "I knew I had an answer every parent would appreciate; one that will fuel childrens imaginations, keep the magic of Christmas alive, and give us all the opportunity to share our beloved traditions with our own children and no more awkward questions, 'Mammy, how is Santa going to get in, we don't have a fireplace'. Santa's Magical Fireplace is the complete package." "Anyone I tell about Santa's Magical Fireplace I always get 'WOW!!! That's AMAZING, but also it's nearly like, duh, how come no-one has come up with this yet? But they hadn't until now." Santa's Magical Fireplace comes beautifully packaged with the Magical Fireplace, Magical Dust and the Illustrated Childrens Storybook. Avril is currently taking part in the New Frontiers programme run by Enterprise Ireland, Ireland's national entrepreneur development programme for innovative, early-stage startups. You can get your very own Santa's Magical Fireplace in Kelly's Toymaster, Tullamore; Fagan's Toymaster, Mullingar; JKC Toymaster, Nenagh and Winter Wonderland, Gurteen College. For more details and to order your own Santa's Magical Fireplace on line CLICK HERE BEATRICE, Neb. A judge will decide whether Joshua Keadles lawyers have a conflict of interest that would prevent them from defending him in the 2010 slaying of a Peru State College student. The question of a conflict arose because the defense attorneys previously have represented witnesses who could be called to testify in the case. Keadle faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Tyler Thomas of Omaha. During a brief hearing Monday, Nemaha District Judge Ricky Schreiner ordered lawyers for Keadle and the state to submit written arguments by Jan. 8. Keadle, an inmate in prison for an unrelated rape conviction, appeared at the hearing under the tight supervision of four sheriffs deputies. After the hearing, lawyers for the prosecution and defense declined to identify the witnesses in question or to characterize their potential testimony. Keadles lead attorney is Jeff Pickens with the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy. Keadle is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Doug Warner. Attorney General Doug Peterson charged Keadle in October, nearly seven years after Thomas disappeared from the small state college campus in southeast Nebraska. The filing of the charge came well after a judge declared Thomas dead, and her family won a symbolic $2.6 billion civil verdict against Keadle. Despite extensive searches, Thomas remains have not been found. An investigators probable cause affidavit filed in October provided no new information about the potential evidence against Keadle. Thomas appeared on college security cameras about 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2010, walking toward her dorm from an off-campus party. Keadle told authorities that he offered to give her a ride to Omaha in exchange for a sex act, according to court documents. Afterward, Keadle said, he changed his mind about driving to Omaha and left her near a public boat dock on the Missouri River when she became angry. News reports about Thomas disappearance prompted a Fremont woman to come forward with rape accusations against Keadle. A jury later convicted him of sexually assaulting the woman when she was a 15-year-old girl and he was a 27-year-old student at Midland University. Keadle, 36, is at the Tecumseh State Prison, serving 15 to 20 years for the sex assault. He will become eligible for parole in about a year and is scheduled for release in early 2021. Heartland Hope Mission: Preschool students at Primrose School at Falling Waters, 6625 S. 193rd Ave., recently donated nearly 5,000 diapers to help families at Heartland Hope Mission of Omaha. Students collected diapers, raised money to purchase more items and delivered the supplies to Heartland Hope Mission. Family Advocate Award: Heartland Family Service honored one individual and four families during the Salute to Families banquet Nov. 16 at Happy Hollow Club. Completely KIDS Executive Director Penny Parker was given the Family Advocate Award for her more than 25 years of service to Completely KIDS, which provides safe places for children and families. The Karla and Scott Cassels family, the Dr. Viv and John Ewing family, the Simone and Tony Jones family and the Anne and Sean Rich family were also recognized for their community service. Bethlehem House: The Metro Womens Club raised $5,000 for Bethlehem House at the clubs annual silent auction Nov. 14. Bethlehem House, 2301 S. 15th St., helps pregnant women attain prenatal care, parenting skills and employment. Metro Womens Club, formerly a branch of Welcome Wagon, is a local charity organization with a mission to build female relationships within the community and host fundraising events for local charities. Project Pinkd: The Omaha Professional Fire Fighters Association recently donated $10,000 to Project Pinkd, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting those diagnosed with breast cancer. Money was raised in October through the sales of T-shirts, light bulbs for Light It Up Pinkd and $1 for each social media post using the hashtag #OmahaPinkdOut. The Salvation Army: More than 80 members of Acappella Omaha Chorus, including Sweet Adelines, Omaha Mens Barbershop, Heartland Harmonizers and Sarpy Serenaders, will host a holiday benefit concert today for the Salvation Army. The 4 p.m. concert is at Faith Westwood Methodist Church, 4814 Oaks Lane. Admission is a freewill donation. Community Impact Luncheon: The North Omaha Community Care Council will host its fifth annual Community Impact Luncheon on Friday at Girls Inc. of Omaha, 2811 N. 45th St. The 11:30 a.m. luncheon honors nonprofit social service agencies, youth activism and commercial collaboration in service to the north Omaha community. Three businesses or individuals will be awarded during the luncheon: Omaha Economic Development Center will receive the Spirit of Business Award, Brenda Council will receive the Spirit of Advocacy Award and Maurice Jones will receive the Spirit of Youth Award. Tickets, $45, are available at northomahaccc.org. Wreaths Across America: Volunteers with Wreaths Across America will place more than 1,800 wreaths on tombstones at 11 a.m. Saturday. Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit organization and extension of the Arlington Wreath Project, with locations in every state. Wreaths are sponsored through community donations, and the event is at Omaha National Cemetery, 14250 Schram Road. A strong cold front powering through eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa today was to touch off strong winds and slightly lower temperatures. The National Weather Service office in Valley issued a wind advisory from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. for eastern, northeast and southeast Nebraska and western, southwest and northwest Iowa. Forecasters said northwest winds of 30 to 35 mph and gusts of 40 to 45 mph to near 50 mph in some locations can be expected from midmorning through the afternoon. In addition to today's wind gusts, the Omaha area can expect a slight chance of sprinkles and rain and a high temperature around 45 degrees. Tonight, blustery conditions with north-northwest winds gusting as high as 30 mph are likely. A low in the low to mid-20s is expected. Tuesday and Wednesday should be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the low to upper 40s. Overnight lows will slip into the upper 20s to around 30. Winds on Wednesday could gust as high as 30 mph, forecasters said. Barb Mayes, a weather service meteorologist, said a pattern of occasional blustery conditions was due to low pressure systems to the east and high pressure systems to the west, which produce strong winds over eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. The weather service said Thursday through the weekend in the Omaha area should be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30s on Thursday to the upper 40s to around 50 on Friday through Sunday. Lows will be in the mid-20s to around 30. No major weather systems coming in this week, said Ryan McPike, a KMTV meteorologist. No snow or ice. Northwest wind gusts at 11 a.m. today, according to the weather service: Albion, 53 mph; Beatrice, 44; Blair, 40; Falls City, 46; Fremont, 47; Lincoln, 47; Norfolk, 47; Eppley Airfield, 40; Plattsmouth, 45; Harlan, 43; Offutt Air Force Base, 40; Millard, 35; Tekamah, 41; Wahoo, 44; Wayne, 40; Council Bluffs, 44; Shenandoah, 40. (Xinhua) 07:50, December 11, 2017 BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinpingand his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika exchanged congratulatory messages on the successful launch of Alcomsat-1 in the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China's southwestern province of Sichuan early Monday. In his message, Xi pointed out that the project of Alcomsat-1, Algeria's first communications satellite, is an important manifestation of the China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership, which starts a precedent in aerospace cooperation between China and Arab countries and will play an important role in promoting Algeria's economic development, improvement of its people's livelihood and social progress. The year of 2018 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Algeria, Xi said, adding that Beijing is willing to work with Algeria to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, promote the in-depth development of the comprehensive strategic partnership so as to benefit the two countries and two peoples. For his part, Bouteflika said in his message that the successful launch of Alcomsat-1 is a remarkable achievement in aerospace cooperation between Algeria and China, which reflects the deep traditional friendship between the two sides. Algeria is willing to work with China to jointly promote cooperation in various fields to achieve more results, he added. This moment in our politics is fraught with loaded, and sometimes coded, words that trigger emotional responses. Thats why the Nebraska Department of Education was wise to pull back from unnecessary provocation in its proposed civics guidance for teachers. Those drafting a definition for civics education slipped up by including the term community organizing as a principle to be taught. That led to criticism from Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte and other conservatives, who remember President Barack Obamas early work in political organizing and pushes by academics for political activism. Liberal observers would have felt just as slighted if the definition contained the term America first, a term favored by President Donald Trump. A definition of civics education shouldnt appear to take sides if the goal is to help educate all young Nebraskans on how to participate in their communities and in political life. The Education Department rightly accepted Groenes criticism. They also need to guard against overcorrection in trying to address the concerns while also meeting the demands of an Americanism state law still on the books. The departments goal should be a cleaner definition of civics education that helps Nebraska teachers equip K-12 students with the tools to digest and evaluate information, then exercise their individual judgment. Authorities say a 17-year-old girl was wounded in a shooting in Vancouver's Shumway neighborhood. Officers responded shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday to the 3300 block of F Street and found the wounded teen. She was taken to a hospital; her injuries are not considered life-threatening. Police say a suspect fled the scene before officers arrived. -- Staff and wire reports By Harris Zafar Last week, Donald Trump boldly declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel and announced plans for the United States to be the first nation to establish an embassy there. As anyone with knowledge and experience on this matter would have predicted, the decision triggered disagreement and condemnation from world leaders that could escalate into worse consequences. The U.S. stands alone in support of this ill-conceived decision. France, Germany and the UK -- three of America's strongest allies -- have all criticized President Trump's decision, calling it "unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region." Pope Francis voiced his disagreement, stating "I cannot remain silent about my deep concern for the situation that has developed in recent days." The United Nations, the European Union, Italy's prime minister, China's ministry of foreign affairs, Turkey's president and several others have joined a chorus disagreeing with Trump and warning of dire consequences. President Trump has made an unnecessarily provocative decision that comes with a real risk of increased violence and the possibility of war. The peace process between Israel and Palestine is one of the most critical issues of our time, one that is marred with challenges and sensitivities. Irresponsible behavior from leadership on both sides has historically damaged peace talks and instigated violence. Instead of exhibiting concerted efforts to bring peace, Trump has now introduced heightened risk of inflaming an already volatile situation in the Middle East. The decision to declare Jerusalem the capital closes peace talks by making a unilateral decision on an outstanding point in the negotiations. This belligerent behavior exhibits a desire by the U.S. administration to fan the flames of war, consistent with the hostilities the White House has engaged in recently with North Korea. The U.S. has sought to establish itself as a fair arbiter in the peace-brokering process. But the move to unilaterally decide the position of Jerusalem clearly demonstrates that the U.S. cannot be considered an unbiased and just broker in the Middle East. My concern for the wisdom -- or lack thereof -- of the current administration's behavior is not derived solely from the president's ill-conceived decision on Jerusalem. Rather, this is simply the latest example of this young administration's desire to tear apart the Middle East and more broadly isolate itself in the world. This administration has exhibited deeply troubling signs of creating unrest and disorder by its mass export of war weapons that have destroyed Syria and Yemen, its provocation of nuclear war with North Korea, its constant confrontations with Iran and its travel ban targeting people from the Middle East. The U.S. administration needs to focus on peace-building efforts, using better judgment based on wisdom and justice. Instead of increasing tensions, hatred, violence and war, it's time we established a mature and just strategy in the attempts to end conflicts. Carnage, self-interest and deliberate conflict are the work of tyrants, not leaders. True long-term pathways to peace can only be established through diplomacy. His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, spiritual leader of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, rightfully urged all world leaders, including the United Nations, to act with wisdom and play their roles "in establishing peace in the world, unencumbered by politics, injustice or favoritism." As an American, I ask the leaders of my country to have the integrity to take a stand against this track record we have established and instead, steer us towards diplomacy, peace and unbiased justice. It's the only way for us to give our children a world better than what we have now. Harris Zafar (@Harris_Zafar) is national spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. He lives in Southwest Portland. Share your opinion Submit your 500-word essay on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. A rusted boat was found on the south end of Arcadia Beach on Saturday, Dec. 2. The U.S. Coast Guard determined that the vessel is Japanese, but could not determine how it ended up on the Oregon beach, which is just south of Cannon Beach. "We know there were a lot of vessels lost during the tsunami and earthquake in Japan," spokesman Levi Read said, referring to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated coastal Japanese communities. "We can't confirm where it came from." Read said coast guard officials searched for but did not find any recoverable oil from the boat. He said the Oregon state parks department is working on a plan to remove the watercraft from the beach. The Oregon parks department could not be reached for comment Sunday evening. --Jessica Floum 503-221-8306 Hoffman Construction Co. has withdrawn the $50 million lien it placed on Intel's multibillion-dollar D1X computer chip factory in Hillsboro. "We are pleased that the dispute has been amicably resolved. The terms and conditions of the resolution are confidential," Intel said in a written statement. Hoffman echoed that statement but declined to elaborate. Hoffman first filed the lien in the summer of 2015. Records show the Portland-based company released it last month. Hoffman served as general contractor on the massive D1X complex, beginning in 2010 and continuing with a second phase that started in 2012. It's the most advanced computer chip factory in the world, designed to handle new generations of manufacturing technology that enable smaller, more detailed features to improve performance. The origins of Hoffman's dispute with Intel remain somewhat mysterious. The lien did not detail the company's grievances, and Hoffman and Intel had moved to address their issues through private arbitration. A related case filed last spring provided some clues, however. Another company, Harder Mechanical Contractors, filed a complaint alleging that Intel and Hoffman were sharing proprietary information about Harder during their arbitration. Harder indicated that Intel and Hoffman had a disagreement over how to value labor costs, though it's not clear that was the issue that prompted the lien. D1X was the largest construction project in Oregon history, consisting of a pair of adjoining factories of 1.1-million-square-feet apiece. In addition, Intel built a 400,000-square-foot support building for the project's second phase, and an adjacent, 1-million-square-foot office building. In 2010, Intel said the first phase of D1X would cost $3 billion. It never revealed a total price tag for the project, but with the additional construction for the second phase it surely topped several billion dollars. Intel developed its forthcoming generation of 10-nanometer chip technology at D1X and plans to begin shipping the first of those chips by the end of the year. This article has been updated to reflect that Hoffman says it concurs with Intel's comments. Staff writer Jeff Manning contributed to this article. -- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699 Photos: AP John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in a White House bathtub. Harry Truman once threatened to punch out a music critic. Lyndon Johnson held staff meetings while sitting on the toilet. But none of the eccentricities of President Donald Trumps predecessors prepared us for the current administration. In less than a full year, Trump has reshaped the art of American governance, hiring department heads with no relevant experience, making policy seemingly by whim, challenging his secretary of state to an IQ-test showdown. He has, in short, normalized chaos. How bad has it been? The unsettling behavior of those running the federal government since January has been so consistent that it now almost feels normal. Almost. To provide an accurate sense of the Trump administration at work, weve collected 50 of the strangest and/or most terrifying things the president and his team have said in 2017. The list is far from comprehensive, but it is representative. (And please note: the quotes here, presented randomly, do not include Twitter posts. We had only so much time to spend on this.) Don't Edit "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period." -- White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on the crowd at President Trumps inauguration Don't Edit "You're saying it's a falsehood. And they're giving -- Sean Spicer, our press secretary -- gave alternative facts." -- White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, defending Sean Spicers claim that Trumps swearing in as president featured the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period Don't Edit We dont think that was my voice. -- President Donald Trump, reportedly telling a Republican senator early in his presidency that the 2005 Access Hollywood video -- in which he boasted of sexually assaulting women -- might have been faked. When the video went public late in the 2016 campaign, he admitted he had made the remarks and apologized. Don't Edit So, if the President says it -- let me do more research on it -- but my guess is that theres probably some level of truth to that. -- White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, on President Trumps false claim that there were millions of illegal Democratic votes cast in the 2016 election Don't Edit Don't Edit "From the standpoint of sexual assault, when the lights are on, when you have light that shines, the righteousness, if you will, on those types of acts. So from the standpoint of how you really affect people's lives, fossil fuels is going to play a role in that. I happen to think it's going to play a positive role." -- U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, on how to prevent sexual assaults Don't Edit Our opponents, the media and the whole world will soon see, as we begin to take further actions, that the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned. -- Senior White House policy adviser Stephen Miller, on President Trumps travel ban Don't Edit The one thing Ill say about myself, so, Obama was in there for eight years and got Obamacare. Hillary Clinton was in there eight years and they never got Hillarycare, whatever they called it at the time. I am not in here six months, and theyll say, Trump hasnt fulfilled his agenda. I say to myself, wait a minute, Im only here a very short period of time compared to Obama. How long did it take to get Obamacare? -- President Donald Trump, on the difficulty in getting an Affordable Care Act repeal-and-replace bill passed. Don't Edit "The longer they talk about identity politics, I got em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats. -- White House strategist Steve Bannon, on why Trumpisms message is better than the Democrats Don't Edit Just as dessert was being served, the president explained to [Chinese President Xi Jinping] he had something he wanted to tell him, which was the launching of 59 missiles into Syria. It was in lieu of after-dinner entertainment. The thing was, it didnt cost the president anything to have that entertainment. -- Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, on President Trump bragging about his commander-in-chief decisions Don't Edit Don't Edit This is equivalent to what the Rosenbergs did, and those people got the chair. -- Trump media surrogate and former White House adviser Sebastian Gorka, on the so-called Clinton uranium scandal. The U.S. approval of a deal to sell a Canadian energy company to Russian buyers, President Trump has said, is Watergate, modern age. He and other Republicans falsely claim Hillary Clinton made the deal happen in exchange for donations to the Clinton Foundation. The Washington Post has pointed out that every legitimate news fact-checking operation has dismantled the underpinnings of these accusations. Even Fox News Shepard Smith has called the allegations against Clinton inaccurate, infuriating many Fox News viewers. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in 1953 for providing atomic-bomb secrets to the Soviet Union. Don't Edit Im not Steve Bannon, Im not trying to suck my own c---. Im not trying to build my own brand off the f---ing strength of the president. Im here to serve the country. -- White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, on whether he or White House political strategist Steve Bannon will have the presidents ear Don't Edit "Because, unable to really to come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches." -- Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, on why the Catholic Church opposes the repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy Don't Edit There are powerful forces in Washington trying to sabotage our movement. These are bad people. These are very, very bad and evil people. -- President Donald Trump, during a speech in support of Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore Don't Edit The lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War. And men and women of good faith, on both sides, made their stand where their conscience had to make their stand. -- White House Chief of Staff John Kelly on the cause of the American Civil War Don't Edit Don't Edit "I'm not talking about the nature of the video. I think you're focusing on the wrong thing. The threat is real and that is what the president is talking about." -- White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on President Trump retweeting violent, misleading anti-Muslim videos posted by the racist British organization Britain First Don't Edit The President has really good karma, O.K.? And the world turns back to him. Hes genuinely a wonderful human being, and I think, as the members of Congress get to know him better and get comfortable with him, theyre going to let him lead them to the right things for the American people. So, I think were going to get the health care done. -- White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, on the prospects of Republican health-insurance legislation Don't Edit I do now recall the March 2016 meeting at Trump Hotel that Mr. Papadopoulos attended, but I have no clear recollection of the details of what he said at that meeting. After reading his account, and to the best of my recollection, I believe that I wanted to make clear to him that he was not authorized to represent the campaign with the Russian government, or any other foreign government, for that matter. But I did not recall this event, which occurred 18 months before my testimony of a few weeks ago, and I would gladly have reported it had I remembered it because I pushed back against his suggestion that I thought may have been improper. -- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, having had his memory refreshed (sort of) by the guilty plea of former Trump campaign foreign-policy adviser George Papadopolous about a meeting Sessions had attended. Weeks earlier, the attorney general said he believed there had been no contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Don't Edit "I mean, give me a break, they are political hacks. So you look at it, I mean, you have [former CIA Director John] Brennan, you have [former Director of National Intelligence James] Clapper and you have [former FBI Director James] Comey. Comey is proven now to be a liar and he is proven now to be a leaker. So you look at that and you have President Putin very strongly, vehemently says he had nothing to do with them. ... [Putin] said he didnt meddle, he said he didnt meddle. I asked him again. You can only ask so many times. ... Every time he sees me, he says, 'I didn't do that. And I believe, I really believe, that when he tells me that, he means it. -- President Donald Trump, on the U.S. intelligence communitys assessment that Russia interfered with the 2016 U.S. election -- and Russian President Vladimir Putins insistence that Russia did not Don't Edit "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 with regard to the filing of my SF-86 form, above and beyond what is required. Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest." -- White House adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, about his contacts with Russians during and after the 2016 president campaign. The Senate Judiciary Committee later discovered that Kushner had forwarded emails about a Russian backdoor overture and withheld them from investigators. Kushner also had to repeatedly update his security-clearance forms after omitting dozens of contacts with foreigners, including government officials. Don't Edit Don't Edit Once a month, I join my FFL for a night of full-auto shooting -- Tommy guns, HK MP-5, HK-53, etc. Rummage through the local comic book/used sci-fi bookstore. I grew up on Doctor Who, 2000AD, and Judge Dredd, and you never get that out of your bloodstream. -- Trump media surrogate and former White House adviser Sebastian Gorka, on what he does for fun. Don't Edit "I think he's at 30 -- I think he's 36 percent or 38 percent -- because he hasn't, we haven't, gotten the wall built." -- Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, on the presidents low approval ratings Don't Edit Theyll all be fired by me. I fired one guy the other day. I have three to four people Ill fire tomorrow. Ill get to the person who leaked that to you. [White House chief of staff] Reince Priebus -- if you want to leak something -- hell be asked to resign very shortly. -- White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci Don't Edit Reince is a f---ing paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac. -- White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci. Priebus soon left the administration. So did Scaramucci. Don't Edit There are all different types, there are many different types of scientists. Theres a credible difference of opinion among climate scientists. -- Council on Environmental Quality nominee Kathleen Hartnett White, during her Senate confirmation hearing Don't Edit Don't Edit "I still think the science is out." -- Energy Secretary Rick Perry, on whether human activity contributes to climate change Don't Edit Trump I actually dont know what that means, the 2C target. -- George David Banks, special assistant to the president for international energy and environment, about the key goal of international climate policy that seeks to limit the global warming rise to 2 degrees Celsius. The Guardian newspaper pointed out back in 2014 that the 2C target ... has been repeated like a mantra, mentioned thousands of times in newspaper articles. Offered Climate Change News earlier this year: If you read or listen to almost any article about climate change, its likely the story refers in some way to the 2 degrees Celsius limit." Don't Edit "A president cannot improperly influence an investigation. -- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, when asked whether President Trump was behind the Department of Justice considering a special counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton Don't Edit "I think there is blame on both sides. ... Excuse me, what about the 'alt-left' that came charging at, as you say, the 'alt-right,' do they have any semblance of guilt? Let me ask you this. What about the fact they came charging, with clubs in hands, swinging clubs? Do they have any problem? I think they do. ... You had a group on one side that was bad and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent. Nobody wants to say it, but I will say it right now. You had a group, you had a group on the other side that came charging in without a permit and they were very, very violent. ... I own a house in Charlottesville. Does anyone know I own a house in Charlottesville?" -- President Donald Trump, on the white supremacists marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, and those protesting the neo-Nazi rally. A woman was killed when a white supremacist rammed his car into a crowd of protesters. Don't Edit Macron Hes a great guy. Smart. Strong. Loves holding my hand. -- President Donald Trump, on French President Emmanuel Macron Don't Edit Don't Edit That's not what he said. He said that [the U.S. justice-system] process has people calling us a joke and a laughing stock. Particularly for someone to be a known terrorist, that process should move faster. That's the point he is making. That's the frustration he has. -- White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, after President Trumps remarks following the October terror attack in New York City. Trump said: "We need quick justice and we need strong justice -- much quicker and much stronger than we have right now. Because what we have right now is a joke and it's a laughingstock. And no wonder so much of this stuff takes place." Don't Edit "And I'll tell you, we're spending a lot of money on the inner cities. We're fixing the inner cities. We're doing far more than anybody's done with respect to the inner cities. It's a priority for me, and it's very important. -- President Donald Trump, when asked about race relations in the U.S. Don't Edit Modern air is a little too clean for optimum health. -- Robert Phalen, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advisory board member, has stood behind the comment he initially made in 2012 Don't Edit I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and theres tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact. So, no, I would not agree that its a primary contributor to the global warming that we see. -- Environmental Protection Agency Director Scott Pruitt, on whether carbon dioxide causes global warming Don't Edit This merger would greatly harm American consumers. -- U.S. Justice Department anti-trust chief Makan Delrahim, on the proposed merger of AT&T and Time Warner. DOJ is suing AT&T in an attempt to force it to sell off CNN, the cable-news company that President Trump regularly attacks as fake news. Before joining the Trump administration, Delrahim had this to say about the proposed merger: The sheer size of it, and the fact that its media, I think will get a lot of attention. However, I dont see this as a major anti-trust problem. Don't Edit Don't Edit Tribune News Service There werent 17 as was previously reported; there were actually four. But they were saying there was 17; there were actually four. -- President Donald Trump, trying to downplay the U.S. intelligence communitys consensus that Russia interfered with the 2016 U.S. election. The report hes referring to was put out by the CIA, the NSA, the FBI and the DNI. The DNI, the Director of National Intelligence, oversees all 17 U.S. intelligence services. Don't Edit "The President and a small group of people know exactly what he meant." -- White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, refusing to simply admit the president made a typo when one of his tweets included the non-word covfefe Don't Edit "I don't think there's much to clarify, it's pretty black and white." -- White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on Presidents Trumps criticism of NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice Don't Edit "A lot of love in this room." -- President Donald Trump, while throwing paper towels to hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico Don't Edit The president cares as much about Puerto Rico as everywhere else. -- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, on the administrations response to the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico Don't Edit Don't Edit Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else. -- President Donald Trump, on Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusing himself from the Russia-collusion investigation Don't Edit That's one of the more outrageous comments that anyone could make and certainly something that I think is a fireable offense by ESPN. -- White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, after ESPN host Jemele Hill said on Twitter that President Trump was a white supremacist Don't Edit "I think she does the best of her ability to tell the truth but also to protect the president, and so I think that there's a fine line to draw between those two things." -- Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, on White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Don't Edit Why arent the other hands up? -- White House economic adviser Gary Cohn, when very few of the corporate executives at a Wall Street Journal CEO Council event raised their hands in response to the question, If the tax reform bill goes through, do you plan to increase investment -- your companys investment, capital investment? Don't Edit Beyond contravening U.S. law, this decision risks marring the credibility of a broad range of State Department reports and analyzes and has weakened one of the U.S. government's primary diplomatic tools to deter governmental armed forces and government-supported armed groups from recruiting and using children in combat and support roles around the world. -- a dissent memo from U.S. State Department officials, objecting to Secretary of State Rex Tillersons decision to exclude Iraq, Afghanistan and Myanmar from a list of countries that use child soldiers Don't Edit Don't Edit I have had the best reviews on foreign land. So I go to Poland and make a speech. Enemies of mine in the media, enemies of mine, are saying it was the greatest speech ever made on foreign soil by a president. -- President Donald Trump, on his reception overseas Don't Edit I guess I should take that as a compliment that I look like a villain in a great, successful James Bond movie. -- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, trying to shake off social-media criticism after he and his wife Louise Linton posed with a sheet of newly printed money. Earlier in the year, Mnuchin's use of government planes was scrutinized after Linton published an Instagram post in which she seemed to celebrate her wealth while traveling with her husband on government business. Don't Edit I think I did a great thing for the American people. -- President Donald Trump, on firing James Comey as FBI director Don't Edit Im telling you we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through. And the media -- if the media were really concerned about all these allegations, and thats what this was truly about Al Franken would be on the ash heap of bygone half-funny comedians. He wouldnt be here on Capitol Hill. He still has his job. Whats Bob Menendez doing back here? Thats the best my state of New Jersey can do? -- White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, when asked if the White House wanted Alabamians to vote for GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault and other misconduct Don't Edit Andrea, I run the office of management and budget in Washington D.C. You work for NBC News in Washington, D.C. My guess is weve not spent that much time looking at the specifics of these allegations. Youve arrived at a certain conclusion because of a certain political persuasion. -- White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who had just said he found Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moores accusers credible but that he didnt know who to believe. Andrea Mitchell followed up by asking him why he wouldnt believe Moores accusers if he finds them credible. Don't Edit Don't Edit Im a street fighter. Thats what I am. -- Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon Don't Edit Bonus Wait a minute. I'm not finished. I'm not finished. Fake news. -- President Donald Trump, when reporters interrupted him to ask more questions during a press conference Another home in the Washington County community of North Bethany was destroyed in a fire that investigators fear was intentionally set. The fire, which broke out at 7864 NW 169th Ave., was one of two in the neighborhood early Monday, according to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. An unoccupied house next door sustained minor fire, smoke and water damage. The blazes signal the fourth round of suspicious blazes in the neighborhood in the past several months. The first two happened less than two weeks apart in August, fire officials said. The third occurred late last month. A deputy on patrol about 12:40 a.m. Monday saw the house fire, Tualatin Valley fire officials said in a news release. He reported that smoke was coming from the house next door, as well. Firefighters descended on the neighborhood, and a second alarm was called about 1 a.m. Fire crews from @HillsboroFire and Portland Fire supporting TVF&R as firefighters check for exposure and mop up. No injuries. Under investigation. pic.twitter.com/BZXzLGJwJz TVF&R (@TVFR) December 11, 2017 Firefighters kept the blazes from spreading to other houses, but the house that sustained the worse of the two fires "is considered a total loss," according to fire officials. It had been in the last stages of construction. No one was injured. The county sheriff's office has had extra patrols in the area since August, fire officials said, and the property developer hired a security company. Fire officials said investigators will keep working with sheriff's detectives on Monday's case. Officials urge anyone who has information about the fires or other blazes in the neighborhood call the sheriff's office at 503-846-2700. -- Jim Ryan jryan@oregonian.com 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 (Xinhua) 07:52, December 11, 2017 Israeli police guard the site of a knife attack at Jerusalem's central bus station, on Dec. 10, 2017. An Israeli security guard was seriously wounded Sunday by a Palestinian knifeman outside Jerusalem's central bus station, the police said. (Xinhua/JINI) JERUSALEM, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli security guard was seriously wounded Sunday by a Palestinian knifeman outside Jerusalem's central bus station, the police said. The suspect, a 24-year-old Palestinian resident of the West Bank, stabbed the security guard and fled the scene, said a police statement, describing it as a "terror attack." He was chased and arrested by a civilian and a policeman nearby, it added. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said that the 25-year-old Israeli guard sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The incident occurred amid growing tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's recent decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital despite strong opposition and protests from the Palestinians and Muslims across the world. Trump also ordered the State Department to start immediately the process of relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. To protest Trump's announcement, the Palestinians called for three "days of rage." Protests were held in the past days in the Palestinian territories, many cities in Muslim countries, as well as some European capitals. Four Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured in their clashes with Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip and West Bank over the weekend. On Friday, two Palestinian protesters were killed and 98 others were wounded in clashes in the Palestinian territories. A number of Palestinian protesters were also arrested at the Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem during skirmishes with Israeli security forces after the Friday prayers. The two other Palestinians killed were believed to be Hamas members, who lost their lives in Gaza Strip Friday during airstrikes launched by Israeli military in retaliation against Hamas' firing of three rockets into Israel from the enclave. Israeli police guard the site of a knife attack at Jerusalem's central bus station, on Dec. 10, 2017. An Israeli security guard was seriously wounded Sunday by a Palestinian knifeman outside Jerusalem's central bus station, the police said. (Xinhua/JINI) (Xinhua) 07:54, December 11, 2017 China launched Algeria's first communication satellite, Alcomsat-1, into a preset orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan early Monday, on Dec. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Ju Zhenhua) XICHANG, Sichuan, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China launched Algeria's first communication satellite, Alcomsat-1, into a preset orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan early Monday. The satellite was the first cooperative project in aerospace industry between the two countries. It will be used by Algeria for broadcast and television, emergency communication, distance education, e-governance, enterprise communication, broadband access and satellite-based navigation. The satellite was launched 40 minutes after midnight by a Chinese Long March-3B carrier rocket, making it the 258th flight mission for the Long March rocket family. The combo picture shows the portrait, fingerprint of Zhang Lanying and illustrated story reviving her tragedy based on facts. Born on Dec. 6, 1929, Zhang is a survivor of Nanjing Massacre, a heinous crime committed by the Japanese militarists during World War II in 1937, in Nanjing, then capital of China. On the first day after Japanese troops entered Nanjing, three Japanese soldiers broke into her home, bound her elder brother Zhang Huaizhi and stabbed his thigh. Zhang and her mother dropped to their knees and begged piteously, brought Zhang Huaizhi back to life. The year 2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, in which more than 300,000 Chinese were killed by the Japanese invaders who occupied Nanjing on Dec. 13, 1937, marking the start of six weeks of destruction, pillage, rape and slaughter in the city. There are only less than 100 living survivors of the atrocity. Reporters from Xinhua spent many years to look for the survivors of Nanjing Massacre and record their current lives. (Xinhua/Photo by Han Yuqing, Illustrated by Chen Congying) People stroll in Beihai Park on a clear day in Beijing. [Photo/VCG] China has confidence in reaching its ambitious air pollution reduction goals as scheduled, based on data for the first 11 months, the environmental protection minister said on Sunday, crediting the scientific and comprehensive efforts taken in the past years. The five major goals set by the national Action Plan Against Air Pollution in 2013 are likely to be achieved by the end of 2017, with a huge improvement in air quality in China, said Environmental Protection Minister Li Ganjie at the annual meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development on Sunday in Beijing. The council is a high-level international advisory body to gather foreign experts to promote China's sustainable development. In the first 11 months, Beijing has seen the average PM2.5 concentration lowered to 58 micrograms per cubic meter, reduced by 35.6 percent from the same period in 2013, according to the Beijing Environmental Bureau. Beijing has seen many blue days in December, with air quality staying at the good level, "and based on the data, we may see the annual average level of PM2.5 in Beijing lowering to around 60, maybe at 61 or 62," the minister said, adding that it's better than forecast. He added that the reduction goal for Beijinglowering PM2.5 level to 60was considered more difficult compared with other goals, which worried him before. Beijing is likely to attain its goal, so China has confidence it will reach the five major goals as scheduled, Li said. The other four goals would be easily in reach if the good air quality level continues for the remaining days of the year. In the first 11 months, the average concentration of PM10 in 338 cities nationwide was 20.4 percent less than the same period of 2013, and the goal in the action plan was 10 percent, Li said. In addition, the average PM2.5 concentration in the first 11 months in three major industrial zonesthe Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River and the Pearl River Deltahas been at least 25.6 percent lower, easily exceeding the goal of at least 15 percent, the minister said. The huge improvement in air quality was achieved based on the multiple measures including strengthened enforcement, scientific efforts, effective measures to reduce industrial emissions, vehicle exhausts, coal consumption, and other efforts in improving the economy, the minister said. "The effective practices adopted in the past five years will continue to guide the air pollution control efforts in future," Li added. China's effective environmental protection efforts, particularly in air pollution control, received praise from many foreign experts in environment from governments and international organizations who participated in the annual meeting. Diane Regas, executive director of Environmental Defense Fund, a US non-profit organization, was amazed to see China fulfilling its commitment and was confident about further improvements based on the measures. UN Environment said China has set an example for the rest of the world of sustainable development through green industrial policies, especially in areas of electric transportation, solar energy and the "sharing economy". Rob Vallentine, global director of Corporate Citizenship for The Dow Chemical Co., will deliver the keynote address to Saginaw Valley State University's newest graduates this month. Vallentine, who also serves as president and executive director of The Dow Chemical Co. Foundation, will speak at both of SVSU's commencement ceremonies. The first event is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Friday and the second ceremony is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, both in O'Neill Arena of the Ryder Center. Commencement exercises for graduates in the colleges of Business abd Management and Health and Human Services will be held Friday evening. Students completing degrees in the colleges of Arts and Behavioral Sciences; Education; and Science, Engineering and Technology will take part in the ceremony scheduled for Saturday morning. The graduating class consists of 639 students who are expected to complete degrees, including 570 individuals who have indicated that they intend to don regalia and march in the ceremonies. The class includes 520 who will receive bachelor's degrees, and 119 who will receive master's or education specialist degrees. As is tradition, SVSU President Don Bachand will congratulate each graduate as he or she crosses the stage. Vallentine is responsible for corporate engagement with Dow stakeholders at the global, regional and local levels. He drives business decisions at the intersection of sustainability, innovation and citizenship while utilizing Dow's capabilities to achieve business and social impact. He works closely with Dow's Foundation Board of Directors to provide strategic direction on the company's philanthropic priorities around the world. A number of those community-minded endeavors have benefited SVSU initiatives to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education for both college-level and K-12 students. Most recently, the foundation partnered with the university in June to create a program where SVSU prepares K-12 students to serve as leaders and "chief science officers" in their schools. In addition, Vallentine manages a team responsible for public affairs strategies and programs at Dow's 50 sites in North America. Throughout the 30 years he has been at Dow, Vallentine has been committed to weaving together the personal and the professional to change the world for the better. He believes that a harmonious balance of life, work and community service is the key to "doing good and doing well," and is at the heart of good business. Through his leadership of the company's global citizenship activities, Vallentine helps people find their purpose and then share that purpose to contribute to society. Actively involved in community service, Vallentine currently serves on the boards of directors for the Council of Michigan Foundations, the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance and the Chemical Educational Foundation. He also serves as a community director at Chemical Bank. Vallentine previously served in board positions for the United Way of Midland County, the Delta College Foundation, and Hidden Harvest. Vallentine completed a bachelor's degree in marketing at Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Business Administration at Drake University. He and his wife, Nancy, have four children and reside in Midland. In 2015, SVSU received the Community Engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a distinction achieved by only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities. By their senior year, 84 percent of students have engaged with community employers and agencies in internships, field placements or some other component of their academic preparation. Colon and Rectal Surgeon Dr. Kristin Busch has joined the comprehensive cancer care team at MidMichigan Health. This team includes medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, specialized surgeons, interventional radiologists, as well as nurse navigators. Busch joins Colon and Rectal Surgeon Dr. George Zainea, and Advanced Practice Provider Cara Callan, P.A.-C. As a colon and rectal surgeon, Busch specializes in the diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment of disorders and diseases of the colon and rectum, anal canal and perianal area. She commonly treats conditions such as colon and rectal cancer, polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, as well as anal conditions such as hemorrhoids, fissures, abscesses and fistulas. Busch received her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and went on to complete a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. "There is tremendous variety within the field of colon and rectal surgery, from cancers of the colon and rectum to inflammatory bowel disease to benign anorectal conditions," she said. "Colorectal surgery allows me to provide care to patients in a wide variety of ways, whether it is through colonoscopies, outpatient procedures, or major abdominal surgeries." According to Busch, patients can make the best decisions about their health and health care when they're well informed. "I enjoy taking time with my patients to teach them about their disease and to explain the available treatment options to help them make an informed decision," she said. "I enjoy helping patients reach their full potential after treatment of their life-debilitating condition, whether it be anorectal disease, pelvic floor dysfunction, diverticular disease or colorectal cancer." In addition to performing colonoscopies, Busch specializes in minimally invasive colon and rectal cancer procedures. Some of her procedures include laparoscopic-assisted colectomy, anal fistulas, colonic inertia, as well as treating and managing diverticulitis, colorectal polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, fecal incontinence and hemorrhoids. "Colon cancer is currently the third most common cause of cancer death in both women and men in the United States," said Busch. "That's why screening colonoscopies are so important for detecting polyps or cancers at an early stage." Busch is particularly interested in minimally invasive surgery, including robotic surgery, for the treatment of colon and rectal cancer. "I am also interested in sacral neuromodulation for the treatment of fecal incontinence," she added. Busch welcomes new patients to her office in the Towsley Building located at 4201 Campus Ridge Drive, Suite 2000 in Midland. Appointments may be made by calling 989-839-1795 or toll free at 866-494-8934. Those who would like more information about Busch may visit www.midmichigan.org/busch. Forty-nine student members and one honorary member were recently inducted into Mid Michigan Community College's Alpha Omicron Omicron Phi Theta Kappa Chapter. The mission of Phi Theta Kappa is to recognize academic achievement of college students and to provide opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. Students must earn a minimum 3.5 grade point average and complete at least 12 credit hours at MMCC before being eligible to join. An honorary member is an individual who represents the ideals on which Phi Theta Kappa is based and has rendered distinguished service to their local PTK chapter. These members are of high character, intellectual ability, and exhibit a level of accomplishment worthy of recognition. "Phi Theta Kappa is a great opportunity to learn, grow, and expand as a person. I have made lifelong friends and connections that I would not have made otherwise. During my time as an officer, I have enjoyed going to conventions, doing volunteer work, and going on various chapter outings. I have a new family, a PTK family, and I wouldn't change for the world," shared Tamara Smith, MMCC's chapter president. MMCC launched a PTK chapter in 1989 -- one of nearly 1,300 PTK chapters worldwide. Over the past 28 years, MMCC's chapter has grown and obtained the highest level of achievement -- a 5 Star Chapter. Through chapter and individual projects, members have succeeded in serving the college and community. For more information about MMCC's Phi Theta Kappa Chapter, visit midmich.edu/ptk or contact Tammy Alvaro at talvaro@midmich.edu or 989-386-6622, ext. 634. People protest against tax reform on Capitol hill in Washington DC, the United States, on Dec 1, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese scholars said market expectations should remain objective on Washington's approval of a tax overhaul and they expect its benefits targeting special groups in the United States will be limited. Despite the PR effect marking the US as an attractive business location, the nominal 15 percentage point reduction of the corporate tax rate may only mean a real decrease of 2 percentage points in tax payments, according to the US Congressional Budget Office, because the tax base has simultaneously been enlarged, said Liu Shangxi, head of Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences. Investors will carefully calculate the real effects before making any decision to shift capital to the US just for tax avoidance, taking into consideration factors such as the market potential, infrastructure construction and other business favorable conditions, he said. Scholars assume that the US tax cut will benefit business owners or investors first, after which the increased investment may raise workers' wages. Tax cuts began in China years ago, especially since the value-added tax pilot program, which was launched in 2012. According to official data, tax revenue has been reduced by nearly 1.7 trillion yuan ($257 billion) so far, as a part of the country's ongoing economic rebalancing reform. Meanwhile, taxes have been reduced on businesses in technology innovation and green development, as well as for small and medium-sized enterprises. In the past five years, the central government's income from administrative fees has declined by 320 billion yuan per year on average, and provincial-level governments took in 47 billion yuan per year less, the data showed. After tax reform was approved in the US Congress, at least two weeks would be needed for President Donald Trump to sign it into law, but delay is possible. Intensive negotiations on the differences between the House and Senate bills will continue until mid-December. Both the House and Senate bills have introduced base erosion rulestax avoidance strategies that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules to artificially shift profits to low or no-tax locationsas identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. As a result, Chinese investors may see increased after-tax returns from the US investments, and Chinese multinational enterprises may suffer fierce competition from their US counterparts due to the reduction of the US corporate tax rate, said a research note from the KPMG professional services firm. Chinese tax policymakers may consider taking measures to maintain China business competitiveness, it said. Liu Yi, a professor at the School of Economics in Peking University, said: "A wave of tax reduction competition is likely to emerge among the world's major economies over the long term if the US president can finally sign the bill. Governments' expenditures on welfare could be reduced, and that may drag down the level living standards of social livelihood." To the editor: If you can't remember history, then it is very important to study it. David McCulloch, Ron Chernow and others make history come alive by telling the story of people: who they were, what they said and what they did, not just dates and events. We have a president who supports white supremacy, the Klan and neo-Nazis by his close association with them and for refusing to condemn their views. Our president believes he alone can solve the problems in our country and world. He expects people to heed his every word. Our president says all news which disagrees with his news is fake and wants to ban some news media, a violation of the First Amendment. Our president wants to ban all Muslims from entering the country and register those who live here, another violation of the First Amendment. Our president wants to remove all undocumented immigrants, especially those of color, and has authorized deputizing local sheriff's departments as agents for the immigration service Our president has rescinded an executive order of President Obama which would allow young people who came to this country illegally through no fault of their own (Dreamers) to remain in the U.S. and give them a path to citizenship. Our president has begun lifting temporary protective status for thousands of people who are here because of turmoil in their own countries. Some of them have been here for 15 years. Our president urges tough action against hecklers and those who oppose him without regard for due process. Our president is considering a private spy group which would report to him directly and not share information with the U.S. intelligence community. Our president supports the dictatorial regimes of Vladimir Putin in Russia and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines. These are all signs very reminiscent of the rise and power of Adolf Hitler in Germany from 1933 to 1945. Hitler set up a paramilitary group to quell opposition, banned one group after another, controlled the media, declared himself the sole savior of Germany, demanded complete loyalty to him. Let's stop this president before it is too late to save our country from his madness. Now Playing: Take a tour of the interior of HGTV's 2018 Dream Home in Gig Harbor, Wash. Video: Seattle Post-Intelligencer The Pacific Northwest is a hotbed for gorgeous homes in equally gorgeous locations, and it looks like the rest of the country is about to discover our secret. HGTV's annual Dream Home sweepstakes features an elegantly remodeled home in Gig Harbor, Washington. Located on the shores of Henderson Bay, the 3,500-square-foot home received a massive makeover down to the studs. The home features stunning views from nearly every room, a soothing, gray color palette that mimics the surrounding territory and a strong emphasis on natural materials throughout. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Mario Batali is giving up oversight of the daily operations at his restaurant empire following reports of sexual misconduct by the celebrity chef over a period of at least 20 years. The online site Eater New York, part of Vox Media, reported Monday that the incidents involve at least four women, three of whom worked for Batali. The women, who were not named in the Eater story, claim that Batali engaged in behavior including groping one's chest and grabbing one from behind and holding her tightly against his body. In a prepared statement sent to The Associated Press, Batali said that the complaints "match up" with his past behavior. "I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family," Batali said. A spokesperson for Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group says an employee reported inappropriate behavior by Batali in October. The company told Eater it was the first formal complaint against Batali and that he was reprimanded and required to attend training. Batali will also take leave from his ABC cooking show, "The Chew." "We have asked Mario Batali to step away from The Chew while we review the allegations that have just recently come to our attention," the network said Monday. "ABC takes matters like this very seriously as we are committed to a safe work environment. While we are unaware of any type of inappropriate behavior involving him and anyone affiliated with the show, we will swiftly address any alleged violations of our standards of conduct." The allegations against Batali are just the latest in a series of incidents that include Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer, resignations in the U.S. House and Senate and calls again for President Donald Trump to address sexual misconduct allegations that he's faced. Last week Time magazine named the "silence breakers," those that have shared their stories about sexual assault and harassment, as Person of the Year. The 57-year-old Batali was well known in culinary circles, taking jobs early in his career as a sous chef at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara and San Francisco. His career took off after opening Po in New York City in the early 1990s, and he skyrocketed to fame with the airing of "Molto Mario," a show that ran on the Food Network for eight years, until 2004. It was there that his signature look, a fleece vest, shorts, and orange Crocs, became instantly recognizable to most people. The Food Network, which was planning to relaunch "Molto Mario," said Monday that it was placing its plans on hold. "Food Network takes matters like this very seriously," the network said in a statement. Batali also co-owns restaurants in a handful of cities. The Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group owns or operates several restaurants, including Babbo in New York, Carnevino Italian Steakhouse in Las Vegas and Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. It's also a partner in Eataly, an Italian food hall and grocer, which has locations in New York, Chicago and Boston. Batali has long been socially active. The Mario Batali Foundation advocates child nutrition. He has come out forcefully against hydraulic fracturing, a method used to extract oil and gas. PONTIAC A nurse who claimed she was fired from a Dwight nursing home after she reported alleged abuse has been awarded $5.2 million by a Livingston County jury. Katrina Wesemann was employed as a licensed practical nurse at Heritage Health in Dwight in October 2012 when she was fired by her employer, Bloomington-based Heritage Enterprises Inc., which operates 54 long-term facilities, including 53 in Illinois. Wesemann alleged she was fired because she refused to follow orders from the facility's director of nursing "to 'drop a pill' or double-dose agitated residents with anti-anxiety medications and refused to delete or omit records of suspicious injuries on residents," according to a statement from Timothy J. Coffey, one of Wesemann's lawyers. The verdict included past wages and benefits and $5 million in punitive damages for the nurse who worked at the facility for about 19 months. The jury deliberated about two hours before returning its verdict last week during an eight-day trial before Judge Robert Travers. However, A. Clay Cox, corporate counsel for Heritage Enterprises, said in a written statement to The Pantagraph on Monday, "We at Heritage Enterprises Inc. are deeply disappointed in the verdict delivered in the case of Wesemann v. Heritage Manor-Dwight, LLC. "We have disputed and continue to dispute and deny the assertions of the plaintiff in this matter," Cox's statement continued. "We fully intend to exercise all available legal remedies to contest this result. Until the legal process concludes, we will have no further comment." Coffey said the verdict "sent a powerful message to Heritage Enterprises with the $5 million punitive damage award. Such awards are intended to punish and deter when evidence of willful and wanton misconduct is presented." The Naperville lawyer was part of a legal team that included Loevy and Loevy and Amanda S. Yarusso, of Chicago. The jury sided with the former worker on all three counts brought under Illinois whistleblower laws that protect employees from retaliation for reporting improper conduct at nursing homes and other regulated industries. Wesemann's lawyers alleged that her firing was in retaliation for a call she made to the corporate hotline to report the accusations involving her supervisor. (Global Times) 08:01, December 11, 2017 Officers reassigned based on battle requirements The People's Liberation Army (PLA) ground force's top priority is actual combat readiness, experts said, following the PLA's announcement that it had been selecting and deploying officers based on battle requirements. All of the PLA Army's commanders and political commissars have been reassigned as of November after the PLA streamlined its group armies from 18 to 13 in April, PLA Daily, the military's official newspaper, reported on Saturday. Over 90 percent of military officers from the original group armies and 40 percent from combat brigades have been transferred to help in communication and training, the report said. Along with a military reform, the PLA Army has selected officers according to battle requirements and organized communications among officers on a large scale, the report added. "The reform and changes reflect the PLA Army's shifting focus from management to combat in peacetime, which should be the army's first priority," said Xu Guangyu, a senior adviser of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association. "Especially after the PLA was regrouped into five theater commands, we need more officers with comprehensive abilities at all levels to implement trans-theater mobility," Xu stressed. These moves also serve to strengthen the PLA as mentioned in the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday. The PLA Army this year has been strengthening communication among military officers in different group armies to train them and select the best ones to enhance the PLA Army's ability to win a war, according to the PLA Daily report. More than one hundred officers at the division and regiment level have been relocated to border regions, islands and highlands with tough conditions, the report said, adding that the PLA Army has chosen tough regions to train military officers. "Enhanced communication among officers is meant to improve their ability to quickly adapt to an unfamiliar environment," Song said. Song pointed out that experiences in tough areas will help senior officers make policies and issue commands that better address real situations and the soldiers' needs. "It was disadvantageous for the army to station officers in one place for a long time," Xu said. More than half of the staff at military schools and research institutes has also been assigned to posts in different places, the PLA Daily report said. The PLA Army will also communicate with the PLA Air Force, PLA Navy and recruit capable persons from outside, according to the report. CHENOA The mayor of Chenoa on Monday defended shooting two wild turkeys that were local celebrities to some Chenoa residents and a nuisance to others. Residents attending the Chenoa City Council said Chris Wilder explained that he had talked at length with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources about the city's options, and he had obtained permission to deal with the birds. He also told the audience that he discussed the issue with the man, whom he did not identify, who later shot the birds Saturday. He told the crowd of about 50 people that shooting them was the right decision because several residents had complained about them. Four wild turkeys had roamed the towns streets for several months, and some residents took to them, Chenoa resident David Cummings said. During most of the summer and fall, a mother and her three babies were walking around town, he said Monday. Most of the residents liked them. They would take pictures and videos and share them on social media. In fact, a Facebook page with 150 members, Chenoa Turkeys & Friends, was devoted to the turkeys. As the turkeys grew older and bigger, though, problems developed, said Cummings. They would hop up on vehicles and scratch them, and so some people complained to the city, Cummings said. The mayor contacted the Department of Natural Resources and received a Class C nuisance permit that gave city officials some options on ways to remove them from the city. Officials with DNR did not immediately return messages Monday about the situation. According to Cummings, a man shot two of the birds with a .40-caliber handgun about 11:20 a.m. Saturday. Adding to the problem, Cummings said, was the fact that the birds were shot at the intersection of Division and Logan streets, which is in a school zone. While it happened around the time children were leaving a nearby school after a Breakfast with Santa, the mayor told the audience Monday no children were present. He also told the audience he had asked the shooter not to kill the birds when children were present. School officials also did not reply Monday to a request for comment. My main problem is not just the shooting of the turkeys, but that it happened in a busy residential area, in a school zone, Cummings said. The residents werent notified and the kids and their parents were leaving that school. What happened to the other two turkeys wasn't clear Monday night, but residents believe they are dead. NORMAL McLean County is part of a network working toward a goal of having 60 percent of adults in Illinois obtain a post-secondary college degree or career credential by 2025. According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, 50.9 percent of McLean County residents had at least an associate's degree in 2015, compared to 40 percent statewide. Although McLean County is ahead to the state in achieving the 60 by 25 goal, Charlie Moore, CEO of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, said, We need to keep our eyes on the prize. The "60 by 25" number wasn't pulled out of thin air, notes Lynne Haeffele, director of the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University. The Lumina Foundation, a private foundation based in Indiana focused on making post-secondary learning opportunities available to all, looked at economic and job forecasts and determined that 60 percent of jobs would require training beyond high school by 2025. A survey of Illinois companies found that eight in 10 employers need employees with some post-secondary education, according to Advance Illinois, a nonpartisan education policy advocacy group. That does not necessarily mean an academic degree. It also could mean vocational training beyond high school. Achieving the goal in McLean County requires coordination, say those involved in the "60 by 25" project. Moore said 17 different agencies or organizations in McLean County are addressing workforce issues. They have joined a task force to ensure we're not crossing paths, he said. The work starts as young as kindergarten by introducing youngsters to career options. Moore said officials next year hope to add a program called Inspire that would get business partners more involved, such as job shadowing. But encouraging young people to continue their education beyond high school is only part of the initiative. Twenty-two percent of the workforce nationwide has some college education, but no degree. We have to create pathways for them to get back to school. . Somebody's got to pick up the ball with adult learners, said James Applegate, former executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and a visiting professor at ISU. With the size of high school graduating classes shrinking, it also makes economic sense for colleges to reach out to adult learners. Your big new market is adults, he said. For example, Lincoln College has an Accelerated Bridge to Education that's designed for adults to complete a bachelor's degree while they work. It combines classroom sessions at one of four locations, including Normal, with online learning. In addition, Moore noted, Heartland Community College is an amazing resource we have in our backyard. Sarah Diel-Hunt, associate vice president for academic affairs at Heartland, said community colleges are better positioned to create some different pathways to a college degree or certificate and are more nimble to meet emerging workforce needs. But there's a catch or two. Although many employers offer tuition reimbursement, some employees can't afford to pay costs upfront. Diel-Hunt said Heartland and others are working with employers and social service agencies to find ways to help those in that situation. Also, as schools such as Heartland reach out to adults who previously didn't pursue further education, they often take more resources because they need remedial work and more individualized attention. Nevertheless, reaching out to these populations is viewed as important. The first step could be a short-term certificate in areas such as welding, pharmacist assistant or certified nursing assistant that can lead to a better-paying job and also build confidence to pursue more education or training, explained Rick Pearce, Heartland's vice president for learning and student success. Some take as little as 30 days and others are longer, such as the eight-week CNA program. The key, said Applegate, is to make sure short-term certificates don't become a cul de sac instead of a pathway. We need on and off ramps, he said. We need an easy way to get back on. Q: I am a veteran who served during the Korean War. I am having increasing health/medical problems and am contemplating applying for admission to one of the four Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs IDVA) veterans' homes. I know the financial details, like asset and income limits and costs to stay there. My concern is with reports over the last few years about Legionnaires disease at the Quincy home. What is the status? A: One resident was treated the weekend of Thanksgiving. He was released and has returned to the Quincy home. Legionnaires disease (Legionella bacteria) occurs naturally, so the source is rarely identified in individual cases. The Quincy home extensively renovated its plumbing systems last year in response to the 2015 outbreak. The home continues to test and treat its water for harmful bacteria, including Legionella. ID card update The VA has suspended the applications process for its veterans' ID cards due to an overwhelming number of applications and problems with the website. Only the VA will issue the official card and it is free. Honorably discharged veterans can visit the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs on South Main Street at the National Guard Armory to have their DD214 registered. Then, take the registered DD214 to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the state will put the word veteran on your drivers license or your state-issued identification card. Did you know? Some VA facilities host non-VA legal service providers that can assist veterans free of charge. Rebecca Sanders provides legal outreach services at the Illiana VA Healthcare Center at Danville. Her e-mail address is Rebecca.Sanders2@va.gov. Appointments are necessary. Veterans must be low income and reside in the area served by Land of Lincoln. Veterans' court An Illinois law passed last year requires every judicial circuit in Illinois to have a Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) starting in early 2018. The VTC allows veterans who were honorably discharged to plead guilty to certain crimes in exchange for a probation sentence and a program of treatment. This is similar to other specialty courts. The VTC will hold court sessions in McLean County; more specifics will be released by VTC. ACCESSING INFO ON VA BENEFITS The VA website at va.gov covers just about everything concerning the VA and VA benefits. Websites that provide information about current VA topics and benefits are military.com and publichealth.va.gov/. Our weekly column or a quick phone call to the McLean County Veterans Assistance Commission Office are great alternatives to searching computer websites. NEW YORK (AP) A man with a pipe bomb strapped to him set off the crude device in the subway near Times Square on Monday, injuring the suspect and three other people at the height of the morning rush hour, law enforcement officials said. The man and three others were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill labeled it an attempted terror attack. "Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals," de Blasio said. The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah. Law enforcement officials said he was inspired by the Islamic State group but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group. The officials said he lives in Brooklyn and may be of Bangladeshi descent. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the blast. Authorities said the bomb was a low-tech explosive device attached to the man with Velcro and plastic ties. They were investigating how it was made. A photo published by the New York Post showed a bearded man crumpled on the ground with his shirt apparently blown off and black soot covering his bare midriff. A police officer is holding the man's hands behind his back. Police say the explosion happened in an underground passageway under 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The 7:30 a.m. blast caused smoke to fill the passageway, which was crowded with throngs of Monday morning commuters. The explosion triggered a massive emergency response by police and firefighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. The subway system reopened about 9:20 a.m. Elrana Peralta, a customer service worker for Greyhound, said she works in the Port Authority terminal complex near where the blast happened, but didn't hear the explosion. "All we could hear was the chaos," she said. "We could hear people yelling, 'Get out! Get out! Get out!'" John Miles, 28, from Vermont, was waiting for a bus to Massachusetts. He also didn't hear the blast, but saw police react. "I didn't know what was going on. Officers were running around. I was freaking out," he said. There was an announcement that people should take their bags and leave. "They didn't incite panic. It was fairly orderly." Video from above the "Crossroads of the World" showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving. Everything around the Port Authority area was shut down a surreal scene of still at what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour. New Jersey Transit buses headed to the Port Authority were diverting to other locations. NJ Transit said buses were taking passengers to Secaucus and Hoboken, where they could take trains into the city. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the explosion. -- Associated Press writer Jake Pearson contributed to this report. A year has passed since patrons and partiers of the art world last gathered in Miami for Art Basel art fair. Last year, shocked and outraged by the presidential election outcome that had been decided only a few weeks earlier, we had eagerly celebrated the artists who spoke out through their work, not afraid to be "nasty." Now, a year and thousands of shocking headlines later, artists have had time to process. Today, they are stronger than ever, making work that fights back in the war on women by using the female form as a weapon. Related | The Nasty Women (and One Nasty Man) of NADA Miami At NADA Miami, the contemporary art fair featuring independent and emerging galleries, this year's art was all about the politics of the body, undoubtedly in response to the year of assault on women's rights, health, and bodies. From dismembered selfies to rewriting the history of a classic nude, these five artists are challenging how we see the female form todayAnd oh yea, they're all women, too. Genieve Figgis at Half Gallery At first glance, the lounging nude may seem like a classic painting you'd find hanging in the boudoir of a duchess, but for Irish painter Genieve Figgis, figures are never what they seem. Her painting is based off Titian's 16th century work "Danae," which depicts the Greek myth of princess Danae waiting to be impregnated by Zeus, who comes to visit in the form of a shower of gold (naturally). In Figgis' "Waiting For My Romeo," flesh swirls and the princess' face morphs into an absurdist, nonchalant take on the tale, reducing Zeus to a murky cloud and showing a scene that could almost be captioned, "New phone, who dis?" Aneta Grzeszykowska at Lyles and King Gallery, RASTER Gallery Polish sculptor and photographer Aneta Grzeszykowska has taken the selfie to the next level, building a model of her own body out of pig skin and photographing the pieces as she crafts them together. The form in its entirety is beautiful, shown above as the artist paints makeup onto her creation. But each sculpture on its own, dressed up with fake lashes, nail polish or a wig, feels hauntingly sexualized and gruesome. It's as if the way we analyze and dissect women's featuresa great ass, perfect lips, beautiful eyeshas come to life, each part existing alone without a body, like cuts of meat in a deli case. Cristina Tufino at Galeria Agustina Ferreyra For Puerto Rican sculptor Cristina Tufino, a body is an objectand it's meant to be altered. These small surrealist ceramics look soft like playdough, crafted into bizarre forms that aren't quite human but aren't quite fiction. Some of the sculptures, like a pale, doughy pineapple with a gaping mouth, look like inanimate objects starting to come alive, while the female figures lean more towards objects. It's as if she's asking oscillating women to choose: are you a rigid icon or a moldable entity? Elizabeth Jaeger at Jack Hanley Gallery Working with prints of Renaissance paintings of reclining nudes, artist Elizabeth Jaeger isolates the female form by blacking out the rest of the image with pencil, questioning the way we perceive women's bodies in art. The torso, floating, dismembered from its identity, still somehow feels sexualized. The images are matted in the frame so that the belly button is in the exact center, immediately drawing your eye to the epicenter of female eroticism in an unsettling, yet necessary parallel to the way we look at bodies in society. Koak at Et Al Gallery Stretching. Scheming. Slumping. Anna Koak's caricatures show a reality of womanhood despite their cartoony style. Here, each personality radiates through, taking over so strongly that it's only after absorbing the story of each woman that we realize they're all naked. Koak has a profound ability to paint women beyond the erotism of a body without having to hide the body itself. Regarded as the energy pearl inside the Arctic Circle, the giant Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, jointly launched by China and Russia, began operation on Friday, December 8, 2017. A general view of the Yamal LNG plant in Sabetta port on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia, Russia, December 8, 2017. [Photo: VCG] Located on the Yamal Peninsula, the Yamal LNG plant is the world's largest natural gas development, liquefaction, transportation, and sale project in the Arctic region, and is also the first large oversea energy project since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed in 2013. The project was developed by JSC Yamal LNG. Russias natural gas producer Novatek owns 50.1 percent stake in the company while French energy provider Total S.A. and China National Petroleum Corporation own 20 percent each. The China-proposed Silk Road Fund has signed an agreement to purchase 9.9 percent stake. According to Xinhua News Agency, the 27-billion-US dollar Yamal LNG plant has been designed to start with a production capacity of 5.5 million tons per year. Its expected to ultimately have three production lines by 2019 with a total capacity of 16.5 million tons of LNG per year. In the meantime, the three lines will supply 4 million tons of LNG to China every year, China Central Television reported. As the important pivot of the so-called Silk Road on Ice," the Yamal LNG project also opens a shortcut between the Asia Pacific and the Europe through the Arctic. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said it might be able to achieve the transportation of LNG from Russia to Norway in just 17 days without icebreakers, and that the project will change the structure of the global energy transportation. As cultures across the globe become increasingly more connected through the internet, the push toward inclusion and diversity in fashion becomes even more urgent and depressingly even more apparent when the mark is missed. As the old power guards begin to give way to new generations of creatives influenced by the things around them including the streets they're from giving due credit, attention and opportunities to the originators of different styles is a vital part of nourishing a cultural ecosystem that is healthy and thriving rather than exploitative or vulturous. Fashion should be a means of expression, not oppression. Enter Jacare Moda, a modeling agency and production company that's transforming the fashion industry by bringing young people on the periphery into the center of the conversation. Jacare casts models from in and around some of Brazil's poorest neighborhoods, including Jacarezinho one of the biggest favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Founded by Jacarezinho resident Julio Cesar Lima, the agency started out by holding competitions to find and showcase new talent. As the competitions grew locally, the company grabbed the attention of bigger and bigger brands. Jacare books models who are not only beautiful in their own individual and unique ways, but who resist the idea that favelas are only a place of poverty and violence. Models participate in workshops and learn new skills to take their careers and their communities to new levels. Recently Jacare teamed up with Papel & Caneta, a nonprofit collective made up of young people from creative agencies all over the world, to create a short film about Jacare, featuring three of its models: Caio, Natalia and Camila. The film premieres for the first time below, and PAPER asked the film's director Geoff Levy, Papel & Caneta connector Andre Chavez and Jacare Moda partner Clariza Rosa to tell us more about the process behind the film and about the models themselves. How were the models in the film cast? They were selected during the workshop phase, according to their story at Jacare Moda and their worldview. Even though all the models are driven by the will to strive, the life stories and opinions of [models] Caio, Natalia and Camila connect. Despite coming from distinct origins and lifestyles, their narratives exemplify the innovation that can emerge from the periphery with the power of union. Discriminated countless times for their backgrounds, they looked to fashion as a way to learn, rediscover their self-esteem, develop their talent and originality. Andre Chaves, Connector at Papel & Caneta How did Jacare Moda find them? In 2015, we had a contest in the favela of Jacarezinho as a milestone for the new era at the agency. We needed to hold an event in Jacarezinho so people from different favelas could come to our community. It was a process developed with other partners to give it more amplitude. Clariza Rosa, Partner at Jacare Moda Do the models get paid for the work they do? For the most part, yes. Something we stand by as a premise is the empowerment and financial independence of the youth from the communities. Depending on the job, though, we establish partnerships where payment comes in the shape of courses, for example. Or of a project which will be superbly executed and bring us visibility. Clariza Rosa, partner at Jacare Moda Are all the models represented by Jacare Moda from the favelas? Almost all of them. Some come from neighborhoods away from the city center and Zona Sul [South Zone], which are the main developing areas in Rio today. That's why we have built our narrative around the communities, since our casting is mostly made up of youth from the favelas, but also from outer low-income neighborhoods, Baixada and Zona Oeste [West Zone] Clariza Rosa, partner at Jacare Moda. What makes Jacarezinho unique? Jacarezinho was the most unique place that I've ever spent an extended period of time. It's in the North Zone, away from the beaches that traditionally illustrate what people think of Rio. There may be 40,000 people tightly together there, but it creates an incredible sense of pride and family. Locals were constantly greeting, hugging, playing board games in the street. Everyone was fashionable, or voiced their personality through their clothing. The colors were unreal. Nearly every building was painted vibrantly this informed a lot of the palette of the clothing in the film. And when the sun goes down and you see dozens of kites being flown in backyards, you really get an intangible feeling about how special the place is. I'll never forget it. Geoff Levy, Director Brazilian style is so varied, and the people are so diverse. Why does representation of models from all walks of life matter? Why haven't we seen more of it before? We believe the people and their diversities have always had strength, but thanks to a global wave of growth in the communities, now we're witnessing a bigger boom. Internet access has also had its share in speeding up the process. If we didn't like something before, the power to respond to that was weaker and slower, so the processes took much longer or were basically overlooked. Now, if a company/product or service isn't up to par with the customer's expectations, our voice is almost automatically heard. To highlight a country's plurality and diverse viewpoints is extremely important these days, even from a commercial perspective. Clariza Rosa, partner at Jacare Moda "Gambiarra," the idea of making it work with that you've got, was expressed throughout the film. Working with these young people, how did you see them applying that principle to their lives and their work? When we sat with the models and learned about the concept of gambiarra, we realized it wasn't just a technical construct, but also a mantra for the people. Given a set of unfavorable circumstances, they are are able to make all situations work and oftentimes favorable. Caio may have to hop a train sometimes to make a casting, but his self-ripped jeans and DIY take on fashion is influential. Also, our production was constantly referred to as a gambiarra. Hardly any budget, on-the-go preparation, working in small or unsecured spaces, and everyone wearing a lot of hats. The communal spirit of the concept really reinforced how we all worked together. Geoff Levy, Director How can fashion and media serve as conduits for social change? Fashion has become such a fluidly global conversation. What happens in Brazil informs what happens in Tokyo, and vice versa. We all influence each other. With fashion, there is a cultural exchange while also a representation of self. A kid in a favela can see how a jacket is worn in another country, then bring their own style by pairing it with a different article, wearing it differently, recontextualize and recreate it. It's not a competition, it's a conversation that's democratic and open to all. And it's undeniable that favela culture bleeds into what is commercially in right now it's important to give that credit where it's due. To recognize and appreciate those unique voices instead of just simply reappropriating. Geoff Levy, Director By becoming a means of expression and not oppression. In these complex times in which everyone is talking about inclusion, diversity is still more of a conversation topic than a reality. The truth is, creating opportunities for and embracing initiatives such as Jacare Moda is as important as supporting the diversity of models in fashion shows and campaigns. A lot of projects and collectives are springing from all over the world to set a new course for the industry, but do they get their due attention on websites and in magazines? Are the major platforms willing to find them and show their stories to the world? Andre Chaves, Connector at Papel & Caneta In late November patently Apple posted a report titled "Samsung won't be able to Copy Apple's 3D Face ID in Time for Galaxy S9 Smartphone in 2018." Today we're learning that in order to blur the line and sidestep not having 3D facial recognition like Apple's iPhone X, Samsung will announce they're advancing their Iris recognition feature for their next smartphone debuting in early 2018. Their marketing angle will be that online banking houses support iris scanning as a safer biometric standard for online transactions. However, the only banks making this claim happen to be from South Korea. It's being report today that "the iris scanner of Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone Galaxy S9 will be improved to better recognize users' eyes, a step that the firm hopes would solidify its lead in biometric verification technology for banking transactions. Iris recognition is biometric identification that uses irises of an individual's eyes, whose complex patterns are unique, stable, and able to be seen from some distance." An industry insider told the publication that the "Galaxy S9's iris scanner will have an improved camera lens and functions to make it better to recognize the eyes of users. The iris camera lens will be improved to 3 megapixels from 2 megapixels of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 to capture clearer images. The scanner will better recognize users' irises even when they wear eyeglasses, move their eyeballs or are in a too dark or too light environment. The response time will also be shorter from the current one second." The report further noted that "Alongside the improvement in hardware, Samsung is developing software to more accurately and safely recognize users' irises. Samsung is also on target to expand the iris scanner into budget models possibly late next year or early 2019 with the ultimate aim of replacing physical banks with mobile banking, according to the source. Currently, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 are the only Samsung smartphones that have iris scanners. A Samsung spokesperson told the publication that "Iris scanner is the safest biometric authentication (among iris, fingerprint and face recognition) and we will continue to improve the system for upcoming smartphones for safer banking transactions," without disclosing any detailed specifications of Galaxy S9 or proof in the accuracy of such a statement. Samsung is now accelerating the use of its biometric authentication into banking and financial services. Its mobile payment and digital wallet service, Samsung Pay, is able to be logged in through iris and fingerprint verification. Samsung Pay is a mobile service allowing users to use their phones like cash or credit cards and withdraw or send money from bank accounts. Separately from Samsung Pay, Samsung also partnered with several local banks, including Shinhan, Woori, IBK, NH and Busan, to make their mobile banking transactions on premium Galaxy series through biometric verification. a Woori Bank official stated for the report that "Our customers using Galaxy series are able to use all mobile banking services, including money transfer, subscription to new financial products, loans and currency exchange, through fingerprint and iris scanners without typing in their ID and password. If security is more guaranteed by smartphone makers like Samsung, we are willing to more actively use the biometric authentication in the future." Kim Jong-ki, a researcher specializing in the mobile industry at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade, said, the iris scanner is expected to be more widely used for banking transactions globally in the future as it is safer than fingerprint and face recognition although security should be more improved than now. According to Dutch tech media, LetsGoDigital, LG Electronics is highly likely to adopt iris scanner for its upcoming flagship smartphone G7, citing the firm's patent drawing submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization. Concerns still remain among consumers as a series of reports on hacking the biometric system follow every time a new smartphone biometric system is unveiled. In May, Samsung Galaxy S8's iris scanner was fooled by German hackers with dummy eyes although Samsung immediately retorted that the hack was unrealistic in reality. Patently Apple Xtra News covers interesting news and patents about present or future competitor products, concepts or services that may or may not compete with Apple. Patently Xtra is also used to cover editorial and/or opinion articles. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, speaking at a lunch event organized by his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav in appreciation of journalists and reporters of Bihar, predicted defeat for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat where first phase of the two-phase state elections ended yesterday. "All speculations about the Gujarat election would soon come to an end when the Congress serves massive defeat to the BJP that is clearly struggling for every single vote," Yadav said. Interestingly, Yadav had made similar prediction about the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls held earlier this year saying BJP was headed for a huge loss only to be proven wrong by the actual result in which the saffron party with its allies walked away with 324 seats out of a total of 403. Facing a number of cases of corruption, the RJD President, who has entrusted his political fate in the hands of soothsayers and astrologers, said he has quit eating meat products since non-vegetarianism is not good for health. Sources in the party, however, contradict Yadav's explanation about going full vegetarian saying the RJD chief stopped eating meat products at the advice of one of his new-found fortune-tellers. As recalled, Yadav had once quit eating meat in the past only to return to non-vegetarianism after a few months saying the human body needed some meat to remain fit and healthy. Meanwhile, Yadav's son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav said that he would soon release a report card on the NDA government's performance since Nitish Kumar walked away from the Mahagathbandhan earlier July this year. "We are going to expose this government of how the crime rate went up under the new NDA administration and how development came to a standstill since the Mahagathbandhan government was dissolved in Bihar," Tejaswi Yadav said adding he would go on a state-wide yatra to expose the failure of the current government after Makar Sankranti in January. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Farmers, who supplied quality maize seeds for the governments flagship agricultural programme - planting for food and jobs, are crying for payment of the money owed them. The Food and Agriculture Ministry had bought the seeds through National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) and they say the delay in the final installment payment is making it difficult to continue with their business. At a meeting of the Seed Producers Association of Ghana (SEEDPAG) held at Fumesua in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, they claimed that the outstanding payment should have been cleared at the end of November. Mr. Patrick Apullah, SEEDPAG National President, appealed to the government to move quickly to get the farmers paid to sustain their operation. He said they needed the money to fund the harvesting and processing of their dried seed maize on the field. He indicated that if this did not happen soon, things could go wrong looming danger of seed farms being ruined by bushfires. He added that there could be ramifications for the planting for food and jobs. Mr. Thomas Havoh, the General Secretary, appealed for calm as the association took up the matter with the government to get things sorted. He acknowledged that the programme held a lot of promise for the nation and asked that any challenges with the implementation was handled in the best interest of all. It was important that the key actors worked together to make it a huge success to achieve national food security and transform the lives of many. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Some traders at the Mokola Market in Accra have expressed optimism about increased sales before and during the Christmas and New Year festivities. Most of the traders have started flooding their shops with clothing, toys, biscuits, children clothes and Christmas decor whilst some shop owners and buildings within the city have started decorating their premises with several types of decorations used at Christmas. Scores of traders told the GNA that last years sale was not encouraging due to the general elections and the associated political tension just before the Christmas season. Madam Cynthia Mensah who sells clothes in an interview with the GNA said she has made enormous sales during this Christmas season, which were almost the same as what she sold during the past four months. She said the festive season is associated new and trending clothes, and for others, a time to show-off adding that this years business has started picking very early. A trader who owned a unisex boutique acknowledged that sales was very encouraging especially for female clothes, adding that some men would only buy a shoe when it is totally worn out, unlike females. She however said currently her shop is fully stocked for the pick periods. Madam Agnes Opoku who sells soft drinks said Business is good for me today, people are buying the soft drinks and I am sure more would be bought in the coming days. A trader who owns a fabric shop said there is a high patronage for cloths during this festive period, customers have started Christmas shopping very early, she said. A customer told the GNA she knows that that prices of items would definitely increase so she had to do her shopping as early as possible before prices go up. Madam Ama Boateng who sells toys said I am making money in the toy business this Christmas because parents are buying the toys for their children. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has promised to reward the security man of Ghana Senior High School (GHANASS) in Koforidua with a cash prize of GHC 5,000 for blowing the cover of the senior matron of the school. Madam Comfort Oduro Bruce, senior matron of GHANASS has been invited by the regional police command over an alleged stealing of some foodstuffs meant for the students and selling them outside. The matron was reportedly caught pants down by the chief security man of the school, Kofi Kanjaga, when she and the driver (one Alfred) was transporting the foodstuffs with the Regional Ghana Education Service vehicle with registration number, GN 6717-15, over the weekend. She was allegedly assisted by one of her staff, Appiah, who later exposed the rot on Oman Fm an Accra-based radio station after Kwame Baffoe aka Abronye DC, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) had been informed about the alleged criminal act. Mr Kofi Kanjaga confirmed in media interviews that the matron, who was transferred from Krobo-Odumase Girls SHS to the school last year, had been stealing foodstuffs meant to feed GHANASS students particularly the first years, as part of the governments Free SHS policy and selling them outside on daily basis. According to him, the action of Madam Comfort Oduro had been causing food shortage in the school, making the students complain of insufficient meals being served to them. Mr Kanjaga disclosed that on 16th November, 2017, at 7pm, the matron packed the big truck with sacks of gari, cartons of milk, rice, tins of Milo, cartons of tomatoes, among other items. He said he had information that Madam Oduro had packed the food items into the truck and so he ordered the junior security man to block the main road so they used logs and stones to block it. When the driver got to the main gate, Kofi said, he ordered them to return the foodstuffs to the store, but the matron asked the driver to drive at top speed which Alfred did, and nearly knocked him (Kofi Kanjaga) down. He added that after the incident he called the headmaster and even wrote an official report to him that very night but he (headmaster) refused to cause their arrest and allowed them to transport the foodstuffs away. He indicated further that thereafter a five-member committee comprising the two assistant headmasters, senior house master and mistress and the bursar was setup by the headmaster, Rev Abraham Osei Donkor, to investigate the matter. He maintained that after the investigation, the report has been kept inside the headmasters drawer and has refused to take action on it. This allegation of the security man has led to serious investigations by security agencies in the country. Commenting on this on Adom TVs Badwam on Tuesday, the Assin Central MP said the security man deserves to be awarded for being patriotic and exposing people like the Chief Matron. The security man should come to me for a GHC 5,000 reward as Christmas gift. He deserves to be rewardedI will bring the money to you [Omanhene] for you to give to him, such people are heroes and we need to reward people like that to be able to fight corruption, he said. Ken Agyapong also demanded that the headmaster of GHANASS, Rev Abraham Osei Donkor must be sacked from his position for delaying to report the case. Source: adomnews Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. A 5-year-old girl from eastern Chinas Zhejiang province recently took a 6-day hiking journey with her parents in a no-mans land in November, finishing an unimaginable challenge, West China City News reported. We learned a lot from the trip, though it was short, said the girls father, Pan Tufeng, in an interview with West China City News on Dec. 7. Having decided not to send his daughter to kindergarten, Pan hopes to build up her willpower through such challenges. The girl named Wenwen started hiking in Lop Nur, also called the sea of death, in late October, together with her parents, elder brother, and an 11-year-old friend who is a boy. Pan had planned to cross the desert before, but was later persuaded by his friends that the kids are too young for such activity. After discussion with his wife, he hired a local guide and decided to spend 10 days in the desert. The trip was not a touring experience, in that all of the three kids had to carry water with them: three liters for the boys and one liter for the girl. After two days of excitement, they began to feel exhausted with the ceaseless walking each day. Based on this situation, Pan and his wife decided to call a halt and pull back. However, the couple still had tough requirement on the three children, that is, every one of them must act independently no matter how tired they were. On the sixth day, the five of them made it out of the desert. According to Pan, the lack of water was also a reason for him to stop the plan. It was not a successful challenge, but we learned a lot, Pan said. People always feel desperate in the boundless desert even with a local guide. Such experience would help the children understand the significance of persistence, Pan noted, adding that they have also learned to cherish things. Now, Pan has a new plan for Wenwen before she goes to elementary school in September 2018: to hike along the Qinghai-Tibet highway, one of the four national highways that stretches into Tibet. Wenwen has already completed hiking challenges on the other three of them. Kenyas main opposition coalition, the National Super Alliance (NASA) has announced a postponement of the swearing-in ceremony of its leader Raila Odinga as president of the country. A statement released on Sunday, two days to the December 12, event said the latest decision had been reached following extensive internal consultations and engagements with a wide range of national and international interlocutors. NASA said it was aware that the postponement will be a disappointment to Kenyans who were looking forward to the day. They added that a new date for the event will be announced in the coming days We wish to assure them that our resolve has not changed. Specifically, we wish to reiterate that any national dialogue must have electoral justice on the agenda. We are not interested in sharing illegitimate dictatorial power, a statement signed by Raila Odinga and three other leaders stated. Source: africanews.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chief Executive Officer at UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC), Tony Burkson, has disclosed that his outfit is poised at driving trade and investment agenda in Ghana to greater levels. According to him, UKGCC in the next few years is expected to be the major driver of trade and investment activities between Ghana and the Unite Kingdom. We intend to work closely with Yofi Grant and the GIPC to promote Ghana as an investment destination for British FDI and Technical expertise. Expect to see UK participation in railways, infrastructure, healthcare & technology, he said. Mr. Burkson said this in his address at the maiden edition of the Business Excellence Awards and Dinner Gala held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. The awards aimed at acknowledging excellence in business amongst companies operating in Ghana. They also sought to create a platform for interactions between members of the chamber, top government officials of Ghana, as well as other key players in Ghanas corporate community. In his speech, Mr. Burkson indicated that as a result of the strong fiscal discipline and macroeconomic prudence of this administration, led by the ever serene and competent Finance Minister and his team...Ghana is again an exciting investment destination and I can confidently say that interest in doing business in Ghana from UK companies has shot up over last few months. He further stated that, there was the need for government to initiate predictable and fair policies that are good for investment decisions with long term views. What we ask from the Government is predictable and fair policies. Investment decisions are made with long term view and constant changes in the policy outlook can affect investment decisions in the short term, he said. He added that asking small SME's and other medium sized companies looking to invest in Ghana to demonstrate $500k worth of capital available seems to be an overkill in my opinion. Mr. Burkson also expressed optimism in the new GIPC bill to help in the rectification of the anomaly. In attendance at the awards were the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, Deputy Minister of Trade Carlos Ahinkra, Chief Director of Business development Joe Tackie, British High Commissioner to Ghana H.E. Iain Walker, Deputy High Commissioner to Ghana Gavin Cook, Head of Investments and Business Development for the Office of the VP, Kadijah Amoah , Kow Essuman, Counsel in the office of the president. Find below the full list of winners Employer of the Year - Unilever Exporter of the Year - Kasapreko SME of the Year - Boomers CSR Project of the Year - Vivo Energy Logistics Company of the Year - McDan Shipping Financial Institution of the Year - Barclays Bank BEST OF BRITISH Best Brand of the Year - Vodafone Best CEO of the Year - Charles Darko, Tullow Oil Most Successful Company of the Year - Vodafone HIGH COMMISSIONERS SPECIAL RECOGNITION Best Think Tank - IEA Improving Trade Between Ghana & UK - R. Yofi Grant & Adam Afriyie Best Social Impact Project - Aqua Africa Best in Innovation - Strategic Security Systems British Entrepreneur of the Year - Ann Brewin, Clifton Homes Best Engine Graduate - Decokraft Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Deputy Roads Minister, Anthony Karbo has urged Ghanaians to stop being grouchy about the terrible state of roads in the country and support government by paying their toll fees for the repair of the countrys roads. Speaking on Citi FM's breakfast show, Mr. Karbo indicated that financing for the reconstruction of bad roads in the country has become problematic owing to the unwillingness of citizens to duly perform their responsibilities. Comparing Ghanas situation to that of other countries, he stated that the payment of toll fees is one ideal way to generate funds for the pursuance of such projects in addition to other monies from government. This is a discussion we should have in this country and support government to find new mechanisms, new ways of road financing because if you look at other countries, what is going on in the world now, and road users are paying for the roads, look at what is happening in America, all the roads you see in South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, are roads users are paying for.the real challenge we are having in this country is that people feel that we are paying for bad roads because everyone is whining, the motorway is not good, its deteriorating and yet we are paying tolls," he said. According to him, issues regarding the maintenance of major roads in the country will be resolved if the subject of financing is discussed on a much bigger platform. We have gotten to the point where we have to open up, have a national discussion about road financing moving forward especially for major roads that we know that the volume of traffic and the amount of tolls people can pay over a period can service the road and there will be maintenance because it will be a road that everyone is paying for so the issues of maintenance which has been the biggest problem in Ghana, at least we will be somewhere in our resolving them," Karbo noted. He commended communities who have registered their preparedness to support government by gathering financial resources for the construction of specific roads in the country. Many communities are getting urbanized, theres a growing middle-class in the country and they are looking for a certain environment in which they can operate. Government is conscious of that and we would like to engage communities that have these new innovative ideas," the Member of Parliament for Lawra Constituency stated. Source: ghanaweb Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has allayed the fears of the Member of Parliament for Asawase Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka of dying from a respiratory illness known as Influenza H1N1 2009 which has claimed the lives of four students of the Kumasi Academy Senior High School (KUMACA) in the past one week. Hon. Muntaka under whose constituency the school falls, has been left fear-gripped following confirmation that the initial unexplained deaths in the school was caused by Influenza H1N1 2009 which is contagious, especially as hes visited the campus and has had handshakes with the school authorities. The Minority Chief Whip has been very harsh on authorities in charge of education in Ghana, especially in the Ashanti Region, accusing them of being careless in handling the circumstances leading to the death of students. But Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu while briefing Parliament on the preliminary report on the deaths in KUMACA, urged Hon. Muntaka not to habour any fears of death as his life is not in danger. The assurance I can give to me colleague MP for Asawase who claims hes visited the school twice and shook hands with the Headmaster is the fact that the incubation period for this particular virus is four days. Between Saturday and now that he hasnt gotten the disease, it indicates that he hasnt gotten the strain so he should rest assured that we wouldnt allow him to die. He disclosed that the Ministry of Health plans to have the persons in Asokore and its immediate environs vaccinated when vaccines from the World Health Organization are ready, adding that every household a student has visited in the past few days will also be vaccinated. Addressing the media Thursday, the Health Minister disclosed that 19 tests conducted by the Noguchi Memorial Institute confirmed Influenza H1N1 209 as the cause of the deaths and not meningitis as earlier suspected. Hon. Agyeman-Manu also stated that seven students who died in the school earlier in April this year died from meningitis. He assured that the outbreak has been confined to the Kumasi Academy and not likely to spread beyond the school. The Minister also confirmed that 44 students have been infected and are currently receiving treatment. He appealed to parents not to panic and return their children who have been taken home. Source: adomonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Audio Attachment: Ofosu Kwakye on Radio Gold The NPP administration on December 7, 2017 celebrated its one year anniversary of winning the 2016 elections. They held a thanksgiving ceremony at the Accra International Conference Center to mark the day. However, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) feels there was no need for the celebration because so far the ruling government has not fulfilled any of their campaign promises. Analysing one year after winning the elections, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, a former Deputy Minister for Communication in the erstwhile John Mahama administration said so far, it has been eleven months or one year of falsehood, increasing hardship, corruption, terrorism and flawed and hopeless government Apart from that he said so far, the ruling government has filled its administration with concubines, friends, relatives and so on; adding he (Akufo-Addo) has installed the most nepotistic government in the history of Ghana and I dare say on the African government Contributing to a panel discussion on Radio Golds Alhaji and Alhaji, Saturday, Ofosu Kwakye scored the current administration zero on various levels of the economy. According to him, Ghana is not in a better position than it was in December 2016; indicating that on 7th December 2016, Ghana owed GHC 122b; on 7th December 2017, Ghana owed a colossal 150b Click the audio above to listen to the former Deputy Minister Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Hearing into the alleged abuse of power and corruption scandals that have rocked the Electoral Commission (EC) will begin today, Kasapafmonline.com has gathered. Chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei, and two of her deputies, Georgina Opoku-Amankwah, who is in charge of Corporate Services, and Amadu Sulley, in charge of Operations, are expected to appear before the five-member committee chaired by a Supreme Court Judge for questioning relating to separate petitions filed against them. The appearance of the trio before the committee follows the completion of preliminary investigations into their alleged conduct of abuse of power and corruption. In August, 2017, the three EC bosses were directed by the Chief Justice to file their official responses to the allegations levelled against them in the various petitions. It is not clear who among the three EC bosses will appear first before the Committee. Deep throat sources at the corridors of the Electoral Commission say all the three are poised to defending themselves when they appear before the committee on charges of corruption and abuse of power levelled against them. Several infractions in the award of contracts at the EC prior to the 2016 general elections is expected to feature prominently during the trial, sources familiar with how the trial will proceed told Kasapafmonline.com. First Petition The three EC bosses have been at loggerheads for sometime, a situation many believe, is jeopardizing the operations of the EC. The trial by the committee, was therefore, was spurred by a petition sent to the Presidency by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, who was acting on behalf of some unnamed staff of the Commission, who had sought to trigger impeachment proceedings against Madam Charlotte Osei. In the petition, Charlotte Osei was accused among other things, spending GH3.9million to partition her office, receipt of a bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser from the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress government, and spending about US$14million for district offices when the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) had authorized her to use only US$7.5million. Second Petition Later, another petition was again filed against Charlotte Osei by Lawyer Douglas Seidu on grounds of breach of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 633) as amended, gross financial mismanagement as well as conflict of interest. Lawyer Seidu alleged that Charlotte Osei put herself in a conflict of interest situation when she awarded a contract to Aerovote Security Printing (Ghana) Limited to print the pink sheets used for the 2016 general elections. Lawyer Seidu argued that Charlotte Osei has strong business links with the Director of Aerovote and that the EC Chairperson had long arranged the deal even before the procurement process opened. He further claimed that Charlotte Osei Unilaterally awarded contracts worth GH249,018,895.03 and US$71,406,388.80 in breach of procurement processes and also awarded various contracts, including the printing of letterheads and a logo for the Commission which amounted to gross financial mismanagement. Fight Back But the EC boss through her lawyer, Thaddeus Sory hit back, insisting that she had not been corrupt or abused her office. Charlotte Osei then accused her two deputies, Georgina Opoku-Amankwah and Amadu Sulley, of deliberately scheming to frustrate her stay in office. She also accused Georgina Opoku-Amankwah of signing contracts worth US$40million without her knowledge and authorization between May and September 2015. Amadu Sulley was also not spared either as she accused him of illegally transferring votes in the run up to the 2016 general elections. Further to that, Amadu Sulley, allegedly pocketed huge amounts of money from some political parties. Counter Petition Following her allegations, another group whose identity is not known sent a counter petition to the President to investigate her two deputies for allegedly abusing their offices and corruption. No Wrongdoing Both Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku-Amankwah denied any wrongdoing. They accused Charlotte Osei of being the problem at the Electoral Commission. Source: kasapafmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi Bosiako says they are more than prepared to host the Extra-ordinary National Delegates conference. He said without the Ashanti Region, the NPP can never win elections, saying that settling on Kumasi for the conference is in the right direction. The NPP could not take decisions on amendments to its constitution made by members across the country during its recent annual conference at Cape Coast in the Central Region. The party ordered a committee to look through the numerous proposals and submit its report two months ahead of the extraordinary conference. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' Programme, he explained that they have put in adequate measures to ensure a successful conference. "The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah who is the Chairman for REGSEC has been tasked with security and safety of delegates whilst other committee members have been tasked with other responsibilities," he added. We are also looking at accommodating over 7,500 delegates for the one day conference. Expressing worry about how they were disturbed by bed bugs at their national conference in Cape Coast, he noted that they will ensure same is not repeated in the Ashanti region. According to him they are putting everything in place to ensure a successful conference this weekend. The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) will hold its extraordinary delegates conference on Sunday, December 17, 2017 in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional Capital. The conference is in pursuance to Article 9(A)(5) of the NPP constitution. In a statement signed by the Acting General Secretary of the party John Boadu, it explained, "The agenda for the conference is to deliberate, consider and adopt a draft constitutional amendment for the party." Source: Isaac kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Philippine News Agency reporter Jelly Musico delivers speech during joint CAPC, CSASEAPC closing ceremony Forty-two foreign journalists have rendered a medley Chinese songs while waiving their respective national flags to formally end a 10-month China development study and media exchange program organized by China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA). CPDA vice president Hu Zhengyue has lauded the journalists from Africa and Asia for their valuable contribution in enhancing the understanding and friendship between China and their respective countries. I want to express my heart-felt thanks to all of you, Hu said in his speech during recent joint closing ceremony attended by some members of diplomatic corps, Chinese media, academics and think-tanks in Beijing. Hu has called on 42 journalists to give attention on China as it aspire for a moderately prosperous society in 2022 and modern socialist society in 2049 by pushing the Belt and Road Initiative. We hope you will continue to pay attention to China in the future, continue to pay attention to bilateral contacts and continue to pay attention to the regional cooperation, especially the process of building the Belt and Road, he said. CPDA vice president Hu Zhengyue lauds 42 journalists from Africa and Asia for helping in promotion of China's diplomacy. Established in 2012, CPDA is nationwide, non-profit organization aimed at mobilizing social resources and making the best use of people-to-people international exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between China and the rest of the world. CPDA has actually formed three press centers this year but unlike China-Africa Press Center (CAPC) and China-South Asia and Southeast Asia Press Center (CSASEAPC), China-Latin America Press Center (CLAPC) stayed only from May to September. It was a fruitful and experience-enriching 10-month journey that brought 27 CAPC and 15 CSASEAPC journalists to different Chinese provinces and major cities like Shanghai, Tianjin and Beijing. The journalists had covered big local and international events like the once-in-five years 19th National Congress of Communist Party of China and the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation attended by 29 government leaders and heads of state. They also covered lianghui or annual two sessions -- 12th National Peoples Congress (NPC) and 12th National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the countrys legislature and top political advisory body, respectively. The two press centers along with 11 CLAPC journalists also went to Xiamen City last September for the 9th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa) Summit. China also brought journalists to Hainan to cover Boao Forum for Asia in March and Belt and Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road held in Dunhuang, Gansu in September. Renmin University of China had provided series of lectures on Chinese politics, economy, poverty alleviation, media, social, culture and its emerging role in global governance. Beijing International Chinese College, on the other hand, taught them basic Chinese language and better understanding of Chinese diversified and rich cultures. Journalists commended China for giving them opportunity to explore different beautiful places including famous tourist spots like the magnificent Yangtze river and three UNESCO-enshrined Mogao, Longmen and Yungang grottoes. 42 African and Asian journalists pose for photo opp after receiving certificates from BICC. It is difficult to summarize the stories from all the tours, Raza Muhammad, reporter of Pakistans Dawn News, said. Narendra Apurva Vaidyanathapura of India Express said he felt 10 months are not enough to fully experience and understand China particularly its people and culture. These 10 months have also helped me learn a lot about other countries in the region from Laos, Thailand and the Philippines to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Vaidyanathapura said. Others praised China for lifting over 700 million of its people out of poverty and its miracle rise as worlds second largest economy in a span of only three decades. The cross-mountain and underwater tunnels, subways, massive road networks, airports, high speed trains, skyscrapers and bridges are proofs of Chinas rapid development. Muhammad Zamir Assadi of Independence News Pakistan described Belt and Road Initiative a game changer that will benefit 4.4 billion people in Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. Jay Prakash Pandey of Indias Amar Ujala said he enjoyed so much Chinese cuisine especially Sichuan hot-pot while Aminath Ibrahim of Maldives Avas Online said coming to China was a dream come true. Zaw Ye Aung of Myanmars TV Skynet and Latsaphao Khonesavanh of Vientiane Times thanked China for great opportunities to be part of the CPDA media exchange program that gave journalists opportunities to build ties with their Chinese counterparts. Kimeng Hilton Nadukong of Cameroon Tribune delivered closing ceremony speech on behalf of CPAC while Jelly Musico of Philippine News Agency represented CSASEAPC. Both journalists urged colleagues to write stories that will enhance mutual understanding and develop stronger cooperation among countries along Belt and Road. (Jelly Musico, news reporter of Philippine News Agency and member of China South Asia, Southeast Asia Press Center) (Global Times) 13:26, December 11, 2017 The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) of China announced on Monday that it has started investigation into Sun Zhengcai, former secretary of Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Sun, also former member of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, was put under investigation on suspicion of accepting bribes. The SPP has taken "coercive measures" against Sun, which may include summons by force, bail and detention, and further investigation is under way. Resident Marlyn Addai stands in the doorway of home in Twin Pines Mobile Home Park in Mississauga, Ont., on Friday, December 8, 2017. Residents are fighting a move by The Peel Housing Corporation to impose a re-development plan for the community. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Christopher Calvin Garnier arrives at provincial court in Halifax on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. Garnier has taken the stand at his trial in the death of off-duty police officer Catherine Campbell. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan (File Photo/Xinhua) Recently, POLITICO reported that US President Donald Trumps fake news mantra is being adopted across the globe and blamed the US president for the growing outcry over Western media bias. The White House pushed back against the idea, calling the report really ridiculous. While the report is mostly focused on attacking Trump, it speaks to a larger truth about the Western media. The US presidents criticism of the US media is well known across the globe. Trump has made numerous comments accusing his nations media of making up news out of thin air. So much of our news is just made up-FAKE! Trump once said. The US president routinely labels leading media outlets as mass producers of fake news and has called them the enemy of the people. His dislike and distrust of the US media raises questions about the fairness of Western media reports. In describing his distaste for the media, Trump has repeatedly used the phrase FAKE NEWS online and also in numerous speeches and interviews. If a sitting US president argues that his nations leading media outlets are essentially fake news machines, then it is logical to assume that at least some of the outlets have political agendas. Though Trump has blasted many media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, he has been especially critical of CNN, calling it, among other things, disgustingly biased, fiction, and a disgrace to the broadcasting industry. This Fake News Network image was reinforced after CNN wrongly reported a story about Donald Trump Jr. receiving an email on Sept. 4, 2016, that granted him special access to hacked WikiLeaks documents. Immediately, the major bombshell story was promoted as proof that Trump and his team are tied to Russia. But the bombshell turned out to be fake news in its truest sense. And although CNN later acknowledged errors and corrected its story alleging contact between Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks, it only fueled claims that the Western media is biased. Trump responded to the news by accusing Fake News CNN of a vicious and purposeful mistake. They were caught red handed, he added. The US president also accused the news network of lying to the American public with its slogan. There are many outlets that are far more trusted than Fake News CNN. Their slogan should be CNN, THE LEAST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS! Trump said. Then, before the dust settled, The Washington Post was accused of making up news after one of its reporters posted a photograph of an almost empty arena just hours before a Trump rally in Pensacola, Florida. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo! Trump said. The reporter later apologized and deleted the misleading photo from his personal account. Very little discussion of all the purposely false and defamatory stories put out this week by the Fake News Media. They are out of control - correct reporting means nothing to them. Major lies written, then forced to be withdrawn after they are exposeda stain on America! Trump said on Sunday. In fact, the problem of fake news is nothing new to China. For years, China has long been on the receiving end of Western media bias. Rather than focus on Chinas achievements in poverty alleviation and human rights or the benefits of stronger China-US relations for instance, China is often cast in a negative light and frequently attacked in the Western media. In addition, reports by official media are often dismissed as propaganda in order to discredit them. All this shows that putting the Western interpretation of events on a pedestal is part of the fake news problem that China and other countries have been battling for years. If the President of the United States claims that his nations leading media outlets are a stain on America, then negative news about China and other countries should be taken with a grain of salt since it is likely that bias and political agendas are distorting the real picture. Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra officers scuffle with demonstrators outside the Lleida museum, in the west of Catalonia, Spain, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Spanish authorities take advantage of their direct powers over Catalonia to relocate 44 disputed art works from a museum in the Catalan city of Lleida to the neighbouring Spanish region of Aragon. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Generic mountain lion image courtesy of Justin Shoemaker/ USFWS By Pete Thomas An Iowa teenager on Saturday shot and killed a mountain lion that surprised the hunter as he stalked deer near Akron. It made a jolt toward me, and I instantly pulled the trigger, Jacob Altena, 17, told the Des Moines Register. Mountain lion sightings are rare in Iowa. The 80-pound female cougar, dispatched with a shot to its shoulder, becomes only the sixth mountain lion killed in Iowa, according to records kept by the state Department of Natural Resources. Altena, who was hunting with a shotgun at dusk along the Sioux River, said he first spotted the cat in fallen timer about 15 feet to his left. It was pretty scary, he said. I was in shock. Mountain lions, also called pumas and cougars, are not protected in Iowa. This was the kill of a lifetime, Altena said. It seemed at the time like a somewhat random, and amazingly fortuitous, coincidence. Just as the Panama Canal was unveiling a new, fatter set of locks, U.S. shale drillers were readying their very first exports of liquefied natural gas. While the wide-body tankers that transport LNG would've had no chance of squeaking through the original steel locks built a century ago, they could easily traverse the bigger channel and shave 11 days off the trip to primary markets in Asia. But 17 months in, it's not quite working out as planned. Only a single LNG tanker has a guaranteed passage each day. The natural-gas industry blames the Panama Canal Authority for holdups, and the canal authority blames the industry for being lackadaisical about transit timetables. Whoever's at fault, this much is clear: The pressure is on both sides to resolve their problems. For gas exporters, it's critical to establish credibility as a reliable new source of fuel for clients in Asia. For the canal authority, the stakes are high too, with Mexico and other countries flirting with creating alternative routes as gas demand booms. The canal surely has had some issues getting the new set of locks up and running smoothly, said Peter Sand, an analyst with the shipping association BIMCO. It has taken longer than the canal and the industry expected. The story starts at the opening in June 2016 of the expansion project. It couldn't have come at a better time for the LNG market, just as Cheniere Energy Inc. was ramping up operations at the first export terminal ever built in the lower 48 states, at Sabine Pass on the Louisiana-Texas border. Just One? The Panama Canal Authority promised a dozen daily slots for ships of all stripes to pass through the new lane -- ultimately. So far, the maximum it has been able to handle every 24-hour period is eight; preparations are underway to move that up to 10 or more in 2019. What rankles LNG companies is that they've been awarded just the single reserved slot, with the rest going to container ships that carry consumer goods from sneakers to refrigerators. One position isn't sufficient now and will be wholly inadequate once all the new export terminals under construction go on line, said Octavio Simoes, president of Sempra LNG & Midstream, at a conference in October. He caused a ruckus when he warned that canal holdups could crimp sales and cost traders serious money. Jorge Quijano, chief executive officer of the canal authority, fired back, saying there are no plans to boost reservations for LNG tankers -- and suggested there won't be until they prove themselves worthy. A Maybe' We can focus on giving them a second slot when they start to behave with a more contract-like pattern with their suppliers and buyers, Quijano said from his office in Panama City. With container ships, if they request a transit tomorrow, they'll be there tomorrow. LNG tankers, he said, are a maybe. That's not an accurate representation, according to the natural-gas industry. But canal operators do have to learn to be flexible, because exports from the U.S. will drive more spot trading, said Jason Feer, head of business intelligence at ship-broker Poten & Partners Inc. in Houston. A decade ago, when the canal authority approved plans for the build-out, the U.S. was developing import terminals. The shale boom changed everything, and now the country is on track to become the world's third-largest LNG supplier by 2020 -- up from zero at the start of 2016. That's creating a new model for an industry that was once organized mostly around long-term contracts with set destinations. New Terminals Can the canal adapt? Can traders? Feer said. I'm not saying it will inhibit the competitiveness of U.S. LNG -- but there may be instances where it's hard or impossible to do a deal because you can't get it there soon enough because of the canal. At Sempra, one of several terminal developers spending tens of billions on new Gulf Coast facilities, Simoes said he and others are working with the canal to find a solution to what he called growing pains. My intent is not to be upset or disruptive, he said, but the Panama Canal needs to work faster to resolve the issues. Those include too few tugboats to escort ships through the enhanced waterway, according to tug captains and crew members. They're not impressed that the authority has budgeted $87 million this year to purchase six tugs with the option to buy four more to expand the current fleet of 46; their estimate is 90 are needed to safely and efficiently handle more than 10 vessels a day. LNG tankers also require special attention -- including tugs with fire-fighting capabilities -- because of what they carry. Good Problem' You need state-of-the-art equipment and they are short, said Don Marcus, president of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, the union representing many tugboats workers in Panama. He said the canal is risking its own competitive future. They're not getting the most out of it because of these flaws, some of which could be fixed, but all of which cost money. At the moment, the authority isn't flush. It has to pay off $2.3 billion in debt it took on to finance the expansion, with payments starting next year. But Quijano said the new lane will record $3 billion in revenue in fiscal 2018, $173 million more than in the previous fiscal year. The expansion's capacity is going to be used much faster than anticipated, he said. Unmet demand is a good problem to have. Next year, he predicted, LNG volumes will grow by 10 percent. Natural-gas carriers have accounted for 8.6 percent of traffic through the new locks, according to authority data. Container ships represent more than half with vessels including cruise ships and private yachts making up the rest. The authority's current toll structure charges container ships substantially more. A fully loaded Neopanamax pays around $1.2 million to cross while a typical 170-cubic meter LNG carrier is charged around $460,000. There is a preference for the biggest users of the canal, said Anders Boenaes, head of network for Maersk A/S , the world's largest container-shipping company. And I think that may be one of the reasons why there is noise among LNG carriers. The LNG industry and the canal authority are both following a learning curve to manage additional volumes from the U.S., said Vincent Demoury, general delegate of the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers. He said he's confident solutions will be worked out. Feer of Poten & Partners said that could happen. The canal will change their processes, if it makes them more money. PDVSA's refining unit in the United States, Citgo Petroleum, received 65,000 bpd of Venezuelan crude last month versus supply contracts that allow up to 220,000 bpd. Venezuela's crude oil exports to the United States fell in November to their lowest level since January 2003, when a strike knocked down the country's output, due to sanctions and a steep production decline, according to Reuters data. State-run oil company PDVSA and its joint ventures sent 475,165 barrels per day to its customers in the United States last month, down 36 percent from a year earlier and 12 percent from October. The South American country has lost 1 million bpd of production in the last four years and pumped less than 2 million bpd in October, according to official numbers reported to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The fast output decline has led PDVSA to request more crude from its Orinoco Belt joint ventures for its domestic refineries, affecting the volume available for exports and also hitting PDVSA's cash flow in foreign currency. PDVSA is taking growing volumes of the valuable Hamaca crude from its Petropiar joint venture with U.S. oil company Chevron Corp and using it for domestic refining. As a result, the volume of Hamaca crude exported to the United States fell to less than 33,000 bpd in November from an average of 106,000 bpd last year, according to Reuters trade flows data. PDVSA's refining unit in the United States, Citgo Petroleum, received 65,000 bpd of Venezuelan crude last month versus supply contracts that allow up to 220,000 bpd. But U.S.-based Valero Energy Corp's imports of Venezuelan crude rose to 194,000 bpd in November. Sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Venezuela, including PDVSA's debt, have affected the ability of the company's customers to get letters of credit needed to complete some imports as banks avoid getting involved in transactions with the country. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said last month that the nation of 30 million people would try to restructure its burgeoning foreign debt. In the following weeks, a selective default has been declared by credit agencies as the country and PDVSA have not paid some of its debt service on time. The two leaders are due to sign an agreement to start work on the Dabaa nuclear power plant; discuss various regional issues including Palestine, Syria and Libya, as well as resumption of Russian flights to Egypt Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah received Russian President Vladimir Putin at Cairo International Airport on Monday afternoon at the start of Putin's second official visit to Egypt. Putin is set to hold talks with El-Sisi on a number of issues, including the construction of the Dabaa nuclear plant, the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt, the US decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and various regional crises, including Libya and Syria, the presidency told the official news agency MENA. Putin's first official visit to the country took place in February 2015. On his way to Cairo, Putin made a surprise visit to Syria on Monday morning where he ordered the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from the war-torn country. The Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady explained that an Egyptian-Russian document authorising the commencement of work on the Dabaa nuclear power plant will be inked during the summit on Monday. The agreement stipulates Russia will build four-reactors which will produce 4,800 megawatt, 1200 megawatts capacity for each. The first reactor is expected to begin operations in 2024. The project is expected to be completed in 12 years at the cost of $25 billion. Rady added that the bilateral talks between the two leaders would also focus on the return of Russian flights to Egypt in the near future. Russia suspended flights to Egypt in November 2015 after a Russian commercial flight crashed over Sinai shortly after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh, killing all 224 people aboard. Egypt has been implementing tighter security measures at its airports to meet Russian demands on security, with the aim of restoring Russian visitors to boost its tourism industry. Monday's talks will also cover a range of regional crises, said Rady, with the two leaders seeking to firm up efforts at bilateral cooperation. Among the proposals under discussion will be a formal bilateral framework between the two countries foreign and defense ministers, or a two-plus-two dialogue mechanism. Rady said that there is now a convergence of views between Russia and Egypt on several regional issues, especially the situations in Syria and Libya. With regard to the Palestine cause, Rady said that Russia welcomes the national Palestinian reconciliation process, which was initiated through Egyptian efforts under the sponsorship of President El-Sisi. The Egyptian spokesman said Egypt and Russia are in agreement on the rejection of US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, with Egypt and Russia affirming that the move does not help the Palestinian cause. Search Keywords: Short link: In general, men are twice as likely to cheat on a spouse than women are. That frequency increases over the lifespan, peaking among the elderly. Among men 18 to 29 who have ever been married, about 1 in 10 is Stateline, a project of the Pew Foundation, provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy. Mike Anderson was an 18-year-old freshman at Texas State University when he was busted with less than a gram of weed. Police arrested him, took his mug shot, and he spent the night in jail. The legal consequences for being caught with such a small amount of marijuana just enough for a joint or two were minimal, but expensive. Prosecutors offered to drop the charges if he attended a drug program and did community service, and he could later get the record of his arrest expunged for about $500, wiping the history of his arrest from public view. "After I got it expunged, I thought it was pretty much a done deal," he said of the order granted earlier this year. But the next time he Googled his name, he realized the ordeal was far from over. His arrest photo was posted on Mugshots.com. The page was one of the top results for anyone who might be looking for him. And as Anderson applied for internships a graduation requirement for mechanical engineering majors recruiters who initially seemed interested would offer the spot to someone else. "It wasn't right," said Anderson, a junior, who asked that his real name not be used for fear of drawing further attention to his mug shot. "I called [Mugshots.com] on the phone, and they told me basically the only way I could get the mug shot to come down was to pay a certain fine. Proof of expunction wasn't valid." At a time when personal information can end up online and rocket around the globe in seconds, the estimated 78 million Americans with criminal records are a rich target for websites that collect mug shots from police departments and sheriffs' offices across the country and typically charge hundreds or thousands of dollars to have the photos removed. Even people who are arrested but never charged have their photos on the sites. Since their business practices came to light in 2013, the websites have drawn the ire of state lawmakers who criticize them as exploitative. Texas is one of 18 states with laws designed to help people like Anderson, cracking down on mug shot websites by banning them from charging removal fees, stemming the flow of mug shots from law enforcement agencies, or requiring that the postings be accurate. But so far, the laws have been largely ineffective in providing relief to those whose photos are featured on the sites. "They haven't worked," said Eumi Lee, a law professor at University of California-Hastings who has spent three years studying the effectiveness of mug shot laws for an upcoming legal review article to be published by Rutgers. "But they've had a bunch of unintended consequences." Mug shot websites have ignored the laws or quickly figured out ways to work around them, Lee said. In places where people can no longer pay to have photos deleted, they often have no remedy to get them removed. And once law enforcement releases the photos, they have little control over where they end up. Mugshots.com, one of the biggest purveyors, has entries for nearly 30 million people, including people in states that hoped to make it easier to have mug shots removed. A Stateline review found evidence across the country of the laws' inadequacy: Georgia twice tried to get mug shots off websites, first blocking sites from charging arrestees who were never convicted to have their pictures removed, and then requiring affidavits from any entity requesting law enforcement copies of mug shots. Still, Mugshots.com claims to have 2.3 million records from Georgia on its site, including entries for those arrested after the law took effect. California enacted a law in 2014 barring mug shot companies from charging to remove photos. But even its sponsor doesn't know how well it's working. Pressed recently by Stateline for evidence of the law's effectiveness, the office of State Sen. Jerry Hill (D., San Mateo) found a still-operating site, Whogotarrested.org, requesting a fee to remove photos. He requested a probe by the state's attorney general. And in Illinois, where the law similarly bans fees to remove mug shots, Mugshots.com is being sued for charging arrestees. One of the plaintiffs in the Illinois suit, Peter Gabiola, said he can't escape a criminal past despite time served because his face keeps popping up on Google searches. Gabiola said Mugshots.com told him it would cost $15,000 to have his information removed from the site. He contends he's repeatedly been fired shortly after starting new jobs, even when he disclosed his criminal past, because Mugshots.com incorrectly insists he is still on parole. "I made my life hard enough making some of the decisions I made in the past as a knucklehead, so I don't need some worldwide company or whatever making it harder by publishing incorrect information," Gabiola said. Sheryl Ring, Gabiola's attorney, said that's part of the company's business model people who are already struggling because of a criminal record will be more likely to pay if the listing makes things look worse than they really are. Despite the laws' dubious track records, states keep enacting them. This year Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, and South Dakota all enacted laws targeting mug shot websites. To be sure, trying to rein in mug shot websites is a challenge. In most states, mug shots are a public record. The companies can digitally scrape the photos from law enforcement websites, uploading them to their own sites in just hours, or put in public information requests to get others. When they've been sued, the sites' attorneys have repeatedly argued their work is protected under the First Amendment. Among those who defend putting mug shots online are newspaper publishers, whose sites often feature local mug shots in crime coverage. David Ferrucci, an attorney for Mugshots.com, said people featured on the site are being harmed not by the website but rather by their own criminal history. "If your claim is that the publication of public records has hurt your reputation, then you're complaining about the publishing of public records," Ferrucci said. Most of the state mug shot laws include some sort of criminal component, typically making it a misdemeanor offense for not complying. But it's not clear that police have ever filed charges against a mug shot website. The onus falls almost entirely on the person whose photo is posted, and lawsuits are no small undertaking, particularly for those who cannot afford an attorney. "It's just like anything else. It's against the law to murder somebody, but people get murdered every day," said Georgia State Rep. Roger Bruce (D., Atlanta), who sponsored both of the laws Georgia enacted to address mug shot websites. "But now the law is on their side. They can get an attorney and go after whoever posted their mug shot." A Stateline review of federal court dockets showed about 10 lawsuits in five states, many of which have come from people defending themselves in court. Several cases taken on by bigger law firms have stalled in court, complicated by an inability to get class certification or fears the firm would not ultimately see much money from the case, lawyers involved in the cases said. Catch-22 Gabiola's suit in Illinois is one of the first using a state law that bars mug shot websites from charging people to remove their photo from the site. Among others upset at the website is Terrill Swift, who spent 15 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit and whose photo is still on Mugshots.com five years later. "They should do the right thing and take our pictures off those websites," Swift told the Chicago Tribune earlier this year. Both the lawyer for Mugshots.com and supporters of the law say it puts arrestees whose photos are on the site in a bit of a Catch-22 they can no longer be charged to remove photos, but they don't have a legal avenue to get them removed from the site. So Mugshots.com can keep them up. "Perhaps the cruel irony of the Illinois law is that people who previously were able to have the information removed can no longer do so," said Ferrucci, the Mugshots.com attorney. Mugshots.com tried to get the case dismissed on First Amendment grounds, but a U.S. district judge denied the request. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D.) intervened in the case in favor of Gabiola, saying Mugshots.com was engaged in an "extortionate practice" not protected by the First Amendment. Ring, Gabiola's attorney, says it's already clear that mere passage of the laws does little to change the companies' business practices. "In terms of whether these statutes are effective, we're going to need to find out if courts will actually enforce them," Ring said. If the suit gets class certified, the $1,000 in damages provided by state law could require Mugshots.com to pay out millions. Finding workarounds In Texas, Mugshots.com refused to take down Anderson's photo without a $300 payment, even though state law requires that mug shot sites jibe with the state's criminal records and according to Texas, he doesn't have one. Kelvin Bass, an aide to Democratic State Sen. Royce West, who helped craft the state's mug shot law, acknowledged it doesn't have a good enforcement mechanism. He'd like to amend the law to put more pressure on the attorney general or local law enforcement agencies to take action. "This guy's a college student," Bass said. "Why should he have to sue to get someone to follow the law when he's already notified this business that they're in violation? It should be easier." Kayleigh Lovvorn, a spokeswoman with the Texas Attorney General's Office, said the office has received 19 complaints against Mugshots.com, but the state has taken no legal action against the company. Sponsors of mug shot laws in several states say they haven't kept a watchful eye on the laws' effects, but they've been contacted by people who say they've been helped by their passage. They say the laws aren't intended to shut down the websites, just to curb their extortive practices. But they also say mug shot sites have found workarounds: Attempts to block payment are often ignored, and sites can still make money off ad revenue. Even when mug shots aren't released, the websites use old arrest photos or mug shots from when people are booked in prison. The private sector has tried to step in; Google tried to change its analytics so mug shot websites aren't among the first to surface in a name search, but the mug shot sites can game the new algorithms. Lee, the professor studying mug shot laws, thinks the only way to stop improper use of the photos is to stop releasing them at all, even to the media, ceasing their designation as a public record. "It completely undermines the efficacy of those efforts," she said of the laws. Federal mug shots have largely not been available since 2016, when the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Detroit Free Press, which wanted access to the photos. But even some who want to crack down on the sites are hesitant to go that far. "Arrest information is always public, and I don't know if we want to prohibit that," said Hill, the state senator from California. "We start sounding like a totalitarian state where people are secretly arrested and no one knows about it. No one can react to it or take action." Back in Texas, Anderson continues his search for the internship he will need to graduate. "I'm a junior right now, and I have about a year left," he said, but "once a company searches my name, I just don't get the same attention I did before." Ashley Ugoletti, 27, a Pittsburgh stripper facing prostitution and drug charges who was stabbed to death in August, will be memorialized Sunday on Thomas Paine Plaza in front of City Hall in Philadelphia. Read more Rickie Morgan was beaten with a brick and stabbed, her naked and bloody body found in a Philadelphia alleyway in July 2016. Prostitutes who worked the same Kensington area remembered her has a sweet girl. Advocates say her death didn't come as a surprise. Alone and vulnerable, sex workers like Morgan face potential violence from johns and from police, they say. This year, 31 sex workers have been killed in the United States, including a stripper from western Pennsylvania. A vigil will be held for them Sunday afternoon at Thomas Paine Plaza, across from City Hall. Dozens of similar events will be held in cities around the world to bring attention to sex workers who were killed and to advocate for "de-criminalization." It's the 14th annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. "People equate prostitution with the opioid crisis, but there are sex workers who are mothers or who are college students," said Melanie Dante, a co-organizer of Sunday's vigil in Philadelphia. She said the full extent of the violence against sex workers hasn't been documented because it is difficult to collect information. Dante said she's passionate about the vigil and the issue because she said she feels "blessed to have made it off the streets alive and I want to see other young people off the street and thriving." Dante lives in Pennsylvania and spends some of her time speaking on the issue in Philadelphia. The names of victims will be read at the two-hour vigil scheduled for 3 p.m. No identified victims this year are from Philadelphia, but at least one is from Western Pennsylvania. Ashley Ugoletti, a stripper in a Pittsburgh club, was found stabbed to death inside a home of a man who worked as a salon nail tech in Westmoreland County. The man who police say stabbed Ugoletti hanged himself minutes later inside a closet in the home, authorities said. Rachel West, spokeswoman for the U.S. Prostitutes Collective, said that violence against prostitutes is not prioritized by police or district attorneys, leaving it a shadowy issue mostly hidden from society. Making sex work a crime "gives a green light to violent men to attack sex workers and get away with it," West said. "These men know that sex workers are afraid to report crimes for fear that they will be arrested, and if they are immigrants, they fear that they will be deported," she said. Pat Toomey: We must catch up and surpass the rest of the world as the premier place for investment. Thats why tax reform is such an opportunity and necessity. Read more Are you or your parents among the many living in a retirement community or Alzheimer's care unit? Are health-care bills stacking up? Good thing you can deduct those on your taxes. Oh, wait, not if Congress has its way. Your medical deductions could soon disappear unless you contact your senator or representative to help sway the decision. The Philadelphia region is home to a whopping 5 percent of the nation's retirees living in continuing-care retirement communities, or CCRCs, so we matter. Philly boasts 30,000 of the nation's 600,000 CCRC residents the most heavily concentrated number of senior living communities in the country. Other types of senior housing independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care have monthly fees that are also tax-deductible as medical expenses. Under the House version of the tax-reform bill, medical or health-care tax deductions those you can write off for monthly fees, long-term-care premiums, and drug costs would vanish, thus eliminating tax relief to millions of older Americans with high out-of-pocket and/or long-range costs but modest incomes. The Senate version actually expanded medical deductions. Under current tax law, those of us who spend more than 10 percent of our income on medical expenses can deduct the remainder of out-of-pocket expenses health-care premiums, deductibles and co-pays, medical transportation costs, and memory care. Breast cancer or prostate cancer patient? You can deduct your treatment costs above the limit. In-vitro fertilization? Deductible. Diabetes or Parkinson's treatments? Deductible above the limit. The Senate proposal also would lower the bar to 7.5 percent of income for the 2017 and 2018 tax years. Now, that would be helpful. In 2015, about 8.8 million Americans used the medical-expense deduction. Of those, nearly 70 percent had annual incomes below $75,000, and more than half had a household member over age 65, according to AARP's Public Policy Institute. The average medical-expense tax deduction in 2014 was $9,958. Seniors aren't the only ones who would be affected by its elimination. If you itemize and deduct any doctor's office co-pays, big fat deductibles, premiums for long-term-care insurance (for yourself or your parents), care of a disabled child or parent, we repeat: Those could well be gone unless you contact your congressional representatives, as well as AARP, which is lobbying against repeal of the medical-expense deduction. We spoke with retirement communities in the Philadelphia area, and they've warned their residents, staffs, and their local reps to contact Congress and get this dumb idea repealed out of the tax bill, currently in reconciliation. Why is it a dumb idea? Because as we age, we spend more on health care. Without the deduction, older individuals spend down their assets more quickly, and depending on Medicare and Medicaid even faster. Whom to contact? Republicans on the conference committee include Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey. Democratic conferees include Sens. Tom Carper of Delaware and Bob Menendez of New Jersey. Remind them of the stats: Chronic conditions and serious illnesses, such as diabetes or Alzheimer's disease, affect many of the 8.8 million people who take the medical deduction. "From our perspective, the bill is a travesty," said Katie Smith Sloan, CEO of LeadingAge, the trade group for senior living in Washington. "We're telling seniors to call and write their senators and Congress. The Senate version of the bill allows for 7.5 percent deductions, which gives us some hope. We don't want repeal to sneak into the final bill." LeadingAge has a website where you can write to Congress: http://www.leadingage.org/grassroots/make-your-voice-heard. Jeff Petty, CEO of Wesley Enhanced Living, which operates six communities in the region, said, "We are up in arms about the bill." He and his staff have contacted local congressional reps to vote against scrapping the medical deduction. "Seniors living in retirement communities overwhelmingly pay their own way. So the impact of this goes directly to them," added Jeff Kaighn, chief administrative officer of Acts Retirement-Life Communities, based in West Point, Montgomery County. "We alone have eight communities and 3,000 residents" in Montgomery, Bucks and Delaware counties, Kaighn said. "The biggest group of health-care consumers are seniors, and then those with chronic conditions or disabilities. They can't deduct their medical expenses either. Whether you're a senior or infirm, you're now vulnerable." In Pennsylvania, Kaighn has contacted Republican U.S. Reps. Patrick Meehan and Brian Fitzpatrick, as well as Toomey and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. He's also planning on speaking with Democratic Reps. Dwight Evans and Brendan Boyle. Adult children would lose the medical deduction, too, "and that could mean caregiver children stop contributing to their parents' care," Kaighn said. "So much of the tax code is about incentivizing people to retire, to save, to buy a house. The medical deduction recognizes when you have high health-care costs, the deduction makes health care more affordable, no matter your income," said Cristina Martin Firvida, director of financial security at AARP in Washington. "We're hopeful," she said, "and we want the Senate version to remain." Moodys Investors Service says that new owners want to buy the vacant casino for $200 and will spend an additional $175 million to get it ready to reopen in May 2018. Read more Is the Revel casino hotel in Atlantic City under agreement of sale? Moody's Investors Service, a credit rating agency hired by companies to rate debt, reports that Denver-based AC Ocean Walk LLC has presented financial documents to buy the failed Revel for $200 million and plans to invest an additional $175 million, for a total capital investment of $375 million. Moody's identified the proposed new owners as Denver-based developer Bruce Deifik; Winding Trail Properties, controlled by Frank Ruocco; and other minority investors. The casino's proposed reopening is May 2018, Moody's said, citing financial reports submitted by AC Ocean Walk, but not an agreement of sale. According to the proposed financial plan, AC Ocean Walk would operate 100 gaming tables, 2,000 slot machines, 1,399 hotel rooms, pools, a spa, night clubs, and 13 restaurant options. The shuttered Revel's owner, developer Glenn Straub, said Monday the Revel is not under agreement of sale. He said he knew nothing about the Colorado company wanting to buy it. "I know who Moody's is, but I don't know who in the hell this AC group is. I would know something like that," Straub said. "We've told everybody, we don't know who these people are. They come out of the woodwork. I think they try to make news." Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian's chief of staff said that the administration had no confirmation that the casino has been sold, or is close to being sold. "A couple times we've thought it's been sold, or there's been a buyer, and it turned out not to be true," said Chris Filiciello. "Or the funding didn't come through. At this point, we don't have any confirmation." This is the third time in recent months that a report has surfaced that a deal may be in the works to acquire the Revel. On Oct. 30, paperwork was filed with the Atlantic County Clerk's Office of a "notice of settlement contract of sale." However, it was not signed and did not list a purchase price. According to Moody's, the Revel "is being acquired for $200 million well below the estimated $2.6 billion cost to build. The new owners will invest another $175 million to reopen in May 2018 for a total invested capital of $375 million." Moody's analyst Peggy Holloway, who authored the report, could not be reached Monday. Moody's assigned a B3 Corporate Family rating to AC Ocean Walk and a B2 rating to the proposed $175 million five-year first-lien term loan. Both are considered sub-investment grade. The new owners plan to put $125 million in equity to finance the acquisition, and said they will spend $56 million on pre-opening and renovation costs, the report said. Approximately $255 million of rated debt is affected, Moody's said, noting that "the assigned ratings are subject to review of final documents." Straub, whose Polo North Country Club Inc. bought Revel out of bankruptcy for $82 million in 2015, said Monday he is awaiting a court decision on his appeal to Superior Court to be exempt from a ruling by the state Casino Control Commission that he must obtain a casino license to reopen the Revel as a casino, though he intends to lease operations to another developer to run what he now calls the Ten casino. "This has been going on for eight to 10 months, that everybody says we sold that place, or have a contract on the place," Straub said. "They come up with these stories. Anybody can make offers, don't get me wrong." Another company, New York-based Keating & Associates LLC, announced last month that it was under contract to buy a one-acre development site on the Boardwalk next to Revel, which it also wants to acquire. The private equity firm said it has offered $225 million to buy the Revel from Straub. A woman who allegedly concocted an elaborate scheme to bilk the Philadelphia School District out of more than $90,000 has been hit with federal fraud charges, authorities said Monday. For almost two years, Patricia Cleary claimed to be tutoring a relative with special needs who was a School District student, according to the FBI; U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen; and Amy Kurland, the inspector general for the city and school system. The officials said Cleary used her maiden name, Patricia Goldstein, to submit a false federal tax form, using another person's Social Security number and falsified teaching credentials. (Public school systems often pay private contractors to educate special needs students.) Cleary, 49, faces 28 charges including wire fraud, mail fraud, Social Security fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false statements to government agents. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and in a court appearance Friday before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth T. Hay she was ordered released on $10,000 bail. Neither Cleary who previously lived in Philadelphia but whose current address is not known nor her lawyer could be reached for comment. The scheme allegedly began in 2014, when Cleary and her husband entered into a settlement with the school system on behalf of their relative, the student. The boy was awarded 1,200 hours of compensatory education at $60 per hour. They had to submit documentation to prove the services were provided. Between January 2015 and May 2016, Cleary allegedly presented herself to the school system as Patricia Goldstein, the child's tutor. She is not licensed or credentialed, and the young man received no services, federal officials said. The school district paid Cleary for $58,940 worth of invoices. When it halted payments on her invoices, Cleary threatened to sue the district, according to court documents. "Stealing money from a cash-strapped school district, money meant to help people with special needs, is outrageous," FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster said in a statement. "As alleged in the indictment, Cleary exploited a vulnerable family member to enrich herself and when the school district grew suspicious and stopped sending checks, she brashly doubled down and threatened suit. "Identify theft is a serious crime that affects millions of Americans each year. This case is an example of how an identity thief can infiltrate an organization, pose as a legitimate tutor, and cause all of us to pay her an unearned salary," Daniel B. Brubaker, inspector in charge of the Philadelphia division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said in a statement. "This case illustrates how far-reaching the effects of identity theft are, and the depths these criminals will go to receive ill-gotten gains." Lee Whack, a spokesman for the district, said the school system will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and the Inspector General's Office. "Defrauding the Philadelphia public schools, its children and taxpayers is a serious charge and will not be tolerated," Whack said in a statement. Tamia Pettus and her son Tamar, who has high-functioning autism, attended the Pennsylvania Ballets first sensory-friendly Nutcracker last year and plan to attend again this year. Read more When Tamia Pettus was a girl, she looked forward to visiting the Academy of Music every year for a beloved family tradition the Pennsylvania Ballet production of The Nutcracker. She loved the sparkly tutus, the exciting music, and the Christmas-themed story. But when her son, Tamar, now 10, was diagnosed at age 2 with high-functioning autism, Pettus, of Olney, thought she would probably have to give up the annual trips to the ballet. She didn't feel comfortable even taking her son to the grocery store with her until he was 5. Instead, she introduced Tamar to The Nutcracker through storybooks and TV specials. So when Pettus found out last December that the Pennsylvania Ballet was giving its first sensory-friendly performance of The Nutcracker, she was thrilled. She bought tickets and took Tamar to the ballet for the first time. "Tamar was so excited to be there," Pettus said. "He loved all of it, especially the music. Because he was familiar with it already, he was telling me the story during the ballet." Families will again have the opportunity to attend a sensory-friendly Nutcracker this year, at noon Dec. 27, again developed with the nonprofit organization Art-Reach, which works to bring underserved audiences to local performances. For this Nutcracker, the Academy of Music is a "shush-free zone," which means parents of children with special needs don't have to worry about disturbing other audience members. "All behavior is allowed," said Charlie Miller, deputy director at Art-Reach. "That means attendees can do whatever they need to do to process the information, like pace up and down the aisles, play with a fidget spinner, or vocalize." The performance will also feature adjusted lighting, lower sound levels, gluten-free concessions, and a "cool-down tent" in the lobby with blankets and pillows where attendees can continue watching the ballet on a projection screen. It's not unusual for parents like Pettus to feel left out of holiday traditions that other families take for granted. "If you have a child on the autism spectrum, you kind of become a bit of a divided family," Miller said. "One parent takes care of the kid with special needs while other parent takes care of the other kids. If we don't have someone with special needs in our family, we often take for granted the ability to experience a cultural event together." Sarah Cooper, director of community engagement at the Pennsylvania Ballet, said it's been a longstanding goal for the company to provide more access for people with special needs. "We wanted to reach as many people as possible in the Philadelphia area," she said. "This was a natural extension of that." At last year's performance, Pettus said, she was surprised by how quiet the kids in the audience were. During intermission, she took Tamar to the cool-down tent and offered him a snack. When another kid took his snack, Pettus expected her son to become upset. Instead, he told her he didn't mind sharing. Pettus also takes Tamar to libraries and has taken him to the Please Touch Museum for events that aren't specifically sensory friendly. When people have problems with him, she just tells them he is a little bit different and still learning. She encouraged other parents of children with special needs to expose them to as many new experiences as possible. "No one should be embarrassed, but a lot of families are," she said. "But how are they supposed to learn how to act in public if they don't go out? It can be a little nerve-racking, but you don't know until you try." You might assume that a popular neighborhood like Fishtown or Passyunk would hold the title for quickest rising rents in Philadelphia. But according to a new report by Zumper, the center of gravity for rent increases is in a different corner of the city altogether. The quarterly report and map indicates that Northwest Philadelphia and East Parkside have seen rents increase by about 13 percent since the summer, with monthly rents at $950 and $1,025 respectively. The increase there comes in contrast to neighborhoods including Southwark and Bella Vista, which saw decreases of about 11 percent. Logan Square has actually been the title-bearer for most expensive neighborhood through several iterations of this map, with rates for one bedrooms at around $1,900 a month. University City and North Broad came in second and third at $1,700 and $1,640. If you're looking to spend under $800 a month, look to neighborhoods like Belmont, Carroll Park and Elmwood, where rent is less than $730. Attending the Women Presidents Organization and 100 Black Men of Philadelphia event at the Warwick Hotel Dec. 5 are (left to right): Jane Bell, mother of honoree Tracey Jasey; Tracey Jasey, a partner at MPI Business Valuation and Advisory; and Stacy Cann, a senior paralegal at Aramark Healthcare. Read more The Women Presidents' Organization and 100 Black Men of Philadelphia joined at the Warwick Hotel on Dec. 5 to recognize this year's 10 Women of Color "influential women business leaders [promoting] economic security," in the words of WPO founder and president Marsha Firestone. All 10 women have helped build "strong and vibrant communities" in the Philadelphia area, said Wanda Henderson, director of sales at United Parcel Service, which cosponsored the awards. Keith Warren, president of 100 Black Men of Philadelphia, called the honorees "visionaries, trailblazers, job providers, economic drivers, and, more importantly, role models," adding that they exemplify the "light that shines from within" identified by the late poet laureate Maya Angelou. Warren praised the Women Presidents' Organization for leading the effort to recognize the businesswomen. The honored and their duties, as described by the sponsor groups, were: Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Monday for wide-ranging talks, marking their first meeting in Cairo since 2015 An Egyptian-Russian document to commence work on the Dabaa nuclear power plant will be inked during a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Cairo on Monday, the Egyptian president's spokesman was quoted by the official news agency MENA. The authorisation to start work on the Dabaa plant in western Egypt, the country's first-ever nuclear energy project, comes two years after El-Sisi and Putin signed a tentative agreement in November 2015 to start the project. Putin is set to arrive in Cairo on his second official visit to Egypt on Monday. A delegation from the Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom had arrived in Cairo on Satuday evening in preparation for the visit. The Dabaa agreement stipulates Russia will build four-reactors which will produce 4,800 megawatt, 1200 megawatts capacity for each. The first reactor is expected to begin operation in 2024. The first reactor is expected to begin operations in 2024. The project is expected to be completed in 12 years at the cost of $25 billion. Rady added that the bilateral talks between the two leaders would also focus on the return of Russian flights to Egypt in the near future. Russia suspended flights to Egypt in November 2015 after a Russian commercial flight crashed over Sinai shortly after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh, killing all 224 people aboard. Egypt has been implementing tighter security measures in its airports to meet Russian demands on security, with the aim of restoring Russian visitors to boost its tourism industry. Monday's talks will also cover a range of regional crises, said Rady, with the two leaders seeking to firm up efforts at bilateral cooperation. Among the proposals under discussion will be a formal bilateral framework between the two countries foreign and defense ministers, or a two-plus-two dialogue mechanism. Rady said that there is now a convergence of views between Russia and Egypt on several regional issues, especially the situations in Syria and Libya. With regard to the Palestine cause, Rady said that Russia welcomes the national Palestinian reconciliation process, which was initiated through Egyptian efforts under the sponsorship of President El-Sisi. The Egyptian spokesman said Egypt and Russia are in agreement on the rejection of US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, with Egypt and Russia affirming that the move does not help the Palestinian cause. Putin's first official visit to Egypt took place back in February 2015. Search Keywords: Short link: Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Researchers at CHOP are pairing with Zelda Therapeutics, an Austrialian biopharmaceutical company, for a study examining the effects of medical marijuana on autistic children. Read more Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is pairing with an Australian biopharmaceutical company in what some advocates say could be the first major effort in the United States to study the effects of medical marijuana on children with autism. Athena Zuppa, the director of the hospital's Center for Clinical Pharmacology, will lead a team researching current medical marijuana patients. The hospital will not provide any cannabis products to children. "This is truly an observational study," Zuppa said. "We're not giving them anything. We're just gathering data to educate ourselves." Research with children who are already covered under Pennsylvania's Safe Harbor provision is likely to begin in early 2018. There is significant anecdotal evidence showing that cannabinoids, the active compounds in medical marijuana, can help with some of the symptoms of autism. Cannabis advocates say cannabinoids help improve social interaction and control repetitive behavior, and don't cause the side effects associated with antipsychotic drugs often given to autistic children. The study at CHOP will build on data collected by the Australian company, Zelda Therapeutics, which is funding the research. Zelda, which completed another observational study on autism in Chile last year, is also set to start clinical trials in Australia to investigate the effectiveness of medical marijuana on chronic insomnia. The partnership between CHOP and Zelda was brokered by the Philadelphia-area mother of an autistic child. Erica Daniels, founder of Hope Grows for Autism, said she was thrilled to have brought the two organizations together. "For too long, patients and their families have been missing out on genuine therapeutic options with the potential to transform lives," Daniels said. Zuppa said that little is known about how cannabis works in kids. Standard drugs are marketed after going through a rigorous process by the FDA. Because the federal government considers marijuana to be a Schedule I drug, akin to heroin and LSD, there have been no clinical trials in the U.S. for any cannabis product. One of the aims of the CHOP study will determine what parents in the region are giving their autistic children. Cannabidiol, known as CBD, is a substance in marijuana that, unlike THC, does not induce euphoria. "We're trying to understand the landscape of what the kids are taking," Zuppa said. "Some kids are taking only CBD and some are taking a mixture of CBD and THC. I'm trying to understand how parents make their choices." Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program is set to launch early next year. For more information about the CHOP study, parents and caregivers can call 215-590-4924. For complete cannabis coverage visit Philly.com/cannabis Celebrity chef Mario Batali makes a meal with Drew Barrymore on ABCs The Chew. Bataldi has stepped down from the show and his restaurants after allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced. Read more Mario Batali is stepping away from his food empire and his role as a host on ABC's The Chew after four women accused the celebrity chef of sexual harassment and groping, incidents that allegedly date back 20 years. In a report published Monday by Eater, a female chef who spoke on condition on anonymity accused Batali of grabbing her breasts after he offered her a job. Two other women, former Batali employees, claimed he grabbed and groped them in the kitchen. A fourth woman who worked for Batali for a year alleges he grabbed her breasts at an industry party a few years after she stopped working for him. In a statement, Batali did not deny any of the allegations, noting that the behavior the women described "does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted." "That behavior was wrong, and there are no excuses," Batali said. "I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation, or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends, and family." Batali owns nearly 30 restaurants across the country, but none in Philadelphia. It was unclear whether the news would affect rumored plans to bring Batali's Eataly concept, his Italian restaurant and food store, to Philadelphia as part of the revamp of the Gallery at Market East. Eataly's Joe Bastianich told my college Michael Klein in 2015 that Philadelphia was "definitely" on Eataly's list of food cities for possible expansion. So far, PREIT CEO Joseph Coradino has said only that both sides were in discussions. Steve Crane, who co-owned Po in New York City with Batali, confirmed to Eater that multiple employees had told him of Batali's inappropriate behavior, but that he didn't have the power to fire Batali. "I made it very clear to him that he needed to stop, but I feel ashamed that this happened at Po, and my staff endured this behavior," Crane said. ABC has asked Batali to step away from The Chew, which he has co-hosted with fellow celebrity chef Michael Symon since 2011. "We have asked Mario Batali to step away from The Chew while we review the allegations that have just recently come to our attention," an ABC spokeswoman said. "ABC takes matters like this very seriously, as we are committed to a safe work environment. While we are unaware of any type of inappropriate behavior involving him and anyone affiliated with the show, we will swiftly address any alleged violations of our standards of conduct." A spokeswoman for the Food Network said the channel was putting on hold plans for Batali to relaunch Molto Mario. Last month, Batali signed a deal with the Food Network to produce the first new episodes of his popular cooking show since 2005. Terrell Hill, 11, of the Zodiac Percussion Drum Line, looks to one of the older drummers, as they make their way down Columbus Boulevard on September 4, 2017. A bill would have regulated drum lines in Center City. Read more It's not that Antoine Mapp doesn't know where City Councilman Mark Squilla's briefly proposed ban on public drumming in Center City was coming from. Mapp, assistant director of the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad, has heard about the groups that play in "regular clothes, at 10 o'clock at night, asking for money." From a tradition that prides itself on precision and where the dress code is often uniforms if not full out military-inspired regalia he considers those groups "bad seeds." But still, Mapp doesn't feel any municipal appreciation or support for drill teams. "That was going to affect us tremendously," he said of the bill, which Squilla tabled last week on the eve of Council consideration. Drill teams and drum corps in Philadelphia are largely community-based, youth-focused organizations that take up residence not at concert halls, but schools and community centers. In fact, some experts question why, rather than being a topic of legislation, Philadelphia's rich drum culture is not touted as a tourism draw. "We're losing an opportunity if they just see it as noise," said Florida State University folklorist Jerrilyn McGregory. When Benita Brown director of Virginia State University's Sankofa Dance Theatre and North Philly native tells people that Philadelphia had a Congo Square, people rarely believe her. New Orleans' Congo Square draws visitors with its legacy for music-making among Colonial-era slaves. Philadelphia's own such place was Washington Square. In the 18th century, according to the Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, in the olden time, slaves would gather for dances there with crowds that could reach a thousand people. "Philadelphia has created various narratives about its own history," said historian Dana Dorman. "For whatever reason, the story that it chose for Washington Square was more about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Revolutionary War, rather than these earlier activities." A Visit Philadelphia spokeswoman said they did not have a position at this time on drum lines and local tourism efforts. Many strains of black marching band culture whether it be the large, highly competitive bands of historically black colleges and universities, the second line parades of New Orleans, or the drill teams and drum squads of the urban North can be traced to mutual-aid societies. Through the 18th and 19th centuries, African Americans were limited from buying insurance. Black mutual aid societies sought to provide an alternative, often forming their own community bands too. The first black mutual-aid society in the country was founded in Philadelphia: Richard Allen's Free African Society. In The Philadelphia Negro, W.E.B. DuBois wrote that Philadelphia had 106 of these organizations in 1848. These numbers ballooned after slavery was abolished, with DuBois noting in 1899 that there were "probably several hundred." In 1966, while analyzing the history of these groups, Commentary magazine highlighted Philadelphia as a base where they blossomed prodigiously. While marching brass bands faded in popularity, the youth groups persisted. After the raging gang wars of 1970s, band coordinators had already begun using their step and drum units as a means to keep kids off the streets. What if, Brown and McGregory question, Philadelphia treated its drill teams like New Orleans celebrates its second lines? Mapp and Marks want to know why the local drummers aren't treated the same as another cherished tradition. "They brand the Mummers. They need to brand us. We bring the soul," said Mapp. "We need a mural. We need something. They should recognize us." Anne Kelly, the chief of staff for Councilman Squilla, said the bill would not move forward in part because of heated opposition, which surprised those in her office. Squilla drafted the bill after complaints from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, she said. Hospital representatives, Kelly said, complained that patients could hear the drumlines marching "late into the night." Even established drum lines solicit for money downtown equipment and the competition circuit can be expensive but some groups, like Mapp's, would never have kids performing at night. He believes it's wrong. Still, with the backlash, Squilla's office has learned more about the tradition's musical history. Celestine Marks first started to drill back in 1963, when she was 9 years old. She was a member of an all-girl marching corps called the Topcats. Her Conestoga Angels have packed events, festivals and invited performances in theaters, she said. She wishes the culture had a museum. "It would show that we're more than people think we are. They're stereotyping us," she said. "We're just making noise, or we're just trying to make money. We should get the same respect that college bands and Caucasian [school] bands get." Mapp's group performs for the Philadelphia 76ers as the Sixers Stixers. While the team has offered Mapp's group space to practice, the commute to Camden is too far for the squad, Mapp said. For most of the year, they practice in his friend's living room. "There's nothing really out here for us," said Mapp. "We try to create these lanes that they want to take away." Doug Jones campaign volunteer Dana Ellis, right, talks to Ebonique Jiles, top left, and her son on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala., about voting on Tuesdays senatorial election, The Jones campaign is targeting African-Americans. Read more BIRMINGHAM, Ala. On a cold December day, as gray as the steel that used to roll out of the smoky mills in this formerly industrial city, Jimmy Lee Shields, a 50-something man who lives on disability payments, walked downtown and took a seat on a stone wall in front of Birmingham's civil rights landmark, the 16th Street Baptist Church, where four black girls were killed in a 1963 explosion triggered by the Ku Klux Klan. Unlike the carloads that come from out of state to look at the church and then visit the impressive Civil Rights Institute across the street, Shields born the year after the killings was just looking for a spot to rest his feet. And he didn't want to talk too much about the hottest topic in Alabama this week the neck-and-neck Senate race between the GOP's Roy Moore, battered by sexual-predator allegations, and Doug Jones, a Democrat looking for an upset in one of America's reddest states. But when pressed, Shields an African American man wearing a black hat that read "Jesus Is My King, Amen" said he was planning to vote for the Democrat because of the one thing he knows about him that Jones was the U.S. attorney who won convictions of two KKK members involved in the church bombings in the early 2000s, after a gap of nearly four decades. "Because of what he did for those four little girls," Shields said. If Jones has any chance of winning on Tuesday, he's going to need tens of thousands more voters like Shields African Americans who are now the heart and soul of the Democratic Party in Alabama and across the Deep South, and who have the ability to tip the scales in what's expected, despite all the national publicity, to be a low-turnout election. In a state that forged its reputation for many modern Americans with its pitched battles over civil rights, on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, in the schoolhouse door where George Wallace stood in Tuscaloosa, and in the streets near the 16th Street church, where marchers led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were met by fire hoses and police dogs, there's a weird dynamic around race and the Senate race. Black voters make up roughly 29 percent of the Alabama electorate, but in a December election where experts think just 20 percent to 25 percent of those eligible might go to the polls, a surge in African American turnout could make the difference. Yet Jones probably can't win without also gaining white votes, particularly from upscale Republicans, especially women, more likely to be offended by Moore and his alleged molestations. That means that Jones has generally avoided grand gestures to call attention to his black support, not bringing in former President Barack Obama, who recently campaigned for Democrats in New Jersey and Virginia but was deeply unpopular with white voters in the South. When I saw Jones campaign in Huntsville last week, he did appear with a leading local African American politician, Anthony Daniels, the new minority leader in the state House. But he spoke longer about matters that might appeal to wavering Republicans, like veterans affairs and his support, as a hunter, for the Second Amendment, than about bread-and-butter issues. The danger of this strategy is an enthusiasm gap in the black community, even after recent reports that the GOP's Moore told a black questioner in September that families were stronger and America was better in the slavery era. Last month, a New York Times reporter visited a strip mall outside of Selma and found six of 10 black voters chosen randomly didn't even know about the election. A Washington Post poll suggested the problem isn't quite that bad, but it did find that white voters were following the election more closely than blacks. When I asked Daniels about the seeming lack of energy in the black community, he insisted that Alabama's African American voters aren't an enthusiastic lot until Election Day arrives. "I don't know if you saw energy even with Obama until they got out to the polls," he said. In this final weekend of the campaign, the Jones campaign did bring in prominent outsiders, like New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker seemingly a belated acknowledgement that more work needed to be done in predominantly black neighborhoods. Even though the election has been portrayed as hanging on how voters perceive the allegations against Moore, or Jones' controversial support for abortion rights, black voters say the biggest factor in the Senate election, as in most contests here, is driven by the tribal loyalty that whites have shown to the GOP that began evolving in 1964, when then-Democratic President Lyndon Johnson embraced civil rights legislation. A sense of bitterness is palpable along Fourth Avenue South in Birmingham, home to a small block of black-owned stores and restaurants, as well as Jones' statewide campaign office. At the Yeh-man restaurant, serving up Caribbean food next door to Jones' headquarters, there's a "Your Vote Matters" poster, seen at many black-owned businesses, but the counter man who didn't want his name used voiced cynicism. "It's a matter of black and white," he told me. "Doug Jones is the black candidate, and Roy Moore is the white candidate. That's just the way it is." The hard-won black voting rights have meant some impressive results on the local level, like Birmingham's new progressive mayor, Randall Woodfin, but have done little for African Americans on the state level, as Alabama moved to the extreme. That outcome feels particularly fraught in the shadow of the 16th Street Baptist Church and the civil rights museum, where visitors see a replica of the Freedom Riders' Greyhound bus that was burned by white vigilantes in 1961, and the actual shoe that was blown off 11-year-old victim Denise McNair two years later. On Fourth Avenue, at the Talk of the Town barber shop, the husband of a woman whose sister died in the bombing still gets his hair cut every week. But "it's still Alabama, it's still a red state," shrugged Charles Hicks, 55, one of the two barbers at the shop, a center for grooming and political gossip since the early 1970s. Republicans like Moore remain a mystery, he said, because they never bother to campaign for black votes. "He's scared to come to the neighborhood," Hicks said. But Hicks and his fellow barber Eugene Jones who wears a T-shirt saying he's a "Birmingham 1963 Foot Soldier are genuinely enthusiastic about Doug Jones, who's dropped by their shop a couple of times. "The change he is for is a powerful change," said Jones, citing his courage in prosecuting members of the Klan. "Those people will come after you," he said. Behind the barber as he shaved the back of a customer's head, a large white placard declared "Register to vote. Here. Now." Eugene Jones said the sign was carried in a Selma voting-rights march and has been in the barber shop since the day it opened. It served as a stark reminder of what remains at stake in Tuesday's election the stakes that too many folks don't talk about often enough. As Congress tries to pass tax reform, the debate in the media and on Capitol Hill is focused on how these packages will affect the average taxpayer. But the what-it-means-for-your-wallet analysis misses what these tax changes might mean for your community. In an effort to generate savings, the tax packages have taken aim at the tax credit programs and bond financing that underpin the American community development sector. When the House Ways and Means committee initially unveiled its tax reform proposal, it called for eliminating the federal tax exemption of Private Activity Bonds (PAB), which underwrite many municipal economic development projects like hospitals and airports, but also affordable housing. It also called for getting rid of Historic Preservation Tax Credits, which provide the subsidy often needed to adapt and reuse old buildings, and New Markets Tax Credits, which incentivize the construction of projects in low-income communities, including businesses, schools, supermarkets, food banks, and health clinics. Some saw these tax changes as a purposeful attempt to stall development in Democratic-driven cities and solidly blue states. Removing the tax exemption on PABs would make it much harder for municipalities to finance infrastructure improvements or maintenance, and eliminating the tax credit programs would greatly harm urban revitalization efforts. However, the Senate Finance Committee's most recent bill reinstated the Private Activity Bonds exemption, allowed New Markets Tax Credits to continue until 2019, and eventually kept historic tax credits. As the House and Senate versions of the bill go to a conference committee to be reconciled, our representatives will be debating the need for government incentives for development that serves the public good or requires subsidy (in most cases, both). In Philadelphia, PABs have financed many municipal projects, as well as university infrastructure, and nationally account for 27 percent of all long-term municipal debt. Historic tax credits have made possible more than 277 projects since 2001, including the revitalization of the Divine Lorraine, Ortlieb's brewery building, and the Wireworks in Old City. New Markets Tax Credits have been leveraged to generate more than $1 billion in investment in projects in low-income neighborhoods such as Paseo Verde, El Corazon Cultural Center, Pan American Academy Charter School, and Oxford Mills. These tax credit programs were not created as some social welfare scheme. They were started by Republicans as a way to incentivize private business to participate in projects that serve a public good and to generate greater economic activity by enabling more development. Historic Tax Credits came about under Gerald Ford, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (so far spared this round of cuts), were included in the last major tax reform effort in 1986. A Republican-led Congress during Bill Clinton's administration added New Markets Tax Credits to the mix. These efforts replaced direct federal subsidies with public-private partnership programs; but the House's proposal to cut these programs replaces them with nothing. Instead it makes clear that the federal government is willing to abandon its involvement in community development. No one should be shocked by these tax proposals, given that practically every year, New Markets Tax Credits are on the congressional chopping block, only to be saved at the last minute. The president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation wrote months ago, "Over the past few years, some tax overhaul plans drawn up in Congress have included a repeal of the historic tax credit." Even if the programs are saved this year, it's just a matter of time before they are abolished. With the federal government slowly rolling back its support of urban development, perhaps it's time to start talking about other alternatives. While no substitute for the historic tax credit, Philadelphia should consider more programs that incentivize homeowners to buy, restore, or keep an old home in good repair. While new construction and substantial rehabilitation get a 10-year tax abatement, homeowners who make more minor repairs to old homes (like fixing old roofs and buckling brick walls) get practically no support. Recent efforts like Council President Darrell Clarke's $100-million basic systems grants and new home repair loan program are a step in the right direction. One additional step might be to swap the blunt homestead tax exemption, which reduces the taxable value of a home by $30,000, for tax credits that offset the cost of home improvements. This would create work for contractors while improving the overall value and livability of a home. Indeed, there are a lot of jobs in repairing homes, not just creating new ones. Another strategy might be to strengthen Pennsylvania's inadequate state historic tax credit program, and for the commonwealth to follow the 14 states that have already created (and two others that have proposed) their own statewide New Markets tax credit programs. These programs can provide the needed stimulus to get development done and pay the state back in new job creation, property taxes, and the economic value of revived urban spaces. The greatest irony here is that President Trump himself used the historic tax credit after he was elected, for a tax subsidy worth as much as $32 million to develop his new hotel in D.C.'s Old Post Office building. He of all people should know why tax credits have a good return on investment for the government. Diana Lind, managing director of Penn Fels Policy Research Initiative, is a board member of the Philadelphia Citizen, where this article was first published. dlind@sas.upenn.edu Four Philadelphia nuns were critically injured Sunday night when another vehicle crashed head-on into theirs on a Delaware County road, police said. One of the nuns was flown to a Philadelphia hospital while the others were taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Bethel Township Police Chief Tom Sharp said Monday. The accident occurred about 7:10 p.m. when a vehicle driven by a 21-year-old Delaware County man, westbound on Route 322 near Foulk Road in Garnet Valley, entered the eastbound lane and collided with the nuns' vehicle. Sharp said it was not known why the man's vehicle went into the eastbound lane. The driver, who was alone, also was taken to Crozer-Chester in critical condition, he said. The nuns are members of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and live and minister in Philadelphia, a spokeswoman for the Des Plaines, Ill., religious group said Monday afternoon. "To protect the sisters' privacy and to allow them undisturbed time to focus on healing, we are not yet releasing their names or information regarding their injuries," spokeswoman Tammy Townsend Kise said in an email. "We ask for continued prayers for our injured sisters and for the other driver involved in the accident," she said. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth serve families through ministry in schools, hospitals, parishes and social-service agencies in nine states and 13 other countries. Due to the severity of the injuries, the Delaware County District Attorney's Office is investigating, police said. A couple of years ago, Stu Bykofsky and his best friend, Jim Moran, were dining at now-closed Bliss, 220 S. Broad St., when Jerry Blavat stopped by. Read more Usually at this time of year I write a humorous column imagining a conversation between myself and God, who talks like a Fluffyan. But I don't have it in me this year, because my best friend died early Sunday, a few hours before I was going to visit him. The passing of Jim Moran has turned out the Christmas lights for his friends and family. He was 78, and he had health issues that were growing worse. He went into hospice last week. I spoke to him briefly twice, but we were interrupted by staff. When I called after that, he was too weak to talk. So I planned a visit to say goodbye, although I had no idea what I actually would say. I was going to bring a mini-bottle of Dewar's, his drink of choice, because his fiancee, Janice Quinn, said he'd asked for a shot. A Ridley native with blue-collar roots, he was a proud Penn State alum, served in the peacetime Army in Italy (where he had the best time), and was a reporter for the Associated Press before he switched over to business and launched a long, successful career with Sun Oil. "I was successful because I knew how to lie to the press," he would say. No, he was successful because he didn't lie. Obfuscate a little? Sure. Lie? No. We were friends for four decades, and in our 30s we'd go out drinking about once a week, usually at Doc Watson's in Center City. An Irish Protestant, he taught me how to empty a pitcher of beer. With beer sloshing in our bellies, we would walk to a pizza place on Locust near 13th for some slices to soak up the suds before closing out the night. We had a lot in common: a love of journalism, some mild despair about some of its practices, current events, travel, a tolerance for bad jokes. But we had a lot of differences, too, mainly political. He was a conservative, and to him (I know this will surprise some of you) I was a raging liberal. The point is, in 40 years of friendship and conversation and we could talk wallpaper off the wall we never once had a fight. Disagreements? Sure. But not even raised voices. One thing he taught me about friendship is the unquestioning nature of it. "I'll never lend you money," he once said. "If you are in trouble, I will give it to you." He figured a loan could only lead to hard feelings. I took his advice on a few occasions and gave money when it was needed, with instructions to not pay it back. Jim had the corniest sense of humor; he never forgot jokes and would repeat them ceaselessly, his blue eyes twinkling over freckles and under a mop of reddish hair. He had an easy, natural laugh. There was nothing he and I could not discuss, no secrets, no embarrassment, no shame. I am blessed to still have one or two close friends, but not exactly like that. As I type this with tears in my eyes, I feel the emptiness. I know I will never have a closer friend. I will down that mini-bottle of Dewar's in Jim's honor, and I offer you this idea: Say goodbye while you can. A viewing for Mr. Moran will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at Nolan Fidale Funeral Home, 5980 Chichester Ave., Aston. Services will follow at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Lawn Croft Cemetery, Linwood. Police on Monday were continuing to investigate a fatal shooting over the weekend of a 22-year-old man in the city's Kensington neighborhood. About 4:15 p.m. Sunday, the victim, identified as Terrence Williams, was shot in the chest and lower back while at Rorer and Westmoreland Streets. Williams, of the 900 block of Poplar Street in North Philadelphia, was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later. No arrest was reported. The motive for the shooting was not known. Three of the Pennsylvania voters bringing the gerrymandering challenge. From left, Robert Smith, 73, of Bear Creek; Elizabeth Lawn, 71, of Chester; and Bill Marx, 41, of Westmoreland County. Read more HARRISBURG Pennsylvania's congressional map is so skewed toward Republicans that computer software tasked with randomly drawing maps produced hundreds of drawings that were more politically neutral, according to testimony Monday on the opening day of a state gerrymandering trial. "Partisan intent predominated the drawing" of the current congressional map, said University of Michigan political science professor Jowei Chen, an expert witness testifying for the group of Pennsylvania voters bringing the challenge. Republicans have won 13 of the state's 18 seats in the House of Representatives since the map was adopted in 2011, even as votes in statewide and national elections have been roughly split between Democrats and Republicans. Chen said his software had generated 500 maps on what he called "traditional redistricting principles," which included keeping populations equal across districts and avoiding splitting up counties and towns. The majority of the maps drawn had nine Republican districts and nine Democratic districts, he said, calling the 13-5 GOP margin under the current mapping an "extreme statistical outlier." Republicans credit other factors for their successes, including the fact that Democratic voters tend to cluster in the state's urban areas. Chen's testimony will continue Tuesday; the defense has not yet cross-examined him. Suing under the Pennsylvania Constitution, the 18 voters one for each of the state's congressional districts accuse Republican lawmakers of discriminating against Democratic voters by intentionally drawing the congressional map to maximize the number of Republican U.S. representatives elected. The lawsuit is one of several that have popped up around the country challenging the mapping of congressional and legislative districts. This case, League of Women Voters v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was filed in June and the trial comes the week after a separate federal gerrymandering trial was heard in Philadelphia. A decision in that case is pending. A third case has been filed in federal court and is currently stayed until early January. If this challenge fast-tracked by the state Supreme Court is successful, it could force a redrawing of Pennsylvania's congressional map in time for the 2018 elections. The case is in some ways similar to Gill v. Whitford, a gerrymandering case out of Wisconsin that is before the U.S. Supreme Court, in that much of the argument rests on the use of new ways of calculating how skewed a map is in one party's favor. Those new tests that have been developed in recent years generally agree with experts' consensus: Pennsylvania's congressional map is among the most gerrymandered. "The map falls on the wrong side of the constitutional line it intentionally, severely, durably, and unjustifiably discriminates against Democratic candidates and voters," wrote Nick Stephanopoulos, a University of Chicago professor who developed the "efficiency gap" measure at the heart of Whitford and that will be used in this case. "The political scientists' tools make the legal analysis easy and reliable." In this trial, he wrote, the state lawmakers are "trying to defend the indefensible." Showing that the map is skewed is the first part of the argument brought by the Philadelphia-based Public Interest Law Center, which is representing the group of voters bringing the state challenge. They also hope to show that the skewing is intentional, relying in part on evidence that was turned over by House Speaker Mike Turzai and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati in last week's separate federal trial, Agre v. Wolf. Commonwealth Court Judge P. Kevin Brobson had blocked attempts by the Public Interest Law Center to force Turzai and Scarnati to turn over the documents, but a three-judge panel ordered them produced for the federal case. Plaintiff lawyers then shared the documents with the Public Interest Law Center. Both sides sparred Monday morning over that evidence, which includes files that Turzai turned over showing that mapmakers used detailed partisanship data in drawing the congressional districts. Attorneys for Republican lawmakers said that admission of those documents would be a breach of legislative privilege, which is intended to shield lawmakers' deliberations in their work. "We're sort of in uncharted territory here," Brobson said. "This is difficult and I am struggling with it." After a recess, he issued a ruling allowing some of the documents to be admitted. The trial is expected to last through the week, and Brobson has been tasked with issuing conclusions by the end of the year, which the state Supreme Court will then use to make its decision. That decision is expected early in January. A successful challenge could reshape the 2018 elections; lawyers for the state said in the federal trial that to maintain the current primary schedule they would need to know by Jan. 23 whether a new map would be used. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at United Nations headquarters on Dec. 8. Read more Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday that the women who have accused President Donald Trump of touching or groping them without their consent "should be heard." Haley's comments, made on CBS' "Face the Nation," diverged from the White House position on the more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of misconduct. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that the White House's position is that the women are lying and that the American people settled the issue by electing Trump despite the accusations. Asked by CBS' John Dickerson whether she considered the allegations a "settled issue," given last year's election results, Haley responded, "You know, that's for the people to decide. I know that he was elected. But, you know, women should always feel comfortable coming forward. And we should all be willing to listen to them." Haley's comments highlighted a challenge facing Republicans as a cultural revolution on the topic of sexual harassment sweeps the country. Republicans have seized on allegations of wrongdoing by Democrats, including Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who announced they would resign last week. Republicans also have castigated liberals over high-profile allegations against figures in Hollywood and the media, including movie producer Harvey Weinstein, a one-time Hillary Clinton donor and ally. But most have not shown similar outrage when allegations have been made against prominent Republicans, notably Trump and Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama. Haley spoke about Trump's accusers after praising women who have come forward with allegations about powerful men in various other industries. Dickerson asked her how "people should assess the accusers of the president." "They should be heard, and they should be dealt with," Haley responded. "And I think we heard from them prior to the election. And I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up." Trump has been sued for defamation in New York by one of his accusers, Summer Zervos, a former contestant on "The Apprentice" who says Trump groped and kissed her in a hotel room in 2007 during a meeting to discuss a job opportunity. She says Trump defamed her when he dismissed her account and called her and the other accusers liars. A judge is weighing whether to allow that case to proceed. Haley's comments came in contrast to other Republicans, who have defended Trump, noting the public elected Trump president even knowing about allegations from multiple woman against him. On NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said that "to re-litigate the election is impossible." "The allegations or the accusations against the president were a part of the campaign," Scott said. "Should people who were victimized have their day in court, their opportunity to present their information? I have no problem with that issue." Democrats have continued to press the subject, with some beginning to argue Trump should resign his office like others have in face of such allegations. "Al Franken felt it proper for him to resign," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in an interview with "Meet the Press" on Sunday morning. "Here you have a president who has been accused by many women of assault, who says on a tape that he assaulted women. He might want to think about doing the same." Sanders's comment, which built on a tweet he had sent last week, came after Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., said that the so-called "#MeToo moment" should prompt another look at the women who accused Trump of sexual harassment during the 2016 presidential campaign. "The president should resign because he certainly has a track record with more than 17 women of horrific conduct," Merkley said last week in an interview for the weekday version of "Meet the Press." On Saturday, during a campaign swing to support the Democrat in Alabama's U.S. Senate race, Booker told Vice News that the standard that brought down Franken should be applied to the president. "I just watched Senator Al Franken do the honorable thing and resign from his office," Booker said. "My question is, why isn't Donald Trump doing the same thing who has more serious allegations against him, with more women who have come forward. The fact pattern on him is far more damning than the fact pattern on Al Franken." Gov. Wolf took a good first step last week when he tightened up grant rules in the wake of former Gov. Ed Rendell's over-the-top largesse with Democratic National Convention workers. Rendell, who was chairman of the 2016 convention's host committee, helped raise $86 million for the hosting of the convention; $10 million was from state grants. At the convention's end, he handed out $1 million in bonuses, using unspent funds and claiming that the bonus recipients had worked hard for low salaries. Former Director Kevin Washo who was earning $13,000 a month, got $310,000; other staffers got less. The former governor argues that none of the bonus money came from a $10 million state grant or other public funds. A recent investigation by the Auditor General concurs. But that doesn't mean he didn't give out money that was never his to give. Wolf's changes to grant rules include a ban covering bonuses for employees and volunteers of groups that receive grants from the Department of Community and Economic Development no matter which pot of money is used for them. If a group awards bonuses, it has to pay back the state grant. That's good but Wolf's reform falls short because it only covers one of the many state agencies that award grants. He should build on this ban to create much stronger reforms. As governor, he has worked to protect taxpayer money by streamlining agencies and raising the administration's ethical standards. Wolf should follow the good advice of Auditor General Eugene DePasquale who has long recommended state grant and other contract rules be upgraded to protect the public interest. He says all state grant contracts from all state departments need to be rewritten so that any surplus funds are explicitly returned to the state. If an organization gets state and private funds, it should use excess private funds to pay back the state funds. DePasquale has found problems with a wide range of grantees and vendors. In September, he reported that an anti-abortion group called Real Alternatives used an elaborate scheme to divert almost $500,000 in Pennsylvania taxpayer money to prop up its out-of-state operations between 2013 and 2015. Additionally, he's found that the state doesn't have consistent standards for opioid treatment grants, and that jobs programs haven't produced the promised jobs. In the past, Wolf has upgraded terms for job incentives, which include requiring companies to keep the jobs no less than five years after receiving a grant. There's plenty of room for more improvements. The state doles out millions to corporations. Last year, it gave away over $870 million in inducements and gives out more corporate welfare than any other state, according to the conservative Commonwealth Foundation. Surely, the governor can better protect the public interest by raising standards for aid to non-profits as well as corporations which receive grants, low-interest loans and tax breaks. The state should insist that non-profits put a cap on executive compensation as a condition for receiving our money. When the state helps companies, it should negotiate a reasonable profit point after which it claws back the state's investment. Shareholders get returns on their investments. Why shouldn't Pennsylvania's taxpayers? Literary Roots E.T.A. Hoffmann, a German writer, penned the eerie and dark tale Nutcracker and Mouse King in 1816. About 30 years later, the French writer Alexandre Dumas took the Nutcracker story into his own hands, lightening things up and softening the character descriptions. Dumas even cheered up the name of the protagonist. Marie Stahlbaum (meaning steel tree, representing the repressive family Marie found herself in, which led her imagination to run wild) became Clara Silberhaus (translated to silver house, a magnificent home filled with shiny magic.) Snowflakes of the original cast, The Nutcracker at the Mariinsky Theatre, 1892. Photo by Walter E. Owen, Courtesy Dance Magazine Archives. From Page to Stage In 1892 St. Petersburg, choreographer Marius Petipa and composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky pulled the story off the page and onto the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. But Petipa fell ill while choreographing The Nutcracker and handed his duties over to his assistant, Lev Ivanov. Critics at the 1892 premiere were not pleased. Balletomanes felt the work to be uneven, and lamented the lack of a main ballerina in the first act. Many thought that the story was too light compared to historically based stories. Out of Russia Despite its initial reception, the ballet survived, partially due to the success of Tchaikovskys score. Performances were scarce, though, as the Russian Revolution scattered its original dancers. The Nutcrackers first major exposure outside of Russia took place in London in 1934. Former Mariinsky ballet master Nikolas Sergeyev was tasked with staging Petipas story ballets on the Vic-Wells Ballet (today The Royal Ballet) from the original notation. The notes were incomplete and difficult to read, yet Sergeyev persisted, and The Nutcracker made it to the stage. Dancers from ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in The Nutcracker pas de deux. Photo Courtesy Dance Magazine Archives. An American Premiere The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo brought an abridged version of The Nutcracker to the U.S. in 1940. Over the next decade, the company toured the ballet extensively, exposing it to audiences nationwide. Willam Christensen (center) with his brothers Lew and Harold. Photo Courtesy San Francisco Ballet. Across the Country In 1944, San Francisco Ballet founding artistic director Willam Christensen choreographed the U.S.s first full-length Nutcracker. Christensen later founded Ballet West, which continues to perform his version of The Nutcracker each year. Balanchine rehearsing the snow scene with NYCB. Photo by Frederick Melton, Courtesy Dance Magazine Archives. A Christmas Staple Though the ballets popularity was already growing, some historians suggest that George Balanchine was the first to irretrievably link the work to the holidays. As dance critic Robert Greskovic puts it, Balanchine was responsible for making the ballet a fixture of the Christmas season and of a ballet companys repertory. New York City Ballet first presented Balanchines Nutcracker in February of 1954 but quickly recognized its holiday appeal and moved the ballet to December for the following year. Nutcracker All Over As regional ballet companies sprouted around the country, The Nutcracker became a staple.Today its a holiday tradition that keeps families coming back year after year; its mass appeal keeps ballet in mainstream culture. Many companies attract audiences by infusing the classic with their own regional heritage: Christopher Wheeldons Nutcracker for the Joffrey Ballet is set at Chicagos 1893 worlds fair and The Washington Ballet serves a dose of American history with characters such as George Washington and King George III. George Washington in The Washington Ballets Nutcracker. Photo by Carol Pratt, Courtesy The Washington Ballet. The Nutcracker also serves as the financial backbone of companies nationwide. In 2016, San Francisco Ballet sold a total of 87,926 tickets to the holiday ballet and Boston Ballet sold a total of 92,907. Despite its humble roots, The Nutcracker is now the show that companies rely on to put on inventive and cutting-edge works throughout the rest of the year. More fun facts According to dance historian Doug Fullington, in the original 1892 scenario the Nutcracker has two sisters who graciously welcome Clara to the Land of Sweets with warm hugs. Pennsylvania Ballets Craig Wasserman in the Candy Cane variation. Photo by Alexander Iziliaev, Courtesy Pennsylvania Ballet. The Candy Cane variation (danced to the Russian Trepak music) was choreographed by its original 1892 dancer, Alexandre Shiryaev. Dance critic Mindy Aloff says that Shiryaev was possibly the first practitioner of hand-drawn animation; he notated his choreography in sequential drawings that could be projected to show the dance in movement. Balanchine included Shiryaevs original choreography in his Nutcracker. The ethereal twinkling sound in the Sugar Plum Fairys solo comes from the celesta, a rare instrument Tchaikovsky heard in France. He had one sent to him essentially in secret, says Fullington. Balanchine was given a budget of $40,000 for his 1954 premiere and, according to Aloff, he spent $25,000 on the Christmas tree alone. When asked if he could do without the tree Balanchine responded, [The ballet] is the tree. Today, New York City Ballets tree weighs one ton and can reach a full height of 41 feet. 1892 Nutcracker costume sketch by Ivan Vsevolozhsky of the Sugar Plum Fairys retinue. Courtesy Peter Koppers. Choreographic notations suggest that the Cavaliers variation was originally danced by a retinue of eight female fairies representing things like fruit, flowers and dreams. According to Fullington, Pavel Gerdt, the dancer who created the role, was likely too old to dance the variation himself. In Balanchines grand pas de deux, the lead ballerina holds an arabesque while gliding across the stage on pointe, pulled by her gallant prince. According to Fullington, Balanchine took this slide from Ivanovs original choreography. The Sugar Plum Fairys princes original name was Prince Coqueluche. Meaning whooping cough in French, it likely referred to a lozenge candy. NYCBs Unity Phelan and Silas Farley in Karinskas Hot Chocolate costumes. Photo by Paul Kolnik, Courtesy New York City Ballet. A district attorney ruled Monday that state police acted properly a year ago when they shot and killed a man they suspected of murdering Trooper Landon Weaver in a rural area of central Pennsylvania. Huntingdon County District Attorney David Smith issued his decision in the Dec. 31 death in Hesston of 32-year-old Jason Robison, reports the Associated Press. Pennsylvania State Trooper Landon Weaver was killed in Dec. 2016. The shooting of suspect Jason Robison was ruled justified. "Troopers at the scene ordered Robison numerous times to drop his gun, which he refused to do," Smith wrote. "Robison moved as if to advance from the camper while still holding the pistol in his hand. After Robison began to move, members of the state police fired shots at Robison, who was struck in the head, torso, arms and legs." Related: PA Trooper Killed Responding Alone to Domestic Call A .32-caliber Beretta pistol was recovered beside Robison's body. It contained eight live rounds, and there were two other bullets in the pocket of his jacket. The prosecutor deemed the killing as justified and said authorities will not release the names of troopers involved. Fechheimer Brothers Company (Fechheimer), the parent company of the uniform brand Flying Cross and low-profile apparel and gear brand Vertx, celebrated its 175th year of service to the U.S. Military and Public Safety markets at the annual IACP Conference and Exposition. Fechheimer has been designing and manufacturing uniforms since 1842, and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. "It is extremely momentous for us to be celebrating such a huge milestone in our history, as well as a huge milestone for uniform design in public safety," said Bob Getto, President and CEO of Fechheimer. "We have been celebrating with our employees all year long and were happy to extend the celebration to our customers at this year's IACP." Fechheimer began its journey as a dry goods and wholesale clothier in Northern Kentucky. By 1865 it was awarded a government contract to manufacture uniforms for the Civil War, thus standardizing men's uniform sizing for the first time in history. Throughout its history it has been instrumental in the design and manufacture of uniforms for World War I, World War II, the U.S. Postal Service, National Parks, every branch of the U.S. Military and various military academies, as well as a number of state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide. In 1980, Fechheimer acquired B. Lipman's Flying Cross brand and began marketing Flying Cross as its key brand. In 2009, it established the Vertx brand which was a design collaboration with an elite federal agency to manufacture the market's first truly low-profile tactical pant. Fechheimer is a Berkshire Hathaway Company and is one of the oldest running companies in the Berkshire portfolio. During the IACP, Fechheimer shared moments in history at its Flying Cross/Vertx booth during several video presentations. In addition, it shared a commemorative lapel pin with all booth visitors featuring its specially designed 175th anniversary seal. For more information about Fechheimer and its brands, visit www.fechheimer.com. McCarthy Building Companies and the City of O'Fallon, MO, recently celebrated the grand opening of the new City of O'Fallon Justice Center that includes the O'Fallon Police Department and Municipal Courts. Ribbon cutting ceremony (Photo: McCarthy Building Companies) The new $26 million Justice Center features more than 96,000 sq. ft. of space and includes state-of-the-art technology and training spaces, an underground garage and sally port, and ample space for expansion as the City of O'Fallon grows over the next 30 years. The building was paid for by bonds from a property tax increase supported by more than 60% of O'Fallon voters. "This building is truly a testament to how much our residents and businesses value public safety," said Mayor Bill Hennessy. "As our Police Department outgrew its previous home in City Hall, we knew we had to ask our residents to fund the construction of a new facility through a tax increase. We are so grateful for their overwhelming support of this project, and I cannot wait for our residents to see this great new facility. The O'Fallon Police Department has proven year after year to be one of the best departments in the country. Now, they have a home that also is among the nation's best." Special features include a seven-stall indoor firing range and a firearms training simulator, a state-of-the-art training tool that supports marksmanship and judgmental training needs of law enforcement personnel and is one of the first in the area to be 300-degree surround. The project also includes 15 holding cells with separate cells for men and women, as well as two ADA accessible cells and one large group holding cell. Lecture and presentation spaces feature a 70-seat tiered training room, a mechanical and emergency power system to serve the building, a 911 center, CSI lab space, offices, evidence storage room, and a courtroom. The building will also contain a FEMA-rated storm shelter. Specially designed duty lockers provide maximum security for storage of the specialized equipment police officers carry while providing ventilation for body armor. The new City of O'Fallon Justice Center includes the O'Fallon Police Department and Municipal Courts. (Photo: McCarthy Building Companies) "McCarthy was honored to collaborate with the City of O'Fallon on this important project," said Ryan Freeman, vice president of operations at McCarthy. "As a national leader in justice projects and a local leader in construction, we understand the challenges facing municipalities and local governments. Our construction management approach delivered significant cost savings due to proactive preconstruction and construction planning, ongoing open communication with city officials, and careful review of detailed subcontractor specs and cost estimates." Cost savings enabled the police department to build out nearly 9,000 sq. ft. of additional space on the second floor for future expansion to meet the anticipated growth of the community. By building this additional space concurrently with the scheduled construction, the city will save time and money, as well as reduce disruption to ongoing operations when the space is customized to accommodate a future use. Cost savings also enabled the City of O'Fallon to upgrade the facility to include better finishes, ceramic tile, carpet, and vinyl wall covering, as well as additional outdoor space, a breakroom for employees, and an outdoor canine training space. The O'Fallon Justice Center was designed by Wilson-Estes Police Architects (now known as Police Facility Design Group) and built by McCarthy Building Companies. More information is available at http://www.ofallon.mo.us/PD/the-new-o-fallon-justice-center. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print After cutting for the rich, Trump next move is going to be an executive order that will be nothing short of a declaration of war on poor people who depend on Medicaid, food stamps, and housing assistance. Politico reported, The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are hoping to make the most sweeping changes to federal safety net programs in a generation, using legislation and executive actions to target recipients of food stamps, Medicaid and housing benefits. The White House is quietly preparing a sweeping executive order that would mandate a top-to-bottom review of the federal programs on which millions of poor Americans rely. And GOP lawmakers are in the early stages of crafting legislation that could make it more difficult to qualify for those programs. The Republicans are working at a breakneck pace to implement their agenda of making rich people richer and poor people poorer because they have two swords hanging over their heads. The first sword is the 2018 midterm election where it is looking more likely each day that Democrats will take back control of all or part of Congress. The second sword is the Russia investigation. When Special Counsel Mueller releases his report, it could plunge the country into a constitutional crisis that will grind the federal government to a halt. The Trump ideology is based on the basic cruelty to those who are struggling that Republicans have been exhibiting since they took back the House in 2011. Life is about to get even more difficult for Americans who depend on food stamps to be able to eat, Medicaid to see a doctor, and housing assistance to keep a roof over their head. It will be a war on the poor, and now more than ever, our most vulnerable citizens need Democrats to step up in what will be a life or death struggle for millions of Americans. The presidents of Egypt and Russia attended a ceremony on Monday for the inking of a deal to start work on the Dabaa nuclear power plant, with Russia providing funding and technical expertise Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Cairo on Monday to attend the signing of an agreement officially launching work on Egypt's first-ever nuclear power plant at Dabaa on the north coast. The Egyptian president said that both leaders further discussed ways to boost economic ties, including efforts to attract Russian investments to the Egyptian Suez Canal Economic Zone and to establish a Russian free-trade zone. We have agreed on mandating our ministers to follow up with such issues and resolve any obstacles to the finalizing of projects that would be executed in the near future, in line with the spirit of coordination that has distinguished recent negotiations on constructing the Dabaa nuclear plant, El-Sisi said. Putin said that "upon the completion of the Dabaa project, Egypt will not only benefit from having a nuclear plant but also from gaining the latest and safest technology of nuclear energy." Egypt's Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker and Alexi Likhatchev, the Director General of Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, have signed the document to officially commence the project. The nuclear plant, which will cost up to $21 billion, is expected to be completed by 2028-2029, Rosatom announced on Monday, according to Reuters. Russia will provide a loan that will cover 85 percent of the construction costs, Likhachyov said. According to the initial agreement signed by the two countries in 2015, Russia will build four reactors, each producing 1,200 megawatts of electricity, generating a total output of 4,800 megawatts. The company will service the plants four reactors for 60 years, Likhachyov added. El-Sisi and Putin held talks at the palace in Heliopolis shortly after the latter arrived in Cairo earlier on Monday. After the signing ceremony, El-Sisi and Putin announced in the results of their talks on bilateral economic, military and political relations; the war against terrorism; the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt; and regional crises including Palestine, Libya and Syria at the presidential palace in Cairo on Monday afternoon. Economic and Security Cooperation Putin said that economic cooperation with Egypt "is taking on new dynamics in trade and economic exchange." "During the past nine months, economic exchange between both countries have reached more than $4 billion," the Russian president stated. Putin also said he agreed with the Egyptian president on the necessity of continuing negotiations on the establishing of the free-trade zone between Egypt and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. On the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt, Putin indicated positive developments in light of the Russian Security Agency report on Egyptian security measures at airports. "Soon I will be signing a memo on the resumption of air flights to Egypt," the Russian president affirmed. Russia suspended flights to Egypt in November 2015 after a Russian commercial flight crashed over Sinai shortly after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh, killing all 224 people aboard. Egypt has been implementing tighter security measures in its airports to meet Russian demands on security, with the aim of restoring Russian visitors to boost its tourism industry. Russians make up the largest single tourist group in Egypt, contributing to about a fifth of foreign vacationers in the country as of 2015, according to official data. Cooperation on regional matters President Putin said he agreed with El-Sisi on the framework of cooperation between both countries in the near future, describing Egypt as the old and trustful partner of Russia in the Middle East and North Africa. On the Palestinian situation, El-Sisi said that he asserted to Putin the importance of maintaining the legal status of Jerusalem in accordance with international accords, nearly a week after a US decision to recognize Jerusalem as a capital of Israel. We discussed the dangerous repercussions of such a decision on the security and stability of the region. I asserted to President Putin the importance of not complicating the situation in the region through measures that restrict the chances of peace in the region, he said. Putin expressed appreciation for the Egyptian role in sponsoring the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas groups. The Russian president vowed during their discussion for the establishment of direct Palestinian-Israeli talks involving all aspects of the conflict, including the situation of Jerusalem. El-Sisi also said that the situations in Syria and Libya was on the table, with both presidents discussing ways of ensuring the achievement of a political settlement to both crises as soon as possible. Regarding Syria, Putin said he demonstrated to President El-Sisi the results of his latest visit and meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Monday. On Syria, our visions matched on a number of political situations and we agreed to continue our joint work to lessen tensions as a preamble political negotiations, the Egyptian president said. He added that both sides agreed on supporting negotiations led by the UN envoy to Syria in order to reach a comprehensive political agreement that accomplishes the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and preserves the unity and territorial integrity of the country. Regarding Libya, El-Sisi said the international community should come together to avoid any political or security vacuum. He also stressed his own countrys support for the political path sponsored by the UN envoy to Libya to end the transitional period and hold parliamentary and presidential elections in the country. El-Sisi added that Cairo will continue with efforts to unify divided Libyan military institutions. Combatting Terrorism El-Sisi also noted that the two countries intended to increase cooperation on fighting terrorism. Putin pointed out that his country is willing to boost assistance to Egypt in its war against terrorism in the coming period by enhancing military cooperation and the capabilities of the Egyptian Armed Forces. According to El-Sisi, both leaders agreed on the necessity of countries preventing terrorists from passing through their territory. I agreed with President Putin on the importance of exchanging information between our involved agencies in combatting terrorism, especially when it comes to the movement of terrorists from politically unstable areas to other countries, President El-Sisi said. Search Keywords: Short link: Dr. Bobbi Pritt sees the miraculous in her microscope, then shares it with the world. Her blog, "Creepy, Dreadful, Wonderful Parasites, " celebrated its 10-year anniversary in October with a parasite-themed art contest and giveaways. The Post Bulletin talked to the clinical parasitologist about pinworm, pictures and pathologists on Twitter. So your blog's called "Creepy, Dreadful, Wonderful Parasites." I think a lot of us understand why parasites can be creepy and dreadful but where's the wonderful? Well, scientifically, they're fascinating. Each parasite is a little different you have some parasites that have male and female parts, so they can basically fertilize themselves, and produce viable offspring. I guess the wonderful part is just the science some of the life cycles that these go through. If you're looking at it like a nature show, you'd say, "Oh my gosh, that little organism is amazing!" Your blog has a pretty impressive following. How did it begin? ADVERTISEMENT I had just finished my fellowship at Mayo Clinic in clinical microbiology, and I was hired on as Mayo Clinic staff, and I got this amazing opportunity, sponsored by Mayo, to go to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and study parasitology. And I knew when I was there, I was going to be studying all of these amazing cases, and I was leaving behind a lot of colleagues, friends and people I knew would be interested in cases. So, I started (the site) about halfway through my year in London, and then, as I met more people over there, they said, "Oh, hey, can you add me to your blog?" I post cases that come through my laboratory, (and) I also get donations from other people's laboratories. They're all de-identified to maintain patient confidentiality. It's just "Here's a picture of a parasite. What is it?" And then people have the option of writing in." How many followers do you have? Where are they from? Last month, I had 25,507 page-views. When I first started, obviously, it was really, really low. I remember when I first started, that I was excited when I hit 10,000. I hadn't checked in a long time. So 25,000 is pretty cool for a blog about parasites. Most views are coming from the United States, all across the states. The United Kingdom is my second-biggest viewer, followed by India, then Canada and then a whole bunch of other places. And that's just my blog I also post cases on Twitter , Linkedin; I've really been expanding in the past couple of years to other forms of social media. How do you decide which cases to use? Well, I get total control. So I've created my own criteria. I always choose really high-quality images. I try to include a lot of common things, because I know that I actually now have teachers who assign my blog to their students, like microbiology teachers at various schools around the U.S. maybe abroad, I don't know so I try to make sure I include some stuff that everyone should know, even if it's the same stuff over and over again. Like, if I have a pinworm case, well, there's no reason why next year I won't put another pinworm case up, because it's something people need to know. I do try to sprinkle in fun, exciting, unusual, challenging cases. You also helped discover a new form of Lyme disease, right? ADVERTISEMENT Ticks are ectoparasites, so there are all of these tick-borne diseases, and Lyme disease, of course, is a big one. Well, a few years ago, we discovered through routine testing, a patient who was infected with a form of Lyme disease that hadn't been described before. And it even has its own name we called it after Mayo Clinic, so it's called Borrelia mayonii. Normally, Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. This is the second species of borrelia that is known to cause Lyme disease in the United States, and it appears to be only in Minnesota and Wisconsin, so it's pretty localized in the upper Midwest. But it actually might be a bit more severe, in terms of symptoms, than just plain-old, typical variants of lyme disease. How did Mayo feel about being named after the more severe disease? Ha! Well, it actually is considered an honor. But you're right, there were definitely some people that thought, "Oh, hmm Mayonii?" But usually it's traditional to name new organisms either after someone great in the field you wouldn't name it after yourself, it's considered bad form to do that but you would name it after an established investigator in the field, one of the great names, or you'd name it after the place where it was first discovered. LEROY This tiny Southeast Minnesota town doesn't have even 1,000 people living in it. But it did have a Mayo Clinic until this fall. Mayo announced this summer that it would close its LeRoy clinic after key staffers left, though its pharmacy remains open. That has people like Eileen Evans worried, wondering where they'll get basic care. The 86-year-old said her closest option is 20 minutes away, a long drive for her. "I felt very, very lost. And I still feel lost," she said. This scenario is playing out in towns across the state as Mayo closes or trims service at smaller clinics throughout its Minnesota health care network, leaving some Mayo patients concerned about getting to a doctor and questioning the clinic's commitment to the people in its service area. ADVERTISEMENT "They threw us to the wind. That's what they did," Evans said. Twenty-five years ago, Mayo brought its expertise to clinics and hospitals in rural areas of southeast Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Now, Mayo is shrinking its footprint in some areas. The LeRoy shutdown is one of at least four closures or consolidations this year. Mayo says it has closed 10 facilities since 2009 usually clinics that don't see many patients or that are near other facilities. "Those are just natural ebbs and flows of business," said Doug Parks, the top administrator of Mayo Clinic's satellite system in southeast Minnesota. He said visits to outpatient clinics like LeRoy's produce less revenue than hospital stays, so these facilities have tighter finances. Plus, staffing clinics in LeRoy or any rural community is difficult. "We try to make good decisions with limited resources," he said. But even when staff are available, Parks said Mayo has to make a choice: put those employees in a small clinic, or in a busier part of the network where there's high demand for services. While LeRoy residents look for new options, people in Kiester, Minn., worry they'll be next. ADVERTISEMENT Kiester Mayor Doug Trytten thanks Mayo's outpost on the main drag of this tiny, rural and aging town for being the first to catch his cancer. "They're my angels, that's for sure," Trytten said, adding the Mayo brand has been a point of pride for the town. "I was traveling for a large corporation, and I'd tell everyone that I come from a town of 500-600, and we have Mayo Clinic in town. So it was pretty cool," he said. But now, the mayor said, he has soured on the organization. Over the summer, Mayo officials came for a visit and explained that staffing shortages could be a problem in Kiester. They made no mention of closing, but Trytten is still concerned. Trytten said Mayo's ambition to grow in Rochester and globally appears to outweigh the mission of helping people in small towns like his. "They're starting to run it more like a large corporation which they are but without the feelings and the understanding of how their business decisions are going to affect small-town living." Trytten said. But Mayo needs to watch its margins, said Moody's analyst Dan Steingart, who tracks the company's financial margins closely. "No margin, no mission," he said. Steingart said Mayo's revenue has grown faster than its costs recently, showing the company is making sound financial choices including the decisions on satellite facilities. ADVERTISEMENT "They have been concentrating on improving performance at the collection of community hospitals that they have, and I think they're seeing some of the fruits of those efforts," he said. Mayo administrator Parks said the company is not merely retrenching. It's investing in some places, including building a new hospital in Cannon Falls, Minn., a $4 million expansion in Faribault, Minn., and a scheduled upgrade in LaCrosse, Wis. He said all patients will benefit from Mayo's $1.5 billion electronic medical records system and more than $1 billion in investments in Rochester's Destination Medical Center. "I think people think DMC is sucking things away from their communities when the strategy is completely opposite," Parks said. "We're trying to build infrastructure to keep care local. My personal opinion is that DMC will rise all ships." On a frosty Saturday morning, Po Shu Wang watched as a crane moved the two pieces of his 5,500-pound outdoor sculpture into place in front of the expanded Mayo Civic Center. As he watched, Wang, of Berkeley, Calif., answered the question of how he expected people to interact with the stainless steel arch with a shrug. "I have no idea. People are very imaginative It's all fair and good," he said. "I don't own it. It's out there." Wang did discuss how people can create music and light shows around the sculpture via input from a keyboard in a kiosk inside the center. People will be able to type in messages, which will be translated into braille. The braille dots will then be assigned to a musical scale. The resulting music with lighting will be activated around both bases of the 30-foot-long sculpture. ADVERTISEMENT Wang wanted people, who might all be strangers, to have something to do while attending events at the conference center. "They don't have to agree. They don't have to commit. But somehow they will collaborate," said Wang, "It doesn't matter where you come from or what you want to say. All of these voices will come together." After a weekend of welding the sculpture back together, more work on the installation is expected to happen this week. Finishing touches will come when the weather warms up in the spring. The entire artwork, which cost about $200,000, is coming together after being in the works for about a year. However, there is still one piece missing a name. Wang is still unsure on that point, though he does have an unofficial name he personally used during the development of it. Playing off the geometry of the circumference of the sculpture and the proximity to the Mayo Civic Center, he calls it Circum-Center. When people point out how his sculpture looks similar to the popular "Cloud Gate" sculpture informally called the "Bean" in Chicago's Millennium Park, he isn't bothered. "It doesn't matter to me. I've been making this for some time," said Wang. The shininess of the stainless steel "is just a way of finishing it. It's durable outside and you don't need to light it." Civic Center's outdoor art on the way ADVERTISEMENT 1 / 2: Charles Parent, left, and Hans Early-Nelson, with Primitive Precision Metalcraft, prepare to start welding a sculpture by Po Shu Wang, of Berkeley, Calif., together as it's installed Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, outside the Mayo Civic Center in downtown Rochester. 2 / 2: Sculptor Po Shu Wang, of Berkeley, Calif., stands nearby as his sculpture is installed Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, outside the Mayo Civic Center in downtown Rochester. All eyes are on Gov. Mark Dayton as he makes one of the biggest decisions of his gubernatorial career choosing whom he will appoint to the U.S. Senate. The DFL governor is faced with this decision after Sen. Al Franken announced last week he will resign his seat among allegations of sexual misconduct. On Thursday, Dayton issued a statement saying he would announce his pick within the "next couple of days." However, it does not appear that today will be the day the governor announces his choice. He will be in Fargo, N.D., co-chairing a meeting of the Fargo-Moorhead Area Flood Diversion Task Force. Lt. Gov. Tina Smith is reported to be one of the top contenders for the job. Last week, she said she is mulling a possible run for the Senate seat in 2018. Speculation that she is Dayton's pick ramped up on Friday when her office postponed meetings planned for today with Rochester officials about affordable housing. Plenty of other names are being floated as possible picks for the governor. They include Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, Edina DFL state Sen. Melisa Franzen, 1st District Rep. Tim Walz and St. Paul Rep. Erin Murphy. Both Walz and Murphy are running for governor but could potentially switch to running for Senate. Whomever Dayton appoints would fill the seat until November 2018, when voters will decide who should serve the remaining two years of Franken's term A strange coincidence ADVERTISEMENT On Thursday morning when Franken announced his resignation, the Post Bulletin delayed its press run by an hour to get the news in the paper. I wandered into the press room to see the action as workers got the presses ready to roll. To my great surprise, Sen. Melisa Franzen was also in the press room. It turns out, the Post Bulletin prints a Spanish-language paper that Franzen is involved in. Franzen grew up in Puerto Rico and has been outspoken in recent months about the need to help the country recover from a devastating hurricane. We chatted for a few minutes as the presses began rolling with the headline "Franken to resign" on the front page. At that time, she said she had already been hearing Smith's name as a likely replacement for Franken. Still, her name was already being floated as a possible contender and she indicated it was something she would be willing to consider. Hamline University political science professor David Schultz recently penned an op-ed for the Huffington Post make the case that Franzen would be the best choice for the job. Nelson not interested in running for Senate For Republicans, the resignation of Franken opens the door to the possibility of reclaiming one of Minnesota's Senate seats. Plenty of potential GOP candidate names are already swirling, including former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, 6th District Rep. Tom Emmer, Sen. Julie Rosen of Vernon Center and Sen. Karin Housley of St. Mary's Point to name just a few. So would Rochester GOP Sen. Carla Nelson, who is running for the 1st Congressional District, think about switching gears to run for the U.S. Senate? The answer is no. "I am confident there will be one or several strong Republican candidates for the Senate, but I am committed to running for Congress and serving the people of Minnesota's 1st District," she said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Nelson and Blue Earth Republican Jim Hagedorn are both battling for the GOP endorsement in the race. Several Democrats are also running for the seat, including Army veteran Dan Feehan, former Owatonna Sen. Vicki Jensen, Mankato attorney Joe Sullivan and Rochester attorney Rich Wright. Former governor say Franken shouldn't resign Former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson argues that Franken should not resign his Senate seat. He wrote an opinion column , posted on his blog with the title "And Justice for All." Carlson said he is "deeply troubled by the resignation of Al Franken and the complete absence of anything resembling due process." And while he said he does not always agree with Franken, "I firmly believe in due process which is a cornerstone of our democratic way of living. Whenever in history we abandoned it, we severely damaged ourselves. Just think about the lynching of Blacks in the South, the internment of people of Japanese descent in World War II, or the era of McCarthyism when lives were destroyed based solely on allegations." Carlson said he would rather see the Senate Ethics Committee review the allegations against Franken. Adding to Carlson's concern about Franken being forced out of office is the "nation is in peril with Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans yielding to his demands." He said the U.S. is increasingly moving towards authoritarianism and Franken has been very effective in challenging the Trump administration. Changing how sexual harassment allegations are handled in St. Paul A bipartisan pair of lawmakers are expected to propose changes to Minnesota House's rule process with the goal of improving how sexual harassment allegations are handled. ADVERTISEMENT Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, and Rep. Marion O'Neill, R-Maple Lake, have scheduled a news conference for Monday morning to detail the changes. According to a news release, the proposals will include "an expedited investigation process once complaints are brought forward, confidentiality protections for complainants as well as due process protections for all parties involved." This comes after two members of the Minnesota Legislature recently resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct Republican Rep. Tony Cornish of Vernon Center and Democratic Sen. Dan Schoen of St. Paul Park. Two Republicans are vying for the chance to take on freshman Democratic Rep. Duane Sauke in 2018. Rochester Realtor Kenneth Bush said he will run for the House District 25B seat, which covers Northwest Rochester and Cascade Township. Bush announced in August he was forming an exploratory committee to look into running for the seat. The 43-year-old said he decided to jump in after being encouraged by many people to run. "I have a sense that they feel that I can bring their questions, thoughts, concerns to the Capitol not only with passion but with compassion as a Republican," Bush said. In October, Rochester business consultant Walter Smith III announced he would run as a Republican for the seat. Bush's entry into the race means there will be a battle for the GOP endorsement. Bush said he will seek the endorsement but is not pledging to abide by it, setting the stage for a potential Republican primary. "The party does not own Kenny Bush no way," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Smith said he has not thought about whether he will pledge to abide by the endorsement. "I'm not concerned about competition with Kenneth or anyone else. My sole focus in running is to take my public service to another level. Win or lose, my public service won't change," he said. Republican Party of Olmsted County Chairman Aaron Miller said at this point, he hasn't heard of any other Republicans who are interested in running for the House District 25B seat. He added, "Choice is a good thing and we will allow the delegates, the voters at the convention to endorse a candidate, and we will fully support the endorsed candidate." Sauke won election to the Minnesota House in 2016 after he defeated former GOP Rep. Fran Bradley with nearly 52 percent of the vote. Sauke confirmed in an interview that he plans to run for re-election in 2018. He said he is not interested in commenting on his two Republican challengers at this time. "I am still who I am and generally, I have been open to share what I think and what I am. Outside of that, be what may," Sauke said. Bush grew up in Rochester and attended John Marshall High School. He left to pursue his real estate career but moved back in 2015. He sells real estate for Coldwell Banker Burnet in Rochester. He is also owner of Bush Companies a community economic development firm and serves on the Olmsted County Planning Advisory Commission. Bush describes himself as a moderate Republican and a "bridge builder." He says he is not someone who will simply vote along party lines. "I'm hoping I can contribute to folks that want to be optimistic and be positive about working together in a bipartisan fashion. Someone that is able to see both sides is really what we need and not to follow a one-track train because you don't know if that track is headed to the wall," he said. ADVERTISEMENT If elected, Bush said his No. 1 priority would be creating jobs. "I believe we can turn around the economy of our state and our country and create jobs if we just simply adhere to the original principles of limited government, fiscal restraint and living within your means," he said. Bush said he is also concerned about energy issues and the economy. He would support efforts to reduce carbon emissions. He also would back investments in transportation and infrastructure. He added that he is planning to announce his first major fundraiser shortly. The Rochester Realtor emphasized that his life experiences set him apart from the other candidates in the race. He said he has struggled at times in his life. That includes living beyond his financial means at times and having to work hard to recover. Despite those challenges, he said he has never given up on his entrepreneurial dreams. "I have a backbone," he said. "I know what it's like to be on the muddy road, and I also know what it's like to be on the mountain, too. I've been on both." ST. CLOUD On any given night, there are an estimated 125 to 150 people between the ages of 16 and 23 who are homeless in St. Cloud. Some area service clubs plan to offer those youth a place to get out of the cold and connect to resources during the daytime. "They're sleeping in alleys or in cars or on someone's couch, or worse yet, selling their bodies to get out of the weather," said Tim Wensman, president and board chair of the Pathways 4 Youth project. St. Cloud-area Rotary clubs are partnering with Anoka-based Hope 4 Youth to open the opportunity center. It will be open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and will provide social services, lockers, showers, laundry facilities and a hot meal, plus computers to search for employment or education opportunities. "Hopefully we can stabilize the youth from their trauma that they may have when they come in and then help put them on a path for educational opportunities or living wage employment opportunities that could make them contributing members to the community," Wensman said. ADVERTISEMENT The center will not be a place to hang out or sleep, he said. It's expected about 20-25 youth will use the center daily. Wensman said organizers are aware that they might be facing many challenges related to family trauma, addiction and mental health. "We'll have to be prepared to have the people and the professionals at the site that can deal with all of these issues," he said. Wensman says the Rotary club is raising funds and hopes to open the center in February. Listening to the oral argument before the Supreme Court in the wedding cake case, it struck me how artificial the discussion was. Much of it centered on whether and under what circumstances cakes are speech. Bizarre. I dont blame the advocates or the current Justices for the content of the argument. They must be mindful of Supreme Court precedents whether or not, as a practical matter, they fit this case well. But the wedding cake case isnt really about free speech. It is about free exercise of religious conscience. After all, the Colorado baker refused to create a custom cake for the gay couple because doing so is incompatible with the dictates of his religion. To be more specific, I think the case is about balancing freedom of religious conscience against the rights of gays who want the kind of marriage ceremonies non-gay couples frequently enjoy. I suggested so in this post from a couple of years ago. Ross Douthat made basically the same argument in yesterdays New York Times. In my view, the best way to perform this balancing is through the concept of reasonable accommodation. The concept comes from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it unlawful discrimination not to accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs and practices of employees unless accommodating them would result in undue hardship to the employer. Thus, for example, in the absence of undue hardship to the employer, a Jew whose religion requires him not to work during multiple days in September-October must be given those days off and a strict Sabbath observer must be granted relief from shifts that interfere with observance. An absolute requirement that bakers create custom made wedding cakes for gay couples in violation of their religious conscience violates the principle of reasonable accommodation. It requires the baker (or photographer or caterer) to choose between adhering to his religious belief and making a living in his chosen profession. A decent respect for the First Amendment should lead courts to reject this outcome when it is possible to do and still uphold fairness for gays and gay couples. If questions like the one that arises in the Colorado wedding cake case are to be anything other than a raw power struggle, they should be resolved based on balancing the competing equities that arise from religious freedom and gay rights. The concepts of reasonable accommodation and undue hardship provide the best framework for such balancing. In most cases, no undue hardship will attach if a gay couple has to use a baker or a wedding photographer who doesnt think the ceremony violates Gods will. Freedom of religious conscience will be accommodated and the couple will get cakes and photographs of the same or better quality. That is what President Trump called the Democratic Party media in a tweet todaya stain on Americaand he is right. Very little discussion of all the purposely false and defamatory stories put out this week by the Fake News Media. They are out of control correct reporting means nothing to them. Major lies written, then forced to be withdrawn after they are exposeda stain on America! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2017 It would be a full-time job to keep track of the Democratic Party medias failed attacks on President Trump and his administration. I wrote about CNNs latest fiasco here and here. Maybe someone, somewhere, is keeping count of the liberal medias lies about Trump, but it would be a superhuman task to keep up. The presidents comment was prompted in part by an absurd tweet by the Washington Posts Dave Weigel, who was fired by the Post some years ago for his participation in the surreptitious, left-wing JournoList. Weigel rejoined the Post after rehabilitating himself with MSNBC and Slate. I used to say that the Post is the most respectable voice of the Democratic Party, but I am not sure that compliment is still warranted. Purporting to cover the presidents triumphant rally in Pensacola, Florida, Weigel published a picture of the arena that was partly emptybecause it was taken hours before the event began. This tweet by President Trump shows Weigels misleading photo along with actual pictures of the event once it was underway. Weigel later admitted that the President was right: .@DaveWeigel @WashingtonPost put out a phony photo of an empty arena hours before I arrived @ the venue, w/ thousands of people outside, on their way in. Real photos now shown as I spoke. Packed house, many people unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo! pic.twitter.com/XAblFGh1ob Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2017 These battles between President Trump and Democratic Party reporters are going on almost every day, and Trump is nearly always winning, because reporters from the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN, the Associated Press and so on are so crazed by Trumps election that they cant restrain themselves from lying. But maybe that is too charitable. Maybe these reporters have been lying for a long time, and we finally have a Republican leader with enough guts to call them on it. PAUL ADDS: President Trump says the Washington Post should fire Weigel. The Post says: Dave Weigel relied on an inaccurate image in tweeting about President Trumps rally in Pensacola. When others pointed out the mistake to Weigel, he quickly deleted the tweet. And when he was later addressed by the president on Twitter, he promptly apologized for it. I agree that Weigel just made a mistake. He did not put up something he knew was false or misleading. Weigel is smart enough to realize he couldnt get away that in this instance. The question, though, is why did he make the mistake. I think it was because hes engaged in partisan warfare against Trump just like his paper and was too eager to seize on something that cast Trump in a bad light. Thats why the mainstream medias mistakes almost invariably are ones that make Republicans and/or conservatives look bad. When was the last time you saw a correction by a MSM organ that was less favorable to a Republican or conservative than the erroneous item that required correction? Emmanuel Macron, who became president of France because a scandal effectively took down the front-running candidate, fancies himself the leader of the free world. This week he will host a climate summit. Last week he chastised President Trump for his decision to recognize that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Last month, he mediated a dispute over Lebanon. Meanwhile, back in France, Parisians are threatening a hunger strike if immigrants arent cleared from neighborhood streets. They complain that the immigrants are trashing the sidewalks, soaking them in urine, and harassing women. The immigrant takeover over the streets near the Jaures and Stalingrad(!) metro stations is just the tip of the French culture war iceberg. So are the Muslim street prayers that have led to fights between protesters and Muslim worshipers. Where does Macron stand on these matters and what is he prepared to do? He has vowed to clear the streets by the end of the year and place the immigrants in 62 cheap hotels that will be turned into shelters. And his Interior Minister says hell propose a ban on Muslim street prayer. If the government follows through, the tip of the iceberg may become less acute for now, but that big block of ice will remain. Nor will Macrons preening on the world stage divert attention from it. James McAuley of the Washington Post reports: While the French are mostly proud to have an internationally respected leader, many remain ambivalent about a character often seen as overly timid on cultural problems raging at home. Identity in general and Islam in particular remain crucial issues in France, yet on both questions Macron has been quiet. This is one where people are asking the question, When is he going to speak? said Francois Heisbourg, a Paris-based political analyst and former presidential adviser on national security issues to Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande. He will not be able to keep silent forever. Its one of the deepest divisions in the public debate that Ive seen in a very long time, and its very ugly. In the presidential run-off election last Spring, issues of culture, identity, and Muslim immigration were raised by an extremist candidate, Marine Le Pen. Macron was able to shrug them off. However, unless Macron speaks up and, more importantly, acts, there will be considerable space between him and Le Pen. That space can be occupied by, say, Laurent Wauquiez, the new leader of the center right party, or by Manuel Walls, a former Socialist (as is Macron) who, as Prime Minister, took a strong stance against against Islamic incursions on French secularism (e.g., by banning the burkini, a measure I oppose). According to the Posts McAuley, some commentators view Macrons avoidance of social issues as a testament to his political intelligence, a means of avoiding a discussion that might otherwise unnecessarily divide the electorate. But if the electorate is already highly divided, it seems to me that Macron cannot avoid the social issues. And certainly not by hosting climate summits and lecturing President Trump about Israel. ATLANTIC CITY A Georgia man was arrested and charged after trying to flee from police, who found heroin, marijuana and cocaine in his car, authorities said. About 10:05 a.m. Friday, Atlantic City police Officers Christopher Dodson and Alberto Valles stopped a car on the 1300 block of Atlantic Avenue, Sgt. Kevin Fair said in a statement Sunday. Officers asked the driver, Kendall Johnson, 26, of Buford, Georgia, for his drivers license and vehicle documents, Fair said. Valles could see a scale and plastic bags used to package narcotics when Johnson opened his center console, Fair said. The officers also smelled the distinct odor of marijuana coming from Johnsons car, Fair said. The officers requested Johnson to exit his vehicle after he failed to provide the requested documents and and failed to have a valid drivers license, Fair said. Johnson got out of his car and tried to run into oncoming traffic before officers apprehended him, Fair said. Johnson was found to have 69 bags of heroin, 8 grams of marijuana and 4 grams of cocaine, Fair said. Johnson was charged with three counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public zone, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, possession of CDS paraphernalia and three motor vehicle summonses. He was taken to the Atlantic County jail. Anyone with information on this incident can call Atlantic City police at 609-347-5766. Tips can be texted anonymously to tip411, or 847411. Begin the text with ACPD. BALD IS BEAUTIFUL {child_byline}MICHELLE BRUNETTI POST Staff Writer {/child_byline} Bald eagle numbers continued to increase in New Jersey in 2017, with 178 nest sites monitored, up from 172 last year. But the number of successful fledglings fell to 190 from 216 last year, said state Division of Fish and Wildlife biologist Kathleen Clark, coauthor of the 2017 New Jersey Bald Eagle Project report by the division and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Weve been on quite a ride with significant increases in eagles every year. Now it looks like the population is starting to stabilize, Clark said. There are still new nests getting established every year, but there may be other factors starting to come into play, like competition, and some are settling into areas that may not be optimum. Three of the 19 dead or injured eagles found this year on the ground appeared to have been hurt or killed in fights with other eagles, she said. Its something we have only seen in the last three to four years, said Clark. There are going to be fights over the best nest locations. Newly minted 5- or 6-year-olds come back and try to get their own nests going. Maybe unwisely, some try to take on an established pair. Electrocution and injury from flying into electric wires was the most common cause of death of those found. Clark said Atlantic City Electric has cooperated in making changes at locations where eagles have died. When you really look at power lines theres usually three lines kept separated all at about the same level, called phase lines, Clark said. If a bird somehow connects two of those phase lines, it gets shocked. Of the 178 nests, 153 produced eggs and 25 were territorial or housekeeping pairs, the report said. The four-year-old telemetry program, which fits some young birds with electronic transmitters, has shown fledglings often range far from New Jersey just weeks after their first flight. Males tend to return to their home territory more than females, Clark said. Nacote, a male who fledged in 2014, spent much of the rest of that year in a remote area of Quebec, the report said. He returned to southeastern New Jersey in 2015, has stayed since and has been photographed several times at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Galloway Township. Two females, on the other hand, fitted with transmitters in 2012 and 2013, have not returned home. One went to the Chesapeake Bay area in Maryland before eventually flying to Maine and staying in New England. The other also headed to the Chesapeake, then to Canada before returning to Maryland. Ive concluded that, just after learning to fly, they make one big movement, said Clark. Weve had birds go in each of the cardinal directions. It does seem random. Prior to satellite tagging, we always thought young eagles only went south, especially to the Chesapeake Bay, which is an important eagle area. Twenty-one new eagle pairs were found this season, the vast majority of which were in the southern part of the state. The Delaware Bay region remained the states eagle stronghold, with roughly half of nests located in Cumberland and Salem counties and the bayside of Cape May County, the report said. Clark said the Delaware Bay area has tidal rivers that provide lots of fish and waterfowl to eat. And there is an abundance of land already in conservation that makes great bald eagle habitat. We are really lucky to have a lot of publicly owned land in the Delaware Bay region, she said. Seventy-eight percent of the nests with eggs fledged young, for a total of 190 eagle fledglings, the report states. Thats a productivity rate of 1.25 per active and known-outcome nest, above the required range of 0.9 of 1.1 young per nest for population stability. Use of the pesticide DDT, which made the eggs of eagles and other raptors too thin to withstand normal incubation, caused the numbers of nesting eagle pairs in the state to fall to one by 1970. It was in Bear Swamp in Downe Township, Cumberland County. Use of DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972, but the number of nesting pairs didnt start to increase until the 1980s, according to the report, after state biologists began a recovery effort. By 1982, the single pair of eagles in Bear Swamp had failed to fledge young for six years. So state biologists removed the egg produced that year, incubated it and placed the chick back in the nest. Artificial incubation and fostering of chicks continued until 1989, when the female of the pair was replaced and the pair was able to hatch its own eggs. State biologists also started a hacking project in 1983 that released young eagles into New Jersey from other states over eight years. Mortality rates are as high as 80 percent in young eagles, the report said, and eagles dont start reproducing until they are about 5. So the recovery was slow in the beginning. It really started to take off after 2000. Now, one of the big problems is human disturbance around nest sites, as about 70 percent of nests are located on privately owned land, Clark said. That and habitat loss are the greatest threats to the species in New Jersey, according to the report. Disturbance is any human activity that causes eagles to change their behavior. Studies have shown people on foot result in the strongest negative reaction. When eagles change their behavior in reaction to people, they cease doing what is best for their survival and the well-being of their eggs and young, the report said. Thats where volunteers can help. They observe nests from a safe distance, and the state educates the public and sets up safe viewing areas to minimize the stress on the birds. Volunteers record data such as number of birds, behaviors, incubation, feeding and more. If needed, nests are protected with barriers or posted signs, and biologists work closely with landowners and managers. State conservation officers enforce protection and provide routine assistance. Biologists enter the nest site to band nestlings when they are between 5 and 8 weeks old. They climb the tree, place nestlings into a large duffel bag and lower them one at a time to the ground. A team records measurements and bands each eaglet. {child_tagline} {/child_tagline} {child_related_content}{child_related_content_item}{child_related_content_style}Just The Facts{/child_related_content_style}{child_related_content_title}BY THE NUMBERS{/child_related_content_title}{child_related_content_content} 190/216 number of bald eagle chicks fledged 2017/2016 178/172 number of nests monitored 2017/2016 153/150 number of nests with eggs 2017/2016 118/132 number of nests producing fledglings 2017/2016 21/15 new eagle pairs 2017/2016 14/12 new eagle pairs in South Jersey 2017/2016 Source: New Jersey Bald Eagle Project reports {/child_related_content_content}{/child_related_content_item}{child_related_content_item}{child_related_content_style}More Information{/child_related_content_style}{child_related_content_title}BY THE NUMBERS{/child_related_content_title}{child_related_content_content} Of the 19 bald eagles found grounded in New Jersey in 2017: 8 died of likely electrocution 4 died of illness, other injury or birth defect 3 died of likely fight with another eagle 2 died of vehicle strike 2 found alive and treated Source: New Jersey Bald Eagle Project, 2017 {/child_related_content_content}{/child_related_content_item}{/child_related_content} PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. Air travel between Cairo and Moscow will resume in February 2018, Russia's Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov told reporters on Monday, according to Russian Tass News agency. Sokolov said that Russia was ready to sign the relevant intergovernmental protocol in the upcoming days to resume the direct flights. "It depends primarily on the Egyptian party," he said. The statement of the Russian transport minister come as Russian President Vladimir Putin was visiting Cairo. In a press conference in Cairo earlier Monday, President Putin highlighted positive developments in security measures at Egyptian airports, in light of a recent Russian security agency report. "Soon I will be signing a memo to resume air flights to Egypt," he told the reporters in the press conference. Moscow grounded all civilian passenger flights to Egypt in 2015 over security concerns after a Russian A321 airbus crashed in Sinai shortly after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh. All 224 people on board were killed in the crash. The downing of the Russian flight has dealt a blow to Egypt's tourism industry, with tourist numbers dropping by some 50 percent in the first half of 2016 year-on-year. Russians make up the largest single tourist group in Egypt, contributing to about a fifth of foreign vacationers in the country as of 2015, according to official data. Search Keywords: Short link: OCEAN CITY A prominent rabbi and social activist spoke about human rights and politics Sunday afternoon at the Ocean City Free Public Library. Rabbi Arthur Waskow, of the Philadelphia-based Shalom Center, was the guest speaker at event held in honor of Human Rights Day, which is celebrated annually Dec. 10 around the world. The talk was hosted by Amnesty Internationals South Jersey chapter. Every day should be international Human Rights Day, but this is the designated Human Rights Day, said Georgina Shanley, of Ocean City, the local chapters coordinator. Waskow, who has written or edited more than 20 books, touched on a number of topics, including the Republican-backed federal tax reform bill, climate change, net neutrality, democracy and resistance. He said he was arrested last week in Washington, D.C., protesting the Republican tax plan. Waskow said the tax bill represents an attack on human rights. I think we face a concerted effort to overturn American democracy and to substitute an oligarchy of the hyper-wealthy, Waskow told the crowd of about 30. We see that in the tax bill is a massive effort to shift enormous wealth and enormous power into the hands of those who already have enormous wealth and power, he added. Waskow expressed concern over what the response would be if President Donald Trump decides to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who has been tasked with investigating ties between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. One suggestion is holding a new presidential election this November and putting all the seats in Congress up for grabs, Waskow said. The proposal generated cheers from the crowd. So thats really interesting because it is real resistance, Waskow said. It breaks the rules but in a way that affirms the rules. After taking questions, Waskow invited the crowd to read a prayer with him in honor of Human Rights Day, followed by the lighting of a candle. Human Rights Day was established to mark the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an United Nations document that was drafted with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt in 1948. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will head to Istanbul on Tuesday to lead the Egyptian delegation in the urgent summit meeting for the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) called in response to the recent developments concerning the city of Jerusalem, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced. Attendees at the summit will address implications following last week's decision by US president Donald Trump to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as well as to order the move the US embassy there. According to the ministry statement, Shoukry will discuss Egypt's stance against US president Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He will also present Egypt's diplomatic efforts to limit the decision's negative impact, including the meeting between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo on Monday, the statement read. Egypt has maintained its full support to two-state solution, under which there is to be an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Turkey will head the current session of the OIC. Search Keywords: Short link: VANCOUVER, British Columbia, December 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Carl Data Solutions Inc.'s (CSE:CRL, FSE:7C5, OTC:CDTAF) Polish subsidiary is taking the next leap forward in developing artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor aging critical infrastructure. This ~300k USD research and development grant through the European Union will fund exploration into new ways that data collection and predictive modelling can improve water infrastructure safety and efficiency. The research will focus on machine learning based AI that makes continuous predictions on how forecasted storm events will impact water infrastructure, allowing the time needed for workers to protect cities from flooding and other damage. An intelligent sensor that measures flow using a machine learning model will be developed that extracts more precise flow data than any other device currently available on the market. Another focus of the research will be sensor anomaly detection to improve the quality of data collected. AI will be trained to know if a sensor is giving incomplete or incorrect data, improving operational intelligence for the overall system. Carl Data Solutions Poland will work closely with the Department of Decision Systems and Robotics at Gdansk University of Technology, coordinating with a research team of PhDs and engineers who have been studying water infrastructure for decades. Piotr Stepinski, Carl Data CTO and an architect in designing the project, commented, "The outcome of this project has potential to allow Carl Data's Polish subsidiary to resell this innovative technology throughout the EU and North America. We are excited to have government and international support for developing these in-demand products and services." About Carl Data Solutions Inc. Carl Data Solutions Inc. is an Industrial IoT (IIoT) company focused on providing next generation information collection, storage and analytics solutions for data-centric companies. Building on its recent acquisitions, Carl helps its clients analyze and understand all forms of environmental data through a powerful platform of data collection, monitoring, reporting, and predictive analysis tools. Carl Data continues to develop applications to work with new cloud-based mass storage services and analytics tools (Big-Data-as-a-Service (BDaaS) to provide scalability for municipalities, utilities and other industrial verticals. These data collection and storage methods allow the company to build smart Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based applications that can collect data from many diverse sources and provide deep insight for decision-making purposes. More information can be found at http://www.CarlSolutions.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Greg Johnston President, Chief Executive Officer, Director Carl Data Solutions Inc. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the purpose of the research and development grant and the focuses of the research and the statement that the outcome of the project has potential to allow Carl Data's Polish subsidiary resell this innovative technology throughout the EU and North America. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, risks with respect to: the research and development of AI by Carl Data's Polish subsidiary will not be successful in finding new ways that data collection and predictive modelling can improve water infrastructure safety and efficiency; the inability of Carl Data's Polish subsidiary to obtain the desired outcome from its research and development; the ability of the Company to establish a market for its services; competitive conditions in the industry; general economic conditions in Canada and globally; the inability to secure additional financing; competition for, among other things, capital and skilled personnel; potential delays or changes in plans with respect to deployment of services or capital expenditures; possibility that government policies or laws may change; technological change; risks related to the Company's competition; the Company's not adequately protecting its intellectual property; interruption or failure of information technology systems; and regulatory risks relating to the Company's business, financings and strategic acquisitions. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. Kimberly Bruce, Corporate Communications, Carl Data Solutions Inc., Telephone: +1(778)379-0275, Email: kimberly@carlsolutions.com SOURCE Carl Data Solutions LOS ANGELES, December 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group - In the rush to advance the electric vehicle revolution, it appears China is taking an early lead in both adoption of EVs and securing the resources of lithium to power them. Lithium producers and near term producers looking to immediately increase global lithium supplies include A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX-V: AIS) (OTC: AISSF), Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), and Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF). Several major Chinese auto manufacturers are planning to increase their electric vehicle (EV) quotas dramatically in the next two years based on early success by EV makers there and the Chinese Government's demands to abandon petrol fuel engines. Combined with greater use of lithium in power grid storage, the demand is creating kind of "arms" race style competition for global lithium. So far China is ahead. A new lithium junior player that could benefit directly from the Chinese appetite for lithium is A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX-V: AIS) (OTCQB: AISSF), which could answer the call to add new supplies from its South American lithium brine Guayatayoc project as early as 2019. Other lithium companies that are poised to take-up the shortfall being fed by China's consumption include Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), and Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX.V) (OTCQX: LIXXF), all of which are in the process of expanding of their respective lithium resources to accommodate the major demand increase. CHINA STEPPING ON THE PEDAL China is already a leader in the adoption of electric vehicles, with more than 500,000 units being sold in the country in 2016. Indeed, Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd is planning a US$1.97 billion IPO to drive its expansion and meet soaring demand for electric car batteries. And BYD, the Chinese electric car and bus company part-owned by Warrant Buffett, has talked extensively with South American lithium producers to secure supplies of the key battery material. China, the world's most active polluter has suffered for long due to toxic effluents and greenhouse emissions, hence is one of the countries at the forefront of adopting the Paris Agreement. But this process is lithium-intensive due to the millions of batteries required to power various processes particularly electric transportation. China does not have substantial lithium mines within its own boundaries. Lithium resources tend to be located far away from the centers of industrial muscle in North America, Europe and Asia that utilize it in large quantities. The main sources are brine pools in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, as well as rocks in Australia. Chinese companies have been rushing to acquire concessions in these countries, aided by the diplomatic power and financial muscle of the Chinese government. Companies such as Ganfeng Lithium and Tianqi Lithium have seen massive growth, with their turnovers more than doubling in 2016. Ganfeng Lithium strengthened their position by purchasing 2 million equity shares from International Lithium, increasing its shareholding in the company to 18%. MORE AND MORE LITHIUM NEEDED Although there are enough verified lithium resources to sustain a fully EV dependent world for hundreds of years, slow establishment of mining operations has meant that actual supply has lagged behind demand. And now that the Tesla-led EV revolution has hit full gear, pressure on existing resources has grown by a considerable factor. Entities that control these resources have gold (even that maybe an understatement) on their hands as the price of lithium keeps surging. China has been moving to do exactly that through government-sanctioned acquisition of supplies across the world. If, as lithium consultant Sam Jaffe of Cairn ERA predicts, lithium-ion battery demand rises from 80 GWh this year to 750 GWh in 2026, it's likely that the world is going to need every bit of lithium production that can be brought online. In total, the projected increase would account for a massive 10-fold leap in demand within 10 years. JUNIORS SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY Not to be left out of the competition, junior resource companies have grasped the seriousness of the demand for lithium and are moving to bring on supplies. A.I.S. Resources Limited is one of these early movers with excellent prospects in South America's productive regions. Argentina is a major global lithium producer with significant additional potential, and a respected mining-industry history. The country has become well known for its many mineralized salars or salt fields, which include the Hombre Muerto and Salar Olaroz properties each producing significant lithium. This is where A.I.S. Resources has staked its three main lithium projects, all of which are strategically located in the Argentina's Puna Region. In all, A.I.S. Resources has about 7,725 hectares and its flagship Guayatayoc property is well advanced with a mining permit in hand and drilling permits imminent. Guayatayoc was sampled and returned Li ranging from 270-900 ppm in ponds that had aquifer flow, as well as 100-190ppm for brines sitting in the top layers. That's considered very high grade and suitable for li-ion battery production. The Guayatayoc is on its way to becoming a near term producer. The project will be fast-tracked, as chemistry and process work is already complete. The company expects that it can be in production as early as 2019. And that comes from a highly skilled team of lithium mining veterans who have completed other recent lithium projects into production. THE GAUNTLET IS THROWN DOWN The race for lithium resources could leave EV companies such as Tesla short of the commodity if China manages to monopolize available sources, in a similar way as they have achieved with cobalt. Already, Chinese companies control nearly all of Lithium Hydroxide reserves, which Panasonic uses to make lithium batteries for Tesla. In what could be spell a gloomy outlook for Tesla, there are undertones about Chinese companies looking to build multiple super factories to rival Tesla's recently opened Nevada gigafactory. And while Tesla's gigafactory is expected to produce 35 gigawatt hours of battery power annually, global production should rise from a little over 100 million gigawatt-hours to more than 273 gigawatt-hours by 2021. As much as 65% of this growth could be produced in China. However, Tesla is not resting on its laurels either, with plans to build up to 4 factories reportedly in the pipeline. An arms race can scarcely suffice to describe the competition between China and outsiders like Tesla. Regardless if China moves ahead, lithium prices don't appear to be abating any time soon so new lithium resources like A.I.S. Resources' Guayatayoc project in South America are likely to bring tremendous value and aid in the move to electrify the auto market. POTENTIAL COMPARABLES Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF) Galaxy Resources Limited is a lithium-focused resources company, with assets spanning Australia, Canada and Argentina. Galaxy is currently advancing plans to develop the Sal de Vida Lithium and Potash Brine Project ("Sal de Vida") in Argentina, which is situated in the Lithium Triangle, a region where Chile, Argentina and Bolivia meet. Sal de Vida is a proven high quality resource has excellent promise as a future low cost production facility. Galaxy also owns the Mt Cattlin Spodumene Mine near Ravensthorpe in Western Australia and the James Bay Lithium Pegmatite Project in Quebec, Canada. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A., is a producer of potassium nitrate and iodine. The Company produces specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate and certain industrial chemicals. Its segments include specialty plant nutrients, industrial chemicals, iodine and derivatives, lithium and derivatives, potassium, and other products and services Lithium and its derivatives are used in batteries, greases and frits for production of ceramics. Potassium chloride is a commodity fertilizer that is produced and sold by the Company across the world. Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX.V) (OTCQX: LIXXF) Lithium X Energy Corp. is a lithium exploration and development company with a goal of becoming a low-cost supplier for the burgeoning lithium battery industry. On July 11th, the company announced that further to its news release of June 29th, 2017, the Company has closed the definitive agreement with Aberdeen International Inc. for the purchase of Aberdeen's remaining 50% interest in Potasio y Litio de Argentina S.A., which controls 100% of the Sal de los Angeles Project. The project consists of 8,154 hectares covering 95% of Salar de Diablillos, and has an NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate of 1.037 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the indicated category and 1.007 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the inferred category. For a more in-depth look into AIS you can view the in-depth report at USA News Group: http://usanewsgroup.com/2017/06/14/lithium-juniors-seeing-massive-demand/ Article Source: USA News Group http://usanewsgroup.com info@usanewsgroup.com Legal Disclaimer/Disclosure: This piece is an advertorial and has been paid for. This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. No information in this Report should be construed as individualized investment advice. A licensed financial advisor should be consulted prior to making any investment decision. We make no guarantee, representation or warranty and accept no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of USA News Group only and are subject to change without notice. USA News Group assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, we assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information, provided within this Report. DISCLAIMER: USA News Group is Source of all content listed above. FN Media Group, LLC (FNM), is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with USA News Group or any company mentioned herein. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by USA News Group are solely those of USA News Group and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Media Contact Information: FN Media Group, LLC e-mail: editor@financialnewsmedia.com U.S. Phone: +1-(954)-345-0611 SOURCE USA News Group Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed the latest developments regarding the city of Jerusalem with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "Abu Mazen" in Cairo Monday, the Egyptian presidency announced. According to the statement, which was issued following the meeting, the two leaders held extensive talks about the US decision to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to transfer the US embassy there. During the meeting President Abbas stated that the US president's decision was "surprising" considering the "flexibility" that the Palestinian Authority had shown in order to revive the peace process. El-Sisi and Abbas have discussed all measures and decisions taken by the Palestinian Authority against the decision, the Egyptian presidency said. The two presidents agreed to continue extensive coordination and consultation as well to use widespread international rejection for the US decision in order to preserve the Palestinian people's right to have an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and head of Egyptian General intelligence service Khaled Fawzy also attended the meeting. Search Keywords: Short link: Dozens of Palestinian protesters were injured and at least 200 detained by Israeli occupation forces on Monday in a fifth day of clashes following US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last week. The announcement on Wednesday sparked protests in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West bank, with protesters throwing stones at Israeli security forces who fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds. The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs confirmed the arrests, saying that many arrests took place in Jerusalem during the protests, with Paletinian activists being targetted. The Palestinian health ministry said on Monday that at least 1,175 Palestinians had been injured since the protests started, with four people killed in the first two days. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi, Dec 9 : Actor Shahid Kapoor says the strongest people in his life have been women, especially his mother Neelima Azeem who has been a single parent. He also calls his wife Mira and daughter Misha his "whole world" and says he couldn't have been happier in his life than now. Shahid spoke to IANS on phone from Mumbai on the sidelines of Reebok FitToFight Awards 2.0, where the brand felicitated women nominees from across the country for their spirit and courage. "I don't think there is anything which resonated with me so naturally as this campaign did. The strongest people in my life have been women, starting with my mother. She was a single parent and she was the most powerful and the strongest, and a person I would depend on the most," said Shahid, who endorses Reebok with Kangana Ranaut. "Today, Mira and Misha are my whole world and I can't think of any reason why this initiative would not connect with me. It's the most natural connect," said the actor, who also believes women are fitter than men. "Women know how to deal with situations better than most men do. They are very independent and self-assured," he said. So is he going to inculcate these traits in Misha too? "I want her to discover herself, be respectful towards family and appreciate everything that she has. I want her to spread love and happiness," he said of his little one, who was born in August 2016. Coming from an industry where heroines often complain about not getting the equal screen space compared to their male counterparts, Shahid feels the journey of female stars has changed over the years. "It's important to recognise roles for their power, for their impact. It doesn't matter whether it is male or female. I think stories that deserve being told, the characters that deserve being showcased, must be showcased. There is nothing like male or female in art. It's just about discussing life, connecting with people and saying something substantial. "I think it's amazing to see that so much has been created in films which are female-centric and they are loved by audiences. It also goes to show that we have a lot of women in the audience, in case anybody had forgotten," he said. And what does he think about pay equality? "I think it is changing for the positive. I think people are recognising (the issue) and it is all co-related. Today, women-oriented films have started doing extremely well and they have developed a market for themselves. Therefore, the change is naturally happening. "Like I said before, it's not about male or female. If you deserve to be paid a certain amount because that is how viable you are, you must be paid that," Shahid told IANS. His next film "Padmavati", directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is under the scanner for alleged distortion of historical facts about the fabled Rajput queen. The film was scheduled to release on December 1, but was deferred and uncertainty over its release still looms large. Tired of commenting on the row, he said: "I have spoken enough and I don't feel the need to say anything more." He also said trolls and backlash are problems emerging from social media. "It's very easy to pass a comment when you don't have to be accountable for it because nobody even knows who you are." (Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in) New Delhi, Dec 9 : Stating that the focus on strategic issues is shifting from the Pacific Ocean to India and the Indian Ocean, Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu has said that his country has placed India at the centre of its Indo-Pacific policy. "The geopolitics of Asia is dynamically changing. We used to discuss strategic issues with a focus on the Pacific Ocean, but that focus has shifted to India and the Indian Ocean." Hiramatsu said while speaking on "Japan's Perspective of the Changing Geopolitics of Asia" as part of the Changing Asia Lecture Series organised by the Society of Policy Studies think tank and the India Habitat Centre here on Friday evening. "We are now having strategic discussions on this region, stretching from Asia to the African Continent. We place India right in the middle of this geopolitical dynamics," he said. Stating that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to India in September this year was "unprecedented and special", he said that bilateral relations "are at its best ever, and substantial dialogues are being held at all level". Explaining why Japan considers India as its key partner, Hiramatsu said that both countries shared values such as democracy, openness, and the rule of the law. Stating that Japan attached great importance to upholding the rule of law, he said Tokyo found India's adherence to this in the international arena "worthy of admiration". "You can see this from India's compliance with an arbitral decision regarding a sea boundary dispute with Bangladesh that was not necessarily in India's favour," the ambassador said. "I appreciate India's consistent attitude to engage in dialogue through diplomatic channels to find a mutually acceptable solution at time of disputes. This is precisely why India is an indispensable strategic partner for Japan." Speaking about the shifting of geopolitics to Asia, he cited three major reasons for this. "The first reason is that the global power balance is changing, as it is becoming more dynamic and complex. The strategic situation in Asia is becoming ever globalised and interconnected, with emerging powers rising in the region," he said. "The second reason is that the world we live in is becoming increasingly uncertain and unpredictable, with issues such as North Korea, the South China Sea, terrorism and others which are surfacing in the region. The third reason is the heightened significance of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, where the sea lanes stretching from the African continent to Japan are becoming crucial for the peace and prosperity of this part of the globe." Referring to the India-US-Japan-Asutralia quadrilateral meeting held in the Philippines last month, the first such in a decade, he said that "given the greater convergence of views among the four like-minded countries, it is only natural that they come together to discuss measures to ensure a free and open international order in the Indo-Pacific region". "In the meeting, senior officials of the four countries discussed the direction for cooperation in upholding the rules-based order and respect for international law in the Indo-Pacific, tackling proliferation threats, including North Korea's nuclear and missile issues, ensuring freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and countering terrorism and other issues," he stated. "We share values and principles, so it is natural that we meet and discuss common challenges and deepen cooperation. We respect and understand initiatives by other countries to have their own mini-lateral frameworks, being trilateral or quadrilateral, with each of their own agenda." Stating that both countries shared the principles of connectivity infrastructure he said that this should be implemented "in an open, transparent and non-exclusive manner based on international standards and responsible debt financing practices, while ensuring respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the rule of law and environment" in what can be seen as an obvious reference to China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Hiramatsu said that while his country would like to promote cooperation on infrastructure development to the countries in the Indian Ocean region and beyond, connectivity on land too was essential. "Japan and India have launched the Act East Forum to advance development in and to foster people-to-people exchanges with the northeastern region (of India) in order to enhance overland connectivity. We hope the Forum will serve as a springboard for concrete projects in the region," he stated. During a question and answer session following the his speech, Hiramatsu agreed to the view that Japan-India ties were getting a boost because of China's increasing aggressiveness and the US' lessening influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Agartala, Dec 9 : The two-day old railway and road blockade called by a section of 10,323 Tripura government school teachers, who are set to lose their jobs on December 31 following a Supreme Court verdict, was withdrawn on Saturday. According to police, braving rains, around 150 teachers demanding continuation of their jobs beyond December 31, since Friday started a blockade of the national highway and the railway line for an indefinite period in Sindhukumar Para in Tripura's Dhalai district. Dhalai District Magistrate Vikas Singh, district police chief Smriti Ranjan Das, Tripura State Rifles (TSR) third battalion commandant Prabir Majumder jointly requested the agitators to withdraw their blockade considering the problems faced by the people. "Following our persuasion, they voluntarily called off their blockades," Das told IANS over phone. The blockade caused huge hardships to hundreds of passengers and hit the supply of essentials since Friday. The district authorities on Saturday promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code banning the assembly of five or more persons. A large number of police and TSR personnel led by senior officials have been deployed in the blockade areas. Many goods-laden vehicles and some Agartala-bound trains including Rajdhani Express on Friday were stranded at various locations. The agitating teachers' spokesman Uttam Kumar Dey had told IANS over phone on Friday night they would continue the road and rail blockade until their jobs are confirmed by the government. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Saturday cancelled all trains running between Tripura and rest of the country due to blockades. The agitating government teachers, however, threatened to launch agitations if their jobs were not regularised or confirmed after December 31. On Thursday, around 1,000 teachers held a demonstration in front of the state secretariat and later met Education and Law Minister Tapan Chakraborty, demanding a halt to the termination of their jobs. Chakraborty, during the 90-minute meeting, told the delegation that the state government had filed a petition before the Supreme Court, urging it to extend the termination deadline for one more year. "The government is sympathetic towards the agony of these government teachers. We are exploring various legal options and considering suggestions of the legal experts including senior lawyers of the apex court to save the jobs of these teachers," Chakraborty told IANS. He said the Supreme Court will hear the state government's pleas on December 11. "As suggested by some opposition legislators, there is no question of convening a special session of the Tripura Assembly to enact any law to protect the services of the 10,323 teachers since, according to legal experts, it would constitute contempt of the Supreme Court," the minister said. The Supreme Court in an order on March 29 had upheld the Tripura High Court verdict, terminating the jobs of 10,323 government teachers citing some indiscretion. In an apparent move to circumvent the apex court order, the Tripura government in May announced the recruitment of 12,000 non-teaching staff in the Education Department. This was to ostensibly "accommodate" the 10,323 teachers facing the axe following the court verdict. Gandhinagar, Dec 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused a group of Congress leaders of meeting Pakistan's High Commissioner at party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence before the latter called him (Modi) "neech". Addressing an election rally at Sanand, Modi said the meeting at Aiyar's residence was also attended by former Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Continuing his attack on the Congress, Modi said: "There was a meeting convened at Aiyar's residence where Pakistan's High Commissioner, Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ansari and Manmohan Singh were present. The meeting lasted three hours. "The next day Mani Shankar said I am a 'neech'," said the Prime Minister. Modi went on: "I ask you, brothers and sisters, why did they have to have a meeting with Pakistani officials. Pakistan is our enemy. You (Congress) meet them and the next day call me 'neech'. "Isn't this a thing to worry about? Does it not raise doubts? There is something dubious here, isn't it? You should have ensured the presence of government officials at the meeting. Why are you holding meetings with our enemy neighbour in secrecy?" "Isn't calling me 'neech' insulting to Gujarat? Isn't it insulting to the country? Insulting to the government whom the people voted to power?" The Prime Minister added that a former Pakistan Army general, Arshad Rafiq, has announced that he favoured Congress MP Ahmed Patel as the Gujarat Chief Minister. "Why? You are in Pakistan. Why are you interested in our country's affairs? "Brothers and sisters, isn't this alarming? All this and the meeting at Aiyar's residence. What is all this? My friends, you should give me a promise that you will root out the Congress and give a thumping victory to the BJP at every booth in Ahmedabad." Accra, Dec 11 : For real development to be realized in Africa, women need to be given their rightful place at the decision making table at country and continental levels, says a young Ghanaian official. Speaking to Xinhua after the African Union Women Delegates Conference here last week where she addressed young female delegates from 50 African countries, Lydia Atiemo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the west African country's Youth Employment Agency spoke strongly about the need for African women to participate in national and continental politics. "Women must be part of the development process from inception stage through implementation stage, not just filling the space but participating in sharing ideas and expertise to move our countries forward," she said. Acknowledging the positive steps being taken in Ghana, including the Affirmative Action to create more room for female participation in governance at all levels, she also urged women to position themselves well to take advantage of the opportunities. "Too many women find it difficult to come out in the open to participate in politics because of the wrong impression that women in politics tend to be sexually promiscuous," she said, calling on society to encourage women who have been bold enough to venture into national governance. She said women who are in positions of trust must not just occupy the space but become influencers of decision: "Be there because you want to effect change and be part of the change." Tessa Dooms, Managing Director of Youth Lab, a South Africa-based policy think tank, at the conference also urged fellow African women to stop thinking that somebody needed to favour them in politics. "Women who are for change in the status quo must not seek favours but must strive to carve a niche for themselves in order to make it in leadership," she said. Dooms urged young ladies also to learn to engage in volunteerism and humanitarian work as a foundation to leadership, advocating for women to be one another's keeper. Women seeking to be in leadership should learn to develop strong personalities to be able to withstand the scorn and name-calling that come from their competitors, she added. Also in an interview, Fatimatu Abubakar, Deputy Director of Communications for Ghana's President, cautioned young women against networking with corrupt politicians. In Ghana, Abubakar expressed satisfaction that women have the liberty to do what they desire to do in politics, although women still stay back from taking advantage of the opportunity to seek election into offices such as parliament. Jammu, Dec 11 : A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army has been injured in Pakistan firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district. The incident occurred when the Pakistani Army violated ceasefire in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday evening, a police officer said. The injured was shifted to hospital, he added. Srinagar, Dec 11 : Two militants were killed in a gunfight on Monday with the security forces and another was arrested in north Kashmir's Kupwara district. "In Handwara encounter so far two terrorists neutralised," Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir, S.P.Vaid, tweeted. Following specific information about the presence of militants in Unsoo village, the security forces surrounded it. As they were closing in on the hide out, they were fired upon triggering the encounter. A third militant was apprehended in injured condition, the police chief said. "The operation is still going on." Mumbai, Dec 11 : Actress Juhi Chawla is glad that the Maharashtra government is banning use of plastic bags from next year. The government plans to make Maharashtra plastic-free beginning May 2018. The government is planning a ban on plastic bottles from early 2018 in government offices, educational institutions, and functions organized by the state before the ban is extended to private offices. Juhi took part in the Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA) organised 'Plastic Free Cuffe Parade' walk on Sunady. "I am happy that it has started and it should grow." "When I heard that the Maharashtra government and the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), has taken the decision that by next Gudi Padwa, all plastic bags will be banned, it made me very happy," said the former Miss India. "I would never back a move without a good reasons. Most people will wonder, how it can be done, as this is so convenient. But this is important. "Thousands and millions of animals and birds die every day because of plastic, our water is getting polluted, so tomorrow, what will our children eat or drink?" added the Bollywood star. "So it's more harm than useful." "In 2014, Supreme Court observed that if plastic bags are not banned or manufacturers didn't take the plastic bag and did something with it, the harmful effects would be so severe, it will be worse than an atom bomb," she said. Juhi says that this is big issue. "Don't just think this is garbage as this is poisonous garbage, which has piled up so much in the environment that not just Maharashtra but the entire world is planning to do something about it. Recently Kenya banned the plastic bags throughout the country" added the actress. Juhi also spoke about "Citizens of Tomorrow" and "Swachh Bharata initiative. "Join Citizens for Tomorrow' and together we will tackle this issue and make our country clean. And if Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, Swachh Bharat, then we will do it," she told media. Juhi's next film is with Vidhu Vinod Chopra production. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged the European Union to follow U.S. President Donald Trump's lead and recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but EU ministers shook their heads at Trump's move. Netanyahu, arriving for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, said Trump's move made peace in the Middle East possible "because recognising reality is the substance of peace, the foundation of peace." But even Israel's closest European allies such as the Czech Republic warned Trump's decision was bad for peace efforts, while France insisted Jerusalem's status could only be agreed in a final deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Asked by reporters about Trump's decision to switch the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said: "I'm afraid it can't help us." Netanyahu, who has been angered by the EU's search for closer business ties with Iran, said Trump's move, condemned by the Palestinians and by Europe, should be emulated by them. "It's time that the Palestinians recognise the Jewish state and also recognise the fact that it has a capital. It's called Jerusalem," he said, after flying into Brussels from Paris after a meeting on Sunday with France's President Emmanuel Macron. "I believe that, even though we don't have an agreement yet, this is what will happen in the future. I believe that all, or most, of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and engage robustly with us for security, prosperity and peace." Last week, the Czech foreign ministry said it would begin considering moving the Czech Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which many in Israel saw as an endorsement of Trump's move. But Prague later said it accepted Israel's sovereignty only over West Jerusalem. EU foreign ministers reiterated the EU position that the lands Israel has occupied since a 1967 war - including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - are not part of the internationally recognised borders of Israel. "I'm convinced that it is impossible to ease tension with a unilateral solution," Zaoralek said as he and his counterparts arrived for a breakfast with Netanyahu. "We are talking about an Israeli state but at the same time we have to speak about a Palestinian state." STILL AWAITING U.S. PEACE PLAN France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged Washington to come forward with peace plans that are being drawn up by Jason Greenblatt, Trump's Middle East envoy, and Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner. "We've been waiting already for several months for the American initiative, and if one is not forthcoming that the European Union will have to take the initiative," Le Drian said. The EU believes it has a duty to make its voice heard as the Palestinians' biggest aid donor and Israel's biggest trade partner, even if EU governments have varying degrees of sympathy towards Israel and the Palestinians. Some in Israel see the European Union as being too pro-Palestinian because it insists products made in illegal Israeli settlements must be clearly labelled in Europe. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, welcoming Netanyahu on the first visit to the EU by an Israeli premier in 22 years, that the bloc would continue to recognise the "international consensus" on Jerusalem. She repeated the Union's commitment to a two-state solution and that it was in Israel's interest to find a sustainable solution to its conflict with the Palestinians. The EU, she said, would step up its peace efforts and would hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas next month. She also condemned attacks on Israel and on Jews elsewhere in the world, including in Europe. Trump's plan to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has prompted sometimes violent protests. A demonstration condemning Netanyahu's visit was planned for later in the morning in Brussels. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi, Dec 11 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj along with her Chinese and Russian counterparts Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov held the 15th Russia-India-China trilateral meeting here on Monday. "Towards global and regional peace, security and stability," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted of the meeting. Kumar had said last week that the three countries would discuss global and regional issues. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the talks were expected to focus on security and trade issues in the region and elsewhere. The discussions would also include the situation in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Korean peninsula, it said. Wang Yi's visit is the first high-level visit from China after Indian and Chinese troops were involved a tense face-off position in the Doklam region of the border earlier this year. Damascus, Dec 11 : Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria. The Russian leader made the announcement at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia, reports the Independent. Accompanied by Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu, Putin said Russian and Syrian Armies had destroyed "one of the most capable groups of international terrorists" in just over two years. The visit marks Putin's first trip to Syria and comes as President Bashar Assad's regime's forces have retaken control over most of Syria under Russian air cover. Chennai, Dec 11 : Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company Ltd plans to expand by opening around 40 branches a year over the next two-three years, a company official said on Monday. The stand-alone health insurance company is expected to close this fiscal with a total premium of around Rs 1,700 crore, Krishnan Ramachandran, the company's Deputy Chief Executive Officer, told the media here. He said the company closed last year with a total premium income of around Rs 1,300 crore. "By the end of this month our total premium income for the current year will be around Rs 1,000 crore." "We have 158 offices now. Our plan is to add 40 branches per year over the next two-three years. The opportunity is immense as health insurance has not penetrated in the country to a large extent," he added. He said as per the company's plans, each branch would turn profitable within three years. The process of linking policyholders' Aadhaar Card numbers with their policies is progressing smoothly, said Ramachandran who was here to launch the company's new health insurance product 'Health Wallet'. According to him, 55 per cent of the company's total business is from individual agents (average premium per policy is around Rs 15,000), 25 per cent from bancassurer (banks selling insurance policies as corporate agents), five per cent direct and the balance from brokers and other channels. He said the company is yet to post underwriting profit (premium minus claims paid) while it is profitable overall. According to Ramachandran, the company processed claims in-house for three years which led to significant cost reduction of around Rs 40 crore. Queried about the third-party claims administrators (TPA) -- agencies that process health insurance claims for non-life insurers -- Ramachandran said: "The TPAs need to evolve further by investing in technology." He said compared to other non-life insurance products, the claims frequency is relatively higher in the case of health insurance. Hence the policyholders have to be satisfied as settlement of claims is the core promise made by an insurer to the insured. On the launch of new products, the official said 3-4 products are at various stages of evolution and would be launched in the near future. Agreeing that the company is not focusing on the overseas travel insurance Ramachandran said the domestic health insurance segment is so huge to cater to and hence the company is not currently focused on that segment. Queried about raising further capital for business needs, Ramachandran said the company raised Rs 75 crore as Tier II capital which is enough for the business for the near term. New Delhi, Dec 11 : Rahul Gandhi, who is putting up a spirited campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat, was on Monday elected the President of the Congress, taking over from his mother who had helmed the countrys oldest party for 19 long years. The 47-year-old Rahul will formally take over the reins of the grand old party on December 16, two days before the counting of votes for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections, the outcome of which could be a trendsetter ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Congress leader Mullappally Ramachandran told the media that a total of 89 nomination papers proposing the name of Rahul Gandhi for Congress President were received. All the nomination papers were found valid. "Since the withdrawal date and time is over and as there is only one candidate, as per Article XVIII(d) of the Constitution of Indian National Congress, I hereby declare Rahul Gandhi elected as President of the Indian National Congress," he said. Marking a generational shift, Rahul Gandhi will be the sixth Nehru-Gandhi scion to helm the party, taking over from his mother Sonia Gandhi who steered it through an era during which it was in power from 2004 to 2014. "This is a historic occasion. The handing over of the certificate of election is scheduled to be held on December 16," Ramachandran said. He said Rahul Gandhi was a stickler for rules and was particular about ensuring that the elections were conducted in a transparent and meaningful manner. "Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi never interfered with the election authority. We were given complete freedom to execute the onerous responsibility," he said. Rahul Gandhi, who filed his nomination for the President's post on December 4, had been the party Vice President for over four years since 2013. Among the proposers of 89 nominations -- all in support of Gandhi -- was former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who called Rahul Gandhi the "darling" of the party. Manmohan Singh accompanied Gandhi when he filed the nomination papers. Originally 90 nomination forms were issued but one could not be filed as there were not enough number of proposers. Hundreds of Congress workers and leaders from across the country thronged the party office and celebrated the announcement of Rahul Gandhi's elevation by bursting crackers and dancing to the beat of drums. Kolkata, Dec 11 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Narendra Modi-led Central government of not aiding her state the way it aids the others as her government opposes its policies. "The Central government does not provide necessary monitory support to Bengal, rather they take the money away. We are still paying Rs 40,000 crore every year as part of the state's debt to the Centre acquired during the Left Front regime," she said in a public meeting in Bardhaman district's Kanksa. "The crops were wasted in parts of the country due to the untimely rain and flood. The Centre has aided Assam and Bihar but haven't sent any aid to Bengal. The Centre thinks they would hit us economically as our government oppose their policies," she alleged. The Trinamool Congress supremo also accused the Centre's ruling BJP of talking in the language of communalism in Bengal but asserted that her government would not be provoked to reply in the same language. "BJP is using the language of communalism. We would not reply to them in that language. We have many other languages to communicate. We prefer to talk in those languages. Our government is for mother, land and people. It is not for someone specific. It is everyone," she said. Referring to the the brutall killing of an Bengali labourer in Rajasthan, Banerjee said there are repeated incidents of violence and hate crimes against the minority and dalits in the BJP governed states. "What are they (BJP) up to? A Dalit family in Gujrat went to watch a cultural programme, they were lynched. A person in Rajasthan protested against the banning of the film 'Padmavati', he was hanged till death, another person came to work in Rajasthan was burnt alive. Why would these things happen?" she asked. Taking a swipe at the BJP leaders in Bengal, Banerjee said: "People of Bengal should politically drive them away so that they can never come back." New Delhi, Dec 11 : Ridley Scott's "All The Money In The World", in which Christopher Plummer replaced actor Kevin Spacey at the last minute following sexual harassment accusations, will release in India on January 5 next year. The film is being brought to India by PVR Pictures, read a statement. It was announced in November that 58-year-old Spacey would be cut out of Scott's biopic, which would have seen him take on the role of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. The decision was made after the actor faced a slew of sexual assault allegations. "All The Money In The World" follows Getty's grandson John Paul Getty III, who was kidnapped by an organised crime regime, and his mother Gail's (Michelle Williams) attempts to convince his wealthy grandfather to pay the ransom. Plummer re-shot all the scenes already filmed by Spacey. It also stars Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg, and will open in the US on December 25. New Delhi, Dec 11 : A "deeply pained and anguished" former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading "falsehood and canards" in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat election and asked him to "apologize to the nation". In an unusually hard-hitting statement, Manmohan Singh denied allegations by Modi that he and others, including former Vice President Hamid Ansari and former Army Chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor, invited to a dinner at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence with Pakistani diplomats discussed the Gujarat election. "I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than ... Modi," the senior Congress leader said. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of the Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. "Sadly and regrettably, Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every Constitutional office including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief," Manmohan Singh added. The statement follows Modi's allegations at an election rally in Gujarat that guests at Aiyar's house, including Manmohan Singh, Ansari and Gen. Kapoor, discussed the Gujarat polls with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India and a former Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khurshid Kasuri, among others, suggesting that the Congress was conspiring with Pakistani leaders to prevent the BJP from winning the election in the state. "(On one hand) Pakistan Army's former DG is interfering in Gujarat's election and on the other Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house," Modi said. Manmohan Singh made public the guest list at Aiyar's in Delhi. Those present included former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, former Foreign Secretary Salman Haider, former High Commissioners of India to Pakistan T.C.A. Raghavan, Satinder K. Lambah, Sharad Sabharwal and M.K. Bhadrakumar and India's former Permanent Representative to the UN, C.R. Gharekhan. Also present in the meeting were academician Kanti Bajpai and journalists Prem Shankar Jha, Ajai Shukla and Rahul Singh. "I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Aiyar as alleged by Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner," Manmohan Singh said. "The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations," he added. Manmohan Singh said the Congress needed "no sermons on 'nationalism' from a party and Prime Minister whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. "Let me remind Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic air base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan." Manmohan Singh went on: "I sincerely hope that the Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies." The Congress also demanded an apology from Modi for accusing it of "colluding and conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections". "We have full faith that the Gujarat electorate is intelligent and mature enough to understand the tactics behind yesterday's address (by Modi) and will answer them in the second phase," Congress leader Anand Sharma told the media here. "It was not a secret meeting.... The Prime Minister is giving it a sinister and sensational twist. The Prime Minister should restore the dignity of political discourse, and apologise to the former Vice President and the former Prime Minister. "It is clear that he has done so with the intent to confuse and mislead the people of Gujarat for the second phase of the elections, to whip emotions and to polarize. It is outrageous." But the BJP questioned why it took the Congress over 48 hours to accept that a "hush hush" meeting with the Pakistani envoy and a former Pakistani Minister took place. "Why was the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) India not in the loop? Why do Congress leaders meet China and Pakistan envoys secretly?" BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao asked. Pakistan also rebuffed the allegations of a secret meeting between Congress leaders and its High Commissioner, saying India should stop "dragging" Islamabad into its electoral debate and termed Modi's remark as "baseless and irresponsible". Istanbul, Dec 11 : Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national who shot dead 39 people at a nightclub here on the first day of this year, went on trial on Monday with 56 other suspects. Masharipov confessed to the mass shooting at Reina nightclub on New Year's Eve which left 69 others injured, Xinhua news agency reported. The gunman was charged mainly with "attempting to remove the constitutional order," "deliberately killing and deliberately attempting to kill" and "being a member of an armed terrorist organization," the NTV news channel said, as the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the shooting spree. NTV said the prosecutors are asking for 40 times aggravated life sentences plus 1,555 to 2,397 years in jail for Masharipov. They also want 40 times aggravated life sentences plus up to 2,385 years in jail for Zarina Nurullayeva, wife of the gunman, and two others accused of masterminding the attack. New Delhi, Dec 11 : After the Pakistan Foreign Office said India should stop "dragging" Islamabad into its electoral debate, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday retorted saying it should not give lessons to India on democracy as it is well known to the entire world how the neighbouring country acts against terrorism. "It is well known to the world how Pakistan acts towards terrorism and how few agencies there promote terrorism in India and in Jammu and Kashmir," Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here. The Law Minister said the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi win elections with the blessings of the people. "Pakistan should stop giving us lessons. We are proud of our democracy," he said. "Who will win the elections will be decided by the people," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader asserted. Hitting out at Congress leader Anand Sharma, the Union Minister said, "One thing is very strange that Anand Sharma has given a statement yesterday (Sunday) that no such meeting (between Congress leaders and the Pakistan envoy) has taken place. "But in today's newspaper there were entire details of who from the Pakistan side and from Congress side attended the meeting," he said. He also said that it was "very strange" that such a meeting is happening when the Gujarat Assembly elections are going on. Prasad's remark came hours after Pakistan Foreign Ministry said that India should stop dragging it into its electoral debate and win on their own strength. On Sunday, while addressing a rally in Sanand Prime Minister Modi had asked about the "secret meeting" of top Pakistani officials at the residence of now-suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar in New Delhi. New Delhi, Dec 11 : A kidnapped businessman was rescued on Monday and the abductors, including an ex-employee, arrested, police said. Manish Kumar, 23, and his accomplice, Satnam Singh, 44, kidnapped Saurabh Gupta, 28, while he was returning home from his showroom - of a chain store of electronics - in west Delhi's Paschim Vihar on Saturday, police said. On December 10, the victim's father realised his son did not return home last night. Soon, he got a ransom call of Rs 5 crore, after which he informed police. "Gupta, a resident of Karampura, went to his showroom in Paschim Vihar on Saturday. At night, when he left for home in his car, Kumar and Singh kidnapped him at gun point, and drugged him," said Deputy Commissioner of Police M.N. Tiwari. They then drove to Haryana's Bahadurgarh to make the ransom call so as to mislead police about their location, he said. "Gupta was rescued and the kidnappers arrested today (Monday) from a house in Nilothi Extension after a police team conducted a door-to-door survey of over 250 houses," he said, adding that police zeroed in on the area as they were still tracking the phone from which the ransom call had been made. "During interrogation, Kumar told police that they were in urgent need of money and hence planned the kidnapping. They also rented a room to keep their hostage," the officer said. The two accused are residents of Tilak Nagar area of west Delhi. Kumar had five years ago worked in the victim's Karol Bagh's shop. The secretary general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said on Monday that the Arab nations' rejection of the recent US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel serves as an affirmation of their recognition of the state of Palestine. Aboul Gheit made the comments during his speech to an emergency meeting of the Arab Parliament in Cairo to respond to US President Donald Trump's Wednesday's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Arab Parliament President Mishaal bin Fahd al-Salami had called on Thursday for the emergency meeting of the parliament following Trump's announcement. In 2013, in a move largely orchestrated to pressure the international community to step up efforts to implement UN decisions to end the decades-old Israeli occuption, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared an independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. Abbas announced the move before the United Nations General Assemby. By late 2015, the UNGA announced that 136 out of 193 member states had decared their recogntion of the Palestinian state. However, Israel and the United States rejected the declaration, and then US President Barack Obama said his country would veto any United Nations Security Council move to recognize Palestinian statehood. On Saturday, the foreign ministers of Arab countries called during an emergency meeting on the US to revoke Trump's Jerusalem decision and demanded the creation of a Palestinian state on 4 June, 1967 lines. More to follow. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi, December 11 : A division bench of the supreme court headed by chief justice Dipak Misra on Monday slapped a contempt of court notice on the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala for dragging its feet on implementing a January 2017 order of the court directing it to pay compensation to victims of Endosulfan poisoning. The apex court was hearing a batch of petitions by Endosulfan victims seeking to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the Kerala government over its failure to comply with the courts direction to compensate victims of the spraying of the hazardous pesticide. In January 2017, the supreme court had directed the Kerala government to implement within three months a national human rights commission recommendation to provide solatium of Rs. 5 lakh each to the victims of Endosulfan poisoning. Ticking off the state government over the inordinate delay in implementing the January verdict, the apex court on Monday asked the Kerala chief secretary to file an affidavit setting out details regarding compensation dispensed so far to the Endosulfan victims. Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Kaleeswaram Raj submitted before the court that the Kerala government had thus far paid compensation to only 1,350 out of the 5,209 persons eligible to receive compensation. The counsel for the state government told the court that the process of dispensing compensation to the eligible persons was afoot and that the state government was confident of completing the process soon. Meanwhile, victims of Endosulfan poisoning under the banner of an action council resumed their agitation demanding compensation from the state government. The action council had staged an agitation in front of the state secretariat more than a year ago during the tenure of the previous UDF government against the governments failure to pay compensation. Incidentally, the leaders of the LDF, then in opposition, had expressed solidarity with the victims by calling on them at the venue of the agitation and had castigated the then congress-led UDF government for ignoring their plight. Bhubaneswar, Dec 11 : An attempt to click a selfie with a wild elephant cost a youth his life, as the tusker trampled him to death near a temple in Khamar forest range of Odisha's Angul district on Monday. The incident took place when the villagers were trying to chase the elephant back to the herd and the youth came closer to the tusker to click a selfie near the temple. The youth has been identified as Jayakrushna Nayak of Nimidibeda village under Pallahara area. "Forest officials including villagers were trying to send the jumbo back to the herd," said Dibya Lochan Patra, Khamar forester. Nayak sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the Khamar community hospital where he died under treatment. New York, Dec 11 : At least one person was injured in an explosion, said to be a suicide bombing, early on Monday at a bus terminal near the iconic Times Square in Manhattan, police said. One suspect has been taken into custody. The explosion took place at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and police sources said it was possibly caused by a pipe bomb, ABC News reported. The would-be suicide bomber set off the device at the bus terminal subway station, injuring himself, reported the New York Post, citing law enforcement sources. The suspected bomber - who had wires attached to him - was armed with a pipe bomb and a battery pack, and was taken into custody after the device partially detonated inside the passageway, said sources. He has been admitted to hospital. Earlier the New York Police Department, in a tweet, said it was responding to "reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, #Manhattan" and the "A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time". The Port Authority is a transportation hub where buses and trains operate from the west side of midtown Manhattan. Imphal/New Delhi, Dec 11 : Three passengers were arrested on Monday at the airport in Manipur capital Imphal on the charge of smuggling after they were found to have concealed gold bars worth Rs 51 lakh in their rectums, a CISF official said. Noor Mohammed, Azmal Hussain and Sahid Ahamed were held around 2.30 p.m. after frisking in the security hold area of the airport. They were to take an IndiGo flight to Kolkata. "During frisking, we found the presence of some metal in the body of the three passengers, following which they revealed they had concealed two gold bars each in their rectums," Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Assistant Inspector General Hemendra Singh told IANS. The passengers were handed over to Customs officials, who seized six gold bars weighing approximately 1,730 gm from them, he added. New Delhi, Dec 11 : A "deeply pained and anguished" former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of spreading "falsehood and canards" in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat election and asked him to "apologize to the nation". In an unusually hard-hitting statement, Manmohan Singh denied allegations by Modi that he and others, including former Vice President Hamid Ansari and former Army Chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor, invited to a dinner at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence with Pakistani diplomats, discussed the Gujarat election. The BJP fielded Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to rebut Manmohan Singh's charge, saying that the former Prime Minister should admit that engaging with Pakistan at this moment was a "misadventure" for which he should apologize instead of demanding one from Modi. "I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than ... Modi," Manmohan Singh said. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of the Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. "Sadly and regrettably, Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every Constitutional office including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief," Manmohan Singh added. The statement follows Modi's allegations at an election rally in Gujarat that guests at Aiyar's house, including Manmohan Singh, Ansari and Gen. Kapoor, discussed the Gujarat polls with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India and a former Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khurshid Kasuri, among others, suggesting that the Congress was conspiring with Pakistani leaders to prevent the BJP from winning the election in the state. "(On one hand) Pakistan Army's former DG is interfering in Gujarat's election and on the other Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house," Modi said. Manmohan Singh made public the guest list at Aiyar's in Delhi. Those present included former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, former Foreign Secretary Salman Haider, former High Commissioners of India to Pakistan T.C.A. Raghavan, Satinder K. Lambah, Sharad Sabharwal and M.K. Bhadrakumar and India's former Permanent Representative to the UN, C.R. Gharekhan. Also present in the meeting were academician Kanti Bajpai and journalists Prem Shankar Jha, Ajai Shukla and Rahul Singh. "I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Aiyar as alleged by Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner," Manmohan Singh said. "The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations," he added. Manmohan Singh said the Congress needed "no sermons on 'nationalism' from a party and Prime Minister whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. "Let me remind Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic air base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan." Manmohan Singh went on: "I sincerely hope that the Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies." Talking to the media, Jaitley said the former Prime Minister and the Congress should come out with facts as to what happened in the meeting and what was the need to have it. Referring to Manmohan Singh's attack on the government's policy towards tackling terrorism, the Finance Minister said the government has a track record which no other government in the past can boast of. "On Sunday, the Congress was in a denial mode (about the dinner). Instead of accepting it as a misadventure, they are trying to blame us. They should apologise to the people instead of seeking apologies from us." The Congress also demanded an apology from Modi for accusing it of "colluding and conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections". "We have full faith that the Gujarat electorate is intelligent and mature enough to understand the tactics behind yesterday's address (by Modi) and will answer them in the second phase," Congress leader Anand Sharma told the media here. "It was not a secret meeting.... The Prime Minister is giving it a sinister and sensational twist. The Prime Minister should restore the dignity of political discourse, and apologise to the former Vice President and the former Prime Minister. "It is clear that he has done so with the intent to confuse and mislead the people of Gujarat for the second phase of the elections, to whip emotions and to polarize. It is outrageous." Sharma said India is not a police state where "we should seek Prime Minister's permission" for hosting dinners. On its part, Pakistan also rebuffed the allegations of a secret meeting between Congress leaders and its High Commissioner, saying India should stop "dragging" Islamabad into its electoral debate and termed Modi's remarks as "baseless and irresponsible". Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram in a tweet said: "Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh is absolutely right in demanding an apology for the outrageous allegation made yesterday against the former Vice President (Hamid Ansari) and former Prime Minister and other distinguished former civil servants." Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu addresses during a programme organised by National Human Rights Commission on Human Rights Day in New Delhi on Dec 10, 2017. Image Source: IANS/PIB New Delhi, Dec 11 : Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said political parties should sit together and discuss if the minimum number of sittings of Parliament needed to be fixed, and also recommended automatic suspension of members who rush near the presiding officer 's podium in the house. The Vice President, who will preside over the Rajya Sabha as Chairman for the first time this winter session, suggested that legislatures may put out in public domain the names of members who disrupt house proceedings with an observation that they have violated rules in disregard of the Chair's directions and thereby adversely impacted house functioning. Naidu also suggested a 10 point charter to ensure effective functioning of legislatures in the country, so that people's respect for the democratic institution can be sustained. These includes devising methods to calculate productivity of the legislature, ranking legislative bodies in the country, and having a quorum for opposition parties as well. "There is a serious need to consider a proposal that Parliament should meet for at least 100 days a year. Political parties need to seriously consider the minimum number of days for which Parliament should meet," he said, while delivering a lecture on "Importance of Legislatures" organised by thinktank PRS Legislative Research. His comments come at a time when opposition parties have accused the government of undermining the importance of Parliament by delaying the winter session. The session was delayed due to the Gujarat assembly elections and will now be conducted from December 15 to January 1. The Vice President also said that to address the "menace" of members rushing towards the presiding officer's podium, there was a need for specific provisions in the rules of business for "automatic suspension" of those who do so, adding that a consensus in this regard needs to be evolved. Naidu also voiced concern over the low number of sittings of assemblies in the states. "State assemblies met for 29 days, on an average. In general, the duration of meetings has been constantly decreasing. Of these, sometimes the opposition boycotts the assembly session. Some states like Kerala met for a longer period," he said. Naidu also called for passing the bill on reservation to women in Parliament and assemblies, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010. The Vice President said contrary to perception, Parliament works round the year with its Ministry-related Standing Committees and other panels enhancing its efficacy in legislative, deliberative and overseeing functions. Giving out figures, Naidu said the First Lok Sabha had 677 sittings and passed 319 bills during 1952-57, as compared with 332 sittings and passage of 247 bills of the 14th Lok Sabha during 2004-09. The 15th Lok Sabha had 357 sittings and approved 181 bills. He said that from these statistics, it would not be correct to conclude that Parliament is shirking its responsibilities, adding that there was need to pass more legislation after Independence. New Delhi, Dec 11 : Wading into the controversy, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said instead of seeking an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should apologise for "violating" the national policy on terrorism and make public the details of what transpired at the dinner meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. Responding to a sharp attack by Singh on Modi, Jaitley said when there is a national position that there can be no dialogue with Pakistan till it keeps sponsoring terrorism in India, being the principal opposition party, the Congress should have abided by it. "But people in Congress like Mani Shankar Aiyar never abide by this national position. Their position is that let Pakistan sponsor terrorism in our country but we will maintain our friendship with it," he told the media here calling the dinner diplomacy a "misadventure" like the one that took place in Sharm-al-Sheikh, Egypt. The Finance Minister said the nation had never accepted the policy being advocated by people like Aiyar. "Instead of admitting that their misadventure was a mistake, the Congress is instead asking for an apology from the Prime Minister for flagging the issue. This is beyond comprehension. "It is them (Congress leaders) who should apologise for violating the national policy on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and explain what was the need for the meeting, why it happened and what transpired during the meeting," he said. Jaitley's remarks came after Manmohan Singh issued a statement accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading "falsehood and canards" in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat elections and asked him to "apologize to the nation". At an election rally in Gujarat, Modi had alleged that guests at Aiyar's house, including Manmohan Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari, discussed the Gujarat election with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India and a former Pakistani Foreign Minister among others. On former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's questioning the "compromised track record" of the Modi-led government on fighting terrorism, Jaitley said no government in the past had the track record of countering terrorism like the current BJP government. Nagpur, Dec 11 : On his 77th birthday on Tuesday, veteran politician and NCP President Sharad Pawar will hit the streets, leading a 'Halla Bol' procession against Maharashtra's BJP-Shiv Sena government and address a rally jointly with Congress, a party official said. The rally will be taken out in from Dhanwate National College grounds in Nagpur at noon in which the state Congress President Ashok Chavan, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and other top leaders from both the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party will take part, said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik. Pawar will address a rally with at least a dozen top leaders from both parties, besides leaders of other smaller and regional parties like the Samajwadi Party, the Peasants & Workers Party, the Republican Party of India, et al, before hitting the road in a procession, coinciding with the winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature which began here on Monday. The rally is part of the ongoing agiation launched by the NCP on December 1, in different parts of the state intended to "condemn and awaken the sleeping state government on its various unfulfilled promisesa for the people of Maharashtra". These include the Minimum Support Price for farmers for agriculture produce, the disbursement of the farm loans waiver package announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in June, and other issues, said Malik. Chavan said that it has become a habit for the state government to announce grandiose schemes and then fail to implement them, and it has failed miserably on all fronts and its popularity has plummeted. "However, now the entire opposition is united in exposing the weak government and our combined rally-cum-march tomorrow will be a success," he said. The organisers expect over 200,000 people to turn up for the 'Halla Bol' rally, which the state government has dismissed as "a publicity stunt." New Delhi, Dec 11 : India's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has not only "significantly increased the political profile and potential" of the grouping, but also the groups capacity to help stabilise the situation in Central and South Asia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov said here on Monday. Speaking at an event organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation on new vistas of India-Russia relations, the Russian Minister said that India's joining the SCO will also help "resolve the crisis in and around Afghanistan". Earlier, Lavrov said India's "independent and responsible" foreign policy has been "an important factor contributing to global and regional security and stability" and hoped that this "legacy would be maintained and strengthened". He said that the current volume of trade between the two countries was not "satisfactory", and said that the aim is to increase this volume to $30 billion by 2025. He said that as the defence cooperation between the two countries deepens, it will lead to greater transfer of technology and technical know-how from Russia to India. Lavrov also said the new US strategy of using force in Afghanistan against groups that refuse to cooperate is not likely to work. "I don't think the recent US strategy on Afghanistan which puts emphasis on use of force to defeat those who refuse to cooperate and engage in violence, frankly, I don't think it would work," Lavrov said in response to a media query. "Like in the last 16 years, the presence of huge army of NATO did not manage either to curb extremism and terrorism or to stop drug trade which has peaked this year. The production of heroin in Afghanistan may have been quadrupled since 9/11," he said. "It is to be understood and accepted that that this is something which feeds terrorist activities directly. And without precursors this drug production would not be possible. Most precursors come from Europe...We should not have double standards towards terrorism," the Minister added. Lavrov also denied any support given by Russia to the Taliban as was being alleged by the US, and added that Russia's contact with Taliban was only to "pressurise them to sit down and talk". "Never ever has there been any proof, any fact that Russia supported the Taliban as suggested by the US. We contacted Taliban only for two reasons. One, when our or our allies' citizens came harm's way and we needed to extract them. "And secondly, to pressurise the Taliban to sit down and negotiate. But we always say that they must join negotiations provided they respect the criteria established by the UN Security Council," Lavrov said. Adding that he lately heard US officials calling upon Taliban to join negotiations without any criteria being respected, Lavrov told the audience that they could "draw your own conclusions". Lavrov regretted that the US declined the "Moscow Process" and instead decided to go ahead with the "Six PlusOne" group. The Six Plus One group formed early last year includes India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, the US and China in addition to Afghanistan. He said the situation in Afghanistan could not be resolved without having "everybody" on board, including "the government, the Taliban and those who can really influence the situation, including the neighbours". He said the Kabul Process initiated by the government of Afghanistan in June this year was "too large" and that a smaller group of countries would be needed to resolve the political situation including all Central Asian countries. London, Dec 11 : British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday assured European Union citizens living in her country that their rights would be protected in British courts after Brexit. May's comments came in an open letter in the context of Britain's upcoming withdrawal from the bloc, Efe news agency reported. "As we take back control of our laws, you can be confident not only that your rights will be protected in our courts, but that there will be a consistent interpretation of these rights in the UK and in the European Union," said May. The PM acknowledged that more than three million EU citizens had chosen to live and work in the country "without any expectation that the UK would leave the EU". She added that her "first priority" had been safeguarding the rights of EU citizens in the UK and British nationals living in EU member states. The PM said that healthcare rights, pensions and other benefit provisions would not change after Brexit, and that if somebody had paid into the system -- either in Britain or in another EU country -- they would be able to benefit from this. "If you already have five years of continuous residence in the UK at the point we leave the EU, on March 29, 2019, you will be eligible for settled status," she said. "And if you have been here for less than five years you will be able to stay until you have reached the five-year threshold." On Friday, Britain and EU reached an agreement in principle on protecting rights of EU and British citizens, the financial settlement and the border with the Republic of Ireland. The agreement means that both parties are able to move onto the second stage of Brexit negotiations, in which talks trade deals are expected to start. Thousands of supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah demonstrated in Beirut on Monday, chanting "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" in protest over the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Protesters marched through the Iran-backed Shiite movement's south Beirut bastion, carrying banners reading "Jerusalem, Eternal Capital of Palestine" and "Jerusalem is Ours". Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah had called for the demonstration last week after US President Donald Trump decided to upend decades of diplomatic protocol by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The move has been widely condemned and sparked days of protest across the Middle East. "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and will be until Judgement Day," said Iman Ghadbun, 28, attending the protest with her seven-year-old daughter. Israel fought a devastating war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 that killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 120 Israelis, most of them soldiers. Israel withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending a 22-year occupation, but the two countries remain technically at war and there have been occasional skirmishes on the border. Search Keywords: Short link: New York, Dec 11 : A Bangladeshi-origin man was arrested on Monday after a "low-tech" suicide bomb he was was allegedly wearing went off injuring him and three others at the city's transportation hub at the start of the rush hour. Police Commissioner James O'Neil told reporters that 27-year-old Akayed Ullah had on an "improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body," which he "intentionally detonated". Officials said that Ullah was from Bangladesh and had lived in the city for seven years. Ullah was taken to a hospital and has made statements to police, O'Neil said, but refused to disclose what he had said. Asked if the suspect had connections to the Islamic State, the Commissioner refused comment saying the investigations were at a preliminary stage. O'Neil said that that the joint task force of city and federal officials was carrying out a "thorough background investigation" of Ullah who lived in Brooklyn. He said three other people sustained minor injuries. John Miller, the head of police counter-terrorism, said that the device was a pipe bomb attached to Ullah's body with velcro. The bomb went off in a passageway connecting trains in the Times Square underground metro station adjoining the interstate bus terminal in Manhattan, disrupting the morning commute for thousands of people working in the city. The Port Authority Bus Terminal was evacuated and shut down as scores buses headed to the city from suburbs and other states, but opened after police scoured it for suspicious objects. The Times Square subway station, the city's busiest, was closed for a while. This is the second terrorist attack on New York in less than two months. A terrorist drove a truck into pedestrians near the World Trade Center on October 31, killing eight people. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo described Monday's attack as "one of our worst nightmares". "We are a target," he said, "of those who are against democracy". New York Mayor Bill De Blasio called it an attempted terrorist attack and added, "Thank God, the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals." He said that the city was on high alert with stepped up police patrols. A picture taken moments after the blast showed Ullah on the ground with his clothing ripped showing injuries to his abdomen and arms. Former New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC cable station that man was inspired by the Islamic State and set off the bomb in its name. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) Chandigarh, Dec 11 : Rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has deposited the fine of Rs 30 lakh imposed on him by a CBI special court following his conviction on two counts of rape. The fine was deposited by the convicted sect chief's counsel in the CBI court in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, court sources said on Monday. The fine was imposed by the CBI court in August this year when Ram Rahim was convicted for rape of two female disciples. Ram Rahim had challenged the imposition of the fine in the Punjab and Haryana High Court but the court had told him to deposit the fine first. The CBI court had, on August 25, sentenced Ram Rahim to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape of the sadhvis in 1999. Ram Rahim is presently lodged in the District Jail in Sunaria near Rohtak in Haryana, 70 km from New Delhi. Jaipur, Dec 11 : Representatives of the Akhil Rajasthan Rajya Karamchari Sankyukt Sangarsh Samiti started a 48-hour hunger strike from Monday at district headquarters across Rajasthan to press the demands of state employees, which include implementing recommendation of the Seventh Pay Commission from January 1, 2016. Initially the employees staged dharna. Later, under the leadership of committee coordinator, Aayu Daan Singh Kaviya, 11 representatives from the committee started a hunger strike amid rains and chilly breeze. On the occasion, Gajendra Singh Rathore, convener of Akhil Rajasthan Rajya Karamchari Sankyukt Sangarsh Samiti, accused the government of ignoring the core issues of employees. The state government employees are aggrieved owing to the "indifferent attitude" of the government, he added. He warned the government of serious consequences if the demands of employees remain unmet. On December 12, the entire state government machinery will stage a protest in the name of pen down and tool down where no employee will contribute to any kind of work. The state secretariat will also extend its cooperation in this protest and boycott work. On December 13, massive protests will be staged across the state in respective headquarters and then a memorandum in the name of the Chief Minister will be submitted to respective district collectors. New Delhi, Dec 11 : A month after India joined the US, Japan and Australia for the first Quadrilateral dialogue on the Asia-Pacific, Russia on Monday said that a "sustainable security architecture" in the region cannot be achieved through "closed bloc" arrangements. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at an event organised by the Vivekananda Foundation, also stressed that India-Russia cooperation can help find "durable solutions" to regional challenges. "We believe sustainable security architecture in Asia-Pacific region cannot be achieved through closed bloc arrangement, and it is only possible on an open-ended collective basis, building upon the principles of indivisible security, role of international law, peaceful settlement of disputes, non-use of force or threat of force," Lavrov said at the talk on 'New vistas in India-Russia relations'. "Indian and Russian cooperation can help find durable solutions to the numerous challenges in the Asia-Pacific region," he added. Lavrov's observation came in the background of India, Japan, US and Australia holding talks on cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, in the wake of China's increasing presence and influence in the region. Relations between India and Russia are perceived to be not as warm as they used to be with India leaning closer to the US. To a question on China's ambitious connectivity corridor OBOR, he said: "We believe China has a concept which is interesting and needs to be explored in the context of building some harmonious relationship in the Eurasian continent. I know India has problems with concept of One-Belt-one Road, but the specific problem in this regard should not make everything else conditional." He said Russia too has signed documents with China on OBOR. He also said India has enough smart diplomats and politicians to find a way to benefit from the OBOR process and not having at the same time to sacrifice principles. India has refused to be part of OBOR citing sovereignty issues as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Cairo, Dec 11 : Egypt and Russia signed on Monday an agreement to build Egypt's first nuclear power plant. The agreement was inked by Egyptian Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker and Russian Nuclear Corporation Rosatom's chief Alexei Likhachev, in the presence of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his visiting Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Xinhua reported. In February 2015, Putin and Sisi signed an initial agreement here to build a four-reactor nuclear power station in Egypt by 2022. In May 2016, Egypt approved the use of a loan of $25 billion from Russia for the nuclear power plant construction. Under the deal, Moscow will provide 80 per cent of the foreign components of the plant, while Egypt provides 20 per cent. The plant will be erected in Dabaa city in Egypt's coastal Matrouh province. The Russian President arrived here on Monday from Damacus, where he ordered the withdrawal of most Russian troops from Syria. Madrid, Dec 11 : Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday that whatever the results in the Catalan regional elections on December 21, he had no intention of calling a general election. Polls predict that the December 21 vote will be very close between parties in favor and against Catalan independence, although Rajoy's Peoples' Party is expected to lose votes and seats and take less than six percent of the total vote, Xinhua reported. However, speaking at a meeting organised by Europa Press, Rajoy insisted people should not pay too much attention to opinion polls, and said that even if a bad result did happen, it would not force him to the national polls before the scheduled date of June 2020. "There doesn't have to be any early general elections as a result of the elections in Catalonia. "Mandates usually last for four years, unless there are exceptional circumstances," said Rajoy, who refused to say whether he would be a candidate for a third mandate, explaining it was a decision he would take "in the future". New Delhi, Dec 11 : Rahul Gandhi's long-delayed elevation as party chief is almost over as he was on Monday elected Congress President at a time when the party is facing an "existential crisis". His main challenge remains the revamping of party organisation, apart from electoral battles in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Gandhi will formally take over the reins of the grand old party on December 16, two days before the counting of votes for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the outcome of which could be a trendsetter ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Gandhi, 47, who would take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi who had helmed the country's oldest party for 19 long years, will be the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to take the top position of the 132-year-old party. The outcome of the Gujarat polls would be interpreted in terms of Rahul Gandhi's ability as a "campaigner and vote-getter". The next round of assembly polls in 2018 -- first in Karnataka and later in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh -- will be very crucial for Gandhi in order to build the momentum to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha polls. The state elections, with Bharatiya Janata Party as the key rival, will also be the first major polls directly under Rahul Gandhi's charge as party chief. Assembly polls will also be held early next year in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. The challenges for Rahul Gandhi include infusing fresh energy and life in Congress workers and evolving a proper strategy to galvanise the party, following a string of electoral losses since the 2014 Lok Sabha debacle. Gandhi has to be decisive on forging a larger opposition alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls under a "collective leadership" or even projecting himself as the alternative to Modi with the support of different parties. Gandhi has always been perceived as a reluctant politician due to some of his longish trips abroad, which delayed his stepping into the role of party chief. His action not to take up ministerial responsibility in two UPA governments and not properly following through some of the issues he raised drew strong criticism. He has been able to counter those perceptions to some extent with his sharp and aggressive attacks on Modi and the BJP. His recent trip to the United States, where he held interactions with think tanks, has brought about a sea change to his overall image. In Gujarat, where success will be a big morale-booster for the Congress, Gandhi has sought to create a broad social coalition and has forced Modi to react. Reviving the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is going to be another major challenge for Rahul Gandhi -- the state that sends the largest contingent of 80 members to the Lok Sabha. The results of the local body polls in Amethi and Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituencies of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi respectively, have not given a fillip to Rahul Gandhi's image. Rahul Gandhi had been projected as a young leader who understands the language and pulse of the youth but Modi has been more successful in weaning away the section that has large electoral presence. The Congress also has to devise ways to woo the large middle class. He needs to act smartly in his dealings with allies and other opposition parties, including the Communist Party of India-Marxist. Within the party, Gandhi has to take several decisions, including whether to project chief ministerial candidates in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and who they are going to be. To bring about unity in faction-ridden state units and striking the right the balance between the "old guard" and the younger aspirants will be his other challenges. The Congress is ruling now in five states and a union territory only and a loss in Gujarat as well as in Karnataka next year will further put a squeeze on its chances of staging a comeback at the Centre in 2019. Gandhi, who is into his third term as Lok Sabha MP, was made Congress Vice President in 2013 as a stepping stone to his eventual elevation to the top party post. Since 2004, Rahul Gandhi has been the Lok Sabha member from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. In 2007, he was named Congress General Secretary in charge of youth and student wings of the party. He has attended St Stephen's College, Delhi, Harvard College and Rollins College, Florida, from where he graduated with a Bachelor's in Arts. He received an M. Phil in Development Studies from Trinity College, Cambridge University. Thereafter, he joined the Monitor Group, a strategy consulting group, in London, where he worked for three years. Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019 New Delhi, Dec 11 : An online examination system for the Indian Air Force was launched on Monday. The IAF is switching over to online testing from January 2018, for which online registration will start from December 15. The web portal for online examination was launched by Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre. The IAF is the first of the three services to take up IT-enabled online testing for induction in the Officers and Airmen cadres. The online exam system has been developed in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The proposal was approved in principle in October. "The selection system for officers and airmen cadres in the IAF has been continuously evolving and sustained efforts are in place to strengthen the testing system. Though the existing system is time-tested and well proven, constraints of testing capacity and geographical reach were major limitations in according opportunity to all deserving and eligible candidates from across the country, especially the rural youth," an official statement said. To improve upon the system and to make it more candidate-friendly while enhancing organisational efficiency, a MoU was signed on October 31 with C-DAC, a Government of India agency. "The project will be implemented with effect from January 2018 for Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) for Officer's cadre and Scheduled Test for Airmen Recruitment (STAR) for Airmen cadre," the statement said. Earlier, the IAF had over 100 centres across India for Officer cadre exam and 14 for Airmen selection exams. Certain states and Union Territories did not have any testing centre. Consequently, candidates had to spend considerable time and resources on travelling to the allotted centres. In the new system, there would be about 760 examination centres all over the country. "It will enable approximately four lakh candidates for Airmen's selection and two lakh for Officer's selection, to appear in the exam every six months." IAF Vice Chief, Air Marshal S.B. Deo, along with other senior Air Force officers were present during the inauguration. New Delhi, Dec 11 : The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre, Aam Aadmi Party government in the national capital, Delhi Police, and civic bodies to work together in the fight to curb crime against women. A division bench of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked authorities to coordinate on lighting up dark areas and installing CCTVs in vulnerable locations in Delhi. The bench directed that lights at dark spots in the city -- once identified by police, other civic agencies, or the public -- must be repaired or replaced within 72 hours and directed for the setting up of nodal agency, which will also map the areas which had dark spots. The court also questioned the government for not acting on its 2015 direction to install closed-circuit television at 44 spots identified as vulnerable for crime against women during a crime-mapping exercise. It gave the Delhi government eight weeks to procure and install CCTVs and said this task should be one of its top priorities. The government informed the court that it was in the process of procuring 1.4 lakh CCTVs for installation across the city. The court also asked the police to give a time frame for setting up CCTVs in 192 police stations and 42 chowkis, along with the locations where the CCTVs would be installed inside the police station. It made it clear that all the CCTVs, including those being installed by the Delhi government, should have recording facility with a storage capacity of minimum 30 days. During the hearing, the bench expressed anguish over recent spate of child rapes in Delhi. "How do we prevent this?" the bench asked four senior Delhi Police officers of the ranks of Special Commissioner and Joint Commissioners present in the courtroom. The Delhi Police said it was making concerted efforts to curb such crime against women and children, adding: "We are also visiting schools and sensitising students." Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, however, said that police stations in Delhi were running with half the sanctioned strength of staff. The Centre said that a high-level committee was examining the issue of augmenting Delhi Police strength. The police said all vacancies up to December 2017 have been taken care of in the recruitment process initiated for 7,300 posts. The court was hearing a petition initiated by it to improve women safety in the capital after the December 16, 2012, gang rape of a young woman in a moving bus. Lucknow, Dec 12 : A day after a group of French tourists were assaulted in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur, five more accused were arrested on Monday and sent to prison, taking to eight the total number of people arrested for the crime. A local court sent the accused to 14 days judicial custody. A senior Mirzapur police official that Varanasi resident Riya Dutta had come to visit Lakhania Dari along with her family members and some foreigner friends on Sunday when a group of youngsters from Varanasi misbehaved with them. When the family resisted, they were assaulted and beaten up. The police official further said that when the foreign tourists, still seated in the car, came out and tried to restore calm, they were also assaulted but sustained no injuries. Officials also said that the statement of the French nationals that they were not beaten up has been video recorded and preserved for future probe. A probe has also been ordered by the district police as to where were the PAC troopers and local policemen at the time of the incident as they should have been there at the tourist spot. Additional SP, A.K. Singh will conduct the enquiry. Joe Raedle/Getty Images(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) -- Two days before Alabama's special election, Republican Senate candidate Judge Roy Moore kept a low profile, not holding campaign events or making any public appearances, other than an interview with "The Voice of Alabama Politics." In the interview, Moore again denied the allegations of sexual misconduct against him, and said that he did not know the women who have accused him of sexual assault or molestation. "I did not know them. I had no encounter with them. I never molested anyone," Moore said about two of the women who have leveled the most serious accusations against him. Moore, 70, has been accused by eight women of actions ranging from inappropriate behavior to sexual assault when he was in his 30s and, in most of the cases, the women were in their teens. He has denied the allegations. "These allegations are completely false," he said. "I did not date underaged women, I did not molest anyone. So these allegations are false. He blamed the allegations on the "scheme of political parties today." "They know I've stood for moral values and so they're attacking me in that area," he said. "It's done for political purposes." The Republican candidate has not made many public appearances this weekend leading into election day, despite facing a tight race against Democrat Doug Jones. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The European Union warned Monday that the war in Syria was "still ongoing" and civilians were being attacked, after President Vladimir Putin announced the partial withdrawal of Russian troops, saying their work was largely done. Putin made the announcement on a surprise visit to Syria, where Russian forces first intervened in the conflict in 2015 to support its ally President Bashar al-Assad, targeting the Islamic State group and other jihadists as well as rebels fighting government troops. EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc was ready to do whatever was needed to support UN-brokered peace efforts, but warned the idea that "things can go back to normal unfortunately has no real ground". "Conflict is still ongoing, even if some wish to pretend it is over," she told reporters in Brussels. "We know very well that on the ground fighting is still going on, civilians are still attacked and we see that with our humanitarian support every single day inside Syria." She said the EU was ready to offer economic support to Syria, but this could only come after a political agreement was reached at UN talks in Geneva. A fresh round of Syrian peace talks is scheduled for next week in Astana, Kazakhstan, as part of a Moscow-led push to end the six-year conflict, focusing on freeing prisoners, delivering humanitarian aid, de-escalation zones and other issues. More than 340,000 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in March 2011 when protests against Assad's rule sparked a brutal crackdown. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi, Dec 12 : As many as 253 (14 per cent) candidates in the fray in Gujarat assembly polls have declared criminal cases against them, with three candidates facing charges related to murder, 17 related to attempt to murder, and four related to rape, an ADR-Gujarat Election Watch report said on Monday. Non-profit Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) along with Gujarat Election Watch has prepared a report by analysing information furnished by 1,815 of the 1,828 candidates. In 2012 Gujarat elections, out of 1,283 candidates analysed, 222 (17 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves, the report said. "As many as 154 (8 per cent) candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including ones related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and crimes against women. In 2012 Gujarat assembly elections, 92 (7 per cent) candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves," it said. It said seven candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping. Among major parties, 46 (25 per cent) out of 181 candidates are from Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), 56 (32 per cent) out of 176 candidates from Congress, 17 (12 per cent) out of 138 candidates from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 9 (16 per cent) out of 57 candidates from Nationalist Congress Party, 4 (14 per cent) out of 28 candidates from Aam Aadmi Party, and 65 (8 per cent) out of 791 independent candidates analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits. Out of the 1,815 candidates, 418 (23 per cent) are multi-millionaires and among the major parties 147 (81 per cent) out of 181 candidates are from BJP, 129(73 per cent) out of 176 candidates from Congress, 5 (4 per cent) out of 138 candidates from BSP, and 11(39 per cent) out of 28 candidates from AAP, the report said. Washington, Dec 12 : A US federal judge on Monday ruled that the White House must accept transgender military recruits by January 1, 2018. US President Donald Trump announced the ban on transgender military enlistment on Twitter in July. In response, two US civil rights groups, on behalf of six unnamed service members and two recruits, filed a lawsuit against the ban in the federal court. "The court will not stay its preliminary injunction pending defendants' appeal," Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the US District Court for the District of Columbia announced on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. "In sum, having carefully considered all of the evidence before it, the court is not persuaded that defendants will be irreparably injured by allowing the accession of transgender individuals into the military beginning on January 1, 2018." the judge wrote. In October, Kollar-Kotelly issued an injunction blocking the ban from taking effect. Since then, the Trump administration has sought to implement a ban on enlisting new transgender troops. On October 30, Kollar-Kotelly found the administration's justification for the ban, which was set to take effect in March 2018, to be suspect and likely unconstitutional. She had ruled that the military's current policy should remain in place. "There is absolutely no support for the claim that the ongoing service of transgender people would have any negative effective on the military at all," the judge wrote in a strongly worded, 76-page ruling. "In fact, there is considerable evidence that it is the discharge and banning of such individuals that would have such effects." Ms. Ingall describes the Chateau de Malmaison in such a way that the reader is actually walking through the rooms where Empress Josephines guests danced and celebrated centuries ago. - Amazon Review Author Gillian Ingalls historical novel "Napoleons Glass" is based on the real-life adventures of a Frenchwoman named Adele Valentin, a brave young woman who survived the guillotine, as well as other life-and-death struggles in Europe in the early 1800s. Amazon reviewers agree in their praise of her book: Adele, the leading character in this story, was one year old when her father fled to escape the guillotine. She was still young and sheltered when her mother died as they were fleeing from the Cossacks after the Russian Invasion. This is truly a story of Adeles courage and determination to be independent and to find ways to earn a living while helping those less fortunate. Its an inspiring history well told. The remarkable courage of Lady Adele truly lifts you up and I was amazed by this strong woman. Put in the framework of a series of letters from a French noblewoman, 'Napoleons Glass' puts a personal spin on the events of the downfall of Napoleons empire at the hands of the Russians, as well as other European turmoil that happened afterward. Ms. Ingall describes the Chateau de Malmaison in such a way that the reader is actually walking through the rooms where Empress Josephines guests danced and celebrated centuries ago. As I became absorbed in the story, I could not help but wonder which characters and events were imagined and which were truly historical the author achieved such an intricate melding of the two in this page-turning historical saga. By the end of her story I was emotionally spent because my heart felt everything this woman went through. I love stories of women who, through adversity, become courageous this is just such a story. About the Author: Gillian Ingall grew up in Sydney, Australia, and now lives with her partner on a cattle property in New South Wales. Her first novel, "The Invitation A Tale of Greed, Adultery and Political Turmoil," was written about her experiences in China and Hong Kong during the pro-democracy movement of 1989. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this historical novel is that much of it is true. We are pleased to announce the release of this amazing story set during the French Revolution and aftermath, said Robert Fletcher, CEO of Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency. NAPOLEONS GLASS (Kindle ISBN: 978-1-946540-12-6, e-Book ISBN: 978-1-946540-11-9) is available for $9.99 at http://epubco.com/shop/products/napoleons-glass-by-gillian-ingall/ and in multi-formats for other e-Readers through numerous vendors online. The soft cover version (ISBN: 978-1-68181-906-8, $19.95) can also be ordered through the publishers website: http://sbpra.com/GillianIngall. All formats are available at Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com. WHOLESALERS: This book is distributed by Ingram Books and other wholesale distributors. Contact your representative with the ISBN for purchase. Wholesale purchase for retailers, universities, libraries, and other organizations is also available through the publisher; please email bookorder(at)sbpra(dot)net. Dr. Jonathan Kulbersh - Carolina Facial Plastics In the short time Courtneys been with us, shes already made an impact on the lives of not only our patients but also our staff," said Dr. Kulbersh Licensed and board-certified nurse practitioners are an important part of any facial aesthetics practice, as they undergo the intensive training necessary to administer minimally invasive procedures such as Botox, facial fillers, and laser therapy for skin. For patients deciding between two facial plastic surgery practices, the one with licensed, experienced, and highly skilled nurse injectors can be one of the main determining factors. With the recent hiring of Courtney Whitley, FNP-C, Carolina Facial Plastics adds to its already impressive reputation by bringing on an experienced, enthusiastic nurse injector to continue delivering top-notch service and care to its patients. By adding Courtney to our staff, weve brought on board a nurse practitioner whos devoted to helping our patients achieve their aesthetic goals, says Dr. Kulbersh. Her ten-plus years of nursing and medical aesthetic experience, combined with her keen eye for detail, were exactly what we wanted. Im excited to be a part of one of the countrys best aesthetic practices in Carolina Facial Plastics, says Ms. Whitley. Dr. Kulbersh and the staff here have impressively high standards, which I feel is a perfect match. A native of North Carolina who has made Charlotte her home since 2007, Ms. Whitley has both a B.S.N and M.S.N. Her passion for aesthetics led her to participate in and complete a training program that certified her as an injector through both major cosmetic manufacturers Allergan and Galderma, which means that Ms. Whitley has thorough knowledge of and specializes in such injectable treatments as Botox, Juvederm, and Restylane. Ms. Whitley was personally trained by Dr. Kulbersh, who himself was trained by internationally-recognized Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Nassif. This training allows Ms. Whitley to provide the same level of care and expertise that patients expect from Carolina Facial Plastics. Injectable procedures require nurse injectors to know precise techniques and undergo comprehensive training, without which they cannot be licensed or certified, says Dr. Kulbersh. Patients who are interested in improving undesirable facial concerns, such as smile lines and under eye circles, can feel confident in Courtneys ability to effectively address these and other issues. Adds Ms. Whitley: Its important to me that patients leave our office looking and feeling as if they are the best versions of themselves. This keeps me motivated to continuously learn and keep abreast of the latest injectable procedures and techniques. Plus, through my training with Dr. Kulbersh, my treatments are the ideal complement to his surgical work. Ms. Whitley also specializes in laser therapies such as laser skin tightening and wrinkle treatment. Once patients have discussed their skin issues and confirmed their aesthetic goals, Ms. Whitley puts her experience and knowledge of skin rejuvenation to use in administering different laser modalities to address a multitude of skin concerns, including combination treatments where necessary. To find out more about Ms. Whitley, as well as how she can impact patients concerned with a range of facial aesthetics, visit https://CarolinaFacialPlasticSurgery.com. Courtneys enthusiasm for improving the lives of our patients is seen in her smile as she goes about her work, says Dr. Kulbersh. In the short time Courtneys been with us, shes already made an impact on the lives of not only our patients but also our staff. Were very happy to have her with us and confident that her work and training with us will provide the most effective outcomes for our patients and maintain those results for the long run. Ms. Whitley says, Helping people is part of my DNA; Ive always wanted to help people improve themselves. The best way I can do this is by listening to and understanding each patients needs and goals so that we find the best possible solutions. Please stop by our office and introduce yourself, even if you dont have an appointment; I look forward to meeting you! Double board-certified as a facial plastic surgeon and fellowship-trained in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Jonathan Kulbersh is the founder and director of Carolina Facial Plastics in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Kulbersh received training in facial plastic surgery in Beverly Hills with renowned surgeons, Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS, Paul Nassif, MD, FACS, (well known for his show Botched) and Guy Massry, MD, and has experience in facial rejuvenation procedures, including facelifts, rhinoplasties, eye lifts, and injectables (Botox and fillers). Additionally, as an expert in the function of facial nerves, Dr. Kulbersh has a special interest in patients with facial paralysis and Bells palsy. Dr. Kulbersh has published numerous articles, as well as chapters of medical textbooks, including Master Techniques in Blepharoplasty and Periorbital Rejuvenation. Please visit our website: https://CarolinaFacialPlasticSurgery.com/ Carolina Facial Plastics 6849 Fairview Road #200 Charlotte, NC 28210 (704) 842-3644 info(at)CarolinaFacialPlastics(dot)com Green Supply Chain Award We congratulate this years honorees for their commitment to sustainability and recognize their tremendous achievements, Our honorees serve as role models for supply chains globally to expand their CSR reach and impact. John R, Yuva, Editor The Green Supply Chain Award recognizes companies making green or sustainability a core part of their supply chain strategy and are working to achieve measurable sustainability goals within their own operations and supply chains. The awards also recognize providers of supply chain solutions and services assisting their customers in achieving measurable sustainability goals. This year's 10th-annual awards recognize small, mid-size and large enterprises that leveraged green practices and solutions to further drive sustainable improvements in their supply chain. Honorees for this years award demonstrate that corporate social responsibility is a business imperative that transcends the company and extends throughout the supply chain, involving suppliers and customers, says John R. Yuva, editor for Supply & Demand Chain Executive. The number of entries only increase year over year, demonstrating how critical sustainability initiatives are within companies. We congratulate this years honorees for their commitment to sustainability and recognize their tremendous achievements, Yuva adds. Our honorees serve as role models for supply chains globally to expand their CSR reach and impact. To see the full list of this years honorees, please visit SDCExec.com. About Supply & Demand Chain Executive Supply & Demand Chain Executive, with its print, website and digital properties, is the executive's resource for successful supply and demand chain transformation, utilizing hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints and unbiased case studies to steer executives and supply management professionals through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain enablement to gain competitive advantage. Supply & Demand Chain Executive is a publication of AC Business Media and a division of the Supply Chain Network. About AC Business Media AC Business Media is a business-to-business media company with a portfolio of renowned brands in heavy construction, asphalt, concrete, paving, rental, sustainability, manufacturing, logistics and supply chain markets. AC Business Media delivers relevant, cutting-edge content to its audiences through its industry-leading digital properties, trade shows, videos, magazines, webinars and newsletters and provides advertisers the analytics, data and ability to reach their target audience. The Level Homes Carolinas Team receives the Fast 50 Award from The Triangle Business Journal. The award is especially meaningful because this is the second year in a row that Level Homes was the fastest-growing private homebuilder in the Triangle area Ric Rojas, president, Level Homes The Carolinas division of Level Homes has been named one of the 50 Fastest-Growing Private Employers in the vibrant Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina market by The Triangle Business Journal. Level Homes was ranked second overall among all companies honored on this years Top 50 list, which makes the firm the fastest growing private homebuilder in the area. Companies named to the 2017 Fast 50 list were selected based on a formula that includes revenue and profit growth for the three previous years. Results were tabulated and analyzed by PricewaterhouseCoopers a leading accounting and professional services firm and a Fast 50 partner. Being recognized again this year by the experts at The Triangle Business Journal as a member of their 25th Annual Fast 50 list of private firms is a great honor, said Ric Rojas, president of Level Homes. The award is especially meaningful because this is the second year in a row that Level Homes was the fastest-growing private homebuilder in the Triangle area, Rojas added. This honor also comes soon after our associates voted Level Homes one of the Triangles Best Places to Work. According to The Triangle Business Journal, the companies named to the Fast 50 list this year employ nearly 15,000 people and are forecast to create more than 3,000 new jobs in the next 12 months. Level Homes builds high quality new homes and sustainable communities that reflect the way homeowners live today. With 28 employees in the Raleigh area, Level Homes was previously named the fastest-growing firm on Builder Magazines annual ranking of the Next 100 Builders in the United States. Our growth has been achieved by serving one homebuyer at a time and providing them with a great new home and community, said Todd Waguespack, Managing Partner of Level Homes. All of us at Level Homes are proud of the accomplishments of our team in the Carolinas. Founded in 2000 with the goal of becoming a Top 10 builder in market share in each market it serves, Level Homes continues to expand. The company currently builds new homes in five communities in the Triangle, North Carolina area and has expanded to the Wilmington area along the North Carolina coast. The firm also builds in several leading markets across Louisiana. Base prices of new homes range from the low $200s to the low $600s. Visit https://www.levelhomeslifestyle.com/nc/communities/ to learn more about Level Homes, its award-winning new homes and communities in North Carolina, and the firms unique approach to building Life. Style. Home. Zingle, the hospitality industrys leading, two-way, business-to-customer messaging platform, today announced that it has teamed with TripAdvisor to automate review collection for hundreds of its hotel customers, including Hyatt, Cosmopolitan Hotel, and Two Roads Hospitality. In addition, Zingle is teaming with Viator, a TripAdvisor company, to give hospitality customers the ability to message guests pre-arrival with nearby activity options. By becoming a TripAdvisor Collection Connectivity Partner, Zingle will now enable its hospitality customers to collect TripAdvisor reviews from verified guests via text upon checkout. Hotels using Zingles software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform to support two-way text messaging with guests can now conclude messaging interaction during a stay with a customized text message requesting for a TripAdvisor review. Were thrilled to team with the worlds largest travel review site and excited to integrate TripAdvisors Review Collection into our messaging platform for existing and future hospitality customers, said Ford Blakely, Founder and CEO of Zingle. The integration gives our hotel customers a free and effortless way to prompt their guests to share their positive experiences on TripAdvisor which has become the de facto decision maker for millions of travelers each year. According to the TripBarometer by TripAdvisor, 87% of travelers globally say they use travel review sites to help them plan a trip and 95% say that other people's reviews on travel review sites influenced their plans. More positive guest reviews can even increase revenue by enabling hotels to increase room rates. For instance, a Cornell University study found that a one-point increase in reputation (based on a five-point scale) may result in a hotels ability to raise room rates up to 11%. As part of the partnership with TripAdvisor, Zingle will also empower its hotel customers to message soon-to-be guests with deals from Viator on popular sightseeing tours and nearby activities in advance of their check-in. Hotel bookings on mobile were up 67% over the last year as guests are increasingly turning to mobile devices to manage their stays, added Blakely. From dining reservations to spa appointments, Zingle continues to be the best way for hotels to communicate with guests from check-in to check-out. This new partnership will enable our hotel customers to engage with guests even before they check-in increasing their ability to provide a positive guest experience. With a 98% open rate, text messages provide a quick and easy way to communicate with guests before, during and after their stay at a property. Last year alone, more than 600,000 hotel guests exchanged messages with hotels using Zingle. From increasing guest engagement and improving service to optimizing and streamlining operations, Zingle empowers hotels and their staff to provide better experiences. To request a free Zingle demo visit http://www.zingle.me/demo. About Zingle, Inc. Zingle is a two-way, business-and-customer communication software platform that allows businesses to engage with customers in a real-time and personalized way through messaging peoples preferred method of communication today. The platform helps businesses increase efficiency, revenue and customer loyalty by providing a quick and simple way to communicate with customers. Millions of messages are sent between businesses and their customers each year using Zingle. All messages exchanged on Zingle can be transcribed in 90 different languages so businesses can converse in real-time with their customers, in their preferred language. Zingle integrates with SMS, email and all leading messaging applications today. The Southern California-based company pioneered business messaging in 2009 and its patented platform was the first software-as-a-service (SAAS) to support two-way texting between businesses and customers. Today, Zingle supports more than 1,800 businesses worldwide to text with customers in multiple industries including hospitality, food and beverage retail, parking, professional services and more. For more information visit http://www.zingle.me. About TripAdvisor TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, enables travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With more than 535 million reviews and opinions covering the world's largest selection of travel listings worldwide over 7 million accommodations, airlines, attractions, and restaurants TripAdvisor provides travelers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do and where to eat. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travelers can find the lowest price on the hotel that's right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world's largest travel community of 415 million average unique monthly visitors,** all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better. Tips to Overcome Holiday Stress Stress and depression rates go up during the Holiday Season. Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett offers some strategies to help people cope. The Holiday Season can be a highly stressful. It's a time that the songs promise that it's the "most wonderful time of the year." In reality, depression and suicide rates go up in December and many people just feel overwhelmed. They run from activity to activity, eat and spend too much, and may even feel that everyone is having a better life than them. It's a time when many feel lonely and may grieve for loved ones who are far away or who have died. Although this time of year is stressful, there are some things people can do to cope and enjoy the holidays more according to health psychologist and Praeclarus Press founder, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett. 1. Keep your expectations realistic. "We shouldnt expect week upon week of unending happiness during the holidays. There will be ups and downs just like during the rest of the year. Nor should we expect our homes, families, and ourselves to look and behave like the mythic creatures on television and in magazines." 2. Reach out to others. "In attempting to keep up with our long list of shoulds, its very easy to get focused only on ourselves or the needs of our immediate families. You may come away from the holidays feeling like you havent measured up. Sometimes the best antidote for this self-focus is reaching out someone who truly has less. Find out about opportunities for helping others who have a tough time during the holidays, and involve your families. This can be a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time together, and do some good for others at the same time." 3. Make conscious choices about which rituals you want to participate in. "We are offered an array of activities that we can participate in during the holiday season. Many times, we run from one activity to another, not really enjoying any of them. It is far better if you can pick the ones most meaningful to you. Be honest with yourself. Do you really enjoy baking? Or holiday cards? Or matching outfits for everyone? Or home decorations that look like Martha Stewart is stopping by? If your answer is yes, then by all means continue. If the answer is no, however, then think about dropping the activities you dont like, or assigning them to someone else. Discuss your holiday activities with your family and see which ones can be eliminated, modified, or temporarily put on hold." Praeclarus Press also offers a podcast with Dr. Diane Sanford on Top 3 Tips for Stressing Less During the Holidays.. Dr. Sanford is the author of Stress Less, Live Better. Her book focuses on how to incorporate mindfulness into everyday life and offers more resources on how readers can live consciously during the Holiday Season. Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist and board-certified lactation consultant. She founded Praeclarus Press in 2011 with the goal of changing women's lives. Praeclarus Press offers books, webinars, podcasts, and the Women's Health Today blog, and is based in Amarillo, Texas. The single greatest opportunity for President Trump and the new HHS Secretary to help improve American health care while controlling costs is expanding value-based care. The DRIVE Health Initiative a campaign by the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) and The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) to decrease costs, improve quality, and revitalize the economy through value-based care announced today that former Michigan Governor John Engler has accepted an invitation to serve as Chair. In this role, he will serve as an advisor and foster collaboration between policymakers and industry stakeholders to advance alternative models of paying for and delivering health care that reward quality. Private employers have proven that market-based business principles like transparency, accountability, and innovation can work in health care, but we need the governments active partnership to drive change at a scale that private purchasers cant do by themselves, said Bill Kramer, Executive Director of Policy at the Pacific Business Group on Health. Governor Engler is uniquely suited to bring the private and public sectors together to make value-based care a reality. Since its launch in May 2017, DRIVE Health Initiative has undertaken a number of activities to inform policymakers and urge the government to promote specific market-oriented, value-based purchasing strategies. The most notable efforts to-date include: issuing a letter to President Trump encouraging him to promote value-based care policies; and making specific recommendations to the U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Health Subcommittee and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on alternative value-based payment models that should be implemented by Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans. Under Governor Englers leadership, the group aims to further develop and execute its cooperative strategy to break down any barriers that inhibit quality improvement efforts. The evidence-based, value-based reforms being pursued by DRIVE Health Initiative will improve the quality of health care for American families and help recover nearly $350 billion being wasted on unnecessary costs, said Former Governor John Engler. That money can then be invested in other national priorities like job growth, education, and tax cuts. Now thats a bipartisan fix I know everyone can get behind, and Im excited to help make it happen. Governor Engler shares our belief that the single greatest opportunity for President Trump and the new HHS Secretary to help improve American health care while controlling costs is expanding value-based care, said Annette Guarisco Fildes, CEO of The ERISA Industry Committee. Many government leaders are looking for specific, proven ideas that will help make health care better and more affordable for all. DRIVE Health Initiative has the Blueprint to make that happen. Engler served as the Governor of Michigan for three terms, from 1991 to 2003, and prior to that served for 20 years in the Michigan State Legislature, finishing his term as the Senate Majority Leader. In his role as Governor, Engler signed 32 tax cuts into law that led to 800,000 new jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in Michigans history. He also previously served as the President and CEO of two organizations that represented Americas largest employers the Business Roundtable and National Association of Manufacturers; health care reform was a key priority for both of these organizations. Engler earned a JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a BS from Michigan State University. About The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) is the only national association that advocates exclusively for large employers on health, retirement and compensation public policies at the state, federal and local levels. ERIC members are the largest companies in the country, leaders in every sector of the economy and innovators in health care design and delivery through providing health coverage to their employees, retirees and families across the country. Learn more at eric.org. About the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) The Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) is a non-profit business coalition focused on improving the quality and affordability of health care. The group represents more than 60 large employers and other health care purchasing members, who provide coverage for nearly ten million individuals in the United States. PBGH supports some of the largest companies in the country in implementing innovative solutions to improve health care outcomes and value. Learn more at pbgh.org. Turkish warplanes hit Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq on Monday and killed 29 of the group's militants, Turkey's armed forces said. The PKK fighters were believed to be preparing an attack on Turkish border posts from the Hakurk and Metina regions of northern Iraq, the army said in a written statement. Several caves and shelters used by the militants were destroyed in the air strikes, it said. The PKK, which has been waging an insurgency in southeast Turkey since the 1980s, is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Search Keywords: Short link: We share the same commitment with our partners in providing the highest quality of service, ensuring that website security is accessible to all. In a region as large and as varied as Europe, weve opened new doors through partnerships to extend our WAF service to a greater consumer base. Through the opening of a new IDC (data center) in Nuremberg, Cloudbric will be extending its website security and WAF service to Germany and Central Europe in a strategic partnership with Trendhosting, a major player in the hosting sector in the region. While the repercussions of recent cyberattacks are felt across European countries, many businesses either lack the time, personnel, or resources to effectively take actions to prevent cybersecurity incidents from occurring. In Germany, the digital association Bitkom reported that close to 70% of companies were subject to cybercrimes such as data theft over the past two years. This has propelled the need for an accessible, reliable, preventive security solution. Among the current cybersecurity offerings in the market, WAFs offer the necessary protection that companies need to thwart common cyberattacks and protect against the theft of data. The partnership between Cloudbric and Trendhosting will connect German users to Cloudbric and to those in Central Europe, allowing for more convenient and affordable access to Cloudbrics website security services, including its award-winning WAF for websites. Cyber threats are a huge concern for online businesses, so organizations specifically look for security solutions with the ability and effectiveness to combat modern threats, and in Central Europe these solutions will be critical in combating cybercrime. Cloudbrics advanced technology, more specifically its unique logic-based detection engine, generates one of the lowest false positives in the industry. TJ Jung, VP of Product & Technology, said, We share the same commitment with our partners in providing the highest quality of service, ensuring that website security is accessible to all. For this reason, in a region as large and as varied as Europe, weve opened new doors through partnerships to extend our WAF service to a greater consumer base. Companies are required to incorporate measures for ensuring information is handled in a confidential manner and protected from cyberattacks. We are glad that Cloudbric can be of great help. Mustafa Beciragic, CTO of Trendhosting, stated, We like how Cloudbrics firewall engine focuses on performance and commits to low false positive rates. This matched our main objective to deliver a high performance platform to our customers, especially during this time of rising security requirements. The IDC in Nuremberg marks the launch of Cloudbrics fourth data center on the European continent. Cloudbric is anticipating to open additional IDCs across Europe and other regions within the next year. About Cloudbric Cloudbric is a cloud-based web security service, offering an award-winning WAF, DDoS protection, and free SSL as a full-service package. Boasting 20 years of IT security expertise, Penta Security Systems developed Cloudbric, which utilizes an award-winning logic analysis engine to filter malicious website traffic with industry-leading precision. It delivers one of the lowest false positive rates among competitors. Please visit http://www.cloudbric.com for more information and direct all partnership inquiries to cloudbric(at)pentasecurity(dot)com. About Trendhosting Trendhosting is a Switzerland-based hosting company focused on delivering high performance and a high availability hosting platform, powering big ecommerce and content management sites since 1997. Traditional NAV Customizations VS TRIMIT Industry-Tailored Solutions IT Lab and TRIMIT share a strong focus on bringing our customers true value from the applications and support services we provide TRIMIT and IT Lab are proud to announce a new partnership that enables IT Lab to enhance Microsoft Dynamics NAV with TRIMITs Microsoft gold standard industry-specific functionalities for the fashion, furniture, and general manufacturing industries. To stay ahead of the competition, companies today recognize the value of real-time insight into their entire business as well as automated and optimized business processes. TRIMIT meets these needs by offering an industry-tailored software solution that brings data from the entire company together. Businesses no longer have to work in disparate IT systems and worry about integrations and manual updates. With TRIMIT, PDM, ERP, and e-commerce comes in one single solution. David Mackay, Business Development Manager at IT Lab, said IT Lab and TRIMIT share a strong focus on bringing our customers true value from the applications and support services we provide. Utilising the sector experiences and expertise from both parties this is an exciting time for our existing and potentially new clients. With further enhancement to what is already a solid foundation and functionality rich offering due in Jan 2018, we see the partnership being a huge success for all parties involved. There is an excellent match between IT Lab and TRIMIT, said TRIMIT Head of Sales Troels Rasmussen. He continued, "IT Lab is a highly experienced Microsoft Dynamics partner. They have the in-depth business knowledge and experience needed to successfully deliver an outstanding service and successful projects to their customers. This is what we look for in partners. IT Lab will work with companies to help them envision and implement TRIMITs industry-tailored business software. Hence, their customers will be able to optimise their business, bolster relationships, and drive growth. Rob Jones, Director of Enterprise Applications at IT Lab, added were delighted to add TRIMIT into our Dynamics portfolio and eager to build on our existing experience in the sector. This represents a significant step to extending our pedigree in this vertical market and reflects the growing shift towards an app strategy and an adaptive technology model. Were already busy kicking the partnership off to a good start, and we look forward to working with IT Lab for years to come, said Troels Rasmussen. About IT Lab IT Lab is a national award-winning IT support and technology services provider delivering outsourcing, cloud, application and consultancy services based in London and Manchester Additional information about IT Lab is available at http://www.itlab.com. About TRIMIT For more than 27 years, TRIMIT has been a front-runner in providing companies worldwide with the platform they need to focus on doing business and perform at their very best. The industry-tailored solution is based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV and works by seamlessly combining PDM, ERP, and E-commerce in one single powerful software solution that covers the entire lifecycle of a product and provides companies with the insight they need to stay ahead of the competition. Today, more than 400 companies in the fashion, furniture, and manufacturing industries use the TRIMIT solution to automate and optimise their business from design to delivery. Additional information about TRIMIT is available at http://www.trimit.com. Attackers can use the Janus vulnerability to get unverified code with powerful permissions installed on the devices of unsuspecting users. GuardSquare's CTO Eric Lafortune has discovered a serious vulnerability in Android that allows attackers to modify the code in applications without affecting their signatures. The root of the problem is that a file can be a valid APK file and a valid DEX file at the same time. GuardSquare has named it the Janus vulnerability, after the Roman god of duality. Janus vulnerability The Janus vulnerability stems from the possibility to add extra bytes to APK files and to DEX files. On the one hand, an APK file is a zip archive, which can contain arbitrary bytes at the start, before its zip entries (actually more generally, between its zip entries). The JAR signature scheme only takes into account the zip entries. It ignores any extra bytes when computing or verifying the application's signature. On the other hand, a DEX file can contain arbitrary bytes at the end, after the regular sections of strings, classes, method definitions, etc. A file can, therefore, be a valid APK file and a valid DEX file at the same time. Another key element is a seemingly harmless feature of the Dalvik/ART virtual machine. In theory, the Android runtime loads the APK file, extracts its DEX file and then runs its code. In practice, the virtual machine can load and execute both APK files and DEX files. When it gets an APK file, it still looks at the magic bytes in the header to decide which type of file it is. If it finds a DEX header, it loads the file as a DEX file. Otherwise, it loads the file as an APK file containing a zip entry with a DEX file. It can thus misinterpret dual DEX/APK files. An attacker can leverage this duality. He can prepend a malicious DEX file to an APK file, without affecting its signature. The Android runtime then accepts the APK file as a valid update of a legitimate earlier version of the app. However, the Dalvik VM loads the code from the injected DEX file. Threats Although Android applications are self-signed, signature verification is important when updating Android applications. When the user downloads an update of an application, the Android runtime compares its signature with the signature of the original version. If the signatures match, the Android runtime proceeds to install the update. The updated application inherits the permissions of the original application. Attackers can, therefore, use the Janus vulnerability to mislead the update process and get unverified code with powerful permissions installed on the devices of unsuspecting users. GuardSquare's CTO Eric points to a few severe scenarios: "An attacker can replace a trusted application with high privileges (a system app, for instance) by a modified update to abuse its permissions. Depending on the targeted application, this could enable the hacker to access sensitive information stored on the device or even take over the device completely. Alternatively, an attacker can pass a modified clone of a sensitive application as a legitimate update, for instance in the context of banking or communications. The cloned application can look and behave like the original application but inject malicious behavior." The zip file format is archaic and prone to problems like the Master Key vulnerability and this Janus vulnerability. Ambiguous zip files likely give rise to similar vulnerabilities in different contexts and on different systems. The root cause is redundancy in the format. When designing data formats, protocols, data structures and code in general, one should always strive to avoid redundancy. Any discrepancies lead to bugs or worse. Scope and mitigation GuardSquare has created a simple internal tool to create Janus applications as a proof of concept. At this time, the company has not seen any such applications in the wild. Any scenario still requires the user to install the malicious update from a source outside the Google Play store. It may be relatively easy to trick some users because the application can still look exactly like the original application and has the proper signature. For experts, the common reverse engineering tools do not show the injected code. Users should always be vigilant when downloading applications and updates. The Janus vulnerability affects recent Android devices (Android 5.0 and newer). Applications that have been signed with APK signature scheme v2 and that are running on devices supporting the latest signature scheme (Android 7.0 and newer) are protected against the vulnerability. Unlike scheme v1, this scheme v2 considers all bytes in the APK file. Older versions of applications and newer applications running on older devices remain susceptible. Developers should at least always apply signature scheme v2. Android applications using DexGuard's tamper detection mechanism are hardened better against cloning attacks. The mechanism performs additional checks to make sure the protected applications have not been modified in any way. GuardSquare recommends the use of tamper detection and DexGuard's other layers of protection against reverse engineering and cloning. Disclosure and resolution GuardSquare has reported this issue to Google on July 31, 2017, and received acknowledgment the same day. Google has released a patch to its partners in November. They have published the bug (CVE-2017-13156) in the Android Security Bulletin on December 4, 2017 (https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2017-12-01). EcoFoil_Logo_2017 Our new website layout will make it easier for customers to learn about how radiant barrier works, as well as which product they will need for their application. EcoFoil, a leading supplier of radiant barrier, bubble insulation and concrete insulation for homes, pole barns and metal commercial buildings has made a big change for its online customers. While the company has established itself as a top distributor of reflective insulation in the market, they continue to make improvements to the customer experience. One important factor always at play is making experiences better for customers. The new website has been designed to provide the ultimate user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout, allowing customers to access detailed product information, technical data, videos and application usage pages to offer an overview of EcoFoils capabilities across a wide range of areas, including do-it-yourselfers, local construction companies and large job contractors. Eric Youngblood, Director of Marketing, says the impact of the new website will be beneficial for both customers who call in and customers who choose to order online. Our new website layout will make it easier for customers to learn about how radiant barrier works, as well as which product they will need for their application, said Youngblood. Along with the launch of the revamped website comes a brand-new logo for the EcoFoil brand. The new logo marks the most dramatic change in EcoFoils visual identity since the beginning of the companys onset. Designed in-house, the visual identity presents EcoFoil as modern and evolving, reflects the strength and direction of the brand and highlights its commitment to sustainability. Tammy Karr, President of Clickstop Accelerator stated, With the new website, we thought a fresh new logo would better help our visitors connect to what we are about and align with our simplified website. EcoFoil can be purchased online at EcoFoil.com or by calling (888) 349-3645, where expert product specialists can help guide customers through the process of choosing the right products for their needs. About EcoFoil EcoFoil is a leading supplier of radiant barrier, bubble insulation and concrete insulation for your home, pole barn or metal commercial building. EcoFoil products are manufactured in the United States and Canada exclusively - we do not sell radiant barrier product that is imported from overseas. EcoFoil is a division of Clickstop, Inc., located in Urbana, Iowa. Clickstop was founded in 2005 as a manufacturer's representative and distributor of building materials to customers in the Midwest. The company expanded to develop an e-commerce business and now sells EcoFoil direct to customers in all 50 states and internationally through our website, EcoFoil.com. Clickstop has earned an A+ Rating from the Iowa division of the Better Business Bureau. For more information, visit EcoFoil.com. Whenever we talk to prospective investors, we stress the importance of transparency. Thats why we list NES Financial as the first partner we work with. NES Financial announced today that LCR Capital Partners, the private investment firm sponsoring the EB5 issue for the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences at the Surf Club in Miami, Florida, has selected NES Financials suite of EB-5 solutions for the project. LCR Capital Partners will utilize NES Financials EB-5 Capital, Process, and Accounting Administration Suites, which are designed to help developers raise and deploy EB-5 capital more quickly, minimize risk, and streamline project efficiency. The EB-5 program, created in 1990, encourages foreign investment into projects that stimulate U.S. job growth. Once relatively obscure, in recent years there has been an exponential rise in the use of EB-5 capital in projects of all types and sizes. NES Financials Intelligent EB-5 Solutions have been used on more than 550 projects, representing over $20B in EB-5 capital more than any other service provider in the market. Use of these EB-5 Solution Suites has earned the Surf Club Four Seasons EB-5 offering the NES Financial Platinum Medallion, signifying the projects commitment to industry best practices and to providing investors with the highest levels of security, transparency and compliance. LCR Capital Partners is a private investment and advisory firm that deploys EB-5 investments in the U.S. hospitality and franchise industries, which it believes are ideally suited for EB-5 investors. These high-credit, US businesses have proven histories of operating success and are some of the most efficient converters of capital into jobs. Over 90% of LCRs investors are from India, Brazil, Latin America, South Africa and other rapidly emerging EB-5 markets. Whenever we talk to prospective investors, we stress the importance of transparency, said Scott Schweitzer, CFO at LCR Capital Partners. Thats why we list NES Financial as the first partner we work with. Our investors love that they have comprehensive, 24/7 tracking of their funds through the NES Financial portal. And the ability to generate documented audits is a big help as they complete the immigration process. NES Financials suite of Intelligent EB-5 Solutions is designed to cover the unique requirements of the entire EB-5 process, start to finish. Whether utilizing select products or the entire bundle, these solutions take care of the middle- and back-office administration so issuers can focus on project success. In todays EB-5 market, competition for investors is greater than ever before, said Reid Thomas, Executive Vice President & General Manager at NES Financial. Our solutions represent the industrys best in technology-enabled security, transparency, and compliance throughout the EB-5 life cycle savvy investors know this, and as a result, LCR Capital Partners have found that NES Financials Platinum Medallion helps their projects fund faster. About NES Financial NES Financial provides technology-enabled services for the efficient middle- and back-office administration of highly specialized financial transactions. Their technology-enabled solutions include EB-5 administration, 1031 exchanges, and private equity fund administration services. Many of the worlds largest financial institutions and corporations rely on their proprietary technology, unparalleled expertise, and outstanding services to ensure the secure, transparent, and compliant management of funds while also lowering operational costs, reducing risk, and improving ROI. For more information, please visit nesfinancial.com. About LCR Capital Partners Founded in 2012 by first-generation U.S. immigrants who met at Harvard Business School in the mid-1990s, LCR Capital Partners (LCR) is a partner-owned investment firm that deploys EB-5 investments as growth capital in the well-established U.S. franchise industry, as well as in signature real estate and hospitality projects, thus fueling American job creation via new store and hotel developments across the United States. LCR is headquartered in Westport, CT, and has offices in Miami, Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Cape Town, Dubai and Shanghai. Pictured from left: George Ehrgott, Mark Koszyk, Adam Breese, Krish Moorthy, Valarie Cofield, Reshma Moorthy, Jayshree Moorthy, Carlos Diggs, Kadreana Mack. We are the company that helps you become the next Airbnb in your industry, rather than being disrupted by it. Frontier Technologies, Inc. received the EMSDC Class III Supplier of the Year Award on Friday night, December 1st, at the 2017 annual EMSDC Choice Awards Gala. Frontier Technologies has been involved with the EMSDC for many years. The EMSDC helps connect diverse suppliers with corporate buyers to foster economic development and make use of the value inherent in a diverse supply chain. They have recognized diverse, minority owned companies like Frontier Technologies, at these Awards Galas for their contributions to this cause and in celebration of their achievements. 11 years ago, Frontier was on the same stage, winning the EMSDC Supplier of the Year Award in 2006. Back then, it was the Class I Award. Friday night, they were humbled to have achieved Class III, representing an exponential growth in revenue and a significant change in the way they do business. Frontier Technologies is a forward thinking organization that is committed to progress at the speed of change year over year. This is necessary to remain relevant and always add value for their clients in the fast-paced world of technology. They have developed a unique model that has allowed them to be on the forefront of innovation for three decades. Some of you probably still remember us as a run of the mill technology integrator from our Class I days good times! said Jayshree Moorthy, CEO, during her acceptance speech. But what many of you probably dont know, is our key to achieving exponential growth year over year and nimbly innovating in an industry thats famous for making even the largest corporations irrelevant. Moorthy says this key to their success is what has allowed them to earn the Class III Supplier of the Year Award this year. Were extremely proud of what the new Frontier has become: our tagline is still 'Integration Done Right', but the meaning of 'right' has totally changed, she said. According to Moorthy, 'IT Integration Done Right' once meant to save money, make things more efficient, and increase profitability all of which they still do, she assured us. But everyone else claims to do the same thing, and at that point technology devolves into a commodity. What differentiates Frontier Technologies, is that they design solutions that help their clients innovate. Yes, they can help increase profitability, but what really sets them apart is that they turn their clients into a disruptive force in their respective industries. Our technology is just a vehicle to drive you to innovation. We forge the path, says Moorthy. Think about companies like Airbnb or Uber these are new startup companies that totally disrupt and change their industries. And the companies that fail to innovate eventually become obsolete. Let me put it this way, says Moorthy. Since we won the Class I Supplier of the Year award, 52% of the Fortune 500 no longer exist. Three fourths of the current Fortune 500 are vulnerable to disruption within three years. Our new mission, as Class III Supplier of the Year is this: we are the company that helps you become the next Airbnb in your industry, rather than being disrupted by it. And let me tell you - we would not be here tonight if it werent for the EMSDC. The diversity of our innovative ideas would have no reach without the commitment to diversity the EMSDC has achieved. About Frontier Technologies, Inc. Frontier Technologies, Inc., headquarters in Wilmington, DE, along with operations and clients across the US, is a full-service Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure Systems & Staff Augmentation companyenabling enterprises to meet or exceed their IT goals on-time, on-budget, and on-spec. A minority-woman owned business as classified by the government for supplier-diversity initiatives. Leveraging almost 30 years in business, forming strategic partnerships with IT giants like IBM, Dell-EMC, VMware, Microsoft, HP and small businesses alike to provide clients the best-of-breed solutions with ease. Frontier is brand and technology agnostic. Frontier provides the consultative services for evaluating and selecting the best solutions providing clients peace of mind and a sustainable ROI. About the EMSDC The mission of Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council is to stimulate and support economic development with minority-owned businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American). While our outreach addresses both national and international entities, our primary focus area includes Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware. The council fosters the development of minority business enterprises to better align them with corporations in an effort to initiate growth and opportunity through Supplier Diversity channels. Leading from the Classroom TOY podcast series from NWEA I realized, Im much more than a teacher of standards. Im a teacher of the human heart Abdul Wright 2017 Minnesota Teacher of the Year The 2017 State Teachers of the Year share personal and powerful stories of the moments that have mattered most to them and their students in the second season of the podcast series Leading from the Classroom, launching today on TeacherPodcasts.org. The 45-part series is produced by NWEA, the not-for-profit creator of assessment solutions, and new episodes will be released twice a week through the end of January. From childhood stories of poverty and violence to the immense struggles that English language learners face today, each episode features a teacher sharing a personal and poignant moment that crystallized the importance of teaching. The educators speak as advocates and ambassadors for their students, for the teaching profession, and to influence meaningful education policy change. NWEA is a partner of the National Teacher of the Year program run by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The national program identifies exceptional teachers throughout the country and recognizes their effective work in the classroom and the community. During their tenure, Teachers of the Year engage in diverse professional learning opportunities, amplify their voices, participate in policy discussions, and serve as champions for all students. Listening to these teachers, we should at once be thankful that we have such dedicated people advocating for our children, and be cognizant of what these professionals tell us they need to do their jobs well, said Matt Chapman, CEO of NWEA. We wanted to provide Teachers of the Year the opportunity to tell us in their own words what it truly means to be a teacher, from the rewarding and joyful moments to the struggles that educators often face. Were proud to help teachers elevate their voices to share their stories widely and help others understand the impact that teaching has on educators, students, families, and the community. Teaching is a great profession that deserves our respect and support. "State Teachers of the Year are representatives of the incredible educators working in classrooms across this country every day. Their stories reflect the professionalism and devotion required for ensuring all students have equitable educational opportunities and I hope everyone draws inspiration from these leaders," said Carissa Miller, deputy executive director of CCSSO. The 45-part series launches on TeacherPodcasts.org today, December 11th, with episodes featuring Indiana, Alabama, and Minnesota Teachers of the Year. Three additional episodes will be released on Wednesday, December 13th. The first six episodes are: Indiana Teacher of the Year, Jitka Nelson, tells of the immense struggles of her English language learner students and encourages teachers to be their students voice until they have a voice of their own. Alabama Teacher of the Year, Dana Jacobson, recounts how a chance meeting with a high school junior inspired her to advocate for strong educators and help turn students dreams into reality. Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Abdul Wright, relates the story of his life, which began with poverty and violence, and how he learned that hes much more than a teacher of standards, but a teacher of the human heart. Department of Defense Teacher of the Year, Kelisa Wing, tells of how, inspired by her role model, Rep. John Lewis (GA), she caused good trouble in the Oval Office. Colorado Teacher of the Year, Sean Wybrant, explains how STEM education is an equity issue and why his students stories inspire him to advocate for better learning opportunities. Massachusetts and National Teacher of the Year, Sydney Chaffee, shares her most profound moment: contemplating the purpose of learning while working with students and teachers in Ethiopia. Additional episodes of Leading from the Classroom will be released starting the week of December 18 on TeacherPodcasts.org. Headshots of the State Teachers of the Year, as well as more information on the Leading from the Classroom series and the National Teacher of the Year program can also be found on the site. For the latest updates on the Leading from the Classroom podcast series on social media follow hashtag #ntoy17. About NWEA NWEA is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiencyand provide insights to help tailor instruction. For 40 years, NWEA has developed innovative Pre-K12 assessments, professional learning that fosters educators ability to accelerate student learning, and research that supports assessment validity and data interpretation. Educators in 140 countries and more than half the schools in the US rely on our flagship interim assessment, MAP Growth; our progress monitoring and skills mastery tool, MAP Skills; and the OECD Test for Schools (based on PISA). Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA can partner with you to help all kids learn. The Partners This partnership gives us a voice and a way to share our unique stories [about the West]. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West and Wyoming Public Media (WPM) recently launched their journalism and production collaboration with the hiring of Kamila Kudelska, a graduate of the Columbia School of Broadcasting, as their first multi-media journalist. Based in Cody at the Center of the West, Kudelska will report on northwest Wyoming for WPM and produce multi-media content for the Center. Both organizations are set to make the content available on their respective websites, including those heard on Wyoming Public Radio and distributed regionally and nationally. The Center provides a sound booth in the museum that is equipped for recording and is visible to the public. Kudelska joined WPM on November 6, arriving at the organizations headquarters at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. After orientation and training, she traveled to Cody on November 14 to wrap up equipment set-up and experience a second round of briefings at the Center of the West. On November 20, she filed her first story on grizzly bear management in the area. "This collaboration between the Center and WPM is an amazing opportunity for any journalist, Kudelska says. Im thrilled to be part of it and look forward to sharing the stories of northwest Wyoming, as well as the stories of the many treasures within the Center. The partnership between the two groups took shape two years ago when Center Trustee Naoma Tate and WPMs General Managers met at a public radio function. Through their conversation, it soon became apparent that the two organizations complemented each other in both mission to tell Wyomings story, and their desire to raise awareness for Wyoming and American West-centric content. Quite often, the Wests perspective isnt necessarily heard nationally, Tate says. This partnership gives us a voice and a way to share our unique stories, perspective, and culture throughout Wyoming and beyond. According to General Manager Christina Kuzmych, the collaboration allows WPM to solidify its statewide presence and generate high-quality content for distribution. The Center is a treasure chest of material for radio and digital production to share through media, Kuzmych says. Its broad approach to American Western history and culture, coupled with the world-renowned caliber of its curators, make it a strong partner. Having a reporter based in Wyomings northwest quadrant is critical for us, WPM News Director, Bob Beck, explains. In the past, there were many stories we simply couldnt cover because of the time and resources required to get a person from Laramie to the Cody area, some 400 miles away. With a reporter onsite, well especially have greater access to important stories originating from the Greater Yellowstone region. Collaborating with the Center of the West is truly a win/win for both our organizationsand more importantly, for our respective constituents. Speaking on behalf of the Centers curatorial staff, Dr. Jeremy Johnston, Curator of Western American History, adds, We look forward to working with Kamila to not only provide our insight on current news stories related to our respective fields of study, but to also generate multimedia content that can be incorporated into our current and future exhibitions. Kamilas multimedia products will greatly enhance the experiences of our guests visiting the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The collaboration is made possible through the generosity of the Hal R. and Naoma J. Tate Foundation. Were excited about this unique collaboration and grateful to the Tate family for making this pilot program possible, notes Bruce Eldredge, the Centers executive director and CEO. Both organizations have countless stories to tell; our partnership ensures that each one reaches the broadest possible audience. Learn more at the Center's website and Wyoming Public Media's website. ### Since 1917, the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, has devoted itself to sharing the story of the authentic American West. The Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is now in its winter schedule, open Thursday Sunday, 10 a.m. 5 p.m., closed Monday Wednesday. For additional information, visit the Center's websites or its pages on Facebook and Google+. Reshma Moorthy - President of Frontier Technologies, Chair of Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee at EMSDC Let's look to the future and work together so that one day, everyone will understand that diversity and minority-owned businesses mean greater success for everyone. Reshma Moorthy, President of Frontier Technologies, Inc. received the EMSDC Minority Advocate of the Year Award on Friday night, December 1st, at the 2017 annual awards Gala. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve and advocate on behalf of MBEs, said Moorthy in her acceptance speech. It truly has been an honor. This has been an exciting year at the EMSDC for Moorthy, who received this award after winning an election to Chair the MBEIC the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee earlier this year. She has already begun to revolutionize the committee, driving it to accomplish more in these last few weeks than the committee had in the last few years. Weve accomplished so much already, and Im fully dedicated to revamping the committees efforts to better serve MBEs in the future, says Moorthy. This is not Moorthys first public appearance, by any means. She has developed quite the reputation as a thought leader for supplier diversity and technology over the last 10 years, demonstrating her leadership among peers. Just this October, during MEDweek Philly, Moorthy was asked to speak on a panel of Asian business leaders on behalf of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia. Despite all of the success she has achieved and the attention she has received, Moorthy says she wants to empower all women and minority business leaders and team members. I think we all deserve this award, said Moorthy in her acceptance speech. I know so many of you work tirelessly to advocate for diversity, and I know we have so much still to accomplish. Lets look to the future and work together so that one day, everyone will understand that diversity and minority-owned businesses mean greater success for everyone. And while many would view this honorable recognition as the achievement of a lifetime, Moorthy says that for her, it is just the beginning. I promise I will view this as the beginning of a journey of advocacy, not just an award to place on my resume and leave behind. About Frontier Technologies, Inc. Frontier Technologies, Inc., headquarters in Wilmington, DE, along with operations and clients across the US, is a full-service Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure Systems & Staff Augmentation companyenabling enterprises to meet or exceed their IT goals on-time, on-budget, and on-spec. A minority-woman owned business as classified by the government for supplier-diversity initiatives. Leveraging almost 30 years in business, forming strategic partnerships with IT giants like IBM, Dell-EMC, VMware, Microsoft, HP and small businesses alike to provide clients the best-of-breed solutions with ease. Frontier is brand and technology agnostic. Frontier provides the consultative services for evaluating and selecting the best solutions providing clients peace of mind and a sustainable ROI. About the EMSDC The mission of Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council is to stimulate and support economic development with minority-owned businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American). While our outreach addresses both national and international entities, our primary focus area includes Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware. The council fosters the development of minority business enterprises to better align them with corporations in an effort to initiate growth and opportunity through Supplier Diversity channels. The online silver and copper jewelry that are designed and crafted by Zeina El-Shazly At a little design-and-craft studio that built into family house space, Zeina El-Shazly is hard at work with her pliers, beading needle and wire cutters to produce a bunch of earings, rings and bracelets that are to be put on display on the Facebook account of her online accessories making service: Zee Accessories. The items that Zeina is producing for the coming weeks are mostly made of simple designs in which she brings together colourful beads with silver and copper charms that are mostly inspired by the Egyptian folk culture like Kaf Fatima (the full-stretched palm) or the blue round eye-shaped stone, both of which are meant to ward off the evil eye. These are the extension of the production I have been working on since the summer of 2012 an assembly of items that are essentially inspired by the mix of colours of beads and stones that I often like to use, El-Shazly said. Those, she said, would be available for clients who are interested in an online Christmas shopping experience. But by the spring of next year, ElShazly is planning to put out her first collection that she promises would take her rings and bracelets to a new horizon. It would not be sporadic designs but a theme that I would develop into several items; it would be in copper essentially but also in silver, she said. Copper, El-Shazly explained, is a metal that is gaining ground - not just with new designers and crafters but also with clients. The very simple fact is that it is quite less expensive than silver and it does mold into beautiful shapes of accessories, she suggested. Throughout her close to five years in a slowly growing business, which really started off as a childhood hobby that was bravely encouraged by my mother," this designer-crafter has been seeing a growing interest in beautiful but not so expensive jewelry items it is the growing world of accessories." At 24 years of age, and with a job as a psychologist in a leading hospital, El-Shazly is not short on energy or passion to advance her small online business. Having absorbed the pick-and-go experience while walking around the workshops in the alleys of Old Cairo where she had put hands on her first pliers a few years ago, El-Shazly finished a metalsmithing and jewelry-making course this year at the Azza Fahmy School. Like other graduates of this school, El-Shazly is fully inspired but is firmly determined to innovate and never to imitate. I guess one thing that has happened in the business of accessories and jewelry making is that there was a bit of laxity to find new inspiration; there were a few successful models offered and then they become too easily imitated, El-Shazly said. She added that part of the contribution that young and aspiring designers and crafters could offer is to find a new inspiration and to explore with some daring art ideas - because otherwise it becomes all one in the same, and this would be boring." It was the genuine want of the new and different lines that had helped ElShazly, as she thinks today, in earning her first items a warm welcome in the few open houses and bazaars to which she has contributed. And it was this positive reaction to her work that added enthusiasm to passion and prompted her to do her online business while still studying psychology at St. Andrews University in Scotland. For El-Shazly, what brings psychology and crafts together is nothing but the passion for the unhindered - because for her, souls and designs are meant to be free and rejoicing. And with a growing number of online jewelry options, El-Shazly said, what really makes one designer stand out is their ability to find new inspiration, so that a potential client scrolling through the many pages can find something captivating on one particular page. Search Keywords: Short link: Historic Families (Le Famiglie Storiche), the organization that represents thirteen quintessential producers of Amarone della Valpolicella, the Italian noble red that hails from Italys Veneto region, will be coming to the United States in January 2018 to host two tasting events in New York City. Historic Families aims to educate trade and consumers about the traditions, quality, and nuances of Amarone della Valpoicella, which is celebrated as one of Italys finest wines. The tastings will take place on January 31 at Del Posto, the famed Italian restaurant in Chelsea owned by the Batali & Bastianich (B&B) Hospitality Group. They will give trade and press the opportunity to meet the producers and taste fine vintages of Amarone della Valpolicella. Jeff Porter, Beverage Director of the B&B Hospitality Group, will host a guided vertical tasting of the 2009, 2010, and 2011 vintages of Amarone della Valpolicella. During the seminar, Porter and the producers will explain and explore the many nuances in the wines that result from the terroir of the Valpolicella area as they demonstrate that Amarone is as much about terroir as it is about technique. Following the seminar, there will be a walkaround tasting showcasing select Amarone bottles of each of the thirteen producers. Both events are reserved exclusively for trade and press. The wineries of Historic Families are rooted in traditional values and craftsmanship, says Sabrina Tedeschi, owner of Tedeschi Winery and President of Historic Families. We combine generations of know-how with modern innovation to produce one of Italys greatest red wines. Amarone has always been well-received in the United States, and were eager to showcase three excellent vintages from wineries whose standards guarantee high quality and honor the long history of Valpolicella. The entry of new producer members into Historic Families has strengthened the interest and prestige of the association over time, making it the recognized and influential institution that it is today, increasingly active in decisions in favor of high quality Amarone. About Le Famiglie Storiche/Historic Families: The group was founded in June 2009 (previously Le Famiglie dellAmarone dArte/Amarone Families) by ten historic Valpolicella companies. Today, it boasts 13 partners, prestigious wineries that have sustained and promoted the Valpolicella wine territory in the Veneto region of Italy territory for centuries: Allegrini, Begali, Brigaldara, Guerrieri Rizzardi, Masi, Musella, Speri, Tedeschi, Tenuta SantAntonio, Tommasi, Torre DOrti, Venturini, and Zenato. Together, the wineries bring a heritage of knowledge consolidated from an unwavering commitment to quality, tradition, and innovation as testimony to this great wine. Phil with Kenya Orphans These awards are a testament to RippleNamis commitment towards our bold vision of connecting unconnected people with an easy-to-use solution. RippleNami, Inc., a blockchain data visualization solution provider, announced that Phil Gahn, Founder and Chief Business Development Officer, has been named winner in the prestigious One Planet Awards as Business Development Executive of the Year. The coveted One Planet Awards is world's premier awards program honoring best in business and professional excellence in every industry from around the world. Organizations from all over the world submitted nominations including public and private, for-profit and non-profit, largest to smallest and new start-ups. Phil is a true visionary, business development leader and not to mention survivor like no other. His story is one that had the potential to cut him off from any kind of future. As a young child, Phil witnessed terrible violence and at five-years-old was literally dropped off at a South Korean orphanage door. But Phil did not let his difficulties stop him; his resilience, strength and determination drove him to work and study hard. He vaguely remembers his father telling him to move to America if he ever got the opportunity. Luckily adopted by an Ohio family, Phil thrived in aeronautics and received a scholarship to MIT at fourteen years old graduating at seventeen. While in Africa, Phil grew frustrated by how each year billions of humanitarian aid in developing nations never reached those in need. He asked the simple question, "why cant we connect to unconnected populations?" He was not afraid to dip his toe in the sand when he set out to do social good. He had a vision of connecting 5 billion unconnected people with an easy-to-use blockchain and mapping solution that leverages the mass adoption of mobile phones. Gahn knew that if he could take his technology solution into developing countries, the world would forever be changed. First stop: why not Africa? Its an honor to be named a winner by One Planet for this esteemed industry and peer recognition, said Phil Gahn. These awards are a testament to RippleNamis commitment towards our bold vision of connecting unconnected people with an easy-to-use solution. For a US based start-up, developing an African market is virtually impossible but not for Phil and his tenacity. He has fought off every disease known to man, avoided corruption at the highest level and deals with threats every day. We are honored to work with Phil and congratulate him on his recognition, said Jaye Connolly-Labelle, chairman and chief executive officer at RippleNami. About RippleNami, Inc. RippleNami develops and deploys complete blockchain-based solutions to accelerate mass adoption of digital technologies in developing countries. RippleNami solutions drive new standards for cost-effectiveness and scalability, empowering any nation through digital transformation, and swiftly benefitting from its Smart Country status. RippleNamis blockchain data visualization platform integrates diverse data sets from unlimited sources. The platforms visualization capabilities paint a multi-dimensional picture of all strategic information to promptly identify trends, patterns and gaps to design and inform strategies faster. RippleNami solutions enable emergent economies to generate process, manage, share and transact information on a national scale opening up a world of opportunities for economic inclusion for its citizens and independence for the nation. For more information about RippleNami, visit http://www.ripplenami.com. About the One Planet Awards One Planet Awards recognizes companies for their business and professional excellence. The One Planet Awards honors are currently conferred in category sections which include outstanding individuals, executives, teams, new products and services, PR, Marketing, and Corporate Communications, and organizations from all over the world. Learn more about the One Planet Awards at http://www.oneplanetawards.com and participate. Since we specialize in eSports, live events and brand activations, coming on as a Presenting Sponsor for XLIVE seemed like a natural fit for us. At XLIVE 2017, The Trade Group will join forces with a host of influencers who specialize in transforming live events into memorable experiences. The event will be held December 10-13, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The annual conference draws players from the music, advertising, sports, film, culinary, beverage, eSports and tech industries. This will be the first year that The Trade Group will be a sponsor of the growing event. According to Chris Stone, President and Co-Founder of The Trade Group, Since we specialize in eSports, live events and brand activations, coming on as a Presenting Sponsor for XLIVE seemed like a natural fit for us. XLIVE also provides an ideal environment in which to feature the companys AirClad line of modern, portable, architectural structures. The Trade Group rents the customizable structures for festivals and brand activations, as well as other live events and experiences. The Trade Group will provide two larger AirClad units for the event, including an XPO6x5 for XLIVEs booth and speakers lounge and an XPO6x2.5 unit for co-sponsor FISH Technologies. Three smaller AirClad structures will also be featured at the show: An OiO with charging stations; a Yum Yum for disbursing bottled water; and a Snoozy positioned in The Trade Groups booth. To help raise awareness about the AirClad line, all attendees will receive an AirClad Passport upon entry to the event. Visiting and receiving a passport stamp at all five featured AirClad structures will qualify the attendee for entry into a $250 gift card drawing. The winner will be announced during the cocktail reception The Trade Group is hosting for XLIVE exhibitors and attendees on Tuesday, December 12, from 6:45-8:45 p.m. in the exhibit hall. The reception will feature an apres ski vibe, where guests can enjoy music by DJ group TELYKast. The DJ space will include a high-tech, LED backwall sponsored by our A/V partner, Reaction Audio Visual. Along with cocktails and music, guests can also take advantage of a Christmas-themed multi-cam photo opportunity, says Stone. Another $250 drawing will be held for entrants into the companys Gingerbread Snoozy contest. Fifty attendees received the Gingerbread Snoozy kits prior to the show and were asked to post photos of their completed work on The Trade Groups social media sites. The Trade Group also created a diorama of a Snoozy Village that will be featured at its booth throughout the show. Lastly, The Trade Groups Neeshu Hajra, VP of Business Development and leading expert on eSports activations, will be moderating as well as sitting on several panels for the XLIVE 2017 eSports Workshop being held on Monday, December 11th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To learn more about The Trade Group, the AirClad line of mobile, architectural structures and the companys comprehensive line of products and services for the eSports and live event industries, call 800-343-2005 or visit http://www.tradegroup.com. About The Trade Group: The Trade Group is a full-service, award-winning provider of products and services for trade shows, corporate events, retail environments and an endless array of face-to-face experiences and activations. The organization helps clients share their unique stories through a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes: exhibit design and fabrication, graphic design and production, exhibit management, digital applications, experiential marketing activations, event coordination and production, videography, strategic marketing and more. Jeff Pedowitz, President & CEO, The Pedowitz Group Being named a finalist in all of the categories for which we were nominated is a testament to the quality of our marketing content to engage customers and move the sales needle. Revenue Marketing consulting firm, The Pedowitz Group, announces its selection as a finalist in Top Sales Worlds (TSW) 2017 Sales & Marketing Awards in three separate categories including white papers, corporate blogs and videos. Currently in its seventh year, TSWs annual content received over 1500 nominations this year, up 40% over last year. A panel of judges will choose winners in 10 unique categories, which will be announced on December 19th. TPG is honored and humbled to have made it into the finals this year, given the intense competition in this very popular sales and marketing contest, remarks Pedowitz Group CEO, Jeff Pedowitz. Being named a finalist in all of the categories for which we were nominated is a testament to the quality of our marketing content to engage customers and move the sales needle. TPGs three entries include: Rise of the Marketing Operations Function (white paper); Revenue Marketer blog (corporate blog) and CMO Insights (video series). Heres the skinny: Based on interviews with ten MO leaders, TPGs Rise of the Marketing Operations Function white paper by Debbie Qaqish, Chief Strategy Officer, presents a solid case for the birth and growth of the MO function and offers a powerful blueprint for structuring an organization to master marketings top challenges. TPGs Revenue Marketer blog caters to B2B marketers on a mission to transform their departments from cost centers to revenue centers. The series is intended to educate and inspire marketers to embrace revenue accountability and impact their organizations in a measurable way. Written by industry thought leaders, this forum provides rich content that spans best practices in marketing automation usage to demand generation strategy. The objective of the blog series is share best practices in technology, process and people so aspiring marketers can up their game and achieve quantifiable results that impact topline sales revenue. Each week, TPG shares proven strategies and interviews with real-world CMOs who have been there / done that. CMO Insights is a video series hosted by Jeff Pedowitz, and features 1:1 conversations with B2B marketing thought leaders such as Scott Brinker, Michael Brenner and Joe Pulizzi. The sophistication of todays educated buyer, coupled by the avalanche of new marketing technologies makes the job of todays B2B marketer extremely challenging. The concept behind CMO Insights is to share the wisdom of todays most innovative marketing thinkers. Each episode is filled with rich lessons listeners can apply to their own circumstances to meet the challenges within their own organizations. During each 15-minute video interview, guests share their perspectives on strategy, skills, process, technology and content that fuels marketing transformation. "The annual Top Sales & Marketing Awards is now in its seventh year and has established itself as an eagerly anticipated sales and marketing competition, notes Jonathan Farrington, Editor of Top Sales World. This end-of-year contest provides us with an opportunity to reward both companies and individuals who have endeavored to raise that bar of excellence." About Top Sales World Top Sales World (TSW) is the worlds first online sales hypermarket, launched by Jonathan Farrington in 2008. Shelves are stacked with every conceivable resource sales & marketing professionals and managers could possibly need. Contributors bring a unique element of expertise and experience in specific sales & marketing disciplines. TSW publishes the hugely popular monthly Top Sales Magazine and a weekly newsletter, Around Top Sales World in 7 days. Annually, they publish the Top 50 Sales Blogs, Top 50 Sales Books and stage the Top Sales & Marketing Awards, which is now in its 7th year. Visit https://topsalesworld.com/. About The Pedowitz Group Connecting Marketing to Revenue The Pedowitz Group wrote the book, and is the undisputed thought leader on Revenue Marketing. As your partner, TPG helps you plan, build and optimize your revenue engine by delivering services in MarTech, demand generation and marketing operations. We believe that Marketing is the driver of customer engagement that fuels the revenue engine. The Pedowitz Group customers have won over 50 national awards for their Revenue Marketing excellence. To discover how we can help your organization become successful Revenue Marketers, visit http://www.pedowitzgroup.com, or call us at 855-REV-MKTG or visit Revenue Marketer Blog. # # # Media/Analyst Contact Elizabeth Fairleigh thE Connection, Inc. 404.874.4562 Elizabeth(at)EConnectionPR(dot)com VABeachBio Innovation Challenge The challenge is the first of its kind in the United States. We anticipate the impact of the startups will greatly improve the lives of our veterans in the region and around the world and their families. Virginia Beach Economic Development Director Warren D. Harris The City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development have partnered with the Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI) to launch the VABeachBio Innovation Challenge. This is an unprecedented, open innovation challenge that will launch 20 startup companies focused on creating therapeutics, vaccines and devices for veteran-related illnesses including cardiovascular, neurological disorders, diabetes, oncology and regenerative medicine. Our mission is to identify breakthrough inventions and maximize their commercial potential, said Rosemarie Truman, CEO of CAI, a global nonprofit public-private partnership and startup catalyst to commercialize federally- funded research and development. We have launched hundreds of companies all over the world through our startup challenges, but for the first time ever we are partnering to create a whole challenge around one city. With the VABeachBio Innovation Challenge, entrepreneurs, industry, inventors and academia are coming together to turn some of the most dynamic inventions into successful startup companies. Inventions are being sourced from federal research labs, hospitals and universities. Virginia Beach is proud to partner with the award-winning Center for Advancing Innovation, said Virginia Beach Economic Development Director Warren D. Harris. The challenge is the first-of- its kind in the United States. We anticipate the impact of the startups will greatly improve the lives of our veterans in the region and around the world and their families. The challenge, to be administered by CAI, will spin out 20 startup companies to bring to market commercially viable veterans health-related inventions, many of which began as federally-funded initiatives, but have not yet progressed out of the lab. Teams entering the challenge have an unparalleled opportunity to receive world-class mentoring, robust accelerator training, prize money, significant media attention and, most importantly, seed funding to launch a company and make an impact on human health. The 20 selected startups are encouraged to have veteran leadership on the teams. Winners will have access to VABeachBio Innovation Park, home to one million square feet of Class A lab, wet lab, office and industrial space that is being developed in Virginia Beach. CAI has sourced federally-funded, veteran-related inventions and will recruit multi-disciplinary teams to compete in commercializing the most valuable of these inventions. Entrants must submit comprehensive business plans to explain the market potential of the technologies and proposed paths to commercialization, which they will pitch to CAIs world-class panel of judges, advisors and mentors. Winners will be selected based on the quality of an elevator speech, business plan, financial model, live presentation and other deliverables. With the assistance and entrepreneurial training from CAI, the selected startups will incorporate their companies and pursue licensing and/or collaboration agreements from the institutions where the inventions were sourced. The startups will be expected to bring the technologies to market or to advance them to the point where they can find commercial partners. Its extremely important for this region to diversify its economy, and bioscience offers a wonderful opportunity for advancing jobs, improving the economy and really taking advantage of the opportunities that our institutions have, including Eastern Virginia Medical School, said Dr. Jerry L. Nadler, internal medicine chairman and vice dean of research, Eastern Virginia Medical School. To spin out 20 startups through the VABeachBio Innovation Challenge, CAI will leverage its award-winning challenge-accelerator model. CAIs notable track record includes spinning out 58 companies from 2013-2016. In November 2016, a CAI oncology spin-out, Oncolinx, was awarded the worlds largest startup investment prize ($1M) by the 43North Startup Competition and the state of New York. In the same month, another CAI oncology spin-out, OneTest Diagnostics, was named one of the top ten hottest startups in the world by CNBC. Overall, CAI startup challenges have created 1,200+ jobs. As a follow up to CAIs largest startup challenge, the Freedom from Cancer Startup Challenge, the VABeachBio Innovation Challenge has the potential to create as many as 2,000 knowledge-based jobs and amplify the Virginia Beach entrepreneurial ecosystem. Applications are available at http://www.vabeachbiochallenge.com/, and the acceptance process will be ongoing. About the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development The mission of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development is to attract and retain national and international businesses to stimulate capital investment and create jobs. Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia with a population of 450,000, and it is the 37th largest in the United States. The Department of Economic Development received re-accreditation through the International Economic Development Council in 2016 and is one of only 50 economic development organizations in the world to have this recognition. Most recently, Virginia Beach was named Americas #1 best big city to live in by wallethub.com. For more information, visit http://www.yesvirginiabeach.com. About the Center for Advancing Innovation The Center for Advancing Innovation is a global public-private partnership, non-profit focused on creating a virtuous circle of innovation and driving growth breakthroughs through novel, creative paradigms and models. CAI's mission is to accelerate and increase the volume of research commercialization in support of high-growth business to ignite entrepreneurship, bolster the global economy and maximize the commercial and knowledge-based potential of promising inventions. CAI's award-winning challenge-based accelerator, rigorous evidence-based due diligence and capital-efficient lean management models serve to hyper-accelerate gazelle high-performing startups for outsized investor returns. Through its National Institute of Health-sponsored Breast Cancer Startup Challenge, Neuro Startup Challenge and Nanotechnology Startup Challenge in cancer competitions, as well as its NASA-supported SPACE RACE startup challenge, CAI has launched 58 startups and trained more than 2000 entrepreneurs. For additional information about CAI, visit http://www.thecenterforadvancinginnovation.org. SmartTRAK is known for a staff of expert analysts in their fields and we are delighted to highlight these industry professionals BioMedGPS, announces the top 10 SmartTRAK Blog Posts in 2017. The newly launched SmartTRAK Blog highlights industry trends and insightful analysis from SmartTRAK Business Intelligence experts, all former business development, marketing and competitive intelligence professionals from major orthopedic, wound care and neurotherapies companies. The SmartTRAK Top 10 Blog Posts include: 1. Nevros Growth Strategies and Challenges in the Spinal Cord Stimulation Market. Nevro CEO Rami Elghandour discussed the Companys success, its growth strategies, and some of the challenges of being the one to beat in the spinal cord stimulation (SCS) market ... 2. OrthoBio Market: SmartTRAK Predicts Strong Growth Ahead. Robust growth is predicted for the US OrthoBio market, driving revenues to over $4B by 2021E according to... 3. BioMedGPS Announces Coverage of China Advanced Dressings in Wound Care. BioMedGPS announces expanded coverage of SmartTRAK for Advanced Wound Care with the addition of its newest module, China Advanced Wound Dressings... 4. DKOU Spotlight: NavaSwiss Miniaturized navigation Tech for Computer-Assisted Ortho Surgery. SmartTRAK's President & CEO Sharon O'Reilly attended DKOU2017, in Berlin Oct. 24-27, 2017 and uncovered several new and innovative orthopedic, trauma and spine technologies... 5. SmartTRAK Quoted in Wall Street Journal: Ankle Replacement Market. SmartTRAK was cited by the Wall Street Journal on Nov. 12, 2017 in a fascinating article by Laura Johannes, "Ankle Replacements Take Off as Devices Appear Durable." 6. Joint Fluid Market: New Players, New Products. With few options available for treating OA pain, joint fluid injections have become a standard part of the treatment regimen for patients with painful arthritic knees... 7. Top 5 Trends in Joint Replacement. Over the next twelve months, BioMedGPS projects the US Joint Replacement Market will grow in the low single digits at approximately 3%... 8. The Future of Neuro-Interventional Surgery: A SmartTRAK Interview with Don Frei, MD. Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) President Donald F. Frei, MD talked with SmartTRAK at the SNIS 14th Annual Meeting regarding the future of neurointerventional surgery... 9. Innovation and Clinical Outcomes Shaping the Future of Hernia Repair. Innovation and clinical outcomes are shaping the future of the US ventral hernia market. Over the next several years, the market will see a continued shift from biologic mesh to synthetic mesh... 10. NASS/CNS: Hot Topics and Bright Spots in Spine. SmartTRAK reviews hot topics from the fall Spine meetings and identifies bright spots in an otherwise soft Spine market... SmartTRAK is known for a staff of expert analysts in their fields and we are delighted to highlight these industry professionals, says CEO and Founder Sharon OReilly. Read the SmartTRAK Top 10 Blog Posts today! About BioMedGPS BioMedGPS, LLC is the developer of SmartTRAK Business Intelligence, the leading portal for real-time data and analysis on the life sciences industry for the orthopedic/spine, wound care, regenerative medicine and neuro therapies markets. Known for expert analysis and innovative tools, SmartTRAK provides daily updates, strategic insights, and in-depth analyses of the orthopedics, wound care, regenerative medicine and neuro therapies markets. SmartTRAK has become an integral resource for some of the largest medical device companies currently used by the top ten orthopedic/spine implant manufacturers and nine of the top ten wound care companies. For more information about SmartTRAK please visit SmartTRAK.com or contact BioMedGPS. Pepperoni fans rejoice! Wisconsin-based franchise chain Toppers Pizza is piling it on thick with the introduction of the new Ragin Pepperoni pizza. The new limited time offer pizza launches December 11 and runs through mid-April and features three different types of the classic pizza topping: traditional pepperoni, diced pepperoni and thick-cut spicy pepperoni. The three types of pepperoni combine with 100% Real Wisconsin mozzarella cheese and Toppers Pizzas classic homemade pizza sauce for a delicious way to end 2017 and enter the new year. Pepperoni is Americas favorite topping and were giving it to our fans three times over with the Ragin Pepperoni, said Scott Iversen, vice president of marketing for Toppers Pizza. This isnt the same bland pepperoni pizza you can get at any other pizza place. Toppers Pizza has pioneered many innovative trends, ingredients, and combinations since emerging onto the pizza industry scene more than 25 years ago. The Ragin Pepperoni is another example of the companys commitment to research and development creativity based on consumer feedback and insight. The company plans to build on the momentum sparked by the new limited time offer pizza in 2018. We have always been on the cutting edge of new flavor profiles and we have big plans to focus even more on unique and bold options in the coming year, said Mac Malchow, director of national marketing & menu innovation for Toppers Pizza. We listened to our fans and like the tripling down of the Ragin Pepperoni, we are planning to triple down on introducing new items and creating more exciting takes on pizza favorites in 2018. Toppers Pizza is set to open 16 locations by the end of 2017, tying the biggest year for openings in the companys history. The brand enters 2018 with a focus on investing in existing franchisees and enhancing the in-store, delivery and online ordering experience while also continuing growth momentum through strategic expansion in targeted markets with qualified franchise candidates. ABOUT TOPPERS PIZZA Capitalizing on the booming better pizza category and fueled by the passion of Founder & President Scott Gittrich and a team of experienced industry veterans, Toppers Pizza has formulated the perfect recipe to appeal to both pizza enthusiasts and savvy investors. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Toppers is one of the fastest growing better-pizza chains in the United States. The brand has doubled in size over the last three years and completely sold out three states based on growth spurred by both existing franchisees and established multi-unit operators. Now with restaurants in 16 states and with territories immediately available across the country, Toppers is on its way to becoming a nationwide brand. Toppers is committed to quality and consistency throughout the system, and plans to maintain corporate ownership of 25 percent of all locations while the brand expands to continuously improve on best practices and product development. Toppers fanatics love the brands fresh, handmade and customizable pizza baked in about 360 seconds and delivered extremely fast, with more than a million combinations of fresh, high quality toppings, and the brands signature line of flavored Topperstix and baked Buffalo wings. In 2017, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Toppers as one of the top 500 franchises in the U.S for the third year in a row and in 2016, QSR Magazine listed the company as one of the years Best Franchise Deals. For more information on how to join the rapidly growing Toppers family and for a sneak peek into the Toppers experience, visit http://www.toppersfranchise.com/. "It makes me grateful to be part of the altruistic side of the legal community" - Michael Dalewitz, CEO Inspired Review will once again be sponsoring the 2017 Life Preservers Project Holiday Benefit #2017LPPHolidayParty and Marine Toys for Tots #toydrive on December 11th at Proper West in NYC! We ask all in the legal industry to join us for an evening of good cheer and networking for two good causes. Life Preservers Project has collected hundreds of toys over the last 9 years to help children in NYC celebrate the holidays. The organization has also pledged net proceeds from the evening will go to help those affected by the hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean. Please visit http://www.lifepreserversproject.org/event/2017-holiday-party-toy-drive/ for more information. Michael Dalewitz, CEO of Inspired Review, had a few words that he wanted to share. "Thank you Shana Pederson, LPP Board of Directors, Maribel Rivera, and all the Supporters of The Life Preservers Project. It is always an honor and an inspiration to participate in your passionate causes and it makes me grateful to be part of the altruistic side of the legal community." About Inspired Review Founded in 2013, Inspired Review is the most groundbreaking document review firm in the legal industry and the Pioneer of Remote Document Review. With advances in data security and skills testing and metrics technology, through its proprietary software, ReviewRight, Inspired Review has built the largest network of highly qualified document review attorneys in the United States. Inspired Review ensures the defensibility of your review and minimizes the risk of error through statistically validated quality control, developed in-depth validation and targeted search methodologies. Inspired Review is also very concerned with igniting change in the world by giving back. A percentage of all the company's profits are donated to a monthly sponsored charity. Kirschner and Caracciolo From Toronto to Caracas and Brussels to LA, were connected to our clients in a very special way. We absolutely love what we do. Haute Residence welcomes acclaimed realtors, Frank Kirschner and Veronica Caracciolo to its invitation-only network of top brokers. As Haute Residence partners, Kirschner and Caracciolo exclusively represent the high-end real estate markets in West Palm Beach, Jupiter and Wellington, Florida. Combining well over 25 years of international real estate experience, Kirschner and Caracciolo provide a depth of knowledge and industry insight few possess. As founders of Palm Beach Lux Group, they blend disparate backgrounds to deliver unsurpassed services that are rooted in professionalism and integrity. Raised in Venezuela, Caracciolo speaks Italian, Spanish and English. She focuses on luxury homes and condominiums. She has worked with the team at the Ritz Carlton and knows the South Florida market extremely well. Kirschners resume runs deep and wide, from Top Sales Awards to Company ownership and several executive leadership roles over an impressive history in the US and Canada. He has served as Vice President/Director of Canadian Operations for Prudential RE. Kirschners negotiation skills and knowledge of the South Florida market give his clients a definite edge. Accomplished brokers on their own, Kirschner and Caracciolo are a respected internationally experienced couple who clients love working with. From Toronto to Caracas and Brussels to LA, were connected to our clients in a very special way," they say. We absolutely love what we do. About Haute Residence: Designed as a partnership-driven luxury real estate portal, Haute Residence connects its affluent readers with top real estate professionals, while offering the latest in real estate news, showcasing the worlds most extraordinary residences on the market and sharing expert advice from its knowledgeable and expe-rienced real estate partners. The invitation-only luxury real estate network, which partners with just one agent in every market, unites a distinguished collective of leading real estate agents and brokers and highlights the most extravagant properties in leading markets around the globe for affluent buyers, sellers, and real estate enthusiasts. HauteResidence.com has grown to be the number one news source for million-dollar listings, high-end res-idential developments, celebrity real estate, and more. Access all of this information and more by visiting: http://www.hauteresidence.com Rendering of AHN Hempfield-Neighborhood Hospital With this neighborhood hospital, we are bringing to Westmoreland County an innovative, patient-centered model that will provide the best possible experience, quality and outcomes for those requiring emergency care, short hospital stays and other outpatient services Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today identified Hempfield Township in Westmoreland County as the first location for one of four new neighborhood hospitals the organizations plan to construct across western Pennsylvania over the next two years. The facility will be built at the junction of Agnew Road and Route 30 and will be called AHN HempfieldNeighborhood Hospital. AHN is in the process of securing regulatory approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and fully expects to comply with all applicable hospital licensure rules and regulations. Pending state approval, the hospital is targeted for a 2019 opening. With this neighborhood hospital, we are bringing to Westmoreland County an innovative, patient-centered model that will provide the best possible experience, quality and outcomes for those requiring emergency care, short hospital stays and other outpatient services, said Cynthia Hundorfean, AHN President and CEO. We have taken a number of important steps over the past year to expand access to AHN physicians and programs in Westmoreland County, and this wonderful new facility will further ensure that the people who live here have exceptional choices close to home for their health care needs. AHN Hempfield is part of a plan announced by Highmark Health and AHN in October to invest $1 billion in new facility construction and existing facility expansion and renovation over the next four to five years to further improve access to affordable, high-quality health care services in the western Pennsylvania region. A key component of that strategy is the formation of a joint venture with Emerus, the nations leading developer and operator of neighborhood hospitals. AHN will be among the first health systems east of the Mississippi to incorporate the Emerus neighborhood hospital concept into its care delivery model. AHN Hempfield will offer an assortment of onsite clinical services, including an emergency department, 10 inpatient beds for observation and short-stay use, diagnostic care, primary and specialty care, and other complementary services. Among the planned physician practices at the site will be specialists in neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, cardiology, general and breast surgery, and womens subspecialties. Unlike standalone emergency departments or urgent care centers, the facility will be a fully licensed hospital that is open 24/7 and able to accommodate patients who require certain inpatient services. It will be staffed by board-certified physicians, nurses and other experienced health care professionals, all of whom are aligned around a proven, high-quality care model. Emerus has received the prestigious Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award, which recognizes top-performing health care organizations that have consistently achieved the top 95th percentile or above for exceptional patient experience, for five consecutive years. We are excited to partner with AHN to deliver what will be a truly differentiated health care experience in this community. Our model is focused entirely around the needs of patients, and the importance of providing excellent care in an expedited and compassionate manner to those who seek our services, said Craig Gogeun, CEO of Emerus. Among numerous patient-friendly design elements, AHN Hempfield will feature nursing stations uniquely configured to maximize sightlines and accessibility, allowing staff to easily monitor exam rooms and minimize response times. Aesthetically pleasing and technologically advanced CT and X-ray procedure rooms will provide comfort for patients of any age, with adjacent observation rooms that keep families together during procedures. An onsite lab will expedite testing processes so patients dont have to wait long for results. AHN Hempfield will offer coordinated service, from emergency care to referrals to onsite primary and specialty care physicians if needed and as appropriate. The hospital will be integrated into AHNs EPIC electronic health record, allowing medical records to be accessed and shared seamlessly for the best quality of care possible. The new hospital is the latest and largest expansion of AHNs footprint in Westmoreland County. In October, AHN opened a walk-in clinic at the lower level of the Premier Medical Associates medical office building at 4044 State Route 130 in Penn Township. The clinic features the providers of the Allegheny Family Medicine East practice and offers appointment-free care for a variety of aches and ailments, with extended evening hours available two nights a week. Earlier this year, the AHN Outpatient CenterWestmoreland also opened on Nature Park Road in Hempfield Township. The 23,000-square-foot facility provides access to medical and surgical specialists and features a state-of-the-art endoscopy center for patients requiring gastrointestinal procedures. The Outpatient Center also offers physical and occupational therapy services, a lab for blood draws and both X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services. About Highmark Health Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh, PA based enterprise that employs more than 40,000 people nationwide and serves nearly 50 million Americans in all 50 states, is the second largest integrated health care delivery and financing network in the nation based on revenue. Highmark Health is the parent company of Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, and HM Health Solutions. Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates provide health insurance to more than 5 million members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware as well as dental insurance, vision care and related health products through a national network of diversified businesses that include United Concordia Companies, HM Insurance Group, Davis Vision and Visionworks. Allegheny Health Network is the parent company of an integrated delivery network that includes eight hospitals, more than 2,800 affiliated physicians, ambulatory surgery centers, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, a group purchasing organization, and health and wellness pavilions in western Pennsylvania. HM Health Solutions focuses on meeting the information technology platform and other business needs of the Highmark Health enterprise as well as unaffiliated health insurance plans by providing proven business processes, expert knowledge and integrated cloud-based platforms. To learn more, please visit http://www.highmarkhealth.org. About the Allegheny Health Network Allegheny Health Network (http://www.AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of eight hospitals, including Allegheny General Hospital, its flagship academic medical center in Pittsburgh, Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, womens health, diabetes and more. It also is home to a comprehensive research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 17,000 people, has more than 2,800 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. About Emerus Emerus is the nations first and largest operator of neighborhood hospitals. Emerus partners with leading health systems to provide excellence, empathy and innovation in health care delivery through a network of efficient, value-based neighborhood hospitals. The Emerus network brings high-quality, patent-centric acute episodic and ambulatory clinical services to communities across a given market. This helps patients by positioning best-in-class provider services in the communities where they work, live and play. Emerus distinctive level of care earned the Guardian of Excellence Award for Superior Patient Experience in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. More information is available at http://www.emerus.com (http://www.emerus.com). Dr. Sophia Wisniewska I am greatly humbled and honored to be recognized by the Pinellas Urban League for my initiatives and efforts to improve diversity. Respected scholar and visionary leader Dr. Sophia Wisniewska was honored with an award at Pinellas County Urban League's 2017 Equal Opportunity Gala, which took place on December 2, 2017 in Clearwater, Fla. Dr. Wisniewska was recognized for her long-standing track record of success in improving diversity and fostering an equal opportunity environment during her tenure as Regional Chancellor at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP). I am greatly humbled and honored to be recognized by the Pinellas Urban League for my initiatives and efforts to improve diversity, said Dr. Wisniewska. However, I am most grateful for this honor on behalf of the entire USFSP campus. Our faculty, staff, and students remain staunchly committed to building a university that models and celebrates a diverse community. Under Dr. Wisniewskas leadership, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg was able to achieve several important goals that promote diversity, including the introduction of: a Minority Postdoctoral Fellows Program, a Cabinet-level position of Campus Diversity Officer, several tenure track faculty positions that enhance domestic and global diversity, and the first female African American Dean of Education. The Equal Opportunity Gala is the Pinellas County Urban League's annual fundraising event that celebrates the achievements of those who strive to create an equal opportunity environment for every citizen. The event is traditionally supported by members and leaders of the local community, as well as state and federal officials, and a number of Fortune 500 companies. About Sophia Wisniewska A visionary leader and respected scholar, Dr. Sophia Wisniewska possesses extensive experience and a proven track record of success in higher education. Her signature accomplishments include developing strategic plans and forging key partnerships with community leaders, creating innovative academic programs, fiscal management, and vigorous resource development. Dr. Wisniewska formerly excelled in leadership roles at Penn State, Temple, and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP). Dr. Wisniewska holds a PhD and a Master of Arts in Russian from Bryn Mawr College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Russian with a minor in history from Penn State. She also participated in Harvard Universitys Institute for Management and Leadership in Education. By combining ConnectAndSell's unmatched ability to deliver targeted live conversations on demand with Outreachs comprehensive sales engagement platform, together we enable every salesperson to execute at an unprecedented level of precision and productivity. Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectAndSell, Inc., announces a deep product-integration and partnership with Outreach to market a joint offering that combines ConnectAndSells one-of-a-kind advanced conversations-on-demand solution with Outreachs leading sales engagement platform. ConnectAndSell, a Silicon Valleybased corporation established in 2007, has developed the worlds only patented sales-acceleration technology. They have been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the 10 Innovative Companies to Watch in 2016 and by Inc. Magazines online publication in its list of 18 Tech Companies to Get Excited About (March 31, 2016). ConnectAndSell has made more than 100 million dials and delivered over five million conversations to more than 1,000 B2B customers, ranging from aggressive startups to the most established enterprises. Beall commented, At ConnectAndSell, we believe that conversations matter. Our flagship product, Lightning, lets salespeople effortlessly connect with targeted decision-makers in minutes. By combining ConnectAndSell's unmatched ability to deliver targeted live conversations on demand with Outreachs comprehensive sales engagement platform, together we enable every salesperson to execute at an unprecedented level of precision and productivity. Outreach, a privately held company based in Seattle, Washington, is the leading sales engagement platform. Outreach automates and prioritizes customer touch points throughout the sales process, resulting in increased productivity for sales teams. Thousands of customers rely on Outreach to transform the sales process, drive collaboration between sales and marketing, and deliver higher revenue per sales rep. Commenting on Outreach's addition of conversation acceleration to make sales people even more successful, Greg Mushen, VP of Product Development, said, "Our team believes in giving our customers the tools they need to scale up and spend more time connecting with prospects. We're excited that this integration will help set our joint customers up for success." For more information about the ConnectAndSell + Outreach partnership, contact ConnectAndSell at 888-240-7737 or visit connectandsell.com. To learn more about Outreach, visit http://www.outreach.io. Southern California wildfires Our church partners have deeply engaged ministries, said Katie Mears, Director of Episcopal Relief & Developments US Disaster Team. As the fires continue, we will leverage the expertise of our congregations and diocesan disaster coordinators. Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to provide emergency support to help the most vulnerable impacted by the wildfires spreading across Southern California. This assistance includes gift cards and spiritual care for homeless and undocumented people in Ventura, Ojai and Santa Paula. One of the challenges in a situation like this is figure out a response when new needs become apparent, noted The Very Rev. Canon Michael Bamberger of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, a member of Episcopal Relief & Developments Partners in Response team and the Diocesan Disaster Coordinator for Los Angeles. We used an asset based approach and identified that there are active Laundry Love ministries in Ojai and Ventura. It was easy to see how the existing ministry could be amplified to meet the needs of a community to clean their clothes of the smoke residue. In the days ahead, when we become aware of more needs, we will do our best to address them. California has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country due, in part, to the lack of affordable housing and shelters with long waiting lists, forcing an increase in the number of people living in encampments and on the streets. In partnership with St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Ojai, St. Pauls Episcopal Church in Santa Paula and St. Pauls Episcopal Church in Ventura, the Diocese of Los Angeles is providing gift cards to help people who are homeless and undocumented to replace belongings lost in the fires. All three churches have strong interfaith relationships in their communities. Laundry Love, a national program that assists people struggling financially to have the dignity of clean clothes, is working with St. Andrews and St. Pauls in Ojai to provide laundry services. Canon Bamberger and diocesan leadership are in regular communication with clergy and congregational leaders through AlertMedia, an emergency notification platform, to assess and organize responses. Driven by high, unpredictable winds and mountainous terrain, six fires continue to burn and have destroyed approximately 800 buildings and charred 230,000 acres. More than 5,700 firefighters are battling these swiftly moving fires for the second week. The Southern California wildfires erupted less than two months after thousands of acres and hundreds of buildings and homes were destroyed in wildfires in the northern part of the state. Our church partners have deeply engaged ministries, said Katie Mears, Director of Episcopal Relief & Developments US Disaster Team. As the fires continue, we will leverage the expertise of our congregations and diocesan disaster coordinators. Donations to the US Disaster Fund will help those affected by the devastating wildfires in California. For over 75 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has served as a compassionate response to human suffering in the world. The agency works with more than 3 million people in nearly 40 countries worldwide to overcome poverty, hunger and disease through multi-sector programs, using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework. An independent 501(c)(3) organization, it works closely with Anglican Communion and ecumenical partners to help communities create long-term development strategies and rebuild after disasters. Photo Credit: LAFD Photo | Harry Garvin Lowest cost cell phone plan in the industry - Republic Wireless announces new My Choice Plan - $15 for unlimited talk and text and pay as you go cell data for $5 per gigabyte. At just $5 for each gigabyte of cell data, the My Choice Plan is designed to make it easier than ever to save on your cell phone bill so you spend your money on the people and things that are most important to you - not your cell phone bill. Long lauded for disrupting the wireless industry and saving consumers money, WiFi calling innovator Republic Wireless today announced a new simpler, even less expensive and more flexible way to buy cell phone service. Starting tomorrow, Republics new "My Choice Plan" starts at $15 for basic unlimited talk and text. Each gigabyte of nationwide 4G LTE cellular data is only $5. The new plan will continue to offer everything customers love about Republic: two nationwide 4G LTE carrier partners, a strong Android device portfolio and a terrific customer experience with a simpler, less expensive and more flexible offer. Designed for complete flexibility, Republic is introducing both one time cellular data buys as well as an option to select an ongoing plan with just the amount of cellular data a customer believes they need. Cell data can be added or removed via an app on the phone, and changed at any time without penalty, contracts or other restrictions. As always, Republic does not charge activation fees, require contracts or assess early termination fees. The My Choice Plan is designed to make it easier than ever to save on your cell phone bill so you spend your money on the people and things that are most important to you - not your cell phone bills, said Chris Chuang, chief executive officer, Republic Wireless. The overwhelming majority of our members today use less than 2GB of cell data each month and many new customers who come to Republic Wireless tell us within weeks that they realize they have been overpaying for years for cell data they werent using. As always, we are committed to providing our members with more value, more flexibility, and the best customer experience. This commitment drives all of our decision-making, from pricing, to the data-saving and monitoring tools in our app, to the ability to bring your own Android phone to the Republic network, all the way through to our award-winning customer support." About Republic Wireless Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina and recognized as an industry innovator and disruptor, Republic Wireless pioneered the concept of WiFi calling. Republic leverages the power of both WiFi and LTE cellular networks to offer both nationwide smartphone service as well as new screenless devices designed to help people simply and affordably connect. The company has been recognized as a top carrier choice by Consumer Reports; best basic plan by Money magazine and for excellence in customer service by PC Magazine. Visit http://www.republicwireless.com/ for more information. Media resource center here. LONDON The Irish government has warned Britain that it will be held to account over the agreement on phase one of Brexit talks after Davis Davis suggested the deal was merely a "statement of intent" and not legally binding. The Brexit Secretary told the BBC's Andrew Marr that the deal reached by British and EU negotiators last week was not "legally enforceable" and could be scrapped if the EU doesn't offer Britain satisfactory future trading terms. Prime Minister Theresa May is set to make a similar statement to MPs in a Commons statement on Monday. "Of course, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," May will tell Parliament in a speech on Brexit negotiations. However, the Irish governments chief whip, John McHugh, told the countrys RTE broadcaster that the UK government's refusal to accept the phase one agreement as binding was "bizarre" and will not be accepted by the EU27. "We will as a government, a sovereign government in Ireland, be holding the United Kingdom to account, as will the European Union," McHugh said, responding to Davis' remarks. "My question to anybody within the British government would be: why would there be an agreement, a set of principled agreements, in order to get to phase two, if they werent going to be held up? That just sounds bizarre to me. This, as far as were concerned, is a binding agreement, an agreement in principle." A spokesperson for the Irish government added: "Both Ireland and the EU will be holding the UK to the phase one agreement." EU leaders are set to agree this week that the deal represents "sufficient progress" on the terms of Britain's divorce, meaning talks on future trade and transition can get underway before the New Year. Ireland's deputy prime minister, Simon Coveney, has pointed out that the text of the agreement contradicts the UK Brexit Secretary's claims, as the British side agreed to uphold all commitments on the Irish border question no matter what trade arrangements it is offered by the EU. The text states that the commitments Britain made on the Irish border in phase one negotiations will be "upheld in all circumstances, irrespective of the nature of any future agreement between the EU and UK." Coveney has previously suggested that the EU27 will not hesitate to support Ireland and veto further progress in Brexit negotiations if the UK government fails to adequately address Ireland's border concerns. "I don't think Ireland will have to block anything on its own," he told an Irish parliamentary committee last month. "There is absolute solidarity across the 27 countries here. They are with Ireland on this because we are making a fair but very firm case and I believe other European countries will stick with Ireland." May will tell MPs today that there is a "new sense of optimism" around Brexit negotiations. "I have always been clear that this was never going to be an easy process. It has required give and take for the UK and the EU to move forwards together. And that is what we have done," she is set to say. Aamin Ambulance is the first and only free private ambulance services in the Somalias capital, Mogadishu. The ambulance service is widely known to be the first emergency service that usually arrives bomb blast scene in the country. One which is frequent in the country due to activities of the As-Shabaab insurgent group. According to Aamin, Abdi Addow and Nadifa Mohamed were two individuals that coordinated the process. Abdi Addow was credited to have opened a gofundme page. He did this to raise funds to support the ambulance service right after the twin bomb blasts that hit Mogadishu on October 12, 2017. Nadifa Mohamed also played a key as a major mobilization for the process. At the beginning, Abdi Addow had hoped to raise 100,000 Swedish Krona (US $12,286) for Aamin Ambulance. Please support the unsung heroes and heroines of Aamin Ambulance, Abdi appealed on the page. However, within 16 hours after the page was created, 38,213 Swedish Krona (the US $4,694) was raised by 198 people. About Aamin Ambulance Service Aamin was established in 2006 by Somali professionals to provide some of the most needed services across the country. Currently, the service owns a fleet of 10 ambulances which is the largest in the country. AAMIN is currently implementing the largest single fleet of Ambulances in the country with an unparalleled record of quick response for the affected of any disaster," the agency stated on its website. "Its nation-wide network equipped with the latest communication system now covers the remotest areas of Mogadishu." According to the analysis published by the Economic Times of India, the exit from East Africa and the monetisation of tower assets in five other non-profitable markets would help the company boost margin and reduce leverage. Airtel has been exploring strategic exits from Africa as it looks to focus on its Asian operations and its chairman, Sunil Mittal has already indicated that the company needs to exit the the markets in Kenya,Tanzania and Rwanda which have margins significantly lower than the current Africa average.This exit will be explored via intra-country sales,purchase or a merger. In Ghana for instance the company has completed a merger with rival Tigo to create the second largest telco in the West African country. Separately, analysts said if Airtels stated interest in buying 9mobile (formerly, Etisalat Nigeria) the fourth largest mobile carrier in Nigeria translates in a deal, it would become the largest telco by subscribers in a market that is Bhartis largest in Africa and generates 30% of its revenues in the continent. We take no view on a potential transaction, but a simple sum of the respective market shares of Bharti and 9mobile would suggest a No 1operator in Nigeria by subscribers, slightly ahead of present market leader MTN, Goldman Sachs said. Mittal had also told ET in a recent interview that Airtel is keen on erstwhile Etisalat Nigeria, which is now called 9mobile, and is up for sale. At present, Bharti is the third-largest telco in Nigeria with a 25% subscriber market share, while fourth largest, 9mobile has 12%. If Airtel were to acquire 9mobile, its customer market share at 37% would be a tad higher than MTNs 36%. According to analysts, although the Africa operation has historically been a drag on Bharti Airtel, over the past 3-4 years, the Sunil Mittal-led telco has divested $3.3 billion worth of assets, which has helped reduce Africa debt levels by as much 40%. Gifty Osei was responding to a question from a fellow panellist on Accra-based Kasapa FM. The panellist whose name has been given as Chris asked why Gifty Osei did not marry him. She jokingly responded that she does not like bald-headed men. READ ALSO: Samira Bawumia honours singer with gold plaque Im sad that when Chris saw me, I was already married. I know Chris is joking and he knows I dont like men with bald head. Empress Gifty Osei, is currently celebrating her 10th anniversary in the gospel music industry. She earlier disclosed that she dropped a whopping GHC50,000 just on decorations at her executive album launch and the 10 years anniversary celebration. She also indicated that she spent more than $10, 000 on her dress for the event. Joy Ezechikamnayo is expected to be sworn in by the incumbent governor, Okezie Ikpeazu. According to Africanspotlightlight.com, the senior prefect of Intellectual Giants Christian Academys unprecedented privilege follows her emergence as top performer in an essay competition that lasted over a week. As part of the prize, she is taking charge of the administration of the Abia state with the support of other 19 students, all of whom emerged as the top 20 performers of in the competition. Reports suggest that the governor-to-be is currently attending a leadership retreat with members of her cabinet after which the swearing in ceremony will take off. Aside Joy Ezechikamnayo being the governor, the remainder of the top 20 performers are also holding various relevant positions that matter in the administration of the state for the next 24 hours. Here is are the positions in hierarchical order: 1st position-Governor 2nd position Deputy Governor 3rd position SSG Apparently, Ho Van Lang was only 4 years old or less when his 85-year-old Ho Van Thanh, 85 fled into the jungle with him, after US bomb killed his mother and two other siblings. Thesun.co.uk reported that Quang Ngai province where Ho Van Thanh had been living with his family was a Viet Cong stronghold and was the scene of fierce jungle battles as the US military attempted to flush out the communist insurgents. Reports say they had been living in the Tay Tra forest of the Quang Ngai province since then, until in 2013 when some residents discovered them. They are gradually getting used to civilian life and are reportedly living in a house near the forest. Ho Van Lang recently opened up about his life in the forest to Docastaway, an organisation which offers holidays to remote, uninhabited parts of the world. The organisations managing director, Alvaro Cerezo had reportedly met with Ho Van Lang to simply ask him about how survival in the forest was like, but ended up spending five days with him in the jungle. The Akyem mine was also named the Second Best Company in Corporate Social Responsibility and the Third Most Profitable Company in Ghana for 2016. READ ALSO: ECG resolves BOT vending challenges This years ceremony marked the 16th anniversary of the Ghana Club 100 awards organised annually by the GIPC to recognise and celebrate successful enterprise building. Overall standings are based on companies weighted average rank in profitability and growth over their three most recent operating years, as well as their turnover for the year under assessment. Ghanas Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, presented the award for the Overall Best Performing Company to the Akyem Mine on behalf of President Nana Akufo-Addo. He commended the company and others on the ranking for their continuous support to the Ghanaian economy and pledged his governments commitment to creating the enabling environment for businesses in the country to thrive. The General Manager of Newmont Golden Ridge Limited, Joep Coenen, attributed the achievement to the joint effort of the company, employees and all stakeholders towards the business strategy. He said the companys commitment to responsible and sustainable mining is one factor that distinguishes Newmont from other businesses. READ ALSO: Finance Minister buys Kantanka car One thing that we are doing very differently is focusing on our environment, focusing on our safety, focusing on our communities and it is my view that if you have those things right then the production and cost control efforts become much easier, he said. In a bid to ensure its long-term sustainability, Newmont Ghana has over the years implemented a number of business improvement initiatives in its Ahafo and Akyem Mines to improve cost and ensure its profitability. We are excited about this recognition, but more pleased that our commitment to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining is making an impact in our communities and in the larger Ghanaian economy, he added. The General Manager of the Ahafo Mine, Bernard Wessels expressed optimism that with the governments continuous support, Newmont Ghana will continue to contribute positively to the economic and social development of its host communities and the country at large. The Regional Senior Vice President, Newmont Africa, Alwyn Pretorius expressed gratitude to the companies employees and business partners and reiterated Newmont Ghanas commitment to working with the government and all relevant stakeholders to ensure business improvement and benefit for all. The Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul had accused the management of the factory for its woes. According to him, the Armed Forces have been sidelined, with no accounts rendered to private managers of the facility. The company had a total of 200 workers since it was refurbished in 2012 but there are now only 49, a situation the Minister had blamed on management. But addressing a press conference on Monday, the acting General Manager of the company, Nii Konnie Laryea said the company is in the state it is because the security agencies they produce do not patronize their products. It is a fact that all the government security agencies, including the Ghana Police, Ghana National Fire Service, Prisons Service, the Immigration Service and even the Ghana Armed Forces still order their boots and shoes from China and India, he said. the security agencies which constitute our primary market have refused to buy our boots and shoes, he added. Mr Laryea believes that the absence of a definite policy to force these security agencies and other government agencies to purchase their products is also a factor. Confirming the incident to Accra FM, Appiah Stadium said that he suspects that Invincible Forces, a private security arm of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), are behind the attack. I will never stop supporting John Mahama, I wont stop. NPP will have to kill me. I have realised that I am a pillar and an impediment in the way of the NPP. They first arrested me, they later stormed my house with guns and now they have burnt my house and car. He believed that The NPPs Invincible Forces did that. Meanwhile, members of the Invincible Forces have denied setting the house ablaze.I will plead with our youth to respect each other. No member of Invincible Forces did that. For what reason? Kwabena Boakye, spokesperson for the Invincible Forces, told host Forson. The UN on Sunday revised down the death toll from 15 to 14. While the Tanzanian press has said two other soldiers are missing. "The death of our Tanzanian friends shall be written in the history of the Congolese nation, in tribute to their sacrifice," said Congolese General Leon Mushale. "They will remain in the hearts of the Congolese people." The soldiers were killed on Thursday in the conflict-torn east of the country after clashes with suspected Ugandan Muslim rebels, the so-called Allied Democratic Forces. David Gressly, the UN's deputy special representative for the DRC, said the peacekeepers would not step back from their work. "The Blue Helmets will continue to protect the people of Beni," he pledged. The attack is the bloodiest against MONUSCO, a force that was deployed in DRC in 1999, and the worst against a UN force since the death of 24 Pakistani peacekeepers in Somalia in June 1993. The European Union on Monday said the "unacceptable attack... underscores the fragility of the security situation in eastern DRC, amplified by the current uncertainty over the country's political situation." It called on the DRC authorities to carry out an inquiry "so that those responsible can be swiftly brought to justice," according to an EU statement issued in Kinshasa. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! The demonstrators want the withdrawal of proposed legislation that would overhaul Romania's justice system and reduce the powers of the respected anti-corruption directorate, the DNA. Critics say the changes would dent progress in tackling graft, which Brussels has long complained about in the 10 years since Romania joined the European Union. In Bucharest's central Victory Square, thousands gathered holding European Union and Romanian flags and shouted "Resign", while branding the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) "the red plague". "They are doing everything so that they can steal legitimately. They are changing the laws in their favour, not for the benefit of the country," said a 36-year-old who refused to give his name. "Don't force us to leave our country," he said. This week, Romania's prosecutor general Augustin Lazar denounced moves to "weaken the independence of prosecutors". The protests saw several thousands take to the streets of Bucharest. More than 2,000 people demonstrated in the central city of Sibiu and in western Timisoara. The PSD returned to power after a thumping election victory last December but has had a rocky ride. About 2,000 people filled the main concert hall where the memorial was held, while hundreds more crowed into the building's entry and hallways to watch on giant screens. Praljak had a private funeral in Zagreb last week, according to media reports. The 72-year-old took his life just seconds after appeal judges in The Hague upheld his 20-year jail sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bosnia's 1990s conflict. 'Theatre of the absurd' The judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia confirmed that Praljak and his five Bosnian Croat co-defendants were part of a "joint criminal enterprise" to ethnically cleanse Bosnian Muslims in the war. But since Praljak's death, Croats have paid multiple tributes to the late general, laying flowers and lighting candles in town squares in Croatia and Bosnia. Monday's commemoration, organised by the Croatian generals' association, was attended by at least one government minister in the EU member state, along with top officials of the ruling conservative HDZ party. The event, which lasted around an hour, included music, recitals and speeches by Praljak's associates and friends from the military, politics and theatre. "No one can compare to a great man like Slobodan," said Miroslav Tudjman, an MP with the HDZ and son of late Croatian nationalist president Franjo Tudjman. Tudjman branded the UN court's verdict as a "degradation of international justice". "It's a parody, a theatre of the absurd," said Tudjman, slamming "incompetent and irresponsible judges at the court in The Hague". 'Croatian martyr' Zlatko Vitez, a well-known actor in Croatia, said that Praljak, who worked in film and theatre before joining the military, would be remembered as a "Croatian martyr". The commemoration ended with a rendition of the Croatian national anthem led by a choir. The crowd, some of whom had travelled from Bosnia, stood up and joined the singing. Before the ceremony, visitors queued up to sign two books of condolences. Vjekoslav Balen, a 74-year-old pensioner in the queue, said Praljak was a "hero" who "took his own life for Croatia's wellbeing, for the future". Later on Monday, a mass for Praljak was due to be held in a Zagreb church. The appeals verdict for Praljak and his co-defendants was the last ruling from the ICTY before it shuts down at the end of the year. Their convictions were upheld for crimes including murder, persecution and inhumane treatment. While Christmas time may be family bonding time and reunions between relatives that havent seen each other all year, its also a great time to go away to somewhere new. Here are some places where you can go out and have fun on a budget. 1. Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos With little or no money this is a great place to go for the holidays. You can go with friends or family and have a lot of fun. Its affordable and also has quite a few attractions that are bound to keep the attention of everyone that goes. For old time visitors, you can spice it up a bit and take a picnic basket and a blanket to relax on while playing family-friendly games there. 2. Olumo Rock, Abeokuta Olumo Rock is not only an affordable place to go and fun but also a great place to get a quick history lesson. It is a historic monument of the Abeokuta people with ties deeply rooted in their cultural history. To enjoy your trip its best to be accompanied by a tour guide as they will help you better understand the significance of the location. 3. Idanre Hills, Ondo Idanre Hills is located in the serene town of Idanre town in Ondo state and is a great place to also have a history lesson while having fun, rock climbing. It is affordable and budget friendly with a lot of cultural history to be learned on the way up the rocky hill. 4. Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort, Calabar Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort is located close to the Cameroon Border in Cross River State. The resort features a cable car which gives guests a scenic view of the surrounding, mountains and offers free WiFi to all guests. 5. Lekki Leisure Lake, Lagos It is a lakeside resort that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. The resort has jet skis, quad bikes and other fun water activities. Worthy of note is that food and drinks cannot be brought into the resort but are sold at the resort. 6. Oniru Beach, Lagos Oniru Beach is ideal for a day out with friends and family to swim, swim or walk beside the water. Its affordable along with the fact that you can bring your own food and drinks to the beach while you spend a day with nature. 7. Tinapa resort, Calabar This is another choice location in Cross River. The Tinapa Free Zone & Resort has a Casino (Bye Vegas, hello Tinapa), cinemas, arcades, restaurant and clubs. This is an amazing location for family trips because theres something for everyone. If youre in the area this Christmas, dont forget to enjoy the Calabar carnival experience. 8. Millennium Park, Abuja Asia and African are two continents that are widely stereotyped for so long to be places of poverty, war, and diseases. However, there are many beautiful places in the region which are better than many metropolis in the developed nation. The world is "one tiny tantrum away" from a nuclear crisis, said on Sunday as it accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. "We have a choice: the end of nuclear weapons or the end of us," the group's Speaking at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway, Fihn said the threat of nuclear weapons being used was "greater today than in the Cold War" and warned that a country's "moment of panic" could lead to the "destruction of cities and the deaths of millions of civilians." Referring to current relations between the international community and North Korea, Nakamitsu said: " Last week, the White House national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said the chances for war on the peninsula were growing,CNN reported. President Donald Trump's transition team and, later, his nascent administration was warned at least six times about potential conflicts of interest and compromising conversations between Michael Flynn, the incoming national security adviser, and Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the US at the time. But Flynn was not asked to step down until February 13, nearly a month into his tenure as the country's senior-most national security official. That timeline has become a focus for Robert Mueller, the special counsel who is examining why it took 18 days for the White House to remove Flynn after a stark warning from Sally Yates, the acting attorney general. She had told the White House counsel, Don McGahn, that Flynn most likely lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his calls with Kislyak. That was far from the first time, however, that an official had urged Trump and his advisers to rethink bringing Flynn into the White House. By January 26, Yates was at least the fourth person to sound the alarm. And she warned McGahn about Flynn in two meetings and a phone call before she was fired on January 30 for unrelated reasons. Obamas warnings The first warning came from President Barack Obama on November 10. A former Obama White House official confirmed to Business Insider on Monday that Obama cautioned Trump against appointing Flynn "based on the president's experience with Flynn in his administration." "President Obama underscored with President-elect Trump how important a role the NSA is and how it demanded a serious person with sound judgment, impeccable credentials, and unimpeachable character," the official said, referring to the National Security Agency. "In other words, [Obama] relied heavily on his national security advisers and wanted to convey how critical the job had been in our administration." After Flynn pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Kislyak, Ty Cobb, the White House special counsel, characterized Flynn as a "former Obama administration official." Trump has pointed to Flynn's security clearance renewal in January 2016 as evidence that high-level officials once trusted Flynn. But Obama fired Flynn as the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 and Flynn's security clearance would have been renewed at the DIA level rather than by the upper echelons of the White House. Susan Rice, a former national security adviser, said in April that the renewal of Flynn's security clearance by the DIA would have been "a very separate thing ... from the vetting that goes into the appointment of any senior White House official, or any senior administration official." The Trump White House, by contrast, in its vetting of Flynn either failed to detect or overlooked the fact that Flynn had been lobbying on behalf of Turkish government interests throughout the latter half of 2016. Flynn also reportedly brought with him into the White House a private project he had been working on to promote the building of nuclear power plants in the Middle East. A top congressmans warnings Sean Spicer, the former Trump White House press secretary, said in March, just after Flynn registered as a foreign agent with the Justice Department, that Trump had not been aware that Flynn had been paid to lobby for Turkish interests in the months before the US election. But The Daily Caller and Politico reported in November last year that Flynn's consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, had been hired to do that. And days later, on November 18 just over a week after Obama warned Trump about Flynn Rep. Elijah Cummings sent Pence a letter requesting more information about potential conflicts of interest posed by Flynn's lobbying work. "Recent news reports have revealed that Lt. Gen. Flynn was receiving classified briefings during the presidential campaign while his consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, Inc., was being paid to lobby the U.S. Government on behalf of a foreign government's interests," said Cummings, the ranking Democratic member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Cummings told Business Insider through his office at the time that he thought "the problems that have occurred with Lt. Gen. Flynn" could have been avoided had Pence heeded his warnings. Pence headed Trump's transition team, but he has insisted that he did not know about Flynn's lobbying work or conversations with the Russian ambassador before Flynn's ouster in February. Chris Christies warnings Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey recently suggested he thought he was abruptly dismissed from leading the transition team on November 11 largely because he had warned transition officials against hiring Flynn as national security adviser. Two people familiar with the transition team's deliberations told Politico last month that Christie had expressed concern about Flynn being "in a leadership position." "We were active in the effort to stymie his advances," one former transition official told the publication. "But Trump liked him. It seemed to me that they were going to take care of him." In the days after the election, Flynn apparently crashed a meeting at Trump Tower in which Christie presented his suggestions for top national security roles in the incoming administration, Politico reported, citing people familiar with the transition. Flynn told the group which included Ivanka Trump, Steve Bannon, and Jeff Sessions that he wanted to be secretary of state, secretary of defense, or national security adviser, the people told Politico. He was given the national security role in large part, reports suggest, because of his loyalty to Trump during the campaign. "Suffice to say, I had serious misgivings, which I think have been confirmed by the fact that he pled guilty to a felony in federal court," Christie said at a press conference last week. Asked whom he would have appointed instead of Flynn, Christie replied, "It's in about four volumes of books that were apparently thrown out the day I was terminated." Flynn and Bannon, the former White House chief strategist who was then a top transition adviser, "celebrated" Christie's dismissal "by tossing binders full of potential personnel picks, carefully culled by Christie's team, into trash bins with a sense of ceremonial glee," according to Politico. Christie said last week that he thought that "what folks who were involved in that transition have now painfully learned at the expense of the country is that experience matters." Sally Yates warnings Yates, the former acting attorney general, told a Senate Judiciary subcommittee earlier this year that she had had "two in-person meetings and one phone call" with McGahn in January about Flynn's contact with Kislyak. Yates said she called McGahn with "a very sensitive matter" she needed to discuss with him in person. She and another career Justice Department official then traveled to the White House to meet with McGahn and one of his associates in his office, where she told them that there had been news reports related to Flynn's conduct that the DOJ "knew to be untrue," she said. Yates and the official told them "how we had this information, how we had acquired it, and how we knew that it was untrue," she recalled. While he was vice president-elect, Pence insisted in an interview with CBS that Flynn and Kislyak "did not discuss anything having to do with the United States' decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia" a statement that turned out to be untrue and that set off alarm bells at the Justice Department. Yates said that "the Russians also knew that General Flynn had misled the vice president and others." "This was a problem because not only did we believe that the Russians knew this, but that they likely had proof of this information, and that created a compromise situation a situation where the national security adviser essentially could be blackmailed by the Russians," she said. "We told them that we were giving them all of this information so that they could take action, the action that they deemed appropriate." She continued: "I remember that Mr. McGahn asked me whether or not General Flynn should be fired, and I told him that that really wasn't our call that was up to them." Yates met with McGahn again on January 27, when McGahn then asked her why the DOJ would be concerned "if one White House official is lying to another," she said. He also wanted to know whether the department was pursuing a criminal case against Flynn and expressed concern that taking action against Flynn could "interfere with the FBI investigation," she said. Yates said McGahn also asked her to see the DOJ's evidence of Flynn's conversations with Kislyak. The FBI interviewed Flynn about his conversations with Kislyak on January 24 as part of its investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Flynn has acknowledged that he misled the federal agents by telling them that the issue of US sanctions on Russia had not been discussed when, in fact, it had. Yates said in her testimony that she told McGahn she could not disclose how Flynn did in that FBI interview because the investigation was ongoing. But she indicated to him that Flynn told the bureau the same thing he had told Pence. Yates called McGahn again on January 30 hours before Trump fired her for refusing to enforce his first travel ban to tell him he could come over to the DOJ to review the details of Flynn's communication with Kislyak. Neither McGahn nor his lawyer has returned requests for comment about whether he ever took the DOJ up on that offer. Yates testified that, because of her firing, she didn't know whether he did. Yates told Democratic Sen. Chris Coons that in the course of the meetings, "Mr. McGahn certainly demonstrated that he understood that this was serious." But she said she didn't know whether the White House took any additional steps to restrict Flynn's access to sensitive or classified information. Speaking at the second founders lecture he delivered at the University of Medical Sciences in Ondo state, Babalola said Nigerian Universities are facing some challenges. While delivering a lecture titled, The Secret of Founding'', the legal icon highlighted poor workers' attitude to work; incessant industrial action by the labour unions; lack of modern curriculum and paucity of good leadership as the major problems stunting the growth of Nigerian Universities. He said the bad attitude of workers towards their job, according to Babalola is a major challenge facing public institutions in Nigeria. He added that some workers believe that employers job is not worthy of being done properly. One of the major problems in this country is the attitude of staff to work, particularly in public institutions. Hardly will you find Nigerian worker who sees works as his business.'' He said They all see the employers business as the employers business that one doesnt have to stress himself or herself about. For me, I see where I work as a personal business; but workers in public institutions and civil service think otherwise. That is why it would be very difficult to for most Nigerian universities unlike their counterparts overseas to become world-class universities. He concluded. Babalola has spent N78 billion Naira on his university Afe Babalola in May 2016 said he had spent over N78 billion Naira on the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, ABUAD. He said that the figure represented what had been spent on building of structure and provision of modern academic equipment in the last six years of its establishment. The Professor before coming to Nigeria in October was advertised to UNILORIN students as a Chair and Founder of Excellence in Education Programme, Oxford, UK; Consultant to Presidents, European and American Government, Monarchs and Corporate Leaders as well as Patriarch of Britain's Smartest family. It is a bragging right for UNILORIN to have brought a Professor from Oxford University to deliver a lecture at its Convocation. The students were jubilant to listen to a Professor all the way from Oxford University to lecture them. It was indeed a huge honour the students could not contain as the hall erupted when Prof Chris Imafidon walked into the Convocation Hall. UNILORIN almost exploded with screaming students. Of course, no student would see or read the Prof's profile without screaming, laughing and do everything that could be prompted by excitement. His Linkedin profile is too amazing and it is garnished with a long list of endless achievements in academic. Check his profile and tell me why it is a sin to scream at the sight of such an academic figure. Imafidon genuinely impressed the crowd that listened to his lecture. He wowed students and lecturers and even promised to give a scholarship to the worst graduating student in the University, saying that any poor student he adopts would do better than any Nigerian best graduating student. Everyone was amazed at his confidence, endless applause punctuated his speech as his incredible aura shook the University. However, the euphoria of receiving Prof Chris Imafidon has not petered out in UNILORIN when his profile began to attract stains. Stains that could destroy and exterminate his name and profile from the hearts of everyone that listened to his beautiful lecture. While in Nigeria, Prof Imafidon granted an interview with the Punch Newspaper. The interview endeared him more to many other Nigerians who read about how he overcame autism to achieve greatness; and about how he placed a bet with the former British Prime Minister, David Cameron when he turned around the fortunes of the worst performing schools in the UK. He won the minister's $25m and used the money to build his first school in Birmingham. A Punch in the face of the Prof After the Interview, Punch Newspaper took a step further to confirm if Imafidon is truly a Professor at Oxford University. The first reply to Punch's email to Oxford University disowns the Prof. ALSO READ: Nigerian Army Officer emerges best graduating student in UK Varsity Thank you for your email. Our records show that Chris Imafidon has no affiliation with Oxford University or any of its colleges or departments. I hope this information is what you are after; please let us know if we can be of any further help. The email reads. In case the response to the mail was a mistake, Punch tried to confirm again from the schools Media Relations Manager, Dr. Julia Paolitto and the second response is as succinct as the first. Thank you for your email. Our records show that Chris Imafidon has no affiliation with Oxford University or any of its colleges or departments. I hope this information is what you are after, please do let us know if we can be of any further help. At this point, a dark cloud was already gathering on the Professor's profile, ready to darken and blow away his academic claims. Punch in its report said it informed Imafidon about Oxford's denial but he insisted he is a Professor at Oxford-owned Keble College. He showed his library ID as an evidence to tell that he has an affinity with the Ivy League school. But the University reps keep saying they do not know anybody called Professor Chris Imafidon. Again, since Imafidon identified himself with Keble College, Punch reportedly sent another mail to the College and the response from the school's Communications Manager, Boriana Boneva, says, ''the only formal connection between Chris Imafidon and the college of which we are aware is that his daughter was a student here. All along, the Prof stood his ground that he is a Don at Oxford University, even when it was put to him that his name is not on the University website either as a lecturer or researcher. The back and forth between Oxford University and Punch Newspaper casts a cloud of doubt on Imafidon's pedigree as the man whose children are adjudged to be the smartest in the United Kingdom was caught in what is already looking like an academic fraud. ALSO READ:10 pictures that show the terrible state of education in Nigeria Oxford keeps denying, Imafidon keeps insisting and can't accept to be stripped of his honours, yet he has not come up with any other evidence to support his claims about his affiliations with Oxford University than his Library ID, which the University says it does not know how he got it. Something is wrong somewhere and someone is obviously not telling the truth. Oxford and Imafidon should come out with more evidence and save us from this dark back and forth. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Babyface, last June set up a virtual academy called Teju Babyface Mentorship Academy to mentor some youths. The insurance graduate from the University of Lagos said the academy was open to all youths, ready to learn through the easiest means, the social media. The virtual academy according to him is to discover and develop young Nigerians and help them to solve their problems through interface with tutorials on the internet. The UN Sustainable Development Goals Ambassador said that his real person was the one who would like to guide the youths on what they could achieve in life. I went into academy to fulfill my real purpose in life which is mentorship. I am going into it because I want to develop others. I think that is my next passion. I went online because it is like a land grab where everybody is grabbing what they want and for me, I established my own academy there, although I am still planning for more. The academy is like coming together of many things. I discovered after a while that the best expression of my gift is not comedy. Comedy only brought me to limelight. Something has to bring you out to the party and that is comedy. It brought me out but at first it wasnt comedy per se it is my first movie, Diamond Ring. Babyface said that he later realised that he would be a better person by impacting the knowledge of his vast experience to the upcoming generation. I have found out that the highest expression of my gift is impacting knowledge and mentorship. In the past years, I was better in collating my experiences and weaving it down around the young ones. Now it dawned on me to set up the academy to make more impact, especially when those that trained us like Ali Baba may be too busy to groom others, we need to step up. Afolayan, the director of the recently premiered movie, ", told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the availability of adequate funding would help increase the potential of movies emanating from Nollywood. It would also ensure that they attained international standards, he said. The actor said that the producers of `The Bridge borrowed about to N50 million from the Bank of Industry (BoI) to produce it. NAN reports that the movie was recently premiered in Lagos. The director also said that movies produced within short periods of time usually lacked credibility and originality. He said that this was why some of them in Nollywood could not compete with their contemporaries when aired on international broadcast stations. Access to finance is one of the major challenges to ensuring that the production of movies has rich cultural content. The accomplished Nigerian actor, film producer and director, known for films like: Phone Swap (2012), The CEO (2016) and October 1 (2014), said that he was excited to have produced his latest movie. Afolayan said that it gave him an opportunity to work with accomplished thespians. CESJET made this declaration at a press conference held in Abuja where it said it had observed that there has been an escalation of activities targeted at destabilizing Nigeria in recent weeks, but that such attempts will continue to hit the rocks. In a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the group, Comrade Isaac Ikpa, the group said the success story of the Nigerian military on its campaigns against the insurgency is too golden to be dwarfed by some selfish individuals that are out to blackmail the leadership with falsehood and campaign of calumny. Comrade Ikpa observed that similar plots have been hatched in the past and had prompted CESJET and other civil society organizations with similar convictions, to rise up to the task of calling out those that want the country to fail. "As we have seen in the renewed onslaught on the integrity of Nigeria, the new round of attack is focused on undermining the ability of the country to defend itself against external and internal threats," the statement begins. Continuing, it reads further: "This, we understand, is to be achieved by distracting and disorienting the military and security services such that they are either busy dealing with distractions or soldiers become overly conscious of threats and blackmail in a way that leaves them too worried to do their work. From what we have observed, the plan has been well hatched between foreign interests and their local representatives. Some components of the plot have already been activated, some phases are in progress, while others are awaiting implementation. The components we have become aware of through our contacts are; 1. The release and publication of fictitious and bogus reports by NGO affiliates of the detractors: these reports will make allegations of rights abuses against the military and would be given the widest international and local coverage possible. 2.A variant of the reports would claim that there has been a disproportionately high casualty on the part of the Nigerian military in the fight against Boko Haram. In the later stages of the plot, the detractors will procure the kind of weapons used by Nigerian troops and make same available to either actors of Boko Haram fighters for photo opportunities while some of the NGOs will then circulate pictures purporting to show captured weapons from the Nigerian military. 3. Exploitation of advisories by the diplomatic missions of several countries: routine advisories issued by countries to their nationals are to be exploited to create the impression that to take over several Nigerians cities and that they will soon be able to carry out large-scale attacks. 4. This component is not just to tarnish the military and the government but is also aimed at eroding investors' confidence in bringing business to Nigeria. It is curious that this component has been activated at a time when the economy is in recovery mode. 5.Lying about routine postings and deployments: these unsavoury elements are also exploiting routine postings in the military to insinuate things that are not happening. The objective of this is to ensure the Armed Forces are constrained from making routine changes for operational efficiency. This was why such persons immediately began insinuating the worst when former Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, was redeployed to Army Headquarters as the Deputy Chief of Policy and Plans. 6.Compromising and recruiting military personnel to become part of their macabre plot: not satisfied with the other areas in which they have done damages, it has now been confirmed that those behind these plots to discredit the military are scouting for military personnel that they will feature in 'exclusive interviews' and anonymous sources that they will use to attempt giving credibility to the lies they have been telling. What was further found out about this component is that they have drawn up a list of soldiers with pending disciplinary issues whom they have convinced to take part in their lies so that they are can then claim they were being punished for speaking up as a way of blackmailing the military from handling their cases in the deserving professional manner. 7.Manipulation of the news media: the services of western media conglomerates have been procured to run damaging stories on the Nigerian government and the military. The content of such stories would either accuse soldiers of rights abuses or insinuate that there has been a mutiny within the ranks. While such stories have been a staple of several foreign news organizations, those behind the plot are counting on encouraging local news media to repeat their contents to be able to do maximum damage. According to a report by Punch, the incident happened in block-moulding factory owned by the community head on Thursday, December 7, 2017. The couple reportedly had a disagreement and after the altercation, the deceased was said to have gone to the community heads factory and damaged some blocks on the premises. The angry community chief reportedly entered his Toyota Highlander jeep, and was driving out of the premises in anger when he knocked down his wife. Speaking on the incident a community leader, Akinsipe, said the wife died on the spot, adding that the corpse had been deposited at the Epe General Hospital. He said, He (Taibu) is the baale of the community. He and his wife had been having issues since they got married. I did not know what actually happened between them on that day, but I learnt that they had a disagreement in the morning. She went to his block factory and destroyed some blocks arranged on the premises. He entered his vehicle angrily and as he was driving out of the premises, the wife tried to stop him. He hit her and she died on the spot. ALSO READ: The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti, who confirmed Rotimis death, said the command would investigate the matter to unravel the motive behind the baales action. He said, We are investigating the matter to find out what transpired between the man and his wife before the incident happened. They were having family issues, which led the woman to the block industry to destroy things. We want to know whether what the man did was a reaction to what his wife did. We believe there is more to the accident than meets the eye because there was an altercation between them before the incident occured. That decision ended in regrets as she was repeatedly raped, tortured, sold into slavery and now, she is back with a pregnancy for her rapists. The 25-year-old Ekumabo who spoke to Punch at the returnees' rehabilitation camp in Benin City, the Edo State capital, revealed that when she could no longer cope with her father's incestuous behaviour, she fled for safety and met some traffickers who promised to take her to Europe to seek for greener pastures. The mother of one who hails from Uhunwode Local Government Area of Edo State, recounted how she also became a victim of serial rape by Arab men as she tried to cross over to Europe, a move that turned out futile and almost took her life in the process. She narrated that she spent seven months in the North African country before she could find her way back home to the anger of her family who insisted she should stay back in Libya and try to cross into mainstream Europe. After I exposed what my father wanted to do to me, a fight broke out at home and I had to run away for my safety," Ekimabo began. I went to stay with my friend who introduced me to the man that helped people to Europe. I did not have any money, so, I was made to swear an oath in a shrine in Benin that I will pay back every kobo when I get to Europe. We agreed that I will pay back N200,000. I left Benin for Kano in April 2017. From Kano, we were transported in a Hilux truck through the desert, with no food or water, to Agadez in the Niger Republic and from there to Tripoli in Libya. If you want to cross from Agadez to Tripoli without money, . The agency can also sell you out as a slave to get their money before you are allowed to cross to Tripoli with your new owner. I saw dead people; boys being killed; girls raped to death, and people sold as slaves. The worst part is that Nigerians are among those Arabs who treat fellow Nigerians badly. It was while I was about to cross to Tripoli that four Arab men raped me continuously without stop, after which I was allowed to cross to Tripoli where I discovered that I was pregnant. The church where Nigerians worship in Tripoli advised me to go back to Nigeria since I cannot do any other work now that I am pregnant. When I called my family that I was coming back, my mother asked them to tell me to stay back and try my best to cross to Europe. But I said to myself that since she was not the one who sent me to Libya, she had no right to tell me to cross to Europe. It has been discovered that more than 2000 Nigerians are still trapped in Libyan slave camps in their bid to cross into Europe in search of greener pastures. The story of Ekumabo is a sure fresh angle as many of those who tried to get to Europe always use the economic situation of the country as their reason. According to reports, the policemen, led by Inspector Oladele Ojelabi arrested the victim as well as others on Tuesday October 17, 2017. This was perceived as an act of intimidation by Ojelabi who had displayed a lustful interest in the wife of the deceased identified as Mrs. Gbemisola Okoro. The latter who is also a police officer had repeatedly turned down the advances of the inspector, insisting that she was married with children. But this only encouraged a determined Ojelabi to take drastic measures. Through an act of bullying, Ademilola, a hairdresser apprehended at her shop in Oke-Aro located in Ondo, led the SARS operatives to the resident of Okoro and the deceased. In a chat with the Daily Post News, she insisted the policemen failed to state her offence yet found herself at the state police command in Akure. The SARS officers didnt release me until 8am the following day but refused to release others. As I was trying to secure their release, I met Inspector Ojelabi who promised to help me and had sexual intercourse with me, Ademilola told the Daily Post News of her encounter. Mr. Femi Joseph, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Ondo State Command confirmed reports concerning the incident. This was following pressures from the family of the deceased who urged the state commissioner to look into the matter. The PPRO maintained that the officer concerned Ojelabi is still only a suspect until proven guilty. He assured that the police inspector will face penalties if found guilty of the allegations. Ongoing protests against SARS Meanwhile, in Lagos, Abuja and Warri,protesters have taken to the streets to state their concern over the excesses of some officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The marchers carried placards with various disapproving inscriptions that expresses dissatisfaction over the abusive behaviour of SARS operatives who have appeared in online videos where they were seen assaulting civilians. But Chinwe, 35, amid tears, urged the court not to grant the petitioners application on the grounds that she had aborted several pregnancies for him before their union was legalised. The petitioner, a native of Ibadan in Oyo State, told the court that he was no longer interested in the marriage. Ajadi, who lives at No. 26, Bamgboye St., Mushin, Lagos, described his wife as arrogant and a trouble maker. My wife is a party freak; I warned her to desist from moving around with bad friends but she did not heed my warning. She also likes frolicking with different men. She is not caring and lacks respect for the institution of marriage; please separate us, I can no longer live with her, he said. The respondent, who denied the allegations, pleaded with the court to save her marriage. Chinwe, who hails from Imo, described her husband as a drunk and wife beater. She alleged that the petitioner beats her at will and abuses her emotionally because she could not conceive. My husband usually drinks to stupor and misbehaves and this usually leads to serious misunderstandings between us. The respondent, who vowed to resist the planned divorce, said: l have aborted on several occasions for him before legalising the marriage and have wasted the better part of my life. In spite of my husbands attitude toward me, l still love him and do not want the marriage dissolved, she said. Reacting to the courts plea to him for a change of heart, however, the petitioner urged it not to waste its time in appealing to him, saying he was committed to the dissolution of the union. I wasted several millions of naira on the respondent through Invitro fertilization (IVF) but lost the pregnancy due to her stubbornness and nonchalant attitude, he said. The incident, according to Hits2babi.com, a popular online news portal in the West African country, happened in the Kouasi Agbavi region of the country when the woman, a single mother, met a rich man who was willing to marry her but said he did not want the baby. To please the man and convince him to marry her, the mother reportedly buried the little baby alive on Saturday, December 2, 2017, but the secret was blown open when her family members questioned her on the whereabouts of the baby. When she could not give them a reasonable explanation, the matter was reported to the police and she was arrested. During interrogation, the suspect confessed that she had buried the baby alive and led police operatives to the grave of the toddler who was exhumed. This is how Hits2babi.com captured the ugly incident: The woman [single mother], ran into a rich man who asked her to get rid of her baby before he would marry her because he would want a woman without a child. That young lady buried her baby of three months last Saturday in Agbavi; she just dug it up after the intervention of the paternal family and law enforcement officials on Monday. May God forgive this God. The collection offers a wide range of styles from party look to formal chic, sensual and bold, laidback yet cool styles for SS18. ALSO READ:See Nollywood actors light up red carpet in Arabian styles Guys get bomber jackets in solid black and red, tapered pants, velvet co-ords, pink graphic tracks and more modern styles with ladies offered tulle details on baby doll dresses, fluffy feather details on boned midriff baring pieces, trumpet hem pants, bandeau dresses, 2-pieces paired with embellished kimono. For the ladies, pretty and more sensual details were infused in the styles. The creative director Mariam Afolabi was inspired by "interpretation of the stages of love". "I wanted a collection that symbolizes the different stages of love we experience in a lifetime. The collection starts off white symbolizing the childlike innocence at the beginning tages of love, then it moves into pink which symbolizes the first stage of love, the infatuation- she begins to notice her beauty, femininity and so does he. The red symbolizes the crescendo, when things are at its peak and the black symbolizes the heartbreak. In the end one must pick themselves back up and the cycle starts again until the end", Afolabi shares. ALSO READ:Mai Atafo on why he goes dramatic to close his shows Mazelle Studio is a two-part fashion house featuring Mazelle RTW with core competences in male & Female ready to wear pieces and Mazelle Bridal. The company was formally known as Mademoiselle Aglaia. See the full collection below. Credits: Photographer- Bolaji Studio - Studio Fresco Make-Up Artist - Artistry by Tolani ALSO READ: 7 Nigerian brands with pretty pieces for ladies this holiday Though a lot missed the Arabian style interpretation, most opted for Indian meets Northern inspired styles but they sure made glitzy efforts! Easily stealing the spotlight for the night, Beverly Naya chose a custom barely there peek-a-boo Weizdhurm Franklyn piece with elaborate sheer cape cascading into train. Rita Dominic was a sparkly princess in an asymmetric form fitting piece from Lanre Da Silva Ajayi complete with a cape crafted into a train. She accessorized the look with a bejewelled hair pin. Omotola Jalade Ekeinde went all out with her dress from Nonnistics. Omoni Oboli went all out bridal with Ufuoma McDermott who opted for a 2-piece from Avant Garde By Elizabeth R. Adesua Etomi made a style comeback sizzling a beaded fringed out black piece from Tubo complete with silver embellished head dress. Tiwa Savage chose a custom black and gold piece from Lanre Da Silva complete with a super bronzed finished makeup look. Bolanle Olukanni chose a custom jumpsuit from Mazelle Studio with Nancy Isime opting for a delicately embellished frock with detachable tulle train from Tiannahs Place paired with a stoned turban. Inidinma Okojie, Mimi Onalaja, Kemi Lala Akindoju and more sizzled in bold looks. The stars interpreted the styles in dazzling pieces they chose and the Nigerian brands they chose came though. From culture, festivals and beautiful sites, the North is a very beautiful place to visit. Try going for a Durbar or polo and you'll understand there is so much to see and do and many waiting to be explored. Add these laces to your bucket list and thank us later. 1. Mambilla Plateau, Taraba With the highest point in Nigeria stands at about 1,600 meters (5,249 ft) above sea level, Mambilla plateau should be on the top of your list. The plateau has a combination of waterfalls, hills and mountains. The highest mountain Chappal Wadi which stands at 7,936 ft above sea level is the highest mountain in Nigeria is found at the northeastern flank of the Plateau. The plateau is Nigerias northern continuation of the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon. ALSO READ: 5 more trips to undertake before the end of the year 2. Matsirga Falls Kafanchan, Kaduna Matsirga Falls, located in Madakiya, Kafanchan Kaduna is another beautiful waterfall in the North. With a height of about 30 meters, it gets its source from springs on the Kagoro hills. The water at the Matsirga Falls drops into a gorge that has been supported by beautiful rocks. Something magical happens at the point of impact with the river, the avalanche of the fall creates a rainbow-like mist which appears and disappears mysteriously. 3. Kajuru Castle Kajuru Castle is an exclusive and luxurious getaway built in an early medieval style at Kajuru village in the trade city of Kaduna, a major commercial hub in the northern part of Nigeria. This gorgeous architectural masterpiece with breathtaking ambience is set upon elevated peaks with staggering views and is the ultimate holiday getaway in the north. 4. Gurara Waterfalls, Niger Discovered by a Gwari hunter called Buba in 1745, this waterfall is one of Nigers major tourist attractions. It was named after two deities Gura and Rara which were worshipped by the Gwari people. The waterfall is very beautiful and it stands at a height of 30 meters and a gushing width of 200 meters. When you visit Niger or Abuja, be sure to stop by at Gurara waterfalls. 5. Shere Hills, Jos Located in Jos, Shere hills is one of the foremost tourist attractions in the North. Quite an adventure to hike on as it is a combination of various hills and rock formations with the highest hill standing at 6,001 feet above sea level. The Creative Youth Challenge(CYC), a social responsibility initiative coupled with the Influence Contest initiated by the group to reward creative minds in visual arts, creative writing, audio and others are in the line-up of activities to celebrate the groups 30 anniversary. The contest which was thrown open in November, 2017 evoked creativity as participants were asked to describe the term, Influence in the Audio, Visual Arts, Creative Writing and others categories of the $12,000 contest. 12 winners, three for each category, selected carefully by the contests judges- Babatunde Sule, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Michael Epacka and Osa Okunkpolor will be unveiled and presented with cash prizes at the groups 30 anniversary dinner and grand exhibition on December 13, 2017 in Lagos. Chairman, Casers Group, Enyi Odigbo is optimistic about the efficacy of the youth-driven creative platforms which will help nurture talents and address the dearth of creative minds in Nigerias creative industry. Speaking at the press conference to kick-start the groups 30 anniversary celebration, Odigbo said, The Casers Group believes sturdily in using creativity to drive and ignite influence. This gave birth to our Influence Contest and the Creative Youth Challenge platforms to discover, nurture and reward young creative minds. With these intellectual avenues, were setting a new agenda for the next 30 years as a group and by extension, Nigerias creative industry. Narrating the Casers Group success story to journalists at the conference, Vice Chairman, Ikechi Odigbo identified perseverance, commitment and high premium on telling brand stories through influence as key components of the brands philosophy. "Through the years, the quest to always do things better has enabled the premium positioning of Casers Group as a thought leader, change agent and builder of enduring client relationships. Our successes as a group is tied to commitment, dedication, and creative intellect brought to the fore by creative minds with our efforts right from our formative years with creatives for our first set of clients-First Aluminium, African Continental Bank, Mililo Rough Rider Condoms, Carnco and Globe Motors. The Vice-Chairman added that the groups decision to extend its tentacles to countries in West and Central Africa has made the group the leading force in both regions whilst adding value to its network of resourceful staffers with opportunities and schemes. "In 2015, Casers Group expanded its frontiers beyond Nigeria by acquiring MAWAL Group, owner of MW Marketing Services. "At the turn of the millennium in 2000, Casers became affiliated to DDB, one of the biggest advertising networks in the world/global advertising networks. Hence, their affiliation with Publicis was ended because DDB offered better competitive advantage and the opportunity to develop people. Our Child Education Scheme has eased the burden of payment of school fees for our staff. From being a leading agency in Nigeria, Casers group has grown to become the largest regional agency in West and Central Africa with businesses in Nigeria, Cameroon, Cotedvoire, Congo, Benin, Guinea Conakry and Ghana. Since inception, Casers Group has provided creative solutions to clients with laudable storytelling and creative mind-set. The groups core advantages include its recruitment philosophy of engaging the services of brand managers whose vista goes beyond client servicing to providing business solutions and thought leadership. The philosophy is still very much alive. The groups creative process is all-inclusive. It is afusion of ideas from the client service, media and creative departments. According to Enyi Odigbo, chairman of the group, "Casers is well-equipped for the future. Weve entered into a strategic partnership with Space,a South African integrated marketing agency to learn best practices that will be adopted for our businesses in West and Central Africa. In the coming years, well expand our business interests with beneficial partnerships and relationships. "In developing our financial strength, were focusing on harnessing and exploiting aspects of our business that we are currently outsourcing. Were shifting attention to commercial opportunities and strength beyond client businesses (campaigns). Were well positioned for the future and the next 30 years of adding value to brands and businesses with creative solutions. "Well continue to tell evoking stories for our clients and improve on what we have created in the past. The Caser group consist of Magenta, a brand management and design company, Capital Media Limited, a media independent company, Activ8, a leading events and activation company, Nexus, an out of home company and BBDO, a global creative force are already. Mining in Australia is a significant primary industry and contributor to its economy with the country reportedly among the top five mining nations globally. Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Lehmann, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday that Australia was willing to harness Nigerias mineral potentials and expand relations between both countries. For us, it is not all about gaining expertise, or the experience but also the willingness to engage with countries that are invigorating their mineral sector. For our Australian mining companies, Nigeria should be seen as a land of opportunity. Certainly, there are challenges in Nigeria, but it is so for any mining company when it comes to infrastructure, and other elements of doing business. What we want to do is to work together with the Nigerian government to make the connections between the expertise, the experience, the know-how and the equipment, and the investment fund in some cases, Lehmann said. The envoy said that there were Australian mining companies already active in Nigeria who sought other ways to develop the mining sector. That is an ongoing story, we are hoping that in months and years announcements will be made of production and development of those deposits, he said. He also said that trade relations between both countries were patchy and often dominated by the Nigerian side by its export of crude oil. He added that Australias main exports to Nigeria were wheat products and both countries had shared interests to enhance relations in other areas to move beyond bulk commodities. We are looking at how to increase trade and services and other manufactured products; food and beverages and to bring the trade relations up-to-date and forward. In the areas of education, Lehmann said that there were 2000 Nigerian students currently studying in different institutions in Australia. A few years ago, it was about a few 100 Nigerian students studying in Australia. When you think about the potential for that number to increase further that is a great course for excitement and opportunity. The envoy further expressed his governments commitment to providing scholarships for Nigerians to study for Masters Degrees and in short courses to develop their expertise in areas of priority to the country. In addition to a growing number of fee paying students in Nigeria, we continue to offer our Australia Award Scholarships. In fact, only a couple of weeks ago, we said farewell to the latest 22 cohorts Nigerians leaving to study in Australia. The president's departure was disclosed by his Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, on his Twitter account , on Monday, December 11. The president was accompanied by Adamawa State governor, Jibrilla Bindow; Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema; and Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin. According to a press statement signed by the president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Sunday, December 10, the president will attend a lunch hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France for Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace, before heading for the venue of the summit. The statement read, "The summit, jointly organised by the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and the French Government in partnership with non-governmental organisations concerned about reversing the negative effects of climate change, like Bloomberg Philanthropies, holds at the eco-friendly La Seine Musicale, situated on the picturesque Seguin Island in western Paris. "The main focus of the summit, with the theme, "Climate Change Financing," according to the organisers, will be to innovatively pool public and private finance "to support and accelerate our common efforts to fight climate change." "While recognising that all countries are affected by the effects of climate change under "One Planet" but some are more vulnerable, the summit seeks for tangible collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "Before heading for the Summit venue, the Nigerian leader will attend a lunch hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France for Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace. "President Buhari and other world leaders and participants will make presentations under four sub-themes namely: Scaling-up Finance for Climate Action; Greening Finance for Sustainable Business; Accelerating Local and Regional Climate Action; and Strengthening Policies for Ecological and Inclusive Transition. "It would be recalled that while signing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the sidelines of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2016, President Buhari had said it "demonstrated Nigeria's commitment to global efforts to reverse the effects of the negative trend." "He followed that significant step by signing the Instrument of Ratification of the Paris Agreement on March 28, 2017 at the State House, Abuja, making Nigeria the 146th party to the Paris Treaty. "It became binding on the country effective June 15, 2017, one month after the submission of the Ratification instrument to the United Nations on May 16, 2017 by Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande. "The participation of Nigeria's delegation at the One Planet Summit will reinforce the country's commitment to realising the objectives of the Paris Agreement." The president is expected to return to Abuja on Thursday, December 14. Daura stay Before the president's departure for France, he had travelled to his hometown of Daura to rest after a two-day visit to Kano State. The president had commissioned a host of projects by the state governor, Ganduje, and also met with political and traditional leaders in the state. Recent trips abroad The president's trip to France is his third foreign trip in the space of two weeks after recent work visits to Cote d'Ivoire and Jordan. The president went to Jordan to attend a 2-day counter-terrorism summit tagged Aqaba Retreat between December 2 and December 3. The former Governor also said that the President came into power on the basis of false promises. Musa also said that Buharis administration has shown a lack of co-ordination in the handling of the economy. He also said As you are all aware, our nation today remains in a very sorry state despite all the lofty promises and flowery speeches made by the ruling government of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the inception of the Administration in 2015. The economy remains comatose, and in some sectors, particularly in industry and commerce, it is even getting worse. Monetary and fiscal management has continued to lack coherence and consistency, or even predictability and strategic planning. Unemployment, particularly amongst the youth, who constitute the bulk of our population, has assumed critical proportions and is now, for all practical purposes, a national emergency. Yet, this APC Administration, which rode to power on the back of false promises to this generation of hapless young men and women, seems to have no answers to this ticking time bomb beyond slogans such as N-Power. In fact, instead of creating jobs, the Administration is busy cutting existing ones in the name of rightsizing or downsizing. This government, both at the centre and in the States that it controls, has proved that it has little or nothing else to provide Nigerians other than further mass impoverishment, frustration and hardships. If we turn to the security front, the same sad picture confronts us. Perhaps, President Muhammadu Buharis greatest appeal for many in 2015 was the belief that he was capable of dealing a death blow to the insurgency, particularly as manifested by Boko Haram. In these almost three years that the APC has been in power, the reality has been otherwise. Yes, the Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa forest may have been wiped out, but the security menace that the group poses continues to manifest, with suicide bombs exploding almost on a weekly basis, particularly in the North Eastern parts of the country. But apart from the Boko Haram insurgency, others have emerged in different parts of the country. Recently, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) unleashed mayhem in the South East. Similarly, the militants in the Niger Delta are yet to sheath their swords. And even more ominous is the threat to public safety and the security of lives and property posed by the marauding gangs of cattle rustlers, killer herdsmen and armed kidnappers. We ask, where is the security promised Nigerians by this APC administration?. In so far as the political environment is concerned, again the story is a sad one. Lacking any internal cohesion within itself, the APC administration has only spawned and promoted institutional political decay in the country. In the name of an anti-corruption campaign, the government has been consistently assaulting due process and the rule of law. Court orders are flagrantly disobeyed by the very institutions that should enforce them. Basic democratic rights are being cynically abused. While talking glibly about fighting corruption, the government shamelessly looks askance where corruption is exposed within its own very ranks, closets and cocoons. Buhari has wasted goodwill of Nigerians Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar also told newsmen that Buhari has wasted his massive goodwill with the economic hardship Nigerians are experiencing everyday. From alleged harassments, shooting, extortions and killings, Nigerians from various parts of the country have joined the conversation against the inhumane treatment meted out to "defenseless" citizens. While some Nigerians have called for the scrap of this unit of the Police, others have advocated for reforms that will reshape the unit for better service delivery. Against this backdrop, some Nigerians across the country took to the streets on Monday, December 11, 2017, to protest these alleged human right abuses. Addressing Nigerians at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, Segun Awosanya lamented the actions of SARS personnel across the country. The called for the scrapping of the Police unit within twenty-one days. Nigerians have spent the last one week highlighting the travails have suffered in the hands of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Awosanya. The stories that have been recounted on social media includes story of torture, lack of respect for the rule of law, extortion, extra-judicial murder and disappearance of hundreds of people. These actions are indicative that this unit have outlived its usefulness and now constitute a clear and present threat to the safety, welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians. We demand for an outright scrapping of the entire SARS unit across the country. Its members have become engrossed in crime, murder, brutality, extortion and disrespect for the rule of law in a manner that makes any attempt at reform a waste of time. We demand for the constitution of a panel by the Police Services Commission to reform the Nigerian Police in its entirety. The agenda must include provisions for better training of police officers; provision of better equipment and firearms; better welfare including housing, insurance, prompt payment of salaries and pensions etc; establishment of a code of conduct and strict compliance thereto as well as strong disciplinary measures for any officer who violates the code of conduct. We also demand for a public hearing at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to enable Nigerians table their grievances before our elected representatives as well as the submission of memoranda on reforms of the Nigerian Police including recommendations on the amendment of laws to ensure a more efficient police force. We demand thorough investigations into complaints filed against SARS officers. We demand that such officers be identified and immediately brought to justice. In some cases, we will provide video and pictoral evidence against officers who have been seen to be involved in such acts of brutality and extortion. We give the authorities 21 days within which to meet these demands failing which we will be compelled to resort to other measures to embarrass them into taking action, he added. Similarly, the convener of Concerned Nigerians Movement, Deji Adeyanju said the Nigerian public have "lost confidence" in the Police. It's so bad to the point that SARS officers and some police officer escort people to ATM machines to give them bribe, we have now seen some videos on social media where some police officers now ask for bribe in dollars. The police must look inward and stop blaming people, police have blamed us to say that we are sympathizers of armed robbers being sponsored by some politicians. The generality of Nigerians does not have confidence in the police, he decried. At the Eagles Square, a group of Nigerians mostly women had gathered in support of SARS. The deputy national chairman (North) of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), and leader of the Eminent Persons Forum, Sanusi Maijamaa Ajiya told that armed robbers would take over the country if SARS is scrapped. His words: "IGP has assured that he will put SARS in the right position and take action on any officer found violating rights of citizens. IGP is a leader has taken the step to reform SARS. "The recent campaign in the social media calling for the scrapping of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigeria Police Force is not in the interest of Nigerians, most especially for the armed robbery and kidnap victims and their families. "We call on all Nigerians to continue to support the reform of SARS as announced by the Inspector General of Police to make it better under the federal SARS arrangement and a Commissioner of Police already appointed by the IGP to head SARS to be allowed to work to make F-SARS more effective and efficient. "SARS has over the years, performed excellently well as it has assisted in arresting some notorious criminals in different parts of the country and allow Market Men and Women to continue to do their business and other activities very well nationwide" "If SARS is scrapped and armed robbers take over, they will not be affected. So all Nigerians are once again called upon to support reform of SARS, he added. At the Police Force Headquarters, the deputy inspector general of Police (Operations), Habila Joshak assured Nigerians that the SARS unit would be repositioned for a better service delivery. DIG Joshak said the complaints of Nigerians against the unit are been investigated and SARS officers found wanting would be taken out of the system. I want to assure you that the IGP has already given directive that SARS must be reorganized to meet the expectation of the community, Joshak said. I want to promise you that we will carry everybody along. The SARS will take the shape of a Commissioner of Police that will head the unit, and make a selection of those who have acquired courage. A lot of them have acquired courage, but if they have abused that courage, it will be addressed publicly. I want to invite anyone whose right has been abused to come out and report these officers. We also want also human rights organization, and some of you that have pointed out to us some of the wrongs that our men have done in the past to join us so that whatever outcomes of such complains will be put on the table for public view. This administration will be open and also cooperate with them to suggest to us how they want us to police them. We will address all complains about SARS, we will address from state to state, from division to the last station. We will bring individuals to account for their actions without fear or favour. We promise Nigerians that we will not abuse their rights. SARS have something to offer, but if they have gone contrary to their assignment, we are going to address that and we are going to ensure justice is done and justice prevails, he emphasized. Joshak said all complains on against SARS on social media were been collated by the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood. The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, gave the figure during a meeting with a delegation of investors from France in Abuja. Adeosun told the delegation, made up of 30 companies from France, that government had previously released N450 billion for capital projects, and with additional N750 billion, a total of N1.2 trillion would have invested in infrastructure in the country. She also told the delegation, who expressed readiness to invest in key sectors of the Nigerian economy, that what the government is doing is to provide enabling infrastructure that will bring potential into reality. Last year (2016), we released N1.3 trillion of capital and so far this year we have released N450 billion and this week, we will release another N750 billion and this will take the release to N1.2 trillion by the end of the year. The Head of the French delegation, Mr Philippe Labonne, said the investors had indicated interest in key sectors of the economy such as banking, infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture and youth empowerment. He said the decision of the companies to invest in Nigeria was taken following a directive by government of France for French companies to increase their investments in Nigeria. He described the Nigerian economic environment as encouraging, following the recent stability in the countrys foreign exchange market. To achieve their investment objective, Labonne said, most of the French companies would form strategic partnerships with their Nigerian counterparts. He said we are here to assess the investment environment in Nigeria to enable us to take advantage of the opportunities. We have about 30 companies in this delegation in sectors such as infrastructure, services, agriculture and banking and the purpose of this meeting is to identify key sectors where we can invest. We are interested in many areas such as energy, agriculture, services, especially toward youths and we will identify other areas subsequently. Before the meeting with Adeosun, the delegation had earlier met with Ms Yewande Sadiku, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. Sadiku had told them that Nigeria remained a top destination of capital inflows in the African continent. She said Nigeria is strategically located in Africa to serve the needs of many countries as regional hub to the continent. We have a compelling population that provides the market which means that Nigeria can serve as manufacturing hub for investors. She expressed delight over the interest of the investors in Nigeria, noting that France was one of the many countries that Nigeria was targeting in its investment strategy. In a congratulatory letter issued by the state government at the weekend, by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Yemi Olowolabi, on behalf of "government and people of Ondo state" to the Aare Ona Kakanfo designate, the Kakanfo title was described as "a rare honour bestowed on him by the great monarch, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi" Olowolabi said "I write to convey to you the good wishes of the people and government of Ondo State over your recent appointment as the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land. "This is a rare honour attesting to your bravery and broad minded commitment to Yoruba nationalism." The government also said Gani Adams, who is also a native of Arigidi Akoko in Ondo state, in the last two decades, had carved a niche for himself "as a courageous advocate of cultural renaissance and a front line defender of the interest of your people" Stating further that "having come this far in his career as cultural revivalist and a leader of the famous Oodua peoples congress ,no one was surprised that you have been so honoured. "It is therefore , our fervent prayers that God will give you the wisdom to succeed in your huge historic task of fostering unity, upholding integrity and development of Oduduwa sons and daughters " the letter concluded. Recently, the Governor Of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, joined the list of prominent Nigerians that have sent goodwill messages to the recently proclaimed 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani Adams. ALSO READ: Monarchs urge Aare Ona Kakanfo not to forget Yorubas in Kwara According to Obaseki, Adams deserves the appointment based on the sterling leadership qualities exhibited as the National Coordinator of the Odua Peoples Congress. Dr Godwin Tijani, state Chairman of the chapter, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lokoja. He said that the extension of the date was due to the reassurances from the state government to meet the demand members of the association before Dec. 31. Congress resolved to extend the ultimatum to Dec. 31, for the actualisation of those promises. However, with effect from Jan. 1, 2018, NMA will be left with no option but to commence total withdrawal of services in all hospitals in Kogi. This is on the condition that the state government fails to properly address the demands on or before Dec. 31," Tijani said. According to Tijani, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Haruna had also assured NMA that government would address its demands. He said Haruna gave the assurance during the Emergency Congress Meeting (ECM) of the association on Dec. 8 he attended with other top government officials. The Kogi NMA appreciates the Commissioner for Health, the Special Adviser on Health Matters and the Medical Elders for their role to ensuring industrial harmony in the health sector. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the chapter, on Nov. 24, gave the state government the ultimatum to redeem the promises it entered into with the association June 2017. The state chairman said the decision to extend the ultimatum also emanated from the communique from the State Executive Council Meeting (SEC) of the association in Lokoja. He said the the demands of the association include; failure of the state government to correct the salary underpayment of doctors in the Hospital Management Board (HMB). NMA also demanded that continuous implementation of new tax regime be commensurate with implementation of staff promotion and annual increment. Other demands are; that: the eight doctors cleared over three months ago should be paid their 11 to 12 months backlog salary arrears. Implementation of adjusted Consolidated Medical Salary Sale and Skipping for its members and payment of four to five months backlog of salaries of doctors in public hospitals in the state. NMA also called for payment of salaries of the newly employed doctors who it said assumed duty August 2017. According to the association, its members did not understand the nitty-gritty of their duty schedule in the planned application of Clocking System and the payment of their salaries. Akande, who represents Ojo Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. The lawmaker spoke on the sideline of the conferment of a chieftaincy title on him as the Otunba Amo Eto of Ojokoro by Oba Rilwan Oluwalambe of Ojokoroland in Lagos. NAN reports that Akandes wife, Olaide, was also made the Yeye Amo Eto of the area. According to him, the constitutional roles for the traditional institutions will also allow the royal fathers to effectively contribute to development in the society. As political office holders, we are going back to our communities and become subjects of the traditional institution, so we should respect the institution while in office, he said. He, however, urged traditional rulers to refrain from begging politicians for money to be relevant in the society. They should do what is right at all times and guide our traditional institutions jealously. Akande, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Central Business District (CBD), also urged the constituted authorities to respect royal institution by preserving the cultural heritage. He said the roles expected to be played by the traditional institutions under democratic setting were been underestimated. Akande said Nigeria had not achieved sustainable development because government had not effectively harnessed potential of the traditional institutions. He promised to do his best to represent the people of his community and contribute to the development of Ojokoro area. The lawmaker urged the political class to do its best to promote harmonious living and better the welfare of the people. In a coordinated #EndSARS protest currently taking place in cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri, Ibadan, Akwa, Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna and Owerri on Monday, December 11, 2017, Nigerians protested against the alleged brutality of the unit. Over the past week, the internet has been awash with a lot of anger directed towards one of the country's most notorious law enforcement units. The outrage resulted in the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, ordering for a reorganisation of the unit on Monday, December 4. Under the new reform, state Commissioners of Police are now the overall heads of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide, meaning the unit now operates in the State and Zonal Commands with immediate effect. The IGP also ordered for all SARS personnel nationwide to undergo a new training program to be organized in collaboration with some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Local and International NGOs, and other Human Rights Organizations. ALSO READ: Nigeria has a SARS problem that needs to go away Nigerians have expressed very low confidence in the reorganisation of the unit and called on the government to put an end to it. Port Harcourt Youths support SARS Despite the public outrage against SARS, a group of youths in Rivers State took to the streets of Port Harcourt to march in support of the unit and against the campaign targeted at eliminating them. Last week, the governor's decision to name his sister, Ogechi Ololo, as the Commissioner for the Ministry of Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment was heavily criticised by Nigerians on social media. However, during a visit by Air Force personnel, led by the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command, Sampson Akpasa, in Owerri, the governor said that most people just don't understand the importance of the department. According to him, the department would help the Air Force deal with agitations and address officers' dissatisfaction in the discharge of their duties. He said, "Agitation comes up when people are not happy, and the whole essence of life is to be happy. For this reason, I will advise that the Air Force too, just like I did recently, which most people didn't understand, should create a department for Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment. "This will help to address the need of even junior officers, who may have some forms of dissatisfaction in the discharge of their duties. Sometimes, you may think they are happy when they are not, and this sabotages the efforts of the Federal Government. "If people are happy, there will be less agitation. The amount of money we spend on aircraft and in the purchase of arms would have reduced by 50 per cent. This could also end issues of restructuring, Niger Delta and all other forms of agitations." The governor also disclosed that his administration has just donated a 200-bed hospital to the force in appreciation of establishing Regiment 211 to Imo State. Ajimobi made the plea at a programme organised by the Women Intercessory Network (WIN) in Ibadan on Sunday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WIN is a quarterly prayer and fasting session organised by the governors wife. Ajimobi also urged the women to move closer to God if they desired favour. Expecting favour from God without being hardworking, prayerful and obedient to the commandments of God would end up in vanity. We must be prepared for the favour by obeying the commandments. Government is an authority ordained by God and we must perform our civic responsibilities by paying our taxes and obeying the laws of the land. No one gets favour through mischief, she said. She also counselled the women on their basic responsibilities in their homes, saying they must train their wards, love their partners and support them in prayers. Without fulfilling our responsibilities, being prepared and prayerful and obeying Gods commandment, it would be difficult to attain our desired success, she said. Some Christian clerics, Mary Popoola, Deborah Ayokunle and Elizabeth Ayodele, in their separate messages also urged women to be more prayerful. Over the past week, the internet has been awash with a lot of anger directed towards one of the country's most notorious law enforcement units. The outrage resulted in the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, ordering for a reorganisation of the unit on Monday, December 4. Despite the reorganisation, a nationwide #EndSARS protest is currently ongoing across many cities in the country calling for the scrapping of the unit. However, the group of youths campaigning for the unit to stay said they're very important for fighting violent crimes in the country. The coordinated #EndSARS protests is taking place in cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri, Ibadan, Akwa, Makurdi, Jos, Kaduna and Owerri on Monday. Wike calls SARS 'criminals' The support of the Port Harcourt youths is in conflict with the attitude of Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, towards the unit. While speaking on Channels Television on Friday, December 8, he alleged that rather than protecting lives and properties, the police unit has been used to serve political and personal agendas. He said, "I was the one who said the operatives you have in the state are not protecting lives and property. The Head of SARS in Rivers State, whom I knew very well, cannot help the security architecture of the state. "I have also said these operatives here have a different agenda which is not for them to protect lives and property but to be part of the election process. "Instead of protecting lives and property, they're even part of committing criminal activities." He also expressed his low confidence in the ordered reorganisation from the office of the IGP. He said, "I don't believe in the so-called review, I don't believe in the so-called restructuring because there's nothing that'll come out of it." ALSO READ: Nigeria has a SARS problem that needs to go away SARS 'reorganisation' Under the new reform, state Commissioners of Police are now the overall heads of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide, meaning the unit now operates in the State and Zonal Commands with immediate effect. In a report by Punch, Akoluche, a recent returnee from Libya, narrated his ordeal to Southern City News. Akoluche was quoted as saying The Libyans killed people the way they liked. When they bought new guns, they used human beings to test the guns. They call us black monkeys. Reasons for departing Nigeria I left Nigeria for Europe on April 25, 2016. I wanted to go to Germany, but I had to go through Libya. I left Nigeria because of the suffering that my family and I were facing. I was in the second semester of my first year in Ozoro Polytechnic. But I could not continue because of lack of money to pay my fees, Akoluche explained. Continuing, Akoluche said: "So, my sister assisted me with some money, which I used to travel. My friends also advised me to go. I spent about N2m." ALSO READ: A Nigerian migrant sells for N145,000 in slave market Regrets and The Libyan experience Akoluche obviously has sad memories of his trip and has quite a number of regrets. He said: I regret abandoning my studies for a trip abroad. Libya is not good; I did not know that it was like that. I should have searched for something to do here in Nigeria. It is better to stay in Nigeria because many people are dying in Libya. There was no water and food for days. People die at sea. About 10 persons died in my presence due to lack of water and food for up to a month. Some decomposing bodies were seen in the desert as we were travelling. I thank the government for bringing me back. But I appeal to the government to help me with my treatment. I am also willing to work, he reeled out. The report also revealed that the returnee was repatriated with an injury in his right hand, which he said he sustained during a fight with a Gambian migrant. The Federal Government has identified 5,000 more Nigerians trapped in Libyan detention camps. Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of NPHCDA disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja. He said that Agency in collaboration with Nigeria Centre for Disease Control mounted the yellow fever response initiative. The vaccination campaign is to ensure that children that are vulnerable to the disease are aware and get vaccinated in those states, he said. In a related development, Shuaib said the agency would no longer accept false data of vaccination reaching all Nigerian children. He said that the 2016/2017 Multi Indicator Cluster Survey and National Immunisation Coverage survey was an eye opener to the agency. He explained further that most of the key players in the health sector had suspected that the Agency was not reaching Nigerian children with the vaccines, as the administrative coverage data suggested. What the coverage survey told us was that the data that we relied on in the past few years was not accurate data. We have health workers from the facilities level falsifying data; given the impression that we are doing well and in the actual fact, we have not been doing very well in the past. We accept that we are doing a good job but with low coverage; we have a platform and foundation to build a more sustainable and efficient immunisation system. This government has made it very clear that health is a priority; NPHCDA has also declared the state of public health concern around the number of children that were vaccinated. Shuaib said that no fewer than a million children in Nigeria were yet to be reached with the vaccine they ought to have received before now. He said the agency has setup the national routine immunisation coordination centre as an engine room to ensure better coordination for routine immunisation activities nationwide. He said whether anyone likes it or not, Atiku is a major force to reckon with in Nigeria's political sphere. Atiku recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the APC has failed Nigerians. Okorocha stated this on Saturday, December 9, 2017, after receiving an honorary doctorate degree at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State. "I have taken a holistic view of our party, it (Atikus exit) is not the best because no matter how anybody thinks, Atiku carries some political weight. His leaving our party is not the best," he said. Okorocha, however, said the APC will make amends and fill up the vacuum Atiku left. The Governor also reacted to the statement credited to the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, that there would be no automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari ahead the 2019 Presidential Election. He (Okorocha) maintained that he that he would support Buhari for a second term. Earlier, the APC Governors' Forum had said all the governors will support the party's sole candidacy of Buhari in 2019 election. ALSO READ: Nigerians roast Okorocha for appointing sister Commissioner But Tinubu opposed the Forum's stand, insisting that the APC's presidential candidate must emerge through a primary. Okorocha said, "The (Tinubus) statement came to me as a surprise, come to think of it, I never referred to him. I refer to the governors of Nigeria including the PDP governors and I said only one or two of them have not joined yet. "Since I made the statement, no governor has said something contrary to what I said. I am surprised that Asiwaju will now be speaking for the governors. He looks like somebody crying more than the bereaved. I did not see reason for the statement actually. But he commands my respect and I dont want to join issue with the National Leader of my party. "What I mentioned was for the governors and secondly what I said is support. The word I use is support that does not mean there will not be primary. Governors can only contribute only 37 votes, we still have over 5,000 votes up there. What I was talking about was governors. I was not talking about other party members. Governors alone do not determine the flagbearer of a party. "If you recall, I said but for Buhari, I would have run for presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But I found in him a man credible and he still has four years term to do. I will allow him to complete and I will go back to my political trenches because I would still run for presidency anyhow. I consider myself young enough to wait until 2023 and I dont hide my stand on any issue. But for now, my support goes to President Muhammadu Buhari." The announcement came as Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian forces in Syria during a surprise visit to the war-torn country earlier Monday. Nearly all of the seven rounds of Syria negotiations in Astana have involved representatives of the Syrian regime and the armed opposition, as well as the three power-brokers: Russia, Iran and Turkey. Moscow has spearheaded the talks in Astana since the start of the year as it tries to turn its game-changing military intervention into a negotiated settlement. Both Russia and Iran have thrown their support behind the regime of Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey has provided backing to the rebels. The negotiations, which run in parallel to broader UN-backed talks in Geneva, involved armed rebels and government officials and have focused mainly on military issues. The Kremlin also hopes to convene a political congress in the Black Sea resort of Sochi which would bring together regime officials and the opposition to reinvigorate a hobbled peace process. As near universal criticism of Trump's decision mounted, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with EU foreign ministers in Brussels, declaring that the move he has lauded as historic "makes peace possible". But further protests were being planned for Lebanon and Iran as well as in east Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories. Hezbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006, called for the demonstration in Beirut's southern suburbs, with large crowds and a speech by the Shiite group's leader Hassan Nasrallah expected in the afternoon. A large turnout was also expected for a protest in Tehran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that Trumps decision threw "fuel on the fire" of Middle Eastern tensions and would not be tolerated. A protest was being organised in the afternoon in front of a US cultural centre in east Jerusalem, while another was planned for Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. In Ramallah on Monday, dozens of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers in the latest such clash. Palestinian demonstrations have declined in number and intensity since reaching a peak on Friday, but there are concerns they will again increase later this week. Four Palestinians have so far been killed in clashes or Israeli air strikes in response to rocket fire from Gaza, while hundreds have been wounded. Tens of thousands have also demonstrated in a range of Middle Eastern and Muslim nations. 'Rejected and denounced' Palestinian leaders have been outraged by Trump's move, but they also face difficult choices in how to respond since they rely on US aid and would like to salvage remaining hopes of a two-state solution to the conflict. Abbas will refuse to meet with US Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the region later this month, Palestinian officials say, a move that led Washington to accuse the Palestinian leader of "walking away" from a chance to discuss peace. Abbas was on Monday to hold talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Egypt -- a key US ally in the region -- ahead of a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the main pan-Islamic body, on Wednesday. "Our message to the entire world is that Jerusalem is a Palestinian city and the US decision is rejected and denounced," Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said, quoted by official news agency WAFA. "What is required now are bold Palestinian and Arab decisions for the coming stage, which is very important and very critical. The Palestinians and Arabs should stand together." Netanyahu, who has been dogged by corruption investigations against him at home, has lauded the US president's declaration and called for other countries to follow suit. On Monday, he was in Brussels as part of a two-day trip to Europe after having met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris the previous day, with the visits having been planned before Trump's declaration. Macron urged Netanyahu to "show courage" and take measures to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, including freezing settlement construction in the West Bank. Netanyahu, who heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israeli history, showed no sign of obliging, instead seeking to place blame on the Palestinians for stalled peace efforts. He met EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, the first such talks with an Israeli premier in 22 years and after the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini warned Trump's move could take the situation "backwards to even darker times". Netanyahu had a starkly different view. "It doesn't obviate peace, it makes peace possible, because recognising reality is the substance of peace, it's the foundation of peace," Netanyahu said alongside Mogherini. Mogherini said the "worst thing that can happen now is an escalation of tensions, of violence" and restated the EU's position that a two-state solution with Jerusalem as capital for both Israelis and Palestinians was the only sustainable way to resolve the conflict. Global condemnation Trump's Jerusalem declaration upended decades of precedent and broke with international consensus, drawing global condemnation. Jerusalem's status is perhaps the most sensitive issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel sees the entire city as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state. Trump noted in his decision that Jerusalem's final status would have to be decided in negotiations between the two sides, but the Palestinians have not been convinced. Many analysts have questioned how a fair peace process could be possible with such a major concession without seeming to demand anything in return. Jerusalem is also home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and the Arab and Muslim world has seen it as an afront. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been perhaps the most outspoken in warning over the consequences of the move, while on Sunday he lashed out by calling Israel a "terrorist state" that "kills children". Netanyahu hit back, calling Erdogan a leader who "bombs Kurdish villagers" and "helps terrorists". The bloc said developments in Thailand this year, including the adoption of a new constitution and a pledge by junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha to hold elections in November 2018, meant it was "appropriate" to resume ties. But the European Union repeated its call for the restoration of full democracy and said it was still concerned about harassment of human rights activists and the curtailing of free speech in Thailand. A meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels said they considered it was "appropriate to pursue a gradual political re-engagement with Thailand". The EU "has decided therefore to resume political contact at all levels with Thailand in order to facilitate meaningful dialogue", the ministers said in a text approved at the meeting. EU ministers halted all official visits to Thailand and suspended the signing of a partnership and cooperation accord with Bangkok in June 2014 after the army ousted the elected government. But Prayut's election promise and other measures such as the end of prosecuting civilians in military courts for certain offences have persuaded the EU to re-engage. The bloc said it would look at possibly resuming talks on a free trade agreement with Thailand -- as well as the partnership and cooperation accord -- "with a democratically elected civilian government under the new constitution". But even when Thailand holds elections, they will not restore the same level of democracy the country had before the coup -- a new junta-drafted charter curbs the power of elected politicians and calls for a fully appointed upper house, with several spots reserved for military leaders. Foreign ministers from the 28-member bloc are set to urge Netanyahu -- making the first visit to the EU by an Israeli premier in more than two decades -- to restart "meaningful" dialogue aimed at reaching peace with the Palestinians. The visit comes after US President Donald Trump officially recognised Jerusalem as the Israeli capital -- a move widely condemned by international leaders but which Netanyahu said made peace "possible". "Let me condemn in the strongest possible way all attacks on Jews everywhere in the world, including in Europe, and on Israel and on Israeli citizens," Mogherini said ahead of an informal breakfast meeting between Netanyahu and the EU foreign ministers. Her remarks come after Netanyahu criticised Europe for "hypocrisy" for condemning Trump's announcement but not rockets fired into Israel from Gaza. She said the "worst thing that can happen now is an escalation of tensions, of violence" and restated the EU's position that a two-state solution with Jerusalem as capital for both Israelis and Palestinians was the only sustainable way to resolve the conflict. Electoral authorities have not yet declared a winner from the election, despite full results and a partial recount showing a slight lead for Hernandez, 49. International observers have expressed reservations with "irregularities" in the election, while Amnesty International has slammed "dangerous and illegal" tactics to silence anti-Hernandez dissent. Initial results pointed to a victory for Nasralla, a 64-year-old former TV presenter with little political experience. But a much-interrupted and extraordinarily slow count by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal then reversed the trend to suggest an advantage for Hernandez. Security forces extinguished burning tires that had been set up across roads in the capital by protesters backing Nasralla's Alliance Against the Dictatorship coalition. In other parts of the country, protesters blocked some zones despite police and army action. "The people are defending the popular will," one opposition lawmaker, Jari Dixon, told AFP on the eastern outskirts of the capital Tegucigalpa. "Nasralla won the elections but they want to declare illegal candidate Juan Orlando Hernandez the winner," he said. The opposition stresses that the constitution bars re-election for Honduras's presidents. Hernandez's rightwing National Party says a 2015 ruling by the country's supreme court voided that rule. Road blocks were reported in Tegucigalpa, and in the north, west and south of the small Central American nation of 10 million people. In the southern province of Choluteca, there was a report of soldiers firing at a television crew's vehicle, but no one was wounded. Amnesty International has said at least 14 people have died in post-election violence. Officials have spoken of only three deaths: that of a 19-year-old woman, whose killing allegedly by police was being investigated; and of two police officers on patrol. The opposition has demanded a full vote recount supervised by independent foreign observers. "Those who demonstrate in Israel holding Hezbollah, Hamas and PLO flags are not part of the state of Israel," Lieberman said, referring to the Palestine Liberation Organisation. "They are acting to harm us and destroy us from within," he said in a statement. "I therefore call on Israeli citizens to impose an economic boycott on Wadi Ara -- don't shop there, don't eat in the restaurants and don't buy services from them." Speaking on army radio, Lieberman reiterated his stance on land-swaps in a peace deal that would see Arab areas of Israel handed over to the Palestinians. "These people don't belong to Israel," the minister said of Wadi Ara residents. "As part of a final agreement, they must be part of Ramallah," while Israel would annex settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank. Israelis must simply "give them the feeling they're not wanted here," he said, noting instances in which Arabs from the area carried out attacks against Israelis or supported militant activities. Dozens of Arab Israelis had on Saturday night blocked the Wadi Ara intersection in northern Israel, police said, throwing stones at vehicles and burning tyres in protest over Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The windows of a bus were smashed and its driver was slightly injured. Police arrested two minors and a man from Arara, an Arab town in the Wadi Ara area. Ayman Odeh, head of the parliament's mainly Arab Joint List alliance, firmly condemned Lieberman's comments. "Calling to boycott citizens only because of their national and religious identity reminds the darkest regimes in human history," he said in a statement. "The notion that such a person is in charge of the state's security should concern any sane citizen." Clashes and protests erupted in the Palestinian territories after Trump's declaration on Wednesday, but there has been little unrest within Israel. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the guard being treated was in serious condition, while the assailant had been arrested following the attack at the Jerusalem central bus station. In a post on Twitter, Rosenfeld described it as a "terrorist attack". Medics said they evacuated a 25-year-old male to hospital with "stab wounds to his upper body", with the suspected assailant suffering a head wound, his condition unclear. The assailant was identified by police as a 24-year-old Palestinian from the occupied West Bank. The attack comes as new protests flared in the Middle East and elsewhere over US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday. Two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were killed in clashes on Friday and another two from Israeli air strikes in retaliation for rockets fired from the Palestinian enclave. On Sunday, clashes broke out in Al-Arroub refugee camp in the south of the occupied West Bank, leaving one Palestinian wounded from rubber bullets, the Palestinian health ministry said. The new agreement -- reached during a strained two-day visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- aims to reduce the more than 15,000 people packed into refugee camps on the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros, another source said. The camps are filled to triple their capacity, forcing many migrants to sleep in tents and creating tensions with locals. Over a million people, mainly fleeing the civil war in Syria, crossed to Greece from Turkey in 2015 with the onset of the bloc's worst migration crisis since World War II. Last March, Ankara had pledged to take back illegal migrants landing on Greek islands in exchange for sweeteners including financial aid and eased EU visa rules for Turkish citizens. The deal, criticised by rights groups, sharply reduced the number of migrants trying to cross the Aegean Sea. However, the pace of migrant returns to Turkey fell dramatically after a state crackdown on civil servants that followed an attempted coup against Erdogan last year. Until now, Greece has only been relocating populations deemed "vulnerable" -- non-accompanied minors, single parents and victims of torture -- to the mainland, exempt under the EU-Turkey pact. The other illegal migrants are being kept on the islands until their deportation to Turkey, for fears that too many will try to travel north to wealthier EU nations. Athens hopes that its deal with Ankara will help speed up the transfer of these people to Turkey via the mainland. Meanwhile, Greece has already intensified its relocation of vulnerable persons to the mainland, transferring more than 1,000 in recent days. In total over 3,500 people were moved between October and November, the migration ministry said. According to Oxfam, 5,000 people are to be transferred from the islands in December, before temperatures drop. Aid groups have repeatedly warned that transferring refugees to heated accommodation before winter is a matter of life and death. Three refugees died last year in their tents on Lesbos from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning caused by makeshift stoves. "In the course of today's work we finally agreed a credit agreement which I hope, and I emphasise this, will be signed in the nearest time," Putin said, but at no point did he mention the S-400 deal directly. "We see a considerable perspective to widen cooperation in the military technical sphere," he added during his visit to Ankara. The purchase of the surface-to-air missile defence batteries, Ankara's most significant deal with a non-NATO supplier, comes with Turkey in the throes of a crisis in relations with several Western states. There are also worries in the West, including in the US, over the missile system's technical compatibility with the alliance's equipment. The Pentagon previously said that "generally it's a good idea" for NATO allies to buy inter-operable equipment. Putin was in Ankara after a sprint across the Middle East and North Africa region. He began with a surprise first visit to Syria to meet President Bashar al-Assad at a Russian airbase before meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, two of Ankara's prime foes in recent years. Erdogan bitterly opposes Trump's decision and has sought to mobilise the Muslim world against it, calling a summit of Islamic countries on December 13 in Istanbul. The Turkish president, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, said the "struggle" of Muslims would not end until there was an independent Palestinian state. "They will never be able to clean the blood," he said in a speech in Ankara. "With this recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it (the United States) has become a partner to this bloodshed. We do not recognise this decision, we will not," he added. Turkey had high hopes for relations under the Trump presidency, but ties have frayed with rows over the Syria conflict, a New York legal case and now Jerusalem. Erdogan said that the current "vandalism and cruelty" in Jerusalem would not last. "Those who think they own Jerusalem today will not find trees to hide behind," he said. Trump's move has ignited protests across the Islamic world and deadly violence in the Palestinian territories. He said Wednesday's summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul would be a "turning point" on the issue. Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had traded verbal blows at the weekend, with the Turkish leader describing Israel as a "terrorist state" that kills children. Hours later Netanyahu hit back, calling his counterpart a leader who bombs Kurdish villagers and supports terrorists, during an official visit to Paris. However Erdogan did not refer to Netanyahu in his latest speech. Last year, Turkey and Israel ended a rift triggered by Israel's storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead and led to a downgrading of diplomatic ties. It is made acceptable to conservative ears with the addition of lyrics such as "the US is a murderer" and "Palestinian mothers are losing their children" and, of course, the ubiquitous "Death to America". Participants blamed the middling turnout on rushed preparations. "The publicity was a bit weak. I only learned about today's demo around midnight, and I'm coming directly from the hospital because I'm a medical student," said Ali Esfahani, 23. He said Trump's decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, which was widely condemned across the globe, "was one more cruelty on top of America's previous oppressions" and could not be tolerated. Such protests tread a fine line, pledging support for the Palestinian cause without calling for direct military action by Iran. "I don't think there will be a need to send any troops because there are a lot of people in Lebanon, Syria and inside the Palestinian Territories. They will be enough to get rid of the Israelis," a cleric, Seyed Abdullah Hosseini, told AFP. A neon board on the side of the square announced that there were only 8,240 days left for Israel -- a reference to a speech by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which he predicted the end of Israel by 2030. "Mr Trump has done a good job of speeding things up. We were expecting Israel to be dismantled later... but this is the beginning of the end of Israel," said Hosseini. The Buenos Aires meeting, which lasts through Wednesday, is the first in the era of US President Donald Trump, who has pummeled the body relentlessly since taking office, describing it as a "disaster." The Trump administration has made the WTO a preferred target of its "America First" policy, threatening to pull the US out of the trade organization it says is hampering its ability to compete. Argentina's President Mauricio Macri said, in opening remarks, that "WTO problems get fixed with more WTO -- not with less WTO." Trump has already withdrawn the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and insisted on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said Sunday he will ask US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer for "political commitment, political will and flexibility." "Without flexibility we will not get anywhere," Azevedo said at an opening press conference at a Buenos Aires hotel. Washington has been blamed for blocking appointments of judges to the WTO's dispute settlement system, saying it was ineffective and insisting on a more aggressive approach to defending its interests. The dispute body arbitrates international rows over subsidies or tariffs, among other things playing an important role in the standoff between US and European plane-makers Boeing and Airbus. The European Union, on the other hand, comes to the conference with a robust spirit of multilateralism. The EU and Japan announced Friday that they have finalized a major trade agreement. EU officials will also meet with counterparts from the South American trade bloc known as Mercosur to continue talks on a free trade accord. These discussions have been going on for nearly 20 years. Low expectations Expectations for any kind of a breakthrough at the Buenos Aires meeting are low. For the past decade the WTO has failed to make progress in the so-called Doha Round of trade liberalization talks, which began in 2001. The WTO is also accused of failing to do enough to resolve problems that some of its members have with China. "There is life after Buenos Aires," said the president of the conference, Susana Malcorra of Argentina. She has said a deal was likely to end harmful fisheries subsidies, of keen interest to developing countries. Beijing, meantime, wants to be seen by the WTO as a "market economy," but the Europeans and the United States -- for once on the same wavelength on trade issues -- oppose this. Any such recognition would entitle China to preferential economic treatment under WTO rules. It is currently classed as a non-market economy. That status allows the US and others to use a special recourse to levy anti-dumping duties against China if they determine that it is selling its goods -- notably steel and aluminum -- at unfairly low prices abroad. Major U.S. freight railroads have reached a tentative contract agreement with the second of three coalitions representing unionized employees. The National Railway Labor Conference representing employers announced that it had reached agreement with Brotherhood Railway Carmen (BRC), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU). The new agreements cover wages, benefits and other issues for more than 31,000 employees and are subject to membership ratification. The Transport Workers Union, which represents a limited number of employees in this bargaining, is also a party to these agreements. The railroads have now reached agreements with unions covering 116,000 employees, or 80% percent of the 145,000 employees in this bargaining round. The following unions, which represent 81,000 employees in the bargaining, have already ratified their agreements with the railroads: American Train Dispatchers Association; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Transportation Division including Yardmasters. Contracts are still to be worked out with the third labor coalition consisting of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes, and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers representing the final 20% of affected unionized rail workers. These new agreements, which follow the terms established in the earlier agreements, bring us closer to the resolution of negotiations with all the unions, said A. Kenneth Gradia, Chairman of the National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC), the railroads bargaining representative. The NCCC represents more than 30 railroads, including BNSF, CSX Transportation, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific, in national bargaining with 12 rail unions. Bargaining began in 2015. Case over non-return of ancient icons to Russia sent back to prosecutors MOSCOW, December 11 (RAPSI, Nikita Shiryayev) Moscows Presnensky District Court on Monday ruled to send a case against ex-director of private non-profit Museum of Russian Icons Elena Knyazeva, who allegedly failed to return 16 orthodox icons of XVI-XVIII centuries to Russia, back to prosecutors, the courts press service told RAPSI. Knyazeva has been charged with non-return of cultural values to Russia committed by an organized group. She has pleaded not guilty. According to investigators, the woman has entered into a criminal conspiracy with members of a gang organized by a foreign citizen. On September 30, 2010, she filed a declaration for temporary export of 16 orthodox icons of XVI-XVIII centuries to hold the exhibition From Russia With Love in the U. S. In November 2015, the term of temporary export expired but icons have never been submitted to the Moscow Customs. During investigation, all icons have been returned to Russia. We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on the website. The purposes of using cookies are defined in the Privacy Policy of RAPSI If you agree to continue using cookies, please click the "Confirm" button. If you do not agree, you can change your browser settings. Ex-official of Russias Drug Control Service gets 7 years in prison ST. PETERSBURG, December 11 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) Ex-chief of a regional office of the defunct Federal Drug Control Service Kirill Kalinin has been sentenced to 7 years in a high-security prison for extortion of a 10-million-ruble (about $170,000) bribe, the Unified press office of St. Petersburg courts has told RAPSI. Kalinin has been also found guilty of provocation of a drug deal. Three former subordinates of Kalinin have also received terms in a high-security prison. Yevgeny Zhileykin has been sentenced to 4 years, Alexey Amirov has received 3.5 years, and Vasily Belikov has been given 3 years. One more defendant has been acquitted, the statement reads. According to investigators, the defendants have extorted 10 million rubles from an individual suspected of buying about 100 grams of cocaine from Kalinin instead of attending to arrest him. However, the men failed to execute their plan because they were arrested. Heads of Russian and Finnish Supreme Courts to exchange experience on ecology cases MOSCOW, December 11 (RAPSI) Chairman of Russias Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev and his colleague, chairman of Finlands Supreme Court Timo Esko, will exchange their opinions on legal protection in cases related to ecology and land use, according to the press-service of the Russian court. Lebedev is currently on an official visit to Finland. The chairman is also expected to meet the head of Finlands Supreme Administrative Court Pekka Vihervuori. The focus of discussion is going to be the theme of appeals against administrative decisions in court and the implementation of legal protection. Among the issues of interest for representatives of Finland is the system of legal protection in cases concerning the environment and land use, the Russian Supreme Courts press-service told RAPSI. Allowing U.S. companies to repatriate their profits in a tax-free manner if used for job-related education would drive far more national value than the tax-repatriation policy currently being proposed by Congress. History has proven and Wall Street has already declared that with the current repatriation proposals, which range from a 10 percent to-14.5 percent tax rate paid over several years, well see little in terms of job creation and mixed results in terms of long-term shareholder value. Cheap repatriation schemes have resulted primarily in share buybacks and one-time dividends, creating almost no jobs and or real new investment in the United States. Instead, tax-free repatriation for education should be added to the current tax bill as an alternative option for companies to utilize. Our economy and U.S. companies need skilled talent more than cash. Structured correctly, this kind of corporate-directed tax benefit for education can deliver greater long-term value to U.S. companies and shareholders, more value to our economy and more and better jobs than previous repatriation initiatives, which did little of any of the above. With $2.7 trillion in total potential to repatriate, we can create a massive long-term benefit for job growth and our education infrastructure (i.e., program development, number of educators, etc.) as well as improve our companies and strengthen our workforce. Of the $2.7 trillion in un-repatriated profits, more than half of the funds are held by just 50 companies. The companies span industries and include Apple, Pfizer, Microsoft, GE, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Exxon, Google, Citigroup, Honeywell, Caterpillar and HP. Many of these companies are also big proponents for improving American education and expanding visas to bring talent to the U.S. Indeed, the U.S. business community at large agrees on the need for more talented workers, with 46 percent of U.S. employers having a difficult time filling jobs. A survey of CIOs in the U.S. reported that 64 percent of IT leaders in the U.S. said that skills shortages were holding them back. To solve this problem, companies should be permitted to repatriate some of their money tax-free and deploy those funds tax-free over four years if used for job-related education and training. To qualify for the tax break, the amount would have to exceed the average of the companys prior three years of spending on training and education and should be used for non-executive training. The money could be used for anything from technical and engineering education to providing scholarships for high school students and post-secondary education, whether management oriented or vocationally oriented. For current employees, training could be provided on advanced manufacturing, general workforce technology skills, IT, marketing, sales and service and product development. Here is some perspective on the impact businesses could have on American education and the economy, even with low participation. For starters, a 3 percent participation rate would be equivalent to $78 billion and 18 times the size of Race to the Top and equivalent to 5.5 percent of the entire U.S. student loan debt load. Now, imagine if that was a corporate investment that students knew would be paid back? A 3 percent participation rate would be the equivalent of infusing the following into the skills-based education infrastructure over four years: The benefits to corporations are many. Companies need more skilled talent for organic growth. Capital is cheap, yet talent and skills are scarce. If companies dont hire, they might lag the markets. If they hire people who are not yet prepared, that drags down current teams and performance and creates difficult working atmosphere. Companies can recruit more from overseas, but that takes time and adds cost. If companies cant fill the jobs, they outsource the whole function overseas, requiring a short-term reduction in profits for transitioning the work and loss of efficiency for the hope of a longer-term gain. Wouldnt it be better to invest in getting it right in the U.S.? Another major benefit for the companies with un-repatriated profits is the potential to improve their workforces who are aging or have aging skill sets and are in need of updated training or re-training. On a national basis, if we can keep our older population working for more years, theyll contribute more to Social Security and the tax base while drawing less from it. People who are engaged and productive need fewer health care resources, helping us manage another national cost that draws from corporate tax dollars and individual taxes. According to Fox Business, the average 50-year-old has less than $60,000 saved for retirement and more than 50 percent of Baby Boomers have less than $100,000 saved for retirement. Further, a substantial percentage of the retired population relies almost entirely on social security for their income, including 47 percent of single seniors and 22 percent of married seniors. There is no avoiding this simple math. With more people educated and having relevant skills, working longer, saving more and paying taxes, it will save our nation precious tax dollars and improve the economy. Finally, a good number of the companies with the biggest hoards of cash to repatriate already sponsor education in a variety of manners and have proven willing to move their assets to capitalize on the value of education. GEs relocation to Boston to be near world-class universities is just one example. These companies and their shareholders should embrace the opportunity to invest in their employees and potential employees, creating an easier path to passage for this legislation. We have a chance to bring back funds, educate our workforce, build up our economy and strengthen our future. What could be more re-patriotic than this? Rafi Musher is the CEO of Stax Inc. So much for the notion that higher trade deficits lead to higher unemployment levels. Last month, the U.S. economy created over 220,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the countrys trade deficit widened, on track to its highest level in nine years. This is far from the first time that imports and job creation both increased. It happens almost every month. The seeming contradiction illustrates the fact that imports do not increase unemployment. They actually help reduce it. More imports do not equal fewer exports, and they certainly do not equal fewer jobs. The latest jobs data from the Department of Labor confirms that: In November, the U.S. economy maintained a 4.1 percent unemployment rate, the lowest rate in 17 years. But the U.S. trade deficit has hit a nine-month high, the highest level of imports in years. It should not be surprising that trade deficits go up while unemployment goes down. In fact, higher levels of imports are essential to economic growth. Companies requiring inputs toward a finished product need to get the best price, quality and service levels they can to be competitive. That means they need the widest possible network of potential suppliers, including foreign suppliers. Being able to import is crucial to being able to efficiently make products for export. Imports are not a necessary evil; they are a necessary ingredient. The proof is in the data. In October, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the trade deficit hit $48.7 billion, up $3.8 billion from the previous month, primarily because of an increase in the goods deficit. That put the combined U.S. goods and services deficit up almost 12 percent from the same period in 2016 even as the national economy created 174,000 jobs a month this year (and 187,000 jobs a month last year), and continued to reduce unemployment rates. An even closer look into the Census Bureau data gives a clearer sense of how increased imports actually bolstered the U.S. economy. It shows that the biggest increase in imports by far is among industrial supplies and materials, which went up by $1.8 billion, more than twice the increase in imported consumer goods. In other words, U.S.-based companies were importing more in order to producemore which is what leads to a higher standard of living. (And by the way, to more exports.) Imports were increasing because U.S. businesses were investing more. A positive relationship between trade deficits and strong economies is hardly an aberration. In 2006, for example, the U.S. economy was in the midst of an economic surge. At the same time, the countrys trade deficit hit its highest level in history. In 2009, on the other hand, when the U.S. economy was in the midst of the great recession, the country recorded its lowest import deficit in recent years. Economic booms in the late 1980s and late 1990s were accompanied by steep increases in trade deficits. On the other hand, the last time the United States recorded a trade surplus was in 1975, when the U.S. economy was stuck in a recession in the middle of a decade characterized by stagflation. Running trade deficits in the midst of rising prosperity is not limited to the United States. Over the past two years, more than half of the 35 nations belonging to OECD, the rich countries club, have run trade deficits, as have more than half of the G7 countries. But Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Angola all ran trade surpluses. Which economy would you rather have? The opportunity to import actually helps achieve productivity and prosperity more than the opportunity to export, because it does more to broaden choice. Importing widens the circle of potential suppliers competing to meet the needs of intermediate producers. The companies that imported more industrial supplies and materials in October were doing it in order to make finished products and create jobs. When a country opens its borders to imported goods, it facilitates comparative advantage, importing inputs from countries that are more efficient at making them and thereby making domestically-produced final products more competitive. Growing an economy is not a matter of turning imports into exports. Robust economies do more of both. Property details: Vacant Land in Logan, Quay County, New Mexico! Item Id: Wilburn02 Case Name: Wilburn, Donald P Case Number: 17 04539 Trustee: Description: Estate's interest in 1.53 acres of vacant land in Logan, New Mexico near Ute Reservoir. The property is located on Sun Up Drive, Logan, NM 88426. The status of water, power, sewer and utilities is unknown. The APN# is R913476. The legal description is: 'The Lots One (1),with warranty covenants. Legal Description is 18 lines long and will be provid... Price: $ 1,801 Property Address: Sun Up Drive Seller State of Residence: Arizona State/Province: New Mexico Zip/Postal Code: 88426 Type: Homesite, Lot City: Logan Location: 884**, Logan, New Mexico You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Logan Property details: Quiet Wooded Lot in Mallard Cove / .16 Acre / Owner Finance Located at Lake Trace in central North Carolina This property is .16 acres of undeveloped land, located at beautiful Lake Trace in central North Carolina. You are bidding on the down payment ONLY. The price of this property is $9,997. We offer owner financing -- no banks, no credit checks, no prepayment penalty, no problems. EVERYONE qualifies for owner financing! ABOUT THE PROPERTY This beautiful, fully wooded lot is situated at the en... Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: North Carolina Property Address: 5182 Goldfinch Turn State/Province: North Carolina City: Sanford Zip/Postal Code: 27332 Type: Homesite, Lot Zoning: Residential Setting: Suburban For Sale by: Owner Location: 271**, Winston-salem, North Carolina You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Owner Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 12/11/2017 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available The settlement with Sebi was seen as Infosys admitting guilt of the lapse, clearing out any legal or regulatory challenges and preparing ground for new chief executive officer Salil Parekh. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, a board member at Infosys, has sought an end to fresh concerns raised over alleged irregularities in the severance pay offered to former chief financial officer (CFO) Rajiv Bansal, saying that the companys co-founder and hhairman Nandan Nilekani had reinvestigated the issue and found no wrongdoing. Mazumdar-Shaws appeal for a closure comes after an internal whistle-blower recently asked market regulator Securities and Exchanges Board of India (Sebi) to order an independent forensic probe on the $200-million acquisition of Israeli tech firm Panaya and the subsequent deal of Rs 17.38 crore severance pay to Bansal. Last week, Infosys had reached out to Sebi with a consent plea to allegations of disclosure lapses by its former management led by Vishal Sikka to its board on the severance pay pact with Bansal. The settlement was seen as Infosys admitting guilt of the lapse, clearing out any legal or regulatory challenges and preparing ground for new chief executive officer Salil Parekh, who takes charge in January. Infosys appeal to Sebi prompted two former Infosys board members, T V Mohandas Pai and V Balakrishnan, to ask the company to apologise to founder N R Narayana Murthy, who had flagged the failure to disclose the pact to the board and shareholders. They also sought resignation of two Infosys board members - Ravi Venkatesan and Roopa Kudva - for the lapse. Subsequently, the whistle-blower wrote a letter to Sebi on Saturday, seeking fresh probe and asking the regulator to prosecute Infosys by rejecting its appeal. The matters were reinvestigated (a)n(d) no wrongdoings were found by new chairman. Lets bring this to a closure (a)n(d) move on. It helps no one, Mazumdar-Shaw wrote on the microblogging platform, Twitter, responding to Pai who called the lapse a substantial matter. A February letter to the regulator by the anonymous whistle-blower led Infosys to do independent forensic probes that gave clean chit to both Sikka and the board. However, Murthy was not satisfied and asked Infosys to reveal the full contents of the probe report. This was rejected by the then chairman and director of Infosys Board R Seshasayee, citing confidential details could be revealed if made public. In August, Sikka quit and investors started to flee the stock. It forced the board, former employees and other founders of Infosys to bring back a reluctant Nilekani as the chairman. Among the promises made by Nilekani on his return was to look at the probe report dispassionately and give his verdict. In October, he gave a clean chit to Sikka of any wrongdoing. This was met with a curt response from Murthy, who criticised the company, but also admitted that Sadly, it appears we will no longer know the truth. Mazumdar-Shaw on Saturday said Infosys had admitted to procedural lapses and the move to file a settlement plea with Sebi was to pay a fine for that. I hope (yo)u recall that procedural lapses were admitted (a)n(d) (former Infosys chairman R) Seshasayee apologised at AGM (annual general meeting). Settlement is to pay fine for unintended procedural lapse, Mazumdar-Shaw tweeted on Saturday. Bansal and Infosys are fighting a separate arbitration after the former CFO filed a case in April against the company for violating the terms of the settlement. In September 2016, Infosys had suspended payment to Bansal after the controversy erupted into public space. Photograph: Jagadeesh NV/Reuters Just before the elections, the government waived interest on loans up to Rs 300,000 for farmers. But this may not really help small and marginal farmers in the state, who make up for two-thirds of the total and are still dependent on informal channels of credit. Lakshman Dobariya of Jasdan in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat has seen his realisation drop from Rs 1,200 per 20 kg of groundnut to Rs 600 per 20 kg in the past five years. Although the state government announced a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 900 per 20 kg right before the Assembly elections in the state, Dobariya is forced to sell his produce at market prices of Rs 500-600 per 20 kg. The queues at government procurement centres are unending. My costs have risen from Rs 5,000 per bigha to Rs 8,000 while realisations have fallen from Rs 1,000-1,200 per 20 kg to Rs 500-600. This is accentuated by rising pest infestation and an erratic monsoon, says Dobariya. Dobariyas experience shows how farm distress is brewing discontent among Gujarats rural electorate. The state government has pulled out all the stops to assuage the rural voter in the run-up to a crucial election. Among other things, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government announced a support price of Rs 900 per 20 kg of groundnut (or Rs 4,500 per quintal) last month, after market prices had crashed to Rs 3,250 per quintal. The state government also unveiled a Rs 500-crore Budget for procuring groundnut. Sagar Rabari, convenor of Jamin Adhikar Andolan Gujarat that works with farmers, says with that kind of Budget, the government will be able to procure 110,000 tonnes of groundnut this season. The output was 2.96 million tonnes last year, and estimates suggest production this year will be 3.2 million tonnes. The majority of Gujarats groundnut farmers will be left in the lurch. The government cannot procure all the stock because it also has to sell in the open market where prices are low. The roots of the problem lie elsewhere, in the lack of market and support infrastructure, says Rabari. But Chimanbhai Shaparia, Gujarats agriculture minister, says the government has increased the collection centres to 215 this year from last years 87. We are trying to reach where the farmers are, he adds. Dobariya's woes do not end with low prices for his produce. Add loan repayments and crop insurance, and Dobariyas profits shrink drastically. Gujarats agriculture grew at an average eight per cent between 2002-03 and 2013-14 and the slowdown since 2014-15 seems has delivered a crushing blow to the farming community. After shrinking by 1 per cent in 2014-15, farm GDP in the state has not recovered much in 2015-16. Gujarat has faced drought, floods and delayed monsoon in the past five years. Experts say farmers woes have been aggravated by the lack of last-mile connectivity for irrigation with water from the Narmada. This has rendered many regions dependent on the monsoon, especially Saurashtra and north Gujarat. A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the Gujarat government has pulled it up for allowing Rs 97 crore worth of irrigation projects to remain incomplete for 14 years. Agricultural expert Hemant Shah says the area under Narmada water irrigation grew from 193,683 hectares in 2011-12 to 209,057 hectares in 2012-13 but remained stagnant over the next two years. At 209,057 hectares, this is 11.67 per cent of the target 1.792 million hectares, Shah points out. But Shaparia does not think lack of irrigation will be a major issue in this election. This year, not only has rainfall been good but the government has ensured procurement at MSP for key crops. We will continue to work towards taking Narmada water into the hinterlands, he adds. Not just groundnut, price erosion has affected Gujarats cotton crop as well. Five years ago, cotton yielded Rs 1,400 per bale of 170 kg. This has now declined to Rs 800. As a result, farmers have over the years reluctantly shifted to crops that require less water. A V Barad, dean of Junagadh Agricultural University, attributes the change in cropping in Gujarat to the monsoon and availability of Narmada water. After groundnut, Saurashtra was known for its wheat production. In the last five years, wheat has been replaced by spices such as coriander and cumin and pulses such as chana, he points out. Debt trap Just before the elections, the government waived interest on loans up to Rs 300,000 for farmers. But this may not really help small and marginal farmers in the state, who make up for two-thirds of the total and are still dependent on informal channels of credit. Agricultural advances in Gujarat stood at Rs 76,232 crore in June, according to the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), and gross non-performing assets (NPAs) were 5.76 per cent, or Rs 4,390 crore, of these advances. In fact, the gross NPAs have risen from 2.9 per cent of advances in March 2014 to six per cent now. Experts point out that the level of NPAs in Gujarat is lower than many other states, but this is primarily because farmers in the state borrow from moneylenders in years when the crop realisation is weak to repay banks. An estimated 4.8 million families in Gujarat depend on agriculture for their livelihood, but agriculture accounted for only 16.6 per cent of the states GDP in 2014-15. Capital-intensive industries in the state have not created enough jobs. The average monthly income of an agricultural household in Gujarat was Rs 7,926 in 2013. While this is obviously lower than in agrarian states like Punjab (Rs 18,059) and Haryana (Rs 14,434), the average daily income of a farmer in Gujarat (Rs 264) is lower than the daily wage of an unskilled farm labourer nationally (Rs 341). It is not surprising that only 11 per cent of the crop area in the state was insured until 2014-15. The figure was higher for Rajasthan (49.7 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh (45.91 per cent). But there has been improvement - according to the SLBC data, around 1 million farmers have been covered by the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana till August 2017. Around one-fourth of the states cultivable area has some crop insurance. The job ahead is to push up Gujarats agriculture GDP. It has remained in a slow growth trajectory for a couple of years, rising from Rs 93,481 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 99,591 crore in 2014-15. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Toll booths may be kept 50 km apart for seamless travel How and where highway tolls would be paid is set to change soon. The government is working on a policy to plan tolling booths in such a way that it leads to minimal disruption of traffic and time. Toll booths on a highway would be at least 50 km apart and would only be at major cities, according to a policy in the works. The definition of a major city would be changed to one with a population of more than 200,000. The proposal of the ministry of road transport and highways would require clearance from the Cabinet. Once we finalise the details, we will send the note to the ministries concerned for their comments and thereafter to the Cabinet for its approval, an official told Business Standard. The rationale behind the proposal is to provide relief to an average commuter on the national highways. For instance, a person travelling from one city to another in a state like Rajasthan pays toll at least four times because there is a toll plaza every 50 km. Why should anybody pay a levy three-four times while travelling within one state. "The toll should be levied only between major cities and the definition of a major city that we have derived at is one with a population of over 200,000, the official said. So, if one is commuting from Delhi to Ambala in Haryana on the National Highway1, the commuter would pay toll at only two spots instead of four-five places at present, he said. The proposal would be another step towards seamless travel on national highways, after the introduction of electronic tolls. In August, the National Highways Authority of India introduced two mobile apps - MyFASTag and FASTag Partner - as part of its efforts to facilitate availability of the tag towards electronic toll payment. FASTag is a reloadable tag fixed on a vehicles windscreen. It has radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that is linked to a prepaid account for automatic deduction of toll charges. A vehicle with this technology would not have to stop at toll booths for cash transaction. The e-tolling facility is available at over 300 toll plazas across the country. The ministrys proposal would be easy to implement on the engineering-procurement-construction contracts as compared to build-operate-transfer projects as there could be multiple concessionaires for one stretch of a highway. Photograph: Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters While brick-and-mortar retailers have been the most vocal in their protests, e-tailers do not seem to be in a hurry. After hitting out at the government on social media, retailers are gearing up to protest against revised merchant discount rates (MDRs) for debit card transactions. MDR is the rate charged to a merchant by a bank for providing debit card transaction service. On Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) changed the basis of MDR as per the category of a merchant from the existing rule for the charges to be based on size of transactions. The RBI has increased MDR for all organised retailers to 0.9 per cent for point of sale (POS) transactions up to Rs 2,000, from current rates of 0.25 per cent for transactions up to Rs 1,000 and 0.5 per cent for transactions between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000. Since a majority of debit card transactions are below Rs 2,000, the marginal benefit of cost coming down to 0.9 per cent from 1 per cent for transactions above Rs 2,000 has not helped retailers. This is not a fully thought out step. This is going one step forward and two steps backward, said Anand Agarwal, chief financial officer, V-Mart Retail. From 10 per cent in pre-demonetisation days, digital transactions in rural areas for us has gone up to 25 per cent, and it is still on an upswing. "If the cost of operation goes up, we would not be inclined to promote digital payments. Rakesh Biyani, joint managing director at Future Retail, said, Using debit card is directly debiting the account of a person and nobody takes a risk. It is as good as a RTGS transaction. "So, why should there be 0.9 per cent charges? Who will bear this cost, if retailers net profit margins are 3 per cent. How can we absorb 0.9 per cent? Earlier, Damodar Mall, chief executive officer for grocery at Reliance Retail, said on Twitter: This move contradicts #DigitalIndia that we are all driving. I hope, @NITIAayog will notice the avoidable contradiction. We would like to be encouraged to drive digital payments, not punished! Please, @amitabhk87! With leading retailers getting vocal, the Retailers Association of India (RAI) is spearheading the protest against the changed rates. After running a campaign on social media, RAI plans to up the ante. Kumar Rajagopalan, chief executive at RAI, said, We will send letters to the government and the RBI early next week regarding the issue and ask for an appointment. RAI has members such as Future Group, Tata-owned Trent, and Shoppers Stop, among others. The letter would explain how the revised MDR would discourage debit card usage, the very objective of the RBIs move. Even RuPay cards are underutilised here, it should be encouraged and made popular. For such cards, the government should bring the charges below 0.2 per cent, like China has for UnionPay cards, Rajagopalan said. RuPay is a domestic card promoted by the RBI. Other traders organisations such as Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) are also planning to approach the finance ministry with their memorandum on how the government should deal with MDR. Lower or higher, MDR is ultimately an extra financial burden on either the merchant or consumer, said Parveen Khandelwal, national general secretary CAIT, explaining that it would shift the transactions to cash based. If digital payments are encouraged without any MDR, more and more people could be lured to use that mode. Among the list of recommendations traders plan to take to the finance ministry, they want the government to subsidise MDR directly to banks. If all this does not work, traders plan to call for protests. Traders are also collaborating with associations of other industries, especially telecom and aviation. Margins for mobile handsets are already very low - in the range of 4-5 per cent. As many of the stores selling handsets have an annual turnover of above Rs 20 lakh, the 0.9 per cent MDR would further squeeze their margins. While brick-and-mortar retailers have been the most vocal in their protests, e-tailers do not seem to be in a hurry. We are still studying the RBI direction to understand it better. We will engage with regulatory bodies to present our views on the same, an Amazon spokesperson said. With additional inputs from Kiran Rathee and Nikhat Hetavkar Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters The distinction between cheap and affordable is a fine one, but no one understands this better than Indias aspirational first-time car-owner, says Kanika Datta. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Do dwindling sales of the Tata Nano reflect natural market attrition or the hubris of the bottom-of-the-pyramid business model? The latter, the Nanos brief history suggests. Here is why. On the face of it, a nine-year run for the Nano appears to be par for the course. Auto industry professionals put the average market life of a small car at about a decade, though this timeframe is contingent on refurbishing the product or introducing product extensions every fifth or sixth year. Set against expectations that this peoples car alone would more than double the size of the car market at its extraordinary price of Rs 100,000 in 2008 -- about half the cost of the no-frills small car in those days -- the Nano enjoyed a decent run only for about two financial years. In 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, when annual sales exceeded 70,000 units, though Tata Motors never enjoyed a profit from this appealing little blimp of a car. From 2012, sales shifted steadily down to hit a little over 1,500 in May to October of the current fiscal year. This is a long way from its goal of annual sales of 1 million units, which the company announced at the Delhi Auto-Expo launch that Reuters described as a media circus more worthy of a pop concert or an Oscar ceremony. Compared with other peoples cars, the Nano was gone in -- pardon the poor pun -- a nano-second. Excluding the Maruti 800, which enjoyed a three-decade run in conditions of limited competition before it made way for the upgraded Alto, Hyundais Santro, the next major small-car challenger, enjoyed a 16-year run, ending up, after a butt-tuck, as the Xing. And considering that the Nano riveted global attention after Ratan Tata singled out the Financial Times for his announcement, the Nano compares poorly with other famous global peoples cars. The Model T, the car that pioneered assembly line factory production, and was marketed on the principle that those who produced it should be able to afford it, lasted almost two decades starting 1908. Photograph: Kind courtesy, Neodarkshadow/Wikimedia Commons It also enjoyed one of the longest production runs in automobile history until another famous peoples car, the Volkswagen Beetle, bettered the record in the early seventies. Before it was even produced, the Nano was an embodiment of all the imagined virtues of frugal engineering. But it also attracted publicity for its high-profile exit from Singur, after an unruly argument with a future chief minister of West Bengal, to Sanand in Gujarat, a move that was widely seen as an early endorsement of Narendra Modi as Indias next prime minister. The judgement on Mamata Banerjees anti-industry faults and Mr Modis pro-business virtues (remember Bad M and Good M?) changed a little when it became clear that, whether in Bengal or Gujarat, the peoples car was being funded pretty much by peoples taxes. Image: A file photo of the closed Tata Motors Nano car factory in Singur, West Bengal. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters The Left Front government that Ms Banerjee overthrew gave the Tata group 900-odd prime acres and loans at throwaway prices, sales and excise concessions, heavily subsidised power and other giveaways that would last for decades. Then it turned out that the Modi government in Gujarat had gone even further to attract the Nano plant, with concessions that would, according to one report, benefit the Tata group to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore for 20 years. This may not sound so extraordinary, since successful people cars have rarely been viable without heavy governmental concessions. In India, we know of Marutis antecedents as a government company, which sustained it until Suzukis entry. Bar the Santro, other small cars such as the Daewoo Matiz and the Renault-Bajaj Logan made quick exits from the market. Globally, the Model T enjoyed a first-mover monopoly in that huckstering business environment of early 20th century America. But the Volkswagen would never have made it to the market had it not been backed by Adolf Hitlers dirigist policies, including offering subsidised loans for people to buy the car (it is ironic that the cheap small car the world over retails in India at over Rs 28 lakh, is the Mini Cooper). Even the most generous of government subsidies cannot compensate for misreading the market, however. The distinction between cheap and affordable is a fine one, but no one understands this better than Indias aspirational first-time car-owner. Add in serious safety doubts and low production values, both banes of the early Nano models, and the worlds cheapest car never stood much of a chance. Last updated on: December 11, 2017 11:08 IST The Dangal star has some lovely times on the Continent. Stars go on the loveliest holidays -- exotic locations with a lot of adventure thrown in. Preity Zinta went on a holiday to South Africa. Priyanka Chopra traveled to Prague. Ranveer Singh took us on a Swiss tour. Amy Jackson explored Cannes. Nargis Fakhri had a great Greek holiday. Raai Laxmi took a trip to the US. Television actors Barkha Bisht Sengupta and Indraneil Sengupta toured Thailand. Nia Sharma holidayed in the Maldives. Sanya Malhotra always dreamt of going to Europe. She made sure to share pictures from her trip and they looked super fun! Take a look. The smile doesn't seem to leave Sanya's face. Posing by the beach in Monterosso al Mare, Italy. Sanya was in love with the place. We would be too! What a backdrop this is! The cast click from her holiday. The Colosseum, Rome. The view in Venice. 'Ciao Venice.' Kinderdijk, Holland. Sanya gets herself a treat. When you go to Belgium, you need to have a waffle! Showing off her waffle from Bruges. Cycling in Keukenhof, Holland. The picture couldn't get any prettier. Lost in thought. When in Paris, the Eiffel is a must. By night. Fangirling at the magnificent Palais Garnier... sigh! 'Can't wait to have dal makhni and Rajma chawal sittingattheairportdreaming.' Photographs: Kind courtesy, Sanya Malhotra/Instagram 'This is a negative campaign, of slurs and fears.' The BJP has no desire to fight a positive campaign as it did in 2014, on the issue of governance and achche din.' 'Where the BJP can use these tactics, it will,' says Aakar Patel. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi on the campaign trail in his home state Gujarat. Photograph: PTI Photo Who would have thought that something Mani Shankar Aiyar said would become an issue, and perhaps THE issue, of a Gujarat election? I certainly did not and nor do I think it is an issue of the size in Gujarat that people think outside it is. When I heard about the scandalous remark, I checked my Gujarati dictionary, which translates 'neech' as 'dusht'. The English translations are 'wicked', 'vile' and 'mean'. Should Aiyar have used the word? No: Political debate, and all debate must be civil. But does it have a meaning that links it to caste? No. The second thing is the issue of Modi's caste. The prime minister belongs to a very successful community called Ghanchi. These are people who run kirana stores, and also press oil and sell grain (and tea) from shops. The word Modi itself means an individual who owns and runs the neighbourhood kirana store, and it has the same meaning as the name Gandhi. The Ghanchi community is not seen as a backward caste by Gujaratis and it became a backward class, or OBC, only in 1999 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. And so, for many Gujaratis, the word 'neech' will not be an automatic link to caste abuse for the PM. These are the reasons that I thought that the issue was overblown and would not be particularly effective as a campaign weapon. Time will tell, though, of course, we will have no way of knowing specifically which issues led to a BJP win (and I expect the BJP to win, as I wrote in my previous column) and which were only hot air from the media. The one story which I thought would be damaging when I heard about it was the matter of the Somnath register. Subsequent reporting has shown that the story was not what it was made out to be, but certainly it would have interested many Gujaratis and they would have been concerned that Rahul Gandhi had chosen to be registered as a non-Hindu (which he hadn't). But that story is now history and the media interest has moved on. Then there was the one about Aiyar comparing Rahul Gandhi's ascension as Congress president to that of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. He was apparently not quoted fully on the matter by many who subsequently commented on it, including me. But he should have known that anything that brought in Gandhi and Aurangzeb would have been used by Modi, as it was. How effective was this? Again, I do not think people decide whom to vote for one something like this but it gave the BJP the space to talk about the Congress rather than performance in a state it has ruled for two decades. Before that the BJP leaked a report about a hospital that Ahmed Patel was a trustee in, had an employee or a former employee, who had been named a terrorism charge. This was a bogus story in the sense that there was no link between Patel and the man accused. It was pushed because the BJP usually profits from showing the Congress as being soft on terrorism, though the history and the data shows otherwise. Then there was the story only a few days ago about Kapil Sibal, the Congressman who is also a laywer, asking the Supreme Court not to deliver the Babri Masjid case verdict till the 2019 election. Modi had another opportunity to make the news cycles with ready made material provided to him. The Ayodhya matter, which made the BJP a national party and which is an issue which is politically dead, was again made deliberately prominent. In the latest story to make the headlines the PM has levelled the allegation that Aiyar, who has confessed he has zero ability to keep his mouth shut, told the Pakistanis to take out a 'supari' on Modi. This is, of course, not true. It is either the case that the prime minister really believes it, which is worrying, or is making something up because it helps him in an election, which is also worrying. As can be seen, all or most of the major issues that have made the news cycle have been things that the BJP has introduced against the Congress, with media support. This is a negative campaign, of slurs and fears. The striking thing is that the BJP has no desire to fight a positive campaign as it did in 2014, on the issue of governance and 'achche din'. This is unfortunate, but it is also the way politics is done on the subcontinent. Where the BJP can use these tactics, it will. It is up to the Congress to think up its own issues that the media finds attractive enough to push. And it is definitely up to the Congress to not make deliberate mistakes of the sort it has made in this election. Aakar Patel is Executive Director, Amnesty International India. The views expressed here are his own. 'Islamabad is only as big as a Delhi suburb.' 'How can a city with just two five star hotels and only one departure gate at their international airport be compared to Delhi with its sprawling airport?' Ambassador T P Sreenivasan finds the pulse of Pakistan after visiting Islamabad for the first time. IMAGE: A passerby takes a selfie in front of a police van destroyed during clashes near the Faizabad junction in Islamabad, November 26, 2017. The Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan had blockaded the national capital, demanding the law minister's resignation. The Pakistan army brokered a truce between the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government and the Tehrik; the law minister resigned; many Pakistanis were outraged that the government had caved to the outrageous demands from an Islamist political party. Photograph: Caren Firouz/Reuters Getting ensconced in the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad for three days to attend a conference is not the way to feel the pulse of Pakistan, but a physical glimpse of the capital for the first time, after having professionally followed the events there for decades, helped me to confirm some impressions and to explode some others. As expected, the country is paranoid with India and is desperately fighting against heavy odds to maintain its rival status in the eyes of the world. The current freeze in relations with India, except for the thrust and parry on the Line of Control, the tough US position on terrorism, and Afghanistan having become an 'extension of India' seem to bother Pakistan's intelligentsia. At the drop of a hat, they would lambast India for having annexed Jammu and Kashmir, using the excuse of a tribal rebellion, for sending Indian forces before the accession was completed and for having forged an Instrument of Accession, which itself has been lost, and for not holding a plebiscite. Indian demands, they would say, would not be acceptable to any self-respecting nation. They have no vision of peace and mutually beneficial relationship with India in the near future. Their expectation is that China and Russia would come to their rescue, now that the US was discarding them. They are optimistic that a Taliban dominated dispensation will wean Afghanistan away from India and bring it to their camp. More of geopolitical involvements, balance of power, friends and masters and overarching presence of nuclear weapons are in the horizon, not peace, cooperation and beneficial and balanced trade. Pakistanis attribute their economic ills to the military control of the civilian government and growth of religious extremism. On the day of my departure from Pakistan, Dawn published an op-ed by Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, a former ambassador to the United States, entitled 'Why should India try to destroy Pakistan when the country's rulers are doing it themselves?' Qazi argues that Pakistan, despite its poverty and inequalities, does not have a single significant pro-poor or progressive political party. There are only religious, nationalist and populist leaders, who are all right wing, conservative and pro-establishment. He virtually calls for 'a historic struggle to rid Pakistan of rulers without a cause, other than to escape accountability.' He sees the signs of a failing State in every walk of life. The myth that exploded on stepping on the soil of Pakistan was that Pakistan was in some ways comparable to India. Most countries equate India and Pakistan as though there is some parity between them and they are of the same strength and size, because they believe that the two countries are equally responsible for the debacle in Kashmir. The hyphenation that many countries have developed between India and Pakistan is the priceless legacy that Pakistan has acquired because of the internationalisation of the Kashmir issue and other differences. Such a comparison is an existential need for Pakistan as if all disputes were to disappear, the question will arise as to what the justification for Pakistan was. There is no comparison between the two in any area, particularly after the liberation of Bangladesh. Islamabad is only as big as a Delhi suburb with a two million population and broad roads with modest traffic. How can a city with just two five star hotels and only one departure gate at their international airport, named after Benazir Bhutto, be compared to Delhi with its sprawling airport, named after Indira Gandhi? Like the 'parity' between the US and the USSR during the Cold War era, the best kept secret is that there is nothing to equate Pakistan and India except the nuclear capability, which eliminated the military imbalance. Pakistan is many years behind us in virtually everything. The style and sophistication of the Pakistani diplomats abroad had led me to expect a better style of living in Pakistan. The fond hope that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Chinese investment in the country will pull the country out the morass is universal in Pakistan. The country's political parties and regions, however, have been deeply divided on the subject of equitable distribution of and control over CPEC projects. The expectation is that the CPEC will begin to address Pakistan's energy and infrastructure needs in the near term. They expect that the CPEC could prove an opportunity to decisively overcome the Balochistan insurgency. A broader CPEC authority is necessary to ensure that the project moves forward on a consensus basis. Neither the Pakistani military nor the civilian bureaucracy has the economic and political aptitude to steward the project to success. It may well be that the strategic content of the CPEC is being exaggerated. Pakistan's primary goal should be to put itself on a trajectory of rapid, equitable, and sustained macroeconomic growth. The ultimate evidence of the success of CPEC will be whether it boosts industrial productivity, exports, and job creation in Pakistan, putting the country on a path toward sustained, high levels of equitable economic growth. Russia is expected to provide political and moral support to fill the gap being left behind by the United States, when it leaves Afghanistan. The present policy of India to leave Pakistan alone to deal with its problems without chasing a dialogue process and merely dealing with the military situation on the border and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir appears well-advised. Prime Minister Narendra D Modi appears to have exhausted all his weapons of a peace offensive with Pakistan. Nobody will lament the dormant state of SAARC, as long as modest bilateral cooperation and trade is maintained with our other neighbours in South Asia. In the meantime, what remains is Track II sherpas and other peace merchants who jet themselves to Bangkok and Macao in search of elusive peace. India has more options with regard to Pakistan than Pakistan has with India because our economic development and position in the world are not determined by our relations with Pakistan, which is only a sideshow. But for Pakistan, respectability is contingent upon good relations with India. The United States had wanted India and Pakistan to maintain a dialogue essentially to prevent a nuclear confrontation between them. Pakistan's conditions and terrorist attacks have finally frozen the dialogue and there is no pressure on either country to resume the dialogue. For India, the frustration is on account of Pakistan's refusal to take any action on terrorist leaders, even after clear evidence has been produced about their complicity. The recent decision to allow consular access to Kulbushan Yadav is indeed a welcome development, which may help reduce tensions. The Indian high commission in Islamabad is about to have a leadership change when Ambassador Ajay Bisaria shifts from cold Warsaw to hot Islamabad. These two developments may augur well for the future. But peace cannot come unless Pakistan realises that good relations with India will be more important to them than the illusory parity they perceive in keeping the Kashmir pot boiling. T P Sreenivasan, (IFS 1967), is a former Ambassador of India and governor for India of the IAEA; chairman, Academic Council; and director, NSS Academy of Civil Services; director general, Kerala International Centre. The Ahmedabad Police has denied permission to the roadshows of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party which were to be held in the city on Tuesday, a senior police official said on Monday. The BJP had sought permission for the roadshow from Dharnidhar Derasar to Bapu Nagar in the city, while the Congress wanted the nod for its roadshow from the Jagannath temple to Menco area and corner meetings on the route, Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) H R Muliyana said. However, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner A K Singh has denied the permission to both the parties, citing traffic congestion and some main markets and old city areas, which are communally sensitive and have narrow roads, falling on the routes of the roadshows, he said. The Congress confirmed that it had sought permission for Rahul Gandhis roadshow and corner meetings. However, the BJP did not spell out as to which party leader was to take out its roadshow in the city on Tuesday. Image: Rahul Gandhi, vice president of the Congress, greets his supporters during a rally in Gujarat. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday condemned the unwarranted statement by Pakistan on Gujarat elections, and seemed to suggest that it was aimed at bailing out Congress party. Prasad said Indians were capable of contesting the countrys democracy on their own. This came after Pakistans foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted: India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed at an election rally that there was an attempt by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls. Modi also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general of the Pakistan army Sardar Arshad Rafiq for making senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel chief minister of Gujarat. Modi alleged that Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had held a meeting at his house which was attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, a former Indian vice president, Pakistans high commissioner in India, and a former Pakistani foreign minister. Today a very curious statement has been released by Pakistan foreign office condemning Pakistan being dragged into Indias election and stated that Indians must learn to fight the elections on their own. Yes, I wish to tell Pakistan that Indians are capable of contesting Indias democracy on their own as they do... Indias prime minister is a popularly elected PM and so is the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prasad told reporters. India, he said, completely abhors any outside interference in Indias electoral affairs. The role of Pakistan in promoting terrorism in India is too well known in the entire world and Pakistan. Please stop giving us lessons. We are proud of Indias democracy, he said. We are very productive of Indias democracy and totally condemn this unwarranted statement from Pakistan, he said. Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a lotus-garland by the BJP workers during an election campaign rally in Sanand on Sunday. Modi raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general of the Pakistan army Sardar Arshad Rafiq for making senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel chief minister of Gujarat. Photograph: Santosh Hirlekar/PTI Photo Singh, in a statement, stressed that the Gujarat election was not discussed during meeting with some Pakistani officials at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. In a sharp counter-offensive on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'conspiracy with Pakistan' remark, former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said he was setting a "dangerous precedent" with his "ill-thought transgression" and asked him to apologise to the nation. In a strongly-worded statement, Singh rejected as "innuendos and falsehoods" Modi's comments, saying he did not discuss the Gujarat assembly elections with anyone at the dinner hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistan's former foreign minister Kurshid Kasuri in New Delhi. "I sincerely hope that prime minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. "I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies," he said. Singh said he was "deeply pained and anguished" by the "falsehood and canards" being spread to score political points by the prime minister in what he said was a "lost cause" in Gujarat. "Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of prime minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly and regrettably, Sh. Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a former prime minister and army chief," he alleged. Addressing an election rally in Palanpur in Gujarat on Sunday, Modi suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly polls in the state. He claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's house over dinner on December 6. This was a day before Aiyar's "neech" jibe against Modi that led to his suspension. The Congress Party, Singh said, needs no sermons on "nationalism" from a party and prime minister, whose "compromised" track record on fighting terrorism is well known, while reminding Modi of his "uninvited" visit to Pakistan after terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. "Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan," he said. Claiming that his track record of public service to the country over the last five decades is known to all, he said no one, including Modi, can "lamely question it to gain lost political ground". Singh said the Gujarat issue was never raised by anyone present at the dinner and the discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations. He said besides himself and former vice president Hamid Ansari, others present at Aiyar's dinner hosted for Kasuri, were the Pakistan High Commissioner, Natwar Singh, K S Bajpai, Ajai Shukla, Sharad Sabharwal, Gen Deepak Kapoor, TCA Raghavan, Satinder K Lambah, M K Bhadrakumar, CR Gharekhan, Prem Shankar Jha, Salman Haider and Rahul Khushwant Singh. "None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti- national activities," he said. Here is Singh's full statement:- Jaitley rules out PM apology for targeting Manmohan Ruling out an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday charged Manmohan Singh with defying the stated national policy on terror by meeting Pakistani diplomats and demanded to know the context, relevance and necessity of such a meet. He termed the dinner meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence as "political misadventure" and said the main opposition party is expected to follow the national line that terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. Addressing a press conference hours after Singh demanded an apology from Modi, Jaitley said the Congress must explain the context of the meeting. "It is surprising that for a misadventure that the Congress party indulged in, to which some of its senior leaders became a party, they should expect the Prime Minister of India to apologise for it," he said. India's national position on talks with Pakistan is well known and all responsible groups in India, including the main opposition party, are expected to honour that, Jaitley asserted. Stating that this was not the first time that such "misadventures" have taken place, he referred to the Sharm el-Sheikh declaration after Indo-Pak talks "when Baluchistan issue was allowed to enter the text of the agreement and the condition precedent for a dialogue that Pakistan territory should not be used for terrorism was done away with". He said the Congress and its leadership should come out with detailed facts on what transpired in the meeting and what was its necessity under the present circumstances. Jaitley said that till yesterday the Congress was denying the meeting and "today instead of accepting this as a misadventure, they try to blame those who are raising this issue". Asked if the leaders present at the meeting should be tried for treason, he said it is a political misadventure and "it has a political cost". Asked about Singh's statement that Gujarat elections, as stated by Prime Minister, was not discussed at the dinner, Jaitley said the party must explain the context, relevance and necessity of such a meet. On Aiyar, he said the suspended Congress leader "has always had an inconsistent position" and maintained "a parallel line of dialogue", "underplayed Pakistan's role in instigating terrorism in India and they continue to engage with them". "But that responsible section of the Congress party should have become privy to that engagement is indeed worrisome. It's admittedly as I said, a complete misadventure for very senior people in India's public life to have done what some of the senior Congress leaders did. "And having done that, to expect the Prime Minister of India to apologise for having flagged the issue is indeed beyond comprehension," he wondered. He said the main Opposition party is expected to follow the national policy, which states that terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. "Is (the) main opposition party not part of the State?" he asked. Jaitley said that if anyone defies the national line, he should be prepared to answer questions. He wanted the former prime minister to explain what transpired at the meeting and went on to defend his government's track record of fighting terror, saying no government in the past has a track record this government has in fighting terrorism. In response to Singh's demand for apology, Jaitley further said people who have violated the national policy of talks and terror not going hand in hand should apologise. On Singh's comment that remarks by Modi at a public rally had demeaned the office of the Prime Minister, Jaitley said debate never demeans any office. "When you have meeting of such kind, you should be prepared that questions will be asked," he said. "If anyone of us defies a national line which is inconsistent with India's line, we should be prepared to answer questions." The finance minister also said: "(The) misadventure is a political misadventure and it has political fallout." He also claimed that the BJP is comfortably winning in Gujarat. Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talking about Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Japan in the Gujarat elections but avoiding speaking about his home state. Gandhi also questioned Modi's 'silence' on the company promoted by Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah's son Jay Shah whose turnover was claimed to have shot up manifold after the BJP came to power at the centre. Gandhi, who was declared elected as Congress president on Monday, said Modi was frequently shifting his campaign plank in Gujarat. He said, first it was the Narmada water, but after farmers started saying it has not reached their fields, Modi changed tack and began speaking about OBC issues. When that also did not find favour with people, he went for development issues "but people punctured it", he said. "Now, Modiji speaks about Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and Japan. Modiji, this is the election about the future of Gujarat. Please say something about Gujarat also," he told a well-attended rally in Tharad in Banaskantha district. Gandhi was apparently targeting the prime minister over his Sunday's suggestion that Pakistan was trying to influence the Gujarat assembly polls and that some current and former officials of that country had met Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence a day before Aiyar's 'neech' remark against him. The Congress leader said, in his speeches in the last couple of days, the prime minister devoted half the time to Congress-bashing. "On one hand he is claiming that he has finished the Congress party from India, and on the other, he devotes half of his time to Congress. The other half of his speech is devoted to Narendra Modiji himself," the 47-year-old leader said. "Modiji please devote two-three minutes of your speech to (talking about) the future of Gujarat," he said. He questioned Modi's silence on corruption, as he targeted him over the alleged exponential rise in the turnover of a company owned by Amit Shah's son. "You listen to his entire speech, corruption is totally missing from it. Jay Amit Shah's company converted Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in three months but the chowkidar is silent, not a word is coming out of his mouth." "Narendra Modiji fears Amit Shah, that is the reason he is not saying a word about Jay Shah," he claimed. Gandhi reaffirmed his promise that the Congress, if voted to power in Gujarat, will waive farm loans within 10 days. He claimed the NDA government waived Rs 1.30 lakh crore loans of 10 richest people in the country. He said when farmers also ask for a loan waiver, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and the prime minister say it is not their policy. "Why the loans of farmers are not waived," Gandhi asked, and in the next breath gave the reply "as they do not fly in planes, they do not have big cars, and they do not have suit worth Rs 15 lakh." Gandhi again alleged there was corruption in the Nano deal between the Gujarat government and the Tatas. "The Congress allocated Rs 35,000 crore to MNREGA, while the BJP government gave Rs 33,000 crore to the Tata Nano factory. The water from Narmada went to that factory. The factory gets electricity for 24 hours even when you get it only at night," he alleged. The Congress leader claimed land in villages in and around Mundra were given to the Adani group at the rate of Re 1 per square metre, which the latter sold back to the government at Rs 3,000 for every square metre. Assailing the government over demonetisation and the GST, he said half the money of common people was "looted" by the note ban and the rest by the "Gabbar Singh Tax". Tuesday is the last day of campaigning for the second and final phase of Gujarat polls which has been high-pitch and vitriolic, with both Modi and Gandhi often making personal attacks against each other. Polling will be held on December 14. Votes would be counted on December 18. Photograph: Courtesy @INCIndia The man who allegedly molested actor Zaira Wasim on board a Delhi-Mumbai flight on Saturday night was arrested on Sunday after a huge public outcry over the incident prompted the Maharashtra State Commission for Women to seek an inquiry into the shameful incident. The 39-year-old Vikas Sachdev was arrested late Sunday evening, police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Anil Kumbhare said he will be produced in the court on Monday. Sachdev has been booked under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC, and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act since the actor is a minor, Senior Police Inspector, Sahar, Lata Shirsat, said. The airline -- Vistara -- said it has submitted an initial report to the regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation about the incident which created an uproar and invited all-round condemnation. Vistara, which is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, regretted the unfortunate experience and apologised to Wasim. It also said senior members of the management team have been flown to Mumbai to meet the Dangal actor, who narrated her ordeal on Instagram. Wasim said she was on a Vistara flight from Delhi to Mumbai when a co-passenger sitting behind her put his feet on her armrest. We are deeply concerned and regret the unfortunate experience Zaira Wasim had onboard our flight last night. We continue to give this case our highest attention and are extending our full support to all relevant authorities for the investigations underway, the airline said in a latest statement issued on Sunday evening. In addition, Vistara has submitted an initial report to the DGCA and also given all necessary details to the police, the airline said. In the video, which Wasim recorded immediately after deboarding the flight, the 17-year-old actor broke down several times. So, I was in a flight travelling from Delhi to Mumbai today and right behind me one middle-aged man who made my two-hour journey miserable. I tried to record it on phone to understand it better because the cabin lights were dimmed, I failed to get it she said. The lights were dimmed, so it was even worse. It continued for another five to ten minutes and then I was sure of it. He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck, the Kashmiri teen, who shot to fame for her stellar performance in Aamir Khans blockbuster Dangal, said in the post. This is not done, I am disturbed... Is this how youre going to take care of girls? This is not the way anybody should be made to feel. This is terrible! she said. No one will help us if we dont decide to help ourselves. And this is the worst thing, she added. Terming the incident as shameful, Maharashtra State Commission for Womens chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said they will seek a detailed inquiry into it from the DGCA. Rahatkar said there should also be an inquiry into why the cabin crew did not help the actor. Image: Zaira Wasim narrated her ordeal via an Instagram video. Photograph: Zaira Wasim/Instagram Terrorists wont win, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said after a blast at the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan during the morning rush hour on Monday, which injured four. IMAGE: Members of the New York Police Department walk by a subway entrance on 42nd Street following an attempted detonation during the morning rush hour in New York City. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters An Islamic State-inspired Bangladeshi-origin man, wearing a homemade device, triggered a blast at a metro station in New York City during the morning rush hours, injuring four persons and causing chaos in one of the busiest commuter hubs in the metropolis, officials said. Akayed Ullah, the 27-year-old suspected bomber, had wires and a pipe bomb strapped to his body. The device prematurely exploded between two subway platforms near Port Authority, which is Americas largest bus terminal, police said. The suspect was taken into custody after the device partially exploded. The subway station was evacuated and Port Authority terminal was shut down. Ullah was alone, the police said, adding that the explosion was recorded on surveillance video. IMAGE: Members of the Port Authority Police Counter Terrorism Unit patrol the area outside the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal following an attempted detonation during the morning rush hour, in New York City. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion so far, though it was being treated as terror-related. This was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God he did not achieve his goal, Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. At this point in time, all we know of is one individual who, thank God, was unsuccessful in his aims, Blasio said. There are also no credible and specific threats against New York City at this time. But we will give you more information as the investigation unfolds, he said. Our lives revolve around the subway. The choice of New York is always for a reason, because we are beacons of the world. We show that a society of many background and many faiths can work... The terrorists want to undermine that. They yearn to attack New York City, he added. IMAGE: Police officers stand outside the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal after reports of an explosion. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters A total of four injuries were reported at the scene of the explosion at Port Authority, the New York Police Department said, adding all injuries are non-life-threatening. The suspect, who lived in Brooklyn, suffered serious burn injuries and is currently admitted at a hospital. He had arrived in the US some seven years ago from Bangladesh. Preliminary investigation at the scene indicates that this male was wearing an improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body. He intentionally detonated that device, Police Commissioner James ONeil told reporters. ONeill told reporters the suspect is being questioned. But he refrained from giving any detailed information on the investigation. He did make statements, but were not going to talk about that right now, he told reporters in response to a question. IMAGE: Police and fire crews block off the streets near the New York Port Authority after reports of an explosion. Photograph: Edward Tobin/Reuters Soon after the explosive device went off prematurely at a metro station in a busy New York transit place, the police found Ullah with wires attached to his body. He had attached the pipe bomb to himself with a combination of Velcro and zip ties, ONeill said. He suffered burns to his hands and abdomen and was in a serious condition at Bellevue Hospital Center, New York Fire Department Commissioner Daniel A Nigro said. US President Donald Trump was briefed on the New York explosion, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation. IMAGE: Commuters exit the New York Port Authority in New York City after reports of the explosion. Photograph: Edward Tobin/Reuters New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that New Yorkers would not be disrupted by such an attempt. We are a target by many who would like to make a statement against freedom... Lets go back to work we are not going to allow them to disrupt us, he said. The reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom. We have statue of Liberty in our harbour and that make suspect an international target. We understand that, he said. Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC that the man was inspired by the Islamic State terror group and originally came from Bangladesh. The attack is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which comprises of FBI and other federal, state and city investigating and law enforcement agencies. IMAGE: An armoured police truck occupies the street outside of the New York Port Authority. Photograph: Edward Tobin/Reuters The Bangladeshi Embassy in Washington condemned the incident. Government of Bangladesh is committed to its declared policy of Zero Tolerance against terrorism, and condemns terrorism and violent extremism in all forms or manifestations anywhere in the world, including Monday mornings incident in New York City, the embassy said in a statement. A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his or her ethnicity or religion, and must be brought to justice, said the embassy in statement. Its officials were in touch with officials of the New York Police Department regarding his legal status and his origin in Bangladesh. Earlier, the New York Police Department tweeted that it was responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, Manhattan. I was exiting the Port Authority and the National Guard was running towards something shouting Go, Go, Go, commuter Keith Woodfin tweeted, according to New York Daily News. Designer Chelsea LaSalle tweeted that she was stuck in a running stampede at port authority bus terminal due to bomb scare. Cops EVERYWHERE. IMAGE: No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion so far. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters Security was enhanced in several major American cities after the explosion in the New York City. We are monitoring the incident that occurred in New York City this morning. At this time, there are no current threats to the District of Columbia. We ask all residents and visitors to remain vigilant, said the Washington DC Police Department. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M Nielsen spoke with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Police Department Commissioner James ONeill regarding the details of the attempted terrorist attack in New York City. The Department of Homeland Security is taking appropriate action to protect our people and our country in the wake of todays attempted terrorist attack in New York City, he said. We will continue to assist New York authorities with the response and investigation and we urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, he said, adding that the administration continues to adopt significant security measures to keep terrorists from entering the country and from recruiting within its borders. The enemy we face is persistent and adaptive. But they should know this: Americans will not be coerced by terrorism, and we will not allow it to become the new normal. We will fight back aggressively and bring terrorists to justice, Nielsen said. 'The military aim in a future conflict, if it can't be avoided, should be to cause maximum damage to the adversary's war waging capability and capture limited amount of territory as a bargaining counter,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd). The foremost challenge for India to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific will be to manage the rise of a militarily assertive China that is seeking to achieve a 'favourable strategic posture'. Having come close to completing its four modernisations, China has discarded Deng Xiaoping's 24-character strategy to 'hide our capacity and bide our time' and has begun to flex its military muscle. China senses the emergence of a security vacuum in the Indo-Pacific and is rushing to fill it. India must join the US and other strategic partners, such as Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam, to establish a cooperative security framework for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, for the security of the global commons and to deal with contingencies like those described below. If China is willing to join this security architecture it should be welcomed. With its proclivity for solving territorial disputes by using military force and its growing military power, China may behave irresponsibly somewhere in the Indo-Pacific, including against India. China could decide to intervene militarily in the South China Sea, or to occupy one or more of the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands or decide to resolve the remaining territorial disputes, like that with India, by using military force. Also, China has deep internal fault-lines. Its rapid economic growth, now slowing, has been fairly uneven and non-inclusive. There is a deep sense of resentment against the leadership of the Communist Party for the denial of basic freedoms. The discontentment simmering below the surface could boil over and lead to a spontaneous implosion that may be uncontrollable. The recent crash of Chinese stock markets and continuing volatility also point to the possibility of a meltdown. Both the contingencies -- implosion and military adventurism -- have a low probability of occurrence, but will be high-impact events with widespread ramifications around the Indo-Pacific should either of them come to pass. Both contingencies will shake up the markets, result in millions of refugees and lead to a bloodbath. India and its strategic partners will need to cooperate closely to deal with the fallout and to manage the disastrous consequences as either of these contingencies unfolds. In this context, the India-US strategic partnership makes eminent sense as a hedging strategy for both countries. In more senses than one, it is India's 'principal' strategic partnership, as then prime minister Manmohan Singh had described it. His predecessor, then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had gone further and had said that India and the US were 'natural allies'. Whichever term is used to describe the relationship, clearly, the US cannot be expected to pull India's chestnuts out of the fire, and vice versa. Only when the vital national interests of both are threatened will the two countries come together and act in concert. Defence cooperation, a key component of the strategic partnership, must be enhanced to take it to the next higher trajectory to enable the two countries to undertake joint threat assessment; contingency planning for joint operations; sharing of intelligence; simulations and table-top exercises -- besides training exercises with troops; coordination of command, control and communications; and planning for operational deployment and logistics support. All of these activities must be undertaken in concert with India's other strategic partners in Asia. The growing China-Pakistan nuclear warhead-ballistic missile-military hardware nexus is a matter of concern. China is now engaged in developing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to link Xinjiang with Gwadar on the Makran coast as part of its One Belt, One Road initiative to counter the US influence in the Indo-Pacific. China has vetoed several resolutions in the UN sanctions committee aimed at censuring Pakistan and designating Pakistani extremist leaders as terrorists. China tends to forget that it is itself a victim of terrorist activity that has its roots on Pakistani soil. Elsewhere in Southern Asia, China is vigorously pursuing its strategic encirclement of India by making inroads into each of India's land neighbours and through the acquisition of port facilities for the PLA navy to operate, as part of its string of pearls strategy in the northern Indian Ocean. While China is too large to be effectively contained, India can and must raise the cost for China. India should do this through political and diplomatic means and through pro-active defence cooperation with its strategic partners. Because of its claims over the South China Sea, China has been objecting to India's ONGC prospecting for oil and gas within Vietnam's territorial waters. Future ONGC operations should be backed up with support from the Indian Navy by way of providing point defence to offshore oil installations and conducting maritime patrolling in the South China Sea jointly with the US and other strategic partners. Vietnam has often expressed an interest in Indian weapons systems. These must be provided on soft loans, including ballistic missiles that do not violate MTCR guidelines such as the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, Prithvi I and II and Prahar SSMs. The indigenously-designed and manufactured Pinaka MBRL should also be provided. Initial batches of these weapons systems could be gifted and training teams sent to provide in situ training assistance. Notably, the US recently lifted its 50-year old embargo on the sale of arms to Vietnam. Afghanistan has given India a wish list of weapons and equipment in accordance with the provisions of its strategic partnership with India. So far India has given only non-lethal defence equipment, including a few utility helicopters. The other items required by the ANSF in order to improve combat capability should also be provided. The training assistance being provided to the ANSF should be stepped up by an order of magnitude. If invited to do so by the Afghan government, India should be prepared to train ANSF personnel inside Afghanistan. The Indian training teams should be self-sufficient and capable of organising their own local security, including limited counter-terrorism measures. The trilateral agreement with Iran and Afghanistan for India to develop the Chabahar port and link it with the Zaranj-Delaram highway, built by India in Afghanistan, to gain access to the Central Asian Republics and beyond to the CIS countries is a positive development. It will also provide a suitable route for logistics support should India be called upon to send an infantry division to Afghanistan to support ANSF operations if it becomes necessary. Similarly, India should reach out to Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka and the countries on the Indian Ocean littoral in order to minimise the negative impact of the overtures being made by China to them. As for hard power, India must maintain continuous vigil over the frontiers and carefully note Chinese and Pakistani activities across the disputed boundaries. Surveillance technology should be exploited to add to human vigilance. From the efforts being put in to develop infrastructure along the land borders, including the refurbishment of advance landing grounds (ALGs) in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, and the raising of new forces, it is clear that army and the air force are gradually pivoting to the mountains. The raising of potent forces like the 17 Corps, popularly called the Mountain Strike Corps, will help to upgrade the quality of India's deterrence. Two additional divisions (56 and 71 Mountain Divisions) have been raised recently for defensive operations in Arunachal Pradesh. Similarly, one Strike Corps out of three in the plains and one additional infantry division with high altitude air assault capability need to be placed on high alert to counter aggression. The addition of new combat capability in the mountains, particularly the ability to launch and sustain offensive operations across the LAC, will send an appropriate signal to China. The ability to launch offensive operations into Chinese territory will upgrade India's military strategy against China from dissuasion to deterrence. Deterrence in the maritime domain should also be enhanced so as to be prepared to confront Chinese and Pakistani navies and, if necessary, even their merchant shipping as a counter strategy to exploit the weaknesses of the adversaries in the maritime domain should a war break out on the LAC or the LoC. The essence of India's military strategy should be to deter war, but if war is thrust on India, to fight synergised tri-Service operations and ensure that conflict termination takes place on favourable terms. The military aim in a future conflict, if it cannot be avoided, should be to cause maximum damage to the adversary's war waging capability by kinetic means and to capture limited amount of territory as a bargaining counter. Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd) is Distinguished Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. This is an excerpt from The New Arthashastra: A Security Strategy for India, Edited by Gurmeet Kanwal, with the kind permission of the HarperCollins Publishers India Limited. IMAGE: An Indian soldier maintains vigil on India's border with China. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Note all articles are independently researched and written by myself. However, if you buy via one of the links it may be an affiliate and I may earn a small commission. Nice to see one of our personal favourites return to the racks the Adidas Montreal 76 trainers. Its not a shoe reissued regularly, I have a pair in the wardrobe, but they do have quite a lot of mileage on them. Perhaps a good 10 years or so. The shoes do date back a lot longer than that. As the name suggests, these were designed back in 1976 for the Montreal Olympics, specifically for the athletes taking part in the event. Note that collapsible heel, which made getting the shoes on and off just a little bit easier. The reissue comes in two versions, one using the original colours, the other in a black finish. Both have a a suede upper, perforated round toe and that distinctive heel from the original design. 13th December is the date for your diaries at selected retailers, including End Clothing. Except the price to bed around 80. End Clothing website Via His Knibs More than a thousand Cambodians living in the United States, Canada, and France demonstrated in front of the Cambodian embassy in Washington on Sunday to demand that Cambodia release political opposition leader Kem Sokha from prison. Rallying earlier at the White House, they also urged stronger U.S. pressure on Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen to reverse the Southeast Asian nations retreat from democracy and slide into authoritarian rule. Speaking at the rally, Kem Monovithyadaughter of jailed Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) chief Kem Sokhasaid that while the U.S. and other concerned countries may do their best to help Cambodia, the real power to effect change in the country lies in the hands of the Cambodian people themselves. The bottom line is that you yourselves should be prepared to decide what you want your country to be, she said. Pa Nguon Teang, executive director of the Phnom Penh-based Cambodian Center for Independent Media, called the demonstration on International Human Rights Day a message to Hun Sen that Cambodias people will not accept living under a dictatorship. If the government makes no move to reconsider its actions in a timely manner, there will be more mass protests [in Cambodia] too, he said. Hun Sen has robbed the CNRP of its legitimate seats [in the countrys parliament], Montreal resident Soeu Sokhom said. He has dissolved the opposition party and betrayed the over three million Cambodians who voted for the CNRP in local elections held earlier this year, she said. We strongly disagree with what he has done to the political opposition and to our country, she said. Widespread condemnation Hun Sen has faced widespread condemnation in recent months over his governments move to formally dissolve the CNRP, his only effective political opposition, as well as for orchestrating the closure of independent media outlets and cracking down on nongovernmental organizations ahead of national elections scheduled for next year. Speaking in front of the Cambodian embassy on Sunday, CNRP deputy president Eng Chhai Eang said We ask Hun Sens government to reverse its decision and allow the CNRP to engage in politics as normal. We also demand the immediate and unconditional release of Kem Sokha and all political prisoners. Cambodias ambassador to the U.S. should work to represent Cambodias people and not the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) controlled by Hun Sen, he said. We hope Hun Sen will address our concerns in a timely manner in order to avoid more international sanctions. Writing on social media on Monday, CPP spokesman Sok Eysan rejected the demands raised by protesters on Sunday, adding, Any protests by Cambodians abroad have violated the rules of law and democracy of Cambodia. The dissolution of the CNRP was done according to judicial procedures, he said. Cambodian Council of Ministers spokeman Phay Siphan meanwhile threatened the use of force against demonstrations in Cambodia itself. We and the armed forces are prepared to suppress all such forms of protest, he said. Visa restrictions Hun Sens crackdown on his opponents has also brought condemnation from Washington and restrictions on travel visas to the United States by Cambodian government officials. Writing in support of the restrictions, Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has emerged as a strong critic of Hun Sens actions, called the visa curbs a good first step toward restoring democratic gains in Cambodia and a much-needed response to Chinas growing influence in Phnom Penh. Hun Sen faces a simple choice: release opposition leader Kem Sokha, allow Sam Rainsy to return, reinstitute the Cambodia National Rescue Party, lift his ban on open broadcasting and free speech or risk further punitive action from the United States, Cruz wrote on the blog Texas GOP Vote. Sam Rainsy was the CNRP president until went into exile in November 2015 in the face of arrest warrants issued by courts beholden to Hun sen. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Richard Finney. Hundreds of migrant workers took to the streets of the Chinese capital on Human Rights Day in protest at recent mass forced evictions targeting low-income workers. Thousands of Beijing-based workers and small traders on low incomes, referred to in official documents as the "low-end population," have been forced from their homes in unlicensed, rented accommodation in the wake of a fire that left 19 people dead in the city's Daxing district last month. Hundreds of them turned out in protest in Cuizhuang township in Beijing's Chaoyang district on Sunday, according to a video of the protest shared with RFA. Holding banners and shouting: "Forced evictions violate our human rights!" they gathered outside the gate of what appeared to be an official building. Repeated calls to the Cuizhuang township and local government offices, and to the local police station, failed to be connected on Sunday. A migrant forced to leave Xinjiancun in Beijing's Chaoyang district told RFA on Sunday that he has been forced to relocate dozens of miles from his business, and said many migrants want compensation for broken rental contracts and financial losses caused by the evictions. The migrant, a textiles wholesaler surnamed Zhang, said the authorities had used the fire as an excuse to speed up a long-planned removal of lower-income migrants from the capital. "Before the fire, there was already a mass-eviction strategy planned for Xinjiancun. This is what my landlord told me," said Zhang, who now lives in a newly rented place some 56 kilometers away from his business premises. "But [those plans] included compensation of 10,000 yuan ... to help defray the costs of finding a new place to live," he said. "But now they are moving ahead without waiting for that part." "Some people are waiting to see what happens, if the authorities haven't already been to inspect their place. But actually they can't afford to move outside of Beijing," Zhang said. Evictions continue Zhang, who says he has sustained losses of 50,000-60,000 yuan as a direct result of the government-backed evictions, said they are still continuing apace across the city. "Just a few days ago, they started to clear [another area]," he said, adding that his flatbed rickshaw and a full load of cloth was confiscated by police for no reason during the eviction process. He said he later heard that police have confiscated large numbers of bikes, scooters, and rickshaws from migrant evictees. As migrants staged public protests on World Human Rights Day on Sunday, the ruling Chinese Communist Party issued a joint communique at the end of a conference in Beijing setting out a much narrower definition of human rights than that adopted by the United Nations in 1948. "China develops human rights based on national conditions, with the right to subsistence and the right to development as the primary basic human rights," the statement said. "The cause of human rights must and can only be advanced in accordance with the national conditions and the needs of the peoples," it said, adding that human rights other than that of subsistence and "development" should be regarded as "specific," rather than universal. Human rights should also include "the maintenance of peace, security and stability," the communique said, concluding: "The satisfaction of the people is the ultimate criterion to test the rationality of human rights and the way to guarantee them." 'Cold-hearted, really' A clothing trader surnamed Li from the northern province of Hebei, which borders Beijing, said his life has been turned upside down by the evictions. "They said that clothing traders like us are 'low-end population,' and that we are unregulated, so they just got rid of us, and that was that," Li said. "It's pretty cold-hearted, really," he said. "So much for human rights. There's really nothing human about about it." Li said he has no idea what to do next. "What would I do if I went back there? It would be pointless," he said. "I'll have to get through this somehow. That's the only way to deal with it." Calls to the Chaoyang district government rang unanswered on Sunday. In Washington, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China said it is greatly concerned for the plight of Chinese prisoners of conscience, many of whom have been imprisoned, disappeared, detained, or tortured for speaking out for human rights. "The Chinese government and Communist Party severely, and sometimes brutally, restrict universally-recognized rights," it said in a statement on Friday, adding that human rights in China are under growing threat from "resurgent authoritarianism." Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to and Wong Siu-san for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Concerns were growing on for Beijing-based artist and activist Hua Yong, who has been incommunicado since last week after documenting the plight of evicted migrants. Hua, a resident of Beijing's Songzhuang Artists' Village, is believed to be hiding from the authorities after reporting on the authorities' bid to rid the city of its low-income, migrant population in the wake of a fatal fire in Daxing district last month. His last communication with the outside world came in the form of video footage shared with RFA that showed around 100 residents of Daxing district blocking a major highway in protest at being evicted. In the video, Hua alludes to his forthcoming "disappearance," and his desire to protect his loved ones from police harassment. "This video will be my last video, because I know that if I get arrested, a lot of my friends will be implicated, as well as my family," he says. "So, I won't be calling in to tell them I'm safe any more after ." The Daxing protest, the latest of several in the district, erupted into violent clashes after police tried to move the protesters off the highway, where they had brought traffic to a standstill. A friend of Hua's said the artist had been invited to observe the protest by its participants, and was last seen leaving the protest site under their protection. But nothing has been heard from him since, she said. "There's been no news of him," He said. "I haven't been able to get in touch with him since about 1.00 p.m. ." A second friend of Hua's who asked to remain anonymous said he had made inquiries and heard that his friend is currently safe. "I think he actually went missing just past 3.00 p.m. [on ], that's when I lost touch with him," the friend said. "His cell phone just said it was unable to connect the call." "I heard through [a contact] that someone had found out that Hua Yong is safe for the time being, but now [my contact] is also likely under surveillance," he said. "I can't really say any more than that, just that Hua Yong isn't in danger." Mass incidents usually suppressed Repeated calls to Hua Yong's cell phone went unconnected on . Calls to the political police department of Hua's home district of Tongzhou also rang unanswered. A third source who asked not to be named said Hua is currently on the run from police, and is no longer in Beijing. "The police are looking for him, but he has already left Beijing," the source said. "He's safe for the time being." "I am getting dozens of text messages a day asking if he's OK, but I have no way to respond to them," said the source. A handwritten note left by him and posted to Twitter said Hua had decided not to leave China, however. "I didn't expect things to get this serious," the note reads. "It looks as if I am facing a lot of risks, including that of secret detention and even assassination, but I still don't want to leave the country." "If I am caught, I'll be as good as dead, and I want my blood, body and my ashes to be scattered on the earth of my homeland," it says. "There, I hope it will turn into stardust, and contribute to even more people's awakening ... to civil rights for Chinese people." Fellow Songzhuang resident and poet Wang Zang said he thinks Hua may not last long if he refuses to leave China, however. "I think he will probably be detained," Wang said. "As we all know, China has such a thing as detention centers and black jails, and I worry that he will suffer." "It would be better for him to leave, as long as he has friends who are willing to help him." Wang said the authorities do everything in their power to crack down on "mass incidents" like the Daxing protest, and to ensure that news of them is never made public. "They absolutely hate mass incidents, which is what they call them," Wang said. "He may be able to evade capture for a few days, but it won't take them long to catch him." Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Siu-san and Hai Nan for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Myanmars Labor Ministry is seeking labor migration agreements with the governments of other Southeast Asian countries and territories to send women there to work legally as maids, a government labor official said Monday. Government officials are hoping that labor migration will boost Myanmars developing economy by providing employment for impoverished citizens and increasing the remittances they send back home. They are targeting Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, wealthier areas of the region where there is a growing demand for cheap domestic laborers to fill a shortage of unskilled labor. More than five percent of Myanmars estimated population of 53.6 million people works as migrant laborers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Middle Eastern countries, according to government estimates, with most working in fishing and agriculture, and women working as housekeepers and maids. We have been trying to sign memorandums of understanding with those countries and regions, said Win Shein, director-general of the Factories and General Labor Law Inspection Department under the Ministry of Labor, Immigration, and Population. Actually, we have been talking with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan for a long time, but this time it is more comprehensive, he said. On Nov. 14, Myanmar and the other nine member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed a Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of Rights of Migrant Workers, an agreement giving migrant workers from other nations the same level of protection that they give their own citizens. The agreement ensures protection regarding labor contracts and standards, access to legal representation, and fair treatment with respect to gender and nationality. It also prevents recruiters from charging excessive job placement fees, protects workers against violence and sexual harassment in the workplace, and respects their right to fair and appropriate pay and benefits and their right to join trade unions. The consensus is a follow-up document to ASEANs Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers adopted in January 2007 in Cebu, the Philippines. Myanmar workers need to have rights according to the law, Win Shein said, referring to the necessity of having protection against abusive labor practices abroad. Myanmar sent women to Singapore in 2013 and Hong Kong in 2014 to work as maids and housekeepers, but ended the program over labor disputes and rights violation cases, the Myanmar Times reported in September. As a result, the Myanmar government in September 2014 placed a temporary ban on women going abroad to work as domestic workers. Migrant workers from Myanmar, however, continued to flock to Southeast Asian countries as tourists after paying bribes to get around the ban and land work, making them vulnerable to traffickers and abuse because they were not protected by labor or migration laws. Escape from poverty Labor migration from Myanmar to other countries in Southeast Asia has been increasing since Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy came to power in April 2016. The state counselor, who is Myanmars de facto leader, has pursued polices to foster economic development, including those that secure livelihoods for Myanmars rural poor, and has sought greater integration with the ASEAN economic bloc. Labor migration and remittances are part of the governments efforts to facilitate economic development. Myanmar received about U.S. $118 million in remittances in 2015, according to official estimates, though the former Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security said they could tally as high as U.S. $8 billion, according to a World Bank migration and development brief. Myanmar is now the largest migration source country in the Greater Mekong subregion, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Geneva-based migration agency of the United Nations. Workers are attracted by higher wages in other ASEAN countries as well as by an escape from rural poverty, Myanmars internal armed conflicts, and natural disasters. About 70 percent of Myanmar migrants living abroad are based in Thailand, followed by Malaysia (15 percent), China (4.6 percent), Singapore (3.9 percent), the IOM said, with most coming from Mon and Kayin states in southern Myanmar, and from Shan state in the eastern part of the country. The states have experienced clashes between ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar army in recent years, which have driven thousands from their homes to seek safety in other areas. Singapore has become an increasingly popular destination for domestic workers from Myanmar, who are less expensive to hire than are workers from traditional source countries, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, according to a January report by the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. Domestic workers from Myanmar earn about U.S. $330 a month, compared to more expensive Indonesians and Filipinos who usually earn U.S. $385 and U.S. $460, respectively, the report said. Reported by Thiri Min Zin for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Writers and democracy advocates jailed in Vietnam for the peaceful expression of their opinions were honored in absentia by an exile group in a ceremony held in California on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day. Recipients of the award, the Vietnam Human Rights Award, included the well-known blogger Mother Mushroom, blogger Anh Ba Sam, Protestant pastor Y Yich, and the online Brotherhood For Democracy advocacy group. Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Kim Binhrepresenting the California-based Vietnam Human Rights Networkcalled those honored in Sundays ceremony in Westminster city among the bravest of our people. All through the present crackdown by the Communist Party, there have been people willing to sacrifice their lives to fight for human rights and for the [Vietnamese] people, Binh said. Some of them have passed away, and there are others who are still very young but are already serving prison terms of from five to ten years, he said, adding that among those now jailed in Vietnam are veterans from both sides of the Vietnam War and many who were born after the war ended. All have paid a heavy price, he said. Each year, our laureates are either prisoners of conscience or former prisoners of conscience. Some are still on probation and are living under intimdation, Binh said. Also speaking at the ceremony, Dinh Ngoc Thua former associate of blogger Anh Ba Sam, also known as Nguyen Huu Vinhsaid that to counter authoritarian rule in Vietnam, the people must be provided with information. This is the only way to change their perception, with changes in perception leading to changes in behavior, he said. Punishing dissent Anh Ba Sam, a former police officer and son of a late government minister, was handed a five-year prison term in March 2016 after publishing writings critical of Vietnams government on his Ba Sam blog site. He had been convicted on a charge of abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state" under Article 258 of Vietnams penal code. His assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy was given three years in prison on the same charge. The two had been in prison since their arrests in May 2014. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, better known by her blogger handle Mother Mushroom, is currently serving a 10-year prison term for publishing politically sensitive material online. She had blogged about human rights abuses and corruption for more than a decade, and more recently voiced criticism over Vietnams policy toward Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea. She has also criticized the governments response to a 2016 toxic waste spill by a Taiwanese firm that destroyed the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Vietnamese living in four coastal provinces. Pastor Y Yich, a resident of Gia Lai province in Vietnams central highlands, was arrested in 2007 and sentenced to six years in prison for his role in demonstrations demanding land and freedom of religion for Vietnams Montagnard people. Arrested again in 2013, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. 'Don't lose hope' In August and September of this year, six members of the Brotherhood for Democracy, an online advocacy group founded in 2013, were arrested and jailed under vaguely worded provisions of Vietnams penal code used to silence dissenting voices in the country. In May, jailed human rights attorney and activist Nguyen Van Dai, a founding member of the group, received an award in absentia from the German Association of Judges, the Deutscher Richterbund, honoring him for his work in human rights. Speaking in an interview with RFAs Vietnamese Service, EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Religious Freedom Jan Figel urged the people of Vietnam, a one-party communist state, not to lose hope in their work for greater freedom. Communism in Europe collapsed because it was unsustainable. People stopped believing in it, Figel, a native of Slovakia, said. We need free and fair societies, and this is a dream that I hope will sooner or later, but surely, be achieved in Vietnam and by everyone in the world. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Richard Finney. Abu Sayyaf Group members gather in the jungles of the southern Philippine island of Basilan in this undated file photo. Abu Sayyaf kidnapers executed a Vietnamese hostage after holding him captive for more than a year in the southern Philippines, the military said Monday. The body of Pham Minh Tuan, the captain of the M/V Royal 16 vessel who was taken hostage along with five crew members by Abu Sayyaf militants in November 2016, was recovered in a coastal village on Jolo island at the weekend, military officials said. Tuans remains were airlifted to Manila and turned over to the Vietnamese Embassy, said Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares, head of the regional police. M/V Royal 16 was carrying cement from northeastern Vietnam to the Philippines when it was attacked off the island of Basilan in the south. The boat had 19 crew members aboard, according to the Vietnamese embassy in the Philippines, but the attackers took six, including the captain, as hostages and let the rest go. Tuan and his five crewmen apparently were taken to the jungles of Jolo island farther south, military officials said. One of the five escaped in June, while two were beheaded a month later. Mijares said the gunmen initially thought the boat captain could be ransomed for a big amount, but they were mistaken. He did not elaborate. Last month, troops rescued four Vietnamese hostages from the Abu Sayyaf but found a fifth dead. This group was taken from another ship gunmen boarded in February. At least six foreigners are believed to be held captive by Abu Sayyaf, officials said. The bandits last year had beheaded two Canadians and a German national held separately, after ransom payments demanded by the captors were not met. Following the recovery of Tuans body, the military said it launched pursuit operations that led to a clash in the seaside town of Panamao in Sulu, where three Abu Sayyaf suspects were killed. Numbering in the low hundreds, the Abu Sayyaf (Bearers of the Sword) was founded in the 1990s by Afghan-trained militant Abdurajak Janjalani. It is the most violent of Muslim rebel factions in the southern Philippines, and was blamed for a ferry bombing in Manila Bay that killed more than 100 people in 2004. Janjalani was eventually killed in a police operation in Basilan. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Khadaffy, under whose command gunmen launched a series of spectacular kidnapping raids that netted dozens of European, Asian and American hostages during the previous decade. Khadaffy was killed, but Abu Sayyaf later split into several factions, including one led by Isnilon Hapilon, who pledged allegiance to the IS and led the siege of Marawi city in May. Hapilon was among more than 1,000 people killed in five months of gun battles in Marawi, but the military said that his death did not automatically mean the end of the Abu Sayyaf. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. When Kosmo Machine Inc. was founded in 1976, brothers Pat and Ted Smook operated the business a maker of machine components in a 2,000-square-foot building just a few miles south of Ashland. An aerial photograph of the original site hangs in the companys office, now located in a former U.S. Postal Service sorting facility in eastern Henrico County. Back in the old days, it was just Ted and I, recalled Smook, 57, the companys vice president of sales. Now, after a series of expansions over four decades, the company employs nearly 60 people and has a 62,000-square-foot office and manufacturing plant near Richmond International Airport. On the factory floor, the companys staff of skilled machinists produce precision components for customers in diverse industries, locally and all over the world. The plant has made parts for companies in Japan and Germany. We are neighborhood boys who have done fairly well, Smook said. It has been 40 years, and we are a world-class producer of machine parts now. Kosmo Machine the name is an anagram of Smook is now in the midst of another expansion. In August, the company announced plans to invest $1 million in new equipment while adding more than 30 jobs to increase production at its plant. When the company was founded, its work was closely tied to the regions tobacco industry supplying parts that helped keep cigarette factories operating. It later moved into supplying parts for the packaging industry. Since then, we have really grown into whatever the market needs, Smook said. We have made a lot of technological advances. The latest expansion comes as Kosmo Machine has added new customers and earned certifications enabling it to make a wider range of machine components, such as for the aerospace industry. When the company moved into the eastern Henrico plant four years ago, about 90 percent of our work came from four customers, Smook said. Now, 30 percent of the pie is split 12 ways. Much of the work done by Kosmo Machines machinists involves operating computer numerically controlled, or CNC, machines, large pieces of high-tech equipment that can produce machine parts with microscopic precision. Among the new pieces of equipment acquired as part of the $1 million investment are two electrical discharge machines, or EDMs, one of which a wire EDM uses an electrical discharge from a thin wire to craft metal parts at about one-30th the width of a human hair. Quality management is vital. Quality is what we sell, really, Smook said. We learned early on that anybody can buy a building and a bunch of machines, but it is the people that matter. We have a culture of constant improvement, and it shows in our work, he said. As part of its expansion, Kosmo Machine also has added a machine parts cleaning service. The company buys dry ice pellets and compresses them into blocks. The staff built blasting equipment that uses dry ice to clean machine parts sent by customers. It does not hurt the parts at all, Smook said. There is no water. There is no sand. It is the greenest form of cleaning on the planet. While the company does not disclose its customers, it does work for such industries as electric power generation, electric motor components and shipbuilding. The aerospace industry, especially the emerging aerial drone industry, is a relatively new client base the company is cultivating. The company has limited its own growth to focus on getting the right skilled workers in place, Smook said over a lunch of baked salmon, vegetables and peach cobbler at the plant the company has a professional chef who prepares lunch four days a week for the entire staff. The lunches are free. Its a great benefit financially, and healthy options are always available, Smook said. It saves employees time and money. The company benefits because our equipment gets back in production mode quicker. The best part is the fact its a team-builder and always a relaxing atmosphere. Everyone wins. Smooks older brother, Ted, 66, who founded the company, is phasing his career toward retirement. He now manages the kitchen at the plant. *** The high-tech manufacturing sector remains a key job sector for the Richmond region, and Kosmo Machine is one example of the companies in that sector. Distribution and manufacturing are expected to create about 19,000 jobs in the region in the next 10 years, said Barry Matherly, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, a regional economic development group. We are steadily hiring, Pat Smook said. Our biggest challenge is finding people to complete the training program. The company has an in-house apprenticeship training program, which involves on-the-job training and an online training curriculum, said Mike Redden, a 38-year employee of the company and its vice president of manufacturing. It can take three to five years to fully train a machinist. It takes all different skill sets to run the business, but the hardest positions we have to fill are the machinist positions they are a rare breed, Redden said. It is starting to get better now that high school counselors are steering the appropriate kids toward the skilled trades. The company works with community colleges to find workers. It also has hired some military veterans soon after their discharge from service. We interview people of all walks of life, Redden said. We have hired people straight out of high school, and it worked out. The highest success rate, so far, are the veterans. They can hit the ground running They are mature and know what they want to do with their lives. One of the companys recent veteran hires is Gavin Keisling, who joined Kosmo Machine in November 2016 after four years of service in the U.S. Army. It was a seamless transition, said Keisling, a native of Arizona who studied philosophy at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. When considering what to do after leaving the Army, I talked to my father he has been a welder his whole life and he said machining is a great trade. Keisling sped through an apprenticeship program at Kosmo in less than a year and is also studying mechanical engineering technology at John Tyler Community College. He now works in the production planning department at Kosmo. It is good honest work, Keisling said. It is the backbone of the country. I think the technology and metal working is fascinating, and I like the quality management aspect of it. The law firm LeClairRyan is offering a new legal service designed as a low-cost way for entrepreneurs to quickly form new corporations and limited liability companies. The national law firm, which has its largest office in Richmond, said the new service, called acceLR, offers a streamlined way of completing legal documents for single-owner entity formation and organization. The firm decided to offer the service because entrepreneurs are looking for more cost-effective ways to start companies, said David M. Lay, a shareholder in the firms Richmond office. We see a lot of entrepreneurs who are quite young and dont have as many resources, he said. The trend these days is a lot of college students and graduate students are starting their own companies, as well as many other entrepreneurs who have ideas but not resources. We were looking for a way to provide a cost-effective but high-value service to them for organizing companies, he said. The fee is $199 for basic service, plus state filing costs, and includes such documents as articles of incorporation and bylaws. The service is available to Richmond-area entrepreneurs forming corporations or LLCs in Virginia or Delaware. LeClairRyan attorneys from several practice teams, such as securities, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial contracts, will help advise entrepreneurs. The firm also is offering a premium service that includes such documents as stock incentive plans and employment agreements. The fees for that depend on the nature and complexity of the documentation required. LeClairRyans acceLR service is intended to compete with online-only services that offer do-it-yourself legal documents for entrepreneurs. Unlike those services, the firms service is a mixture of electronic and in-person meetings, Lay said. An important part of this would be having them (entrepreneurs) come to meet us so we can get more information and have the right documents for them, he said. We are kicking off acceLR in the Richmond market, where the firm was founded and has a track record, Lay said. The goal will be at some point to expand the program across the footprint of the firm. LeClairRyan has more than 300 attorneys in 27 offices. Open enrollment for plans on the Affordable Care Acts marketplace will come to an abrupt end at midnight Friday, and the director of Virginias statewide navigation program is urging stragglers to sign up as soon as possible. Jill Hanken, an attorney with the Virginia Poverty Law Center and director of Enroll Virginia, said her staff of navigators are preparing for an onslaught of signups this week, so she encouraged anyone who needs help to call sooner rather than later to set up an appointment or get questions answered over the phone. We are a country full of procrastinators, so I think its not unusual to have crunch time close to deadlines, and we are at a very important deadline right now, Hanken said. Not everyone will need help, she noted, so she hopes those who can handle the healthcare.gov sign-up process on their own do so. Many questions can also be simply answered over the phone by calling the federal websites help line at (800) 318-2596, which is staffed 24 hours a day. This years open enrollment period looked very different than it did in the past, causing confusion that many feared would result in fewer people signing up. At just six weeks in length, the period is half as long as those held in the past, and healthcare.gov was taken down for maintenance routinely throughout the six weeks. But, based on the numbers available, Hanken said she is optimistic that Virginia will have roughly around the same number of people enrolled as in past years. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services most recent weekly enrollment snapshot, as of Dec. 2, 156,195 people had signed up for a marketplace plan in Virginia. I believe that represents more than one person per application in many cases, so were getting over 200,000 already, and that does not include automatic renewals that are taking place, Hanken said. So were hoping well get up to the upper 300,000s, as we have in previous years. Insurance companies dropped out of the federal marketplace left and right this year in the face of uncertainties, such as President Donald Trumps decision not to pay cost-sharing reduction payments, which insurers are required by law to offer low-income members so they can afford their deductibles. Many Virginians have only one insurer option on the marketplace this year, as well. For those who are automatically re-enrolled, Hanken said the system will identify the most closely related plan to what they had the previous year and enroll them in it. But they must pay their premiums by the end of December for coverage to start in January. Simultaneously, premiums have skyrocketed this year. Many can still purchase affordable plans, though, through tax subsidies that help them cover premiums and cost-sharing reductions that cover deductibles. About 80 percent of those who purchase on the marketplace get some kind of tax credit to help them pay for premiums. Those who do not qualify for aid, though, are seeing enormous prices. Because theres been so much confusion about whats happening in Congress, people do need to be aware that the law is still in place, the requirement to have insurance is still in place, Hanken said. So if people have been doing other things in the last few weeks, they need to sign up now. Officials in Charlottesville on Monday denied a special event permit requested by an organizer of the disastrous Aug. 12 white nationalist protest, who had asked for permission to hold a two-day rally coinciding with the event's one-year anniversary. City Manager Maurice Jones wrote that the "proposed demonstration or special event will present a danger to public safety." Jason Kessler, a Charlottesville resident who was the primary organizer of the Aug. 12 protest, called "Unite the Right," requested the permit last month. In his permit application, Kessler described the event purpose as a "rally against government civil rights abuse and failure to follow security plans for political dissidents." A woman was shot and wounded late Monday morning in the 400 block of Gilmer Street near the Virginia Commonwealth University campus, Richmond police said. Police responded at 11:37 a.m. to a report of an adult female shot on Gilmer Street near West Marshall Street. She was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, a police spokeswoman said. VCU police issued an alert that requested that people on campus stay indoors and avoid the area. Campus police said they received a report of one person shot in a home in the 400 block of Gilmer Street. An individual entered the residence and shot the person before fleeing on foot. VCU police and Richmond police were actively pursuing one suspect in the area immediately afterward. New technology corner opens at Redd Elementary RICHMOND A technology corner that features a smart board and new desktop computers was opened Thursday at E.D. Redd Elementary School. The corner also has a new layout, design and furniture. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and Richmond Public Schools Interim Superintendent Tommy Kranz were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Volunteers from Capital One and Heart for America completed the project. Coding session offered to Mecklenburg students SKIPWITH As part of Computer Science Education Week across the U.S., Microsoft hosted an Hour of Code at Blue Stone Middle and High School in the Skipwith area of Mecklenburg County. High school students led a coding session for the middle schoolers. Virginia became the first state in the U.S. last month to adopt mandatory computer science education standards. Chesterfield schools part of Bush Institutes Cohort CHESTERFIELD The George W. Bush Institute named Chesterfield County Public Schools as part of its first School Leadership District Cohort. Four school districts the others are Austin, Fort Worth and Salt Lake City will implement the Bush Institutes Education Reform Teams Principal Talent Management Framework over three years. UR student awarded international scholarship RICHMOND A University of Richmond student has been awarded a Gilman International Scholarship. Rylin McGee of Rochester, N.Y., received the scholarship to study in Russia this spring. She will complete a program focused on environmental studies through the scholarship, which is through the U.S. Department of State. McGee is Richmonds 19th Gilman Scholar. W&M sorority suspended amid hazing allegations WILLIAMSBURG A sorority at the College of William & Mary has been suspended after officials say the group violated the universitys hazing policy. William & Mary officials said in a statement that Sigma Iota Alpha engaged in hazing that included limiting or prohibiting contact with nonmembers, social isolation and the forced eating of food. The hazing resulted in a physical and mental toll on new members, according to the statement. Local media outlets reported that the sorority has been suspended as a recognized student organization until at least the end of the spring 2018 semester. MONDAY Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, Richmond City Council and the Richmond School Board will hold a joint meeting at 9 a.m. at the Richmond Police Training Academy, 1202 W. Graham Road. The Richmond City Council will meet at 6 p.m. at Richmond City Hall, 900 E. Broad St., in the second-floor council chambers. The Prince George County School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m., 6602 Courts Drive. TUESDAY The Dinwiddie County School Board will meet at 4 p.m., 14016 Boydton Plank Road. The Colonial Heights City Council will meet at 7 p.m., 201 James Ave. The Prince George Board of Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m., 6602 Courts Drive. WEDNESDAY The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors will meet at 3 p.m., 9901 Lori Road, followed by a 6 p.m. session at 10001 Iron Bridge Road. The Dinwiddie Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m., 14016 Boydton Plank Road. THURSDAY The new owner of Essex Village is calling on Henrico County to support plans for renovations that go beyond what is required by a federal housing agency, but the countys top official wants more specifics before signing off on anything. Ernst Valery, president of SAA | EVI Development, said he needs the countys backing for a roughly $30 million renovation in the works for Essex Village but is frustrated with the countys insistence he provide more details about the plan after months of discussions and recommendations from county staff. If you had a building in your county that was troubled and you called it the worst of the worst, when someone came in with almost $30 million in their hands ready to fix it, would you then turn around and say, Well, theres a process? Valery said. SAA | EVI Development bought Essex Village in October for $42.5 million. The previous owners had drawn the countys ire for problems with the 496-unit apartment community that was built in 1982. The scrutiny involved failing an inspection by the Department of Housing and Urban Development followed by another HUD inspection the property passed. But in passing that inspection, HUD included demands for repairs of the property. Essex Villages future came up at one of the countys most high-profile events on Friday when County Manager John Vithoulkas discussed it during his State of the County address. After going through the highlights of the countys developments in 2017, Vithoulkas cited ongoing efforts to improve the Laburnum Avenue corridor where Essex Village sits. Do we demand less of investors in an industry where profit and poverty converge in the same sentence or do we hold them accountable to submitting detailed plans of development with specificity required by all those developers I mentioned? Vithoulkas said. Or do we take the easy way, the most politically expedient? In an interview after his remarks, Vithoulkas said the county is asking SAA | EVI Development to go through the same process it asks of other developers. Interviews with five members of the local real estate scene suggested the back-and-forth between SAA | EVI Development and the county isnt unusual. They agreed it isnt unreasonable for Valery to want informal assurances that any formal plans he submits are in line with what the county wants to see. If you want serious consideration, submit serious plans, Vithoulkas said. I am optimistic that (Valery) is considering gates and 24-hour security. In interviews on Monday, 11 residents said they agreed that Essex Village needs improvements to address vermin and sewer problems at certain units, but they were split on whether it would be best to renovate the complex or tear down and rebuild. The discussions between Henrico and SAA | EVI Development have focused on at least three options for the future of Essex Village. Per the companys agreement with HUD, SAA | EVI Development is required to do at least $12 million worth of renovations, Valery said. Valery said he would prefer to do the roughly $30 million option with the countys support in getting financing from the Virginia Housing Development Authority. The more expensive plan SAA | EVI Development formed with input from the county calls for replacing walls to address bed bug infestation; closing down Delmont Street and making it a green space; a new community building; and 24-hour security for cars coming in and out of the community. If we dont do this heavy renovation, the thing that theyre saying they dont want, which is lipstick on a pig, is what theyre pushing us into a corner to do, Valery said, referring to the $12 million option. Weve got to decide which scope are we doing. The other option thats been discussed is tearing Essex Village down and rebuilding. The county has said it supports systematically breaking Essex Village down, building by building, and reconstructing it to current building standards. Vithoulkas said vacancies at Essex Village could be utilized to avoid displacing people. Valery said it would be too expensive to tear down and rebuild Essex Village. He estimated it would cost roughly $60 million for such a plan but the financing isnt there. If they want to fill the (funding) gap, we will absolutely do it, Valery said of the county. Vithoulkas questioned the need for the county to finance a renovation on Essex Village in light of the HUD subsidy the property gets. This would not be an appropriate use of Henrico County tax dollars, Vithoulkas said. Valery said his first contact with the county was in June, months before SAA | EVI Development closed on the acquisition in October. When SAA | EVI Development took Essex Village over, it brought in a new management company called CAPREIT to handle maintenance and leasing. Valery said one staff member was let go in response to tenant complaints and there has been an increase in the number of people taking care of the property. He said no work orders have been deleted. In recent weeks the county has been subjected to automated emails and calls imploring them to support renovations on the property. The county thought it was being targeted in a quasi-professional PR campaign that somehow was linked to SAA | EVI Development. Valery denied any such involvement or knowledge of who might be behind the effort. He was getting calls for whatever was happening at this property before we bought the property, Valery said of Vithoulkas. BLACKSBURG, Va. Naps are no longer just for the pre-K set. Performance-boosting siestas in specially designed sleep pods are being promoted at Google, NASA, and the Cleveland Indians. And now at Virginia Tech. Earlier this year, three futuristic nap pods were installed on the Virginia Tech campus. Looking a bit like space capsules, these domed recliners offer students and staff a private, comfortable place to catch some zs. Soft music blocks out campus noise and light vibrations help the user to relax. The futon-sized pods are growing in popularity as a response to studies that reveal the harms of being sleep-deprived. Sleep pods are popping up at numerous companies, where they are touted for ramping up productivity. Schools hope to enhance student brain power and focus by facilitating catnaps on campus. The request for napping facilities at Virginia Tech first came from the students, says Cathy Kropff, director of Hokie Wellness. Students presented the idea, Kropff said. Our student wellness advisory team identified lack of sleep as a big, big concern at Tech. The average college student sleeps about six hours a night 120 minutes less than what is recommended, according to a University of Georgia survey. People who dont get enough sleep are likely to be cranky and depressed; theyre also prone to getting sick more often. They arent performing at their best and are shortchanging their learning ability by missing out on the REM sleep that allows their brains to process the information theyve taken in during the day. Sleep is now recognized as an important component of wellness, right up there with eating right, exercise and avoiding unhealthy habits, Kropff said. People shouldnt be bragging about how little sleep theyre getting by on but how well theyre taking care of themselves by getting enough sleep. Kropff and the student wellness group organized a sleep awareness week to emphasize the need for sleep. Hokie Wellness also offered a workshop on good sleep techniques. But the students still felt something was missing a good place to sleep during the day. Chris Wise, assistant vice president for student affairs, examined and tried out several models of sleep pods at a student services expo. He was impressed. It was comfortable, semi-private, and maybe a good way to take a nap that might just appeal to our students, as opposed to sleeping in uncomfortable positions on sofas or chairs around campus, Wise said. Wise expects that the presence of these conspicuously modern devices on campus will signal the crucial role that adequate sleep plays in learning. Our goal is to not only provide an opportunity for naps on campus, but more importantly, to use the pods as reminders of the importance of quality sleep for college students, and really all people, he said, as well as the relation of quality sleep to academic success and improved mental and physical health. By the end of April, Virginia Tech was testing an EnergyPod, the signature product of the MetroNaps company. The pod was placed in a high traffic area of Squires Student Center, Techs activity hub. During the hectic final weeks of classes and exam week, students tried out the sleep pod and gave feedback. Their response was overwhelming. They really liked it, Kropff said. So in the summer we bought two more with end-of-fiscal-year savings. EnergyPods arent cheap; they range from just over $8,000 to $13,000, according to the MetroNaps news release. Virginia Tech purchased their sleep pods at the low end of that range, about $8,400, Wise said. He thinks of them as highly visible reminders of the importance of sleep, as well as sites where students and staff can recharge. The sleep pods are tucked into corners just off the main flow at Newman Library, Squires Student Center, and in the Wellness Room of Techs Graduate Life Center. As soon as you position the rotating hood it looks like a huge bike helmet youre enclosed in a comfortable, shady bubble of silence or tranquil music. Occasionally you hear the whoosh of ocean waves. You snooze in anonymity with only your legs visible. The pods are preset for 20 minutes. When its time to awaken, soft lights begin to flicker, the pod vibrates, and the background music becomes gradually louder. Junior computer science major Taylor Thackaberry said her 20 minutes in the Squires EnergyPod was enjoyable but found she couldnt nap. Maybe the waves were a little too loud; maybe I dont think sleep when I hear waves, she said. But it was relaxing. Not everyone falls asleep in the pod, but according to surveys, only 2 or 3 out of 200 said they did not benefit from the respite from everyday stimuli, Wise said. The overwhelming majority felt their EnergyPod session was relaxing. In New Mexico, some health officials give testimony to the pods ability to relieve stressed students headaches and anxiety. If the House version of a Republican tax plan going through Congress triumphs, Sarah Brauns federal taxes would spike 250 percent. Shes not alone. The fifth-year clinical psychology graduate student and her peers at Virginia Commonwealth University have all been on edge since the future of tax waivers that allow them to attend school was plunged into uncertainty. It would definitely prevent me from being able to go to graduate school because I dont come from a family thats independently wealthy, Braun said. I would be one of those and I think thats why so many graduate students are upset that would be prevented from studying at the Ph.D. level. Theres still a chance the tuition waivers wont be taxed. The House plan passed last month includes the tuition waiver tax, but the Senate version passed last week does not. The two bodies are currently in a reconciliation period, working through the two respective versions of the bill. Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th, who voted for the plan in the House, said he expects there to be no significant changes for students once the House and Senate resolve the differences in their bills. I think people recognize that accusations to the contrary is just people opposed to the bill playing politics, Brat said in a statement through a spokesperson. A spokesperson for Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, did not return a request for comment. Wittman also voted in favor of the House bill. The tax bill has been the talk of VCUs clinical psychology student circles since students realized their taxes could drastically rise. Its discussed at social events, holiday parties and before clinic. There are frequent posts on Facebook. Professors have talked about it in and outside the classroom. Graduate students are paid a stipend for clinical psychology, its around $20,000 for the psychology work they do and tuition waivers help fund their six-year education. The stipends serve as a students income and rarely are they able to hold a separate part-time job because of the hours they spend in clinic and in the classroom. Schools give students tuition waivers, which help them pay for the classroom work they do. Those waivers, also about $20,000, would be taxed in the House bill. The stipends are taxed but the waivers currently are not. Taxing the waivers would essentially double the amount of a students income that is taxable. Braun, for example, has a $21,000 stipend thats taxed at a low rate. By adding the tuition waiver to her taxable income, it would significantly raise her tax rate. Republicans are in the midst of reforming the federal tax system in an effort to simplify the tax code. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, questioned the fairness of the waivers for graduate students working off-campus jobs, The Washington Post reported. Those students, unlike the VCU clinical psychology students, dont get the tax breaks because they dont work for the university. Outside of the university world, there is some controversy to the current tax provisions, Brady said, according to The Post. Brat, the Richmond-area congressman, was a professor at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland before he was elected. In his statement, Brat said the tax reforms economic impact is what students and college parents want after graduation. After years of anemic economic growth where real wages remained stagnant, this tax bill is about providing the next generation with a growing economy that produces more jobs at higher wages, he said. We must make our tax code more competitive for businesses and students who are and will be competing in a global economy. House Republicans say their tax plan would save the average family of four $1,182 per year. The bill is also being seen nationally as a win for businesses. The legislation would impact all graduate students, not just those studying clinical psychology, but theres increased concern from students that a student cohort serving a diverse city like Richmond would be made less diverse as the cost of graduate school rises. It would limit the number of grad students who could come to a place like VCU, and we need a diverse set of clinicians to best serve our community, said Allie Williams, 28, a Richmond native who returned to the city to study in VCUs clinical psychology program. The graduate tax would be a huge financial hit for grad students, with ripple effects that would hurt the entire Richmond community. The department prides itself on its pro bono care across the city, including a recent surge in work in the South Side Latino community as well as in the East End. These people would otherwise not have access, said Bruce Rybarczyk, a clinical psychology professor at VCU. Transportation and the stigma of care make it difficult, so by embedding, were able to serve these underserved populations. Annie Wright, a fourth-year student, for example, works two days per week at Child Savers, a childrens psychology center in Church Hill that treats children who have experienced trauma. The 27-year-old Vermont native has aspired to treat foster children and those in orphanages since a trip to Ghana got her interested in working with kids separated from their parents. Her father is a dairy farmer and her mother is a special education teacher. Having tuition waived without being taxed was one of the main reasons she chose VCU. Im already maxing out my loan options without having family support or savings from before grad school, Wright said. Even a year or two of having to pay higher taxes is pretty scary to think about. Since the initial draft of the House tax bill was made public, graduate students from across the U.S. have protested the measure. More than a dozen protested outside the office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on Tuesday, with some getting arrested, Politico reported. In an email to graduate students, the VCU Graduate Student Association encouraged students to contact their legislator while voicing its displeasure with the measure. Taxing the tuition waivers that graduate students receive on their stipend for research and teaching assistance would cause a staggering increase in our cost of living and greatly discourage enrollment in graduate school, said the email, dated Dec. 6. VCU Graduate School Dean F. Douglas Boudinot signed a letter, dated Nov. 13, coming out against the taxation of tuition waivers. The letter from the Virginia Council of Graduate Schools was sent to Virginias congressional delegation. The two bills will now be discussed in committee with the hope of having an agreed-upon bill passed before Congress breaks for the holidays. As the two bodies work out their bills differences, theres still worry among graduate students across the country, among Virginias graduate school leaders and especially among those who could see a tax hike. Virginia Republicans reportedly are trying to find someone who can keep Corey Stewart from winning the GOP nomination to run against Sen. Tim Kaine next year. They should redouble their efforts. On Sunday, Stewart seen earlier this year palling around with Jason Kessler, organizer of the Unite the Right disaster in Charlottesville traveled to Alabama to campaign for Roy Moore, who has done much to drag the Republican Partys dignity through the mud. Even if one set aside the recent accusations against Moore and that is setting aside a great deal indeed he is still unfit for the office he seeks. As chief justice in Alabama, Moore instructed other justices to ignore the Supreme Courts decision on gay marriage, and was suspended for doing so. That was the second time he was removed from the bench. The first time, he disobeyed a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the Supreme Court building. Moore considers homosexuality an inherent evil that should be outlawed, contends Islam is a false religion, and said Rep. Keith Ellison, a Muslim, should have been kept from holding congressional office because of it, despite the Constitutions prohibition on religious tests for public office. He has even said getting rid of all the federal constitutional amendments after the 10th Amendment would be a good idea. Those include the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery; the 14th, which applied equal-protection and due-process rights to the states; the 15th, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race; and the 19th, guaranteeing the right to vote for women. Views like that might thrill the hearts of the yahoo demographic, but they have no place in the Senate. And those disqualifications hold true even before bringing the allegations about Moores sexual predations back into the picture. Throw those into the mix, and support for his candidacy defies rational explanation. Nothing but blind, knee-jerk partisanship can account for it. The country has far too much of that already. There is a common misconception that the housing market has returned to its pre-recession strength. Nearly a decade after the crash, the data indicates that this is simply not true. In fact, market indexes indicate that the industry is below 50 percent of the 2004 market. Nationally, the number of new single-family homes being constructed is down by about 40 percent. In the commonwealth, 49,959 permits were issued for single-family residential construction in 2004, before the height of the market; fewer than half that number were issued in 2016. In July, housing construction starts in Virginia were down 14.1 percent on a year-over-year basis. When an industry at only half of its normal capacity is the sixth largest private sector industry in the state and contributes $47.8 billion to the Virginia economy, creates 314,299 jobs, pays $1.66 billion in taxes, and directly pays a labor income of $14.2 billion there are considerable external variables influencing the marketplace. However, its not a lack of demand causing the construction slowdown. The Housing Market Index, an indicator of demand for new homes, exceeds the supply capacity of new homes by a factor not seen in decades. But with tight home inventories and extensive regulatory frameworks, the average home price in the Richmond metro area has increased to over $280,000 up 6 percent from just last year effectively pricing out many of our neighbors. So, what is driving up the price of new construction? According to research conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, the average cost of federal, state, and local government regulations during the development phase of a lot is 54.7 percent of the total development cost. Then another wave of regulations and fees comes during the actual building of the home, from water hookup fees to building code regulations that drive up the cost of construction for the homeowner. These building fees and regulations make up, on average, 9.7 percent of the total home price for the consumer. Adding all of the regulations and fees together, nearly 25 percent of the price of a new home comes from government regulations. In real numbers, the average price of government regulations on a new home is $84,671, up from $65,224 just six years ago. One of the most concerning facets of the red tape that has suppressed the housing industry is that very few homes are being built in the affordable market. This is not due to a lack of willingness by the private industry to satisfy the demand, but because it has become nearly impossible to build a new home at an affordable price while still earning even a modest profit. The math just doesnt work. This unfortunate equation has denied the possibility of home ownership to an entire population. Owning a home is considered the American Dream because it allows citizens to pass along to their descendants something of value, building intergenerational wealth. And when people invest in their homes, they invest in their neighborhood as well, benefiting the entire community. Notably, the affordability challenge is a recent dilemma. In 1999, the average cost of a new home was $189,300. By 2017, weve seen a 49 percent increase in price. Meanwhile, real median household income in Virginia has increased by only 1 percent, from $65,868 to $66,461 in 2016 dollars. To exacerbate the problem, only 17 percent of new construction was under $200,000 in 2017. Compare that to 2007, when 35 percent of new homes cost less than $200,000; in 2002, that number was 51 percent. This is a simple problem of economics: Demand is much higher than supply, and the supply side is being arbitrarily constrained by different government policies. I have been building homes in the Richmond metro area for decades and can unequivocally say that homebuilding has never been more difficult. Not only do voluminous regulations make prices higher for the consumer, but they also discourage entrepreneurs from entering the market, further limiting housing stock by creating artificial shortages. With changing market preferences and a new generation of homebuyers coming along, we need to take a hard look at the effectiveness of regulations and processes, many of which are driving up the prices of homes faster than the average consumer can afford. Every regulation such as setbacks, garage requirements, wide streets, and low-density requirements forces a developer to build fewer homes with less creativity, resulting in a lesser product that is nonetheless more expensive. If we want to open the American Dream to all of our neighbors, we must re-evaluate the status quo. The weekend winter storm added up to a 3.1-inch snowfall total at Richmond International Airport. Broken down by day, 2.4 inches fell on Friday, followed by 0.7 inch on Saturday. Neither figure was high enough to set a daily record for the location. Now that Richmonds snow season is actually underway, here is a comparison with some past ones. Reminder: A hefty snowfall in early December isnt a reliable predictor of how much more will fall before spring. Average snowfall through Dec. 12: 0.9 inch 2017-18 season to date: 3.1 inches Last season to date: no snowfall The most recent season in which any measurable snow happened by Dec. 12: 2010, with 0.6 inch Highest season to date total: 9.4 inches as of Dec. 12 in the 1917-18 winter Look for more updates to these figures in the month ahead. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Pulaski Countys Volvo Trucks is gearing up for a hiring spree that will add several hundred new employees to its ranks, according to company spokesman John Mies. Mies wrote in an email that its too soon to know exactly how many workers the company will bring on, but the plant needs help to keep up with strong industry demand. Right now, it employs about 2,600 people. The truck market continues to improve, and weve seen strong interest in the new Volvo VNR and VNL models we introduced this year, Mies wrote. The company will hold job fairs across Southwest Virginia to meet with applicants, beginning Tuesday in Bluefield, Virginia. According to a poster advertising the event, the company is looking for full-time welders, painters, electricians, general maintenance and assembly production workers. Production wages range from $16.77 per hour to $17.67. The hiring spree is the latest turn for the up-and-down business, which has been one of the regions largest employers for decades. The plant struggled in 2016, as a dip in the overall industry prompted multiple rounds of deep layoffs. It cut about 500 workers in February, 300 in September and then announced 500 additional layoffs in December. But thats when things started to look up. Inventory, or the number of trucks waiting to be put to use, was low and so the industry began to correct itself. The last round of layoffs was canceled. Instead, every eligible worker who had been laid off was offered a job back with the company. With no employees left to recall, Volvos latest hiring spree will be all new workers. OMAHA, Neb. - Your computer locks up, and an authoritative warning pops up on the screen. The warning offers a solution with a toll-free number to call. You cant make the warning box disappear. So you dial the number, and a purported tech support person asks to take over your screen so he can diagnose the problem. Sure, you say, lets get this over with. He makes a few clicks on your computer, your screen shows a flurry of activity and he says hes diagnosed the problem: You have a virus, and your personal data is compromised. He says he can download a fix, authorized by a well-known software brand, and itll take about a half-hour. Only $500. Just tell me your credit card number, please. The explanation sounds logical, and the technician is patient, courteous and seems competent. But before you pay, it just might hit you: Is this the real deal? Sadly, no. Its another computer scam, this one growing in popularity because it plays on your computers tendency to malfunction, your faith in friendly tech support folk and your desire to return to a computer-normal status. It almost happened to Sally Komrofske of Omaha. A blinking alert box froze her screen when she clicked a read more line on Facebook, the Better Business Bureau said Monday. She called a number and talked to a man who said he was from a Microsoft company called MicraTech. She gave him remote access to her computer, and he said her computer had a virus, fixable for $200 for one years tech support, $300 for three years and $500 for five years. Komrofke hung up, saying she had to talk to her son-in-law first. She ended up paying $88 to a local technician to remove some software from her computer and reported the incident to the Omaha BBB. Nationally, consumers have reported more than $13 million in losses through such scams, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which estimates the true figure is at least 10 times higher because so few people bother to report their losses. Jim Hegarty, president and CEO of the Omaha BBB, said many victims dont realize they have been scammed, instead believing that the scammers actually fixed genuine problems with their computers. Now theyve got these bad guys roaming around in their computers, Hegarty said. Its a nasty situation. After the initial encounter, the fraud may continue. If the scammer loaded software that can read your computers innards, your bank account and other vital information may become easy pickings. Scammers sometimes call again and try to arrange other payments or refunds, ending up trying to get the victims bank account information to pull out more money. Instead of pop-up warnings, some victims are hooked when they respond to unsolicited phone calls saying that viruses have been detected on their computers. A new study of whats now called the Tech Support Scam by the Better Business Bureau, made public Monday, shows people between 18 and 34 are more likely to fall victim to the scam than other age groups, possibly because they may be more active computer users. Microsoft, a name often dropped by the online thieves, is fielding 12,000 complaints a month. The scammers may claim they are authorized to fix Apple computers, too. They arent. The warning screen sometimes causes the computers window to freeze so the warning cant be removed without restarting the computer. The messages may warn against shutting the computer down, saying its data would be destroyed. Some alerts have audio voice messages or noises. The Better Business Bureau said coordination by law enforcement agencies and tougher laws in the United States and India where many of the scams originate could help stop such scams. Anyone with an Internet connection is at risk, the BBB said. The BBB said search engine software companies should set standards for advertising tech support links. Microsoft, for example, has taken steps to stop pop-up viruses. Some arrests have been reported in England and India, and a federal court ordered an Alabama company to pay $2.1 million in damages, although most of that was later suspended. Criminal charges were filed in Illinois against a company that stole $25 million from an estimated 40,000 consumers, the BBB said. Courtney Gregoire, assistant general counsel with Microsofts digital crimes unit, said the company is working with computer manufacturers to stop tech support fraud. The BBB said the India connection stems from the fact that U.S. companies outsourced customer service operations by opening legitimate call centers there. Skills learned at call centers are being turned sometimes toward fraud, the BBB said. Besides the FTC, consumers file complaints with the BBB, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, state attorneys general, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the FBI. The BBB had 7,000 complaints in the past two years; the Federal Trade Commission estimates it will have 44,000 calls about the scam this year. In the United Kingdom, more than 34,000 complaints were lodged over the past year. Idaho had the highest number of complaints per capita, followed by Hawaii, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alaska, Ohio and Washington, the BBB said. About equal numbers of men and women report such scams. Coy Ferreira stood inside a rural California classroom, more than a dozen 5- and 6-year-olds huddled in the corner as a gunman sprayed bullets at the school and tried to break his way in. Ferreira was terrified that people would die. But the doors were locked and all of the children were inside, part of a school plan the staff and students had practiced in drills and knew by heart. They barricaded the school in just 47 seconds that morning last month, probably saving the lives of countless people at Rancho Tehama Elementary School. "They all knew what to do," said Ferreira, who was dropping his daughter off at school when they heard a gunshot nearby. "No one stumbled. No one was hiding. They just ran to their classroom, like they had been told to do." The near-flawless response to what could have been a bloodbath during a deadly shooting rampage on Nov. 14 came almost exactly five years after 20 children and six teachers were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. That attack, which involved a mentally unstable man using an assault-style rifle, shattered the sense of security felt in the nation's elementary schools. The massacre on Dec. 14, 2012, led to calls for gun control, as families mourned the loss of their innocent children. Five years later, little about the nation's federal gun laws has changed. But the Newtown shooting forever altered the way American schools approach safety and assess risk, ushering in an era in which schools feel particularly vulnerable to the threat of shootings and students must know what to do in case one happens. The result is that for America's students, lockdowns like the one that helped save lives at Rancho Tehama Elementary and active-shooter training is now as commonplace as fire drills. Buzzers and locks have fortified school doors that were once left wide open. The sight of police officers, even in elementary schools, is now common. And some districts allow staff members to carry weapons at school for what they believe is an added layer of security. "There was something about Sandy Hook," said Telena Wright, superintendent of schools in Argyle, Texas, whose district has stepped up security measures since that shooting. "It was such a massacre that I think it captured the attention of school employees and school administrators and police officers that work in schools across the nation." One of those places was the Corning Union Elementary School District, which includes Rancho Tehama Elementary, an hour northwest of Chico in northern California. "I have no doubt that the experience of Sandy Hook informed our response as a district, to any emergency event and to this one in particular," said Superintendent Rick Fitzpatrick. The era of the school lockdowns started in 1999, after two students killed 13 people and themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. High schools started drills where doors are locked and windows are secured - actions meant to be replicated should there be an emergency. After the Newtown shooting, lockdowns became a regular part of school for younger children. So, in some places, did armed officers in elementary schools. "There was a broader awareness that elementary and middle schools were at risk as well," said Heidi Wysocki, a co-founder of Texas-based First Defense Solutions, which helps schools protect themselves and plan for shootings and other emergencies. "Nobody thinks somebody is going to murder 26 children and teachers, because it's appalling. It's just an unthinkable horror and that wasn't part of the conversation that was being had." Sandy Hook also created a new, controversial approach to school safety: the armed assailant drill, when schools run a scenario involving a mass shooter, sometimes including police in the exercise. The practice has drawn scrutiny, some criticizing it as being potentially traumatizing for students, especially those in younger grades. In Akron, Ohio, schools started active-shooter training around the time of the Sandy Hook attack. The shooting also spurred the district to retrofit some schools with secondary doors, buzzers and thick glass. The district now runs active-shooter drills four times a year, drills that are tailored to each age group, said Dan Rambler, the district's director of student support services and security. Parents are invited to watch training videos and give input. In younger grades, the issue is addressed as one of stranger danger. But children, he said, often know what is happening: Rambler's son was in kindergarten during one of the first training sessions and told his father that while it focused on bad people, "there are people who go to schools and shoot people," Rambler remembers the boy saying. Jeff Fritz, superintendent of schools in Clay County, Indiana, said that when he started his career as an educator 35 years ago, the "doors were wide open" at the school where he worked. No more. The county's 4,000 students now drill for an active shooter. Fritz said students are taught to run, hide or fight - with fighting being the very last option. "It's no different than we do with tornado drills or fire drills," he said. "This has been in the forefront. I tell our staff and our students our number one priority, above test scores or building projects . . . is school safety." Some states and districts are allowing staff members to carry weapons at schools. At least eight states allow concealed-carry permit holders to have a firearm at a K-12 school, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. In Argyle, Texas, signs outside schools say staffers are armed and "may use whatever force is necessary to protect our students." It was a decision, Wright said, that stemmed directly from Sandy Hook. When officials in the Briggsdale School District in rural Colorado heard about the shooting at Sandy Hook, they kept thinking about the time it would take police to respond to their schools. In their remote area of northern Colorado, emergency response was likely to take a minimum of 25 minutes. Now there are staff members who carry concealed guns and have been trained to act as security guards if needed. Their identities are secret. Superintendent Rick Mondt said response from parents has been positive: They feel better with the school not being a soft target. "We've had parents who brought their kids here because of this," he said. Some of the parents of the children killed in Newtown have channeled their grief into making schools safer. Michele Gay and Alissa Parker co-founded Safe and Sound Schools, which looks to improve school safety through training, discussion and partnerships. They both lost daughters at Sandy Hook; Gay's 7-year-old, Josephine, and Parker's 6-year-old, Emilie. Gay said there has been a profound shift in the way schools think about safety and plan for the worst, with parents and students now heavily involved, and much greater collaboration between different agencies and groups. Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son Daniel was killed, co-founded Sandy Hook Promise with Nicole Hockley, who lost her son, Dylan. The organization is working in all 50 states with schools and other organizations to teach the warning signs often exhibited by potentially violent people both in person and on social media. Barden said the past five years have been "indescribably difficult and challenging." He said he is honoring Daniel's memory by making schools safer and saving lives. "Hopefully, if we have this conversation in five or 10 years, we're not going to need to be training our kids with how to deal with an active shooter," he said. But school shootings continue unabated. Beginning with Columbine 18 years ago, more than 135,000 students attending at least 164 primary or secondary schools have experienced a shooting on campus as of April 2017, according to a Washington Post analysis of online archives, state enrollment figures and news stories. That doesn't count dozens of suicides, accidents and after-school assaults that have also exposed children to gunfire. There have been at least three shootings at K-12 schools this school year. In September, a 15-year-old student in Rockford, Washington, killed one student and injured three others; that same month, a 14-year-old student shot and wounded a classmate in Mattoon, Illinois. Two students were killed Thursday in a high school shooting in Aztec, New Mexico, after a 21-year-old local resident entered the school pretending to be a student and carried out what authorities said was a planned attack with a legally purchased Glock handgun; the gunman also died. "We obviously do drills and hope that nothing ever happens," said Aztec Municipal School Superintendent Kirk Carpenter. "Our staff and even our substitutes reacted in a way that saved a lot of lives." In Rancho Tehama, California, officials credit their drills, quick action by staff and parents and a measure of good fortune for ensuring that no one was killed in the November attack there. Ferreira and his 5-year-old daughter were standing outside before school, when they heard a pop. He thought it was a firecracker. But it was loud enough that some children dropped to the ground. When the school secretary heard two more bangs, she announced a lockdown. A teacher called for everyone to get inside. Ferreira heard a crash, as the gunman's truck smashed into the elementary school's gates. He told his daughter to run and urged other children to get inside. Everyone quickly made it into classrooms, except for one little girl who was across the playground, too scared to move. Ferreira ran to her, scooped her up and ran her inside. He looked out the window, and the teacher told him to move away. The blinds fell back into place as he stepped back, and bullets began smashing through them. The children didn't move or make a sound. Just as they had practiced. Ferreira thought about Sandy Hook and the teachers who died to protect children. He thought maybe he could use the fire extinguisher as a weapon if the shooter got through the door. But the door was locked. The children had gotten inside. Two little boys were hiding under desks. One of them, Alejandro Hernandez, was bleeding; he was hit once in the foot and once in the lung by bullets that went through the wall. Alejandro didn't cry. Only later did he tell Ferreira, "I want to be with my mommy." The gunman left the school, unable to get in. Law enforcement officers took over, and Alejandro was taken to the hospital. He is back home now, too scared to go back to his classroom, unwilling to talk about the shooting, but recovering well enough to no longer need painkillers for his wounds. His mother, Angelica Monroy, is grateful the school locked down so quickly. "I really . . . " she said, struggling to compose herself. "I thank them so much for everything." In those few seconds that day, the children followed the drill they had practiced. The adults knew what to do. If not for the lessons of Sandy Hook, if not for their plan, if it had all been like any other Tuesday morning, parents and school officials shudder to think what might have befallen Rancho Tehama. "He would have caught us all outside," Ferreira said. "He would have had free range." Friday is the last day for people to purchase individual health insurance coverage for 2018 through the governments marketplace exchange. Demand is always higher near deadlines. Its crunch time now, said Jill Hanken, director of Enroll Virginia, in a news release. Enroll Virginia provides certified navigators to help people compare and select a policy. Hanken said enrollment has been robust, and from Nov. 1 through Dec. 2, people living in 156,195 Virginia households had selected health plans. That figure does not show if more than one person in a household enrolled, nor does it count people who chose to automatically renew their 2017 policy. This year, more than 364,600 Virginian had purchased individual coverage through the Marketplace. The window to do so for 2018 was narrowed when President Donald Trumps administration shortened enrollment by a month, and cut the budget for navigators to help people select plans. In much of Virginia, only one insurer is offering plans and those may not include someones health care providers. In Bedford County, for example, the lone insurer considers Carilion Clinic and LewisGale providers to be out of network. And for people who earn too much to qualify for tax credits, 2018 premiums are substantially higher than this years. A bipartisan coalition of Virginias senators and several House members last week asked the administration to extend the deadline. As of Monday the deadline remained midnight Dec. 15. Marketplace plans can be found at healthcare.gov or by calling 1-800-318-2596. The call center operates 24 hours a day. Hanken said Enroll Virginia navigators can still offer one-on-one assistance, but appointment slots are filling fast. Call 1-888-392-5132 or find a local office at www.enrollva.org/get-help. Orion secures pre-development funding for Okiep copper project Orion Minerals has entered into definitive agreements that will see the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) acquire 43.75% of the shares in the New Okiep Mining Company (NOM). This triggered pre-development funding... Angolas SODIAM realises $28,7mln from fifth international diamond tender Angola's state-owned diamond trading company, SODIAM realised $28,7 million from the sale of 1,819.79 carats at its fifth international rough tender held in the capital, Luanda. The diamonds sold were special productions from Lulo, Catoca, and Luele... Christies presents Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond of 13.15 carats Christies presents one of the finest fancy vivid pink emerald-cut diamonds ever to be offered at auction which will be part of the Magnificent Jewels sale on 6 December during Luxury Week. The Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond Ring (estimate... Sama reports high-grade copper-nickel intercepts at Cote divoire project Sama Resources has reported high-grade copper-nickel intercepts following the drilling of 21 holes at its Samapleu deposit, in Cote d'Ivoire. Company chief executive Marc-Antoine Audet said this is an indication of the potential for additional high-grade... Alaska Railroad The Alaska Railroad (ARRC) has promoted Clark Hopp, vice president of engineering, to serve as chief operating officer (COO) beginning Jan. 1, 2018. Hopp will begin his new role following the retirement of current COO Doug Engebretson. ARRC said the COO manages operations including rail transportation, engineering, mechanical, safety and grant administration. Involved with railroading for more than two decades, Clark has exceptional insight into railroad infrastructure and operations, said Bill OLeary, ARRC president. During the 17 years he has worked at the Alaska Railroad, Clark has proven to be a high-caliber leader. These qualities are essential to being an effective COO. Hopp has led the railroads Engineering Department since February 2013, initially joining ARRC in 2001 as a capital projects manager. He became manager of civil projects in 2003 and in 2011, he was promoted to act as director of special projects, a role that allowed him to oversee the Port MacKenzie Rail Extension and Northern Rail Extension Phase One mega rail extension projects. Prior to joining ARRC, Hopp worked for Transystems Corporation, a Nebraska-based engineering consulting firm. From 1995 to 2001, Hopp worked on project management for BNSF and Union Pacific (UP) railroads. An alumnus of Iowa Western College, Hopp earned a degree in Construction Engineering Technology. I am humbled and appreciative for the opportunity to lead the Alaska Railroad operation. I look forward to working with world class railroaders in continuing our commitment to safe and efficient operations, Hopp said. Over the years, I have seen the safety and operational benefits from our investment in the railroad infrastructure and believe that focused investment in our railroad and our people will be key to our success in the future. The railroad is a remarkable organization with exceptional people and I know we are ready to face the challenges in front of us. Engebretson, a third-generation railroader, joined ARRC in 1984 as a carman. He spent about 30 years working in the mechanical field, working his way up to serve as chief mechanical officer in 2008. Engebretson was named COO in late 2013, ARRC said. Having risen from the ranks, Doug has been a well-rounded leader. We have benefitted greatly from his extensive experience with regulatory compliance, safety and personnel management, OLeary said. The railroad will miss him. (Agencia CMA Latam) - The Brazilian House of Representatives could vote on the pension reform bill on December 19, but the legislation would lack the required support to move on to the Senate, said House Speaker Rodrigo Maia. "Today, President Michel Temer said he would gather the leaders to gauge votes one-by-one. He will try to identify the biggest problems to secure enough votes to pass the bill on next Tuesday," Maia said while leaving an event at the Federation of Industries of the State of Sao Paulo (Fiesp). "As of today, looking to next Tuesday, it is not an easy task" to vote on the bill, he warned before saying that a pension reform vote would only occur when there are enough votes. by Agencia CMA Latam For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. (Agencia CMA Latam) - The World Organization for Animal Health restored Colombia's sanitary status as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) with vaccination less than six months after outbreaks hit three Colombian states. The Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) said that the decision grants the FMD free status to 29 states. Those areas export live animals and meat to 17 international destinations. Some areas in Colombia, however, are still under watch for FMD, with restrictions applying to 111 of the 117 municipalities of Cundinamarca, 118 of the 123 municipalities of Boyaca, the entire department of Arauca, and two municipalities of Casanare. From now on, the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the ICA will reactivate sanitary diplomacy in order to recover such as Russia, Curacao, Chile, Angola, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Venezuela, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Arab Emirates, Egypt, Cuba and Georgia and to complete the advanced negotiations with China and Panama. by Agencia CMA Latam For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. Ural Airlines is exploring Inner Mongolia 11.12.2017 News NOVOSIBIRSK On December 4, 2017 Ural Airlines launched a new flight between Ordos (Inner Mongolia, China) and Novosibirsk. The U6-899 flight to China is scheduled for Mondays at 9.45; the U6-900 return flight departs from Ordos on Tuesdays at 3.25 (the local time is used for each airport). The schedule remains effective till March 19, 2018. Flights are performed by Airbus A320 airliners having business and economy class cabins, as RusBusinessNews has been informed by the airlines Press Service. Ural Airlines ranks among the top Russian airlines in terms of air traffic volume. From January through November 2017, the airline provided services to 7.4 million passengers. The Ural Airlines aircraft fleet consists of 43 Airbus airliners. Three militants and a woman were killed on Monday in a gunfight between the security forces and the militants in north Kashmir's Kupwara district. "Three terrorists, apparently Pakistanis, were killed in Handwara encounter," Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir, S.P.Vaid, said. A woman trying to escape from the house in which the militants were hiding was also killed in the cross fire. Following specific information about the presence of the militants in Unsoo village, the security forces had surrounded it late on Sunday evening. As they were closing in on the hide out, they were fired upon triggering the encounter. Firing exchanges have ended, but police said searches were still on in the area. Alleging humiliation, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan on Monday wrote to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra that henceforth he will not practice in the court, days after the CJI took exception to the conduct of some senior lawyers. Chief Justice Misra had last week voiced strong objection to the conduct of certain Senior Counsel raising their voices during hearing at the conclusion of Delhi government's plea and also the Ayodhya matter. In the brief letter that was delivered to the office of the Chief Justice on Monday, Dhavan said: "After the humiliating end in the Delhi case, I have decided to give up court practice." Dhavan in his letter also told the Chief Justice: "You are entitled to take back the Senior Gown conferred on me, though I would like to keep it for memory and service rendered." Hitting out at Narendra Modi for dragging Pakistan into the Gujarat elections, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that rather than talking about foreign countries in his election campaign speeches in Gujarat the Prime Minister should say something about the state. "The Prime Minister talks sometimes about Pakistan and sometimes about China and Japan. Modiji, this is the election for the future of Gujarat. Talk something about Gujarat too," Gandhi said while addressing an election rally in Tharad assembly constituency of Banaskantha district. Rahul Gandhi's remark came in the wake of Modi's accusation that a group of Congress leaders met Pakistan's High Commissioner at party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence in New Delhi, before the latter called him (Modi) "neech". Addressing an election rally at Sanand, Modi on Sunday said: "There was a meeting convened at Aiyar's residence where Pakistan's High Commissioner, Pakistan's Foreign Minister, (former Vice President of India Hamid) Ansari and (former Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh were present. The meeting lasted three hours." "The next day Mani Shankar said I am a 'neech'," said the Prime Minister. Aiyar was promptly suspended from Congress' primary membership for the remark, and he also apologised for his comment. Gandhi said that since the last 2-3 days the Prime Minister has "left behind all other issues and talks about only two things". "During his entire speech half of the time he talks about Congress. You (Modi) claim that the country has been 'Congress-free' then why are you giving so much prominence to the Congress in your speeches?" he said, adding that Modi spends half the time talking about himself. Accusing Modi of maintaining silence over the development of Gujarat, Gandhi said that despite it being election time in Gujarat the Prime Minister is not talking about development of the last 22 years under the BJP government. "It seems that he has lost faith of the people of Gujarat. Speak about development at least for two-three minutes," he said in a jibe. Gandhi said that BJP President Amit Shah "runs Gujarat by remote control" and even Prime Minister "is scared of him". "The Prime Minister seems to be scared of Amit Shah. Listen to his speeches. He does not talk even a word about corruption," he said. _ _SHOW_MID_AD__ For any Samoan student, there is always another life after the books. This is the life of Philip Iuomaga, 24, from the village of Saanapu. Mr. Iuomaga was on his way back home from his plantation when he met the Village Voice team last week. Mr. Iuomaga says life is difficult and he works hard to cope with it. I just finished my second year in nursing this year and next year will be my last and final year. Life here in Samoa is not that easy anymore but I am trying my best to complete my studies so I can get a good job to support my family. I am pushing myself hard because I know nowadays, without a paper, you will never get to find a good job to support your family. Mr. Iuomaga enjoys his life apart from reading books. As you guys can see now that I just came back from my plantation, well this is what I do when Im not studying. I have to go plant and look after my plantation because this is the source of food for my and family and I. The plantation has been a good provider for my family because we do not have that much. People work, but this is what we rely on for food most of the time. Mr. Iuomaga added since he was on school break, he would take his farming responsibilities seriously. School is done for this year now and now I am back here at home and I am willing to invest most of my time here. I am thinking of putting in a lot of work for now on my plantation so that by the time school starts, it will be easier for my family to have food from the plantation while Im away for school. We must nurture our children. A 61-year-old mother and grandmother Saanapu Sua from the village of Faleasiu, believes this. The Village Voice team approached her while she was attending her granddaughters graduation at Leulumoega College last week. She said it was one of the important things parents and elders should do. As parents we must fully understand our role as adults to nurture our childrens self-esteem positively by helping them discover what they are good at doing, Saanapu said. They should learn how to sit and eat, how to respect others, what clothes to wear when people or visitors are around or when they go to a pastors house or the village meeting. We must understand that part of a childs self esteem comes from feeling competent and skilled at something they enjoy. When we create something, when we act on something, we must know that our children will follow as well. What comes out of our mouths whether its good or bad, are the same words that our children will use to others. It all starts from the family. Saanapu said when we plan opportunities with childrens unique personality styles in mind; we also help them build a positive mentality. We understand that building a loving and caring relationship is not always easy. Because most parents dont want to show that love to their children straight away, we Samoan parents have our own way. Some use the broom, stick, and sandal but at the end of the day we want them to become good adults in the future. But with patience and love, Saanapu said together we can do it. We grandmothers are important people because theres a saying that we know much and better in life than our children. So our love can make family members comfortable, make life easier and unite family members, most importantly we gather our children and grandchildren during faigaloku every evening. That makes a family strong when we lead them to God. Its a hard one to accept let alone comprehend. Its difficult really to figure out what drives the decision making by some leaders of American Samoa. One day they are screaming from the top of the hill that we are one, the next theyre downright unkind. Look at the front page story titled Shocking breach of human rights on the front page of the Samoa Observer last Thursday. The idea that pregnant women from Samoa with valid entry permits into American Samoa had been rejected at the American Samoa border and sent back to Upolu is not only disturbing, it smacks of arrogance, rudeness and the type of condescending attitude of the colonial era. Keep in mind were not talking about New Zealand, Australia, Fiji or any other foreign country. We are talking about American Samoa. Yes thats right, our very own brothers and sisters across the waters. Lets think about this carefully. Samoa and American Samoa share the same race, language, culture and customs, religious inclination and many other traits. We enjoy similar things; have a funny sense of humour and we love the same kind of food. Historically speaking both countries are victims of war. Whereas Samoa was administered by Britain and later New Zealand, American Samoa was governed by the United States of America so that today they still proudly carry the name American Samoa. Maybe it is those quirks in history that has allowed them to behave very strangely. Who knows? Whatever it is, it is clear certain American Samoa leaders harbour ill feelings towards Samoans from this side, especially pregnant women. For the uninitiated, the treatment of pregnant women surfaced during the recent inter-Samoa talks held in Apia where the Samoan government raised concerns about the treatment of Samoan women by American Samoa. Samoa raised the concern relating to pregnant women from Samoa not being able to disembark the vessel upon arrival but simply asked to take the return trip of the ship even with the issuance of a valid entry permit, the official documents of the meeting obtained by the Samoa Observer said. American Samoa noted that this may be related to an immigration issue to prevent foreign women from exploiting medical care in American Samoa. Are you serious? What if a woman needed to give birth on the ferry? Would they insist on putting their silly medical care above a human life? Maybe they should have an official at the Matautu wharf to check all the women boarding to see if they are pregnant. How about that for progression in the 21st century? Yes and this is Samoans doing it to other Samoans? Which is perhaps the most disappointing aspect to all this. We accept that American Samoa makes their rules based on what the United States allow them to do. Fine. But the idea of rejecting pregnant women and sending them back to Samoa is not only odiously heartless, it has got to be one of the worst things one Samoan could do to another. Lets be reminded once more that Samoa and American Samoa are the same people. We are one. Just about everyone have families and links on both sides of the equation which means we have got to be kind to one another. This is something perhaps someone should remind those officials in American Samoa who came up with this stupid decision to send pregnant women back to Samoa even with valid permits. Maybe they should test every woman who applies for a permit to see if they are pregnant first and foremost before they even grant them? What a joke! Tell us what you think. Have a wonderful Tuesday Samoa, God bless! More and more young children are turning up at the Tafaigata Landfill to hunt for food and other items to help their families survive. Thats according to a concerned citizen who sent this photo to the Samoa Observer hoping that the relevant authorities would take notice do something to stop it. The citizen asked for his name not be printed, fearing potential repercussions on his work. But he is saddened that this has been allowed to continue for a long time now. I visit that place (Tafaigata landfill) all the time to drop off my rubbish and I always see these young people walking around in gumboots looking for things to take home, some are as young as seven years old, he said. Its a real problem because those small gumboots will do little against broken glass, needles and sharp tin cans that litter the area. I read in the paper not long ago that the government is looking into the issue and that they are trying to do something about it but it seems to me that what theyre doing is not enough. The concerned citizen explains that the government needs to reassess their approach. Just talking to these children wont be enough, he said. Building a bigger fence wont help either because they can just climb over and continue doing what they are doing. Maybe its time for some more harsh treatment. I suggest fines or something to scare the parents to the point that they leave their children out of such a place. He added that the children are almost always there after the 4pm closing time. At times I would arrive late to the rubbish dump and Ill give the guard some money to let me drop off my truck load, he said. While Im driving in, the children will scream out to bring my rubbish to where they are standing and dump it there, maybe they want first pick of the trash I bring in. There are those who block their faces because they are embarrassed, I can tell they do not want to be there and are forced by their family; but I guess they have no other options if their family is struggling. In an earlier interview with the Samoa Observer for a similar story published on the 17th of September this year, the Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Division of Environment and Conservation of the M.N.R.E, Tauti Fuatino Leota, said the Ministry is monitoring the landfill. What we are looking at now is a permanent fence for the landfill because thats where most people enter, she said. But its true that many children are seen at the place and the Ministry has not taken those reports lightly. Tauti said they do have officials who enforce the safety regulations for those people involved that that the parents are told to not bring their children. She recalled one occasion when Police had to be called in because these parents did not adhere to the regulations at the landfill. We are trying our best to advise them every single day to wear safety gear and that they are not allowed to bring their children with them...but its just that our people they dont want to comply with rules and principles. As Ive mentioned earlier, the Ministrys option to control the people that enter the landfill without our knowledge is a permanent fence to avoid problems there. Asked if such actions are seen at the landfill, the concerned citizen said he hasnt seen anything done. Im there at least once every two weeks, mainly on the weekend to drop off things, and I havent seen anyone approach these children to tell them to go home, he said. Maybe they do it while Im not there for my weekly drop offs but I havent seen it done. What I do notice are the workers at the rubbish dump doing their duty and paying no attention to the children walking around them searching. The Controller and Auditor General, Fuimaono Mataafa Papalii C.G Afele Taimalelagi, has responded to questions raised by the Samoa Observer about his role and that of his office, Audit Office, in relation to audited reports. He writes: 11th December 2017, Afioga Gatoaitele Savea Sano Malifa Editor-In-Chief Samoa Observer RE: EDITORIAL 8/12/17 PRIME MINISTER TUILAEPA SAILELE MALIELEGAOI THE FULCRUM ON WHICH THE WHEEL IS TURNING I refer to your Editorial of the 8th December 2017. You asked in your Editorial as to where I am and whether I am still Samoas Controller and Auditor General. You also said that it would be good to know. With the utmost respect, lau Afioga Gatoaitele, please find hereunder is my response to your questions: AUDITED PUBLIC ACCOUNTS 1. For the last 2 weeks my Staff and I were called before the Finance and the Expenditure Committee (F.E.C.) of Parliament to assist with the parliamentary examination and scrutiny of the Public Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2016. 2. For your information, the preparation and compilation of the Public Accounts is the responsibility of the Chief Executive and Ministry of Finance. It is the responsibility of the Audit Office to audit the Public Accounts. 3. All Public Accounts since my appointment in 2010 which is 7 years now have been audited up to financial year ended 30 June 2016. The Public Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2017 are currently being audited to be completed by January 2018. 4. The submission of the Audited Public Accounts to Parliament through the Speaker of Parliament is the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Public Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2016 was submitted by the Minister of Finance to the Honourable Speaker of Parliament on the 20th June 2017 and tabled by the Honourable Speaker in Parliament on the 13th November 2017. 5. The examination and scrutiny by F.E.C of the Audited Public Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2016 commenced in late November 2017 and completed last Thursday 7th December 2017. These are the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act 2001. I am sure that the Chief Executive Officer and responsible staff of the Ministry of Finance, the Honourable Minister of Finance and F.E.C. will be more than willing to assist with Samoa Observer for any further information required on the Audited Public Accounts. 6. The completion of the parliamentary examination and scrutiny by F.E.C of the Public Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2016 last week is proof that since my appointment in 2010, all the Audited Public Accounts up to financial year ended 30 June 2016 have been submitted by the Minister of Finance to Parliament. I believe F.E.C will be more than willing to assist with Samoa Observer for any further information required. 7. False information has been unfairly and rampantly circulated in both the print and social media about the Controller and Auditor General being responsible for the preparation and submission of the audited Public Accounts and the failure of the Controller and Auditor General to submit the audited Public Accounts to Parliament for the last 17 years. The accusations have even accused the Controller and Auditor General of cooking the books. The books are under the custody, control and accounting of the Ministry of Finance and not the Controller and Auditor General. I believe l have clarified in paragraphs 1 to 5 the truth about the false information being circulated and published. Also please refer to our Information Paper on our website dated 21 November 2017 for corrections and clarifications on some of the false accusations and questions raised in the print and social media. Still the false accusations continue to be spread and published in the social and print media. AUDIT REPORTS TO PARLIAMENT 8. The Audit Reports to Parliament are different from the Audited Public Accounts. For your information the Audit Reports to Parliament are the responsibility of the Audit Office in terms of preparation and compilation and submission to the Speaker of Parliament. Before the reports of 2012, we combined both our Report on Irregularities and our Main Report on Audit Findings into one Report. From the reports of the financial year ended 30 June 2012 onwards we separated these two reports so that irregularities are given specific attention by the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional/Parliamentary Offices instead of just the Main Report. 9. The main objective of the irregularity and main reports of the Audit Office are for Parliament and its Committee for Constitutional/Parliamentary Offices to be informed of the weaknesses and breakdown in internal controls in the Executive Government and its Offices and for the Executive Government and its Offices to explain and account to Parliament and its Committee for Constitutional/Parliamentary Offices the reasons and corrective actions for these weaknesses and breakdown in internal controls. The finances of the Government and the audit report/opinion on the finances of the Government remain captured in the Audited Public Accounts that are examined and scrutinised in detail by the Finance and Expenditure Committee (F.E.C.) 10. Since my appointment in 2010 (7 years now in Office), I have already submitted 11 audit reports to Parliament. I recall your reporters covering the submission of all my audit reports to Parliament in the Samoa Observer in the past. You have correctly identified that 4 had already completed the parliamentary procedures. The other 7 are currently under the scrutiny and examination of the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional/Parliamentary Offices. 11. We also issued an information paper to the media and also on our website on the 31st August 2017. This was published by Samoa Observer on the 16" September 2017. The Information Paper and supporting documents further explained and provided other details on the reports of the Audit Office to Parliament and other duties and reforms. Still the false accusations continue to be spread and published in the social and print media. 12. Before I conclude can I just clarify the application and interpretation of the reporting functions of the Controller and Auditor General under legislations. The principal and primary legislative provision on the reporting obligations of the Controller and Auditor General are laid down in Article 98 of the Constitution of Samoa 1960. Other legislative provision in the Audit Act 2013 and other legislations are supplementary and secondary to the constitutional requirements. 13. In paragraphs 8 to 10 of your Editorial you emphasised Sections 39 and 40 of the Audit Act 2013 and the notification of the Prime Minister before submitting the audit reports to the Speaker of Parliament. Can I now clarify the process for preparing and compiling audit reports to Parliament and the correct application of section 39 and 40 of the Audit Act 20l3 which also follow the principles of natural justice, procedural fairness, right of reply and the international standard on auditing for communicating with those in charge of governance. i. When the audits of each public entity are completed the audit report is given to the Chief Executive Officers for comment ii. When the audit reports from each public entity with the Chief Executive Officers comments/inputs are collated and compiled into a Report to Parliament of the Audit Office, the relevant extracts of the Report to Parliament are given again to the Chief Executive Officers for an update comment on remedial actions taken since the completion of the audit. iii. This extract that is sent to the Chief Executive Officers at this stage of the process is also copied to the Responsible Ministers including the Prime Minister for the Public Entities he is responsible for. iv. The copying of the Responsible Ministers including the Prime Minister with the extracts is not an invitation to the responsible Ministers to comment. The demarcation of duties and responsibilities between the Ministers and Chief Executive Officers is clear in relation to policies and outcomes (Ministers) and operations and outputs (Chief Executive Officers). The Responsible Ministers are copied so that they are aware of the issues raised with the Chief Executive Officers and Public Entities that will be reported to Parliament. Responsible Ministers provide oversight on their Chief Executive Officers and Portfolios so this is another essential step in the oversight and accountability process within the Executive Government before the oversight and scrutiny of Parliament and its Committee for Constitutional/Parliamentary Offices. v. The audits on which the reports to parliament are based are conducted on the operations and outputs including the financing and expenditure of Public Entities. Since the beginning of state auditing internationally it has been restricted to operations and outputs of auditees and their financing and expenditure. The merits of executive policies and outcomes have been a no go zone for the Auditors. The traditional and universal view of the State Auditors internationally is that the merits of executive policies and outcomes of the Executive Government including legislations are the domain of the residents, electorate, media and parliament including opposition parties to scrutinize and oversee. vi. While these steps in the communication and reporting process are undertaken to recognize and observe the principles of natural justice, procedural fairness, right of reply and the international auditing standards for communicating with those in charge of governance, the report of the Audit Office to Parliament will not be interfered, directed or compromised as a result of these preliminary communications with Chief Executive Officers copied to Responsible Ministers. You also asked Gatoaitele in your Editorial that if I am still Samoas Controller and Auditor General then why is it that the eight reports to Parliament on Irregularities have not been submitted, tabled and debated in Parliament as they are required by law. I believe as you can see in my response above that I have already submitted 11 reports to Parliament. The Speaker of Parliament has tabled all these reports in Parliament. The protocols and procedures of Parliament in relation to audit reports to parliament are well documented in the Standing Orders of Parliament 2016. The question about the debate of the audit reports in Parliament is one that the Clerk and the Honourable Speaker of Parliament and the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional/Parliamentary Offices can only answer. That is the same for questions on the status of parliamentary procedures relating to the examination and scrutiny of the other 7 audit reports submitted to Parliament besides the 4 that you have correctly pointed out as having completed the parliamentary procedures. All l can say is that I believe the parliamentary procedures for the other 7 audit reports with parliament are in progress. I am sure the Clerk and Honourable Speaker of Parliament and the Parliamentary Constitutional/Parliamentary Offices Committee are more than willing to assist with Samoa Observer for any further information required. Right now we are also preparing four (4) more audit reports to Parliament to be submitted to the Speaker of Parliament by the end of March 2018. That will take the number of my audit reports to Parliament to 15 reports in 7 years in Office. The Audit Office can only deliver one part of the chain of state accountability and oversight. It is up to Parliament, the Executive Government, the Media and the Residents/Civil Society to complete the rest of the process. I trust Sir I have answered your questions satisfactorily in that I am still serving Samoa faithfully as Samoas Controller and Auditor General. I recall that this letter is my first direct communication with Lau Afioga Gatoaitele ever since I was appointed to this Office in 2010. In December 2013, I sent an email to your former reporter, Ms Sophie Price, thanking the Samoa Observer for making me Samoa Observer Person of the Year 2013. This email I think was printed by Samoa Observer in one of your subsequent issues. I want to do that again now by thanking you and Muliagatele personally for that honour and vote of confidence back in 2013. I trust that the explanations and clarifications on your questions above have given you re-assurance on my non-failing commitment in the service of Samoa and hopefully proving to you that the vote of confidence and trust you had in the Audit Office when you gave me the Samoa Observer Person of the Year in December 2013 was not misplaced. As I am continued to be accused falsely even up to this day, I just pray and meditate on the sorrowful passion of our Lord who received far more false accusations focusing specifically on the 9th of the 10 Commandments. Every time I do my job I have to be very careful not to break the 9th Commandment as I know that God is watching us all. Momoli atu faamanuiaga ole Kerisimasi ma le Tausaga Fou i lau Aoga Gatoaitele faapea le Aoga ia Muliagatele ma le Aufaigaluega. Faamalo mo galuega o lenei tausaga. Faia ma le faaaloalo tele, Fuimaono Mataafa Papalii C.G Afele Taimalelagi CONTROLLER & AUDITOR-GENERA, SAMOA AUDIT OFFICE RESPONSE FROM THE SAMOA OBSERVER: Talofa i lau Afioga Fuimaono, Samoas Controller and Auditor-General, On behalf of Samoa Observer's Publisher, Muliaga Jean Malifa, Editor Mataafa Keni Lesa, and the Samoa Observers Staff, I want to say thank you very much for taking the time to respond to the editorial in question. With respect, I also want to say it was never an intension of ours to question you in the carrying out the responsibilities, and the duties of your office. Ours was simply an effort to find out if there was any truth in the reports that have been going around, in connection with our governments Audit Public Accounts, for the last 7 years. And now that you have given a thorough explanation about this very matter, as well as about other alleged discrepancies members of the public have been concerned about, we trust that Parliament and the government will now see to it that the law that theyd made will be obeyed from now on. Ia manuia tele le Kerisimasi ma le Tausaga Fou i lau Afioga Fuimaono ma le Aiga, ae tainane le Aufaigaluega Mamalu. Ma le faaaloalo tele, Gatoaitele Savea Sano Malifa, Faatonu A private specialist facility in Motootua is due to open its doors in the New Year under the patronage of New Zealand-based Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma. The Health Specialist Centre (H.S.C) on Salenesa Rd. is a social enterprise based on a unique model that has been developed by the doctor to provide not only health benefits for the people of Samoa but with room to grow the potential of medical tourism in this country. Dr. Ekeroma is not a stranger to the medical sector. He has a medical practice in Auckland and has been a visiting specialist to Samoa for 20 years. The H.S.C will offer premises, which include medical equipment for Samoas local health specialists from the fields of gynecology, podiatry, obstetrics etc, interested in leasing/ contracting at the H.S.C. The unique part is that the health centre will be co-located with Alecs Home Away - a 3-star 15 bedroom (20 bed) motel which will be key to providing sustainability for the social enterprise. A stay at Alecs Home Away motel enables and sustains the H.S.C, said Dr. Ekeroma. The H.S.C, given the cost of equipment, will not be profitable for at least three years. So the motel provides the funding that will keep the H.S.C. open. I am hoping that a feasibility study in the future may inform that a private hospital in Samoa is sustainable. In which case, alterations of approximately $200,000 will turn the whole complex into a private hospital. When Medcen Hospital folded, Dr. Ekeroma saw a need to develop a health specialist service that was sustainable so he set about creating a different model that would provide Samoans with access to specialist services, Affordability is key to access, he said. However, private specialist care is not cheap (the late Medcen is a reminder!). But by lowering cost barriers of clinical providers, we may be able to hold down prices which vary up to $350 in Apia for a consultation. I have mentioned to potential providers informally that they will take 70% of the takings but they can charge what they feel their service is worth. So I have not mandated prices as in New Zealand noncompetitive behaviour in business is not allowed. By providers charging their own fee, some level of internal competition will be created. I do not aim to duplicate specialist services provided in public where accessibility and quality are not issues. I aim to have a physician, pediatrician, surgeon and a gynecologist as a minimum. We do not have a qualified E.N.T surgeon in Samoa but I can negotiate such specialist from New Zealand if there was a demand for that service. I have always loved launching new projects and this is certainly one of my most challenging, managing this on a part-time basis. Hopefully in ten years time I can look back and say that this social enterprise has been worth the effort and investment. Dr. Ekeroma also expects that the H.S.C will fully utilize the telehealth capabilities, which will be enhanced by the Tui Samoa cable to connect to specialists overseas to assist with diagnosis, management and/or treatment of appropriate cases. The doctor also mentioned that curative and palliative cancer care in conjunction with overseas specialists is a capability that they will also look at. For the most part, the local specialists who apply and are credentialed to work from the H.S.C will be supported by the telehealth capability, he said. That will involve training and equipment - resourcing which will be a fraction of usual setup cost - I will approach development partners to assist although other funding mechanisms will be explored. Such a capability will be of interest not only to our own government but governments and potential clients in the region which will hopefully, be an incubation of a medical tourism initiative. For Aiono Dr. Ekeroma, the facility will fulfill a long time dream of his to give back to the country that he grew up in. While the social enterprise will not see any profits for the first three years as forecasted by the doctor, it is Ekeromas objective to leave a lasting legacy in Samoa and the financial cost to him is worth the possibility. I am setting it up because I have the business and professional skills to do it, he said. More so, I have been blessed with the financial resources in order to assist others. Instead of purchasing more property in New Zealand I thought that a social enterprise in Samoa, addressing a need and equally supporting a spirit to serve and to give back at a different level, was a better legacy. Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma grew up in Samoa and attended St. Josephs College before leaving for Papua New Guinea to study medicine. On his return from P.N.G, he worked in Apia and Sataua for two years in 1984 and 1985 before leaving for New Zealand to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. He retained his affinity with Samoa as a visiting specialist to Samoa for two decades. He led the group from the universities of Otago and Auckland that created the curriculum of the new medical school at N.U.S three years ago and he continues to support the growth of the medical school. Positive and encouraging words spoken over children have the power to transform their fortunes. Chloe Pereiras success as the dux of Peace Chapel Christian School 2017 is an example. She believes that it was through kind and encouraging words spoken over her by her parents, teachers and loved ones motivated her to do well. Encouragement for me was the biggest thing that I have learnt, she said. One thing for sure is that it was through those words I was able to believe in myself and make it this far. Just being very positive and nice it really changes the way you think about things. She said the year was challenging but she persevered. Even though there was a big competition among the students, everywhere I turned there was always somebody that would always inspire me not to give up. In school when something is difficult the teachers they would give you words of encouragement. Including my parents as well they always tell us to try our best and that there is still more room for improvement. Whatever we do, they would tell us that they are always proud of us. The second eldest of five children acknowledged her older sister for helping her. My sister was always working hard and I saw that she always got good marks and I wanted to be like her. She topped her class at Samoa College and I have already been accepted to go Samoa College as well. The 12-year-old does not know what she wants to become yet. But teaching interests her. The teachers are what makes this school stand out for me. They are really different; they really care about where you would head to next and what you will do in the future. She said one of her favourite teachers is Mr. Neal Niupulusu, her Mathematics teacher. Hes really good at communicating with us and just by listening to him it motivates us into becoming better and that the sky is the limit. Chloe added that she has grown a lot during her time at Peace Chapel. This school has helped me grow both physical and spiritual. Every morning we always do devotions and our teacher always talk about life and how we should treat others. I know that I wouldnt have been able to make it this far without God, he is the reason I am here. Her proud mother, Lisi Vaai-Pereira, said she is humbled about Chloe has achieved. To be honest I did not really expect this from my daughter, she said. Everyone is competitive in their class. She has been studying very hard for it. She wanted to go Samoa College and she got in. We are thankful to God because this is all part of his blessings on our family. Three physician-scientists, including a top San Diego-based Alzheimers researcher, will get up to $70 million to accelerate clinical trials to find new treatments, under a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Paul Aisen, of the University of Southern California but based in San Diego, leads the new Alzheimers Clinical Trial Consortium along with two peers. They are Dr. Ronald Petersen from Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and Dr. Reisa Sperling from Brigham and Womens Hospital in Massachusetts. The consortium will implement more efficient methods to recruit participants for clinical trials, USC said in a statement announcing the grant. Advertisement Funds are to be given over five years. They will pay for support services, allowing researchers to design better clinical trials, and manage the great amount of data, and recruit participants from varied ethnicities. The consortium will set up 35 Alzheimers clinical trial sites at universities across the country. The NIH said more sites may be added later. Funding is contingent upon availability, meaning that any budget cuts or delay in authorizing funds could delay or prevent the awards. Its among one of our largest, but its within a large group of large infrastructure grants, said Laurie Ryan, chief of the Dementias of Aging Branch in the National Institute on Agings Division of Neuroscience. The NIA is part of the National Institutes of Health. Treatments needed The NIH has rapidly increased Alzheimers research funding over the last four years. In fiscal 2013, it allocated about $420 million; this fiscal year the total is about $1.3 billion. What were hoping to do is to run the trials more quickly, because obviously we wont know until a trial is done if a therapeutic is going to actually hit the mark, Ryan said. Better treatments for Alzheimers are urgently needed. The neurodegenerative disease is different from other major killers in that there is no effective means of prevention or treatment. Drugs currently on the market can temporarily slow down disease progression, but dont affect its underlying course. About 6 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimers or mild cognitive impairment, which can lead to Alzheimers, according to the National Institutes of Health. If current trends continue, that number is projected to reach 15 million by 2060. A 2013 study found that care for people with dementia costs an estimated $159 billion to $215 billion in 2010. The largest single cause of dementia in older adults is Alzheimers. Alzheimers is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the third leading cause in San Diego County. Aisen and his peers have been working for years to develop a more focused approach, combining a deeper understanding of what Alzheimers actually is along with drugs to target the disease at the earliest possible stage. The roots of Alzheimers are thought to begin many years or even decades before patients begin to show cognitive impairment. So researchers have developed medical imaging methods that can detect abnormal proteins involved in Alzheimers, called beta amyloid and tau, in the brains of living people. Those with elevated levels of these proteins, but who are cognitively normal, are being sought to test Alzheimers drugs. More biological markers are being sought to improve Alzheimers detection. A number of studies to find such biomarkers are being managed at USCs San Diego-based Alzheimers Therapeutic Research Institute, or ATRI, which Aisen heads. Go to j.mp/atristudies for more information. Centralized review The consortium streamlines the start-up of trials by using a centralized Institutional Review Board, along with standardized contract language for all sites, Aisen said by email. The award supports a biorepository facility (located near ATRI in San Diego) to facilitate the processing, storage, analysis and sharing of specimens from Alzheimers disease trials, Aisen said. The ACTC includes a Neuropathology Unit to facilitate the post-mortem study and sharing of tissue specimens from trial participants. These and many other innovations will assure the most efficient pursuit of new therapeutic approaches and optimize the dissemination of ideas, methods, specimens and data. To those affected by Alzheimers, Aisen said the outlook will brighten in coming years. The field of AD therapeutics is poised for major advances in the coming years, and this consortium will assure the rigorous, efficient and collaborative pursuit of the best ideas for new treatments, Aisen said. Related reading Discovery may show earliest stage of Alzheimers Alzheimers begins long before symptoms of memory loss appear, study suggests Ionis begins human trials of Alzheimers drug Science Playlist On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1020 The Ninth Circuit Court recently upheld the ruling of a San Diego federal judge who found that Federal Express paid one of its pilot-employees a bonus that was $10,300 less than he deserved after returning from 3 years of Air Force duty. The underpayment of a bonus it is reasonably certain the airman would have received had he continued to work for the company instead of serving his country during those years violated his rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The ruling matters to San Diego employers because of the large number of military reservists subject to redeployment while holding jobs in the civilian workforce here. In 2001, Federal Express hired Dale Huhmann to pilot a narrow-body aircraft. Huhmann then also was an officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Huhmann was selected for training for a higher-paying first officer position on a wide-body aircraft. The training was to begin on Feb. 19, 2003, but on Feb. 7, Huhmann was mobilized for active duty and was deployed overseas until Aug. 31, 2006. Advertisement On Aug. 26, 2006, days before Huhmann was released from active duty, Federal Express sent a letter to Huhmanns union offering a bonus if crew members ratified a proposed collective bargaining agreement. Pilots employed on the day the CBA was signed, including those on military leave, were entitled to a bonus of $7,400 for pilots of narrow-body planes and $17,700 for pilots of wide-body planes. Huhmann, then a narrow-body plane pilot, received the $7,400 bonus upon his return to Federal Express in December. On Dec. 1, 2006, days after his return to active pay status at Federal Express, Huhmann opted to train to become a first officer on the wide-body aircraft, the training he was to have undergone before his mobilization. Huhmann successfully completed the rigorous training and was activated as a wide-body aircraft pilot in February of 2007. Huhmann contended that, under USERRA, he should have received the $17,700 bonus upon his return from duty since it was reasonably certain he would have become a wide-body plane pilot had he not left. San Diego federal judge Cynthia Bashant agreed and so did the Ninth Circuit. Under the escalator principle that applies to claims under USERRA, a service member returning to a job in the civilian workforce is entitled to receive the job and benefits he would have had if military service had not interrupted his employment. The court is required to use foresight to determine if, but for his military leave, it is reasonably certain the service member would have attained the status entitling him to benefits he was denied and to use hindsight to determine if the service member did attain that status. Federal Express conceded that Huhmann satisfied the hindsight test because he successfully completed the wide-body pilot training. The Ninth Circuit found that Judge Bashants conclusion that, at the time he returned to Federal Express, Huhmann was reasonably certain to complete the wide-body training was cogent and logical, even though Huhmanns successful completion of the demanding training program was not guaranteed. That was because, among other things, he was a seasoned military and civilian pilot and he had been scheduled to begin the training before being mobilized. I emailed Huhmanns San Diego attorney Brian Lawler to ask why the parties had fought so hard over the $10,300 difference between the bonus Huhmann received upon his return and the bonus to which he was found to have been entitled. Lawler said that, for his part, USERRAs requirement that Federal Express pay Huhmanns over $250,000 in attorneys fees when he won made it worthwhile for Lawler, a national authority in USERRA litigation, to take this case. Lawler believes the Ninth Circuit sent a loud message to service members and their employers, one with particular resonance in San Diego. [T]he Courts ruling makes it clear that Congress intent that USERRA be broadly interpreted in favor of the service member still holds. . . . [I]t would behoove employers to make sure that their human resources and general counsel are well-versed in the statute and aware of their obligations to returning service members. A prudent employer will take a realistic view that tilts optimistic in determining the status and benefits a service member would have attained had he not been called away to serve and to which he therefore is entitled upon his return. Dan Eaton is a partner with the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek where his practice focuses on defending and advising employers. He also is an instructor at the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business where he teaches classes in business ethics and employment law. He may be reached at eaton@scmv.com. His Twitter handle is @DanEatonlaw. A pro-business group released a report last week, saying the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) is too concerned about going green than it is about making green. The American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) said CalPERS board members have overemphasized what are called Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investments and the sluggish returns on those investments are dragging down the pension funds bottom line. The 30-page critique said CalPERS ESG investments have not been translating into wins for its pensioners or the taxpayers who bear the burden for covering shortfalls and the use of these funds to advance an environmental agenda has plunged the system and California into a building financial crisis. Advertisement CalPERS officials fired back, defending the financial stability of the fund and the rationale for ESG investments. Were passionate about and fully committed to advocating on behalf of shareowners for the right to have a say in how the companies we invest in are run, CalPERS information officer Megan White said in an email. We stand behind our efforts. Any suggestion that we stop engaging with companies on behalf of our members is laughable. Established in 1932, the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) is the nations largest public pension fund, covering 1.8 million public workers and retirees in California. Earlier this year, the fund reported $326 billion in market value. But the ACCF report, pointing at CalPERS annual report released last month, said the pension funds future liability exceeds its assets by $138 billion. The report takes aim at CalPERS nine worst-performing funds, four of which were ESG investments. By contrast, the pension funds 25 top-performing funds were not ESG investments. ACCF criticized CalPERS investments in a number of solar panel manufacturers that soured when the market hit a glut. The report also questioned the pension boards plans to increase climate-related shareholder proposals from 12 to 17. The report also takes aim at individual board members. ACCF said a review of public disclosure records of the funds chief investment officer and two senior executives did not show any ESG investments, prompting the report to call itESG investing for thee but not for me. Click here to read the CalPERS annual report Click here to read the ACCFs report criticizing CalPERS White at CalPERS said the pension funds board members are reflecting the wishes of its constituents. We have successfully pushed companies to publicly report on the impact that climate change is having on their business, and we have successfully pushed them to open up their board selection process because companies with a diverse group of talented people on their boards perform better financially, White said. ACCF said the CalPERS boards fiduciary responsibilities should take ultimate priority because shortfalls would ultimately be borne by taxpayers. Individual investors have every right to invest in assets, ventures or enterprises that align with causes and issues they deem worthy and important irrespective of expectations on returns or long-term performance. After all, its their money, the report said. But large, public funds like CalPERS should be held to a different standard, and be expected to execute an investment strategy that prioritizes stable, long-term performance for beneficiaries who expect and need these resources to be available to support their retirement. Ironically, the ACCF report comes at a time when CalPERS has been criticized by some for not taking a more aggressive stance on environmental, political and social issues. Activists and some Democrats in the California Statehouse earlier this year called on CalPERS to divest from some companies with investments in projects ranging from the Dakota Access Pipeline to President Donald Trumps plans to build a border wall. CalPERS has already stopped investing in coal and tobacco interests. Business rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski Qualcomm appears to have yet another fight on its hands this time over its pending $38 billion bid to buy Dutch automotive and Internet of Things chip maker NXP Semiconductors. Activist investor Elliott Advisors Ltd., which owns 6 percent of NXPs shares, on Monday submitted a letter and financial analysis to shareholders outlining its case as to why NXP is worth $135 per share on a stand-alone basis. Elliott said it would not tender its shares in support of the acquisition at the current price, and urged other NXP shareholders to also withhold support. Advertisement Qualcomm needs 80 percent of NXPs shareholders to agree to sell their shares in order to close the deal. As of last month, less than 5 percent have agreed to do so, In October 2016, Qualcomm inked a deal to buy NXP for $110 per share in a move to diversity its business beyond smartphones. NXP makes chips and micro-controllers used in cars, secure payment cards and the industrial Internet of things. Elliott argues that NXP signed the agreement at a time when its stock price was temporarily depressed. We believe NXPs prospects are bright. Approximately half of NXPs revenue is exposed to exciting growth engines of the semiconductor market automotive and industrial, Elliott said in its letter to NXP shareholders. We believe NXP shareholders have the opportunity to unlock a material valuation gap that exists today. The proposed merger has been bogged down in part by delays in winning approval from nine global regulators. Six have given the go-ahead, but Europe, China and South Korea have yet to sign off. Qualcomm expects to get all regulatory approvals by year end or early next year. In a statement, the San Diego company said it disagreed with Elliotts calculations as to what NXP is worth. Elliotts value assertion for NXP is unsupportable and clearly nothing more than an attempt to advance its own self-serving agenda, Qualcomm said. We remain fully committed to closing the acquisition of NXP and believe that the agreed-upon price of $110 (a share) is full and fair. Elliotts move for a higher price has been expected by analysts for some time. Qualcomm has said any discussions should be held after regulatory approvals. Analysts see Qualcomms acquisition of NXP as critical for its case to fend off a $103 billion hostile takeover bid Broadcom Ltd. Last week, Broadcom nominated 11 alternative candidates to Qualcomms board of directors after Qualcomms current board rejected its $70 per share acquisition offer. Shareholders will vote on Qualcomm board candidates at its March 6 annual meeting. Broadcom says its offer to buy Qualcomm stands whether the NXP deal is completed at the current $110 per share price or is terminated. It is unclear whether Broadcoms offer would stand if Qualcomm agreed to pay more for NXP.. Qualcomm also is fighting in court with Apple and antitrust regulators over its patent licensing business practices. The legal battle has depressed the companys stock price this year, paving the way for Broadcoms takeover offer. Qualcomms shares rose 94 cents to close at $65.18 Monday. NXPs shares gained 55 cents to $115.84. Broadcoms stock was up 4 cents to close at $259.95. Business mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com; Twitter:@TechDiego 760-529-4973 San Diegos elected leaders on Tuesday will weigh two rival proposals for regulating the citys thousands of short-term rentals, following years of heated debate. Short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb are currently deemed illegal by the City Attorneys office. One proposal, drafted by four of the nine council members, would allow short-term rentals to operate year-round, but would require a three-night minimum stay in the heavily impacted coastal communities. Owners would be limited to no more than three short-term rentals. A competing proposal is more restrictive, allowing hosts to rent out only their primary residence for up to 90 days a year. Whatever regulations are eventually adopted, permits would be required, with part of the fee going to pay for 13 more code enforcement positions to address nuisance and noise violations. Short-term rental debate: Heres the full story Nearly three years ago, hundreds of people showed up at San Diego City Hall, half of them pleading with their elected leaders to shut down the short-term vacation rentals flooding their neighborhoods, the other half begging for restraint in over-regulating a home sharing enterprise they said was helping pay their bills. Advertisement This Tuesday, expect the same passionate pleas and the same deep divisions in the community as the City Council weighs two rival proposals for regulating the thousands of San Diego vacation rentals popularized by the online home sharing platform, Airbnb. What is different this time -- following multiple hours-long public hearings is that a majority of the council appears poised to embrace new rules that would allow short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods while imposing some limitations on investor-owned properties. And in a nod to heavily impacted beach communities, a three-night minimum stay would be required in only those areas. Still, major challenges remain for what is being billed as a compromise approach drafted by four of the nine council members. For one, there are lingering legal questions raised by the City Attorneys Office, plus there is still a strong constituency favoring a competing proposal by City Councilwoman Barbara Bry that would allow individuals to rent out only their primary residences and for no more than 90 days a year. Where there is little disagreement is over the need to act swiftly on long overdue regulations of a home-sharing industry that shows no signs of slowing. In San Diego, listings on Airbnb alone, from shared rooms to entire homes, have nearly quadrupled to more than 8,400 in just three years, according to AirDNA, a company that tracks rental activity on the platform. We cant keep doing the wild, wild West, and we cant do a ban, said Councilman Scott Sherman, one of the four council members supporting the more permissive plan for short-term rentals. Theirs is a bipartisan coalition, with Democrats David Alvarez and Chris Ward joining Republicans Sherman and Mark Kersey. Councilman Chris Cate, also a Republican, has said he is supportive of their approach. One of the more controversial provisions, though, would allow individuals to rent out up to three properties on a short-term basis, defined as less than 30 days. Sherman said he had been opposed to any limitation while Ward had favored allowing no more than one rental per operator. This is a compromise in the middle, Sherman said. I dont think at the end of the day youre going to have an effect on the housing stock because at some point youll reach a point of market saturation (of short-term rentals). Bry counters that her colleagues proposed regulations are not really a compromise because they continue to encourage the operation of investor rentals that she is certain are depleting the stock of vitally needed housing. How many such rentals would actually revert to long-term housing were they curtailed remains open to debate. Some suggest that they would simply go underground, but Bry is convinced that the competing plan will only exacerbate the citys shortage of housing. Our proposal truly focuses on the preservation of housing stock, said Bry, whose council district includes La Jolla where hundreds of homes are being rented out on a short-term basis. Were not producing enough housing every year, and whats clear is every year more and more residences are being turned into short-term rentals. If something close to the Ward proposal passes, investors will come here in droves to buy homes in our single-family neighborhoods and turn them into mini hotels. Just how many are there? While figures vary wildly on the number of entire homes, condos and apartments that are being rented out on a short-term basis in San Diego, the best estimate to date is nearly 9,000. Thats according to a report released last week by Host Compliance, a San Francisco-based data analytics and consulting firm that works with dozens of cities across the country. There also about 2,500 more homes, the company reports, where hosts remain on site and rent out their spare bedrooms. There is no disagreement among council members on that category of home sharing, which they support. While short-term rentals have popped up throughout San Diego, the Host Compliance analysis shows the heaviest concentration is in 10 neighborhoods, with about half of the rentals in just five communities Mission and Pacific Beach, downtown, La Jolla and Uptown. In order to address the rising number of nuisance complaints around vacation rentals, any new regulations adopted by the council would require hosts to apply for a permit and pay a fee, now proposed at $912, which would help pay for 13 more code enforcement positions. Like other cities that have wrestled with how to tame the Airbnb-fueled rise in vacation rentals, San Diego leaders are having to balance a number of vexing issues raised by both sides. Bound up in the debate are growing concerns about the impact short-term rentals are having on the housing market vs. the rights of property owners to manage their homes as they see fit. Elected leaders also have been warned by the California Coastal Commission to not overly restrict a form of lodging that it says widens access to the coast by providing affordable overnight stays in typically high-cost communities. In a letter delivered Friday to the city, the commission staff said it has concerns with a 90-day limitation on vacation rentals or any maximum-stay limit Impact on housing supply The report by Host Compliance sheds some light on just how frequently homes are being rented out and what share might otherwise be long-term housing were it not for the financial appeal of a vacation rental. An estimated 22 percent of the citys whole-home rentals, or 1,951 homes, are being rented out for more than 90 days a year, says the company, which scrubbed 24 home-sharing sites and filtered out repeat listings to come up with unique rentals. A far larger share 57 percent are being rented to visitors less than 31 days a year, suggesting many of those may already be occupied year-round and not available to people in need of long-term housing. Airbnb executives strongly refute the notion that platforms like theirs are contributing to a housing shortage when short-term rentals represent a small fraction of the citys housing stock although they do account for a much larger share of the citys more than 26,000 vacant units. Lobbyists for the San Francisco company have met with a number of council members in recent months, as have neighborhood groups pushing for a crackdown on short-term rentals. In recent years, Airbnb has done battle with cities like San Francisco and New York, which have imposed more stringent restrictions. Brys proposal closely mirrors regulations in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Los Angeles, which also has been struggling to agree on regulations, is weighing a proposal to limit such rentals to 180 days a year but only in hosts primary residences. I started my career in labor and this is an issue I care about very much, but the reality is the mass just isnt there, said Christopher Nulty, Airbnbs head of public affairs. Trying to draw a line between decades of housing challenges in California and a platform that has existed for eight years is disingenuous. Theres always been a vacation industry in San Diego but now there will be clear rules to address issues that people have been concerned about for a long time. San Diego economist Alan Gin disagrees, asserting that any amount of short-term rentals diminishes the supply of housing in the face of mounting demand. A study released earlier this year by researchers from USC, UCLA and MIT lends some support to a correlation between short-term rentals and housing prices. It found that for every 10 percent growth in Airbnb listings, rents increased by 0.42 percent and home prices by 0.76 percent. My guess is if a unit wasnt used for Airbnb, it would be rented out, generating income, Gin said. I dont think an absentee owner is just going to let the property sit there unused. Also underlying the debate over short-term rentals is a legal opinion issued earlier this year by City Attorney Mara Elliott, who broke with her predecessors and concluded that because they are not defined anywhere in San Diegos municipal code they are not allowed, despite a long history of vacation rentals in the citys beach communities. Her office also still has legal concerns with key provisions in the four council-member proposal, among them the limit on investor properties. It raises questions, she said, of equal protection by imposing different regulations for different types of short-term rental hosts. Critics of vacation rentals have called on Elliott to enforce the law, but its not that simple, she said. I cant prosecute someone because the law is not clear in what they can and cannot do so we have to begin with what is a short-term rental? Thats what we need to accomplish next week, she said. In my opinion theyre clearly prohibited but the question is what is they? Hosts vs. neighborhoods Until six months ago, Ronan Gray would feel his stress level rising as he headed home each night to Pacific Beach, wondering what new set of visitors would be occupying the house next door, what loud parties would be interrupting his familys sleep. In the months since the three-bedroom home was sold to new owners, he has slept through the night and his health has improved, but he said hes no less determined to see the City Council outlaw the rentals he said are clearly illegal. In March, Mara Elliott said, youre right, theyre not allowed in residential zones, and we believe there are good reasons why they shouldnt be there, said Gray, CEO of Save San Diego Neighborhoods, which has been holding rallies, lobbying council members and sending emails to build support for its position. Why do they want to change the law? Its to benefit a small group of people who own these. We just dont want them. San Diego restaurateur David Contreras-Curiel, whose family owns a half-dozen restaurants, said hes invested considerable money rehabbing the four short-term rentals he owns, which he estimates yield roughly twice the rent he would collect from long-term tenants. The revenue, he said, has helped him cover the last two years of his nieces college tuition. I believe in regulations, but I dont think you should be restricted as to what you can do with your property as long as youre a responsible host, said Curiel, who is contemplating opening a boutique hotel. Im in the hospitality business already so this is a different aspect of that where Im hosting people in my home. San Diego hoteliers, like the hotel industry as a whole, have long argued for much tougher regulations of short-term rentals. They have come out in support of Brys proposal. This is not because the competitive nature of this, insists Bill Evans of Evans Hotels, which operates hotels on Mission Bay and La Jolla. My whole feeling about this issue is that it is about as anti-affordable housing as you can get. If our employees dont have a place where they can live, theyll move to another place where there is affordable housing. While the councils ability to take action Tuesday seems more likely than ever, there is one thing that is certain, said Councilman Sherman. No one will be totally happy with whatever passes. Its such an emotional issue. Union-Tribune staff writer Phillip Molnar contributed to this report. Business lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-2251 Twitter: @loriweisberg ABOARD THE CORONADO When the littoral combat ship Coronado sailed into San Diego last week after its maiden deployment to the Far East, controversy followed in its wake. Maligned for a decade of design glitches, cost overruns, shipyard delays and leadership snafus, the LCS program was mired in dysfunction when the nimble, futuristic, trimarin-hulled vessel departed Naval Base San Diego for Singapore on June 22, 2016. The Coronado broke down five weeks later and spent a month in Hawaii undergoing repairs before it resumed its journey. Five of the eight LCS warships delivered to the Navy already had suffered what sailors call engineering casualties expensive mechanical breakdowns at sea that sideline vessels for weeks, often tied to shoddy design and poorly trained crews. Advertisement Originally conceived as a high-tech fleet of cheap and fast minimally-staffed warships capable of fighting in the shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean and Persian Gulf, the LCS program ended up generating more than $12.4 billion in wasted spending, according to U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, chairman of the Armed Services Committee. But the return of the Coronado following a relatively trouble-free and boring tour after it left Hawaii might have proved the naysayers wrong, according to Capt. Jordy M. Harrison, once a bitter critic of the program but now one of its strongest champions as commander of San Diego-based Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. Are the criticisms valid today? Or are they criticisms that were valid five or seven years ago? Harrison said. The programs matured. Weve made systematic changes from crew training, crew readiness, the hull development and improvements to the repairability of the ships. A dozen other Coronado leaders echoed Harrison while sailing home. They pointed to reforms instituted by Vice Adm. Tom Rowden, the commander of Naval Surface Forces, late last year that improved the program. They said that Rowdens blueprint to revamping the troubled LCS fleet worked, leading to better training for sailors, larger crews to address shipboard problems, tougher accountability standards for commanders and a radical reconception of how the vessels would be organized, equipped and deployed for combat. For example, the troubled LCS warships that preceded the Coronado in Southeast Asia the Freedom and the Fort Worth were converted to testing and training vessels and will no longer deploy, replaced by more dependable and newer warships that would be marked for specific combat duties such as mine sweeping, anti-submarine operations and surface warfare. Before, they had been envisioned as jack-of-all trades ships boasting small crews of around 40 sailors and increasingly dependent on automation while patrolling the bustling sea lanes in the western Pacific. Now it goes to sea with at least 70 sailors. Even for ships based outside the U.S. known as forward-deployed crews will continue to train in San Diego before rotating out to Singapore for six-month tours overseas. They plus-upped the crew, said Chief Quartermaster Paul Sanchez, a 24-year veteran of the Navys surface force, more than a third of his time spent on the Coronado and three other littoral combat ships. That made a huge difference. And our crew right now? Theyre great. Because were minimally-manned, we learn to do multiple tasks. When I went on a (destroyer) or any other ship, I had a team of quartermasters. Here, Im one of one. Im the only quartermaster, but technology helps. Over the past eight months, the Coronado performed far better than expected, recording superior fuel endurance and improved weapons reliability, according to the Navy. While typical equipment snafus require two weeks of repairs, Coronado brought it down to about four days, officials say. Theres something that comes from being forward deployed and having your sustainment and your equipments endurance stressed, particularly when youre forward deployed for 18 months, said the Coronados skipper, Cmdr. Douglas Meagher. I think that we learned that equipment on a legacy ship struggles to get through a six- or eight-month deployment, but the Coronado maintained its readiness for the duration of the 18 months. Between April and its return home, Meaghers crew conducted maneuvers with the navies of 16 nations during 11 training exercises and made 10 port visits across the region to bolster ties to partners. On Aug. 22 during the Pacific Griffin war games with Singapores navy, the Coronado launched an MQ-8B Fire Scout to find a target far beyond the visual range of the deck and then fired a Harpoon Block 1C anti-ship missile to kill it. To Meagher and Harrison, that kill also confirmed Rowdens distributed lethality concept, a suite of tactics designed to put a potential enemy at risk by striking from multiple places at once. Relying on stealth, speed, cunning and weapons like the Harpoon, its designed to let a pawn like the Coronado take down a queen like a foes carrier. The lethality capabilities the LCS brings with a Harpoon missile is equivalent to the greatest surface warfare capability we have in the fleet, Harrison said. Unlike traditional warships, the Coronado boasts a light aluminum hull, shallow draft and water jets instead of propellers. Once armed with missiles and a deck gun, the Navy hopes it will become the worlds most lethal jet ski. Harrison sees it and its sister ships operating far beyond a destroyer screen, speeding from carrier strike groups to nuzzle near a shoal. The high speed, the maneuverability and the ability to tuck in close to an island chain make the targeting solution for an adversary very complex because of the radar clutter or even just picking out the ship, Harrison said. The littoral combat ship Omaha will be commissioned in San Diego on Feb. 3. Designed to replace the aging fleet of Avenger-class minesweepers, the Manchester is expected to join it here over the summer. Mandy Smithberger, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at the nonprofit Washington, D.C.-based Project on Government Oversight, believes the Navy will try to keep making the littoral combat ships work for their needs, but the path they took to get here was unnecessarily wasteful, forcing taxpayers to pay for costly changes and retrofits during a set sail before it fails strategy. She pointed to the Navys decision to seek bids on a new frigate to replace the LCS as a sign of a program thats still bedeviled by longstanding problems. There are still concerns about the survivability of the LCS and whether it can survive a hit, which is what the frigate program may address, she said by email. But its clear that most of the decisions about this program were to protect jobs, not about what was best for the Navy. Right now it looks like the LCS wont be able to fulfill the mine countermeasure mission, and cant perform traditional frigate missions, either. But Bryan McGrath, a retired destroyer commander who directs the Maryland-based FerryBridge Group of consultants, said hes bullish on LCS and its ability to do the limited things we designed it to do, like minesweeping and anti-submarine warfare. Im actually beginning to think that there might be value in continuing to build LCS even as the (frigate) acquisition is underway. We simply need more ships, and one way to get the platform numbers up is to build relatively inexpensive ships already in serial production. That said, we have to insist that the base model LCSs evolve to become more lethal than they currently are, he said by email. As the Coronados quiet return to San Diego showed, thats exactly what the Navy plans to do. Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com A decision handed down recently in a military appellate court sheds light on a sexual scandal that rocked Marine Corps Air Station Miramar last year, detailing a senior enlisted leaders escapades with a superior officer in their offices and inappropriate dalliances with his junior troops. A tribunal at the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals has refused to vacate the conviction of ex-Master Sgt. Frederico A. Rico Williams, a 21-year veteran of the service and one of Miramars senior enlisted leaders before his Jan.16, 2016, court-martial conviction and dramatic fall from power. A Marine jury called a panel in the military found him guilty of disobeying a lawful general order, uttering a false official statement, adultery, larceny and obstructing justice. He was sentenced to six months in the brig, busted down to private and evicted from the corps on a bad-conduct discharge, which prevented him from retiring from the service and collecting military pension and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. Advertisement In his appeal, Williams, 41, of San Diego, argued that his transgressions were minor and the discharge too severe, but the three judges disagreed and said the punishment fit the litany of crimes he committed. This characterization of (his) misconduct demonstrates failure to grasp its true impact, and to understand how inimical it is to military service, wrote Navy Capt. Colleen Glaser-Allen,the chief judge, in her 10-page opinion. Senior enlisted noncommissioned officers like the appellant are the backbone of the Marine Corps and the naval service as a whole and as such, have a particular responsibility to lead by example. Reached by telephone, Williams said he was disappointed by the ruling but knew he did wrong. He vowed to appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C. In the meantime, a separate case is percolating through the Naval Clemency and Parole Board. I definitely have a sour taste in my mouth. I sat in the brig for six months and wasnt allowed to retire from the Marine Corps after a good 21-year career, he said. Married in 2008, Williams was posted to Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3 at Miramars 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing four years later. He served as both the maintenance management chief and one of the most senior non-commissioned officers inside the Wing, responsible for overseeing supplies flowing to mechanics. During an investigation into a discrimination complaint against other senior leaders, a witness mentioned a problem in a $332 travel claim Williams submitted for a trip to Arizonas Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. According to the corps, his claim was based on a forged letter stating that there was no on-base lodging for Williams to use, triggering a probe by Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Agents soon learned about his extramarital affairs and other inappropriate relationships. The women included a superior officer identified only as 1stLt SS, a pair of unnamed sergeants below the rank of Williams and a female friend from his high school days who accompanied him to Yuma on the trip. Williams told the woman to lie and say that she was his cousin, if anyone asked, according to his court-martial documents. The military outlaws adulterous relationships and fraternization between the ranks and will prosecute them if they threaten to destroy unit cohesion, are tied to other crimes or bring the service into disrepute. The appellant repeatedly acted with flagrant disregard of the consequences upon his unit by having regular adulterous intercourse with a superior officer in his office, suggesting a subordinate sergeant hold the camera to film his sexual escapades, having sex with a different subordinate, stealing from the government, and telling a civilian mistress to lie about the nature of their relationship to anyone who asked, the chief judge wrote. Significantly, when word of the adultery and fraternization spread to other active-duty Marines, (Williams) feigned offense at the rumors, continued his behavior and blatantly lied to an NCIS agents just hours after having sexual relations with the superior officer, stating six times, I dont deal with military when referring to his sexual exploits, she wrote. The superior officer received nonjudicial punishment for conduct unbecoming an officer, an administrative sanction that falls far below a federal criminal conviction. She resigned her commission and exited the service, according to Marine spokeswoman Capt. Morgan M. Frazer. This type of behavior and mindset is not tolerated within 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and is not consistent with our core values of honor, courage and commitment that are demonstrated by the vast majority of Marines on a daily basis, Frazer said by email. Williams told The San Diego Union-Tribune that two senior commissioned officers in the command were allowed to quietly retire after they were caught in unlawful romances. He insisted that the lieutenant in his case testified against him only after she reached a plea deal that gave her a much lighter penalty for the same conduct. We are confident that the command conducted a thorough investigation into the matter and took appropriate administrative or disciplinary action for all persons involved, Frazer said, adding the the wing regularly assesses command climate and conducts annual training to ensure Marines understand and comply with Marine Corps policies and procedures. Williams hopes that new judges will reward him for his two deployments each to Iraq and Afghanistan, three meritorious promotions, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and five Navy Achievement Medals for superior service and let him retire at a lower rank. He remained married and said he counted on a military pension to help support four children, he said. The clerk of court for the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces said that paperwork requesting a review of Williams case had yet to be submitted. Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com An armored amphibious vehicle stuck in a rut along a Camp Pendleton road nicked a hidden gas line during a September exercise, engulfing 14 Marines and a sailor in a fireball that grew into a 20-foot pillar of flames, according to an official report released by the Marine Corps on Monday. While its driver tried to extricate the assault amphibious vehicle nicknamed an amtrack in the Marines from a ditch, a backfiring engine sparked the gas detonation shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 13 along Range 301 Road near the Bravo 3 combat town training site, 1st Marine Division investigators concluded. They attempted to get unstuck several times and then I heard a pop sound and then it exploded, wrote an unnamed Marine in an official statement included in the heavily redacted 210-page report. Advertisement Four amtrack crew members from 1st Platoon, A Co., were burned as were nine Marines and a Navy corpsman from C Co., 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, which was conducting pre-deployment war games when another vehicles tread got tangled in communications wire, forcing them off the road to let smaller trucks pass. Many of the facial and hand injuries might have been lessened if Marines had been wearing flame retardant clothing on those affected areas, wrote Maj. Gen. Eric M. Smith, the commander of 1st Marine Division, on an endorsing document attached to the report. Smith noted, however, that the amtrack crew wore their special protective equipment and still suffered burns. Those flames were described by unnamed witnesses in the report as rolling and like a blowtorch in intensity. Temperatures were so high that the gas pipe welded to the vehicles steel tread. Photographs included in the report show recovered weapons that appear melted in places, with warped barrels and missing metal pieces. Along with the stream of natural gas, about 170 gallons of diesel fuel also fed the fire, which consumed the entire steel roof and the right side of the armored vehicle. One of the unidentified witnesses recalled seeing a Marine with very bad burns to his upper body which was exposed through his tattered blouse. One was lying on his back and the other was on his knees looking at his hands. Both were conscious and screaming. Six paramedic units, three brush fire engines, a ladder truck, five aero-medical ambulances and a firefighting aircraft rushed to the mishap, but the blaze wasnt extinguished until more than six hours later, after workers closed off the gas line. The report revealed that the officials planning the exercise did not know that a Marine D8T bulldozer three months earlier had ruptured the same line about 90 feet north of the Sept. 13 accident. Once the dozer was out of the rut, the operator shut the dozer off, heard a hissing sound and cleared all personnel from the area, according to a separate report by Camp Pendletons Range Control office that was attached to the 1st Marine Division probe. The gas line apparently cut by both vehicles was painted gray and blended in with earth that had eroded during winter storms, exposing the pipe; three nearby signs that might have warned of an underground hazard were faded by the sun and overgrown with weeds, investigators found. With that said,even if the signs had been clearly readable, the average person would interpret them to mean that no digging should occur in the vicinity of the gas line, but that driving in the area would be safe, Smith wrote. The Range Control report noted that the troops had slept only about seven hours over two nights of training before the accident occurred, indicating sleep deprivation might have contributed to the calamity. A separate investigation conducted by Camp Pendleton-based Marines Corps Installation West has not been released. The probe released Monday did not assign blame to any Marine or sailor. It also did not address who owned or was responsible for maintaining the gas line In September, officials at San Diego Gas & Electric, which supplies natural gas to the base, insisted it was not their pipe and Camp Pendleton officials have declined comment. SDG&E is the target of a lawsuit filed Dec. 5 by attorneys representing one of the Marine victims, Cpl. Carlos Tinoco. He and his wife, Maria, allege the gas utility was negligent because of substandard installation of the pipes on base. Tinoco suffered third-degree burns that have permanently injured him, according to the lawsuit. He was one of 13 troops sped to civilian hospitals after they escaped the fire. Eight went to the burn center at the University of California San Diego medical center. The University of California Irvine medical center in Orange County received four more and one was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. I am grateful to the medical staff at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, the Burn Center at the University of California San Diego, the Burn Center at the University of California Irvine, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, and Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton for their expert and compassionate care for our Marines and Corpsman, said Smith in a written statement provided to The San Diego Union-Tribune. The injured Marines and Corpsman have all been released from the hospital, but several are still receiving care for their burns. The report recommended that an unnamed person receive the Navy and Marine Corps medal for bravely rushing into the burning amtrack to pull a victim to safety. Three other unidentified people were commended for setting up medical triage and treating the burned troops. The Marines and sailors inside the amtrack survived because they followed their escape training, the report indicated. They and other Marines and corpsmen applied immediate first aid, which also helped to save lives. Military training is an inherently dangerous task, and I am proud of every Marine and sailor who volunteers to serve their country and this division. My commitment is to ensure that our training is as safe as possible. The training we conduct ensures our readiness to respond to any task we are assigned, Smiths statement said. Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com Shortly after deplaning in Tijuana, Ed and Carol Asbury and seven family members stepped into San Diego on Thursday, rested and tanned after three weeks of fishing and sunbathing in Cabo San Lucas. Like a growing number of U.S residents traveling to Mexico, the Poway retirees were testing the pedestrian port of entry known as the Cross Border Xpress, or CBX. The verdict: It saved time, and money, and they would do it again. A first for the U.S.-Mexico border, the facility is celebrating two years of operation this month with a record number of travelers as the busy Christmas season approaches. CBX is a port of entry that is privately operated, though staffed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. The only users are toll-paying airline passengers flying in and out of Tijuanas A.L. Rodriguez International Airport. Advertisement The facilitys opening in December 2015 drew widespread attention as an innovative public-private partnershipan alternative model for building badly needed border infrastructure. Years in the planning and negotiating, CBX has also been held up as example bilateral collaboration between Mexico and the United Statesa 390-foot bridge that spans the border wall separating Tijuana and San Diego. For a two-way ticket of $30 per person, users can avoid border lines, with discounts for family groups. Directly connected to the Tijuana airport, the bridge gives travelers access not only to cheaper flightscosts on average are 35 percent less expensive than those of U.S. based airlines--but also to a broad range of destinations to Mexicos interior that are not served by the San Diego International Airport. We see it as a growing opportunity to bring more international visitors to San Diego, said Joe Terzi, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. Its a great addition to our community. Members of the Asbury family of San Diego County at the Cross Border Xpress facility in Otay Mesa. They were returning from family vacation in Cabo San Lucas. (Sandra Dibble/San Diego Union-Tribune ) A small but growing number are U.S. travelers like the Asburys are flying for the first time out of Tijuanatypically for Mexican beach destinations. They can be seen in flip flops and shorts, walking through the Cross-Border facility, mingling with upscale Mexican travelers carrying designer-brand luggage and Mexican-Americans pushing piles of suitcases bursting with clothes and gifts for family members back in Mexico. One afternoon last week, the four members of the Abarca Castillo family of Tepic, Nayarit, prepared to return home after visiting Disneyland and Hollywood. Nearby, Brenda Miranda of Delano was beginning her journey to Iramuco, Guanajuato, with three of her sons, eager to see her parents for the first time in 10 years. Maria Jose Alanis, a psychologist and designer, was going home after a five-day visit with friends in San Diego and Tijuana. Her suitcase was filled with books purchased at the Barnes & Noble in Otay Ranch. I think its amazing, said Alanis as she prepared to cross to Tijuanas airport. The biggest benefit has been avoiding the lengthy northbound waits, she said. I have been coming here since I was little, and when I used to cross at San Ysidro, it would be about three or four hours by car. The rapidly rising demand for the CBXs services has exceeded even the expectations of its private operator, Otay-Tijuana Venture LLC. Last year, in its first full year of operations, 1.3 million people used the bridge, and the projection this year is for 1.9 million users. The forecast for next year is 2.4 million. For Raul Revuelta, CEO of the Cross Border Xpress, the bridge is daily evidence of the strong ties that bind Mexico and California. When the Oakland Raiders squared off against the New England Patriots last month in Mexico Citys Estadio Azteca, the bridge saw a spike in Mexican-Americans fans in Raiders hats heading south to support their team. Another surge came in October, when CBX users stepped through the covered bridge bearing religious crosses as they returned from Guadalajara, where they had traveled to attend the citys giant festivities honoring the Virgen de Zapopan. The last Friday of each month, when Mexican students have a day off, typically brings Mexican families flying into Tijuana, then using the bridge to cross into southern California for the long weekend. The most traveled period is the December Christmas season, which draws all categories of travelers going in both directions, Revuelta said. The bulk of CBXs users, close to 70 percent, are Mexican-Americans traveling to and from Mexicos interior. The second largest group, about 25 percent, is made up of Mexican travelers able to afford U.S. vacations to shop and visit attractions such as Disneyland. U.S.-based travelers without family ties in Mexico make up less than five percent of the total. In the coming years, we are going to see a big growth of San Diegans, said Revuelta. But today, they represent a tiny fraction of the bridges userswith the majority of travelers are coming from the Los Angeles area. CBXs operations and ownership are closely linked the Tijuana airport, operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP). Though other factors such as the peso-dollar exchange rate and regional economic growth have played a role, the airports operators say the bridge has contributed to their dramatic growth--from 4.83 million passengers in 2015, before the bridge opened, to a 7.2 million passengers this year. According to GAP, the fast-growing Tijuana airport is Mexicos second best connected, and its fifth largest in terms of traffic. Users can choose among 30 Mexican domestic destinations and three foreign ones: Shanghai, China; El Salvador, and Guatemala. The Mexican airline Aeromexico next year is preparing to add a second Chinese flight to Beijing. In Tijuana, CBXs opening generated criticism from those who said the city was reaping few of its benefits, with small businesses and airport shuttles in the city especially worried about a drop in clientele. David Moreno Laveaga, the citys Secretary of Economic Development, said the project is good in terms of image, but I wish Tijuana would get a piece of the revenues that they are generating, so we could invest in our city in terms of infrastructure. Even as CBX has helped draw unprecedented numbers of travelers to the Tijuana airport, San Diegos passenger numbers have been on the rise as well, from just over 20 million in 2015 to more than 21 million expected this year, airport figures show. San Diego continues to offer flights to Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City. sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com @sandradibble Palestinian rights groups rallied in Los Angeles Sunday afternoon against President Trumps announcement that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. More than 300 protesters gathered peacefully outside the federal building on Wilshire Boulevard near UCLA, holding signs that proclaimed Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. They chanted, Free, free Palestine, occupation is a crime, and, No wall, no ban, no embassy on stolen land. Jerusalem is, and will remain a Palestinian city, said Amani Barakat, national chair of Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return, who organized the rally. A city of inclusion and coexistence rather than exclusion and bigotry. Advertisement A group of about 30 counter-protesters gathered across the street holding Stand with Israel signs and yelling, Stand with Gods people. Many protesters were Trump supporters and familiar faces at Southern California rallies. Rabbi Moshe Parry, who held a flag of Israel, said he came to show that Israel belongs to Jewish people and has for thousands of years. God gave it to us, he said. Trump made the announcement on Wednesday, saying old challenges demand new approaches, and he initiated a process to transfer the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the ancient city. Today we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israels capital, he declared in a speech at the White House. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. The change reversed decades of U.S. policy and sparked widespread international criticism. Sundays protesters said Palestinians have endured discrimination, ethnic cleansing and occupation, with illegal Israeli settlements built on land they see as a future Palestinian state. Many said they recognize that Jerusalem is an important site for Jewish people, but said it should be regarded as important for people of other faiths as well. Protesters were unsurprised by Trumps announcement but saw it as a reckless move that crossed the line and eroded chances for both sides to reach a peaceful agreement. I thought it was wrongheaded and dangerous, said Estee Chandler of the group Jewish Voice for Peace. I fear for the safety and security of all people in the Middle East. The protesters also took aim at Saturdays bombing of Gaza by Israel. Israeli airstrikes killed two Hamas members early Saturday following a rocket attack on Israel, according to the Associated Press. The Israeli military said it targeted four Hamas facilities in response to rockets fired the previous night, including one that landed in the town of Sderot without causing casualties or major damage. The military said it struck warehouses and weapons manufacturing sites, after which Hamas said it had recovered the bodies of two of its men. Trumps announcement sparked protests around the world. Others were not as peaceful as in Los Angeles. Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water cannons Sunday into crowds gathered near the U.S. embassy in Beirut. The New York Times reported that thousands of protesters chanted slogans against Trumps orders. Some threw rocks and set tires and a large trash container on fire outside the embassys gated compound. Other news outlets reported Sunday that a security guard was stabbed in Jerusalem in what appeared to be the first attack since Trumps announcement. Trumps declaration proves the very points we have been making for years: The U.S. is incapable of being an even-handed mediator, said Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. andrea.castillo@latimes.com @andreamcastillo UPDATES: 6:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from protesters and counter-protesters at the rally and information about violence at other protests in the Middle East. This article was originally published at 2:30 p.m. A ghostly chant of Bill of Rights, Bill of Rights drifted out of a sidewalk tent as the United Nations monitor on extreme poverty walked the streets of skid row as part of a national tour investigating human rights conditions for the poorest U.S. citizens. Philip Alston, an Australian and a New York University law professor, got a full taste of the epicenter of L.A. homelessness last week, passing by a shelter courtyard with dozens of people bedding down on the concrete because there was no room inside. He and his entourage veered into the street to avoid a shirtless man who lay groaning across a wheelchair, a colostomy bag showing below his shorts hem. Advertisement I think its on a scale I hadnt anticipated, block after block of people, Alston said at the tours end. When you see how concentrated it is, its more shocking. Alston was appointed by the U.N. human rights council as the special rapporteur on extreme poverty to investigate the plight of the most vulnerable people in the economic doldrums of the richest nation in the world. The two-week mission visited four states, with stops in Washington and San Franciscos Tenderloin district, another homeless enclave. Los Angeles was the only two-day stop for Alston, who met privately with local government officials and civil rights lawyers, presided over a skid row town hall and walked its streets. Alston said that because the United States alone among big industrial nations has consistently rejected access to housing and sanitation as essential human rights, he is probing whether economic disparities prevent poor people from exercising their full political and civil rights. The U.S. is not expected to face sanctions if violations are found, but Alston said his recommendations will be closely watched. In his previous post as special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Alston drew international attention with a scathing report describing the Obama administrations drone war as a vaguely defined license to kill. There is a significant international audience and other countries are watching, Alston said to open the town hall Wednesday. They want to know if the U.S. is living up to its great standards as far as human rights. Much of the town hall testimony focused on racism and what speakers described as the pervasive criminalization of poverty. The omnipresence of law enforcement induces fear in people already dealing with a high level of stress and trauma, said Danny Park, who runs a skid row pop-up cafe. Alstons street ambassador for the tour was General Dogon, a skid row organizer with the Los Angeles Community Action Network, which hosted the town hall. Dogon was highly critical of the citys approach to homelessness as he led Alston on a walking tour. He said the street cleanings were designed to harass homeless people, accused police of confiscating their belongings and said skid row enforcement was aimed at driving the poor out of downtown. But theres no place for people to go, said Dogon, who recommended the police budget be diverted to building low-cost housing on city-owned lots. Alston acknowledged Dogons street-level view was very different from what he heard in the halls of power. Politicians in any context are there to put a positive spin on what theyre doing and to insist that existing problems are about to be resolved, he said. Thats all to be expected. As Alston wrapped up the tour, a woman tried to give him some money for your foundation. No, I couldnt take your money youre very kind, Alston said. I should be giving you money. Buy something good with it. Alston plans to release his preliminary findings Friday, with a full report due in the spring. gholland@latimes.com Twitter: @geholland ALSO Up to 600,000 expected to apply when L.A. reopens Section 8 housing list this month after 13 years Californias housing costs are driving its citizens into poverty. Lawmakers need to act now Getting affordable housing in L.A. shouldnt be like winning the lottery About two hundred people, including several members of Congress and a few activists from San Diego, were arrested on the steps of Capitol Hill on Wednesday after they sat down and refused to move. Through the act of civil disobedience, the group hoped to pressure Congress to include legislation for unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as children in one of the bills that must pass before the end of the year, like the spending bill. Congress extended the deadline for the spending bill last week to the Friday before Christmas. As police processed those arrested in groups of 15, others who had attended a rally for the DREAM Act before the demonstration cheered and chanted We see you! We love you! Advertisement Andrea Guerrero and Christian Ramirez, both of Alliance San Diego, were among those arrested. They were fined $50 each for an obstruction infraction. Civil disobedience is itself an escalated tactic, Guerrero said. You engage in it when the normal course of business is not enough, in this case when negotiations stalled around the DREAM Act. We are stuck right now. Guerrero and Ramirez have been campaigning for the DREAM Act to pass since the Trump administration ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in September. The administration gave Congress until March 5 to pass legislation to protect DACA recipients. Campaigning across the country has escalated in the last couple of weeks as many hoped that such legislation would come before the end of the year. We have 40,000 dreamers in San Diego who are waiting on pins and needles to see if Congress is willing to act, Guerrero said. The reason why were pushing so hard for the DREAM Act to be attached to the must-pass bills is because we dont have faith that congressional leadership, which is in Republican hands, will bring a standalone bill to the floor of the House or Senate before March 5th. Guerrero flew back to Washington on Monday to continue meeting with members of Congress about the issue. Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter A North County foster group home for teenage girls has a new plan to prevent runaways: volunteer investigators watching to see where the girls are sneaking off to. The volunteers have no interaction with the kids, some of whom have a history as victims of sex trafficking. Their only job is to observe. But the volunteers whom Casa de Amparo wants to use carry guns. Thats a problem. Advertisement State regulators have nixed the plan to allow these volunteers former Navy SEALs or retired peace officers who are now licensed private investigators to continue to work with Casa de Amparo. The state determined that use of armed security in preventing a child from taking off violates a foster childs personal rights. The volunteers are with Saved in America, a North County-based nonprofit that works for free to locate missing and runaway children. They say they carry guns only for personal protection, especially when they are patrolling the rural areas such as around Casas campus in northern San Marcos. Casa de Amparos Executive Director Tamara Fleck-Myers said last week she wants to see the volunteers work with her organization. She pointed to a six-week pilot program earlier this year in which the volunteers working on the weekends helped prevent four Casa runaways from getting into cars with men. And, she said, the number of runaways often referred to as AWOLs dropped by 18 percent during the program, and continued to drop after the pilot ended. Its innovative, and it works, Fleck-Myers said. We are not going to give it up. We are willing to fight it to the state level. County officials, who are responsible for placing the girls at Casa, had concerns about the presence of guns. County Health and Human Services spokesman Craig Sturak said in an email that the county expects that group homes will comply with the state regulation. On Wednesday, Casa learned that the states Community Care Licensing Division rejected its bid. According to the letter, the division found that any use of an armed security vendor in order to prevent AWOLs violates a foster childs personal rights to be free from, among other things, intimidation, coercion and threat. Joseph Travers, who founded Saved in America, said his volunteers at Casa dont carry the firearms per se for the surveillance we do. The firearms we carry are for our own self-protection. They are not security guards, he said, but are investigators conducting surveillance to make sure that predators dont harm the girls. Many of the girls who land at Casa de Amparos relatively rural 11 acres in San Marcos are among the most vulnerable, high-risk population in foster care. Many have been sexually abused, and some have already been victims of sex trafficking. Sometimes the girls walk away from campus, lured out by boyfriends who had previously pimped them out or may want to do so. When a child is about to bolt, staffers try to persuade her to stay, and walk with her as she leaves the grounds. They call deputies to report her as a runaway, but they cant prevent her from going, or from getting into a waiting car. Nor can the Saved in America volunteers. During the pilot program, they were notified when a girl was leaving, and kept an eye on the child until deputies arrived. People have this misguided notion that they grab girls. They are not doing any of that. These guys are just laying back, doing undercover surveillance, Fleck-Myers said. She later said: I am more concerned about what one of these pimps would do to these girls than what the Saved in America guys would do. In the six weeks before the pilot, 60 AWOL incidents occurred. During the pilot from mid-May into June, it dropped to 49 over six weeks. And in the six weeks that followed, there were 44 AWOLs. Fleck-Myers said the girls got the message that they were being watched, and so did the people trying to lure them out. By October, the number of AWOL incidents had dropped to 12. We are worried that they (AWOLs) are going to crop back up if we dont get them out here, she said of the Saved in America patrols. Last weekend, six girls took off. (They all returned, and campus officials dont suspect human-trafficking took place.) Fleck-Myers said that in the five years the San Marcos campus has been open, every girl who had left without authorization returned. As part of the efforts to increase security, a private company, Nortek Security and Control, just donated and installed about $12,000 worth of gear to Casa, including gating off a parking lot and installing a pass-code system to restrict access to parts of the campus. teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com (760) 529-4945 Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT A Santee couple died in what authorities described as a murder-suicide in Grantville Sunday night when the husband came to the home where his wife was staying, shot and killed her and then himself, police said. Police were called to the residence on Elsa Road near 48th Street around 10 p.m. Sunday after someone called 911 to report a shooting. Police found 36-year-old Marguerite Elliot and 39-year-old James Elliot dead inside the home, said San Diego police Lt. Mike Holden. They were having marital problems and the wife had gone to her sisters Grantville home to stay the night, Holden said. Advertisement Our suspect arrived at around 10 p.m, parked his vehicle on the street here facing the wrong way, quickly entered the house, shot his wife and then shot himself, Holden said. Marguerite Elliot was killed in a bedroom. Her husband shot himself in the living room. Marguerite Elliots sister, husband and young children were at the house but were not injured, Holden said. San Diego police had been called to the womans workplace hours earlier on a preserve the peace call. She asked officers to accompany her while she retrieved some items from her home, but since she lived in Santee, she was advised to contact sheriffs deputies, Holden said. She wanted officers to stand by while she got some stuff, he said. There was no prior crime, no prior assaults. Holden said the department fields such calls frequently, particularly in cases where someone doesnt want to have an argument or is uncomfortable meeting with someone. Marguerite Elliot told officers shed call deputies the next morning and that she was going to stay with her sister. Holden said the couple had two children, ages 5 and 10. Friends of Marguerite Elliot set up a GoFundMe account to support the couples children. By Wednesday morning, the fund had raised more than $26,000. karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com UPDATES: 10:50 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 6:50 a.m. A La Mesa police reservist shot at a pit bull Monday morning after the animal bit him at least twice, a police official said. The officer is fine, suffering just an abrasion, Lt. Brian Stoney said. The dog was not injured; the officers bullet embedded into the asphalt. However, the dog was taken in to be quarantined following the attack. Advertisement Stoney said the reservist was driving south on Harbison Avenue, a block or so south of El Cajon Boulevard, about 9:30 a.m. when he spotted a chair and a roll of carpet in the road in front of a home. He stopped to address the matter, and as he was talking to the resident, the dog came out of the home and started to behave aggressively. After a short while, the pit bull aggressively charged at the officer and bit him in the leg, kind of backed off and then bit him again, Stoney said. Stoney said the officer backed up against the patrol car trying to get away from the dog, then opened fire. He fired one shot, right into the pavement, Stoney said. The dog ran back into the home. A short time later, the dogs owner agreed to turn him over to animal control officials. teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com (760) 529-4945 Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT Its one of the most closely watched Senate campaigns in years and one of the most confounding. The battle in Alabama between Roy Moore and Doug Jones has pollsters thoroughly flummoxed. In recent days, reputable polling organizations have produced results ranging from a 10-point lead for the Democrat, Doug Jones, (Fox News) to a 9-point lead for the Republican, Roy Moore, (Emerson College). Other recent polls include a Washington Post survey showing Jones ahead by 3 points, a CBS News/YouGov survey showing Moore up by 6 and a Gravis poll putting Moores lead at 4 points. Heres a closer look at whats going on. Why has it been so hard to poll the race? The central problem is predicting who will vote. For polling organizations, calling potential voters and counting their responses is often the easiest part of the job. The real challenge is to predict who is actually going to show up to cast a ballot. In the last two off-year elections in Alabama, somewhere between 40% and 50% of registered voters cast ballots. The Alabama secretary of state has estimated that this years special election will draw a smaller turnout, more on the order of 25%. As the electorate shrinks, it usually doesnt do so evenly. One side or the other usually benefits. Pollsters need to adjust their results to take into account who is most likely to turn out. Polling organizations have a variety of techniques to try to forecast what the electorate will look like, and right now, those different approaches are giving very different answers. How much difference can a turnout model make? A lot. To see how much, the pollsters at SurveyMonkey ran an experiment last week. They surveyed 1,559 registered voters in Alabama. Then they applied a series of different turnout models to their data. One approach simply asks people how sure they are that theyll vote. When SurveyMonkey did that, counting as a likely voter those who said they were certain to vote or probably would, they found Jones had a 9 point lead over Moore. Another approach looks at peoples vote history: Rather than ask them about their future behavior, ask them about the recent past. Did they vote in the last couple of elections? When SurveyMonkey defined as likely voters those who reported that they had voted in 2014 (plus those who were too young in 2014 but said they were certain to vote this time), Moore led by 3 points. Testing other approaches, the pollsters came up with results ranging from an 8 point Jones lead to a 9 point lead for Moore all using the same underlying survey data. Monday afternoon, Monmouth University released a survey showing three different turnout models. Under a standard midterm turnout similar to 2014, Moore would lead, 48%-44%. A higher turnout, more similar to a presidential year, would yield a lead for Jones. And a turnout model based on the midterm election last month in Virginia showed the two candidates tied, with 6% still undecided, they found. Black voters are key to Democratic hopes in Alabama's Senate race. Will they turn out? When combined with the potential for purely random error inherent in all surveys, the findings make a projection of the outcome virtually impossible. Mark Blumenthal, SurveyMonkey Why is the variation in results bigger than usual in this election? Most of the time, pollsters have a pretty good idea of who will show up: Elections tend to follow predictable patterns. Those patterns dont exist in this case. Its a special election, with nothing else on the ballot in much of the state, being held in December, which is not a typical election time. So past voter history isnt as useful as usual. That alone would greatly complicate predicting who will vote. On top of that, Moore is a polarizing candidate with some deeply committed followers, but also many Republicans who disapprove of him. And the multiple accusations by women who say he pursued them when they were teenagers add a whole additional layer of complexity. Are there other significant differences between the polls? Maybe. The two most recent polls conducted by telephone with live interviewers, who called both cellphones and landlines, were the ones done by Fox and the Washington Post. Both showed Jones ahead. By contrast, automated polls, which by law cannot call cell phones, have tended to yield results more favorable to Moore. Pollsters who use automated techniques, which are much cheaper than live-interviewer polls, have a variety of ways to adjust for the limitations of their methodology, but its possible that this time around, they are missing a significant part of the electorate. The Fox poll found, for example, that Jones led by 30 points among people reached on cellphones, who tend to be younger than people who usually use a landline. Could there be a hidden vote for one side or the other? Perhaps some people dont want to admit to an interviewer that they plan to vote for Moore, given the air of scandal surrounding him. In that case, the automated polls could be more accurate in showing Moore leading. On the other hand, Moores supporters dont seem shy about stating their position, as reporters on the ground in Alabama have found. And its also possible that some longtime Republicans dont want to admit to a pollster that theyre planning to vote for a Democrat. If the result is so uncertain, why bother with polling? Everyone wants to know whos going to win, but forecasting the outcome isnt the only reason or even the main reason for polling. Polls also tell us a lot about which voters are backing which candidate younger Alabamians, especially younger women, favor Jones by a big margin, for example. Repeated polls can show how a race develops over time. And polls can also tell us a lot about which issues have had an effect on voter opinions. As a result, they serve as a check on the self-serving spin that voters inevitably will hear starting Tuesday night, once the actual results are counted. ALSO Roy Moore calls sexual-assault allegations 'ritual defamation' 'Got to be some fire somewhere': Sen. Shelby bucks Alabama GOP leaders in voting against Moore Bitter Senate race tests Alabama's image in the country and at home It was two days before Thanksgiving 2015, early in the morning and K.P. was exhausted. Shed spent hours clearing out her storage shed and made a snap decision to grab a snack from 7-Eleven on the way to pick up her boyfriend. Maybe the bright pink running lights on her aging Honda are what drew attention from the sheriffs deputy whose cruiser was passing the parking lot, K.P. isnt sure. Clearly, Im a woman, she said in a telephone interview this past week. Advertisement The cruiser made a swift U-turn and lurched into the parking lot, just behind K.P. What followed was a 12-hour ordeal that left the 29-year-old hotel worker shaken to this day. According to a San Diego Superior Court lawsuit filed last month, the woman identified only through her initials was arrested for possession of a trace amount of drugs and repeatedly groped by Deputy Richard Fischer. This second search Fischer conducted was prolonged and invasive, the lawsuit said. Later, the deputy transported the woman to the Las Colinas jail in Santee by way of the old entrance, where lighting was scarce and a fence shielded oncoming cars from view, the complaint said. Fischer was chuckling and asked K.P. if she was scared yet and then remarked that he wanted to get to know her better, the lawsuit states. When they pulled up at the entrance of Las Colinas, Fischer unbuckled K.P.s seatbelt and smirked at her as he ran his hands across her breast. K.P. scraped together $500 and bailed out by mid-afternoon, but the deputy continued to stalk her, the lawsuit alleged. Fischer would drive by K.P.s home slowly at night, shining his lights into her home ensuring that his presence there was known, the complaint says. On another occasion, Fischer pulled up to K.P. while she was at a stoplight, revved his engine loudly next to her, then raced past her when the light turned green and flickered his lights. Since K.P.s encounter with Fischer two years ago, eight more women have come forward with complaints about sexual misconduct by the Sheriffs Department veteran of almost six years. Fischer was placed on leave last month while officials investigate the accusations on two tracks: as an administrative matter and as a criminal case. Sheriffs Department officials say they are responding to the complaints appropriately and as expediently as possible. They pledge to figure out what happened and take whatever steps are necessary to protect the public. Weve taken any allegations of this nature extremely seriously, spokesman Ryan Keim said by telephone. At the end of the day, its important to realize and understand we acted immediately, decisively and effectively. Most of the alleged unwanted attention and groping occurred when the victims were in a vulnerable state, just after a medical emergency or burglary or other call for help. K.P. was so afraid of Fischers stalking, she says, that she warned the Sheriffs Department by letter six months after her arrest. Please contact me for more details, as its not fair to be taken advantage of and he is a predator not an officer, her handwritten note concludes. The Sheriffs Department said it has no record of receiving the letter, which K.P. kept a copy of. Fischer, 31, has not responded to multiple calls seeking comment about the investigation. * * * Experts say officer misconduct is as old as law enforcement itself. The best police and sheriffs departments adopt tough standards and policies aimed at limiting any abuse of authority and, perhaps more important, responding appropriately when complaints are leveled. You have to have a robust internal-affairs function, said Chief Louis Dekmar of the LaGrange Police Department in Georgia and president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Whenever any complaint is mishandled it undermines the confidence the public has in the department. Dekmar said improper police behavior is relatively rare. He said most departments, including his own, generate one complaint for every 1,000 or so recorded contacts. The majority of those come from citizens who feel an officer was rude or unfair, or otherwise treated them poorly. More serious misconduct accusations are reported far less frequently, Dekmar said about one of every 10,000 contacts. The majority of those, he said, up to 70 percent, result in the officer being exonerated or the allegations being found unsubstantiated. Generally officers do what they are supposed to be doing, Dekmar said. But when they arent, it has to be addressed quickly and it has to be addressed competently. The San Diego Police Department has not always addressed allegations of impropriety by its officers as quickly as it might have. In 2015, the department released a yearlong independent review that cited 17 cases of officer misconduct over a five-year period. The 85-page audit was commissioned after a spate of cases cost the city millions of dollars in legal settlements. Reviewers found internal weaknesses in department practices and included 40 recommendations for improvement. San Diego police Lt. Scott Wahl said Chief Shelley Zimmerman implemented all 40 suggestions and terminated 11 employees within her first year on the job. While this isnt something to be proud of, it is something that had to be done, Wahl wrote in an email. I can tell you this, no one wants a bad cop held accountable more than a good cop. Among the changes Zimmerman made after taking over as chief in 2014 was reinstatement of the professional standards unit, the team charged with investigating criminal wrongdoing by officers, Wahl said. She also implemented a mandatory reporting policy for employees who witness or learn about officer misconduct. Having the systems and structures in place to hopefully identify and prevent employees from becoming derailed is our goal, Wahl said. Also, being able to quickly address those that choose to dishonor our profession and hold them accountable should they step outside the law. * * * The warning K.P. sent the Sheriffs Department in May 2016 was a single-paged note addressed only to unnamed investigators. It had difficult-to-read handwriting squeezed onto line after line and ended with a thank you, two phone numbers and an email address. The department could not explain what happened to the letter, but said its appearance should not have affected how it was handled. We have done a very thorough investigation and we have no record of any complaint prior to late October 2017, Keim said. Most likely, it was forwarded to Internal Affairs and looked at. K.P. says she never got a response. Fischer remained on patrol. In early 2016, a husband and wife were driving home from Arizona when Fischer pulled them over, according to another claim. The woman had placed her medicine into baggies absent the prescription bottles and Fischer ended up arresting her for drug possession. The deputy rubbed L.R.s breasts up and down a half dozen times during the arrest, the claim said. At one point, her blood pressure was so high from stress she required medical attention, her complaint states. Fischer was tasked with driving her to a hospital, but thats not where they went. L.R. was terrified, wondering why Fischer was parking where he did, the claim said. He assaulted her once more before writing her a ticket and telling her to go, the complaint states. In August 2016, a San Marcos woman whose home was burglarized said Fischer returned to her house hours after completing his initial report. He said he wanted to make sure she was all right and requested a hug. Fischers hug was unsolicited and unwanted, the lawsuit said. In November 2016, Fischer responded to a 911 call accidentally placed by a San Marcos woman whose mother had just suffered a stroke and whose father died two days earlier. Fischer walked in and quickly assessed the vulnerability of his next victim, states a claim filed against the department last month. Without her consent, he then hugged (the woman) with a full embrace that included fondling of her buttocks with his hands and inappropriate massaging of her breasts with his own chest. The alleged victim said she pushed Fischer away but he persisted, and tried to kiss her. She insisted he leave, the claim adds, but before he complied he said he would be in the neighborhood watching out for her. * * * This past May, a Vista woman was pulled over for a missing taillight and claims she was hugged against her will. Her claim says Fischer followed her home for her own safety, he said then walked toward her front gate and backed off only when the womans male landlord appeared. Claimant entered the building and then returned outside to gather some belongings and Dep. Fischer was still present, the claim said. After some further conversation, Dep. Fischer eventually left the claimants house. A week later, a 58-year-old nurse claims, Fischer handcuffed her in Escondido and sat her on a curb. Then he shoved his groin area close to her and said You dont look 58. If I was older would you date me?, her claim said. In June, another claims alleges, Fischer stopped a woman for a missing taillight, discovered she had a suspended license and rubbed her genitals and backside during a search. Then he had her drive her car to a nearby parking lot, followed in his own car and asked if she wanted to make out, the claim said. The woman declined; just then, a timely radio call summoned Fischer away. The deputy sexually assaulted another woman in August after he responded to a call seeking a welfare check, her claim alleges. Fischers hands rubbed and fondled Jane Does torso, shoulders, arms, back and buttocks, the claim said. After the hug was over, Fischer looked at her and commented again that he thought she was good looking. Days before he was placed on desk duty in October, according to yet another claimant, Fischer answered a 911 emergency call. He ended up groping the 61-year-old woman and running her hand over his genitals, she claimed. * * * Law enforcement officers carry more than a badge and gun. They shoulder incredible responsibility because they are vested with the right to stop and interrogate people, to deprive citizens of their liberty as they see fit and to subdue anyone who fails to cooperate or threatens their personal safety. Police and sheriffs deputies also enjoy professional benefits that protect them from vengeful crooks and false allegations. Jonathan Blanks, a research associate at the Cato Institute Project on Criminal Justice, has studied police misconduct for years. He said sheriffs and police chiefs need to work early to identify problem officers and weed them out before they pass probation and secure the protections negotiated by their unions. The leadership wants to get bad cops out dont get me wrong, they are a liability, he said in a telephone interview. However, due to the police-union protections they cant easily be fired. San Diego sheriffs Lt. Karen Stubkjaer rejected the idea that the local Deputy Sheriffs Association can influence any decision in disciplinary proceedings. The decision whether or not to discipline a deputy sheriff and how to discipline a deputy sheriff is far too important to allow political interests to interfere, she wrote in an email. Addressing instances of misconduct decisively and appropriately is in the best interest of the community at large and the department. The department employs about 4,000 people. According to Stubkjaer, the sheriff disciplined 13 employees for misconduct so far this year, only one for sexual harassment. One worker was fired. In the four previous years the department disciplined 80 people, three of them for sexually related misconduct. Over the same period, seven employees were fired for general misconduct. * * * Sheriffs deputies recorded more than 435,000 contacts in 2016, about evenly split between calls for service and deputy-initiated meetings. In 2012, deputies reported just over 512,000 public contacts. The vast majority of deputy encounters are routine traffic stops, emergencies, witness and suspect interviews and assorted arrests and bookings. The department does not publish specific reports of deputy misconduct. But according to its annual statistical reports, the department has been making fewer arrests while the numbers of internal-affairs and use-of-force cases are climbing. Arrests in the budget year ending June 30, 2016 totaled 25,386 an 11 percent slide from 2012, the department reported. Over the same period, the number of internal-affairs cases opened by the department rose 49 percent, to 119 from 80. While more internal investigations are being opened, fewer of those complaints are being validated. In 2016, for example, 45 cases were sustained, a 15 percent decline from four years earlier. Stubkjaer said such statistics fluctuate from year to year due to the nature of the work. Law enforcement is both reactive and proactive, she said. The number of arrests for any given year depends on the reported or observed crimes committed for which probable cause can be developed to effect an arrest. San Diego attorney Dan Gilleon represents the nine women who filed claims and lawsuits resulting from their contacts with Fischer. He says he sees at least one constant. Ive been dealing with these law enforcement agencies and officers for quite a while, Gilleon said by telephone. The one theme that comes back time and time again is that sex in the workplace is a lot more common than in most organizations. Theres some sort of adrenaline rush, a lot of power and its a very male-dominated industry, he said. Each claim against the county seeks in excess of $6 million in damages. They also request punitive damages against Fischer himself in an amount sufficient to punish him and his evil conduct, and to deter others from doing what he did. Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35 jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald In 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown shepherded to passage what he called the truly revolutionary Local Control Funding Formula, one of the biggest changes in California public education in decades. It rewrote school funding formulas to ensure that more money went to districts with high-needs students English-learners, foster children and kids from impoverished families. While Brown and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson say the formula change has already been a substantial success story and has laid the groundwork for future gains, thats not how it looks to a lot of other people. A comprehensive CALmatters investigation posted in June found little evidence that the $31 billion in funds allocated under the new formula had actually helped the states most disadvantaged students. The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board and some state lawmakers, led by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, have long called for far more transparency about how the diverted funds are being used. Now a provocative piece by John Fensterwald on the EdSource website may reframe the debate. It notes that with Brown only on the job for 13 more months, he has a choice: Does he want to shape the inevitable efforts to amend the law or decide to punt the job to the next governor and State Board of Education? Advertisement Our view is that Brown should try to fix the funding law as soon as possible. For the governor to accept the laws flaws and leave cleanup to his successor amounts to an abdication of leadership on a crucial issue. A companion EdSource piece provided suggestions from 24 education policy veterans that Brown should consider. Some of the best ideas: --Weber said that justice requires we track funding intended to help these disadvantaged students so they dont continue to be sacrificed to the misguided priorities or mismanagement of adults. This must be the first fix. If the main use of the billions of dollars allocated under the law has been to pay for teacher raises, that will cast a pall over the entire state education establishment. --Former San Diego Unified Superintendent Carl Cohn blasted the document that every district must prepare to show compliance with the funding law the Local Control and Accountability Plan as time-consuming, onerous and maybe pointless, given that it will be read by no one but county office of education bureaucrats. He calls for a simpler compliance process. --Ryan Smith, executive director of The Education Trust-West, a student advocacy organization, said there should be more of a focus on professional development for educators and more opportunities to learn from districts getting results. Hes right. Too many districts try to start from scratch instead of adopting whats worked elsewhere. --Liz Guillen of Public Advocates, a legal civil rights group, said the funding law was supposed to ensure that districts work closely with local stakeholders on policy changes, which is not yet happening contrary to oft-made promises. --Mary Perry, vice president for education for the California State PTA, faulted efforts to ensure parent engagement and called the accountability expectations frankly anemic. She noted that any district is able to meet state standards by inviting parents to a meeting and counting how many attend. Thats not just anemic. Thats ridiculous, and good on the PTA for pointing it out. All of these suggestions are strong ideas that would help the Local Control Funding Formula live up to the lofty rhetoric that accompanied its enactment. There is no reason to wait until after Gov. Brown leaves office in January 2019 to pursue them. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion Re GOP to target welfare, Medicare, Medicaid spending (Dec. 7): What a surprise. Congress is on the verge of passing new tax reform legislation in order to give massive tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy. As a result of this legislation, over $1 trillion will be added to the deficit and, lo and behold, the deficit will then be too high. House Speaker Paul Ryan, citing the need to now reduce the deficit (which they just increased), thinks that health care entitlements are the cause of this increase (not the just-passed tax cuts) and proposes cuts to welfare, Medicare and Medicaid spending to correct the problem. Ryan left out Social Security, probably because the president promised during the campaign he wouldnt touch that. But then he seems to be very flexible when it comes to promises he has made. Advertisement I feel like we are living in an alternate universe, where up is down, left is right and the whole world is crazy. John E. Gahan San Diego I see where Sen. Charles Grassley, a member of the Senate Finance Committee that just gave us the Trump tax plan that promises to explode the deficit, explained his thoughts on the estate/death tax. He is quoted as saying to the Des Moines Register that he thinks abolishing the tax recognizes the people who are investing as opposed to those that are just spending every darned penny they have, whether its on booze or women or movies. Wouldnt you know it, an old white male Republican politician would be blaming women along with Americas other two big vices, booze and movies, for the masses not being able to save a darned penny, let alone $5.5 million to $11 million? And this is how Republicans are making America great again? I think not. Pete Powell San Diego It may appear Republicans are delusional thinking tax cuts for the rich will grow the economy and the benefits will trickle down to the rest of us mere mortals. They are not delusional. They know this has been tried unsuccessfully many times before, most recently George W. Bushs tax cuts that did not pay for themselves despite assurances they would. The GOPs strategy is to increase the federal debt through tax gifts to corporations and the rich as a pretext to slashing welfare, Medicare and Medicaid for the poor and elderly. Getting rid of those liberal giveaways that waste taxpayers money has been the long-held goal of the GOP. In a nutshell: create a big self-inflicted problem (growing federal debt by $1.5 trillion to fund tax cuts for the wealthy) and then slash spending on programs for the poor and elderly as the solution to balancing the budget. Its akin to lavishing expensive gifts on one of your kids to rationalize why you dont have enough money to feed the rest of your children. Its immoral. Bill Loeber Del Cerro Moved by recent U-T coverage of the GOP tax plans, I offer these words from Hamilton, the Musical: When are these colonies going to rise up? The article McConnell: Tax bill winning issue (Dec. 4) cites national surveys showing only one-third support for the tax plan with only one in six expecting a tax reduction. Sixty percent of Americans hold the position that GOP tax cuts favor the rich. Your editorial GOP tax plans have become in a word monstrous (Dec. 3) labels the GOP tax plans monstrous, concluding that its core goals seem to be helping the rich get richer, giving the shiv to political enemies and injecting massive uncertainty into institutions like higher education and health care. Our country was founded on cries of taxation without representation. Have we again come to a point where the peoples voice is irrelevant? Jan Hintzman Rolando Re Ryan: GOP to target welfare, Medicare, Medicaid spending (Dec. 7): House leader Paul Ryan suggests cuts in Medicare and Medicaid to help finance the huge tax cuts for the rich. Another one of the many Donald Trump promises to not do when he was running for office that hes gone 180 degrees opposite on. When will the lying stop? I wont feel sorry for all the nonwealthy Trump supporters when the suffering begins. Steve Saint-Martin Loma Portal Re Trump formally endorses Moore in Alabama race (Dec. 5): Recently, Ivanka Trump said Theres a special place in hell for people who prey on children, yet President Trump and the Republican National Committee endorsed Roy Moore, an accused child molester, for the Senate. Trump and his minions are so desperate to win a Senate seat that theyre willing to sell their souls to the devil. Bunny Landis Oceanside Re Nothing about Trump shows any patriotism (Dec. 3): I and most people disagree with the writer who is sick and tired of President Trump criticizing the athletes patriotism. The athletes are disrespectful of the American anthem. And if they want to take a knee, why dont they take a knee at Arlington National Cemetery? They are making millions because of that national anthem. And of the sacrifice of the men and women of our great armed services: President Trump is doing what the American people voted him into office to do, that is to stick up for the America we know and love. Dan Carr Rancho Bernardo As Congress is poised to pass the tax bill, the corporations and the rich are salivating at the prospect of gorging themselves even more at the table of gluttony. Its a Merry Christmas for them. And the poor? Ah, are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses? Jan Lenhert Rancho Bernardo Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. LAS VEGAS (AP) A 43-year-old former Las Vegas firefighter and U.S. Military Academy graduate should never get out of prison for hiring a homeless ex-convict to kill his cocktail server wife, a jury decided Friday. The same seven men and five women who found George Miguel Tiaffay guilty Thursday of first-degree murder, conspiracy and other charges in the September 2012 slaying of Shauna Tiaffay chose the most severe penalty they had available. Tiaffays defense attorney, Robert Langford, said hell appeal. Advertisement Prosecutors didnt seek the death penalty, because Tiaffay wasnt the one who carried out the slaying. Shauna Tiaffay, 46, the working mother of an 8-year-old daughter, was attacked and killed by Noel Scott Stevens. Stevens, 40, took a plea deal that spared him the death penalty, and testified against Tiaffay. He pleaded guilty to murder, conspiracy and other charges and faces 21 years to life at sentencing next month. Stevens admitted hiding in an apartment and attacking Shauna Tiaffay as she returned home alone from a night shift as a cocktail server at the Palms Casino Hotel. Stevens testified that George Tiaffay promised him $5,000, bought the murder weapon and other supplies, and plotted several methods before the deed was done. Who told you to kill Shauna? DiGiacomo asked during Stevens testimony last week. George did, Stevens responded. Tiaffay was at work when the murder occurred, and their daughter was with him when he went to Shauna Tiaffays apartment later that morning and discovered her bloody body. The jury heard testimony on Tiaffays behalf Friday from his sister and brother and a firefighter friend, and from a sister and brother of Shauna Tiaffay before deliberating several hours. As during his trial, Tiaffay didnt take the witness stand. He gave no visible reaction as the sentence decision was read. The jury rejected 20-years-to-life and 20-to-50 year options. Clark County District Court Judge Eric Johnson scheduled sentencing Oct. 27. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/11/2017 -- A report by Transparency Market Research predicts the global distributed antenna system market to expand at a solid CAGR of 11.2% during the period between 2017 and 2025 to become worth US$17.12 bn by 2025 from US$6.61 bn in 2016. The study provides a comprehensive analysis on market growth throughout the above mentioned forecast period in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ Mn), across different geographies. Distributed antenna system (DAS) is an organized network of separated antenna nodes connected to head-end units via fibers and cables. DAS is deployed for indoor as well as outdoor applications. It provides seamless communication network by providing network coverage in every corner of the building or area where DAS is being implemented. The report also includes key market indicators in the distributed antenna system market. Porter's five forces analysis is also included in the report. Value chain Analysis which identifies the process of distribution of the product in the distributed antenna system is covered in the report. The report also includes segment wise comparison matrix and market positioning analysis in the scope of our research. The report provides market attractiveness analysis for all the segments and for all the regions in the scope of study which identifies and compares segments' market attractiveness on the basis of CAGR and market share index. Global Distributed Antenna System Market: Segmentation The distributed antenna system market has been segmented on the basis of component type, technology, service and application. Based on component type, the market has been further classified into hardware and service segment. By technology, the market is further classified into commercial/cellular DAS and public safety DAS. Furthermore, the DAS application segment is classified as offices/corporate campus, hospitality, health care, education, transportation, government, industrial, stadiums & arenas, and others. Request for sample copy of this report : https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1301610 Geographically, the report classifies the global distributed antenna system market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America; the regions are analyzed in terms of revenue generation. Furthermore, the study also includes quantitative analysis of the competitive scenario for region wise prominent countries. These countries include the U.S, Canada, Germany, France, the U.K., China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei across APAC. In MEA and SA report includes UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil DAS market analysis. The market size and forecast for each region has been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025 along with the CAGR (%) for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. Global Distributed Antenna System Market: Competitive Landscape The report also includes competition landscape which covers competition matrix, market positioning analysis of major players in the global distributed antenna system market based on their 2016 revenues, profiling of major players (distributed antenna system vendor). Competition matrix benchmarks leading players on the basis of their capabilities and potential to grow. Factors including market position, offerings and R&D focus are included to explain the company's capabilities. Parameters including top line growth, market share, segment growth, infrastructure facilities and future outlook are attributed to company's potential to grow. This section also identifies and includes various recent developments related to the leading players. Company profiling includes company overview, major business strategies adopted, SWOT analysis and market revenues for past years. The key players profiled in distributed antenna system market. American Tower Corporation, AT&T, Inc., Bird technologies, Cobham Wireless, Commscope, Corning Incorporated, Dali Wireless, SOLiD, Boingo and Tessco are the few key players which have been profiled in this study. Send an enquiry here : https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/1301610 Market Segmentation: Distributed Antenna System Market, by Component Hardware Active Head- End and Remotes Trays Antennas Others Passive Donor Antennas Trays Repeaters Others Cabling Coaxial Optical Fiber CAT5 Others Hybrid Head- End and Remotes Repeaters Services Design and Installation Maintenance Distributed Antenna System Market, by Technology Cellular/Commercial DAS Public Safety DAS Distributed Antenna System Market, by Application Offices/Corporate Campus Hospitality Hotels/Resorts Retail/Shopping Malls Health Care Education Transportation Airport/Train Stations Parking Structures/Underground/ Tunnels Government Industrial Stadiums and Arenas Others In addition, the report provides analysis of the distributed antenna system market with respect to the following geographic segments: North America The U.S. Canada Rest of North America Europe The U.K. Germany France Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific (APAC) Indonesia Thailand Philippines Malaysia Singapore Vietnam Myanmar Cambodia Laos Brunei India Australia New Zealand China Japan Korea Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa (MEA) United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of MEA South America Brazil Rest of South America Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/11/2017 -- Australia, New Zealand and India Building Information Modeling (BIM) Market: Report Scope The Building Information Modeling (BIM) market report provides an in-depth analysis of the BIM market for the period 2014 2024, wherein 2015 is the base year and the years from 2016 to 2024 is the forecast period. Data for 2014 has been included as historical information. The report covers all the prevalent trends playing a major role in the growth of the BIM market over the forecast period. It also highlights various drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected to influence the market's growth during the forecast period. The study provides a holistic perspective on market growth in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ Mn), across the countries. The report provides analysis of the BIM market in terms of market estimates and projections for all the segments across country. The report also covers profiles of major players, their growth strategies, various recent developments, and includes market positioning analysis of key players operating in the BIM market. Australia, New Zealand and India Building Information Modeling (BIM) Market: Overview Building information modeling (BIM) is a three-dimensional (3D) graphical presentation of a technical diagram which includes the elevation, plan, and segment of a building. It is a type of digital building system in which the real model of the structure with precise value is digitally constructed. The BIM market is expected to experience high growth in the coming decade owing to factors such as rise in construction activities and government initiatives to lift BIM adoption rate in these countries. Get the sample copy of this report : https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/905062 Australia, New Zealand and India Building Information Modeling (BIM) Market: Segmentation This research study on the BIM market provides a detailed analysis of various solution types of building information modeling available in the market. Based on solutions, the market is further segmented into software, and professional & consultancy service. The software BIM market is further categorized into on-premise and cloud-based. Based on end-use industry, the BIM market is categorized into water and waste water, rail, transit and aviation, bridges, roads and highways, energy generation facilities, educational institutions and commercial spaces, houses and apartments, factories and warehouses, government buildings, health care infrastructure and dams and others. On the basis of end-users, the market is segmented into engineers, architects, contractors and developers. The report includes a comprehensive coverage of the underlying economic development factors under the key trend analysis section. To depict holistic view of the BIM market, value-chain analysis and ecosystem analysis is included in the report. The section describes current supply chain model and potential impact of forward backward integration. The report aims to provide a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the BIM market across different countries, which is also provided based on solutions, end-use industries, and the end-users. The report also provides country level key trend analysis for different segmentations included. Send an enquiry here : https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/905062 Australia, New Zealand and India Building Information Modeling (BIM) Market: Competitive Dynamics The report highlights the competition matrix of the BIM market, positioning all the major players according to their geographic presence, historical roadmap, competitors, market position, key recent developments, and segment growth. The matrix has been designed to show comparative strength of players active in the BIM market. The important business strategies adopted by them, their market positioning, and recent developments have also been identified in the research report. Also, distinct representation of market competition in terms of market shares of global and regional/local players has also been included. Under the company profiles section, the report provides an overview of the players operating in the market, the strategies adopted by them to gain competitive advantage, the annual revenue generated by them in the past two or three years, and their relevant business segment revenue. The report also provide market share analysis of the BIM market. The key players profiled in this report include Autodesk Inc., AECOM, Dassault Systemes SA, Beck Technology Ltd., Synchro Software Ltd., Bentley Systems, Inc., Tekla Corporation, Pentagon Solutions Ltd., GRAITEC and Nemetschek AG. Browse more related reports : https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/category/96 Market Segmentation: Building Information Modelling Market Analysis, by Solution Software On-premise Cloud Professional & Consultancy Service Building Information Modelling Market Analysis, by End-use Industry Water and Waste Water Bridges, Roads and Highways Rail, Transit, and Aviation Energy Generation Facilities Houses and Apartments Factories and Warehouses Educational Institutions and Commercial Spaces Government Buildings Healthcare Infrastructures Dams and Others Building Information Modelling Market Analysis, by End-user Engineers Architects Contractors Developers Building Information Modelling Market Analysis, by Country Australia New Zealand India [NEW DELHI] Indias ambitious plans to force its 1.3 billion citizens to use biometric identity cards to access government benefits have fallen foul of the countrys highest court which says the project could undermine rights to privacy. After finding that the biometric ID, referred to as Aadhaar ID, infringes on the right to privacy, the Supreme Court decided that the issue was a constitutional matter and therefore should be resolved by a constitution bench. Benches have at least five judges interpreting substantial matters that impinge on Indias constitution. The court has appointed to hear this month petitions filed against the Aadhaar scheme by a number of individuals and groups. The benchs decision will likely decide the future of what has evolved into the worlds largest biometric database. Meanwhile, following the Courts intervention, the government last week (December 8) issued orders extending a yearend deadline for citizens to link their biometric ID numbers to income tax returns, bank accounts and other services until March 31, 2018. What needs to be understood is that they are building databases by putting together your biometric Aadhaar card Usha Ramanathan Launched in 2009, Aadhaar was originally voluntary and was designed to ensure that government benefits go to the intended beneficiaries rather than impersonators, middlemen and corrupt officials. But in 2014 after the Congress party, which are the proponents of the scheme, lost power to the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the new government began aggressively pushing Aadhaar cards on to every possible sphere of activity from university admissions to getting a cooking gas cylinder. Now Aadhaar identity cards are mandatory for opening a bank account, property purchases, filing income tax returns, getting a telephone connection and for the registration of deaths. Several civil society groups, such as the Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties, voiced fears that the government has intentions of turning the country into an intrusive police state by cross-linking data gleaned from the different services that are linked to it. The benefits were originally meant for the poorer sections of population who had little to lose from close government scrutiny. But linking it to banking and many other financial transactions exposes everyone especially the middle and upper classes to possible unscrupulous use of databases. Aadhaars chief executive officer, Ajay Bhushan Pandey, said this was not the case. Contacted by SciDev.Net, Pandey declined a formal interview and instead referred to his article that was published in several local dailies including the Times of India (11 November). In the article he said, biometrics used photographs, fingerprints and iris image are the least intrusive. According to Pandey, Aadhaar has already emerged as a powerful instrument which enables people to establish their identity, receive their entitlements and exercise their rights without fear of being excluded or having their rights taken away. However, aside from surveillance fears, critics also worry about the governments ability to protect the confidentiality of the information and data collected and with good reason as there already have been several breaches. In March this year, the government was forced to admit that personal details such as telephone numbers, addresses and email identities of over 10 million Aadhaar cardholders had somehow been leaked. According to information provided by the Unique Identity Development Authority of India (UIDAI), entrusted with the biometrics of the Aadhaar cards, responsibility for the implementation of the Aadhaar card project was entrusted to 25 different private companies hired without open tender. Thats a lot of private companies and they all have access to sensitive data, says Usha Ramanathan in an interview with SciDev.Net. Ramanathan is a well-known human rights lawyer in India but a litigant in Aadhaar cases before the Supreme Court. What needs to be understood is that they are building databases by putting together your biometric Aadhaar card, bank account number and mobile number on several of the services (banking, passports, income tax returns, university admissions, etc.) remember that data is the new oil. she says. This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Asia & Pacific desk. Press Release December 11, 2017 Transcript of Sen. Bam's questions during hearing on GenSan road right of way project Sen. Bam: So so far, nasuspend niyo na yung mga pambayad sa claimants. And I think, one basic issue here is the payment of DPWH to these so-called consolidators - mga abogado in some cases, probably dummies in other cases. You can actually make a policy decision na babayaran niyo lang yung talagang may-ari ng lupa na matagal na, for example. Of course, ibig sabihin niyan, libo-libo talaga yung kailangan niyong kausapin, which is probably the right process. Have you made a determination on not entertaining these so-called consolidators, or dummies, to begin with? USec Karen Jimeno: Mr. Chairman, I think by law, we're really not supposed to entertain any dummies because in the first place, the reason why we can't make a policy decision to exclude special powers of the attorney because it is allowed by law. It is part of our civil code in terms of underagencies, and partnerships, specifically that branch of law. But in terms of validating the claims, that's why historically, we had DO 34 when I first started with DPWH, but as Undersectretary for Legal Affairs, I also saw the flaw in the system, that the approving authority when it comes to the central office, and then later on the endorsement comes from- at that time, because I believe the Undersecretary of Legal Affairs, it will be from me to the Secretary of DPWH. But because we were not part of the transaction historically, which was the same scenario that former Secretary Singson found himself in, na you're there to approve claims na minana mo na from previous secretaries, and then you're supposed to rely on all the endorsements of all the people in the bureaucracy based on the hierarchy. It's humanly impossible, so that is why I proposed to our Secretary at that time to come up with the department order that delegates the approving authority to each of the higher authorities that are tied to the projects. So in this case, pagka regional director, depending on the regions, and then the PPP Director for PPP Projects, and we have a task force. So, in terms of the requirements, land ownership is one of the proof that is required, but if you have a special power of attorney, because there are instances also na yung owner of the property, either matandang matanda na, may sakit, so they have a special power of attorney. Or if you have heirs that have not settled the estate yet, they tend to have a special power of attorney while the settlement of the estate is ongoing. Sen. Bam: Okay, so let me clarify. So yung pagkakaroon ng special powers of the attorney, you allow dealing with people with SPAs? USec Karen Jimeno: Yes, because it has basis in law. Sen. Bam: It has basis in law. The question is, kung yung may mga SPA, meron ba silang ka-deal sa loob ng DPWH doon sa tinutukoy ni Sen. Lacson na mga speculation on land value, that's illegal. So yung pagkakaroon ng SPA, hindi illegal, pero kung yung mga may SPA ay may kakuntiyaba sa loob, yun po, illegal yun. Now, of course, if you really want to solve this problem moving forward, you can simply say - no SPA. Can you do that? Or kaya niyo ba yun gawin as a policy, o masyado bang komplikado iyon? USec Karen Jimeno: I think, Mr. Chairman, that blanket prohibition is not only impractical, it would also be unfair for those who need SPAs talaga. For instance, as I've mentioned earlier as an example, land owners who are very old, incapacitated, physically incapacitated... Sen. Lacson: Sen. Aquino, may I... Pero dapat magtaka rin kayo kung tatlong tao lang lagi may SPA. USec Karen Jimeno: Yes. Uhm, Mr. Chairman that's a very good point. In fact, just to give you- I'd like to also quote here, yung- nung July 2017, I received a memo from our Regional Director for Region 12, si RD Ibrahim*, he pointed to several indicators ng fraud, or what makes validation, kasi by then we already had Department Order 65, which meant siy ana yung approving authority for the payment of Right-Of-Way Claims. And he raised certain concerns sa Region 12. And, among them, he raised na.. I'm going to look for the memo here. Ah, okay. So, here. This was dated July 3, 2017, and among the problems that he raised were "irregular manner of revocation of Special Power of Attorney and substitution or delegation of new authority to second persons." And I think, for those on the ground, which is precisely the point why we really need to, one, delegate dun sa mga regions talaga, but even then, yung mga nandoon on the ground na malapit sa projects, they found yung mga irregularities like this, na mga SPAs na mukhang illegitimately obtained. So, I think what we can do, kasi we saw this memo from RD Ibrahim; what happened was, one - we created a special task force to validate the claims in Region 12. But even then, we started getting more and more reports of fraud in that area. And even RD Ibrahim later told us na kahit daw mag special task force doon, feeling niya mathethreaten lang yung mga ipapadalang tao doon. That's why what happened was, later on, we suspended the payment of all claims, and then pinanigit pa namin yung funds. That is why Region 12 returned lahat ng funds for Right-Of-Way payments to the Central office. Kaya hawak pa po namin lahat ng pera for those claims. And, in fact, one of our lawyers in the Central Office raised to me a concern na because partially paid na yung ibang Region 12 claims, including those in General Santos City, baka naman daw kami yung i-sue for breach of contract, kasi partially paid na, which means it's like saying na validated na yung claims na iyan, bakit ayaw niyo na ituloy yung pagbayad? But it was because we were getting several warnings, and red flags, and reports of fraud. Sen. Bam: Okay. In short, yan yung sinasabi ni Secretary Singson na the court is already telling you, ituloy niyo na yung bayad. Now, going back to my earlier point, yung dealing with people with SPAs. Kasi obviously yung 112 na taong iyan, they're not really the original owners of that land. Hindi naman talaga sila. I think it's pretty clear. Kasi grabeng laking lupa naman yung pagmamay-ari nila, kung 112 lang sila dun sa napakaraming lupain na yan. I think we can safely assume yung karamihan diyan, mga nag-SPA iyan, Special Power of Attorney, or they represent a set number of true land owners. My question is, yung due diligence ba ng DPWH goes to the next layer, yung ginagawa niyong investigation; kung totoo nga na iyong mga totoong may-ari, or yung may-ari noon, or yung may-ari pa rin sila ng lupa; If they are really in partnership with that person. Kasi kung coerced yung SPA, or hindi maexplain ng maayos, then obviously, may fraud na nangyari diyan. My question is, is Region 12 currently- and sabi niyo nga, it's dependent now on their regional office- are they going the next step, and going beyond nitong 112 na tao, chinecheck talaga nila sino ba talaga yung mga nakatira diyan, sino yung may-ari ng mga lupang iyan; are you doing that now? USec Karen Jimeno: Well, answering from a Policy perspective, based on not only Department Order 65 but also we have, right now, recently issued DPWH Right-Of-Way Acquisition Manual, it's very voluminous, makapal siya, because it names all of the requirements in order to pay Right-Of-Way claims. 'When ito comes to, for instance, SPAs, there are requirements under the law as to what constitutes a valid SPA. So it has to be notarized, it has to comply with the requirements of an SPA. But I think following also jurisprudence in terms of when you're the validating authority, when you receive, even if it looks like a valid SPA- if you have knowledge of other circumstances which would lead you to suspect any fraud, then you have the duty to also investigate. Sen. Bam: Yes, so ginagawa niyo iyan ngayon? USec Karen Jimeno: Okay, I have to qualify my answer because it's not the scope of my function to that. Even if it's the RD. Sen. Bam: RD, if I may ask. So, sa pagkakaalam ko po, my understanding is, merong task force na binuo ang DPWH currently para i-check lahat ng mga titulong ito. Is that correct? A: Your Honors, actually, *inaudible*. Sen. Bam: Okay. Are you going the next level? Apart from the 112 na claimants natin for the 2 Billion or so, chinecheck niyo po ba kung sino? Kung sila po ay representative, whether legally or not, ng iba pang mga may-ari ng lupa? Chinecheck niyo ba iyon? A: Yes po, pero as of the moment, we suspended the processing of all of this because of these pending issues. Sen. Bam: Well, palagay ko po baliktad. Baka yung investigation niyo yung makatulong sa hearings natin at tsaka sa investigation ng DOJ, kasi I guess yung tanong diyan, were these SPAs illegally obtained or not? Yung totoo bang may-ari ng lupa ay kinoerce, or finorce na pumirma ng mga SPA, I guess that's the first question. Second question is, kung sila ba - ito naman yung tanong ni Sen. Lacson - kung may kakuntiyaba sa loob na ibang mga miyembro ng DPWH. But let me first begin with - yung mga 112 pong iyon. I guess we can assume, RD, na they represent, or they should be representing more individuals, kasi hindi ko rin maisip na 112 lang yung may-ari ng lupang iyon. So tama ba yung assessment na iyon, RD? A: In my case, your honors, ginagawa ko kaagad. I didn't have to personally check. Sen. Bam: May nakausap ka na ba doon sa 112 na claimants? A: Wala pa po, kasi hindi pa kami nagpoprocess nung *inaudible*. Sen. Bam: Okay, pero balak niyo pa po sila kausapin? A: Supposed to be that that is the subject of our new task force, to be created by the department. Sen. Bam: Okay. So, USec, nabuo na ba yung task force formally, or plano pa lang iyan? USec Karen Jimeno: It was formed, but because we were also told that it would be ineffective to use the task force; in fact I even have the message that the day before the Task Force was already- yung mga galing sa central office na pupunta ng General Santos to conduct the revalidation- they were even following up with me na, 'Tutuloy pa ba kami?' Because the Region 12 has been coordinating with us, they've made arrangements, and then I told them, hindi, hindi na tuloy. Because we were, at that time already coming up with a different solution for Region 12 in light of all the reports, and that is for us to require, as a matter of policy, judicial determination for all claims related to Region 12. Sen. Bam: Judicial determination? Eh meron nang mandamos, eh. USec Karen Jimeno: That's different, Mr. Chairman, because the mandamos also only relates to claims that were filed by certain claimants, meaning, those who only filed a petition for mandamos in the RTC of Gen San would be covered, but there were so many other outstanding claims, in Gen San and the rest of Region 12 that were also parts of reports that we received that were related to fraud. Sen. Bam: Sorry, very quick question - yung mga proyektong ito, tapos na ba? USec Karen Jimeno: It's a- may mix po. Pag sinabi naming outstanding claims, tapos na iyon. Sen. Bam: Okay, so these roads have been completed already, tapos na po yung mga proyektong ito? USec Karen Jimeno: Dapat, yes. Kasi that's the only way that they would be an outstanding Right-Of-Way claim. Sen. Bam: Kung tapos na yung proyekto. So these projects are already completed, kailangan niyong bayaran yung totoong may-ari nito. Yung humaharap po sa inyo at mayroong titulo ay 112 na tao, at mukhang lumalabas, although hindi rin tayo sigurado, na they just represent other people who may have owned the land previously. Is that correct in your estimation? Tama ba yung logic na iyon so far? USec Karen Jimeno: Mr. Chairman, when it relates to these claimants na kakaunti lang yung may hawak na SPA, I think our Director... Sen. Bam: Yes, Director Saldivar, please answer. Tama ba yung logic na iyon, na yung mga kailangan bayaran, pero yung mga humaharap sa inyo, yung mga mayroong totoong titulo, ay probably consolidator lang sila nung mga totoong may-ari ng lupa? A: Mr. Chair, as part of the due diligence that the legal service had exercised before recommended funding or payment, I myself called up the cashier of the Regional Office, Region 12, asking them how they do the release of payments. they told me, the one who I talked with, I just could not *inaudible* the name, but the lady- initially, even before payment was released dun sa unang releases, they asked the land owners to appear in the office, along with the attorneys, in fact, with their corresponding IDs and the ID of the attorney, in fact, and side-by-side; truck loads nga daw po sila eh. So, upon that representation, I was given the confidence that not only are we exercising due diligence in going over the documents, but also in ensuring that payments will just go to the land owners so if ever, meron ngang attorneys, in fact, their share- kung ano pa yung natitira na dapat ibibigay sa kanila, ay matatanggap nila. Sen. Bam: Okay, so sinasabi niyo na yung nirerepresent nila, kasama naman nila nung nangolekta sila? A: Yes sir, yan po ang representation sa amin. Sen. Bam: Well, I guess, USec, it really boils down to a policy decision. Are we allowing yung ganitong klaseng pangangalakad? My understanding is that ito talaga yung pangangalakad sa DPWH, that you allow dealings with consolidators. Now, maybe some of us here feel na it's not at the right practice, and if so, ano yung policy decision? Because you can actually make a policy decision, we will only pay whatever, kung ano man. Will you be considering that, USec? USec Karen Jimeno: Mr. Chairman, I think that's worth looking into at the moment, because of the problems we've encountered with Region 12. We have a draft departnment order that is ready for the Secretary's signature that requires judicial determination for Region 12 claims, because not only is it difficult to verify, but also, we've received reports from our Regional Director for Region 12 that there are physical security threats to people who validate claims. So it's not just an issue of how fool-proof your requirements are on paper; it's also an issue of security, and talagang threat to also life. In fact, I'm sure Mr. Katapang will share more. But during my first month pa lang sa DPWH, nakatanggap na ako ng anonymous letter noon that there was an attempt to kill one of the whistleblowers dito sa Right-Of-Way scam, and in fact, the person riding the car with him died. At that time I even thought na dapat hindi mabasa 'to ng parents ko or else they'll make me resign from DPWH right away. But it's that serious po. Merong mga issues on bodily and also talagang life-and-death situation. Sen. Bam: Okay, thank you Mr. Chairman. Press Release December 11, 2017 De Lima pays tribute to late SC Justice Romero Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today joined the rest of the nation, notably the legal community, in mourning over the demise of human rights champion and retired Supreme Court (SC) Justice Flerida Ruth Romero. De Lima, a former justice secretary, said Romero will always be remembered for shaping the lives of Filipinos through her legal works and efforts in promoting human rights and the rule of law. "Everything she touched was a step towards uplifting the lives of Filipinos. Indeed, at a time when many that dare call themselves public servants are bent on demeaning, destroying and maligning lives, public figures and legal luminaries like her will truly be missed," she said in a Dispatch from Crame No. 209. Romero has passed away at the age of 88 on Dec. 8. The late magistrate served as director and dean of the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations from 1962 to 1963 before her SC appointment. She assumed office on October 21, 1991, and served until August 1, 1999 after reaching the compulsory retirement age of 70. De Lima encouraged her fellow lawyers, public servants, and legislators to emulate Romero and let her legacy live, especially now that the present administration has not relented in its attacks on democratic institutions. "With her passing, another light in the legal, nay, the Filipino community goes out, and the end of an era grows ever nearer. An end of an era when respect for others mattered. When dignity and integrity mattered. When Truth and Justice mattered. When rights mattered. When being right mattered," she said. "Her watch has ended. But, perhaps, if we public servants, members of the legal profession, and leaders in the community followed her example and helped breathe new life into her advocacies, perhaps her legacy will live much longer and benefit our people for a longer time," she added. Recalling Romero's accomplishments, De Lima said the magistrate helped establish what would later become the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations, and also played a key part in the drafting of the Family Code. As a human rights advocate, De Lima said Romero had a key role in promoting women and children's rights locally and in the international sphere. The Senator from Bicol shared Romero was one of her inspirations as lawyer, a public servant, and as a human rights advocate, whose memories continue to guide her in her personal and professional life. Press Release December 11, 2017 POE: PILOT TEST JEEPNEY MODERNIZATION PLAN FIRST Sen. Grace Poe today recommended that the government should conduct a pilot test of the planned jeepney modernization in the light of sketchy details and purported lack of consultations with transport groups. "Gusto ko sana magkaroon na muna ng mga pilot projects. Hindi pwedeng sabay-sabay, lahat ng areas. Kung compliance sa safety, road worthiness at saka emissions, pwede munang yun ang unahin tapos yung iba naman, like side door accessibility, persons with disabilities," Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, told reporters on the sidelines of the hearing on the jeepney modernization program. Transport groups present during the hearing were one in backing the proposed modernization, but they lamented that there seemed to be lack of consultations, particularly on the issuance of Department Order No. 2017-011 or the omnibus franchise guidelines issued last June. The said policy contained a set of standards for franchise issuance such as door location on the curbside door and not the rear door for boarding and alighting, access for persons with disability, and jeepneys must be below seven meters in length. Jeepneys must also be able to pass the emission standards. "Yung mga pwede pang tumakbo dahil maayos pa naman, i-allow. For sure marami ng kailangang palitan, yun ang dapat na maging--iyong prototype na nila. Linawin rin sana sino ang suppliers kasi bagama't yung mga engine Euro4, pero kung ang magtatagpi-tagpi ng sasakyan rin, mga chop-chop naman, baka delikado. Pangalawa, kung kukuha naman tayo ng mga accredited na kumpanya, siguraduhin nating walang kumpare system dito na ang ma-aaccredit nila ay mga kumpanyang talagang merong kredibilidad at kakayahang gawin yun," Poe added. But will jeepney drivers and operators afford millions in loans for new jeepneys as part of the government's modernization program for public utility vehicles? Poe raised this question as the planned jeepney modernization plan is set to initially roll out next year, with the government subsidizing P80,000 of the P1.5 to P1.8 million estimated cost of a new jeepney. "Kaya ba ng bulsa--hindi lang ng mga drayber/operator kung 'di pati na rin ng mga mananakay? Kaya ba ng ating mga jeepney drayber at operator na bayaran sa loob ng itinakdang panahon ang utang para sa bagong mga jeep? May kasiguraduhan ba na papautangin sila ng bangko?" Poe said as she quizzed Transportation officials during the public hearing on the proposed jeepney modernization plan. Poe appealed to Transport officials to reconsider the "high unit cost and burdensome financing terms" to be extended to jeepney driver-operators. "Come to think of it, if government is subsidizing trains run by rich companies to the tune of billions, then why should it allow jeepney drivers and operators to foot the bill for new units almost all by themselves?" said Poe. Poe also said if the government can provide a flurry of incentives to the private sector under the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme, then all the more it is well within its means to provide more funding support to jeepney driver-operators. "If PPP grantees are given incentives, in amounts with dizzying number of zeros, and are hailed as patriots, then why are jeepney drivers who are asking for a little more help treated as pests?" the senator said. Press Release December 11, 2017 HIGHEST NATIONAL AWARD TO BE BESTOWED ON MIRIAM SANTIAGO--POE The late Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago is set to be the latest recipient of the prestigious Quezon Service Cross, the highest award the nation can bestow on a person for outstanding civilian service, Sen. Grace Poe confirmed today. Poe, who earlier brought to the Senate floor a resolution urging the President to nominate Santiago for the award, has filed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8 concurring in the posthumous conferment of the Quezon Service Cross to the late lawmaker. "In typical Miriam fashion, she managed to exceed her fellow awardees as the first female recipient of the Quezon Service Cross. That's Senator Miriam for you, always striving to be the first or the best," Poe said in sponsoring the resolution. Five years since the previous highest award for Filipinos was bestowed on the late Interior Sec. Jesse Robredo, Santiago becomes the sixth in history and the only woman to receive the award. Only five people have been awarded the Quezon Service Cross: Robredo (November 2012), Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. (August 2004), President Ramon Magsaysay (July 1957), President Emilio Aguinaldo (June 1956) and President Carlos P. Romulo (April 1951). "The inscription on the Quezon Service Cross reads: Sic Floret Res Publica, 'Let the Republic flourish'. Perhaps it should also read: 'Amor Mundi', or 'To Love the World'. Senator Miriam's love for country drove her to greatness and to serve with fervor and utmost dedication her fellow Filipinos until death. Bestowing this award upon the former senator enables her to live on as our country's north star, inspiring future generations to love the nation and serve it in the best way they can," Poe added. Both the Senate and the House need to concur with the proclamation for conferment of the award. The move comes as President Rodrigo Duterte adopted Poe's recommendation some three months ago to award the highest civilian medal to Santiago, posthumously. "Even at an early age, Miriam Defensor Santiago displayed exceptional intelligence, talent and skill--qualities that she demonstrated in all of her endeavours over the decades. Her brilliance gave her the chance to land lucrative careers in the private sector, yet she chose to join government and serve the Filipino people," Duterte said in his letter to Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III dated Nov. 20. "Throughout her life, Miriam Defensor Santiago used her considerable talents for the service of our people and our nation while exhibiting remarkable passion, courage, and integrity. She inspired generations of Filipinos to aspire for excellence and remain steadfast against any challenge and adversity. Truly, she has been an agent of positive and meaningful change in our society. For this reason, she deserves the highest recognition that the Republic can confer," the letter read. The President's message was read at the Senate plenary session last Nov. 29 and was referred to the Senate committee on rules. Santiago's 46-year stellar career in government earned her several accolades, which included the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia's version of the Nobel Prize, in 1988; the Philippine Judges Association Hall of Fame in 2015; outstanding alumna of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (Iloilo Chapter) in 2015; Girl Scouts of the Philippines Golden Jubilee Achievement Award for Public Service in 1990; YMCA Philippines Gold Vision Triangle Award for Government Service in 1988; Civic Assembly of Women of the Philippines Republic Anniversary Award for Law Enforcement in 1988; University of the Philippines' Most Outstanding Alumna in Law in 1988; The Outstanding Women in Nation's Service Award for Law in 1986; and Outstanding Young Men Award for Law in 1985. Congress institutionalized the award through the approval of Joint Resolution No. 4 in 1946. The award is granted to a person for exemplary service to the nation in memory of the late President Quezon. "Santiago was known to be fearless in her views and always blunt with her words; a paragon of passion, courage and integrity; and the embodiment of the very characteristics she demanded in any public servant: academic, professional and moral excellence," Poe said in the resolution. "The values, ideals and service demonstrated by former Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago compare favorably to the standard exemplified in public service by the late President Manuel L. Quezon," the resolution read. Press Release December 11, 2017 Senate Oks PH qualifications framework to address job mismatch The Senate today approved on third and final reading a bill which would institutionalize the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF), in order to address job mismatch, and align training and education of Filipino workers with actual industry standards and needs. Senate Bill No. 1456, or the Philippine Qualifications Framework Act of 2017, was authored and sponsored by Senator Joel Villanueva, and was passed with 14 affirmative votes, two negative votes and one abstention. Villanueva said that the measure was a "big dream of our education sector" that would benefit students and workers, training providers and the government. "One promise of the PQF is that it could bridge lifelong learning and enhance the link between education and the economy or the labor market. This will put an end to our perennial problem of job-skills mismatch," he said. The Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) is defined by the bill as "the national policy which describes the levels of educational qualifications and set the standards for qualification outcomes. It is a quality assured national system for the development, recognition and award of qualifications based on standards of knowledge, skills and values acquired in different ways and methods by learners and workers of a certain country." Villanueva said that under SBN 1456, the PQF would "adopt national standards and levels of learning outcomes of education, and as well as support the development and maintenance of pathways and equivalencies that enable access to qualifications and assist individuals to move easily between the different education and training sectors and the labor market." "The PQF will pave the way for every Filipino to become a lifelong learner by allowing him or her to start at the level that suits him or her and then build-up his or her qualifications as his or her needs and interests develop and change over time," Villanueva said. He noted that under the PQF, school curriculums would not be fixed, as these "should correspond to the progress of technology and development of new work especially in Information Technology, Robotics, Logistics, Renewable-Energy, Travel and Hospitality, etc." "For our students, the framework provides a clear picture of the competencies they need for the jobs they want while employers can easily identify the competencies their employees must possess," he added. To accomplish this, the bill said that training and educational institutions would now have to conform to standards and qualifications set by the Philippine Qualifications Framework-National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC) mandated to "to harmonize and promote a seamless education and training system." The PQF-NCC will be composed of the heads of the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and a representative from the economic sector. The new body will be chaired by the DepEd Secretary. Villanueva added that the bill would also align the PQF with international qualifications frameworks, such as the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework, which would enhance "recognition of the value and comparability of Philippine qualifications and supporting the mobility of Filipino students and workers." He said that the PQF was necessary amid increasing regional integration, and pointed to the endorsement of the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF), which was implemented starting in 2016. The AQRF, he said, "created an impetus to ASEAN member states to develop their own national qualification frameworks." "Because of the breakdown of borders and increased labor mobility, there is a high demand for comparability. Due to greater mobility of people - students, workers, professionals are moving, the question is whether their qualifications are also the same as the qualifications of other countries," he said. Villanueva said that the over 10 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) scattered in nearly 170 countries would particularly benefit from the PQF. "With the help of the PQF, employers will easily see what skills our workers possess, and he or she can show proof of these skills through diplomas or national certificates. In countries with their own qualification frameworks like Singapore, our OFWs can now have their eligibility matched with that of Singaporeans and other foreign workers, and now earn the position, salaries and benefits befitting their status and accomplishments," he said. "In short, the PQF offers a very flexible system where a Filipino can benefit from formal, non-formal and even informal learning opportunities," Villanueva concluded. (JC) Press Release December 11, 2017 Senate adopts joint reso empowering NHA to distribute unoccupied houses to informal settlers The Senate adopted today a joint resolution authorizing the National Housing Authority (NHA) to award the unoccupied and unawarded housing units of uniformed personnel to other qualified beneficiaries like the informal settlers, calamity victims as well as middle income and low-salaried employees. Senate Joint Resolution No. 8 was adopted with 17 affirmative votes, zero negative vote and no abstention. The resolution was introduced by Senators Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito and Loren Legarda. A joint resolution, like a bill, requires the approval of both houses and the signature of the President. It has the force and effect of a law if approved. The House earlier approved the joint resolution and transmitted it to the Senate for adoption. Ejercito said the NHA was mandated to build shelters for the military and police personnel through Administrative Order No. 9 issued in 2011 by then President Benigno Aquino III in recognition of their sacrifices "for putting their lives at risk to uphold the laws and maintain peace and order in the country." He said the government appropriated P20.87 billion to fund the housing program of the uniformed and military personnel from 2011 to 2015. This program, called the AFP/PNP Housing Program, catered to the housing needs of the low-salaried uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), and later on included the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). However, Ejercito said, after six years of implementation of the AFP/PNP Housing Program, only a handful of the uniformed and military personnel had actually benefitted from the project. He cited an NHA report which showed that as of July 31, 2017, only 14 percent or 8,837 units of the total 63,836 completed units were actually occupied. "As your chairman of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, I had conducted several hearings and site inspections. It is with a heavy heart that I learned that after almost six years, an alarming total of 54, 999 units or 86 percent of the completed units remained unoccupied," Ejercito said in his sponsorship speech. He attributed the low occupancy rate to the constricted space of the housing units, lack of basic services such as water and electricity and lack of "proper consultation" with the intended beneficiaries. "The housing unit size built for our uniformed personnel is only 18 to 22 square meters and the standard habitable space per person is seven square meters. The salaries of the uniformed personnel could well afford two to six times the house built for them. Sadly, this was not considered," Ejercito said. "The housing site also lack basic services such as water and electricity. This perennial problem in all of our housing and resettlement sites stem from improper site selection. There is difficulty of installing connections of water and power because the sites are located in far flung areas. Likewise, there is either limited or no access at all to transportation links," he added. With the joint resolution, Ejercito said, the NHA would have a broader authority to award the shelters, not only to military and uniformed personnel, but also to low-salaried government employees and other qualified beneficiaries with the priority to the lower 30 percent income earners. He said housing units to be awarded to other qualified beneficiaries include 1. unawarded housing units; 2. awarded housing units that are not yet occupied and whose ownership and possession are surrendered by their respective awardees in favor of another unit in another housing project and 3. housing units whose respective awards were cancelled by reason of default in the payment of amortization or for any violation of the terms and conditions of the individual loan agreement in accordance with existing laws. "Every single housing unit is important to this government. Most especially now that there is a growing number of homeless families that we need to relocate and resettle. It is our sworn duty and responsibility to account for every single housing unit that this government built," Ejercito said. (PM) Press Release December 11, 2017 Senate proposes establishment, conversion, separation and renaming of schools The Senate approved today on third and final reading 36 bills that seek to establish, convert, separate and rename state universities, colleges high schools and elementary schools nationwide. Approved were the establishment of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Campuses in Occidental Mindoro and Metro Manila. Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero, chairperson of the Committee on Education, Arts and culture, said the establishment of PUP campuses in Occidental Mindoro and San Juan City, Metro Manila would help deserving students get affordable education. Escudero said with the passage of Senate Bill Numbers 1103 and 884, filed by Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, the expenses of of both the PUP campuses shall be charged to the National General Appropriations Act (GAA), thus reducing the expenditures of the local government units. "The establishment of PUP in Sablayan and San Juan will promote growth and modernization of the campus' facilities that will help the students to be more competitive," he said. The Senate also approved the establishment and conversion of several state universities in Compostela Valley, Davao Region; Iloilo, Surigao del Norte, Talisay, Cebu; Barangay Concepcion, Marikina City; Oriental Mindoro, Cotabato City, Municipality of Bontoc in Mountain Province and Province of Benguet. Also approved were measures seeking the establishment, separation, renaming and convertion of 23 national high schools nationwide and an elementary school in Valenzuela City. Escudero said the country was on the right course when it recognized the fundamental role education played in national development. "Studies show that the quality of a country's human capital is directly proportional to the quality of its education therefore, far-reaching reforms in our education system must be undertaken in order to ensure the development of our human capital," he said. Approved for establishment and conversion were the Emilio Jacinto National High School in Quezon City; Ligao City National Technical-Vocational High School in Ligao, Albay; Malabon City National Science and Mathematics High School in Malabon City, Manila; Hampangan National High School, Manlilisid National High Shool and Banahao National High School in Leyte; San Rafael Technological and Vocational High School in Navotas City, Manila; Pagadian City Science High School and Depase National High School in Zamboanga del Sur; Paso de Blas National High School, Bagbaguin National High School, Justice Eliezer R. Delos Santos High School and Antonio M. Serapio in Valenzuela City; Santor National High School and Malagnat National High School in Kalinga; Don Bosco National High School and San Antonio National High School in Paranaque City; Daklan National High School in Bokod, Benguet; Laoag City National Science Hight School in Laoag, Ilocos Norte; Caibiran National High School in Caibiran, Biliran; Musimut National High School, Sacpil National High School, Tawit National High School and Guina-ang National High School in Apayao. The Senate also approved the establishment of Antonio M. Serapio Elementary School in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City. (MaeJoy Albano-Miranda) Press Release December 11, 2017 Villar SIPAG hosts special Christmas treat to 150 Baseco and Iruhin kids VISTA Land Chairman and former Senate President Manny Villar has never forgotten his Tondo roots. And as a way of giving back to the children of Tondo, Villar and his wife, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar has once again gave a one-of-a kind Christmas treat to 150 children from Baseco, Tondo and Bgy. Iruhin, Tagaytay. The Christmas party and gift-giving for the kids was held at the charming Christmas Village of the posh Swiss luxury sanctuary, Crosswinds in Tagaytay. Now on its 8th year, the annual gift-giving of Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) is an activity that the Baseco and Iruhin children always look forward to every Christmas season. "We have been so blessed to have achieved a lot of things in both our public and private endeavors and this annual Christmas treat to the Baseco and Iruhin kids is our way of paying it forward to them," Sen. Villar said. The children, aged 2 to 13 years old, were treated to fun-filled activities at the Crosswinds Christmas Village, set in a 100-hectare estate in the rolling hills of Tagaytay City's upscale portion, with a nippy weather that all the more evokes the Christmas vibe. Sen. Villar adds that the children of Baseco were made annual beneficiaries of this special Christmas treat as Tondo was the birthplace of her husband. The children were amazed as they visited the Christmas Store and Santa's House at the state-of-the-art Christmas Village, decorated with 23,000 pine trees and artificial snow. They also had a grand time playing with the various toys made available to them around the area. The Christmas Party featured a magician's show and lots of games where the children danced, sang and had fun with the Villar couple and their children. The children were also delighted with the prizes they won in the parlor games and raffle draw plus the sumptuous meal and gifts that they shared for everyone. Sen. Villar said that Crosswinds, a premier development of Brittany Corporation which is the luxury real estate developer of innovative and creative communities under the Vista Land Group, is the perfect place for the annual Christmas party for the Baseco and Iruhin children as the place has a natural "Christmas charm" that the kids enjoy. "The Crosswinds Christmas party has become a ritual for the Baseco and Iruhin kids and we won't get tired of bringing them here every year to share with them the happiness of the Christmas Season," Sen. Villar adds. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As express lanes reach deeper into the Bay Area, electronically snatching tolls from a growing number of solo drivers willing to pay for the convenience of riding in the carpool lanes, one set stands out as a big moneymaker. The Interstate 580 express lanes, which cover 11 miles eastbound and 14 miles westbound between Dublin and Livermore, have been open a little less than two years. But theyve already become the regional leader, earning more money and luring in more solo drivers than the other two established express lanes combined. In their first full year, the I-580 lanes produced more than $9 million in net revenue from tolls. By comparison, the Interstate 880-Highway 237 express lanes recorded $405,000 in net revenue, and the Interstate 680 express lanes over the Sunol Grade earned $290,000. The I-680 Contra Costa lanes, which opened in October, were too new for meaningful figures. The I-580 lanes carried 7.9 million vehicles about 31,000 per weekday in the 12 months that ended in October. The other two express lanes were used by about 3 million vehicles a year apiece. Officials point to I-580s consistent, and persistent, congestion as a probable reason for those express lanes popularity. Compared with the Bay Areas other established express lanes, the I-580 lanes attract far more solo drivers and fewer carpoolers and clean air vehicles, which travel for free. About 66 percent of the drivers using them are solo occupants, while 27 percent using the I-680 Sunol lanes and 15 percent using the I-880-Highway 237 lanes are driving solo. Many of the Bay Area-bound motorists on I-580 drive long commutes to and from the San Joaquin Valley and may be more willing to pay a fee to bust through the backup through the Tri-Valley. For some commuters, the ability to shorten an hour-and-a-half commute by 15 minutes can be enticing enough for them to fork over a couple of bucks to drive the express lanes. The 580 lanes are more successful because the (congestion) problem was bigger, said Randy Rentschler, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. If you drove there before the lanes opened, you know theres a difference. The biggest difference comes in the eastbound direction, which features two lanes that speed the evening commute. The westbound lane on I-580 offers just a single lane, as do the express lanes on I-680 and I-880-Highway 237. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle With the opening of the I-680 Contra Costa express lanes between Walnut Creek and San Ramon, the Bay Area now has four sets of them. The combined carpool-toll lanes allow vehicles carrying two or more people, or qualifying as clean-air vehicles, to enter free while vehicles carrying only a driver must pay a varying toll, based on congestion, to enter. They are separate from each other, operated by three different agencies and fairly far-flung, creating a disjointed system for now. Each agency has been given authority to use the tolls, collected via FasTrak, for the operation and maintenance of their lanes. But they can also use the money to expand their express lanes, with an eye toward helping the Bay Area assemble a 550-mile regional express lane network by 2035. The money may also be used to operate express buses that can use the lanes, or help pay for BART or other rail extensions that could take traffic off those highways. The idea is not primarily to make money, Rentschler said. So far, little money has been set aside for I-580 express lane maintenance. Tess Lengyel, the commissions deputy executive director of planning and policy for the Alameda County Transportation Commission, said thats because the lanes, at less than 2-years old, are still relatively new. But that wont always be the case, and the commission plans to set aside some of the $9 million to cover future maintenance needs. For now, Lengyel said, there are no plans to spend that money on express-lane expansion. Transportation officials say they had few initial goals or expectations of how much money theyd collect or how many cars theyd attract when they initiated the lanes. The goal (for I-580) was that we wanted to improve the capacity of the corridor by selling unused space in the carpool lanes, Lengyel said. John Goodwin, an MTC spokesman, said that when lanes are created, it is difficult to determine what will drive commuters to decide its worthwhile to pull into the express lane and pay a toll. Its all a guess until the lanes are open, they stabilize and you see what the patterns are, he said. State legislation directs express lane operators how to spend the tolls they collect. They must be used first to pay for upkeep of the electronic toll collection gear, updating the software that calculates congestion and sets tolls, plugging potholes and hiring extra CHP officers to ticket toll violators. Any freeway has maintenance, but on express lanes we have operations as well, Lengyel said. There are lot of costs I dont think people think of. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan I-580 lanes a huge hit $9 million Net revenue from tolls in first full year 7.9 million Vehicles using lanes in past 12 months 66 percent Solo drivers using the express lanes The UC Santa Barbara chancellor postponed final exams Sunday evening, a day before they were scheduled to begin, because of the growing Thomas Fire thats sent smoke and false alarms into the university. Tests that were set to start Monday will instead take place the week of Jan. 8, Chancellor Henry Yang said in a letter to students. He cited an accidental late-night evacuation notice, poor air quality, concerns about power outages and jammed-up transportation in postponing the exams. Continuation of scheduled exams has become untenable, Yang said. Though there is no need to evacuate campus, again, we are recommending that students make arrangements to leave. Students will now take their finals when their winter quarter classes were scheduled to begin the week of Jan. 16. The quarter will be pushed back and shortened by one week, according to an FAQ distributed by the campus. A petition calling on the campus to cancel classes and be flexible about its finals schedule had gained more than 7,000 signatures prior to Yangs announcement. On social media, parents expressed relief that their children were coming home from the smoke-filled campus. While many students celebrated the news, some criticized the administration for taking too long to make the call. Others lamented the hours of preparation and studying they had put into their exams. Ive been working ALL. QUARTER. to be prepared for these finals, Twitter user Genna Javigan posted. (Im) not trying to spend my winter break studying ecology and waste management. ... Thanks UCSB for prolonging the most stressful quarter of my life into my break. UCLA, which canceled classes for the second half of the past week because of the Skirball Fire, has not made any announcement about rescheduling its final exams. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The Santa Ana-wind-driven wildfires in Southern California have burned more than 200,000 acres, destroyed more than 800 buildings and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Caretakers of the Golden Gate Bridge are rolling out plans for a five-year, $660 million earthquake retrofit that includes installing more than three dozen custom-made shock absorbers and replacing 8.5 million pounds of steel bracing. Its not that the bridge is in danger of falling down, but without the retrofit it could be significantly damaged in a significant earthquake and not be usable for a long, long time, said Denis Mulligan, general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. The goal is for work to start in 2019 and be completed in 2024 if the district can find the cash. One problem: The district has only about one-third of the money lined up. Mulligan wouldnt rule out increasing tolls to help with the bill. Officials say the retrofit isnt optional. As a state-designated lifeline bridge, the span has to be able to survive the Big One with only minor to moderate damage and be open within a few days at the most, if only to emergency vehicles. The good news is that the bridge is anchored into rock, said district engineer Ewa Bauer. The bad news is that its also between the San Andreas and Hayward faults. The bridge came through its last big test unscathed, when it rode out the Loma Prieta quake of 1989. But Bauer noted that the epicenter then was 75 miles to the south. A quake on the San Andreas could strike as close as 7 miles west of the span. The district still has to find at least $430 million for the job. Were talking with our state and federal partners, Mulligan said. Even then, as with all big projects, the final cost is uncertain. The retrofit price tag has already risen by $100 million since the district last priced it two years ago. Its a lot of money, but its obviously a special job. This bridge is an icon every piece, every joint, every brace has to fit its historic design, Bauer said. Matier & Ross/Courtesy Golden Gate Bridge District For example, the 38 shock-absorbing energy-dispersal devices each 17 feet long have to be specifically designed and built for the bridge. Cost: about $1.5 million each. Theyll be installed under the bridge roadway, and officials promise they wont change the look of San Franciscos most famous tourist attraction. The steel bracing and other items to strengthen the suspension span will blend into the framework as well. Just getting the pieces to the bridge will be a challenge, because both sides of the span are surrounded by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. We have to cross land that tourists and visitors use, so that adds to the cost as well, Bauer said. Keeping park visitors happy and keeping the bridge open to traffic also means that most of the work will be done at night. As long as theyre at it, bridge officials figured they might as well replace and repaint the Art Deco facade of the bridges south tower for $50 million. The north tower was repainted more recently. Considering the $400 million that the district has already spent on retrofits to the north and south approaches to the span, this will be the most expensive Bay Area bridge retrofit ever topping out at more than $1 billion. Proving once again that the Golden Gate Bridge really is golden. Breakup: With the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agencys parking and traffic management becoming a bigger political issue, plans are being revved up for a City Charter amendment that would hand those jobs to a new Department of Livable Streets. At least thats the working name among backers of the proposed Charter amendment, which would leave the MTA staff with oversight of Muni but not much else. The MTA board would still hear all parking and traffic matters, but the Board of Supervisors would have the final say over parking rules, stop signs and the like. The buck stops with the Board of Supervisors, said Supervisor Ahsha Safai, one of the initiatives sponsors. I dont want to be held accountable for something I have absolutely no control over. Safai cited his frustration over the MTAs decision to reject a two-year effort by his Excelsior constituents to get a four-way stop sign at the corner of Avalon Avenue and Edinburgh Street where a pedestrian was later struck and injured. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who is co-sponsoring the ballot move, said the final straw for him was hearing that Mayor Ed Lee, with support from the MTA, was negotiating with ride-hailing giants to turn parking spaces into designated pickup stops for Uber and Lyft. The mayors office says the pickup stops are to make streets safer. But Peskin sees it as a giveaway to the mayors friends, especially tech investor Ron Conway who Peskin has heard is tied financially to Lyft. But a source close to Conway told us he has no investments in that or any other ride-hailing company. The Chamber of Commerce, business think tank SPUR and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition are lining up in opposition to the proposed Charter amendment. We all agree there are improvements that can made ... but a Charter amendment coming out of the blue isnt a solution, said chamber Vice President Jim Lazarus. Safai and Peskin need four more supervisors to sign onto the Charter amendment to get it on the June 5 ballot. Theyre confident theyll get there. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Editor s note: Here are three Bay Area startups worth watching this week. A San Francisco startup says its Apple Watch accessory can detect certain heart conditions without the patient needing to go to the hospital. AliveCors KardiaBand EKG reader is the first medical-grade accessory for the Apple Watch cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. This means the consumer is getting a medical-grade EKG reading right on their wrist. And the device can now be sold in the U.S. The band has a tiny sensor that can embed into an Apple Watch band. With a corresponding app, that sensor can take an EKG reading to detect abnormal heart rates and atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that impacts millions of Americans. Now you can do this at home, anytime, AliveCor CEO Vic Gundotra said FDA clearance, which the KardiaBand obtained last month, means that a device is substantially equivalent to another legally marketed device, the agency says. The KardiaBand is hardly the only heart-related accessory out there. Apple Watch users can check their heart rate at any time using its Heart Rate app. Other third-party apps, such as Cardiogram, say their technology can use heart-rate data from the Heart Rate app to prevent and detect heart disease. The KardiaBand costs $199. Gundotra declined to say how much money the company raised to date. But according to Crunchbase it has raised $43.5 million. Every year, about 1 in 4 of the deaths in the U.S. are from heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At a time of increasing health care costs, new technology may be able to help alert people to seek medical help. One hurdle for AliveCore: Can it convince older users, who are often reluctant to replace a traditional doctors visit with an app or device, to trust the technology? Gundotra said he isnt worried: You would think some older users would have some reluctance to this, but they are actually more aware of their need for heart health. Also trending: What it does: Creates a heads-up navigation display that can sit on the dashboard of a car. What happened: The company did not respond to a request for comment, but according to TechCrunch, it is preparing to liquidate. Why it matters: Even a company that receives more than $41 million in venture capital and lots of hype in the media can fail. Hardware in particular can be a difficult business to sustain, as it is often less profitable and initially requires more capital than software. Headquarters: San Francisco. Funding: $41.8 million, according to Crunchbase. Employees: 51-100, according to Crunchbase. What it does: A global online payments software that helps big companies like Amazon, Twitter and GoPro manage their cross-border payments. What happened: It is unclear why this company, which could not be reached for comment, is trending this week. Last month it was given the PayStream Advisors Innovative Technology Award for its approach to automating financial processes. Why it matters: When a company scales by either acquiring other companies or spinning off parts of its business, it can become complicated to manage internal payments especially if the company operates across international borders. Tipalti aims to streamline that process. Headquarters: San Mateo. Funding: $30 million, according to Crunchbase. Employees: 51-100, according to Crunchbase. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani How we pick the companies Every week, The Chronicle and Crunchbase, a San Francisco firm that tracks key businesses in technology, analyze private Bay Area companies based on their financial backing, employees and activity on Crunchbase. We feature three that are moving up in the ranks. For more information on the companies: www.crunchbase.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As all cannabis-related California businesses from the growers to the distributors make the jump from the black market to the free market in the coming year, they will need to officially register with the secretary of states office. When new state regulations allowing consumers to buy recreational marijuana take effect Jan. 1, industry experts estimate that tens of thousands of informal cannabis-related businesses will have to transition into the regulated market. On Monday, the secretary of state announced a digital tool to help streamline that process: Cannabizfile, a new online portal where entrepreneurs can officially register their businesses with the state. Marijuana businesses in California exist on a spectrum from incorporated, tax-paying, locally licensed operators all the way to fly-by-night delivery services that have black-market roots and are medical in name alone. Once the state issues the first licenses after Jan. 1, Californias vast mix of informal medical marijuana collectives have 18 months to conform to the new business rules. Sam Wolson / Sam Wolson / Special to The Chronicle 2015 We are making sure we are as prepared as possible for new applications, Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in an interview. Its more efficient for the entrepreneur, and its more efficient on our end. After the new regulations take effect, the University of California Agricultural Issues Center projects that about half the demand that is currently in the illegal adult-use industry will shift over to the legal entities. This will avoid the inconvenience, stigma, and legal risks of buying from an unlicensed seller, according to the study, which was reported by the Los Angeles Times in June. Zeta Ceti, founder and CEO of Green Rush Consulting, said the new online portal will make it much easier for his cannabis consulting company to help its clients obtain permits and licenses. Otherwise, you would need to turn in (the application) in person, or mail it in, he said. It makes it a lot easier for us, and on the back end for those folks as well. Still, about 29 percent of cannabis consumers will initially stay in the illegal market to avoid the cost of adhering to new regulations, such as increased taxes, the study projected. When Nat Buttrick, CEO of cannabis farmer collective Madrone, officially registers with the state, he said he will have to deal with increased costs and operating hurdles. Compliance is costly, he said. This is a culture that turned into an industry almost overnight, and the culture is not used to dealing with (regulators). Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes But, he said, he is left with little choice. Once you go for a state license, then you can only work with another state license holder, he said. And the majority of the dispensaries we work with are getting a license. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer David Downs contributed to this report. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Uber has settled a second lawsuit filed by a woman who was raped by her Uber driver in Delhi, India, and who alleged Uber executives pried into her confidential medical records. A court filing last week said the plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, had reached a settlement with former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and Eric Alexander, the companys former president of business in Asia Pacific, through private mediation. The filing said the case is expected to be dismissed in January. The womans lawsuit originally named Emil Michael, former Uber senior vice president for business, as a defendant, but the claims against him were dismissed in October. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ayesha Curry admits fame can be a strange thing, sometimes. A little notoriety can turn personal interests into platforms. Take her involvement in No Kid Hungry, part of the national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength. Curry, who opened International Smoke in San Franciscos Millennium Tower last month, started regularly donating to the national campaign about five years ago, around the time her oldest daughter, Riley, was born. On Saturday, Curry was presented with the No Kid Hungry Champion award, a designation given to ambassadors of the campaign who have taken significant measures to ending childhood hunger. Actor Jeff Bridges is a past recipient of the award. Notable chefs like Traci Des Jardins and Melissa Perello have also contributed to the cause. I had been doing this silently for a long time, Curry told Inside Scoop over the weekend. I was always looking for something to be a part of and a way to give back but I didnt want to be that person who had their hand in so many things that they werent focusing on what they truly cared about, Curry said. A lot of people get involved with causes that they just arent actually passionate about. I genuinely care about this. According to No Kids Hungry representatives, through her presence alone through speaking engagements about childhood hunger and using her cookware line to prepare and fund meals Curry has helped connect children with 2.5 million meals. Nationally, one in six kids will face hunger this year, according to data compiled by No Kids Hungry. Locally, SF-Marin Food Bank data shows 23 percent of all San Francisco residents struggle with hunger. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Curry and her husband moved to the Bay Area around 2009, at one point living in Oaklands Jack London Square. It was in Oakland, Curry said, she first noticed the prevalence of the issue throughout the Bay Area, and especially in the East Bay. Ive gone into schools deep in Oakland and its hard to see, Curry said. For many years I didnt understand how you can do more for organizations like this than just donating money. Now, Im spreading awareness about this issue. Knowing now that I can make a change is what motivates me daily. Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his young assistant, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are traveling with the Naboo Queen Amidala, most noted for her weird way of applying lipstick. They arrive on a desert planet, where they meet a 9-year-old slave boy, Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon senses the force within Anakin and resolves to train him as a Jedi knight, even after the Jedi Council expresses misgivings. They cant put their finger on it they just get a certain black-helmet vibe from him. During one of the periodic wars, prevalent in this part of the Galaxy, Qui-Gon dies, but not before extracting a promise from Obi-Wan to train Anakin as a Jedi. Everybody seems to know this really isnt a good idea. Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin are charged with protecting Queen Amidala, following an attempt on her life. She and Anakin fall in love. On a remote planet, Obi-Wan discovers that the Republic is producing lots of clones, every one of which has to be killed. Meanwhile, Anakin discovers that his mother has been murdered, which does nothing for his personality. In what will become a life pattern, he goes on a murderous rampage. Anakin loses his arm in a subsequent battle, but he is fitted with a robotic arm and marries Amidala on Naboo, which is sort of like getting married in Vegas, only different. Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith In between the usual battles, Anakin is tormented by premonitions that his wife will die in childbirth. To gain power over death, he goes over to the Dark Side and swears allegiance to Palpatine, who gives him the name Darth Vader. (This title has more the ring of authority than say, Nice Fella.) In a fight with Obi-Wan, Vader is dismembered this just keeps happening to him. He is also burned. But thats OK, because Palpatine rescues him and fits him with a robotic body and a fetching black helmet. (No explanation where the voice comes from.) Meanwhile, the estranged Mrs. Vader gives birth to fraternal twins and dies, which means Anakin gave up his soul for a helmet. On the plus side, he does look good in it. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope Luke discovers a recording from Princess Leia, leader of the rebel forces, and teams up with Obi-Wan Kenobi, who, in old age, has fallen on hard times. (He has, however, developed a lovely speaking voice.) The two, in turn, join with Leia and enlist the help of the rakish Han Solo, and the three do battle against the Death Star. Obi-Wan is killed by Darth Vader. Luke, using the Force, and with some supernatural help from Obi-Wan, destroys the Death Star, and everyone is so happy youd never know they even needed a sequel. Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back The rebels are in retreat from the Empire. Han and Leias verbal sniping transforms into a romantic connection. They kiss, but they shouldnt, because we know where this will lead. In fact, you just want to shout, Stop this! Or else youll have a son who will stab you and make you fall off a bridge. Anyway, Luke takes instruction from Yoda and later gets into a lightsaber battle with Darth Vader, who cuts off Lukes hand, thus making him a chip off the old block. The latter disturbing fact Luke discovers only moments later, when Vader reveals that he is Lukes father. Despite these paternal inducements, Luke resists going over to the Dark Side and later is fitted with a robotic hand. No one knows what will happen next, except that Luke probably shouldnt scratch his face for a while, until he really knows what hes doing with those metal fingers. He doesnt need a robotic eye, too. Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi After much effort, Han Solo and Leia are rescued from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt. Yoda, close to death, tells Luke that Leia is his sister. While trying to attack the new Death Star, the newly minted brother-sister team is captured by the Empire forces. Vader tries once again to enlist Luke into darkness, and in the ensuing lightsaber battle, Vaders prosthetic hand is cut off. This kind of thing happens a lot in that family. Really, for all their vaunted skill with the lightsaber, theyre a disaster. But when the emperor tries to kill Luke, Vaders last shred of conscience kicks in, and he kills the emperor and saves Luke. Luke pulls Vaders helmet off, and the old man dies. At this point, Vader not only looks nothing like Hayden Christensen; he doesnt even look like Stephen Glass as played by Hayden Christensen. The episode ends with the rebels celebrating their victory. Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens The main thing you need to know going in is the Han Solo situation. How can we put this gently? Well, uh, the thing about Han Solo youre not going to be seeing much of him no more. Uh-uh. Oh, maybe a flashback or two, but spoiler alert he gets stabbed and falls off a bridge. Just sort of drops into the darkness, full of pain and with his entire world shattered. Lousy, isnt it? (Its the worst thing to happen since Captain Kirk died from having a thing fall on him.) In any case, this new installment begins 30 years after Episode VI. Thats the problem with defeated enemies. You turn your back on them for a generation or so, and they rebuild their strength or tamper with your election. As this installment starts, the former Empire has practically reached critical mass, just as the Republic is realizing its peril. There are new heroes, Rey (female) and Poe (male), and they team up with Han Solo and Chewbacca. This also calls for a reunion with Princess Leia, who is now Gen. Leia. Meanwhile, the new leader of the Empire forces is Ren (also known as Ben), who happens to be the son of Han Solo and Leia. For some reason, Ren has become the embodiment of evil, which calls into question Han and Leias parenting skills. In any case, the movie ends with Rey scoring a temporary victory over Ren, but you know Rey will have to face him again, this time with the help of Luke Skywalker, who shows up at the end of this installment looking bearded and contemplative. Maybe hes just contemplating whether to shave the beard. Shaven or hirsute, Luke has his work cut out for him. Lake Fong/TNS The fallout from Mario Batalis sexual harassment allegations is visible in the Bay Area as the local, sustainable butcher shop/restaurant Belcampo Meats has announced it is severing ties with the celebrity chef. Back in 2015, Batali partnered with Belcampo to release a line of organic salumi that have been sold at the various Belcampo shops. SACRAMENTO With sexual harassment and assault allegations ricocheting through the state Capitol, two female lobbyists say they soon faced the consequences of speaking out a state senator who suddenly wanted to avoid meeting with them. A client of theirs relayed that the senator wanted women excluded from a meeting at a nearby watering hole. The reason: The senator and some of his colleagues had decided that, with accusations of bad behavior mounting against their fellow legislators, it would be safer to simply stop having drinks with lobbyists who happen to be female. Cutting off an entire gender from that access is clearly harmful, said lobbyist Jodi Hicks, whose client alerted her of the senators intent. If we are saying we need to change the culture, this is the opposite of that. Hicks is one of nearly 150 women who signed a letter in October condemning what they called the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in California politics. The movement, known as We Said Enough, began as a general outcry. It has since evolved into a series of specific and disturbing allegations that have toppled two lawmakers and have a third fighting for his political career. And as women come forward with stories of being propositioned, groped and even assaulted by male colleagues in politics, an undercurrent of retaliation has begun rippling through the state. Men have threatened to sideline women from private meetings. Critics, hiding behind anonymous emails, are trying to shame some of the women speaking out. One lobbyist already has lost her job. She was publicly outspoken about the movement and the contents of the letter. And when she notified her employer that she was a signatory to the letter, she was promptly dismissed, said employment lawyer Micha Liberty, whom the lobbyist hired. It was completely retaliatory and extraordinarily damaging. Liberty declined to name the lobbyist or the firm she was fired from, citing attorney-client privilege and saying they are exploring how to proceed. Together, the incidents point to the risk that this wave of activism could inadvertently exacerbate the Capitols boys club environment. More than three-quarters of state lawmakers are men, and though many women work as lobbyists, most of the partners at big firms are men. Three California legislators all Democrats from the Los Angeles area have been accused of sexual misconduct in recent weeks. Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra resigned after several female staffers said he had groped them, and Assemblyman Matt Dababneh announced his resignation following a lobbyists accusation that he trapped her in a bathroom and made her watch him masturbate. State Sen. Tony Mendoza lost his chairmanship of a powerful committee after people who worked for him said he repeatedly invited young female employees to come to his house or a hotel room late at night. Women confronting abuse in their professional lives are now also fighting to keep their positions in a male-dominated field. After Hicks heard from the client who said senators didnt want women coming out for drinks, she says she and her business partner sprang into action behind the scenes: They called the senator and other legislators to make plain that discriminating against women lobbyists would worsen the Capitols sexism. Eventually, Hicks said, the senator apologized and assured them he would not bar women from the kinds of meetings he holds with men. The lobbyists, in turn, told him they would not reveal his name so long as the threatened ban never came to pass. Yet whispers endure about California lawmakers implementing a Mike Pence rule a reference to the vice presidents custom of eating a meal with a woman or attending an event where alcohol is served only if his wife accompanies him. Two male lobbyists, who spoke on condition of anonymity to convey private conversations with legislators, said theyve heard from male lawmakers who say theyll no longer meet alone with any woman whether a lobbyist, staff member or constituent. They see it as a way to guard their reputations. Others called that a needless overreaction. Anybody who is behaving like a moral adult shouldnt worry about that, said Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, a Democrat from Glendale (Los Angeles County) who is chairing the Assembly committee tasked with updating sexual harassment policies. She said she has not heard any discussion among her colleagues about male lawmakers refusing to meet alone with women: Most of us are grown-up enough to know the way we should be behaving, and what is acceptable ... and when you are crossing some lines. Pamela Lopez, the woman who lodged the accusations against Dababneh, said she waited almost two years to go public because she feared retaliation public officials who would stop meeting with her, clients who could cut off business, slut-shaming whispers in the Capitol hallway. So much of the business of politics is based on relationships, Lopez said in an interview. So if I am shunned informally that really affects my business and my ability to do my job. Laurel Rosenhall writes for CALmatters.org, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics. With House Speaker Paul Ryan pledging to push major Medicare cuts to reduce the added $1 trillion in federal debt created by the huge tax gifts for corporations and the super-rich proposed in versions of the House and Senate tax bill that Republicans are working to reconcile the urgency mounts for state action to protect the health security of Californians. The Medicare cuts are just one sign of the health care threats posed by the expected final bill. Among other provisions that could be in the final bill are: Elimination of the mandate to buy insurance, which analysis suggests would prompt insurers to levy new double-digit premium hikes; and, An end to tax deductions for people whose medical expenses exceed 10 percent of their income, which would punish millions of people with severe health problems such as cancer and certain chronic illnesses. Fortunately, theres an alternative for California, a state bill that would guarantee health coverage to all, SB562, and will be eligible for legislative action again early next year. It builds on an illustrious history in our state, dating back more than a century to legendary California reformer Hiram Johnson. In 1912, then-Gov. Johnson was the running mate for former President Teddy Roosevelts insurgent, though unsuccessful, campaign to return to the White House on a Progressive Party platform that prominently included a universal system of social insurance to protect all Americans from the hazards of sickness. It was an early version of what became more than a century of national efforts to assure health care for all as a public responsibility and moral imperative. Johnson continued that push by appointing a Social Insurance Commission in 1915 to study state solutions. It proposed a state constitutional amendment that went before voters in 1918 to develop a system for universal coverage for California. The private insurance industry, joined by a large group of doctors, led the opposition, a pattern that would recur again and again. It would be the first of repeated efforts over the past century by some of Californias most legendary political figures, joined by nurses and other reformers to guarantee health care for all Californians. They were not deterred by critics, like those today, who insist California must wait for a federal solution, rather than act here to protect our own people. The honor roll over the years included such notables as Johnson; governor, soon to be Supreme Court chief justice, Earl Warren; martyred San Francisco Mayor George Moscone; and Democratic Party icon John Burton. Bill after bill laid out frameworks that show a striking parallel to what the California Nurses Association and activists have proposed in SB562. These include a single-payer-type structure with a new state agency to administer the funding from existing revenue and new state revenue to be paid to private providers for care delivery. Nearly all featured universal, guaranteed coverage, without forcing Californians to be bankrupted by huge medical bills or skip the care they need due to the high cost, and comprehensive benefits, from hospitalization to physician services, dental, mental health, prescription drug coverage, and long-term care. All those elements are the basic framework of SB562 as well. Heres Gov. Culbert Olson in 1939: It is no longer seriously debated that a fundamental change is needed in the method of meeting the costs of medical care and the risks and loss of sickness, especially for wage earners and others of small or moderate income. Warren initiated at least four legislative efforts, starting in 1945 with an effort to provide universal coverage for all Californians modeled after similar European systems. In his 1947 gubernatorial inaugural address, Warren noted it is not sufficient to have medical services, hospitals, clinics and laboratories ... unless the people have economic access to them. Burton, who retired in May as chair of the California Democratic Party, pushed his own plan as an Assembly member in 1961 for a prepaid health service system. Three years before his election as San Francisco mayor, state Sen. George Moscone sponsored the Consumer Health Protection Act of 1972 to provide single-payer, universal coverage with no co-pays or deductible payments a reminder that SB562s plan to eliminate co-pays and deductibles also has a long precedent. Virulent opposition, led by those who profit from sickness and suffering, and their allies in elected office, has blocked proposals, but not slowed efforts for a social insurance system to safeguard Californians. In 1994, a single-payer initiative, Proposition 186, united CNA with major senior, small-business, consumer, womens and progressive doctors groups. The initiative lost only after being outspent by insurance companies by about 10-1. California came even closer to achieving this goal in 2006 and 2008 with single-payer bills by former state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, also sponsored by CNA, that twice reached the governors desk, only to be vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Those bills, like SB562, featured public administration, the use of existing federal, state and local health care spending with new revenue, comprehensive benefits and universal coverage. We dont have to reinvent the wheel, a proud legacy of California leaders and activists has lighted the way. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A new political battle over marijuana is exploding less than a month before Californias recreational cannabis market opens, as two legislators want state regulators to change a policy they worry rolls out the red carpet for large corporations to crush the livelihood of small family farmers. Those legislators, state Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, and Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, are irate that the thousands of small cannabis farmers they represent in the nations marijuana-growing heartland were told one thing during the Proposition 64 legalization campaign but something else when regulations were announced last month. Pro-legalization forces repeated a consistent refrain during their two-year campaign, which was led by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom: Were going to protect small cannabis farmers, many of whom have grown the crop for generations on plots of land smaller than a suburban backyard. Prop. 64 organizers were trying to address the fears of residents of the Emerald Triangle Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties, where cannabis farms are abundant as those counties didnt support a failed legalization effort in 2010. This time, California voters approved legalization. But when it came time for state regulators to write the rules about cultivation, some farmers felt betrayed. The new rules allow a single entity to own an unlimited number of 1-acre plots. Small farmers fear that will enable corporate owners to buy up many small farms. If that happens, large growers could harvest so much marijuana at a lower cost that it would drive down prices and put small farmers out of business. Three years ago, farmers could get $1,900 to $2,200 a pound. The price is now half that much in some areas. According to a January report prepared for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, California produces 13.5 million pounds of marijuana a year more than twice as much as it did a year ago, but Californians consume just 2.5 million pounds, with the rest being sold out of state. The state legislators are concerned that the market could be oversaturated if there isnt a restriction on large growers. Regulating cannabis and protecting small farmers will become exceedingly difficult if (the state Department of Food and Agriculture) doesnt close the loophole they created that allows large industrial grows contrary to Proposition 64 and the legislative agreements that have been struck over the past 36 months, said a letter McGuire and Wood sent to the state agency. The two represent much of the Emerald Triangle. Regulators didnt include a cap in the new rules because they preferred to allow local jurisdictions to maintain control over size or license limitations as they deem appropriate, said Department of Food and Agriculture spokesman Steve Lyle. The responsibility of determining whether a particular grower was gaining too much land and power, Lyle said, would be up to local jurisdictions based on the needs of their constituents. McGuire said he was shocked and appalled to see this recommendation go forward. Until then, I thought we were all on the same page. There has been a lot of doublespeak in this process over the past 24 months, McGuire said. This goes against the concept of family farms. All it does is roll out the red carpet for the Walmart of weed. We will fight this tooth and nail. We are not about to be rolled by some backroom deal. McGuire said he will fight to change the ownership rules when the Legislature returns in January. Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press Meanwhile, many growers remain frustrated that the political promises they heard during the campaign didnt translate into the regulations they will be required to follow. Casey ONeill, whose family has been growing cannabis on its small Mendocino County farm for two generations, said the new state regulations arent what Prop. 64 promised. Specifically, the ballot measure said it would ensure that the nonmedical marijuana industry in California will be built around small- and medium-size businesses by prohibiting large-scale cultivation licenses for the first five years. Small farmers were counting on that five-year head start to give them a fighting chance against larger corporations, which are much more familiar with wending through a government bureaucracy. Seeing the cap might not be part of the regulations was deeply frustrating and disheartening, ONeill said. Most of the estimated 7,000 cannabis farmers in Mendocino County grow between 25 and 50 plants, said ONeill, who is development director for the California Growers Association. Its a tiny backyard. Youre looking at one-sixteenth of an acre. The process to bring farmers into compliance has been slow there. Only about 700 Mendocino cannabis farmers have begun the legal application process roughly 1 in 10 since the application window opened in May. He worries that many local economies near him will collapse if the local marijuana industry isnt healthy. These are rural communities were talking about, ONeill said. Cannabis cultivation is a huge part of the economy. If it goes away ... That wasnt the mood ONeill and others felt in May 2015, when Newsom led a group of politicians and health and environmental experts to Humboldt County on what was billed as a Cannabis Fact Finding Tour. There, at a community meeting in Garberville, they reassured the audience of small cannabis farmers that they wouldnt let corporate growers dominate Californias market if voters approved legalization. Newsom told the crowd of 200 that he understood corporate interests would try to rewrite the regulations and they will try to write you out. We cannot let that happen. The audience gave him a standing ovation. Months later, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy that Newsom convened included similar goals on protecting small farmers. The commissions report stated that the goal should be to prevent the growth of a large, corporate marijuana industry dominated by a small number of players, as we see with Big Tobacco or the alcohol industry. Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University who served on the panel with Newsom, said allowing an unlimited number of 1-acre plots will completely undermine the commissions intention to protect small farmers. It is disappointing. Not every corner of the cannabis industry is as concerned. Some worry that there wont be enough cannabis to keep up with market demand once the recreational market opens. Josh Drayton, deputy director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, whose 400 members come from all corners of the business, said we support small farmers and craft cannabis. But we also understand diversity of farm sizes will be necessary. Were comfortable (with the new regulations) but still digesting them and trying to see solutions, Drayton said. Newsom sought to chart a middle ground, cautioning that legalization is a process unfolding over many years and that the rules would need constant re-evaluation to make the market work for small growers, while squeezing out the cartels, and protecting kids and consumers. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli For Bay Area performer Sgt. Die Wies, whose given name is Latashia Govan, burlesque is about more than taking off her clothes for an audience. Its so much more than taking off your clothes and a lot of people dont know that. They think that youre just up there to be a sexual object, says Govan. They dont think that youre up there trying to break body stereotypes or typecasts and all the different constraints that society tries to put on us. When Govan discovered burlesque she was not seeing performers who looked like her. Now Govan, who describes herself as full-figured, uses her time on stage to address body-image stereotypes. There are things bigger than having a little extra fluff on you, says Govan. Its all beautiful. The perfect package doesnt come in a perfect package. Imperfection is perfection, thats the point. In addition to providing her with a platform, burlesque also gave Govan, a sexual assault survivor, access to a supportive community which taught her how to be a survivor instead of a victim. I never talked about it, actually, Govan says, before burlesque I never addressed it. I talked to my therapist about it, but it never really sank in until I started learning how to take my clothes off onstage. Its weird, I know, but its very cathartic for me. Govan was in need of that support after her father, U.S. Army veteran Sgt. Nelson Govan, a big supporter of her burlesque community, died on New Years Day 2013. She keeps his memory alive through her performances and by being who she is. He wanted me to be the best human I could be, she says. Hed be blown away that Id done all the things I do, but Im betting you anything hed want me to start upping my ante and going bigger. Govan credits the burlesque community with getting her through everything from losing her father to her divorce. Those are my people, and they embrace all of my imperfections, Govan says. I still go out there and I do my thing, because Im proud of myself and Ive learned to love myself through burlesque. Watch an accompanying video at www.sfchronicle.com/theregulars. The Regulars is a photo and video column that offers a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in the Bay Area, caught in routine activities of modern urban life. Judd Apatow has come out from behind the camera and onto the stage again. The director returns to his standup roots with a special on Netflix, available today for streaming. Its called Judd Apatow: The Return. The CW gets right to the true meaning of the holidays with the special Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown 2017 at 8 p.m. More fall finales air tonight: Lethal Weapon on Fox at 8, The Middle on ABC at 8, Fresh Off the Boat at 8:30 on ABC, Black-ish at 9 on ABC, Brooklyn Nine-Nine with an hour-long episode at 9 on Fox,The Mayor at 9:30 on ABC, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World at 10 on ABC, Chicago Med at 10 on NBC. Gwen Stefani gets in the holiday mood in her NBC special Gwen Stefanis You Make It Feel Like Christmas at 9 p.m. And so it begins: the first brick in the wall-to-wall coverage of Harry and Meghans engagement and forthcoming marriage as TLC presents When Harry Met Meghan: A Royal Romance at 9 p.m. Chrisley Knows Best wraps season five on USA at 10 p.m. The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer miniseries wraps on the History Channel at 10 p.m. TV NEWS KNTV has won the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for its investigative series Arrested at School, the product of a two-year probe into schools across the country, including in the Bay Area, calling the police on minority students and students with disabilities at a proportionately higher rate than for other students. The awards recognize fewer than 20 stories each year from a pool of hundreds of entries. News outlets are selected based on the strength of their reporting and ability to produce stories that create an impact in the public interest. The series also won the George Foster Peabody Award. In other news, former Bay Area newswoman Soledad OBrien scored big for KNTV in the November sweeps with her Hearst-produced show Matter of Fact With Soledad OBrien. The show registered a 50 percent ratings boost over prior programming in its slot. The Writers Guild of America has announced its nominations in various TV categories in advance of its awards show in February, which will be hosted by Patton Oswalt at the Beverly Hilton. Former Bay Area resident Gina Welch is among the writers nominated for long form original for the Ryan Murphy-Brad Falchuk drama Feud: Bette and Joan. Writers for the following shows have been nominated in the drama category: The Americans, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones, The Handmaids Tale, Stranger Things. For comedy: Curb Your Enthusiasm, GLOW, Master of None, Silicon Valley, Veep. New series: American Vandal, The Deuce, Ozark, The Handmaids Tale, GLOW. Long-form original: Feud, American Horror Story: Cult, Flint, Godless, Manhunt: Unabomber. David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV The grueling battle to halt the fire threatening Santa Barbara and celebrity-filled communities along the coast of California is being waged over a vast rolling backcountry stretching inland over steep mountains, through wooded gullies and along inaccessible chaparral-covered cliffs. Nearly 7,000 firefighters, tanker planes and helicopters pounded the Thomas Fire on Monday after stubborn Santa Ana winds died down, slowing the relentless march of flames through Southern California. The fire, which was 20 percent contained Monday morning, grew to 231,700 acres and late in the day was burning around Carpinteria and headed toward multimillion-dollar celebrity homes in Montecito. It is the largest and most destructive of six wind-driven fires burning between Santa Barbara and San Diego. Were sending ground resources everywhere where we can send them in, but if those areas dont have roads we cant send people in there, said Capt. Issac Sanchez of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. Weve got the best firefighters in the country engaged on this fire right now. Our goal is certainly to keep it away from all of these communities, but its an incredibly dynamic fire and we have to deal with a lot of variables. The Thomas Fire, which started in Ventura County on Dec. 4, is now the fifth-largest wildfire in modern state history. It has forced evacuations of 94,607 people as it has crackled through neighborhoods, woodlands and grasslands, jumping roads and destroying 867 structures. More than 18,000 homes are being threatened over an area measuring nearly 360 square miles, and flames are licking up against the Los Padres National Forest on three sides. Cal Fire said the estimated damage was just over $48 million so far. This things a monster, Jason Hodge, a firefighter with the Ventura County Fire Department, said Monday. Right now the thing thats really unique about this fire is just the sheer width of it. Just to drive from one end of the fire (in Fillmore in Ventura County) to the other (in Santa Barbara County) with no traffic takes 45 minutes. Nearly 2,000 more firefighters from all over California and the western United States, including fire departments in San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda County, Hayward and Fremont, were brought in Sunday to fight the fire, bringing the total to 6,397 one of the largest deployments in California history. One firefighter from Redding broke his leg fighting the fire over the weekend, Cal Fire officials said. Planes, helicopters and fire crews attacked the northwestern edge of the fire Monday in an attempt to prevent flames from rolling further into Carpinteria and Summerland. Hodge said six structures in Carpinteria, just 11 miles southeast of Santa Barbara, have been destroyed. Montecito and Carpinteria are home to such celebrities as talk-show hosts Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey and actors Rob Lowe and Jeff Bridges. Degeneres tweeted Sunday that she evacuated her pets from the $7.2 million Montecito home she purchased last December. Everyone in the Montecito area is checking up on each other and helping to get people and animals to safety, Degeneres tweeted. Im proud to be a part of this community. Im sending lots of love and gratitude to the fire department and sheriffs. Peace be Still, is my prayer tonight, tweeted Winfrey. For all the fires raging thru my community and beyond. Janet Upton, a deputy director of Cal Fire, said celebrities living in the area have been extremely helpful transmitting fire information to their neighbors. They just help us try to keep people calm and give validated information, amplifying what public safety officials are saying, Upton said. We appreciate the assist there. Upton said Lowe and other stars living in the area were also helpful during previous fires, including the Jesusita Fire, which burned 8,733 acres in the Santa Barbara hills in 2009, and the Zaca Fire, which scorched 240,207 acres in the San Rafael Mountains northeast of the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County in 2007. Mandatory evacuations were in place Monday for some Santa Barbara neighborhoods and the community of Montecito, north of Highway 192, and eastern parts of Carpinteria, according to officials in Santa Barbara County. An evacuation shelter was set up at UC Santa Barbaras Recreation Center. If there was one bright spot Monday, it was how few casualties there have been during the disaster. Only one person has died, a 70-year-old Santa Paula woman killed in a car crash as she attempted to evacuate. For all the challenges that this fire has presented, Hodge said, the fact that weve had so few injuries and really havent seen the lives lost that this fire has the potential for has kept people in pretty good spirits overall. A red flag warning was in place for Santa Barbara County through Monday evening, but although the Santa Ana winds had died down, they were expected to continue throughout the week, forecasters said. Gusts on Monday were forecast to reach up to 30 mph at higher elevations, with gusts up to 20 mph in the valleys, said Matt Mehle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The air mass is still extremely dry, Mehle said. Thats why there is still concern out there. Warm and dry conditions will continue through Thursday. Tom Rolinski, a senior meteorologist for the U.S. Forest Service, said it is not at all unusual to have offshore winds in December and January, but rarely has he seen it this dry this late in the year. What is unusual is that we haven't had any significant or meaningful precipitation since last March, Rolinski said. Weve had this in October, but I cant recall and Ive been here 22 years when weve had everything come together for a fire siege in December. There is a slight possibility of rain around Dec. 20, Mehle added. As the Thomas Fire raged on, firefighters made headway in the battle against four other blazes that sprouted throughout the region last week. In San Diego County, the Lilac Fire which has burned 4,100 acres, leveled at least 151 structures and damaged 56 others was 80 percent contained Monday. Full containment on the blaze was expected by Dec. 21, Cal Fire reported. The 15,619-acre Creek Fire, which ignited in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles County, was at 95 percent containment. At least 60 residential buildings and 63 outbuildings were destroyed in the fire, and 81 other structures were damaged. The 6,049-acre Rye Fire in Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County) that started Tuesday was 93 percent contained. Six structures were destroyed and three were damaged. The 422-acre Skirball Fire, which broke out Wednesday in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, was 85 percent contained. Twelve structures were damaged and six destroyed. Meanwhile, evacuations were lifted for most of Ventura and Santa Paula, where the Thomas Fire started near Thomas Aquinas College around 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 4. Most school districts throughout Santa Barbara County remained closed Monday, with some, including Santa Barbara Unified, Carpinteria Unified and Montecito Unified, expected to remain closed until after the holiday break. Last week President Trump declared a federal state of emergency for the second time since wildfires ravaged Northern California in October and killed 44 people, ordering federal assistance to supplement state and local emergency response. In a visit Saturday to the fire-torn areas, Gov. Jerry Brown called on the federal government to invest more in infrastructure and firefighting capacity. Peter Fimrite and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite, @SarRavani This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A short story published in the latest issue of the New Yorker has gone viral in what is, quite possibly, the first time a work of short fiction has accomplished such a feat. The line between a high-brow (New Yorker) and low-brow (social media) converged this week when Kristen Roupenian's short story "Cat Person" caused ripples in the Twitter-sphere. Many deemed the story chillingly relatable; some called it "triggering." Published in the Dec. 11 issue of the New Yorker, the story follows a brief encounter between a 20-year-old student, Margot, and a man named Robert with an urban "lumberjack aura". The pair meet at an arthouse cinema where Margot works concessions. Romance brief, ill-fated ensues, peppered with totems of 21st-century dating (drawn-out texting conversations, ghosting, emojis). A taste: "'My parents are asking about u,' Margot texted, and Robert sent her back a smiley-face emoji whose eyes were hearts." Margot and Robert eventually have sex, the consensual but sloppy kind. The encounter leaves Margot feeling, for lack of a better word, icky. Story continues below. Now Playing: Time magazine has named the social movement epitomised by the #MeToo hashtag as its "Person of the Year" for 2017. Video: Euronews A remorseful Margot stops responding to Robert's text messages, and the short union is broken off, though immortalized by the collegiate gossip mill of Margot's friends. The tale ends, poignantly, with a string of texts from Robert that begin friendly, complimentary and end with a single word "Whore." Many women on Twitter are celebrating the story for its realistic depiction of the oft-frightening, dread-filled experience that is sex and dating. "I want an investigation on how she wiretapped my inner monologue," wrote one woman. "Basically anyone who's ever used a dating app could write Cat Person, just maybe not as well," said another. Of all the New Yorker's fiction published online this year, "Cat Person" is the most read, a magazine spokesperson told The Atlantic's Olga Khazan. Khazan writes: "This weekend, the story went unexpectedly viral. Or, perhaps, in this #MeToo moment, it went expectedly viral, by revealing the lengths women go to in order to manage men's feelings, and the shaming they often suffer nonetheless." The story's resonance is built upon a foundation of reality. In an interview with the New York Times, the author explains she wrote "Cat Person" after a negative online encounter. "It's not autobiographical; though many of the details and emotional notes come from life, they were accumulated over decades, not drawn from a single bad date," said Roupenian, who is on a writing fellowship at the University of Michigan. Unsurprisingly, the positive reactions were met with negative ones, provided mostly by men. "It all seems very mundane to me. I don't get it," one wrote. "Man.. I was really bothered for and by Robert," said another. "He ultimately is the victim in this story." It's all very meta when one considers the themes of "Cat Person" digital culture, male-female relations, vitriol that is typed not spoken. The story came full circle Sunday morning when an anonymous person began a "Men React to Cat Person" Twitter account. Within 21 hours, the account gained 5,000 followers. A pinned tweet at the top of the page reads: "Are these reposts meant to make fun of these guys who are making perfectly good points? Or.." Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf. A 58-year-old woman was shot and killed in a Martinez home Saturday evening, and a Concord man is in custody. Contra Costa County sheriffs deputies were dispatched to a home on the 1200 block of Santa Fe Avenue in an unincorporated area of Martinez at about 8:30 p.m. The caller reported that there had been an accidental shooting. A Southern California man was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 9-year-old girl in 1995, Hillsborough police said Sunday. Kevin Lin, 68, had an active warrant for his arrest in connection with the 22-year-old kidnapping case, officials said. He was taken into custody Friday in the Los Angeles area. Hillsborough police said they made the arrest based on information from the U.S. State Department. Lin is being held in the San Mateo County jail on $5 million bail. Police on Sunday did not identify the victim of the kidnapping. But at the time of the case, officers then said three kidnappers had grabbed a girl as she walked home from school in Hillsborough, then tried to extort $800,000 from her father. She was held captive for 10 hours before the kidnappers realized that her parents were in Taiwan. The men ultimately released the girl unharmed. No ransom was paid, and her captors even gave her change to make a phone call, according to testimony from Doug Davis, now a Hillsborough police captain who investigated the case. Davis did not return calls Sunday. One of the other three suspects, John Paul Balocca, was convicted in 1997 of kidnapping, following an initial mistrial. Authorities have been looking for his alleged accomplices for the last two decades. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The highest-paid college president in the nation quadrupled his pay in a single year to $4 million thanks to a hiring deal, according to a new survey of executive compensation at private universities. Nathan Hatch, president of Wake Forest University in North Carolina, earned slightly more than $1 million in 2014. He took home four times as much in 2015, the most recent year of data available, because a lucrative agreement kicked in a $255,000 annual set-aside that he would receive after 10 years on the job. The bonus sent his pay soaring beyond that of other scholarly tycoons in the loftiest ranks of academia including the heads of Stanford University and the Ivy League schools and reflects a spiraling up of executive pay that critics say is rarely linked to quality. Even those who negotiate such pay packages acknowledge that there are factors at work besides merit. The Chronicle of Higher Educations latest yearly look at top-tier pay packages within that competitive world reveals the bonuses, base salaries and pay deals of 568 presidents at 500 private, nonprofit campuses with the largest endowments. The news outlet compiled the data from the schools 990 federal tax filings. Private university presidents earned an average of $569,932 in 2015 up 9 percent from the year before, the study found. In all, 58 presidents each took home more than $1 million in 2015, compared with 39 the year before. Californias best-compensated academic was C.L. Max Nikias, president of the University of Southern California. At nearly $3.2 million, he was the third-highest paid president in the country. Stanfords former President John Hennessy took home $1.2 million, placing him 38th two slots above Peter Salovey of Yale University, at $1.16 million, but well below Harvards Drew Gilpin Faust, at $1.57 million, in the 21st spot. By contrast, Janet Napolitano, president of the public University of California system, earned $570,000 that year. Private university officials cite the stellar achievements of their leaders to justify such pay packages, as does Raymond Cotton, a partner with the Washington, D.C., law firm Nelson Mullins, who has negotiated more than 350 presidential contracts at private and public universities since 1980. But Cotton identifies another, more concrete reason for the high pay: executive recruiters, who have an incentive to promote a compensation arms race. They get a third of the presidents first-year salary. We have in higher education very competent recruiting companies, many of them made up of former university presidents, Cotton said. They look at the 990 (tax) forms and see who is underpaid vis-a-vis the market then try to recruit them out of that school into another, which will pay them more. The incentive is all money. When Cotton began negotiating executive compensation packages nearly 40 years ago, he said, there were no bonuses. But gradually, university boards of trustees filled up with executives from the business world, and thats where the bonuses came from, Cotton said. Of the 10 highest-paid presidents in the study, nine earned more from bonuses and deferred compensation deals like Hatchs than they did from their base pay. The fervor for negotiating those perks and packages turned 2015 into an unusually high year for presidents earning more than $1 million, said Dan Bauman, database reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education and co-author of the study. There is zero data that show that high salaries produce better executives, said William Tierney, a professor of higher education at the University of Southern California and co-director of its Pullias Center for Higher Education, which studies ways to improve colleges performance. The University of San Francisco, for example, earns a place in the Princeton Reviews Best 379 Colleges for 2015 yet its president, Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, was among 18 in the new study who took no salary and no bonus. The Jesuits pay his living expenses. In the last century there has never been as great a discrepancy between the highest paid (presidents) and the lowest paid (janitors and maintenance staff), Tierney said. Universities are simply mimicking the behaviors of Wall Street. In doing so, we lose any right to claim a moral advantage. We are a business like any other. Universities also escape capital gains taxes and investment taxes, while gifts to universities remain tax deductible, said Richard Vedder, a professor emeritus of economics at Ohio University, and director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. Were giving these people tax privileges because we think theyre serving the public good, he said. But it seems that a disproportionate share of the benefits go to executives. Vedder said running a university is tough, and that leaders have to be good fundraisers, brilliant academics and skilled diplomats as they deal with campus protests. But thats been true for decades, he said. I think we are overpaying. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This story originally appeared on Hoodline. Mojo Bicycle Cafe at 639 Divisadero St. (and Grove) is closing. The cafes last day will be December 22nd. In a note, the coffee shop thanked customers, friends and neighbors "for the years of coffee, bagels, flat fixes, and beers that we've shared," but said it was "time for Mojo to move on, and we need some time to figure out what that means." The cafe has been around since 2007, but it may not be gone for good. Mojo is set to "shut its doors for a period of rest and reinvention." However, we also found a real estate listing posted in September listing the property for $175,000 or $5,250 per month. Cafe comes furnished with a beautiful brass overhead tap system with 10 taps, it stated. Large storage space with many possible uses awaits your vision. A sign bids goodbye to the neighborhood for now. For those planning to visit the laptop-free cafe before the closure, Mojo is no longer serving breakfast. However, it will continue to serve coffee and pastries on the weekend from 9am onwards. We also reached out to owner Remy Nelson for additional comment, but at press time, we have not yet received a response. In July, Nelson closed the bike shop in the back of the eatery. "Bikes are my passion, my customers have been amazing, and I have no regrets," Nelson said back then. Mojo also was a regular host of live music performances and workshops, such as a holiday themed wreath-making this past Sunday. Patrons have already expressed their gratitude to Mojo on its Facebook page and its Instagram account. "Thank you for providing the community with such a cozy place for all comers," Instagram user ohsynapse said. "Change is hard but I know something amazing will grow from this moments[sic] rest," added nomad69, another Instagram user. "This neighborhood is pretty much like a village," Nelson told us in 2015. "I like the sense of community and I feel a sense of pride in creating a space for people to come together and meet each other." A San Francisco native, Nelson grew up in Noe Valley and was inspired to create a bike cafe after a visit to Zeitgeist in the early 2000s. "There were all these bikes in the back, and we were like, 'What if this place had a bike shop? It would totally survive.'" Thanks to tipster Tyler C. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This article first appeared on The Oregonian/OregonLive. A particularly fractious meeting between the right-wing group Patriot Prayer and counter-protesters in downtown Portland, Ore., erupted in several scuffles, one of which left a counter-protester bloodied. At least one member of the Patriot Prayer contingent was detained by police during the demonstration, which began as a rally in Terry Schrunk Plaza and turned into a march up and down Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The day began with a light police presence, but after an initial scuffle when counter-protesters crossed the street from their rally site in Chapman Square, officers in riot gear lined up on the perimeter of the plaza to separate the groups. Shortly thereafter, a brawl broke out in Chapman Square in which several people traded punches. After the groups were separated, an Oregonian/OregonLive journalist saw a Patriot Prayer affiliate cross the street and strike a counter-protester, who suffered a bloody nose. The Patriot Prayer affiliate was later taken into custody. The Portland Police Bureau said Tusitala Toese, 21, was being held in Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of second-degree disorderly conduct, harassment, fourth-degree assault and and a warrant for a previous charge of second-degree disorderly conduct. Now Playing: Though the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle became a flashpoint in an intense national debate over immigration, the issue was never addressed inside the courtroom where a jury acquitted a Mexican national of murder and manslaughter -- a verdict President Donald Trump called a "complete travesty of justice." Video: KCRA In the waterfront park, the two sides marched together mostly peacefully, heckling one another as police followed to one side. Late in the event, however, a demonstrator and counter-demonstrator were pepper sprayed by person in the crowd. Both were treated by Portland Fire & Rescue medics, police said. The day brought a notable meeting between Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson and Micah Fletcher, the man who survived a brutal knife attack on a MAX train in May that killed two others. The suspect in that case, Jeremy Christian, had once encountered Fletcher at a previous Patriot Prayer event. Fletcher said he attended specifically to ask why Gibson held events like Saturday's, which frequently result in violence between demonstrators and counter-demonstrators. "I believe that God wants me to go to the darkness," Gibson replied. He said that he wanted to "protect the truth" and "promote freedom." The two spoke for several minutes, but Gibson said little. The conversation ended prematurely as a scuffle broke out at the edge of the Patriot Prayer gathering, where some counter-protesters had gathered, and Gibson moved toward the fracas. "It was not as helpful as I thought it would be," Fletcher said afterward. Fletcher would go on to intervene in a scuffle between two men, a Patriot Prayer demonstrator and a counter-protester who grabbed at his sign. Fletcher also got in between members of both groups in a fistfight. He later told an Oregonian/OregonLive reporter that he had been pepper sprayed in the confrontation. The Patriot Prayer event was organized to protest the acquittal of a man in the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who had been previously deported five times, was accused of murder and involuntary manslaughter in the San Francisco case. Garcia Zarate's attorneys argued that the shooting had been accidental, and that the bullet had ricocheted off the ground before hitting Steinle. A jury found Garcia Zarate not guilty on Nov. 30 of the most serious charges, though he was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The case has become a standard for those calling for stricter immigration controls and opposing "sanctuary city" policies like those of San Francisco, where officials had released Garcia Zarate from custody prior to the shooting rather than turning him over to immigration officials. President Donald Trump has referenced the case on Twitter and in public appearances in recent weeks, calling the verdict "disgraceful." This article first appeared on The Oregonian/OregonLive. BATON ROUGE, La. A Louisiana private investigator pleaded guilty on Monday to misusing Donald Trumps Social Security number in repeated attempts to access the presidents federal tax information before his election last year. Jordan Hamlett, 32, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine following his guilty plea in federal court. Authorities have said Hamlett failed in his attempts to get Trumps tax information through a U.S. Department of Education financial aid website. Trump has refused to release his tax returns, bucking an American tradition honored by every president since Jimmy Carter. A court document accompanying Hamletts plea agreement says he used Trumps Social Security number and other personal information to open an online application for federal student aid on Sept. 13, 2016. After obtaining a username and password, he tried to use an Internal Revenue Service data retrieval tool to obtain Trumps tax information, the document says. The defendant made six separate attempts to obtain the federal tax information from IRS servers, but he was unsuccessful, says the document. It doesnt specify how much of Trumps tax information could have been retrieved with the online tool. Hamlett, a Lafayette resident, was indicted in November 2016. His trial had been scheduled to start this week, but the judge originally assigned to the case died on Saturday after a brief illness. U.S. District Court Judge John deGravelles, who inherited the case, didnt immediately schedule Hamletts sentencing hearing. Defense attorney Michael Fiser had argued Hamlett didnt have any intent to deceive and simply tried out of sheer curiosity to discover whether Trumps tax information could be accessed through the government website. Federal agents confronted Hamlett two weeks before last Novembers election. Michael Kunzelman is an Associated Press writer. NEW YORK A man inspired by the Islamic State group set off a crude pipe bomb strapped to his body Monday in a crowded subway corridor near Times Square, injuring the man, slightly wounding three others and sending New York commuters fleeing in terror through the smoky passageway. Surveillance cameras captured the man moving casually through the crowded walkway when the bomb went off at 7:20 a.m. amid a plume of white smoke, which cleared to show the man sprawled on the ground and commuters scattering to get away. Investigators said it was not clear if he set the bomb off intentionally or prematurely. This was an attempted terrorist attack, said Mayor Bill de Blasio. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. The suspect, who was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, was being treated at a hospital for burns to his hands and abdomen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in the ears and headaches. Law enforcement officials said Ullah was inspired by the Islamic State group but apparently did not have any direct contact with the militants and probably acted alone. Gov. Andrew Cuomo later told the NY1 cable channel that the suspect went online to learn how to make a bomb. We have no evidence at this time that there were any secondary devices or it was part of a larger plan, Cuomo said. Authorities said the bomb was a low-tech explosive device attached to the man with Velcro and plastic ties. They were investigating how it was made. Ullah, who lives in Brooklyn, came to the U.S. from Bangladesh almost seven years ago and had been licensed to drive a livery cab between 2012 and 2015, according to law enforcement officials and NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. He was speaking with investigators from his hospital bed, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. Ullah arrived in the U.S. in 2011 on an F-4 visa, a preferential visa available for those with family in the U.S. who are citizens, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said. Investigators were searching Ullahs apartment, interviewing witnesses and relatives and looking for surveillance footage that may show his movements in the moments before the attack. Ullah lived with his father, mother and brother in a residential area of Brooklyn with a large Bangladeshi community, neighbors said. The home was just off a shopping strip a red two-story brick building. Alan Butrico owns the house next door and a locksmith business two doors down. Its very weird, he said. You never know who your neighbors are. The explosion, which happened in an underground passageway under 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, triggered a massive emergency response by police and firefighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal. Its the citys busiest subway station and a major transit hub, with 64 million subway riders passing through every year. Everything around Times Square was shut down, halting what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour at the Crossroads of the World. Colleen Long is an Associated Press writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate She cheered the Raiders from the sidelines as a Raiderette back in the 1980s, and now Stephanie Belleci is cheering women who want control over their makeup foundations. I created a multipurpose, multifunctional system because I dont think women should ever have to settle when it comes to beauty, said the founder of Belleci Cosmetics, now in her 50s. It is mistake-proof and easy to use, Belleci said. This will be the new way of beauty she can adjust her foundation anytime and anywhere. The Danville resident got her start as a professional freelance makeup artist for national brands such as Shiseido, Lancome and Orlane before signing with Benefit Cosmetics and working with Jean and Jane Ford. It took her 10 years to create the Belleci Color Control Anti-Aging Foundation System. I started to create this formula in the salon and testing it on all my clients, she said. Getting the right chemist was very tough. I went through four of them before I found my perfect chemist, Sam from Allure Labs. She is referring to Sam Dhatt, CEO and founder of Allure Labs Inc. and DermaQuest Inc. in Hayward, who believes Bellecis foundation will meet the needs of the market. It solves a problem in the industry where the consumer can take control of their own beauty needs when it comes to their foundation, Dhatt said. Stephanie created an easy-to-use, convenient foundation system, and its an anti-aging product that smooths the skin where the consumer doesnt need to use a primer. Sold in Bellecis space at Salon One 50 in Alamo and online, the $125 kit includes a 30 ml foundation, three 15 ml adjusters, a frosted travel jar and stir stick. Adjustors last about two years, and base foundation refills cost $65. Much like a sheer base primer, clients add drops to the base foundation from one of three adjusters to lighten, darken or hydrate with a luminous sheen. The final color is already done, so all she needs to do is either lighten her foundation or darken it, said Belleci. The adjusters have the perfect color ratio, so when she adjusts her color, shes not going to change the undertone of the foundation which means the foundation on her skin will never turn too pink, too yellow or too ashy. Belleci said shes proud that her foundation product is free of paraben, propylene, glycol, gluten, fragrance, dyes, alcohol, oil and talc, in order to promote healthy skin. Her top five ingredients include plant stem cells,which stimulates the skin to help fight the aging process; hyaluronic acid; antioxidants; vitamin B5; and Tremella mushroom extract, which is a hydrating powerhouse, she said. Belleci decided to use her Italian maiden name for the line because it means beauty in Sicilian dialect, she said. Jennifer Jones, project coordinator at Allure Labs, tested the foundation products ahead of time and said, I think consumers of all ages will enjoy the benefits of her products. Belleci feels her own confidence came from her four years of cheering for the Oakland Raiders. Being a Raiderette was fabulous because it brought out more confidence in me and took me out of my comfort zone, Belleci said. At that time, 500 women tried out and only 40 made it. As a Raiderette, that confidence taught me to conquer life and go for what I want as a strong woman. As someone who created her own cosmetic line, I had some fears, but I had that confidence to be strong. Charleen Earley is a freelance writer in the Bay Area. Email: style@sfchronicle.com Belleci www.bellecicosmetics.com Fihn warned that in particular, warlike threats exchanged between North Korea and the United States amid nuclear tests by Pyongyang were forcing the world to live "under the conditions where our mutual destruction is only one impulsive tantrum away." "Will it be the end of nuclear weapons, or will it be the end of us?" Beatrice Fihn, who accepted the award on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), asked in her speech following the group's acceptance of the award. Winners of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize warned that the world was "one impulsive tantrum" away from destruction, urging nuclear nations to adopt a UN treaty banning atomic weapons. The Geneva-based group, which received the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year, consists of about 500 organizations in more than 100 countries that are working toward global nuclear disarmament. The Nobel committee praised ICAN's efforts toward securing the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. A total of 122 nations adopted the deal -- but none of the nine known nuclear powers signed up. In a break from tradition, the three western nuclear powers -- the U.S., France and Britain -- sent second-ranking diplomats rather than their ambassadors to Sunday's ceremony. Receiving the award with Fihn was 85-year-old Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and now an ICAN campaigner, who described horrible scenes in the aftermath of the atomic bomb in 1945 when she was 13 years old. "Listen to our testimony. Heed our warning. And know that your actions are consequential," Thurlow said during her speech at the ceremony. The nine nations that have nuclear weapons boycotted the UN treaty negotiations, which began in February. They are Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel. Nearly three decades after the end of the Cold War, the debate between disarmament versus deterrence is still being fought. A new wave of protests against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital erupted Sunday in parts of the Muslim and Arab world. Lebanese security forces outside the U.S. Embassy in Beirut fired water cannons and tear gas to beat back Lebanese and Palestinian protesters who hurled projectiles at the embassy and burned Trump in effigy, along with U.S. and Israeli flags. In Indonesia, home to the world's largest population of Muslims, thousands of protesters mounted a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Jakarta, while other protests occurred in Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt and the Palestinian territories bordering Israel. Netanyahu in Paris Before he left late Saturday for meetings with European leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked what he said was their hypocrisy in condemning Trump's decision to eventually move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, where most foreign governments have their embassies in Israel. "While I respect Europe, I am not prepared to accept a double standard from it," Netanyahu said. "I hear voices from there condemning President Trump's historic statement, but I have not heard condemnations of the rockets fired at Israel or the terrible incitement against it. I am not prepared to accept this hypocrisy." After meeting with Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned attacks on Israel, but said he opposes Trump's decision on Jerusalem. Macron described it as a "breach of international law and at risk for peace. In risk for peace because I believe these statements do not serve security, including the security of Israel and the Israelis." Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, defended Trump's decision in an interview on CNN. She said Israel already has numerous government agencies in Jerusalem, adding, "Why shouldn't we have the embassy there?" She said Trump "did the will of the [American] people" by making a decision that previous U.S. presidents refused to dco. Police in the Swedish city of Gothenburg arrested three people for allegedly throwing firebombs at a synagogue. A police spokesman said Sunday the incident is being investigated as attempted arson. No one was hurt in the incident. Officials in Stockholm say security has been tightened around a synagogue in the capital. Israeli police said a security guard was stabbed and seriously wounded near the Jerusalem bus terminal. His attacker was arrested. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Californias forests are seeing a continued die-off of trees even a year after last years heavy rains ended the states crippling drought. The U.S. Forest Service announced Monday that 27 million trees died over the past 13 months after five dry years left them severely dehydrated and vulnerable to bark beetle attack. The unprecedented casualties, which run rampant across the Sierra Nevada as well as parts of the coast, have turned patches of forest into a somber rust color for mile after mile. The mortality is so great in some places that foresters have closed roads and campgrounds for fear of the dried-out, lifeless trees falling on people. Tourists to Yosemite and Sequoia national parks, meanwhile, have been stunned by the unexpectedly grim views. State officials also worry about dead groves becoming easy tinder for the lethal wildfires that have plagued California in recent years. Efforts to remove hazardous stands have been slow due to the sheer volume of death. An estimated 129 million trees across some 8.9 million acres have died since 2010, according to the Forest Service. It is apparent from our survey flights this year that Californias trees have not yet recovered from the drought, said Randy Moore, a forester at the Forest Services Pacific Southwest Region office. The Forest Service will continue to focus on mitigating hazard trees and thinning overly dense forests so they are healthier and better able to survive stressers like this in the future. Federal foresters alongside state and local land management agencies and state utilities have removed an estimated 860,000 dead trees since the drought began. Crews have prioritized stands near communities and along roads. As bad as the die-off is, Forest Service records suggest it may be slowing. The death toll over the past year is less than half of 2016s when more than 60 million trees fell prey to drought and bark beetles. Last winter brought near record rainfall to many parts of the state, providing welcome relief for many stands. The upshot of the vast tree loss remains a matter of debate. Some scientists worry that the casualties may mark the beginning of a downward spiral for Californias forests as the changing climate promises longer, more intense droughts. Trees, they say, will eventually be replaced by hardier shrubs and grasslands. Others, though, say that die-offs are natural to forests. They allow weakened woodlands to be replaced by a sturdier crop of trees and ultimately provide a healthier habitat for a whole host of wildlife. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexaner This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Warriors center Zaza Pachulia has been ruled out of Monday nights game against Portland. Pachulia missed last Mondays win over New Orleans with left shoulder soreness. He returned for the Charlotte game, but didnt come back after heading to the locker room with a recurrence of shoulder pain less than five minutes in. Pachulia then sat out Fridays game in Detroit. With Pachulia set to sit out for his third time in four games, JaVale McGee, David West, Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell are poised for more playing time. McGee has started the two recent games Pachulia has missed. Reserve guard Patrick McCaw, who has missed the past two games with a bruised nose and concussion, must get approved by a physician before being cleared to play Monday night against Portland. Forward Draymond Green is listed as probable against Portland with a sore right shoulder. Stephen Curry isnt expected to get his sprained right ankle re-evaluated for another week-plus, but he continues to make progress in his rehab. He was seen after shoot-around Monday working out with some thick rope before hopping on the exercise bike. Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Con_Chron JERUSALEM The French and Israeli leaders verbally sparred Sunday over the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, while new violence rippled across the region after the move by President Trump. In Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard, seriously wounding him in the first attack in the volatile city since Trumps pronouncement Wednesday. In Beirut, scores of Lebanese and Palestinian demonstrators clashed with security forces outside the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy, and Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo demanded that the United States rescind the decision. The move upended decades of U.S. policy, and international consensus, that the fate of Jerusalem be decided in negotiations. Israeli and Palestinian claims to the citys eastern sector form the emotional core of their conflict, and Trumps announcement was seen as siding with the Israelis and has drawn international criticism. At a meeting in Paris with Israels visiting prime minister, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned recent violence against Israelis. But he also expressed disapproval of Trumps decision, calling it dangerous for peace. It doesnt seem to serve, in the short term, the cause of Israels security and the Israelis themselves, Macron said. He urged Israel to freeze its construction of settlements on occupied lands and called for other confidence-building measures toward the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has called Trumps decision historic, said Israel has maintained its capital in the city for 70 years and the Jewish connection to Jerusalem goes back 3,000 years. Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, he said. We respect your history and your choices. And we know that as friends, you respect ours. I think the sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we move toward peace, he added. The exchange between the two allies set the stage for what could be a tense meeting Monday for Netanyahu with European Union foreign ministers in Brussels. The Jerusalem issue and the moribund peace process are expected to be high on the agenda. Last week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned that Trumps decision has the potential to send us backward to even darker times than the one we are already living in. The meeting could be a precursor for what seems to be an emerging rift between Israel and the U.S. on one side, and Europe and the Palestinians on the other. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said Trumps decision has in effect disqualified the U.S. from continuing in its role as the traditional mediator of peace talks. Israel captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed the area to its capital in a move that was not internationally recognized. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Josef Federman and Tia Goldenberg are Associated Press writers. HONG KONG Amid fears that North Korea is rapidly developing its submarine-launched ballistic missile technology, the United States, Japan and South Korea are teaming up for a drill to track such hard-to-detect missiles, military officials said Monday. The drill is taking place over two days in waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, said South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff, and will involve destroyers from the three nations doing computer-simulated training to track submarine missile launchings by North Korea. GM Korea's compact SUV Trax is expected to be the top exported car for the second year running. The automaker exported 233,503 units of Trax from January to November and it is likely to exceed 250,000 units by the end of this year. But in the domestic market, it lags behind Hyundai's Kona and Ssangyong's Tivoli in terms of sales. PARIS Eighteen climate scientists from the U.S. and elsewhere hit the jackpot Monday as French President Emmanuel Macron awarded them millions of euros in grants to relocate to France for the rest of Donald Trumps presidential term. The Make Our Planet Great Again grants a nod to Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan are part of Macrons efforts to counter Trump on the climate change front. Macron announced a contest for the projects in June, hours after Trump declared he would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord. More than 5,000 people from about 100 countries expressed interest in the grants. A majority of the applicants and 13 of the 18 winners were U.S.-based researchers. Macrons appeal gave me such a psychological boost, to have that kind of support, to have the head of state saying I value what you do, said winner Camille Parmesan of the University of Texas at Austin. She will be working at an experimental ecology station in the Pyrenees on how human-made climate change is affecting wildlife. In an interview, Parmesan described funding challenges for climate science in the U.S. and a feeling that you are having to hide what you do. Trump has expressed skepticism about global warming and said the Paris accord would hurt U.S. business by requiring a reduction in climate-damaging emissions. We will be there to replace U.S. financing of climate research, Macron told the winners in Paris on Monday. If we want to prepare for the changes of tomorrow, we need science. The research of the winning recipients focuses on pollution, hurricanes and clouds. A new round of the competition will be launched next year. About 50 projects will be chosen overall, and funded with 60 million euros ($70 million) from the state and French research institutes. Mondays event was a prelude to a bigger climate summit Tuesday aimed at giving new impetus to the Paris accord and finding new funding to help governments and businesses meet its goals. More than 50 world leaders are expected in Paris for the One Planet Summit, co-hosted by the U.N. and the World Bank. Trump was not invited. Sylvie Corbet is an Associated Press writer. 1 Lebanon protest: Tens of thousands of people attended a Hezbollah rally in Beirut on Monday, where the militant groups leader vowed to return its focus to Israel after years of fighting in Syrias civil war. At the rally, called to protest President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said he hoped the foolish decision would mark the beginning of the end of the Jewish state. Death to Israel! Nasrallah said in the fiery address, which was broadcast from an undisclosed location and shown at the rally. The Iranian-backed militant group is believed to have a massive arsenal of rockets capable of hitting much of Israels territory. 2 Yemen fighting: State news agency SABA reported Monday that Shiite rebels have killed at least 20 people and detained dozens across the countrys north since killing their onetime ally, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The rebels known as Houthis appear to be escalating their crackdown on any possible sign of rebellion among their former allies from Salehs party, the General Peoples Congress. The Houthis also blew up 20 houses in the northern province of Hajja and replaced the provinces governor who was a Saleh associate. MANILA Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked Congress on Monday to extend the martial law he declared in the countrys south by one year to ensure the total eradication of pro-Islamic State group extremists, warning they plan more uprisings after a disastrous siege of Marawi city. Duterte said the remaining militants still hope to establish a caliphate in the Philippines and Southeast Asia after government forces killed more than 900 fighters and quelled the five-month Marawi siege in October. Left-wing and pro-democracy groups have protested Dutertes imposition of martial law because of human rights concerns, but the Supreme Court has upheld its legality. In a letter to the Senate and the House of Representatives, Duterte said extending martial law in the southern Mindanao region through the end of 2018 would allow government forces to press offensives against other armed groups, including the Abu Sayyaf and communist guerrillas, who have intensified attacks. Despite the killing of Isnilon Hapilon, long wanted by the United States and the Philippines, and other leaders of the Marawi attack, the remnants of their groups have continued to rebuild their organization through the recruitment and training of new members and fighters to carry on the rebellion, Duterte said in his letter. Rep. Edcel Lagman said Congress should reject Dutertes request because there was no more constitutionally outlined ground for martial law after the president declared Marawi had been freed from terrorist influence. Congress, which is dominated by Dutertes allies, approved Dutertes martial law declaration this year. The Senate and House will meet jointly on Wednesday to decide. Dutertes request for a martial law extension amounts to a patent violation of the safeguards which the 1987 constitution imposes for the limited grounds and duration of martial law and its extension, Lagman said. The Marawi violence displaced about half a million people and turned mosque-studded Marawis central business and residential districts into a smoldering war zone. The uprising that began on May 23 prompted Duterte to declare martial law and reinforced fears that the Islamic State group was taking steps to gain a foothold in Asia and elsewhere as it faced battle setbacks in Syria and Iraq. One of the militants who might replace Hapilon, Esmail Abdulmalik, who uses the nom de guerre Abu Turaife, has been planning bombings in the south, Duterte said. An Islamic State-linked faction in another militant band, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Group, has intensified roadside bombings and attacks on troops. Communist New Peoples Army guerrillas, meanwhile, have taken advantage of the militarys preoccupation with Muslim extremists and increased their attacks on troops and businesses in the south, killing 41 government security personnel and destroying at least 2.2 billion pesos ($43 million) in property, Duterte said. Jim Gomez is an Associated Press writer. MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday made a surprise visit to Russias Hemeimeem air base in Syria, announcing an imminent drawdown of Russian forces in the wake of his declaration of victory in its intervention in the Syria war. In his first visit to the air base since Russian warplanes secretly flew to Syria in late 2015, Putin ordered his defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, to begin the withdrawal of Russian troop contingents to their permanent bases. But Putin left open the door to a continued Russian presence in Syria, saying that both Russias air base at Hemeimeem and naval base at Tartus would keep operating. He promised further strikes in the future if terrorists raise their head again an apparent reference to forces in Syrias long civil war that sought to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad. We will deliver such strikes on them that they have not seen yet, he said in remarks to military personnel at the air base. Russias military intervention in Syria bolstered Assads government and gave Syrian forces a critical edge against rebel factions backed by the West and its Middle East allies. Iran, another key supporter of Assad, provided military advisers and other aid. Putin, who declared last week that he would run for a fourth term as president, has largely staked his legacy on Russias revival as the dominant military power in its region. The speech to the troops also had the whiff of a re-election rally. You are victorious and you are going home to your families, parents, wives, children, and friends, Putin told pilots at the air base, in remarks carried by Russian news services. The fatherland is waiting for you, my friends. Have a safe trip home. I am grateful for your service. The deployment of troops to Syria marked Moscows first major overseas military campaign since the invasion of Afghanistan under the Soviet Union. In July, Russia extended its lease of the Hemeimeem air base for 49 years, giving Moscow a military foothold in the region for several generations. At the air base, Putin met with Syrian leader Assad, whose regime appeared close to defeat in the summer of 2015 before the Russian intervention. At the time, it appeared Assad would be forced to step down. I have come, as I promised, Putin told him, according to remarks carried by the Interfax news agency. While hailing the fall of the extremist Islamic State group, Putin also noted the rebuke to Western plans in the region. Syria has been preserved as a sovereign independent state, he said. Putin has been eager to declare the intervention a victory, and has already announced several times that he would order Russian troops to withdrawal. The first drawdown was announced by Putin in March 2016, as Syrian troops backed by Russian air power and special forces, made a final push to recapture the ancient Roman city of Palmyra. Andrew Roth is a Washington Post writer. New Zealand national guest nights rose in October from a year earlier as demand was bolstered by good weather, a longer ski season and more school holidays. Total guest nights gained 4.8 percent to 3.15 million in October from the same month a year earlier, Statistics New Zealand said. Guest nights in the North Island rose 2.5 percent while South Island guest nights climbed 8.4 percent. Of that, domestic guest nights rose 9.5 percent in the South Island, while international guest nights advanced 7.4 percent. In the North Island, domestic guest nights rose 2.3 percent and international guest nights rose 2.9 percent. New Zealand has been experiencing record levels of tourism in recent years, putting a strain on the accompanying infrastructure which has often struggled to keep up with demand. Eleven of the country's 12 regional areas reported more guest nights in October, with Taranaki, Manawatu and Wanganui up 15 percent and Southland up 20 percent. More than half the national increase came from Canterbury, Otago, and the Bay of Plenty, where guest nights rose 7.5 percent, 7.3 percent and 9.2 percent respectively. The strong growth in Canterbury was driven by more guest nights spent in hotels and backpackers than in October last year. In Otago, motel and hotel guest nights increased the most, boosted by tourist hot spots Wanaka and Queenstown. The growth in the Bay of Plenty was driven by increases in motel and holiday park guest nights, accommodation statistics manager Melissa McKenzie said. The only exception was Auckland, typically the first port of call for international visitors, where guest nights declined 6.3 percent in October from a year earlier. Hotel guest nights rose 1.2 percent from October last year to 1.15 million, while motel nights rose 4.6 percent to 1.04 million and backpacker stays rose 1.5 percent to 408,000. Holiday park nights jumped 16 percent to 545,000. The hotel occupancy rate edged up 0.3 percentage points to 68.2 percent, while the holiday park rate rose 1.9 percent to 16.3 and the backpacker rate advanced 0.5 percentage points to 41.0 percent. Meanwhile, the motel rate slipped 0.8 percentage points to 58.2 percent. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders New Zealand Superannuation Fund chief executive Adrian Orr has been named the next Reserve Bank governor, starting in late March 2018. Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced the appointment today which is effective from March 27 and based on a unanimous recommendation from the Reserve Bank board. Orr will take up the role as the new Labour-led administration stamps its own mark on the central bank with a review of its governing legislation. The kiwi dollar jumped to 68.87 US cents from 68.54 immediately before the announcement Mr Orr has the technical and leadership qualities required to be governor and CEO of the Reserve Bank," Robertson said in a statement. "Further, I consider that he has the skills necessary to successfully lead the Bank through a period of change." Orr was a former deputy governor at the Reserve Bank before heading to the NZ Super Fund, which he's steered since its inception in 2007. Reserve Bank chair Neil Quigley said Orr had "significant breadth of knowledge across central and commercial banking, economics, financial markets and regulation" and with his executive experience at NZ Super Fund, was a unanimous choice for the board. Orr will replace Grant Spencer, who is acting governor for a six-month spell after Graeme Wheeler departed in September. Robertson said he will sign a new policy targets agreement with Orr in March, and by the time Orr starts, the first phase of its review of the Reserve Bank Act will be substantively completed. "While it will not be possible to pass legislation to amend the act to reflect any changes from the review before the PTA is signed in March 2018, we will ensure that the new PTA is developed in a manner consistent with the direction of reform," Robertson said. "If necessary, the PTA will be revised again after the act has been amended to reflect any changes from the review that cannot be reflected within the provisions of the current Act." (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders New Zealand shares rose, led by Metro Performance Glass and Heartland Bank, while dairy-related companies A2 Milk Co and Synlait Milk continued to weaken. The S&P/NZX 50 Index gained 42.42 points, or 0.5 percent, to 8,277.51. Within the index, 30 stocks rose, 16 fell and four were unchanged. Turnover was $118 million. "We had pretty good leads from offshore markets," said Mark Lister, head of private wealth research at Craigs Investment Partners. "Sentiment is still very buoyant and we're in the time of year that is traditionally quite strong." Metro Glass led the index, up 5.6 percent to 95 cents. The stock has dropped 53 percent this year after multiple earnings disappointments. "I don't think there's anything fundamental in that, the stock is so beaten up it's probably attracting a few value hunters," Lister said. Heartland rose 3.5 percent to $2.07 and Auckland International Airport gained 2.8 percent to $6.71. A2 Milk Co was the worst performer, off 2.1 percent to $7.78, with Synlait Milk down 2 percent to $6.70. "I don't think there's much in that, it's really just profit-taking on the back of a strong run. They've been coming off the boil for the last few weeks," Lister said. Xero dropped 1.9 percent to $30.30. In November, the cloud-based accounting software firm announced it will delist from the local stock market in favour of an ASX listing to broaden its pool of investors and analysts. "It has come off quite a bit in the last month or so, basically ever since they announced they were leaving," Lister said. "They're off a good 12 percent from where they were back in early November. It's further positioning from the local investors, more technical selling than anything fundamental to do with the company." Kathmandu Holdings fell 0.9 percent to $2.34. "There's not a huge demand for cold weather gear at the moment, they're probably a victim of the weather that we're all enjoying," Lister said. "You do get the feeling that the retail sector is poised for a fairly decent Christmas, but obviously it depends on where you are and Kathmandu - winter is more their scene." Vital Healthcare Property Trust was flat at $2.19. It has bought Eden Rehabilitation Hospital in Cooroy in Queensland, Australia, for A$23.8 million as part of its ongoing diversification strategy. Outside the benchmark index, Pyne Gould Corp gained 2.1 percent to 24 cents. It has reached a confidential deal with Australia's Wilaci over late payment fees, which it says will be smaller than the 20.5 million British pound cost of its Supreme Court-ordered payout. New Zealand Refining dipped 0.7 percent to 70.5 cents. It says yesterday's outage on the refinery-to-Auckland pipeline was caused by a "false alarm" and that it's back up and running. The pipeline was shut down temporarily yesterday over fears of a leak, which were later discovered to be unfounded, the Whangarei-based company said in a statement. Augusta Capital was unchanged at $1.04. It has unconditionally purchased a Wellington industrial property as a seed asset for a new industrial fund that is expected to initially raise between $50 million and $70 million of equity when it launches early next year. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders Pyne Gould Corp has reached a confidential deal with Australia's Wilaci over late payment fees, which it says will be smaller than the 20.5 million British pound cost of its Supreme Court-ordered payout. NZX-listed, Guernsey, UK-based Pyne Gould posted a loss of 17.1 million pounds in the year ended June 30, from a profit of 6.5 million pounds in 2016, due to recognising the "abnormal expense" of the payment to Australian businessman John Gill's Wilaci, which the Supreme Court confirmed in July when it denied leave to appeal an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal. Managing director George Kerr today said the deal "is for less than the amount provisioned in PGC's 2017 annual report, which will have a positive impact on PGC shareholder equity." "It is not yet possible to quantify the overall impact due to Torchlight Fund LP also incurring ongoing litigation expenses in respect of the Cayman litigation," the company said. "The impact will be reflected in Pyne Gould Corporation's next half year report." The settlement will be expensed via Torchlight Fund LP, which is consolidated by Pyne Gould, it said. The Cayman litigation refers to attempts by some Torchlight Fund LP limited partners to have the fund wound up via legal action in the Cayman Islands, which has been going on since 2015. Hearings for a petition for an order to wind up the fund began in February 2017, while a date has yet to be set for proceedings brought by Pyne Gould's local subsidiary which alleged that the petition "was being brought as part of an unlawful means conspiracy", in its latest annual report. The company signalled in that report the litigation was a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt on Torchlight Fund LP's ability to continue as a going concern and said it could have a significant impact on the realisation value of assets in the group's financial statements. The Wilaci litigation concerned Torchlight Fund 1, an associate of Pyne Gould which was placed into receivership in 2014. Wilaci lent Torchlight the funds in August 2012 and were due in October that year. Wilaci didn't immediately call on the loan but managed the repayment in tranches between October 2013 and May 2014. In late May of that year, Wilaci issued a demand for payment of A$33.6 million, which included a $5 million facility fee, A$320,000 of interest and late payment fees which by then totalled A$28.3 million. Payment was not made and TLF1 was placed in receivership in 2014. In October 2015, the High Court ruled that a late payment fee claimed by Wilaci was a penalty fee and was unenforceable, a ruling which the Court of Appeal overturned this year, ordering TLF1 to pay A$31.5 million in late payment fees. Pyne Gould's shares last traded at 23.5 cents, and are up 15 percent this year. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders Microsoft New Zealand lifted annual profit 15 percent as the local arm of the world's biggest software developer boosted sales of its consulting services, while its smaller rival Oracle New Zealand sank into the red after booking an impairment charge. Auckland-based Microsoft NZ reported a profit of $14 million in the 12 months ended June 30 compared to $12.2 million a year earlier, financial statements lodged with the Companies Office show. The software developer lifted revenue 7.6 percent to $115.2 million as consulting sales jumped 42 percent to $36.1 million, offsetting a 3.6 percent decline in related party commission revenue to $74.4 million. That also outpaced a 27 percent increase in consulting expenses to $5.6 million. Despite the increase in external revenue and profitability, Microsoft didn't declare a dividend to its parent group, the first time since the 2008 financial year. A spokesman for Microsoft said the company declined to comment, however, group accounts show the Seattle, Washington-based company's consulting and product support service revenue slipped 0.9 percent to US$5.56 billion. Those services fall under the enterprise umbrella, which helps customers develop and deploy Microsoft IT systems. Microsoft is now challenging New Zealand's incumbent IT services firms such as Datacom and Spark New Zealand, with research house IDC's recent New Zealand IT Services Ecosystem Study 2017 finding Microsoft the third-most cited top-3 IT services providers. Oracle New Zealand posted a loss of $16.2 million in the 12 months ended May 31, compared to a profit of $495,000 a year earlier, with revenue falling 4.5 percent to $140.7 million. That included a $17.5 million impairment charge to goodwill, which was valued at $$16.6 million after the writedown. About $32.8 million of that goodwill arose from Oracle's 2010 Sun Microsystem acquisition and a further $1.2 million came from its purchase of eServGlobal. Like Microsoft, Auckland-based Oracle NZ didn't make a dividend payment to its parent in the 2017 financial year. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders Feltman started his visit to the North on Dec. 5. UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman made the remarks on returning from a trip to North Korea last Saturday. A senior UN envoy says North Korean officials agreed with him that "the current situation was the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today." He said he exchanged views with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-guk. Feltman emphasized "the need for the full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions," according to a UN secretariat statement. "He also said there can only be a diplomatic solution to the situation, achieved through a process of sincere dialogue. Time is of the essence." The statement also quoted him as "noting the urgent need to prevent miscalculations and open channels to reduce the risks of conflict." The statement makes no mention of what the North Koreans told him. But Japanese media said his demand that the regime stop its nuclear weapons and missile programs fell on deaf ears. Feltmnan did not answer questions from reporters on arrival at Beijing Airport that day. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has climbed Mt. Baekdu, the mythical origin of the Korean nation and allegedly of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, according to state media on Saturday. It said Kim recalled "the emotion-charged days when he realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force," after reaching the peak. The portly leader has repeatedly climbed the mountain ahead of making momentous decisions. Some North Korea watchers are guessing that the North is preparing a new tactic in the midst of increasing international sanctions amid rumors of a March deadline in resolving the nuclear standoff and of a possible preemptive U.S. military strike. Korea's record low birthrates seem to start having worrying effects on the labor market as it has led to a decline in the working-age population between 15 and 64. The Korea Labor Institute said in a research paper last week that the number of newly employed workers next year is estimated at 296,000, about 10 percent less than this year's 324,000, due to dwindling numbers of economically active people and a retiring baby-boomer generation. The institute said it typically estimates the number of newly employed workers at more than 300,000 in times of a positive economic outlook. "But we may see an age when the number falls to the 100,000 range," it added. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Law enforcement officials have identified the Port Authority Terminal pipe-bomb suspect as Akayed Ullah, 27. Ullah was wearing a low-tech, homemade explosive device, affixed to his body with zipties and Velcro when he detonated the bomb at approximately 7:20 a.m. on Monday in an underground subway passageway between 42nd Street and 8th Avenue and 42nd Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan, officials said during a press conference moments ago near the site of the blast. Officials are calling the incident a terrorist attack. Ullah suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, including burns to his hands and abdomen and lacerations, according to FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro. He was taken into custody and transported to Bellevue Hospital. Three people in the vicinity of the explosion went to area hospitals with minor injuries that include headaches and ringing of the ears, Nigro said. Miraculously there were no other injuries. Photos purported to be the suspect lying on the ground are circulating on social media. Another photo allegedly of the terrorist: pic.twitter.com/racDVvHxu8 Joe Borelli (@JoeBorelliNYC) December 11, 2017 It was not immediately clear if the walkway was Ullah's initial target, authorities said, or if his intention was to find a more heavily-populated area. "Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals," Mayor Bill de Blasio said during the press conference. The suspect tried to detonate the device but only part of it went off, according to the New York Daily News. Several Port Authority Police officers stepped in and took him into custody, the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association said. GREAT JOB PAPD TAKING DOWN SUBWAY BOMBING SUSPECT. THANK YOU POs JACK COLLINS, SEAN GALLAGHER, DREW PRESTON, ANTHONY MANFERDINI. Port Authority PBA (@PAPD911) December 11, 2017 According to published reports, Ullah is a Bangladeshi native living in Brooklyn. Officials did not confirm any details about him beyond his name and age. When asked if the suspect was inspired by ISIS, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said he made statements to authorites, but did not elaborate on the nature of those statements. Some officials, including former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton and Rep. Daniel Donovan said on television or social media he was indeed ISIS inspired. BREAKING: Terrorist has been identified as Ullah Akayed, 27 years old lives in Brooklyn. See the moment of the explosion. pic.twitter.com/ro1AygI1V1 NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) December 11, 2017 "It's very important for my fellow New Yorkers to know there are no additional known incidents at this time, there are no additional known activities," de Blasio said. Still, officials said city residents can expect to see an enhanced NYPD presence across the five boroughs. A law enforcement source said that may indeed be the case on Staten Island. "This is NYC, we don't live in fear," O'Neill said. "But if you see something suspicious you have an obligation to come forward and tell us." The Port Authority Bus Terminal has been re-opened. (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Nausheen Rahman, 30, the New Springville mother who was charged for throwing her newborn baby in the trash after giving birth, begged a judge for leniency Monday before she was sentenced. Here is her full statement: "Your Honor, I rise to ask this court for leniency in my case. Although I'm fully aware of the offense that I have committed, I can tell you that I am truly sorry for what I have done. My actions were an offense against my character and personality, as well as an offense against my family and community. Today, for my actions, I take full responsibility. "Humiliation and shame have been visited upon me beyond my ability to put into words. To my mother and father, my beloved parents, I am truly sorry for what I have done. I ask both of you to forgive me for the pain and heartache I've put you through. To my community who were traumatized by what you learned of my actions, I pray to God that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I ask that all who were impacted by my case understand the backdrop from which these dreadful actions were undertaken. "Perhaps, you will learn the truth of my story from the perspective of an Indian-American-Muslim woman. Don't Edit (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons) "What many Americans may not know is that Muslim women in the Indian-Pakistani culture are oppressed in her own land. Women are beaten and even killed for committing minor infractions. I have read many accounts of women just like me being brutalized by their husbands and family and ostracized from their community for mere accusations of offensive behavior. When I became pregnant, I was terrified of the response of my father and the cultural backlash that I knew I would experience, so I hid my pregnancy out of fear; fearing condemnation and estrangement from the family and an unspoken terror that would brand me as an evil and wicked person for the rest of my life. In the Islamic-Indian culture, there is no room for women to make mistakes. "Don't get me wrong, Islam is a beautiful faith tradition and I do honor my mother and father in accordance with the teachings of Islam. However, it is the cultural corruption that places young girls and women under very rigid and unforgiving circumstances. Under these conditions, the corruption sets into the true teachings of Islam and the true spirit of Islam is lost. It is my solemn duty to give back to society by speaking out against the corruption that I have witnessed and experienced and has become an overwhelming threat to millions of young Muslim women like me. I want to free young women from the domination and oppression that is experienced all over the world by young Muslim women on a daily basis. Don't Edit (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons) "My culture and the misinterpretations of Islam have played a significant role in my behavior. I acted under a cultural fear and intimidation. This is certainly not an excuse for my actions. Your Honor, as you may know, the plight of women in the Indian-Pakistani Islamic culture is without doubt oppressive to women, but the reality is far more grave and complicated. "The Indian-Pakistani Islamic culture has a strictly patriarchal social structure which does not identify women as individuals; women are identified in society by the male figures in their lives. Individuality does not exist for women in my culture. Consequently, women are punished not only for their mistakes, but for the mistakes made against them by others. It is not uncommon to punish women for being raped or molested in the street. Somehow, it is the woman's fault for enticing the rapists and the molesters, even though the Islamic faith tradition requires society to stand upon justice. Still, major violations of justice occur against women on a daily basis. Don't Edit (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons) "Your Honor, I am already paying the price for the loss of my innocent baby. I know what I did was wrong; it was a terrible mistake that I cannot take back. If I could, I would. I have ruined my family's reputation and their lives, including mine. The damage I caused to my family is irreparable. It is now affecting the health of my mother. My mother, who is under tremendous stress, lost her ability to speak. She is now mute, and there are no medical remedies or cures to restore her ability to speak. My father and my immediate family have suffered immensely from this ordeal. The have made untold sacrifices for me under these very trying conditions. I know our lives will never be the same. Therefore, I ask for leniency in sentencing from this court. "Today, I am stepping out of the shadows of silence and secrecy, and becoming a woman who is not afraid to speak up. Surely, out of this horrible situation can come a lot of good. I have lived in silence all of my life and now I am ready to face the challenges and difficulties of life with courage and confidence. I now know the penalty of silence, for indeed these moments which I presently live are teachable moments. If my mother's muteness doesn't change, I will speak for her because I believe I know what she wants and what she feels. I understand her agony and pain. I can say for her what she was never able to say. I want to be by my mother's side for the rest of her life. Don't Edit (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons) "The [assistant district attorney] has offered me 12 years. However, in light of what I have shared with this court regarding my circumstances, I am asking this court for leniency in my case. Attached to this letter are a few cases similar to mine that I would like this court to consider. I have no criminal record and I have always been a productive member of society. I understand that everyone who breaks the law should be punished, and I have accepted full responsibility for my actions. Therefore, I'm asking for leniency and the mercy of this court. "Your Honor, I am thankful to you for allowing me to read this letter and grateful for any consideration you may give me." Don't Edit STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two children fell out of a window and were rushed to the hospital Sunday afternoon in Dongan Hills, according to an NYPD spokesman. At approximately 12:58 p.m., a 6-year-old girl and 4 year-old boy tumbled out of a 3-story-high apartment window inside the Berry Houses complex on Seaver Avenue, the spokesman said. Both children were rushed via ambulance to Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) in Ocean Breeze with unspecified injuries, police said. According to NYPD, both children's injuries were believed to be non-life threatening. Police are still investigating the incident, added the spokesman. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hundreds of Staten Islanders were involved in deep discussions regarding some controversial issues, such as political, racial and ethnic divisions that occur on Staten Island and nationwide. The 14th annual Anti-Bias/Anti-Violence Summit was held on Sunday -- on International Human Rights Day -- at Port Richmond High School. The theme of the gathering was "Human Rights in our Fraught Times." Discussions involved race, violence, tolerance and growth, and offered opportunities for philosophical interactions. There were keynote speakers from Charlottesville, Va., and a theater performance. The violence that occured during a rally to remove a Confederate statue in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 was a large part of the discussion. "It's important that we have a vehicle by which the dialogue can be conveyed because what happened in Charlottesville could very easily happen anywhere," said Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore). Rev. Terry Troia kicked off the event describing the importance of the summit, noting that these talks will be held as long as there are divisions. Along with free dinner, there were opportunities for community interaction, round-table discussions, anti-racism training and small group conversations. "It's very important that we have that conversation because even here on Staten Island, we've had incidents that have not been dealt with," said Rose. "We've kind of covered over them and I think that's a dangerous place to be because they're just festering for the next time something happens." KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Keynote speakers included: Rev. Seth Wispelwey, a United Church of Christ minister; and Dr. Diane Gartner Hillman, the vice president of a Charlottesville synagogue surrounded by white supremacists during August's "Unite the Right" rally. "We tried to get past not just what happened, but to the racism and to the negative parts of our lives," Gartner Hillman said. "There's a lot being done, but there's not enough." A READING Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams, well-known actors and media personalities performed the NYC Theater of War Productions project, "Hercules in Staten Island." The reading was staged by seasoned actors: Frankie Faison (Coming to America, Hannibal and The Wire); Glenn Davis (24, The Unit and Jericho); Chinasa Ogbuagu (Law and Order, Nurse Jackie, The Following); and Williams. The interactive and collaborative workshop -- hosted by the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene -- focused on how to be reflective and effective racial justice advocates. Participants of the "Building Just Communities -- a Racial Justice Interactive and Collaborative Workshop for Change Makers Who Want to Create Equitable Community Spaces," left with tool kits for social change. The event was organized by Communities United for Respect and Trust and co-sponsored by Take Care New York 2020. Other sponsors include houses of worship, not-for-profits, city agencies and other local, city and national groups. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- United States federal officials have announced that endangered right whales could become extinct, unless action is taken to protect them. North Atlantic right whales are among the rarest marine mammals in the world. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said there are only about 450 whales left, and 17 of them have died in 2017. Right whales have been on the decline since 2010, and it's estimated there are significantly fewer female right whales in population. The comments were made by NOAA officials and researchers during a meeting last week with the New England Fishery Management Council. Mark Murray-Brown, an Endangered Species Act consultant for NOAA, led the presentation of the five-year review of right whales. The five-year study found that whales have low rates of reproduction; longer calving intervals; declining population abundance; changes in prey availability; increased transboundary movement and risk; and continued mortality from vessel and fishing gear interactions. In the early 1890s, commercial whalers hunted right whales in the Atlantic to the brink of extinction. While whaling is no longer a threat, human interaction is still the greatest danger to the endangered species. The leading causes of known mortality is due to entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. NOAA Fisheries and partners are continuing efforts to conserve and rebuild the North Atlantic right whale population -- studying, protecting and rescuing endangered whales. Page Content PHILIPSBURG - On Saturday December 9th the St. Maarten Youth Brigade, along with family and friends celebrated the promotion of its new recruits, cadets and Sergeants in a wonderful ceremony and reception which was also supported by the Prime Minister Rafael Boasman and Minister of Youth Silveria Jacobs. Founder Zulayka Peterson spoke of the history of the St. Maarten Youth Brigade and its journey from inception to present, highlighting its challenges as well as great achievements including the personal and collective growth of its members. The members also engaged in community support and volunteering before and after Hurricane Irma, along with training and development which they endured and are now thankful for and so much more. Mrs. Peterson also mentioned in her address that members got permission to wear their uniforms to school on the 5th anniversary of the Voice of our Youth Foundation earlier this year which led to more recruits joining the SMYB. Mrs. Peterson also highlighted the accolades the members have received from the Dutch Marines whom they assisted directly after Hurricane Irmas passing, working at the NIPA Shelter, assisting with food and water distribution, with cleaning up schools and in the community and helping those who had lost roofs including their own members. Minister Jacobs in her address, congratulated the visionaries who saw the possibilities 5 years ago and who saw it through to the point where they have so many youth positively busy in their own lives and making an impact in the community. Minister Jacobs also thanked all those who had worked with the youth to make it possible for them to move to the next level today. Minister Jacobs further pledged to continue to support in whatever way she could, both in and out of office, and encouraged the general public to find some way to support youth groups such as these and to encourage and support their children to take part in such positive initiatives. The Youth Brigade should not be seen as a boot camp but as a way through military type training to groom youth to join our uniformed services as well as to grow in character and discipline. One young member who has been promoted to Sergeant, Corporal Rupshen is already enlisted in the VKS. Setting a day per month in which the SMYB members could wear their uniforms to school at least once per month to share their goals and experiences with their friends at school was promoted by the Minister and received loud cheers of agreement from the recently promoted members. Minister Jacobs pledged to make it possible. Prime Minister Rafael Boasman also gave some encouraging remarks to the organization, members, families and friends and further echoed the sentiments of his colleague Minister for continued support for the St. Maarten Youth Brigade as an alternative to incarcerating youth offenders and thereby retraining and preparing them to be productive and positive citizens and role models to their peers and younger children on St. Maarten. The newly promoted members and their peers marched through Philipsburg with pride after the ceremony and returned to enjoy the reception with their guests. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: %method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: %perl> 28: